June 2008

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!-Wow! May was a wild & wonderful month! We had a great time in Portland, soaking up the ambience of the great Northwest, and the best part was, we exhibited our designs for the first time at the International Spring Quilt Market! We so enjoyed meeting folks that we've only talked to by phone or email over the past few years, (like Henrietta Timmons, of Henrietta's Handbags). We also met many store owners, suppliers, distributors & fellow designers, whom we can now count as our friends. You can also click here for some fun information & pictures from our trip. (This is a pretty big file, & it takes a little while to download (especially if you're on a dial-up connection), so why not click the link & let your PC do the work, while you relax & read the rest of the newsletter?) Come on, we have a lot of ground to cover! It should be ready for you to read by the time we're done.
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/jun08.htm to see the online version of the newsletter.

Feline Quote for June - "Most cats, when they are Out want to be In, and vice versa, and often simultaneously." Dr. Louis J. Camuti

New on my Website!-
Ann Horton of Wilson, NY sent me a very sweet video of a tolerant cat with it's new puppy "friend". (This puppy looks precisely like my sweet Jake did when he was a pup. Maybe that's why I like it so much!)

Up for another humourous cat story? Elaine Satterthwaite of Fort Wayne, Indiana sent in an adorable picture of her cat, Charmin. You can read all about it by clicking here.

ATTENTION PLEASE!! There's a new Nesting Queen in the House, and her name is Tracey of Gibsonia, PA. Tracey made a complete set of FOUR Roly-Nesters, besting the previous mark of 3, set by yours truly. I gladly relinquish my crown to Tracey, the new Queen of the Nesters.
Think you have what it takes to knock Tracey off her throne? Find out how on our free pattern page, & by this time next month, YOU can be sitting on that throne! (Plus, you'll have some nifty gifts to put aside as well!)

"Handbag of the Month" Gallery-
I love seeing the beautiful handbags you all are creating, and I'll bet you do too! So, let's try something new & fun this month! Check out these pics, all received in May, & then cast a vote for your favorite. And just to make it interesting, the owner of the handbag receiving the most votes at the end of the month will win a $10.00 SKD gift certificate. (Just like Leslie Pinkston of Pasadena, CA. She's the lucky winner of last month's Handbag Contest. Click here to see her winning Gadabout, which has also won a permanent place on our website!)

Remember Judi Graf of Tyler, Texas? (She won the April Handbag of the Month Contest.) Well I received an email yesterday with a picture of what has to be one of the most beautiful handbags I've ever seen attached to it! (And I've seen PLENTY). Having just won the April contest, Judi isn't eligible to win again until April of 2009, but just click here to check it out. Additionally, this scrumptious bag is now headlining the Hall of Fame page of my website.

                            And now...Here's this month's entries:
Beginning with Arlene Stream, of Loveland, CO, who submitted this cool & bluesy PortaPocket Insert.

I know you'll enjoy this artistic Vervalise crafted by Barbara Miller of Scottsdale, AZ. She said she did a collage quilt piece (of fabric & ribbons) to insert on the front flap, then covered it with black Tulle. (I think it gives it a vintage look, don't you? She then quilted the entire piece before cutting it out with the fusible fleece. Great job, Barbara!

Susanne Bruns of Cissna Park, IL, couldn't wait to show me this impressive Gadabout at Spring Market in Portland. She made quite a splash at my booth!

Here's Arlene again (what a busy gal!) with a show-stopping Gadabout! This is a bag that would go with just about everything, don't you think? You outdid yourself this time, Arlene!

Who said you can't use SKD free patterns to compete in this contest? Patti Brommelsiek got real creative with her CashKeeper! She combined some unique material with some bold colors for her entry. And here's a good idea, Patti says she gave them as graduation gifts with a little cash in the billfold section. (Tracey said that both her male & female recipients LOVED their gifts!)

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.

Vote on Selected Topics Cast Your Vote HERE!

Website Spotlight- GallopingPonyStudio.Com
I met Virginia Cole, of Galloping Pony Studio at the Spring Quilt Market. (That's her in the blue jeans.) She was my next door neighbor and just like me, it was her first market. Virginia does beautiful work combining miniature quilts with vintage music sheets, antique buttons and forgotten photos to create one of a kind pieces. I've never seen anything quite like it.
You can either purchase a finished piece of artwork from Virginia, or use a project Kit to create a work of art that "connects your heart & mind".

Quotation of the Month-
"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts." Will Rogers

A Cool Place to Shop!- Custom Photo Quilt Squares
Everyone has favorite pictures of cherished relatives, pets & vacations, but wouldn't it be neat to be able to preserve & display them in some other way than a picture frame? What if you could get the picture printed on a fabric square? What fun it would be to use those pictures to make quilt tops, purse fronts & other heirloom creations that you and your family could enjoy. Well, now you can do just that by visiting Traveling Designs.Com. Just click here to get more information & to get started!

Your cat might own you if...you have pictures of your cat in your wallet, or on your cellphone. (Pollsters claim that 40 percent of cat owners carry their pet's picture in their wallet, by the way.)

Surf HERE for Neat INFO!- Get Grilling
Say the name Weber, and you'll be thinking about grilling. But before you fire up that grill for the warm weather season ahead, go straight to the source for lots of expert advice & new recipe ideas for appetizers, meat, vegetables, & even desserts! (Ooh! Let's try the Bananas Calypso!) To keep the inspiration coming for weekend parties, sign up to receive the Recipe of the Week each Friday!

New Word of the Month- Allergivate-The inevitable action of a cat or dog to constantly gravitate toward guests who are allergic to them.

Did You Know?- A pregnant goldfish is called a twit?

A cool Internet Activity- Well Said
Not sure how to pronounce a particular word, & don't want to sound stupid? (Happens to me all the time... the not sure of how to pronounce part, that is!) Anyway, all you have to do is submit the word in question to this handy site & you'll hear it spoken instantly. It's an online English pronouncing dictionary, and in certain situations, it could prove invaluable. Go ahead, try it with the name of my latest purse, The Trifecta. Just click here to do so!

"Catsite" of the Month- I Can Has Cheezburger.Com
I have no idea where they got the title for this website, & I promise I am NOT making this up. This is a really fun cat site, filled with terrific cat pictures with very funny captions, like this one. Judi Graf of Tyler, TX turned me on to this site & I just love it. If you want to, you can even upload your own picture and add the captions. Go ahead, check it out. But be warned... it's addictive!

Laugh Lines- Birds of a feather flock together and crap on your car!

Surf HERE for FUN!- Indiana Jones is BACK!
The fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise comes to the big screen this month nearly two decades after the last one. (We're going to see it tonight, and I can't wait!) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull boasts all the action that fans have come to expect, from car chases to Indiana Jones wielding his trademark bullwhip. The film stars Harrison Ford and is led by famous filmmakers George Lucas as executive producer and writer, & Steven Spielberg as director. Get a sneak peek here and enjoy classic clips from previous installments.

Question of the Month- Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby", when babies wake up like every 2 hours?

Monthly Trivia-
If you are in the Portland Oregon area, then my recommendation is that you visit the Portland Rose Festival, the largest & longest running rose show in our country. There will be all sorts of fun events taking place thru May 29th, but on June 5-6 the Lloyd Center Ice Rink, (which coincidentally was just across the street from our hotel), will be transformed into a delightful rose garden w/over 2000 blooms. If any of you go, I would love to see some pictures, it ought to be fabulous!
Since today is June 3rd, there's probably a little celebrating going on at the home of Curtis Mayfield, the R&B songwriter best know for composing the soundtrack for the 70's classic Superfly. He shares his special day with legendary bassist John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, (a personal favorite of mine). 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 anyway by taking a little time out for yourself today. And while you're at it, why not smell a rose or two?

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 June 08 Newsletter ONLINE: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/jun08.htm
Henrietta's Blog: http://www.handbagtrivia.blogspot.com/search/label/Portland
Henrietta's Handbags: http://www.henriettashandbags.com
StudioKat Designs Portland Travelogue: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/portland.pdf
New on my Website:
         The Tolerant Cat Video: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/Tolerant_Cat.wmv
         The New Nesting Queen: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/freepatterns.htm
         Tracey's FOUR Roly-Nesters: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/tracey2.jpg
         Charmin: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/charmin.jpg
         Read Charmin's story: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/tails.htm
         Judi's scrumptious Odyssey Backpack: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll15.jpg
         StudioKat designs Hall of Fame: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/HallofFame.htm
Handbag of the Month Gallery:
         StudioKat Designs Handbag Gallery: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/winfreestuff.htm
         Leslie's winning Gadabout from last month: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll8.jpg
         Arlene's Bluesy PortaPocket Insert: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll12.jpg
         Barbara's artistic Vervalise: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll16.jpg
         Suzanne's impressive Gadabout: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll14.jpg
         Arlene's show-stopping Gadabout: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll11.jpg
         Patti's creative CashKeeper: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/poll13.jpg
Cast YOUR Vote: http://pub43.bravenet.com/vote/vote.php?usernum=3657359974&cpv=2
Galloping Pony Studio: http://www.gallopingpony.com
        Virginia Cole: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/gallopingpony.jpg
        Finished Artwork Pieces: http://www.gallopingpony.com/new.htm
        Project Kits: http://www.gallopingpony.com/New%20no2.htm
Traveling Designs.Com: http://www.travelingdesigns.com
         Photo Quilt Squares: http://www.travelingdesigns.com/quiltsquares.html
Weber.Com: http://weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe
         Appetizers: http://weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe/category.aspx?c=appetizer
         Meats: http://weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe/category.aspx?c=beef
         Vegetables: http://weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe/category.aspx?c=vegetable
         Desserts: http://weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe/category.aspx?c=dessert
         Banana Calypso: http://weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe/category.aspx?c=dessert&r=26
         Recipe of the Week: http://weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe/email.aspx
Howjsay.Com: http://www.howjsay.com
         Say Trifecta: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=trifecta&submit=Submit
Catsite of the Month: http://icanhascheezburger.com
         Cute Cat Picture: http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/catpic.jpg
Indiana Jones: http://www.indianajones.com
Portland Rose Festival: http://www.rosefestival.org
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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