Balzer Designs, The Crafter's Workshop To Team

The Crafter's Workshop and designer Julie Fei-Fan Balzer announced today that they will be partnering to create a signature product line in the name of Balzer's design studio, Balzer Designs.

The Balzer Designs line will be the first signature line produced by The Crafter's Workshop.  Templates have been rising in popularity in the scrapbook market along with the increased interest in such mixed-media mediums as ink and paint.

Balzer, who is known for her mixed-media and art journaling work, is the co-host of the upcoming "Scrapbook Soup" show for PBS and a well-known designer, teacher and TV host. She announced today via Twitter that she is leaving the Prima design team after three years as a high profile presence there, including as a regular instructor in their "Live with Prima" class series (which she will continue to take part in despite leaving her position on the team).

Jaime Echt, Co-Founder of The Crafter's Workshop, explained why they selected Balzer as their first signature designer:

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is truly a renaissance woman.  I think that the term "mixed-media" was created specifically for her, she's never met a surface or a medium that didn't intrigue her!!  She has her own unique style and real sense of what art means to her.  Her point of view is always changing, growing and developing.  I would describe Julie's style as a little funky, very colorful and always inspiring.  Her new line of images really complements our existing products in that we aren't your typical stencil company.  We see our products as tools that help creative people get from "point A" to "point B", no matter what their experience level.

The new line will consist of 18 designs, available in both 6x6 and 12x12 template sizes. The line will be launched at CHA Summer 2011 in Chicago, and will start shipping to retailers on August 1st, 2011.