Today is Veterans Day and this is a card I received in a swap at Convention from Julia.  It uses the stamp sets Courage and Service & Sacrifice, plus the jumbo wheel Hero.  It is a perfect way to express our thanks to all members of the military, especially on this day.  

From History.com:  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War." Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.

Stampin' Up! has just announced a new website for demonstrators and customers alike dedicated to My Digital Studio!  You'll be able to go there for information, updates, inspiring projects, discussion forums….everything about My Digital Studio!!  I have only had time to take a peek, but I can't wait to really look around later on after the wedding!  If you are not familiar with My Digital Studio, it is a software program that will allow you to create all kinds of digital papercrafting projects:  cards, albums, scrapbook pages, calendars, etc. Stampin' Up! has been putting out plenty of new downloads for purchase as well along and along so it never gets old!

Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2o10

 To join this new community, just go to www.mydigitalstudio.net.  Over in the upper right corner you will see a box to sign up.  I'm sure you will really enjoy this new site PLUS learn a lot as well as we all share what we know and what we've created!

To purchase My Digital Studio, just go to my Online Store HERE, click the Shop Now button, and then click on "Digital Crafting" over on the left column.

Doesn't feel much like it here in Houston, TX!  The temperatures, however, are a bit cooler than they have been, and I'm sure the colored leaves will be at peak in December!!  It might get down into the 80's over the weekend.  Probably due to rain!

So to get myself in the fall mood, I decided to do another digital scrapbook page from our trip to New England last fall.  These colored leaves and gorgeous scenery sure say fall to me!

Read more about My Digital Studio HERE.  Maybe you will want to have as much fun as I am having using My Digital Studio!

With all the excitement of the new Stampin' Up! 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog, don't forget that the Summer Mini Catalog is still in effect, but only for another couple of weeks!  The Summer Mini ends on August 31 so be sure you don't forget something that you want!  Just click on the catalog below to view it.

There are beautiful stamp sets, papers, and accessories in this catalog, even a bridal set (speaking of weddings!).  And to do those scrapbook pages of your summer travels, check out pages 22-23 with the Sentimental Journey stamp set and the Travel Journal  Designer Series Paper!

Oh my gosh!  Be sure you don't miss the bling in the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog!!  There are pearls and rhinestones and they are both beautiful! Here is a package of the Basic Rhinestones #119246.  I used a bunch of the smallest ones on this package, but you can see there are still a lot left!  They REALLY sparkle!  You will love them!  Nothing prettier than a whole package of these rhinestones hitting the light!  You get 150 of them in three sizes for only $4.95.  Just think what all you can make with these!  Your cards and projects will be gorgeous!!

Get some stamping school supplies tax free!  The state of Texas is having a sales tax holiday for school supplies up to $100.00 per item August 20 – 22. Because school supply items are included in this sales tax holiday, the below list of items will be tax free during the holiday period. Please note that you must place your order with Stampin’ Up! during the tax holiday period in order to receive these items tax free.

 The following items are tax-exempt during the Texas sales tax holiday:

Anyone who knows our son Steven knows that he got very interested in "wushu" when he started college and looked around for an activity to participate in.  After checking out various kinds of martial arts, he decided on wushu.  Not many people seem to know what wushu is when we tell them that is something Steven is involved in, so it is great to see this video about it on the news today, and I believe the featured guy is someone Steven took a class with one time when he was in town.  He absolutely loves his wushu, even has the swords and poles that go with it!  We were lucky to see him and his club members perform one night at college last fall…besides a little practice in the backyard!

Here is the local news report from our Houston ABC station:

And then when you have a child involved in activities like this, what better way to capture and preserve some of those moments than with Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio! I was able to make an interactive album of his wushu club demonstration last fall with video clips from my camera as well as photos.  I posted about it in my blog last October HERE and HERE

 Let me know if I can tell you more about My Digital Studio!
 

You've got to see this video that the Stampin' Up! Sales and Marketing Department made for us demonstrators!  I'm sure it brightened the day of every demonstrator who watched it!

I’m on my way home from a fun and fabulous Stampin’ Up! convention! We all got a gift at the last minute!! Talk about excitement!!