All Finished!

From sketch to finished painting ~ here is Betsy on her bike ride with her kitties Bonnie & Boots! I know, cutesy names, but they seemed to fit - ha! This painting will be available on ebay this evening at 8:00 pm central time. Once I figure out how I'll insert the link that will take you there. I'm still new & rusty at this but learning the ropes slowly & surely. My kids can probably figure all this out better than me - ha. Better consult them.

Tomorrow I'm off with my 2 girls to meet my best friend & her daughter for a little get-away in the big exciting city of Topeka, KS - woohoo! We'll shop, eat junk, stay the night & catch up on all the gossip. Can't wait! Happy weekend everybody!

New Sketch...

Good morning!

I really wanted to post a picture of this PAINTING today but all I managed to get done yesterday was the sketch. I think it's gonna be really cute when it's finished tho!

Want to wish everyone a happy LENT season! I'm giving up cookies ~ hard for me cuz we always have some in the cookie jar & now we're starting to get all the boxes of Girl Scout cookies we ordered delivered. Help!

Monday, Monday...

Some days you just wake up & know it's Monday. First I was having a nightmare when my alarm went off this morning ~ my dog & 1 of my cats was lost outside, it was getting dark & I couldn't get the laces tied on my shoes so I could go find them. Augh! I was so glad to wake up & find it was just a dream. Then I went into the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee & grabbed the creamer (liquid) out of the frig. Whoever used it last didn't snap the lid on so when I shook it, it went all over the frig door, the floor & of course me! Do you know how sticky that stuff is? On top of that, after I microwaved my coffee I bumped my elbow & spilled that too. Ok, everything happens in 3s you know, so it's now the afternoon & I just played catch with Koda, the dog. I filled a dish of water for him to set out on the deck & while trying to dodge the cat who was standing at the door I managed to spill half the water! Of course none of it got on her but my leg is soaked! I guess the day can only get better right?

Here is my latest ebay listing! It's inspired by the book "Dewey~The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World". It's a great book & every cat lover should read it! Have tissues ready at the end though! Happy Monday!

New Treasures!

Happy Saturday everyone! I just had to share my cute new finds with you I got at my favorite primitive antique store today! The sweet kitty is made of paper mache arms, legs & head with a quilt stuffed body. I thought he looked so springy! I also have Halloween & Christmas characters made from the same artist so I was excited to find more seasonal ones. The carrots are stuffed chenille fabric ~ adorable! Of course the cats & dog will think they're toys so I'll have to keep an eye on them. I love the little red chair I got too! I started collecting little vintage chairs a few years ago & now have several around the house in various colors & styles. They make great displays for other decor or just give a homey look by themselves. I think I'll have to incorporate that red chair into one of my paintings soon. Have a great day & hope you find something special this weekend too!

Winter Friend

Hi & happy Wednesday everybody! Just thought I'd share my latest creation with you. This little calico & whatever kind of bird that is (I always just make them up as I go) look like they are longing for spring. I actually like winter & snowy days! It's a good excuse to stay indoors, paint & sip hot drinks! We get some snow here in Kansas but not as much as I'd like. The kids haven't had a snow day yet this year! I also love thunderstorms & sleet against the window. What most people consider "nice" weather I consider boring. Anyone else out there like that?

"Winter Friend" is up for auction on ebay!

Meet Zoolou & Markie!

I'd like to introduce you to our 2 furballs who provide a lot of the inspiration for my paintings. Zoolou is a Maine Coon mix who was dumped at the Kansas City zoo with her siblings. Thankfully they all have homes now! Markie was living under a dumpster in a parking lot in K.C. with a group of feral cats. He was the last kitten rescued from the group & the volunteer waited 3 hours for him to finally come out! They tried to get his mother too but had no luck. I always wish I could somehow let his mother know he is happy in a new home & showered with love! Both kitties were staying with a foster mom in a house in K.C. You can see how they got their names from their foster mom. We got them 3 1/2 years ago ~ Zoolou was 8 weeks & Markie 12 weeks. I found Zoolou on Petfinder as I was looking for a Maine Coon but wanted to rescue one rather than pay hundreds of dollars for one. She's not a pure Coon but has all the characteristics of one & that's close enough for me. Markie was her roommate at the foster home & I'd intended to get 2 cats all along so he came home with us too. They are great siblings & still romp & play & get into mischief together! Markie sleeps snuggled up to me every night while Zoolou prefers her "throne" at the top of the cat condo where she can survey her kingdom. Yes, Markie is the sweet boy & Zoolou is the honery one into everything!

Before we adopted these 2 we had 3 other kitties who all lived til their late teens. They all passed away within a few years of each other which was so hard. I still miss them! We always told the kids we could get a puppy after all the kitties went to Heaven so that summer we got Koda at 8 weeks old & he, Zoolou & Markie all grew up together. Koda is a big goofy 90 lb. Labradoodle. I'll save him for a later post - ha.

Hope everyone's having a great President's Day!

My very first post!

My latest painting listed on Ebay!

Hi everybody! Thanks for visiting & being one of my first blog readers! As you probably know, I'm a part-time artist & list my little cat paintings on ebay. I have fun following other artists' blogs & thought it was high time I had my own. I hope to share with you some of my art, interesting stories, funny things my cats, dog & kids do & whatever happens to be on my mind at the time. Right now my blog will be pretty basic but once I figure out what I'm doing I plan to customize it & make it more creative! I would love to hear comments from you too!

It's Friday the 13th! Ooooo! Yes, I am a little superstitious but not about everything ~ I actually think black cats are good luck! You will see lots of them in my paintings. Valentine's Day is tomorrow! Not doing anything special, just hoping for a foot rub & a little chocolate. Ok, time for a glass of wine & some more sketching. Thanks for stopping by & happy Friday!