Valentine's Day Ussies and Caturday Art

 Hallo again, Effurryone!

Since We all wanted to wish Our Furriends a Happy Valentine's Day, We decided to pose for a furry rare Ussie:

Mummy made this into a Valentine's Day card at PhotoFunia and added text at LunaPic:

She also artified it, using LunaPic's Harsh Lighting filter:

But She wasn't quite satisfied with it, because you can't see Trixie too clearly, especially her beautiful jewel-like eyes, so She searched and found another one, where Trixie's eyes are a bit clearer - only, unfortunately, now Shimshi was turning away from the camera. Ah, well - you can't have effurrything and there is a Limit to the amount of time We are ready to squander spend, posing nicely together!

We artified this second picture too (all filters are from LunaPic). Furrst of all, We tried the Mosaic2 effect:

Then We tried a favourite of Ours, Frida - with an overlay of Seuratpose at 40%:

And finally, Thermal Iridescence:

What do you think of Our Choices? There's certainly plenty to choose from for this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Divinely Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by Our Dear Furriends, the Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

Before We go any further, here are their badges:

       

Now for the Serious News. It has been a truly terrible week. Furrst of all, there were the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, where the death toll has reached 29,000 and is still rising. The quakes could also be felt here in Israel, although, fortunately, nobody was killed here or even injured, as far as We know. Mummy's sister N said she felt the earth move, but Mummy must have been sleeping because She didn't feel a thing! Not surprising when you remember She has been known to sleep right through a rocket attack!!!

We are happy that Israel has sent rescue teams to Turkey, to help out, even though the relations between Israel and Turkey have been a bit rocky these past few years. We offered to send teams to Syria too, despite being officially enemies, but the Syrians rejected the offer. 

Then, on Friday, there was an Evil Terrorist attack on people waiting at a bus stop here in Jerusalem, leaving 3 dead, including two little boys, brothers aged 6 and 8. Mummy will probably write about it in her own blog this evening, as Caterwauling Practice has been postponed till Wednesday. Or, if not this evening, then tomorrow. She is furry upset at the moment and isn't sure she can calm down enough to write about that now.

We think that just about wraps it up for today. See you next week then.

Be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Shimshi's Sunpuddle: Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies

 Greetings, Effurrybuddies!

The Mighty Shimshon here (Shimshi for short), aka The Little Purrince, Master of the Queen's Mischiefs and Captain of the Guard, repurresenting the J-Cats on this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Divinely Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by Our Wonderful Furriends, the Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

It has been a furry cold, rainy week, culminating in snow at the Mt. Hermon ski site - which effurryone had been eagerly looking forward to - but there have been some sunny spells, during the course of which, I managed to find a sun puddle on the living room sofa (until Mummy pulled down the shutters because the sunlight was falling directly on the television and making it hard to see the screen).

At all events, it gave Me a purrfect oppurtunity to snap My Sunday Selfie.

For Our Caturday Art, We made three different artifications with the help of LunaPic. That is because Mummy always finds it hard to decide - so We invite YOU, Our Faithful Furriends, to choose your own favourite.

Furrst of all, here is one using the brilliant colours of Stained Glass:

Next, a filter that Mummy doesn't recall using before - or, at any rate, not for a long time - Connections:

It has a kind of abstract look, doesn't it? Quite unlike the mediaeval cathedral look of the Stained Glass.

And finally, one that Mummy is pretty sure she has neffur used before - Mushrooms. Not that you would effur find Me sitting still for long enough to let mushrooms grow on Me (mol):

And now, it's over to you. Which one do you like best?  

Here are the blog hop badges, before We Mummy forgets:

        

Furriends, We have been hearing a lot of dire news about rising prices - not just here in Israel, but all over the world. We hear that many Humans, especially the elderly, are actually having to choose between buying food and buying necessary medications!!! There are also many elderly people who, despite their difficult financial circumstances, put their pets furrst and buy food for them, before thinking of themselves - but are finding it harder and harder to do so. 

And, of course, this situation has also led to a drop in donations to animal shelters.

Naturally, this has sparked protests. 

So We think We should start a campaign for Free Food for Pets - and I am proud to offur My Own Image as presenter for that campaign:

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We have saved the Best till last! Basil and the Epically Pawsome B Team have included Us in the BBHQ List of the Best Cat Blogs of 2023!

We are so thrilled and honoured to be able to display this badge on Our Blog:

Thank you so much, guys!

Now, that really is all for this week, Dear Furriends.

Be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Caspurr the Caspicatious: Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies

 Greetings, Effurryone!

We hope you have all been keeping well.

This week, it is My Turn to lead my Fellow J-Cats on the Weekend Blog Hops - I, Sir Caspurr the Courageous, the Caspicatious, Furrst of My Name, the Snuggle-Bug, Commander-in-Chief of the Impurrial Forces and King of the Tigger-Tabbies.

This is My Sunday Snoozie Selfie, especially snapped for the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by Our Dear Furriends, the Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet. 

This is what Mummy calls "a Squee Picture". Just in case you missed My raspy, little pink tongue, here it is again, in close-up:

For the Caturday Art Blog Hop, hosted by the divinely Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, We made three different versions, all using artifications from LunaPic. Furrst of all, Candy, at 60%:

Next up, Dark - also at 60%:

And finally, Waves - this time at 75%:

In case you were wondering - as I'm sure you were - my Companion in this picture is one of My Paw-celain Sisters, Miss Lottie Dolly.

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If you remember, a few weeks ago, after Grandpaw crossed his Rainbow Bridge, Mummy promised to write about him on her Own Blog. It took her a long time to find the emotional strength to do so, but She has managed at last, so if you would like to read some more about Mummy's Beloved Daddy, you can do so here.

Here, now, are the blog hop badges:

        

That's all for now, as Mummy has to spend some time learning the new songs they are working on in her Caterwauling Club.

Be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Trixie By Firelight: Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies

 Greetings once more, Effurrybody!

It is I, the One and Only Queen Trixie, Furrst of My Name, Empurress of Jerusalem, Israel and the Entire Middle East, Queen of Hearts, the Panfur Princess, Guardian of the Boudoir, Alpha Kitty Extraordinaire!

How have you all been keeping? We have been hearing horror stories about the miserable weather in Europe and North America. All We can say is - Wintertime is Snuggle Time! Why would anyone choose to go out, rather than snuggle up at home with a warm, soft kitty or woofie?! We find such behaviour completely indefensible  reprehensible  incompurrehensible!
And We have to admit, even Mummy sinned against Us this way when She left Us for several hours on Wednesday evening to go to the O-purr-a in Tel Aviv with her sister, Auntie N.

Now, this week, it is My Turn to lead the J-Cats on the weekend blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Divinely Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Snoozies Selfies blog hop, hosted by Our Dear Furriends, the Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

We chose a picture of Me snoozing in front of the heater - because, although Mr. Sunshine has been with Us all week, it can still get furry cold on that side of the apawtment, especially at night and in the early morning, because Our Building is on a slope and the bedrooms overlook a rather windy valley.

As We usually do, We got Our artsy-fartsy effects from LunaPic. Furrst of all, We used one of Mummy's Our Favourite filters - Frida. Only this time, Mummy increased the colour saturation to Maximum - twice!

Next, We tried another Favourite - Tuscany. Mummy increased the colour saturation to maximum (once only, this time) and this is the result:

Finally, Mummy tried a filter She doesn't recall using before - Acid at 80%, and then played around with the colour saturation tool. This is what She got:

Which one do you like best? Let Us know in the comments.

And before We forget, here are the blog hop badges:

        

We tried to make a puzzle for you, but for some reason, We were unable to embed it in this post!!! Mummy will attempt to figure this out before next week's post, but now, She has to go and have her Siesta before going to her Caterwauling Club.

That's all for now. See you again next week.

Be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Shimshi's Bathtime Caturday Art and Sunday Selfie

Greetings, Effurrybuddies!

The Mighty Shimshon (aka Shimshi) here - The Little Purrince, The Baby Mancat, Master of the Queen's Mischiefs and Captain of the Guard. This week, I am leading my fursibs on the weekend blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the adorable, Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

Mind you - I am not saying I would have chosen this purrticular photo of my Undeniably Handsome Purrson for My Sunday Selfie:

I mean - I know it displays my Athleticism and Supurrb Sense of Balance (honed by months of Pole Dancing purractice), but really, a kitty's grooming routine is not necessarily for Public Consumption - certainly not without said kitty's Prior Purrmission!

Still, when one does not have Opposable Thumbs and access to a camera,  sometimes one is obliged to knuckle under (no pun intended) and accept what Fate Mummy decides, n'est-ce pas?

At any rate, I did get to decide how my pawtrait would be artified and, since I loved the Artist Collages Trixie and Caspurr got, I asked for one of My Own - and here it is:

This Quartet uses (clockwise from top left) Life, Grey, Yarn and Hunger, from the LunaPic palette.

How do you like it - and which of the four effects do you like best?

My Publishers, PhotoFunia Inc., were so impurressed they decided to feature Me in a New Book about Kitties in Art.

Isn't that Splendid News? What a Wonderful Gift this would make for Valentine's Day!

Now, before We Mummy forgets, here are the blog hop badges:

     

And now it's time to set off on Our blog hop Visits.

Till next week then.

Be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Caspurr's Contemplative Caturday Art and Sunday Selfie

Hallo there, Effurryone!

As you can see, it is MY turn to lead the J-Cats on this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Snoozies Selfies blog hop, hosted by Our Dear Furriends, the Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

I was furry impurressed with the Art Mummy created for Trixie last week, so I asked her if We could do something simiilar for Me and of course, She said "Yes" - and this is what We came up with:

This is an Artist Collage, courtesy of (who else?) LunaPic, using four different filters. Clockwise from upper left, We have Picasso, Escher, Candy and Beauty.

A collage is a great choice when you're having trouble making up your mind about which filter to use (mol). On the other hand, maybe you find it easier than We did to choose a favourite.

Mummy also thought these would look great hanging in an art gallery, so We headed over to PhotoFunia to arrange that:

And here are the blog hop badges:

        

In other news, Uncle D. has gone back to England again (he came for Grandpaw's funeral and stayed till after the stone-setting), so now the Guest Bedroom Kitty Room is vacant again and Mummy can make another attempt at bringing CalliCallou inside. Paws crossed it works out this time.

That's it for today, as Mummy needs to rest before Caterwauling Club this evening.

Take care of yourselves and of your Humans, effurryone.  We know some of you are having HORRIBLE weather conditions - and We also hear rumours the Evil Mutant Ninja Coronavirus is still LURKING.

Be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Trixie the Calendar Girl: Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies for New Year's Day 2023

Happy New Year, Effurrybody!

As is only right and fitting, it has fallen to ME, Queen Trixie, Furrst of My Name, Empurress of Jerusalem, Israel and the Entire Middle East, Queen of Hearts, Guardian of the Boudoir, Alpha-Kitty Extraordinaire, to lead my fellow J-Cats on the Furrst Sunday Selfies blog hop of the New Year - and the last Caturday Art blog hop of the Old.

As you all know, the Caturday Art blog hop is hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog hop is hosted by those sweet and Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet. Many thanks and a Happy Mew Year to them all.

So here is My Selfie, with which I have embellished a 2023 Calendar (courtesy of PhotoFunia):

Now, for the artification, you are getting not one, but FOUR different versions of Me, thanks to LunaPic's Custom Collage effect:

The different filters We are using are (clockwise from top left) Courtisane, Grey, Psychedelic and Flash Gordon.  Tell Us below, in the Comments section, which one you like best.

And here are the blog hop badges:

           

Last week, Mummy had another one of her full day study trips, and abandoned Us from morning until evening, although it wasn't too bad, because Uncle D. is still here. She hasn't had the chance to write about it yet in her own bloggie, but She did write about the afternoon walkabout she had in the Old City of Jerusalem the week before, where she got to see all the menorahs lit for Hanukkah and the Chrissymouse decorations. If you haven't seen it yet, go and take a look.

Before We set off on Our blog hop visits, We want to tell you all how much We have enjoyed being able to be with you this past year, and how happy We are at the thought of enjoying your company in this New Year that We have just ushered in.

Be well. Be safe. We love you all.