February 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

As I write this, we're having real yo-yo weather.  Yesterday was 17 below.  That's colder than the freezer in your house.  Somewhere through the night, it warmed up to 20 above.  Tomorrow is supposed to be somewhere below zero again.  No matter the weather, I have to be out in it to take care of my horses.  So....my husband gave me my Valentine's Day present early.  This is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful gifts ever -- a Milwaukee heated jacket.  The first day I wore it, 10 below zero felt like a summer day.  Even my fingers don't get cold anymore!  I knew he was a "keeper" the first time I met him.  

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

While you're munching on your heart-shaped treats...Think Spring!  I start thinking about spring the first day after Christmas every year.  

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Boo wanted to show you "our" king-sized quilt I pieced together last summer using all Batik fabrics.  I could only work on it while he was napping or else fabric, threads and pins would be scattered everywhere.  Shortly after this picture was taken, he was curled up and sound asleep for the afternoon.      

Stay warm!  See you next month!

November Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I really love the deep, rich tones for this month's blog train.  Now, I realize that Thanksgiving isn't a world-wide holiday, but it's one of our favorite days for family, friends and food.  And, it means a 4-day weekend, too!

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Fan Freebie --

Hope you all have a wonderful Fall :)  Take lots of pictures and spend your free time happily scrapping!   

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The Boo Update --

"But, I don't want to come upstairs.  Instead, let's play Chase....you're it..."

How...and I sincerely mean this...HOW did Boo know he had a veterinary appointment???  Needless to say, we were a bit late.  BUT...he gave the vet and her assistant a merry chase around the examining room when they were finished with him and needed to get him back in his carrier.  I  think Boo thought it was great fun!  

Boo just celebrated his 3rd birthday.  We got him a remote controlled mouse to chase around the house.  It's a riot watching him tear after that thing !!  It's like watching a "Tom & Jerry" cartoon....hahahaa!!  He loves it.

Happy Thanksgiving!   See ya next month!

December Pixel Scrapper Blog Train

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I decorated the tree and the rest of the house.  With the sun going down so early now, it just makes everything a bit brighter and more cheerful.  Boo remembered the tree from last year, and was already snoozing underneath it while I was still hanging the ornaments on :) 

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Fan Freebie --

I'm still more of a red-and-green person when it comes to Christmas.  It just fits so well in my log cabin house.  I did, however, spend a few days in my studio while it was raining out and created new Steampunk and some Christmas clock ornaments for the tree.  They look wonderful with snowflakes hanging around them.  I was in the mood for something a little bit different.  

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The Boo Update --

Waiting patiently for Santa "Claws" :)

Merry Christmas!  See you back here next year :)

November Pixel Scrapper Blog Train

In a few short weeks, there will be a turkey roasting, every burner on the stove in use and pies cooling on the counter.  Thanksgiving Day in the US is a celebration of food, family, friends, and all that is good in our lives.  My son and his family won't be able to join us this year because of Covid.  But, eventually, this too shall pass and some sort of "normal" will be back again.  In spite of this being the year from hell, I remain optimistic and thankful just the same.  

The two Pilgrims in this set are part of my decorative painting design line.  If you've ever had a notion to learn how to paint, I invite you to check out my collection of painting patterns at www.hillerproductions.com 

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Fan Freebie --

This month's Fan Freebie is sweet and simple -- a border, corner pieces, a scatter and 4 color coordinated papers.  Believe it or not, these elements are actually cookies.  Using Wilton's sugar cookie recipe, royal icing and enough time to just "putter" in the kitchen on a rainy day, extraordinary things can happen...and they taste pretty good, too!

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The Boo Update --

There is no life without coffee.  Boo knows me so well!  He waits patiently for me to down my second cup so he can have breakfast.  Be patient, Boo...one more cup and I'll be on my feet :)  He looks like he could use a cup, too!

See ya next month!

October Pixel Scrapper Blog Train

Our non-stop heat has finally stopped.  October is here in all of its colorful glory and a definite "bewitching" temperature drop.  Last week, I was wearing sleeveless tops as I headed out to the stables each morning to take care of my horses.  This week?  I'm back to long-sleeved fleece and a jacket to boot.  We'll probably get an "Indian Summer" in here yet before these colorful leaves go flying in the breeze and any moisture from the sky comes down as snow.  We can only hope :)

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Fan Freebie --

Halloween is absolutely my favorite holiday.  It's just fun.  The kids love dressing up in costumes of their choice, Trick or Treating, picking out pumpkins and creating Jack O Lanterns.  Of course, we raised our children in small towns where everyone was on the same page, keeping it fun.  Every year, my grandchildren spend an afternoon here decorating pumpkin cookies with candy eyes and noses, and candy corn mouths.  And then we get to eat them!   

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The Boo Update --

Boo will be 2 years old already in just a couple weeks.  Party hats are always fun :)  He's watching TV with me from the top perch of his tree house.  Although...he pays more attention to commercials selling cat food :)  

September Pixel Scrapper Blog Train

I saw a facebook post recently that said "2020....all we need yet are aliens landing on earth".  It hit my funny bone at the time, but as time goes on, my feelings now are just let it snow!  When it snows, everything quiets down.  This has been an incredibly challenging year.  It's like one thing after another.  This non-stop heat isn't helping.  I'm trying to decide if our trees are really starting to change color, or if they're as tired of this heat and lack of rain as we are.  

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Fan Freebie --

I was thinking about a "Going Back to School" kit for this month, but we're not so sure the kids will be going back to school yet this fall :)  As it stands right now, the kids will actually go to school one week and do online school the next.  (I'm so glad my kids are all grown up!)

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The Boo Update --

Boo has lived in the lap of luxury of an air-conditioned house all summer, but in this photo, you'd think he was dying of thirst :)  Big cat ... big tongue ....big mouth.  He just cracks me up!

Happy Fall!  See ya next month!

August 2020 Pixel Scrapper Blog Train

I loved the colors for this month's blog train.  Of course, I started with one idea and ended up going in a totally different direction.  That has happened to me so often over my 30 years of designing for decorative painting.  I don't fight it.  I just let it flow and wonderful things usually happen, except when they don't :) 

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

I became an avid gardener over the past 20 years since we moved to our ranch here in Wisconsin.  How could I not?  We went from a 75-day growing season to a Zone 5.  After all those years, I finally have been able to get all my flower beds planted so something is always blooming.  As we head into the final month of summer, the late bloomers and re-bloomers are showing their wonderful colors.  The Japanese Anemones are absolutely beautiful this year.

Click  HERE  to Download

The Boo Update --

This is my "little" Boo...all 20 lbs. of him :)  But, I think this picture needs a bit of explanation.  He's laying on his back with his hind feet braced against the wall.  Then his upper body is twisted to the side slightly to brace his front feet against the cabinet.  He slept like that for about 3 hours while I was working in the kitchen.  What a character!

Scrap happy!  See you next month!

July 2020 Pixel Scrapper Blog Train

Starting this month, you're in for something a little bit different.  We're all still using the same color palette, BUT we are doing whatever theme we want.  Marisa gives us suggestions, of course, but we're free to whistle to our own tune.  I feel like one of our ponies when someone left the gate open :)  This kit is a mixture of spending time on the North Shore in Minnesota and the years we lived in California.  Sort of the best of both worlds.

 Click  HERE  to download

Click  HERE  to pick up all the other kits in this train!

Fan Freebie

Since I'm kind of pressed for time, here are some watercolor papers to go with the Blog Train kit above.

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update

Boo quit laying on the dining room table as soon as we removed the plastic drop cloth when we were painting that room back in March, but he has now moved over to the buffet.  Poor kitty will be moved from that spot also very shortly because I am planning on painting it sometime this summer.  He's kind of funny in that he doesn't have one favorite spot to snooze.  There have been times that I've walked through the Livingroom and found him sound asleep right in the middle of the room.  And he doesn't curl up into a ball like "normal" cats :) 

I hope you all have a wonderful summer.  See ya next month with something new!

June 2020 Pixel Scrapper Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Short winter, long spring, but summer is finally here.  The house got painted in March.  My flower gardens got new perennials in April and the older plants are already blooming.  I expanded the strawberry patch with a new type of berry and they're already growing.  The garden is planted and growing very nicely with the rain and warm temperatures.  Spring round-up went off without a hitch.  I moved two herds of horses together onto one big pasture.  They tend to stick with their own stable pals, and the two "alphas" (herd leaders) try to torment each other once in a while.  But, for the most part, they're more interested in munching on that wonderful long green grass.  So, this summer is going to be less work and more play.  Oh!  And I have two new litters of kittens in the stable.  Cute, cute, cute!  Life is good.

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Fan Freebie

I had so much fun with this theme and the wonderful palette, I carried it over into the Fan Freebie as well.  Enjoy!

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The Boo Update --

Boo got a new toy!  We were picking up wood at Menard's for a project I'm working on and just happened to walk past their pet department.  The ball stays in the trough and just goes around in a circle when Boo bats it with his paw.  Sounds too simple to be entertaining, right?  He loves it!

See ya next month!

May Pixel Scrapper Blog Train and Fan Freebie

While working on this kit, my 10-year-old grandson looked at my computer and asked what I was doing.  I told him I was working on a vintage kit for scrapbooking and asked him if he knew what "vintage" meant.  He said "ya, something really old like back in 1990".  Well..when I told the ladies over at Pixel Scrapper about this, the laughter and joking began.  They are such a fun group!

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Click  HERE  to see the rest of this month's Blog Train

Fan Freebie

I designed this kit for my granddaughters.  They like wearing dresses and have sweet little voices, non-stop giggles, love dolls and are just as sweet as can be.  They're a little young for make-up yet, but that day is just around the corner.  Enjoy!

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The Boo Update -- 

When you dream, dream BIG :) 

April Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 It's kind of ironic that the theme this month is "Around The World" at a time when we're supposed to "Stay At Home".  On the other hand, staying at home gives us lots of time to get creative.  Wisconsin started a "Stay At Home" policy on March 25th.  So, we decided to paint our living room, dining room, kitchen, entry way and down the stairway.  That included the vaulted ceilings.  After 7 days of painting, we're just about finished.  It will take another day to move everything back in place again.  Ooo...it looks good!  

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Click  HERE  to see the rest of the Blog Train.

Fan Freebie

Easter is just around the corner, my friends.  Blessings and good wishes to all of you!

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The Boo Update

Boo got a little excited when we started moving things out of the rooms we were painting.  But, when the plastic drop cloths came out, he was sure we were making a big play area just for him.  Crawling under plastic apparently was more fun than a grocery bag.  Here he's laying on the dining room table supervising our painting project.  I hope he doesn't think he can lay on the table when I take the plastic off :)

March 2020 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

"My Tribe" was the perfect opportunity for me to take a more Western approach with this kit using these wonderful colors.  I've bred and raised horses for over 30 years.  Western everything kind of goes with the territory.  And, yes, I scrapbook pages for my horses.  They're part of the family, too!

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Click  HERE  to see the rest of the Blog Train

Fan Freebie

I love Dream Catchers.  This one just happens to match the kit above!

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The Boo Update

Boo loves it when our UPS man brings him a new box.  If he keeps growing like he has been, we're going to need a bigger box!  The side walls of this box are 15 inches.  And to think he could curl up in the palm of my hand just a year and a half ago.    

See ya next month!