August 2024 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Well, it's not the end of summer yet, but it's getting close.  July just flew by!  I had every intention of spending the month painting several canvases that I have sketched out.  Well...that didn't happen!  But I did spend a whole lot of time out in the stables with my horses and a whole bunch of new kittens.  They are so darn cute!  Kittens are little for such a short time.  The canvases will still be where I left them when the snow starts flying.  

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Fan Freebie --

I had so much fun working on the blog train kit, I used the same color palette to make more pieces for you to use.  The reason for all the birds in these kits is that for some reason, we have a whole lot of birds this year.  Some that I've not seen around here before.  Could be the weather, or they simply decided that this looked like a pretty good place to spend the summer :) 

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The Boo Update --

I had become so used to Boo looking like just a big black cat during the past couple years.  Since we have his allergies totally under control now and his collar has grown back -- and seems to just keep growing -- he looks like a totally different cat . . . right up until he starts playing with his toy mice.  Those poor little stuffed mice don't stand a chance!

See you next month!

July 2024 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

The color palette this month was so much fun to work with.  I went totally whimsical with this one and really had a lot of fun creating it.  If bugs actually looked as pleasant as these guys, I don't think I'd mind them so much when I'm gardening :)  

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Fan Freebie --

I left these stamps a little bigger so that you would have more options in how to use them.  You can always make them smaller for your projects.  Much harder to make them larger and maintain their visual integrity.

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The Boo Update --

I wanted to show you Boo's collar that has grown back again in all its glory.  It is a frill of light grey, tans and reddish browns against his long black fur.  After we cleared up his allergy problems and dermatitis, the collar hair grew back within just a few weeks.  It really was amazing.  I wasn't sure it would ever come back after what that poor boy went through.  He is a sight when he goes running through the house.  Sort of reminds you of a lion in the wild.  And oh how soft and thick that collar fur is!

See you next month!

June 2024 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Well, hello summer!  I really love having more daylight hours again.  I can work with my animals, do a little gardening and still have time to spend in my studio without all the lights on.  You'll find lots of fun stuff in this kit.  I have a tendency to doodle when I'm on the phone, waiting for someone or just happen to come across a blank sheet of paper :)  

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Fan Freebie --

 Everyone should have a pet.  Some of us just need more than a few to make our life complete.  I can't even imagine what life would be like without all of my animals.  It's a lot of work, but the rewards are far greater.  Because of our short winter, we were able to get through roundup in May instead of June this year.  So, I put this kit together in the evenings so that you could share in the fun, too!  Looking at this cover photo as I write this... Yup!  This is pretty much my life in a nutshell and I love every minute of it. 

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The Boo Update --

Boo's "happy place" is on the windowsill in my husband's office where he can watch all the hummingbirds and butterflies that congregate around my delphiniums, coneflowers and lilies, and dream of catching birds and bugs while he sleeps in the heat of the sun.  Good thing we have wide windowsills throughout the house, or he would have a tough time being in such a relaxed position :) Since Boo's dermatitis is gone, he's starting to grow his Maine Coon collar back again, probably because he's not scratching himself anymore.  

See you next month!

May 2024 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

My happy place is in my stable, but also all of my gardens.  I get more thinking done, decisions made and problems solved when I'm digging in the dirt, even if all I'm digging out are weeds.  It has taken me years to figure it all out, but now there's always something blooming from spring thru fall.  When I pick out perennials, I pay as much attention to the leaves as I do the flower.  That way, when the blooms die off, you still have the wonderful leafy foliage to backdrop all the mid and late summer blooming plants.  Annuals in pots work pretty well too so that I can just move them to empty spots if need be.

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Fan Freebie --

I stopped vegetable gardening quite some time ago, more because of lack of time than anything else.  I do have a strawberry patch and a raspberry patch, however.  This year, I will also be planting a carrot crop for my horses.  With a carrot in my pocket, I can get them to do just about anything I want.  Granted, carrots aren't all that expensive, but fresh carrots out of the garden are like candy to them and are the perfect reward for a job well done. 

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

First of all, Boo is now Dermatitis free and much happier because of it.  The Royal Canin cat food has made all the difference.  It just took a bit of time.  Why he's allergic to just about everything is beyond me.  I've never had to deal with something like this before, and I've had a LOT of cats in my lifetime.  Thank you Country View Vet.

As for the picture -- This is not an unusual position for Boo.  It's just kind of mind-boggling when you walk into a room and find him this way.  He's sort of sitting with both hind legs, tail and right front leg in front of him.  His left front leg is positioned back farther on his left side to give him balance while he's cleaning himself.  Kitty Yoga! I keep saying he's so unusual, and he is, but another term that comes to mind is "weird"!  I'm used to him though. so I just shake my head and keep on walking.

Boo will be back here next month and so will I.  See you then!!