StudioKat Designs February 09 Newsletter

Click HERE
for a FREE Purse Pattern
from AllDunnDesigns!

Click here for more info about
GREEN Cleaning Made Easy

February 2009

The StudioKat Designs Newsletter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HELLO and Welcome!-As I sit here typing, it's another cold, damp and gloomy day, like so many before it, and what better way to brighten the day than to spread out some beautiful fabrics in my studio, and create something beautiful? Sound like fun? Sure it does, but WAIT! Before you go running off to seek inspiration in your sewing room, why not take a few minutes to read this newsletter? Who know, inspiration might just find YOU! So come on, let's get started, and don't forget to...
Check out the websites of our wonderful advertisers! (located at left)
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/feb09.htm to see the online version of the newsletter.

Feline Quote for February-"Any household with at least one feline member has no need for an alarm clock." Louise A Belcher

New on my Website!-
I know you love 'em, so here's another funny cat video sent in by my Dad! You can see it and all the other funny cat-related videos featured in this newsletter on Jeter's page.

Denise Gifford of Southgate, MI sent in terrific pictures of her two "throw-away" kitties. Chloe was found eating bird seed on her mother's driveway, starving & near death. She was very easy to catch even though she was a wild cat. Today she is at home with 4 dogs & a cat pal who also had a bad start. Sadie was a dumpster kitten. Her mom, Denise says, "I went to take out the trash at work, & there she was, maybe 5 weeks old, shaking & meowing like crazy. Today they are 8 years old, chunky & doing what they do best... chasing dogs!" You can check them out by clicking here.

Ever wonder what your cat does all night while you're sleeping? You might get a kick out of this cute little video sent in by Darla Elsken of Pittsburgh, PA, especially if you wake up feeling like you haven't slept at all!

I recently made up some new ReUse-a-Bags out of some eco-friendly fabric sent to me by Linda McGehee of Ghee's Handbags. Since Linda's a hero to me, I'm thrilled to say that these samples are among the ones she's taking to the Sewing & Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA. It's a little hard to see in the picture, but these bag feature the two-color zippers (in this case light & dark green) that Linda is known for. It's a retail show, which means that it's open to the public and if you live anywhere in the area, you might want to drop in. Beside hundreds of vendors (like Ghee's Bags), there are LOTS of interesting classes to take. It looks like fun! And dont' worry, even if you live on the other side of the world from Puyallup, you can still get some of that great "Save the Planet" fabric by visiting the Ghee's site . Click here to choose the colors for your cool two-color zips!

"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 new Handbag of the Month contest, so jump right in & check out these pics, all received in January, & 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. Stephanie Loller of San Jose, CA was our lucky winner in the January Handbag Contest. Click here to see her winning PortaPockets Insert, which has also won a permanent place of honor on our website!

And now...Here's this month's entries (and they are INCREDIBLE!):
Crystal Stevens of Fort Lewis, WA, enters this chic Harmony Handbag. She is especially proud since she says this was her first REAL sewing project!

Pat Robinson of Orville, OH says that her new Polso Pouch is PERFECT for making the rounds at the casinos, which she and her husband LOVE! She adds that she chose this money motif in hopes that the casino would get the message as to why she's there!

This beautiful Gadabout & PortaPocket Insert combo was sent in by Peg Rice of Westport Island, ME. What a wonderful spring bag! And here's a peek at the back.

Check out this amazing tiger-print SideKick sent in by Lesa Brahm of Huntsville, AL. She made it especially to use while spectating at her daughter's volleyball games at Grissom High School. The Grissom High mascot is a tiger, so it's no wonder that Lesa's bag was a big hit at the games!

Lori Gates of West Henrietta, NY has been a busy gal indeed. First she made a stunning Boho Bauette/PortaPockets Insert combo as an early Mother's Day gift for her monster-in-law, oops!, I mean mother-in-law. Seriously, Lori must have a SUPER mother-in-law to be doing this for her. Lucky girl, right? Then, she went on to make up the perfect travel pair, a Harmony Handbag/ PortaPocket Insert combo to take with her on her trip to the Bahamas, NEXT WEEK! Doesn't that sound heavenly?

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 190 members now & if you aren't part of it, you're missing out on the fun! Come ON! Join us TODAY by clicking here!

Website Spotlight- FiberGoddess.Net
Here's a interesting website I think you'll enjoy, specializing in exotic, hand-dyed fibers, which you can use to make some of the most fantastic cords you'll ever see! And with the help of the Diva Custom Cord Maker, making amazing cords has never been easier. There's a very interesting video demonstrating how easy it is to use the Diva Cord Maker on this page, just click here. There's also a whole page devoted to some of the amazing projects , (like handbag straps, and necklace cords), that have been made with the help of the Diva Custom Cord Maker.

A Cool Place to Shop!- Qwerty-O
So you say you've made the switch to reusable shopping bags and you're feeling pretty good about that? Well why not be even MORE earth-friendly and make the switch to reusable produce bags? One of my chatroom girls turned me on to Qwerty-O, a "Sew Eco-Friendly" site, featuring Kristin, a sixteen-year old sewist, who uses the income from this site to save for college. I just love her lime-green reusable produce bags. They "add a party to your shopping cart AND leave no carbon footprint! Use these bags in the produce aisle, bring home your fruits and veggies and wash them right in the bag. Hang them to dry and use the bags for storage in the fridge! Easy as pie! A budding entrepreneur, Kristin also has a line of cool reusuable swiffer pads!

Quotation of the Month-
"People forget how fast you did a job - but they remember how well you did it."
Howard W. Newton

Hot off the Presses!- Quilter's Showcase
A while back the good folks at Quilter's Showcase asked me to write a piece for their blog site, and I was thrilled to see that it was posted last week. Click here to read it.

Your cat might own you if... you put off making the bed until your cat gets up!

Surf HERE for Neat INFO!-Most Popular Cat Names of 2008
Today.Com recently released the most popular Cat Names of 2008, which was topped by Max, Chloe & Tigger. In case you missed it, click here to see the rest of the top 10. Today.Com also published the year's most unusual names, topped by Edward Scissorpaws, Sir Lix-a-lot, and my personal favorite, Buddah Pest!

New Word of the Month- Alcohological
(adj.) Things that seem logical only after consuming large amounts of alcohol.
Example: It was alcohological for her to run down the street naked in the snow.

Cats in the News- The Garbage Disposal Cat
Just when I think my cats have done the wierdest things on earth, along comes a story like this, (sent in by my bud, Mary O.) to convince me that my experiences are TAME! Click here to read the story of Rudy (don't worry, it has a good ending!)

Love Handbags?- Cat Hair Handbags
I think you'll either find this next piece fascinating... or just a little creepy! Sent in by one of our Chatroom members, it's the story of Danielle German, who runs an animal grooming business in Simpsonville, SC, called The Catty Shack. In short, Danielle makes surprisngly attractive handbags out of the unwanted waste animal hair generated in her business. (Another eco-friendly activity?) Click here to find out about Danielle, and to read an interview with her about her handbags. You can also click here to watch some video of how she does it!

Did You Know?- the New York Stock Exchange started out as a coffeehouse? Hmmm... at the rate things are going, it looks like it just might end up that way too!

A cool Internet Activity- Train at Home
Maybe you've decided that this is the year you'll shed those extra pounds, run that marathon, or adopt a healthier lifestyle. This site provides useful information if you're considering a home gym as part of your plan. A personal trainer helps you navigate the waters of the exercise equipment industry, and shares product reviews and equipment guides. You can also submit a question on the Ask the Expert page to get advice for your particular home gym needs.

SKD Promotions Update- Quilt Dash!
This month, StudioKat Designs is taking part in a new online promotion, the Quilt Dash. It's an online hide-and-seek game, but more than that, it's a chance for you to visit online quilt shops that perhaps you've not visited before. if you complete a Quilt Dash, you receive a FREE quilt pattern, PLUS a free issue of Cotton Spice Quilting Magazine! And in the end, if you visit all of the quilt shops that are part of the Quilt Dash, you have a chance to win MORE prizes! Why not experience it for the first time with us? Click here to find out more info and to join us!

Laugh Lines-
Did you ever notice that when you put the words "the" and "IRS" together...
it spells "THEIRS"????

"Catsite" of the Month- FelineDrive.Com
In our never-ending quest for the perfect store to shop for feline-related sewing items, we are recommending Feline Drive. (Thanks to Donna Zukowski of Scottsdale, AZ for the hot tip.) Whether it's fabric, patterns or embellishments, if it's cat-related, I would be very surprised if you couldn't find it here! I just love these fun-to-make Fat Cats, and also this Country Cats Vest. And who could resist this Fat Cat fabric?

Surf HERE for FUN!- Cute Overload.Com
Here is one place you can go for a guaranteed smile in stressful times. Photos and videos of adorable animals are posted, along with cute comments from submitters and viewers. Cute Overload.Com allows you to find your favorite kind of cuteness by searching categories. In addition to checking out the photos, you can browse for cute products, find a cute pet, get a daily cute e-newsletter, and even submit your own cute shots.

Monthly Trivia-
Did you know that today is the "Halfway Point of Winter"? On this day 44.5 days of winter will have elapsed & the equivalent remain until Spring arrives on March 20. This has been a rough winter for many, so this may be music to your ears, but in the meantime winter is still here, and what better way to make the best of it than by checking out the Snow-Sculpting competition that starts today in Lake Geneva, WI., where 3-person teams create works of art out of 7ft X 9ft blocks of snow. Sound interesting? You can click here to see last year's entries.

But if you're like me, and can hardly remember the last significant snow fall in your area, then you'll need to find another way to enjoy the day. Dan Quayle will probably be having fun scarfing down birthday cake today, but probably not with shock-rocker Alice Cooper, best known for his hit, "No More Mr. Nice Guy". Funny thing is, besides being one of my favorite old-school artists, Alice Cooper (aka Vincent Furnier), by all accounts is really a VERY nice guy! Married to his original wife of 20 years, Alice has 3 children and spends more time nowadays coaching soccer, playing golf (he has a 4 handicap), and managing his foundation to help teenagers, "The Solid Rock Foundation", than he does performing on stage. And if your birthday is also today, here's a great big "Happy Birthday to YOU!" from StudioKat Designs, and if today is not your birthday, you can celebrate the day anyway, by listening to a few Alice Cooper tracks, or maybe by building a snowman! But if you live in the non-snow belt like I do, you might have to resort to building a Virtual Snowman, like the one you'll find on this site!

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.

	Powered by YMLP.com