A: Yes! Look at the column to the right. There is a box. Simply enter your e-mail address and hit the "subscribe" button and you will receive my blog in your e-mail every time I post. Or, if you have a Google account, you can subscribe to my blog through Google Reader. Bloglines is another free service.
Q: Can I take a class from you?
A: I'm cutting down on my in-person teaching, so it's pretty rare these days. But if I am teaching, you can find my teaching schedule here. I also have a number of online classes and you can see a list of the online classes I'm currently offering here.
Q: How long will I have access to an online class I purchase from you?
A: Until I die or stop paying for a Typepad account. Essentially, forever. I don't plan on closing the classroom, so don't worry about it.
Q: The password you gave me for the online classroom doesn't make the videos play.
A: True. The password for the classroom is for access to the classroom only. The password for each of the videos is posted directly above each video at the end of the sentence that reads, "The password for the video is...."
Q: Do you sell your work?
A: I don't sell any finished artwork, but you can buy the stamps and stencils I designed. I also have some aprons and silly stuff available in my Cafe Press shop. All the information is here.
Q: If I make something with one of your products should I send you a photo of it?
A: Absolutely! I love seeing what people do with my products! And there's a Balzer Designs flickr pool here, for you to share your images!
Q: What kind of typewriter do you use?
A: I have a Royal Touch Control from 1935. It's the "Kit Kittredge" typewriter.
Q: What kind of paint and ink do you use? What's your favorite art journal? What spray ink do you recommend?
A: I get asked about my supplies a lot, so here is a visual guide to my most used supplies.
Q: What kind of brushes do you recommend?
A: I am terrible about cleaning my brushes and I tend to leave them in water forever, so I use inexpensive bristle brushes. Not so cheap that the bristles fall out, but not so expensive that I feel bad when they get ruined. I like to have (1) a really small round detail brush, (2) a medium round detail brush, and (3) a large flat brush. Most things I do can be accomplished with those three brushes! If you're looking for a starter pack, try the Claudine Hellmuth Studio brushes from Ranger.
Q: Where do you live in New York?
A: I live in Manhattan, right in Times Square. You can see some photos of my neighborhood and some information about my city life in this post.
Q: Where can I shop for scrapbooking supplies in New York City?
A: Here's a quick list of where I shop:
- Portrait Bug: This is a dedicated scrapbooking store offering lots of the latest and greatest. They also have a portrait studio on the premises, so you can take photos and scrap them right away!
- Lee's Art Shop: Before Portrait Bug opened, this is where I shopped the most. It's probably why I use so many art supplies (like paint) in my work. Totally influenced by the supplies available. They sell fine art supplies, crafty supplies (felt, glue), some scrapbooking stuff, etc.
- The Ink Pad: Packed to the rafters, this tiny gem of a store offers a million different stamps and all the stuff that goes with stamping and papercrafting. They have some scrapbooking supplies, but the focus is definitely on stamping.
- M&J Trimmings: I can get lost for hours in all the wonderful ribbon and buttons and trim at M&J. It's worth a visit if only to stare. Though, I've never managed to leave without something exquisite!
- Tinsel Trading: It's supposedly Martha Stewart's favorite craft shop. I haven't been to the new location, so I can't attest to the layout, but they carry amazing stuff! Lots of vintage trim and beautiful reproduction ephemera. Great stuff and totally unusual!
- Kate's Paperie: This is a big chain of stores. It's mostly cards and stationery with some scrapbooking stuff. But, there are plenty of locations around Manhattan, so it's easy to get to.
Here's the one thing you have to know before you shop at any of these places: they charge NYC prices. So be prepared to pay more then you do at home (although for non-North Americans this may not hold true...).
Anyway, I hope that's helpful! If you have any places to add or any opinions about the places I've mentioned, just leave them in the comments!
Q: What does your studio look like?
A: My studio is the second bedroom in my two-bedroom apartment.
I did a pretty in-depth posting in three parts in April 2010:
Q: Do you have formal art training?
A: Nope. I'm a self-taught artist!
Q: What do I need to get started art journaling?
A: A notebook, a waterproof black pen (I highly recommend the Sakura Pigma Micron), and some kind of colorant (paint, markers, colored pencils, etc.). That's it! Also there's lots of good information here.
Q: Can I use your images on my blog?
A: You are welcome to use an image from my blog, as long as you credit me by name, with a link back. If you're at all in doubt about proper usage, feel free to e-mail me. I'm very nice.
Q: Where can I buy your stencils and stamps?
A: Find all the shopping information here. I noticed that Blue Moon Scrapbooking has a fantastic selection of the stencils available!
Q: How can I find you on TV?
A: Check the Scrapbook Soup TV website to see when the show airs in your area!
Q: What kind of paper you use when doing your regular 12 x 12 layouts? I’m having trouble with my paper warping and not being flat. A lot of the techniques seem to be very wet, and your layouts never seem to look warped.
A: For really wet applications I use watercolor paper. Or sometimes I will take the warped cardstock and stitch it to an dry piece of unwarped cardstock and that seems to flatten everything out.
Let me know if you have a question that isn't answered here!
