Tag Archives: Cats

Mar10

Creative Juice #334

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Let me entertain you.

Chalk art.
101-year-old vet finally receives the recognition for her military service in WWII.
Free-motion quilting tutorials.
How people name their cats.
It seems an insult to call these minimalist quilts—a great deal of craftsmanship went into them.
This young man is an amazing crocheter. Check out his Instagram page.
I would never think of Mumbai as having Gothic architecture, but it does.
Some e-books on sale right now, for a limited time.
Deep in the forest.
I’m not sure if the giveaway has expired or not, but I thought you might be interested in this intriguing children’s book about the French resistance in World War II. (Update: Kathy says you can enter the giveaway through March 21st.)
Remarkable sculptures by Johnson Tsang.
Just for fun: bubbles.

Feb24

Creative Juice #332

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Lots of quilts and other creative stuff.

Stray cats.
The art of Chen Yingjie, A.K.A. Hua Tunan
How to fold a cloth napkin into a rose. (Scroll down.)
Colorful quilts.
2-color quilts with a lot of impact.
What is beloved author Judy Blume up to these days?
We’ve heard about many heroes who stepped up on 9/11, but you may not have heard about this rescue mission.
Crochet an easy basket.
Many beautiful quilts on this Instagram page.
Sketching in a market in Mumbai.
Common items in your home become part of the scenery in these miniature vignettes.
An illustration contest and several tutorials on children’s book illustration.

Dec30

Creative Juice #324

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Interesting stuff to ponder before the New Year.

Patterns in the camera’s eye.
Three photographers critique submitted winter photos. (They spend the first five minutes or so chitchatting, so you might want to cue it a bit further on.)
An artist’s first show.
A peek at a wonderful sketchbook.
Adorable cat photos. Please forgive me if I’ve already posted these.
Cleaning hacks.
In 1860, Mount Zion AME Church in Trenton, NJ established the Locust Hill Cemetery, the final resting place for at least 178 people, including 10 Civil War veterans. But by 1905, it was forgotten, used as a dumping ground. How one man’s historic vision saved it from obscurity.
Interview with Cameron Crowe.
I’m not on TikTok. Did you know #BookTok is an effective marketing tool for book lovers and authors?
Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
Is this what primordial soup might have looked like?
A little glimpse of charming Jersey City.

Dec2

Creative Juice #320

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Lots to read this weekend.

Beautiful hand-stitched quilts.
Director Henry Selick was my classmate in high school. Not that he’d remember me. (We traveled in different circles.)
Judy Dykstra is one of my favorite poets and bloggers. I enjoyed this list of questions she answered, and especially her book recommendations.
David Bowie on creativity. If you really want to go down the rabbit hole, click on some of the links.
A rather grim quilt exhibit.
Corporations on campus: just good business, or indoctrinating our best and brightest young people into the military industrial complex for the sake of profits?
Gifts for the literary people in your life.
December activities to do with your children.
Striking cat photography.
Fabulous knitted projects.
Sting, the storyteller.
Stuck in your story? Daydream.

Nov17

Creative Juice #318

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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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.