Cat Greeting Cards from The Paper Cats, Cards that are ART!

I have said this a zillion times and I will say it for the zillion and ONE time, one of the MANY things I love about blogging are the talented people I am blessed to meet along the way.

A few weeks back, an auction was held for "The Baby" from The Katnip Lounge, and I was the incredibly LUCKY, highest bidder of greeting cards that were created by Lisa-Lin from the blog:

CLICK TO VISIT!!!

I must have been living under a rock, because I had never known about Lisa's blog until the auction! Now I am not only thrilled to have made a new friend, but I am EXTRA THRILLED to have learned about Lisa's  beautiful shop on Etsy:

 CLICK TO VISIT!!!

From Lisa's shop:Welcome to The Paper Cats--a place for the cat lover you know and/or the cat lover in YOU.Once upon a long ago time, before e-mail even existed, and postage stamps were just 8 cents, my life was in a small Iowa town, I had 50 pen pals all over the world. My favorite spot was a drawer stashed with stationery. The two best presents my parents could surprise me were a Nancy Drew mystery and a box of new stationery--especially if a cat graced it. I loved which paper to use for each pen pal. My love of cats continues to evolve on other items--and stay tuned to The Paper Cats!

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

I RECEIVED 18 CARDS!!!

There were 5 different styles

and I received 3 of each

My photos do NOT

do them justice

This is one of the cards
I am particularly partial to
I LOVE MY TABBY CATS!!!
It also looks a little like Cody!

Adore this one too!
Reminds me of my Angel Bobo

TO SEE MUCH BETTER PHOTOS OF THESE CARDS

VISIT LISA'S ETSY SHOP HERE

Lisa's cards are so beautiful and are made on such superb quality card paper, that to me, they qualify for ART, rather than just greeting cards. I am hoping that I can bring myself to use them!!!  I just might have to frame one of each type and then send the rest. Brilliant idea if I do say so myself!!!

THANKS SO MUCH LISA AND I AM THRILLED TO HAVE MET YOU!!!

Now, if you haven't already, visit all of the participating kitties in Athena's:

CLICK HERE TO VISIT!

Cats Love Cuddles and Comfort, THIS Cat Loves Cat Beds from Coccolino Creations!

One of the many joys of being a pet blogger are the people that  I am lucky enough to meet along this wild and wacky journey. The talent that so many of them possess is mind-boggling. I can barely keep up with two blogs, and there are so many talented bloggers who have a myriad of interests that many have turned into lucrative ventures. Today I am thrilled to introduce you to one of them, many of you already know her!

I have been reading the charming blog Coccolino My Mini Pet Pig for quite some time, and find his adventures to be entertaining, humorous and delightful! One day recently I was reading, and learned that Coccolino's Mom, (Katie), was opening her own shop on Etsy, and she was showcasing the most adorable cat beds there!

See for yourself:

From Coccolino Creations "We are huge animal lovers and we want to help them all and since that is impossible we are taking a percentage of the proceeds of EVERY sale to put towards pet beds and pet blankets that we will make and donate. Your purchase will help animal shelter pets be comfortable too."

These beds are MACHINE WASHABLE on GENTLE CYCLE on COLD, TUMBLE DRY LOW and just FLUFF UP!!

I fell completely in love with these beds and contacted Katie and asked if she would be interested in being featured on our blog. To my complete and utter joy, she accepted!

Tonight, while reading the description of her shop, I realized it was only fitting that Cody  was featuring her on his blog!  Read this excerpt about her shop and then I will tell you why:

"Coccolino” means “little cuddlebug” in Italian and is also the name of our mischievous but irresistible pet mini pig. Coccolino is the cuddliest pet we have ever had (we’ve had them all!). He would cuddle – and eat – all day long if he could.

With him in mind, we have named our pet shop Coccolino Creations because we want to emphasize that we hand make every item to be as cuddly as possible for your pet.

We make items for all kinds of pets: pet pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, etc. We strive to make your pet comfy and warm and we hope our pet products bring you abundant cuddles."

When I adopted Cody, his foster mother referred to him as being a "little cuddlebug" and our Vet also has called him the same thing many times since. To this day, Cody is MY "little cuddlebug". It was meant to be that we feature Coccolino's Mom!

Working with Katie was a complete joy. We emailed back and forth, she sent me fabric swatches to choose from and the entire process was a breeze. Then, Cody's bed arrived!

It arrived beautifully wrapped with a charming card and had information about the bed. When I removed the bed from the packaging I was taken with the superb craftsmanship, attention to detail, the SOFTNESS, OH THE SOFTNESS! (It made ME want to curl up and go to sleep on it!!) Want to hear one of the BEST parts about this bed? It is REVERSIBLE!!!!! There are TWO DIFFERENT SIDES!!

THE BLUE SIDE

Cody found a sunpuddle and began making biscuits, this bed brought out the ULTIMATE sign of CONTENTMENT!!!

I think one of the reasons Cody LOVES this bed is it is reminiscent of his "donut" that he brought with him from his Foster home. This is thicker MUCH thicker than that, but with the lower sides, I think Cody is being taken back to his kittenhood and is loving every minute of it! He loved his old donut bed that he outgrew years ago.

NOW THE GRAY SIDE!!

Bed prices range from $25-$46, depending on the size of the cat, dog (or even a mini pet pig!) 

Cody LOVES the kitties all over the side of the bed!

From Coccolino Creations:

The best thing I have done so far is to make dozens of pet beds that I have donated to Lollypop Farm, a local animal shelter. My goal was - and still is - to continue making beds for these caged pets so they can use them as a source of comfort and hopefully take with them to their forever home.

For each item I sell, a percentage of the proceeds will go towards material for the shelter beds I make and donate. My philosophy is that every pet should have the chance to be cozy and warm, a lesson that Coccolino has taught me.

My goal in opening this shop is to sell the pet beds and pet blankets that I truly take pride in making and also give back to those shelter animals. I love the creativity I can embrace and I love to imagine bringing warmth and happiness to the lucky pet using them.

Thank you for taking a look and thank you for considering us for your pet. We know you have many choices and we know it's an important one.

Pets are part of the family and we hope your family will consider ours with our Coccolino cuddle beds and cuddle blankets!

Katie tries to add new products almost daily, she often hosts give-aways and promotions and LOVES her customers nearly as much as she loves Coccolino!! (Well, maybe not THAT much! Kidding!!) She is also happy to work with you to create a custom project or gift.

Katie also likes to spoil her customers with BONUS SURPRISES every now and then. Check out the bonus surprise that she gave to our boy Dakota!!!

A DOG BONE TOY!!!

That was such a surprise and so incredibly thoughtful! Toy prices are on average about $5-$7. Dakota's has a "squeaker" in it and he has had this toy for a couple of weeks now and it is still there!

As a  treat for our readers, Katie is offering a special 15% OFF DISCOUNT CODE!!  The code is Cody15 and will be valid until MARCH 11th. ALSO: THERE WILL BE A "TOKEN OF APPRECIATION" for the FIRST FIVE PEOPLE who purchase either a BED or a BLANKET!! Click here to visit her shop now!

Now, if you will excuse me, Cody wants to take a nap....

Thank you for my PAWTASTIC BED!! I LOVE IT!!!!!

 Love, Cody

Tie Dyed Tuesday!!

Hi my furiends! Today's post is waaay overdue! I have been meaning to tell you about some CATABULOUS shirts that my Mom bought for her trip to BarkWorld and somehow the days got away from me!

Allow me to introduce you to my furiend Scrotchy! Some of you already know him because he is the Head Cat Daddy over at The Katnip Lounge!

Did ya know that he has a shop on Etsy? He sure does!

Click here to visit!

My furiend Scrotchy makes all kinds of far out tie dyed T-shirts, and boy was my Mom happy when she first learned about them! You see, Mom went to college in the 70s, (Kent State no less, so you can figure out what SHE spent the majority of her time doing at college and it DIDN'T involve studying, but I digress). Mentally Mom has never left that era, so when she learned about these shirts she just had to buy some!

She bought TWO!!
and she is planning on buying more!

OMC is she ever in LOVE WITH THEM! So much so, that when she went to photograph them for this blog post, they are currently hanging out in the the wash basket, because Mom is CONSTANTLY wearing them! They are her new "uniform"! Here is how they looked in the packaging when they arrived:

They were wrapped and Scrotchy even threw in some tie dye hand towels!  See the shirt on the top right? Mom wore that for the Block Pawty at BarkWorld when Nutrish gave people the opportunity to paint their own ceramic dog bowls! It was the PAWFECT shirt for the pawty! Mom received so many compliments!

Mom LOVED how easy it was to order, and Scrotchy even gave Mom impawtant sizing info because she is hard to fit larger than a cow. Actually it was the Katnip Lounge Mama who gave the sizing info, but that's ok, she gave pawfect advice and the shirts fit beautifully! If they have shirts that will fit my Mom a cow, they can fit ANYBODY!!!

One of the shirts on Tie Dyed Hippy Wear
Photo courtesy of http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TieDyedHippyWear

Tie Dyed Hippy Wear  shirts are wonderful quality! They wash well and DO NOT FADE in the washing machine! They also have stockings, purses, etc!

Another example of a shirt on the site
Photo courtesy of http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TieDyedHippyWear

So if you are a hippy at heart like my Mom is,  go and visit Tie Dyed Hippy Wear on Etsy and show my pal Scrotchy some love by ordering a shirt or two, or three....tell him Cody sent ya!!!!

BREAKING NEWS FROM SCROTCHY!!!! YOU CAN GET 50% OFF OF YOUR ORDER BY USING THIS CODE WHEN YOU CHECK OUT: FALL50....now get shopping!!

Tabby Tuesday, A Prize I will cherish forever!

Some months ago I entered a contest that was on one of the 100s of blogs that I follow. The contest was called the:

Purrfect Pet Lovers' Valentines Giveaway

and it was on the blog

CindyLu's Muse

That day CindyLu was featuring an artist, whose creations have a gentle quality that touched my soul. The artist is Becky Sorrentino, and she has an Etsy shop called:  BecArt.

Please take a a few minutes to visit her shop, her work is incredible!

The prize I won was a gift certificate for a personalized  mini-pet portrait.

My dilemma was which pet should I choose to appear on the painting? The answer came rather quickly, it was a no-brainer. My Angel Bobo. Bobo allowed me to share his life  long before I had started blogging, after-all, he is the main reason that Cat Chat exists, (Cat Chat was begun as a living testament to Bobo and the joy that cats bring to our lives),  it had to be Bobo.


This is the photo that I submitted (along with a couple of others).  The photo I sent couldn't have been worse. I had to take a photo OF a photo. This is the photo that is on Bobo's urn.

I submitted a few photos to Becky via email (the process couldn't have been easier) and throughout the process Becky sent me photos of her progress on the painting.

Step One

Painting I approved
Rebecca made a slight change
to improve eye color

When the Personalized Mini Pet Portrait arrived, I was first blown away by how beautifully wrapped the package was. (This photo does NOT do it justice!) The gift box is HAND MADE!

When I removed my painting from the box, I was overcome with sadness (that was NOT a bad thing!), it is a glowing endorsement of  the superb work that Becky does. It was as if my beloved Angel Bobo had literally come to life through the magic of Becky's  talent. Every detail was so perfect, from the color of his eyes, to the EXPRESSION on his face, it was a replica of a most cherished face that I spent 18 glorious years kissing over and over again.

Here is the finished product (I keep mine hanging on my kitchen cupboard where I may see it numerous times throughout the day). My Bobo was my "Kitchen Assistant". Whenever I cooked, he was at my side eagerly tasting my latest culinary creations. Now he is again.

Here are some details about  the Personalized Mini Pet Portraits . This verbage was taken from Becky's Etsy Shop.

Miniature Pet Portrait 
Watercolor and Mixed Media
Approx. 3"x3" 

Customized Pet Portrait 
Send me a photo of your furry friend and I will create an original hand painted portait! These adorable little decorative ornaments feature a small square (approx. 3"x3") watercolor painting of your friend on one side and a wire-shaped word or two about them on the back! 

The back of Bobo's ornament
isn't it just fabulous?

(their name, the year, best friend, meow! woof!) The watercolor paintings are always hand painted by me, based on photos of your furry friend. The word (or words) you wish to have attached to the back of the ornament are made of 24 gauge metal wire and, once again, shaped by yours truly! All ornaments come with ribbon attached to the top for easy hanging around the house year-round or even on your Christmas tree for the holidays *Great decorative little piece of art!*

*Handmade gift box (shown above)included! Color will be same as ornament choice.



My personalized pet portrait is clearly one of the most cherished pieces of art that I own.  It is something that I will never tire of looking at, just as I never tired of gazing at my precious Bobo's face, for every second of the 18 years I was blessed that he allowed me to share his life.

Thank you  Becky for bringing my "boy" back to me!

Angelina's Avenue Online Pet Shop-Guest Feature

FROM CAT CHAT-Hi every furry it's Cody! While Mom is recovering from yet another lithotripsy for her kidney stones, I wanted to show you some adorable pet beds. I wanted to completely disclose that I did not receive a bed, so rather than this being a REVIEW, Mom and I agreed to allow Angelina to appear as a guest. We cannot give an honest assessment of the products, not having used them, but we think they are completely ADORABLE!

All About Comfort

  

 
Angelina’s Avenue online pet shop was founded in October of 2012. I wanted to start a small business that I could run myself, making high quality products that would last unlike what you’d find at a big box store. 



I love creating for pets with modest to luxurious tastes.  All of our products are sold at competitive prices and filled with 100% recyclable/non-allergenic stuffing.  And for more convenience our beds are machine washable!



As we all know, cats spend 2/3 of their days sleeping and are in desperate need of comfort.

  

One of our customers told us:

“It took my cat Lilac all of about 4 hours to fall in love with her new bed. She is almost 11 years old and needed a cozy and comfy bed. It is so soft!”


We offer two different styles of beds, and blankets too!  

Catered more towards curling up and sleeping comfort is our oval shaped beds.  They have bolstered sides that allow for any cat to curl up next to and have a soft and warm nights sleep.

Our other style cat bed doubles as a cat bed/decorative floor pillow.  I know personally I spent a lot of time looking for a bed that my pet would love but would look cute in my home as well.  I believe our flower shaped bed suits both my needs!

All of our beds come in a variety of different soft blizzard fleece fabric designs to accommodate every home.



For our more luxurious cats we’ve created faux fur pet blankets, made from the highest quality faux fur. 


Purina says “Inside or outside your bedroom, it may also be possible to calm cats down by providing them with an alternative source of comfort, like a warm blanket.”

 

Featured below is our blizzard fleece/faux fur tiger cat print blanket.

We hope you’ll come check out our shop at www.Etsy.com/Shop/AngelinasAvenue or like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AngelinasAvenue

.

 As a special treat we’re offering a limited time 10% off coupon with the code 10OFFAVE at checkout valid until March 30, 2013.

  

We hope your cats love our products! MEOW!

Mark Poulin Jewelry! Purrfect for Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and I cannot think of a BETTER gift to drop hints about to your significant other, or to purchase for yourself, than a  gift from the VAST assortment of the most stylish, artsy, quality jewelry, pins, magnets, etc. made by the extraordinary Mark Poulin.


Here are Mark's specialties as stated on his main website, markpoulin.com,  which you can visit by clicking on the categories below:

Charms - affordable sterling silver treasures

Glass - sketches of your favorite creatures

PureModern - simple, bold color combinations

MarmarSuperstar - magnetic necklaces, magnets, buttons, prints, and cards

While preparing this blog post I was wracking my brain trying to remember WHERE I had FIRST read about Mark Poulin and his jewelry, because I own a few pieces of his that I actually BOUGHT! (Imagine that!)

The first piece that I had bought was for the BlogPaws Conference that I had attended back in 2011, so I had to have first learned about his fabulous jewelry on another blog prior to that. Whomever you are, I apologize for not crediting you, because I can't remember! You can view my  first purchase  by visiting Mark's main website right here.

Then,  a few weeks ago I was reading one of Dakota's doggy friend's blogs, Come Wag Along, and they were having a give-away and guess who won! You got it! For my prize, I was able to select an item ($36 or less) from either of Mark's Etsy shops:

Click here to visit this shop on Etsy!

This shop is where Mark goes to have "fun" From Marmar Superstar:

 "This is the place I get to use every day materials like paper and magnets to make art projects that become necklaces or key chains or greeting cards."

Part of the "Kitty Love" necklace set
click here to visit

Click here to visit his shop on Etsy

From marmar.etsy.com:

Marmar is my first etsy store.

This is the core of my metalsmithing style, it is where I mix my charm designs and my enamel cartoon line. Years ago I took some metal classes at the local Recreation center here in Oakland called Studio One. I learned how to make a wax carving from a drawing and how to cast it in to sterling silver. It still a process that fills me with excitement and fuels my creativity. The only thing I love more than metal work is drawing and the marmar collection allows me to keep doing both. My biggest challenge is editing my drawings down to their simplest essence so they will still pack in the personality but can still be worn as jewelry. If you love animals like me this is the place to be.

Stick Kitty Enamel and Sterling Silver earrings
Click here to visit

Are you ready to see the necklace

 that I chose as the winner of Come Wag Along's give-away?

Here it is!!

Tiny Angel Kitty necklace
Click here for details

This piece is going to be one that I will cherish forever. I already have pieces to represent Cody and Dakota but none to honor my beloved and dearly missed "Soul Kitty", Bobo. I chose this necklace to have him near me always. The only difference is I chose an 18" silver chain. It is now one of the favorite pieces that I own.

The BEST news? One of our lucky readers (we apologize but due to the cost of shipping this give-away is limited to U.S. ONLY) can choose an item priced at $36 or less from either of Mark's Etsy Shops. Enter using the Rafflecopter below and good luck!
IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you are just leaving a comment and NOT entering by using the Rafflecopter form below, your entry WILL NOT COUNT.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Handmade Placemat, Made by Agnes Bullock, from Dachsies With Moxie Tapestries, Quilts and More!

Hi Guys!! Isn't my new placemat just purrfect!? Mom and I love it! You will never believe it but it was made by a Mommy to a WOOFY, Agnes Bullock, from:
 Dachsies With Moxie! My brother, Dakota, blogged about her and so many of her creations. You can read about it here

I was so excited about the wonderful handiwork that Agnes does that I wanted something of my own so Agnes made me this wonderful placemat!

Mom neglected to take a photo of me eating out of my bowls on the placemat because she has been so busy much of a loser, but you can at least see how wonderful this is and Agnes made the kitty on the placemat so that it would look just like me!

The placemat is also reversible:

From Agnes:  My name is Agnes Bullock and I have an Etsy shop called Dachsies With Moxie Tapestries, Quilts and More.  I opened the shop last fall, after I began making pet portrait quilts and place mats for friends on Blogville. I am a novice, self-taught quilter who lives in Ohio with my husband Geoffrey and our five dachshunds, Ginger, Chip, Thai, Tasha and Anna Rose.

 I keep my hand in quilting and taking online quilting classes.  I make items for auctions and giveaways, and am hoping that my business starts to take off I can easily accommodate orders of up to three/four quilts a week plus 12 placemats per week. I am not limited to dog portraits cats, etc are welcome!  My current Etsy listings are linked below:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84843774/dachsies-with-moxie-tapestries-quilts

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85335133/dachsies-with-moxie-tapestries-quilts?ref=v1_other_2

Here are some more of Agnes' wonderful creations!

Mom ordered something special from Agnes to give as a gift but you will have to wait to see that because it is a surprise! It will be featured on Dakota's blog sometime in the next month or so!

You may visit Agnes' Etsy Shop here

It is hard for Mom and I to write this post today because right before we were supposed to write this we got an email from Agnes stating that her beloved dog, Ginger, went to the Rainbow Bridge unexpectedly. It broke our hearts to read this. Ginger hadn't been ill, she was fine.  It was a most unexpected and heartbreaking loss.

Please, let's show support for the Mom of one of our woofy friends and stop by her blog and extend our sympathy. We are cats, we know how to offer comfort.

Run free little Ginger...our hearts are breaking
you left all of us too soon
Sending healing purrs to your Mom

Love, Cody and "Mom"