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Novice-ready and a tip for framed version. Some shortcomings: several areas are a lightly shaded gray and the paint used for those is light yellow and difficult to fully cover. Many areas took several coats of paint to cover the numbers. Larger areas + multiple coats = need for additional paint, in my case, four different colors. I ended up buying the unframed version also just to get the paints to complete the painting. The provided brushes weren't equal to the task, but it was easy to locate replacement brushes. Still, the completed picture is unique, and the abstract simplicity of the picture was forgiving for a novice. The framed option means the canvas is stretched over a pine frame. Tip for the framed version: when you complete your painting and want to put an actual frame around it for display, keep in mind the depth of the pine under-frame - most reasonably priced frames will not be deep enough. Amazon has one frame that's front- loading that works: "MCS 40004 16x20 Black Frame to Mount Finished Canvas". Keep in mind also that the stretched canvas is slightly smaller than 16x20 and the areas you'll paint will wrap around the sides of the stretcher frame. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
I really wanted to like this electric pencil sharpener. <div id="video-block-R1TV7TLJ6AFB0X" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A18UqpZqwcS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Z3nz7283S.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> I really wanted to like this electric pencil sharpener. It comes with an extra sharpener blade and a usb power cord. The white sides came scuffed up but I thought "hey it's a pencil sharpener, if it works that's all I care about". Unfortunately it sharpened the first pencil and after that nothing. I plugged the usb end into many different outlets to make sure that it wasn't the problem. I also made sure that the pencil sharpener wasn't jammed or have any pencil shavings in the way. I also switched out the blade, just in case that was causing the problem. I have attached a video of how it works. It did give a short burst of power in the video but for the remainder half hour i tried to get it to work I was not as lucky. Now i am just not sure if I should try out another electric sharpener unit or if I should stick with the smalll hand sharpner. I would HIGHLY discourage anyone from buying this product. Even the discount that i received to review this product it was NOT worth it! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Very satisfied - tons of possibilities with this machine. I am SO excited about the endless options available to me with the Cricut Explore One! I received it from Cricut in exchange for an honest review, and I can't get enough of experimenting with it.
My favorite thing about this Cricut is how it syncs up with the online Cricut Design Space. I can now use fonts from my own computer or iPad, or upload my own images for FREE!! So much I can create now without having to fork over more money. The machine still has a spot for me to use the Cartridges I purchased for my older Cricut as well. (And if there is a font or image I need, there is a Cricut library with tons of cheap images.) Design Space allows me to manipulate the fonts/images/colors etc. create what I'm envisioning before sending it to the Cricut. Another great thing about Design Space are the Make It Now projects - cards, decor, etc. (some really creative projects) that have been completely designed by various artists and that I can choose and create with my Cricut it minutes - it walks me through which materials to use and is so simple.
The first thing I made had some pretty intricate cuts, and the Cricut was able to cut them very cleanly and smoothly. (My husband even came over and oohed and ahhed with me as we watched it cut the first time. :) I was amazed to learn that this machine can cut anything from paper to leather!! It's easy to adjust for different materials by selecting the material on a dial on top. I love that I also have the option to write and can interchange the blade in a snap for a pen or scoring stylus. Aesthetically, I love that the machine is much quieter than the original Cricut I had and that it has a sleek storage compartment in the fold-out drawer to hold my tools. The Cricut and the online tools have been very straightforward and easy to use. I am very happy with this machine and feel like I have the tools to make anything I can dream up! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Amazing for coloring backgrounds. This is the first time I'm venturing into pastels and I must say these are really great quality for the price. I prefer half sticks since it gives me more colors to play with. I primarily use them for backgrounds in coloring books, I'm no artist! They mix and blend well and don't make too much of a mess. I tend to scrape tiny amounts with a knife and spread them on the paper, this gives me almost next to nothing dust/mess. I've also tried just rubbing them with cotton balls and blending them on paper and that works well too. I've included one of my coloring pages to show how the pastels look, I'm still learning how to use them effectively!
My only complaint is that some of the sticks arrived broken and some of the lighter colors were smudged from the darker sticks. It's not really a problem since you can still use the pieces anyway. I simply dusted off a thin layer from the sticks and the original pigment color can be used after that. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Really good markers. I purchased a peel and stick black dry erase board product earlier in the year, but I am absolutely annoyed by the feel of chalk. I have been researching various liquid chalk products and decided that this would be worth a try.
They are advertised as bright colors and they certainly do not disappoint! The colors are bright, vibrant, and beautiful! I was a little concerned that they were going to read more neon but they do not.
When they arrived there was a pause as my package appears to have been hastily packed, with most of the markers stickers coming undone or stuck to the packaging. Once I was able to get them out I became more alarmed as starting the flow of ink to the tip was much more slow than expected. However, be patient Grasshopper! I found that shaking them for a moment and then pressing the tip against a surface for 20 seconds or so seemed do the trick. Be careful to not let it set to long, as once the ink starts to flow it really does flow!
I initialized all of the colors and then decided to take them on a test run with an intricate pattern (I do not claim to be an artist so expect nothing great!). The markers are a bit slow to dry, and the ones that I pushed the tips too long on were flowing a bit too much. I was drawing on a surface flat on a desk, so they pooled. Had I been drawing on a wall or window then I imagine they would have dripped. You will see, in my attached photos, that the blue blead into the pink. Both were initiated for a longer-than-recommended length of time.
The true test, at least for me, was how easily these markers cleaned off of the surface. I waited an hour before making an attempt. I used a textured cloth with water and found that it wiped up very easily. Initially I did a scratch test to see how much would come off without a damp cloth, and it was not promising. I highly recommend a damp cloth to avoid residue.
I was given the opportunity to purchase these markers at a discount, in exchange for my unbiased review. I am providing details based on the specific product I have received, and am including photos to aid in illustrating my points. Based on my experience I would recommend these markers to family and friends. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
A colorful and exciting art kit. Wow! This art set is amazing! I cannot wait to give this to one of my nieces as a gift. In fact, I think I will buy another one for my other niece.
When you open the box, you have different tiers for each art set and the tiers swivel out for easy use. On the first tier when opening, you get color pens and glue, the next tier has 12 crayons and an eraser, the next tier is 12 color pencils and a sharpener and the last tier is 12 paints and a paintbrush with a built in pallet to mix paint. How adorable! Any child or adult could experiment with their artistic skills with this excellent art set by Tyiran.
Not only is this art kit easy to use but your kids will be able to clean up easily and easily restore all their art supplies again. No mess! This would make a great gift for any child and it is an excellent starter kit to experiment with art. Plus, this art drawing set would be wonderful to entertain your child while traveling.
I received this kit for a discount through BuView for an honest review. Every family should have this art kit in their homes. Even adults can have fun with this amazing kit! Thanks for the opportunity to review such a great product! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
DECORATE ALL OF THE THINGS. I LOVE IT. I have been waiting so long for a product like this that is reasonably priced. Now I can take all of the hundreds of ideas I have and make them into actual things!! It's all very exciting, I went a little overboard buying accessories for the thing but I regret nothing! The cuts are precise and I am so happy the Cricut people finally designed software that allows you to use your own designs! The machine itself is larger than I expected, but it still takes up less space than a "professional" vinyl cutter. I also love that there is tool storage built right into the machine! Genius! I bought a little plastic tub for all my tools and was surprised to find out I didn't need it. I'm not even mad because it's SUCH CLEVER DESIGN.
As for the online software: it can be a little tricky, and it has its limitations but it is SO EASY TO USE that you can figure it out in just a few minutes. I spent all day the first day I set it up testing it out and tweaking all of my design files so that the Cricut software would cut the shapes the way I wanted. I use Adobe Illustrator and PRO TIP: Convert all of your outlines into shapes! The software does not like outlines, especially if you're planning on re-sizing your designs at all. I used to use outlines and stroke weight for a lot of my design elements, but I've had to convert all of them to shapes in order for the Cricut software to cut them properly. It's a pretty quick fix if you have both Illustrator and Photoshop.
Anyways, if you have a creative small business or hobby YOU WILL LOVE THIS MACHINE. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Check all outdoor furniture fabric labels--not intended for Polyester. DO not use this spray on polyester or vinyl outdoor furniture. It is not intended for polyester. Check the label info on your furniture. Then go to the manufacturer's web site. This can of spray is intended for indoor furniture fabric only, and/or cotton or canvas fabric. It will not adhere to polyester or vinyl without using a TON of paint. I mean a ton. My husband had purchased six cans for me to re-do our patio chair cushions; They had faded to pale sage green, despite my using UV protestant annually. To make things worse, two years ago having gotten tired of seeing the labels poking out beneath the cushions, I cut the tags off. So I thought my cushion covers were canvas as they were heavy canvas-like fabric. So, I followed other users' directions and began with a light coat of paint. The spray immediately absorbed right into the cushion leaving NO color change. After 30 minutes, I applied a second coat, and it, too, immediately absorbed into the cushion fabric. "For best result use a few light coats," the can instructions read. I thought we had purchased defective paint, because even after an entire afternoon and a six-pack of Simply Spray, I had only covered topside of two bottom cushions and two of the smaller (upper) back cushions. A total of two standard patio chair cushions--4 pieces. Then I went to the Simply Spray web site. Illumination. This paint is not intended for polyester. And yes, Simply Spray does indeed make Outdoor Furniture Spray Paint, just not in "Caribbean Blue". Lesson Learned. P.S Fabric was a lot stiffer after so much paint. (Photos added: green=BEFORE, blue=AFTER. Any distortion is from slight differences in camera angle) | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Best Art Instruction I Ever Got From a Book. Of course having a mentor or teacher is best, but some of us have...extenuating circumstances.
Thats where books, particularly books like this--of this calibre come in.
I learned a bit from it, more than I imagined I would going in...I thought it'd simply be a listing of techniques and tools, but it's very personable and from the standpoint of an artist who is about results, but also, knows that many artists are, in fact, "starving", in a sense--we don't have tons of funds to buy any tool or quality of equipment simply for our fancy--we have to make smart decisions, especially considering that if we're buying a book like this, you can bet we have little to no experience in the medium.
...Speaking of "mediums", I learned about this, pigment, and how it factors into the paints...which helped me even wrap my mind around plenty of techniques that I've seen and thought "sh! t...how do they do that? I can never do that!"
Apparently it's all very explainable...pretty simple (but not easy). | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Worst Alex product I've bought. I agree with the other reviews. I got this for my five year old so I knew I'd have to help her. She loves stickers so we both thought it would be neat to make her own. However, even with an adult operating it, it doesn't work efficiently or often at all. It applies a large sticky sheet to a drawing you cut out and put through the feeder. Half the time it jams. When you do get it through, you have wasted vast amounts of sticky sheet before and after the actual picture. When the cutter doesn't work, you drag on the sticky roll and pull it sideways and then you have to rethread the whole thing. When you do get it through and you cut around the sheet to make the sticker the same shape as the picture, if you cut too close the sticky sheet detaches from the picture and doesn't work anymore. HUGE waste of time and resources to produce very substandard stickers! What it is is plastic junk that will clutter up your house collecting dust. If you need more of that, this is a good option. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Wow, this stuff STINKS. Literally. For carving purposes, this moo block is pretty decent. It does have a little bit more resistance than the pink stuff, so your knife doesnt exactly glide through it like butter, but its not so tough as to make it difficult to carve or make your cuts jagged on curves.
However...I cant use this stuff at all. It smells SO. BAD. like, truly atrocious. My entire house started to stink of....I cant even describe the scent, really....but it smelled acrid, and extremely revolting. After a few hours, its stench aura became limited to just about a foot around the block, rather than my entire household...but no matter how much time goes by, just physically touching the material will make your hand and any surface stink of it until you give it a good scrub down. I cant stand the smell, and so....I cant stand this carving block. Sorry moo, I really wanted to like you. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
An inexpensive way to do garden what-ifs. I wanted something to help me build 1:12-scale models for raised beds to help me visualize what I need to buy in terms of concrete blocks, PVC pipe for hoop arches, and various coverings. I measured out a 10-inch wide piece of this plastic canvas, then cut 1-opening strips for the 10-foot PVC pipes. I also cut 2-inch by 4-inch panels to correspond to some 2x4-foot trellis grids. Now I can play with different scenarios before I actually buy the heavy stuff this spring.
I like these sheets because they are stiff enough but not so stiff that they won't stay put in my "what if" models. I can move things around and try different things. See my photos. Those 1:12 concrete blocks are from <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/this-company/dp/B01CESM2XS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">this company</a>. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
i LIKE THIS SET. What I like about this set is its value. 84 bottles for $170, that's value for the money. Not having to thin down the mixes or stop to clean clogs, that's value for my time. There are so many colors it's no big deal to experiment to your heart's content and that's just what I do.
They do dry glossy, but there's this stuff called flat coat, or satin coat (for the people complain about it drying glossy) that takes care of that. Some of the colors coat better than others, but I'm educating myself on how to compensate for this to get coverage of my liking. And honestly there's so much paint in this SKU (buy) that you're not loosing money testing things out.
The metallics are a little bit trickier, I do think the regular colors and the tint colors work better than the metallics in the set.
I'm no airbrush master, but this set seems like a good deal to me. I'd definitely buy this set again based on the colors I've used so far. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Alright. This product is alright. It is all plastic and isn't very sturdy. I am very careful with it when I use it, especially not to over-tighten the screws. I was very disappointed by how limited this product is. I was hoping to use a wide range of writing materials with it, but the plastic is so thick and made in such a way that only thin pens will fit in it. I can't even get some of my thin markers to fit. You're pretty much stuck to thin ball point pens, regular pencils, and thin gel pens. I will be upgrading to some of these tools very soon: [ ... ]
Also, the advice about using a Popsicle stick underneath before locking the holder in place was GREAT for getting the correct height for your pens and not leaving extra lines all over your paper. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Brings back fun childhood memories, while making new ones. When I was younger if you got to use the Mr. Sketch scented markers it was a great day at school! And while you can definitely smell them while using them, I'm pretty sure half of our time was spent just smelling them straight from the marker. Now many, many years later I have my own set of markers to use and I get to share Mr. Sketch with my Grandson.
With this set of 6 markers I can't say that much has changed, they are exactly as I remember them including their yummy scents! The set I received was full of ink, none of them were already dried out and the colors are bright. Overall for the price it's a good set and I have to admit I'm now looking at the larger sets to give as a gift to my Grandson so he can have his own. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
MAJESTIC Maestro. I have been using sable brushes (sizes 1 and 2) for retouching photos and painting miniatures. I loved the way the sable heads flex and spring back and basically "work" with the artist. These are not inexpensive brushes and I have coddled mine for many years. I was excited to try this Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 Kolinsky Red Sable brush, as I am now working with larger watercolors, and I was not disappointed.
The brush is well-made. The handle is not your skinny-watercolor-hobby-craft type of handle. It is well balanced and sturdy with a good sized area you can grip in your own way. The ferrule is tight, the head is beautiful, and was shipped with its own sturdy, protective plastic sleeve. This is the Real Thing. Sable. Not imitation, but real, and being Russian sable, leads me to believe and hope that this will last (with proper care) as long as my faithful retouching brushes.
The head holds water and pigment very well. I would not dare load it with pigment as I feel this will not only distort the way the brush moves and works, but will lessen its life as well. But for the pure joy of painting a watercolor and seeing how each beautiful stroke adds vibrancy and life to the paper, this brush is more than equal to the task.
Meticulous and gentle cleaning after every use, keeping paint from drying on the area where the ferrule meets the head, re-pointing the head and putting it away to dry in a clean environment is of utmost importance. I still do that with each of my retouching brushes and that habit has serve me and them very well.
I would not hesitate to recommend this Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 Kolinsky Size 7 Red Sable brush, and I also would not hesitate to buy more of this wonderful product, which is made in other sizes. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Cute, fun, lasts a long time. I love this swatch tape. It helps make the mismatched page on my smash books look like they're supposed to be that way. Unlike other reviewers I have had no issues with the tape sticking to itself. Do be aware that is just ONE roll of tape that has various swatches of patterns on it. I think it is totally cute. Some of the reviewers did mention it is expensive, however if you are aware of the price of washi tape on the market and catch this on sale at Joann's or Michael's (or use a 50% or 40% off coupon) you're doing great. It lasts a long time as the tape is thinner than normal tape but also quite sticky and durable yet can be removed. It also is adding decoration and is way easier to carry around than a lot of the scrapbooking accessories on the market. I have no complaints -- just wish there would be a multipack of just the tape to save money off the top of all the smash book tapes they offer. Hope they come up with more designs. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
rich and buttery quality while using this pastel. i'm a local artist and i usually paint w/ acrylics, but in my art class i started messing around with the oil pastels more. It took me about 8 months to find out that the Portfolio brand (Crayola) oil pastel is the one i most enjoy using when i was in class. It took me that long because where i have class, is in an art museum, and the bin of pastels, well, none of them really have their labels still on them. Alot of them are reduced down to little nubs or 1/4 sticks - that's how much use these pastels have gotten. I asked my art teacher if he knew which brand they were, but he didn't know at the time. I searched all over the local art shops here, stores like Jo-Ann's, Michael's, even Office Max to try and find the great pastels i sought. I knew what they weren't thru use of me using them when searching: they weren't Galleria, Rembrandt, Pentel, Craypas, Niji. (I was thinking they were Craypas Expressionist until i bought Craypas, and also Pentel til i bought pentel, but they weren't.) It wasn't till about 2 wks ago in my art class i happened to find a shred of a label off this brand. i used that color and it had the same rich and buttery richness as when i first tried them long ago. This is how i know it's Portfolio. I'm so glad that i now know what brand it is i truly enjoy because they are so awesome to work with.
They blend easily and like i said are rich in color and spread like butter when i used them on my canvas. I didn't know they were water soluble though. That's an added bonus for me. I like how they blend with soft pastels as well. I've also used them with charcoal as well.
I can't believe i've found a great product at a small price as compared to other higher priced brands.
The only reason i give the pastels a 4 star rating is because how fast you will go thru them if you happen to be working on some large canvases like myself. Since the cost of replacing them is small, i don't mind too much and maybe you won't either depending on how frequently you go thru a set, but if you're after something else with more staying power that doesn't run out that fast, maybe you should look elsewhere. I hear Niji is pretty solid. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Worth it. I'm an amateur painter working with acrylic paint. I bought this because I wanted some extra oddly shaped brushes for my collection. This set has some nice nylon brushes: the orange and white brushed ones. It has some terrible ones that I knew, just looking at the picture: the brown ones. But even half of the set is a better deal than the other stuff on Amazon. The grey brushes are actually not bad, even though they look terrible: Stiff and rough bristles.
I may donate the not so good brushes to a elementary school. They'll hold up for painting, but they won't be reliable (bristles falling off, weird dabs of paint from wayward bristles, etc). | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Works great. This product works great! I just finished up making the fringe for an afghan I made for my neice. The product has two functions. Number 1 twist each individual yarn and number 2 twist the 4 yarns together to make the twisted yarn.
It took a few times to get the hang of it but once I did it worked great!
A few tips:
1) Keep the tension of the yarn even and taught and align the yarn straight to the twister.
2)Do not twist on number 1 too long or the yarns will not twist together in the right pattern.
3) Sometimes when I had the problem of two yarns of the same colors twisting together on number 2 instead of seperately I would slightly lift up one yarn with my finger nail and then twisted it again and it would twist correctly.
4) On number two I would over twist, pinch the yarns together by the device then pull the yarn threads out of the machines then knot it up, the yarn will relax to the fully twisted tension for the size of the yarn.
It takes a while to make the fringe but the results look fantastic and very professional versus just using a simple fringe of yarn. I actually made each twisted fringe individually then attached it to the project. I placed the yarn in the fringe maker first, held the twister machine between my knees then knotted the 4 pieces of yarn at the top then did the twisting. I found I had more control over the yarn versus attaching the yarn first to the project then twisting them together.
A great little device that all knitters and crochet advocates will love! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
DO NOT BUY UNLESS YOU WANT TO RUIN YOUR CHALKBOARD. Bought the chalk pens and a new $64.95 foldable marquee chalkboard/white board from Amazon<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Folding-Two-sided-Marquee-Stained-Wood-Easel-Whiteboard-Black-Chalkboard-H42-x-W24ins/dp/B005H7HWHK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Folding Two-sided Marquee Stained Wood Easel - Whiteboard & Black Chalkboard (H42 x W24ins)</a>. Used them once on the chalkboard side. Tried to erase with a wet rag, then write again but you can still see the image from the first things I wrote. Anybody have a suggestion on how I can get rid of the original image? Soap? Some type of spray cleaner? I'm afraid to use them on the white side of the board! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
This was an awesome project! Very detailed and intense. This was an awesome project! Very detailed and intense, but thats what made the end result so fantastic! I got it to paint for my nephew for Christmas. I started in November. I finally finished it Jan 6th, just in time for his birthday on the 9th! WOW! Ive never had a pbn project that was so time consuming, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! If you have someone in your life who enjoys the Marvel franchise and want to get on their good side, this is the project for you. Just set aside about two months to get it done! Great quality of paint and canvas board. Be prepared to buy many, small (size 0/3, good quality) brushes to complete it. I highly recommend this! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
They are very nicely packaged in a beautiful colorful paper box. I have been so excited to get this Prima Decadent Pies set of watercolors! They are very nicely packaged in a beautiful colorful paper box..inside the paper box you will find a super cute and useful metal field box. I have seen these empty boxes priced for more than this full one! The box has a ring on the bottom so that you can hold it for plein air or easel painting. When you open the box the top is domed in two different sections that you can use as watercolor wells. There is also a flip down water color palate on the other side which is very useful! The paints pans are half pans and they sit on a removable tray which makes it super easy to change out your colors. I did notice that under the paint pan tray is more water wells so you can use the whole box as a palate if you put the paint tray on another surface! There is plenty of room to add a third row of paint pans to this palate, I would either use adhesive dots to hold them in or use magnets so they don't move about. The box also came with a swatch card which i put to the test Immediately. Now to the colors! I was super surprised to find that 4 of these paints are metallics! I love metallics and I would have purchased this palate for those paint pans alone! They are a pearl, silver, rosy gold, and a gold. I really like the way that all they lay down color...pretty evenly. The silver is a bit harder to handle as it wants to streak, but the brushstrokes are not that bad. The blues are vivid and gorgeous. The red is a purply brown. The brown is a really like melted chocolate. the yellow has a guash quality, not totally translucent, but still pretty. The orange is odd to me, it appears to have a gauche instead of a watercolor that makes it look like a creamsicle. the green is gauche looking as well like a cream spinach. I actually like that these are not your usual colors. I feel very happy to have these in my art arsonal. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Cricut Explore Saves me time. Cricut has outdone itself this time. On Cricut Design Space
you can find projects that are all ready to make, or thousands
of designs that are ready to cut.
This machine makes all these projects so easy to make,
the images are on colored mats all you have to do is put
cardstock of your choice on the mat and cut it out.
Before you had to layer and resize all the pieces.
That is already done. I love it. Oh, and that is just the tip
of the ice burg. The hardest part for me is deciding what
I want to make and what cardstock I want to use.
It is also easy to upload SVG files. I found a lot of free ones
on the web. Cricut has really made it easy. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
The color is wonderfully vibrant and really packs a punch. The color is wonderfully vibrant and really packs a punch. I (or rather, my 3-year-old) used them watered-down (50-50 or so) to paint a maple wood rainbow stacker and the colors turned out very bright. I barely used any of the paints (the bottles still look full) and she had leftover cups of paint to paint on paper with for a few days after. This is a huge quantity of paint! The paints stained everything they touched (and I had rainbow hands for a couple days from helping hold the wood pieces as she painted them) so I'd recommend gloved hands if you're going to get a lot on your hands and wearing old/dark clothes that you don't care about or won't show a stain when you use these paints. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Its a little on the short side. I purchased this desk to work on my art. There are a few things about this desk that I don't like.
1) Without the casters it sits really low. My flooring cannot have the casters on it because it damages the floor. I'm thinking about using 2x4s to elevate the table (I'm 5'6" and like to sit with my legs dangling if I can)
2) There is no ledge for my art work to rest on so I have to tape it to the desk
3) The plastic sides are flimsy and one already had the plastic sides broken off so it is barely hanging on.
What I do like about it is
1) The glass top can be used as a light box for tracing
2) The glass top is easy to clean
3) It was fairly easy to assemble
4) It looks nice in my office | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
When I received the colored pencils I fell in love with the case it came in. I am one of those grown ups that absolutely loves coloring! I have my own "grown up" coloring books but never had any colored pencils of my own. When I received the colored pencils I fell in love with the case it came in. So bright and colorful and pretty heavy duty so it should last as a case to keep the pencils in.
The colors were great and did not break easily while I was using them which is nice. I am one of those that will either go for a light almost shading type of picture or go for bold and beautiful depending on how I feel for the day.
This is a very nice set and I'm sure you will be pleased with your purchase. I did receive a discount to facilitate this review but all opinions and thoughts are my own and not swayed by this at all. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Versatile variety of brushes at a great value. I received the iBayam 12 pcs Paint brush set recently and was pleasantly surprised at the value and quality of these brushes. The handles themselves are short and have a nice weight and balance to them. None of the hairs on any of the brushes were loose or bent which is amazing. The variety of brush types was a really nice mix as well. There were three round brushes with the largest round brush being a size 8. There is also a flat brush, flat brush, an angled brush, a fan brush, a dagger brush, a filbert brush (wonderful for petals) and a couple of decorative brushes for speciality strokes.
In my opinion these brushes will do exceptionally well with acrylic paints. I tried the flat brush with watercolors and it worked well, but the nature of the fibers makes it challenging to retain much water for long. They can certainly work, but you will have to grab paint more often. There is a high level of control with these brushes because the hair is so uniform and smooth. I did receive these brushes at a discount, but my views are my own, and I do think they are great brushes with huge versatility for the price. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
I own a Cricut Expression which I have loved but I really love the Cricut Explore One. I am so excited to have received a Cricut Explore One as a free gift. I own a Cricut Expression which I have loved but I really love the Cricut Explore One. It is so easy to set up and use. It only took me a few minutes to set up and create the included project. You are able to design everything on your computer with one simple nob to adjust on the machine and cut. No more starting a project and realizing half way through that you forgot to set the correct pressure and speed. So easy to load and unload craft paper and vinyl. I love that I can upload my own pictures and images to design unique gifts and crafts. I can also design new crafts anywhere I go using my IPad. Im able to design my projects anywhere that Im feeling inspired or collaborating with others. I'm not limited to my computer. I cant wait to start designing projects using this amazing machine. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
I Love My New Art Pencils! AND They're Water-Soluble. I cannot tell you how excited I am with my new pencil set by Raffine. The colors are vibrant and rich, and I'm really happy with the variety of colors that came in this 24-piece set.
The pencils hold a point, the color goes down easily and with good saturation, and breakage does not seem to be an issue. Bonus: they are also water-soluble! Dipping the tip of your pencil in water enables you to blend the colors smoothly, or to use this property to create a beautifully rich and smooth color.
These pencils do not act like watercolor pencils--you can't really float the color into a wet area; but it is comparable to using Turpenoid to blend PrismaColors. It's nice to just be able to use water for blending and smoothing, rather than an oily substance that will spot your paper.
Overall, I give this product 5 stars. A fantastic product, and at a very, very low price for art pencils. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
No regrets. This paint really surprised me! I did not intend to use for "chalking ". I just liked the color and size. But when I used I was thrilled to see that the black smooth material of a bedroom set I wanted to change the color to white not only worked, but required no sanding. There was not even a hint of bleed through from the original color but it took the smooth finish amd made it look like actual real wood in an off white color that was just perfect. Added a clear seal and shine on top and had myself a beautiful painted antique looking furniture set! Use a roller instead of a brush for a smooth modern finish, brush for painted antique wood finish. Love this product! I did not receive this free for a review. I paid for it and would use it again! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Serious artists will fall in love. This just showed up today, and I haven't used a single brush, but I am in love. This is a real canvas satchel. Just the smell of it made my heart skip a beat. The brushes are all high quality and structurally impeccable. The finer brushes are even capped. I have spent so much on supplies over the years that it borders on ridiculous. I have paid double the price of this set for FAR lower quality brushes. The only reason I haven't used any yet is because the supplies for my holiday projects are still not here. It will truly be a joy to make my gifts this year. I hope the canvas holds the smell a while. That smell, and the scent of the brushes, just gives my artist's soul such a lift. I would absolutely reccomend this set to anyone who is SERIOUS about their art.
*I RECEIVED THIS PRODUCT FREE OR AT A DISCOUNT IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST, FAIR AND UNBIASED REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE HONEST AND MY OWN. I HAVE RECEIVED NO COMPENSATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER, DISTRIBUTOR OR ANY OTHER ENTITY BEYOND SAID DISCOUNT OR FREE PRODUCT.* | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
We LOVE Color Wonder. We LOOOOVE Crayola Color Wonder markers!!! My son has been using these since he first tried to take pen to wall at around 18 months. A year later and these truly magic markers are a staple of our daily routine! We have the little "easel" kit so every day after lunch I take that out, open it up, he grabs up his markers and paper and is off to the races. Not sure what others are talking about as my son has drawn on EVERYTHING with these - clothes, walls, etc - and we have never seen any sort of stain problem whatsoever! The markers just emit water, they don't have ink, it's the Color Wonder paper that makes it look like color. Not saying it couldn't happen - and if it does I'll try to remember to update this! - but we've been using these every day for so long and I just haven't seen anything like that happen! I highly recommend these markers for any toddler that's discovered the joy of drawing... encourage that passion for art without cringing in fear for your white walls or your babies beautiful skin! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Terrible colors. Just a little help for the buyer, the color names in this set in English from top to bottom are: pastel red, sepia light, apricot, beige, and flesh tint. This is not a set of pink pens going from light to medium to dark. The package says these pens are made in Germany but I did not realize that Ecoline was a Japanese firm. It is very misleading on the box with the calligraphy font, as I did not find the colors to be coordinated well to create beautiful gradients with Calligraphy. The tips are nice but you absolutely need to use "smooth" paper (ie. marker paper, not coloring book paper), and they are too juice if you want to practice with them on top of tracing paper, the ink will soak through, it is just too much liquid. The brush tip does flow nicely, but they need to hire a professional colorist do improve their color offerings, these colors are really a huge disappointment, really a quality of color that I would find in a magic marker for kids, not beautiful colors that are elegant or sophisticated. Considering these cost $5 each, I would expect a much higher quality of pigment. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Perfect for on the go and will stand the test of time. So I want to start off by saying that I have tried many different sets of brushes sold on Amazon and these are definitely in my top three... (Which says a lot because I am an art supply SNOB;). I received this set about a month ago and decided to wait on my review until I was able to give an honest opinion on how they held up with almost daily use, and no joke these bad boys are made to last!! Hold their brush shape amazingly well, ferrules are still nicely secured with no cracking in the handles and best of all, NO FALL OUT ON MY CANVAS! Nothing worse than having to pull loose brush hairs out of your paint! I am a tattooer and commissioned artist- own many different brushes and these have quickly become top choice in my Arsenal of art supplies, you definitely will not regret this purchase:). Included as part of my review I have attached a photo of a dry brush oil painting that was completed with this set just to show how smoothly the paint had been applied with these, almost an airbrush effect! Very pleased! Thanks again, cube craft for your quality brushes and top notch customer service, I will definitely be shopping with you guys again in the future;) | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Great case. I bought this for the case, not the supplies it contains. I took the coloured pencils out and substituted my own good set of graphite pencils instead and I put in a good pencil sharpener as the one it comes with is so much junk. The pad is 5" x 7" and I left it in there for future use, though it is hard to find paper that size for replacements. The case holds everything snugly and keeps it from rattling around and it's easy to grab and goIt is of rugged and durable construction and it zips tightly so nothing will fall out. The coloured pencils seem to be of average kids quality and it is a good deal for the money, even for just the case. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
The best markers. These <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Copic-Markers-6-Piece-Sketch-Set-Bold-Primaries/dp/B004XR7XZG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Copic Markers 6-Piece Sketch Set, Bold Primaries</a> are amazing! I bought them for my friend for her birthday and she loves them! She had not had a set of Copic Markers yet, but she had been wanting them for so long, after seeing so many other artists use them. If you have ever used Copic Markers before, you will be familiar to the smooth flow of ink on these markers and their amazing quality. Copic does not fail to make the best quality markers and I will forever stay faithful to these markers. Although the price might seem a bit high for markers, they are worth it! I have been using the same set of markers (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Copic-markers-Classic-72-color-set-A/dp/B000MRR3VA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Copic markers Classic. 72 color set A</a>) for a long while now and they are probably about 10 years old now, without a single change in ink cartridges. Also, just to let you know, the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Copic-Markers-6-Piece-Sketch-Set-Bold-Primaries/dp/B004XR7XZG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Copic Markers 6-Piece Sketch Set, Bold Primaries</a> and <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Copic-markers-Classic-72-color-set-A/dp/B000MRR3VA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Copic markers Classic. 72 color set A</a> are composed of different markers; the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Copic-Markers-6-Piece-Sketch-Set-Bold-Primaries/dp/B004XR7XZG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Copic Markers 6-Piece Sketch Set, Bold Primaries</a> are a different shape (more oval when looking from the top compared to the square-like shape I was used to). However, the quality of the markers are the same, they are amazing as ever! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
My Magic Rub Replacement. 10 years plus ago I LOVED Magic Rub erasers. They were smooth, cheap, and perfect for cleaning up pencil line work. I misplaced them often leaving them around as I worked so I was always buying new ones and then finding old ones. After a long hiatus I returned to drawing again and picked up a new eraser from the art store. Only to find it's RUBBISH. Couldn't erase for the life of itself! I thought maybe it was a bad batch and bought what I thought would be the same generation of erasers as the ones from HS on Amazon. I got 10 worthless erasers. I contacted the company about their erasers and why they would change their formula, which they denied they did and sent me MORE. More useless Magic Rubs, which now I have so many I don't know what to do with them.
It was then happy chance that at Aaron Brothers I saw this eraser and it piqued my interest since I was still on the hunt for a replacement eraser. It cost $3 and change and with a coupon on top was really affordable. I took it back home and tested it out... it felt like my original Magic Rub, it's smooth and elastic, yet compact with no apparent air bubbles. It was smooth on paper and easily erased my pencil lines. It's dust was a simple rolled up piece that I remember my Magic Rub used to create. I had found my replacement! It's perfect and I enjoy using it. Cleans up pencil work so nicely!! I hope they never disappear otherwise I'll be a sad artist. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
the best you can get on a budget. these are great great pencils. i will start with the bad first. they show more stroke lines than the prisma premier line. they don't come in sets of 72 or greater.
now with the pros. the colors are the most vibrant colors ive ever worked with that includes copic markers, prismacolor markers, prismacolor premier pencils, faber castells aqua pencils. faber castell pitt pens. i really liked them on the bristol smooth paper it brings out the colors the best. the color lays so fast, smooth and creamy.
a great choice for anyone i still give prisma the nod on these for blending color and color choices but i still use these if i have a large area to cover. if you are on a budget and cant afford a set of prismas i would get these. if you have a nice set of prismas id still get these for larger area for coverage of paper. i am not sure if you can get a blender with these or use the colorless blending pens. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
To pricey for what it is. The paper is alright. Glows best after being exposed to a black light but regular light works too. Prints up well on inkjet. Its a ok weight but the adhesive left a lot to be desired. I ended up having to use another glue to get it to stick so that was annoying. Its just way to pricey for what it is. Its priced around $10 (give or take) for 2 letter sized (8.5 x 11) sheets. When I bought this I needed it THAT day & it was available as same day shipping so I just grabbed it without reading very closely. It says 2 pack & I figured that meant 2 packs of paper. I would have bought it either way because I had a kids science project emergency so I was up against a wall but I won't buy it again for that price. $5 for a single sheet is crazy. This exact same stuff is available at any craft store for significantly less. And to pay that much for it & be forced to use glue anyways....Id of been better off just getting standard glowing paper at 25cents a pop. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Five Stars. Love this vinyl! Easy to use, second time buying...great colors at a great price!
EDIT: while it was my second time buying, maybe the designs I used with my first purchase were simple....or maybe I used another brand. BUT, NOT easy to use when doing a split monogram with intricate detail. I used my vinyl setting like I've been doing for over a year but this time it cut thru my backing paper (first time), so vinyl isn't as thick as I'm used to, was trying to weed with it still on my mat. When weeding there was a LOT of stretch to the vinyl. And then it happened, part of the "weeding" got stuck on the design, and when I tried to gently detach it, the weeding stretched and the design ripped. I bought this package only for the blue color needed for a floating frame as I had already used the color from my first purchase. And as the floating frame takes up a whole 12x12 sheet, I have none of this color left. I'm on the hunt from my local vinyl sign makers to see if I can score something close to Tiffany blue from them, and will be sticking to Oracal 651 from now on. Sorry Angel Crafts | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Terric space saving alphabet die. Here is another great alphabet die to use in my card-making crafts. It's always nice to have a choice of different fonts, depending on the feel or theme of a greeting card and this fits into my style nicely. Of course when I use these great dies I cut a small piece of paper and set it over the letter or letters I am interested in cutting. I don't cut the entire alphabet each time although you certainly could. I like the ease of cutting individual letters and it's easy to keep them in place while cutting by using a sticky note or re-positional tape. Another thing this die is a great size and takes very limited space in my craft drawer. I own several different fonts from We R Memory Keepers and gladly recommend them all! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Perfect for mom and daughter crafts. My 7 year old daughter and I had tried to craft with another paper flower set: <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Alex-My-Giant-Paper-Flowers-Kit/dp/B000G2HSMA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Alex My Giant Paper Flowers Kit</a> and had had little success. We decided to give a kit another go and I went with this, as it had the Martha Stewart name.
The tissue papers were pre-cut, and the kit included floral wire and tape as well as detailed instructions. We were able to make the entire kit in about 45 minutes working together, and the flowers we made looked just as lovely as the ones in the product picture!
I did have to help my daughter "fluff" the flowers, but she quickly caught onto the idea. This was a wonderful set, and looks beautiful when done! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Okay for what we needed. This is an okay product, nothing great. I'd looked at local stores and only found either extremely low end, or high end products. I was hoping to find something with quality and no frills. This wasn't exactly it. The box was beaten up, taped, and then beaten up some more. The table works, and isn't worth the hassle to send back...rather, I'll just fix it as I'd like it. The legs of the table are sturdy, the vertical adjustment works well, as does the tilt adjustment. These were important to me. the top, could have been better quality, but I may replace it with plywood soon. The cross bar foot rest is VERY flimsy, and was bent out of the box...I'll replace that with wood also. The brace higher up between the legs looks heavy in the picture, but is actually thin metal formed to look thick. it had bends in it also, but could also be reinforced with a board, so that's what I'll do. if you want to spend a few hours to "fix" the table, it's okay...but it should be reflected in the price. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
PERFECT AND out of this WORKD. So first... The markers! This completes my set of Spectrum Noir markers and I'm excited to learn to use them in my crafting! I just keep staring at my set in their storage trays, such a pretty sight (photo attached). I love the way alcohol markers go on so smoothly. COPIC, arguably, the best marker available, has nothing on Crafter's Companion and their Spectrum Noir line of markers. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against COPICS other than their price! These are a less expensive way to get started with alcohol markers... And because there are quite a few more colors in the COPIC toolbox, I'll fill in those color groups I find just a tad lacking from my Spectrum Noirs, with such COPICS as I need.
Secondly, the seller, The Rubber Buggy. Markers were well packed, received quickly and without issues. Even more important, IMHO, is when 1 of the markers ended up dry, they were quick to respond and worked with me to get a working marker in hand (well, ordered anyway). This quick response and willingness to get a working marker in my hands, has earned this seller 5 stars as well!! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Excellent choice, especially for hobbyists. I am not a professional artist by any stretch of the imagination, so it's a bit difficult for me to justify spending a lot of money on high end supplies for my hobby. I love the effects you can create with alcohol markers but didn't want to pay upwards of $8 for a single marker from the brand considered the "creme de la creme". I purchased these as a compromise, and have to say, I am thoroughly converted. I no longer consider myself to be settling for second best - these markers are top notch.
That's not to say there aren't a few quibbles. The way this marker "system" works is that the colors are grouped together in families- dark reds, burnt oranges, dusty purples, etc. - with several colors in each family ranging from lightest to darkest. Therefore, you can grab, say, a DR1, DR2, and DR3 and be confident that you're going to get a smooth gradient when you blend from darkest to lightest (or vice versa). For the most part, this works extremely well, and I've truly enjoyed creating beautiful blends in my projects. However, there are a few quirks that I've found along the way. For instance, in some families, a 3 marker might actually be lighter than the 2, or has a noticeably different tone that makes the blending not quite as smooth as it should be.
I also wish the chisel tips were replaced with brush tips. The bullet tip is excellent, but a brush tip really gives fine control when blending, really allowing for the flicking motion that helps create seamless blends. There are brush tip replacements available from Crafter's Companion/Spectrum Noir, but they are quite expensive. To be fair, I should note that Spectrum Noir does sell the Illustrator line which uses the same ink as these markers, but with a brush tip instead of a chisel, however they are significantly more expensive.
I did have a very minor issue with markers being dry when I first got them. I say minor because 1) it has only affected 3 markers out of the 114 markers I have purchased so far and 2) Crafter's Companion promptly mailed me replacements when I brought it to their attention. Excellent customer service certainly makes up for the minor inconvenience.
If you're looking for a more affordable alternative to the top of the line art markers, these are an excellent choice. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Cheaper Quality. HONEST REVIEW!! This table is overpriced vrs the quality. The base table is a rather cheaper aluminum and plastic, even the washers used are plastic. This is odd when coupled with the table top that seems to be overweight glass. All of the weight of the the table is found in this glass top. It also why the manufacture is charging the current price, by placing attention on the glass. This could have been a plexiglass top at a much reduced price. The four side trays and small drawers gave the desk the look of being owned by a kindergartner. I had to remove these along with the pencil tray to make it appear to be owned by an adult. The glass top is raised by a bar in the back that has notches to hold it at each height. Raising is easy, lowering is a pain. You have to pull on the notch pin and then lower, removing your finger in time so not to be pinched and become part of the table. In the end, yes this does what it's suppose to, but it should sell for 50% less than advertised. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
You get what you pay for. I wanted to begin water-coloring, and just checking the prices at the local art store made me almost reconsider. I got this as a cheap alternative and, boy, is it ever a cheap alternative.
- The brushes are terrible. If you're going to get serious about painting, just invest in new brushes. I got some starter brushes at the store for $10, and they were significantly better than the brushes in this kit.
- The paints are fine for a beginner. Some are more watery than others, some are thicker than others, a few were obviously mislabeled (red is blue?) but for a beginner like me they seemed fine. I was able to paint with them, and that was the important part.
- Ditch the pad. It's too small. I got a small pad at the art store for $5, and that was fine.
- The instructions are...well, just look up how to watercolor on the internet. Much better.
- There's a few slightly useful plastic tools.
- The box I received didn't close on its own and eventually, literally, fell apart one day. I just put the paints in some other box and didn't worry about it too much.
To sum up: this would be a great set for a child or someone who is not sure if they'd be interested in painting. Otherwise, just fork over some money for a slightly better set at an art shop. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
What a Great Gadget. This was exactly what I needed and was looking for! I needed It for drawing out my tattoo designs and this is just a great inexpensive tool any artist should have! It's an Adjustable display for the brightness by touch, (variety of different tones for the lighting) also comes with a built in ruler, and it's made out of a hard plastic so, (no worries about cracking the display.) I would definetly recommend this item to any aspiring artist. can't wait to upgrade to a larger model. :) I'm very satisfied with my order. Only complaint is it didn't come with a bag to put it in so that why I gave it 4 stars. ;0) otherwise great purchase ! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
I love this palette. I own this rectangular palette, as well as the fan shaped sectional palette that this manufacturer also offers. They both work great, but I prefer this model to the fan-shaped porcelain palette because it takes up less space and is less awkward on my work station and fits my needs better. I paid $18 each for both palette styles from my local fine art shop and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good quality, affordable porcelain palette. It's easy to clean and like other ceramic or porcelain palettes, it doesn't easily stain due to the clear gloss glaze on it. I plan on buying another one of these rectangular palettes to have as a back-up. I do bring this to classes on occasion because it's not too big or heavy. I usually use a flat, thin/low-edged, square or rectangular ceramic plate usually meant for sushi rolls or bread, as a larger mixing area to compliment this palette. Definitely worth owning. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Nice set of gel pens. <div id="video-block-R163I3D3LHWFKS" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/E1BC3gZu0RS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/01huQF6pkOS.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> I love coloring! It is my new method of stress therapy. It is amazing how relaxing it can be. I love to collect gel pens as they are my favorite medium to use when coloring. With this set you get 72 pens with 46 different colors. There are 12 neon, 28 glitter (my favorite), 8 pastel, 20 metallic, and 4 standard colors. One thing I love about this set is the fact that with the exception of the pastels and standard colors you get two of each color. This is so great as this way if you have certain colors you use more than others you won't run out as fast. Also if you have someone that is coloring with you, and you both want to use the same color, you don't have to take turns as there are two of each. I really like the variety of colors as well. There is such a nice selection to choose from. The case that these come in is wonderful. All the pens are divided up into three separate sections. Each section has little indentations for each pen to fit down in to hold them in place. Then each section has a flap that comes down over the pens and snaps in place by two snaps. All three sections fold over onto each other and then secure together by two round pieces of velcro. It is so great to be able to unfold the sections and see at a glance all the colors. Then when not using them they are conveniently and securely stored in the case. For the most part these pens color nicely. The colors come out bright and bold. The glitter pens have a lot of glitter in them which I love as they are my favorite. The ink flows out nicely with the majority of them. I would say about 3/4 of them colored smoothly for me. However I did have some issues with the pastels. For some reason this seems to be a common issue with the pastels in many of the sets I have bought, and I don't understand why. They did not flow as well, and the ink seemed to be very inconsistent as far as coming out. This resulted in it looking quite scratchy, and you can see where the ink didn't come out very well. At times I had a hard time getting the ink to come out at all which was quite frustrating. The pastels were the worst, but I did have a couple of the neon that had this issue as well, although not quite as bad. Overall I think this is a nice set for the money. I still am giving it 4 stars for the amount of pens that come in it, the variety, the bright colors, and the nice case. I just wish they all worked as they should. *I received these gel pens at a discounted price for testing purposes, and for an honest and unbiased review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own based on my experience with the product, and I made no commitment to leave a positive review.* | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Good for the price, and my purpose. I bought this for my wife who hopes to get into painting, and ordered it thinking that I'd have a task assembling it. Despite the lack of instructions it was pretty easy and took me all of 10minutes. I imagine the bits that may have given people trouble is the hidden latches that hold all the bits in place while in its 'compact' form. I'd reccomend setting the unit down on a table with the bits for holding the prospective painting face-down. Then pop out the legs and after turning it right-ways-up (and setting it on the floor) unfold the remainder of the easel. It's no high-end piece of furniture, but it looks like it'll do fine. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Would NOT cut ~ Beware. I think I must have received a "dud" defective strip die because this was terrible! Using the extended platform, cutting plates, and even adding a little paper shim, it would not cut all the way through in most areas, and the tiny areas it did cut was still such a light cut that using a piercing tool to pop out the pieces would just damage the entire piece. This is the second Tim Holtz strip die I have received that wouldn't cut. It's strange that another review said "Beautiful detailed cut". I don't understand. Perhaps, some of the dies just don't work out in the manufacturing. I corresponded recently with another Crafter and she said this fence die would not work for her either. There is nothing wrong with me or my machine, it is clearly this product. I'm returning it. I'm very disappointed & I'm writing Tim Holtz. Buyer beware. I hope this review was helpful to you. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
A great, simple to use etching paint. I purchased the etching paint/cream for a girls crafting night. While there was lots of wine involved I thought the project we did turned out well because of the ease of use of this paint. It is really thick, so it went on really easily with a VERY small amount of paint on a brush. Too much of the paint will lead to some bleed through under the stencil if you are using one, so that is something to be aware of.
I also like that you can mix the etching effect with the colored paints to give it a little more interest, but from what I have seen so far, I prefer to use it as is since it gives a cleaner effect on clear glass. I have submitted a picture of one of my project pieces so you can see how it turns out after two very thin coats.
I have also read on some other sites that you can bake the finished pieces in the oven (find more detailed instructions online) for about 30 min and it will then make the product dishwasher safe. I personally have not tried this, but it seems like a good idea if this is something you are making for every day use and not just a crafting project. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Very disappointed. First of all, I left what I'd written on the board sitting overnight, then the next morning I went to erase it and the majority of it wouldn't erase. It faded, but never erased completely. I tired everything I could think of to get it off, but I eventually ended up throwing it away. Now this I'll give the benefit of the doubt because maybe the fault lies with the board I purchased, but regardless I was disappointed because it looked so pretty on my fridge...
Secondly, right off the bat only half of these markers actually worked, and naturally it was only a couple of the pretty colors that worked (the purple and pink). I tried multiple times to go through the whole process of shaking and putting pressure on the tips to see if that would get them to work, but it never did.
So all in all, I most definitely wouldn't purchase this item again. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
My new favorite thing. Full disclosure: I got a discount on this for a review. That said...I love these! I've had fun labeling all of my glass containers. The stickers stick well (make sure you put them where you want them). The markers write well and look clean. They erase well, especially with a bit of water - they look brand new after writing and erasing on them a few times after a quick swipe with a damp rag. The pack has a lot of stickers in two sizes and a few shapes. They look really good on and help me label all my baking supplies so I don't confuse my baking soda and baking powder - makes my pantry look sharp and organized. I'd recommend them and would purchase again! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
You Can't Go Wrong Starting Out with This Set. Back in May, I decided to teach myself watercolor painting and I wanted an inexpensive set with good color selections. The reviews for the Sakura Koi 24-color set were all consistently good, and the price couldn't be beat. The included water brush also helped tipped the scale.
A few months in, I find myself still enjoying this set. (I have a Van Gogh and Lukas set, too.) It's the one I grab when I want to play with color mixing and to sketch out ideas. It fits so easily into a bag, so it's a no-brainer on-the-go choice. The colors are nice and lay down decent washes. I wouldn't call them artist quality by any stretch (that title goes to the Lukas set), but I also wouldn't call them student quality either; they're somewhere in-between for me.
If you're just starting out and want a really convenient travel set with a water brush that works well, you can't go wrong here. This is the set that made me realize I truly did want to go deeper into watercolor painting. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
not what i ordered. I ordered this product expecting round soft pastels because they are pictured in the image as round and are mentioned in the description as round but what i received was just the regular charkole square charcoals, which is something i already have an excess of. I bought these because i needed round charcoles for my life drawing class and now im just stuck with of the thing my professor dose not want me using. Nothing was wrong with the product and i will use them eventually but it was not the same thing i ordered it was a completely different thing in a completely different shape in completely different packaging. NOW I HAVE TO BUY ACTUAL ROUND ONES AGAINNNNN | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
The wooden figure makes it nice for him to learn how to draw different poses . I got this for my 12 year old son and he loves it. The wooden figure makes it nice for him to learn how to draw different poses and positions when drawing people. The pencils are kind of hard to draw with, but they are great to color with; he likes to use a pencil to do the drawing first then fill in with colored pencils. The sharpener works great too, better than most of the portable ones we have around the house. The case is sturdy and holds everything in place when being carried; the ruler does not stay in place but that's is okay. The eraser works pretty good on the pencils that came with it but he has not tried using any other pencil with the eraser. Overall it was a good buy and a great gift for a beginner drawer. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Clean and smooth sharpening, no chipping and grinding. I used to use the cheap plastic sharpeners, the same ones I'd used in elementary school, never had a problem. Then they stopped sharpening and started chipping and grinding my pencils. I couldn't get one to sharpen without breaking the point. Well, This sharpener was well worth the price. It sharpens beautifully and smoothly! I LOVE it. I go through long periods of sketching and drawing every time I stop walking. I had resorted to mechanical pencils. Now I can use the wood ones again of all hardnesses and use them right down to the nub. As soon as the holder I ordered gets here I can use the nubs too! Ok, I didn't buy it through Amazon, I happened to see one in an art supply store, but get one any way you can! But Compare prices, always! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
The Graphik Inspire Me Sketchbook - My Adult Coloring Book. This is a different kind of sketchbook with sixty-four pages patterned lightly with either dots, triangles, squares or hexagons. The remaining pages are without patterns. The patterns are great for inspiration, but aren't so dark that they would interfere with going abstract or realistic, outside of the patterns lines. The book of medium size (about 8 by 8) pages is a good size. Its large enough to not have to scrunch a sketch to fit and fits in a small tote or backpack to carry with a pen or pencil set. The day I received it I was tethered to my desk during a too long conference call. Once my thirty to sixty seconds of input was done, I grew bored and began outlining patterns with regular blue, black and red office pens. It was then that I finally got what the adult coloring book fad has been all about. Theres something mesmerizing, a little hypnotic even, about the process of outlining shapes and filling them with color. I have a set of art pens similar to <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Derwent-Graphik-Line-Painter-Colored-Pens/dp/B00MR5I9QS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Derwent Graphik Line Painter Colored Pens</a>.
Using the finer point pens with their less bland colors makes the process of outlining and coloring (okay, doodling) even more satisfying. The paper feels higher quality compared to plain art class sketchbooks where anything except pencils would bleed through. The fine point ink doesnt show through or bleed to the other side. I like that the pages are perforated for easy removal. Two handy extras are a pocket inside the back cover to hold fav creations, and an elastic strap to hold the covers of the book closed. I thought 82 total pages would last longer, but as I look at what Ive already filled, Im going to need more books, or less conference calls. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Never go back to regular chalk. I have a chalkboard n my kitchen I like to write the supper menus on so my kids don't keep asking me what's for dinner. However I really don't like writing with chalk because it's messy and grates on my nerves when writing with it. I have been wanting some of these markers for a while but just wasn't sure how great they would actually be. I could not be more pleased with these though! They write smoothly and have bright vibrant colors. Erasing is a breeze since you just wipe it off with a wet paper towel or cloth so the board looks much cleaner all the time compare to using regular chalk. I don't think we will ever go back to regular chalk!
Disclaimer: I received this product for a discount for my honest review. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
My favorite. I bought this die along with the diamond flip it and the fancy flip it so I could make my own Christmas cards this year. I send out about 100 cards and I thought it would be a cost savings (it was) plus it was quick and simple with these dies. The circle is by far my favorite. Paired with the movers and shapers circles by Tim Holtz, you can create a perfect cut out which makes the circle into a circle frame. The possibilities are endless! I'm just sorry I can't post photos of all the cards I made, because after I finished my Christmas cards I had to make Chinese New Year cards, and then I had to make Valentine's cards... they were too fun and easy! These fit about perfectly inside a CD envelope. I have envelopes with clear plastic on the front so they showcase the card. If I mail them I put them into a 5x7 card. I use the Cuttlebug with 2 regular sized B plates and they cut just great! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Great general purpose brush for modellers. I am a longime 1/35th scale armor modeller and have been using a Badger Anthem airbrush since 2005. I bought a Badger Patriot 2 years ago to try a gravity feed airbrush. while I prefer the larger Anthem trigger with its optional rubber top, it was easy to transition to the Patriot. The airbrush is well balanced and fits my hand just fine. I have no problems with spraying enamels or acrylics and find it a breeze to clean. The paint cup holds plenty for any 1/35th scale model and, with practice, the airbrush is capable of freehanding camouflage with a steady hand. This airbrush is an excellent choice for the beginner or experienced modeller who wants a well made general purpose airbrush. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
For an item of such a tiny size......it is impossible to operate. I live in a Sr. citizen building of over 200 tenants. It is now over a few months since I received this item and after asking 12 tenants later.....Not ONE single tenant has yet to figure out how this "tiny" little item operates. Not to add that I accidentally discovered that if you happen to be driving at the wrong time of the day -- like against the sun.....it loses sight completely.
I should of had the brains to have figured that part out. Ohhhh, I also discovered that it is nearly impossible to access the battery. I ripped off my thumb nail attempting to pull it out UNDER the suction cup that holds it in a window
There is no way in heaven by which it sets the time because the gal darned thing ALSO only guides itself according to the light. In other words......You can't see it at night without outside lighting. YYYYaaaarrrrggg!!! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Makes a Great Family Project Too. This is an adorable craft kit. We have a 2 year old and a 3 year old and we are doing this a little differently than it was probably intended. We are going to pick out pictures of the girls together doing things and then have them printed at Walgreens. It's going to be more of a group project. We will all decide which pictures go where and then we are going to let the girls decorate the pages with the stickers and gems and other crafty things that come with the set. They love ALEX craft kits so even though they are a bit young for this set they are familiar with the concept of decorating the pages and with our guidance I think this will make an awesome project for them.
While the girls are very into crafts this will be their first scrapbooking adventure. I'm really excited to introduce them to it and the way ALEX kits are set up, while the more advanced kits like this are intended for older children, younger tikes can do them with the help of a parent. The kit itself definitely comes with enough of a variety of stickers and other scrapbooking essentials that the girls won't get bored with it and will definitely enjoy creating this precious keepsake. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Great set, I like it a lot. I got this set for small projects like a travel journal. There is a smaller kit with 6 colors that I was going to get for it's size but I'm glad I have this 24 piece. It's still fairly small. I chose for more colors over the slight bulk. This set meets my expectations so far. I thought the water brush would be mediocre but to my surprise it works great. No leaks and it washes clean easily. Good quality pigments and the 24 colors are easy for me to work with and return to after drying. Most importantly, the plastic feels sturdy. It closes and opens smoothly but it may open with the way I carry my bag. I'd probably use a rubber band to secure it and prefer this than to having a case that's hard to open. I had one before that end up cracking and breaking the plastic. It's my second day with it and I'm still painting--that's a good sign. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Very happy with my brush! Excellent quality. I bought several of these brushes and have to say they are all excellent!
The bristles of the brush are soft enough to used it with water colors and firm enough for acrylics.
The hairs of the brush keep well and do not come lose no matter how hard I have used the brush.
It's unique design and the cut, shape of the brush lends to diverse techniques you can achieve with it. I use for creating trees, bushes, leaves, hair and for texture on wood planks.
The handle and varnish used on the handle is great. No breaking or warping of the brush. I love this brush so much I can't bare to just own one I am coming back for more. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Interesting, but not perfect. This product should be commended for finally making a modern, affordable version of the ancient camera lucida available to a wide audience. Long available only in expensive antique form, this is the first mass-market device of its type available in decades.
However, the makers perhaps over-emphasise the ease of its use; whilst it is simple in form, it is far from simple to set up effectively, quite difficult to maintain in position once it has been set up, and a steep learning curve to get anything more than rudimentary results from (in many respects that is what it should be used for - to make preparatory sketches for a more finished drawing or painting, rather than to make a finished drawing directly).
It also has (for me) a very limited field of view due to the tiny prism and aperture. While it can be positioned to draw small objects and still lives, it is harder to see how it could be used for landscapes or even for larger interior scenes - a factor not mentioned in the information I have seen.
It also needs very precise lighting conditions to work effectively - slightly too dark, and the subject is hard to see on the paper; slightly too bright, and you cant see your pen or pencil on the paper to trace.
So while it may be widely available, it may not be for all. If you are interested in art history, or optical devices it is great; if you are also patient and looking for a drawing aid it could be a boon. However, if you are a novice looking for a quick means of suddenly being able to draw, you may find this frustrating and more trouble than it is worth to you.
At the price it is unbeatable for what it is, just don't expect magic. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Excellent pencils. I purchased these because my daughter had a set that I tried, and I love them as well as my Prismacolors! I haven't used them as watercolors yet, but I have colored with them. They color very smoothly. The leads are strong and don't break easily. The colors are deep and gorgeous. There are colors in this set that I haven't seen in others. That's one of the reasons I bought this set. I especially like the brown/red tones. They make gorgeous flowers! I like that the pencils are hexagon shaped which makes them easy to grip. The triangular tin they come is nice for storage. It has a piece of foam in the lid of the tin to protect the tips of the leads. The only thing I didn't like is that the pencils aren't labeled with the color names. There is a color chart which I was able to print off, but I still couldn't figure out what each color was. I named each color, put a label on each pencil, and made my own color chart. I like them so well I gave them 5 stars in spite of them not being labeled. They'd make a great gift for someone who colors or likes watercolor pencils! I'd buy them again! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Loved it. Leda Sketchbook (Medium) Review
To start this off, I loved this sketchbook. But there were a few problems.
The tie that wraps around the sketchbook came undone. though, I was playing with and pulling on it, so that definitely didn't help.
The binding kinda,,, snapped? It separated when I tried to lay it COMPLETELY flat and bent it back, the pages didn't come off though, it was a minor inconvenience, though it probably would've annoyed others.
Alcohol markers bleed, so you would have to use them very lightly with no layering, even then it'd probably still show through.
Water based markers (aka tombow) did well, it took some layering for it to bleed. Even then it wasn't to bad. But, to much of it made the pages crinkle and shed, the crinkles smoothed out with drying. The damaged parts don't leave much of a texture after drying, but it'd probably change depending on how severe it was. Pages spring up, they don't lay flat. Though that's probably normal.
There was no feathering with ink or marker, and color pencil works well, graphite pencil transfers to the other page if you don't put something in between it.
The pages are an off white creaminess. it has a fine tooth that I really liked.
Overall, despite the problems, I really liked and enjoyed this sketchbook, most of the problems can be avoided with proper care and not messing around with it.
(Yes, I spelled alcohol wrong.) | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Holds up well to paint and markers. This is a nice size for portable projects. The paper is heavy enough that markers and paint do not bleed through although I always recommend placing a backing between the page and the rest of the pad just in case and as a support board for your current work.
The paper is a lot smoother than other brands that I have used. I actually like that about this brand.
Overall, this is a 140 lb acid free paper that holds up well to watercolor paints and markers. The size being 9x12 makes transporting easy for working in the park or if transporting to school. This is a good product and a good price.
UPDATED: 2/25/2016
We are on our third or fourth pad and still find them the best for our newer painters to use in their lessons. Between the convenient size and how well the paper holds us..it is a great product to have on hand.
I hope you enjoyed this review. If you have any questions about my experience please leave me a comment. I will be happy to follow up on my experience with this product.
As a blogger, I am often provided product samples by companies at a reduced price for consideration and/or review purposes. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for others. I refuse to review or endorse products that I have not or will not personally try. Needless to say, I may be a product reviewer but my thoughts are my own and the discount did not influence my opinion of this product.
My comments are based on my experiences with the product. I am also a consumer and appreciate reading and giving honest feedback about products. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Nice pencils and case. Watercolor pencils are so much fun! I love drawing and painting and have been having a blast with these pencils where I feel like I can do both at the same time. I'll draw a a picture and color in the blank spaces. Then I'll go back over the pencil lines with a wet paint brush to smooth everything together to my desired effect. If I want really dark color lines I'll dip the pencil in the water before I draw on the paper. If you've never played with watercolor pencils you really should try them out. This kit has a nice assortment of colors and came in a sturdy tin case that keeps them organized neatly. They appear to be good quality with good pigment to create beautiful colors. The wording on the tin case is written in half English and half Chinese (I think). So they're probably made oversees, but they arrived at my door quickly and work great thus far. I received these pencils discounted for my review, but these are my honest thoughts on the product. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
This water color palette is really good for beginners in learning watercolor painting. This watercolor palette is really good for beginners in learning watercolor painting, I recently started learning and it's really easy to activate the watercolor with like small drops of water. The water tube brush that come with it come with no default, very easy to use and great for travel, this palette is pretty good for travel but the closing mechanism for the palette isn't really that strong and may open. The small tray is really cute to put water in, I mostly use it for transferring water on to the colors. The sponge isn't the best but it's decent it does the job if you want to erase the water color, I recommended wetting it a little. The best part about this palette is that the slots can come out and when you're finished with the set of paints or your just want to change them then go right ahead they come of really easily so becareful they might fall out if accidentally dropped or accidentally open in your travel bag. Overall this product is really good in my opinion I love it and it's really good for me, maybe just buying your own brushes like I did and you'll be okay . | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Very nice curves, but not exactly what is pictured. First, the picture and description don't match. Second, eight curves instead of nine come in the package. Third, seven of the nine pictured do come and one is different than any of the pictures. However, the curves are very nice with both smooth and tight curves. All curves are sharp with sharp points where shown. There are plenty of curve options with the set that does come. The orange transparent color makes them easy to find and use. For the US market, the do come from out of the country and shipping takes awhile, so be patient on arrival. I am pleased with the quality of the curves, but the seller really needs to review their advertisement against what they are providing. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Chalk Markers just want to have fun. This is a terrific set of Chalk Markers for black backgrounds, glass, white boards and rolls of blackboard fabric. You get several colors I have never seen before, in metallics! Silver, Gold, Copper along with neon colors, black and white. Whatever I write on I have a color for it. I like calendars so that is one thing I use these for, colors are like highlighting activities- categorize them. I bought one of the 72" x 18" rolls of sticky back, removable black surface for Chalk Markers, and it's like a whole new art, only temporary! I have blacklight in my art room so this is just something for fun, and if I have any youngsters around. It's great because they can draw and erase and reuse, I love that about chalk markers! So these are bold on one end and fine on the other, that was a bonus, and I did get a bonus of these precut shapes, made out of the same sticky back black material I noted. These are about the size of name tags you get to wear on your shirt at a conference. You can use them for anything, but there are 80 I think. I am going to use mine for inspirational comments and stick them to my refrigerator. I may tack some on co-workers PCs just for fun! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
back to back damaged "new" airbrushes. First airbrush arrived with stripped threads for the air connection. I assumed this was just an accident and rare and had amazon replace the damaged item. The second arrived with a broken trigger mechanism....... I cannot believe they both had something seriously wrong with them. I decided to frankenstein the good parts together so I have a working air brush and send all the broken parts back but this is ridiculous. I have no idea if this is amazon or badger so id recommend looking elsewhere if you can afford to do so. Even my cheap Chinese garbage airbrushes all work and didn't arrive with defects. I cannot believe this is made in the US. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Dark over lighter colors works best. Light coats. I have used several colors of this brand on shoes, purses, leather couch, bridles. Dark over lighter colors works best. Light coats, and use a foam brush for large areas. If your couch or chair is "bonded" leather, keep in mind BL has little real leather in it ( it's shredded leather and glued with other material added) so a real higher ended leather works best. I have the arms and a spot where the head rubs on my couch I keep touched up. Wear throw away plastic gloves. Remember THIN coats or you will get a streaked effect, or on small items round dabs like you polished shoes. There is a finishing coat this brand sells I always use. In fact, sometimes using that finishing coat without even dying is enough to make it new looking ( like worn spots on designer purses/wallets without color lost.) | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Great value and great fun. I picked these up on a whim because I have a bunch of unlabeled jars laying around. Why not jazz them up with some cute writing and drawings?
The markers are fantastic. You get 4, which is a steal. I've decorated my jars a ton and I still haven't used up one of the markers. They give crisp lines and I can choose between fine and thick lines. Mistakes are easily wiped away, but whatever I draw is definitely on there to stay. No smudging!
I've had a ton of fun with these and I can't wait to draw all over everything. You won't regret trying them! I absolutely love these markers, and although I received them at a discount in exchange for my honest and unbiased review, I would totally buy them again at full price. I don't know when that will be, because 4 markers is a lot of product and I'll have to do a lot more drawing to need more! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Love the paper - hate the block. I love a good 4x6" watercolor block. For years, I've used Canson blocks, because they were about the only quality blocks available in that size. Then I found the Fluid blocks, at a lower price, and thought I'd give them a try. I love the paper - the cold press is "just right," and the texture and absorbency are great. The problem is the block - it's only glued on the long sides, so there is potential for much buckling when the paper is wet. It flattens out OK when it dries, but you have to wait for that to keep paint from running and puddling. Then there's the problem of removing the paper from the block. The glus is so strong on the two sides that it's difficult to cut through, and often another sheet comes up with the page you're trying to get up. I was gifted several blocks in several different sizes and the problem persists in all of them. Great paper, awful blocks. Go back to lightly gluing four sides and you'll have the best watercolor block out there. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Clover Chaco Liner Pen-Style CL4713. I am not the quilter in my family so am relying on my wife's enthusiastic comments while using this marker to write this (as it was a small gift from me the positive remarks were very well received!). The fine wheel and even delivery of the marking chalk, resulting in a fine and accurate line, are the two most often remarked upon attributes of this pen. She has found it comfortable in her hand, though a marking pen is not used for protracted periods of time as a normal writing pen would be so this observation might not carry a lot of weight.
The one thing that we have discovered is that we need to take advantage of the various colors offered: the color of the chalk has worked well for her depending on the color of the fabric...yellow on yellow is never glaringly obvious! The cost seems a bit high but she believes it justified by the performance of the marker. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
This is a very easy and effective way of adding telephoto and macro lenses . This is a very easy and effective way of adding telephoto and macro lenses to the Galaxy S5. The pictures are very usable, but don't expect results like those from a dedicated camera/lens system. For the price, this kit is a winner. My only suggestion would be to upgrade the instructions. The macro lens has to be unscrewed from one of the other lenses before use and it is removed by turning clockwise, not the normal counterclockwise rotation. The lenses have a marking that says "open" and "close" on them but without an explanation that is meaningless. It took me awhile to figure it out what I needed to do. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
NOT NEW AND DAMAGED. LOOKS LIKE DROPPED OFF BACK OF A TRUCK. I received this item yesterday. The box was on my porch and looked mutilated. There was writing g on the box where it had been refused by a different person previously and holes everywhere, a damaged box for sure. I get it inside and proceed to open it to inspect it and the box literally split open and the handle pops out. The Styrofoam is crumbled and broken in pieces. It's obvious this product is anything but new. The know to adjust the tension is completely broken and I find the pieces scattered about throughout the box. The Teflon sheet is also damaged. I made suelre to take plenty of pics of the damaged product and box it came in. I don't even know how to return this bc the box and foam were so damaged they are unusable. I am very disappointed bc I had plans to make stuff for Christmas for my family. Will be contacting the seller for a replacement and instructions on boxing the unit back up. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
lets Chalk this one up to four stars. I wanted to find some liquid Chalk to use on some black board stickers I got to label some jars for my kitchen and craft projects. So I got the JC Crafts 5 White Liquid Chalk Marker Variety pack. I had a few problems getting the liquid chalk flowing but once I did, I had fun making my projects complete. The jars are going to be pretty once I get them filled. These come with instructions and make sure you shake these really really hard so you can get the liquid chalk to come out. These are great for writing a message on a mirror or glass window as well as a chalk board stickers or chalk board paint. There are also colored ones which I cannot wait to try out soon. Disclaimer: I received the JC Crafts 5 White Liquid Chalk Marker Variety Pack for free or at a Discount to test, use, review then share my experiences using the product while giving my 100% unbiased opinion. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Handy little thing. Well this is a handy little thing! I wish i had this long time ago when i was still in school. Mine works without issues. Admittedly, i am not using it that much. I just do coloring, and if i go outside of the lines, i use the tiny tip on this eraser to get rid of colored pencil on that spot. It works as it's supposed to. Tips are easy to change, i kinda wish they were even thinner, but good enough. Batteries hold up really well, and it's not that noisy. I can't say that it will erase colored pencils 100%, but i am guessing that depends mainly on paper you are using. Only annoying thing is that you have to press and hold the button while you're using it, and it turns off quite often if you are moving around the page a lot. Still, i am happy with my purchase. It was delivered super fast. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
A great product with a personal touch. Love these pens! They are for a patient of mine going through a major surgery and overall a rough time. I bought them and adult coloring books for her to help occupy her time while recovering. I tried them out and their pigment is great and they are smooth. I received them in a very timely manner and was surprised to find a hand written note, a thank you for ordering this product. I love that personal touch. It reminds me that even though I am just ordering something, I'm actually ordering something to help a person who owns a business out. It's easy to forget that when you are just clicking and spending. So to conclude, great quality product with awesome time delivery and love the personal touch. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
DREADFUL. My 4-year, sticker-loving daughter received this toy as a birthday present. It took close to an hour trying to figure out how to align it just right and lots of wasted sticker. The previous review describes the process. (I later discovered discovered they mention on the packaging they have a video on their website of how to do this.) I cannot imagine buying refills. My daughter was in tears trying to peel back the paper and was frustrated since you have to cut around the designs, a skill she has yet to master (for small, detailed designs).
TIP! Go to an office supply store and buy sticker back paper. This way you aren't boxed into small size stickers to meet the dimensions of this toy! I ended up photographing my daughter's favorite stuffed animals, reducing them in size and turning them into stickers.
The quality just isn't there. It even looks crappy like someone used duct tape to make a xeroxed image stick. I would not pay $1 for this toy. It's headed straight--disappointingly--into a landfill once the tape runs out. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
perfect for my needs, and great for travel. I make art with markers. (on IG I'm giselitacarmelita if you're curious to see some)
I bought this for two reasons: 1, I'd been taping sketchpads to my laptop screen before buying this, and I typically watch netflix and such while I draw so I wanted to be able to draw on one surface and separately watch netflix/etc on my laptop at the same time. and, 2, I desperately needed this to copy drawings quickly for selling. It was exactly perfect for my needs and I'm super impressed.
The charger actually works on a ton of stuff, and is long enough to not be an inconvenience if you have to be plugged in while using it, so I actually end up using this as my main charger cable for a ton of my appliances and it's so darn long I haven't lost it yet! The gradual dimming is really really awesome, because unexpectedly, subtle differences in light make different layers of the drawing come out, so I can bring out different highlights to focus on at different times during the drawing.
Another unexpected bonus I didn't think of before buying it-- I can draw outdoors now too! It's so impressively lightweight, and is bright enough to cancel out the reflection of the sun onto the paper! It's kinda big for most bags, but it's not much bigger than a laptop or standard sketchbook (maybe by 1-2 inches in either direction) so a laptop bag or backpack will fit it easily.
Great purchase. I bought this along with a desk easel type thing, and highly highly recommend that combo, since this doesn't come with anything to angle the screen in such a way that your neck won't hurt after using it for a while. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
I've only gotten to play with it a couple of times but I love it. It costs about the same as buying . I bought this machine for one purpose - to die cut stamped images for cardmaking. I've only gotten to play with it a couple of times but I love it. It costs about the same as buying 10 die sets, which I can do pretty quickly. I also realized that it will cut out all my stamped images that they don't make coordinating dies for. Love it for that! I think the mat that comes with the machine is too sticky (I ripped my card stock trying to remove it). But I had watched some really good YouTube videos and it was suggested the Low tack mat would be better, so I bought it at the same time and it works great! I have some really heavy paper that works better with the standard mat, so I think having both is good. A great addition to my card making! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Okay but not without some issues. First, to preface my review, I am not a scrapbooker, card maker or really crafty person. I also have no experience with any other cricut machines of any kind.
What I have used the cricut mini for is some PTA and school projects. So my take on it is as follows:
- I didn't have any problems with the installation like I saw others having. I followed the instructions in the quick start guide and was up and running in no time. The instruction booklet is cute but having everything on separate cards is not user friendly in my opinion.
- The mats are super sticky at first. To the point where it is very easy to damage detailed lettering or other fine cuts. For example, I tried doing a skeleton and the rib cage tore to pieces. I had the same issue with the thank you letters in the test project.
- The mats are consumable and fairly expensive at $5-6 each. Each one only lasts for a few projects.
- On the plus side, the ability to take an image and change its size with just few clicks of a mouse is very nice.
- Cricut offers many fonts, designs to use with their machine which is nice. Be aware you can only use those that Cricut offers though. Creativity is not without limits here.
Overall, it's not something I personally will use often, especially with the price of the consumables. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
A couple things could be better. This is a decent set of brushes for a fair price. The plastic caps do fit a bit loose and the organizer bag is also a bit loose. So you have to be careful when handling. The brushes themselves are nice. I used some with acrylic water based model paint. The performed well so far. I will update if any have any inordinate issues.
I received this product at a discounted price in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. It is my intention to give feedback on products that I would normally buy otherwise. I hope my reviews are valuable to people considering this product. I am under no obligation to provide a positive review and receive no incentives or extra rewards for doing so. My aim is to highlight features and drawbacks that I would want to know about as a buyer. My hope is that my reviews are helpful to others. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Very cute but the quality left something to be desired. This was very cute but the quality of the product left something to be desired. It came with a clear plastic dust jacket that was very damaged. I don't know for sure if the dust jacket was meant to be used with the album or was just to protect it during shipping, but upon arrival the clear plastic was damaged to the point of needing to be thrown away. The album itself isn't made from quality materials so it has a cheap feel. It scuffs easily and came pre-scuffed, there was also some minor damage on one corner, the material had buckled and created a wrinkle. On a positive note, nothing about this album was bad enough to warrant me returning it, and the colors were accurately represented by the picture advertising it. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Great markers. I chose this skin set over the Copic brand and I have no regrets. These markers are lovely and easy to color with. They are juicy, go on smoothly, and blend really well. The first time I used them they did bleed outwards a little but I fixed this by adjusting the amount of pressure I applied to them while coloring. The color of these markers varies depending on the paper used (obviously). I included photos showing the colors on RendR and Midori notebook paper. I prefer RendR paper for these- the color is more true to the caps and they look more natural. Midori paper has a slightly creamy color to it and the markers look more fluorescent. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Crop-A-Dile II Big Bite does what it claims. This product does everything it advertises and is so easy to use! With its up to 6-inch reach, you can punch a hole and set an eyelet any where on a 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper or cardstock with such ease and precision. Crop-a-dile II also sets gromets and snaps. This handy tool makes 1/8 or 3/16 inch holes which can be use for placing brads. Furthermore, all the adjustable parts remain permanently attached to the tool; there are no separate parts to misplace. Although a bit pricey, the simplicity and success you'll experience at the first time you use it will make you very glad that you made the purchase! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
When they called it a mini brush, they weren't . When they called it a mini brush, they weren't kidding. I know the dimensions are there in the description and some of the comments, but for some reason, I still wasn't expecting something quite this tiny. Still, it will serve the purpose for which I bought it (replacing a worn-out small brush that came with an old Winsor Newton field kit.) One warning to the next buyers - the brush comes tightly sealed to a cardboard backing. I tore the cardboard to pieces and still couldn't release the brush from the plastic band that held it to the cardboard. So I tried v-e-r-y carefully to cut the brush free with a new X-Acto knife. Didn't work. I tried with a bit more force, and then a bit more . . . Long story short, I got the brush off the cardboard but made two small gouges in the wooden part of the handle in the process. I'll have to do some sanding to protect my fingers from the rough spot, and farewell to the pristine shiny finish! I'm lucky I didn't hack off any of the brush head. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Unusual and Practical paint-on rug backing. This is a great product to extend the life of your favorite cotton rug, as well as making any throw rug slip-resistant. I had a large woven cotton tufted rug in the bathroom, which could be washed when needed in the machine, but which was starting to lose the fluffy tufting, more with each wash. The rug was large enough (would cost a fair amount to replace) so that it was worth the cost of treating it. I painted the back with the product, especially around the perimeter where the tufts were starting to pull loose. After it had fully dried, the strands were all locked firmly in place. It has withstood several washings so far, and still looks good two years after I thought it would have to be discarded. You do have to be careful not to use much heat at all in the wash, and I usually let the rug finish air-drying after only a light tumble on a cool setting, but it has performed admirably. The backing does make the back of the rug want to adhere to itself in the washer and dryer, but it is not gummy, and can be pulled apart and straightened out again. It did make the rug very non-skid, an added bonus for me, but does not adhere to the floor or leave anything sticky behind. I am very pleased with its performance, and am glad that I have not yet had to replace my rug. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Beautiful colors and easy to work with! Great set. I have this set and it is super easy to work with and gives great results. I normally work with Copic markers, but have started using this pan set since Copics are getting scarcer and harder to find (let alone the price gouging.) I just wet a brush, dip the brush onto a color and either use it straight on the paper or put it onto a palette to mix. The only downside is you do waste some when you're trying to mix colors because there's still pigment on the brush from picking up the first color that you need to remove in water to pick up the second color, unlike with the tubes where you just squeeze the color onto the palette and mix.
Here's a macro shot of my most recent painting. You can see how the colors lay. Highly recommended! | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Awesome but too big for most frames. I love this brand of paint by numbers. Yes the paint is see through but it's ok because they have parts where the painting has lines that point to the small spaces and it's hard to paint because if you couldn't see through it. There is a lot of paint to work with you won't run out. The painting is intermediate and there is mixing of colors but that makes it fun. All the spaces are labeled I've had others with blank spots that doesn't happen here. The paint brush is small so it's perfect for small spaces just the right size. My only complaint is its 912 which is hard to find a frame for, I've only found 8.511 and 1013. Would recommend highly ''''' I posted this on deviantart. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Maybe later. I really, REALLY wanted this to work. For the most it functions great, but for my purposes, I will use my old machine with the crank. I ran various tests on both machines, and the old one still came out on top. One of the tests was that I tried to make use of a full page of cardstock (60 lb.) and fit many thin dies on one page (but I didn't over crowd it.) It didn't roll with the suggested sandwich, so I removed the shim. It went through, but didn't cut fully. Hopefully they may come out with one later that will have more power and roll more evenly, because that was an issue too. It didn't cut evenly. I also folded cardstock in half and used a thin die to try and make a card, and it didn't push through enough to cut through both layers. So, I think if you don't have the large format crank cutter that I already have, this would be great for you. I really like the large embossing folders though, so I will miss those when I return the machine. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
Finally, my dream bijoux box. This is exactly what I've wanted for years but did not want to spend as much money as Whiskey Painters or Winsor Newton were charging. Finally, we have an opportunity to own one at a reasonable price. This palette is a cut above in quality. All edges are rounded. Extra bars to keep the watercolor pans in place. I believe it is enameled....hopefully that means rust resistant. I filled it with 12 half pans....don't need to worry about brushes etc being in the box so that extra space in the middle has paint pans.
There were 2 water cups....don't have much use for them but can be clipped on something but not the bijoux watercolor box....maybe the paper pad or on a table edge. Doubt that I will use these....I use ink bottles since they are truly water safe and so thick so unlikely to break.
It came with 2 brushes size 1 ... useful for details....good chance I will not use those either.
It's the fantastic bijoux box that makes this a great purchase. | arts-crafts-and-sewing_painting-drawing-art-print |
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