StudioKat Designs December 08 Newsletter

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December 2008

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!-The first weekend of December is upon us, which means it's time to get serious about our shopping. I know times are tough for some folks right now, so in light of that, and also as a special thankyou to my loyal newsletter readers, we are bringing back the Christmas promotion discount package, which means from now thru Christmas Eve, you can purchase TWO StudioKat Designs patterns for the bargain price of $16.00! You can check out the offer here, but come back afterwards and we'll get started.
You may have noticed that for the first time, there are advertisements in this month's newsletter. These advertisers and their products have all been featured in a newsletter spotlight at some point in the past 2 years. Rest assured that StudioKat Designs will only accept advertisers who we feel have products that would be of interest or benefit to our readers. Their businesses are well-established and you can feel comfortable shopping on their websites.
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/dec08.htm to see the online version of the newsletter.

Feline Quote for December -"A cat's rage is beautiful, burning with pure cat flame, all its hair standing up and crackling blue sparks, eyes blazing and sputtering."
William S Burroughs

New on my Website!-
Yet another cute video about a naughty tuxedo cat was sent in by Ann Horton. This guy isn't just smart, he's a THIEF!

And since we both have a thing about guys in tuxedos, Ann ALSO sent in this wonderful video about a sweet mama cat and an orphaned tuxedo guy. Don't miss this one, because it has a twist!

Winning the October Handbag of the Month Contest hasn't slowed Donna Zukowski down one bit. Here are two of her latest creations, a soft & sweet PortaPockets Insert, and a wonderfully whimsical Apropos Pack. She hasn't lost her touch!

"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 Handbag of the Month contest, so jump right in & check out these pics, all received this month, & 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. Cindy Tazelaar of Oakbrook Terrace, IL was our lucky winner in the November Handbag Contest. Click here to see her winning Tandem Tote, which has also won a permanent place of honor on our website!

And now...Here's this month's entries (and they are indeed wonderful!):

Renee Gutyan, of Enderby, BC, Canada sent in pictures of THREE bags she has whipped up. Her first two bags were made from the same fabric, & I can't for the life of me decide which I favor. Here is her cheerful Harmony Handbag and click here to see her equally delightful AbracaNiche. But wait! Renee also whipped up this glamourous Abracaniche fit for an evening on the town!

Judy Dove of Great Britain made this fabulous Trifecta. She thought the fabric was too pretty to be embellished, so the only thing she did was make a wonderful button from a simple yo-yo. You can sneak a peek inside by clicking here. Great job Judy!

Janice Molina of Olney, MD fashioned her one-of-a-kind Harmony & matching tissue holder using a technique called Huck embroidery which she learned from her mom and grandmom. Here's a close up for you. This may be an old technique but its new to me. If its new to you too, you can learn more about it by clicking here.

Ann Morton of Great Britain created her sophisticated Harmony of pure silk, and because she's also a beader, she added a beaded motif button she made from a Gillian Lamb pattern. The whole look is utterly fantastic!

Ruta Lietuvninkas of Chicago, IL fashioned this awesome Gadabout bag using some leftover beige twill from another project, and the results were fantastic! She did the embroidery herself. Ruta said she was inspired by mehndi henna tattoos thus the single thread color. It's breath-taking!

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... or better still...

Click here to join studiokatdesigns

Click to join the StudioKatDesigns Chat Group!

Join the StudioKat Designs Chat Group at Yahoo! Are you up for a new experience? Our new chat group has over 150 members now & I am finding that I like having this fun group of gals to bounce new ideas off of. Come ON! Join us TODAY by clicking here!

Website Spotlight- Sense & Sensibility Patterns
Specializing in patterns for vintage and period clothing, Sense & Sensibility Patterns accurately depict clothing for women & children from various ages. And here's the best part, Jennie, the designer, has graciously consented to extend a 15% discount to StudioKat Designs newsletter readers for the month of December. Simply type KITKAT09 in the appropriate field at checkout on the website to receive your discount. Jennie also markets some of her patterns now as e-downloads, and you can request a catalog by clicking here.

New at StudioKat Designs- The Boho Baguette"
I'm getting ever so close to releasing my new pattern, the Boho Baguette. It's a hobo style bag with a beautiful ruffled top, and it's large enough to accomodate either the large or the small PortaPockets Insert. It makes up beautifully in a wide variety of fabrics, like lightweight denim, or moleskin, (this sample had a Faux leather finish), and of course cotton, with which you can utilize many wonderful embellishment techniques. I am pressing toward an early Jan09 release, though I should have a firmer idea of an exact release date for the January Newsletter, so stay tuned!

Quotation of the Month-
"I didn't fail 1000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1000 steps!"Thomas Edison

Surf HERE for Neat INFO!- Green Cleaning Made Easy by Beth Lineberry
Now that everyone is finally talking about going GREEN, wouldn't it be fun to give the folks on your shopping list something that will help them go green, improve their family's health AND save them some money? When my friend Beth showed me her new book & materials over Thanksgiving, I knew I had to share it with all of you. Green Cleaning Made Easy is the perfect gift for that person who has everything, and the best part is, it's politically correct for everyone, whether they're male, female, old, young, you name it! Click here to see a sneak preview of Beth's booklet, complete with table of contents & a free "recipe" to try out. You can buy the informative instruction book separately for just $10.00, or with 18 pre-printed, waterproof labels to place on your storage bottles.

Your cat might own you if...you introduce your cat, by name, to any guest as they arrive at your house.

A Cool Place to Shop!- Swaptree.Com
Just because we're heading into a recession, doesn't mean that you can't use a little "creative swapping" to put some smiles on the little faces around your tree on Christmas morning. Swaptree.Com offers a free, easy way to swap books, CDs, DVDs, & video games that you no longer want, for those that you do want. You'll save money and have fun by listing items you have and items you want. Swaptree.Com takes it from there, alerting you to trades that match your lists. Then mail your media & sit back & wait for your new stuff to arrive. It's fun, free & safe... so why not try it?

New Word of the Month- Dogelation:
The ridiculously enthusiastic joy with which a dog greets you at the door, expressed by tail wagging, running in circles, spreading dog germs across one's face with its tongue, and the like.

Love Handbags?- The Smart Handbag
I met Georgia Caruso at the Fall Quilt Market. She has developed a small handbag pattern line that might interest you, featuring basic totes with removable/replaceable covers or flaps. You can click here to see various exterior ideas. And here's some multiple pattern discount options you can take advantage of.

Sewing Tip of the Month-You can create unique custom buttons by stitching decorative stitches on an interfaced piece of fashion fabric & then use it to cover a button. An elegant idea!

Did You Know?- A rat can last longer without water than a camel can?

A cool Internet Activity- Cheap Eats
Need a cookbook that caters to your checkbook? Check out this information packed site , which features dozens of budget-friendly recipes so easy & healthy, you will "forget take-out". It's all here & it's searchable by type of cuisine, occasion, main ingredient and more. Find recipe makeovers -- healthy versions of classic favorites like meatloaf, mac & cheese, burgers, or my personal favorite, French Silk Pie-- and look for the special sections on cooking for two, and entertaining.

Laugh Lines- The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

Surf HERE for FACTS!- Education 101
Do you have a high school student in the process of selecting a college? Or are you interested in continuing your own education? Education Portal is a great place to start when researching career paths, degree programs & schools. The site has links to a wide variety of options including free online courses in business, technology, science & more. You can also watch instructional videos on job interviewing & resumes.

Talk to Me- You might recall that in my Fall Market travelogue, I included a picture of a very unusual bird & wondered aloud if anyone had a clue as to what it was? Well, Kaele Flynn of Erie, PA wrote back to tell me that her son, Jim Jr, a member of the Georgia Audobon Society, said it was actually a young Double-Crested Cormorant, which is related to a Pelican. Click here, and you'll see that it's true! Thanks to Kaele and to Jim for solving this mystery.

Monthly Trivia-
It appears that December 4th must be the most boring day in history, because I couldn't find anything cool or interesting about this day. Of course Tyra Banks would probably take issue with that, since she was born on this day, 35 years ago. She shares her special day with Max Baer Jr., of Beverly Hillbillies fame, and Marisa Tomei who starred in one my all-time favorite movies, My Cousin Vinny. And if today is your birthday, "Happy Birthday to YOU" from StudioKat Designs! And if today isn't your birthday, you don't have to "load up your truck and move to Beverly" to have fun, you can just rent a copy of My Cousin Vinny and sit down for a few laughs!

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

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