MY BIRTHDAY BOY AT 17

Summer of 2000,  my Neighbor's son and
his pretty little year old Tortoiseshell
Cat, Nutty, (short for Nutmeg)
arrived from Las Vegas.
Just before leaving Vegas, Nutty got out.
Was gone for 2 weeks returning at
the last minute.

   
   
Tizzy's Mom, Nutmeg





     Arrived here and taken to the Vet for spaying,
Nutty had a surprise. A litter of kittens to deliver first.
What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but
the results happened in Philly.
     July 31, 2000 4 kittens delivered in the back
of a walk in closet. Sadly, one didn't make it.
But 2 tiny tigers and 1 tiny tuxie were fine.
Eyes closed and squeaking.
Nutty kept them fed, clean and together after
they started crawling.
    Picked up the tiny tuxie, he hissed
at me. Love at first hiss!
     Called him Tizzy, nickname of Thomas, the
mischievious little boy from the FLAMBARDS
TV series based on K M Peyton's books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flambards_(TV_series)
     8 weeks later, little Tizzy moved in.
     Showed him his new litterbox, food and water bowls,
new toys and soft new bed. Used the litterbox and
the bowls. Batted and chased the toys and tried out
his bed, my bed, chair, window sill, folded blankets and
daybed. And been doing it all ever since.
    2 weeks later, his sister Jasmine (Jazzy) came to visit.
Greeted her with hisses!! His house and wasn't sharing.
Happy Birthday Tizzybeans!!


    Tizzy going on 18.

 

FAREWELL SWEET DIAVOLINO

Poor little Freddie Cat became so skinny.
Vet exam + ultra sound.
Lymphoma. Agressive Cancer.
Maybe 3-4mos...but as the Vet says...they can
fool you.
He tried hard to carry on.

But eating almost nothing.
Just wanted milk.
Wobbling now not scooting into
the corridor when I opened the door.
A kiss on that sweet little head
instead of our chase.



With every ounce of strength, hauling
himself up and onto his favorite folded
blanket bed on Bubbe Sarah's old chair
by the door.
Joining Tizzy for afternoon treats,
but not eating any.

My sweet little diavolino Freddie Cat's struggle ended
last Monday, June 12, 2017.

Deeply sad. 
Full of love, fun, pranks and life. Always purring.
Missing his dear little face every day.

Heartfelt deepest gratitude to Dr Christine Kirnos, The Cat Hospital of Media and Dr Brad Bates, Hospice Vet with THE LAP OF LOVE Veterinary Hospice services for their great care, devotion and compassion for Cats (and their Humans).... 🐱❤️🐱❤️

CAT ON A WARM TIN HEATING ELEMENT

One cool Cat.
Morning toast.
Cat on a warm tin heating element….

Tizzy cat warming his old bones on the heat
vent before breakfast…….
(Also reminds me of Whistler's "Arrangement in Gray & Black" (aka Whistler's Mother).

9 CAT FACES ?

9 kitty faces sitting on the bed…..

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9

Looked again and now there are 10!

Fred E. Cat cannot resist a freshly made bed.

Cute Kitty cushion, a purrfect Christmas present from friends.

WISHING ALL FAMILY & FRIENDS A HEALTHY, 

PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS 2015

WHO KNEW?

December 15 is NATIONAL CAT HERDERS DAY!!
Con molti ringraziamenti al mio grande amico, Tomasso Di Paola
che mi ha mandato questa notizia di oggi.❤❤❤
Without a doubt, my new favorite holiday!!
Finally, something to celebrate on a magnificent scale.
Maybe a RODEO!!
Too late for this year…..but will be ready next time!!

©Tomie DePaola art - all rights reserved 

Some Kitties are white
Some roses are red
Sending love
♥
Carolyn
Tizzy and Fred

                                                 

                    

                     ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

iMac, iPad, iFred & Me

My gray and white fluffy left arm rest at work.
Notice his opened eye....for the nearby mouse? 

     
   Finishing revised sketches for an 
assignment. 
   Original pencil sketches drawn
by hand, but the computer helps
making requested changes.
   The best part, no mess!
   Finished art will be by hand in pencil, 
watercolor and color pencil.
   
   But the time spent learning to draw 
and paint on my iMac and iPad have 
not been wasted.


PS: Not every gray and white fluffy left 
arm rest will lick your fingers and purr......

CATching On

Continue practicing on my draw and paint iPad app.

Trying to get good enough to do some real work on

this amazing device. 

These simple kitty pictures, like the previous "Valentine" 

kitties are exercizes in using the app tools and especially

transferring iPad images to the big guy...iMac.

Think I've finally got it.

But will it last

 Cat, kitten, fancy rug and red bird, c.croll 2012

                  iPad practice sketch   

TZ  in window watch first snowfall, c.croll 2012

iPad sketch

      

Valentine

         

♥♥ 2012 Valentine, Carolyn Croll

       done on my IPAD ♥♥

Brotherly Love

Blogging to you from high above the city of

brotherly love.

Celebrating dear Freddie's 9th birthday!!

Don't know for sure the exact date, but

somewhere within the last week of January

and first week of February.

Tizzy was 3 when Fred arrived and not at all

happy to share his comfortable life.

Fred did little to win him over.

Slept in his beds.

Played with his toys.

Chasing the big guy around and wanting

to play when Tizzy wanted to sleep.

Nothing irritated Tizzy more than the

baby cat licking his face.

It still does. 

Its about who's the boss. Freddie never learns. Nano seconds after

this shot, a feline re-enactment of an Ali/Fraser fight. =^..^=

Hooray For Fran Manushkin!

Thanks to author Fran Manushkin. 
A delightful introduction to Hanukkah customs 
and family celebration of the Jewish Festival 
of Lights for the very young.

Each night a new candle is added to
the Menorah.
The whole family prepares and dines on
golden latkes, plays dreidel, sings Hanukkah
songs and enjoys chocolate Hanukkah gelt (coins). 

Watched by their playful tabby kitten.                       
Sharing Hanukkah fun and joy for 8 days and nights.                   
In remembrance of a miracle from 2nd century BC.   
A small amount of holy oil in the Temple burned 
for 8 days enabling the ancient Jews time to prepare 
a new supply in order to rededicate their Temple. 
My Art Director at Random House asked me
to set the celebrations in an early 20th century
city brownstone.
At that time most Jews living in eastern cities,
including some of my family, were poor hard-
working immigrants living in cramped tenements.
But that is a different story.
Simple Stickley style furniture remembered
from my Great Grandmother as well as another
Grandmother's Menorah and old family photos
helped inspire my illustrations.

TZ's First Snowfall

The inspiration for my 2011 holiday card came from

a picture I took of baby Tizzy's first reaction to 

falling snow 11 and a half years ago.

(click image to see snow flakes) ⓒ carolyn croll 2011

It was early evening. Looking out the north window

at the falling flakes chirping his pure enchantment,

tail wagging.

See Dec. 23, 2008 post

MyPad

Red Cat, Carolyn Croll ⓒ 2011

One tiny step for cat art, one GIANT step 

for me on my Ipad.

So proud of myself. Did this quickie sketch

of a red cat. 

Marks the first image I made on my Ipad using the SketchPro app

AND then somehow managed to transfer it to my Mac without

quite knowing how I did it. 

If I can figure that out, I intend to do it again.

Stay tuned.......

Quilts Grow In Brooklyn

The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show 

may have just ended. 

However, so much wonderful work can still

be viewed on the artists' websites.

photo:D James Dee, by permission of Erin Wilson

Erin Wilson, a Brooklyn, NY artist, has cats, 

and makes wonderful quilted hangings.

Urban, lively, jazzy even, but not disturbing or noisy.

Abstract reflected images in each quilted square, 
or is it an interior scene? 

Curious, colorful and in town. 

Like visual clues to an as yet unrevealed mystery.

Wonderful color ways, clean opaque goache-like tints tones and shades. 

Erin builds the small squares individually. 

Careful choices from scraps of fabric.

Then assembles them into hangings. 

Unified by color and shapes. 

Some like hieroglyphics. 

To see much more, visit Erin Wilson's website:  http://www.erinwilsonquilts.com/

photo:D James Dee, by permission of Erin Wilson

MORE TO COME............stay tuned!

BOO!!

When Edie Weinberg sent me Tony Johnston's 
delightful "scary" story, BOO, A Story 
That Could Be True to illustrate I couldn't
wait to start.

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

A ghost story for early readers, begins in the 
grand tradition. Oooooo!

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

Naturally, there is a ghost. But what's 
with the pickle?

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

The Farmer and his Cat start hearing scary sounds.

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

More funny than scary.

Not going to give the ending away, 
except to say this book practically 
designed itself.

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

Many thanks to Tony Johnston for 

this wonderful story!

And also to marvelous Edie Weinberg 

for asking me to do the pictures!

 

Aftershock In My Closet

Talking on the phone this morning.
Gazing at my open closet.
My shirts started dancing on their hangers.
Not another earthquake!
Nope, just Freddie Cat turning around in his new hideout.

Master of Catnap, Fred E. Cat

Outed!

Raining cats and dogs.

Good day for ironing shirts and thinking. 

Trying to hang finished shirts in the closet.

But something is in the way. 

Pushing the obstruction, the obstruction 

pushes back.

What the....?  

Can't a cat guy get a few z-z-z-z-z s in peace?    

SHEESH!!

The Bead Of A Different Drummer

(click on images to enlarge)


I can hear them now. 

My future heirs, in my apartment

sorting and clearing what I've left behind.

"Do you realize how much she would have

left us if it wasn't for all these beads and books

and dolls and stuff?"

I can almost sympathize. 

I will have taken my adventures, stories, characters and moments of

serendipity traveling abroad and/or more locally with me.
And the beat goes on..  
Uh, or make that the bead goes on

The name of my favorite booth at last weekend's BeadFest

Philadelphia 2011. (actually in Oaks, PA- west of Valley Forge).

My equally bead obsessed cousin Janet came from NYC with

a group from FIT and met me there. 

Beaded beads at the bead goes on

another view/ the bead goes on booth at BeadFest 2011, Philadelphia

So much to see, touch and talk about while choosing.

Got to tell Diane Hawkey how much I love her wimsical beads.

And the visual feast at the bead goes on's booth of tempting treasures.

Hand painted beauties from Asia, the bead goes on

2 head beads/ the bead goes on

Huge apple green jade beads from Asia/ the bead goes on

Old Afghan coins / the bead goes on

2 huge Venetian blown glass beads with millefiori decoration/
the bead goes on

Diane Hawkey's delightful handmade ceramic  houses and mermaid

     Strand of pretty Chinese lampwork beads, carved bone kitties,
        Venetion blown glass and Diane Hawkey ceramics together in grande finale  :~)

the bead goes on      www.beadgoeson.com
Diane Hawkey        http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com/

Making A Mark

Doing a bookmark as a self imposed assignment helped
me practice some basics while learning to do my drawing, 
painting, and designing work on the computer. 

Gone Fishing