Pocket Full of Sunshine Blog Hop

Welcome to the Pocket Full of Sunshine Blog Hop!
 

If you have just stumbled upon the hop, Lissa Marie is our host at So Many Crafts, So Little Time today. Start there so you don't miss a thing.

But, if you came from Lucy's sweet blog, you are in the right place.  

Grab a cuppa'Joe or favorite beverage, and relax as you browse through the awesomely bright and cheerful projects we have made for you, and get ready to win some blog candy!

Now, I don't know about where you are, but summer's struck!  Last week, temperatures here in the Philadelphia area just missed 90 degrees -- egads, that's too hot for what's still technically spring. But this weekend, we're back to almost winter. I mean, seriously??  60 degrees?  Mother Nature ... gee ...

Anywhoooo, traditionally, Memorial Day Weekend is the first time that we fashionistas (HAHA!) here in the Northeast can break out our white pants/skirts, sandals and summer handbags. Here's my take on a paper-crafted pocketbook for the:

POCKET(books!) FULL OF SUNSHINE 

BLOG HOP!
 

I made this cute PAPER purse using Close To My Heart's "Surf's Up" paper, cutting it with a file by Silhouette America on my Silhouette Cameo.  I trimmed it out with white stitching from my sewing machine around the cute edges and the darling buckle tag closure. My pocket(book) isn't full of sunshine per se ... it's loaded with Hershey's Kisses, "nom-nom, yummy," as my dear granddaughter Charlotte would say. 

  

Now for the good stuff!

Our sponsor today is ME!

I will be awarding a $20 Close To My Heart gift certificate to one lucky blog hopper, to be used at my CTMH site at cardmonkey.ctmh.com.  To be qualified for this drawing, please comment on all participating blogs. Just be sure to leave a comment at So Many Crafts, So Little Time to let us know you have done your part to be entered into the drawing.

And don’t forget to keep an eye out for more blog candy offered throughout the hop. Some blogs are offering extra perks on their own! If they are offering even more blog candy, they all have their own requirements for you to win, so don't forget to read the rules for each one.

Thank you for taking the time out to check out my project, if you like my project and you are not already a follower, you are encouraged to add your email in the subscribe area to get updates right in our inbox or follow my via BlogLovin! Keep clicking for more Pockets Full of Sunshine!

Your next stop is with SARAH.

Here is the line up to help you navigate
through this fun blog hop:

Lissa Marie:  http://somanycrafts.com
Janet:  http://janetscreativeworld.blogspot.com/
Anita:  http://anitaandbugs.blogspot.com/
Cicily: http://pinkdalmationscrapper.blogspot.com/
Lucy: http://love2createitall.com/
Ellen:  http://cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com/
Sarah:  http://itswhatkeepsmesane.blogspot.com/
Teresa:  http://freshandrenewed.blogspot.com/
Beth:  http://thecraftyscrapyard.blogspot.com/
Shawnee:  http://quiverofangels.blogspot.com/
Holli:  http://sunflowerHolli.blogspot.com/
Jessi:  http://mylifeinartsncrafts.com/ 
Daphne:  http://craftyscrapsofstuff.blogspot.com/
 

OH, and
Happy Memorial Day!   

Thank you
to all military personnel
(past and present)
for your service.

Rumple Ribbon Thursday: Happy Memorial Day!

Have I told you lately how much I love Lovebug Creations' Rumple Ribbon? 

As I headed into making my patriotic cards for the summer holidays, I begged Kimi of LBC to please make red/white/blue ribbons -- and she responded in all glory!

She made two sets of R-W-B ... one that is called the Old Glory collection, and the other is the Star Spangled collection, both of which are now available from http://lovebugcreations.net. 
Old Glory has more vintage, subdued colors of Betsy Ross Blue, Washington White and Revere's Ride Red. In the Star Spangled collection, you'll find parts of the "Simply" colors -- Simply Red, Simply White, Simply Blue.  (Simply Black and Simply Grey are also now available.)  

For this card, I once again added Rumple Ribbons to a Jillibean Soup Card Kitchen card, to make it my own. I mixed up colors from the two patriotic collections, and used Simply Red, and Betsy Ross Blue. Aren't they perfect matches for the Jillibean Soup diecuts?  

Do you have plans for Memorial Day?  Our (private) community's pool opened earlier this month, and there's a pool party to welcome the summer.  In Warminster, there'll be the traditional parade sponsored by the VFW; when I served as Township Supervisor, I rode in the parade (sometimes in a convertible, more often in a golf cart) and threw candy to the kids lining the parade route. Honestly, it was about my favorite part of the job when I served. (And I'm glad I'm only a cardmaker now, not a politician!) 

Happy Memorial Day, and thank you to all veterans who have served our country, including my father (Army), uncle (Army), nephew (Army and Coast Guard), father-in-law (Marines), mother-in-law (Air Force), and ex-father-in-law (Navy). 

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Bicycling into Summer on a Red Bicycle

Did you see the first summertime red bicycle card I posted last Saturday?  Well, here's another! 

This too uses the May Card Kitchen kit from Jillibean Soup. The red bicycle is printed on the "Bite Sized Bits" paper that came on the kit. This card is as-designed -- easy-peasy and great for a Tuesday, don't you think?

Pretty Silhouette Wedding Card

I'm excited to say that I've registered to go to this year's convention for Close To My Heart (CTMH) at the end of June in Orlando.  There, I'll not only meet other consultants and learn how to build my business, but I'll also get sneak peeks at new products.

I'm told that one of the more fun things to do at the CTMH Convention is to participate in the unofficial "swaps."  There, consultants trade their own CTMH projects with others -- with the goal of getting new ideas on using papers, embellishments, etc.

This wedding card is one of the cards I'm making to trade. 

I used a wedding silhouette cut file from Silhouette America and modified it to use two individual papers. The paper is called (appropriately!) "For Always."  This paper is currently available, and will be continued into the next Idea Book. I added a paper punch for the red lapel flower, and gems for the bride. I pop-dotted the couple onto a card made from CTMH Colonial White cardstock. 

Don't forget to place your orders with me in May (click that link!).   Those who place qualifying orders ($50 or more) can get this month's Stamp of the Month for just $5.00 (value: $17.95), see below:

Projects (above) made using CTMH's
Stamp of the Month for May (below)

Back from Disney

Charlotte really enjoyed her trip to Disney World, and can't wait to go again.  Here she is, in our rental car, returning to the villa we'd rented after she and her parents spent the day in Ariel's Grotto, the newest section of the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland.

 

For the grandparents, all of the walking and the heat -- and the crowds! -- in the Magic Kingdom just wasn't our cuppa tea. However, the trip was priceless in that we had hours in the car hearing Charlotte's versions of the songs, "It's a Small World" (John's favorite ... NOT!), "Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious", and "Under the Sea."

 

Two year olds can be so charming! Disarming! And EXHAUSTING!!  :)  We loved it.

 

Card Kitchen "Celebrate" Card

Our family has an awful lot of occasions to celebrate this month. 

In our immediate family, we have three birthdays (my hubby, son-in-law and Dad)

... Mothers' Day for our three living Moms (me, my Mom and my daughter), 

... plus graduations: my niece Nicole and nephew Max graduate from high school; and my oldest niece graduates from Franklin & Marshall University (Lancaster, PA) with a music degree. 

I bet you're just as busy! This cute card could be used as an invitation, a congratulations card or a birthday card.

To make it, I used a design from May's Card Kitchen kit from Jillibean Soup. I removed one element from atop the tag, and cut the word "Party!" using a design from Silhouette America's online store. I popped it up in red (which photographs as pink) to give a little more zing. What do you think?  

Happy celebrations, whatever is on your calendar!!
  

Feels like Summer Today

Has summer started where you live?  Spring?  I've noticed as I've aged that my Pennsylvania springs are much shorter, and air conditioning season starts well before the Summer Solstice. 

This card makes me think of summer memories of my youth, when I'd ride with bicycles with friends, and we'd decorate our bikes for summer holidays' parades.

The base of this card is made from May's Card Kitchen kit from Jillibean Soup. I swapped out the sentiment sticker with one that honors "Memories", and used Really Reasonable Ribbon in red instead of the planned navy binding. 

This card makes me long for picnic days. How about you?

Trendy Color Combo: Green, Gray and Yellow

I'm loving this color combination: yellow, yellow green, white and light gray. And I found it in the Jillibean Soup Card Kitchen card kit for April, well, at least in part. 

The kit called for a cream-colored bow and a "Hello" sentiment in yellow that just didn't do it for me. Remember: You're always encouraged to change up these kits to make them your own!  

I swapped out the cream ribbon for Lovebug Creations' Rumple Ribbon in "Green Goddess." Yummy! Then, using one of the Pink By Designs stamps I recently received as part of my work on the Lovebug Creations Creative Team, I instead used the sentiment: "You really made my day."  A heart sticker from the kit was changed up for a sweet yellow butterfly that complemented the Jillibean Bite Sized Bit.