Explosive Celebrations and Heartfelt Thanks!

Hello, Friends! TGIF! Thank you for whooshing through another week!

Thank you all for the birthday love you left me yesterday or sent to my email and/or snail mail boxes, whether on time or yet to come! You make me feel very loved and I appreciate each and every one of you! I'm still sending thank you emails and as soon as possible, I will get all the sensational cards I have received photographed and uploaded to my Happy Mail tab at the top. MWAH!!

I also heard from several friends I've made who don't comment and don't have blogs, but who enjoy reading my blog and visiting other blogs in our community. I want to thank all of you who are silently watching and applauding and supporting me! I appreciate each and every one of you, too! MWAH!

And now we turn our attention to the birthday celebrations of America happening tomorrow! Since that's not a person, I made my cards without an actual "Happy 4th" sediment. That way I can use them for summer birthday cards or. or. well, I'm not sure about how I could use the twofer card, but first let's look at the onefer card:

I started out wanting to use the sketch from the Less Is More challenge. Then I got to stenciling the Flash stencil from Winnie & Walter onto my card using ink and my daubers and one thing led to another until pretty soon my "less is more" turned into "more is more." I was pretty happy that I hadn't messed up the pattern by having the same two colors touch each other (euu!), so I went ahead and made it into a card anymorgan.

The sediment is from the The Alley Way Stamps "Ka-Pow" set. My two panels were made using Lil Inkers stitched dies. The sediment was colored with markers, topped with a white WOS, and covered in Mod Podge. The panels were popped up and Pretty Pink Posh sequints were added. Bam.

Challenges

• AAA Cards: Paste and/or Stencils.
• Addicted to Stamps and More: Anything Goes.
• Sparkle & Shine Challenge: Photo. (My first time.)
• Stamp, Ink, Paper: Colors. 

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Starting over, having quieted the hamster, I made this CASier twofer:

Same paper, same stamp set. Same sediment treatment using white WOS topped off with Mod Podge. Removing a diamond in the sky from Lucy, I adhered it to the large splat. Bam!

Occasions for sending this card to someone? A broken bone? A goal accomplished? An invitation to a game of paint ball? A counting of chickens before they are hatched? Someone shot their eye out? ???

Challenges

• CASology Cue Card Challenge: "Pop!"
• Colour Me ...!: red and white
• Less Is More: Sketch.

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HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO MY AMERICAN FRIENDS! Be safe out there!

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 join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

*Life is too short!

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MOJO #300; NBUS #16; SOS #108; WOYWW #213 ~ Happy Fourth!

And Happy Wednesday WOYWW!

For those of you hopping along the popular What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday (WOYWW) trail, here is my desk for your snooping pleasure:
 

As you can see, I'm showcasing l.o.v.e. again this week because yesterday was my birthday and folks do like to see their beautiful cards take center stage!  And well they should!  Thank you to my sisters and friends and bloggie friends Karen, Bonnie, Brenda, and Bev.  You can also see some fantastic crocheted mats by Jessi and card candy by Loll!  Thank you all so much for your sweet cards and/or birthday wishes, both yesterday and last week on WOYWW!

We are still sweltering (and still waiting for those landscape rocks!) so the poor plants are having a tough time.  One particular sensitive pot gets a daily sunbrella.
 

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I loved this quote from the card I received from my SIL:

Front:  "So you're another year older.  Hey, look at the bright side."

Inside:  "Okay.  There is no bright side.  There's a bright light, but you're gonna want to stay away from that."

Birthday Gadget

As I was saying, yesterday I happily turned 46 and I still have that problem with number dyslexia.  I got to thinkering about all the times I've read on a blog "yesterday was my birthday" or "last week was my birthday" and how I wished I'd have known in time to wish them solicitations. 

So, in my never-ending quest to come up with never-ending ways to stir things up:  Why don't we all just put a 'text gadget' on our sidebars that states our birthdates?

I mean, why are we so shy about it?  I totally understand the feeling of not wanting to "toot your own horn," but it's not like we had any say about our birthdates.  I mean, right?  And we all have them.  (Oh, my candles and icing, thank goodness for that!)  So why not put it out there and graciously accept all the love and good wishes that will come forth on your special day? 

 

Well, now that I've put it that way . . . !

 

I'm leading the way.  On my salad side bar you will see my birthdate, right under my bloggie followers adorable little faces.  I hope you'll do the same!  You don't have to say the year, nor how old you are, just the month and day.

 

I know nothing about Wordpress, but if you would like info on how to get your birthdate gadget added on Blogger, just let me know in your comment or email me at the address on my profile page.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

 

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The next stop on your visit here is a card I made for a challenge, so this would be a good place to hop off if you want to move on to visiting other WOYWWers.  Thank you for popping in to visit and for letting me know you did, so I can return the flavor!! 

BTW, if you don't know what the heck WOYWW is and you want to join in the fun, see more desks, and show us yours, click over to the beneviolet Ms. Julia Dunnit's What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday for all the details. 

 

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MOJO Monday

My card today took me pretty far outside and around the corner from my usual CAS (clean and simple) comfort zone.  One of the first challenges I played in when I started my blog was MOJO Monday's sketch challenge.  This week they are celebrating their 300th challenge and I really wanted to join in.  Congratulations, ladies!  That is sensational!!

You'll want to check them out if you don't already know about this site.  Also, for this challenge, there are lots of incredible prizes being offered!

Here is the sketch: 

And here, in honor of America's Fourth of July holiday, is my card:

I made both the star and the striped background paper:

 

I used the top of a spool of Washi tape for my circle because it fell off and anywhos, I was too lazy to cut a circle with my die.  I striped it with various widths of the tape.  I embossed the sentiment, used sparkly Washi tape for the fishtail banner, and added ATYOU sparkle pens to my fireworks, so this card has lots and lots of sparkle and shazzaz!

 

The NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff) on my card is the fireworks stamp which is from The Alley Way Stamps set "Ka-Pow."  (Thank you and good job to those of you who are also working on using your NBUS!)

 

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Shopping Our Stash (SOS)

 

I've just noticed I can also enter my card in a brand-new challenge to me:  Shopping Our Stash where this week the theme is "Red, White, Blue, or Your Flag Colors."  Perfect!  I love the idea of this challenge and I'm glad to finally be joining in!

 

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Enjoy your day!  No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS*!  I hope it has lots of sparkle and shazzaz!

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!
 

*Life Is Too Short!  

 

Paper:  PTI white

Stamps:  stars:  SU!; sediment: FR1017, Stampabilities;

  Fireworks:  The Alley Way Stamps: Ka-Pow (NBUS)

Ink:  SU! navy ink, markers, embossing powder

Washi tape:  Freckled Fawn
Pop Dots