PHOEBE IS HOME!!

After a long week of being consumed with the search for my missing cat, walking the area in the evening doing foot searches, waking up at 2:45 to stake out a food bar or place a humane trap, Phoebe is finally home!

Phoebe relaxes at home

I was able to successfully trap her in a humane trap sometime Sunday evening or Monday morning. It was such a thrill to see two glowing eyes staring back at me when I checked the trap around 4:00 a.m. on Monday morning. She has settled back into her routine and acts like a cat who never left!

Flora wonders who the new cat is

Her sister, Flora is wondering who the new kid on the block is because she hisses at Phoebe. I am hopeful nature will take care of itself and they will become friends again. So far no casualties and Phoebe seems to be rolling with the punches bless her heart!

Flower Fairies and Paper Art Dolls

Some may have already seen this piece since I created it a couple of years ago while my Ning network was still active.

winter fairy now for sale in the Kell Belle Boutique

I sent her to Somerset Studio for possible publication. Sadly, she came back to me nearly a year later with a sterile "don't get discouraged, yadda, yadda, yadda" letter. Nuff said about that.

click image for more photos of winter fairy

She deserves a good home with someone who will give her plenty of love and care. In return, she promises many hours of inspirational magic.

PHOEBE HAS BEEN SPOTTED!

Still unsure of whether or not Phoebe is hiding in that grassy area, I went and bought something called a trail camera yesterday. It is a battery operated camera used to track game. With infrared technology and motion sensors, it detects animals and then takes photos or video.

trail camera to see what animals visit the food bar overnight

Since I can't spend all night staking out the area, dad and I set up the camera and kitty buffet around 9:30 p.m. instead of my usual 3:00 a.m. so I could get some needed sleep. Around 4:00 a.m. this morning dad and I collected the camera and what was left of the food bar.

smile pretty for the camera sweet pea!

Photos captured by the trail camera revealed that my sweet baby visited the kitty buffet around 11 p.m., 1 a.m., and 3:30 a.m. Yaaay! Coincidentally, she was the only animal to dine and ate only the tuna fish and some of the crunchy food. Knowing this, dad and I quickly baited the humane trap and placed near where the food bar was. I am hopeful I'll have Phoebe home soon!

Phoebe Update: Missing 5 Days

Morning No. 5: Set out another kitty buffet near the drain where I thought Phoebe might be hiding. The drain was found Wednesday during one of my foot searches. There was an animal in it the first time I looked but I had trouble making it out. It could have been my cat. Whatever it was, it was not in there the next evening when I looked.

area where Phoebe is believed to be hiding

I sat out for an hour and a half today and saw a cat when I first showed up but it did not hang around to sample any of the sardines, mackerel, crab or crunchy filet mignon food I brought out. Saw a couple of opossums and that's it. Should I be offended?? Today I'm on the hunt for a trail camera so I can get some damned sleep!

Phoebe Update I

I put out my first "kitty buffet" this morning right outside where Phoebe made her exit. Unbelievably the only living things that showed up were the slugs and bugs! Bastids! Seriously?! What cat wouldn't kill to get meals like this and not a single one showed up during the two hours it was out.

water, crunchy cat food, fish flavored Fancy Feast, tuna fish

I ended up moving the buffet to a more remote location and a cat did show up but we had a stand off as I stood between it and the buffet. Then someone came out to go to work and scared the cat off with their electric garage opener.  With all the damn sprinklers going on and off all morning it's a wonder any animal hangs around! What a discouraging morning! Will try again tomorrow.

Bite Me! A Treasury of Vampire Attire

A saw two words that sparked the creation of this treasury - the count! What Etsy meant when I saw this in their newsletter was the count down of days until Halloween.

What immediately went through my mind was "The Count" as in count dracula. Haha! I couldn't help myself, my imagination just took off after that. I love this and isn't it seductive in a dark kind of way?

PHOEBE MISSING!

My Phoebe kitty went off my 2nd floor balcony apparently in hot pursuit of a toy mouse on Monday afternoon! I'm absolutely sickened and my other baby is very distressed about her missing sister!

I spent Tuesday looking for Phoebe who I know is not seriously hurt because she tried to hide in the neighbor's unit. I spent time looking for information and otherwise buying things designed to aid my search which included, of all things, a humane trap! Yesterday morning I did catch a cat . . too bad it wasn't my cat!

Phoebe Under Cover

Is this not the perfect picture of cuteness or what? Lately my brown tabby, Phoebe has decided there's no place more comfortable to sleep than between the covers of mama's bed!

her royal cuteness under cover

Sometimes when I go in to give her a pet while she's here I catch her laying on her back! Not this time though. With all the rain today maybe it's just too cold to sprawl. (tee hee :)

Priscilla in French Blue - A Dress Form Doll Story

French blue, otherwise known as periwinkle is one of my favorite colors! I've just finished my latest dress form doll using, what else, shades of pretty french blue papers and ribbon.

pretty "Priscilla"

I think I must have lived a past life during some romantic time. I love the frilly, full skirts of ages past.

pleated paper and ribbon

It's not considered very practical to wear something like this unless you happen to be on stage or going to a costume ball.

piles of pleats and ruffles

Thank heaven for art because I can create these to my heart's content! Looking at them is sometimes better than having the real thing don't you think?

a view from the back

I don't have to spend a fortune to have a pretty dream wardrobe plus I can appreciate it more on a body that isn't my own.

pretty paper roses, my signature design

This luscious doll is up for sale in the Kell Belle Boutique on Etsy. Visit me there for more details about this piece. Hope you like this as much as I do.

The Intrigue of Vampireology

Do you love vampires or hate vampires? What is Vampireology all about anyway? Those devastatingly handsome relics who smoothly seduce their female victims as if by magic. With a face and charisma like that so what if he's 400 years old! Oooh! I love it!

getting into the Halloween spirit with Vampireology

I got dragged to Barnes and Noble by my dad last weekend who was on the hunt for Sudoku puzzles. He happened to mention that this was a good time to buy calendars so guess where I ended up?

opening up to the first page

You'da thunk I would have found something pretty (which I did) but opted for Vampireology instead. Haha! Believe it or not I happen to love vampire movies and am sort of intrigued by the culture and dark romance of it all. I just had to know more so into the cart went the calendar.

The Curious Sofa on the Walkway

Now here's something you don't see every day. How often do you go bee bopping merrily along a walk way and encounter a sofa? Apparently someone was moving this and had to excuse themselves momentarily.

view from my condo balcony (owner did move this shortly hereafter)

This is just one of those curious photo op moments that I couldn't resist snapping up. Haha! The next time you go for a stroll, be sure to keep an eye out for that unexpected couch to suddenly appear out of nowhere!

Photography Lighting Tutorial

Finally! I found a photography lighting tutorial that shows me how to do EXACTLY what I've been trying to accomplish with my photographs for the last several weeks. I practiced the technique on my latest vintage dress form doll creation.

before lighting tutorial

What do you think of the photo? Who knew you could find a good photography tutorial by typing in a search for how to make ball jointed dolls??

after lighting tutorial

The angle in the second one is a little bit different but I love the fact that you can see the translucence of the roses and the crystals not to mention I got rid of the ugly alien gray background!

Antique Powder Pot

I found this antique powder pot on Etsy and for some reason my inner voice is telling me to to POUNCE on it! Isn't it fantastic!? It's just one of those curious "must haves" that I think will look great as craft room decor. We'll see!

antique decorative powder puff pot

I'll be using this in a treasury before I buy it and hopefully it will still be available. Be sure to visit The Cathedral on Etsy for more great items like this.

Note: Image associated with this post remains the intellectual, copyrighted property of The Cathedral.

Preparing for a Job Interview

For the past couple of days I've been preparing for a short job interview with Jamie Joseph Jewelry. Today is simply a short, 10 minute meet and greet but nonetheless I'm gonna give it my absolute all!

outside flap of card

We spend so much of our time earning a living that I owe it to myself to pick something that excites me! I put together these thank you cards as a way of letting them know that I'm willing to go the extra mile.

inside of flap with my business card

These are free standing and meant to be kept on the desk within easy reach of course and hopefully keep my name in front of them. If nothing else, I am grateful for the opportunity I have today.

Rustic Vintage French Apothecary

Rustic, vintage and French, oh my! Three of the sexiest words in home decor together describing one gorgeous bottle! Linda of Cloth and Patina has done an excellent job arranging her photo.

altered vintage French apothecary bottle

This apothecary bottle will make an excellent storage jar for small items I use in the studio. Of course it will also make a great photo prop. Be sure to visit Cloth and Patina on Etsy for more great items like this.

Note: Image associated with this post remains the intellectual, copyrighted property of Linda and Cloth and Patina.

Living the Shabby Chic Cottage Life

I've always wanted to live the shabby chic cottage life and now I feel like I'm beginning to move toward that end. Look what I found! Is this not the picture of shabby chic loveliness?!

shabby chic shelf purchased from cottagehomedecor on Etsy

Linda arranged this photograph so beautifully and made it look so appealing! I thought it would make a fantastic prop for my dolls and add that shabby chic cottage yumminess to my own photos. Yaaay!

altered vintage books to add cottage charm

I don't have the worlds most inspiring craft space at the moment so of course I purchased this stack of books as well. I'm now on the hunt for a ceramic creamer and some crochet doilies. Haha! Be sure to visit Linda at Cottage Home Decor for more items like these.

Note: Images associated with this post remain the copyrighted, intellectual property of Linda Smith and Cottage Home Decor.

Paper Couture XII: Make a Paper Dress

I love making paper dresses. They can be such fun not to mention challenging. Today's project is definitely fun with very little challenge. Below is a free template with my compliments!

free paper dress template - click to download

Now, grab your scissors, some decorative paper and your favorite adhesive and get ready to follow along! Please send me a link to your finished projects, I would love to take a peek!

Note: Please do not re-post or distribute my templates. If you write about this project you may grab the dress image in the post below as long as you link back to me and direct your readers to this post to download material.