Noodle and Meatball...a purrfect pair!

I am headed to Atlanta tomorrow to take 2 precious kittens to Good Mews. I can't believe I am going again...seems like I just went! But I had to help my friend, Jane, when she called me in tears. She had been feeding a lone kitten who was living at a Shell Station in Lexington. The workers there had also been kind enough to feed him and give him a little TLC now and then. Jane took the kitten to the monthly spay/neuter clinic to be snipped and vaccinated and when she went to return him, the manager flipped out and said that he HAD to be removed or ELSE! Well, Jane is at maximum cat capacity at her house and the adoption prospects are pretty slim around here right now, so I emailed my wonderful contact at Good Mews and THANK GOODNESS, they offered to take him!! So, this round little black kitten came to my house last Tuesday. He is adorable and amazingly tame to have been born outside. He does a lot of lounging around proudly showing his tummy. I chose the name Meatball...silly but it fits.

One of the vet techs at my vet's office always has lots of rescued kittens on her hands, so I asked her if she had one that she needed help with. She had a silvery striped tabby girl, so I picked up little Noodle from her last Friday. She is the opposite of Meatball...long, lean and svelte...a supermodel kitten! She is very chatty and purrs constantly and always wants to buzz around the room. Noodle was not excited about Meatball and is still getting used to her burly boyfriend. I think she is just playing hard to get.

I know Noodle and Meatball are the goofiest names, but Brian and I have been waiting to use those names because my nickname is the Noodle and he is the Meatball. Brian is built like a quarterback and I am scrawny and lanky. Too bad we aren't as cute as these two :)!

Mad Hatter and friends

Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am ready for my hubby to get home so we can head to our favorite restaurant and get the weekend started :)!

I just put this piece to bed for the night. It's a Mad Hatter candlestick. I have never EVER sculpted a human face before, so I was a bit nervous about it and still am. We'll see how it goes once I get him painted. He is going to have a fuzzy orange mohair "wig" so excuse his current baldness. I LOVED the makeup on the Johnny Depp version of the Hatter, so I can't wait to use my pastels to get a similarly fun effect. The Cheshire Cat is supposed to sit on top of his hat and the Rabbit will either be in one of his hands or sitting on his arm. I am also working on a Mad Hatter ornament and have sketched out a Cheshire Cat Sweet Tooth piece...cannot wait to get started on that one!!

Enjoy your weekend, my blog buddies!

Spring Cat Chat

Our spay/neuter efforts and kitten fostering have officially begun again! It was nice to have a little break during January and February, but a cat lady's work is never done. First, some very good news....our 3 orange foster kittens (Archie, Barley and Chili) have already been adopted at Good Mews!!! I knew they'd go fast...it doesn't get much cuter and sweeter than they were.

The monthly low cost spay/neuter clinic was last weekend, so we headed out to a house in Georgetown on Friday morning to help a lady, Naomi, with her cat colony. Naomi is a wonderful caretaker. She basically takes care of all the neighborhood stragglers....all those that have carelessly been abandoned. She gives them breakfast and dinner and provides bedding and shelter both in her garage and on her back patio. There were 5 cats that we needed to trap. 2 of them are so tame that we got them into carriers, and then we were able trap a 3rd cat. Unfortunately, the other 2 were extremely suspicious and knew we were up to something. I delivered the 3to the clinic on Saturday morning and much to my amazement, one of the clinic volunteers called me to let me know that all 3 had already been spayed/neutered!! That has never happened to us before. But at least they got their vaccinations and flea treatment and were eartipped so it will be clear that they are snipped! I took some photos of one of the kitties. He stayed up in my foster bathroom, and I couldn't believe how amazingly sweet he was. I just can't imagine how anyone could give him up...crazy! He had perfect manners too...slept in his bed and used his litter box. All he wanted was lots of affection.





We have had some newcomers outside our house. Rudy Dude is a black tuxedo boy who showed up around Thanksgiving. We trapped him and had him neutered and vaccinated in early December. He was very scared of me until February and then suddenly decided that he trusted me. Now, he is a total love bug and sleeps on our front porch and loves to rub my legs and receive lots of chin scratches and body rubs :). Well, then 3 weeks ago, an adorable, old, chubby, orange tabby boy appeared out of nowhere. He is now known as Mr. Tubbs. What is particularly odd is that he is neutered AND eartipped! This is wonderful, but I am totally perplexed as to how he got here. Mr. Tubbs will come close and meows but won't let me pet him yet. He has changed the dynamic on the porch immensely. He loves other cats and has become buddies with Rudy. In addition, one of the other feral kitties, Natasha (who we trapped and spayed a year and a half ago), who used to ONLY come for dinner and disappear into the night is now arriving early and staying all night with Mr. Tubbs and Rudy. I put soft bedding out on our doormat and the 3 of them curl up together around 9:00 and stay all night. It melts my heart to see them bonding like that. Amazing. I just stare out the door at them and wish that I could scoop them up and bring them in. Our 3 back patio feral kitties stay back there and don't bother the threesome on the front porch, so their is peace and balance, thankfully.

Here is Rudy (look how nicely he matches our porch decor...ha!) sunbathing...



...and the Three Amigos sleeping soundly (so hard to get a good photo through the glass but you get the idea!)



We have a new rescued foster kitten with us right now, and I am picking up another one tomorrow! So, I am hoping to get some good photos this weekend. I will write and update on them soon.

Last day of Spring SnipPet Sale...

...just a quick post to let you know that today is the last day of my Super Spring SnipPet Sale! Hop on over to my Etsy shop before tomorrow.

Later today or tomorrow, I will writing about my weekend TNR adventure, some new strays at my house and a rescued chubby wubby kitten boy who is now safe and sound here in my foster room. Lots of cat chat to come!

A SnipPet Zoo: Baldwin Eagles, a Panda and a Gorilla

I just finished up two very special SnipPet cake toppers. The first is a pair of Boston College Baldwin Eagles. My special customer wanted the bride to have maroon and gold pom poms instead of a bouquet, and she wanted the groom to wear a marching band hat, have a BC pennant in hand, and be flanked with a tiny sousaphone! I truly enjoyed creating this little mascot couple.



This wonderfully quirky and charming pair was also a fun request. The gorilla groom needed to have an Ohio State jersey peeking out of his tuxedo, and the panda bride's silver dress had to match the actual wedding gown design. She has a tiara instead of a veil and her bouquet contains tiny sculpted gerbera daisies.

Lucky Thai Elephants

Oh boy, I hope the weather is as beautiful where you are as it is here!!! I wish I could bottle it up and save it. Unfortunately, I need to sit here on the computer and do prep work for our taxes. Ick. Oh well. I'll feel a lot better once it's done!

We started our weekend cat trapping adventure early this morning. We got 3 so far and will hopefully have 2 more by the end of the day. They are such beautiful, sweet kitties...not feral at all...just neighborhood cast offs :(. It makes me very sad but fortunately, their sweet caretaker provides them with plenty of food and shelter. I'll write more about what happens later.

I finished up a few cake toppers yesterday...several elephants. The ones in the photo below are particularly special. A woman in Australia ordered them. She and her fiance are getting married in Thailand on the beach. They are riding in to the Buddhist ceremony on an elephant! So cool! She requested that their attire match her bridal down and the groom's outfit. The wedding colors are magenta, orange and lime, and she wanted the elephant's trunks up for good luck.

Rhinos for the Rynos!

Just wanted to share a quick post before my Alice in Wonderland hooky day starts :)!
I completed these cake toppers last night. They were requested by a bride whose fiance's last name is Ryno. I wish these Rynos a very happily ever after.....

Puss in Boots and Wedding Cake Topper WIPs

I still have clay on my hands as I type this. I have been deep in the paperclay since last week. The weather is damp and a bit dreary, so the drying process is lingering on and on. Fingers crossed that a few things will be dry by Thursday so that the painting can begin!

Meet the SnipPet version of Puss in Boots. I still need to add heels to his boots and do some touch ups, but he is almost ready to be in living color :)!



Wedding season is definitely upon us. I have had some wonderful custom requests for my cake toppers. I adore making these! TOO fun! I'll explain more about the stories behind them when I get them all finished.



I am heading to see Alice in Wonderland with a friend tomorrow!!! Cannot wait! It will be nice to escape my home studio for a few hours and get some serious mid-week creative inspiration.

And I'll be trapping cats on Friday for the monthly spay/neuter clinic on Saturday. I am hoping to get 5 cats snipped. I am going to TRY to remember to have my camera on hand this time so you guys can see our kitty adventure! Here is a photo of Miss Piggy...one of the cats we helped trap and spay last week.

Celebrate365 Spring Issue

Woohoooo!!!! I am so proud and honored that my Juggling Rabbit is featured on the cover of Celebrate365's spring issue!!! It is so wonderful and thrilling to see my bunny boy among the fabulous creations of many of my favorite fellow artists. A zillion thanks to Connie Porcher, the editor of this beautiful collectors' publication.

Kitty road trip and an STJ sneak peek.....

The Spookytime Jingles update is almost upon us again! I am offering up two Cheshire Cat inspired Halloween ornaments. They will be available tomorrow at midnight.

Meet Bat Cat....a sneaky boy who is up to no good at all!



...and Ghost Kitty...this grinning haunt is quite pleased with his costume. Does he really think his disguise is working???



The orange boys and I are hitting the road and heading to Good Mews in Atlanta tomorrow morning. It has been wonderful to have them in my life for a week of furry fun! Their future parents will be VERY lucky indeed! Archie, Barley and Chili (Willie) are purrfect little boys....loving, purring and playful and their faces melt my heart.

I helped a friend TNR (trap, neuter, return) 3 cats this week so I will report on that when I return from my quick trip.

Archie and Chili enjoying a catnap in my art studio....

Rabbit SnipPets for the Pfatt Update!

It's that time again! The Pfatt Marketplace monthly update will take place tomorrow! Here are two spring funny bunnies that I will be offering.

McGregor the gardening rabbit....so proud of his garden's plentiful bounty! I had a great time sculpting and painting the little details on this one....his garden rake, the bluebird buddies and his turnip bunch. I think I may have to continue with the vegetable theme. Now, back to Halloween creations for the STJ update!

Later gators! Have a fabulous day!



...and a carrot rabbit ornament!

Meet Archie, Barley and Chili!

These three fuzzy goons were abandoned at my vet's office last week! Can you imagine??! They are THE cutest, sweetest boys ever! I am fostering them this week and will be driving them to Good Mews in Atlanta on Friday. I am so thrilled that they have a place to go where I know they will find wonderful homes quickly. They have been snipped and vaccinated and are ready to roll!

When I opened the door to the foster bathroom this morning, they were all lying in a pile of toilet paper. It was EVERYWHERE! They had quite a wild time overnight! I could hear them romping around like a herd of buffalo at the crack of dawn. They all waddled over to me purring like crazy. Just scrumptious! I can hardly stand the cuteness!

Juggling Spring Rabbit

Just a very quick post for today! I've got to get crackin' on some Halloween pieces for the STJ update next week, and I picked up 3 fuzzy orange foster kittens this morning. It will be a fun and furry weekend around here :).

Here is a juggling rabbit all decked out for spring. Happy Friday everyone!

Etsy shop update with Spring SnipPets!

Hey everyone!! The sun is FINALLY shining here, and that makes me sooooooo happy!!!! I am also jumping for joy because I FINALLY finished up 9 new pieces as of last night. I sanded and sanded and sanded and primed and primed and primed all weekend, and then I got to enjoy bringing my spring critters to life these past few days. Oh, how I love the bright, vivid yellows, greens, pinks, lavenders and blues of this season. It's like a much needed breath of fresh air just blew through my studio!

I just put these animal eggs and ornaments in my Etsy shop. The rest will be unveiled in the next few days, so stay tuned!

Wheeeeee! A flying pig!


A silly "chickpea" ornament....


...a bunny rabbit egg....


and a spring egg trio!