Balzer Designs

I {Heart} Surface Design: Collaged & Stitched Heart

We are collaging and stitching today! The first step is to pick out some papers that you like or make some new ones. This project is also great for leftover scraps. I sun printed some book pages. (Indoor sun printing is fun and easy and I've got an online class all about it!) I cut the papers into strips and taped them together (on the back): By collaging the papers in strips and keeping them relatively monochromatic, a unified appearance is easily achieved. Then once I had an arrangement I liked... ...I glued the heart to the back of the... Read more →

I {Heart} Surface Design: Collaged Flower

This one is a little bit sweeter than I normally go for in style. I think it's because I chose a relatively soft palette. I've been feeling like I'm in a color rut and trying to mix things up. This soft pink is the result! I have to confess that I don't think this 100% counts under the "surface design" headline, but I put together a quick two-minute tutorial for you nonetheless: I hope you'll give this project a try! Personally, I might just have to fill an art journal page or two with collaged flowers! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

I {Heart} Surface Design: Photo Transfer

This one is perfect for a Valentine's Day gift! Today's heart features a photo transfer of my two special Valentine's Day squeezes! I used TAP (Transfer Artist Paper) to do the transfer. But there are a million ways to do transfers -- you can learn four of them in my online class on the subject. Here's the process with TAP: I adjusted my image in Photoshop, including mirror-imaging it so that the text would read correctly. Then I printed the image onto TAP: I cut around the edges of the photo and laid my chipboard heart on top of the... Read more →

Winter 2020 Stencils are now Available!

If you haven't guessed from my last few posts, I'm so pleased to share that the new Balzer Designs stencils are now available for purchase! Here are links for you to buy: Fantasy Tile: 6x6 & 12x12 Landscape of Shapes: 6x6 & 12x12 Old Circle Grate: 6x6 & 12x12 Dendritic: 6x6 & 12x12 Dash V: 6x6 & 12x12 Cut Outs: 6x6 & 12x12 Circle Jumble: 6x6 & 12x12 Explosion: 6x6 & 12x12 I hope you'll enjoy making things with these stencils as much as I enjoyed designing these stencils! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

I {Heart} Surface Design: Stencil Foiled Heart

This foiling technique is easy and fun and requires almost no skill! The most difficult part is walking away to allow the gel medium to dry. One of the nice things about foiling with gel medium is that the texture of the foiling has an organic, sort of distressed, feeling that I really like. Check out the detail photos: Watch the video for the how-to: O I hope you'll give this technique a try! SUPPLIES Tacky-When-Dry Gel Medium: http://shrsl.com/23f7t Old Circle Grate Stencil: http://shrsl.com/23f5d Deco Foil: http://shrsl.com/23f7w Thanks for stopping by! 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 →

Art Journal Every Day: A Little Bit of May

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. Hey there! Today I've got some more art journal pages from 2019 to... 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 →

2020 Stencil Livestream REPLAY

In case you missed the stencil livestream, I wanted to share the replay. In this hour-long video I share a dozen stenciling techniques that you're going to want to try! All of the art in the photo above is a small sampling of what was made during the livestream! All of the new designs... ...will be available online and in your favorite local shops in February. I'll be sure to post as soon as they're ready to buy! In the meantime, enjoy all the stencil techniques and get those stencils out and play! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

Around Here: January 2020

Hello, friends! Here's a little bit about life right now: What are you wearing? Short sleeves! Well, not at the moment. But we spent a week in Hawaii this month where my baby got to meet his cousin -- who is just 7 weeks older than he is. What have you bought? On my last "Around Here" post, I mentioned that we were headed to Hawaii and someone recommend UV Skinz for the baby. I ordered some and they were great! Super cute and really functional. So good, in fact, that my brother asked to permanently borrow one of them... Read more →