May 2008

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!- At last, it's May, & in just a few short days we'll whisking ourselves off to the West Coast for the Spring Quilt Market. I'm waffling between excitement & trepidation. Have I remembered everything? Am I ready? What if I lose my luggage, or our flight gets cancelled? Then of course my Dad picks this week to send me this delightful airplane video... Hmmm, thanks Dad, just what i needed to see! Does this really happen??? Anyway, we're getting to Portland a few days early in order to take time for some much needed rest & relaxation. Hopefully, we'll also have some time to enjoy some fun things that the Portland area has to offer. If any of you Oregonians have fun spots to recommend, I'd love to hear your suggestions. In the meantime we'd better get crackin'. There's a new pattern release to announce, a contest winner to crown, and I've gotta start packing for my trip!
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/may08.htm to see the online version of the newsletter.

Feline Quote for May- "A cat isn't fussy - just so long as you remember he likes his milk in the shallow, rose-patterned saucer and his fish on the blue plate. From which he will take it, and eat it off the floor. Arthur Bridges

"Handbag of the Month" Gallery for May-
Last month we started this new interactive feature on our website, and it was a huge success! I didn't think it was possible, but this months entries are just as beautiful as last month's. Just check 'em out!

Arlene Stream, of Loveland, CO, submitted her unique Gadabout. Arlene has such a good eye for combining patterned fabrics, don't you think?

Leslie Pinkson, of Pasedena, CA, sent in this cool Gadabout. She says she "got crazy with embroidered butterflies on this one!" I think she made a terrific Spring Bag!

Mandy Hall, of the UK, incorporated her outstanding quilting skills to create a stunning Gadabout! Great job, Mandy!

Starting to think this was Gadabout month? Then click here to check out Arlene Stream's totally cute ReUse-a-Bags! Who said going "green" had to be boring??

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

Vote on Selected Topics Cast Your Vote HERE!

The April "Handbag of the Month" Winner was...
My thanks to everyone who took part in our first "Handbag of the Month" challenge in April. And the winner was... Judi Graf of Tyler, Tx, for her stunning leather-look Trifecta. She will enjoy a $10 StudioKat Designs gift certificate, & a permanent place in our "Handbag of the Month" Gallery.
Sound like fun? You bet it is, so come on, get busy and send in those digital pictures. YOU might be the next big winner of the "Handbag of the Month" contest!

Surf HERE for Neat INFO!- Earth Day 2008
You're probably aware that Earth Day was April 22nd, but did you know that there is a really cool website where you can learn what simple actions can be taken by each of us as individuals or as a group, to reduce our ecological footprint? There's a whole page dedicated to information about the detrimental effects of plastic shopping bags, ( a subject near and dear to my heart), and you can also click on the following links to check out things you can do at home, at school, at work, and with your kids to "green" up your lifestyle!

New at StudioKat Designs- The ReUse-a-Bag
It's here! And it was just in time for Earth Day! With all the publicity of the last few weeks, I think we ALL know that reusable shopping bags save energy, trees & precious natural resources. Today is the "official" release date for the ReUse-a-Bag, and thanks to many of you, and all the hype surrounding Earth Day, it has been my biggest pre-release seller yet! It pleases me to think of how many plastic shopping bags might be being kept out of the landfill due to your usage of this design!
For new readers, the ReUse-a-Bag can be made in 3 sizes , & they all fold 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!
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.

Your cat might own you if...you bought a videotape of fish swimming in an aquarium to entertain him!

Cats in the News- A Real Life Garfield
And you thought Garfield was just a cool cartoon character? Click here to see for the REAL thing, courtesy of alert reader, Ann Horton. And for those of you that do not know the conversion rate for stones to pounds, this big guy weighs in at 35 pounds. YIKES!

New Word of the Month-      Mandals- sandals worn by men.

Love Handbags?- Oh So RetroDesign.Com
This month's recommendation for handmade handbags is Oh So RetroDesign.Com, which features a large variety of fun accessories made out of vintage fabrics, much of which is salvaged from floor-length gowns and other clothing pieces. (Yes Ladies, here is yet another way to recycle or reuse forgotten fabrics and textiles!) I like the Madeleine Bubble Bag, which you can customize with an optional magnetic snap, and the Mini Tote Box, which you can totally customize to suit YOUR needs. You can even send in your OWN fabric for a look that's totally YOU!

Sewing Tip of the Month- ActiveKatYoga.Com
Spending extended hours at a sewing machine can be very hard on a body, and no one knows this better than certified Yoga Instructor, Kat Robinson. Kat is also a seamstress & has created an instructional Yoga video dedicated to improving our flexibility, stamina & posture, so that we can sew longer, and feel better while we do! Click here for more information about this CD, which also contains a bonus "Yoga for Weight Loss" segment.

Did You Know?- that like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different?

A cool Internet Activity- Water... UseItWisely.Com
Are too many of your dollars literally going down the drain? In keeping with our "green" theme this month, you'll find lots of water conservation tips & resources, specific for your area of the country. Take the family water audit to see how wisely you're using water. Find out what's new in water-saving gadgets. There's even a landscape watering guide to calculate how frequently to water your plants & lawn. It's information that's good for your wallet AND the world's water supply!

Website Spotlight- SewingEvents.Com
SewingEvents.Com presents sewing, quilting & embroidery events in various locations around the country, featuring the newest products, door prizes and fun special events. It sounds like the perfect "Girls-Only" weekend. This website is currently promoting a "Make Your Dress Form download", with which you can learn a fast, easy & inexpensive way to make your own "exact fit" body form. Since this website is a work in process, you might want to sign up for the newsletter, aptly named "Sew-lutions", to keep up with any free patterns or new techniques that get added.

Laugh Lines-Have you ever noticed that the roman numerals for "40" are "XL"???

Surf HERE for FUN!- How Does Your Garden Grow?
Here's a one-stop resource for those lawn & garden projects you're planning for the coming months. All the info you need is here -
plant selection to care instructions You can also submit specific questions for university experts to answer. Go ahead and ask, for example, which variety of tree you should plant in a certain spot. I'm pretty sure they won't be stumped!!

Question of the Month-"How can the boy who wasn't good enough to marry your daughter be the father of the smartest grandchild in the world?" Jewish saying

Monthly Trivia-The weather's warming up, the flowers are blooming, what a perfect time to get back outside! And since May is National Book Month, why not grab a book & get thrown up in a lounger or a hammock & get started on a new read? And if reading's not your thing, you can enjoy the great Spring sunshine, while listening to a little music instead. You might consider these artists, all of whom are celebrating a birthday TODAY!
Franki Valli, best known for "Can't Take my Eyes Off of You", was born 70 years ago today, in Newark, NJ. He shares his special day with some real heavyweights, (musically speaking of course). Bing Crosby, James Brown, (the Godfather of Soul), and 60's folksinger/songwriter Pete Seeger, were all born on this day in 1903, 1933 and 1919 respectively. And if today is also your birthday, here's a great big "Happy Birthday to You" from StudioKat Designs! Gosh, maybe you should be signing up for the next American Idol tryouts! And if today is not your birthday, let's all "Say it Loud!"! Get yourself OUTSIDE for awhile today, enjoy the warmth, take in the sights, then come inside and get back to your sewing!

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 May 08 Newsletter ONLINE: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/may08.htm
a Delightful Airplane Video: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/china.wmv
Handbag of the Month Gallery for May:
         Arlene's unique Gadabout: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll2.jpg
         Leslie's cool Gadabout: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll8.jpg
         Mandy's stunning Gadabout: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll9.jpg
         Arlene's totally cute ReUse-a-Bags: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll10.jpg
Cast YOUR Vote: http://pub43.bravenet.com/vote/vote.php?usernum=3657359974&cpv=2
April's Handbag of the Month Winner: www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll1.jpg
         The Handbag of the Month Webpage: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/winfreestuff.htm
Earth Day Network: ww2.earthday.net
        At Home Activities: http://ww2.earthday.net/~earthday/pdf/FINALClimate%20Change%20Solutions%20at%20Home.pdf
        At School Activities: http://ww2.earthday.net/~earthday/pdf/FINAL%20Green%20Your%20School.pdf
        At Work Activities: http://ww2.earthday.net/~earthday/pdf/FINALGreen%20Your%20Office.pdf
        Kids Activities: http://ww2.earthday.net/~earthday/pdf/FINALThingsYoucanDowithKids.pdf
New at StudioKat Designs:
        The ReusaBag: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/reusa.htm
         My Newest Design: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/smpurplecovertrio.jpg
         THREE sizes: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/smmusictrioopen.jpg
         Folds up in a Compact Way: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/smturqfolded.jpg
         Another view: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/smlovecovertrio.jpg
         Another view: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/smblacktriofolded.jpg
         Another view: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/smpurpleopen.jpg
A Real Life Garfield: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2809392.html
OhSoRetroDesign.Com: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=10892
         Madeleine Bubble Bag: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10238525
         Mini Tote Box: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11011162
ActiveKatYoga.Com: http://www.activekatyoga.com
         Yoga CD: http://storesense4.megawebservers.com/stores/a/activekatyoga.com/index.html
WaterUseItWisely.Com: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com
         Water Conservation Tips: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100ways/index.shtml
         Family Water Audit: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/familywater/index.shtml
         Water Saving Gadgets: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/newTech/index.shtml
         Landscape Watering Guide: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/waterguide/index.shtml
SewingEvents.Com: http://www.sewingevents.com
         Make Your Own Dressform CD: http://www.sewingevents.com/html/body_form.html
         Sew-lutions Newsletter: http://www.sewingevents.com/html/newsletter.html
How Does Your Garden Grow: http://www.extension.org/horticulture
         Plant Selection: http://www.extension.org/pages/Landscaping:_Design_and_Plant_Selection
         Care Instructions: http://www.extension.org/pages/Landscaping:_Maintenance
         Got Questions?: http://www.extension.org/expert/ask_an_expert?redirect_to=%2Fhorticulture%2Ffaqs
Sign up for Studiokat Designs Newsletter: www.studiokatdesigns.com/newsletter.htm

StudioKat Designs * 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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