Apparently, April 3 is the 119th Anniversary of the first documented Ice Cream Sundae, according to Google. Who would have guessed there is such controversy over the history of the ice cream sundae, as several different cities claim to be the first to have invented it!  Whether you want to believe that it was because the selling of soda water was prohibited on Sunday so just the remaining ice cream and syrup led to the invention of the ice cream sundae, or whether a customer asked for some syrup on top of the ice cream and perhaps a cherry, or any of the other versions out there led to the naming and birth of the ice cream sundae, I think we can all agree it is certainly a tasty treat!

In honor of the Ice Cream Sundae, here is my digital version, made with My Digital Studio!  I assure you, all the scoops are made with Blue Bell Ice Cream, my favorite!

If you already own My Digital Studio (good for you!) there is a new update from Stampin' Up! you will want to take advantage of!  Open the program, click the "Help" button and then select "Check for Updates". This is a free update and it is the best one yet!  It does take awhile to download because there is lots of new content!  And did I say it is FREE?!

For more information about My Digital Studio, click HERE!  Really!  Do it now!  There is so much to check out!

Doesn't this look like an adorable scrapbook page?!  It is a digital scrapbook page made with My Digital Studio using the "So Much to Sale-A-Brate Digital Content CD" #123681 that you can get FREE in the Sale-a-Bration Catalog with a $50 purchase!  The project is made by Stampin' Up!'s Sara Douglass who happens to be Shelli Gardner's daughter.  After making the digital page, she adds real buttons and embelllishments for added interest.  Click on the photo above to go to a page on my Demonstrator Business Website where you can watch a video of Sara explaining how she made the page!

If you have any questions about My Digital Studio please contact me.  It really is a fun product to work with.  Stampin ' Up! even has a website where you can learn, ask questions and share projects about My Digital Studio.  The website is www.mydigitalstudio.net  and is a great resource!

Need a quick and easy little gift for Valentine's Day?  All you need is a votive candle holder and some paper, ink and stamps….maybe a punch….maybe the Big Shot!

You probably have these little glass votive candle holders around your house, or if you need to buy some they are easy to find.  All you need to do basically is wrap some paper around the glass and decorate!  I chose to emboss the Stampin' Up! White Vellum Card Stock #101856 with the Finial Press Embossing Folder #115963.  That looked so pretty just by itself!  And of course I had to use the Red Glimmer Paper #121790 in the Occasions Mini Catalog because it is so beautiful to punch a large heart….and no glitter falls off!  Again, it was plenty pretty with just the heart on the vellum!  I tried tying various ribbons around the middle but nothing seemed quite right.  Then I stamped the greeting with the "Be My Valentine" stamp #122045 in Real Red and just cut out the banner. Seemed perfect to me as a finishing touch!  There are lots of easy valentine craft ideas and this is one of them!  Wouldn't this be a great valentine craft for kids?!

And if you need to stock up on supplies for future crafting projects, just click HERE!

I've spent some of my holiday "off" time (does that exist?!) playing with My Digital Studio and pretty easily made this for New Year's.  It actually is a post card template so is a little wider than usual.  I added the Rhinestones and love them digitally almost as much as the real ones!

Here's to a happy, healthy and full-of-stamping New Year!!
 

Turn on the Today Show on NBC!  Shelli, founder and CEO of Stampin' Up!, is going to be on this morning for their annual toy drive!!  She's sending Tweets on Twitter if you have an account!  Shelli and her daughter Shanna are in the Green Room right now getting ready for their appearance, which says they should be on at 9:23 am…..I assume Eastern time….so if not at the time you think, try the next hour! Hard to tell what time they will do things on a show like that.  Let's hope she gets in a few more words than she was able to last year due to time. Maybe she'll get more than 10 seconds!!  And we'd really love to see her go back to do a segment on stamping sometime!

Stay tuned!  If there is a video later to post I'll put it up here!

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At least they had Shelli on by herself, but I don't think they appreciated who they had in their midst!!  And probably Ann Curry doesn't know anything about stamping!  Here's a video I found of Shelli's appearance!

Who says ordering from Stampin' Up! has to be all about you??  What about people you are shopping for who don't stamp, who aren't going to stamp and who don't know what stamping is?!  What about people on your list who don't stamp but maybe could be encouraged to?  What about people who could just use some unique stuff?  It saves you a trip to the mall, and if you order enough, YOU might even benefit with your Hostess rewards!

Today is the last day of MY special of free shipping on orders $50.00 or more.  Stampin' Up! still has free shipping for online orders of $150.00 or more until Nov. 30 (tomorrow)..and the Online Spectacular until tomorrow….and discounts on Holiday Bundles until Dec. 16.  Tomorrow is also the last day for the Half-Price Starter Kit! Can't miss out on that!

Take a look at this list I came up with in just a few minutes in perusing the catalog (in no particular order):

(You can find all of these in my Online Store!)

• For the computer geek (whether they think they like scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc. or not):  My Digital Studio software #118108 (half-price today and tomorrow!!)
• For the Jewelry-Lover:  Simply Adorned Chains, Charms and Baubles
• For the Quilter/Seamstress:  Big Shot, dies, Stampin' Up! fabric
• For the painter:  Aqua Painter #103954, Watercolor Paper #105019
• For creative kids:  Assorted card stock, punches, All in the Family stamp set and Black Stazon ink pad, SNAIL adhesive, dimensionals, mini glue dots, Stampin' Write Markers, album, Grid Paper#102787, On Board Journals (p. 185)
• For the decorator or college student or young adult:  Decor Elements
• For the picture-taker:  Albums (page 180 & Mini) and card stock
• For the crafter/stamper/potential stamper:  Card Kits (p. 182-3), Simply Scrappin' Kits (p.178-9)
• For the Organized (who??):  File Folders #117170, Gusseted Envelopes #120434, Decor Accents Date Keeper #117601, Calendars (p. 170), Paper Holders and Dividers (p. 193), Stack & Store (p. 193), Craft Keepers (p. 193).
• For the Cook:  From the Kitchen Of stamp set #114964 (p. 134)
• For the Person who doesn't need any more STUFF:  Envelopes and note cards (p. 171), adhesives, scissors
• For the Person who DOES like STUFF:  On Board Journals (p. 185), any and all of the accessories on pages 186-188, punches, Personalized Stamps (p. 144-45), wooden stamp set of something they really like…they can set the stamps out on display for decoration!
• For Anybody:  Personalized Stamp, Albums, Ribbons, Scissors, Note Cards, Adhesives, Party Banner and Party Hats (p. 177)
• For the Teen:  Decor Elements, Simply Scrappin' Kits, On Board Journals, Albums, Signo Gel Pen, Personalized Stamp, Punches, Ribbons, Card Kits
• For the Traveler:  Doctor's Bag #113474 (might be made for the Big Shot but it makes a fashionable overnight bag!! Really!)
• For the Men:  Heat Tool ##100005 (tell them they can defrost pipes with it) (and you can sneak it away for embossing!), Crop-A-Dile #108362) (punch extra holes in a belt and who knows what else!), Crimper #101618, Hobby Blade #102449, Craft & Paper Scissors #108360 (give them their own pair of good scissors to use on anything they want to instead of yours)

And this is just what I came up with in a few minutes!  Once you start looking through the Stampin' Up! 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog and Holiday Mini I'm sure you can find lots of things to fulfill at least some of your shopping list!  Add on some things YOU want and I'm sure you can come up with your own workshop to get Hostess Rewards!

Let me know if I can be of help! My Online Store is HERE!