Art Journal Every Day

I am going to be attempting to journal every day, and this is going to be the place that will motivate me!  Stay tuned...

 

Balzer Designs Art Journal Every Day

Here are a few more Christmas projects that I have done, a card and a panel featuring buttons, vintage garage sale find jewlery, etc.  It is so fun to see how the junk drawer can evolve into something beautiful!

Busy with Projects!

 I haven't had much time to blog lately, as I have been busy working on my projects for some upcoming craft sales that I am taking part in.  Here are a couple cards, a wall hanging, and an ornament that I have created.  I love this time of year, a very productive time for me!

Teddy Bears

Some Teddy Bear atc's that I made for a swap. Having fun with my markers again.

halloween in wonderland 6

halloween in wonderland 6, originally uploaded by sapphire252.

Hosta

hosta, originally uploaded by sapphire252.

This card features a photo I took with my hipstamatic app on my iphone! I crocheted the flower embellishments too...

Butterfly

butterfly, originally uploaded by sapphire252.

I have been having so much fun making cards lately! This card features some lettering, and even a little bit of sewing! Thanks to my friend Ruth, my button collection has grown by leaps and bounds, so you will be seeing lots of buttons in my work from now on!

More Cards!

More Flower Doodles!

I have been creating samples for my Delightful Doodles class, and so I have been revisiting some of my designs.  I thought I would try doing some on kraft paper, outlining with a gel pen.  I think that I will eventually use these on greeting cards.

A collage that I put together while I was on my holidays.  The large beaded embellishment is a treasure that I found at a garage sale for a quarter.  I love garage sales! You never know what you may find...

Goodbye.

I had to say goodbye to my sweet Toby today. He was my shadow for 15 years, a heartbeat at my feet while I rocked babies to sleep, a snoring companion while I waited for kids to come home late at night. Toby, I hope that heaven is a place where you can chase the Goldens with boundless energy, and that there are more bars of soap than even you could possibly eat. I love you, Buddy.

Flower Doodles

I was playing with some flower doodles, as I have been working through my doodles class along side a group from Artists of the Round Table... I will probably end up putting these on cards.

imagination

imagination, originally uploaded by sapphire252.

more creations

More creations...not on Etsy yet, but they will be! 

 

The beautiful vintage image of a little girl with a butterfly came from the Graphics Fairy, and has quickly become one of my favourite images to use on cards.  I just love combining vintage images with found images and my own doodles!

By the way, visit my etsy shop, Delightful Doodles to where you can purchase this card and many more!

Baby

baby card, originally uploaded by sapphire252.

Another handmade greeting card, featuring buttons, lace, a vintage image (I used a slideholder for the frame) and some of my own lettering.

More Cards!

To Etsy, or to Ebay? That is the question.  So I have posted these on Ebay - and will wait and see if I am successful on either site...

DelightfulDoodles Etsy Shop

I have been having SO MUCH FUN creating handmade cards of late, using miscellaneous supplies, and treasures I have found at local garage and yard sales.  Only a few are featured here!

Everyone has been telling me that I should be selling these cards, so I have decided to post them on ETSY, and see what happens.  Please stop my my Etsy Shop, my id there is DelightfulDoodles - I would love to hear your comments!

Enough

Enough, originally uploaded by sapphire252.

Happy Birthday Mama!

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday...

So after I made her this birthday card, I made her a shadow box, featuring an old photograph of my great-grandfather.  The box features wheat from the area where he had his homestead, a piece of petrified wood I found there as well, some old buttons and a piece of Romanian beads.  I replicated some Romanian embroidery on paper, and had a friend give me a Romanian translation that I thought was fitting.

Beatles Project: Song Titles

Here are the Song Titles from my Beatles Project! Did you guess them all?

From left to right, top to bottom:

• Drive My Car
• P.S. I Love You
• While My Guitar Gently Weeps
• Roll Over Beethoven
• Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
• For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
• Lady Madonna
• The Fool on the Hill
• I Am The Walrus
• Yellow Submarine
• Ticket to Ride
• The Long and Winding Road
• Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds
• Penny Lane
• Rain
• Happiness Is A Warm Gun
• Glass Onion
• Eleanor Rigby
• Back in the USSR
• Hey Bulldog
• Revolution No. 9
• Help
• Dr. Robert
• Do You Want To Know A Secret
• Strawberry Fields Forever
• I’m Only Sleeping
• Rocky Racoon
• Can’t Buy Me Love
• Blackbird
• Birthday
• Mean Mr. Mustard
• The Sun King
• Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
• Here Comes the Sun
• Octopus’ Garden     

I created this project using 1.5" square pieces of wood.  I then created the drawings on paper, glued them onto the wood pieces, and then covered the drawings in UTEE embossing powder.  This gave them the "heavy lacquered tile" look.  

I then found a frame with a slight recess - almost a shadow box, and it worked out to be exactly the same depth as the thickness of my wood pieces!  I painted the inside of the frame black, and glued my tile pieces into the frame with wood glue.

Thank you to everyone who has commented about this project! It was so fun to make, and I am thrilled with the feedback that I have received from all of you!

Beatles Project

Here is my finished project - I am SO PROUD of this!  I was inspired by an assemblage that I saw in Somerset Studio. I thought it would be a great way to express my love of The Beatles.  See if you know the names of all of the songs I have depicted! Send me an e-mail if would like all of the titles.

Tick Tock

I have had this clock kit for many years, thinking I would put a piece of needlework in it someday.  Well, I decided that instead of needlework, I would insert some of my own art.  I kind of like it!

For Calvin

One of my dad's nearest and dearest friends, Calvin Vollrath is celebrating his 50th birthday this weekend.

Calvin is one of Canada's national treasures, having been twice crowned the Grand North American Old Tyme Fiddle Champion.  Calvin composed 5 fiddle tunes for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic opening ceremonies, and you may have seen him performing there, along side Ashley MacIsaac and Natalie McMaster. 

It was very easy to come up with a birthday card for him.  I added some Metis elements, as Calvin is very proud of his Metis heritage.  The photograph is of Napoleon Nault, a Metis fiddler circa the 1800's. 

Give yourself a treat and visit Calvin's website, where you will here some of his music!

A project in the works.

I am REALLY excited about this!
A project that is in the works. Stay tuned!

Oh, and by the way, can you guess what this project is all about?

Mother's Day Card

This is the card that I made my mom for Mother's Day.  I have really been into making flower embellishments lately - as you can see, I even found a crochet hook in my stash of abandoned tools and made a rose!  Grandma Vincent would be so proud...

Play Date Cafe Challenge

Here is my entry for the Play Date Cafe this week.  How could I resist entering my birthday card for my niece?  Made with found items, and collected papers, etc.  This is one my favourite colour combinations!

Pippa the Fairy

I arrive home today to find this lovely post on Erica's Artistic Endeavors.  It seems that Erica used a lesson one of my online doodle classes to create Pippa the Fairy!

Please take the time to pop over to Erica's blog and see her wonderful doodle!  She also has some wonderful links there - well worth the visit.

If you are interested in my doodle classes, or my lettering classes, please let me know and I can send you a sample lesson!

I am just going to sit here and beam with pride....wonderful work, Erica!

Happy Birthday, Willow!

My beautiful niece Willow turns eleven on Thursday.  This is the birthday card that I made for her, with a variety of goodies from my art studio...look closely - I may have picked up some of these elements at your garage sale!

I have been playing with some crochet flower patterns lately, so I made Willow a hairpin with some embroider cotton and a number 2 crochet hook.  They are so fun to make!  I am going to make a bunch for embellishing cards.

Daphne's Necklace

One of my friends at work saw a necklace that she liked at a designer shop.  This is the knock-off version I made for her, for about a tenth of the price of the original.  And I think mine is nicer!

Bead Flowers

Bead Flowers, originally uploaded by sapphire252.

I spent last night playing with the beads in my bead drawer. I haven't decided what I am going to do with these flowers yet...Embellishments for cards? Hair accessories? You can see the wires peeking from behind each flower, as I have kept the extra wire on them to keep anchoring options open. For the moment, these beaded blooms will adorn my art room.

One thing is for sure, I will be making more!

A card for Auntie Rosemarie...

A very happy birthday to my Auntie Rosemarie! I hope you have a wonderful day, and that all of your birthday wishes come true...

Amanda's Birthday

On Monday, my middle child, my only girl, turned 17. I remember being 17 with such clarity; I wanted to make her an extra-special birthday card, with an extra-special quote.

For beautiful eyes
Look for the good in others
For beautiful lips
Speak only words of kindness
And for poise,
Walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.
- Audrey Hepburn

Those of you who know Amanda, will know how pleased I was with the drawing, and the resemblance to her!