Ink

Lino cut print. I completed an illustration course last year and I dabbled in printing for a couple of projects.

I was careful not to gouge holes in my fingers doing this, the tools to cut out the lino are extremely sharp. I ordered the kit over the Internet and it came with the tools, an inking tray, a roller, a hand tool to push the ink onto the paper and several cutting tools.

Of course I drew a cat, it’s my default setting. I tried to make it into a tabby cat although the print is black and white.

Cat with allergy

One of my cats has become allergic to certain foods. The trouble is we don’t know what. I’m concerned it might be cat treats because he’s had something different recently.

I rang the vets, they were closed so I got an emergency vets number. They would see him but it’s 5 miles away. I haven’t been out the house for a month or driven so my stress is really high. I asked about pet transport but non of them were suitable. One wanted £90 to come over from Lichfield. Another was fully booked. Friends were out. I couldn’t get any help.

I could have waited till tomorrow, but the cat needs seeing. Finally I decided I would take him. The step out of the front door was a challenge and I took my crutches. We had to go on a big main road and I managed to drive OK just very nervous and driving below the speed limit!

So I’m sitting waiting with hubby. It’s going to cost a lot but it needs sorting out…

He’s been seen, he’s been given an injection and a gel for his damaged skin where he’s been scratching. Only 1/3 of the cost was the medication, the rest was the out of hours consultation. I won’t say how much… 😭

Got home, it took me ages to get back in. But I feel happier now, and the cat is sorted out.

Tired

How are you feeling right now?

I tried to draw a cat yawning, which made me realise how tired I am at the moment.

If I were a cat I’d have yawned and fallen asleep by now. But I’m doing things, I’ve just eaten my evening meal, and I’m going to be doing things till well after midnight.

But cats have more sense. They come in when they are hungry or cold. They curl up on your lap, or in a little quiet place, a cat bed, or a chair, and then they get up and go out when they have rested. I read somewhere that cats sleep for up to 16 hours a day? I get by on barely 5 usually. Sometimes I’ll catch up. But these last few weeks have tired me out. I realise sleeping on the settee doesn’t help, but I still can’t climb stairs. I wish I could trans(mogg)rify into a cat! I’d get all the rest I need.

Cat on a box

I turned round and then back, and there was a cat on the box that I’ve been using as a footrest. The box normally has a cushion balanced on top of it but sometimes I want to reposition my legs and it’s slipped so I need to rebalanced things, and voila the cat, without missing a beat commendered the box top. This is the other boy cat, not my friend from this morning. The other, other cat is usually found nesting on one of the cat tree platforms, which, because of my hubbys mad indoor gardening, is also used as a lemon tree and cumquat plant stand. Oh the joys of sharing a house.

On my chest

Just woke up and found my cat lying on my chest! I am sleeping on the sofa as I can’t get upstairs with my injured leg.

He’s a friendly cat, but usually he is happy to lie down next to me on the chair arm. But tonight? I guess I’m the warm spot on a cold night. Seconds before I grabbed my phone to take this shot he had his head down, fast asleep and snoring.

Unfortunately for him I had to shift him as I was literally pinned down by his weight. He is now curled up snoozing at the other end of the settee and I’m sitting up with a cup of tea.

Trying to add a mosaic round the cat.

My cat was lying, belly up, looking at me. He was on the Sunday papers so I decided to add a mosaic to the background. The only problem is the tool has a pointer that magnifies where you are drawing but it doesn’t line up with the edge of the image. It also means a lot of filling in if you use a small nib, and overlap if you use a larder one. It means if you try and draw round the outline of something like the cat it often overlaps and you have to use the back toggle or add a bit of extra drawing to cover over the uneven areas. Still it looks better than when he was sprawled on the newspaper.

Cold

It’s cold in our house today- on a grey overcast bank holiday Sunday. I was having a rest on our sofa, but woke up to a cold shiver down my spine. This is British Summertime so what do I expect? I’ve lived long enough to see snow in June. So this is nothing. It’s just I don’t want to put the heating on. Cost of living and all that!

So what do I do? Add extra layers, curl up and keep out of draughts. Have a hot cup of tea or coffee. I don’t think I will see steam rising! It’s not quite as cold as that, but I’m…. brrrrr… Cold… I’ll try and get a cat to sit on me x

Waiting

What’s in a cats mind? Waiting for something, but what? No sounds outside, no rustling leaves, but he waits. His sister or brother outside. Is it them he’s sitting, waiting for.

The cat likes to be patient, it’s in his nature, will he see a spider cross the floor? I wrote this, then looked up. A click or clack and he’s out the cat flap, to explore.

Night sits over the house. Will he see a mouse? Will he wait and stare some more, or pounce? No presents please. I don’t need the hassle. You sit and stare, at peace.

Mugs

I just answered a friends question about whether I have specific mugs to drink from depending on how I feel.

This is what I wrote: I have a ‘trust me I’m an artist’ mug, a ‘mug full of funny’ one which was bought from a charity, and a cat one with multiple cat cartoons. It has a crack in the top of the handle, so it wobbles slightly when I lift it, but it stays together and I love it. The ‘mug full of funny’ one is very bulbous so I can warm my hands on it. The artist one is wide and round so I can glug down coffee, and the cat one comforts me because I’ve had it for years and it is full of memories!

The featured photo is an image of a mug I decorated a few years ago.