Cheers! Stamplorations GD!

[If you're looking for my NBUS Challenge, click here.]

Aaaah! Breath deeply of the fresh clean smell of a brand new Monday! It's like that new car smell, full of the promise of adventure on the road through the week!

Because of a challenge I won back in August with this card, I am thrilled to be coming to you today as the Guest Designer at Stamplorations!! I so appreciate the win and the honor of serving as GD for Sketch Challenge #20!

This sketch has so many possible interpretations! I tried to think how I could make it work for a friend's birthday, so I created this:

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This is a one-layer card with a background paper taped behind the candle openings. The candles were cut using the Serendipity Die "Cupcake and Candle" (012ED). The letters were cut using Avery Elle "Cheers" die (D1333) and the enamel dots are from my stash of dots, mostly from My Mind's Eye. 

For the background design and the letters, I used a piece of glossy card stock and dropped alcohol inks and blending solution onto it and let them do their thing. I won't lie, I had a hard time using this particular background scrap because I've had it propped up against my glue bottle for weeks to admire the pretty colors. But in the end I used it for today because, as Hammy often tells me, "Hoarding should only be practiced by hoars." You can't argue with that.

Here is the Stamplorations sketch:

The Design Team has brilliant inspiration posted on the blog today! I hope you will have a chance to play and I can't wait to see how you interpret this fun sketch!! 

I am also playing in the Seize the Birthday challenge (no topper, although my candles look good enough to eat!), the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to make our own background, and the Pixie's Snippets Playground challenge to use up those snippity scraps. 

Just click on the links to the challenges for detailed information on rules, sponsors, and prizes! You will also be treated to lots of inspiration from the design teams and galleries!

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BTW, big CHEERS to my friend Jim, otherwise known as Irish Cherokee (Love The Details), on the occasion of his birthday today!!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday Jim and many, many more!!

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New Friends Corner

Five more lovely and talented friends are here today waiting to meet you! 

Penne Norris of Wee Craft. Penne, I see that you started your blog to share your cards and leave a legacy for your grandkids in January of this year, but then you stopped after only a couple of posts. Thank you for following me; I'm delighted to return the flavor! I hope that you start up again one day and let me know when you do!

Cybil Lynch. Cybil doesn't have a blog, but she is a huge friend of many of our blogs and leaves lovely comments throughout Blogland! Cybil, if you ever do start your own blog, please make sure and let me know!

Nikki of Nicnakschat. It's hard to look past Nikki's blog header of two of her absolutely adorable young sons to see her equally adorable cards! Nikki has been blogging since July of 2009. Her cards truly are tons of fun and I have nothing but admiration for her to be able to mother three little boys and manage to make cards and blog!

Gail Iona of Crafty Nomad. Gail, who also answers to the name of Iona, is from Norway. She started blogging in November 2012 and in addition to crafts, she loves rabbits, chickens, and gardening. Iona is mostly a clean and simple card artist, but she can make some incredibly colorful and layered cards, too. I know you will enjoy her fun blog and her interpretations of the many challenges we all enjoy!

Marianne of Marianne's Cards 'n Stuff. (Ha, it was hard for me to type stuff without misspelling it schtuff!) Marianne started blogging in April of 2011. She is a Dutch native living in Greece (Crete) and she has been crafting for many years. More recently she has become addicted to stamping and card art. Marianne is an award-winning challenge participant and I love her impeccably made clean and layered style!

Thank you for joining, ladies, and welcome to the Playhouse!

Reminders

I'm delighted to have you follow me whether or not you have a blog, but sometimes the thumbnail information does not link me to you in any way whatsoever, blog or no blog. I would love it if you left me a comment or an email at the time you join to save me lots of time searching the Giant Intertube for information to welcome and introduce you, which I enjoy doing. Thank you!

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The NBUS Challenge ends on September 25th. Please make sure you are checking the rules under the tab at the top of my blog. A big thank you to all who have entered!! Since the entries are now over a hunnert, I have increased the prizes from five to TEN so you have better odds of winning!

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Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS!* 

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

  

 

*Life Is Too Short!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling:

Click CTL + Home. 
Click the Home tab under my blog banner which resets the post.
Click Page Down to reach the end of the post.
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Click Jump to Comment Form; no more car pool tunnel!
Mwah!