I like how I keep popping back up to tell y'all that I'm not dead yet.

I'm not dead! I'm still....lurking....more or less.
I haven't been making a lot of art of late. Or at least not furry-related stuff. It makes me sad, to be honest. :( Let's just say that a LOT has happened in 3 years. I was promoted to manager twice, started grad school to get my Masters in teaching, quit my job, now I'm in the thick of getting my certification and fieldwork and thesis done and I'm only a semester from graduating. It's just...been busy.
I want to come back though! I was thumbing through my gallery and all I can do is cringe at how terrible everything is. I would love to just wipe it all and start over fresh. I doubt I will, but I do want to at least come back. FA isn't dead yet, right?

Right?

Hai haiiiiii!!

Whoa, I suddenly got a sudden avalanche of faves and watches. If you don't mind, how did you find out about me and what made you follow? I'm assuming it's Tomiko's spoopy witch photoshoot! ;P

Anyhoot, I'm going to open up for MFF commissions soon! I'll be there this year and will be available to deliver MFF badges, Maneki Pokemon paintings, and custom painted sketchbook covers. I'm still working on my Art Show entry but have it scheduled to finish within the next week or two. Then I'll be available for new commissions! Please keep an eye out!

Without going into too much detail, I went to the doctor with complaints of persistent dizziness expecting to get diagnosed with vertigo or anemia. They did some blood work and it came back unexpectedly abnormal, resulting in more tests needing to be done. My insurance covers most of my doctor's visits and lab tests, but each visit is still costing me about $40, and apparently I still have $50 unpaid in previous visits that they never felt the need to inform me about *grumpgrumpgrump*. I'm absolutely not going to attempt to play the pity-me card because I am insured and can afford the bills, but they are unexpected and quickly adding up. And if it turns out that the blood work requires further testing, I'm afraid it's going to be for something I definitely cannot afford. :c

I have a handful of unopened 3pks of Moleskin sketchbooks and I'm thinking about painting the covers and selling them. Is anyone interested if I do some Eeveelution sketchbooks? If not that, I'm also willing to do custom cover paintings of your choice. Asking $25.

I also have a set of Oshawott evolution line Pokemon maneki paintings that are up for sale! You can see them here:
http://chatnoir9.tumblr.com/post/12.....-a-set-only-75

My maneki Persian is also still available for $20! The Meowth sold already, but I'm willing to paint another if you'd like a set:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/16361362/

Unfortunately I recently had a tooth die out on me. It was an EXCRUCIATING and expensive experience that's requiring quite of bit of emergency dental work. Expensive dental work that is going to set us back in our anniversary vacation planning quite a bit. :(
I've been itching to put out some more artwork though, so I figured I would try and use this as an opportunity to make some small paintings and sell them. I really need to practice color pallets and touch up my color-mixing skills. To sort of tie this in to my vacation planning, I figured I'd do some super cute paintings of Pokemon as maneki nekos! I'm starting off with the cat Pokemon (Meowth, Espurr, etc), but I might work into others as well as the mood strikes me. Once I've done all the Pokemon that strike my fancy, maybe even do some other fandoms? Lucky Ponies? Who knows!

Anyway, keep an eye out for some paintings for sale soon (they'll be inexpensive!). I need to pay this dental bill ASAP. :c

Oh god the terrible word-play...

So my husband and I are officially planning a trip to Japan for next year!! In the meantime, we are also trying to learn as much Japanese as possible until then. Honestly, we're a little worried about getting lost and being unable to communicate, or missing out on cool stuff because we can't read or communicate. Or just generally offending someone by making some stupid mistake. (Plus we both have always wanted to learn Japanese but never got the chance because neither of our school's taught it. :V)
We have all the translation apps (the Google Translate app and World Lens are both pretty freakin' sweet, btw) but we don't want to rely entirely on books and technology to do all the work, because we know it won't always been the fastest, most convenient, or most reliable way to communicate. Besides, attempting to learn the language-even if you suck at it- is the best way to show respect. I have a coworker who took Japanese all through school and who has lent me all his favorite textbooks, and we've bought a few language books to learn the kana and beginner kanji, so we're pretty serious about it. I have plans to use my art to help me study as well...possibly making a coloring book featuring Tomiko to help me memorize my kana (it would basically be like an ABC coloring book).

One of the ways my coworker (and a few other sources) suggested to study was to find a Japanese penpal looking to learn or improve their English. I found a website for international penpals, but it's so awkward introducing yourself to strangers you don't really have much in common with and just being like, "HI I CAN'T SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE AND I WANT YOU TO TEACH ME, OK? OK." I know there are a bunch of Japanese furs here on FA, and it would be awesome to have someone with common interests to talk to, but I feel so awkward cold-calling (cold-messaging?) people lest I scare them off, thinking I'm one of those awkward-drama-llama-weirdos (you know what I'm talking about...)
._."

Suggestions? Anyone know anyone who's a native Japanese-speaker that they could introduce me to?

On Tuesday I'll be one year away from officially being classified as a Greymuzzle. :c I'm going to celebrate by binge-eating on all the shitty foods that will probably kill me next year, lol. That's pretty much the only part of my birthday I'm looking forward to. Kind of depressing, really. =u_u=

---

ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT NOTE!

I now have Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatNoir9

And you can LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW my art on Facebook!: https://www.facebook.com/CatNoirArt

https://www.etsy.com/listing/215334.....a-scifi-poster
https://www.etsy.com/listing/215334.....a-scifi-poster
https://www.etsy.com/listing/215334.....a-scifi-poster

12x18 prints of my WORK HARDER painting are now available in my Etsy Shop! I also have perfumes, coloring books, buttons, laser-cut Christmas ornaments, and postcard prints! Check it out!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/catnoir9
https://www.etsy.com/shop/catnoir9
https://www.etsy.com/shop/catnoir9

GUYS! I WON BEST IN SHOW AT MFF THIS YEAR!!!
This year, with a TON of encouragement from my coworkers, I decided to gather up my courage and attempt to try a few things I've never thought I would be able to do. I decided this year I would make MFF my first convention where not only would I attempt to make it in the Artist Alley, but I would also participate in the Art Show. A few of my coworkers are professional comic artists, and they've been trying to encourage me to set up shop at a few of the cons. I just thought MFF would be a good place for me to start because 1) it's free, 2) it's small, and 3) it's a fandom I feel very comfortable and welcome in. I've always been afraid to enter because I've never really thought I was good enough, either in skill, motivation, or popularity. My anxiety tends to get the better of me, and just when I build myself up with encouragement, something triggers my anxiety and it all crumbles back down again. This time I put on my blinders and tuned out the negativity and ran bull-headed right into the fire.
The first day of the con I entered into the Artist Alley lottery. When 1pm nearly rolled around, I was feeling pretty bummed because they hadn't called me to tell me if I'd gotten in (they said they would). I decided to go down instead and just check for myself, just in case...and it was a good thing I did! They saw me and immediately gave me my number and told me I was picked, and to quickly grab my stuff. In my excitement, I nearly ran all the way back to my friend,  haberdasher 's room to get my things before grabbing my table! I was absolutely giddy from my luck!
Unfortunately, in the entire 6 hours I was there, only one person commissioned from me (thank you  foxieroxie ! I was admittedly terribly anxious the entire time, but I muscled through it and kept telling myself not to compare myself to my neighbors, who were obviously very popular and had fantastic work. Granted, a number of things were working against me (it was only Friday and people were mostly scoping out the artists and budgeting their money, I was stuck in the G-rated room which is apparently not very popular, my neighbors bailed early and left me sitting in a weirdly empty area which apparently scares people, aaaaaand I have Bitchy Resting Face which also seems to scare people), and I had no reason to feel so self-conscious, but hey...it happens to the best of us. I left the Artist Alley thankful for my one commission and the experience, and was quite pleased.
I made a 1:1 print of this painting: http://chatnoir9.tumblr.com/post/97.....ting-i-did-for and submitted it to the art show this year just to sort of test the waters since I've never tried for the art show at MFF before. I honestly would have been happy if it had just sold in auction, but my expectations were pretty low. There were so many great pieces in the art show, I didn't really think mine would stand out at all. I was elated when I saw it had a bid on it! Then on Sunday when I went to sign it off, the woman in charge said, "Oh! Yours was the one that won, right?" I looked at her, confused, and said I didn't know...I didn't think so, or at least no one had mentioned it. She led me to the room to go look and sure enough! There was a plaque in place of where my art piece should have been! Best In Show is voted on by all the con attendees!
Omg you guys! I am SO SO SO thankful and so happy! You guys made me whole YEAR! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I am humbled!

The boost of confidence I gained from this achievement is enough to make me want to move forward with plans for next year. I already had a painting in the works for the art show next year, and what I learned from my one day in the Alley this year will be put to use next year. I plan on entering the lottery for all three days next year, with a much better plan on what to offer. I can't wait to see you all there!

Extra special thanks to  haberdasher for being a generous host and letting me use his suite to stash my junk in and change (as well as feeding me donuts and pizza :P I owe you, dude!),  albino-kitsune for her con knowledge and encouragement, and  nyil for stopping by my table to harass me. ;P

So my husband (non-furry) and I just got back from MFF* and were sitting on the couch watching clips of the Australian version of Wilfred, and we noticed that all the animals in that version of the show are represented by people in animal suits.
Mike: I really like the idea that all the animals are just people in animal suits.
Me: Soo...it's MFF all over again. All us furries are really actual animals. *waggling eyebrows*
Mike: Omg
Me: All the furries are really just real animals, and you're the only one who can see them as people in animal costumes. The whole weekend it was just you freaked out while surrounded by animals.
Mike: So I was really just at the dog show?!?
Me: LOL YUP
Mike: That explains why everyone looks like a dog.**

*It's important to note that the convention center at the hotel MFF was at was also hosting a dog show this weekend.
**Everything's a dog.

I'm officially open for 3 holiday- or Super Smash Bros-themed badges!

Holiday themed badges feature your character dressed up for the winter holiday of your choice (or just winter in general, if you choose). Couples can have a special smooch badge with mistletoe, or maybe you want to share a scarf and some cocoa?

Your Smash-themed badge will feature your character dressed as your favorite Smash fighter! Choose your player, damage count, and your player's "icon" (ex. Kirby's icon is a star, Pikachu has a pokeball....you can choose one unique to you!) Couples Smash badges will feature your characters facing each other in battle poses.

They are $20/ea, or $35 if you're ordering a couple's set for THIS WEEKEND ONLY! (Prices for badges at MFF will go up.)
I'll post examples later this afternoon.
They will come with lanyard and clip. Paypal accepted, or I will have my Square credit/debit card swiper with me at MFF.
MFF pick-up only!

Just a shout out to let you all know that I'll be opening up for 3 holiday- or Super Smash Bros-themed badges this Friday! They will be $20/ea, or $35 if you're ordering a couple's set for THIS WEEKEND ONLY! (Prices for badges at MFF will go up.)

They will come with lanyard and clip. Paypal accepted, or I will have my Square credit/debit card swiper with me at MFF.
MFF pick-up only!

Where are you staying?
Home, since I live in Chicago.

What day are you getting there?
Friday morning

Who will you be rooming with?
My husband and cats...cuz...home.

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
Hopefully with all of you!! But mostly these guys:
 nyil  Winail  Albino-Kitsune  haberdasher  synthwolf and maybe  FoxMcCloudSF ?

How can I find you?
I'll hopefully be in the Artist Alley at least one day this year! Come find me! I'm also signed up for the Art Show, and I'll definitely be in the parade. Look for the maneki neko with the gold coins.

Are there any panels you might be attending?
Probably.

Are you attending any stage or public performances?
Parade!

Will you be suiting?
Of course!

Which suit(s) are you bringing?
Tomiko the maneki neko

Do you draw?
Yep

Are you taking commissions or trades?
Yes!

How old are you?
28

How tall are you?
5'6"

Can I talk to you?
Yes! But I'm shy...which comes off as aloof on days where my anxiety is running high. If I seem distant, I promise you it's not you!

Can I touch you?
Probably?

Can I visit your room?
That would require you coming home with me so.....no.

Can I buy you drinks?
Coffee is preferred. ;P

Can I give you stuff?
Uhh....as long as it's not creepy?

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugs are welcome! Snuggles might make my husband jealous, sooo...thanks but no thanks. :)

What’s your goal for the con this year?
Getting into the Artist Alley!

Are you nice?
I PROMISE YOU I AM! I'm just shyyyy! (Well, socially anxious, actually.) I WANNA BE FRIENDSSSS!!

How long are you going?
Friday-Sunday

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Talk to me. If I don't respond it's because I didn't see/hear you, I promise! Be obvious!

Where will you be most of the time during the days?
Hopefully in the Artist Alley. Otherwise....hanging out somewhere.

What/where will you be eating?
I dunno.

Can I come with you for food/fun etc?
Perhaps....

Can I take your picture?
Of course!! Just let me know! I'm totally up for doing stupid photos too! (They're my favorite o3o)

See you there!

Howdy again!

With a lot of encouragement from my coworkers, I've been convinced to try and sell some wares at MFF this year. There are a few projects that I've been wanting to try out, but I'd REALLY like your opinions on them! Besides doing the usual commissions and badges, I'd like to fabricate some fursuit accessories too. Stuff that people can buy and immediately start using at the con. I came up with the idea of maybe some collar charm accessories. Not the dangly kind like dog tags or whatever (although I can do those too, since I have a laser cutter), but little plush things that your collar can slip through, like this: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/7.....06e26fdc04.jpg

Ideas for collar accessories:
Bow
Necktie
Bone (for da dogs)
Fish (for da cats)
SNES controller (for the gamer furs)
Pokeball (for the gamer furs or the Pokefurs)

I want to choose maybe FOUR styles for the con, because I have to have time to make them. What I want to know is what YOU would buy. I'm open to more suggestions as well. Based on interest, I'll probably draw up the designs and do a final vote on the designs sold at the con. I will most likely sell more designs in my Etsy shop though, because I like making little do-dads like these as a relaxing project between art stuffs! :D

In addition to collar accessories, I've been itching to make some cute messenger bags/purses. My lucky cat fursuit, Tomiko, has a giant gold coin backpack that I use to keep all my essentials in while fursuiting (con schedule, cell phone, wallet, etc), and I thought it'd be cool to make bags that could double as props for fursuiters.

Ideas for prop bags:
Cheeseburger
Steak
Bone
Fish
Flame (for the dragons or something, idk)
Feather (what would be good for birds?)

They would wearable, plush, and toony, and they would have just enough room to fit your essentials inside. I would probably only have time to make a couple of these, so I'd like you to vote on TWO designs. Depending on how popular they are and how difficult they prove to be to make, I may sell these in more styles in my Etsy shop after the con.

OH! I almost forgot! I also have a vinyl cutter now, so I can do vinyl decals too! I wouldn't mind making furry decals for your car window or something, but I would like them to be something not overly MURRYPURRYFURRY like I've seen sold before. Something that even the more discrete members of the fandom would like to display in their car without fear of being seen as "one of those furries" by other drivers.

Ideas for vinyl decals
"Performer Inside" Beneath a silhouette of a fursuit head (cat, dog, dragon, bird silhouette options)
Different species tails (tiger, lion, leopard, wolf, fox, dolphin/whale)
Wings
Hobby paws? Paw silhouette with a cutout of various hobby "icons" inside: game controller, paintbrush, music note, thread spindle or a needle+thread

Vinyl decals are easy for me and I can crank out a lot of them. I can do a few varieties of these, so I'm open to more suggestions if you have any. Let me know what ideas you like from the list above though.

Ok, so here's where I would LOVE your suggestions and ideas! PLEASE let me know what you'd like to see from the lists above! I hope to see you all at MFF!

Ok, call me late to the game here... (I tried to avoid temptation, but alas...)

What are some assumptions you've made about me? I feel like I'm usually pretty quiet around here for the most part (though I do check FA multiple times each night), but since I've been posting fairly regularly recently and have gained a few new watchers (Hiiiii!! *waves*) I'm curious to see what assumptions you may have about who I am. :3

Hey everyone!

With C2E2 only a few weeks away, I've been working on some cosplay for myself and my hubs. Unfortunately they're both non-furry related this time around, so I won't be posting much on them here, but I am posting the WIP pics and guides over on my Tumblr blog! I don't do a whole lot of clothing-based stuff because I'm entirely self-taught when it comes to sewing and I honestly don't know how to make or read proper patterns that you can buy in the store or download online. But I imagine there are a lot of people out there like me who still want to make their own cosplay, and so they might benefit from seeing how I work around my lack of knowledge of traditional sewing techniques.
So far I just show how to make a pattern from existing clothing, and how to make a duct tape dummy as a pattern source for form-fitting clothing. I ALWAYS invite anyone with more experience to comment and let me know if there's a better way to do what I'm trying to do! I love constructive crit and advice! Leave a comment here or message me on Tumblr. :)

Here's a link to my blog:
http://chatnoir9.tumblr.com/
http://chatnoir9.tumblr.com/
http://chatnoir9.tumblr.com/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Prismacolor...../281286925799?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Prismacolor...../281286925799?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Prismacolor...../281286925799?

Less than a day left on my 50 piece anniversary set of Prismacolor colored pencils! As of right now, they're still super cheap at only $26! Buy it as a gift for yourself, or as a special gift to an artistic family member or friend! :D

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Prismacolor...../281286925799?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Prismacolor...../281286925799?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Prismacolor...../281286925799?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281286925799

*EDIT* Updated the shipping! I realized I had the wrong shipping selected, so it should be cheaper now!

Going through and doing some spring cleaning and decided to get rid of some stuff I don't use. It was hard to part with this instead of my old pencils, but they're already in a fancy travel case I bought and most of them are still almost unused. I figured I could make more with this unopened set than I could selling my old ones. Plus we're saving up for a trip to JAPAN OMGGGG!!!!
Still brand new and shrink-wrapped!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281286925799
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281286925799
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281286925799

I'm also getting rid of my digitigrade faun pants. More info and pics over here:
http://fursuitauctions.livejournal......m/3168807.html
http://fursuitauctions.livejournal......m/3168807.html
http://fursuitauctions.livejournal......m/3168807.html

---

Also, don't forget to check out my Etsy!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/catnoir9
https://www.etsy.com/shop/catnoir9
https://www.etsy.com/shop/catnoir9

https://www.etsy.com/listing/177208.....oring-book-for

https://www.etsy.com/listing/177208.....oring-book-for

https://www.etsy.com/listing/177208.....oring-book-for

"Coloring Pigeons: A Coloring Book for Young Pigeon Fanciers" is now available in my Etsy shop for only $5.00!! It contains 20 pages of illustrations to color, word search puzzles, and mazes. Not to mention some interesting pigeon facts! Check it out!

http://chatnoir9.tumblr.com/

https://www.weasyl.com/profile/blackcat2086

https://www.etsy.com/shop/catnoir9

I got Animal Crossing for Christmas! (My husband and I exchange gifts the morning before we go home for xmas with our families). I want to exchange codes, but mine hasn't appeared on my TCP yet. :c Anyone know when it'll appear? And does anyone wanna trade when it does?

HI E'ERYBODY!

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much, but I've been busy with art shows and sales and other projects. I'm currently working on some drawings for a pigeon facts coloring book! Here in Chicago, pigeons are considered a pest, so I'm trying to spread a little love by making a fun book filled with interesting pigeon facts and cartoon pigeons. It'll be about 20 pages and feature mostly pictures, and a couple mazes and word searches. I have most of the drawings done and puzzles done, I just need to trace them in ink on white paper (it's all in my sketchbook right now) and get them scanned into InDesign for print.

Anyway, I'm making probably 15-20 copies for the sale, 5 copies for friends, and maybe some copies for online sales? I'm debating if it's worth doing preorders, because I don't want to make a bunch and have most of them lying around because people don't end up following through. I haven't figured out the price for them yet, but I'm trying to keep the cost around $5.

Would anyone be interested in buying a cute pigeon coloring book? I'm aiming for them to be about $5 (plus shipping), but definitely under $10. I can't imagine very many people wanting to buy a coloring book for $10. Right now I'm just taking interest and, if there is much interest, trying to decide if I should do preorders.

ADD MEEEE! My friend code is 3625-9164-8561 !!
My safari is fire and have: Pyroar-Magmar-? (Don't know the last one)

Although all I have so far is Pokemon X....so...


Also, I'm selling my DS Lite since I don't really need it anymore. It comes with a carrying case and three games:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-DS.....-/111196476800

CLICK HERE FOR THE AUCTION!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rat-King-Ki...../111125356005?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rat-King-Ki...../111125356005?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rat-King-Ki...../111125356005?

GUYS! With October right around the corner and Halloween coming up, I decided to lower the price of my Rat King Kigurumi! Better snatch it up quick if you want it in time for Halloween! Buy it now for $250 and get a special Halloween sketch of your character wearing the kigurumi!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rat-King-Ki...../111125356005?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rat-King-Ki...../111125356005?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rat-King-Ki...../111125356005?

Butt icons! Free icons, $5 donation gets you a button pin mailed to you!
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4919616/

I have a Sega Game Gear + three games for sale over on eBay. The downside? The Game Gear is broken. :C With AC power or batteries, when you flip the power switch on the screen just blips for a split second and then it goes blank. I have a feeling it's something as simple as a bad connection on a wire. Anyway, it's cheap and will probably stay cheap and could be a fun afternoon project if you're in to such things. The reward for getting it to work would be two Sonic games and a Lion King game (all three were my FAVES as a kid!).
Anyway, that auction is here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sega-Game-G...../111130354615?

And don't forget! Rat King Kigurumi: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rat-King-Ki.....-/111125356005

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=111125356005

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=111125356005

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=111125356005

Buy It Now obo!!! Go go go!