StudioKat Designs July 08 Newsletter

July 2008

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!- It's been an unusually hot & humid June in these parts of North Carolina. I just don't go outside when its like this, & that's why I noticed my cats spending a LOT of time looking out the window into the window box. Apparently there were TWO nests of baby house wrens deep in the ivy of my window box & their attentive parents certainly had the full attention of Jeter & Joba. They have spent the better part of June patroling for birds. They assumed their post at sun up, maintaining constant surveillance. Well, I guess I did catch them taking a break every now & then... But enough of that, Jeter & Joba may have been hunting all month, but I have some sneek peek pictures to share of my latest design! Interested? Then we better get going!
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/july08.htm to see the online version of the newsletter.

Feline Quote for July- "I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It's not. Mine had me trained in two days!" Bill Dana

"Handbag of the Month" Gallery-
I love seeing the beautiful handbags you all are creating, and I'll bet you do too! It seems everyone is enjoying the new Handbag of the Month contest, so jump right in & check out these pics, all received in June, & then cast a vote for your favorite. The owner of the handbag receiving the most votes at the end of the month wins a $10.00 SKD gift certificate. Barbara Miller of Scottsdale, AZ was our lucky winner in the June Handbag Contest. Click here to see her winning Vervalise, which has also won a permanent place on our website!

And now...Here's this month's entries:
Beginning with Peg Rice, of Westport Island, ME, who sent in this picture of a terrific Presto Purse, in colors that are uniquely significant for today's holiday!.

Peg must've either had some fabric leftover from her Presto Purse, or, was feeling extra-patriotic this month, because here's a matching red, white & blue PortaPockets Insert. Great job, Peg!

Joan O'Malley of Newton Falls, OH, sent in this photo of the adorable Odyssey she made for her granddaughter who wanted a Webkins for her birthday. Didn't Joan find an exciting way to give her one?!

And how about this terrific Trifecta! Carolyn Hauber of Goodyear, AZ created this beauty. She said she is so proud of the results... and so am I!

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

Cast Your Vote HERE!

Come back next month to see who the winner is!

Website Spotlight- AllPeopleQuilt.Com
AllPeopleQuilt.Com is a "Wiki" that boasts the most extensive stash of quilting info anywhere. What's a "Wiki" you might ask? A "Wiki" is a interactive, collaborative website where anyone can see & add photos, comments, videos & more. Need some new project ideas? Click here to find one of the most comprehensive lists of free patterns I've ever seen! You can also try new techniques, (like piecing or applique), take a class, (like fabric printing), or even take part in a fun blog or forum.

New at StudioKat Designs- COMING SOON!
Without a doubt, the biggest request I've had for the past year, is for a handbag to use with the PortaPockets Insert. Quite honestly, I've never been especially inspired by large totebag-like monstrosities, so it was difficult to get motivated, but after several starts, & piles of abandoned sketches, here it is, my newest design. It has PLENTY of interior space to hold the small or the large PortaPockets Insert, & TONS of other stuff too. Features include an interior Pocket Cup, suitable for your phone or a small water bottle, as well as a very large, zippered, exterior pocket.
Don't ask me what its name is! It honestly is one of my alltime favorite bags, but I still have no clue what to name it. Whatever... I'm taking a break from thinking about the name for now. I'll unveil the name, as well as more pictures and a release date in the August newsletter. Stay tuned until then, unless you can think of a suitable name, in which case PLEASE, contact me immediately!

A Cool Place to Shop!- Sugaree Stitches.Com
Sugaree Stitches has a unique selection of one-of-a-kind hippie patchwork clothing & jewelry, featuring earth-friendly goods made from recycled corduroy, calico cotton, hemp & other products. Looking at the beautiful hippie dresses is like strolling down memory lane. I think it's so interesting that young people are dressing this way again! There's also a fun selection of jewelry.

Quotation of the Month-"We pick politicians by how they look on TV and Miss America on where she stands on issues. Isn't that a little backwards?" Jay Leno

Your cat might own you if... you choose your friends based upon how well your cats like them!

Surf HERE for Neat INFO!- Summer Olympics 2008 in Beijing, China
I don't know about you, but I am a total Olympics junkie, and it's time to get ready for the splendor & excitement of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in August by visiting the official website now. You can familiarize yourself with all the sports & venues, tour the sites in the Beijing area including the Great Wall, & test your Olympic knowledge by taking the daily quiz. You can also take a close look at the unique metals made of jade & gold that the winning athletes will receive.

New Word of the Month- Heredipet- An unwanted pet inherited from a deceased relative or friend.

Cats in the News-
My good friend Kathryn Maxwell of Winston-Salem sent me this cool cat story. She knows how much I love Cats, even though she's a 'non-believer', so to speak. Enjoy!

This girl I know lives on the 4th floor of an apartment, & even though it is a fairly good neighborhood, she has been having trouble with a Peeping Tom that lives next door. Every time she goes out on her balcony to catch a bit of sun while wearing her bikini, this Peeping Tom looks over from his balcony. Then, as soon as she removes her top, he stares at her... She has complained to the superintendent about this Peeping Tom, but he says she must have positive proof before he can do a thing-- Well, she FINALLY got a picture of him while he was staring at her, and HERE he is!

Love Handbags?- Satin Sky Designs.Com
A mother-daughter team founded Satin Sky Designs in 2006 out of sheer passion for handbags... (I know it well!) They have an exciting range of handbags that will compliment every person's individual style. My personal favorites are this nifty red shoulder bag & this awesome green tote. Check it out, at the very least, I think you'll enjoy the eye-candy on this site!

Sewing Tip of the Month- Use a fabric glue stick to temporary hold fabric together before sewing. Works great for holding pockets or buttons in place before sewing.

Did You Know?- that merely anticipating a funny joke reduces levels of stress hormones in the blood by up to 70%? Readers Digest

A cool Internet Activity- Making Sense of Dollars
With the rising costs of today's economy, it's more important than ever to make smart moves with your money. Check out this comprehensive How-To-Guide on the Yahoo! Financial site for lots of practical tips & online tools. From advice on how to get out of debt to savings ideas for college, there's a wealth of information at your fingertips.

Surf HERE for FUN!- National Geographic Videos
Take a close-up look at amazing videos from around the world at this National Geographic site. Categories include animals, daily news, environment, kids, music, people & places, science & space, and specials. Both educational & entertaining, the videos let you explore the diversity of this planet a few minutes at a time - from a market in Morocco to giant spiders in the sea.

Question of the Month- Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Monthly Trivia-
Today is July 4th, so in honor of the day, I searched for little pieces of Americana associated with July 4th. They're really easy to find if you look. Like did you know that today is the day, (in 1895), that "America the Beautiful" was first published by Katherine Bates? It was also on this day, in 1970, that Casey Kasem first introduced his hit-parade countdown radio program, American Top 40. I know its hard to believe in this MTV/American Idol age of text-voting, but I can still remember waiting for Casey's show to begin on my little battery-operated AM radio in my room at night... but then I'm dating myself, aren't I?
One of America's most famous & best loved songwriters, Stephen Foster, was born on this day in 1826. In spite of the fact that Stephen wrote nearly 200 songs, such as "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", "Swanee River", & "Beautiful Dreamer", he died alone & in poverty at Bellevue Hospital in NY. American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, best known for The Scarlet Letter, was also born on this day. As was Ann Landers, America's beloved advice columnist. For 47 years, Ann helped everyday people overcome their problems with spunky, yet compassionate replies. And if today is YOUR birthday, here's a great big "Happy Birthday to YOU" from StudioKat Designs. And if today is not your birthday, you can celebrate today anyway, in a lot of different ways. Sure, you can do the obvious... you can have a picnic, watch a fireworks display or go to a parade. But why not do something educational with a friend, or your kids. How about dragging that old AM radio down from out of the attic, pop some new batteries in, and listen to Casey Kasem on a vintage American Top 40 broadcast. Oops! I got so caught up in the nostalgia that I forgot, you'll need XM Satellite radio to do that. (Tune it to the 70's, channel 007).

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

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