Yankee Belle Stamper

Colour Q Challenge #123...

2012-02-08T18:20:00.000-05:00

Hello,

Man am I on a roll with getting my craft on lately? It has been forever since I have posted consistently over a 5 day span. I hope the mojo stays up because I have had a ball creating after a month long lull.

Carrying with the Valentine's theme, I went with a really simple design for my card. I used the Colour Q Challenge #123 photo as my inspiration. I tell you, don't those cookies look delicious? Part of me thinks that they are too pretty to eat. LOL!

I hope you have a great day!
Brandi

Love Bird...

2012-02-07T19:04:00.000-05:00

Hello,

I wanted to share another Valentine's Day card with you that I made for Jay Gee Nook's Challenge #16. The inspirational photo this week is so fun with various bright colors. I couldn't resist the urge to play. Have you seen the latest stamp set created by Jenny called "Happy Owlentine's Day"? Oh my goodness, it is the cutest set! I inked up the love bird image and colored it in with my prisma colors.

I tell you, I don't know what I am going to do with all of these Valentine's Day cards I will have left over. The hubby and I were talking the other day about what we are going to do for V-day. I said "Hon, whatever you do just please don't buy me any sweets". I have been on a health kick and I know that temptation would make my healthy habit come to an end in an instant. LOL!

I have got to share with you a pic of one of my weaknesses, cupcakes. Have any of you heard of the bakery "Crumbs"? OMG, they are so fabulous and have the biggest cupcakes with the most calories possible. Each cupcake pretty much tops the mark at over 500 calories a piece. Are you hungry yet? LOL!

Have a sweet day,

Brandi

Cutie Pie...

2012-02-06T18:59:00.000-05:00

Hello,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and felt refreshed starting the new week. The hubby and I stayed up late last night catching the tail end of the Super Bowl. Did any of you watch the game, commercials or the half-time show with Madonna? I have to say that I am not a huge Madonna fan but I loved her performance. Wow! She blew me away with the backdrops, singing and all around great duo with Cee Lo Green (one of my favorite artist). I went to bed thinking that the NFL made a great choice with her as the performer. What did you think? I have to say that the Audi commercial with the vampires and the apocalypse Chevy commercial took the top spot in my book as the best commercials of the night. Here is the link to the vampire commercial if you missed it. It so reminds me of the Twilight movies. What was your favorite commercial?

Now back to the real reason most of you stop by my blog, for the crafting part. I made this card for the Valentine's Challenge at the Create blog. I used this cute little pie image from the "my silly valentine" set by Lawn Fawn.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit,
Brandi

Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge...

2012-02-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

Hello and Happy Super Bowl Sunday! LOL!

Are any of you watching the big game today? Matt and I are going to tune in even though our Jets aren't in it this year. We having a saying at our house in that "We root for two teams only, the Jets and anyone who plays the Patriots". LOL!

I wanted to share with you the Valentines Day card that I made for The hubby this year. We love to watch tv together in our downtime, so I thought the Boob Tube stamp set from Paper Smooches would be the perfect set to use. I am uploading this card for the latest Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge. I went with the stripes and color combo from the inspirational photo.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Brandi

Smitten...

2012-02-04T13:28:00.000-05:00

Hello,

I hope you are enjoying the weekend. My hubby is at work, so I took a little time for myself to craft. Oh how it feels so nice to get back to creating. Over the past few weeks I have been hopping by most of your blogs or pinterest and have had inspiration overload. There are so many rocking cards out there lately.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching I wanted to make a couple of cards for nieces to mail to them. I found this cute heart candy and smitten sentiment stamp in the dollar bin at AC Moore this week. I just had to have them and ink them up immediately for the Tuesday Trigger Moxie Fab Challenge. I took the color scheme from the photo for my inspiration. I hope you like it.

This is a picture of my nieces and I on the NYC subway. We had a girls weekend in the city with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law in December. My nieces favorite thing of NYC was going to the American Girl store. Lol!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Hello chickadee!

2012-01-31T20:58:00.000-05:00

Hello chickadees!

Boy have I missed catching up with you all. I have been on a mini hiatus from the craft world due to some home renovations that have taken over my free time. The hubby and I have hired a friend to help update our kitchen and other areas of our house. We are so excited to finally get going on renovation plans we have been dreaming of the past five years when we bought our home. We had to move out of our house for a couple of weeks due to the refinishing of our hardwood floors and installation of our new slate floors in the kitchen. I popped my head in a couple of times and think I slightly got high of of the fumes. Boy were they strong. LOL!

I wanted to share a card with you that I made just for the fun of it. I love Lawn Fawn stamps so much. I think they are simply the cutest. I bought the farm critter set a while back and wanted to ink it up. My friend Jocelyn host a fun blog post every Tuesday called "Trick or Treat Tuesday". It is just a fun place to link up something that you crafted for the day or to find inspiration from other crafters (it could involve card making, home decor, food recipes or etc.). You can find the link here!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #82

2012-01-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends,

I am popping in today to share a card I made for the latest Wee Memories Challenge #82. The theme this week is "Mini Cards". We also have a wonderful sponsor this week, My Favorite Things Stamp Company. You can find their website here.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on this cute little umbrella girl. I had so much fun coloring her with prisma pencils. I haven't yet dived into the copics yet but might soon. The size of my mini card is 3" x 3" so little embellishing was needed besides some turquoise rhinestones.

On a side note, some of you may have heard already that the Wee Memories Challenges are going to come to a close at the end of this month. Sad? I know I am. Before I was lucky enough to be on this DT, I viewed this site as one of the weekly challenges I had to participate in. If you want to read more about Jenny's hard decision you can see her post here.

I would love for you to play along and have some fun. So hop on over here for some more inspiration from the DT and to upload your fabulous creation. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.

Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #81

2011-12-31T07:31:00.000-05:00

Hello and Happy New Years Eve!

I wanted to pop in and share a card with you that I made for the latest Wee Memories Challenge #81. The theme this week is "New". An example would be a card for a new baby or new home. I chose to focus on the New Year. I got this cute stamp set from the Craft's Meow that I couldn't wait to ink up. I just love stamp sets lately that have a city scene / skyline. Don't you?

I hope you are enjoying the holiday weekend and have a great time ringing in the New Year. The hubby and I are going to a get together at our friends house. I can't wait, it should be fun!

If you would like to play along in the challenge you can upload your card here. Hop on over for all the details on the prize, sponsor and other DT creations.

Take care and have a safe and wonderful New Year!
Brandi

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:35:00.000-05:00

Hello and Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you! I hope you are enjoying the day with your loved ones. This is a prescheduled post, because by this time I am next to a cozy fire with my family having a nice breakfast and enjoying some gifts.

I wanted to share with you my last Christmas card of the year. I chose to use the colors from the latest Colour Q Challenge #116 and Play Date Cafe Challenge #112.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Merry Christmas,

Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #80

2011-12-17T08:00:00.003-05:00

Hello and Happy Saturday to you! I am popping in to share a card I made for the latest Wee Memories Challenge #80. The theme this week is "Anything Goes"! What a wonderful theme to have around the holidays, right? You can free your mind and create whatever you like!

I chose to make a holiday card but a masculine one. I have alot of avid hunters in my family (although I am totally against it, LOL!) and I thought this would be a perfect card for one of them. I found this cute scene from Martha Stewart's collection and added a sentiment with a line border, easy peasy!

I would love to see your creation! You have a whole two weeks to come up with something spectacular and upload your creation here! Pop on over to check out the sponsor, prize information and more amazing DT inspiration!

Brandi

CASE Study #68

2011-12-04T20:18:00.000-05:00

Hello,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The hubby and I kept it pretty low-key around here. We went out on a dinner date, bought a Christmas tree and I got the majority of the Christmas shopping done. I feel good about the shopping. To me that is the most stressful thing, finding the perfect gift for everyone.

I did find a little time to make a card for the latest CASE Study Challenge #68. The card used for the inspiration was so cute. I chose to focus on the butterfly and made my own with a few punches. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #78

2011-12-03T06:59:00.000-05:00

Hello,

It's Saturday so that means it's time for another Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Challenge. The theme this week is "Anything Goes" and is sponsored by Artful Delight. Their website can be found here.

Why don't you come play along? You have until this Friday to upload your card or altered art here for a chance to win a card kit!

Thanks for stopping by,

Brandi

CASE Study #67

2011-11-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

Hey y'all,

Hope your having a great morning! I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the latest CASE Study Challenge #67. I thought the muse and the card this week was perfect inspiration for my clean and simple style. I chose to work with the layout of the card. I couldn't help myself when I saw the polka dots! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

PS Sparks Challenge

2011-11-28T05:53:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all,

Hoping your having a great start to the week. I wanted to pop in and share a card I made for the latest PS November Sparks Challenge. We were given this wonderful print for inspiration and I chose to focus on the color scheme for my card. I can't get enough of the acorn stamp in the "Fallen For You" set. So I pulled it out and inked it up.

Sorry to make this post short but I am off to get my morning run in before heading out to the office. Have a good one!

Brandi

Colour Q #112

2011-11-27T11:06:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all,

I hope that all of you that celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful one. I am counting down the minutes left on my long weekend until I have to get back to the real world. I was able to spend a few minutes in my studio to create a card for the latest Colour Q Challenge #112. I bought these cute chair stamps at Michael's the other day and couldn't wait to ink them up.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #77

2011-11-19T08:00:00.053-05:00

Hello,

It's Saturday so that means it's time for another Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Challenge. The theme this week is "Woodland Friends" and is sponsored by the Craft's Meow.

I inked up one of Jenny's cute owl sets (Owl Be Thinking Of You) that can be purchased at the Craft's Meow store. I just love this set and all of the possibilities that come with it.

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, we are extending this challenge for two week's. That will give you plenty of time to upload a card or altered art here for a chance to win a stamp set of your choice from the Craft's Meow.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Paper Smooches Spark Challenge

2011-11-14T21:38:00.001-05:00

Hey y'all,

Hope you had a fabulous weekend! The hubby and I had the day off Friday for Veteran's Day, so I had a 3-day break from the office. We ended up working on our kitchen renovations and I was able to catch a small amount of craft time for myself. I just love Paper Smooches stamps, so I knew I had to enter the latest Sparks Challenge. The first thing I thought of when I saw the inspirational photo was the fabulous apple stamp! I just love this image. Sorry to make this post short but I have to get going.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #76

2011-11-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hello,

Hope you're having a great weekend. It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "Birthdays and Parties" and is sponsored by Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker.

Birthdays are one of my favorite occasions to make cards for. What's not to love when you can incorporate cupcakes into your card, right? LOL!

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card or altered art here for a chance to win a paper prize pack!

Thanks for stopping by,

Brandi

November Wee Memories Blog Hop

2011-11-05T08:00:00.002-04:00

Hello,

I am here with the Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Blog Hop for the month of November and most importantly it is our 75th challenge! You should have arrived here from Anita. If at any time you get lost, you can go to the Wee Memories blog for a full list of participants!

This weeks challenge is sponsored by Oh My Crafts. The theme of the challenge is "Handmade gifts, tags or boxes". I created a fun little gift box that can be used for a baby shower. It can be filled with candy or whatever your heart desires. I found this free and fun template for this birdhouse box from the PTI website. Here is the link to the birdhouse template if you want to give it a try. Did you also notice the owl stamp on the tag? This is from one of Jenny's fun new stamp sets that she created. You can find the full reveal here! I hope that you will join us for this challenge. You have until this Friday to upload your card here for a chance to win a Paper Bundle Prize Pack! Fun right?

The next stop along the way is Cathy. Thanks for stopping by.
Brandi

Cards that Care Blog Hop...

2011-11-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hello,

I am so glad you stopped by today! A group of us wanted to get together and make a holiday card to spread the word about this great event called the Cards that Care Blog Hop. Cards that Care is an event to collect handmade holiday cards for the elderly to distribute at nursing homes. You can find all of the information here. You should have arrived here from Cathy.

Guess what! There are fun prizes to be won just for browsing the blog hop and leaving comments. Winners will be randomly drawn from all of the comments left throughout the hop. Don't forget, the more blogs you leave comments on, the better your chances of winning. Some of the prizes include products from companies like Lawn Fawn, Penny Black, Sweet Stamp Shop, Avocado Arts and I Love It All! You have until this Sunday @ midnight CST to leave comments.

The next stop along the hop is Christy. If for any reason you get lost along the way, you can see a full list of participants at Vera's blog.

Thanks for hopping by!
Brandi

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:46:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween from our home to yours! My nieces and I before trick or treating. Mackenzie was a flower girl and Addison a witch! Too cute!

Wee Memories Challenge #74

2011-10-29T08:00:00.040-04:00

Hello!

Hope you're having a great weekend. It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "Buttons, Bows and Brads" and is sponsored by Jay Gee's Nook.

I have been a fan of Judith's (Jay Gee's Nook) for months. She is a talented designer and holds a fun monthly inspirational challenge. She even has her own internet based store that you can find here, and her personal blog can be found here! Go check it out because you will be amazed at her work and the products in her store.

This week I decided to make a fall themed card. I just adore the fall but it seems that in upstate NY, winter is here. We had our first snowfall on Thursday. Yikes! I can't recall the last time it snowed this early.

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card or altered art here for a chance to win a great prize!

Thanks for stopping by,

Brandi

PTI October Blog Hop

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I wanted to pop in quickly to share a card I made for the latest PTI blog hop challenge. The inspirational photo this week is so fun with its fall theme!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

CASE Study Challenge #62

2011-10-24T20:12:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I stayed busy running lots of errands, crafted a little and worked on our house. I spent most of the day Sunday sanding and painting our front bay window. It looks so pretty now all painted white. It is amazing how one little improvement made to the exterior of your house can seem to make a big difference.

I was able to craft a little and chose to take on the CASE Study Challenge #62. The inspirational card this week was a perfect fit for me because I love the colors and the clean and simple layout.

On a side note, I did catch a movie Saturday night titled "My Sister's Keeper". Talk about a tear jerker. I seriously cried about four times. Have any of you seen it? Well that's it for me.

Have a great one!
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #73

2011-10-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hello!

Hope you're having a great weekend. It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "Free For All" and is sponsored by Annabelle Stamps. You can find their website here.

I pulled out my Annabelle stamp set titled Swirl Tree. I just love this set! You can see the full reveal of it here, and it is actually on sale. There are so many possibilities with it. I used the heart ornaments to decorate the tree for a wedding theme but there are so many more embellishments that can be added. The set has Easter eggs, ornaments and presents that can be hung from the tree to create various card themes. Cute huh?

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card or altered art here for a chance to win a great prize!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #72

2011-10-15T08:00:00.006-04:00

Hello!
Hope you're having a great weekend. It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "Holiday Madness" and is sponsored by Lawn Fawn. You can find their website here. I have been a fan of their cute stamps for awhile now. They are just so fun!!!

This week I decided to do some altered art in lieu of a card. My cute little nieces are coming to visit for Halloween and I wanted to make them something special. I bought a package of Hershey's nuggets and covered them with some patterned paper. I bought this silver case a while back and it fits 12 of the little candy pieces perfectly. I decorated the outside of the case by wrapping it with patterned paper and topping it off with a bow, button, homemade tag and a few rhinestones. I hope they will like it.

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card or altered art here for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Lawn Fawn!

Thanks for stopping by,

Brandi

Enjoy The Journey

2011-10-13T08:00:00.003-04:00

Hello,

Hope your having a great week. I wanted to pop in to share a card I made recently using Practicing Creativity's set, "The Whole Cycle". I also used a few background images from PTI (polka dots and houndstooth).

Thanks for stopping by for a visit,
Brandi

JGN Challenge #12

2011-10-11T05:50:00.000-04:00

Hello,

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the latest Jay Gee's Nook Challenge #12. The inspirational photo this month was so fun and full of color. Although my colors tend to be more bold than pastel, I was inspired more by the actual photograph itself. The image of the ferris wheel is what I focused on.

Speaking of ferris wheel, the hubby and I took a trip this past weekend to the Texas State Fair. We actually went there for the OU vs. Texas college football game. We are huge OU fans and we actually won. We had such a great time there. I will share pictures later on in the week of the event.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #71

2011-10-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hello!

Hope you're having a great weekend. It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "Halloween" and is sponsored by Paper Smooches. You can find their website here. I have been a fan of their cute stamps for awhile now. They are just so fun!!!

Isn't this mummy stamp so cute? I actually got it in the $1 bin at AC Moore. I just love finding deals like this. Being a mummy, he didn't need to much coloring. LOL! I just need a few little embellishments, patterned paper and voila!

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card here for a chance to win a fun Paper Smooches prize!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

That Special Ornament

2011-10-06T20:54:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I have another holiday card to share with you that I made over the weekend. I created the various ornaments with a paper punch I bought from Stampin' Up. It is a great tool to have because it doubles as a tool for making cute tags for Christmas gifts.

While posting this card about ornaments, I was wondering if you have that special one that you put on your tree from year to year. You know, the most memorable one. It could be store bought, home made or even received as a gift. The most important one that I can think of is a glass ball with a minnie (bride) and a mickey (groom) on top. We bought it in Disney World back in 2005 on our honeymoon. Every year I unwrap it carefully and place it on the front of the tree. It always reminds me of a perfect moment in time. I would love to hear your story!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Thinking of You

2011-10-05T18:08:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made using this fabulous PTI set. I won this flower set from my friend Kasia, a few months back, when she had a blog candy post. I love to use it on sympathy and thinking of you cards.

Well I'm off to catch up on my fall shows. CSI: Las Vegas comes on tonight and it is my favorite. There have been so many great shows that have come out lately. I have to narrow down the list because they are taking over my DVR. LOL!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

CAS-ual Friday Challenge #22

2011-10-04T22:12:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Hope your having a great week. I wanted to pop in quickly to share a card I made for the latest CAS-ual Friday Challenge #22. The theme this week is "Feeling Loopy". I created a few loops throughout the card with the twine and ribbon tabs. I pulled out this little bat image from Paper Smooches. Isn't he just so cute? LOL!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.
Brandi

Glitter Galore

2011-10-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hey y'all!

I hope you had a fun weekend and were able to craft a little. I took full advantage of WCMD and made a few holiday cards that I will share with you this week. This particular one is full of glitter, huh? I bought these little glitter snowflakes a couple of years ago and finally dug them out to use. I just love the bright green and turquoise.

Besides crafting, the hubby and I went to the movies this weekend to see "Killer Elite". It was the hubbys pick but it actually turned out to be really good. It is based on a true story so that was a plus.

Hope you have a great start to the week and thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

October Wee Memories Blog Hop

2011-10-01T08:00:00.086-04:00

Hello and Happy World Card Making Day!!!

I am here with the Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Blog Hop for the month of October! You should have arrived here from Anita! If at any time you get lost, you can go to the Wee Memories blog here for a full list of participants!

This weeks challenge is sponsored by Unity Stamp Company. The theme of the challenge is "Favorite Technique". I hope that you will join us for this challenge. You have until this Friday to upload your card for a chance to win a stamp set from Unity! Fun right?

The next stop along the way is Cathy. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are able to take some time to get crafty for World Card Making Day!

September PTI Blog Hop

2011-09-25T10:00:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all,

I wanted to pop in quickly to share a card I made for the latest PTI blog hop challenge. The inspirational photo this week is so modern and chic. I decided to use my new chevron background stamps to create a background pattern. I used the colors from the photo, which are an amazing color combo. I'll have to remember it for future cards.

Sorry to make this post short, but I have tons to do today before the NY Jets take on the Raiders at 4!

Bye for now,
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #69

2011-09-24T08:00:00.006-04:00

Hello!

Hope you're having a great weekend. It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "Patterned Paper" and is sponsored by Echo Park Paper. You can find their website here, to see their fabulous lines and collections!

Patterned paper is definitely a hard theme for me. I rarely use pp and opt to make my own patterns out of background stamps. I am guilty of buying and hoarding cute paper, that's for sure, thinking one day I will use it. LOL! I had this little doll stamp that I bought in the dollar bin at Michaels and thought that the dress pattern matched this cute paper by Cosmo Cricket. Maybe I should jump out of my clean and simple box I'm in and dive more into my stash for future cards! What do you think?

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card here for a chance to win a fun Echo Park Paper Collection!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

2011-09-22T13:34:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I wanted to pop in quickly to share some pics of this past weekend. The hubby and I are huge NY Jets football fans, as well as his parents. We all took a trip down to New Jersey on Sunday to tailgate and watch them beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was such a fun game to watch because it was a blowout, as compared to many games in the past.

The hubby and I have a few connections regarding the team we were playing against. The kicker and quarterback for the Jaguars both played football at the college we attended (Louisiana Tech University). We use to hang out with the kicker (Josh Scobie) at school, so it was pretty neat to see him play professionally.

I wanted to share a few pics of the day. The hubby and I both love the quarterback (Mark Sanchez #6), so we wore the same jersey. A little weird, I know, but it is what it is! LOL!

The second photo was taken from our seats. We had a great view!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit and seeing what I love outside of crafting! LOL!
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #68

2011-09-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hello!

Hope you're having a great weekend. It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "No Patterned Paper" and is sponsored by Ippity Chick (Jen).

I decided this week to go with a "fall" theme. I bought these cute little acorn stamps from Paper Smooches and just love what they look like inked up. I also broke out my new houndstooth background stamp from PTI. What do you think?

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card here for a chance to win some fun stamps!
Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Colour Q Challenge #102

2011-09-16T06:38:00.000-04:00

Hey girls!

Hope you are having a great week! Thank goodness it is Friday because I am so ready for the weekend. One of my good friends and I are going to have a girls day out tomorrow with a little shopping and lunch. Fun! What are you doing?

I just wanted to pop in quickly to share a card I made for the latest Colour Q Challenge #102. The inspiration colors this week are amazing. I know another Christmas card, right? Oh well! I should have plenty at the end of the year. LOL!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Brandi

Happy 5th Birthday

2011-09-12T08:00:00.005-04:00

Hey y'all!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend. I wanted to pop in to share a card I made. I had a request to make a card for a 5 year old's birthday. He is really into spiders and insects. I looked through all my stamps and picked out this spider stamp from a Halloween set. Isn't he cute? Can you really be scared of a spider with a smile? LOL!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.
Brandi

Colour Q Challenge #101

2011-09-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I am popping in quickly to share a card I made for the Colour Q Challenge #101. I found the colors this week to be so inspirational that I couldn't pass it up. I used the colors to make a Christmas card. Starting early, you know, so that I will have plenty when Christmas rolls around.

On a side note, I just wanted to say that today is a day of remembrance for 9/11. The hubby and I will never forget where we were when this day occurred 10 years ago. We will always remember the innocent lives taken to soon. God Bless America!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #67

2011-09-10T08:00:00.004-04:00

Hope you are having a great weekend. It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "One Layer Creations" and is sponsored by Wilson Designs. Wilson Designs is a clear stamp company owned and operated by Kim Wilson. She has the cutest creations. You can view her stamps and work here!

Do you like this Christmas scene stamp? One day my boss came into the office with a shoebox full of stamps that she picked up for me in a little shop out of town. I was so excited when I found this little gem inside. I let the stamp speak for itself. I added very minimal coloring in the trees and a cute sentiment with pearls. If you look closely, there is a hint of glitter throughout for the snow.

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card here for a chance to win a fun stamp set!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

September Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Blog Hop

2011-09-03T07:27:00.000-04:00

Hello!

I am here with the Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Blog Hop for the month of September! You should have arrived here from Anita! If at any time you get lost or if you would like to start at the beginning you can go to Jenny's Wee Memories blog here! We also have a special guest designer this week Laurie. This weeks challenge is sponsored by I Love It All! For cute sentiment art prints, go check them out at their etsy shop here!

The theme of the challenge this week is Simply Sentiments. I threw together multiple sentiments from various stamping companies to create a CAS birthday card.

I hope that you will join us for this challenge. You have until this Friday to upload your card for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate from I Love It All!

The next stop along the way is Cathy. Thanks for stopping by!
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #65

2011-08-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday!

It's time for a new Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! The theme this week is "Back to School" and is sponsored by "Your Next Stamp".

When I think of back to school, I think of apples and rulers. So I dug through my stamps and bingo, there they were waiting to be inked up. LOL!

Why don't you come play along? You have until next Friday to upload your fabulous card for a chance to win a fun stamp set!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Moxie Fab - Fabulous Felt

2011-08-23T06:49:00.000-04:00

Hey girls,

Hope your having a great week. I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the latest Moxie Fab World Fabulous Felt Challenge. I had some cute little felt cupcakes in my studio and thought that this would be a perfect excuse to use them. I think they are from the Martha Stewart line. She has the cutest card making items!

I appreciate you stopping by for a visit!

Brandi

CASE Study Challenge #53

2011-08-21T22:18:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. It is raining buckets here so I wanted to take a minute to post a card I made for the latest CASE Study Challenge #53. The theme this week is to CASE a card by Chupa! She is super talented and seems to vary from shabby to CAS. I chose one of her CAS designs that can be found here.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

CAS-ual Friday Challenge #15

2011-08-14T19:02:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all!

I wanted to pop in with a card I made for the latest CAS-ual Friday Challenge #15. This weeks challenge involves a fun little sketch. Sketches are the best way to get the creative mojo working. LOL! I pulled out some PTI stamps (Tea for two additions) that I have yet to ink up and gave them a whirl.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

August Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Blog Hop

2011-08-13T08:00:00.011-04:00

Hello!

I am here with the Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Blog Hop for the month of August! You should have arrived here from Anita! If at any time you get lost or if you would like to start at the beginning you can go to Jenny's Wee Memories blog here.

This two week challenge is sponsored by Graphic 45! The theme of the challenge this week is masculine. I threw together some masculine paper, stars and a manly sentiment and voila! There is one item on the card that I had to add, although not masculine, rhinestones! What can I say, it needed some sparkle! LOL!

I hope that you will join us for this challenge! The winner will take home paper and stamps from Graphic 45! How cool is that? The next stop along the hop is Cathy!

Thanks for hopping by!

Brandi

DeNami Sketch Challenge #9

2011-08-08T07:09:00.000-04:00

Hello,

I am so excited to share a card with you that I made for the latest DeNami Sketch Challenge #9. This is my first crack at the DeNami challenges. My good friend Lisa @ Bellalistonia sent me a few DeNami stamps and I couldn't wait to play with the whale one. How cute is he? Thanks again Lisa!

Alrighty, I'm off to start the work week. Have a great day.

Brandi

Colour Q Challenge #96

2011-08-07T09:25:00.000-04:00

Hello,

I hope you are having a wonderful and relaxing Sunday. I wanted to take a minute to thank each and everyone of you that took the time to leave a comment on my DT post yesterday. It made my day!

A neighbor of mine is going through a tough time, so I wanted to make her a sympathy card. I decided to use the colors from the latest Colour Q Challenge #96. How pretty is that bed cover in the inspiration photo? I might need to add that to my wish list on Pinterest. LOL! I am so addicted to Pinterest. I can get lost in time just surfing through the various photos.

A quick thank you to my friend Kasia. She had a blog candy post awhile back and I won this gorgeous PTI stamp set that I used on this card. Thanks girl!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit,
Brandi

I'm So Excited.....

2011-08-06T10:11:00.000-04:00

...and I just can't hide it...da...da!

Why? Because the sweet and oh so talented Jenny over at Wee Memories asked me to join her Design Team. I am over the moon excited because I have been participating in the weekly Saturday challenges for awhile now and just love her website. It is so full of fabulous inspiration!

If you have a moment, please hop over and see the design team post here!

A big thank you to Jenny and her DT for this opportunity!

Brandi

Sweet Pea

2011-08-04T01:05:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!

I was at A.C. Moore the other day and found this decorative paper from Basic Grey that I couldn't pass up. It reminds me so much of summer with the beautiful flowers and I immediately thought of little bees buzzing around the blooms. I had this cute little bee stamp from PTI and inked it up.

The funny thing is that I've been making so many baby cards lately but have no one to give them to. LOL! I will just stick them in the pile for later, I guess.

Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by,

Brandi

PTI July Blog Hop

2011-07-25T08:55:00.000-04:00

Hello,

Happy Monday! I wanted to pop in to share a card I created for the PTI July Blog hop that can be found here! What a fun challenge for this month. The theme is to use this gorgeous picture for inspiration. I just love the butterfly pillow and medallion themed quilt in the photo. Those were the two items that inspired this card.

Off to start my work week. Have a great day!
Brandi

Colour Q #94

2011-07-24T08:30:00.000-04:00

Hello!

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the Colour Q Challenge #94. I have to say that this weekly challenge is my favorite by far. The colors every week are just so inspiring and work great together. Even though the deadline is today, I had to sneak an entry in.

I hope you are enjoying the weekend so far. I had a girls day out yesterday with one of my good friends. We got a pedicure, ate a great lunch at this cute mexican food place and did some fabulous shopping. Can't beat girl time, right? Today the hubby and I are going to grab some lunch and maybe see a movie or two. He is so excited to see the new Captain America movie, so that will obviously be our first stop. LOL!

Take care,
Brandi

Candy Apples

2011-07-17T07:53:00.000-04:00

Hello,

Hope your having a fabulous weekend. I was able to finish up some yardwork yesterday, no more mulching! I know we are a little behind as it is halfway through July, but we work on our own schedule. LOL! I am not sure what the hubby and I have on the agenda today, it is wide open. Aren't those sometimes the best days? When nothing is set in stone and you can just roll with it.

I did mangae to get a little crafting on and decided to play with my new PTI stamps for the latest Cas-ual Friday Challenge #11. I have had the Fall Fillers set on my wishlist for awhile now and finally decided to splurge. I could not resist the candy apple. Although I colored it red, I must admit that green apples with caramel taste the best in my opinion! What flavor do you prefer?

Brandi

July Spark Challenge

2011-07-14T18:41:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for this fun little challenge called Paper Smooches July Sparks that can be found here! The challenge is to pick one color combo and one layout that is provided to spark some creativity. I chose to use the layout that can be found in the top left corner and the color combo of pink, chocolate, teal and wine. I think I am going to have to try more of these fun combos before the challenge ends because they are so fun!

Take care,

Brandi

Colour Q #93

2011-07-13T20:25:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Happy Wednesday! I have been MIA for awhile and have been missing you so much. I haven't really been creating but I have definitely been visiting your blogs. Sometimes I am just so inspired by you all and want to hide away and craft my heart out but my time has been limited in that area. LOL!

I wanted to pop in today to share a card I made for the latest Colour Q Challenge #93. I love the colors for this weeks challenge. I bought this little doll stamp at Michael's for only 1$. How cool is that? I love their dollar bins!

Hope all is well with you and thanks for popping by.

Brandi

Beautiful Borders

2011-06-30T20:43:00.000-04:00

Hello,

I am popping in to share a card I made for the Moxie Fab Beautiful Borders Challenge. I used my favorite notebook edge border punch and my new Damask decorative paper from PTI that I recently bought. What do you think?

Sorry for such a quick post but I have a few things to take care of before our shows start tonight. The hubby and I are really into the new show NY INK. It is a reality show about these tattoo artist that set up a shop in Soho. It follows the lives of the various tattoo artist and their clients. It is amazing to see the various people that come in and out of the shop and the stories behind the tattoos that they create. It is such an art form.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Rainbow Challenge

2011-06-28T21:56:00.000-04:00

Hello...

Hope you are having a fabulous week. I am counting down the days until our Fourth of July holiday weekend. The hubby has Saturday off this week, so we will be able to spend a three day weekend together. It has been awhile since that has happened. We have so much on our to-do list, so hopefully lots will be checked off soon. LOL!

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the latest challenge at the Embellish blog. The theme this week is a rainbow color challenge. Rainbows can pop up unexpectedly in life. I think that is what makes them so amazing, the fact that they are rare. I once saw a double rainbow last year and tried to take a photograph of it but could not get the second rainbow to appear in the photo. It was the weirdest thing.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit,
Brandi

Tuesday Trigger

2011-06-22T20:11:00.000-04:00

Hello,

Hope your having a great week. It decided to rain today, which can be wonderful weather to hide away in the craft room and get crafty. I decided to take the time to make a card for the latest Tuesday Trigger Challenge at the Moxie Fab World. The theme this week consist of these beautiful colors. I thought they would be perfect for a baby boy card. So this is what I came up with. Hope you find sometime today to get inky!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

CAS-ual Friday Challenge #7...

2011-06-19T21:50:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I am back after enjoying another fabulous weekend of summer. The hubby and I went to see the Green Lantern. It was not that good honestly. I usually love the comic book movies but not this one. Oh well, they can't all be winners. On Saturday we went over to a friends house for a backyard bbq party. What is more fun than a group of friends playing boccie ball, grilling, drinking a few coronas (with 2 limes please) and hanging out by a fire pit under the stars? Sounds like a perfect summer day. How did you celebrate the weekend?

I wanted to pop in quickly to share a card I made for the latest CAS-ual Friday Challenge #7. The theme this week is Color Blocking.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Brandi

Sabbatical or Lazy?

2011-06-16T19:11:00.000-04:00

Neither! LOL! I'm just really enjoying the summer and finding it hard to keep myself in my craft cave (as Jen ) would call it. Do any of you feel the same way? It amazes me how many of you are on DT and have all of these deadlines. I wonder how you do it. I find it so hard to be creative if I'm not feeling it, you know?

Anywho, I have had alot going on in the past two weeks. If I sound a slight more mature, well that's because I turned 31 this week. Or as I tell everyone else, I am 30 and holding. LOL!

I am here to share a card I made for the latest Wee Memories Challenge #59, where anything goes and you are supposed to free your creativity. Simple enough, I say! I decided to use this as an opportunity to make a card for my pops! He is so wonderful. I am very blessed to have such a fabulous Dad. Just recently we started going on father/daughter trips. Since he lives in Arkansas and I in NY, we find a destination to meet. We spend a few days shopping, seeing the sights and eating wonderful food. Last year we went to Branson, MO. This year who knows?

Thanks for stopping by and listening to my ramblings!
Brandi

JGN Challenge #8

2011-05-31T18:55:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the latest Challenge over at Jay Gee's Nook. I just thought the photo this month was fabulous and full of inspiration. I bought this seamstress stamp from PTI awhile back and thought it would go perfectly with the theme.

Thanks for stopping by,

Brandi

CAS-ual Friday Challenge #4

2011-05-30T14:13:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend. The hubby and I are on our last day before we have to start back to work and if the weather remains sunny, we are heading out to the golf range. I am in desperate need of some swing practice. It will be our first time out this year.

I wanted to pop in quickly to share a card I made for the latest CAS-ual Friday Challenge #4. The theme this week is graduation. I made a mini diploma by rolling up some white cardstock and wrapping it with twine. I also used my favorite dotty biscotti patterned paper from PTI.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Colour Q Challenge #86

2011-05-28T07:34:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Hope your enjoying your weekend! I am busy with the family so I just wanted to pop in quickly to share a card I made for the Colour Q Challenge #86. I thought the inspirational photo was so cute. Look at those socks. LOL!

Well I'm off to enjoy the rest of the day. Bye for now!
Brandi

Hang in There

2011-05-27T07:08:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I am so excited it is the last day of work before a three day weekend. My brother-in-law and his family are coming into town to hang out with us. We are going to go see Hangover 2, work on my nieces Disney scrapbook and hangout. What are your plans?

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the Make it Monday Challenge #16. The theme this week is to make a sympathy card. I used the colors from the latest Tuesday Trigger Challenge at the Moxie Fab World. I just love the inspirational photo that was provided.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

Chevron Chic

2011-05-26T08:17:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I am popping in today to share a card I made for the Chevron Chic Challenge over at the Moxie Fab World. According to the World English Dictionary the word Chevron means: any V-shaped pattern. I had been eyeing this challenge for awhile but did not have a stamp that I could use. So what did I do? I took a border punch I had and cut out a V-shaped border than took some markers and traced the outline. Voila! I had to bring out the owl from one of my favorite Paper Smooches stamp set called Chubby Chums. He is just so cute and plump!

Hope your having a fabulous day and thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge

2011-05-25T10:03:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I am popping in with a card I made for the Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge that you can find here. The fun theme this month is to incorporate some type of flower in your creation.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Happy 1st Brooks!

2011-05-24T18:56:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Just popping in to share a card I made for the latest Wee Memories Challenge #57. The theme this week is to just "stamp it". How fun and easy right? I chose to create a card for my best friends son who is turning one. He is so adorable and has the cutest name "Brooks". I hope he likes the circus! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Birthday Wishes

2011-05-22T21:12:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Hope your enjoying your weekend. The hubby and I stayed pretty busy. We went to see Pirates of the Caribbean in 3D, caught up with some friends over great mexican food and margaritas and managed to sneak in some yard work. We ended up having nice weather after a week full of rain.
Another thing I was able to accomplish was a card for a couple of challenges. I usually don't combine challenges but I couldn't resist the colors for the latest Totally Hues Challenge #7 and the theme for the CAS-ual Friday Challenge #3.

I'm off to catch up on some shows and rest! Have a great night!

P.S. I wanted to thank each and everyone of you that left a comment on my anniversary post. They meant so much to me and I enjoyed hearing some of your stories as well.

Brandi

Love is ...

2011-05-14T14:59:00.000-04:00

Love is patient, Love is kind...... Those are just some of the words I remember six years ago today when I married my husband. It is hard to believe that much time has passed. It is true that time flies when you have fun and that is what the last six years have been, full of fun times and everlasting memories. I rarely post anything that doesn't involve something crafty but I thought I would share a little bit about something more important to me.

I wanted to share a few pics of that special day. Since the hubby is from New York and I from Arkansas, we got married in the south. It was so nice that his family and friends were willing to fly all the way for our special day. We got married at the historical Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I feel in love with it as a child, vacationing there with my family. It was a perfect day!

Thanks for letting me share a little bit with you today!

Hugs,

Brandi

Play Date Challenge #80

2011-05-10T18:38:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Was the latest challenge #80 at the Play Date Cafe hard? You betcha! Wow these colors gave me a run for my money. I rarely use orange, much less orange and red together. I was amazed at how pretty and simple this challenge was to the other people who entered because there is some major talent shown in the other entries. Well this will have to do because my brain is fried trying to figure out another option.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

CAS-ual Friday Challenge #1

2011-05-09T20:51:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Woo-hoo, the time has come for the first CAS-ual Friday Challenge #1. I was so excited that a new challenge site started up that focuses on clean and simple design. The theme this week was to use some sort of text in your design. This is what I came up with. What do you think?

Well I best be going, the hubby and I have some shows to watch. Have a good night!

Brandi

Colour Q Challenge #83

2011-05-08T08:35:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Hope you mothers are having a wonderful Mother's Day. Since my mom lives 1400 miles away from me, we are going to celebrate by phone. If I was with her today, we would probably share a cup of coffee, play some hidden object computer game together and sit out on her back deck in the afternoon catching up on life. I miss you mom and Happy Mother's Day!

I am so excited today because I finally was able to play in the Colour Q Challenge. It is their 83rd one. I have been eyeing the beautiful color combos for a while now and finally had time to jump in.

Hope you all have a sunny and wonderful Sunday!
Brandi

Wee Memories Challenge #54

2011-05-03T16:46:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Just popping in to share a card I made for the latest Wee Memories Challenge #54. The theme this week is paper piecing. It is so easy to do with this little monster from the "Fallen For You" stamp set by Paper Smooches. I just think he is so adorable!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

Totally Hues Challenge #6

2011-05-02T16:50:00.000-04:00

Hola,

Hope your week is going well! Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, I decided I needed to get a move on creating a few special cards. I thought that the colors for the latest Totally Hues Challenge #6 were perfect for what I wanted. I had this cute patterned paper in my stash that picked up all of the colors for the challenge. I just love when things like that work out. I made this card with my husbands mom in mind. She is such a wonderful mother-in-law. I thought that this card would fit her perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

Play Date Cafe #79

2011-05-01T15:57:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all!

I am in the process of coming off of a wonderful vacation with my family and trying to get back into the swing of things, including crafting! Is it just me or when you stop being creative for a week it is hard to get back into it? I thought a few challenges would help boost my mojo. I loved the unique color combination that was used for the Play Date Cafe Challenge #79. I decided to give it a whirl and here is what I came up with.

I appreciate you stopping by!

Brandi

Book Review - The Help...

2011-04-20T19:03:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

I just wanted to pop in and share a card I made for my Dad's Birthday. He is truly a special person to me. My dad absolutely loves to watch television. I think that is where I get it from. Growing up we use to watch the show Dallas together. That is the first show I could remember watching as a kid. I just loved it. Anyway, I thought the theme of this card was perfect for him. LOL!

I recently shared a book review with you that I had read. I thought I would keep them coming, as long as you don't mind. I just love to read and since I go through so many books, I thought I would share some with you that I found interesting. The Help is a book I picked up recently because it has been on the NY Times Best Sellers List for weeks. It was a great book. It takes place in Mississippi in the 1960's. It deals with a few women who bonded together in order to overcome segregation and other obstacles. I just found it so touching. I have posted a link here. Let me know if you have or are reading it. I would love to know your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by,

Brandi

Nutty For You...

2011-04-18T23:27:00.000-04:00

Nutty for you? It should be more like I'm nutty for Paper Smooches stamps. It seems to be all I am using lately. LOL! I made this card for the hubby, I think. Our 6th wedding anniversary is coming up soon and I think this will be one of the cards I will give him. I usually like to give one cute card and one mushy card because I am so indecisive. Oh well!

Thanks for stopping by,

Brandi

Book Review - Ruined...

2011-04-16T21:23:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Hope you are doing well and enjoying the weekend thus far. I made a little card using my new stamps titled Boob Tube from Paper Smooches. I just look forward to the beginning of every month just to see what Kim comes up with. Her stamps are so stinkin' cute!

On a side note, I wanted to share a book with you that I just finished reading because it was so good. My boss gave it to me to enjoy after she finished it. It is called Ruined by Paula Morris. You can find it here, if you are interested. It is about a girl from NYC, who spends a year with her aunt in New Orleans, while her dad is on a job in China. While she is in New Orleans, she uncovers dark secrets about the elite society in the historic city. There is a little supernatural twist when she meets a ghost along the way that helps her solve a mystery that dates back a little over a century. I just found this book so fascinating because I use to live in Louisiana and it dives into the rich history that is there. New Orleans is definitely a special and unique place to visit.

Alrighty, well have a great rest of the weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Brandi

Love U 2 My Core...

2011-04-07T19:13:00.000-04:00

Hi-ya!

Thank you all for the sweet comments on my blog-o yesterday. You all make it so worth it to keep this little yankee-belle going. LOL!

Lately I am loving the Paper Smooches stamp line. Wow, are Kim's designs the cutest or what? Today I made a card using the apple and sentiment from the "Fallen For You" stamp set. I had some cute patterned paper I bought a while back and decided to do some paper piecing.

Some of you asked me yesterday who I cheer for on American Idol. I root for Casey, Paul and Hailey. Those are my favs! Guess I'll have to tune in tonight to see who gets the boot.

Take care,
Brandi

Thanks Bunches...

2011-04-06T22:24:00.001-04:00

Good evening to ya! I was so happy to get into my studio tonight and craft my little heart out to American Idol. Since the hubby doesn't care to much for the singing competition shows, we spend the evening in separate rooms. This lets me get my craft on while he either watches Survivor or plays some video games. Yes, I have a thirty something hubby who still plays Playstation 3. LOL!

This particular card is for my good friend Kasia. Why, you say? Because she made my day last week when she gave me the "Cherry On Top" blogger award. So I wanted to say "Thanks bunches"!

So to follow up on the requirements:

1. Thank the person who gave it to you. - Thanks Kasia
2. Post this award on your blog. - Done
3. List 3 things that you love about yourself. - My ability to carry on a conversation with a stranger, tend to make people laugh (not sure if they are laughing with me or at me, but either way it works for me), great car dancer!
4. Post a picture that you love. - I love this pic of my mom and I. It is just so natural, us doing what we do best!

5. Tag 5 people to receive this award. - Xiumaiyuki , Jen , Judith , Lotte , and Jenny.

Thanks for stopping by!
Brandi

Little Owls...

2011-04-03T21:21:00.000-04:00

Hey girls,

Hope your weekend was fabulous. The hubby and I just hung out with a few friends and enjoyed some sunshine. We almost had another snow storm Friday but luckily it missed us. So now the snow is almost melted, I can see green grass and it is starting to feel like spring. Hip Hip Hooray! LOL!

The latest challenge over at Wee Memories has the theme of Color Inspiration. I am in the mood for bright, spring colors and wanted to jump in on the challenge this week. I went with the brightest colors I could find in my stash and used just about all of them. I just love this owl digital stamp from Jane's Doodles that you can find here! The coolest thing about this particular stamp is that you can basically get three images for the price of one. This set comes with a cute little bird, birdhouse and this owl.

Thank you for stopping by for the day and I hope each one of you have a fabulous start to the week!

Brandi

Supplies:
Digital Stamp: Jane's Doodles (Owl)
Stamp: PTI (Fillable Frames #5)
Cardstock: White
Patterned Paper: PTI (Dotty Biscotti)
Ink: SU (Lovely Lilac, Yoyo Yellow, Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise, Only Orange and Green Galore)
Other: The Twinery (Caribbean), Pink Rhinestones

Totally Hues Challenge #4...

2011-03-27T21:38:00.000-04:00

Hello,

Hope you girls had a wonderful weekend. This weekend the hubby and I went to see Lincoln Lawyer (which was excellent), did a little shopping and watched alot of college basketball. I tell you though, I will be glad when college basketball is over so our shows will come back on. I miss my weekly episodes of CSI!

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the latest Totally Hues Challenge #4. I just love the color combo Heather picked this week. I decided to use another one of Jane's Doodles cute digital images (polyanthus flower) that can be found here! I don't know if you use digital images or not, but they are so great. One of the pros is that you can resize the image to whatever scale you want.

Have a great night and good start to the week!

Brandi

Enjoy The Journey...

2011-03-23T21:06:00.000-04:00

Hello,

It is time for another challenge at the Embellish blog. The theme this week is to make a masculine card using the following colors. I just love the Whole Cycle stamp set from Practicing Creativity. I thought that this set would be perfect for the theme.

I'm off to catch up on some shows. Thanks for stopping by.
Brandi

Supplies:
Cardstock: White, SU (Basic Gray)
Patterned Paper: SU (Holiday Thyme)
Stamps: Practicing Creativity (The Whole Cycle)
Ink: SU (Real Red, Basic Black, Old Olive, Certainly Celery and Bordering Blue)
Other: The Twinery (Maraschino), Blue Rhinestone, Red Button

Case Study #31...

2011-03-21T06:58:00.000-04:00

Hey Girls,

Good Morning! Hope all is well with you and you are fully rested up from the weekend. I am about to head out the door to get my daily dose of iced coffee before my drive into the office. I wanted to quickly share with you a card I made for the latest Case Study #31 Challenge. The card that we were to case had a few little sailboats on it. I didn't have a stamp that resembled that in my stash so I paper pieced a sailboat. I also had these cute little Scrabble letters that I have had for a few years now. I thought they would go cute with the theme of a baby boy card. Sorry to make this short and sweet but I must head out.

Take care and have a wonderful start to the week!
Brandi

Tuesday Trigger...

2011-03-19T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

It is the weekend. Woo Hoo! I hope you are doing something fun and relaxing. The hubby and I went out to Starbucks for a Caramel Macchiato (I just love those, yummy) and went to see the new movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper. He is so stinkin cute. The movie was so entertaining.

I wanted to share a card I made for the latest Tuesday Trigger Challenge at the Moxie Fab World. I just love buttons and put them on almost every card I make. It adds a little something extra. Don't you think? Buttons just happened to be the theme this week with the challenge. One of my college girlfriends just had a baby boy and I wanted to make a card for her and her hubby to let them know I was thinking about them. What do you think?

Thank you for stopping by...

Brandi

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, White, SU (Not Quite Navy)

Ink: SU (Whisper White, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip)

Stamps: PTI (Signature Greetings)

Other: SU (Star Punches), Miscellaneous Buttons, MM (Ribbon)

Spring is Near...

2011-03-17T22:47:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Patties Day!

Just popping in to share a card I made for the latest Wee Memories Challenge #47. The theme this week is Spring. Spring is in the air around here, for sure. Today we got up to 55 degrees and it was sunny. I was able to take my little dogs out for a walk. I am sure they enjoyed it very much because our winter has been brutal.

I could not go through St. Patties Day and not make a card for the event. This rainbow shamrock image was a free download from Kim Hughes that you can find here! Kim is uber talented. She is the owner of the new stamp line Paper Smooches. She has created all of her new stamps by hand. I am sure you have seen them around in the blogosphere! I just purchased two of her stamp sets today and can't wait til they come in.

Well I am going to call it a night. I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday!

Brandi

Supplies:

Cardstock: White

Patterned Paper: SU
Digital Stamp: Kim Hughes Free Download
Ink: SU (Whisper White, Yoyo Yellow, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Pixie Pink, Orchid Opulence and Chocolate Chip)
Other: The Twinery (Lilac and Lemondrop), Nestabilities (Labels One), Miscellaneous Buttons, Pink Rhinestones

Jay Gee's Nook #5

2011-03-09T19:22:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I wanted to pop in to share a quick card with you before I catch up on some of my tv shows. I am so excited that my favorite show has started up again. That being "The Real Housewives of Orange County"! It is a reality show guilty pleasure of mine so don't judge. LOL!

This card was created for the latest Jay Gee's Nook Challenge. I just love the inspirational photo Judith provided for the color scheme.

Thanks for stopping by...

Brandi

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft

Patterned Paper: Stampin Up

Ink: SU (Soft Suede), Ranger (Tea Dye Distress Ink)

Stamps: SU (Lovely As A Tree)

Border Punch: EK Success

Other: Various Buttons, Ribbon and Rhinestones

Embellish Challenge With Music

2011-03-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all,

Thanks for all the emotional support regarding yesterdays post. LOL! You girls made my day. Luckily most of the snow has melted away and has turned to slush.

I want to share with you a card I made for the latest Embellish Challenge. The theme was to somehow incorporate music into your design along with a fabulous color combo. I knew I wanted to jump in on this one since I recently bought the PTI Sheet Music background stamp. Love it!

Before I go I wanted to thank my fabulous friend Judith for this award. Judith, if you are out there, you are the best and definitely put a smile on my face with this one! She is so crafty, so if you get a chance please stop by her blog. I wanted to pass this award on to a few blogs that I visit everyday. These girls have become some of my good friends and are uber talented as well. So girls, ENJOY!

1. Kasia - My good ol' Canadian friend whose clean and simple design is top notch in my book. Fun fact: she is the first Roller Derby girl I have ever met! Too cool!

2. Karen - The sweetest and most positive person I have met by far. Her designs are ever changing and she inspires me daily.

3. Jocelyn - The queen of baking and hair accessories! I can't even cook but I visit her blog daily to see what yummy creations she is going to whip up next. LOL!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Supplies:
Cardstock: White, Kraft, SU (Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry)
Stamps: Martha Stewart (Clear Patterns), PTI (Sheet Music), Lawn Fawn (Lunar Lights)
Ink: SU (Rich Razzleberry and Kiwi Kiss)
Die-Cut: SU (Butterfly)
Other: PTI (Pink Felt), Various Buttons

Totally Hues Challenge #3...

2011-03-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

Hey girls,

How was your Monday? I woke up to an unexpected surprise of 8" of snow! Yippee! Just kidding. I drove to work this morning and got stuck in the parking lot. Let me rephrase that, I got stuck getting into the parking lot. I was blocking the entrance to the parking garage and had to dig myself out with my little ice scrapper. I used it as a shovel. LOL! Embarrassing. So needless to say, thank goodness my Monday is OVER!

I wanted to share a card I made for the latest Totally Hues Challenge #3. I just love these new color challenges that Heather has come up with. They are so fun and the color combos are so pretty. If you have time, pop over and join in!

Thanks for stopping by,
Brandi

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, White
Patterned Paper: PTI (Dotty Biscotti)
Ink: SU (Chocolate Chip)
Stamps: PTI (Everyday Button Bits)
Border Punch: EK Success
Other: The Twinery (Mandarin), Various Buttons and Rhinestones

Wee Memories Challenge #46

2011-03-06T20:42:00.000-05:00

Hey girls,

Well it's Sunday night and it seems that the weekend has flown by. I had a fun weekend with the hubby. We went to a couple of movies to see Unknown and Adjustment Bureau. They were both soooooooo good! Today we took a day trip over to Massachusetts to some shopping outlets. We were shopping for some new spring clothes for our upcoming Disney trip. It is so hard to shop for t-shirts and shorts when it is still so cold out.

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the latest Challenge at Wee Memories. The theme for Challenge #46 is Woodland Friends. I was able to use one of Jane's Doodles digital images (Bird Watching) that you can find here!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

Supplies:
Cardstock: White, SU (Old Olive and Real Red)
Patterned Paper: PTI (Dotty Biscotti)
Digital Stamps: Jane's Doodles (Bird Watching)
Ink: SU (Real Red, Green Galore and Tempting Turquoise)
Border Punch: EK Success
Other: Various Buttons, The Twinery (Lemondrop), Making Memories (Rub-On Letters)

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

2011-02-24T17:22:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all,

I wanted to share a card with you that I made for the Moxie Fab "Stamping with Markers" Challenge. I used another digital image (Mr. Snail) from Jane's Doodles that you can find here!

I wanted to let you in on a secret about the cool font I used in the background. I recently started following a blog titled "79 ideas" by Radostina. She is so creative and her blog is full of ideas, photographs and inspiration to get your juices flowing. She had a post awhile back where she shared free downloads of this particular font called peach sundress. How cute is that name? I downloaded the font for free and have been using it ever since.

I opened up my Microsoft Office and typed the nursery rhyme "What are little boys made of?" over and over again to create a background stamped image. Once I was happy with the placement, I printed it out on kraft paper and used it as my card base. So simple, a blond like me could do it! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit and I hope some of you are able to use this free download on a card of yours. If so, please leave a comment with your post. I would love to check it out.

Brandi

Noah's Ark...

2011-02-22T21:09:00.000-05:00

Hey girls,

I was so excited to share this card with you because of the cute little digital stamp I used from Jane's Doodles. The Noah's Ark image, in my opinion, is one of the cutest stamps Jane designed. I thought that it would be perfect for a baby card. I colored it with various markers from Stampin' Up and kept the card simple with a white background. If any of you are interested in the Noah's Ark image you can find it here!

I wanted to enter this card into the latest Moxie Fab "Stamping with Markers" Challenge.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

Lunar Lights...

2011-02-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

Hola Chicas,

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. The hubby and I got to spend some time with our nieces today. They are 3 and 5, and are the sweetest little girls. We don't have kiddos just yet, so I enjoy spoiling them with hugs! On Saturday we went to go see the movie "I Am Number Four". It was so good and left it open for a sequel.

I wanted to pop in to share a card I made for the latest Moxie Fab Paper Piecing Challenge. I broke down and bought my first set of Lawn Fawn stamps. Kelly Marie has the cutest designs. This set is called Lunar Lights. Once I saw it, I was hooked. It is such a unique set that works well with paper piecing.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

Supplies:
Cardstock: Cream
Patterned Paper: PTI (Dotty Biscotti)
Stamps: Lawn Fawn (Lunar Lights)
Ink: SU (Melon Mambo and Chocolate Chip)
Other: Blue Rhinestones

Live, Laugh, Love Challenge...

2011-02-17T23:42:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all,

It is finally Friday, Whoo-Hoo! The hubby and I love going to the movies on the weekend. There is nothing like fresh popped popcorn, tall sodas and a two hour movie to keep your mind off the real world, right? There are a couple of good movies coming out today (I Am Number Four and Unknown). We have been wanting to see both of these so bad, so I think a double header Sunday is in the works. LOL!

I created this card for the latest Challenge #43 at Wee Memories. The theme is Live, Laugh, Love. I chose to create my card with the Love theme. I finally pulled out my pink felt from Papertrey Ink. I thought I could use the felt in my punches but realized it didn't work, so to the Sizzix machine it went.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Brandi

Supplies
Cardstock: Kraft, White, SU (Old Olive and Bermuda Bay)
Ink: SU (Rose Red and Chocolate Chip)
Stamps: PTI (Signature Greetings and BB:Sheet Music)
Punches: Martha Stewart (Scallop Border)
Other: The Twinery (Caribbean), PTI (Pink Felt), SU (Paper Clip), Misc. Button

Create for Fun Challenge #15...

2011-02-16T06:41:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all,

I know it has been awhile since my last post but I have been a little under the weather lately. I have had a cold that has been hard to shake. I want to thank all of you that have checked on me. It really brought a smile to my face when I would receive an email or two checking on me.

I wanted to pop in today to share a card I made for the latest CR84FN Challenge #15. I have been eyeing these challenges for awhile but this is the first time I have actually joined in. The theme was to use the following colors (teal, green and yellow) and incorporate them into a card. I decided to make a masculine birthday card, so I pulled out my Whole Cycle set from Practicing Creativity.

I am so happy that you stopped by for a visit. Thanks bunches!
Brandi

Supplies:
Cardstock: SU (Bermuda Bay), White
Patterned Paper: PTI (Dotty Biscotti)
Ink: SU (Crushed Curry and Chocolate Chip)
Stamps: PCD (The Whole Cycle)
Punch: SU (Scallop Border), EK Success (Border Punch), Corner Punch
Embellishments: Misc. Green Buttons

Frosted Cupcake...

2011-02-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

Hey girls,

I was blog surfing around recently and stumbled upon a card by one of my favorite bloggers Laurie @ Soapbox Creations. She created a Valentines Day card that completely inspired me. You can see it here! I wanted to Case the layout for a birthday card. I decided to use one of Jane's Doodles digital images from her cupcake set that can be found here.

Sorry to make this post so short. I have to scoot off to work. Have a wonderful Friday!
Brandi

Supplies:
Cardstock: SU (Pretty in Pink)
Stamps: PTI (Signature Greetings and Background Basics: Sheet Music)
Digital Stamps: Jane's Doodles (Cupcake Set)
Ink: SU (Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa, Melon Mambo, Chocolate Chip and Pink Pirouette)
Embellishments: SU (Button and Ribbon), Divine Twine (Pink Twine), Unknown (Rhinestones and Doiley)

Sending You Smiles....

2011-02-01T00:01:00.037-05:00

Hey girls,

I have some exciting news that I have been sitting on for awhile. I was asked to join Jane's Doodles Design Team. Jane has a cute little blog titled Plain Jane that you can visit here. I have been following her blog for awhile because she is so talented and designs the cutest cards and tags. She even makes her own buttons. She has been designing digital stamps and recently opened up a shop that carries her latest designs. I hope you can stop by to see all of the cute images she has to offer.

This card was created using one of her newest stamps titled Love Rocket. I absolutely love this image. It was designed to look more like a sketch than a stamp. My favorite part of the stamp is how the rocket looks like it is fueled by love. Cute right? If you are interested in this image you can purchase it here!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit...
Brandi

Supplies:
Cardstock: Unknown (Kraft, White)
Digital Stamp: Jane's Doodles (Love Rocket)
Stamps: Unknown (alphabet), Martha Stewart (Clear Pattern Stamps)
Ink: Stampin Up (Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Perfect Plum, Summer Sun,
Bermuda Bay, More Mustard and Old Olive)
Embellishments: Unknown (Turquoise Ribbon)

Two for One...

2011-01-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

Hey girls,

Just popping in quickly to share a card I made for a couple of challenges. The layout fits the latest Case Study Challenge #24 and the theme fits the "Free Your Creativity" Challenge #40 at Wee Memories.

On a side note, are any of you girls watching American Idol? I am so addicted to the new judges. They leave me thinking "Simon who?".

Thanks for stopping by for a visit,
Brandi

Supplies:
Paper: Kraft, American Crafts (White)
Patterned Paper: PTI (Dotty Biscotti)
Stamps: Stampin Up (Seeing Stars), PTI (Signature Greetings)
Ink: Stampin Up (Perfect Plum, Bermuda Bay and Chocolate Chip)
Punches: Stampin Up (Star), Corner Punch
Embellishments: Queen & Co. (Blue Rhinestones), The Twinery (Cappuccino)