Reminder: Click on Over to the New Creative Cat!
Posted: May 10, 2012 Filed under: blogging | Tags: blogging, the creative cat Leave a comment“Mom’s been really b-o-o-r-r-r-r-i-i-n-n-g-g lately.”
“But we’re really catching up on our sleep.”
“That’s not so bad.”
[zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]
So while they’ve been piled up and sleeping all over my desk, while the lilacs have come and gone and the first nestlings are fledging, I’ve finally finished a project I’ve been working on for several months: moving The Creative Cat to a self-hosted site!
Where the heck have I been? Moving! But only electronically—I’ve set up The Creative Cat on a self-hosted site so read all about the new layout.
Most importantly for those of you who subscribe via e-mail, subscribers did not transfer when I moved everything to the new site. Please visit the new site and make sure you sign up for a new e-mail subscription for the new address.
I moved all content there, so all the posts and comments from the very beginning in January 2009 are there and we can continue our conversation as if nothing happened. I won’t be posting here any more, but I will leave this in place for the foreseeable future for both you and I to reference, and because, for now, all those images are still stored in this library for use on the new blog until I transfer them over, one by one…
www.thecreativecat.net See you there!
Click on Over to the New Creative Cat!
Posted: May 6, 2012 Filed under: blogging | Tags: blogging, the creative cat 4 Comments“Mom’s been really b-o-o-r-r-r-r-i-i-n-n-g-g lately.”
“But we’re really catching up on our sleep.”
“That’s not so bad.”
[zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]
So while they’ve been piled up and sleeping all over my desk, while the lilacs have come and gone and the first nestlings are fledging, I’ve finally finished a project I’ve been working on for several months: moving The Creative Cat to a self-hosted site!
Where the heck have I been? Moving! But only electronically—I’ve set up The Creative Cat on a self-hosted site so read all about the new layout.
Most importantly for those of you who subscribe via e-mail, subscribers did not transfer when I moved everything to the new site. Please visit the new site and make sure you sign up for a new e-mail subscription for the new address.
I moved all content there, so all the posts and comments from the very beginning in January 2009 are there and we can continue our conversation as if nothing happened. I won’t be posting here any more, but I will leave this in place for the foreseeable future for both you and I to reference, and because, for now, all those images are still stored in this library for use on the new blog until I transfer them over, one by one…
www.thecreativecat.net See you there!
Thanks for the Kreativ Blogger Award!
Posted: April 29, 2012 Filed under: blogging | Tags: award, blog award, the creative cat, the vibes 14 CommentsThanks to Mark Wallis of The Vibes for honoring The Creative Cat with this award for “Wonderful paintings of animals and people complete with witty commentary.” I’m flattered! It’s really my cats who do the witty commentary, and, well, those paintings, sure, but if it weren’t for my felines I’d never win any awards. Lately he’s been using Instagram and his cool and colorful travels through music, art and society in Manchester, England, are real eye-candy and especially read about Sparky and other cats who have shared his life.
Okay, seven interesting facts about me…
1. Under my henna-red hair, which we discussed when I won the ABC Award, I am nearly 100% gray. Still shocks me when my roots start to come in, especially because the henna is just a little brighter than my natural chestnut color.
2. My college degree and advanced education is not in art as everyone seems to think—I have a BA in English “emphasizing creative and professional writing” (Edinboro State College didn’t have a major in writing). Later that degree helped me get a job when the person reading my resume assumed I was a good typist with all that writing I’d done (I was, 103 wpm) so I got my first job as a typesetter. Sometimes, that’s how it goes.
I’m running out of ideas already.
3. I am a Master Gardener and about 25 years ago nearly purchased a greenhouse business intending to make it into one of the first all-organic greenhouse and landscape operations in my area, starting all the plant seeds myself and using as many heirloom vegetables and plants as I could find.
4. I still garden in my back yard, and for nearly a decade I grew nearly everything I ate out of this little plot, with cold frames and raised beds, and canned and jellied and otherwise processed everything I could for winter. My yard grew shady as my neighbor’s trees grew (natural air conditioning) so it no longer produces enough and it’s still odd to go shopping for food.
Three more…
5. I work with environmental organizations to work on brochures, websites and other projects that need to be publicized according to grant requirements and also designing newsletters so I know all sorts of cool facts about how much rain water can be collected off your roof into a rain barrel and just how abandoned mine drainage is formed in old mine chambers.
6. I don’t have a television, and haven’t had one since 1993—cable became too expensive and I wasn’t watching it anyway. I listen to the radio (public radio) and recorded books, and now I can find a lot of news on the internet. No sign of a TV coming back into the house.
7. I’ve been working on a computer since 1979, yes we had computers then, just not personal computers, and data entry was done on them at colleges, one of my many work-study jobs; I continued with computers through the 80s with my “unintended career” as a typesetter and then graphic designer, and I’ve owned a personal computer since 1993.
Now for the part I am always uncomfortable about in this award practice: name seven blogs who win the award. First, how could I limit it to seven? Second, how could I explain to the ones who are not on the list?
I’m going to take the chicken way out. See that list on the right? It’s pretty well up to date. Choose any one there and visit them!
We Win the ABC Award
Posted: March 14, 2012 Filed under: blogging | Tags: award, blog award, the creative cat 4 CommentsThat stands for “Awesome Blog Content”, and it was awarded by Mark Wallis of The Vibes. Stop over and visit his cool and colorful travels through music, art and society in Manchester, England, and especially read about Sparky and other cats who have shared his life.
Now the fun begins: describe myself alphabetically using a word beginning with each letter of the alphabet. I’m going to include my feline partners in this and fill it out with favorite colors and foods!
Artist
Bernadette
Cats
Drawing
Eileen (is my middle name)
Flowers
Giuseppe
Henna (hair color)
Introspective
Jelly Bean
Kazmarski (my last name)
Lapis
Mimi
Nile green
Organic gardener
Poet
Quixotic
Resourceful
Sensitive
Turquoise
Ukrainian
Vivacious
Writer
Xenophile
Yarn
Zoolatrist (made that one up—”zoolatry” means “excessive devotion to animals or pets”)
Now for the part I am always uncomfortable about in this award practice: name six blogs who win the award. First, how could I limit it to six? Second, how could I explain to the ones who are not on the list?
I’m going to take the chicken way out. See that list on the right? It’s pretty well up to date. Choose any one there and visit them!
Wishing You Peace and Joy
Posted: December 21, 2011 Filed under: christmas, holiday | Tags: christmas, hanukkah, holiday greetings, kwanzaa, solstice, the creative cat, yule 16 CommentsWhether you celebrate the ancient customs of the miracle of the sun’s return, the sacred oil that lasted eight days, the birth of your savior or any number of old and new rituals of heritage and family, my Creative Cats and I wish you peace and joy in your gatherings, travels and meals. At this darkening time of year may the star of love and friendship of family and friends, both human and animal, light your way.
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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in purchasing one as a print, or to use in a print or internet publication.
Mail Call
Posted: September 30, 2011 Filed under: animal artwork, cat artwork, cats, great rescues calendar and gift book, honor/award, photographs | Tags: award for blog, award for illustrations, cat artwork, cat writers association, cats, illustration, pets, photography, the creative cat, writing 13 Comments
Warm Winter Sun, oil pastel © B.E. Kazmarski
Well, The Creative Cat has won a Certificate of Excellence in the Cat Writers Association (CWA) Communications Contest!Thank you, Namir, for inspiring me to do this!
And so has Great Rescues as a gift book, as well as the illustrations and the notebook paper, “22 Cats” in the back of the book!

Mimi and Mr. Sunshine keep an eye on the birds.
In addition, and article, a photo and an illustration have won, “On Dying and Death, and Remembrance” in an edited version and “Birdwatching“, both published in Meow, the newsletter for the Cat Writers’ Association, and “Peaches“, the portrait I painted last year for Ingrid King and then published as one of my set of Feline Art Cards.

Peaches
The award letter reads that “the standards for winning a Certificate of Excellence are very high and this award is a recognition of your outstanding work.” Also, winners of the coveted CWA Muse(TM) Medallion are chosen from among the Certificate of Excellence winners, all of which will be announced at the annual conference in November.
What a wonderful ending to a somewhat frustrating week! It’s like a reward, and all the thanks go to my family of cats, yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s.
Read more about the Cat Writers’ Association and their annual Communications Contest. If you are a writer, illustrator, videographer, artist or in any way create public communications about cats, please read up on the organization and consider becoming a member!
Congratulations to all the other winners as well, since we’ll probably all get our packages at about the same time!
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All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used in any way without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in purchasing one as a print, or to use in a print or internet publication.
Cats in My Neighborhood
Posted: September 28, 2011 Filed under: cat photographs, cats, daily photo, neighborhood cats | Tags: black cats, cat photographs, cat photos, cats, feline photographs, pet photography, pets, photography, the creative cat 9 Comments
320 Cat
I walked to and from my shop in Carnegie Antiques today, something I don’t often do since I’m usually carrying too much to walk with it. I also get into trouble with my camera, and simple errands that should take 15 minutes take two hours, and sometimes—though not today—I come home with an extra kitty. Today I just came home with photos of kitties. But a cold front came through today while I was at the shop, with heavy rains and wind, and all these kitties were outside, presumably while neighbors were at work. I could at least say “hello” and take their photo. The black kitty above is actually the last one I saw, but it’s my favorite photo of the bunch.
Tuxedo Kitty
Here is the tuxedo kitty I often see at the top of my hill—I nearly ran him over one night as he chased a mouse down the middle of the street, totally unafraid of my car. I believe he lives under a porch, not sure if he’s a stray or feral someone is caring for. I saw him ease on across a street and looked into the yard where he’d headed to see that he had caught some small creature, though I never saw what it was. He is wary enough that he stopped what he was doing to keep an eye on me, annoying human that I was.

Tuxedo cat.
Boys on the Porch
I’ve seen these two frequently when I go to the top of the hill above my house to photograph the sunrise, the moon or other celestial events. The orange boy rolls around in the middle of the street as I set up my tripod, and the tabby runs over, rubs on my leg, and runs back to his porch. It seems to me they’d like their privacy back once I’m done with my foolishness.

Tabby and Orange Boy
As I came farther down the sidewalk, I saw there were two dark tabbies. “This is our porch,” they say, yet give me blinky looks. This third kitty, on the left, must be new; I’ve never seen him on my walks and my house is only about five houses away on the opposite side. It’s interesting how outdoor cats seem to have their territories marked out and never leave their little space, though some cats range all over the place, even spayed females, adventurous, I guess, though they worry me.

Two Tabbies
320 Cat
Then there’s 320 Cat, who I’ve never seen, and I honestly wonder if he belongs here. The porch is actually several sets of steps above the sidewalk, but I could see just the tips of his fur and knew a kitty was sleeping there, and no one appeared to be home.

320 Cat
He awoke when he saw me and seemed startled and I thought he’d run, but instead he stretched and came straight toward me, talking. Then I could see his tail was missing most of its fur, he had patches missing here and there and when I petted him he felt scabby, likely a flea bit dermatitis, poor guy. His face and demeanor reminded me of Mr. Sunshine though his eyes were a lovely dark green. I petted him and we talked for a while.

Kind of scruffy.
I was just a few houses from home, but on the opposite side of the street, and I told him I needed to leave but he dutifully followed me and this is always the hard part. I can’t take him home, though I’ll keep an eye out for him in case he really is a stray who just adopted that house. I really don’t want him to follow me because I don’t want him to cross the street. I turned and told him, “No! Go back to your porch,” then turned my back on him and did my best not to look back, trying to sense where he was. At two houses away, just before I crossed the street, I turned to see him walking back up the steps to the porch at 320. I’m not convinced he belongs there or anywhere. At the rate rentals turn over in my neighborhood, I often see those left behind and often take them in and find new homes.
I’ll talk to the kids tomorrow, they know everybody’s pets. At least I know the others are cared for.
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All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used in any way without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in purchasing one as a print, or to use in a print or internet publication.