Tag Archives: Cats

Nov17

Creative Juice #318

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

Note from Andrea: I goofed. This article was supposed to appear tomorrow, but when I turned on my computer today, I forgot what day it was; I thought it was Friday instead of Thursday and I expected to see Creative Juice up on my blog–so I went to my future-scheduled posts and edited this to publish immediately, and it wasn’t until afterward that I realized my mistake. So, I’m sorry–I’ve got nothing for tomorrow; I jumped the gun today.

Why not spend an hour exploring these 12 wonderful articles?

Witnesses to history. I cried at the story of Princess Diana.
Just in case you didn’t see the sand sculptures on ARHtistic License’s Facebook page. (By the way, you can follow ARHtistic License on Facebook for more creative content.)
Amazing appliquéd quilts from the International Quilt Festival.
For parents of school-aged little ones—a recipe for homemade playdough.
Matisse exhibit at MOMA. More Matisse.
For the dog and cat lovers. LOL.
The art of letter illumination.
Artist Sandy Allnock’s Instagram page.
Striking sculptures made from saplings.
Franz Kline: breaking the rules of painting.
A heartwarming book about an exceptional man, Joey Moss.
Yuko Shimizu’s illustrations.

Oct28

Creative Juice #315

Posted on October 28, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Some pretty things, some scary things, some tips for fiction writers, and more.

Some of these cats are cute, and some are behaving badly.
Writing prompts for Halloween.
Halloween illustrations from children’s books.
Jack-o’-lanterns with literary tie-ins.
Beautiful steps.
HBO’s The Gilded Ageincludes authentic characters of color.
Free quilt patterns from Riley Blake Designs.
For the fiction writers: chapter management.
Whether you’re an author, an artist, or an inventor, if you’ve been thinking about starting a newsletter, prepare yourself.
For the bloggers: ideas for blog posts.
More for the fiction writers: developing characters.
And yet more suggestions for developing your characters.
Ghosts of the great artists.

Apr1

Creative Juice #288

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Today’s installment of CJ is all from Bored Panda. I am an addict. The world stops for an hour whenever I get an email update. You’ll see why:

Sweet dogs.
Great freebie finds.
The joy of owning an old cat.
Underwater photo contest.
Beautiful mosaics.
Gorgeous design.
I love these creative miniature dioramas featuring repurposed everyday items.
Award-winning nature photography.
Wisdom from teachers. You may need a Kleenex.
Prize-winning photographs.
Gotta love Germany.
Adorable animal pictures.

Feb11

Creative Juice #281

Posted on February 11, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Lots of quilts and writing tips. And a couple other things.

I remember how as the United States bicentennial approached (1976), an interest in quilting resurged, and groups of quilters around the country put together pictorial quilts that told the history of their communities. Here is the story of one such quilt and the recent effort to identify its makers.
Pretty cat pictures.
It’s been so long since I’ve been on a quilting retreat. If Covid is ever over. . .
Gorgeous photography.
These suggestions for greater creativity, success, and meaningful relationships are interesting and thought-provoking, but they won’t all work for everybody. However, if you choose just one of them to work on this year, you’ll improve your quality of life.
Amazing quilts from the Tucson Quilters Guild.
25 queries that resulted in book deals.
Thoughts on creativity.
Writers: did you identify your writing goals for 2022? If not, maybe you should. Or, if you did, how are you doing? Either way, here are some suggestions (and aids) for making realistic goals.
Are your blog posts losing your readers before they reach the end?
How to write the dreaded book synopsis.
The difference between scenes and chapters.

Jan27

Video of the Week #342: Sometimes You Just Gotta Watch Cat Videos

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Less than eight minutes. You’re welcome.

Oct22

Creative Juice #265

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Special all-Bored Panda episode. Bored Panda is the single website (other than ARHtistic License, of course) that got me through the pandemic. Here are some of my favorite articles. You’re welcome.

Award-winning wildlife photos.
Beautiful mosaics from Brussels.
A man draws pet portraits to earn money for charity.
Tweets that every parent will understand.
When you score an awesome second-hand lamp.
Rac c oons are the best people.
When your dog needs an emotional support dog.
Surprisingly moving photographs of Russia.
I am ready to hire this 12-year-old decorator.
Amazing nature photographs.
Cats without boundaries. (Or their owners could just close the bathroom door.)
These wedding cakes almost make me want to get married again.

Oct1

Creative Juice #262

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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A lot of interesting articles this week.

Cats in stores.
I never really understood how vital the bison had been to the ecology of the prairies. Read how Native Americans are spearheading the effort to reintroduce bison to the wild.
Don’t you just hate it when you’re writing a scene in your novel and you get stuck? Here’s three ways to get unstuck.
Are you tempted to throw in the towel? Here’s why you should persevere.
Children’s book authors: when you submit a picture book manuscript, do you show where the page breaks are? It’s a controversy, but I like this approach.
A stroll through Jersey City, including a couple of awesome murals (be sure to scroll to the end).
Crap. I think I may be the friend that all my friends lovingly tolerate. I recognize myself in this poem.
The search for authenticity.
Oooo. More artistic people to follow on Instagram.
Yellow Submarine means different things to different people.
Connecting our Natural Worlds is an art quilt exhibition. In addition to photographs of the quilts, the website has links to videos of the artists talking about their creations.
How to write fiction about drug abuse when you have no clue.

Feb27

Weekly Photo Challenge: Pets

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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More pic of the week.

Jan29

Creative Juice #227

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Topics serious and entertaining:

For the writers: information about all possible book publishing paths.
For the writers: how guest blogging can help you promote your novel.
How the gift of books helps change lives in prison.
Some beautiful quilts—including three on Mazie Hirono’s wall.
How to review poetry books (many of the points cross over to other reviews as well).
Some ideas for generating worthwhile social media content.
If you love cats, you’re going to love this.
Todd Brison writes about 50 things that helped him get through 2020. They might help you with the rough start of 2021.
A different interpretation of a well-known Bible story. I never thought about it quite like this before.
Gifts to sew for every occasion. Get started now for next Christmas.
What it’s like to have Covid. If it hasn’t touched your circle, you just don’t know.
How an artist’s pandemic experience influenced his illustration work.

Jan1

Creative Juice #223

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Happy New Year! (May it be better than last year. Please, God. Amen.)

A doodle diary helps a man deal with the loss of his wife.
Gorgeous zentangles.
Encouragement from strangers.
Extraordinarily beautiful cats.
I love this story about a woman who put together an art class for her neighbors’ children.
A quilter grows in her craft.
Paper cranes taken to the next level.
Whoa! I didn’t even know this existed! ChromeMusicLab. You gotta show your kids. Fun for grownups, too.
Fabulous children’s book illustrators.
For the children’s writers: magazine markets for children’s stories.
A forgotten genius, the Michelangelo of the 20^th century.
For the birds.