!!!!!!BABY CAT'S BIG NEWS!!!!!

Baby Cat has some big, big news! She and Boyfriend Cat are engaged (Maybe we should call him "Fiance Cat," now)!

The wedding won't be until next summer, which gives us plenty of time to get creative and make all of the pretty things a Cat couple need for their wedding day. Because Baby Cat and Fiance Cat are both creative and environmentally conscious (and without a lot of money) there will be a lot of great DIY projects involved, as well as a lot of things reused from family members.

Baby Cat & Fiance Cat = LOVE

Baby Cat chose this renaissance-style Simplicity dress pattern for her special day.  She and Momma Cat are going to make it together with the help of Fiance Cat's momma (a.k.a. Future Mom)! The pattern just arrived in the mail, and we can't wait to get started!

Baby Cat's Wedding Dress Pattern

Baby Cat's engagement ring is extra-special because it belonged to my Grandma Cat, then it was Momma Cat's.  Now it's Baby Cat's!  It has a colored diamond set in the middle, surrounded by smaller diamonds, all set in white-gold.  Momma Cat says it's a "Princess Ring".

Baby Cat's Engagement Ring

When Fiance Cat proposed he gave Baby Cat this sweet beaded ring, that he made for her to wear, until she could choose one of Grandma Cat's rings and have it sized. Baby Cat is now keeping it where she can look at it everyday!

Beaded Ring made by Fiance Cat

Stay tuned for more DIY wedding fun, in addition to our regularly scheduled crafting!

-Momma Cat and Baby Cat

MONKEY MIKE COMES ALIVE!!!!

MONKEY MIKE is a product of Little Brother Cat's imagination, and came into being about 13 years ago when he was in first grade.  Little Brother made up this character and then wrote comics and drew cartoons to illustrate them.  

Now, Monkey Mike was a very special monkey, but we haven't seen or heard from him for a very long time, until yesterday!  

My interpretation of Monkey Mike

 Truth be told, this really isn't the original Monkey Mike.  This monkey was made by Momma Cat using a pattern she got off of another blog, amigurumitogo.com.  It was the Extra Large Monkey Pattern, whose name is Darcy.

I decided to make Mike with only one strand of yarn, and I also decided to make him solid blue except for his muzzle and the little circles around his eyes.  I also gave Mike a banana, and a bandanna.

Now Mike is ready to play!

Mike will be on display for the foreseeable future at Yarntastic Fiber Arts in Portland, Oregon.  Stop by and see the new shop and give Mike a little tickle.  He loves to be tickled.

- Momma Cat

It's Curtains For You My Little Pretty, And Your Little Boyfriend Cat Too!!!!!

Momma Cat and Baby Cat have been hard at work since the beginning of the summer, making curtains for the little house! We think they really help add character and give the house a cute, homey look. And of course, they help keep the summer sun at bay on days when it gets a little too warm outside.

Momma Cat made the kitchen curtains before Baby Cat and Boyfriend Cat moved in.

Curtain Over Kitchen Sink

Kitchen Curtains

  

 Since then we have worked on all the other curtains together. Here is what we have made so far: 

Sliding Glass Door Curtains

This is a nice sliding glass door that leads to a deck out of the back side of the house.  It lets in a lot of light and heat.  When it gets too hot outside, now all we have to do is close the curtains to get some relief!  We used fabric that we got from a set of curtains that used to be in one of Baby Cat's friend's bedroom!  We just modified them a bit. 

We bought this fabric for the front door, to let in light, but keep the looky-loos out!

Front Door Curtain Fabric.
Aren't the lady bugs and butterflies cute?

Here's what the front door used to look like before it was fixed and repainted.  Yucko! Puey!  It's not at all attractive, is it?

Ugly Old Front Door

This is what it looks like now with the new paint and curtains.  What a difference!  Now it looks really happy and inviting.  

New Beautiful Front Door

Here are the new living room curtains.  Aren't they pretty?  Mommy Cat  bought this fabric for Baby Cat's bedroom about seven years ago, but never got around to making the curtains.  Now Baby Cat has the fabric for her living room curtains.  Not a bad deal, huh?  Sorry you had to wait so long Baby Cat!

These beautiful sheer curtains in the living room are so cheerful!
They are Baby Cat's favorites.

We went shopping for this fabric together and after getting Boyfriend Cat's approval, we made it into curtains.  The only problem is that Momma Cat measured incorrectly, and the curtains came out a little too short! 

Bedroom Curtains

No problem though.  We have a solution.  Ruffles!

Isn't it cool how a few simple touches can brighten a place up?

- Momma Cat and Baby Cat

!!!!!MOMMA CAT MEETS GIANT GRASSHOPPER!!!!!

MOMMA CAT MEETS GIANT GRASSHOPPER!!!!!  Sounds like one of those "B" horror movies from the 70' s, doesn't it?  Well, that just goes to show you how wrong you can be.  My story actually goes like this.....

Wow, am I a lucky cat, or what?  I live in a great neighborhood where there are plenty of parks, shops, restaurants, coffee houses, and many other things to see.  Walking through this neighborhood is not only pretty safe, but it is fairly entertaining.  It's a great way to get your daily exercise and maybe run into some friends or neighbors.  

Daddy Cat and I have been doing a lot of walking lately, and we always walk past Farmhouse Antiques, which is on 13th Avenue in Sellwood.  It's one of my very favorite places in our neighborhood.

Momma Cat's favorite antique store

  

Recently, I saw a wonderful giant metal grasshopper in the window.  He was made out of nuts, nails and other different metal parts all welded together.  I walked past that window day after day, then Thursday, Baby Cat and I went for a walk and we passed Farmhouse Antiques and my grasshopper was no longer in the window!  Oh no!  I was VERY sad because I really liked him, and he was gone!

Friday morning Daddy Cat and I went for our usual walk, and as we passed Farmhouse Antiques I looked in the window, just to torture myself, and he was back again!!!!!   I continued on to Starbuck's to meet my friends for coffee, and afterward my friend, Maureen Cat, and I went back to the antique store and I grabbed the giant grasshopper and made my way to the cashier and purchased him.  As luck would have it, the store was having a 15% off sale, so I got him for the low, low price of $3.80!  Doesn't that just kill you?  

Giant Grasshopper, Cael

Anyway, I just adore him. Isn't he gorgeous? I named him Cael because grasshoppers are from the suborder of insects called Caelifera.  He doesn't look so giant in this photo, I know, but in actuality he's easily twice as big as my hand.  God help us if we had a whole swarm of them around here!

One giant grasshopper is plenty if you ask me.


-  Momma Cat

Hey Yarnaholics! Yarntastic Fiber Arts Just Opened Sellwood-Moreland Area Yesterday

Yesterday afternoon Daddy Cat and I decided to go for a long walk to get some exercise.  We walked down to the Sellwood-Moreland business area and visited a couple of the shops we like.  Then I happened to remember that I saw a sign last week on one of the buildings announcing that a new yarn shop was supposed to open there soon.  So we walked over to that storefront to see if there was an opening date listed, and low and behold it was already open!!!!! 



See how cute it is!  It's 6802 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Sellwood, Portland, Oregon



Yarntastic Is Right Next To Stickers Asian Cafe

Daddy Cat and I went inside Yarntastic and talked to the owners, a very nice couple by the names of Dave and Lesley Bracken.  They said they had just opened the store at noon that day and were still awaiting shipments of inventory and getting things set up.  But, they decided to open early and invite the neighborhood in so they could meet each other and so the neighborhood could see the new store. 

It's very nice, cool, and quiet inside, with a lot of different types of yarns.  The yarns there are a step up from the kinds that you'd buy at the craft store, but still affordable, and they will have a lot more to choose from once they've gotten all their stock in.  They also have a good supply of knitting needles and crochet hooks.  I'm sure they will have patterns and books there eventually too. 

You should make a special trip just to see the Bracken's new store and talk to them.  You will be glad you did.  The store is located at 6802 SE Milwaukie Avenue, just off of Bybee Boulevard, a couple doors south of the Moreland Theater and right next to Stickers Asian Cafe.  It's in the same spot that Haggis McBaggis used to occupy. 

The store hours are:
Tuesday - Friday     11am-7pm
Saturday                10am-8pm
Sunday                   Noon-4pm
Closed On Monday
Phone: 971 302-7137
info@yarntasticpdx.com

When you go to see them, just tell them that Kay (Momma Cat) sent you, or that you heard about them at laughingcatcreativeenterprises.blogspot.com



- Momma Cat

Regina and LeeLooCat

I've been working so hard creating this little doll.  I love her so much that I can't even think about trying to sell her.  I think she's just going to have to stay with me! Her name is Regina.  She is named after my paternal grandmother, a very sweet and loving woman. 

Regina

Regina was made from the crocheted Bluette doll pattern that I got from the Beth Webber's blog byhookbyhand.blogspot.com .  Her clothes were made from patterns from the same blog.  I made the hat and the bag patterns up myself.

As you can see, Regina has big brown eyes, long, dark brown hair, little red earrings, and a beautiful red summer hat.  She is all ready to go outside and explore the gardens in our neighborhood.  She just loves flowers, trees, and shrubs. 

Regina has a little red bag in which she carries all her necessities.  She even has a little snack in there for her little LeeLooCat, who she takes with her everywhere. 




Regina and LeeLooCat in the Crocosmia


LeeLooCat is maybe a little bit spoiled, but so well behaved she doesn't need a leash or a carrying case.  She will follow Regina anywhere she goes.  They're totally devoted to each other.  Today they are exploring the Crocosmia hoping to catch sight of a hummingbird.  There have been hummingbird sightings all over their neighborhood this week. Good luck girls!

Have a Great Summer!

- Momma Cat

The Little House is Done!

Well, Daddy Cat and I worked our tails off, but we got most of the work on the Little House done in time for Baby Cat and Boyfriend Cat to move into.

Painted living room

We didn't do it all ourselves, though.  We had help from several different people.  Roger, our electrician came and re-hooked up some lights we had to take down in order to redo a couple of ceilings.

Kevin, our Sheetrock guy, came and put in new ceilings and patched some old walls and made them look pretty before we painted them.



Kevin fixing the "UGLY" wall

Last, but certainly not least, Jim, our painter friend, came and painted the living room, bathroom, and extra room (with Momma Cat's help), because we realized we would never get done in time without his help.  He was a godsend.  Plus he does really nice work!

Jim painting the blue bedroom

Boyfriend Cat's Mom came over a couple of times to put shelf paper in all the kitchen cupboards and drawers.  Family friend, Elizabeth Cat came and scrubbed out the refrigerator and made in look and smell nice.  Plus, she scraped paint off of the windows and made them all clean and shiny.  She also brought a beautiful housewarming bouquet for Baby Cat and Boyfriend Cat.  Very sweet!

Momma and Daddy Cat scrubbed floors until our knees were about to fall off, and we almost got them all done before Baby Cat and Boyfriend Cat showed up with the truck full of all their stuff and started to move in. 

We still have a few things to take care of, but the house is in much nicer shape than it has been for the last 30 years!  It can only get better from here on.

Here is the kitchen with the new curtains Momma Cat made for it.

Curtains on the window above the sink

Kitchen curtains in the front of the house

Earlier this week we assembled a work party to do yardwork in the front and back yards of the house.  We got a lot accomplished, but there is still a lot left to do.  We will probably have to have several more work parties to get it all done, but every little bit help!. 

Baby Cat and Momma Cat made curtains for the front door last week and tomorrow are going to work on sewing curtains for the sliding glass doors and for the living room.  Keep tuned in to see our progress!

-  Momma Cat