Balzer Designs

USPS Art Project: Melinda

I'm working fast and furiously through these USPS Art Project collaborations now! As a reminder, this is a project where two artists team up and mail each other an unfinished artwork. And then they each finish the artwork they receive. My partner Melinda sent me an embellished gelatin print and I turned it into a cover for a little pamphlet stitch art journal -- otherwise known as a single signature art journal: Here's a peek at some of the inside pages: One of the things I love about bookbinding is that you can put any kind of page into your... Read more →

USPS Art Project: Melanie

Here is my second USPS Art Project collaboration piece. This time with Melanie. Here's what I made: This is what she sent me: In essentials, all I did was cut up her work and put it back together again with the help of a ton of foam adhesive. This was a fun idea and I'd like to try it again. After all, there's plenty of stuff around here to cut up! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

Washi Tape Thank You Cards

You know what I have a lot of? Washi tape. I love it. I collect it. But I don't always use it. Until today. I found a great way to use tons of washi tape: thank you cards! In essentials: I added strips of washi tape to pieces of cardstock. I cut the phrase "thank you" from the washi taped cardstock. On some cards I used the positive. On some cards I used the negative. On some cards I used both. Positive: Negative: Both: This idea would work for other phrases and for shapes. And here's a pro tip: If... Read more →

Collage Text

I've been playing around with little scraps of paper! Here are some text pieces made entirely from little doodled pieces of paper: I love the way they turned out. And they were super easy to make. I just doodled all over some layout bond paper (it's strong but nice and thin for collage) and cut it up into letter shapes. In some places, I added additional little paper cuts to help embellish the letters. This is the original alphabet I made when I was trying to figure out how this was going to work: I liked the idea, but I... Read more →

Live Online ScanNCut Classes are Here!

I don't think I'll be getting on an airplane anytime soon. And so I've figured out a way to bring my live ScanNCut classes to you! I'm teaching Live Online Classes for ScanNCut DX and ScanNCut 2 owners via Zoom. You can see the full listing HERE. Classes are strictly limited to 10 students. Here's a screenshot of the current offerings: As you can see, I'm offering a Super Basic Beginner class to get you up to speed, How to Cut Fabric, Scanning 101, and a project class, sharing how to make a super cute rainbow mobile with sparkly raindrops:... Read more →

ScanNCut: Cut File to Card Base

A happy early Mother's Day to you! Using the built-in editing functions of your ScanNCut, it's super easy to take almost any cut file -- symmetrical or not -- and turn it into a card base. I used a flower shape to create a super cute Mother's Day card. Watch the video for the how-to: Here are the basic steps: Choose your cut file. Resize it so that it's slightly wider than 6 inches. Increase the number of flowers to 2: Align the two flowers and then flip one of them. And last but not least, weld your design. As... Read more →

Cut Paper Window Treatments

Sometimes I get an idea and I just can't be stopped. Evidence: My fingers are numb. My hand, shoulder, and back are all sore. Why? We have no window treatments in our dining room. I've been inside the house a lot lately (like everyone else) and I've really been feeling the lack of window treatments. So I figured that I could make some. But who wants boring curtains?! Not me. So I grabbed some big sheets of paper and I started cutting. And I kept cutting. And cutting. And then I taped them to the windows. But I didn't like... Read more →

Paper Window Eggs for Easter

You guys, I couldn't bring myself to dye eggs this year. It just seemed so wasteful with eggs being in short supply. I tried to give myself the pep talk: you still eat dyed Easter Eggs, etc, but hunting through the grocery store for white eggs just seemed like misplaced priorities. So instead, I bring you paper window eggs: This is easy to do and would work for people of all ages. I started with a leftover piece of deli paper that was already covered in paint. Then I used a paint marker to draw an egg on it with... 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 →

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 →