Peppermint

Several months ago, my sister sent me a link to a post by Homebody Holly about a book we had read as children.  It's about a kitten named Peppermint who was born in a candy store.

Peppermint is a "soiled white kitten" who falls into a tub of bluing right before the cat show.

It turns out to be just what Peppermint needed to win first prize.

A good friend of mine was so touched when she saw this because it had been her favorite book as a child.  Right then I knew I wanted to make something Peppermint-y for her, but what?  The idea was in the back of my mind for a while (a necklace? a keychain?) and then I saw this poor wooden cat at the thrift store.  It was so ugly I was tempted to just pass it by:

*shudder*

After removing the "accessories" I painted the cat white and chose two scrapbooking papers to create Peppermint.

  I love the candy look of this one.

The other side:

Oh no!  Peppermint fell into a tub of bluing!

(Apparently I took this picture before I painted the thing!)

After painting, I Mod Podged the papers on and gave it to my Peppermint-loving friend for her birthday.

Note: I don't think people use bluing much anymore, but it is a laundry product used to make dingy or yellowed whites look white again.  According to Mrs. Stewart's Bluing: "Not only does it whiten whites, it also brightens colors and does so without harsh chemicals, prolonging the life of any garment. People are seeking environmentally safe products and they know that MSB is non-toxic and biodegradable."  In the Other Uses section, it is suggested that you can use bluing (diluted) to whiten the hair of a pet.