October
2007
The StudioKat
Designs
Newsletter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
HELLO and
Welcome!- It's October and you know what that
means? Football? Jack Frost? Pumpkins? Yes, yes and yes, but all I can
think of is that October means the FALL QUILT Market, and I'M
GOING!! As an independant pattern designer, the Quilt Market is
THE place to see and be seen, but I have never been. Why? Well,
it's expensive to go, it's intimidating not knowing what to expect, and
it's scary not knowing ANYONE! But this year, I'm helping Penel Jensen of
Pattern Peddlers set up for, and work in her booth. Isn't that perfect?
This will give me a very unthreatening way to scope things out and meet
folks, so that maybe next time I might feel comfortable doing it on my
own, or with a friend. And here's the best part. I'm taking my Mom with
me, and we're staying with my Aunt & Uncle, so I'll get to catch up with
them and five of my favorite cousins whom I haven't seen for over 20
years! Soooo... if you're a store owner and you're going to the Market,
please look me up in the Pattern Peddlers booth. I'd love to meet you!
Next month... look for Market pictures and stories. Did I mention
that I'm excited?!?
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/oct07.htm to see the online version of the
newsletter.
Feline Quote for October-
"If you yell at a cat, you're the
one making a fool of yourself. Unknown
New on my
Website!-
Alisa Kolenc of Kennesaw,Ga wrote to tell me about some modifications she
had made to my Odyssey Bag design. I've got to tell you, when a customer
starts talking about "modifications", my eyes normally roll back into my
head. I can't help it. My designs are like my children! But Alisa wrote
that her 5-year old daughter had recently been diagnosed with diabetes,
and she had been shopping for a bag to carry all of her medical supplies.
"Much to my surprise", Alisa wrote, "there is a sad lack of stylish
medical bags. If you want a black laptop/messenger style, you are fine,
but if you want something your child (or you) would LIKE to carry, esp. in
a backpack format, you are just plain out of luck! Then we happened on your
website & we quickly figured that we could modify the interior
design a bit to hold her medical
supplies. We ordered the kit. My Mom, (a novice sewer) and I (a
beginner) were quire overwhelmed by the complexity of the pattern when it
arrived! My Mom's advice ended up being the motto we used to complete it--
'We'll just take it one step at a time!' And Hallelujah! We finished it! It
is just PERFECT! We are proud of our hard work, & delighted to show off
your pattern and our bag!" I love what Alisa's done with the bag, and her
daughter's big smile says it all!
Mary Segrist of Topeka, KS wrote to tell me about her gorgeous adoptee
named
Fluffer. You can read about him
here.
Peg Rice, pattern tester extraordinaire, made up this
fabulous Kizmet in appliqued denim to test out the design. I LOVE it!
Linda Stokes, of Key West, FL, sent me this picture of her cool
SideKick. I think you'll agree that she did a real good job with the
image placements.
New at StudioKat
Designs- The Kizmet
Klutch
Yep that's right, today I am officially releasing my 15th handbag pattern,
the
Kizmet Klutch. The Kizmet can be made up in two sizes,
medium, and
large, and BOTH sizes are included in the pattern envelope! Assemble
your Kizmet in silky formal fabric, for a stunning evening
wear accessory. Or rev up your everydaywear with a blast of color, by
making up your Kizmet in
funky fashion fabrics, like denims, linens,and embroidered
corduroys.
The Kizmet Klutch features a totally unique interior zippered pocket that
separates the interior into front
and back storage areas, keeping all of your items organized and
jumble-free. You can carry your Kizmet "clutch-style", or you can utilize
a detachable chain strap when you need to be hands-free, (like in that
buffet line)!
The Kizmet Klutch pattern retails for $10.00, but from now until Oct 31st,
we are extending a $1.00 coupon offer to our loyal customers and newsletter
subscribers. You can redeem your coupon by simply typing OCT07 in the
coupon code box at checkout when you shop online, or simply write the
OCT07 code onto your check, moneyorder, or order form when you order by
snail mail.
It's a
Handbag Sale!- If you're looking for
a unique gift for a special friend, (like you?), then you need to check
out the StudioKat Designs handbag
sale. This month we have added FOUR new Kizmets to the Handbag page,
and just in time for the holidays. These new and unused Kizmets are priced
for quick sale, so don't delay!
A Cool Place to Shop!-Holiday Gift Ideas Giving and receiving gifts can
be two of the best parts of the holiday season. But often the sentiment is
lost in crowded malls and parking lots. You can avoid the lines and keep
your focus on loved ones with these personalized holiday gift ideas. With
a little help from your PC, digital images can be transformed into gifts
that will bring smiles to everyone on your list. Go Fish is fun to play,
but how much cooler would it be if there were personalized pictures on the
cards? Click here for instructions and to find out MORE! Or how about
creating a photostory of your year in pictures? Wouldn't that be a great
way to catch up with old friends? It's easy with PhotoStory for Windows. You can burn the story onto a
DVD and then send it to your friends, near and far!
Surf HERE for Neat INFO!- Carve Out Time for Pumpkins!
After you go to that pumpkin patch, make this "cutting edge" site your
next stop! It explains absolutely EVERYTHING you need to know about
pumpkin carving, to get ready for Halloween night. Learn how to select the right pumpkin, and how to create masterpiece
Jack O' Lanterns with the help of stencils. You'll even get tips on extending the lifespan of your creations, and photographing them successfully.
Laws Overlooked by
Murphy- ENjoy these two Laws that were
overlooked by Mr. Murphy, sent in by alert reader, D. Hannon of Syracuse,
NY.
"If the shoe fits, its UGLY!"
"Anything is possible, if you don't know what you're talking
about!"
Love Handbags?- LucumaFashion.Com
If you're looking for an unique gift for someone special (like maybe
yourself?), then you need to visit LucumaFashion.Com. It showcases the
work of a talented circle of artists that produce uncommon, cutting edge
handbags, designed with a tasteful eye for the contemporary! My favorites
are the 3D Art Quilt Handbags, inspired by the flower gardens of
Peru, but you'll also find exquisite
Alpaca Fur Bags, awesome
Painted Wood Purses, and green-concious
Recycled Rubber Bags. Something for everyone!
Did You Know?- most lipstick contains fish scales?
Surf HERE for FUN!-
Bright Ideas for Kids
One of my favorite things to do with my little girl, (who really hasn't
been a little girl for a LONG time), was to make beautiful creations with
a LiteBrite. Do kids play with these anymore? I'm not sure, but if you
would like a cheap (free) thing to do with your kids or grandkids, then
visit this site. Quite simply, its a virtual
LiteBrite toy, and the best part is... there aren't a bazillion little
lights to pick up when you're done! And here's another cool thing, you can
even print or email your creation when you're done!
Question of the
Month- Why is it that people say they "slept
like a baby", when babies wake up like... every two hours?
Me-
A Great Book to Curl up and
Read with your CAT!-
October is "Squirrel Awareness Month", set aside to honor one of our
friendliest forms of wild life. This is interesting, because at my house,
EVERY month is "Squirrel Awareness Month". My husband is obcessed with
squirrels, and spends a great many of his waking hours devising schemes to
keep them out of his bird feeders. (Not that he doesn't want to feed
squirrels mind you, because he has feeders dedicated to the little guys.)
He just wants them to stay at their own feeders, and not bug his birds,
which they of course are doing! He alternates between swearing off feeding
critters of any type because of his aggravation, to engaging in what can
only be described as all-out guerilla warfare, including camaflaged
clothing (for him), noise-making items, greased feeder poles, etc. etc.
The list is endless! I honestly don't know who is funnier, the
squirrels... or my husband, trying to outwit the squirrels. But then I
found this fun book, "Outwitting Squirrels" by Bill Adler, about the trials of
a bird fancier trying to , as he puts it, "reduce dramatically the
egregious misappropriation of seed from bird feeders by squirrels".If
there's a squirrel-obcessed individual in your house, then I think you'll
enjoy it. (Don't tell Bubba, but he's getting it for Christmas!)
Monthly
Trivia-
Can you believe that the children's TV show, "Captain Kangaroo", debuted
on this day in 1955? On the air until 1985, this was the longest-running
children's TV show, until it was surpassed by "Sesame Street". Oh, how I
loved Bunny Rabbit, and especially Mr. Moose! And speaking of big days, is
today is your birthday? If it is, then here's a great big Studiokat Designs
"Happy Birthday" to YOU! You are in good company indeed because Chubby
Checker ("Let's Twist") was born on this day in Philadelphia in 1941. He
shares his special day with Lindsey Buckingham (of Fleetwood Mac), who is
60 today, and blues guitarist, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Celebrated golfer, Fred
Couples, is eating birthday cake today, as is one of my all-time favorite
NY Yankees, Dave Winfield. And if today is not your birthday, you can
enjoy the day anyway by maybe seeing how it feels to do the twist to some
of your favorites tunes currently playing on the radio? Or if that just
seems too wierd, you might see if a little Chubby Checker music will keep
the squirrels from running your chicadees away. (Believe me, Bubba tried
something similar, and it worked... for about 32 minutes, and then they
were back, with their friends, doing what can only be described as a
linedance, while they emptied the bird feeder!)
Well, that's it for now, so until next month,
remember! Sewing Forever, Housework
Whenever!
My
newsletters
are copyrighted. If
you
enjoyed this newsletter, please feel free to share it. As a
matter
of fact, it would actually tickle me to death if you sent it
to
everyone you know! BUT- Please don't send just paragraphs of
it here
and there, because the authorship info is what usually gets
left off
in the process. Better still, why not let your friends
know that
they can sign up for the newsletter themselves at http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/newsletter.htm? (Note
to other webmasters:)Authorship credit is the only payment I
receive
for this endeavor, so if you want to use an excerpt from this
newsletter in your publication, please ask me first.
HotLinks- (in
order
of appearance)
StudioKat Designs October07 Newsletter ONLINE:
http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/oct07.htm
New on My Website:
Fluffer's picture &
story:
www.studiokatdesigns.com/tails.htm
Peg's fabulous
Kizmet: www.studiokatdesigns.com/pegskizmet.jpg
Linda's cool
SideKick: www.studiokatdesigns.com/stokes.jpg
New at StudioKat Designs:
www.studiokatdesigns.com/kizmet.htm
Medium-Sized Kizmet:
www.studiokatdesigns.com/smpaisleykizmet1.jpg
Large-Sized Kizmet:
www.studiokatdesigns.com/smsilkkizmet2.jpg
An Evening-Wear
Accessory: www.studiokatdesigns.com/smsonoma.jpg
Funky Fashion Fabric
Kizmet: www.studiokatdesigns.com/smplaidkizmet2.jpg
Front & Back Storage
Areas: www.studiokatdesigns.com/smkizmetint.jpg
StudioKat Designs Handbag Sale:
www.studiokatdesigns.com/handbag.htm
Go Fish Photo Cards:
www.microsoft.com/athome/morefun/photogiftideas.mspx#EEB
PhotoStory for Windows:
www.microsoft.com/athome/morefun/photogiftideas.mspx#E2D
PumpkinCarving101.Com:
www.pumpkincarving101.com
Selecting the Right
Pumpkin: www.pumpkincarving101.com/pumpkin_selection.html
Pumpkin Stencils: www.pumpkincarving101.com/pumpkin_carving_stencils.html
Extending Pumpkin
Life: www.pumpkincarving101.com/pumpkin_lifespan.html
Photographing
Pumpkins: www.pumpkincarving101.com/pumpkin_photographing.html
Lucima Fashion.Com:
3D Art Quilt
Handbags: www.lucumafashion.com/3d_artquilt_handbags.asp
Alpaca Fur Bags:
www.lucumafashion.com/alpaca_fur_handbags.asp
Painted Wood Purses:
www.lucumafashion.com/painted_wood_purses.asp
Recycled Rubber Bags:
www.lucumafashion.com/recycled_rubber_bags.asp
Bright Ideas for Kids:
www.hasbro.com/litebrite/swf/litebrite.cfm
Virtual Lite Brite
Game: www.hasbro.com/litebrite/swf/litebrite.cfm
"Outwitting Squirrels":
www.amazon.com/Outwitting-Squirrels-Stratagems-Dramatically-Misappropriation/dp/1556523025/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5124956-7711364?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191001156&sr=1-1
Sign up for Studiokat Designs
Newsletter: www.studiokatdesigns.com/newsletter.htm
StudioKat Designs
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137 S. Hemingway Ct., * Advance, NC * 27006 * (336)416-1799 * toll-free at 1-866-409-8634 *
info@studiokatdesigns.com www.StudioKatDesigns.com
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logos,graphics,text, designs & images are copyright
protected
and the property of StudioKat Designs © 2004-2006
StudioKat Designs
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