Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 431

March 17, 2014

St. Catrick’s Day FAIL

I was really hoping to have a fresh, green catnip fest for St. Catrick’s Day, but my nip garden isn’t looking so hot at the moment.


It's also full of ants and aphids


So my hopes for some catnip beer were dashed.


Not even near beer


Don’t even try to fake it.


This is pathetic beyond words


I think it is time to call on my stand-in.


Maybe it was a good thing that mug was empty


I hope you get to wear some green catnip today!


Happy St. Patrick's Day from ME!
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 17, 2014 00:10

March 16, 2014

Sunday Catinee: St. Catrick’s Day, Big Cat Style

Sparkle's Sunday Catinee


I was kind of hoping somebody would post a really awesome cat video for St. Patrick’s Day this year, but so far it has been a big bust. There were a few fun new clips, but nothing really stood out. Luckily, Big Cat Rescue came to the, well, rescue by giving three of their tigers a nip-filled St. Catrick’s Day party! Now, that’s the kind of green I can get behind!



If you can’t see the above video, click here to watch it on YouTube!
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 16, 2014 00:10

March 15, 2014

Caturday Art: The Binga Cutout Edition

My human has always liked this portrait of Binga, and she actually thinks it looks fine as a photograph, but she thought it might be fun to make it arty.


I begrudgingly admit she can be photogenic


She decided to try the watercolor effect she used on a photo of me a few weeks ago. After making three duplicate layers of the picture, the first step was to use the Cutout filter on the first dupe, found under the Artistic group of filters in Photoshop.


The settings were 3, 3 and 2


Then, after clicking OK, she went to the blend mode, like the instructions said, and changed it to “Luminosity”….


Why do more?


And, um, she was done! She did try the next several steps, but they weren’t anywhere near as good looking as the cutout and blend mode change. Sometimes the simplest two-step technique is the best!


For more Caturday Art, visit Athena’s blog!
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 15, 2014 00:10

March 14, 2014

I’m Writing a #TwitterFiction Story!

I am way more fictional than my human!


From March 12 through March 16, there is a fiction writing festival on Twitter! It’s called (logically) the Twitter Fiction Festival and it’s both official and not official. The official part is a partnership between the Association of American Publishers and Penguin Random House and an impressive list of featured authors. If you click through to the link, though, you will notice a glaring omission: no cats! So I decided to take advantage of the unofficial part in which “anyone is invited to jump in and tell stories with the hashtag #TwitterFiction.”


Being a cat, I decided to write a cat story! I’m not doing anything fancy or particularly creative… just a narrative short story, told in quick bursts, but I am trying to make each tweet have some sort of value — no throwaway tweets at all. It is about a tuxedo cat named Molly. I started it Thursday and will finish it sometime on Sunday!


Here is what I have so far (just a note — if you are looking at this in a reader or an email, you may have to go to the real blog post because the Tweets are embedded):




Molly's whiskers twitched as she watched the birds dance in the tree outside her living room window. #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014


 


The blue jays and little brown sparrows were enjoying the early spring's sun rays as much as Molly was. #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014


 


The birds sang so invitingly that Molly felt like she could reach out and touch them. So she tried. #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014


 


To Molly's surprise, the screen that separated her from the outside pushed open – and she fell! #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014


 


Molly tumbled paws over tail and landed in the dirt a few feet from the tree. She could hear the birds laughing. #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014


 


She shook off the dirt and glared at the birds hopping on the branches and flapping their wings at her. #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014


 


With fire in her eye, Molly charged up the tree. It felt good to watch those smug little birds panic and fly off. #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014


 


But now that Molly was sitting on a branch not far from the window, the problem was how to get back in? #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014


 


The screen had not come off when Molly fell, but instead banged back into place. Molly was stuck outside. #MollyCat #TwitterFiction


— Sparkle (@sparklecat) March 14, 2014



If you want to continue following Molly’s adventure, all you need to do is do a twitter search using the hashtags #MollyCat #TwitterFiction. And if you are not on Twitter, don’t worry — I will tell you what happened to Molly! But I will tell you a secret: I’m not even close to finished yet with the story, so who knows? Molly may surprise me!
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 14, 2014 00:21

March 13, 2014

Striking Back for Lux the Cat

I have tried to be responsible in offering my honest opinion


I have something serious to discuss with you today. But first I want to pose a hypothetical situation to you humans:


What would you do if something that was close to your size hurt you — some creature that was kind of scary and unpredictable? Would you automatically try to defend yourself, or at least do something that might warn them off? And then what would you do if some other giant creature, much bigger and more powerful than you, came along and kicked you really hard? There is no easy escape, so wouldn’t you try to fight your way out?


Well, that is exactly the situation that happened to a cat the other day. You have probably heard about it on the news or online: a cat named Lux struck out at a 7-month-old baby when it pulled his tail. When Lux scratched the little boy, the kid’s father kicked him. Lux went ballistic, ultimately forcing the family, and their Pomeranian dog, to hide in the bathroom and call 911 to subdue the cat.


There are so many things wrong with this scenario, it is hard to know where to begin. So I think I will start with the biggest guilty party: the media that has been making light of this serious situation. It even got covered on entertainment website EOnline and the video clip from channel KPTV calls the situation “both scary and funny.”


Believe me, there was nothing humorous about this situation. These parents have failed both their infant and Lux. Here are my thoughts, from a feline perspective.


1. How much do you want to bet that this cat has been abused before? Because yes, physically striking a cat is abuse, and I am sure this cat had been hit in the past before this incident where he was kicked. The thing about us cats is that we don’t understand punishment, and physical punishment especially is perceived as a threat. Some cats will cower and hide from this kind of threat — and others will fight back. Either way, it does not create a bond with the abusing human. It teaches the cat that humans are scary creatures that might harm them.


2. Why wasn’t the baby being closely supervised with the cat? A 7-month-old child should never be allowed to touch a cat without a parent either holding the cat, or hovering and watching both the cat and child closely. The baby should never have been allowed to pull Lux’s tail. Yes, infants and toddlers have grabby hands — which is exactly why very close supervision is essential. Even a friendly cat doesn’t understand that giving a warning whap does more damage to little human skin than it does to another cat that is getting too rough.


3. The father said that Lux has been aggressive in the past. Okay, well then why were these parents letting him anywhere near their baby? That was just plain stupid.


4. And in addition, how come they weren’t trying to figure out the source of Lux’s aggression from the start? It was a clear signal right then and there to take Lux to the vet to find out why he was behaving this way. Cats act aggressive for any number of reasons. They could have something wrong with them physically. Pain can cause many animals (not just kitties) to become aggressive. Or could Lux have a brain tumor? If his aggression is behavioral, that should have been looked into also. Cats aren’t aggressive for no reason, and there are many ways to lessen that behavior.


5. Lastly, the reporters and parents kept calling Lux a “Himalayan.” He is not a Himalayan. He is a big, fluffy black and white cat. Himalayans have color points like a Siamese, but with long hair. What, did these people get Lux from a lying backyard breeder or something? Calling him a Himalayan makes them look even more ignorant than they already do.


My biggest hope for Lux is that someone steps up and takes him away from these parents. They are not good pet owners, and they aren’t great parents either. They did not protect their baby from an aggressive cat and set a bad example by physically abusing it — punishing the cat for neglect they caused. Unfortunately, the kid is stuck with his family. Maybe Lux at least can get a new home.
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 13, 2014 00:29

March 12, 2014

What Was My Human Thinking When She Took These Photos?

The arty cut off the side of my head shot


Dynamic or just blurry? You decide.


Nice shot of my nostrils and under my chin


No commentary necessary
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 12, 2014 00:10

March 11, 2014

Tortie Tuesday: Guardian of the Stairs

There are good afternoon sun puddles here!


The way our house is laid out, there is a spiral staircase that separates the living room and my human’s office from the rest of the house. These steps get some nice afternoon sun puddles. The only problem is that it seems like some human is always coming up or down them. I don’t like their feet getting near me (we all know how utterly clumsy humans can be), so I usually don’t stick around for long. But there is one kitty who does not fear human feet (sometimes to her detriment). I bet you can guess who it is!


Who else?


Of course it is Binga! If she wants those steps, she will take them and keep them!


If we had a bridge, she would be the troll


When she claims the spiral staircase, you can bet she is not moving unless she wants to!


The secret password is treats


As you can see, my human would like to come down the stairs, but she is out of luck. Don’t worry, Binga will allow her to come downstairs eventually… just in time to give her dinner.
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 11, 2014 00:10

March 10, 2014

An Evening With the Acro-Cats

The Acro-Cats have been in our town for a couple of weeks, and my human finally was able to break away from everything she is doing to see them! The last time they were here was two years ago so she was really excited.


This is Nue!


This trip to Los Angeles has not been the best for them. On opening night, their SUV was vandalized and a $2000 fiberglass replica of the show’s star, Tuna, was badly damaged. I snagged this image off the troupe’s Facebook page — isn’t that disgusting?






Post by Tuna and The "Rock-cats".


But that did not keep the cats down! They have continued to wow audiences throughout their run, and they will be doing more shows around California and the western United States for the next few months. You can see their upcoming schedule here.


My human brought her camera to the show she attended, of course. The Acro-Cats welcome photographers.


This is Buggles!


That does not mean that she got good pictures, though! She has lots of photos of blurry cats because the performers were always in motion!


Binga only wishes she could jump through hoops so well!


I bet I could do this! Just not in public.


This was a show stopper!


Kitties walked on balls!


Prepping for her performance!


This is Jax!


There was even dinner! Oops, I mean, a chicken performer.


I still think she looks tasty


And of course — the Rock-Cats!


They were having some guitar issues


And as always, Tuna played cowbell.


She always plays MORE cowbell!


You want to know the best part of the show? It’s not all the awesome tricks, total cuteness or the purple props — it’s that all the feline performers are rescued cats. And the troupe’s head human, Samantha Martin, fosters. In fact, she has some month-old kittens on the road with her right now. They will probably be adoptable by the time they hit the northern West Coast. If the Acro-Cats come to your town, make sure you see them!
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 10, 2014 00:10

March 9, 2014

Sunday Catinee: With Humans?

Sparkle's Sunday Catinee


Yes, this week’s Sunday Catinee is an all-human edition! But it’s because I have something to prove: only cats can get away with behaving the way we do. Humans can try to imitate us, but it will never look good on them. See for yourself:



If you can’t see the above video, click here to watch it on YouTube!
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 09, 2014 00:10

March 8, 2014

Caturday Art: The Doorway Edition

I really liked all the effects of my Caturday Art last week, but the only problem is that most phone apps — and phone photos — are limited in size. They look fine on a computer screen and a website, and you can make cards with them or stick them on a mug, but you can’t print out anything larger than a 5″x7″ image and have it look good. So I sent my human on a search to find software that at least replicates the gouache effect with photos from the camera. That way I could make T-shirts, larger prints and canvases, if I wanted.


She came back with something called AKVIS ArtWork that had a free 10-day, full-feature demo so we are giving it a spin!


I picked the following image for some experimentation. Incidentally, it is on a card at my Zazzle shop!


This is me, trying to go out into the should-be-catio


My human opened it up in the program and she had a lot of options and adjustments she could make. There is a small square that you can move over any part of the photo you think is important (in this case, my face), and the adjustments are previewed there.


My human is still trying to figure out all these sliders.


Once you’ve made your choices, the program “draws” the image for you! It’s really interesting to watch. My human tried to shoot a video but couldn’t quite make it work. Anyhow, this was the result:


Looks pretty painter-y!


There are more painting effects than just the gouache. It has oil, watercolor, comics, pen and ink, linocut, and pastel. My human did not like the pen and ink effect (she has yet to find a program that will do pen and ink and sketch effects as well as the phone apps she has), and the linocut is pretty much useless for kitties — but it would probably work well on buildings and things like that. She did try one more experiment with the pastel effect, and she added a canvas texture when she was done.


If she wanted, she could make her own paper texture in Photoshop


The whole goal here is to try to make the images look like they weren’t generated from a photograph, and I think they work pretty well. So far, we are really enjoying this software! It is not cheap, but it’s not horribly expensive either (for fancy software, at least). And we have nine more days to play around with it.


For more Caturday Art, visit Athena!
* * *
Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!


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Published on March 08, 2014 00:10

Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog

Sparkle the Designer Cat
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