Balzer Designs

Around Here: January 2019

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you wearing?

I bought this black kimono for $5 with plans to do something to it. 

But I can't decide what?  Paint it?  Sew something on it?  Embroidery?

What have you bought?

I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I just bought the Sweet Sugarbelle Magnetic Stencil Frame.  It's supposed to make stenciling on cookies easier.

I'm looking forward to trying it out!

What are you reading?

One of my resolutions at the beginning of the year was to replace my phone with a book.  Much to my shock, it turns out that I have tons of time to read now.  I've finished five books so far:

• Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine: A Novel -- The story of an awkward and abused young woman coming into her own -- fascinating and well written -- couldn't put it down.
• Bitter Orange -- The story of an awkward young woman told through a combination of current day and memory -- well written with plenty of twists.
• The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (book 1) -- Perfect for picking up and putting down because it's kind of a series of short stories.  I understand that there are many more books in the series and I look forward to reading them.
• Big Magic -- Eh.  I understand why people like this book -- I don't disagree with the content -- but the writing was a little YA for me.
• The Coincidence of Coconut Cake -- I knew how it was going to turn out almost from the beginning, but the pleasure was in the journey.  Cried real tears while reading this book. Twice.  It's a rom com in a well written book.

Looks like I was wasting a lot of time on my phone....

Current art crush?

I really like the work of Mary Zeran.  I've been following her for several years and she creates beautiful colorful collages.

She often posts process photos, which I really appreciate.

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, you can always check out my vlog.  I post a new vlog to my YouTube channel every Wednesday!  This is the most recent vlog:

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Here: December 2018

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you listening to?

I cannot stop playing the Hamilton Soundtrack.  Over.  And over.  And over.  And over again.  It's so good.  It has been a very long time since I've seen a show and been unable to stop thinking about it.  I think the last soundtrack I fell in love with was Side Show.

What are you wearing?

Chicken hoodie!

Cheryl Sleboda (in the purple hoodie) showed how to make "casual cosplay" hoodies on Make It Artsy.  I fell in looooove with the chicken hoodie and so she gifted it to me.

I've worn it a few times and oddly enough, no one has said a word.  Perhaps it just suits me?

What have you bought?

A lot of very expensive holes...

Renovations are under way at the new house.  We've already run into our first (but probably not our last) major issues.  The foundation of the house is bowed and crumbling.  Welcome to home ownership!

What are you reading?

I just read Steal like an Artist and it's fantastic.  I'm probably the last person on earth to read it -- it came out in 2012 -- but it's a super quick read (like 20 minutes) and I found myself nodding my head the entire time.  I read it on my Kindle, but I kind of want to get a paper copy because there are so many bits of text I want to paste up on my wall!

Who are you stalking...er, admiring from afar?

Current crush: ashleymaryart

 I love her work!  I love the polka dots.  I love the bright colors. I love the mix of painting and collage.  I want to swim in her art!

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, you can always check out my vlog.  I post a new vlog to my YouTube channel every Wednesday!  This is the most recent vlog:

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Here: November 2018

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you listening to?

Literally -- at this very moment of writing this blog post -- I've got my Pandora classical music station blasting.  I find that I can't listen to music with words when I'm writing.  It creates a conflict in my brain and I stop being able to think.

What are you wearing?

This coat. 

And I'm looking really smug in the photo because I moved the buttons all by myself instead of taking it to a tailor.  Me and my sewing machine are definitely becoming better and better friends!

What have you bought?

Technically, I didn't buy it. Steve bought it for me.  But I am love with this big wool shawl that he bought me when we were in Ireland!

What are you reading?

I finally finished The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing.  I've been reading it for MONTHS.  It's a really good book, but it contains a lot of tragedy and I kept having to put it down because it was upsetting me -- especially towards the end.  When I finally finished the book, I was in a public waiting room.  And I cried.  It was awkward.  Good writing can really move you.

Who are you stalking...er, admiring from afar?

Lately I've really been into Sarah Golden.  Here's a peek at some of her work:

There's a kind of effortless-ness about her work that I like so much.  It's quirky and colorful and I even find the flat-ness of her work deeply appealing. 

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, you can always check out my vlog.  I post a new vlog to my YouTube channel every Wednesday!  This is the most recent vlog:

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Here: October 2018

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you listening to?

I have Buddy Guy & Junior Wells on repeat at the moment.  You can get a taste in this YouTube video:

What are you wearing?

Winter has come.

And yes, my mittens are attached to my sleeves with clips like a five-year-old.  

What have you bought?

I'm actually trying very hard NOT to buy things.  In fact, I'm in the process of throwing things away, donating things, and trying to clean out some of the clutter.  That said, I did buy a set of Russian Piping Tips.

But, more on that tomorrow!

What are you reading?

Steve and I are taking turns reading chapters of What On Earth Evolved out loud to each other.  Reading feels like it must be a solitary experience.  But, most of us are lucky enough to start out being read to.  And then that experience stops.  But there's no reason it has to.  Reading out loud is a slower process but I find it very enjoyable.  And I find being read to to be quite a treat!  In my twenties, my Mom read one chapter of Away to me -- over the phone -- every night.  I have remembered that book -- and that experience -- for many years.  It has stayed with me in a way that other books haven't.

Who are you stalking...er, admiring from afar?

The whimsical pictoral collages of clover_robin make me happy!

She has a book called Cut Paper Pictures, which I haven't bought yet.  But, it's on my wishlist for sure! 

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, you can always check out my vlog.  I post a new vlog to my YouTube channel every Wednesday!  This is the most recent vlog:

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Here: September

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you listening to?

My current favorite podcast is "Stuff You Should Know."  I just listened to an hour on patents.  It should have been boring, but I was fascinated.  Hosts Chuck and Josh dive deep on stuff that we all sort of know about but really ought to have a stronger working knowledge about.

What are you wearing?

Black on black on black.  It's my favorite color to wear.  It mixes and matches and allows you to wear obnoxious earrings.  ;)

What have you bought?

Can we talk about something that I haven't bought yet, but I've been shopping for?

I'm trying to figure out the flooring in my future studio space (the attic of our new house).  I'm thinking this hardy laminate from Home Depot is the way to go, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience/advice?  From what I've read, it's supposed to take a beating and clean up easily.

What are you reading?

I'm heading back through Jane Austen -- a ritual I take on every decade or so.  I'm always amazed that I can be surprised by books I've read a million times before.  The truth of the matter is that I know the plots inside out but depending on where I am in my life, different details strike me each time I read the books.  

Who are you stalking...er, admiring from afar?

Susana McDonnell aka linocaveprints. Her carving and printing on yards and yards of fabric is fabulous geometric perfection. I swoon over her work and I think you will too:

 

So much yummy geometry.  So impressive!

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, you can always check out my vlog.  I post a new vlog to my YouTube channel every Wednesday!  This is the most recent vlog:

Thanks for stopping by!

--

P.S. I will be hosting a Facebook Live event on my Facebook page tomorrow (Wednesday, September 26) from 1-1:30pm EST all about the **new** ScanNCut.  If you've got questions, I've (hopefully) got answers!