StudioKat News                      June 2011
 In This Issue-
Buttercup Quilts
Just Another Button Company
Craft Gossip.Com
Catatar.Com
Newsletter Sponsors
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Customer Comment
of the Month
"I so LOVE your newsletter! I subscribe to others that seem to be much more about promotion. I generally delete those without reading them.
I have also shared many of your newsletter with my friends. So thanks a bunch!"
Carol Dandeson

Hello and Welcome-
Well here we are, fresh from the Spring Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, and when we returned, is if on cue, it's starting to feel like summer, as only North Carolina can dish it out! In a word, its HOT! And speaking of hot, this issue of our newsletter is virtually smokin' with hot leads for you to check out and enjoy, but first, here's your monthly installment of cute...my grandson, of course.
Click here to enjoy the video,
the come back & we'll proceed?
And don't forget, if you have comments or suggestions about our Newsletter, or if you just feel like telling us something, please feel free to do so at info@studiokatdesigns.com
 

 
 
 
  If you're having trouble reading this email- Click HERE for  web version
 
Feline Quote for February-
"If we treated everyone we meet with the same affection we bestow upon our favorite cat, they, too, would purr."                               Martin Buxbaum
 
Bobbin Around the Web- Buttercup Quilts
We met Mike & Cody Mazuran (of Buttercup Quilts) when their booth adjoined ours last spring in Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City is their "hometurf", we figured they'd 'pull out the stops'for the home crowd and they DID!
 
New for this Market is a darling new apron pattern (modeled by Cody), which you can click here to see a closeup, and an absolutely charming Baby Sunhat which can be made up for girls AND boys. Here's another view you may like.
 
 "Handbag of the Month" Gallery-
Thanks to everyone who participated in last month's contest! The winner was Sharon Mallory of Mesa, AZ. She wins a $20.00 SKD gift certificate and a permanent place of honor on our website. Click here to see her winning entry, a stunningly, fantastic Carolina CarryAll.
 
The June Handbag of the Month contest promises to be just as exciting, so without further ado...Check out this month's nominees, then cast a vote for your favorite.

(Click each individual picture for a larger view)

First off we have this high-quality Quattro which was fashioned by Jean Johnson of Lodi, WI. Jean said she loved the look of the Quattro from the first time she saw it pictured in our Blog. Here's a closeup of the zippered top and the back of the bag. She did a great job, didn't she?
Jean said there was just one problem. Her Quattro 'needs' a PortaPockets Insert, but the one she's made matches another bag. But we say, 'Go ahead & use it anyway, it doesn't have to match!'
 
And this perfectly coordinated Quattro was put together by Sharon Mallory of Mesa, AZ. She said was ALL from her stash and was originally intended for other individual projects, but since it matched so perfectly, she HAD to use it. (Here's a closeup of the embroidery.)
Sharon added that the pockets are awesome and that making this bag helped her finally overcome her 'zipper fear', and quite beautifully as well!
 
Jan Broomfield of Western Australia made this exquisitely embroidered Vervalise to take on her
 
trip to Europe, because she wanted a bag that was light and easy to carry. (Here's a view of the INSIDE of Jan's Vervalise.) She constructed her bag with Kaffe Fassett fabric and hand quilted the 'chrysanthemum ' on the front of the bag! Well done!!
Theresa Kirk of Ledyard, CT made this 'delicious' Quattro out of fabulous watermelon she's had in her stash for over a year now, just waiting for the right pattern. She had such fun that she made a matching wallet, makeup bag, and key leash.
I'd say Theresa is ready for summer, wouldn't you?
 
 
And isn't this DittyRoo of many colors just fabulous? The creator, Jan Wojcik of Krakow, WI, said that she REALLy enjoyed makiing this bag.
Jan used a big variety of batiks and a beautifully dyed batik for the base, which matched perfectly. She also used a green print for the lining which really complimented the whole combo. It's a stunning bag!
 
 
 
 
 
Phyllis Houp of Newburgh, ME said that her Boho Baguette was 'a fun bag to sew'. She added some very interesting African Trade beads to the gatheriing strands. Here's a view of the back of the bag.  Great job, Phyllis!
 
 
This patriotic Quattro was also fashioned by Phyllis Houp, who obviously has been a very busy girl. Don't you think this would be a FUN bag to carry to a picnic on July 4th?
 
 
So there you have it folks, and I sure don't envy you your choice this month! This is a really terrific group of bags and the choice is going to be TOUGH!
 
 
 
OK, ready to vote now?
Just click on the link below to cast your vote.
 Only one vote per MONTH, per email address is allowed.
 
Think you've got what it takes to win?
To enter our"Handbag of the Month" contest,
just attach your jpg or gif image to an email and send it to: info@studiokatdesigns.com.
 
Blog with us!-  A Work in Progress
Enjoy an insider's scoop on what's happening behind the scenes at StudioKat Designs, by signing up for our blog, "A Work In Progress". If you're new to our blog, or if you missed any of the posts from last month, don't worry, theyre all listed below. 
 
 
 
Sponsor 'Picks-of-the-Month'- 
Material Girls Online store- Beautiful batiks for the "Artist in YOU".
All DunnDesigns.Com- Customize your patterns with the  ALL-NEW Pattern MD.  
PursePatterns.Com- NEW Designer- Charlie's Aunt Patterns
Vicki Welsh Hand-Dyed Fabrics- NEW- Morning Glory Gradient dyed fabric- yummy enuf to EAT!
Trish Stuart.Com- Books & DVD's for a summer full of sewing FUN!                             
 
Website Spotlite- Just Another Button Company
If you're like me, there's just not an interesting button to be had in your hometown, so you just might want to bookmark Just Another Button Company for the next time you need 'just the right button'! And as an extra bonus, not only will you find an excellent selection of buttons, you'll also be able to shop for specialty pins, button bracelets, embellished paper clips, and unique pin cushions. You can also check out their Blog by clicking here.
 
 
Video of the Month- Mel's Hidden Talent
I think this gal could have a great career ahead of her in the cartoon industry. I'm not sure what else this talent is good for, other than strictly it's entertainment value. Click here to enjoy.
 
As 'Funnie' as Real Life-
 
 
(click image to see an enlargement)
 
Cat Video of the Month- Hungry Kitty wants to EAT!
Here's an amazing video of a VERY intelligent cat who knows exactly how to get what he wants! he also might have the most annoying MEOW that i have EVER heard! Click here to watch.
 
Blog of the Month- Craft Gossip.Com
Okay- I know this is really a website, but it's very 'bloggy', with daily entries featuring new products, tools, supplies and everything else to do with crafting. Here's a few of the cool items I found...
 
 
Quote of the Month- 
"Failure is not a single cataclysmic event. You don't fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day."  Jim Rohn
 
New Word of the Month- Roulettevator (rü-lĕt'ə-vā'tər)
 
  1. (n.) An elevator that, despite the passenger's request, travels to any random floor of a building it chooses regardless of whether it was chosen or not. This game of elevation roulette is further enhanced when the elevator ceases to report where it is currently located. A more advanced form of this involves an elevator that may or may not open or reach any floor at all.

    Example: I rode the roulettevator this morning and actually made it to the correct floor!
 
Get your tissues ready. Judy survived the Alabama tornadoes and managed to find two of her three cats. While she was doing a news interview, her third cat came walking up out of nowhere after being missing for weeks!
“I have everything in the world now,” she said, hugging her 10-year-old furry baby. “I have my three cats.”That’s pretty much all that would matter to me, too. What a heart-warming, happy story! Now Click here to watch the video from CNN.
 
Look What i Found Online- HouseHold How-tos
 
 Spring is a great time to work on special projects from crafts to cleaning to cooking. This helpful site features tips in all of these categories and more. Learn how to remove stubborn carpet stains, be ready for hummingbird friends, cook a perfect sunny-side-up egg, or get rid of flies. I also found this really neat collection of FREE printable recipe cards cards.
When you find a tip you like, you can share it on Facebook or Twitter. You can also submit your own tips or sign up for a newsletter to recieve tips via email.
 
Your grandmother's hobby is going high-tech.
Amid sewing's pop-culture revival, makers of sewing machines are cutting no corners in their appeal to the next generation of seamstresses. Equipped with USB ports and high-resolution touch screens, the newest sewing machines address the industry's growth demographic—people in their 20s and 30s inspired by fashion and design reality-TV shows and raised on computers and smartphones. Click here to read MORE!
 
 
Laugh Lines- Goodbye Mom
A young man shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore, she kept staring at him. She finally overtook him at the checkout and said, "I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease; it's just that y ou look so much like my late son."
He answered, "That's OK".
"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out 'Good bye Mom' as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy."
She then went thru the checkout, & as she was on her way out of the store, the man called out, "Goodbye, Mom".
The little old lady waved & smiled back at him...
Please that he had brought a little sunshine into someone's day, he went to pay for his groceries.
"That comes to $121.85", said the clerk.
"How come so much? I only bought 5 items!"
The clerk replied, "Yeah, but your Mom said you'd be paying for her things as well!"
 
Cat Site of the Month- Catatar.com
 
Catatar.Com is a terrific place to release your inner feline!
You can upload humorous or interesting photos of cats that you love or live with (like the one at left)... or help out by leaving a funny caption or two for the photos that are presented, or you can do like me, and just visit for the pure enjoyment of checking out both of these things!
It's a great site.... so ENJOY!
 
Cat Picture of the Month-
 
                                                    (click image to see an enlargement)
 
 
Monthly Trivia-
Today is June 6th, the 157th day of 2011. There are 208 days remaining. And here's a fun fact about today...It was on this day in 1933, that the very first Drive-In movie theatre opened in Camden, NJ. As a child, I for one remember spending many a fun night with my family at the Drive-In! At the height of their popularity in 1958 there were more than 4000 Drive-Ins across America, but a recent article in the Boston Globe put that number as being down to only 432 nationwide. (Click here to find out if you are lucky enough to live within driving distance of a Drive-In movie theatre.) How about you? Do you have fond memories of the Drive-In?
And while you're pondering that, here's another question to ponder...
"What do Bjorn Borg, Kenny G, and the Dalai Lama have in common?"
It doesn't seem like I could have picked and three more dissimilar men does it? But the answer is, They will probably all be eating cake at some point today, because Bjorn, Kenny and the Dalai are ALL birthday boys today, and if today is also YOUR birthday, here's a great big Happy Birthday to YOU, from Studiokat Designs. And if today is not your birthday, you can celebrate the day anyway, by maybe playing a coupla sets of tennis, or listening to a little jazz, or maybe by packing the family up for a fun adventure at the Drive-In movie theatre. But make sure the AC is workiing in your car, it's HOT out there!
 
Well, that's it for now, so until next month, remember!
Sewing Forever, Housework Whenever!
 
 
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StudioKat Designs, www.studiokatdesigns.com