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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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. Today's podcast features... Read more →

I'm getting in on the tutorial redo fun this week! I played with a variation on this Gelli Masked Heart tutorial from February 2016. Now we're creating double masked prints! It's a pretty cool and super easy technique that you can use with your gelatin printing plate. Watch the video for the how to: And here are the prints from the video: Super fun and easy! Sakura Oil Pastels Winsor & Newton Brush Packs Gelli Plate Speedball Gel Printing Plate 12x12 Gel Press 12x12 Plate Speedball Soft Rubber Brayer Liquitex Gesso Golden Fluid Acrylics Canson XL Watercolor Pad Deli Paper... Read more →

Foam stamps have been around forever. Well, maybe not since the dinosaurs. But they have been kicking around craft land for a very long time because they're relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and work well with paint. Because they're relatively inexpensive (as compared to rubber), you can make some super giant foam stamps. That's why you often find foam stamps in the home decor section of the craft store along with oversized stencils for wall stenciling. I did a quick search on my blog to try and find the first time I ever mentioned foam stamps. Back in the beginning... Read more →

I am super duper excited to share that I have brand new Art Foamies designs available for sale! Watch the video to see them in action: My personal favorite is the Shadowed Alphabet: Watch the quick video to see them in action: If you'd like to win a Shadowed Alphabet set of your own, leave an answer to the following question in the comments section of this blog post: What is your favorite new Balzer Designs Art Foamie and why? I will announce a winner on Monday, December 5, 2016. Three chances to win: I'm giving away THREE different Art... Read more →

In the bargain area of Target I found a cardboard reindeer head that you punch out and assemble. It came in four parts: Anything blank like that cries out to be painted, right?! So, Suzanne (my assistant) and I set out to cover up some of that blank cardboard with stamping! We used Art Foamies and did it assembly-line-style: It was tempting to want to cover the entire cardboard, but you only need to go over the edges of the pieces that are going to get punched out: Because this was going to be put together into a 3-D piece,... Read more →