Color Throwdown Challenge!!!!! CTD38

I managed to get another card made. (I should be making a scrapbook page for the scrappy chick challenge, maybe later when I am done with the daily baking). I did the color throwdown challenge CTD38 from this week and I wasn't sure where this color combo was going to go, but I am very pleased with the final outcome of the card. I used the Wonderful You stamp set which is on the Dormant List. I really love this set. Thanks for looking! Blessings - Brandi

Two Days in a Row!!!

Oh My goodness! I've posted 2 days in a row. Seems of late, that has been difficult. We got 1/2 inch rain last night! Yeah!! And we are getting some more now. It is so nice. I forgot how nice it is to sit and enjoy the rainy dreary day. I love these kind of days.

I made the card the for Kwerner color challenge, but didn't get it photoed and uploaded in time for the challenge. I think it turned out really great though. I am trying to play with some of the new hardware in the catalog, the corduroy buttons and the jumbo grommets. Have fun looking!

Blessings - Brandi

Flowers

I made this card for the late night stampers challenge this week. We had to use paper flowers, and preferably no pretties. So I made flowers with the scallop circle, which I showed as a technique in last months class. I use the flamingo paper, and was really pleased with the outcome. I don't usually use these colors, and certainly not together. I tried not to use the busier paper in the set. We are having rain, so this card really doesn't fit in with the cloudy dreary day. The rainy day made it harder to get a good pic too. But I will take the rain! Yeah!!!!!!! Blessings to all. Brandi

Make your own...

gift sack. I found these instructions for this gift bag using 2 pieces of designer series paper from Paula Goff's blog. This made a much prettier bag than any I could buy around here. Given more time I could have add more embelishments on the front, but I was pleased with the finished product. The paper and ribbon used were from the sale-a-bration. I used 5 petal punch to add to the holes where the ribbon came through for the handles, and of course used the jumbe brads. It was much prettier in person than the photo shows. I added a piece of chipboard cut to the size of the bottom of the sack for added support on the bottom. Thanks for looking. Blessings - Brandi

Ahhhhh! The Sweet sounds of thunder!

In all my 37 years I don't ever remember a year as dry as this one. I know that this nation has various weather ranging from lots of snow, to flooding conditions. We have had windy dry conditions, blowing sand, and high fire danger. We've been praying for rain for months now, and we are currently having some thunder with a few drops coming down. Hopefully we will get a good rain. The crops around here are in danger of not surviving this year, livestock is struggling, and everyone is sick from all the crazy allergies kicked up by this crazy weather.

On another note. I had a 13 year old birthday party to do yesterday, and they got to make journals, and little scallop envelope boxes, per the birthday girls request. The kids had lots of fun making the journals, and they all turned out great! I don't know which one is my favorite. It was fun seeing them come up with their own designs. They got to choose a piece of Rockabilly double sided paper, or pink flamingo double sided paper, and cardstock to match. Didn't they turn out just adorable. I let them cut the first letter of their names out of the big shot using the serif alphabet die cuts. What a fun birthday party she had!

Where I like to hide out!!!!!

Here are the pictures of my newly organized stamp/crop area. I am really pleased with it. While I will still be making some adjustments I am sure, it is so nice to have everything assigned a home. I actually put everything away after I use it, and have room to work on my desk. The last picture is the table I used to work on, and now I just push it against the wall and can use it if I am organizing for a class, working on a bunch of cards or a layout. When I have a class, I pull it out from the wall like it is in the photo, and I am ready. The boys have their computer down here with me, and there is a twin bed and trundle bed against the wall in case we have guests. It has turned into a really nice space. Come join me sometime, and we can stamp together! Thanks for looking - Brandi

Happy Easter Everyone!

This is a NON Stampin' Up! stamp that I have had for many years because I love this image. It says so much. And of course you can't see all the details in the picture as you can in person. Notice the boy is playing with 3 large nails. Notice his shadow. Notice the man in the picture and what he is doing.

A little bit about how I made it. I have tried to stamp this image for years and have struggled with it. Finally I used Chocolate chip craft ink and a brayer to ink the stamp and then stamped the image on whisper white cardstock. After cutting the image out, I distressed the edges to give it the look of an old newspaper clipping. Everyone thinks it is a picture printed off the computer. I layered it on Basic Black then layered So Saffron behind it.

Remember the reason for the season!

Love to everyone - Brandi

Stamping? What's that?

I feel like I haven't stamped in a week! I guess it's not true though. I did work on a special project over the weekend, but involved making a bunch of the same cards as an Easter inspiration. Don't know yet who will get one of these, but I'll probably show you them on here. The kicker is that it uses a non Stampin' Up! stamp. That is actually rare for me, because I think it is the only non SU! stamp I own. Maybe tomorrow I will show you. Back to today's card. I made this a couple of weeks ago. I was plaing with some of the new paper in the catalog. This is the To the nines textured paper. I absolutely love this paper. And I love the under $10 page on the back page of the catalog. This stamp glad friends is only $5.95, and I use it all the time. Love it! Hope everyone is having a great Holy Week. I am feeling the urge to watch "The Passion Christ" this week. Debating if Tristan is old enough, but want him to fully understand what is special about this week. We will have a Maundy Thursday service this year. It should be really special. Love to all! Brandi

Surviving a Chaotic Week!

Life is just so crazy! I know that I just have to grab on to it and enjoy the ride, but sometimes it seems as if I am just holding on by my fingertips and that's it. I don't know why this week has seemed so much more crazy, but for whatever reason, it has. Needless to say, I've not gotten as much stampin' done for myself, which is probably a contributing factor to my feeling of craziness. Anyway, in the process I joined a group called late night stampers. I have been reading about them for a while, and they have a weekly challenge so I managed to get it done. This is the card I created for that challenge. The group is all Stampin' Up! demonstrators, and the challenges must include 100% Stampin' Up! supplies. I had fun creating this card, and I think this will be a really neat group to be a part of. Hope everyone is enjoying their Spring! Thanks for looking!

Blessings - Brandi

Great Grandma Alma's 90th Birthday!

I have been working on this layout for almost a year! I finally finished it as part of the Scrappy chick March Challenge. The scrappy chicks are a group of my friends from roughly the panhandle of Texas, but also includes a friend in Wyoming, and in Oklahoma. We have monthly challenges to try and motivate us to get some scrapbook pages done. I started working on this layout before we moved to Wellington, and I have just struggled to get it right. It is still not completely done yet, but It is much closer than before. Other than some journaling and a couple more embellishments, it is mighty close. What helped finally finish it? Well the Big shot and the Serif dies are what it needed. I was able to run Grandma's name through there. She is actually 91 now, and the day we celebrated her 90th, she was sick with a bug. She looks really good for her age and for being sick. She is pictured with her four Great Grand kids as well as with her only son, and her 2 grandchildren (my brother Chris and I). Doesn't she look just beautiful? I hope I do half as good as she does when I am 70, let alone 91. Thanks for looking. Blessings to you - Brandi