Balzer Designs

Miss Crow for February!

Miss Crow released some awesome kits this month!  Here's what I did with them...

Thanks for stopping by!

Packing For a Crop

Right now I'm supposed to be packing to go and crop for four days at this event.  And I'm procrastinating by writing this post about what I'm packing.  Indulge me, please?

Now that I regularly go to crops with the Manhattan Scrapbookers, I have my packing down to a science.  Much like organizing your crafty space and supplies, there are no rules that work for everyone.  You have to do it the way your brain works.  Here are three things I know about the way I create:

1. I'll use it if I can see it.
2. I like using paint and ink on everything.
3. I print photos as I go.

I'm sure you have several certainties about the way you create too.  Here's how I use mine to help me pack:

1. I'll use it if I can see it.

Therefore, I pack for setup.  What does that mean?  For me, it's not enough to just pack the supply.  I need to pack it in such a way that it unpacks usefully. For example, here is a desk organizer.  I place this organizer, exactly like this, into my crop bag and go.

 

When I open my bag and unpack, there's virtually no set up.  Everything comes out in containers that sit on the table as packed.  This makes it fast and easy to sit down and get to work! 

2. I like using paint and ink on everything.

But paint can be very messy away from a sink.  So, I know that I have to bring the following:

• Teflon Sheet: to protect my work surface
• Rag: to clean up messes fast (and so much greener than a roll of paper towel)
• Spray Bottle of Water: this is a quick way to add water (in a controlled fashion)
• Water Brushes: This way I don't need an open container full of water on my table (that's an accident waiting to happen)

And then of course, I bring all the paints and inks!

3. I print photos as I go.

I used to try to pre-print my photos before a crop, but I felt very uninspired when I sat down to scrap.  So, now I pack my laptop and my photo printer (Epson PictureMate).  I make sure to carry extra paper, extra ink, an extension cord, and a power strip.  Admittedly, it's a bit of a pain in the behind to drag all that technology around, but I can't scrap any other way.  So, I just put together a technology tote bag - throw it all in and go!

Other than that, I pack the usual stuff: cardstock, paper, trimmer, etc.  In general, as long as I've got my basic tools and numbers 1,2, and 3 covered, I'm a-okay.

I found these links where other people discuss packing for a crop:

• from Organized Scrapbooking: This article is from 2004, but I think it's truly excellent.  Really gives some good advice for thinking about packing.  And how to limit your packing.
• from Memory Workshop: This is a site that hosts crops.  I really like the breakdown they provide for creating page kits. 
• from Croppin Corner: The focus of this article is on getting organized to crop.  The author takes you from sketch through sorting photos and so on.
• from Dream Events: This is a site that hosts crops (in fact, the crop I'm going to) and much of the advice is specific to that particular type of event, but I think it's smart and up to date.  And for anyone who has never been to a large weekend crop, it's a good primer on what you can expect.

How about you?  Any tips for packing for a crop?

Project Fifty-Two: Playing Catch Up

Whew.  Trying to grab a moment to catch my breath and play catch up!  I'm keeping up with Project Fifty-Two (just barely - how about you?) and I wanted to share the last few things I've made (and don't forget to check out the excellently cool stuff from the flickr group) for the project....

Week Five (January 29 - February 4)
This is a digital layout using this kit by Miss Crow.  I spent a quick two days in San Francisco to see my grandmother, but we escaped the nursing home for a few hours to walk along the cliffs.

Week Six (February 5 - February 11)
I posted this quilt as part of my blog post about making samples for Quilting Arts TV.  During this week I had a spectacular fight with my Father and worked out my feelings in this quilt about the two of us.

Week Seven (February 12 - February 18)
I've already shown this off and even did a tutorial on it.  This was Valentine's Day week.  Me and the hubs.  Need I say more?

And finally, this week: Week Eight (February 19 - February 25)
I printed out a photograph of my glammed up self and just wrote a few lines to remember the moment.

Remember, this is supposed to be as unstressful as possible.  Just create something about what's going on this week for you.  Take a photo.  Write a few lines of thought.  Or create something elaborate.  It's totally up to you!

And please do check out the flickr group.  The projects that people are sharing are beautiful, emotional, cool, clever, funny, and just generally amazing!

I'm heading off to four days of cropping in New Jersey!  I'll try to blog from the road, but if not, see you on Monday!

Thanks for stopping by!

That's a Wrap!

I did it!  Whew.  There I am on the set of Quilting Arts TV.  What you can't see is the butterflies that were fluttering about in my stomach.  I had such a sleepless night - tossing and turning - complete with major anxiety dreams.  My "call time" was 9:30am, but I didn't tape anything until about 4pm.  All that waiting time meant a wild roller coaster of nerves and calmness.

I was the last one to arrive at the studio.  The green room was full of chattering quilty ladies when I arrived.  And they all seemed to know each other.  Super intimidating.  (And truth be told, I recognized quite a few of them from their books, DVDs, etc.)  So, I slunk in rather quietly and waited for my turn in the makeup chair.  Here's a close up of me all dolled up with more makeup than I've ever worn in my life!

I'm strictly a moisturizer and chapstick kind of gal, so it's fun to see this (somewhat foreign) version of myself. 

After makeup (and a bit of hairspray), I chatted with some of the other amazing guests (including Frieda Anderson, Maria Elkins, Yvonne Porcella, Loralie Harris, and Laura Wasilowski) in the green room.  At lunch, Laura passed on some excellent advice.  When she was younger, an older artist became frustrated with Laura's complaining about not having time to do her art. Laura had young children at the time and felt very stretched by all the demands of life.  The older artist said, "Either you're an artist or not.  Your family may need you, but they don't need you all the time."  Laura went on to say that it's a choice.  And she's been very happy with the one she made.

Everyone's work was gloriously cool.  (When you're in the green room, you can watch the segments being taped on the monitor.)  I didn't manage to get photos (I got shy around all that famous-ness and didn't want to be a silly fan girl), but Maria Elkins' husband was showing off this quilt of hers, and I couldn't resist a snapshot:

Um...she's kind of amazing.

The taping itself went really well.  Host Pokey Bolton, was so sweet.  She had a hectic day, taping all the openings and working with six different guests!  I know there were photos taken of the two of us on set, and a few of me with the other amazing guests  But, they were all taken with other people's cameras, so I'll have to wait to get my hands on those! 

And I have to thank producer Kathie Stull and her assistant, Katherine Lamanscu, who always make sure the day goes smoothly.  They both made me feel very, very relaxed, as did the entire crew.  Helen Gregory, Quilting Arts Magazine's Managing Editor was also there, keeping an eye on things in the green room.  Thanks, all around!

You can check out some bits and pieces from the set below....

It's very Martha Stewart or Pottery Barn, don't you think?

And how's this for awesome good news?  Pokey took three of my quilts for publishing in Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine, and my ribbon cuff, two scarves, two different necklaces, and a pair of earrings for publishing in Quilting Arts Magazine's Gift Issue!  I have to write the corresponding articles now, but I'm totally thrilled!  It will be my first time in both magazines. I subscribe to both of them, but I've never considered my work "good enough" to submit.  It took all of my strength not to giggle uncontrollably when she asked if I minded her taking them!

Well, thanks for letting me share!  Now that it's all over, I feel relaxed and maybe just a little sad that it's all over.  The episodes should air starting in June 2009 on PBS.  You can check local listings for it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Yep, I work in a sweat shop.

My back is killing me.

I think I have tendonitis in my right wrist.

My index finger and thumb are in serious pain.

My apartment is a disaster.

I think my nail beds may be permanently dyed blue.

And my shoulders are useless.

But, it was all worth it!  I've been sitting at the sewing machine for the last week.  Seriously, other than sleep, some meetings, teaching a class, and the occasional meal, I've been sewing, sewing, sewing.  I am a procrastinator and it really bit me in the backside this week.

On Monday morning, I'll be at Beachwood Studios, outside Cleveland, for the taping of two episodes of Quilting Arts TV (PBS).  For one of the episodes, I'm doing "Scrappy Scarves."  I'll be sharing how to make these beauties:

 

Plus two other cool scarves that use up fabric scraps.  (I'm too tired to take photos and they're already semi-packed.) 

And for the second episode, I'll be sharing how to make these really cool canvas art quilts:

The photographs aren't great, but you get the idea.  They're wonderfully colorful and the transferred photographs almost look like paintings.

One of the reasons that I've been so busy is because you have to make both the actual projects and all the "step outs."  You're supposed to make two sets of them (in case you mess up and need another take), but my plane leaves in about twelve hours, and I don't think I'm going to have the time to....  Though, do I really need to sleep?  Well, I *do* need to pack.  Now, I just have to figure out what I'm going to wear and if I own some sort of cleaning supply that will get rid of these blue fingers!

I'll try to blog from the road!  Thanks for stopping by!

Inky Fingers

Last week, I was in charge of posting the "Question of the Day" on the Label Tulip board.  One of the questions I asked was as follows:

Joined: 25 Sep 2008 Posts: 574 Location: NYC

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:41 am    Post subject: QOTD: 2/13/09 I'm all about the inky fingers. So, I thought we could talk brands. Share your favorite brand of: 1. Paint 2. Stamping Ink 3. Other (dye, spray ink, etc.) and why it's your pick!

Lots of really interesting responses!  And I wanted to share my own personal list here.  Now, keep in mind that I am a collector of colorants, so I am only listing the stuff I regularly (like on a weekly basis) use.

PAINT

• Making Memories: It's easy to find, comes in lots of colors and the drying time on paper is pretty darn quick.
• Winsor&Newton: I have a set of tube watercolors by Winsor&Newton that I adore!  Though, I have been using the Koi watercolors from Sakura a lot recently.
• Claudine Hellmuth Studio: I was fairly resistant to the Claudine paints at first.  I'll admit it.  I love the Making Memories paints, so I saw no point in switching over.  But, I love that they come in jars (just dip your brush, no need for a palette) and the quality really is excellent.  The consistency is also really nice - somewhere between fluid acrylics and traditional acrylics.
• Golden: Golden is my "go to" for gesso these days, though I will admit that my first jar of gesso was Pro Art (which is much thicker than the Golden gesso) and sometimes I miss it.

STAMPING INK

• Ranger Distress Inks: It will be no surprise to anyone to learn that I love Ranger's line of distress inks.  They sit on my desk and I use them almost every single time I sit down to scrapbook.  They're dye-based, reactive with water, and have an open drying time so you can emboss with them!
• Ink It Up!: Don't stone me!  These $1 ink pads (yes, yes, probably not archival and you get what you pay for) are awesome for distressing and getting messy and directly rubbing on icky surfaces.  At $1, they're easy to abuse!
• StazOn by Tsukineko: Love the jet black.  Use it for all my non-porous needs.  I know that some people use it on paper, but I don't like to.

OTHER (DYE, SPRAY INK, etc.)

This is the hardest category for me, because I have some stuff that I use "sometimes."  In an effort to be thorough, here is most of it....

• GlimmerMist by Tattered Angels: I love the soft colors and the lovely shine.
• Walnut Ink TintZ: Easy applicator bottles and a huge range of colors make it extremely easy to use.
• Adirondack Color Wash: Love the intense colors and the fact that they're permanent on fabric!
• Ranger Distress Ink Re-inkers mixed with Perfect Pearls: I love that I can custom make my own colors of glimmery spray!  I just wish I kept better track of what I had mixed together so that I could reproduce what I like!
• Ranger Alcohol Inks: I love being able to cover non-porous surfaces that normally reject paint and other collorants.  Great range of colors and they last forever!  Excellent value.

How about you?  Is there a product you love that I missed?  Please let me know, I'm always looking for another way to get inky fingers!

Label Tulip: One Kit Only!

To prepare us all for awesome new goodies from CHA, this month, Label Tulip is offering only one kit.  Oh, and this little sale too...

As we mentioned in the Sneak Peek newsletter, this month we will be having a 60% off blow-out sale on all of our previously remaining kits!   To get 60% off, please add the code "vday" into "Discount Code" before clicking "Add To Cart" on any of the previous kits.  Once these kits are gone, they're gone for good.  So, be sure to shop early... you don't want to miss out on this fabulous sale! 

This was definitely one of my favorite kits ever.  The Amy Butler butterflies are just too freakin' awesome!  So, here's what I created:

• I was at a crop when I made this layout and I didn’t have any acrylic paint.  However, I did have gesso and some watercolors.  So, I mixed some black watercolor paint with my white gesso to make the full coverage gray paint you see on the layout.
• I showcased the double sided nature of the Cosmo Cricket patterned paper by ripping a strip and then folding the edge over.  I used embroidery floss to hold it down.

• I painted the chipboard with gesso and then trimmed the pieces to fit together.  Then, I outlined the entire frame with a pen to help visually unite the disparate pieces.
• I used a Zig 2-way glue pen to draw in where I wanted the glitter on the hand cut flowers.  Then I dumped the flowers into a bowl of glitter.  Perfect placement every time!
• The alphabet stickers are inlined with a black pen and then a white pen.

• To create the background design, I used the leftover outside from a chipboard element as a mask.  I sprayed Glimmer Mist in the void and just moved the chipboard around.
• The title and the journaling are hand drawn and then painted.
• All of these photos have some unfortunate sun spots, but I decided to scrap them anyway.  I believe in using less-than-perfect photos.  The emotional content is still there.

This card it a variant of the tutorial you can find here.

• The background paper I collected was so busy, I had to mat everything with black cardstock to get it to pop off the page.
• To create the background, I used the leftover outside of the butterflies (the sheet I had punched them from) as a mask.  I stamped into the open spaces and then inked using several different colors of Distress Ink.
• Several of the butterflies are popped up using foam adhesive.  And I used a line of three pearls for their bodies.

And here is the before and after masking of the butterflies for the background:

• To cover the chipboard vine with glitter, I ran it through a Xyron sticker maker and then dipped it into a bag filled with glitter.  An easy, no-mess way to glitter your chipboard!
• The title is hand drawn.  I like to draw a very messy cursive title with a black pen and then fill it in with a white pen.
• To apply the glitter to the centers of the butterflies, I used a Zig 2-way Glue Pen to draw a line and then pushed the butterfly into a bowl of glitter.
• The “flowers” on the vine were cut from patterned paper and some of them were popped up with foam adhesive.
• I used several colors of ink (with an ink blending tool) on a piece of white cardstock to create the orange-y half circle you see.
• There’s foam adhesive under the butterfly wings to give them some dimension.

You have to check out the full gallery to see what all the Tulip Girls did.  This month's guest designer, Dina Wakley is just too amazing.  I have a full on craft crush on this girl!

Finally, I did a little post for the Label Tulip blog all about the gorgeous things that some of our members have made with the kits.  If you've made something with a Label Tulip kit, please share it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Valentine's Day Tutorial: Friday

I got my very first Valentine in the mail today!  Courtesy of this crafty lady:

I love the black on black embossing.  It looks fantastic (my photo is a tad washed out)!  Definitely a trick that I'm going to steal!  Thanks, Cheryl!

Well, here it is: the last tutorial.  Valentine's Day is tomorrow, after all. 

Supplies:

• Adirondack Color Wash (Butterscotch, Stream, Red Pepper, Cranberry)
• Spray Bottle of Water
• Heat Gun
• Rag
• Idea-ology Mask (Ransom)
• Sakura Pigma Micron
• 6x6 Canvas
• transparency
• computer and printer
• popsicle stick
• Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint (Landscape Green)
• Paint Brush

STEP ONE: Place Mask Letters Onto The Canvas.

The letters are clear, so they're a bit difficult to see.  Stick them on as firmly as you can.

You can see that my hands were all inky and I mucked up the canvas when I did it.  You'll be more careful, right?

STEP TWO: Spray Ink It!

Using the four colors of Adirondack Color Washes, spray your canvas.  I like to leave some white space.

By the by, the Spray Washes are actually fabric dye, so they will stain your hands and clothes and everything they come into contact with, so be careful!  After you spray, dab the excess color off with a paper towel and carefully remove the masks.  You can use a heat gun to speed drying time BUT be sure to REMOVE the masks BEFORE you use the heat gun (they will melt).

STEP THREE: Make it Bleed.

Spray water onto the letters to make the ink bleed and the outlines become less clear.

STEP FOUR: Outline the Letters.

Once your canvas is dry, use a Sakura Pigma Micron to outline the letters. 

I used a relatively thin tip (02) because I wanted to make the word clear, but I didn''t want to create a harsh line and lose the softness.

STEP FIVE: Image Transfer.

Stick those masks back onto the canvas.  You don't have to line it up perfectly, just generally.

You want to protect the white areas from the image transfer.  Now, print a black&white photo onto the smooth side of a transparency.  Place it face down on your canvas and begin to rub vigorously with the popsicle stick.  When the image has transferred, remove the masks and this is what you'll have:

Remember, a transfer will be a bit muddy - it's part of the charm!  You may want to use a heat gun to dry the transfer ink.

STEP SIX: Paint the Edges.

Paint the edges of your canvas and you're done!

Have a great Valentine's Day weekend!

Valentine's Day Tutorial: Thursday

Anyone notice the renovations around here?  They're small, but I felt like I let my blog get too junky with too much text, so I slimmed it down for a more graphic look.  Any opinions are much appreciated!

Also, this very sweet girl gave me this award:

Once you receive this award, you must pass on the love and nominate 7 blogs you find inspirational.  Well, really, I've decided to thank a few women who I do not really know at all, but have gotten to know through their online presence.  Some I know from message boards, some from their blogs, others because they leave me comments.  Thanks for being such nice people!

• Nat Kalbach
• Sue Brown
• Michelle LaPoint Rydell
• Deb Wisker
• Lisa Brown
• judean
• Jen Davis

Thank you so much, ladies!  You are all wonderful, positive people and I love knowing you're out there!

And here is today's project:

It's a box covered with a very simple quilled design.  Full disclosure: People who really know how to do quilling do amazing stuff!  Check some out here.  I am a total dabbler.  Nevertheless, here's the video...

Thanks for stopping by!

Valentine's Day Tutorial: Wednesday

I thought I'd do a little tutorial on making a digital Valentine's Day card.  Here is the finished valentine:

You can print the valentine out (I recommend matte photo paper), e-mail it, post it on your blog...whatever you'd like.  Here's the video tutorial (and for those of you who pay attention to these kinds of details, this tutorial was too long for YouTube, so I tried out Google Video for the first time and I like it a lot)...

Of Note:

• In the video, I'm using Photoshop Elements 4.0 on a Mac.  
• You can get a free 30-day trial of Photoshop Elements from Adobe.com.
• All of the digital elements are from the Altered Valentine kit at Miss Crow's Magickal Emporium.
• In the tutorial, I have all of my digital elements open and ready in my photo bin.  To do this, all I did was go to File>Open and choose the elements I wanted to work with.
• One of the shortcuts that I use in the video is apple+0 (that's a zero), which is the shortcut for the command "fit in window."  It's very useful when you're trying to resize elements.
• I mention this several times in the video: Hold down the shift key while resizing to maintain the correct ratio.  This means a square will remain a square and not turn into a rectangle.

Thanks for stopping by!