The Adventures of Peachy and Mittens

Great Idea!

2009-10-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hey, Mom just had this great idea......She is calling it a VIRTUAL SWAP. A while back we had card swaps here at The Cat's Meow. Everyone made six cards from a theme that was on the website and mailed them to the store. Then, Auntie M swapped them out and sent them back to the people who participated. Well......somehow it went by the wayside. Mom thinks it was because nobody wanted to make multiples of cards. Now that we are in the tech age, she wants to do a virtual swap. Every month she will post a card theme in the newsletter. You make a card and scan or photograph it and upload it to a special place on the web. You will be able to see all of the cards everyone makes there. It will be like a gallery. Check the November newsletter for the full instructions. Sounds fun, huh?

Apologizing Again!

2009-10-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here we are again apologizing for not posting more frequently......actually we are sure there is something radically wrong with this blog thing......couldn't have been June since our last post. Well, there has been a lot going on....Let's see.....a friend of ours got to be honorary mayor of Oakhurst representing the SPCA again. He raised over $40,000 to go to the shelter fund. Then our human Dad was in the hospital, so Mom was running back and forth to Fresno....he's OK now. Then Mom was really busy with Animal Faire which was about a week ago.....we heard it RAINED on them so it is a good thing we are indoor kitties. Not that we would want to be there with all those dogs! Now, Mom is working on the 2010 Great Yosemite Stamp Escape. Time sure does fly around here.......Check out our buddies and you will see what life is like for us.

Mom said we got lots of new ribbons. I think she said 23 new ones just this week. She has to keep them away from Peachy because he likes to eat them. Sometimes I wonder about the guy:) We also got in a bunch of new stamps with winter scenes, and some cool stamps from Hero Arts that have this stuff on the back called Cling Mount. Aunty M just loves them because she professes to be a 'diehard red rubber girl'! Whatever that is all about. Oh Boy.....the UPS guy just dropped off three BIG boxes......fun is afoot!

I'll leave you with this photo of one of Peachy's ribbon lovin' friends.....Happy Fall!

Mittens.....and Peachy, too!

Holy Macarolly!

2009-06-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Where have we been? What have we been doing? February since our last post.......we are sooooo sorry! Well, cats have responsibilities, too you know. After all, we did have the Stamp Escape that we had to plan for, and lots of new merchandise to put out. But we have really been busy the last few weeks. You may know our Auntie Melissa has worked part time at Gottschalks. Well, that comes to an end tomorrow. We think we should plan a retirement party for her (tee hee). For the last few weeks, she has been in charge of selling store fixtures so she has been checking out the deals for us. Boy, did we make out like bandits! We got cool stuff like the fixtures that used to house the bath towels. We replaced the low fixtures that separated the selling space from the classroom. Now we are getting really organized. And we also changed the set-up of the classroom. Check out the photos.....

Yikes....Bikes!

2009-02-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

Boy, were we busy in Oakhurst today. There was lots of excitement about all of these bikes coming into town. Lance Armstrong and 129 of his best buddies came screaming down Hwy 49 on their way to Clovis via the route Mom takes to work. Now keep in mind that Mom sat for 45 minutes on the way to work today because the road was so icy they wouldn't let cars move. What were those bike guys thinking????? Well, the day turned out nice for a change, and we hear they made it past all of the snow without problems. Here they are heading out of Oakhurst for North Fork!

Yikes!

2009-02-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

The sky fell!

In fact, it has been falling every night for several days. Wow, are we glad we live indoors where we are nice and comfy. Mom said she has a lot more of this white stuff at home and there is a glacier on the driveway at her Dad's house. It looks like it will continue for another week or so. We have such brave customers...they visit us even though it is cold and white. See you soon! Mittens and Peachy.

A funny one for the New Year!

2009-01-16T10:51:00.001-08:00

Of course, Peachy would think this is funny! He is laughing his tail off! Have a Happy New Year......your furry buddy,
Mittens!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone...and Merry Christmas! Peachy and I are enjoying everyone stopping by (especially those last minute guys buying Gift Certificates)! Mom has been really busy. She had to rush to get her Christmas Cards mailed because Dad was in the hospital. Mom said he had something like the colic horses get. I guess she thought we might understand those terms better. Any way you look at it, it doesn't sound good. But he is better now, and didn't have surgery. After Christmas, Mom promised to bring a surprise photo for me to post......it's a secret! So for now, I'll share a photo of a few of our friends. Merry Christmas, and Happy 2009!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

We thought you could use a little spice in your life, just in case your holiday spirit is lagging. Now we don't get to watch TV around here because Mom is too cheap for cable. The only thing we get to watch is craft videos......and more craft videos. Peachy does a great imitation of Tim Holtz! But rumor has it that one of our favorite products was a hit on TV. Art Institute Glitter was Center Stage on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2008! Art Glitter put on a BRILLIANT performance at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show December 3rd. The runway was covered with Art Glitter's Shards Vintage Glass. We are just glad those models wore shoes...our paws would certainly hurt! Check out the glitter in the photo.....don't get distracted by the babe!

Remember that dotted swiss dress you had when you were a little girl? Now you can make your cards out of this beautiful Dotted Swiss cardstock! The quality and colors from Bazzill Basics are always the best. The paper is $.39 a sheet of 8.5"X11". You will need all colors, we are sure. By the way, there are more colors on the way, but here are the ones we have right now. Yummy, huh?

Holiday Hugs....
Mittens and Peachy

We love birds!

2008-11-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

We would love to catch birds....especially these pretty ones. We thought you might like to see what you can do with the new bird Nestabilities that just came in. There are pretty butterflies and a nice flower too. (But we really like the birds) Happy Thanksgiving......Furry hugs, Mittens and Peachy

Yummy new stuff!

2008-11-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hi friends.....

People are telling us stamp stores in their area are few and far between, but here we are! Busy as usual and getting new stuff all the time. Mom just ordered all of these cool ribbons, papers and embellishments.....here is what the UPS boyfriend brought the other day. These two collections from Making Memories are really pretty. We really like the jars of matching flowers and buttons. Mom had trouble with Peachy always knocking them off the counter when she was pricing them...what a bugger he is! The papers are really nice....double sided, and even some spot-varnished, or die cut, or flocked. Really special!

Then there are the RIBBONS! About 3000 yards of ribbons came in. Two of them are 1" wide. If you follow other blogs, you will see that many of the artists are now using this wider ribbon. Melissa will be using the satin on her Christmas card. The other one is grosgrain with stitching.

Mom said her fave is the 1/2" iridescent sheer with a heavy thread that creates a pinstripe. Boy, does it come in great colors! You need them all!!!!!

So now you can see what we have been up to..... We have LOTS of new Christmas paper and embellishments, too. Mom may have even talked Auntie M into teaching a calendar class again...

Stay tuned...Mittens

Excuses, excuses!

2008-10-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I am just overwhelmed! Mom has this ink cartridge recycling program for the Eastern Madera County SPCA, and they just keep piling box after box of the darned things on the table. I doubt you can even find my beautiful face in this photo! Now I know the money goes for a good cause...the Angel Fund...to help sick or injured animals get medical care, but this is getting a bit out of hand if you ask me! Well, since nobody bothered to ask me, I guess I'll just have to put on my 'big girl panties' and deal with it. I have tried to convince Peachy to help, and as you can see, he is checking the cartridge numbers to see if they are ones that can be recycled for MONEY! With this job, we will be busy for a long time.

I had better fill you in on everything else that is going on. First, the 10th Annual Animal Faire (more SPCA) was a huge success. Mom said they raised almost $8,000. I guess they sold a lot of 'hot dogs'!

And on the store front, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Christmas paper, Christmas Cuttlebug stuff, Christmas stamps, Christmas stencils, even red and green embossing paste. Speaking of embossing, it sure was fun to have Lynell Harlow and Diane Maurer her to teach classes. Diane is a real animal person and she is currently without a kitty. Boy, did we get loved! I hope Diane would consider coming back.....while she had some time off from teaching classes, she went on a horseback ride up by Tenaya, and almost had the you-know-what scared out of her. That equine was skidding all over rocks, going through creeks, and generally freaking her out. I think she really had a California adventure!

Be sure to stop by to check out the new stuff. We should get rid of the mountain of cartridges by Friday.....hmmmm.....I wonder if there are any mice in there! I'll go check...catch you later!

Mittens

Yummy new stuff!

2008-08-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

Our favorite UPS boyfriend is busy delivering to us again..... Mom has been busy buying lots of new stuff and we are happy to report some of that stuff is Peachy's favorite, RIBBON! Don't tell Mom, but he likes to chew it! What a crazy cat....... Mom bought all the colors of this cool new ribbon from A Muse, and also the new 8 1/2 X 11 printed cardstock. There is another style of cardstock yet to come. Auntie Melissa was drooling over it all....she took these photos for us,but she didn't take pictures of the polka dot. You'll just love it, too. Mom ordered so much new paper, we can't imagine where she thinks she will put is....and tons of new stamps, too. Check it all out....we'll greet you at the door.

Furry hugs,

Mittens and Peachy

Our furry friend....Aiko!

2008-07-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Ok......so I, Mittens, have lots of toes and can type.... Here is a photo of our buddy Aiko who is a massuese! As you can see, she is peeking out of the place where you would normally put your face on the massage table.....cat hair up your nose, anyone? Aiko's human is Joan Mills, one of Mom's reps. We love Joan because everytime she comes to visit, we can sit in her lap and on her laptop and get kitty fur all over everything and she doesn't even care. Isn't Aiko cute?

Cool Tool!

2008-06-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

Hi there.....

Now you know our favorite tools are related to scratching posts, but you have got to see this one exception. Actually, there is another version due in soon with only a different corner radius, but we wanted to let you know we now have the Zutter Heavy Duty Corner Rounder (1/2") in stock. This tool is really heavy duty. It will round up to 1/8" thickness of chipboard, tin, clipboard, leather, and acrylic...as well as about 8 pieces of cardstock at a time. And this size comes in PINK! It sells for $19.99, and we got in a dozen, so you'd better call right away if you want one. I think the other size is a broader curve, but I can't really remember....we will see when it comes! And it doesn't even take extra toes to make it work.....even a person with hands can do it. This thing is really cool and easy to use. Stop by to check it out!

Mittens......the cool tool authority!

Inchie, Inchie, Inchie!!!!

2008-05-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hi, we're baaaack!

It has been a long time since our last post. We thought after the Stamp Escape we would have time to blog.....guess again! Orders have been placed, and now they are coming in fast and furious. Mom said it gives the UPS man job security! The Stamp Escape students ordered lots of stamps from Lockhart Stamp Company, Dreamweaver, Artlenz, and Michael Strong. So far, we have everything but Michael Strong's stamps. Mom has everything in little bags with names on them...it took her all day last Friday. She said we were not much help. Now she is waiting for this Inchie stuff. That's all we have heard.....Inchie, Inchie, Inchie! So, here's the deal. You take these little images and stamp them on these 1" square pieces of special mat board. Then you use them as a focal point on a card, make embellishments out of them, make jewelry, or best of all, swap them. This whole thing is taking on a life of its' own. You need an index book (we'll have them) to log what you have made and received in swaps, a binder (we'll have them) with pockets in the pages to store them, frames (you can make them) to display them....and so on. Mom said we should have a club! Now we need a club name....I vote for Inchie Paws! Check out the picture of a frame with metal inserted as a way to display Inchies with magnets on the back. Watch the class schedule for classes making Inchies. If you can think of a name better than Inchie Paws (I doubt it), email us or post it on the blog. Mom said she will be letting everyone know when the special orders are all complete and ready to pick up...should be in a day or two. Stop by to check out the Inchies in person.

Your friends in fur...

Peachy and Mittens

Almost Stamp Escape!

2008-05-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone......we wanted to check in with you before Mom goes to The Pines for The Great Yosemite Stamp Escape. We have been so busy here....Peachy said he has bee the biggest help! Usually we like to lay on the tables and rest, but just take a look at this photo and you will see what our problem is. We will be so glad to see all of this stuff go.....and we will actually get TWO days off this week. The store will be closed Saturday and Sunday while our friends have a great time at the lake. We'll let you know more of what is going on once we finish our work on the Stamp Escape.

See you soon....

Hugs and Purrs,

Mittens and Peachy

Yum-O!

2008-03-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

We just want to EAT these new

ribbons......Mom and the Aunties have been really busy the last few days. They said to tell you we got 24 new papers ftom My Mind's Eye, 5 new papers from Crate Paper, lots of new rhinestones, stamps from Penny Black, Hero Arts, and Stampendous, punches from Punch Bunch, lots of door prizes for The Great Yosemite Stamp Escape, and this YUMMY ribbon! You will have to see them in purrson to appreciate them......these are only part of the 24 gorgeous colors that came in.

You still have time to sign up for the Stamp Escape......hurry so you can get some of the cool free stuff! Peachy and I are packing the goody bags for you and we are doing a fabulous job!

Stop by to pet us soon!

Mittens and Peachy

Lazy Guy!

2008-03-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy opening all of the boxes of goodies Mom ordered. Every day, it's another box! Wow, she really went crazy at that show! Now, I am so busy my paws are sore from all the work. And you can see how much Peachy helps me......what you see is pretty much what he does all day!

Mom is working on details for the Stamp Escape, and still writing lots of orders.....stop by to see us and check out what's new!

Purrs......

Mittens

Photos from CHA!

2008-02-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

Finally, even though Auntie M had MAJOR computer problems, she and Auntie R sent us some photos they took at CHA. Mom has ordered the board and all of the supporting stamps from Northwoods Stamps. One of the things they were looking for was masculine themed stamps and they thought this group was perfect. It should ship at the end of March so we will have it in plenty of time for Father's Day.

Here is a card done with stamps from the Thomas Kincaide line. He is the famous artist whose paintings feature light. Cornish Farms Stamps have lots of his paintings translated into stamps. This one was colored with chalk. They also look beautiful just stamped in colored ink. As soon as we get all of the catalogs from this company, Mom will place an order.

Check back soon to see more photos from CHA. Mom and the Aunties are recuperating. Maybe after this weekend they will be almost normal! Almost!

Hugs and Pets! ......Mittens

Wow, do they look tired!

2008-02-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

Mom and Aunties Robin and Melissa got back to the store yesterday and brought in TONS of catalogs and other goodies. They stashed the goodies right away saying they are being saved for Stamp Escape. The catalogs are stacked on the tables in ...order now....order soon...and...maybe not...piles! They all just kind of sat and gazed off into space and said they were really tired. Lots of people came in asking if it the trade show was fun.....Mom just looked at them. Evidently it must be a lot of hard work. Today Mom is already working on more orders out of catalogs in the first pile. She said we will have photos to put on our blog as soon as Auntie M gets her laptop fixed. Maybe they took photos of lots of cards and fun stuff they saw! We'll post again as soon as we get the photos!

Hugs and Purrs, Mittens and Peachy

News from CHA

2008-02-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone.......we had the perfect picture to post for you today, but none of us were quick enough with a camera! At some booth they were hosting a make and take project of a black headband with two fluffy pony tails (for lack of a better description) sticking up on top. They were pink, purple, green or blue.......Women were wandering around with these ridiculous looking things on their heads. Fortunately we never found the booth where they were being made! But, the photo we missed was of this middle aged, short, balding man walking toward us with his purple, perky pony tails on his head! I would have loved the caption "What we saw at CHA!"

OK, now for the news......of course we ordered lots of paper. We got quite a variety which will arrive all the way to June. As usual, we drooled and carried on when we found paper we liked. Some of the companies we ordered from were Heidi Grace, Cloud 9, SEI, My Minds Eye, Hanko. We also have lots of orders in progress that we will send this week. The coolest thing we found was the Zutter Round It All! This is a must-have tool. If we could have brought them with us we would. This corner rounder will work on chip board, 8 sheets of cardstock, and even pretty heavy acrylic. It is $20 and will be out in April.....hopefully. It is so cool!

We saw LOTS of beautiful ribbon that we will order. There were so many great stamp companies that I will order from when we get back. Melissa is whining and acting like a spoiled child and will be badgering to order, order, order! Now, she and Robin wish I had stayed home so they could have SHOPPED! Like I would have given them signed checks!

Our last chance to see anything is tomorrow morning. We are so tired that Melissa and Robin have the giggles, so we need to go through the catalogs and get to bed. We will be back in the store Wednesday, so stop by and check things out!

Thanks to Peachy and Mittens for letting me Blog....Hugs, Sharon

Where have we been?

2008-02-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

We bet you are wondering where in the world we have been! Well......we have been sitting in the window watching this white stuff fall from the sky. It looks really cold outside and everyone is complaining. Mom has been soooooo busy, she barely has time to clean our litter box. We might have to hire a maid. Here is what has been going on......Mom has been really busy helping her Dad because he got sick with pneumonia. She has been taking care of his animals in the morning, on the way home from work and at night. We know she was really worried about him, but he is better now. She even thought she might not go to that big deal in Anaheim that they all have talked so much about. But Auntie R and Auntie M are there now and are having a great time........and the show hasn't even started yet! They are taking classes today so they can come back and show everyone what they learned. Mom is leaving early tomorrow and will be back Wednesday. From the sound of things, she spends a lot of money at this place. We'll tell her if she has time, she can post on our blog while she is gone. Maybe she will even take some pictures.

Just a note.....we got in lots of stuff for the Cuttlebug, some Coluzzle stuff, and some really neat GIANT brad/eyelets the other day......lots of ooohs and aaaaahs again!

See you soon,
Peachy and Mittens

Beautiful Card!

2008-01-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

Our Auntie Ginger brought in a card she made out of the die cut paper we showed you in our last post. We hear a lot of people say that they wouldn't know what to do with 12 x 12 die cut paper except use it on a scrapbook page, but you can't say that any more! Mom is ordering more of that pretty paper, especially now that you can see how nice it is for a card. Maybe you can't tell that it has lots of pretty glitter on it, too. We just LOVE Bling!

Thanks, Auntie G.

New Stuff!!!!

2007-12-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year....

Mom just unpacked boxes of goodies and we heard all of the oohs and ahhs again. I'm putting in some photos of the new Mira collection from K & Company. The colors are bright and cheerful and fun. We also got some really cute glittered brads and lots of other cool stuff. If you are waiting for Tombow tape runner refills, Mom got a whole carton full! We are getting ready to celebrate the New Year...hope you have a safe, happy 2008

PS. Check out these samples of the Mira Collection!

No slide show!

2007-12-19T09:48:00.000-08:00

Couldn't wrap my paws around the technology!!!!!

Here are a couple more photos! Are you jealous?

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, Mom thought it wasn't so merry when she had the flu....the kind that keeps you in the litter box! She thought she had food poisoning until, in the spirit of Christmas, she shared it with the big guy at home...... He's not to happy about this sharing stuff...he'd rather get other kinds of presents. Because Mom was sick, Sunday, she missed going to Auntie Robin's Craft Room Warming! Auntie R sent some photos of the room which opened to rave reviews! The room is 12'x20', with no wasted space as you can see. I am going to try this new thing where you can see a slide show, so let's see if it works! If not, I'll post the photos in another post.

Stay warm, be good, have a great holiday, we hope Santa can fit down your chimney!

Mittens and Peachy

Hero Arts is Here!!!!!

2007-12-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

Hi again......The UPS boyfriend brought a big box from Hero Arts today and Mom and Auntie M got really excited. They even gave him a chocolate kiss even though he was in a grumpy Christmas mood. They said you have all been waiting for the new catalog and stamps to arrive. They really drooled over the catalog......it's a good one! The stamps that came in are all new wood mounted images, but they also have LOTS of new clear stamps that Mom loved. You will want to come in right away and see the new stamps and get on the list for a catalog of your own and tell Mom what you want her to order. Since the CHA show is later this year, she isn't going to wait until the show to place her order...better hurry!

Mom liked what they wrote in the front of the catalog...kind of sums up why people stamp, I guess..."There is nothing like a good stamp. It inspires us to create, to celebrate, to share with handmade and heartfelt expressions. In turn, we inspire those who are important to us."

She also liked what Fred Mullett wrote on his website...."The meek will never ride the porcupine"! Whatever that means. You know that Fred...he's a wild and crazy guy!

See you soon...Mittens and Peachy

Crafts 'n things

2007-12-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

Here I am, back so soon with more news. Yesterday, Mom got the first shipment of the Crafts 'n things magazine. It's the one that bought Rubber Stamper magazine. There are 59 pages of stamping projects out of 164 total pages in this issue. Mom said she will leave it up to you whether she continues to sell this publication. Stop in and check it out........and bring a paper ornament for our sad tree!

See you soon......Mittens (and Peachy, too)

Poor, Pitiful Tree!

2007-12-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

We know you are all really busy getting things done for Christmas, but we certainly thought some of you would take pity on this sad looking tree Mom and Auntie M. put up. Remember, Mom asked everyone to make paper ornaments to decorate the tree....well, as you can see, not many of you have come through! Take pity on US! Peachy and I have to look at this sad, silver, sparkly specimen every day! You still have time to get busy on a paper ornament.....even our friend Josie Cervantes sent an ornament with her photo on it!

You might also notice that the tree now has lots of stuff piled under it. Mom tried to think of things you might want for Christmas gifts, so she put them all there. She said to tell you it's OK to ask your family for gift certficates, too.....she has plenty of those.

Stay warm, drive carefully, watch out for our furry friends on the road, and have a Merry Christmas!

Peachy and Mittens

It' Fall!

2007-11-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Golly, our trees outside are almost bare of leaves. (All the easier to see the birdies!) We love to sit and watch them in the fountain. Birds must be dirty creatures, unlike those of us who can lick ourselves clean, because they are always flapping away in the fountains. Speaking of fall, that was the theme of the card Heidi Cervantes made for the contest last month. Mom asked for cards done in shades of orange, and lots of people brought them in. She put all the names in a basket, and Heidi's name was drawn. You can see her card here. Congrats, Heidi...you win a prize! Just a note to everyone, Heidi hasn't been feeling well for a while, so she would appreciate your thoughts and prayers. We hope she will feel better soon. (She probably will because she just got 2...count them, two...new puppies, and kitty and puppy love can solve all ills!)

Mom and Auntie M have been putting out so many new things. The UPS boyfriend has brought lots of new papers, stamps, and even some new cool kits from K and Company. Those cute new kitty and puppy scrapbooks came in again, too. Mom is letting the girls look through some new stamp catalogs to help her pick out things to order today. We particularly like the company called The Cat's Pajamas.....although everyone knows cats DO NOT wear pajamas! We'll let you know what new company's stamps will be arriving soon. Mom just LOVES finding new stamp companies!

Check back for the latest news......until then,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Peachy and Mittens

We're Baaack!

2007-10-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since we have posted, but this is sure a crazy place. Peachy parks himself in Mom's lap at the computer so I can't even get a paw in! Mom and Auntie Melissa have been busy working on the class schedule for the next few months. What a novel concept.... planning ahead! Auntie M even started organizing the stockroom (aka Kitty Prison) and they found all sorts of lost things. Boxes have been coming in every day, and Mom keeps writing orders. She calls it the never-ending-task. She remembers when she ordered in minimum quantities.....not any more!

A nice lady that comes in, Charli Eaton, founded an organization called Grandmothers of the Light. Their mission is to help keep a child and imprisoned parent or family member in touch. You can read about the organization by clicking on the link. When these kids get to visit the prison (with the help of Charli and her friends), the one thing the prison will allow is a polaroid photo to be taken for the child to take with them. Mom has been working on a project you might be able to help with. She wants to collect simply made frames for the photos. She made one out of a piece of 6"X12" cardstock folded in half with a 3"X3" hole cut in one side. She decorated around the hole, ran a little adhesive inside next to the fold, and folded about 1/4" up on the back to make a little foot. This allows the frame to stand. Keep in mind that the kids are all ages. The frames cannot require any type of tool (scissors, etc.) for assembly. The ladies could just take the frame and tape the photo inside making it so much more of a treasure for the child. We know you all have LOTS of scrap cardstock. If you want to help by making frames, you can bring them or send them to the store. Mom will give them to Charli. The ones you make will go to the Women's Prison facilities in Chowchilla, about 45 minutes from here. Be sure to read the information on their wibsite, and you can also check out an article in the Madera Tribune. Here are a couple of photos of the simple frame Mom made...just to give you an idea. We could use as many as 100 frames a month, so your help would mean a lot to a child whose world is in turmoil.

I've also included a teaser photo of one of the months from Auntie M's clanedar class....cute!

Thanks for checking in with us.....we'll be back soon....

Hugs and Purrs,

Peachy and Mittens

They're on the move!

2007-10-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today Auntie M was busy moving things around! Mom said the stamps are too confusing... flowers on the wall, clear flower stamps on a fixture...... they need to be re-arranged! I think they are trying to make room for more Christmas stuff, too. And all this talk about how bad the magazines are getting! I put up a new poll on the left here, let Mom know what you think about the magazines. She said she is ready to tell them all to keep their ugly people with dunce caps and wings! So many things came in last week, Mom asked (seldom seen) Dad to come over during the week to help her get all of the boxes and stuff out to the dumpster. He said he would charge a handling fee! So, here is some of what came in.....Beeeutiful paper and scrapbooks from K and Company. They always have such nice embellishments to go with everything. Some of the scrapbooks are kits, too....very nice! Orders also came in from Penny Black, Hero Arts, and Stampendous. The newest 'buy 2 get 1 free' stamps came from Inkadinkado and they are flying out of here faster than Peachy can eat a kitty treat!

Lots of people came by on Saturday, National Card Making Day. They made cute projects and ate the soup Mom made for lunch. Cindy, next door at the candy store, even fixed up the little punpkins they made really cute if they bought a truffle to put in the pumpkin. I thought truffles were something pigs looked for, but the ladies all said you got them at a candy store.

Auntie R and Auntie M are planning their next classes. Lots of Chtistmas themes, calendars and sweet treat classes should all be fun. Be sure to check the class schedule each month so you can sign up early. The early bird gets the class.

Hugs and purrs from Peachy and me..... Mittens

Great Cambria Getaway!

2007-09-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

Hi...Peachy and Mittens said it was OK for me to send you a note on their blog...only I was supposed to do it a week ago! I've been busy since I got back from Cambria, but wanted to let you know that we had a great time celebrating our 40th anniversary. We really did not do much, had a few very nice meals, drove up the coast toward San Simeon and took a nice walk to view the Sea Lions. Mostly spent time relaxing. We loved the motel, the White Water Inn. We had a mini-suite overlooking the ocean with a private patio and hot tub. They brought a lovely breakfast to our room each morning and even washed the windows on our car 'for our viewing enjoyment'!

We stopped by my friend Karen's little stamp store, Paws on Main. I do mean little. Karen has been there for 15 years! She is a cat lover so we always have lots to talk about. We also stopped by H.A.R.T., a wonderful animal rescue facility in the middle of Cambria. Diana Duncan who runs it does a fabulous job. The place is clean, and the cats are beautiful and healthy. There are no cages......they all roam the building. There are lots of hidey-holes and kitty trees. I returned to put the finishing touches on our SPCA Animal Faire which is this Sunday. Be sure to stop by the store to see all of the new goodies, and join us on the 6th for National Card Making Day...see you soon, Sharon

Next Week's Make and Take

2007-09-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hi friends... Mom is getting ready for her trip to the coast and we are doing everything we can to help her. Peachy cleaned stuff off the counter and has almost single-pawdley cleaned off the back table. He can't figure out why Mom keeps picking things up and putting them back. I thought I'd give you a glimpse of next week's make and take project. Remember, you can come in any time Monday through Friday and make this cute reindeer card. Boy would I have fun trying to catch one of those birds sitting in his antlers! Auntie Melissa will be taking care of the store, and Mom will be back Wednesday, so stop by any time. I told Mom if she takes some nice photos on her weekend away, she could post them here......we'll see if she can figure it out!
Until next time...Hugs and Purrs from Peachy and Mittens!

PS..I shouldn't have made fun of Mom's computer abilities,,,as you can tell, I couldn't get the photo to post.....trust me, the card is cute!

Big Excitement!

2007-09-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hey animal lovers...... Here's news for you!

It is amazing how little it takes to get Mom and Auntie Robin all excited.......the FedEx boyfriend was really popular today. Auntie R was actually getting in her car when she saw the truck and came flying back through the door. Two big boxes on a cart quickly followed and the fun began. Actually, we think Mom ordered these new things especially for us. There are the CUTEST kitty and doggy papers, embellishments, and 'scrapbook in a box' kits you have ever seen. These boxed kits have a 6x6 scrapbook, and lots of cute papers and embellishments all in a cool matching box! And all for only $19.99. There is also another colorful collection of papers with a coordinating scrapbook in a box. This time it is a 12x12 scrapbook with everything you need included. It is called Ally's Wonderland and would be perfect for a girl or for any festive occasion. Mom and Auntie R were in 'hog heaven'! Of course, Peachy and I prefer the kitty and puppy designs...you can see for yourself how cute they are. Here are some pictures of the papers so you can get a better idea of what the collections look like.

Kitty kisses from Peachy and Mittens!

LABOR Day!

2007-09-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...today is Labor Day and here we are hard at work! Well, actually, Peachy is still sleeping! Pretty soon he'll be begging for treats. What a hard life he has. Mom has already put out the new Christmas stamps from Hero Arts. With no deliveries today, she said she might actually get caught up. Did you check the class schedule? Mom wanted me to remind everyone that there at 2 classes next Saturday. Mom will have Stamp of the Month, and Auntie Melissa (I think I'll call her Auntie M from now on......typing long names makes my paws tired) will teach her bird class......yum yum, we just love birds! Next week, beginning the 10th, you can come to the store and make a Christmas card for free. Just come any day but Saturday and everything will be on a table in the back for you to make this card with the skating girl on it!

It'g going to be 100 degrees out today, but Mom says it's time to get in the Christmas Spirit. We LOVE air conditioning!!!!! When you wear a fur coat all year, hot weather stinks! Remember to give your pets plenty of fresh water and a shady place to keep cool. And PLEASE, never put them in the back of a hot pickup! In fact, it makes Mom nervous to drive behind a truck with dogs in the back, so just let them ride up front with you.

Well, I have work to do, and Peachy just woke up so check in again soon and we'll keep you up to date on the doings at The Cat's Meow......Hugs and Purrs from Peachy and Mittens!

September Special Events

2007-08-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

With fall coming, what's better than a 'falling leaves' stamp? Since Mom participates in the Printworks "One Stamp Wonder" Program, she will be getting this beautiful idea board and a bunch of the stamps used to create all of the pretty cards. The first 12 people who buy the stamp also get the cutest tiny leaf stamp for free! Mom acted kind of crazy today so we tried to be good....except Peachy kept begging for treats. Mom was working on the September newsletter and a bunch of stuff for the SPCA Animal Faire. I think that's mainly for dogs. She was busy, busy, busy. And did you notice that Mom will be taking a few days off? Boy, that doesn't happen too often! Maybe she'll bring us presents. Hugs and Purrs from Peachy and me (Mittens)!

Happy Birthday to Mom!

2007-08-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

Mom was surprised today when several of our Aunties came for lunch to celebrate her birthday. Peachy wanted to help Auntie Robin and Auntie Melissa fix the food, so to prison he went...again! When will he ever learn? Mom had a really nice day. She had gotten in lots of goodies,so everyone was doing that ooooohhhhh and aaaahhhhh thing again. The real furor hit when the UPS boyfriend showed up with the Bo Bunny paper order. You should have heard the squealing! He could not get out of here fast enough. Mom asked if everyone he delivers to gets this excited. He said definitely not....I think he thinks these girls are a bit nuts! So now Mom has to find places for this really cool paper....one group in really bright colors, one group in fall colors, and a Christmas group, too. And that's just from Bo Bunny! She still has to find room for the black and white paper from Luxe Designs, stamps from Stampendous, Inkadinkado and Technique Tuesday. We know what she'll be doing tomorrow!

Kitty Prison

2007-08-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Boy, we sure have been locked up a lot lately! Classes have been so full, and you know how Peachy likes to 'help'! That gets us locked up every time. Between classes, Mom has been busy getting in new goodies. After she got the ton of stuff from memory Box and had the blitz class, she got new clear stamps and chipboard shapes from Technique Tuesday, black and white doublesided cardstock and word rub-ons from Luxe Designs, and FINALLY the Bind-It-All! Mom has had all of the wires for some time, but now the machines are here. If you gave her name to hold you one, she said you should call her. Boy, does that thing make cool books! It is definitely the hottest binding machine on the market. Now, as soon as the new Mini-Score-it comes in, we'll have all of the latest stuff! Check back often so you will get the scoop on the latest arrivals between newsletters. Hugs and Purrs from Peachy and Mittens!

Sad News

2007-08-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

Those of you who come to the store know Melissa who works part time, teaches classes and is like a daughter to me. This evening her father passed away with Melissa and her sister at his side. I know she will appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Sharon

Christmas is Coming!

2007-08-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

And the UPS man is grumbling! Boxes, boxes, boxes! Mom has been busy. Yesterday, she and Aunties Melissa and Robin started unpacking some of the Ohhhhh and Ahhhhh goodies they ordered. (More ohhhhhhs and ahhhhhhs). They got pretty paper from Daisy Bucket, and some cool suitcase sort of albums from Cosmo Cricket...honestly, don't these companies have the dumbest names? Today, Mom got Japanese paper that she said is to die for! She has been real busy getting ready for her 10 Card Blitz this Saturday..I guess that means we will have to go to kitty prison for a while.....booooooo!

Here is one of the papers from Daisy Bucket. Check back often for more new stuff!

Mom's at it again!!!!!

2007-08-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

Have you heard the news? We have two new sisters! We don't think they should be store cats. After all, this IS our domain! But Mom just couldn't resist adopting a young mama cat and her 8 week old kitten. Mom said she was going to pick up Harley and Beemer last night, and when she got here this morning she said she did the deed. Now, we are not versed in such things, but we thought Harley's and Beemer's were motorcycles!!!!! Hmmmmm, maybe she called them that because Dad has been doing some motorcycle wheelin' and dealin' and she's been mad at him. It's just hearsay, but we're told our sisters are really cute.
Check them out!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2007-08-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's me, Mittens, checking in with you. I haven't had much time to post...sorry. But today, I have lots of news! Yesterday, Mom's friend, Joan, brought tons of new things for Mom to see. Aunties Melissa and Robin just Oooohhhed and Aaaahhhed! They said they just LOVE spending Mom's money! It seems Joan sells Mom stuff and she brought samples of everything new she saw in Chicago. I think Mom will be writing some BIG checks pretty soon, 'cuz she was picking out so much stuff. I was able to get pictures of some of the things for you to see. One of the companies Mom bought a lot from was Bo Bunny. This pretty floral paper was one. She had paper spread ALL over the place and Auntie Robin kept saying "Buy these buy these!"...There were other groups of paper that mom bought, but her favorite was from Paper Salon! It had such pretty fall colors and some of the papers had copper foil on them. She also found some cool Rub-Ons that come in Copper, Silver, and Antique Brass. The Aunties got so excited about some matching "Hardware", whatever that is! Here's one of the papers from Paper Salon.

There were also some sets of clear stamps Mom bought to go with the Paper Salon papers that she liked. I won't try to put the photos here because I am just getting the hang of it and don't want to mess up a good thing!

Now, for the real news..... that poodle, Her Honor the Mayor came in today, and Peachy, eagle eye that he is, caught her sneaking in our room (aka Kitty Prison) and coming out with tasty morsels of food......OUR food! Well, three times was the charm. Peachy calmly went in and YIP! chased that little thief out with her little pom pom tail between her legs...well, not quite,,,,,it's hardly long enough! Anyhow, she went running straight to her Mom, and boy, did Peachy look smug. He even went back in and guarded our food for a while, just in case she got any more ideas. Golly, I hope he doesn't get arrested for accosting a public official! You know that Peachy doesn't like to miss a meal, so he took this theft quite personally.

So, that's about it . As you can tell, we have been VERY busy. It shouldn't be too long (a few weeks) before all the cool stuff Mom bought starts arriving. Those delivery boyfriends will be very busy!

Peachy says Hey!

Hugs and Purrs from us to you!

"What's in the Box?" due tomorrow!

2007-07-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo....we heard Auntie Melissa on the phone with Memory Box this afternoon. Molly told her the big order from Memory Box that everyone is so excited about has been shipped. Auntie M tracked it through UPS and found out it should be here some time tomorrow. She said "Wooooo Hoooo!" Even though everyone is complaining about how hot and humid it is, it will be Christmas in July....and Halloween and Thanksgiving, too. Mom said she is going to teach a really big class with all of the new Memory Box goodies. We also heard her talking to Auntie M about a few make and takes. This really does sound like a big deal! Everybody likes make and takes and we just love it when our friends are happy! Did you look at the Polar Bear card in our last post? That's just one of the cards you can make with the stamps in the box. We heard there are some adorable penguins, too. Penguins are very hot right now ......hmmmm, that's weird, we thought penguins live where it is cold...well, what do we know? We'll let you know what comes in the box, that is if we can get our noses in there. We like it when the boxes are empty so we can snooze in them.

Check back soon...until then, Hugs and Purrs from us to you!

Whew!!!! A Day off!

2007-07-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Boy was today a busy day. We are looking forward to having our day off tomorrow. We started the day with a class. Peachy had to help Auntie Melissa teach her Cuttlebug class. Fortunately, Auntie Mary brought treats as we have been without since Auntie Doreen had back surgery. But, what a surprise......Auntie Doreen came today to visit and is feeling really good. She brought treats, too.......BONANZA! It was very exciting when a bird landed on the windowsill, and I got so excited I fell right out of the window. There I was, hanging by my many toes! If only there had been no glass, that bird would have been lunch!

Speaking of lunch, around noon, Paw Prints Stamp Club arrived. Most of the girls came from Fresno, and it is always lots of fun. We get lots of attention, and since this club seems more interested in lunch than stamping, we usually get tidbits. Today was Chinese Chicken Salad. Some of them try to give us greens.....yuk! We want the bird part!

Mom says next week should be really busy. Auntie Melissa should get a big box from the UPS boyfriend Monday (if not, she says she will have to get a new boyfriend). Then, the BIG order from Memory Box should come, too. They will be up to their ears checking in, pricing and putting stuff in the computer. Peachy likes to help with the computer part, but Mom says he makes too many mistakes....should have me do it!

I'll keep an eye on things and let you know what's happening.....

Hugs and Purrs, Mittens

PS..check out this sneak preview of What's in the Box that Mom is expecting!

Mom's Been Busy!

2007-07-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hi, again.....

Mom has been busy working on the website. You should check out the Gallery. She posted new cards (long overdue, we might add), and they are really pretty. She has some more to post, so check back later, too. If you are into the Red Hat thing, keep an eye on the next newsletter for something you just might want to do!

Mom found this new company that she is thinking of buying from. Why don't you check out the stamps on their website www.lockhartstampcompany.com and let her know if you like the style of the stamps......we really like the cat designs!

Hugs and purrs from us to you!

New Mayor of Oakhurst!

2007-07-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

It is official....Oakhurst has gone to the dog! Mom just came back to the store after attending a big dinner where the new Honorary Mayor of Oakhurst was announced. Well, we are happy to say our buddy, HER HONOR MISS EMMA the poodle won! Before today, we called her Emma but now she deserves this big title. She and her mom raised over $35,000 for the Eastern Madera County SPCA. You can just imagine how happy our Mom was when she told us. Having an animal shelter here would really help the animals who are not as lucky as we are, so we are really happy too. We would be happy to pass along congratulations to HER HONOR MISS EMMA, if you want us to.....by the way, did you know you can post comments to this blog? Just click where it says comments below here and go for it! We'd love to hear from you.

We've made the newspaper

2007-07-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

We didn't know how famous we would become. Someone sent us a copy of the Paw Print Gazette with an article about us. Our friend Hillari called yesterday to ask Mom how we could type. Mom reminded her that Mittens thumbs!

You should see the back table. The UPS boyfriend brought this huge box yesterday. Now Mom has lots of scalloped punches and bottles of flowers and a bunch of other cool stuff!

Emma for Mayor!

2007-07-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Now, we don't know why a DOG would want to run for mayor, but it's true...Oakhurst is going to the dogs! Have you heard that Emma, the Poodle wants to be mayor? She is 'speaking' on behalf of the Eastern Madera County SPCA....that's how we know about it. They say that Oakhurst has the best mayors money can buy. That's because every dollar they raise counts as a vote. We hope Emma gets lots of votes so the SPCA can build an animal shelter. Check out Emma!

Welcome to our blog!

2007-07-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.....and welcome to our blog. Now you may think it's odd that two cats are so high-tech that they have their own blog, but we are not just ANY cats! We are the resident cats at The Cat's Meow (only the best paper crafting store in the whole world). Our Mom, Sharon Fitzgerald is President of the Eastern Madera County SPCA, and dedicates herself to the welfare of needy animals. That's how we got here. Our Kitty Mom was a really wild girl (known as feral) and cavorted with the local men about town. That's evidentally how we came about. When we were about 8 weeks old, Sharon (now we call her Mom) found us all in a great big berry patch along the Fresno River. A few months later...she was having a very busy summer rescuing injured animals from the North Fork fire...she set a trap, and since we were all hungry, we went in one by one (Kitty Mom, our brother Sparky, and the two of us). She whisked us off to the vet to get poked and prodded...and spayed and neutered. That was a rude awakening! Then, she took us kids to her store and that's where we began to meet people......lots of people! She called it socializing....we called it terrifying! She put us in the bathroom at her store (the old one by McDonalds) and her customers would come in the bathroom and sit and talk to us. Can you picture it? There they were, locked in the bathroom, sitting on, what else, the toilet, talking away. Finally, we decided these people must mean well, and Mom seemed to love us, so we let people touch us. Then we started to get to check out the store at night. Now, we didn't get into too much trouble...even though there were thousands of sparkley things just waiting to be batted around. I, Mittens, must confess that I did unroll about 500 yards of ribbon that first night, though! Peachy wants everyone to think he's purrfect, but he stood there and cheered me on! So anyway, we got used to people, and found that they love us. Sparky was such a character, and Mom thought he might forget that he was supposed to stay indoors, so he went to live with her Mom and Dad. Mom sometimes says she thinks we may be TOO social....what does she know?

Now we have so many friends.....a lot of them we call our Aunties! Auntie Melissa helps Mom a lot. Mom calls her the Monday Girl! (Dad calls her his adopted daughter). She is like a second Mom to us. She helps us teach classes. Actually she cuts the papers, makes the samples, tells people what to do, but we supervise! Auntie Robin also helps us teach classes. We like her because she sometimes brings her lunch....we like to help her eat it! The only problem is Auntie Robin sometimes has classes with messy stuff like paint and doesn't want us to help so we have to go to 'kitty prison'...BOO! Auntie Helene has been Mom's friend for a long time...she works at Von's and we love it when she comes in smelling like chicken! Yum-O (like Rachael Ray says). Auntie Doreen brings us treats...we love Auntie Doreen. She also bought us special beds. She would love to have a kitty of her own, we just know it! Aunty Ginger and Auntie Dixie hug us and pet us and don't care if we get cat hair all over them. Auntie Mary tells us what good kitties we are, and she brings us photos of her new kitty, Bootsie. We have lots of other Aunties and we'll tell you about them another time.

We love it when people come to visit us. Mom bought a new building about two years ago and we moved everything to our new store. It is soooooo much bigger and we just love it! Everybody says how nice it is. Mom buys lots of new things all the time. I, Peachy, love to sit in her lap and help write orders on the computer. Mittens likes to stretch out on the counter and watch. We plan to keep you up to date on everything we do around here...and we'll let you know if Mom gets in new things that she says are really cool! She and Auntie Melissa call the UPS an FedEx guys their boyfriends because they are always bringing presents! The UPS boyfriend came today...we heard Auntie Melissa said she really missed him while he was on vacation because the skinny guy didn't bring so many presents!

Drop us a line....we'd love to hear from you..or better yet, stop in and pet us...now we just LOVE that! Until later.....Hugs and Purrs!