We are but a moment’s sunlight fading in the grass.

I am still celebrating the earth here, and I’ll be happy to honor the specials from days 1 and 2 of my open house through the coming weekend, but I’ll hold the rest for a little later.

If you tried to reach my site last weekend and weren’t able to, I apologize. It sounds like gobbledygook, but an update in my websites’ works caused a recurring error on The Creative Cat that slowed all the sites in my account and eventually caused them to freeze and stop opening. Ironically, I had a good number of visitors last Friday and Saturday shopping around, but both my adding products and posting, plus each visitor, each click, is what caused the error to occur. My ISP was right on it and got my site back up each time it happened, but it was only a matter of time until it happened again, and again, and no one could figure out until Sunday by tracking changes in the folders on the server.

I stopped posting after Day 2, Saturday, and helped troubleshoot the issue. Each time we thought we’d resolved it and I got back to work on the new things I wanted to post, I’d get an email that someone couldn’t access my site. This hasn’t happened since Sunday night, but traffic has been lower too, so I wanted to give it a few days along with checking activity on my server before inviting people again. We’re good now! But I had to change my plans for my open house.

As noted below, I’m honoring the specials from Day 1 and Day 2 through Sunday. I’ll get those new things out in the next days and weeks, and likely I’ll have a Virtual Christmas in July Open House so you can start your holiday shopping—with a discount.

In the meantime, stay in touch so you know ahead of time when it will happen! Because I’m pretty certain we’ll still be observing social distancing it’s likely I won’t have a physical open house. What I’d like to do for the next Virtual Open House it give all those of you who are signed up for my enewsletters an advantage and invite you to shop with your discount for a weekend before the general public. Sign up for my newsletters on this page so you get that notice.

Virtual Open House Day 1:

25% Off All Commissioned Artwork Plus Free Framing

Fur Seasons collage

I always feature my traditional Mother’s and Father’s Day discounts on commissioned pet portraits from April through June so you can have a discount on a special portrait for that person in your life who inspired you to love animals.

You can also commission me to paint non-animal subjects. In fact, I’ve been commissioned to paint some very special places already: the view from a friend’s vacation home, a special place in Paris, a beloved back yard that welcomes you home, your childhood home as a gift to your parents.

And here’s a special for Day One of my Virtual Earth Day Open House!

Commission a portrait and use your discount through June 30, 2020.

Sample Commissioned Portrait Certificate

In order to commission a portrait you’ll purchase a certificate. You can read about the certificates and see examples on this page too. When you are ready to buy, use the coupon code MOTHERSFATHERSDAY25 in your shopping cart to get your 25% discount.

This discount is available through June 30, 2020.

Free framing up to 16″ x 20″ with your portrait through May 10, 2020.

Yes, that’s right, the free framing offer is only valid for the week of this open house, so don’t delay! The commissioned artwork discount is available until the end of June.

I have framed my own artwork for 30 years, and usually have custom and off-the-shelf framing on hand for paintings that will be framed up to 16″ x 20″ for my own artwork. I purchase this framing at wholesale discounts, and I am happy to share that discount with you for commissioned works booked during the week of my open house and offer you free framing on your portrait or other commissioned artwork.

There’s no coupon code for this, but in the notes section in your shopping cart please type “Free framing” so I know you want to take advantage of the offer.

Read about commissioned pet portraits

Read about other commissioned artwork

Virtual Open House Day 2:

Felines and Flowers Greetings Collection

Greeting Cards

So what’s in this package anyway? All the materials for you to keep track and send greetings for birthdays, anniversaries, events and any other noted or annual life event for yourself, family and friends in Great Rescues Day Book, and at least 70 greeting cards to meet the occasion in a mix of feline-themed cards and cards inspired by nature. It’s all packed in a decorative keepsake box I embellished to keep everything stored so it’s easy to find.

It’s a great gift for Mother’s Day, either to give to your mother or give her a portion of it and keep some for yourself.

The combined value of Great Rescues and all the greeting cards would be just about $132.00. I usually offer this package of correspondence for $100.00, but during my Virtual Open House you can purchase this set for $75.00 with coupon code FELINESANDFLOWERS25. This discount is available through May 10, 2020.

Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Christmas and winter holidays plus sympathy cards, friendship cards, birthday cards and more, this collection contains feline-themed and nature-themed cards for them all. You can read more about all the cards and contents in Felines and Flowers here.

Other items with the same art or design To find all items on this site with the same art or design, use the search box for the name of the artwork and you'll find all that's available.

Don’t miss any new items or opportunities!

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Click here for the Creative Cat Preview E-newsletter, for feline and animal-specific products and information.

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For art, photos and writing as I develop it, visit my blogs.

See feline art and photos as they happen on The Creative Cat, along with feline news, health, welfare, rescue stories and more.

See daily photos as I post them on Today.

Read poetry, short stories, essays and more on Paths I Have Walked.

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit “purchasing” for availability and terms.