Balzer Designs

Never Be Afraid To Ruin It

I have this motto that has stood me well:

Never Be Afraid To Ruin It.

I think it's a good motto.  I think it's a true motto.

Sometimes I have a tendency to stop when something is "good enough" or "fine."  This motto reminds me to take the risk; to dare to do it.

What is the "it" in that sentence?

Cut a hole in my quilt. 

Glop paint all over it. 

Stamp directly onto my cardstock with abandon!

Cover up a perfectly good piece of art with a new idea:

It' also a good reminder to use my supplies.  And stop worrying about ruining them!

I remember buying Basic Grey paper and hoarding it.  It was simply far too pretty to cut up.  I mean, look at that:

And yet, I kept *hating* all the layouts I did with it.  It took me a while, but using my motto, I started cutting it up.  And now I am a happy girl!  I've used the same motto to conquer my fear of Sassafras Lass and other densely patterned papers, like the one below:

Or how about spraying that gorgeous flower above all sorts of colors and potentially "ruining" it?  Or pulling this flower apart...

...and only using half of it.

And I've been feeling very proud of myself for doing it.  Sometimes the results are great and sometimes the results are...well, less than great.  But I've always figured that I'd rather have 2 art projects that are jaw droppingly amazing and 8 that kind of stink, than 10 that are "fine."

Of course, the reason I'm writing this post is to make myself feel better about ruining the most gorgeous piece of Hambly paper. 

I had been keeping it for something special.  And now, alas, it's disfigured and permanently ruined.

Sigh.

But, I suppose that means something lovely is coming down the pipeline, right?  You have to fail gloriously over and over in order to find that one little moment of genius.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Simplicity Designer Challenge Quilt is Done!

So, I think it's done.  I think that the quilt is done.  Maybe.  It sort of has to be.  I'm dropping it off at Simplicity headquarters later today.

Here's the base in progress:

It's canvas that I painted.  It's quite stiff after being painted, but since this is going on a wall, it doesn't really matter.  And now, here are some details of the finished quilt...

And the quilt itself:

The assignment was to use Simplicity's bias tape maker and/or rotary cutting machine in a creative way.  I made a few quilts that I think were more "creative" about the way they used the products, but I didn't like them.  They just didn't feel like me.  So, in the end, I decided to be myself.  Always a better choice, right?

It's colorful and collage-y and personal.  I think that's where I'm at right now with  my artwork. 

The winner of the challenge will be announced at The International Fall Quilt Market on October 11.  I am very much looking forward to what the other designers came up with!  I suspect that most of them are far more traditional quilters than I am.  And I think it will make for an interesting group of quilts!

P.S.: Just got an e-mail from Somerset Memories requesting a layout for publication!  Yay!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday's Shares

It's time for a little list of crafty stuff that's on my mind...

1. I'm obsessed with hand cut titles lately.

I cut the one above from some beautiful Prima paper.  It's an easy trick that I've been doing on almost every single layout lately!  I don't draw out the letters or trace them. I just cut them.  I know it sounds crazy, but give it a try.  You'll be surprised at how quick and easy it is!

Not related, but still fun: Below, you can see a detail of the beautiful pearl centers that I used.  They really transform any paper flower into something special.

2. Label Tulip Contest!

It's the "Share Label Tulip With a Friend" contest and there are two ways to win:

1. Forum Freebie RAK

For every friend that you encourage to sign up for and post in our forum, both you and your friend will be eligible to win a Label Tulip RAK.

Here are the rules:

• When your friend signs up for the forum, please have them send Jennifer (the owner) a private message with their username and your username.
  
• During the next two weeks, they must post at least ten times in the forum.
  
• On October 5th we will announce the winners and each one will receive the RAK kit!
• You are eligible to win for each friend that enters.

2. Have a Friend Subscribe and Receive a Free Subscription!

For every friend of yours that signs up for either a 3 month or 6 month subscription, you will be eligible to win your own 3 month FREE subscription in addition to your current subscription!

Here are the rules:

• When your friend signs up, have him or her mention your name in the PayPal comments and you will be automatically entered to win!
• You must already be a kit subscriber to be eligible for your friend to sign up and for you to win the free extension.
• If your friend cancels the subscription, then your free extension will be canceled as well

Both of these contests end 10/5/2009 so get your friends' entries in as soon as possible.

Label Tulip is a really lovely community.  I've been on the design team for just about a year now.  There are lots of friendly girls and things are starting to move and shake with the new owner, Jennifer!

3. An Awesome Tutorial!

One of the best painted layout tutorials I've ever seen.  And she says the page came together in only an hour!  It's by  C.D. Muckosky on the Creating Keepsakes blog.  You can see it here.  Amazing page, right?  I love her work!  I think she's totally genius!

4. I've been sewing and playing with fabric and dye and paint for days!

Above, you can see some of my hand painted/stamped fabric.  The base is regular old cotton muslin.  I'm working on a quilt for this Simplicity designer challenge and I've been through so many prototypes!  Yesterday, I cut a hole in a finished quilt to experiment with some bias binding.  Today, I've been weaving strips of fabric together.  It has been quite fun, though I will admit my back is starting to hate me.

And believe it or not, what you see above is also a quilt in progress.  It's canvas fabric covered in several layers of paint and gesso.  Here's a detail:

Hopefully, a finished project will emerge at some point!

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday is Full of Joy!

It's Monday.  And Fall has arrived in The Big Apple.  I love Fall, so that makes me giggly and happy!  This is going to be a bit of a monster post, so I hope you make it to the other end!

1. Label Tulip Sneak Peeks

This is new owner, Jennifer Chau's, first kit.  It feels very fall-ish and kind of homey.  The big reveal is on Tuesday (September 15) at 9pm EST.  Here are some peeks at what I've done with the kit so far...

 

 

 

PS: Don't forget about the design team search!  The deadline is September 18!

2. Prima Layouts

I've been lost in flower land, buried under a delicious pile of Prima.  I can't share all of it, but here are a few things that have already made it onto the Prima blog:

• I wanted black letters, but I only had red ones, so I colored them with a black permanent marker.
• The black square is painted.
• The leaves are cut from a piece of patterned paper and popped up with foam adhesive.
• I placed the backing for the self-adhesive felt over the black felt itself.  I sprayed the backing with some Glimmer Mist and then stapled it in place.  The rhinestone flowers are covering the staples.

• I cut the title out of black cardstock.  I think it’s easier to just eyeball it and cut then go to the trouble of drawing it first and then having to erase all those lines!
• The ruffle under the title (stitched to the page with a sewing machine) is the reverse side of the purple paper that makes up the bulk of the background.  They’re the one inch strips I cut off of that paper.  Not a scrap is wasted!
• I cut the base circles with a circle punch to create some sense of uniformity.  Then, I used scissors to cut the others.  
• I used foam adhesive to separate the layers of circles.

 

• The pearl centers are colored with Sakura Souffle Pens.  They’re usually pretty chalky and matte, but I went over each of the centers with some clear nail polish.
• Note how I cut apart the Prima stitched paper (for all those circles).  I think sometimes we get scared about cutting apart our fancy beautiful papers.  But, the stitching and pattern add wonderful texture and I’ve still got plenty of scraps to use for something else!

3. News From Sultane

I wish I could say that the paper line I designed is going to be sold somewhere in North America.  Sadly, not true.  However, I have been asked to design a brand new line!  I'm extraordinarily excited!  I learned a lot from the last line.  I learned from making it, but even more, I learned from using the finished product.  I'm anxious to get started on this one!

4. Quilting Arts Gifts

I've got *two* articles in the new issue of Quilting Arts Gifts!  The photography is unbelievably beautiful.  And when the recent e-newsletter went out, one of my projects was featured!  Eeek!  You can see it here.  It's got the instructions for the project and everything!  Here's a screen shot of part of it:

 

5. Another Journal Quilt

I *love* teaching my Journal Quilt class.  This week, we played with Angelina fibers.  Anything heat bondable is pretty stinkin' cool.  Add some sparkle to it, and I'm sold!  Here's my little quilt using the Angelina:

The heart and the beads (see below for a better view) are made from Angelina.

6. Simplicity Designer Challenge

Recently, I was asked to participate in a Designer Challenge by Simplicity Creative Group.  They challenged a group of us to use their rotary cutting machine (below) and bias tape maker (above) to make a small wall quilt.

 

The machines are fun.  I'm having a good time playing around with them!  The deadline is September 25, so soon I need to stop playing and actual commit....  I did a little bit of sketching today.  And I like my idea, so we'll see what happens...!

Thanks for stopping by!

Project Fifty-Two: Missing Weeks

Just because I've been lax about pointing out my Project Fifty-Two projects, I don't want you to think that I've forgotten about it!  Some of these you've seen.  Some of them will be new to you.  But, here are the last few weeks of my life explained through art...

Week 28: July 9-15, 2009

This is a recent fave.  It was an experiment in style that really, really worked!

Week 29: July 16-22, 2009

I really like doing "Today" layouts.  In fact, I've done a ton of them over the years.  I think it might be fun to spend a month doing a layout every single day with the title "today."  Then again, I suppose that's the idea behind the "daily" albums, isn't it?

 

My Mom took that photo of me with her iphone.  We were sitting in the hotel room chatting and she said, "Look at me."  I looked up and she snapped it.

Week 30: July 23-29, 2009

Working out my feelings in paper and paint.  Gotta' love art therapy.

Week 31: July 30-August 5, 2009

 

I was in Florida when I snapped a photo of this cute little guy hanging out on the window.

Week 32: August 6-12, 2009

A weekend well spent....

Week 33: August 13-19, 2009

I'm moving and thus thinking about my new apartment.  And totally in love with my new apartment.  So, I made this quick little art quilt (8.5x11) to memorialize the moment.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Is it really Friday?

I can hardly believe that it's already Friday.  I'm teaching at The City Quilter today.  We're playing with Tyvek and making fun little skirts like the one seen here...

If you're interested in learning a bit more about Tyvek, you can check out the brief tutorial on this site.  Essentially, Tyvek is heat reactive and you can get some very cool effects as it bubbles and melts.

I'm also teaching a brand new class tomorrow (Saturday)!  It's called "Everything That Sparkles."  I'm a little anxious.  It's also my first time kitting a class.  I have baggies of rhinestones and Angelina fibers and glitter everywhere!  I have to remember to take photos in class tomorrow.  I love seeing the work that everyone does.  It's so inspiring!

Finally, I wanted to share a little art project from my baby brother.  He's a filmmaker out in L.A. and he put together a thirty-second promo for a short film of his.

Let me know what you think!  Thanks for stopping by!

Embroidery Love

I am becoming a seriously prolific blogger these days.  It's kind of scary.  Hope you're enjoying reading as much as I'm enjoying sharing!  Thank you for taking the time to stop by.  I appreciate it.

Now, how about some beautiful embroidery inspiration from flickr:

1. so...i think i love you. [embroidery], 2. Mandala Project Embroidery completed, 3. robot*embroidery , 4. Marie Claire embroidery, 5. Corona typewriter embroidery, 6. Dad And Me - Original Embroidery Artwork, 7. Dapper Gentleman embroidery, 8. completed House Embroidery, 9. CPR Embroidery

I'm teaching my "Journal Quilt" class tomorrow (Friday) at The City Quilter and we're focusing on embroidery techniques.  I'm really looking forward to it - both because I loooove the class, and because embroidery is such a nice diversion sometimes (although my fingers are pretty sore).  Plus, I'm teaching my "redneck embroidery," which is always fun because it breaks all the rules!

Here's the piece I'm showing in class:

This piece is a little larger than 8.5x11, just to give you a sense of scale.  The background is an old rag I used to clean up my painty messes for many months.

It's still a little bit in progress.  I'm thinking of adding some text.  But, I'm going to let it marinate for a week or so before I decide.  Love to know what you think!  And I will have to do a bit of quilting and finish off the edges, but in the meantime, it's my Project Fifty-Two contribution this week.   Can you believe that this is already week 25?  The year is just flying by!

Have a great day!

New Class: Everything That Sparkles

I'm teaching a crazy fun workshop on July 25 at The City Quilter (ETA: The CQ Newsletter has the class listed as July 18 and 25, but I had to cancel the 18th for personal reasons.  So, it's only the 25th and the price has been halved):

Everything That Sparkles

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and create in this intense, power packed workshop!  Come and learn a plethora of techniques using a variety of products that can add a shine, a sparkle, and some glitz to your quilts!  We will explore Angelina (fiber and film), Foil, Perfect Pearls, Lumiere Paints, Swarovski Hot Fix Crystals, Glimmer Mist, Beading...and so much more!  There is a mixture of hand and machine sewing in this class.  Students should be comfortable with both.

It's a technique based class, but I wanted students to leave with a project, so here's the sampler quilt they will be making:

I call it "Summer."  Sorry that the photo is so wonky.  It's hard to photograph quilts, in general, but especially inside of my apartment and when everything on it is reflective!

Here are some detail shots:

If you're interested in signing up for the class, you can contact The City Quilter at 212-807-0390 or info@cityquilter.com.

Thanks for stopping by!

*blush* I signed my first autographs yesterday...

I taught two fantastic classes yesterday.  Or rather, I should say, I taught two fantastic groups of women yesterday!  My Journal Quilt Class has started a new semester over at The City Quilter.  I teach one session of the class from 12-2 and another from 6-8pm.  The two groups of students are very different and so each class has a different flavor!

We meet once a month and do a journaling exercise and then learn a new mixed media technique.   This month was monoprints.  I thought I'd share some photos of my students and their journals and the monoprints they made in class:

The class is all about learning how to design your own art quilts and fill them with meaning, and I was extremely proud of what everyone did.  It always inspires me to do more and learn more. 

Speaking of inspiration, I bought four books while I was at the store (I have to *stop* buying books!):

• Fabulous Fabric Art with Lutrador: I have been dying to get my hands on this book, but it has been sold out every single time I've been at the quilt store.  Lutrador is one of the hot new products out there and this is supposed to be the bible.
• Sew Somerset (technically a magazine): I love all of the Somerset publications and this one jumped off the bookshelf and into my greedy little hands.
• Fabric Art Collage: This book looks delicious!  It's chock full of techniques and ideas and I can't wait to read it from start to finish!
• Designer Bead Embroidery: I adore bead embroidery and this book goes beyond the basics to some pretty spectacular patterns.  I'm looking forward to some experiments!

I am such a book junkie and I can't wait to devour the books and be inspired!  But, alas, I'm swamped with work this weekend, so it'll have to wait....

Finally, a few of my students were unbelievably sweet and asked me to autograph their copies of Cloth Paper Scissors.

Too much fun!  I giggled while I was doing it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Quilting Arts TV: 2 seconds of me

Quilting Arts sent out a little preview of the new season and I'm on it for about 2 seconds.  You can check it out below:

Thanks for stopping by!