StudioKat News               February 2013
 In This Issue-
The Fabric Organizer 
BJ's Designs & Patterns
The Crafty Cupboard
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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Hello and Welcome-
So here we are in February. I don't know how its been in YOUR neck of the woods, but January was a cold and gloomy month in NC. But here's the good news, the lousy weather has given us plenty of time to put the finishing touches on our new pattern! Want a sneek peek? Just check out the blogposts below with the prefix PPC7. It's just one of the surprises we have in store for you in this newsletter!
So whatcha say? Shall we proceed?
If you have comments or suggestions about our Newsletter, please feel free to do so at info@studiokatdesigns.com
 
 
 
 
 
 "Handbag of the Month" Gallery-
Thanks to everyone who participated in last month's contest! Congratulations to  Veronica Johnson of Old Bend, Australia who was our 1st winner of 2013! She wins a $25.00 SKD gift certificate and a permanent place of honor on our website. Click here to see her winning entry, a fabulously embroidered Uptown Saddlebag!
 
So are you ready to see this month's nominees? Just scroll down to check 'em out then cast a vote for your favorite.

(Click each individual picture for a larger view)

 
 
 
Sheree Hooper of Visalia, CA made a DittyRoo Bag as a Christmas gift for each and EVERY one of her employees!... everyone that is except one. Click HERE to see the one exception!
 
 
 
 
This DittyRoo (as well as the one below) are two more of the EIGHT bags Sheree made for her employees at her office. I really can't decide which one is my favorite!
 
Sheree said that she tried to picks fabrics and colors that were especially suited for each individual. Can you imagine what fun that was when everyone opened up their gift. Oh, and the guy in the picture is her truck driver and he's holding the pocketknife Sheree got him. He said he was kinda glad she didn't make him a DittyRoo, because he would have felt obligated to carry it!  :) 
 
Dawn King of Hamilton, NJ created this creative Carolina CarryAll as well as a matching Porta-PocketsPLUS Purse Insert with fabric she discovered online. She fell in love with it because she knew that the large scale print would be perfect for this design.
 
(Sorry, but you'll have to wait until July to see Dawn's purse insert because that's when we're holding our very first "Purse Insert ONLY" contest!)
 
And speaking of Christmas presents, Penny Oosterman made this spectacular Carolina CarryAll for her daughter. I think her fabric choice (which she found on Ebay) was only made better by her choice of lining and I'm sure her daughter was THRILLED with her gift!  
 
 
Helle Houlby of Denmark fashioned a special embroidery motif especially for the front of her Quattro! She said it involved over 30,000 stitches and 15 color shifts and I think it's just spectacular! Click here to see a close-up!
 
And finally, this fabulously feline Carolina CarryAll was created by Patti Kish of Colorado for a special friend whose son declared that it takes her one step closer to being a "Crazy Cat Lady". Patti used fabric from the Phat Cat Collection which she got at Lisa's Stitching Post in Texas.
 
So... How 'bout you?
Have you used one of our patterns to make a special gift for a friend? If so, we'd LOVE to see it!

To enter our"Handbag of the Month" contest,
just attach your jpg or gif image to an email and send it to: info@studiokatdesigns.com.
 
And now, Let's VOTE!
 Only one vote per MONTH, per email address is allowed.
 
Blog with us!-  A Work in Progress
Did you miss any of the Blog posts from last month, don't worry, they're all listed below. 
 
 
 
Bobbin Around the Web- TheFabricOrganizer

I don't know about you, but I'd love to be able to organize my stash in such a way that everything I need is at my fingertips. I saw the Fabric Organizers booth at the Fall Quilt Market and found them quite intriguing! Here's a gallery of 'in-action' photos as well as a video demo to check out!  :)
 
 
 
 
Video of the Month-
This cute little video should start your AND this little dog's day off just right!  Click HERE to watch.
 
Website Spotlite- BJ Designs and Patterns
 
Barbara Jones is the creative mind behind BJ Designs and Patterns and she creates fun and happy quilts using colorful, bright, and whimsical fabrics. (The picture at right shows how her booth looked at the Fall Quilt Market.) I love her designs that feature animals like Dotty Daisy and Felicia, as well as her Art Quilts and more traditional quilts!
 
 
Cat Video of the Month-
This is a CRAZY funny video of a little cat who helps out with the laundry! You'll LOVE it!  Just click HERE to watch.
 
'HOT'Links-of-the-Month'- 
      check out these terrific offers from our sponsors
ByAnnie.Com- Soft & Stable, now available in convenient precuts!
PursePatterns.Com- Click HERE to check out this month's pattern bargains!
Material Girl Quilts- This new fabric line, "Luxe in Bloom" is PERFECT for our new design!
All DunnDesigns.Com- Purse Gone Crazy pattern is only $10.00! until 2/18/13
Oliver+S- Check out our NEW Wallet pattern!
Immedia Print- We print patterns and MUCH MORE! Click here to see our various servies!
 
Blog of the Month- The Crafty Cupboard
 
Melanie is a stay-at-home-mom with three lovely little girls, living in the heat of Arizona and CraftyCupboard is her journal of all things creative! And one of the main features of Melanie's blog is her tutorials, of which there are MANY! Some of my favorites are, the Pacifier Clip, the Twirly T-shirt Dress (for children), the D-ring Belt, and the Business Card Holder

 
 
Quote of the Month- 
"Comparison is the thief of joy."  Teddy Roosevelt
 
 
 
 
 
Valentine's Day is of course the PERFECT excuse to pig-out on one of my personal favorites.... CHOCOLATE! And here's a great website to help you plan how to best indulge this year! I like the looks of these Valentine Sorbet Sandwiches
 
Tutorial of the Month- Car Trash Bags
 
Nobody likes the way their car looks when its all cluttered with trash, but what if you could clean up your car interior AND  make a stylish statement at the SAME time. Would you be interested? If yes, then you might enjoy checking out this FREE  Car Trash Bag tutorial. And just in case you don't have the time or ability to make one on your own, you can go to the Green Goose Etsy Shop and purchase a premade one! :)
 
 
 
 
New Word of the Month-  Procraftinating
Working on a craft project when you should be doing laundry, or dishes or picking up the kids from school.
 
RIO DE JANEIRO- A cat carrying a saw and a mobile phone was "detained" as it entered a prison gate in northeast Brazil, Brazilian media reported on Saturday.
Prison guards were surprised when they saw a white cat crossing the main gate of the prison, its body wrapped with tape. A closer look showed the feline also carried drills, an earphone, a memory card, batteries and a phone charger.
(click HERE to read more PLUS to see a video)
 
 
 
 
Cat Picture of the Month-
 
 
 
Click image to see a larger view
 
How can it be that I was right in Amsterdam last summer and somehow missed visiting the Museum of Bags and Purses, with the worlds largest handbag collection.
The Tassenmuseum details 500 years of handbag history in a beautiful, historic canal house, dating from 1664, located in the centre of Amsterdam. 
Click HERE for a detail of the current special exhibit!
 
 
As 'Funnie' as Real Life-
 
 
 
Click on image to see a larger view
 
Monthly Trivia-
Today is February 8th, the 39th day of 2013 and just in case you're interested, there's 326 days remaining in this year. It also is or was an important date for these two gentleman whose names both begin with the letter "J". America's Rebel without a Cause, James Dean would have been 82 today and he shares his special day with actor Jack Lemmon who may be best known for his role as Felix Unger in the 1968 movie, "The Odd Couple". And I actually have a fun story about that movie! There was a very important triple play in that movie and I was actually in NYC, at Shea Stadium when that triple play was staged and filmed. It took several takes as I recall and it was very exciting as a youngster to be "an extra" in a real movie.
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 the day anyway by checking out this old Jack Lemmon interview footage OR by watching this rare triple play footage from "The Odd Couple". (That's me in the white blouse over on the 1st base side, 3 rows up from the field!) And I'm NOT kidding about this!
 
Well, that's it for now, so until next month, remember!
Sewing Forever, Housework Whenever!
 
 
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