About Yummi Cats & their Creator, Julianne Winter

The idea for the Yummi Cats came about while working on patterns for my Etsy shop, Frizzy Bee. When I made the very first Yummi Cat, Star (the black licorice cat), I just thought about how flippin' cute she was. So, I made a couple more, Minty (mint chip cat) and Dough (you guessed it... cookie dough). As I sat there, looking at the three original Yummies, I realized that they made me think of scoops of ice cream.

Dough's name came first, because he just looked like a ball of cookie dough straight away. Then Minty who was only missing her chocolate chips, but would find them along the way (see Yummi Storytime Blog post #1 for her back story). Star got her name when I found out that Black Licorice is often flavored with the help of the spice, Star Anise. Perfect! Her name became Star.

The possibilities of color combinations & add-ons were endless!

At first, I thought, I'd make them as a kit, but the more I looked at their little faces and thought about ice cream, the more I realized that Yummi Cats could be a whole lot more than just another crochet pattern in a sea of patterns. I realized that people who are looking for a unique, handmade gift for their kids or significant others, something not just your everyday run-of-the-mill mass produced plushie on the market, might just find these Yummi Cats and discover they are so much more than just a plushie.

I wanted to showcase them in special packaging drawn from their origins of an ice cream shop. As a children's book author and illustrator (see the Tales of Whimsy series by J.H. Winter), each cat in my mind had a personality. They made friends with their topping pals and each other, and some better enjoyed their solitude with a good book as their companion.

As I expanded in my mind about the Yummi Cats brand, I decided that each would come with a unique collector's card. Add to that some fun vinyl stickers with the chosen cat & their friends, and even a color-changing re-usable ice cream spoon so that the giftee could enjoy a nice bowl of their favorite flavor of ice cream alongside their Yummi Cat with the same flavor.

Truly a unique gift for your loved ones to treasure for years and years to come. Handmade with the utmost care and attention to detail where no two are exactly alike. The beauty of handmade, showcased in a fun, collectible package!

Not just a gift, but a Yummi Cats world.

Yummi Cats Ice Cream is where it all begins. There will be new collections of cats to come, and more ice cream flavors too, but in the meantime, you can find out more about these lovable kitties over on the Yummi Storytime Blog where I'll be sharing more art and backstories straight from the Yummi Cats Ice Cream Parlor and all the shenanigans that go on there. I hope you'll follow along and join the Mews-letter for Storytime fun, notifications of new Yummi flavors, exclusive offers, and so much more!