Don't you love stencil hop days? I know that I do! I'm a bit sad to think that we only have four more hops after this. I can't even tell you how difficult it was to choose which designs to feature. For the Spring Hop we only had eleven spots, but twenty-one stencil designs! If you're ever wanting to know which of The Crafter's Workshop stencils I designed, you can see all the Balzer Designs stencils here (there are thirty-nine designs so far, with more to come this Summer! Yay!) Enough blathering, let's get to this week's amazing lineup of... Read more →

As I mentioned in "The Things You Want to Learn: part 1" last week, I found the comments on the April 26 (Wedding Ring) stencil hop post absolutely fascinating. I asked the question, "What is a craft/art supply you'd like to learn more about?" Today I'm going to offer a few more resources for some of the most often requested things. A number of people mentioned "mixed media techniques." This one is a bit of a doozy. It's such an enormously vast topic. It's a little like wanting to learn about "art." Where does one even start with the topic?... Read more →

Thanks so much for all of your titles and story interpretations on yesterday's post! I read all the comments with much joy. And you made me see things in the painting that I hadn't previously noticed. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And now to today's post... Today is the fourth Second Floor challenge! Are you ready to take it to the second floor? What does that mean? It means trying something vastly out of your comfort zone. Doing something that might not work. Experimenting with a crazy idea. It's all about pushing yourself. If it works, awesome. If it... Read more →

I enjoy abstract paintings but I have a lot of trouble creating them. I've tried to analyze why. I think there are a few reasons: I really like people. I am naturally drawn to any figural art. I am a maximalist. More, more, more, more, and then try to cram in some more. I am a storyteller. Kind of an overbearing storyscreamer actually. I'm trying to work on not needing to tell the story so clearly when I create. Perhaps it comes from being a scrapbooker? Or maybe just a control freak. Whatever the reason, in an attempt to create... Read more →

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, all the posts can be found here. Please read this post first. There is a flickr group for sharing right here. Remember, it's just ten minutes of nourishing your creative self every day! No need to finish anything or even like it. If you've done some art journaling this week and you've blogged about it, or put it on flickr, please leave a link in the linky list at the end of this post. Thanks! I truly appreciate all the people who actively participate in Art Journal Every Day. Your enthusiasm is... Read more →

Today is stencil hop day! Hooray! I asked three wonderfully talented woman to participate today: Jenny Doh: Jenny is an artful creator, collaborator, curator, and crochet-er. She was the long-time Editor-in-Chief of Somerset Studio and now runs the popular website CRESCENDOh.com. She has curated numerous books including Art Saves and Journal It (to which I was a contributor). Joanne Sharpe: Joanne and I first met at a CREATE retreat where we were both teachers. She is a wonderful lettering artist. You have probably seen her beautiful stamps from Art Gone Wild. She is teaching at all three CREATE retreats this... Read more →

Today I thought I'd share a round-up of some of my recent favorite reads on the internet. It's a mixture of articles, tutorials, and inspiration! It's amazing just how many cool ideas are out there. I hope you enjoy! Just Add: Art Emily Pitts shares her journey into the world of artsy play, along with the journeys of several other scrapbookers. I found this post via an instant message from Emily. DIY Polaroid Frames I found this post via a google search for something else. It's a simple and straightforward tutorial for making super cute paper polaroid frames. I'm thinking... Read more →

Last week I mentioned that if folks were interested, I would share how to create a curled edge in Photoshop. Well, you spoke up and I listened. So here is the tutorial! Here's the before & after: Watch the video for the how-to: As a side note, I will say that becoming proficient in Photoshop makes so many things about blogging so much easier. If you have the time and are so inclined, I think it's really worth the learning curve. Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

I found the comments on April 26 (Wedding Ring) stencil hop post absolutely fascinating. I asked the question, "What is a craft/art supply you'd like to learn more about?" I loved reading all the answers and it sparked a number of thoughts in my mind. I even went so far as to make a list and note how many times each technique or supply was mentioned. Today I thought I'd offer you some resources for some of the most often requested things on that list. The overwhelming number one answer was PanPastels. Almost one-quarter of you said that you wanted... Read more →

Every time I have a giveaway I get a bunch of e-mails from people who subscribe to my blog and can't figure out how to leave a comment. So I put together a quick video that leads you through the process. Leaving A Comment from Julie Balzer on Vimeo. I hope it's helpful! Have a great weekend! Read more →