Balzer Designs

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Going to Museums

I'm delighted to bring you another episode of the Adventures in Arting Podcast!

If you do not see the podcast player above, please click on this link.  You can listen to a podcast anywhere and at any time.  It is a recording that is available to you whenever you'd like to listen.  If you'd like to download it to your iTunes library, click here.  You can also pause and rewind or fast forward as you desire.  I like to listen to podcasts while I'm making art.  It's a little like hanging out with friends while you art.

Today we're switching things up a bit.  Instead of having a guest, Mom and I are chatting about museums.  We discuss visiting museums with children, what is a museum, favorite museum experiences, and even wander into some questions of the value of certain art.  

I wanted to share a resource guide in this post to some of the museums and artwork we discuss on the podcast.

Mass MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, MA

photo source

MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in NYC

photo source

Also:

• an article about the Marina Abramovic "naked people" exhibit.
• MoMA "Garage Sale"

Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) in NYC

DeCordova Sculpture Park & Museum in Lincoln, MA

photo source

Vigeland Park in Oslo, Norway

photo source

Jew in the Box exhibit at the Berlin Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany

photo source

Berlin Wall East Side Gallery in Berlin, Germany

You can read about my visit here.

Madeleine Albright "Read My Pins" exhibit at MAD Museum (Museum of Art and Design) in New York City

photo source

Also:

• Boston Museum of Science
• Denver Art Museum (read about my visit here)
• MIT Museum
• Boston Children's Museum

I'd love to know what you think of this episode.  Did you enjoy the conversation?  Are there any particular guests you'd love to hear from?  Or topics you'd like to explore?  Let us know!

All podcasts are archived here.  Find the show on iTunes here.

Adventures in Arting Podcast: May Flaum

I'm delighted to bring you another episode of the Adventures in Arting Podcast!

If you do not see the podcast player above, please click on this link.  You can listen to a podcast anywhere and at any time.  It is a recording that is available to you whenever you'd like to listen.  If you'd like to download it to your iTunes library, click here.  You can also pause and rewind or fast forward as you desire.  I like to listen to podcasts while I'm making art.  It's a little like hanging out with friends while you art.

Today's guest is May Flaum.

When it comes to crafting May Flaum has one rule: it’s gotta make her happy. She’s not afraid to get super grungy or work with bright colors, dabble in lace and doilies then make something more splattered and wild. If she’s not in her studio (aka ‘the bat cave’) then she’s probably out running around having fun with her family or cooking up a storm.  May has been working in the scrapbooking industry for a decade and currently blogs [www.mayflaum.com] her crafty adventures, teaches on-line classes, and works with amazing companies sharing her projects and ideas. If she has one piece of advice to share, it’s always to be true to your creative heart.

 You can find May's most recent e-book, "Fashionably Fast" here.

On today's podcast we discuss May's long and very interesting career in the scrapbook industry.  The theme of being true to yourself -- both creatively and in your career path -- is strong throughout this episode.  I found it to be a very inspiring conversation and I hope you will too! (And here is the link to May's creative journey, as promised on the podcast.)

All podcasts are archived here.  Find the show on iTunes here.

----

P.S. I forgot to announce the winner of the ICE Resin giveaway! 

Congratulations Joan!!  E-mail me with your mailing address and I'll pass it on to Jen!

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Noell & Izzy Hyman

I'm delighted to bring you another episode of the Adventures in Arting Podcast!

If you do not see the podcast player above, please click on this link.  You can listen to a podcast anywhere and at any time.  It is a recording that is available to you whenever you'd like to listen.  If you'd like to download it to your iTunes library, click here.  You can also pause and rewind or fast forward as you desire.  I like to listen to podcasts while I'm making art.  It's a little like hanging out with friends while you art.

Today's guests are husband and wife team Noell & Izzy Hyman.

Noell hosts and co-owns Paperclipping.com -- a scrapbooking website of video tutorials, a popular audio talk show, and scrapbooking articles. She's been documenting her life through journaling since she was about 7 years old, as well as through photos and scrapbooking since she was around 10. Noell discovered the scrapbooking industry while it was still in its infancy in 1996 and began scrapbooking with industry products at that time.

Her background with modern dance influenced the way she scrapbooks: she loves communicating her stories, not only through photos and journaling, but also through visual design…in other words, she's all about using colors, patterns, lines, and other design elements to tell the story. Using design as a visual language to tell a story through scrapbooking is one of her favorite topics to study and share with others through Paperclipping.

"You know how some things get into your heart and soul?

Design got into mine.

I don’t just teach the basics, but I really love to dig deep into design theory so it can be applied a million ways with a million styles and empower scrapbookers to tell their stories, not just with words but also through the visual designs of their pages."

In 2008 Izzy walked away from his full-time career in the corporate world to run two website businesses from home: he owns and hosts IzzyVideo.com where he teaches how to shoot and edit video through his online video tutorials. He also co-owns and produces Paperclipping.com -- his wife's scrapbooking website. Izzy works with local films in the Phoenix area. In March 2013 he will debut the first film he produced himself.

"I’m Israel Hyman (Everyone calls me Izzy), and I’m obsessed with video. To me it’s an incredible art form.

It has the visuals of photography, but when you add audio and physical movement, it takes the art form to a whole new level.

While video seems complex at first, it isn’t. I have devoted the last several years to showing others how easy video is. It’s not the ‘black art’ that people sometimes pretend it is. Developing skills with video is as easy as learning the principles and then practicing them."

On today's podcast we discuss how Paperclipping.com came about, how Noell & Izzy make working together work for them, Noell's ballet classes, Izzy's singing classes, and taking a non-traditional career path.  I hope you'll listen in to our conversation and leave us your thoughts!

All podcasts are archived here.  Find the show on iTunes here.

----

P.S. If you'd like to win a seat in my online class "Stamp Carving 101," Tina is hosting a giveaway on her blog.

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

I'm delighted to bring you another episode of the Adventures in Arting Podcast!

If you do not see the player above, please follow the instructions in this post.  You can listen to a podcast anywhere and at any time.  It is a recording that is available to you whenever you'd like to listen.  If you'd like to download it to your iTunes library, click here.  You can also pause and rewind or fast forward as you desire.  I like to listen to podcasts while I'm making art.  It's a little like hanging out with friends while you art.

Today's guest is me!  (Due to a personal matter, our guest for today's podcast was not able to make it. So, I ended up being the guest instead.)  I'm going to give myself the full guest treatment with a headshot, bio, and some images of my work:

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a mixed media collage artist. She has been making art for as long as she can remember and loves the process of creating. “I believe that mistakes are creative opportunities and hold fast to the notion that enjoyment of the process is just as important as the finished product! I like to think outside of the box — experimenting with paper, paint, and fabric — always trying to find a way to push my supplies further and see all the possibilities.” 

Julie has had artwork and articles published in many magazines including Cloth Paper Scissors, CPS Pages, CPS Studios, Quilting Arts Gifts, Quilt Scene, Creating Keepsakes, Better Homes & Gardens’ Scrapbooks Etc., Memory Makers, Scrapbook Trends, Somerset Memories, Somerset Digital, scrapbooking m.m. (Sweden), Scrap Art Zine (Germany), Scrapbooking & Beyond, Simple Scrapbooks, Histoires de Pages (France), books by Leisure Arts, F&W Publications, and Lark, as well as multiple e-zines. She writes the "Adventures in Arting" column for Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine.

Julie is the co-host of Scrapbook Soup TV (PBS) and has appeared several times on Quilting Arts TV (PBS) and hosted the “Artist to Artist” segment on Scrapbook Memories TV (PBS).  She has also appeared on Crafting at The Spotted Canary (PBS).  Julie’s hour-long instructional DVD “Collage Fast & Furious” was released in July 2010 by Interweave.  She released two new hour-long instructional DVDs in 2012: All About Faces and Stamp-Making Adventures.

Julie's yet-to-be-titled book on stamp carving will be released by Interweave Press in Fall 2013.

Julie designs stencils for The Crafter's Workshop, stamps for Impression Obsession, and has several other products in the works with other companies.

Julie lives in a tiny apartment with a big art studio in the middle of New York City.  She is a graduate of Brown University.

On today's podcast we talk about my career trajectory, where I hope the craft industry will go, and my teaching philosophy.  I hope you'll give the podcast a listen!  And be sure to leave any comments or questions in the comments section.  I know that Mom and I love hearing from you!

Thanks for stopping by!

All podcasts are archived here.  Find the show on iTunes here.

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Christine Drumheller

I'm delighted to bring you another episode of the Adventures in Arting Podcast!

If you do not see the player above, please follow the instructions in this post.  You can listen to a podcast anywhere and at any time.  It is a recording that is available to you whenever you'd like to listen.  If you'd like to download it to your iTunes library, click here.  You can also pause and rewind or fast forward as you desire.  I like to listen to podcasts while I'm making art.  It's a little like hanging out with friends while you art.

Today's guest is Christine Drumheller:

Here are a few words from Christine:

I first joined Cocoa Daisy, as a subscriber, in 2007.  I later tried out when Cocoa Daisy had a Design Team call, and made the team. About 6 months later, Tricia (the owner then) asked me to start creating the project kits.  I loved coming up with ideas for the project kits and putting them together!  Soon, I was joining Tricia for her trips to CHA, so I got a good idea of how much work goes into putting together the main kit.

Well, fast forward to 2010. I found myself having to leave my marriage of 11 years, with no work history for the last 8 because I'd been a stay-at-home Mom.  At that time Tricia happened to be pregnant, moving to another state and planning to close things down here at Cocoa Daisy.  I approached her and said I wanted to do it!

I was terrified... leaving a marriage, moving in with my parents and starting a business all at the same time.  That was the worst, most stressful summer of my life!  But I knew I had to give it a try because it was the perfect scenario for me. I'd be doing something I love and I'd also be home with the boys.

My background in graphic design from before I became engaged, including 10 years' experience as a Composition Manager, gave me the confidence to jump in and pray that God had placed this opportunity in front of me for a reason.

It's been an amazing two and a half years! Learning as I go, always trying to make changes and improvements, working to get the kits out on time and to give my 100% to customer service has been more than stressful at times, BUT I wouldn't change a thing!  

Lately I have changed my focus from 12x12 layouts. I adore mini albums and I am addicted to instagram - so creating a mini album filled with instagram pictures from my phone seemed the perfect way to capture our daily lives.

Links for Christine:

• Cocoa Daisy Scrapbooking Kit Club
• Cocoa Daisy on Facebook
• Follow me on instagram: christinedrumheller

On today's podcast we discuss Christine's journey towards becoming the owner of Cocoa Daisy as well as the struggle for balance between work, home, and creative desires.  I hope you'll listen in to our conversation and leave us your thoughts!

All podcasts are archived here.  Find the show on iTunes here.

----

P.S. I'm headed to California today and will be away for two weeks.  

First I'll be in Anaheim for the annual Craft & Hobby Association Show (CHA).  You can find me in The Crafter's Workshop booth Sunday 12-1pm and Monday 10am-1pm, Sakura booth Monday 2-3pm. Most of the time I'll be walking the show floor. Be sure to say "hi!"

Then I'm headed to San Francisco for a few days of R&R with my West Coast family and friends.  (My grandma just turned 93!)

And finally I'm spending two days teaching in Santa Ana!  Super excited about the class!

While I'm away I have written and scheduled lots of awesome blog posts for you to read.  But, if you want to see what I'm up to while I'm away, I'll be using my phone to post photos and thoughts to instagram and twitter.

California, here I come!  :)