simply cute by karin

I’ve found Instagram. My life is over

Karin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:12:25 +0000

I’ve discovered Instagram, and I am officially hooked. Instagram is a free app for the iPhone that lets you take photos (using your iPhone) and choose from a selection of filters that make the photo look incredible! I’ve been snapping pictures like a mad woman the last couple of days. You can see a few here, but check out my Instagram photo stream on Gramfeed if you get a chance. (And follow me! I need followers!)

Cat typing a message – the final result

Karin — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:23:27 +0000

I just started a new job on Monday, so I’ve been away from blogging for a few days (and I’m really tired!). I wanted to post the result of the kitty cartoon I wrote about a few days ago. I did the final and created a card, which is now listed in my Etsy shop. Thanks to those who critiqued the early images! It really helped.

And by the way, the message in the balloon is something my cat actually typed on my actual laptop.

Goofy dogs and funny fries

Karin — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:03:10 +0000

I occasionally like to jazz up my birthday cards with fun drawings. Here’s one I included in a card that I recently sent to a young friend of mine who just turned 9. The heads are from photos of my dogs, Henry and Diesel (who my friend loved). I added the goofy bodies to give her a giggle.

The second image is a drawing that she did and sent back to me inside a thank you card. I think it’s hilarious with those little “French” fries saying “Bon appetite!”

Kreativ Blogger Award

Karin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:42:51 +0000

A big thanks to emjayzed of Art Gluttony for nominating me for the Kreative Blogger Award! I, and all of my weird little dancing cats and ballerinas, along with Descartes, Socrates, and my various other quirky characters, are honored to accept!

To claim the Kreativ Blogger Award here’s what I, and the next recipients, need to do:

1. Thank the blogger who gave you the award and provide a link.

2. List 7 interesting things about yourself that your readers might find interesting.

3. Nominate 7 other bloggers, provide links, and let them know.

I haven’t yet figured out which blogs to nominate, so I’ll start with listing 7 interesting things about me (well, maybe mildly interesting), and do a posting later with the nominees.

7 things about me that might possibly be interesting

1. My kindergarten class chose me as Hawaiian Queen for our Hawaii day celebration. Our teacher had visited Hawaii and brought back two real grass skirts. The boy who was chosen as Hawaiian King (Michael) and I got to wear those skirts during the festivities, while all the other kids had to wear their handmade paper skirts. Everyone formed a circle, and Michael and I, all aflutter over our 15 minutes of fame, danced in the middle.

2. I have a masters in theological studies with a focus on philosophy and ethics. This is why I can draw Descartes and Socrates cartoons with great confidence.

3. I adore Mary Jane style shoes. I’d have a million pairs if I had the space and the cash.

4. I once drank Diet Pepsi and ate Smarties at the same time just to see what would happen. It was kinda cool, as the Smarties get all fizzy in your mouth.

5. I’ve been to a Barry Manilow concert.

6. Whoopie Goldberg once served me a beer. A friend of hers owns a bar in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and she tends bar there in the summer for fun (seriously).

7. I once hit myself in the head with a golf ball, which explains a lot about me.

Cat typing on a laptop

Karin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:12:25 +0000

I’m working on a design for a new card, and I’ve drawn the front image of a cat typing on a laptop over and over again to the point of insanity. I’ve narrowed it down to three. Which if any, do you like best: top, middle, or bottom? I won’t give away the text or what kind of card it will be as of yet. I just want to see which one stands out. Thanks!

Kitties and girls ballet dancing

Karin — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:58:38 +0000

Last week I did a post called Disco Cat for Illustration Friday. I created a lot of sketchy doodle drawings to figure out how I wanted the dancing characters to look. There were lots and lots of ballerina cats before I landed on Disco Cat. I thought it would be fun to put some of the rejects together on the dance floor like one big party. And here it is.

Another Lady Mary drawing from yet another Downton Abbey fan

Karin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:32:48 +0000

Like millions of other people, I am crazy for the Masterpiece Theatre series, Downton Abbey. I am now going to jump on the bandwagon with lots of other artists who cannot resist drawing the cool, reserved Lady Mary, played by the marvelous Michelle Dockery.

My baby, she drew me a letter

Karin — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:39:43 +0000

Letter Playground is a fun site where people draw letters in really fun and creative ways. I have a small collection over there. Below are two that I’ve posted. The letter G (the cat) is my most popular, and I’ve included a couple of others too. If you like to draw, stop by and have some fun with letters.

Easter bunny asks: Do I look like Jesus?

Karin — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 15:25:35 +0000

This bunny is very annoyed that he gets pulled into all the Easter merriment each year. He doesn’t care about fertility symbols or ancient pagan rituals or anything like that. He’s just tired of the whole thing and wants to throw it back over the wall to Jesus.

All hail Pudding the cat!

Karin — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:27:14 +0000

I had no idea what to blog about today until I read this heartwarming story on the Huffington Post about a newly adopted cat who saved it’s owner’s life. Our hero’s name is Pudding. Here’s an excerpt from the article, along with a Pudding the cat doodle I did during lunch today. Check out the full article.

Amy Jung, who has had diabetes since childhood, started having a diabetic seizure in her sleep.

That’s when Pudding sprang into action. The fast-acting feline sat on Jung’s chest in an attempt to wake her up and when that didn’t work, he nudged and nipped her face until she briefly returned to consciousness.

In that moment, Jung was able to call out to her son Ethan, but he couldn’t hear her calls. Luckily, Pudding darted into Ethan’s room and pounced on the bed until he woke up and was able to call for help.