Balzer Designs

#CarveDecember 2015: Other People Are Amazing

There are a completely overwhelming number of amazing stamps to see under the hashtag #CarveDecember. The talent, imagination, skill, and persistence of those posting has simply blown me out of the water. This is a very small sampling of the many truly mind bogglingly amazing stamps being created and posted! jjflair: sonja.gortzakhughes: tstgemiller: anlinadesignsdolls: seawatters: rdbeader: regnitzflimmern: m4rjolyn: gwenaval: larisagrujic: rowansiv: closethslmr: dar57: penelopesamuel: katespin: valerieteele: concernedowl: tninone: metacarr: janetjoehlin: martaharveyart: thegoldcurrent: JadeSuttonArt: There's lots more good stuff to see under the #CarveDecember hashtag! As you can see carving can be anything you want! So many different styles and images.... Read more →

#CarveDecember 2015: Days 7-14

Hey there! Today I'm sharing the stamps I carved for days 7-14 of #CarveDecember. This is not a huge stamp, it's a tiny tag. This next stamp was cut rather than carved. If you have an eraser and a utility knife, you can make this stamp! These next two stamps are the same exact design, simply carved two different ways. Which one do you like better? These next three stamps (two photos) are all "garbage stamps" aka stamps that were carved from garbage -- scrap rubber that is leftover from making other stamps. I should note that stamps 10-14 were... Read more →

Crafting With My HP Envy: Part Two #IntelTablets

This is the second and final installment of my adventures with my new HP Envy. You can read the first post here. Can you believe that this thing is a laptop?! One of the coolest things about the HP Envy is that it easily transforms from a laptop into a tablet, as you can see in this 7 second video: At first you think you might be breaking it when you start to bend the screen backwards... But then you realize it's a totally smooth hinge and it's fine to bend it backwards! Once you've folded it over, you're ready... Read more →

Art Journal Every Day: Drying Rack to the Rescue!

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, there is a short introduction here. All of the previous posts can be found archived here. 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! Today's Art Journal Every Day post is all about an awesome drying rack... Read more →

David Best's Hayes Valley Temple

While I was in San Francisco, I stumbled across an art installation in Hayes Valley. You can read this press release all about it. Artist David Best was commissioned to recreate his Hayes Valley Temple. It's considered "living art" because viewers are invited to participate in the art by leaving messages on its wooden structure. I have always loved sculpture. And a piece of sculpture that you can walk into, explore, sit on, and alter is really a treat! I enjoyed reading all the messages that people left. And for the record, I did scrawl a little something of my... Read more →

Experiments in Painted Christmas Balls

I recently visited the craftiest place on earth: Target! In the Christmas section I found a bunch of clear glass ornaments. I decided to take them home and see what I could do with them. A smart person would probably have invested in some glass paint, but I'm simply not that smart. So, I tried out the stuff I had on hand. Here's a photo of my experimental workshop in progress: I used tiny cups to hold the balls and keep them from rolling around while I painted them. The red and green ball was the first ball I tried... Read more →

Adventures in Arting Podcast: After the Move

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. Mom and I... Read more →

#CarveDecember 2015: Days 1-6

So we're about 1 week into the month of December and that means 1 week into #CarveDecember! Here are the first six stamps that I carved: I want to remind you that stamp carving is quick, easy, doesn't require a lot of supplies, takes up very little space, and is super fun to do! But don't take my word for it, check out a small sampling of the gorgeous things other people have been posting for #CarveDecember: If you'd like to see even more amazing stamps, try a hashtag search for #CarveDecember. I think you'll be blown away by all... Read more →

Creative JumpStart 2016

There's no Art Journal Every Day post today and no linky list. But don't worry, it'll be back next Friday! In the meantime, check out this month-long online class packed with techniques for your art journal! (And if you're a real art journal junkie and you can't make it through the weekend without your art journaling fix, check out Orly's blog, Rachel's YouTube channel, and the Art Journal Every Day flickr pool.) Once again, my friend Nathalie is hosting her Creative JumpStart (CJS) online inspiration fest. This is the FIFTH year of fabulous videos and terrific tutorials. Nathalie runs a... Read more →

Three Classes at A Work of Heart in San Jose

What a blast I had in San Jose with three fantastic groups of students! Classes were packed with talented, kind, generous, and lovely men and women! Take a peek at the fun we had (I neglected to get a class photo the first day -- ooops!) Saturday night I taught a three-hour lettering class. On Sunday I taught my Gelli + Deli class. There were so many people on the waiting list for the class, that I taught an encore presentation of my Gelli + Deli class on Monday! Be sure to check out Connie's blog post about class! She... Read more →