I love each of the seasons and winter is my favorite for painting, but it's really wearing out its welcome this year—even all-weather Mimi isn't thrilled about going outside and getting her paws cold, and pretty often wet too. But like Sally, above, we know that if we are patient Vernal Equinox will eventually dare to push up from under the cover of leaves and bring us color and warm sunlight. And new ideas and products!
The longer days have me inspired to get our garden under way along with preparing for spring and summer art & craft and vendor events. I've long wanted to print some of my designs on fabric items and finally purchased a heat press to use with commercial quality fabric transfers, imprinting colorfast full-color images permanently onto fabric. I played around with imprinting on canvas and making the tote bags you see above—they are not for sale yet, I need to streamline the printing and sewing first—but this also means things like pillows, place mats, dish towels, and other fabric housewares, apparel and accessories. I hope to have the first of these items ready for my first event this spring, April 7, to benefit Pet Search Rescue—see below in my list of events!
Your April Special Offers
$25.00 for Two Purchase two garden flags or two keepsake boxes for $25.00, a $5.00 savings! Choose from these garden flag designs
with code 25FORTWOGARDENFLAGS Choose from these KEEPSAKE BOXES and more
with code 25FORTWOKEEPSAKES NOTE: If you are local and would like to pick up your order, also use coupon codeFREESHIPPING.
Upcoming Events
Wow, five events planned so far, and that's just until mid June! If you're local I hope to see you, if not, I'll always have savings for you in my newsletters.
SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 10:00 am-4:00pm Spring 2018 Art, Craft and Vendor Show Benefiting Pet Search and Homeless Animals
American Legion, 168 Park Avenue, Washington, PA DETAILS
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SATURDAY, MAY 5, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Rennerdale Church Spring Arts & Crafts Fair
First United Presbyterian Church of Rennerdale, 151 Noblestown Road, Rennerdale, PA 15106 DETAILS
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SATURDAY, MAY 20, 3:00 – 7:00 P.M. HCMT/Pittsburgh C.A.T. Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
J. Verno Studios South Side, 3030 Jane Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 DETAILS
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SUNDAY, MAY 27, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Pet Day at Slippery Rock Campground Association
1150 W Park Rd, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, SRCA Ball Field DETAILS
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SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 9:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M. Hearts and Paws Pet Care and Adoption Fair
South Park Fairgrounds Agricultural Building Area, 3734 Buffalo Drive, South Park, PA 15129 DETAILS
Four Certificates of Excellence
from the Cat Writers' Association
The first round of judging in the Cat Writers’ Association 2017 Communications Contest have been returned. My works have won four Certificates of Excellence this year. These four are now included in the Muse Medallion for each category, announced at the annual conference in June.
The winning works are
Annual or Long Publication:
Rescue, Foster, Rehome, Repeat 2018: Pittsburgh C.A.T. Calendar
Online Articles: Rescue/Advocacy:
TNR With a Side of Adoption and Outreach
The Kitten Game
Illustration (Series):
Book cover illustration and design: Klepto Cat Mysteries 21-26 {third year in a row!)
Nothing Like a Good Scratch,
Though You Might Disagree
There she is again, having an obviously great time ripping more stuffing out of the arm of the chair, right in front where it can’t be hidden or easily fixed. It’s a good thing she’s pretty fast because you’d probably do something you’d regret later if you could get your hands on her.
It’s fun to laugh at our own behavior and kitty’s reaction, but cats scratching things they shouldn’t often gets them into trouble and is no laughing matter at all—being destructive is high on the list of reasons cats are abandoned or surrendered to shelters, and it’s the main reason people have cats declawed. That’s a pretty extreme response to a normal cat behavior.
This article is an explanation of the biological reasons cats scratch things and how to work with them to scratch the things you want them to. I consulted with Dr. Marci L. Koski, Certified Feline Behavior & Training Consultant for information on kitty behavior. Read the article on The Creative Cat.
My Rescued Foster Kitty, Sienna
I’ve had a guest in my foster room since last December, a very nice tortie girl, soft and round and affectionate who I’m calling Sienna. It’s apparent she was someone’s cat, but not sure who. Friends in a Carnegie neighborhood had been feeding her since July and trapped her when the weather turned. She was skittish outside but now that she’s inside she’s a VERY friendly and nice kitty, talkative, loves laps, loves pets. No microchip and unspayed, I held her to surrender with reclaim to one of the shelters, but she developed a urinary condition so kept her to observe, had her spayed, tested and given all her shots.
Sienna is about two years hold. She is slow to explore outside of the upstairs but loves to nap on the bed. Initially she did not play at all but has begun to swat toys and loves catnip, and is friendly with all the cats but terrified of people other than me. We have some work to do before I surrender her, but I'd love to find her a home directly from here. Read more about Sienna.
An Continuing TNR Project
This TNR project is continuing.
Most of you who follow me know that I assist others in care for community cats and sometimes help with TNR, or trap-neuter-return of stray and feral cats to a caretaker. This particular project came up last September when someone found kittens wandering in an overgrown yard and I discovered there wer stray and feral cats living in the abandoned duplex there. The plot thickened as the building was for sale, then sold, then was to be demolished to build a new building. I'll be using this as a case study for articles on practicing TNR and working with the public on behalf of cats.
I can usually do this with a minimum of cost to myself, but this one is going to be a little expensive. I will use the free for ferals clinics but I'm not sure if I'll trap them all in time to get them there. I'll have extra food costs while I hold them, I'd love to buy a trap or two to call my own, and there is travel to and from the farm. If you'd like to help me with this project, I will give you a gift certificate for your donation through my "Donate for a Discount Program". If you can help, thank you!
April Featured Artwork and Desktop Calendar
I don't have the April featured artwork and desktop calendar post ready—that will be Wednesday or later, so you can't download the April calendar or order this art as your free member print yet, but I wanted to share it in this newsletter. You'll be able to find the link to read about and download the calendar on both The Creative Cat and Portraits of Animals after April 1.
Though I took the reference photos for this painting in January, I am ready for a pop of color in April, and it's been a while since I featured a watercolor painting.
Holly is also one of the featured rescues in my Great Rescues Day Book.
You can still download the March Desktop Calendar until the end of the month, and also choose "Chocolate Nap" as your free member print for another month or two. I like to feature new works for an extra few months.
$25.00 for Two Purchase two garden flags or two keepsake boxes for $25.00, a $5.00 savings! Choose from these garden flag designs
with code 25FORTWOGARDENFLAGS Choose from these KEEPSAKE BOXES and more
with code 25FORTWOKEEPSAKES NOTE: If you are local and would like to pick up your order, also use coupon codeFREESHIPPING.
