Balzer Designs

Lesson 2 from the #PrintInktober Class

Happy Monday! I wanted to share the three demo projects I did during Friday night's #PrintInktober class. The topic was printing on fabric (you can watch the replay now in the online classroom). We covered 4 different fabric mediums for printing and used all kinds of stamps -- hand carved, commercial rubber stamps, silicone stamps, and foam stamps (handmade and commercial). We printed on light fabric, dark fabric, and a t-shirt. Take a peek: Printing on fabric is one of my favorite things to do. It has a lot of impact and printed t-shirts, aprons, and tote bags make fabulous... Read more →

Laminated Storage Pouch with Stamping Inside

This is a post that I have been meaning to write for a long time and I finally sat down and filmed the tutorial for you. Yay! These are pouches made from laminating sheets. The stamping goes on the inside of the laminating pouch so that it doesn't chip or rub off. This is a super fun and easy project. You can watch the short (4 min) video for the full tutorial: LINKS: laminating sheets laminator Art Foamies A Year of Gelatin Printing Plastic Snap kit Here are some supply substitutions that you might find useful: No laminator: I think... Read more →

#30Grids: Days 11-17

I've got seven more abstract mixed media collages for you! I constructed all of these pieces using a grid design, and following my "Art Parts" theory of construction. I'm in the middle of this series and I can feel that I'm entering into a more experimental -- and slightly more uncomfortable -- phase of creating. It's a good (and scary) feeling. Do you have a favorite among these mixed media collages? I have a few, for different reasons. :) Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

Easy Watercolor Prints with Foam Stamps (Art Foamies by Balzer Designs)

Today I've got a quick and easy step-by-step tutorial for you. It's all about creating beautiful watercolor prints using foam stamps. As I shared in Friday's weekly newsletter, I have two new Art Foamies designs. There's a 3-inch and a 6-inch version of each. These are the 3-inch ones: In the video I'm using one of the larger 6-inch stamps: Aren't these prints gorgeous? Links: Art Foamies Inktense Blocks Live Online Tag Class This is a quick and easy technique and I love that Inktense blocks are permanent when dry! It's the look of watercolor but it allows me to... Read more →

Guest Post: Using Stamps and Stencils with Alcohol Inks

Happy Thursday! When I was teaching in NYC, Faigie asked me if she could do a guest post on my blog and I said, "Of course!" I am always happy to showcase talented people's ideas -- especially when they're showing off some of the products I've designed! I hope you enjoy this tutorial from Faigie! Hi, my name is Faigie Kobre and I’m really excited to be guest posting on Julie's blog. I became a mixed media addict a number of years ago and one of my main sources of information on mixed media has been Julie. It was so... Read more →

Foam Stamps for Mark Making

I'm busy prepping for the classes I'm teaching at The Ink Pad in June. The Saturday class is called "Develop a Mark Making Vocabulary." As part of that class we are designing and creating our own set of foam stamps. Here's a quick video of me making the stamps and testing them out: And here are the stamps: I used each one to create an overall pattern and I love the way they turned out! In class we'll be focusing on the design process -- both creating "good design" as well as a cohesive collection of stamps that reflect your... Read more →

Circle Art Foamies

I put together a quick video about my "5 Dots" set of Art Foamies foam stamps. It's packed with ideas on how to use these stamps together and separately! Here are some of the samples from the video: Layering stamps: Using the stamps as monoprinting plates: Layering the stamps with stencils: Using the back and front of the stamp: "One" stamp with two very different looks: And here are all the stamped papers: I love Art Foamies for their big size, ease of use, and ability to print with acrylic paint. Hope you learned a trick or two! Thanks for... Read more →

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Creativation

I recently attended Creativation -- the annual trade show for the craft industry. It used to be called CHA (craft and hobby association) and now it's called Creativation. And the organization, which also used to be called CHA, is now called AFCI. Learn all about it on the 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.... Read more →

Art Journal Every Day: 2017 Begins in my Art Journal

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. 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, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek. Even if you're not on social media, you can see everything (from twitter, pinterest, instagram, and facebook) that uses that hashtag here. Closer and closer we creep to more recent pages! Yay! Finally entering 2017... Read more →

Four Art Foamies Projects

Today I wanted to share a few Art Foamies projects that I put together for the Creativation Show. This is a mixture of black paint on white paper and white paint on black paper -- not always easy to tell which is which: This colorful collage didn't quite turn out the way I intended. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but I'm trying to let go of my expectations and let it be whatever it is: Lots of fun details of stitching and layering! This next project is my favorite! I used paper clay to create some... Read more →