Author: Clare at CatsEatDogs

Let’s spray stuff gold!

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Remember the frame I got at the yard sale a couple of weeks ago?  Well, I got some spray paint today and made it all fancy. I also painted a sheet of cardboard with chalkboard paint so that I could use the frame as a snazzy chalkboard too. Once I got that paint though, I wanted to spray everything, I managed to stop at the cow, but I can’t promise I won’t start spraying again soon. Here is the frame spraying in pictures. Of course I couldn’t stop at a golden frame, so the cow got golden too!  I think he likes it. Ta Da! Do you have the urge to spray paint stuff?  Bet you do now!!

Wraptastic! New wrap bracelets on Etsy.

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I must thank auto spell for wanting to make ‘wraptastic’ into ‘wrap toast’!  I quite like the idea of wrap toast, but not to wear around your wrist. These freshly made bracelets are all in my Etsy shop and love to be worn together and on their own. This purple wrap has a glorious lucite owl as a focal, it is the first time I have used a bold focal on these bracelets and I like the owly friend. All of the bracelets can be worn as necklaces too either short (wrap twice) or as a single strand long necklace. This beachy wrap has pink shells, mother of pearl shells and some pretty czech glass drop beads to add some texture.  I fell in love with the colour of the pink shell (the spiney beads) and I am so happy they work in this bracelet. . This last wrap just wants to be worn day and night, striking turquoise trade beads with wood and shell contrast beads. The perfect mix of casual and stylish. All …

Weekend Adventures

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On Friday I spotted a little tiny ‘Moving Sale’ sign for Saturday morning.  I made a mental note  which are frankly not to be relied on, I work better with a note written on my hand!  I can’t remember anything, it all has to be written down somewhere… On Saturday, I left a bit earlier so that I could pop into the sale on the way to bootcamp class.  I carry my weights in my backpack, so I grabbed my mat  and off I went to class, via the moving sale. I saw some little glass and ceramic bowls which I like to use to sort beads into when I am choosing colours, the whole box was the deal, so I snagged that.  Then I saw some massive, clear, crystal cut,  acrylic beads in the bottom of a plant saucer, I asked if they were for sale and they were mine! Off I went with my box of bowls and beads, yoga mat and 16lbs of weights!  Thankfully I only got a few awkward steps …

A Beautiful Mess iPhone app is here!

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This week saw the very exciting launch of the A Beautiful Mess iPhone app.  Emma and Elsie at ABM had been talking up the app for a few weeks, would it live up to the hype?  Yes, yes it does. It is available internationally and costs 99c here in the US. There is a great base of doodles and frames, texts and filters.  Not many filters, but there are so many filter apps available, I wasn’t too bothered about that. I loved the doodles and borders options.  They have a ton of colour options too and if you layer them up, you can get some fab effects! My Sindy doll helped me experiment with the A Beautiful Mess app! In the top photo, she is sporting a vintage 1970’s original crocheted dress which I think my Mum made, the ukulele/guitar  is also vintage (from way back when I was a little girl). I added various borders, adding layers and colours.  I love the effect of lots of the same layers, just moved slightly. In the …

Iced coffee

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Today and yesterday have been hot ones here in St Louis, up into the 90’s – phew! So I decided to make some iced coffee and add in some flavour. I bought some cinnamon nibs from Penzey’s Spices in Maplewood and I mixed them into the ground coffee before brewing.  I didn’t grind up the nibs, just left them whole. To make the orange coffee, I added fresh zest to the ground coffee.  I brewed both coffees and left them to cool. To ensure coffee all the way to the bottom of the glass rather than watery ice cubes, I make coffee ice cubes. Add milk and sugar if you like.  I do.  If you like black coffee, I would pour over a splash of fresh coffee to get the ice cubes melted a little bit, so you at least have something to drink! Do you like iced coffee?  Iced tea?  Do you add any extras?

What did you get up to this weekend?

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I went out early (ish) on Saturday to trawl yard sales.  There was one at a local church and I had high hopes for treasure.  I wasn’t disappointed! I got four scarves in all, but these two are the prettiest. I think the blue one is silk, the flowers on it are so delicate, they might even be hand painted. The pink one might be a head scarf and it was ‘Made in France’  for a St Louis department store of the olden days called ‘Stix, Baer and Fuller’. The department store was open from 1892 until 1984. This scarf  looks very 1960’s, but I am not sure as I can’t find any images of it. Do you know any St Louis ‘Stix, Baer and Fuller’ history?  Do share.  You know where the comments are, get to it! I missed this pan when I did my initial sale walk through.  I spotted it when I had already gathered what I thought was my final choices.  I have been looking for a tube/bundt/angel cake tin for …

Ten on the 10th

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I am so happy it isn’t raining today for ten on the 10th photos. I was beginning to think it was going to be rainy on the 10th of every month!  So in the monthly tradition of taking ten photos on the 10th day, here are ten photos.  All taken on the iPhone 4. I literally stopped and turned around to get a photo of this dew soaked leaf.   A flower spotted on the way into the Y this morning.   Bags all ready for the Mother’s Day Plant sale at school.  The kids all get a plant to give to their Mama and the opportunity to buy plants and hanging baskets.   We pass this Lilac bush every day and it smells divine! Look at all those teeny tiny flowers.  Beautiful. I was taking a photo for my daily prompt and accidently got my feet and quite liked it!  The effects are provided by Hipstamatic.  New Saltwater sandals!  Love ’em, super comfy.   ‘Stars’  was the ‘photo of the day’.  These are some …

Cute pom pom Caterpillar!

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I love a pom pom and even more, I love a pile of pom poms, a gaggle, a gathering of the fluffy little critters. So, I made some little pom poms with some random balls of wool from The Upcycle Exchange.  Go here to see how to make cutesy pie pom poms.  I ended up with a little pile of successful ones, some wool doesn’t lend itself to a good fluffy pom pom, so a few fails are to be expected. What to do with my mini pom poms I hear you cry? How can I use some of these teeny tiny buttons, maybe for eyes?  If my little creature has eyes, well then it needs a heart. A caterpillar of course! I threaded the pom poms together and pulled the wool so that they all smushed together in a friendly manner.  At the head end I attached two button eyes and in the middle of two pom poms went the heart button. When he is all fastened together, you may need to take him …

Cool stuff on Etsy

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I made a lovely treasury on Etsy today. It is such fun finding all of the wonderful things, I have to be careful not to buy it all. In fact, I am coveting an elSage poncho, I have a Second Surf buddha pendant (and I love it) and I absolutely need some Mason jar tumblers for my iced coffee. Maybe I should stop browsing Etsy! Here is the Treasury. ”May’ all your days be bright!’ by catseatdogs A collection of lovely, lively vibrant ideas for Springtime in May. Tulip Hooded Eco Poncho elSage $43 Handmade Clay Buddha Pendant… secondsurfstud… $12 16 oz. Mason Jar Tumbler – T… TheMasonBarCom… $13.95 Charm Necklace, Green Bird, … tamirodrig $45 mahogany wood and vintage fa… modflowers $16 Poppy, White Cloud Poppy See… thegardenstudi… $3 Things I’m Thankful For … laurageorge $4 Set of 48 Camera Mini Cards,… penandpaint $20 Pinback Button Set B (with f… hine $9 Honey Bee Necklace – gaea pe… CraftyHope $43.75 Linen cord bracelet / moder… dekkoline $20 I Hear Summer Rustle lirio $20 Treasury …

MoBot on the iPhone.

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It has rained nearly all weekend with gaps of grey, so it is a joy to post these photos I took of the Missouri Botanical Gardens from a 6th grade field trip I went on last week. Wouldn’t you like a bee hive or three in your back garden? I like the metal deer in the Home Gardening Centre.  At least he won’t eat all of your veggies! These wind chimes are very impressive, I think there should be a field full of them! The sun was out and it was a pretty hot day and the flowers were all blooming and looking gorgeous. We had a good explore and discovered herbs, Chinese inscriptions and lizards! I took all of the photos on my iPhone4 and added some filters and cropping using Camera+,  Laminar Express and Afterlight apps. Let me know what apps you use in the comments department.  Do you use the same ones or are you an experimenter? In the Climatron we found this very cool green lizard and of course some Chihuly …