Balzer Designs

Balzer Designs Stencils 2021: TCW938 Mystical Doodle & Stencil Rubbing

Did you know that you can stencil an entire sheet of paper in less than 30 seconds? The trick to this technique is using thin papers -- copy paper, tracing paper, deli paper, washi paper, book pages, etc. To get a great rubbing you want to make sure that you're using a paper you can feel the stencil through. In the second half of the video, I share how you can use a water based colorant, such as spray ink or watercolor, to add a background color to your paper. The oil pastel (and a crayon would do the same)... Read more →

Balzer Designs Stencils 2021: TCW939 & Heat Embossing with Modeling Paste

If you're a texture junkie, you're going to want to try out this technique: Heat embossing with modeling paste and stencils creates the coolest dimensional designs! Watch the video for the how-to: SUPPLIES: Light & Fluffy Modeling Paste Embossing Powder Embossing Heat Gun And the stencil I used is TCW939: There are lots of different mediums that you can use for heat embossing. Embossing powder will stick to anything that's wet. Have you ever tried heat embossing with paint or spray ink or another non-traditional medium? I'd love to know! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

Balzer Designs Stencils 2021: TCW942 Tulip Hexagons & Quick Stenciling

I don't know about you, but I am LAZY. And the easiest way to quickly stencil a large area is with a baby wipe. As you can see the results are fantastic! Here are some detail photos: In this tutorial video I share two different examples of media you can use with this technique: water soluble crayons and acrylic paint. In the video I'm using a stencil I designed for The Crafter's Workshop called "Tulip Hexagons." It's designed to seamlessly repeat. I show you how in the video above. It's so easy! I hope you'll give this technique a try.... Read more →

Balzer Designs Stencils 2021: TCW 943 Garden Tile & Watercolors

Yes, you 100% can use watercolor with stencils. In this video I share several different techniques for applying the watercolor as well as cleaning up your stencils. SUPPLIES: QoR Watercolors Palette Watercolor Paper The stencil in the video is one of my (Balzer Designs) designs for The Crafter's Workshop. It's called "Garden Tile." The holes are small on this stencil and you may have to knock out a few of the "hanging chads" as I demonstrate in this video: Here are a few of the examples from the video: Have you tried using watercolor with your stencils? How did it... Read more →

Balzer Designs Stencils 2021: TCW940 X-Trail & 2 Ways to Foil with Stencils

Who doesn't like foiling?! It's such a fun and easy way to add a bit of bling to your projects. In this video I'm sharing two different ways to add foil to your stenciled projects: using TCW Hot Foil Gel or TCW Tacky When Dry Gel. Both methods give you beautiful results, it's simply about how you want to get the job done. My laminator and the foil I used. The stencil I'm using in the video is one of my (Balzer Designs) designs for The Crafter's Workshop. It's called X-Trail: I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Thanks for stopping... Read more →

Balzer Designs Stencils 2021: TCW937 Rows of Lines & Spray Ink

Today I'm sharing a little bit about how I like to use Distress Oxide Spray Ink and Distress Stain Spray Ink with stencils. The stencil in this video is called "Rows of Lines," and it's one of my new 2021 designs for The Crafter's Workshop. Here's the video: A few notes about these spray inks: I don't spray in a box and I don't worry about it getting everywhere because I work on top of a big piece of paper. All Distress products are all water reactive. This means that even after they are dry, they can be re-activated. They... Read more →

ScanNCut: Get the Look of Rhinestones with HTV

This is a technique that was suggested to me by a Balzer Designs Monthly Member and I think it's brilliant! Look at my gorgeous rhinestoned bat... ...but the secret is: I haven't used any rhinestones! Yes, that's right: You can quickly and easily get the look of rhinestones without ever using a rhinestone. Instead of crystals, you use holographic Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) and the results are stunning. You actually have to run your fingers over it to discover that there are no rhinestones there! These "flat rhinestones" created by cutting holographic HTV into small circles, are perfect for situations... Read more →

Balzer Designs Stencils 2021: TCW941 Rainbow Montage & Stencil Brush Basics

After years and years of being a devoted cosmetic sponge user...dare I say I was one of the very first to use the method way back in 2009...I have now fallen in love with stencil brushes. Here are a few basic tips to get you started on a new love affair (mostly, it's faster): In the video I'm using: Dynasty Stencil-Pro Brushes Krylon Easy-Tack TCW941: Rainbow Montage Here's a peek at two of the tags I made during the video: I love how adding the white gave the rainbows a bit of a glow! Are you a stencil brush user... Read more →

Balzer Designs Stencils 2021: TCW936 Messy Writing & Understanding Different Mediums

Do you like nice neat precise stenciling? Or are you more of a messy stenciling fan? Getting the look you want is all about understanding how the medium you're using needs to be handled. The wetter the medium, the more likely you're going to get roll under. But you can take some careful steps to avoid roll under with all mediums. In the video I use the "Messy Writing" stencil I designed for The Crafter's Workshop... ...with a Distress Ink Pad, TCW Stencil Butter (modeling paste-ish), Heavy Body Acrylic Paint, Fluid Acrylic Paint, and Distress Stain Spray Ink. Watch the... Read more →

Offset Vehicle T-Shirt

At the moment, my son is 100% obsessed with vehicles. His happiest moments are when we stand on the sidewalk by a busy street and watch the traffic go by. He points at every single truck and car that passes and says, "caaah." It's adorable. To celebrate his deep love of all vehicles, I decided to make him a t-shirt. Here it is: I used some leftover scraps of colored Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) for the colored bits in this design. HTV can be a bit expensive, so I always try to minimize waste and I keep all of my... Read more →