Day 8 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge - Tic Tac Toe

 Day 8 and a little bit of Tic Tac Toe!

 To make it even more fun, Gail (one of Janis' Hopper Helpers) is having a little

BLOG TAKEOVER DAY 

 at

The Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge, 2023.

To celebrate Janis' love for card making, Gail has created a Tic Tac Toe of  some of Janis' favourite cards: 

Underneath each card is a technique or item to use.  You can go across or down, or diagonally. Though the theme is CATS and CHRISTMAS :) 

I've had a lovely time.... using the last row down....

Patterned Paper (not something I use much but its about time!)

Scraps (definitely have enough of those!)

Stamp (need to use the ones I have!)

And this is what I came up with: 

I absolutely love this idea of Gail's and you can enter up to three cards 

HERE

And a Meme for Janis 

XX

Day 7 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge

  Day 7 its all about Game #2!

Time to dish the dirt on Your Cats Naughty Christmas antics or, as we like to call them: Festive Felonies!

Minnie is our Festive Naughty One! Only having her for two years, she had seen nothing like a Christmas tree or decorations before, after her poor barn community living, so it was like a wonderland playground for her. We forget she is an adult cat because she is so small.

First, she started on my brand new cushion with little bells on it

Then she went for the decorations! (it was quite like a frenzy!)

Then moved onto the Christmas tree! I was trying to decorate it here! But had to scoot her out as those needles on the floor... weeeeell, she attempted to eat them!  Sharp stiff needles falling from the tree! Luckily we shut the double glass doors to keep her out, but she KNEW that tree was in there!  

I tried to keep the needles vacuumed up and every time  a door was opened, she was in there like a flash!  'Hey, Santa!!'

I have no doubt she would have ridden that tree to the ground if given the opportunity!  She did get some joy time, just had to be supervised! 

Yassi (being the very conservative and sensible one, tried to pat a deer statue on the head, but really, she thought it was all a yawn! 

Make sure you join in on the fun 

HERE

-------------------------------------

Here's another card for the Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge

Did you know that black cats are the least adoptable in rescues!  I sure dont understand as all the black cats I've ever owned have been extraordinary! 

Making sure little black cats get their day (heart) 

---------------------------

A Meme for Janis

xx

Days 4, 5 and 6 of the Christmas Cat Challenge

 Still doing a bit of a race to catch up so will try pop a few days together! 

Lets start with the continued list of great sponsors!  

You can go to Day 4 to look at the wonderful cards made by Janis' Helpful Hoppers with their products and prizes will be randomly given to participants.

Blank Page Muse and I Brake for Stamps (a grab bag of their cat themed stamps)

Brutus Monroe (a $25 gift card)

The Crafter's Workshop ( 2 mystery prize packs)

YOUR NEXT STAMP ( a grab bag of YNS goodies)

Day 5   Janis' Hopper Helpers have continued to make cards with  Day 5's fabulous lists of Sponsors too!

Riley and Company ( a mystery stamp package!)

Viva Las VegaStamps ( a bag of unmounted cat themed stamps)

Newton's Nook ( a $25 prize to their online shop)

Heffy Doodle  ( $15 voucher to their online store)

Gerda Steiner Designs ( $25 coupon code to their store)

Doodlebugs ( £25 Gift Coupon for their store)

The Old Island Stamp Co. (mystery prize kitty stamp)

Colorado Craft Company  (a stamp and die set for each (5) raffle winners)

With all these wonderfully generous sponsors, there will be many more yet to be announced ! Stay turned!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's Play Game #1

Janis always kicked-off The Cat Lovers Hop with Kitty Roll Call sharing the names of the cats who call our home (back porch, yard, barn or garden) their own....even if it is just a home away from home:  

I have Yassi (tuxie 6yrs)  and Minnie (little black panther 4yrs)

Both were rescues as all my cats before have been.  

Yassi is a little more reserved and sensible.  Before I adopted her, she had had a few litters and would have spent a lot of time working out how to look after and protect them.

 

Yassi likes sleeps alot in my bed and/or clothes are very safe for her (she says so!)

She's also the first one lined up for special treats my husband gives, she sits (as good as a dog) and begs, tapping her paw on hubby's hand for more!  She's smart!

 Minnie is my needy kitty, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and crawls up on my legs to be picked up and carried around like a baby. She is little in comparison to Yassi, probably the runt of the litter.   She can also be very silly and hilarious. Yassi keeps her in line like one of her kittens.  

  I sew and quilt so she's always with me supervising everything I do!

I found stored away and washed up an old stuffed toy, Mr Snuffleupagus from Sesame St which belonged to my daughter (now 40yrs old!) to donate, or if my little granddaughter might want it... but Minnie claimed it and now every night she snuggles up and sleeps with it, it gives her some kind of comfort if Yassi isn't forthcoming.

And lastly, she likes the perimeter of the back yard, always patrolling and keeping eyes out for other felines who might dare to put their nose over our fence.  Both our cats are very  territorial about their back yard and have been trained to stay in it (its where the treats are when called!)  

Honestly.... what a life they have now!

---------------------------------------------

Here's another little card

(keep in mind, I'm more a scrapbooker than a card maker)

 I'm really enjoying doing them! 

We've also been introduced to another wonderful Challenge Blog 

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda 

collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun! 

(enter as many cards as you like!)

Challenge #176 - CATS!

Must used rubber or poly stamps (My kitty is a rubber stamp)

 And of course, also joined in with 

Christmas Kickstart Cat Lovers Challenge 

and

Show Us Your Pussycats

who are honouring Janis' memory x

--------------- 

A kitty meme for Janis

xx

Day 3 of the Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge

 

Yes, I got called away the last few days so its catch up time!  

Day 3  (There is even a prize for a participant who posts the above badge on their blog/social media)

Its a day to start introducing the wonderful sponsors who continue to support the Cat Lovers Challenge and  Art Impressions  have been there since inception . So a big THANK you! 

----------------------------

SUYP Challenge runs from the 1st of each month 

and is a Furrything Goes challenge. 

Another wonderful supporter of Cat Lovers Hop was Ike (Sue) from Show us Your Pussycats Challenge Blog. Ike lost her battle almost 2 years ago and the wonderful Fiki now continues to run the challenge blog. Ike's Art Digital Stamps are continued to be won as prizes and I'm so lucky to say I received one.

Go over to Christmas Kickstart Challenge to get the full beautiful story 

For Christmas Kickstart Challenge

and SUYP Challenge

xx

Day 2 - Cat Lovers Challenge Christmas Card Challenge - Memories of Janis

 

Today we are sharing on 

The Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge Blog - our fond memories of Janis 

My memories are still a little surreal, like she is still here but isn't.  I think because her love of  her cats,  appreciation of all genres of crafts and her ability to bring together like-minded people from all parts of the world, created such a wonderful atmosphere in a community crossing all kinds of barriers to share, love, encourage and inspire for eight years that it is impossible to feel her loss completely. Here we are in the 9th year and we are once again gathering our community of craft and cat lovers all because Janis had a vision which grew.  She was so so selfless, a beautiful soul.

FT Kitty reminded me how much Janis loved her cat memes, so I thought I'd share  too. 

--------------------------

The love is mutual! 

See all the information to join in the challenge, there are some great prizes to win too! See that HERE 

You can add your memories  HERE

xx

Cat Lovers Challenge Continues at Christmas Kickstart Challenge Blog in Memory of Janis, the Founder

 

Jo from Christmas Kickstart Challenge Blog in memory of Janis of My Peaceful Garden, has made a place for us to continue our community of Cat Lovers to gather and share...

We will celebrate this time with Christmas cards.

https://christmaskickstartchallenge.blogspot.com/

Today is about giving the information needed to take part and I'm excited!

And to kick off, my little black kitty card

Also entered into SUYPC (Show us your pussy cats Challenge #93)

I still love to talk about my kitties Yassi (5 1/2, a tuxie) and Minnie (3 1/2, a black little panther)

Both rescues and are truly delights in my life! 

Head on over to see a beautiful tribute to Janis and all the information to join in the challenge, there are some great prizes to win too! 

You can find it HERE

xx

A Tribute to Janis from Her Peaceful Garden

 With great sadness, I learned today the passing of our wonderful host and creator of 'The Cat Lover's Hop' , Janis 

Janis became a friend, not just to me, but to everyone who participated in her wonderful hops.

Janis and I exchanged many emails beyond the hops and the most recent just two weeks ago, and I wished her hugs and love and hoped everything would settle down soon for her.  She'd experienced family sadness and was preparing to welcome her granddaughter into her home. Despite this, she never let on how sick she was and as always sent light and love. 

Her generosity was unsurpassed with her time and with her heartwarming words, comments and chats. I will miss the Cat Lovers Hop and have played along with Janis since its inception 8 years ago, though our friendship went before that. Janis built a wonderful community based on our love of cats which is far reaching and I've made wonderful friends I so looked forward to our annual catch up and shared love of crafting. We will all be heartbroken, I know I am. 

Maybe somehow we can continue the Cat Lovers Hop in Janis' memory but for now, everyone needs time to grieve 

Sending prayers to Janis'  family with my deepest deepest condolences.

Notice on link below:

Her Peaceful Garden

xx

Cat Lovers Hop Day 6 - Guest Designing - Stampendous

Happy National (International) Cat Day!!! 

Welcome back to Day 6 of 

The Cat Lovers Hop 

This is my second Guest Designer spot for this Hop and its been so much fun! 

This time with a focus on 

STAMPENDOUS

Here I've used  

Laurel Burch (Cat and Feathered Friend)   

&   Cat Sayings (SSC1222)

We were really lucky that Blackie was very tolerant of our cockatiel Maggie and our Sparrow Chirp. Chirp used to swoop over him as a tease... truly, Chirp did not know how lucky she was!  

Blackie's thinking was 'Nope, not, Im off'.  Chirp was so confident!

DAY 6 GAME: Where Do Your Cats Sleep? Do they hog your pillow or do they have a secret nest?

Usually on the couch or one of the lounge chairs... here almost on top of each others... LOL, so long as there is a layer of blanket between them!! 

                                                    There's been such fabulous projects shown over at 

The Cat Lovers Hop...

Hope we are seeing yours there.

What an amazing hop its been... and I heartfully thank 

Janis

from 'Her Peaceful Garden'

for the mammoth and super job organising and sharing this hop with us along with all the other guest designers and commenters and the beautiful creatives who have shared their inspiring work. 

 I soooo look forward to this hop every year (and its in its 8th year!!)

So thank-you,  I tip my hat to you

xx

Cat Lovers Hop - Day 5

 Cat Lovers Hop 

Day 5

Do you know that black cats are the least colour adopted out.. I cannot fathom why. Every black cat I've ever owned has been extraordinary in some kind of way.

My Project Life Layout.....

Everyday moments plus Yassi's visit to the vet.  Yassi has a heart murmur and a month after these photos were taken, she saw a specialist veterinary cardiologist.   Her heart murmur isn't troubling her at the moment, however she is being monitored and is soon to to have another echo gram to compare to her last one.   

Which brings me to the daily game:

DAY 5 GAME: Kitty Heroes and Zeroes!! 

  

and its this:

MR 'We-don't-need-a-cat

I think after Blackie passed, my husband saw me grieve so badly and simply did not want me to go through it again, so when I piped up and said out of the blue a year later 'That's it!  I'm off to get another cat!'  He said softly many times,  'We don't need a cat'.  (He's a farm boy, so any good cat is a good barn cat!)  

So my cat HERO is YASSI,  she won him completely over!  She worked and worked on him until he fell for her!!  I sit opposite him to this day and just giggle at how he spoils her!

 

There is still time to jump in and create some wonderful  projects!

Lots of wonderful sponsors and prizes....

Take a look 

HERE

XX