StudioKat Designs- Newsletter April 08

April 2008

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!- I know that Spring is here in NC, because I can feel that annoying itch beginning in my eyes, but is that stopping me from leaving the porch door open, letting the March breezes sweep the winter staleness from the house? No indeed. I've simply got to get me a laptop computer with a wireless connection, so that I can do my work out on that porch and REALLY enjoy Spring. Oh well, enough daydreaming! I've got a new pattern to introduce, an exciting interactive contest to announce, and lots MORE!
Also, especially for the convenience of our friends at Pattern Review & AOL, all of the hotlinks are listed in order at the bottom of this letter, and as always, if you prefer, you can go to www.studiokatdesigns.com/apr08.htm to see the online version of the newsletter.

Feline Quote for April-
"The real measure of a day's heat is the length of a sleeping cat." Charles J. Brady

New on my Website!-
Peg Rice of Westport Island, ME, sent in a terrific new Cat Video this month. There are 1 or 2 repeat clips on it, but there's enough hysterical new footage, that it's well worth the look. Click here to watch!

Show & Share Gallery-
Every month so many of you send me pictures of the beautiful handbags you're creating. I just love seeing them and I'll bet you do too! So, let's try something new & fun this month! Check out these pics, all received in March, & then cast a vote for your favorite. And just to make it interesting, the creator of the handbag receiving the most votes at the end of the month will win a $10.00 SKD gift certificate. (Results to be announced in next month's newsletter.) And keep those pictures coming, because if we all enjoy this process, then we may make this a regular event!

Judi Graf of Tyler Texas submitted this gorgeous Trifecta, made up in leather-look fabric. She says the size is PERFECT for her and all of her stuff. Of course she can't take all the credit, she had a lot of help from her sewing assistant, Milo!

Ann Heselton of Saskatchewan, Canada finished this cute PortaPockets. She said it was fun to sew and that the instructions were easy to follow!

Adri Mayo of Cape Elizabeth, ME, whipped up this fun Cirque Sac with the help of her assistant RC, who as you can see, greatly admires her work!

Kristin Rohan of McKinney, TX, created this beautiful Kizmet Klutch to carry at her son's wedding. She used black satin with organza yoyo's to embellish it. Gosh I hope she didn't upstage the bride!

My loyal pattern testers have been hard at work testing my new ReUse-a-Bag pattern, and here are their results. Peg's bags are absolutely adorable in pink & blue froggies, and Joyce worked up a very cool ReUse-a-Bag, in shades of purple!

And last but not least, here's Judi Graf again with a end of the month entry, a stunning Mezza Luna, with an Oriental twist, that she made for her daughter-in-law. (Man, what i wouldn't give for a mother-in-law like THAT!) Judi commented that the pictures on my website just didn't do justice to the Mezza Luna pattern, and that she found it to be a fun bag to make, with a lot of versatility.

OK, ready to vote now? Just click on the link below to cast your vote.
(Only one vote per day, per email address)

Cast Your Vote HERE!

New at StudioKat Designs- The ReUse-a-Bag
I'm on the verge of releasing my newest design, The ReUse-a-Bag. Since reusable shopping bags save energy, trees & precious natural resources, why not permit them to make a personal statement in addition to the political statement. You can make these bags in 3 sizes from this pattern, & they allfold up in such a cute & compact way, that you can easily store them in your purse or the glove box of your car. But look out, they're so beautiful & lightweight, you'll want to carry them on your arm to advertise your new eco-friendly lifestyle.
Requiring only minimal supplies, ReUse-a-Bags are quick & easy projects that are fun to make for beginning & experienced sewers alike. And here's a cool idea, what better way to encourage your friends & family to change their shopping habits, than to give ReUse-a-Bags as gifts!
I will officially announce the release of the ReUse-a-Bag pattern in the May newsletter, but I anticipate putting the pattern for sale on my website as soon as it arrives in late April if you want to check back around then. The ReUse-a-Bag retails for $9.00, but from now until May 31st, we are offering a $1.00 off coupon to our loyal newsletter readers. You can redeem your coupon by simply typing REUSE in the coupon code box at checkout when you shop online, or by simply writing the word REUSE onto your check when you order by snail mail, or mention this offer when ordering by phone.

A Cool Place to Shop!- Lisas Jewels
Looking for one-of-a-kind contemporary jewelry? I think you'll enjoy shopping at Lisa's Jewels, an independant artist from Glasgow, Scotland. The earring selection is amazing, and I especially loved the cool slideshow!

Your cat might own you if...you have more than four opened but rejected cans of cat food in your refridgerator.

Surf HERE for Neat INFO!- I Want Sandy.Com
There's all kinds of things on the market today to help you organize appointments on a calendar, but there's a lot of activities in your daily life that just doesn't fit neatly into your calendar's time slots. Not good at remembering to print out your flight confirmation code? Send a message to Sandy, and she'll remind you in a daily digest, in a text message or as an event on your calendar. Using email, you can set up and receive reminders for appointments, birthdays, illusive anniversaries, contacts, lists and other random information. And, true to her humanlike presence on the site, Sandy speaks and understands plain English - just like a real personal assistant! (Only with Sandy, you won't get any backtalk, and she doesn't take sick days!) Click here for more information!

New Word of the Month-Carbon-Based Error
An error caused by a human, not a computer.

Love Handbags?- Henrietta's Handbags
Henrietta's Handbags is a great place to look for a handmade handbag, whether you're in the market to buy, or just looking for an inspiration! Henrietta is a good friend of mine, and a fellow North Carolinian and she's been very helpful to me along the way. I especially like her selection of denim handbags, my personal favorite being this little cutie. Denim not your thing? Then check out this fun purple bag. Still not your cup of tea, then click here to check out her complete line!

Sewing Tip of the Month- Pressing Fray Check until it is dry will keep it soft and pliable.

Did You Know?- that over 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a phone call?

A cool Internet Activity- 5 min.com
Try this: Write directions for tying your shoes, or making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's not as easy as it seems: some things are best demonstrated, not written. That's what makes the 5min "videopedia" invaluable. It's a site featuring short videos that provide solutions or instructions for common and practical issues, like how to thread a sewing machine, or how to teach your dog to sit, or my personal favorite, the hysterical how to give your cat a massage! None of the videos is longer than 5 minutes, and they're all user-generated, making 5 min.com a kind of instructional video version of Wikipedia!

Laugh Lines- The sole purpose of a childs middle name is so he can tell when he is REALLY in trouble!

Surf HERE for FUN!- Daily Lit.Com
Being well-read might not be your biggest priority, but it comes in handy during dinner conversations. Luckily, there's Daily Lit. The site offers both classic and contemporary titles, all provided in quick-reading installments that can be sent to you either via email or RSS. Since most of the classics are in the public domain, they're free; newer titles are available for purchase. So, the next time the conversation turns to the genius of Herman Melville, you can join in! And besides that, it sure beats lugging around REAL books!

Question of the Month- How is it that we put a man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Monthly Trivia-
As it turns out, April 3rd is a popular birthday to have amongst celebrities. Comedian Eddie Murphy and entertainer Wayne Newton will both be eating birthday cake today, as will Tony Orlando (but not Dawn). Also born on this day were Marlon Brando in Omaha, Doris Day in Cincinnati, and Alec Baldwin in Massapequa, NY. And lest you think Hollywood has a corner on April 3rd, skiing phenom Picabo Street will probably be taking some time out of her training schedule to commemorate this day, and Jane Goodall, that famous anthropologist is probably planning a little celebration with her chimps! And if today is also YOUR birthday, you're in good company indeed! Here's a great big StudioKat Designs 'Happy Birthday to YOU!' And if today is not your birthday, I'd suggest getting in on the celebration. Heck, there's bound to be someone YOU know who is having a birthday today, and that means CAKE!

Well, that's it for now, so until next month, remember!
Sewing Forever, Housework Whenever!

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