Tabby Tuesday, A Prize I will cherish forever!

Some months ago I entered a contest that was on one of the 100s of blogs that I follow. The contest was called the:

Purrfect Pet Lovers' Valentines Giveaway

and it was on the blog

CindyLu's Muse

That day CindyLu was featuring an artist, whose creations have a gentle quality that touched my soul. The artist is Becky Sorrentino, and she has an Etsy shop called:  BecArt.

Please take a a few minutes to visit her shop, her work is incredible!

The prize I won was a gift certificate for a personalized  mini-pet portrait.

My dilemma was which pet should I choose to appear on the painting? The answer came rather quickly, it was a no-brainer. My Angel Bobo. Bobo allowed me to share his life  long before I had started blogging, after-all, he is the main reason that Cat Chat exists, (Cat Chat was begun as a living testament to Bobo and the joy that cats bring to our lives),  it had to be Bobo.


This is the photo that I submitted (along with a couple of others).  The photo I sent couldn't have been worse. I had to take a photo OF a photo. This is the photo that is on Bobo's urn.

I submitted a few photos to Becky via email (the process couldn't have been easier) and throughout the process Becky sent me photos of her progress on the painting.

Step One

Painting I approved
Rebecca made a slight change
to improve eye color

When the Personalized Mini Pet Portrait arrived, I was first blown away by how beautifully wrapped the package was. (This photo does NOT do it justice!) The gift box is HAND MADE!

When I removed my painting from the box, I was overcome with sadness (that was NOT a bad thing!), it is a glowing endorsement of  the superb work that Becky does. It was as if my beloved Angel Bobo had literally come to life through the magic of Becky's  talent. Every detail was so perfect, from the color of his eyes, to the EXPRESSION on his face, it was a replica of a most cherished face that I spent 18 glorious years kissing over and over again.

Here is the finished product (I keep mine hanging on my kitchen cupboard where I may see it numerous times throughout the day). My Bobo was my "Kitchen Assistant". Whenever I cooked, he was at my side eagerly tasting my latest culinary creations. Now he is again.

Here are some details about  the Personalized Mini Pet Portraits . This verbage was taken from Becky's Etsy Shop.

Miniature Pet Portrait 
Watercolor and Mixed Media
Approx. 3"x3" 

Customized Pet Portrait 
Send me a photo of your furry friend and I will create an original hand painted portait! These adorable little decorative ornaments feature a small square (approx. 3"x3") watercolor painting of your friend on one side and a wire-shaped word or two about them on the back! 

The back of Bobo's ornament
isn't it just fabulous?

(their name, the year, best friend, meow! woof!) The watercolor paintings are always hand painted by me, based on photos of your furry friend. The word (or words) you wish to have attached to the back of the ornament are made of 24 gauge metal wire and, once again, shaped by yours truly! All ornaments come with ribbon attached to the top for easy hanging around the house year-round or even on your Christmas tree for the holidays *Great decorative little piece of art!*

*Handmade gift box (shown above)included! Color will be same as ornament choice.



My personalized pet portrait is clearly one of the most cherished pieces of art that I own.  It is something that I will never tire of looking at, just as I never tired of gazing at my precious Bobo's face, for every second of the 18 years I was blessed that he allowed me to share his life.

Thank you  Becky for bringing my "boy" back to me!