Fourth of July Pinterest Fails and Wins

Well… it’s been a year since I blogged, so I figured it might be time for a new post. Okay, okay, I’ll try to blog more in the future. But today, it’s Fourth of July and I needed to make some dishes to bring to our family event, so I decided to check out my Pinterest board and see what Independence Day dishes I had pinned. In true Brandi fashion I had pinned almost only desserts, and I found these delicious-looking hand pies!

Recipe from At the Picket Fence

And what’s even better? They are SUPER EASY! Canned pie filling and refrigerated crust? Easy peasy! Well… here are how mine turned out:

Nailed it! I think my problem was too much egg wash. I put it on the front and the back,which made them a little soggy and the back sort of stuck to the pan.

I still needed something to bring to the family event, so I turned to another recipe I had pinned. One of my favorites: Rice Krispie Treats!

Recipe from lil’ luna

Thank goodness these turned out much better! Here’s my version of the Fourth of July Rice Krispie Treats:

I think that one was a Pinterest win!

4th of July Cupcakes

 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July! I made these cupcakes for last year’s festivities. Strawberry cupcake with whipped icing and fresh strawberries and blueberries on top! Yum! What are you making this year?

Now That The Ice is Melted

Now that the ice is melted and it’s nice outside, it’s easier to enjoy these photos I was able to take during the ice storms!

 

I haven’t posted in the blog for a while, because I was busy planning for my wedding, which was June 7th. Now that that’s over, I’m hoping to get back at blogging, which means I have lots of older artwork I still need to post! I took these icy photos after the ice storms this winter.

This last one is for sale as a print in my Etsy shop. You can buy it here. As always, if you’re interested in prints of any of my other photos, just ask and I’ll be happy to make a custom listing for you! Pricing will be pretty similar to what I have in my shop, depending on what it is you want.

Alex Greenshpun Photography

“Why I Wake Early” by Alex Greenshpun

It’s been a while since I’ve featured another artist. I’d like to get into doing that again! This is a feature on Alex Greenshpun Photography.

“The Tiny Sir” by Alex Greenshpun

Alex recently won a contest on deviantART with the theme “Cats and Dogs.” She won with the above photo, titled “The Tiny Sir.” I can see why! It’s an adorable cat and a great photo! I love how the eyes really stand out.

“Happy Days” by Alex Greenshpun

Alex is a photographer from Israel and she has many beautiful photos featuring nature and animals.

“You Talkin’ to Me?” by Alex Greenshpun

You can find Alex on Facebook, deviantART, and her website alexgreenshpun.com.

“Round and Round” by Alex Greenshpun

Panda Speed Drawing in Adobe Illustrator

I created the above character for my business, Dorky Dino, where I design cute critters and make them into a variety of products. I thought people might like to see how I create my designs, so I recorded myself making this one in Adobe Illustrator. Take a look at the video to see how I made it!

Once I finished the design, I got it printed onto acrylic and then made it into a necklace, which is for sale in my shop!

Pike’s Peak

I mentioned in another post that I had taken a trip to Colorado. Well I still have photos to share! The second place we went was Pike’s Peak. It was beautiful! Definitely a great opportunity for photos! Unfortunately we didn’t get to stay long because a storm started rolling in as soon as we got to the top. I did get some nice photos, though! Above is a panorama from the top, and you can even see a group of hikers who climbed the mountain! You can click the photo to see it a little larger.

Here’s another panorama from the top of Pike’s Peak. You can see the train tracks in the foreground and the other mountains in the background.

This was after the storm started rolling in on our way down. The fog really changed the atmosphere, and these rocks formed a perfect frame!

Art Progression from 2005 to 2013

Happy New Year! I’ve seen some artists posting their progress over the years, so I decided to join in! It’s interesting to see how my work developed over the years, and what I focused on each year. I had been drawing long before 2005, but that was when I first started posting my art online. 2005 and 2006 are so embarrassing to me, but it really does help me see how far I’ve come with practice!

The template I used is by Kamaniki on deviantART. You can download the template here.

Christmas Ornament Giveaway

I’m having a giveaway in my shop, Dorky Dino!

Enter it here! There are many different ways to enter, and the more entries the more likely you are to win!

I’m giving away a set of two clear acrylic Christmas ornaments designed by me. These beautiful clear ornaments were an added bonus sample from my printer, and I’ve decided to pass them onto you! I currently only have two sets and will give one away, and if I get enough entries I might give TWO pairs away! Because the acrylic is clear, you can see the design from either side and Christmas tree lights make the edges glisten beautifully!

The giveaway will end Monday, December 16th and the winner will be announced within 48 hours.

10 Christmas Gifts for Geeks

Do you have a geek friend or loved one that you’re looking for a gift for? I’ve put together a list of ten gifts that are easy to geek out over! Plus, to top it off, each one is hand made by a small business!

Tomb Raider Print

“Just Keep Moving” Print of a digital painting by artist Shelby Underdahl

How cool is this digital painting of Lara Croft from Tomb Raider? You can get an 8.5″ x 11″ print of this original artwork directly from the artist, Shelby Underdahl.

Price: $10.00

Floppy Disk Charm

Floppy disk charm from Hip Hop Candy

For a fan of technology, this adorable smiling floppy disk charm is the perfect choice! That is, if you know someone who still remembers floppy disks!

Price: $5.00

Batman Soap

Bat signal soap from The Charming Frog

Batman or BATHman? Represent your favorite super hero with handmade soap by The Charming Frog!

Price: $7.00

Doctor Who Cuff

Doctor Who cuff bracelet from Geek Details

Know someone who is a fan of the show Doctor Who? This cuff bracelet has the Doctor’s name written in Gallifreyen. If there’s anything geeks love it’s something that only a fellow fan will recognize!

Price: $25.00

Dungeons and Dragons Photograph

Dungeons and Dragons photograph print by Brandi Miller Art (Yes, that’s me!)

This photograph featuring Dungeons and Dragons books and dice would be a perfect addition to a game room!

Price: $15.00

R2D2 Beaded Tapestry

R2D2 beaded ACEO tapestry from Wake Up the Angel

This original tapestry was hand beaded to feature R2D2 from Star Wars. The perfect gift for a geek with an eye for detail!

Price: $45.00

GaMERCaT DS Skin

GaMERCaT DS Skin from Sugar Bunny Shop

You could get your favorite gamer this adorable DS skin to customize their Nintendo DS! It features the adorable GaMERCaT along with various video game references.

Price: $19.95

Thor/Loki Friendship Necklace

Thor/Loki friendship necklaces from Grandma Thunderpants

Maybe you have a friend who is a fan of The Avengers! The best part about these hand-scuplted necklaces from Grandma Thundepants is that you’ll have a gift for a friend, and get to keep one for yourself!

Price: $32.00

Cute Dice Bag

Dice bag from Dorky Dino (my other shop)

If you know someone who plays tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons, this dice bag featuring a cute smiling D20 would make an adorable gift!

Price: $8.00

Chell Felt Doll

Chell felt doll from Drowsy Aurora

Fans of the video game Portal will love this handmade doll of the main character, Chell! Geekery you can cuddle with!

Price: $38.00

Halloween

I hope everyone has a great Halloween! Creepy new photo to celebrate! That doesn’t quite do it for you? How about some zombie cupcakes?

They’re actually brownies made in a cupcake tray. I iced them and then put crushed Oreos on top as well as walnuts for braaaaaains and some gummy eye balls!

Happy Halloween!