Inspired by a sketch from Studio Calico Blog

Supplies: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper, rubons: Fancy Pants; Chipboard letters: American Crafts; Stamp: Studio Calico; Baker's Twine: Martha Stewart; ink: Stampin' Up

I have not had much time lately to scrap and that alone disappoints me and then on top of it, I have not been too inspired lately. So when I stumbled across this little sketch challenge posted on the Studio Calico blog, I had to play along. I mean, I have wanted to try a banner for quite some time and so here is my rendition of the sketch by the fabulously talented Nicole.

I have been busy the past few days, also, researching flower tutorials and making up some awesome ones for a Spring Flower Technique class that I am teaching at my LSS, the Scrapbook Shop of St. Paul, this next month. Got to get to work on the display board for it, so be back soon! Love and hugs, Lara

Puddin Cat and Friends

My kids call me the crazy Cat lady but I know that they are softies for these guys too. Love all three. All three have very distinct personalities. There is Puddin'--our big old guy who is such a beautiful Part Himalayan cat, all fluff and no gruff; and then there is Sadie(the black {Mommy's} princess)--some gruff, and snottiness about her, but she is also very much the mother cat...to me and the other humans in the house; and then there is little Torrie, who walks around with the tiniest meow, with every step she takes, but she can be a little stinker too!

Well, we are having a food war at our house. Because two thirds of the cat population at our home is overweight (which contrasts with the one fourth of the human population in said home-->that would be me (LOL)), we have been trying different foods for them that is "diet" food...OMG, what a nightmare...and I must say, these are HIGH END foods like IAMS, Purina One, Nutromax, you name it...well, one they will not eat at all...and pretty much just hairball around on every surface known to man so that one is out...but we are currently on a Purina One and a Nutromax for weight control...and they are p'o'd. One of the 3 will not like them at all...and ironically, the one who is NOT overweight, Torrie, will eat anything...

so it is just Puddin' and Sadie that are on a rampage...so here is how it goes...get up the morning...meow,meow, meow, feed me, feed me, feed me...and then they stick their nose up the in the air and walk away...until I put the other (or the other) in the dish (and same again at night)...I cannot tell which one either of them likes because they won't eat either until I dig into the other...are you confused? Well, so am I. I know you would think it is easy but it is not...so I just started feeding them one, 1/4 cup for the day (each)of one food and when they start to meow a second time, I add the 1/4 cup of the other...but does this mean I will have to buy 2 more bags of food in the future to mix? OMG...it is dry cat food...it cannot taste that much different...can it (ack...is what I say but hey, they are cats)?

Another thing is that Sadie has decided that in order to butter me up in the morning, she needs to lay on my head and give my hair a bath in the morning. This is what I call "mothering"...she licks my hair/forehead(which can be quite painful...cats have strong rough tongues) until I wake up and bury my head in the covers, and sometimes, puts her paw on my head and flexes her claws...until I wake up with a shriek to pain...OMG, most annoying but cats will be cats...and they truly are a sweet part of my life...and I would not change a one of their purrsonalities...just would like to get the food right!