I'm heading to a three-day crop in New Jersey this weekend. Three days of unlimited creative time sounds so lovely and exciting, but it also means packing. Ugh. How do I take my whole studio with me in two suitcases? Well thinking about packing has made me think about what I can't stop using lately. So today I thought I'd share ten products that I'm currently reaching for all the time! (And yes, I'm thinking I may have to bring the sewing machine to the crop....) 1. Claudine Hellmuth Studio Matte Multi-Medium in a squeeze bottle I was kind of... Read more →

Today I'm going to continue to wrap up the year with my top ten favorite non-scrapbook layout projects of the year! Woo Hoo! March 21, 2010: April 16, 2010: April 29, 2010: June 16, 2010: July 14, 2010: September 13, 2010: September 13, 2010 October 12, 2010: November 21, 2010: December 9, 2010: And some observations: I can't stay away from hearts! Four of these ten projects are based around hearts! Layers and layers and layers. Almost all of these projects are all about the layers. Paint, paint, paint, paint! I am a paint girl! I like messy order. What... Read more →

I really enjoy writing tutorials. Mainly I enjoy seeing what people make based on them! (Hint: If you've made something based on a tutorial of mine, please send me a photo! I love seeing them!) Today I thought we'd take a look back at my top ten favorite "Balzer Designs" blog tutorials of 2010: January 15, 2010: Scor-It Project of the Month March 9, 2010: Scrappy Mini Book April 7, 2010: Butterfly Obsessed June 30, 2010: The Apron Tutorial August 19, 2010: Start with a Strong Image September 6, 2010: Fabric ATCs October 27, 2010: Chevron Stamp Tutorial/Addiction November 26,... Read more →

I'm wrapping up 2010 with a look back at some favorite art adventures from the year. Today we'll be looking at my ten favorite scrapbook pages from 2010. Tomorrow a look back at my ten favorite blog post tutorials from 2010. Thursday will be a peek back at my ten favorite non-scrapbook projects from the year. And finally on Friday I will have the first post for my big year-long art project for 2011! (I hope you'll join me!) So without any further ado, here are my favorite pages I made during 2010 (some of which I haven't even shown... Read more →

I thought I'd share my (current) ten favorite crafty blogs (in no particular order): 1. Judy Wise Art Journaler extraordinaire, Judy Wise is such an inspiration to me. I love her daily journal pages. I lover her beautiful art journal paintings and the wonky dolls she makes sometimes. Right now she's inspiring me on a personal level with her battle against permanently losing her literal voice. 2. Alisa Burke: Redefine Creativity Alisa Burke's blog is always full of color and wonderful creative ideas. She shares a ton of tutorials and blogs virtually every single day. I love her energy and... Read more →