Balzer Designs

ScanNCut: Temporary Tattoos You Design

I got a tattoo! I'm scared of needles and commitment, so the good news is that this one will wash right off. I have always loved temporary tattoos, but I don't always love wearing someone else's design. Well, did you know that you can buy printable temporary tattoo paper? Yes, you can! You simply design your tattoo and print the design onto the paper. Now, one of the important notes on using temporary tattoo paper is that you need to cut close to the edges of the design. So, I decided to use my ScanNCut to do just that! As... Read more →

Upcycled Easter Candy Jars

About a month ago, I started saving all the glass jars that we otherwise would have put in the recycling bin in order to create a slightly different take on the traditional Easter basket: an Easter candy Jar! Fill it with your treat of choice -- jellybeans, chocolate, Peeps, etc. Besides being super cute, it's actually a great way to keep the candy fresh in an infinitely resealable container! Here's the how-to: Supplies: clean empty jars stickers (or digital cutter, removable vinyl, & transfer grid) primer acrylic paint (plus paintbrush) candy optional: tweezers If you don't like the chalky finish... Read more →

Paper Birds Now Available For You To Make!

If you'd like to make these super cute paper birds, you can visit my online shop to grab BOTH the SVG cutting file AND a printable PDF to cut by hand. Here's a video on how to put them together: I love how quick and easy these birds are to make! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

ScanNCut: Background Scan

What is the ScanNCut Background Scan? How do you use it? When do you use it? What do you need to know about it?! I'm answering all of your Background Scan questions and sharing the four ways that I use Background Scan in this video: As a recap, Background Scan is useful when: You want to use small scraps of material. You want to perfectly place a cut file. You want to cut multiple colors of the same material at the same time. You want to cut out certain design areas on a material. I use Background Scan almost every... Read more →

Chicken T-Shirt

Andrea Clement taught a wonderful unit in the Carve December Class all about designing animals with folk-style doodles inside of them. You may recall that I carved this chicken stamp... ...and this squirrel stamp... ...based on her lesson. Well, I got sooooo super obsessed with designing these folk style animals and I decided they didn't have to "just" be stamps. So, I made a t-shirt: And here's my little guy doing his very best model poses: Standing still was more of a priority for me than for him. But he did pause briefly: I know I'm biased, but what a... Read more →

Valentine's Day Ideas From The Archives

I wanted to share a round-up of just a few of the fun Valentine's Day DIY projects I've shared over the years. You can find the links to all the project tutorials below: Stamped & Masked Valentine's Day Cards Pop-Up Valentine's Day Card Valentine's Day Flipping Photo Cubes Gelli Masked Heart Prints Valentine's Day Explosion Card Heart Boxes And finally, a post from the archive and a challenge to you! In putting together this post, I came across a post from 2014, which I had totally forgotten about: In the original post, I set out a challenge for myself: Using... Read more →

Valentine's Day: Photo Puzzle Card

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and so here's a cute idea for a sweet gift to give a loved one: a small puzzle that he or she can put together that features their loved ones or a hidden message! You can find a step-by-step guide to creating your own custom puzzle by hand cutting HERE or by using an existing puzzle HERE. I made mine using my ScanNCut. It's something I figured out how to do because of a question in January's Member Livestream. It's a simple process: Use a wet adhesive to glue the photo to a piece of... Read more →

ScanNCut: Rhinestone Design Collection

Every year Brother comes out with new pattern collections. I don't generally like to use other people's patterns -- it's one of the reasons I particularly love the ScanNCut. It's so easy to scan in your own designs! However, I fell in love with the rhinestone design collection because it combines rhinestones with shapes to cut from HTV or fabric with fusible. In the video I walk you step-by-step through the process of cutting and creating with the cactus image from this collection: And here is the t-shirt that I made: It turned out super cute! Because I used fabric... Read more →

Last Minute Gift Card Holder/Envelope

I am a procrastinator. About everything. Including gift giving. So, one of my favorite last minute gifts to give is a gift certificate (handmade or otherwise). This little card/envelope has a "pop-up" segment for a gift card: If you want to shop local/shop small or give a personal gift (like doing the dishes for a week) you don't need to include a commercial gift card. You can make a little gift card! PSA: You can purchase a gift certificate for Balzer Designs online classes at any time! Just send me an email and I'll get you set up. You can... Read more →

Memory Ornaments

Here's a super fun holiday craft tradition that you can start any time: memory ornaments. The front of each ornament features the year and a "title" and the back features a bit more detail about that particular Christmas. I used vinyl, which I cut with my new **Maui** ScanNCut SDX85M, for the front of each ornament. ...and transfer paper for the text on the back. This is a simple and elegant way to personalize your Christmas decorations! The new ScanNCut SDX85M is a great machine. Here are five features I appreciate: It has the AutoBlade – a total game changer... Read more →