Stampin' Up! doesn't leave us in the lurch when it comes to creative ideas for handmade cards and projects.  Every month Stampin' Up! demonstrators receive an inspiring magazine called Stampin' Success which has loads of ideas for papercrafting, cardmaking, and scrapbooking as well as how to run a successful stamping business. This is one of the ideas I found in a past issue except I made my card a little larger than the original.

This card is stamped with the Easter Blossoms stamp set in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  You can see that even though we might think of this as an Easter set, it is perfectly useful for other occasions.  The Occasions Mini ends on April 30 so be sure you order before then!

The sentiment has Champagne Glass Glitter #120997 mixed with some Stampin' Fine Supernova Glitter #114287 to add some color around the border.

Space….just the word conjures up all kinds of images in our mind.  It might be the infinity of outer space or the adventure of space travel or the heroism of our astronauts.  

Today, as it turns out, is a big day in space history.  You may have noticed the Google image today is designed to commemorate the first man in space back in 1961, Yuri Gagarin.  He was from Russia and made an orbit around the earth in his Vostok 1 spacecraft fifty years ago today.

We also celebrate the space shuttle today. Thirty years ago today John Young and Robert Crippen went up for the first time in the space shuttle Columbia, orbited the earth for 54 hours and returned to earth April 14th.

But here in Houston, Texas today we were more than disappointed to learn that we would not be receiving one of the four retired space shuttles. Houston has been at the forefront of the space program since NASA's Johnson Space Center was built. It houses Mission Control and is where the astronauts train.  After all, weren't the most famous words uttered from space  "Houston, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed," when men first landed on the moon?

So to acknowledge the anniversaries celebrated today, I made this easel card with the spacecraft from Pun Fun #115054.  You can find a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers here to make an easel card.  I chose to use the Big Shot Scallop Circle die #113468.  The inner circle layers I cut out with my Circle Scissors Plus #112530 and the Glass Mat #112531. The Circle Scissors Plus is wonderful because you can cut any size circle you need.

Try the Easel card!  It's easy and yet very showy!

Shop my Online Store for your stamping and papercrafting supplies!

Copyright Stampin' Up! 2011

Here is a sample card made by Stampin' Up! with the new Four Frames stamp set and the new Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper.  This stamp set and paper are sneak peeks of new products that will be in the next new Stampin' Up!  2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog when it comes out in July. During April is your chance to have these brand new products before everyone else (well, almost everyone else!!). After April 30th you will have to wait until July 1st when the catalog comes out. This paper is so beautiful you won't want to wait that long!  And isn't it exciting to have something new ahead of time?!

Check here to see how to get these new products!  If you hostess a workshop, you may even earn them for free! Contact me soon!

When you are ready to place your order (and don't forget to check the Clearance Rack!!!), just click HERE to go to my Online Store.

Promotion details:  Spring is Blossoming with Sneak Peek products from the upcoming 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog. You can get these brand-new products in one of two ways:

• Spend $20* on any Stampin' Up! products and become eligible to purchase both the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper.
• Host a $350* workshop and get the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper for FREE!

*Net sales before tax and shipping

Free products!  Who doesn't like to hear that phrase?!  Time is running out for the greatest Stampin' Up! promotion of the year….and the oldest! Stampin' Up! has been promoting Sale-a-Bration since the early days of the company (back then, called Sell-a-Bration), so you know it is a good thing!  But today and tomorrow are the last days.  Sale-a-Bration 2011 ends tomorrow, March 31.

With a purchase of just $50, you get to choose one free product from the Sale-a-Bration Mini Catalog.  With a $100 purchase, choose two free products…and so on!  No limit!

You may have seen some of the new SAB stamp sets in the mini, but did you know there are MANY stamp sets from the Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog that are also available?  They are listed on page 11 in the Sale-A-Bration Mini.

Here's one of them…Elizabeth!  It's a single "a la carte" stamp.  I was asked to make some simple invitations for a school event thanking some volunteers.  This was one of the samples I made.  The Elizabeth stamp is very elegant!

It's time to stock up on card stock, adhesives or those stamp sets you've always wanted because with your $50 purchase you will receive the Sale-A-Bration benefits.  Check it out HERE.  And then click on the "Shop Now" button on my website to place your order!  Have fun!

Card making is so easy when you use Stampin' Up! products.  When inks, paper and accessories coordinate, all you have to do is choose a few colors or a main color to work with and everything else will fall into place. This 4"x4" card base is Melon Mambo which coordinates with the Sale-A-Bration Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper & Quick Accents Pack #122242.  I knew I could also use the Ice Cream Parlor Ribbon with the buttons included in the Ribbon & Button Pack #123529.  The stamp set in the Sale-A-Bration Catalog "Sweet Summer" has a little stamp of stems and leaves that I easily colored with Stampin' Write Markers and then adhered the little buttons.

You can choose any of the Sale-A-Bration products FREE with a $50 purchase, but only until Thursday, March 31!!  The last day is fast approaching and I'd hate for you to miss the fun of choosing your free product from the amazing catalog this year!  There are stamp sets, accessories, a Decor Element, and digital content for digital papercrafting with My Digital Studio.

Just think how special it would be for someone you know to receive a handmade card!  There are plenty of Stampin' Up! ideas on my blog and in the Stampin' Up! catalogs that are easy for you to be inspired and to duplicate.  And copying is allowed!!

Avoid the crowds!! Place your Sale-A-Bration order today!!  

Stampin' Up! cards are so easy to make, even for holidays like St. Patrick's Day!  Without buying a special St. Patrick's Day stamp set, I found this shamrock in the Got Treats stamp set.  And if I wouldn't have had a shamrock stamp, I could have used hearts to make a shamrock!  Or I could have just used our great colors of green to make a generic St. Patrick's Day card.  I found the greeting in the fabulous stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes #115370…..or you could have used something simple like "Celebrate" or "Thinking of You".  Maybe add some ribbon, some brads, a punch or our new Fabric Designer Brads #121880 and you've got some easy embellishments to jazz up your card!

For some other St. Patrick's Day ideas from last year, click HERE, HERE, and HERE.

My Online Store is always open for shopping!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!