Diana Ball-Seitz

Diana's Scrap Saturday Layout Challenge #1

This is fun. Scrapin' pictures from Family Vacations, back when you where a kid! That is me and my brother. SO cool. Not. We did not have IPods, or cell phones or even our one computer in the house. We had Walkman radio/tape players. My play list, I mean my favorite "tapes" included The Police. (Still does.) It is so weird, that James is older today than I was in this picture.

Here is the full page.

Here is the Scrap Map and a Challenge. Use this map and scrap! Post a link to your page in the comments. No deadline. Just get some pictures out and Scrap! Do it! You know you want to! Can't wait to see your creations! If you post to Splitcoaststampers.com be sure to put DBSSLayout1 in the keywords.

Here are some detail shots.

I used the Hidden Garden Rub-Ons that Coordinate with Eastern Blooms. (LOVE that about Stampin' Up! that everything matches.) Created the edge boarder by Embossing Chocolate Chip Craft Ink with Iridescent Ice, punched and cut in half 1" and 3/4" Circles. Colors are Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa and Bashful Blue. 

I created the Origami Butterflies using Designer Series Paper in Bashful Blue. A few large blossoms are stamped in Craft Bashful Blue in the background, not embossed. In case you did not notice in the journaling, we did not go to Asia...we are "Disney World" Travelers. I love everything Asian, food, art, literature (especially Japanese poetry) but I have not made it to Asia yet...This was such a fun page to make. If you have the Stampin' Up Demonstrator CD from Convention it is on the Art of the Heart CD. I have been SO blessed by Stampin' Up! Another one of the great benefits to being a demonstrator is the creative contests.

Here is the Title. Yes, I cut out the letters. The alphabet is Big Deal. My favorite. And I LOVE to cut it out. It may get old if you see a lot of my Scrapin'. The "i" is dotted with another Rub-On from Hidden Garden.

Hope you take the Challenge! Have a creative day, everyday. Diana

Thank You Eastern Blooms

Have you been bad? Shopping yesterday too much on Black Friday? Well I was bad too I have been surfing, a LOT. I found this GREAT blog called No Time to Stamp? by Sharon Johnson. She has a challenge with NO deadline, the challenge is to make a card giving thanks and keep it simple. (that is the most challenging for me!) So I just could not say no, here is my contribution. You can also see other samples over at Splitcoaststampers.com by searching for the keyword ssnotime63.

I actually re-worked one of my cards from my August New Catalog Open House. So some of you have seen this before, sort of. Here is my Stamp Simply #63 for Sharon. Simple is NOT my normal style and I felt this fit the bill. The flower center is the only really "complicated" part and it only looks that way. Here is a close-up. 

To make the center of the flower, just use your 1/8" handpunch, to create two holes, like a button in the center of the flower. Thread your ribbon from the back, tie a loose knot, thread the other end of the ribbon thru the other hole and there you have it. I used Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Urban Garden DSP, Basic Gray and Encore Silver with (retired) Detail Silver Embossing Powder. Stamp Sets are Eastern Blooms (which comes in the SU Starter Kit) and All Holidays for the Thank you. Scallop Square Punch is hiding under the cut out flower.

Hope you enjoy your day. Find time to stamp. Thanks for the Challenge Sharon.

Pink Winter Post

This was a TOTAL challenge. Check out the Limited Supply Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.com  Shockingly one could only use 3 Layers, 3 Colors and 3 Stamps AND the hardest of ALL 3 Embellishments. One of the colors had to be PINK...no problem there. LOVE, love, love PINK! So here is my contribution. Yet again using Winter Post and All Holidays stamp sets...are you going to buy these yet or what? (he he ;-))

Used Winter Post and All Holiday Stamp Sets. The 3 stamps used are the Reindeer, Snowflake and Merry Christmas. Used Snow Blossom Punch (no limit on punches), Rhinestone Brad (1) from Circle Fire and (Retired) OnBoard Flower (2) with Whisper White Craft Ink and Chunky Sprinkles Glitter (3). The ink is CRAFT Pixie Pink. The 3 Colors are Whisper White, Pixie Pink and Pretty in Pink. Here is detail shot.  But I think I just figured out I used too many embellishments. If embossing counts that is 4 (Iridescent Ice) I told you this was hard. Hope you had a GREAT thanksgiving and your tummy is recovering today if you ate too much. Thanks for checking the goodies out today. Diana

Thanksgiving Bling...Winter Post Glitter Edge Tag

Happy Thanksgiving. I am SO thankful all my WONDERFUL stamping friends and customers. Thank you. Today starts a special sale with Stampin' Up! Up-to 50% Off Special Bundles...visit my website if you need some sale "stampin' bling". http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/dianaball/

This card was inspired by my friend and fellow stamper Paula Cannon. Paula loves to glitter up the edges recently. The technique is easy and for all you "Glitter-Girls" out there you will love the look. The only thing you need is glitter, glue and patience. Edge up everything with sponging, then glue, dip it in glitter and wait...and wait. Waiting over-night is best. Thanks Paula for the inspiration. 

Here are some close-up views of the glitter, and my stamping off technique of the reindeer under the words. (Same thing is done to the snow flakes in the center of the card, in Red and Green.) The colors of paper and ink are Riding Hood Red and Kiwi Kiss. The glitter is Dazzling Diamonds. The Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive works great for the edge gluing. The center is made using the Tag Punch.

Add some extra bling with a clear brad from the Pretties Kit and my new favorite ribbon Satin Double-sided Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla, plus Whisper White Taffeta. Stuffing snips of ribbon bits into the back-side of your brads is a great way to stretch your ribbon supply and attach it in style.

If you are traveling today, be safe. Thank you for stopping by Diana.

Sale Starts up-to 50% Off Stampin' Up!

Are you in the Holiday mood yet? My lights are on the outside of the house, but only the bathroom is "Blinged-Up" yet. Yes a little crazy, some of us decorate even the bathroom. Be sure to head over to my Stampin' Up! Website  

Click the Shop Now Button and then Specials. Stampin' Up! Products are on sale for up-to 50% off but only till December 1st! Here is an example of my favorite bundle... check it out!

Alpha-Betcha Need This Bundle	116226
Price: $38.94
The Well-Worn Alphabet and Well-Worn Numbers stamp sets are well-loved too! We've bundled these products together for 40% off while quantities last! ■ Well-Worn Alphabet stamp set ■ Well-Worn Numbers stamp set

Get Shopping. Have a great day. Diana

Winter Bling Challenge

Have you been wanting to join Kristina's kwernerdesignblog Color Inspiration Challenge for sometime? Me too. So here is my contribution. Are you tired of my Winter Post creations yet? Love this set. Since it is a Shelli Signature product how can one go wrong? Do you love her style or what? Being a "Thunder-Only-Happens-When-Its-Raining-Stevie-Nicks-Kind-of-Girl". If you have ever seen Shelli Gardner(co-founder of SU) you may know what I am talking about it. She loves the long flowy-girly-skirts, so do I. Total girly-girl here. Thus the bling...

Here is a detail shot. IRL the "Bling-Factor" maybe too much. But really can you have to much?

The random stamped panel is the Diamond Dust Technique using Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. Brushed Gold paper with Encore Gold Ink and Gold Embossing Powder. The little gold dots are using the old SU Painty Gold/Silver pen. Which sadly SU stopped selling, but the uni-ball Signo Gel Pen would work well too. Below is the inspiration...

Thanks Kristina. And THANK YOU for stopping by. If you are traveling today be safe. Diana

Family Scrapin' and Turkey Day Prepin'

James and I made three Chocolate Pecan Pies and tried to make Orange Pineapple Salad...it never set. Time to call mom. I have never made it before and not too sure of the directions. The list of ingredients had one cup of water, but directions had two total. After two hours in the fridge, no setting-up. So I decided to go stamp and scrap.

Been hoarding these pages. I made them earlier this year. Yes that is me, my mom and grandma. These photos are from oh...18 years ago or so. Can you believe I made my dress. Before stamping there was a passion for quilting. I have a stash of fabric to this day. (better get that Big Shot...) One reason stamping is SO great, a project can actually get finished in a few minutes, if you choose!

The page was created for Stampin' Up! Convention Display Samples. It is SO much fun to drag old photos out of the dark drawers and bring them out and share them. Scrapbooking is wonderful to bring out memories of times past. 

Used Real Red Craft Ink, Pixie Pink Craft Ink, matching papers plus Tangerine Tango, Stamp-A-Ma-jig, and embossed everything with Iridescent Ice. The scallop circle punch double punched is accented under the 1 1/4" Circle Punched butterflies. 

Happy Turkey Day Prepin' or traveling to you and yours. Here is one of the Chocolate Pecan Pies. Have a great day, thanks for stopping by. Diana

Winter Post PIE...Oh My

Can't wait to share my scrapbooking page with you from yesterday...but it is "Top-Secret" Stampin' Up! stuff right now....but let me share with you my Fancy Pumpkin Pie Recipe. James would eat (pumpkin) pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let him. 

Fancy Pumpkin Pie

2 eggs

1 15oz can pumpkin

3/4 C sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp ground coves

1 can evaporated milk

1 unbaked frozen deep-dish pie shell

(I use to go totally "martha" and make my own pie crust from scratch, but you know, nobody said anything when I didn't, so I don't spend time on that anymore...but knock yourself out if you want to go for it!)

p.s. if you are wondering what the "Top-Secret" SU stuff is all about. I was asked my Stampin' Up! to create samples for Leadership (an annual training seminar put on by SU) which will be in January 2009 in Orlando Florida. I can't attend this year with my new "day-job" but some of my stamped samples will travel to Florida. I am sworn to secrecy until the new catalog comes out. But once January 19, 2009 arrives I can share with you! Can't wait!

Here is a simple Winter Post Card. We made this at one of the Christmas Card Classes last month.

Have a GREAT Thanksgiving Holiday. I am off to finish making goodies for family, friends and co-workers for all the feasting this week. Does your tummy hurt yet? Hugs. Diana

Winter Post Shaker Card

This card was actually inspired by a comment from one of my customers back in October. She wanted to make a snowglobe card. She purchased the new 1 3/4" Circle punch and the Word Window for the base of the snowglobe. As soon as I saw the Winter Post stamp set...I just KNEW I had to make a snowglobe shaker-card. So here it is with some tips. This was one of the Christmas-Card-of-the-Month Cards from last month...sorry if you missed it. I also have demonstrated this at my November Workshops.

I used Old Olive, Night of Navy, Basic Black and an empty jumbo wheel cartridge with Whisper White Craft re-fill ink, Chunky Sprinkles Glitter and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter in the shaker. The Jumbo Wheel is Snow. Watercolor or Blender Pen the Skaters on Watercolor Paper or Confetti White Paper.

Here is a detail of the shaker part. I used the Key Tag punched halfway for the base of the Snowglobe.

The notched edges of the Stampin' Dimensionals  are perfect for curving around edges. (I use 3M Foam Tape for straight shakers.) Here is how I made the Shaker...we learned this at the Regional Seminar in Kansas City, put on by Stampin' Up! It is a training and stamping day with the company. Shelli was there and one of the presentations made a shaker card this way. See below...I have been hording my un-used edges for five years. I just figured out I should trim them off the empty sheets and place them in a stamp set storage box. A tip from me to you!

Here is how I store my Stampin' Dimensionals.

Time is running out to get this GREAT Stamp Set. It is a Shelli Gardner Signature Collection Item. Winter Post 111780 Set of 7 Die Cut for just $26.95. (It also co-ordinates with our Designer Label Punch 107590 $15.95.)

Have a GREAT stampin' day. Diana

Back to Blog with Challenge Inspiration

Yes, I know! I have been MIA for WAY too long! Sorry. I am using Beate's SCS challenge to get things done today. I am doing NOTHING, well except eat and other necessary stuff, and STAMP this weekend. Oh and make a couple pies for Thanksgiving.

Here is my contribution...Stamp set is Best Wishes and More. Colors are Basic Black, Almost Amethyst, Lavender Lace, and Shimmer White Paper.

I used a few Techniques on this one...Chalkboard, VersaMarker, Embossing and multiple layered Punches. Here are some close ups.

VersaMarker Embossed with Iridescent Ice

Detail with Snow Blossom, Scallop, 1 3/4" Circle Punches. And for extra special bling a Rhinestone Brad in from the Ice colors. And I sponged all the edges and added uni-ball Signo Gel Pen details here and there.

Enjoy and have a happy day. Hopefully you get some good stamping time in...I am off to Stamp some more! Hugs Diana.