Cat Finds On Etsy

Here are some great cat items I found on Etsy:


Yellow Kitty with Brown Stripes Transparent Window Cling
By Sunny Day Art


Cat Art Print Entitled "Catfish"
By RedWhisper Studio


Companionship-ArtMagnet
Fine Art Originals and Reproductions By Schar Freeman


aqua blue YARN KITTY unisex t-shirt
By boygirlparty


Theodor Tumcat, Collectable Plush Toy Cat
By Pepperpi


Red Ninja Maneki Neko Japan cat of luck Charm
By almondtree

Another Great Etsy Shop: House Of Hushie

The House Of Hushie has adorable, handmade cat pins. Each pin is sketched by hand onto quality wood, cut, sanded, hand painted, decorated and has a pin-back attached to the back.


Black And White Cat Face Pin

Below are answers to questions I asked Cynthia, the creator of these amazing pins.

Question: What inspired you to start making the cat pins?
Answer: I have a great love of animals and am especially intrigued by cats and their many personalities.


Sitting Pretty Kitty Cat With Silly Bandana Pin

Question: How long have you been making them?
Answer: I started creating the cat pins and other cat related art in the 80's as an expression of this [being intrigued by cats and their many personalities]. In addition to the cat pins I made dolls, wood pull toys, and cloth stuffed cats. Later I embellished antique purses and tote bags with cats and their crazy cat ladies. I wanted to be a stay at home mom when my children were small and was able to make extra money for the family, express myself creatively, and best of all not leave my children. My children are in college now and I have a full time job outside of the home so I don't have as much time to devote to my creative side anymore. I stopped making the pins and other cat items for several years and have recently started again.


Tabby Cat Wearing A Flapper Hat Pin

Question: On average, how long does it take to make each pin?
Answer: It takes several hours to complete a cat person pin, some of the styles take longer. I put a great deal of care into each one. I have several different series, such as clowns, ballerinas, sweaters, ballroom, mermaids, puffy pants, coats and many others.


Moon Goddess Cat Face Pin

Question: Are your own cats inspirations for the pins?
Answer: My own cats as well as other cats are inspiration for the pins. I also am inspired by color and texture and like to use combinations of both when designing new costumes for the cat people. My etsy shop is called House of Hushie in honor and memoriam of my beloved cat Hushiepie.

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Cat pins are not the only handmade items in Cynthia's delightful shop. Check out the House Of Hushie Etsy Shop for more great items.

Featured Etsy Shop: Midnight Rabbits

Midnight Rabbits Etsy Shop offers unique handmade vegan items. Currently 100% of sales are donated to the Etsy For Animals charity of the month.

These adorable felt cat brooches are completely sewn by hand.



This red and black brooch is "The Cat's Meow!" I love it!!



There is a great selection of coin purses which all have a cat centered on the front. The purses are made from acrylic felt and lined with coordinating fabric. Each coin purse has a zipper closure.





Check out Midnight Rabbits Etsy Shop for more wonderful, handmade items.

Other places online to find Midnight Rabbits:
Veganessa Etsy Shop
Midnight Rabbits MySpace Page
Midnight Rabbits Flickr Page
MidnightRabbits Vegan World Blog

Featured Etsy Shop: The House Of Mouse

I found another great shop! It is The House Of Mouse Etsy Shop which features "Little Mice With Big Hearts." Each mouse is created with tremendous attention to detail. The mice are hand sewn and made from felt. Other items used to make these cute little creatures include fake fur, silks, sequins, beads, glue, monofilament and polyfil.

Below is a picture of the artisan and owner of the shop, Anna, in her studio:



I interviewed Anna, and here are my questions and her answers:

What inspired you to start making the mice?
I originally made them as Christmas gifts for my family in Dec 2007; a Photographer Mouse for my father who loves taking pictures, an Artist Mouse for my painter friend, Reading mice for my bookworm friends etc… They went down so well that I decided to sell them. I can hardly believe how well they have been received!



On average, how long does it take to make each mouse?
They used to take me hours but over the last year or so I have made about a thousand of them so I am much faster now. The time each takes depends on how complicated they are. a single Beatles Mouse takes about 4 hours because of all the detail on their costumes, but the average mouse takes about 90 mins now, I make them in batches to be more efficient with my time.



Do all the mice come with a certificate?
Yes, I even have a special wax seal for them which was custom made for The House of Mouse.



Here is a link to another interview with Anna:
Open Studio Tour: The House Of Mouse

And here is my favorite mouse, The Barack Obamouse holding a Yes We Can sign.



Visit The House Of Mouse Etsy Shop for lots more mice.
And visit Anna's blog for more mousy info:
Life, Craftiness And Everything Else

How to Fix the Economy: The Retirement Plan Solution

The St. Petersburg Times Newspaper Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?"

This article, "The Retirement Plan Solution," was one of the answers submitted.

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America’s economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.

Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress and their constituents pay their taxes...

Mother's Day Giveaway Winner

Laura from Scientifically Creative Blog won the Mother's Day Giveaway!

Mother's Day Giveaways!

The Made in Vermont Etsy StreetTeam (MIVEST) members are having Mother's Day giveaways!!!!

My Mother's Day Giveaway:

1) A cotton zipper pouch with a bright pink background and bright blue, green and pink cats all wearing sunglasses. The pink zipper has a pink zipper pull with a cat charm on the end. The lining is a pink and white print. Measures approximately 7 1/4" by 4 1/4". The zipper opening is approximately 6 1/2".

2) A matching bookmark with a pink and white cotton yarn tassel. This bookmark is made from fabric,iron-on adhesive, Mod Podge, and matte Varnish. Measures approximately 5 3/4" by 1 1/2".



To Enter:

Leave a comment to this post. In the comment, leave contact information so I can contact you if you win. Contact info can be a link to your Etsy Shop (for Etsy Sellers), your Etsy Page (for buyers). If you are not an Etsier, please leave your email address in the comment.


Date Winner Announced:

On Mother's Day, I will have a drawing to find out who has won, and then I will post the winner here on my blog. I will also contact the winner to let them know. The winner will be contacted by convo on Etsy or by email.

Good luck :-)