StudioKat DesignsNewsletter for February 2008

2008

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!-
It's SUPER SUNDAY, and if you're reading this on February 3rd, that means one of four things...
1) You HATE football, and didn't even know there was a game today...
2) you're just killing time until the game starts...
3)the house is full of stark-raving football fans and you needed something to do that looked like business, just to get a moment of peace... or...
4) today is the 3rd of the month, and it's time for the StudioKat Designs newsletter.
So whatever your reason, lets get to it!
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/feb08.htm to see the online version of the newsletter.

Feline Quote for February - "Kittens are born with their eyes shut. They open them in about six days, take a look around, then close them again for the better part of their lives." Stephen Baker

New on my Website!-
Lots of folks make New Year's Resolutions, but here's a few that you might want to "suggest" to your CAT! Click here to check out this amusing list, sent courtesy of alert reader, Jonell Hutchinson, of Clemmons, NC. (I left these out where Jeter & Joba could conviently "find" them, but found them later that day... SHREDDED!)

Beverly Mahoney made some beautiful PortaPocket Inserts for the girls on her Christmas list.

Ann Horton of Wilson, NY is the only person I know who loves tuxedo cats as much as I do, & she sent me a pic of Mr. Magoo, a distinguished gentleman she recently took in!

Sehoy Welshofer of Tennessee, made these cute Roly-Nesters & added a small piece of ribbon at each end to aid in opening the zippers.

And speaking of PortaPocket Inserts, check out this bright and beautiful picture sent in by Susan Brugger.

I'm very fortunate to have some wonderful pattern testers, and here are the bags they worked up, while testing out my new release, the Trifecta! This is Peg Rice's Trifecta, and you can click here, to see the Trifecta that Arlene Stream made. I love them both...oh, and I love their bags too!

New at StudioKat Designs-Introducing... "The Trifecta".
Most of you know that I took a little time off last fall to do a few much needed things around the house, but at long last my new pattern is here. The whole family has been feverishly packing patterns, (even Jeter has helped out), and we're finally ready to announce the release of my newest design, the "Trifecta". My BFF Mary, suggested the name and I LOVED it, because with College basketball season at full throttle now, all I could hear was Dick Vitale yelling, "It's a TRIFECTA, Baby!", at every three-point basket! The Trifecta has THREE separate & roomy storage areas, including a Core storage area, BETWEEN the two pouches! It's the pefect 3-point play! And here's the fun part, you can add an optional Core Insert, personalized with the features that YOU need, like quick access to an ID, storage slots for credit cards, or a secure zippered pocket for valuables! Need quick access to your cell phone or your car keys? Add an optional Exterior Pocket and before you know it, everyone you know will be talking about your fabulous bag!
The "Trifecta" pattern retails for $12.00, but from now until Feb 29th, we offering a $2.00 off coupon to our loyal newsletter readers. You can redeem your coupon by simply typing FEB08 in the coupon code box at checkout when you shop online, or simply write the FEB08 code onto your check when you order by snail mail, or mention this offer when ordering by phone.

Quiltshop Spotlight- in Susa Glenn Designs.Com
Although we've never really met, Susa Glenn is a much admired colleague of mine, and I've had a lot of fun collaborating with Susa on a very special "Trifecta" exterior. This new design of mine has a perfect exterior for embellishment and since I don't know a thing about embroidery, Susa graciously volunteered to whip up a few designs that are just perfect for my new pattern. I was so crazy about Susa's Morning Glory & Lacewing Dragonfly design, that I featured it on the back of the "Trifecta" pattern cover! Susa has many other designs that would look incredible on the "Trifecta". Another favorite of mine is the Skeleton Leaf/ Luna Moth design. It's fabulous!

A Cool Place to Shop!- PaperPow.Com
PaperPow.Com is a terrific resource for cool stationary and paper to use for scrapbooking or invitations. What I especially like about this site. is the projects page, which features other creative ways to use these papers. The Family Tree gift idea looks interesting, and I love the Noah's Ark Baby Shower page which includes ideas for Shower decor, food, party favors, and games. (I like the Animal Baby game!)

Your cat might own you if...you select your friends based on how well your cat likes them.

Surf HERE for Neat INFO!- Record-Breaking Resource!
Could this be your year to set a record? Find out what it takes from the experts at Guinness World Records. Click on the Break a World Record link to get information on making a claim. Or just browse through the Video Vault for a look at the fastest, strongest, largest, and most incredible things on the planet. From the largest disco ball to the heaviest car balanced on the head, there's enough here to keep you amazed for hours. I liked the video featuring Tom Rodden of Chatham, Kent, UK, who holds the record for the most faces shaved with a Cut Throat Razor! Tom shaved 278 faces in one hour, only drawing blood seven times! YIKES!
You can also search the records by category among such topics as the human body, sports and games, to mention a few. My favorite so far is Augie, a golden retriever from Dallas, TX, who on 7/6/03 successfully gathered and held 5 regulation-sized tennis balls in his mouth. There's a picture of Augie, and it's super!

New Word of the Month-
Adorkable- equally adorable and dorky.

Cats in the News-Kitty Math
This just in from Palm Beach Gardens, FL: How many lives did little Gracie Mae (a kitten) use up when she crawled into her owner's cuitcase, went through an airport X-ray machine, got loaded onto a plane, thrown onto a baggage belt and mistakenly picked up by a stranger far from home? The last time Kelly Levy saw Gracie was before she took her husband to the airport. She went back home & couldn't find Gracie anywhere. She tore the house apart looking for her kitten who was 10 mos old at the time. She and her Dad took out bathroom tiles and part of a cabinet to check a crawl space, and she papered the neighborhood with "lost cat' signs. Then she got a phone call from Rob Carter of Fort Worth, TX, who told her that he accidentally picked up her husbands luggage. "I went to unpack, and a kitten jumped out and ran under the bed. I screamed like a little girl!" Gracie Mae couldn't have been too happy about making the 1300-mile trip back home on a $80 plane ticket, but she's home safe and sound now, with no travel plans for the immediate future!

Love Handbags?- All Dunn Designs.Com
What is there about a favorite old pair of blue jeans that makes them IMPOSSIBLE to throw away? Well here's the perfect solution! Patty Dunn has some fun purse patterns that are designed specifically to be used with an old pair of jeans. You can see her "Purse Gone Crazy" pattern by clicking here, and also my personal favorite, her "Old Jeans Purse pattern". I think this is perfect, because if there's anything I love better than a good ol' pair of jeans, it's a good ol' purse. I can't throw either away, and now I don't have to! You also might want to check out Polly's FREE patterns!

Sewing Tip of the Month- Wrong side of fabric-
If you can't tell the right side from the wrong side on a piece of fabric, make a decision and mark the wrong side with tape or fabric marker.

Did You Know?- Wearing earphones for just one hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times?

An Opinion to Ponder- Live a Pro-Life Lifestyle!
I'm not much of a political creature, and I don't think there really is a particular party that believes as I do. As a matter of fact, the whole process tends to get on my nerves by the time election day arrives, being so divisive and confrontational. However, my daughter recently sent me a link to a blog written by a close friend of hers, a young Mom from Raleigh, NC. She knew it would resonate with me, having heard me say similar things over the years. I really admire the way Jenn has tackled a tough, emotional topic without endorsing or slamming any particular canidate. As a matter of fact, I couldn't begin to tell you which canidate Jenn supports, even though I've read this piece several times. That's part of the reason I have included it for your consideration, so if you're interested, click here.

Laugh Lines-
"What did the cannibal get when he was late for dinner? "
A cold shoulder!

Surf HERE for FUN!- America's Walking
To get fit, sometimes you just need to put one foot in front of the other. America's Walking is a new fitness, travel, and lifestyle series premiering on PBS stations nationwide. It's hosted by Mark Fenton, a leading expert on walking and pedestrian issues, and spotlights different walking destinations each week. The site features quizzes to help you kick off a walking program, discover your fitness personality, and find out if your community is pedestrian-friendly. There are also links to walking clubs and events across the country.

Question of the Month-Why are coins made out of metal? Because change is hard!

Talk to Me-
Joyce Campbell of Greensboro, NC wrote to tell me about a funny sign that was posted at work on the vending machine. It read, "If the machine is out of order, please contact the vending-machine operator. Do not bang on this machine. He is NOT inside!"

Monthly Trivia- February 3rd seems to be a day best known for things we just don't celebrate, for example;
A momentous thing that effects each and every American, occurred 95 years ago today, that being the ratification of the 16th Amendment, granting Congress the authority to levy taxes on income. Needless to say, church bells did not ring throughout the land, & no dancing in the streets was reported.
Today is also the anniversary of the "Day the Music Died", made famous in Don McLean's classic song, American Pie. It concerns the day in 1959 that legendary rock n' roller Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash. He was accompanied by the "Big Bopper" and Richie Valens, who won a coin toss with his guitarist for the last seat on the plane. He reportedly remarked at the time, that he'd never won anything before.
Actress Blythe Danner is celebrating her 65th birthday today. (Blythe was one of the Moms in the movie, "Meet the Fockers", but ironically she's probably best known for being the Mom of Gwyneth Paltrow.) 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 today anyway, by starting to get your receipts together for your tax return (April 15th will be here before you know it!) or by baking up a nice cake for dessert tonight, or better still... does anyone know the recipe for American Pie??

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.
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