Balzer Designs

ScanNCut Leather & Cork Earrings

Check out these super cool earrings... ...that are super duper easy to make. You can watch the video tutorial below: Every time I've worn them, and I've worn them a lot, I get tons and tons of compliments from strangers. They look okay on the stands... ...but they simply sing when you put them on! They're lightweight and unique and I love them. I hope you'll make some for yourself! Thanks for stopping by! --- P.S. I am a paid spokesperson for the Brother ScanNCut. It is a machine that I love and use. All projects and opinions are my... Read more →

ScanNCut: Curving Text

Several months ago, I created a video all about how to curve text in CanvasWorkspace for Mac. You may remember it. After I posted that video, I got one question over and over again: But how do I make the text on the bottom face the other way? Good news! It's easy to do and I show you exactly how to do it in this video: Here's the original project, where the date is upside down: And here is some text using the technique I share in today's video: You can see that all the text is "right-side-up." One quick... Read more →

Coming Friday: New Online Class (+ Live Online Class)

Hooray! I'm just wrapping up the filming and editing of my epic online class all about designing and cutting custom stencils with a ScanNCut. I filmed the final video yesterday afternoon and I'm planning to have the online classroom all spiffed up and ready for students on Friday. This class is epic because it has taken me the entirety of the pandemic to film and edit it. I recorded every tutorial twice -- once on a ScanNCut 2 and once on a ScanNCut DX. Hopefully this will allow all ScanNCut users to easily understand the lessons and translate them to... Read more →

A Birthday Card for my Brother

I designed and made a birthday card for my Brother and I think it's pretty cool. The "39" spins, as you can see in the .gif below: If you're not a card maker, this is an idea that easily translates into your art journal. I have several art journal pages that have little spinners hanging out in a hole I've cut through the page! I've always felt that one of the secrets to creative inspiration is to not necessarily be a literalist. (Is that a word?) Essentially: to see an idea or a color combo or a composition and be... Read more →

A Pen Bag Made From Paper

I made this fabulous pen bag from...PAPER!! I have always looooved cut paper, but it's fragile. It's hard to make anything long lasting from it. But then I figured out that I could sandwich the cut paper between two sheets of iron-on vinyl and turn it into a much more durable material. I cut two pieces of pink cardstock, sealed them between layers of iron-on vinyl and was then able to stitch together this pen bag... ...including putting in a zipper! One Note: You do have to be careful when turning the bag because the paper will crease if you... Read more →

ScanNCut: Custom Box File

There are new ScanNCut products from Brother! Yay! I'll be sharing some of them in two live events with Sewing Machines Plus tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday. You can see the full schedule and register (for free) to watch the events HERE. I hope to see you online! In the meantime, you've been asking for some more advanced ScanNCut tutorials, so here it is! In this video I'm going to show you how to make your own custom box file using CanvasWorkspace for Mac. Watch the video for the how-to: As I mentioned, this is a project to tackle once you're... 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 →

Art Journal Every Day: A New Traveler's Notebook

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 →

Direct Cut Around a Stamped Sentiment

One of the most crazy cool features of the ScanNCut is its ability to cut around stamped images. However, the ScanNCut isn't able to distinguish between a word and a shape. So when you have a stamped sentiment like this one: The scanner wants to cut around each individual letter (aka shape)... ...instead of creating a block, like this: In this video I show you how to create that block: It's quick and easy to do and makes fussy cutting sentiments so very easy! Thanks for stopping by! --- P.S. I am a paid spokesperson for the Brother ScanNCut. It... Read more →

New Live Online Classes Listed

Hello! I listed some new live online classes, as described below. If you're wondering what a live online class with me is like, here is a nice e-mail I got recently: The Zoom format truly is as close to a live in-person class as you can get without being in person. I suspect that even post-pandemic, I will continue to teach this way. It allows me to stay home with my family and it allows people from all over the globe to take live classes from the comfort of their home (with all of their supplies right at hand). Here... Read more →