July 2007

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!-If it's 90+ degrees out, with a 50/50 chances of afternoon thunderboomers, then it must be July in North Carolina. And sure enough, that's the forecast for today, as it was yesterday, and will be tomorrow. Sound like an old record? Well, then let's get into some NEWS!
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/july07.htm to see the online version of the newsletter.

Feline Quote for July-
"Most beds sleep up to 6 cats, 10 cats without the owner." Jules Reynard

New on my Website!-
Ray Martel of North Carolina, sent me a very cute video of an overseas ad, (maybe Dutch?), featuring a very slick cat and dog!

Talk to Me-
Thanks to Suzanne Beringer of Greenacres, WA, who sent me a funny little file loaded with cute captioned pictures of funny cats & kittens. Click here and ENJOY!

If you read my travelogue about my trip to Israel, then you saw a picture of a VERY cool bush with flowers that looked like a bottlebrush. I had no idea what the name of the bush was, but alert reader Joan Flynn, of Australia wrote to tell me, "that the cool tree, the one with the red flowers, is a Callistemon, or Bottlebrush tree, very common in Australia. The original colour is red, but clever plant experts have hybridised them into several different colours. They attract native parrots and other birds as they contain lots of nectar. When the flowers are finished, the little seed pods are very tough on the feet, if you happen to walk on them barefoot."
Wouldn't it be wild to see that bush covered with PARROTS? I have since googled this cool plant, and found that the climate and soil conditions in North Carolina is absolutely WRONG for growing the lovely Callistemon. Oh well, maybe it would work in YOUR area?

New at StudioKat Designs- The SideKick Pattern
Are you sick of losing debit card receipts, or forgetting to write them down? Do you have trouble locating the correct store discount card you're looking for, when you need it? Do you think it would take a personal assistant to help you feel more organized and confident? If you answered yes, to any of these questions, then the The SideKick might be just the answer you've been looking for! The SideKick has a great front storage area, with a zippered coin purse, paper money slot, 6 credit card slots, and room still, for your cell phone and key! But here's the unique thing! The back storage unit includes a "tableau-style" check register. Just flip it down and start writing! And best of all, you can store all of your other daily items in the room middle compartment, and give your wallet a vacation! You won't even miss it, when you're carrying your SideKick!
The SideKick will be released on August 3rd, and you'll be the first to know, since the announcement will be in the August newsletter. It'll probably be here and available much sooner than that however, so if you're in a hurry to put your personal assistant "to work", then check back here sometime in late July. Don't forget to type in your exclusive discount code, SKD15, at checkout, to get $2.00 off the retail price. But don't drag your feet too long, the discount code will expire August 31.

Get your FREE pattern! The Cash-Keeper
Several of you had difficulty downloading the pattern templates for the Cash-Keeper last month. If you want to try downloading each of the four pages separately, I think it'll work much better for you.
Ready to get started? Click on the link for each page, page 1, page 2, page 3,and page 4. Then click here for the Pattern Instructions, if you need those too.
And remember, if your dialup connection is still too slow to download this, or if you just don't like downloading things on the internet, then I will be glad to snail mail this free pattern to you. Just send a SASE, along with your pattern request, and $2.00 per free pattern, to cover my printing costs, to the address below, and I'll get it right out to you!


StudioKat Designs
137 S. Hemingway Ct.
Advance, NC 27006

A Cool Place to Shop!- MissHawklet.Com
Here's a quirky little webshop that you just might enjoy! Miss Hawklet.Com features handspun "animal friendly" yarn and handmade book. What in the world is "animal friendly" yarn , you might ask? Well its easy, Holly Klump (the owner), purchases all of the fibers for her yarns from a small rescue farm in Wisconsin, where she knows the sheep are spoiled rotten. I don't know about you, but I LOVE this idea. And that's not all, Holly also features handbound books , made mostly from recycled materials, such as scrap library books, old computer paper, puzzles & other "thrifted" materials. These books are suitable for journals & scrap books, and my favorite is this one. Wouldn't it be perfect for a sewing journal? And if you have no use for yarns or books, just check out her stained glass, and handmade buttons.

Surf HERE for Neat INFO!- AnySoldier.Com
We're in a patriotic season, with Flag day in June, and Independence Day this month, so why not take a moment and check out AnySoldier.Com, which was started by a Combat Infantry soldier on the ground in Iraq and run by a retired Army soldier. It's a volunteer effort designed to put "care packages" in the hands of U.S. soldiers who wouldn't otherwise get much or any mail. Regardless of how you feel about the war, this site offers you a way to connect with these Americans and let them know you support them and appreciate their sacrifices. You'll find complete information, including ideas for what items to send, as well as instructions for how and where to mail your packages.

Laws Overlooked by Murphy-
(This segment is increasing in popularity, and i really enjoy hearing some of the "Lesser Known Laws" that you come up with. This month I am featuring laws I have personally verified as being true, in just the last week. No need to elaborate, when you read them, you'll get a very clear picture of what my past week has been like!)

  • If you lined up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them, five or six at a time...on a hill... in the fog!


  • The chances of an open-faced peanut-butter sandwich landing face down on a floor covering, is directly proportional to the newness and the cost of the carpet/rug!


  • The shin bone is a device for finding furniture in the dark!
  • Love Handbags?- Dragon Design Store
    I really like this little webstore, which features an extensive range of handmade bags suitable for all occasions, from everyday usage to evening. It's physical location is in northern Great Britain, but they happily and successfully ship to locations all over the world. As you might surmise, I like their shoulder bag collection, but you also might find their weekend bag selection to be quite interesting! Have fun shopping and maybe picking up a few ideas for your OWN creation!

    Did You Know?- that everyday more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. Treasury?

    Surf HERE for FUN!- Tips for Pet Travel
    If you like to include your pet when you travel, this site can help make the experience go much more smoothly. It includes travel tools, airline pet policies, state leash laws, pet friendly hotel chains, pet recreational activities, directories of veterinarians - even an "Ask the Travel Dog" advice column. The site's staff members are veterans of the online travel industry and have a great deal of experience traveling with their pets. Follow their tips to keep everyone happy, including the furry or feathered members of the family.

    Question of the Month-
    Question- What do invisible cats drink?
    Answer- Evaporated Milk

    Monthly Trivia- Tomorrow is July 4th, and its time to CELEBRATE, and if you don't have any plans, you might want to consider the Boom Box Parade, in Windham, Connecticut. Evidently in 1986, no marching band could be found for the Memorial Day parade, so five weeks later, for the 4th of July, a new concept was born. WILI plays the marching band music on the air, while thousands march, watch AND loudly play their boom boxes. It sounds wild and crazy, and you can check out pictures from past parades by clicking here.
    And if canned music isn't your cup of tea, I'm sure you can find some live music somewhere. After all, on this day in 1969, one of the biggest music festivals ever, was held in Newport, RI. Though it was known as a jazz festival, no less than 6 Rock and R&B acts appeared during the 3-day event. Included were Led Zepplin, Jethro Tull, Blood Sweat & Tears, Jeff Beck, James Brown, & Ten Years After.... all that, and do you believe it, my Mom wouldn't let me go!
    And speaking of special days, one of my favorite writers, humorist Dave Berry, is celebrating his 45th birthday today, and if today also happens to be YOUR birthday, here's a great big Happy Birthday to YOU!, from StudioKat Designs. And if today is not your birthday, you can celebrate anyway by taking in a fun holiday parade, or by putting on some love beads, staking out a nice shady spot with a blanket for a picnic lunch. But don't forget the boom box, because a picnic's just not a picnic, without a little "Stairway to Heaven!"

    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)

    A cute cat & dog video: www.studiokatdesigns.com/homesecurity.wmv
    Cute cat greeting cards: www.studiokatdesigns.com/FunnyKitties.pdf
    My Trip to Israel: www.studiokatdesigns.com/Israel.htm
            A picture of a Callistemon bush: www.studiokatdesigns.com/is7.jpg
            Cool info about Callistemon bushes: www.allergyfree-gardening.com/gallery/plants/lemon_bottlebrush
    New at StudioKat Designs:The SideKick pattern: www.studiokatdesigns.com/sidekick.htm
            SideKick front view: www.studiokatdesigns.com/smzebra.jpg
            Coin Purse Storage area: www.studiokatdesigns.com/smzebracoin.jpg
            Tableau-style Check register area: www.studiokatdesigns.com/smleopardcheck.jpg
    The Cash-Keeper- A Free Pattern:Cash-Keeper: www.studiokatdesigns.com/smccside1.jpg
            Pattern Templates-page 1: www.studiokatdesigns.com/k-template-pg1.pdf
            Pattern Templates-page 2: www.studiokatdesigns.com/k-template-pg2.pdf
            Pattern Templates-page 3: www.studiokatdesigns.com/k-template-pg3.pdf
            Pattern Templates-page 4: www.studiokatdesigns.com/k-template-pg4.pdf
            Cash-Keeper Sewing Instructions: www.studiokatdesigns.com/keeper-instructions.pdf
    Miss Hawklet.Com: www.misshawklet.com
            Animal Friendly Yarn: www.misshawklet.com/shop/craft.php
            Hand Bound Books: www.misshawklet.com/shop/write.php
            A Sewing Journal: www.misshawklet.com/shop/craftbook.php
            Stained Glass: www.misshawklet.com/shop/glass.php
            Handmade Buttons: www.misshawklet.com/shop/craftkits.php
    Any Soldier.Com: www.anysoldier.com
            What to send: www.anysoldier.com/WhatToSend.cfm
            How & Where to send: www.anysoldier.com/WhereToSend
    Dragon Design Store: www.dragondesignstore.com
             Shoulder Bag Collection: www.dragondesignstore.com/ShowCategory.php?CategoryID=24
             Weekend Bag Collection: www.dragondesignstore.com/ShowCategory.php?CategoryID=14
    Tips for Pet Travel: www.tripswithpets.com/pet_travel_tips.asp
            Airline Pet Policies: www.tripswithpets.com/petpolicies.asp
            Pet Friendly Hotel Chains: www.tripswithpets.com/pet_friendly_hotel_chains.asp
            "Ask the Travel Dog" advice column: www.tripswithpets.com/dearpepper.asp
    Boom Box Parade info: www.wili.com/am
    Sign up for the 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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    © 2004-2006 StudioKat Designs
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