As you may have read in my recent interview with The Conscious Cat, I’ve been working on another little project. I’ve opened Moderncat Studio in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve always been a crafter, and you may have noticed that I have a bit of an obsession with Etsy (I’m wearing my favorite necklace from Etsy seller Adorn Natural in the photo above — thanks to Giulio Sciorio for taking that photo). Moderncat Studio is a place where I can experiment with my own cat-related handcrafts, plus I’m working with other designers to develop some new cat products, all of which will be handmade and in keeping with the Moderncat style. I also feature the work of other artists and craftspeople whose work I appreciate.
The studio is open to the public for special events, like the First Friday Artwalk in downtown Phoenix every month. The official website for the studio is not yet finished, but if you’d like to follow along with the development, please become a fan of the Moderncat Studio page on Facebook.
The plan is to have the studio products for sale on Etsy soon. I’ll be sure to notify you when they are available. In the meantime, if you live in Phoenix, please stop by the actual studio for some serious Moderncat-style holiday shopping for all the cats and cat lovers in your life. We are fully stocked and ready to go! Some of the things you will find at the studio are shown below. Having the studio is also my way to give back. I plan to donate a portion of the profits to local cat rescues and shelters.
Each month, I feature a different guest artist in the studio. This month, the artist is photographer Joe Mehl. We are running a special fundraiser this month – come to the studio and purchase one of Joe’s beautiful cat prints and 50% of the sale will be donated to a local cat charity. We also have Joe’s signature kitty head kaleidoscope on a custom vinyl record wall hanging and also on 8 inch stickers.
In addition to offering products that we make at the studio, I’ve hand-selected products from some of my favorite companies. Right now we have catnip fortune cookies and retro boomerangs from Jake & Micah, as well as catnip eyeballs and kickin’ sticks from HannaPt.
We’re also featuring handcrafted sterling silver jewelry from Phoenix-based jewelry designer Gloria Marsiglia and I created a line of handmade cut-paper greeting cards and gift tags using silhouettes of my own cats (these will be on Etsy soon!)
And here are the first two Moderncat Studio exclusive products! Kitties & Fishies cat toys made from re-purposed vintage neckwear with organic catnip, designed and made by yours truly, and EcoToys designed by Collin Smith, made with EcoFi felt from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic water bottles and stuffed with organic catnip.
So please keep an eye out for more news about the studio and if you’re in Phoenix, please check out the Facebook page for a list of when we’ll be open in the coming months.
November 6th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Concats, Kate! I hope yer fenomenully suksessful! I hope we can come to Feenix to vizit!
November 6th, 2009 at 2:42 am
Wow, looks so nice! And so cool toys too! My favourites are the eyeballs, hilarious!!! All the best! <3
November 6th, 2009 at 3:59 am
Congratulations, Kate! This looks fabulous. I wish I lived in Phoenix!
November 6th, 2009 at 4:48 am
Congratulations Kate!
It’s a great idea…I wish you have all the luck in the world and that the Studio becomes a place of pilgrimage and cult!!
Marta
November 6th, 2009 at 6:45 am
wow, I am jealous
Good luck with the studio, I’ve always wanted to run something like this…
November 6th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Your shop looks terrific. Long ways for us to travel though all the way from SC. But it looks like wonderful stuff.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Well congratulations, the studio is a great idea! I wish you every success, I am a big fan.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Congratulations, Kate!! The studio looks wonderful. I wish I lived closer to Phoenix
November 6th, 2009 at 9:48 am
After this shop gets some good business (which I’m sure it will), I hope another one opens in Seattle! I always wished that ModernCat would open a shop selling some of the items it promotes.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Congratulations! I’m very happy for you. I love that you’ve used “Moderncat Brown” (as I now think of it) on the walls — great continuation of the brand!
Now… today what I’m looking for is Yankees gear for the Kush. I don’t suppose you’ve got something for us?
Best o’ luck w/ the expanded venture.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:01 am
congratulations! Good luck ! I hope you have a great business whit your studio! And cat lovers, like me, all love this idea!
God bless you!
November 6th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Wow, congrats! What a great project! If I’m ever in Phoenix (again), I’d love to come by!
When you get the website up, will we be able to buy online?
November 6th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Congratulations! I’ve been following you for awhile and am thrilled that you are putting your impecable taste to good use by starting up this studio. If I were in the area I’d be there with bells on. LOVE the necktie critters …
November 6th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Congrats! I wish I was in Phoenix.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:33 am
My brother lives in Phoenix now. I’ll have to check you out when I make it down there. Congrats!
November 6th, 2009 at 11:50 am
This is amazing, I didn’t know you lived in Phoenix! I live in Tempe! Whats the address of the store? Today is First Friday, will you be open today? Wow, I’m beyond excited!
November 6th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Wow, conCATs, Kate! What an ambitious venture, and what amazing items you are showcasing! Make this one MORE reason I wish we lived in AZ. *SIGH*
November 6th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Yes! We’ll be open tonight from 6 to 10pm! The studio is at 1301 W Grand Avenue in the Bragg’s Pie Factory Building. You can park in the lot at Grand and Mckinley and enter through the back. Hope to see you tonight!
November 6th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Congratulations and best wishes!
November 6th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Congatulations! Your new studio looks great!
November 7th, 2009 at 1:23 am
I’m so looking forward to your Etsy shop… I obviously can’t cross the Atlantic to shop in your Studio, but I sure wish I could. Design for cats here in France is non-existent at best.
November 8th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Congratulations!!! The shop looks great. I live in MA, but hope to visit Phoenix soon. You should know that the GreenBuild Conference is coming up next week and is in Phoenix this year, which attracts about 20,000 people from around the country and world! I’ve attended the GreenBuild Conference the past 3 years, but this I had to past. I bet there are a lot of sustainable cat lovers that would love to visit your new store. all the best.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Congrats, Kate!It looks fabulous!
November 8th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Awesome! I’m vacationing in Arizona this year, I’ll have to see if I can drop by.
December 26th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
When will you be open again? I need some fine kitty toys made locally to send to Canada.
Love and best wishes,
Kari
June 10th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Concats, Kate. Such a cool idea!!!!