Garden Flag Giveaway

“Tortie Girls” garden flags.

Eight two-sided garden flags are now available in my Etsy shop, each one a completely different style and theme to suit any garden—fine art, Impressionist, Warhol-esque and “after van Gogh”, black cats, pink cats, tabby cats and calico cats, and of course, those tortie girls!

These first eight flags actually feature twelve images. All are two-sided, most have two different designs so you can turn them around and show something different, or you can put them along a walk and see both sides as you move in each direction. I began with the most popular and requested images, and from those chose and ones that fit well on the shape of the flag while the image was still easily recognizable from a distance. Colors can be a little unpredictable with digital printing, and this digital fabric is a new product, but the colors and detail are astonishing.

You have a chance to win one as well—details below! I want to tell you more about the designs…

Mimi poses with her favorite design, featuring her, of course.

At left Mimi models her favorite design, I presume, since this was when she chose to saunter over and rub herself on the bracket even though she is featured in three other designs. Mimi is not included with your order, I need her here to model for more art, supervise their design, and especially act as art director for our back yard photo shoots.

These are digitally printed on a product called digital satin, a woven product intended for outdoor as well as indoor use. It’s heavier than the nylon most other flags are made of, but if I’m judging by the one I’ve had hanging out in my back yard since winter this is tough and durable material, no fading, scratches in the finish, fraying or wrinkling of the flag in any way. I’m sure, like any other product, if the flag is in direct sun for more than four hours per day it will eventually fade, but the testing worked better than I’d thought. You can read about the development of these flags as well as backyard testing and a photo shoot with Mimi and me in Backyard Product Development and Testing With My Assistant, Mimi.

My friend Bonita at Distinctively Different Decor and More actually sews the pockets for me and also sells them at her shop. Aside from sharing her life with five cats Bonita is a professional interior designer and upholsterer and she expressed an interest in selling these as well as assisting with the finishing. I have other art and merchandise at Bonita’s boutique, these will be on display and available through her at 103 Chestnut St. Carnegie, PA 15106.

I ship the garden flags rolled in a tube. Flags are 11” wide x 15” tall and fit the most common garden flag bracket available, seen here and sold in most hardware and home renovation stores with a garden area. You can order on through me, but with their weight and size it adds to the shipping cost.

Current designs

The eight designs below are currently available in my Etsy shop—click the image to go to the product on Etsy, and scroll down for links to the images here on The Creative Cat.

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“Cats After Van Gogh”

“Mimi Amng the Geraniums”

“Fine Art Cats”

“Impressionist Cats”

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“The Roundest Eyes”

“The Goddess”

“Kitty in Pink:

“In Afternoon Sun”

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Following is a list of links to the daily sketch or painting:

Cats After van Gogh: Two Cats After van Gogh/In Window Light

Mimi Among the Geraniums 1/Mimi Among the Geraniums 2

Fine Art Cats: Peaches and Peonies/After Dinner Nap

Impressionist Cats: Stanley With Apple/White Cat Reflecting

The Roundest Eyes (white background)/The Roundest Eyes (yellow background)

The Goddess (white background)/The Goddess (yellow background)

Kitty in Pink/Kitty in Pink

In Afternoon Sun/In Afternoon Sun

Below, just my favorite photo of my first proofs in my yard! Of course, I’ve moved them around, but this is what I was envisioning last year when I first had the idea to create these.

Garden flags are here!

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The Giveaway on The Conscious Cat

Enter to win the garden flag of your choice between today and June 20 on The Conscious Cat—click here for details!

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And other special deals

Sign up for my monthly e-newsletter below for discounts on these and other new products during the month of June.

Subscribe to My E-newsletter

Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

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Gifts Featuring Cats You Know

2013 desk and journal calendars on sale!

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Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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Click here to nominate “www.TheCreativeCat.net” for a Petties Award.

Read more about the Petties in this post.

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© 2013 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | ETSY SHOP | PINTEREST

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Wood Mounted Art and Photos

Introductory selection of art and photos mounted on wood blocks.

I love matting and framing my artwork, and even visualize a piece in mat and frame while I’m working, yet I’ve been finding ways to break free from the complications of mat, frame and glass for wall and display art for years—and I’m really happy with the way these wood blocks turned out!

Side view of 6″ x 6″ wood-mounted photo of “Cookie in the Pasta Bowl”.

The blocks, originally intended for painting, are 1/8″ birch wood panels “cradled” with wood bars added to the back for strength and stability and, incidentally, ease of hanging. The depth of these wood bars “cradling” the back is either 3/4″ or 1-1/2″ depending on the style of the block, and because they have wide sides the smaller ones can even stand up on a tabletop or shelf. I’ve painted the sides either black or natural white and mounted a print edge to edge on the top surface, then covered it with acrylic finish. I love the clean lines and modern look, and have been experimenting with other colors and sizes.

I began with several images from which I had plenty of feedback and which would also work in this medium. Because my daily sketches are often 5″ x 7″ or smaller, these blocks are ideal especially the smaller square format.

Above, most of the blocks are 4″ x 4″, in front you see “The Eye Model” and behind two small ink sketches, “Looking Out the Window” and “Three After Dinner Baths”. I’ve also included “Everyone’s On My Desk” and “Spooked on Halloween” in the small blocks.

And because “First Light” was so popular the other day I’ve included it on an 8″ x 10″ along with “A Sunny Room”, and “World Cat” on an 8″ x 8″ panel.

They range in price from $12.00 to $25.00 and come in a variety of sizes that will accommodate many photographs and sketches—including a 6″ x 8″ panel that will perfectly fit my cartoon “Being Used as a Fort”. See them all on Etsy. I regularly add new ones as I get more feedback, so when you visit my Etsy shop again, use the keyword search “wood mount” to see all that are available.

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But what do they look like to Jelly Bean? A bunch of kitty-sized pedestals!

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Take a look at other new merchandise and featured artwork.

Once a week on Thursday I feature something new in my “shop” on The Creative Cat from my Etsy shop, on my main website or even at one of the bricks and mortar shops that carry my work.

. . . . . . .

Read about creating custom items

Find out more about creating custom items for your own home using the images you see here. Visit the “Ordering Custom Art” page to see samples and read bout how to order.

It’s all done under the close and careful supervision of my studio cats!

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Gifts Featuring Cats You Know

2013 desk and journal calendars on sale!

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Read about creating custom items

Find out more about creating custom items for your own home using the images you see here. Visit the “Ordering Custom Art” page to see samples and read bout how to order.

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Subscribe to My E-newsletter

Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

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Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

The Spring Kitten

“The Spring Kitten” linoleum block print on rice paper, black ink and hand-colored with watercolors

I once had a pure white long-haired kitty with pea green eyes and a pink nose named Sally. She was also completely deaf, and completely fearless; without distraction, she lived in her own little world, full of sleep and joy and play. She was the inspiration for many sketches, paintings and photos, and for this little piece as well; click the image to see a gallery of other black and white photos of Sally.

Sally reclining, click the photo to see more black and white photos of Sally.

Almost everywhere I’ve lived there has been a quince bush, an old-fashioned favorite for its early bright pink flowers—so early, in fact, that the bush in my neighbor’s yard in the years when Sally was young bloomed every year during the January thaw, and then snow would fall on the bright pink blooms, nestling in the curve of the branches like Sally when she’d found a good cozy spot.

Below is the actual reference photo I used for this block print. Can you see the white kitten shape in the snow? Scroll down to the detail of the block print below.

Quince blossoms with snow, the actual reference photo for this block print.

Sure, I took some artistic license with the snow, but that’s what art is all about—and the shape you see below is what I actually saw when I got the photos back and flipped through them (remember those days?), and though it was years before I created this little print the idea stayed with me all that time.

Detail of “The Spring Kitten” linoleum block print on rice paper, black ink and hand-colored with watercolors

I had actually also used the image for a few other projects as I explored my own talents and my abilities to turn what I’d visualized into an finished piece of artwork. It’s always interesting to find several interpretations in one image!

“The Spring Kitten” linoleum block print on rice paper, black ink and hand-colored with watercolors, white frame with blue and white mats

The style of this design was inspired after studying and practicing many illustration traditions, from Asian-inspired block prints and brush paintings to metal and wood etchings and block prints used for books and periodicals. My reference photo (which I kept) shows the branch with the flowers against a brilliant blue sky, and a soft little pile of snow in the angle which became the sleeping kitten.

“The Spring Kitten” linoleum block print on rice paper, black ink only

Also inspired by the idea of a book illustration, it’s just a little thing, image is 5″ x 3.5″, and manuscripts were often illustrated with wood block prints. It’s difficult for me to carve wood, so I’ve gone for artist’s linoleum, much easier on my hands.

“The Spring Kitten” linoleum block print on rice paper, black ink and hand-colored with watercolors, white frame with black and white mats

Block printing is a technique wherein the artist carves the surface of a piece of linoleum, leaving raised areas which will become the image. Ink is rolled onto these raised areas, then a piece of paper is pressed against the block and when it’s lifted away the ink remains, leaving the image on the paper.

Detail of “The Spring Kitten” linoleum block print on rice paper, black ink only

I began only printing this on white rice paper in black or hand-tinted as you see here, and sold them framed and unframed. I love colored rice paper as well as handmade and unusual papers, though, and every year I create a few on new and different papers.

“The Spring Kitten” linoleum block print on pink silk and rice paper

Of necessity, they can only have a small amount of texture and small or muted patterns so that they don’t compete with the print. I have a limited amount of space to hang prints to dry, so I’ve only used two of the papers, and am preparing for more!

“The Spring Kitten” linoleum block print on handmade buff paper with white and pale orange flecks

My wood-mounted and keepsake art was quite popular and fun to make, so I also made up a few 4″ x 6″ wood-mounted prints and have a few 5″ x 7″ blocks as well as small keepsake boxes on hand for the next part of the experiment.

Wood-mounted “Spring Kitten” print, 4″ x 6″

I also offer this image as a wood-mounted piece and on various textiles, such as t-shirts, curtains, tablecloths, shawls and tote bags. You can click any image in this post to find the item for sale in my Etsy shop, or to find everything that’s available featuring this little piece of artwork, search my Etsy shop for: “SPRING KITTEN”, which will bring up all the items currently available.

Because of the nature of the medium, each print is unique and ink coverage is not always perfect. Most artists consider this random activity to be part of the process of creating an individualized print, and along with the hand-painting makes a unique work of art.

Epilogue

I had actually also used the image for a few other projects as I explored my own talents and my abilities to turn what I’d visualized into an finished piece of artwork. It’s always interesting to find several interpretations in one image, and I created this one before I felt really confident in my drawing skills and was experimenting with ripped-paper collage, popular in the late 80s, using a piece of matboard, construction paper and tempera paints…it’s a bit worse for the wear of 25 years, with a few pieces missing.

“Petals on a Wet Black Bough: After Ezra Pound”

And of course I can’t photograph any artwork without my composition and lighting director cruising through…and it’s an interesting thought to connect my feline households of long ago with today’s in this way.

Mimi adjusts the lighting by walking through.

Read about creating custom items

Find out more about creating custom items for your own home using the images you see here. Visit the “Ordering Custom Art” page to see samples and read bout how to order.

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Subscribe to My E-newsletter

Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

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Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

Backyard Product Development and Testing With My Assistant, Mimi

Testing a garden flag design, “Holly on the Rocker”

Product testing in my back yard!

It sure brightens up the landscape on a dull day.

I have ideas for new products made from my artwork all the time—many I’ve had for years and finally had the time to work them out. Other ideas are new, based on feedback from readers and customers, or are extensions of other things I’ve worked out like the keepsake boxes and the wood-mounted artwork, or are designed around new materials or ones that have formerly been too expensive. I love to make the things myself so I focus on a certain number of projects, I also have a limited area for storage so I don’t want to have a quantity of a product here, and I enjoy working with my local printers and manufacturers, many of whom I work with for freelance assignments and it’s fun to be a little more creative and work on something for me.

I’m usually a pretty good judge of what’s going to work out but every once in a while I need to test a product for a while like the garden flags pictured here, or there’s an issue with materials and a product doesn’t work out the way I plan, like a heat-proof finish that simply was not, so there will be no hot pads right now. The past two months have definitely had their ups and downs—including a sunny day that suddenly turned heavy overcast when Mimi and I emerged outdoors for a photo session—but I have a couple of winners at the moment.

Garden Flags

The artwork printed on both sides of the polyester satin is looking pretty good after a cold and icy winter.

I’ve long pictured my art on house flags, both the large ones and smaller garden flags. These are usually printed on nylon or a polyester fabric and printed by a process called dye-sublimation, which infuses the surface of the product whether fabric or ceramic or other substances, with a dye-based ink that actually soaks into the product. It’s not terribly expensive but most of the time you need to purchase a quantity to make it worthwhile, and colors are not always reliable—I’ve had customer projects printed this way and it’s been tricky. The last thing I want is a bulk order that’s totally incorrect.

Test flag with “Stanley With Apple” sketch.

But one of the printers I work with locally showed me samples of several different printing media, one of which is the satin these flags are printed on which can be used indoors or out. I initially tried out a few proofs over the summer to be used as placemats, but they really didn’t work well for that. Then last October I remembered the garden flags and decided to try two different art images back and front on a piece and figured I’d try it outdoors.

Then I thought I’d better try it as it would be for a flag with the stitching for the rod pocket and possibly a hem. My machine can handle sewing into this product, but it’s hard to get to with all the other materials and merchandise I have in this house, and the stitching wasn’t getting done. I took it to my friend Bonita at Distinctively Different Decor and More where I also have art and merchandise. Aside from sharing her life with five cats Bonita is a professional interior designer and upholsterer and sewing is second nature to her. She also expressed an interest in selling these and can easily sew the rod pockets and finish them for me. A partnership!

When I had this flag done, I only had it printed to see how it would look and last outdoors, and didn’t allow for the rod pocket and serged edge, but as I design the actual garden flags I am using only the image area below the rod pocket, and incorporating a solid colored rod pocket and edge that coordinates with the design so the stitching will blend in.

It has a nice wave to it.

For testing, I just used a wire hanger clipped open in the center of the bottom section so I could slip the flag onto it and easily hang it outside, and also see how the fabric reacts to metal. So far, this flag has been totally covered with ice, covered with snow, drenched in driving rain, hit with hail and sleet, and I’ve found it under snow in the garden and in a neighbor’s tree when I didn’t secure the hook on the hanger well enough. The colors have not faded, the finish has not cracked, and the fabric has not ripped or frayed—yay! I’m sure, like everything else, and per the manufacturer’s instructions, it would fade in direct sunlight so rather than wait through the summer I will need to warn customers to place them in partial sun instead of full sun.

The fabric is a little stiffer than nylon, but it still waves and curls in the breeze in a very nice way. I will have these available in April for $15.00 each and am planning five different colorful designs. Typically these flags are printed with the same design on both sides, but my test with two different designs didn’t show through to the other side. I can offer more designs if I print two-sided, but I’m still not sure. Any feedback would be much appreciated!

Mouse Pads

Four mouse pad designs.

I am finally having mouse pads printed, though many people no longer even need them! It’s one of those products that was too expensive unless I only wanted to offer one design, and choosing only one of my paintings is like choosing a favorite child, I just can’t do it. But I found high-quality mouse pads with incredibly detailed and accurate printing—remember, these are images I created, I know every stroke and color. I don’t expect printing to be perfect and I’ll understand a lack of detail with some products or slightly inaccurate color if the overall image reflects my work. Best of all I can sell them for $6.00 each.

Mimi has her part in the testing process.

But even better mouse pads didn’t have printing that was reliably clear and correct, in part because they are set up for photos and most of my art files are scans, both digital, but different printing mechanisms read them differently. In four designs, two were perfect right away, two were absolutely color correct but were off-center and too large after three proofs. I won’t go into the details of it, but even certain of my art files didn’t work well until I realized it was the scanned art that was the issue. I made them a lower resolution and created a file that was the size of the mouse pad, and we are fine.

My photo assistant thought they were fun to walk on too, so if you don’t need them for your computer, perhaps your cats can use them as temporary nap stations. I found that as soon as I put one down to photograph inside, a cat magically appeared on it.

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Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise

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Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy.

Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy!

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Gifts Featuring Cats You Know

2013 desk and journal calendars on sale!

It’s Pasta Salad With Cookie for the Month of March

“What’s a tortie cat to do if all you give me is a pasta bag for my nap?” Cookie asks.

It’s a little small, a little noisy and maybe not all that comfortable, but Cookie managed to turn an errant bag of rotini pasta into a makeshift bed..

It’s a little small, but it will do.

I set down the pasta bag and, as cats need to be even just the slightest bit elevated, even just the thickness of a piece of paper, Cookie stepped on top of it, then proceeded to noisily figure out how to make it comfortable and settle down for a nap on the bag. Here are the photos from the march pages of In the Kitchen With Cookie.

Each month has a different recipe based on what Cookie is doing in the photo, and this month it’s my somewhat famous pasta salad. As a long-time vegetarian, I’ve been invited to many a pot-luck, picnic or holiday party that was heavy on the burgers and weenies and spiral-sliced ham with nothing for someone who didn’t eat meat. While I love to whip up something impressive, between cats and family and events and work and budget it often became some variation on a quick and simple pasta salad.

But that didn’t mean it was always the same pasta salad. As Cookie and I enjoyed the summer seasons in the garden and the warmth of the winter kitchen, the ingredients changed from olives and artichokes and roasted red peppers in the winter to fresh basil, hot and sweet peppers and cherry tomatoes in mid-summer. It’s meant to make the work easy on you, using what’s available and what you like to create an inexpensive and tasty offering for a party, or just for yourself.

RECIPE: QUICK PASTA SALAD
Pot luck affairs often don’t have enough vegetarian choices to make a satisfying meal, but I find pasta salad satisfying at any time. I love working with fresh ingredients but don’t always have the time, and sometimes canned are better, especially if they are olives and such.

Cook one pound of rotini pasta according to directions. Have two cups of various black or green or cured olives, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, roasted red peppers or any other pickled item, and two cups of chopped fresh or whole cherry tomatoes, onions, fresh green or red peppers and other vegetables. You can use the liquids from the pickled items or pour one cup of bottled Italian dressing over and toss, or use simply 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and fresh basil and other herbs in season. Chill at least an hour.

Here’s the two-page spread for March:

The March pages from “In the Kitchen With Cookie”

Below is my original text from when I posted this photo in June 2011:

It’s a little small, a little noisy and maybe not all that comfortable, but Cookie managed to turn an errant bag of rotini pasta into a makeshift bed.

Yes, Cookie has owned the kitchen lately, happily interacting with everything I happen to set down on the table or cabinet. She’s always been curious, though, so it’s not surprising and it’s always amusing to see what she’s decided to do.

In the meantime, here’s a little slideshow of Cookie turning the pasta bag into a bed along with her commentary to me…this following the basket of tomatoes as a pillow from a few days ago.. At one point Kelly comes over to look at her but makes no comment, and Mr. Sunshine sniffs her to make sure she’s okay.

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Read more about “Compositions in Black and Green”
and “In the Kitchen With Cookie”

Click the image below to go to my “calendars” page to read more about each one including what photos are featured on each page and, for In the Kitchen With Cookie, which recipe is featured. I’ve provided a book-flip slideshow so you can browse the pages too.

Both calendars are $5.00 each plus shipping. I’d love to know my cats were in your home! Well, virtually, at least!

2013 desk and journal calendars!

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Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

Five Black Cats, Custom Framed, and Placemats to Match

“Five Black Cats in a Line” framed to match the paint colors in the “Cool Cat Cottage”.

This might not be the best photo I’ve ever taken of custom-framed artwork, but you get the idea. A family of friends who are black cat fans and who’ve also ordered a framed photo of this family from me for their home ordered this print to match their new “Cool Cat Cottage”!

The photo is “Five Black Cats in a Line” from the post “Still Celebrating Black Cats”, which I’d posted in both black and white and color on Black Cat Appreciation Day in August 2012. They sent me the numbers of the paint chips for their new cottage—”Belize” and “Sands of Time”, love the color names—and I matched them up with the matboard and a plain white frame. The image size is 10″ x 15″ and the frame size is 15″ x 20″.

Obviously, I love to see my art and photos traveling out to people’s homes! I have all my photo and art prints made locally and can create a print in a size to fit a frame you have or a project you have in mind, and I am also a custom picture framer. If you have an idea, read more about ordering custom artwork on this page.

Five Black Cats Placemats

Five Black Cats in a Line color side of laminated placemat.

“Five Black Cats in a Line” black and white side of laminated placemat.

The family also ordered a set of placemats in the same design—with a little extra.

I’ve worked out several ideas for placemats and, discouraged at the price of the prints on the absorbent materials and various fabrics, I decided to go back to the good old laminated placemat. The neat thing about these is that I can make them two-sided, so these feature the two photos of The Five mentioned above, “Five Black Cats in a Line” in black and white on one side and in color on the other.

I also offer “The Birthday Party” featuring all five lined up and eating breakfast on the Fantastic Four’s birthday with Mama Mimi joining in the celebration, and on the back “Five Black Cats in a Line” in color when we were celebrating “Black Cat Day”.

The Birthday Party placemat

They are 11.5″ x 17.5″, printed double-sided on 120# card stock then laminated with heat-sealed 5 mil laminate trimmed 1/4″ larger than the print with rounded corners. They can be dunked in dishwater or wiped down with just about anything to clean, just avoid any abrasives to avoid scratching the laminate. Other than that, my household test have found them to be just about indestructible. Use as a mat under your cat’s food bowl, water bowl, your own food bowl, or just for decoration on a table or counter.

Where to find these things…

“Five Black Cats in a Line (color)/(black and white)” placemats on Etsy

“The Birthday Party/Five Black Cats in a Line (color)” placemats on Etsy

And read more about creating custom items

Find out more about creating custom items for your own home using the images you see here. Visit the “Ordering Custom Art” page to see samples and read bout how to order.

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Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise

 

---

Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

---

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy.

Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy!

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Gifts Featuring Cats You Know

2013 desk and journal calendars on sale through February!

Featured Artwork: Conversation With a Daisy

“Conversation With a Daisy”, pencil on cream cotton paper, 9″ x 12″, 2004 © B.E. Kazmarski

I call pencil “my first and favorite medium”. My mother was a newspaper crossword puzzle fan and I’ve been sketching in pencil since I picked up one of her readily-sharpened No. 2 pencils with the yellow paint and the pink eraser and began to make lines on one of her lined 3″ x 5″ index cards. I actually remember doing this and watching myself make the lines; I have no idea how old I was but I believe I was in kindergarten or first grade. Fast forward a few years and I sat on our dining room table looking out the window at the gnarled crabapple tree in the snow, No. 2 pencil in hand and a piece of blank paper, trying capture the bare tree against the snow, learning the many things a pencil could do.

Detail of Conversation With a Daisy, just Namir.

And from that beginning I often say that “I can speak in pencil”, that what goes in my eyes and comes out the tip of the pencil has very little logical translation much as you would speak fluently in more than one language. I see the scene, and I see the pencil drawing. That’s also one of the reasons you’ll see so many of my daily sketches in pencil, and I have a huge body of works in pencil featuring my cats, commissioned portraits, wildlife, landscapes, waterscapes and flowers.

So when I saw Namir stretching his entire slender self up toward a downward-facing daisy I looked at his crisp gray fur with its muted stripes, his graceful curving figure, the simplicity of the daisies and immediately decided I had to do a pencil sketch entitled “Conversation With a Daisy”.

I had carried in an armload of my Shasta daisies that had been knocked over in a summer storm and put them in the crystal vase on the kitchen cabinet, always a risk in a house of cats who ate nearly all green things but who considered freshly-cut flowers a special treat. One of them had indeed been bent and was facing downward. Seeing Namir I snapped several photographs, but he would not stretch himself out again and sniff that daisy! “I already did that, I don’t have to do it again, cats only sniff things once and then they know all about them,” he said. So much for me, but I know how to get my models into the positions I need, and this one was easy: hold any object above his head in about the position the daisy had been—snap! Sketch.

When I look at scenes like my kitchen it’s when I really mean it when I say, “That’s why we have art.” I can use only what I need of the original scene, and still you see my point of inspiration, plus no one really needs to see my cluttered little kitchen.  But it’s not only about being able to leave things out; these choices are part your aesthetic decision about what’s truly important to your statement. In this case, it was Namir’s exploration of the daisy, and briefly I considered leaving out the bunch of daisies and the vase too, but I liked the interaction between his shape and the vase.

Working in pencil I can also express details either with strength, like Namir’s fur, using both texture and opacity for you to understand what I see, or with subtlety, like the barely outlined curve of his cheek and the whisps of his whiskers curving upward toward the daisy in curiosity, just enough quick lines to see the fur on the curve of his chest.

Detail of Conversation With a Daisy, Namir meets the daisy.

One of the things I enjoy about pencil is the expressiveness of the lines you can make, and this simple drawing makes use of not only a soft pencil lead similar to that old No. 2 but also harder leads that make lighter but cleaner lines, and I’ve also used the point of an extremely sharp pencil, a slightly dulled pencil and the full side of the pencil to create detail and texture, and even combinations of all of these in one simple line as you can see rounding his left whisker pad, above.

I do love flowers, and I don’t give myself enough of a chance to draw and paint them—partly because I’m usually outside tending to them instead. But in this case, along with comparing the two shapes of Namir and the vase, it was another reason to include the vase of daisies in the drawing. As with Namir, I didn’t draw every daisy in the vase or even every petal, in fact they are a little rough and sketchy up close, but overall you get the sense of daisies when you look at them. I looked for the details that stood out most to me, and that was the stems with their tiny leaves, and the positions of the flowers and their petals.

Detail of Conversation With a Daisy, the daisies.

Detail of Conversation With a Daisy, the crystal vase.

And I also don’t take enough time to sketch just everyday objects, though I study and photograph them all the time.  How to work with the complexity of a bunch of daisy stems refracted through the facets of flowers and leaves cut into the crystal vase? Again, look for shadows and light, and recognizable shapes.

I sketched this in 2004 and framed it then. Namir’s idiopathic cystitis began causing issues as his heart murmur increased, and while we never knew if they were related, he began to suffer occasional bladder infections and needed to be hospitalized and catheterized, not from the usual crystals in his urine, but because of swelling, somewhere along the line. My veterinarian and others who treated him guessed that he’d picked up a herpes virus when he’d been an outdoor unneutered kitty at the beginning of his life and it settled somewhere in his urinary tract.

In order to help pay his bill for all the testing and treatment I “raffled” this sketch and a friend won it.

His condition continued on. Because of his heart murmur and developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy we had to be extra careful of any treatments and of the possible retention of fluid since he was already showing some fluid build up around his heart. In August 2005 he suffered his first round of congestive heart failure and this persistent bladder issue was a huge concern, but after he’d been on a diuretic for a while he would still have infections and urinary issues, but never came near blocking again. Not sure if trading one thing for the other was worth it, but with all that Namir managed to live to be 15 years old with his sense of humor fully intact. No one who met him ever had any idea that his health was so precarious, and for all the really painful treatments he endured, all the veterinarians and technicians at the specialist and emergency hospital welcomed him for a “visit” and I often read in his medical reports how he loved “face scunches” and kisses, and how he sat on someone’s desk and laid all over the papers.

Where to find this sketch

Feline Sketches Fine Art Correspondence

I have this sketch in a set of notecards called “Feline Sketches”, a collection of this and other pencil sketches from years past offset printed on acid-free cream cover with matching envelopes as well as writing paper. You’ll also see memo pads, but I only have a few left and I need to reprint.

These cards are printed offset, meaning that ink is applied to a plate, and that plate is applied to the piece of paper, not the type of digital reproduction I use for my full-color cards and prints. Pencil is not truly black, and when I’d reproduced my pencil sketches using ink in the past they often looked like charcoal sketches instead.

When I had these printed the printer and I did tests to match the ink to the pencil drawings and used Warm Gray 9 ink instead of black ink and I’m very pleased with the outcome. In this one, Namir’s fur looks just like Namir’s fur did, and it looks so much like my original sketch that, printed on the same cream paper, it’s hard to tell them apart.

A few veterinary hospitals purchase my animal sympathy cards, and while they also purchase the more designed 5″ x 7″ greeting cards, a few also choose a selection of these, and I use them as well myself.

At the time I had them printed I had also had a limited number of prints made, like 10 each, in ink on cream cotton cover of each of the images you see at right, and I will get around to that sometime again soon.

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Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

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Keepsake Boxes, Both Gift and Giftwrap

“Watercolor Cats” round keepsake box set.

Keepsake boxes can be used as the gift itself for someone who can use them as both decoration and storage—I originally got the idea from the many gift boxes I’d received through the years and use to sort my jewelry, photos, and keepsake items from family members or times in my life.

You can also use each one as a gift box that is already wrapped for your recipient and they get two gifts in one—the gift in the box and the box itself.

“22 Cats” keepsake box

22 Cats Keepsake Box 8×8

A papier-mâché box hand-painted in warm leather brown with a print of “22 Cats”, my award-winning collage of portraits of rescued cats from “Great Rescues”, decoupaged to the lid, measuring 10″ x 10″ x 4″. This design also has prints of the design decoupaged to the sides and bottom.

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as a gift box.

I choose a color that coordinates with the artwork and paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. In this case I also print the artwork and adhere to the sides and bottom, then finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

The boxes are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections. Find this box in my shop on Etsy. In addition to the keepsake box in “22 Cats” design, I also offer an 8.5″ x 11″ wooden tray that matches the box.

“Watercolor Cats” round keepsake box set.

Watercolor Cats Keepsake Box Set of Three

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black, with prints of three sketches decoupaged to the lid. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 4″, 5″ and 6″ in diameter x 3″ high.

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

I choose a color that coordinates with the artwork and paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. I finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

The boxes are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

In the order above the names of the sketches are: “Purple Cats, Red Blanket “, “World Cat”, and “Mimi’s Sunbath”, all sketched in ink with watercolor embellishment.

You can find this set of “Watercolor Cats” keepsake boxes in my shop on Etsy and your free Valentine can be the design on the first box,  the “Purple Cats, Red Blanket” card!

In addition, I offer “Purple Cats, Red Blanket” as a digital print. I also offer the second design, “World Cat” as both a wood-mounted print and a digital print on paper.

“Victoriana Cats” keepsakes boxes, set of 3

Victoriana Cats Keepsake Box Set of Three

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black and crackle-finish gold and cream with prints of three photos decoupaged to the lid from my “Victoriana Cats” set. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 5″ x 7″, 6″x4″ and 5″x3″ and the tallest is 3″ high. Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black and crackle-finish gold and cream with prints of three photos decoupaged to the lid. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 5″ x 7″, 6″x4″ and 5″x3″ and the tallest is 3″ high.

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

Black was a natural color for “Victoriana Cats”, and I’ve been waiting to try a new crackle-finish glaze–this was the perfect subject. The base color is a pale antique gold, pulling mid-range highlights in the sepia-look photos, with a natural white top coat nicely crackled. I paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. I finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

The boxes are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections. Find this set of keepsake boxes in my Etsy shop.

I also offer Victoriana Cats as a set of greeting cards—read about the cards on Etsy as well.

Compositions in Black and Green Keepsake Box Set of Three

Compositions in Black and Green keepsake box set

Who knew that vintage mint green sink would photograph in such a rich tone, especially when filled with a black cat? From the time I installed the new bathroom, the black cats owned it and the contrast of their black fur with the mint green fixtures and white walls and floor has been stunning and created some of the most favorite photos in my cat collection.

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black and mint green with prints of three photos decoupaged to the lid. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 5″ x 7″, 6″ x 4″ and 5″ x 3″ and the tallest is 3″ high. Only one is available!

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

Black was a natural trim color for “Compositions in Black and Green”, and while I avoid mixing colors because they are difficult to repeat later I mixed the shade of green to work coordinate with the famous mint green sink. I paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. I finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

The boxes are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections. Find the boxes in my Etsy shop. I also offer a 2013 calendar of the same title, “Compositions in Black and Green”, now on sale, and can also ship a calendar with your order.

“God, I’m Cute” 5″ x 7″ wood-mounted print

“God, I’m Cute” Wood-mounted Print

The 5″ x 7″ block, originally intended for painting, is a 1/8″ birch wood panel “cradled” with a 1″ canvas stretcher added to the back for strength and stability and, incidentally, ease of hanging. I’ve painted the sides black and mounted a print edge to edge on the top surface, then covered it with acrylic finish.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

That’s my Jelly Bean demonstrating his most absolute cuteness in the mirror.

“Mirror, mirror on the sink

I’m the handsomest kitty, I think!”

Perhaps instead he’s practicing his most seductive expression in the mirror.

Jelly Bean is about as cute as cute can be and he knows how to use it. Moreso than any of the other Big Four, Jelly Bean was always the cutest, it’s just part of his nature, and now that he’s maturing he’s also developing those feline-seductive “bedroom eyes”, the squinty, blinky look that makes them impossible to resist.

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2013 Calendars 50% Off

Desk and journal calendars for 2013, “In the Kitchen with Cookie” and “Compositions in Green and Black”

Love black cats? Need a little more tortie in your life? Have you been looking at these calendars and considering one? How about a Valentine gift for a special cat lover? I still have calendars available for 2013, and beginning February 1 they are 50% off!

From reviews and comments, it’s not so much about having a calendar as having the photos to look at time after time, and that was really my goal in designing these two calendars. For more information, visit the page here on The Creative Cat where you can find links to reviews and “flip” through the pages, or find the calendars on Etsy.

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Thank you for purchasing

Mimi inspects the keepsake box prior to it being offered for sale.

My studio supervisors are always hard at work!

Inspired by cats you know!
Everything I make features the cats you read about each day on The Creative Cat.

It’s my pleasure to share my cats and my creative life with my readers, and to know that what I make is part of your home, or a gift for someone special.

Find these and many other feline-themed gifts, as well as inspirations from pets, wildlife, flowers and nature, in my Etsy shop. If you have any questions, please send me an e-mail at bernadette@bernadette-k.com.

And if you’d like to see what’s new before I post it here on The Creative Cat, don’t forget to sign up for my monthly (more or less) e-newsletter below.

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Inspired by felines you know!

Click on the banner below to visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy for more of my designs inspired by the cats you read about each day.

Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy!

Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

And browse some rescued cats and kittens too!

---

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

Last-minute Valentine Gifts, Plus a Complimentary Card With Every Order

“Watercolor Cats” round keepsake box set.

Orders I receive by the end of the day on Friday can still reach destinations in the “continental” US by next Thursday, February 14 via Priority Mail—plus get 10% off and your choice of a complimentary Valentine greeting card for your special Valentine! If there’s a special cat lover on your list here are a few things I can ship out ASAP, and you can use the coupon code VALENTINE10 when shopping in my Etsy shop for a 10% discount now through Valentine’s Day.

Keepsake Boxes, both gift and giftwrap

“22 Cats” keepsake box

22 Cats Keepsake Box 8×8

A papier-mâché box hand-painted in warm leather brown with a print of “22 Cats”, my award-winning collage of portraits of rescued cats from “Great Rescues”, decoupaged to the lid, measuring 10″ x 10″ x 4″. This design also has prints of the design decoupaged to the sides and bottom.

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as a gift box.

I choose a color that coordinates with the artwork and paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. In this case I also print the artwork and adhere to the sides and bottom, then finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

The boxes are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections. Find this box in my shop on Etsy. In addition to the keepsake box in “22 Cats” design, I also offer an 8.5″ x 11″ wooden tray that matches the box.

“Watercolor Cats” round keepsake box set.

Watercolor Cats Keepsake Box Set of Three

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black, with prints of three sketches decoupaged to the lid. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 4″, 5″ and 6″ in diameter x 3″ high.

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

I choose a color that coordinates with the artwork and paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. I finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

The boxes are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

In the order above the names of the sketches are: “Purple Cats, Red Blanket “, “World Cat”, and “Mimi’s Sunbath”, all sketched in ink with watercolor embellishment.

You can find this set of “Watercolor Cats” keepsake boxes in my shop on Etsy and your free Valentine can be the design on the first box,  the “Purple Cats, Red Blanket” card!

In addition, I offer “Purple Cats, Red Blanket” as a digital print. I also offer the second design, “World Cat” as both a wood-mounted print and a digital print on paper.

“Victoriana Cats” keepsakes boxes, set of 3

Victoriana Cats Keepsake Box Set of Three

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black and crackle-finish gold and cream with prints of three photos decoupaged to the lid from my “Victoriana Cats” set. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 5″ x 7″, 6″x4″ and 5″x3″ and the tallest is 3″ high. Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black and crackle-finish gold and cream with prints of three photos decoupaged to the lid. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 5″ x 7″, 6″x4″ and 5″x3″ and the tallest is 3″ high.

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

Black was a natural color for “Victoriana Cats”, and I’ve been waiting to try a new crackle-finish glaze–this was the perfect subject. The base color is a pale antique gold, pulling mid-range highlights in the sepia-look photos, with a natural white top coat nicely crackled. I paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. I finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

The boxes are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections. Find this set of keepsake boxes in my Etsy shop.

I also offer Victoriana Cats as a set of greeting cards—read about the cards on Etsy as well.

Compositions in Black and Green Keepsake Box Set of Three

Compositions in Black and Green keepsake box set

Who knew that vintage mint green sink would photograph in such a rich tone, especially when filled with a black cat? From the time I installed the new bathroom, the black cats owned it and the contrast of their black fur with the mint green fixtures and white walls and floor has been stunning and created some of the most favorite photos in my cat collection.

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black and mint green with prints of three photos decoupaged to the lid. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 5″ x 7″, 6″ x 4″ and 5″ x 3″ and the tallest is 3″ high. Only one is available!

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

Black was a natural trim color for “Compositions in Black and Green”, and while I avoid mixing colors because they are difficult to repeat later I mixed the shade of green to work coordinate with the famous mint green sink. I paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. I finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

The boxes are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections. Find the boxes in my Etsy shop. I also offer a 2013 calendar of the same title, “Compositions in Black and Green”, now on sale, and can also ship a calendar with your order.

“God, I’m Cute” 5″ x 7″ wood-mounted print

“God, I’m Cute” Wood-mounted Print

The 5″ x 7″ block, originally intended for painting, is a 1/8″ birch wood panel “cradled” with a 1″ canvas stretcher added to the back for strength and stability and, incidentally, ease of hanging. I’ve painted the sides black and mounted a print edge to edge on the top surface, then covered it with acrylic finish.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

That’s my Jelly Bean demonstrating his most absolute cuteness in the mirror.

“Mirror, mirror on the sink

I’m the handsomest kitty, I think!”

Perhaps instead he’s practicing his most seductive expression in the mirror.

Jelly Bean is about as cute as cute can be and he knows how to use it. Moreso than any of the other Big Four, Jelly Bean was always the cutest, it’s just part of his nature, and now that he’s maturing he’s also developing those feline-seductive “bedroom eyes”, the squinty, blinky look that makes them impossible to resist.

---

2013 Calendars 50% Off

Desk and journal calendars for 2013, “In the Kitchen with Cookie” and “Compositions in Green and Black”

Love black cats? Need a little more tortie in your life? Have you been looking at these calendars and considering one? How about a Valentine gift for a special cat lover? I still have calendars available for 2013, and beginning February 1 they are 50% off!

From reviews and comments, it’s not so much about having a calendar as having the photos to look at time after time, and that was really my goal in designing these two calendars. For more information, visit the page here on The Creative Cat where you can find links to reviews and “flip” through the pages, or find the calendars on Etsy.

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“Tortie Girls in Black and Red” Set of two framed prints.

A Special Couple…

Tortie Girls in Red and Black

A set of hand printed linoleum block prints featuring my tortoiseshell girls, matted and framed and ready to hang—I have one of each print.

“The Goddess”
Well, everyone knows a fat cat who knows she’s beautiful, and Cookie would tell you that a woman with a round shape was once most desirable and an object of worship. That’s why I call her “The Goddess”.

“The Roundest Eyes”
Sometimes when I look at Kelly the only feature I can distinguish in all those tortie markings is her extremely round eyes.

Unlike other versions of this print in my Etsy shop and on my website which are usually hand-tinted with the orange and yellow of tortoiseshell cats, I have left this in black only for that lovely effective contrast of black ink on white rice paper. Image is 8″ x 12″, with my favorite rich red acid-free mat and a solid wood black matte-finish 12″ x 16″ frame. Read a little more about the print and the girls here on The Creative Cat or find it in my Etsy shop.

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Valentine Note Cards and Greeting Cards

Full set, smaller sets and individuals of hand-printed Valentines

Choose from the selection of Valentine Cards in my Etsy shop for your free Valentine card with order!

This year I’m offering a limited number of the above unique hand-printed Valentine note cards patterned on those familiar conversation hearts. Hand-printed linoleum block print cards printed in magenta on pink, violet, magenta and red card stock, embellished with magenta or purple stamp ink, are just saturated with color for Valentine’s Day!

This set of 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ note cards features two designs combining my hand-cut block prints with commercial rubber stamps on smooth uncoated 70 lb. cover stock. I offer them as singles and in sets of four, six or eight with matching or coordinating envelopes.

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Valentine Greeting Cards

“Heart Cats” Valentine Card

I also offer six 5″ x 7″ greeting card designs, several of which can also be used as everyday greeting cards for friendship, thinking of you, even sympathy. Each card comes with your choice of red or white 70 lb. acid-free laser-compatible envelope.

Purchase cards:

• individually
• in half dozen packages of the same design
• an assortment including one each of all six
• your own custom selection.

And don’t forget to ask about bulk wholesale purchases for resale or to veterinary professionals. Follow the links to read about each design on The Creative Cat, then you can find the cards you want in my Etsy shop.

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Thank you for purchasing

“Make certain the cards are lined up properly prior to running the scoring blade.”

Mimi makes sure I score and fold the cards correctly!

Inspired by cats you know!
Everything I make features the cats you read about each day on The Creative Cat.

It’s my pleasure to share my cats and my creative life with my readers, and to know that what I make is part of your home, or a gift for someone special.

Use your discount code “VALENTINE10″ when shopping in my Etsy shop. If you have any questions, please send me an e-mail at bernadette@bernadette-k.com.

And if you’d like to see what’s new before I post it here on The Creative Cat, don’t forget to sign up for my monthly (more or less) e-newsletter below.

---

Inspired by felines you know!

Click on the banner below to visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy for more of my designs inspired by the cats you read about each day.

Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy!

Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

And browse some rescued cats and kittens too!

---

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

Special Prints for Valentine’s Day

“Tortie Girls in Black and Red” Set of two framed prints.

Cards and gifts for cat lovers and lovers with cats 10% off in my Etsy shop now through Valentine’s Day! Use the coupon code VALENTINE10 when shopping in my Etsy shop.

A Special Couple…

Tortie Girls in Red and Black

A set of hand printed linoleum block prints featuring my tortoiseshell girls, matted and framed and ready to hang.

“The Goddess”
Well, everyone knows a fat cat who knows she’s beautiful, and Cookie would tell you that a woman with a round shape was once most desirable and an object of worship. That’s why I call her “The Goddess”.

“The Roundest Eyes”
Sometimes when I look at Kelly the only feature I can distinguish in all those tortie markings is her extremely round eyes.

Unlike other versions of this print in my Etsy shop and on my website which are usually hand-tinted with the orange and yellow of tortoiseshell cats, I have left this in black only for that lovely effective contrast of black ink on white rice paper. Image is 8″ x 12″, with my favorite rich red acid-free mat and a solid wood black matte-finish 12″ x 16″ frame. Read a little more about the print and the girls here on The Creative Cat or find it in my Etsy shop.

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A Special Print

“Awakening” linoleum block print, matted in rich red and framed in a matte black frame.

“Awakening”

“Awakening” is a linoleum block print, 16″ in diameter, printed in water-based ink on handmade white rice paper. For Valentine’s Day I’m offering a print matted with a rich red mat to encircle your feline loves.

Mat is an acid-free rich red, my favorite shade to coordinate with plain black and white block prints; not too bright, not too dull. I cut the circular mat myself in my studio; the narrowest portion of the mat is 1.5″. The frame is a 1″ wide plain black matte-finish wood. The final framed size is 21″ x 21″. You can read about this print here on The Creative Cat or in my Etsy shop .

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Inspired by felines you know!

Click on the banner below to visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy for more of my designs inspired by the cats you read about each day.

Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy!

Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

---

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.