June 2006

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!- It's June, and that means VACATIONTIME, and I am going someplace VERY interesting indeed, in just a couple of weeks.... RUSSIA! The orchestra I play in, is going on a cultural exchange tour of Moscow and Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), and I couldn't be more excited about going! This is the first vacation for me, since I started my design business 2 years ago, and I'm going to enjoy this short respite. I'll put a little notice on my shopping cart, since my absence could result in minor delays in the shipping of any products ordered between June 14-23.
Watch for pictures of my trip in the July Newsletter, but until then, check out what's new below!!

As always, if you prefer, you can click here to see the online version of the newsletter..

Feline Quote for May -
"When it comes to knowing how to relax, cats are the original yoga experts."- Patricia Curtis

New at StudioKat Designs- "Kat" Trick #3!
I am constantly asked about where I get the fabric for the purse samples on my site. Believe it or not, most of my samples are made from fabric leftovers in my fabric stash. I haunt the remnant tables at local fabric & home dec stores, and much of the time, I just can't find what I "see" in my head, as the perfect fabric, to best enhance a design. When this happens, I go about "constructing" a fabric piece that can complete the vision I see for a design. Most of you know, I have shared some of my techniques in what I call "Kat Tricks" on my website, and now I have just completed the third "trick" in that series, and I'm ready to share it with you. You can click here, to see all 3 of the "Kat Tricks", or you can download Kat Trick #3 by clicking on each of these 2 links listed below.

Kat Trick #3 pg.1
Kat Trick #3 pg.2

And as always, if you don't like downloading stuff on the internet, or if it's so slow it drives you crazy, because of a dialup connection, or if you don't have a printer, then please feel free to send a SSAE to the following address, and I'll be glad to send you a copy!

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

A Cool Place to Shop!- LHStyle.Com
Maybe you're one of the legions who have taken up "scrapbooking" as a new hobby. I've gotta admit, it's just not my thing, but my daughter loves it enough for both of us. At any rate, here's a cool spot to pick up a custom-made Album for your homemade scrap book pages! LHStyle.Com specializes in fabric-covered album for ALL occasions. One of my favorites is the Wedding Planner Album . It's just beautiful and the interior is even lined with white lace. What a terrific gift for that bride-to-be in your family? LH Style has albums for all occasions. You'll surely find one to suit you, OR that "scrapbooker' in your life!

A Byte of Chocolate- A Chocolate Sewing Kit
Looking for the perfect gift for the Quilter, or Sewing Enthusiast in your life? Well, how about a CHOCOLATE sewing kit??? You get a pure chocolate box with a chocolate lid, and it holds what?? Chocolate spools of thread, of course, along with a chocolate pair of scissors. Click here to check it all out! You even get your choice of dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate! I'm also thinking this would make a terrific raffle item at your next sewing Club/ Quilt Guild meeting! Maybe you should bookmark it for later reference, because this would make a neat Christmas gift too!

SKD Promotions Update- The AbracaNiche pattern
Regular readers know, that this past month I enlisted the help of my mailing list readers, to help me name the new handbag I am designing. I've really had a lot of fun working this bag up, and so far, I have recieved such a positive reaction to the pictures I've posted on the website. It's been so encouraging! To date, I have received entries from over 150 people, some of which entered SEVERAL handbag names! I was thrilled! Some of my favorites are, Cache-All, TrapDoor Tote-A-Long, Kangaroo Koala, Pandora Purse, Havitall Bag, Stash n Dash, and Port-All. My 2 favorites however, the Nouveau Niche and the Abracadabra bag, were sent in by alert and clever readers, Debbie Barlett of Upland, CA, and Kathy Smith of Pennellville, NY. I loved both of these names so much, that I decided to combine them and use the name "AbracaNiche" for the new design. They will BOTH be credited on the pattern back, and will BOTH be receiving their own complimentary copies of the pattern when it is released some time in July. My thanks to Debbie and to Kathy, and to all of the other entrants. I've really enjoyed considering all of these entries!
You can see pictures of the "AbracaNiche" bag, along with some feature descriptions by clicking here. Unless circumstances intervene, we are on target for a mid-July release. I should be able to give you a closer approximation of this date, in the July newsletter, so stay tuned.

Love Handbags?- Leslie Jean Designs.Com
If you're in the market for a great handbag, but just don't have the time or interest in making it yourself right now, then I recommend you check out Leslie Jean Designs. Leslie has a large selection of some very cool bags, at what I consider VERY reasonable prices. My favorites include, a terrific black beaded bag, a really unique black satin clutch, and for that REALLY special occasion, a truly unique bridal clutch. There's PLENTY to choose from. Look and see for yourself!

Did You Know?-"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream HEADACHE!
An ice cream headache is triggered by a sudden change in temperature that occurs in your mouth when you eat something cold. 30% of the human population suffers from these excruciating headaches. The best way to avoid getting these headaches, (other than avoiding ice cream, which is UNREASONABLE), is to keep the chilled foods you eat on the SIDE of your mouth, away from the roof of your mouth!

A Good Read- Kids Can Sew- Fun & Easy Projects for your Small Stitcher
Worried about how to keep your kids occupied for the whole summer? Why not teach a kid to sew? YOU love sewing, so why not pass the gift on to the next generation? This book is an easy place to start. You can pick it up at Amazon.Com for about $12. It has step by step instructions with easy-to-follow diagrams for lots of projects, like personalized tee shirts, a cell phone cover, and a snazzy shoulder bag, to name a few. They'll get a kick out of making gifts ahead of time for Christmas, and in the process, they'll pick up a hobby they can enjoy for the rest of their lives! So what are you waiting for? Grab that daughter, or niece, or grandaughter, or that favorite nephew, for that matter, and teach 'em to sew. Heck, you might even have some fun yourself while you're at it!

Laugh Lines-Einstein's Theory of Cat Behavior
LAW OF CAT INERTIA- A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force, like the opening of a cat food can.
LAW OF CAT ENERGY CONSERVATION- Cats know that energy can neither be created or destroyed, and will therefore, use as little energy as possible.
LAW OF BAG/BOX OCCUPANCY- All bags or boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.
LAW OF FURNITURE REPLACEMENT- A cat's desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.
LAW OF CAT COMPOSITION- A cat is composed of Matter + Antimatter + It Doesn't Matter.
LAW OF CAT OBEDIENCE- As of yet, undiscovered.

"Catsite" of the Month- www.catsleep.com
Need something to help you fall asleep? Don't reach for that Ambien! Who needs those horrible side effects? Wouldn't you rather listen to the beautiful and relaxing sounds of a cat's purr instead? Well now you can!! A cat's low frequency purring is know for it's exceptional therapuetic calming and pain relief effects, and Catsleep.Com is the place to go if you, or someone you love is having trouble getting to sleep. In addition, purring sounds have been known to help soothe collicky babies and to alleviate pain, like headaches.
So, if you don't have a cat handy, or if your cat won't sleep with you (which mine won't), then this may be just what you need!

A Fun Place to Surf- The World's Largest Wooden Roller Coaster
The world's top wooden coaster, in terms of air-time", is opening this month at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. Take the plunge on THE VOYAGE, and you'll experience a feeling of weightlessness for a total of 24.2 seconds. This exhilarating ride also features three drops of over 100 feet, five underground tunnels, 90-degress banking, and a top speed of 67.4 miles an hour. This site allows you to get a feel for the ups and downs with a virtual ride on the Voyage. (You can even throw your arms up in the air and scream if you want!)

Monthly Trivia- June is a fun time of year, and as you might suspect, a lot of fun things have happened in June. For example, on June 1, 1967, The Beatles released their landmark album, "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band". It took over 700 hours of studio time to produce what many still consider, the best rock album of all time, but did you know that NO singles were released for this album? Amazing.
June is also "National Accordian Month", in order to increase public awareness of this multicultural instrument, otherwise known as "The Big Squeeze!". For more information on "all things Accordian", as well as the lineup for the 2006 SanFrancisco Accordian Festival, click here. And speaking of the "Big Squeeze", you probably did not know that on June 1, 1974, the Heimlich manuever was introduced by Dr. Harry Heimlich, in the June issue of the Journal of Emergency Medecine.
Is today your birthday?, because if so, you share it with songstress Alanis Morissette, born on this day in 1974, in Ottawa Canada, and also bombshell Marilyn Monroe, in 1926, the same day and year as local boy, Andy Griffith, of Mt. Airy, NC. As you can see, you're in good company, so have a really GREAT birthday! And if today is not your birthday, you can celebrate the day anyway, and learn something new, by checking out the Accordian Website. Grab your main "squeeze" and download a few of the available free tracks, for a new listening sensation. They may even have a Beatles classic or two... now wouldn't THAT be just PERFECT!?!

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?
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HotLinks- (in order of appearance)

StudioKat Designs June06 Newsletter ONLINE: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/newsjune06.htm
Kat Tricks: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/kattricks.htm
        Kat Trick #3, page 1: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/kattrick3pg1.pdf
        Kat Trick #3, page 2: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/kattrick3pg2.pdf
LHStyle.Com: http://www.lhstyle.com
        Wedding Planner Album: http://www.lhstyle.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=49
A Chocolate Sewing Kit: http://www.candyquilts.com/Novelties.htm
Leslie Jean Designs.Com: http://www.lesliejeandesigns.com
        Leslie's Black Beaded Bag: http://www.lesliejeandesigns.com/fw156.html
        Leslie's Black Satin Clutch: http://www.lesliejeandesigns.com/form033.html
        Leslie's Bridal Clutch: http://www.lesliejeandesigns.com/br012.html
The AbracaNiche by StudioKat Designs: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/abracaniche.htm
Kids Can Sew- Fun & East Projects for your Small Stitcher: http://www.amazon.com
CatSleep.Com: http://www.catsleep.com
The World's Largest Roller Coaster: http://holidayworld.com
The 2006 SanFrancisco Accordian Festival: http://ladyofspain.com
Email StudioKat Designs:mailto:info@studiokatdesigns.com?subject=newsletter question
Sign up for StudioKat Designs Newsletter: http://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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