Balzer Designs

#CarveDecember 2020 Prompt List

It's time to order your rubber! #CarveDecember is coming! #CarveDecember is my annual challenge to carve, print, and post a stamp every single day in December. Yes, December is insanely busy. But perhaps it's a bit less busy this year? No holiday parties. No relatives to visit. And, I will remind you that I managed to do all 31 days last year, just days after having a baby. Not because I'm a super woman, but because I made the project manageable for myself. How do you make the project manageable for yourself? I'm so glad that you asked! Gather your... Read more →

Art Journal Every Day: October 2019 Daily Pages

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, the concept is simple: It's a commitment to take ten minutes each day to do something in your art journal. No need to finish anything or even like it. It's about making the time to nourish your creativity every day! If you have the time to flip through your phone, you have the time to Art Journal Every Day. If you'd like to share what you make, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek. You can find new Art Journal Every Day posts here on the blog... Read more →

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Ali of 3 Dotted Penguins

Today's guest is Ali Baecker of 3 Dotted Penguins. Ali is one of the talented #CarveDecemberClass teachers. We discussed how motherhood transformed her creative passion and how she got bitten by the block carving bug! If you do not see the podcast player above, please click on this link. On the off chance that you've never listened to a podcast or don't get why anybody would want to, here are some facts: (1) Podcasts are convenient. It's a recording that is available to you whenever and wherever you'd like to listen. You can pause, stop, start, fast forward, and rewind.... Read more →

Cut Paper Leaf Votives

Today I'm going to light up your world. Or at least show you a fun way to light up your world. I used my ScanNCut to create these very simple (but highly effective) cut paper leaf votives. I used painted plastic to cover the cut areas, but you can also leave (pun intended) them completely open if you wish, as in this example below: To be super safe, be sure to use battery operated LED votive candles inside, instead of real candles. If you're interested in making a project like this one, here are some helpful resources for you: Watch... Read more →

The #CarveDecemberClass is Open for Enrollment!

As you know, I have been hosting an annual carve-a-stamp-a-day challenge (aka #CarveDecember) in December since 2014! The challenge will continue for FREE this December. You are welcome to participate in the same way you always have: Carve a stamp. Print it. Post it to instagram. Use the hashtag #CarveDecember. However, this year I am thrilled to also be offering a #CarveDecemberClass. "Carve December: 31 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Carving, Printing, and Designing Custom Stamps" is an online work-at-your-own-pace class. There are 31 lessons (one for each day in December) -- twenty-one lessons from me and ten lessons from... Read more →

Art Journal Every Day: Four Types of Sketchbooks

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, the concept is simple: It's a commitment to take ten minutes each day to do something in your art journal. No need to finish anything or even like it. It's about making the time to nourish your creativity every day! If you have the time to flip through your phone, you have the time to Art Journal Every Day. If you'd like to share what you make, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek. You can find new Art Journal Every Day posts here on the blog... Read more →

Adventures in Arting Podcast: Learning During COVID

Welcome to our very first crowdsourced podcast! A while ago I asked for people to send in a short recording about their experiences with learning during the pandemic. I truly believe that life-long learning is the key to staying vibrant. Those who never make themselves uncomfortable by being beginners cease to grow. We may be stuck at home, but whether it's art or a language or microeconomics, there's an endless supply of stuff to learn! We got eight thoughtful and interesting responses from Barbara Fox, Elizabeth Montano, Holly Thomsen Doherty, JoAnn Campisi, Joceyln Robinson, Lucia-Ann, Peggy Joyce, and Sue Carroll.... Read more →

Around Here: October 2020

Hello, friends! Here's a little bit about life around here right now: What are you working on? I am working on a "proper" sketchbook. I know. I know. I hate terms like "proper" too. Any sketchbook is a good sketchbook. But, I'm very interested in doing a whole lot of reference work at the moment (color charts, product explorations, design ideas). And so I'm working on a sketchbook that is truly just for me (that's why there's no photo here). Definitely not finished art. Something like a personal bible of ideas and techniques. I'm really hoping that it will become... Read more →

Double Marbling

I often start the day with the thought, "what if?" Recently, I couldn't stop thinking about the idea of marbling over marbling. So I pulled out my Marabu Easy Marble paints and gave it a try and recorded the process for you: It was a lot of fun and I think the resulting papers are more interesting than the original papers. Both are pretty, but I'm always after something more than "just pretty." Take a peek at some of the details of those layers: Super fun and great results! I hope you'll give this technique a try! --- P.S. Thanks... Read more →

Vote Vote Vote

I carved a new block over the weekend. I’m one of the millions of Americans who voted early. I voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for many reasons, but here are four really important ones: Science is real. Climate change is real. Black Lives Matter. “How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity.” Pre-existing conditions shouldn’t be a barrier to health insurance. Stand up for what you believe in. Your vote is powerful. It matters. Read more →