Balzer Designs

Project Fifty-Two: Half Way Through the Year

So, I've just finished Week 26 (June 25-July 1) of Project Fifty-Two.  Here's my project for the week:

 

It's digi.  I just started drawing with my pen tablet.  I was so pleased with how everything turned out, I decided to put together a little digital kit of hand drawn elements.  Here's the kit:

 

 

And, since we're half way through the year, I thought I'd share a mosaic style image with what I've created for Project Fifty-Two thus far (click it for a bigger image):

It's fun to look back and see how quickly the year has gone!  In fact, here is Week 27's contribution (thus officially beginning the second half of the year):

As you can see, also made with my "Summer Joy" digi kit.

Finally, today is the last day (until noon MST) to vote for round one of Gallery Idol.  I've been feeling very insecure about my card...I suppose that's totally natural.  And I'm anxious to know the results and have the painful suspension come to an end!  Thank you so, so, so much to any of you who voted!  I really appreciate it more than I can possibly express!

Have a great day! 

Gallery Idol: Round One is Here!

As I mentioned last week, I was lucky enough to make it into the top 20 of the Gallery Idol contest being run by Paper Crafts Magazine.  Gallery Idol is much like American Idol, in that the public votes.  Each round, five cardmakers will be eliminated.

You can see all of the entries here.

To vote, you have to register for the site.  It's free and quick.  You do have to provide your e-mail address, but you can check a box to make sure you don't receive e-mail.

Take a look at the gallery and vote for your favorite.  And...if mine happens to be your favorite...well, that would be okay with me!  ;)

Here's the card I submitted:

Paint, Glimmer Mist, Pen, Water Soluble Crayons, hand cut stencils (watch for a tutorial on that coming soon), and some magazine image masks!  The photo is a little bit dark, which is too bad because presentation always makes a difference.  In real life, the card is quite glitzy with all the Glimmer Mist glowing.

When you look at the gallery of cards, you'll see that it looks a bit out of place.  All the other cards have a very polished, scrapbook-y look.  Ah well.

I went through a couple of reject cards, but I thought I'd show them here:

This white on white card is kind of spectacular in person.  Plus, I made every single one of those flowers from scratch.  Just white cardstock that I sculpted into petals to create the flowers.  Cool, right?

And this one is very fun!  You can't really see it from the photo, but I popped up the couple with foam adhesive, so they're off the card a bit.  This card is super simple.  Basically, I drew the couple, painted them, and then cut them out.

So, what do you think?  Did I submit the right card?  It was a really hard decision, but I finally decided that the first card was more "me" than any of the others.  But looking them over right now, I'm having second thoughts.  Sigh.  It was a torturous decision.

My Creative Process

I got the following comment on a recent post...

love how you changed those flowers! I have a question about your creative process, if you wouldn't mind answering it... do you plan your LOs, or do they evolve as you're working?

I find "artsy" intimidating, because it feels like it just gets thrown together, but how can such awesome work just "come together" IYKWIM?

Cheers

cate

...and I wanted to take some time to answer it.  I think that there probably are people out there who are capable of throwing together a bunch of stuff and having it come out as a beautiful creation.  In fact, I have heard many scrappers say that they can't imagine spending more than an hour or two on a page.

I am not one of those people.

True.  I am prolific.  But, that's because I'm obsessed and spend a lot of time, every day, creating.

If you don't mind, I'd like to take you on a trip down memory lane.  (There is a point, and an answer to Cate's question, so bear with me.)

10.03.05

One of my early layouts.  This was in response to one of the effer dares.

You can see that I wanted to be a bit artsy.  I cut all my journaling up into little pieces and was using unusual photos, but it just doesn't really work.

1.6.06

I remember thinking that I was soooooooo clever doing my journaling in those "u" shapes around the photos.  And this was the beginning of a long phase in which I mixed and matched rub-ons, stamps, and my handwriting.  And used a lot of vellum.  Again, longing to be artsy and adding little creative touches where I could.

I was so incredibly proud after I finished this layout.  But, I look at it now and see a thousand design issues.

7.23.06

At this point, I was avidly reading magazines and doing everything I could to make my pages look the ones from the magazines: clean, graphic, big photos, etc.  And I was just starting to learn how to play in Photoshop.

Because I was trying to ape the layouts in magazines, I was beginning to understand graphic design a bit more.  Most of my layouts from this period have a "simple" look, for lack of a better term.  But, it wasn't conscious. I was throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what stuck!  Witness the next layout...

7.02.06

I'm still having lots of mis-steps when I try to go artsy.  Check it out:

But, here's a re-do from 6.24.08:

 

It took me two years to make it from point A to point B.  But, I digress.

9.26.07

This was a period of big change for me.  I put together this very graphic, but kind of oddly hinged together layout in September of 2007.  In theory, it should work.  I was reading lots of books on design and thinking about putting together my pages in a much more methodical way.  And I was sketching absolutely everything beforehand.

 

1.08.08

...and three months later, I had put this one together.  I drew a sketch of it before I sat down to put scissors to paper, but I let myself think outside of the box a bit more.

It was a total mental breakthrough for me.  The idea that I could combine graphic design with artsy choices blew me away!

6.22.08

 

I love this layout.  And it is the beginning of my feeling comfortable combining strong design with artsy techniques.  Paint is becoming a strong component in all of my work.  I'm still sketching things out, but more often in my head than on paper.

3.2.09

And, here's a quick layout I did back in March.  This is definitely where I'm at right now.  Painted title, painted background, handwriting...yep. 

More importantly, as random as it looks, I am now very aware of the design principles upon which it sits.

So, let's get back to the original question that started this ramble.  Do I plan my layouts?  Or do they just evolve?

Yes.

The answer is kind of "yes" to both questions.

I start with a photo, a technique, or a product that I'm dying to play with.  I rarely make physical sketches these days.  Though, I definitely make them in my head.  Perhaps it's because I've been doing this for four years now, and I'm just building on everything I've learned over that time.  And when I'm creating that mental sketch, I am 100% conscious of the basic design principles (contrast, emphasis, balance, unity, pattern, movement, and rhythm).

As I start to work, I'll often discover that whatever I had planned in my head just isn't going to work.  The one thing that I have gotten very good at is letting go of the plan at that point.  I look at the mistakes and disasters as opportunities.  So, the layout just starts to evolve at that point.

Whenever I think I'm done with a layout, I will stand it up or hang it up next to my desk and look at it.  Often, I will go and get a drink of water or walk away for ten minutes.  When I come back, I stare at the layout and see if anything immediately jumps out at me as wrong or out of place.  If it does, I'll fix it immediately.  (I often paint over stuff or pull it right off the layout!  I have been known to paint over an entire layout and start again.) 

If everything looks fine, I look at the layout and ask myself whether it feels ordinary or extraordinary.  I know it sounds obsessive and crazy, but if it feel ordinary, I feel compelled to add something or do something to take it to the next level.

Finally, I make sure that the first thing the eye goes to is the photo, that the journaling is legible, and that the design feels cohesive.

Now, those are the technical steps that go into my process, but as you can see from the brief history I've shared here, my layouts evolve as I do.  My process evolves as I do.  I think you have to go through all the steps, all the conscious learning, before you can just throw things at the paper and have it all work fabulously.  Or at least I have to.  I mean, who knows what might be next!?

Cate, I hope that answers your question!

Thanks for stopping by!

Label Tulip Birthday Celebration: It's Here!

Okay, so here are the details of Label Tulip's birthday celebration...

Every day between now and July 15, there will be a challenge, tutorial, or big time sale!  Be sure to check the Label Tulip blog every day for all the fun!  Some things to be aware of:

• The deadline for all the challenges is 7/14/09, 6pm PST!
• All the winners from the challenges will be featured in the Label Tulip newsletter and on the Label Tulip blog on July 15th, 2009! 
• Each challenge has an awesome prize!
• Each time you participate in any of the 15 fun daily challenges, sales and games for our 15-day birthday celebration extravaganza, your name will be entered into the drawing to win the grand prize – a FREE 3-month subscription to Label Tulip!  Wow!

Just to catch you up...

July 1: Label Tulip Stamp Sale

You can grab all your favorite exclusive Label Tulip stamps at great prices!  (And super reasonable shipping too!)

July 2: Tulip Girl Lift Challenge

Pick a layout by one of the Tulip Girls and share your interpretation.  One lucky winner will receive a one-month subscription to Label Tulip (or a free month, if you're already a subscriber).  Deadline is July 14, 2009 at 6pm.

What's today's Label Tulip fun?  Well, you'll just have to check the blog for yourself!

You can also sign up for the newsletter to get an e-mail, with all the details, for each day of the celebration!

What are you waiting for?

Flower Power

It has been a while since I've posted anything Prima.  Having to keep things secret (hee hee) for CHA releases does that to a girl!  But, I do have some fun new layouts to share!

First up, July's Build-a-Page sketch has landed:

Here's what I did (it's pretty much a mirror image of the sketch):

I took my new typewriter for a test drive and added text to some of the flowers:

And here you can see that I added some paint to the outside edge of a fabric flower to create a bit more contrast.

You can see the other girls' interpretations here. 

To enter YOUR project based on this month's sketch simple go to the CONTEST GALLERY on the Prima site. PLEASE include "July BAP" in your title; make sure the photo uploaded is LESS than 150 kb; and please make sure the layout is Prima-based since it will be showcased in our own gallery. Layouts using competitor's products will not be accepted.

Entries must be received by July 25th to be eligible for the winning prize. A winner will be chosen near the end of the month! Have fun and GOOD LUCK!

This layout is one of my recent faves:

I had a lot of fun with the stitching down the left side and the french knots (as seen below).

The leaves are cut from the most gorgeous flocked paper.  I was so sad to cut into it, but thrilled with how they turned out!

This layout has a ton of flowers on it, but they ended up kind of blending in.

The title is a little illegible, I'll admit it.

This layout is super simple.

But, did you know that these flowers...

...started life as the flowers below?

I used a lot of paint and glimmer mist to color them and the moisture opened up the flowers.  So, I removed the ball in the center and was left with a much more open flower in a beautiful sparkly color!

I have a nagging feeling that I might have shown this layout before, but I can't remember, so here it is again (or for the first time)!

I have been on again and off again obsessed with paper ruffles!

I really like the fact that it doesn't have any flowers on it.  Prima is so associated with flowers that it's nice to have a layout without them!

Thanks for stopping by!

Label Tulip's Anniversary!

So, as you probably know, I've been on the Label Tulip team since last October.  But, did you know that Label Tulip is going to turn TWO YEARS OLD this month?!?!  Well, an event like that has to go hand-in-hand with a celebration!

And to inspire you, I've put together a little mosaic of my favorite projects I've made with Label Tulip's kits - one for each month:

I hope you'll join us for all the fun!  I'll have at least one brand new video tutorial and there are games and prizes and all sorts of good things happening!  So, take a moment and stop by the boards.  If you're not a registered board member, now is the time to sign up!  You can't win if you don't play, know what I mean?

Thanks for stopping by!

Right at Home: Making Memories Wedding Line

ETA: Oh.  My.  God.  Know how I mentioned that I had thrown some cards into the horse race over at Paper Crafts magazine's Gallery Idol competition?  Well, I made the top twenty!!!!!!  276 people submitted 1,254 birthday cards for just 20 spots!  Wheeeeee!  Round two starts immediately.  But, just for making it to the top twenty, I get this prize package:

 

Lots of Cosmo Cricket goodies!  How fun is that?  The next challenge is a wedding card and I believe the public will vote once the cards go up on Monday.  I'll post more once I know more.  So excited!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:

The ladies at Right at Home Scrapbooking sent me papers and embellishments from Making Memories Wedding Line this month.  I had a ball pulling the pieces apart and making a lot of non-wedding layouts with the line!  However, before we get to that, I've got a super fun project for the summer!

This is the front and back of a 7gypsies spinner card.  The paper I used for the background on both sides, and for the banner on the front, was made by stamping with celery.

Watch the video below for instructions:

Now for the layouts!

This one is so simple and graphic:

I cut apart this paper...

 

...to create the circles on the layout. 

Because the circles are offset on the original paper, I had to cut apart rows of three circles and then glue them together.  But, before I glued them down, I fed them through my typewriter to add my journaling.  (You may notice a kind of typewriter theme here.)

This next layout has been the bane of my existence for the last forty-eight hours.  I am not one of those quick scrappers who just puts stuff down and says "done!"  And I have agonized over this one for a while.  And (shhhhh, don't tell anyone) I actually re-did the layout.  It just never settled into feeling really right and I kept staring at it and staring at it until it bugged me too much to leave it alone!

 

But, I'm pleased with it now.  Much simpler than I normally do, but I'm happy.  I stole the white border from this paper:

 

I used a pair of scissors to trim it off and then added a dyed version of this paper...

...to the bottom half.

 

I used a mixture of dye inks and Adirondack Color Wash to color it.

BUT, before I put it on the layout above, I used it as a stencil to create the background for the layout below:

 

I like a lot of things about this layout, but I'm kind of grumpy with how the title turned out.  Not at all like it was in my head.  Something about the "of" just bugs me a lot.  (BTW: I am totally enamored with the American Crafts puffy Thickers on this layout.  That font is so divine!  It's called "rainboots."  These ones are leftover from my June Label Tulip kit.  I'm on the hunt for more!)  Anyway, here's a close up of the background:

 

Also, notice that I painted this paper...

 

...blue, because the stark black and white was fighting with the photos a bit too much.

This layout was a last minute addition.

 

It was kind of a series of good mistakes.  Behind the lace paper (Creative Imaginations), is a piece of cardstock that I had painted and sprayed for another project and then decided not to use.  But, the color was just so vibrant, I had to use it for something!

There's a lot of texture and pattern on this layout (and color) and so I used a mixture of gesso and watercolor paint on the journaling card to tame the pattern a bit, which started as this paper:

You can also see it in its "raw" state under the "J" in the detail photo below.

I start most layouts with a story I want to tell.  This one sort of just came together and then the fact that I could only fit one letter in the frame, gave me an idea for the journaling: "J" words that describe me!

Finally, June 'tis the season of weddings.  And I couldn't let this whole wedding collection go without any wedding fun!  Thus, I give you a short tutorial on making a wedding dress embellishment like the one below:

 

You could use the dress element on a card, as a package topper, on a page.  Whatever your pleasure!

Here's the "how to":

If you'd like the template I used to make my wedding dress, you can download it here.

Whew.  Monster post.  Thanks for stopping by!

Easy Inspiration

This is a post that I wrote for the Right at Home Scrapbooking Blog.  It appeared on that blog a few days ago.

Today, I want to share an easy way to be inspired by modern art: use it to create your background! 

Mark Rothko is one of my favorite abstract artists.  In case you're not familiar with his work, here are three of his paintings:

I love the way his blurry colorblocking looks.  When I look at these paintings, I see a border with blocks of color inside.  Essentially, this:

Now, given how much I paint on my pages, it would be easy to look at these paintings and find inspiration by copying those blocks of color directly.  What a cool background for a page or a tag, right?

But, I decided to push the inspiration a little farther out and use patterned paper.  I had some Cosmo Cricket paper leftover from their Christmas collection, "Oh Joy":

But the patterns were too bold.  I needed something softer.  Luckily, the other side of the papers (don't you love double sided paper)...

...was absolutely perfect!  I cut strips (as you can see below):

And then I glued them into place to create my Rothko-esque background:

And here's the finished layout:

 

You can see that I turned the background sideways.  I added my photo, some flowers, a title, some journaling, and a few doodle dots!  Super simple!

Now it's your turn to be inspired by art!  Pick an artist you like or just head to your local museum or art gallery for some easy inspiration!

8.5x11 Love

8.5x11 isn't really a scrapbook page size that I ever work with.  Occasionally, I'll do 11x8.5 (i.e. landscape), but I've just never been an 8.5x11 girl.

Another thing I stink at is two-page layouts.  I really have a lot of trouble working with the 12x24 canvas.  I just don't "get" it.

So, I decided to do some experimenting.  And lo and behold, I'm loving the 8.5x11 two-page spread.

And how cool is this?  I just found out that this layout is the "Featured Layout" over at Two Peas!  Wowza!  I took a screenshot since I didn't know when I'd be posting this and if it would have changed to someone else's layout.  Take a peek:

 

Pretty cool!  If you're not familiar with Two Peas, it's the biggest scrapbooking site around.  The gallery has hundreds of layouts in it, so I'm tickled pink!  Just proof that experimenting is always a good choice!  LOL!

AND...I finally drew a random winner for my little box of stuff.  It's...

Oh, my favorite card site is:
http://blog.ginakdesigns.com

Different style than yours for sure, but easier for me to card-lift. LOL

Posted by: Sue Clarke | June 23, 2009 at 10:07 AM

Send me your address Sue and I'll send you your box of stuff!

Have a great day!

Scrapbook Trends Now Online

Scrapbook Trends is a funky little scrapbooking magazine that I think most people are familiar with.  It has a cool square format and almost no advertisements.  Each layout gets an individual page and the photography is really beautiful!  Of course, it can be hard to come by.  But, no longer!  They're going with the swing of things and offering a digital version of the magazine.  If you'd like to check it out, just click on the button.

You'll be able to see their free "mini album" edition, which has some really cool projects.  There's one album that has me lusting after it.  It's by Debbie vanMarter, who unfortunately doesn't seem to have a blog (I googled her).

But the best part, is that there's a big section on bookbinding.  If you've ever wanted to give it a try, check out the article.  Lots of great information, step-by-step directions and photos!

I think it's $4.99/month to subscribe digitally (the newstand price is like $14 or something) and for $9.99 you can get an "all access pass" to all their publications: Bead Trends, Cards, etc.

And some other good news:

• Donna Downey recently featured my canvas album on her blog.  It was so very nice of her!  You can see it here.
• I had a page I submitted at least a year ago (whoa!) picked up Creating Keepsakes!  Yay!  This was especially nice because I haven't submitted anything in months and months.  I've been too busy.  So, it was a lovely surprise!
• I've got some exciting and fun news to share about a new gig, but I have to stay silent for just a little while longer!  Eek!
• I was asked to stay on for another term at Right at Home Scrapbooking.  Such a treat!
• I will have a brand new tutorial (video and pictoral) on Ali Edwards' blog, as part of her Tuesday Tutorials series, in September!  Really looking forward to that one!

Finally, a friend of mine had a birthday recently.  I wanted to make her something special, so I sat down and put together this simple, but chic, necklace:

Sorry that these photos are so terrible.  I've never quite figured out how to photograph jewelry.  Any tips?

Thanks for stopping by!