Balzer Designs

Make It Artsy TV: Marbling, Cookie Tin Earrings, and Hoodie Hacking

In case you don't know, I host a TV show called, Make It Artsy. It's one of the last crafty TV shows around and you can watch it on PBS, online at makeitartsy.com, or purchase DVDs of each season. Today I wanted to share a few recent segments I thought you'd enjoy: You may recall that I was thrilled when I tried out Marabu's Easy Marble for the first time. Here is a segment I did all about it: How about making earrings from old cookie tins? Watch this segment with Candie Cooper for the step-by-step how-to: And finally, my... Read more →

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Dina Wakley Media

I'm so pleased to share a chat I recently had with my friend, Dina Wakley. 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. Please... Read more →

Behind the Scenes at Make It Artsy

Hey you guys! I've been crazy busy lately and so I thought I'd share this week's vlog that takes you behind the scenes of Make It Artsy -- the crafty TV show I host on PBS. Enjoy! You can watch Make It Artsy online -- on the Make It Artsy website and YouTube -- on your local PBS station, and you can buy DVDs on each season. You can watch my vlog on my YouTube channel -- a new "episode" is released every Wednesday! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

Rodin Museum in Paris

The Rodin Museum in Paris is dedicated to the famed sculptor (and one of my personal faves): Auguste Rodin. In the museum (a "hotel" he shared with other artists as a home and workshop space) you can see his sculpture, practice bits and pieces, and his personal collection of art by other artists (including Monet, who stayed there for some time). The building is beautiful. The grounds are filled with his sculpture and the outdoor setting is magical. Rodin's most famous works are The Thinker, The Kiss, and The Gates of Hell -- all on view at The Rodin Museum.... Read more →

Make It Artsy: Looking Back at Seasons 1-4

I have just gotten home from filming season 5 of Make It Artsy. In case you don't know, Make It Artsy is a how-to TV show that you can find lots of different ways: Tune in on your local PBS Station. Tune in on your local PBS Create Station. Stream a new episode every two weeks on the Make It Artsy website. Watch individual clips on YouTube. Purchase DVD collections of seasons 1-4! Since we just wrapped season 5, I thought I'd share a clip from each of the previous seasons to whet your appetite: Season 1: Making Postcards with... Read more →

Make It Artsy: On TV Every Friday!

As you know, I host the PBS TV Show, Make It Artsy. (I'm actually in Ohio at the moment, filming season #4 of the show! Season 4 guests include Dina Wakley, Ardith Goodwin, May Flaum, Michael deMeng, and many other talented artist-teachers! But more on that another day or check out my instagram or Facebook page for photos!) I am super excited to share that starting TOMORROW (November 17), Make It Artsy will air nationally on every single PBS Create Channel on Fridays at 11:30am, and 5:30pm. That's right! Twice a day every single Friday! So, set your DVRs! If... Read more →

Behind the Scenes of Make it Artsy: Season Three (Part 3)

This is a long overdue follow-up on my previous two posts about filming Season 3 of Make It Artsy (part one and part two). Today I'm sharing some of the projects that I made for the show. You saw this Bullet Journal spread back in May when I shared my burgeoning Bullet Journal obsession. After it are two worksheets giving step-by-step directions for creating some decorative designs in your Bullet Journal. They will be downloadable from the Make It Artsy website once the show goes live. Next up, you can see some jewelry I made using paper clay and Art... Read more →

BEHIND THE SCENES OF MAKE IT ARTSY: SEASON THREE (Part 2)

More guests! More fun! More art making instruction on Make It Artsy. You can watch it online for free, on your TV on your local PBS or Create channel, or purchase a set of season DVDs. Take a peek at more of what went on when we filmed season 3 of the show. Cheryl Boglioli shared some unbelievably cool sculpture-making techniques. Debbi Simon shared easy encaustic techniques with stencils and lots of ideas for casting! Rebekah Meier brought her shabby chic mixed media style to set! Sandra Evertson shared how to make some super cool assemblage pieces! And gifted me... Read more →

BEHIND THE SCENES OF MAKE IT ARTSY: SEASON THREE (Part 1)

I recently filmed the third season of my PBS TV show: Make It Artsy. You can watch it online for free, on your TV on your local PBS or Create channel or purchase a set of season DVDs. Over the next few days I'm going to share a look at some of the amazing guests and projects from the show! First up, Candie Cooper! She shared a ton of ideas for jewelry making and cool home decor and embellishment projects! As you can see, we have a lot of fun on set while we get the work done. :) These... Read more →

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Episode 68 (Explaining Things)

Today's podcast features a conversation about wrangling tables at HSN, the Robert Rauschenberg exhibit at MoMA, creating step-outs, and so much more! 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... Read more →