Balzer Designs

I {Heart} Surface Design: Persistent Failure

As you might guess from the title of this post, today's heart was a problem from the beginning. I failed at almost every turn, and yet I think it might be my favorite of the hearts! Isn't that amazing? This tutorial is less of a tutorial and more of a tale of persistence. I had an idea. I wanted to use Color Burst Powder through a stencil. It didn't really work (you can see a video clip of the failure on my vlog), so I decided to make lemons out of lemonade and just smush the color around for a... Read more →

I {Heart} Surface Design: Antiqued Heart

In the roll up to Valentine's Day week, I thought I'd share some surface design techniques that I love and use often -- all on hearts, of course! This first technique is one I've been using for years and years with some variations. It's all about creating this super dimensional antique looking heart: For this project, I cut my chipboard from a hand drawn design using the ScanNCut. You could also hand cut the chipboard or use existing chipboard die cuts. Glue the chipboard pieces to a chipboard heart: Once the glue is dry and the pieces are secure, paint... Read more →

Two Collages I Don't Really Like

The YouTube Channel Member Livestream is tomorrow (Thursday) at 1pm EST. Just like my free stencil livestream, it's an hour packed with inspiration and instructions! It's $4.99/month to join and you get immediate access to all previous videos as well. Hope you'll become a member! Now, onto today's post: ---- Recently I made two collages. I don't really like either of them. And that's okay. It's okay because: I enjoyed making them. Art making isn't just about the product. For me, the process has to be enjoyable, or what's the point in doing it? I learned some things. I'm a... Read more →

Moveable Wall Mural

As I've said before, you can do great things in small bouts of time. Over the past few weeks, I have managed to snatch a few creative sessions in the studio. I used that time to paint one of the moveable walls in my studio. I began by working out some thoughts in my art journal: And then I attacked the wall! You can watch the time lapse process video below: You'll note that the finished mural isn't a copy of the art journal exploration. Instead, I took some of the ideas from that art journal page and applied them... Read more →

Guest Post: Abstract Winged Creatures

Today's guest post is from the talented Mystele! I have long adored Mystele's folk art-style paintings. And having met her in person, I can say that she is just as lovely a human being in person as she appears to be in her videos. Such a delight! The process I’m sharing with you via video is one of my favorites- creating abstract winged creatures with textured collage. You don’t need a lot of supplies for this, either- woot!, and you can, of course, adapt the supply list to suit your collage and creative aesthetic. There are NO hard and fast... Read more →

Art Journal Every Day: More of March 2019

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. As you know, I love a black page. Typically I keep the artwork... Read more →

Guest Post: Art Marks: A Love Affair

Today's guest post is from Rae Missigman. Rae is a sweet and lovely human with a distinctly shabby chic style that I so admire. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE, THIS INNATE LOVE OF DETAILS. I am continually challenging myself to leave my mark on the world in a colorful and meaningful way. It has been life long, this love affair with the tiniest of details. I have hovered over and around things my entire life, twisting and turning them until they felt right. It never mattered that it didn't need twisting, it only mattered that it made my heart happy.... Read more →

Art Journal Every Day: Into March 2019

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. Here are two very different art journal spreads from March 2019: I love... Read more →

Art Journal Every Day: More February 2019 Pages

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. Today I am sharing some more art journal pages from February 2019. These... Read more →

Art Journal Every Day: Sunflowers in my Junque 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. I decided to put together a video of an art journal/junque journal page... Read more →