Mar 31, 2009

mary, mary, bright & cheery

Here are two of the new mary jane slippers I've added to the shop. I've really taken a liking to these because they are vibrant, but they don't over do it. Perfect for someone looking for some cute, colorful, handmade slippers. I've got more colors coming soon, but in the mean time you can check out all my mary jane slippers for a rainbow of variation in my Artfire store now!

Mar 29, 2009

new yarn, new fun!

Getting in a shipment of new yarn is always acted as a catalyst to creation. Friday I got my order for some new cotton yarn and have really been enjoying all the ideas it has brought me for new creations. 

Not only did it send colorful design ideas dancing through my head, it also got me inspired to reorganize my yarn storage. For almost a year now I'd been keeping my yarn in an old bookcase sorted by color. While it did the job, it wasn't the idea storage: new yarn purchases were not getting sorted into their proper places, dangly ends of yarn were getting tangled together, and it was just hard to get to yarn buried at the bottom of piles. So I headed out to the store and bought some 15 oz plastic containers - one for every color and a couple extra just incase. For less than $40 I totally reorganized the yarn so that they were neatly stored together by color with no dangly ends peeking out. Everything is looking a lot neater and cutting back on the clutter has also cleared my mind. 

When I haven't been reorganizing, I've been creating! This headband is just the first to get it's photographs taken and added to the shop with more to come. I've also  been working on some new slippers lately as those have been pushed to the back of the agenda lately with all the headbands I've been working on. I've got some fun, funky new colors in the works that I'm sure will show up here when they're finished and listed.

Lots of fun new stuff in the shop, so be sure to check it out!

Mar 27, 2009

spotlight: purple!

This week's spotlight features items that are my favorite color: purple! If you like what you see, simply click the picture above to learn more about the item. I hope you enjoy and hope everyone has a great weekend.

Mar 25, 2009

do it right. do it bright.

These two new headbands are my latest. I'm producing them as part of a new series entitled: Brights! I bought new buttons to produce a more coordinated look in the headbands featuring the button accent.

One headband features bright, colorful buttons in shades of green, yellow, pink, blue, and purple. The other features colorful flower buttons in shades of purple, orange, green, and pink. Both are bright, funky, and fun! The headband ties in the back like my other styles and is crocheted using 100% cotton for ease of care and maximum comfort. 

Black is just the first color of band I've produced with white on the way! I also have some more fun colors of yarn in the mail so there will be more colors including a charcoal grey coming soon. 

On top of new band colors I am also working on another 

color series I'm thinking of calling Bloom! that features muted shades of yellow, pink, and orange for a very colorful spring look.

So check back soon for more information on the new headbands coming soon. And in the meantime you can check out these headbands and many more that are already available in my Artfire shop. As always, if you have a custom idea for a headband, I'd love to work with you. 

Mar 23, 2009

featured: Pegasus Soaps

Click the images above to learn more!

This week's Monday feature is of Michelle at Pegasus Soaps! Michelle has been a friend of mine for a while now, and I must say on top of being one of the nicest people she also makes great bath and body products! She has almost anything you could ever need or want including handmade soap, body sprays, body washes, face masks, bath bombs, and tons more! And if she doesn't have what you're looking for in stock custom orders are always welcome.

You can find her shops on both Etsy and Artfire, as well as her own website.

So please drop by Michelle's store today and tell her Brandy sent you!

I'm looking for artists to feature for next week's spotlight, so please let me know if you are interested!

Mar 22, 2009

button up!

This headband is one of my newest in the shop. It's experimenting with a new design that was suggested to me by my friend at LaDeDaCreations. Be sure to check her out because as you can see she has some fabulous ideas! She not only came up with the idea of putting buttons on the headband, but also figured out that you could wear the headbands as cute, funky chokers! I just love that the headbands can be used in more than one way and look totally fabulous. 

Another idea that is new in the shop is that of interchangeable flower pins for the headbands. Each headband will still come with a matching flower pin, but now customers have the opportunity to purchase individual flower pins in their favorite colors to ultimately customize their headband and create their very own look. Plus, the pins also look great on blazers, blouses, hats, scarves, bags, and as little additions to gift bags. They have a plethora of uses that adds a colorful, handmade touch to anything you apply them to. They can also be seen in the shop now with many more colors coming soon. Of course, custom colors are always welcome! 

All in all, there's tons of fun goodies being added to the shop all the time, so be sure to check us out! 

Mar 20, 2009

friday spotlight: spring flowers

This Friday's (semi-late) spotlight is flowers! Check out these wonderful, flower-ful items by clicking the images above!!

flowers of a different sort.

Now available in my shop! These beautiful and delicate looking flowers are crocheted from mohair blend yarn and accented with real pearls in the center. They make great additions to coats, sweaters, blouses, scarves, and even hats and purses! They add a nice delicacy to anything no matter how you decide to wear them. They also would make great gifts for only $9.50!

I've really had fun working on these flower brooches and hope they do well because I would love to continue making them and explore new textures, colors, and designs.

You can see these brooches in the shop along with all my other goodies, or if you're just dying to have one now go ahead and purchase right from my blog by clicking the images above!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Mar 19, 2009

ups & downs.

The last few days have been just plain hectic! 

Andy's been having to go do grad interviews out of state, and being in the small town that we are, we of course do not have a large enough airport nearby so I have been having to drive him 2 hours to nearby airports and picking him up a few days later. So we've been dealing with all the stress that comes with flying - especially on his last trip. A delayed flight got him into Houston at midnight meaning we would not have gotten home till around 2 am. Needless to say, I found the cheapest hotel I could and we spent the night in Houston and drove home in the morning. 

On top of the travel calamity, I found out yesterday that I had been denied admission (aka rejected) from Scripps Institute of Oceanography at U.C. San Diego. Scripps had been my top choice of schools, but I think the terrible economy has played a large impact on their admission decisions this year. My first graduate school admissions decision - rejection. Even if I was slightly expecting it, being rejected is never a good feeling. 

One good thing that has come out of the past few days and all this driving is seeing all the beautiful wildflowers in bloom. I stopped to get this shot of a hill covered in blue bonnets on the way home from one of the airport excursions a couple days ago. It was breath-taking in real life. It's my favorite time of the year here. 

Mar 17, 2009

"slippin" away.

New slippers have been added to the shop! Some old favorites, like the mint chocolate chip mary janes and blue swirl, along with some new designs like the floppy bunnies and primrose mary janes. These are just a few of the slippers that are available in my Artfire shop. I know the weather is starting to turn warmer in some areas, but these slippers are great all year round to keep your toes cozy and in style. They also make great handmade, one of a kind gifts.

Click the images above for more info about the item! You can also purchase items directly from my blog without signing up for an account - just click the images.

On top of these new slippers that I've been working on I have some more designs in the making that should be debuting in my shop soon. So keep your eyes here to be one of the first to hear about all that's to come!

Mar 16, 2009

featured: AuntiFranni

Click the item above for more information.

My featured artist this week is AuntiFranni. You can find Fran's shops on both Artfire and Etsy.

Fran makes some great embroidered things including lip balm cases, patches, bibs, and more! You can see some of her great items above. Her designs are not only handmade, but also just plan adorable and awesome! If you'd like some great, original embroidery, Fran is your lady! She does custom orders, so if you see an item you like, Fran will work with you to make it your own with custom designs, colors, text, etc. She also has some very cute holiday stuff on sale in her shop so you can get a super early head start on your Christmas shopping at a great price for handmade.

I can't say enough good things about Fran and her items so be sure to check her out and let her know Brandy sent you!

If you'd like to be next week's featured artist, just let me know. It's an easy way to get more exposure for your shop and items.

Mar 13, 2009

spotlight: st. patty's

I'm a little, teensy bit late on getting this up, but it's still Friday so for this Friday spotlight I'm focusing on some great St. Patrick's Day items I found on Artfire. Enjoy - just in time for St. Patty's next Tuesday.

Mar 12, 2009

features & awards

Sterling Silver has awarded me with the Kreativ Blogger. The rules following this reward are: 1. I have to list 7 things I like and 2. I have to give the award to 7 other bloggers. So here we go:

7 Things I like:
1. Yarn
2. Puppies
3. Gardening
4. Baking cookies
5. Wildflowers
6. Freshly made beds
7. Movies

And I give this award to: Tracy at Pink Purl, 3zArt, Michelle at Pegasus Soaps, Modern Classics, Felicia at Fluffy Flowers, Kathleen at Waiting for Baby, Soapylove! Enjoy, gals.

Also, I've been featured in a blog: HeyIFoundThis.com has spotlighted me, so head on over and check it out. 

Mar 10, 2009

spring has come.

I woke up one morning and realized spring had finally come! The days are marked by warm humidity, the nurseries are full of colorful flowers, and even wildflowers have started to peak up from the side of the highway.  If there's anything I'll miss about Texas when I move in August, it'll be the wildflowers that mark the coming of spring.

The pictures above are from the flowers I planted this past weekend including some strawberries and blueberry bush. 

Mar 9, 2009

a cozy for your chapstick.

Click the image above for more information.

Available again in the shop after a long disappearance are my keychain lip balm cases! These handmade cozies are the perfect size for a regular Chapstick sized lip balm of your choosing. No more rummaging around in the bottom of your purse or make-up bag, because now your favorite lip balm is right at your fingertips on your keyring. Or, if you're a fan of those longer, skinnier tinted lip balms I'd be happy to make you a custom keychain in the color of your choosing.

These keychains are not only handy for lip balm, but also are the perfect size for lighters and USB thumbdrives. Gotta love things that have multiple uses!!

At $9 a pop, they are a steal. So check them out in my Artfire shop today in a rainbow of colors.

featured: 3zArt

A few wonderful items from 3zArt:

Click on an item above to learn more about it!

3zArt is a wonderful shop run by a newly made friend of mine. She offers great home accessories like unique light and outlet plates along with beautifully designed mouse pads, coasters, and lamp shades. Although you're sure to love most of the designs available, should you desire an item in a different style or color you simply have to ask!

Above is just a sampling of the many beautiful and colorful items available now in her Artfire shop and for the month of March a special is being offered as part of the Artfire Stimulus package where you can find items for as low as $2 with only $1 shipping to the US. It's practically a steal. So be sure to check 3zArt out on Artfire, Etsy, or 1000Markets today! You can also check out her blog where she posts about new items at 3zart.blogspot.com. Let her know Brandy sent ya!
Every week I'll be featuring a new artist. If you'd like to be featured, let me know!

Mar 6, 2009

friday spotlight.

Byhand.me has a great feature that allows you to create spotlights with items from Etsy, Artfire, Dawanda, 1000Markets, and many more! This way you can feature all your favorite items no matter what vendor they are selling from. It's a great way to highlight handmade items; all you have to do is click on an item to learn more about it. 

This afternoon I created this spotlight highlighting some of the beautiful lamp work beads I found on Artfire. I can't think of a single thing not to love about lamp work beads - they are colorful, unique, and full of character. If I was an even halfway decent jewelry designer I would be all over these gorgeous beads. 

Mar 4, 2009

zoo & aquarium - San Diego

These are just some of my favorite shots from my visit to the San Diego Zoo and Birch Aquarium. It was such a great visit, and I can't wait to go back someday soon!

Mar 2, 2009

wear it in style.

I've added another new headband to the shop. This one is one of my classic crochet headbands except it's made with a chunky wool-blend yarn that gives it a unique look of it's own! It's available now along with my other crochet headbands in the artfire shop (or etsy, if you prefer). Or you can go ahead and buy right now, no sign up required!

Mar 1, 2009

downtown san diego.

Our first day in San Diego, Andy and I spent the whole afternoon by ourselves wandering around downtown - the Gaslamp district, Harbor Side, and wherever our feet took us (until our feet gave up). The above pictures our just a sampling of those I shot on our journey. I also have more pictures to come of our time at Torrey Pines, the zoo, and more! They'll  be posted over the next couple of days.