text
stringlengths 503
33.4k
| labels
stringclasses 23
values |
|---|---|
Terrible. This was terrible I mean just really really really terrible I had my husband buy it for me, and I had to throw out most of what I made using it already. I used it with my Silhouette Cameo 3, and I don't know what the issue was but if I didn't know better I would think this was a knockoff Oracle vinyl the quality just was crappy I'm so disappointed I wasted material and! And I tried a few different fonts so I know that wasn't the issue and I know my needle on my machine wasn't the issue it was definitely the vinyl that was the issue! I order a lot of my crafting supplies from Amazon and I've never been more disappointed or upset or frustrated with a product and I am with this!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Terrible for color printing. This paper should be avoided if you're planning to print on it. 3 of the 4 colors are far too dark for anything but a sharpie to show up on, and the "metallic" look is just a faint sparkle, not anything like chrome or shiny baseball cards--it's more like lip gloss, and at most is "pearlescent." The paper does take ink, but the image is so dim on such a dark paper (even the silver is too dark) that it's a waste of money even at 25 cents a sheet. It's good quality paper and all, but it's not metallic. Save your money, try something else.
I should say that I had excellent customer service from Amazon upon returning this item.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
I love Craft Haven Origami Paper. A gift for my daughter.
I love Craft Haven Origami Paper. Aside from the free eBook they give, they also provide tons of origami video tutorials for beginners! Unlike other origami paper pack, this set contains two kinds of origami paper: (1) color/color (2) white/color. There are models that require parts of the model to be highlighted, some models need both sides to be visible, and others - you can use either of the two.
This is like hitting two birds with one stone. Two different types of origami paper at an awesome price. This is the best practice paper out there.
The box packaging is very helpful to keep the papers organized.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Makes the Cut. Somehow these scissors landed in my stocking gift pile. Well, I depend on my Scotch titanium scissors all the time. I couldn't wait to see how Fiskars compares. They have quite the reputation.
So far, so good. The handles are rubberized on the inner portion for a solid grip. The blades come together throughout. Construction is solid. It feels stiffer than my Scotch scissors. There is a screw that could probably be loosened with the proper tool, but that tool is not the standard screwdriver. I'm guessing this will loosen with time.
I'm cutting all sorts of things around the office. One of the big things I do is cutting through and popping those balloon cushions that come in all the Amazon boxes. I know a scissor is dull when it can't cut it. I've had some that won't. Fiskars does it with ease.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Do you want to lose your thumb and end up in a loveless marriage. These scissors are the bane of my art existence. I am a student at SAIC and have lost battles to these scissors resulting in severe physical injury more than any other tool in the wood shop, metal shop, or even by the greatly feared felting needle. These scissors cannot muster a duty more challenging than cutting a fresh piece of construction paper. Maybe I put too much faith in them when cutting massive chunks of foam, but that is no excuse for the poorly designed tool of cuttery. Although Scotch's thoughts were well intended, trying to accommodate both righties and lefties, they failed to produce a functional tool that would provide long lasting comfort during use by either righty nor lefty. After many hours of intense cutting foam, the nerve on the inner wall of my thumb became severely pinched and I had lost feeling in it for over 8 weeks. Three months later, I finally have gained feeling back in my digit, yet still feel the nerve throbbing from time to time like it engorged to the size of my funny bone. The scissors currently beg to be used in the corner of my studio, wrapped in my own makeshift padding meant to prevent further self harm.
In addition to the injuries I acquired, the scissors themselves do a poor job at staying secure at the hinge. Every ten cuts of paper I suffer though, I have to dig my thumb nail into the hinge's screw and tighten the two parts together again. If I don't, they become loose and floppy, the least functional scissors of all time, just folding the paper downward where a clear separation should be or even completely rotating the page right side up as would happen if you tried to cut something with your fingers.
I strongly disregard this sad excuse for a tool and may its purpose be found somewhere between those scissors banned in school facilities and those as untouched and unloved as the housewife that uses them to scrapbook memories of her ugly children brought up in a loveless marriage.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great for scrapbooking. I love to scrapbook and love Disney even more. After several recent trips to the Disneyland resort and feeling like I needed to add some pizazz to scrapbook ideas, I thought this would be fun to try. It is a quality punch and leaves a clean cut. I've used other punches not from the brand EK Success, and wasn't pleased. They would rip the paper or not leave a clean edge to the shape. I would recommend this to anyone who loves to scrapbook, this would also make great confetti or be a creative way to embellish a birthday or holiday card. It is bigger than I thought it would be, I don't think the picture shows the size very well.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Lip balm made easy. Traditionally I get the blocks of beeswax simply because I didn't know this existed. Until now. If you're into making homemade lip balms like I am you just need to get this! The blocks require elbow grease as they need to be grated in order to melt. That takes time. With the small pellets in this bad you avoid that extra step giving you extra time! This is life changing! These pellets melt quicker because they're already small. The quality of the wax is excellent. Smells just like real beeswax. You get a lot for what you pay for. Can be used to make candles too. Melted or not. Great quality way for whatever you need to use it for. For me, lip balm, I can't make it using any old cheap brand. It has to be good stuff and this is top of the line good. I highly recommend this brand of beeswax simply because it's grade A and already comes in tiny, manageable pieces!
***Please rate my review as "Helpful" if it helped you because it helps me too! :) Thanks! I received this product at a discount/free in exchange for an honest & unbiased review. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by the seller.***
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Stickles are better. This was my first experience with MS glitter glue. It was just alright. The colors are nice and they do have a nice sparkle that coordinates with her other products, but I found that you don't always get an even stream of glitter coming out with the glue. Also, they aren't that easy to handle when half empty (I had to use one hand to squeeze the top to keep what was left of the glue down to the tip and the other hand to write). I really like Ranger Stickles better. There's more in the tube and the glitter glue is easier to dispense and use for crafting. I like that you get a bunch of colors with the MS pack, but there is just so little in the tubes. I guess I didn't read well enough to see the amount per tube, but I was surprised how small they were when I got them. However, the 3 star rating is for the other reasons listed above, not just their size. I would recommend them if you use other MS products and want your project to look coordinated or if you only have a small project to do. If you need a lot of the same color, go with Stickles.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Handy! Cheaper than a binding machine too. This handy hole punch makes it possible to design your own Spiral bound notebooks! Binding machines can cost from $75 to over $300, but this punch used with the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/American-Crafts-Knock-Outs-Border-Punch-System-Starter-Kit/dp/B0052ZWORA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">American Crafts - Knock Outs - Border Punch System Starter Kit</a>is just as effective for much less money. It does take a little more time, patience, and manpower however.
The downsides to this item are that you can only punch up to 4 sheets at a time without the punch jamming. Also, the punch is aligned for the holes to be far enough into the page that you need at least a 15 mm coil to bind any project - anything smaller and the pages won't turn properly.
Much like any regular hand-held hole-punch, this can only go through certain surfaces and materials, so it is not meant for large projects or professional projects.
I've turned some old postcards and baseball cards into mini-notebook covers, using old scrap paper that I've cut to size as filler. It's a great way to recycle scrap paper and a fun item to make your own scrapbooks, notebooks, journals or other art projects - you can use this to bind them yourself!
For anyone who does like this and does not know where to look for binding coil, I recommend [...] and I also recommend that you order *at least* 14 mm bindings (or wider, depending on how thick you plan on making your books)
Happy Crafting!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Not very durable, top layer separate from underlying adhesive substrate easily. So I was really hoping to like this as a patch to my aging leather seats in the SUV. Two cracks in the leather, one on the size and one on the top surface were thoroughly cleaned and the patches were applied as per instructions. Within several days of minimal use, the top faux leather portion of the patch started to separate from the underlying adhesive layer along one edge of the patch placed on the seat top. I really hoped that this would not happen as it is very unlikely that I'll be able to remove the adhesive layer underneath.
I'll see how much longer that I can tolerate this before I have to get the seat reupholstered.
For the premium price I was expecting something more durable.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Not Meant For Use On Plastics. Gorilla Glue Minis Size: 1Pack Model: 5000502 (Hardware & Tools Store), by Tools & Hardware.
Note: This is a product review only, and not an endorsement of the vendor. There may be less expensive vendors available.
The Gorilla Glue Company makes many different glues, in different colors and container sizes. The one I am reviewing is the 0.11 oz. (741B) size of the original brown colored Gorilla Glue. Buying this size will give you a chance to try it out without worrying about it drying out before use. This glue will dry out in the bottle, so I do not recommend buying larger bottle sizes, unless the glue will be used in the near future. For most of us, we use a little glue, and put the bottle away until needed the next time. This glue is interesting, in that you wet the surfaces, add a thin layer of glue, and clamp the surfaces together for 1-2 hours. In the meantime, the glue will expand and turn into a hard foam. After application, any exposed expanded glue may be peeled away or squashed back down a bit while it is drying, so that the repair is not so noticeable. This stuff will eventually dry as hard as a rock. Overall, I would give this glue an Amazon rating of four and a half stars, rounded off to five stars, as Amazon requires ratings to be in whole numbers.
Note: This glue will not stick to plastics very well, so for that, I use the old style Testors Cement For Plastic Models, No. 3512, 7/8 fl. oz. (25.8mL) (UPC Code: 0 75611 35120 9), and yes, it may be hard to find, as kids used to get high (and sick) from sniffing the fumes from it in a paper bag. Most model cements nowadays are safer to use, but do not stick as well. The old stuff would literally melt the plastic pieces being glued together. At this point, I am beyond putting together plastic models, but I find that the Testors glue is one of the best for plastics, and today, just about everything is made from one type of plastic or another.
Sold by Didi VIP Outlet.
2014 The Gorilla Glue Co., 4550 Red Bank Expy, Cincinnati, OH 45227; phone: 1.800.966.3458; web: gorillatough.com; Made in USA.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Don't waste your money. I wish I would have researched this better before I bought it. I hate this binder. The pockets are very very tight and even some Darci folders don't fit into them. The one pockets on the outside are curved at the edge and so they go into those pockets even less then the ones with all sharp corners. I have many different brands of folders and most don't fit in these pockets at all--and as I said, even some of the Darci brand don't fit in. The ones I do have in them are so tight I'm pretty sure it's not going to be long before the plastic rips off just from trying to get them out and back in again. Very disappointed in this product. I would definitely NOT recommend it to anyone. Look for a better way.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Quality Face paint. This kit is so fun , my 2 grandaughters came over and started right away using it, It goes on face or body really easy and colors show up great, It has stencils, body crayons, paints , sponges, applicator wand and glitter in the pack, It was really easy to use and it went on perfectly smooth and can be layered easily if you wait a minute or so to dry, then can add colors or glitters on top. They have never used face paint before so they were practicing on each other, It was so cool to watch them . This would be super great to use for halloween or any time you just want to play around with it. Also the quality is nice, when it drys it feels like your regular skin ... not flakey or rough feeling like it was caked on. Did not smear either. After using it we wanted to see how easy it would be to come off using soap and water . It came off very easy with soap, water,and a washcloth. I think this is a quality enough product to even use at the fair or any place that do face painting on kids or Adults lol.
I did get this product free or at a reduced price to try out and let you know how it worked Good or Bad, I give this a 5 star it is Great.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Streaks. I found this locally at a craft store inter-mixed (and in the same looking containers) with Martha's chalk paints. At the store, I thought it was chalk paint and loved the violet color and I thought it was just what I was looking for.
I got it home and prepared to paint my display box. When I opened it, I realized it was NOT chalk paint and NOT lavender, but a glittery-pearly-purplish clear top coat. I thought no matter, I will paint it with my purple chalk paint first. Love Matha'S chalk paint.fater several coats, I set about painting my top coat with this product. It is terribly streaky. It looks terrible. In some spots I sanded it down and put another coat, more streaks. I even tried mixing the chalk paint with this product. Still streaky. My whole project looks awful now.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
It's okay. I love the whole concept of the film journal, but I dislike the "cast", "quote" and "awards" section. I don't usually remember that many people that was in a film (to fill up that whole space) and that many quotes! I certainly don't know what awards a film got all the time too. To fill those spaces, I end up having to search for them online and it just makes me wonder what's the whole point of having a journal if I'm just copying down stuff I find online... I would of liked it better if it were more opinion based (if I make sense), like "why did you watch it?" "Favourite/least favorite character" "Favorite/least favorite scene" etc so I don't need to search for anything and can just write it down on top of my head.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
You can't go wrong with Oracal651. I absolutely love Oracal651. It is a joy to work with and cuts incredibly well on a wide variety of cutters. I started out with a Silhouett Portrait and it did well, I upgraded to a Silhouette Cameo and it did great and now I have a US Cutter SC series 35" plotter/cutter and it works like a dream.
We have grown as a business and are now purchasing bulk quantities direct from a distributor but still order from Amazon sellers if I need a small amount of a strange color. One thing to note is that the 15" red came with rhe punched edges so you loose a tiny bit of width on each side when you trim it if your cutter doesn't need punched edges.
You can't go wrong with any of the Oracal products.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
but for speed and ease this works better than fingernail polish. I haven't found any one-and-done product, but for speed and ease this works better than fingernail polish, modge podge, Alene's, shellac, white glue and other glazes we've tried. Do NOT use on wooden toothpicks or skewers. They will stick to beads. We use fishing line - dip, tie the lines of beads over a drip pan (or the clothesline in good weather), give the beads a twist after 20 mins. or so of drying time, then let them dry overnight. We flip the lines and repeat this process based on gloss and hardness needed. If you are going to print your own bead paper, use a color laser printer to avoid smear/running that comes with ink jet printing. Nothing beats an individual, hand-glossed finish, but for mass-production - we made 1200 beads in one evening class - this has proved the best so far.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Ok, but . Well, the truth is that it is a great tool if you're wanting to make many things out of polymer clay. I have started making buttons and rolling it out with a pin was unacceptable. So i got this clay/pasta machine actually at the store for cheap... and yes, the price reflects quality...
Now, there are several flaws that I'm not very fond of, like the handle coming out every so often or the not so well grip of the screw that holds in on my table... Once I take it down, I need several tries to clinch it to my table again cause it keep falling out. Also, no matter how much I clean it, whenever I use a light color clay it leaves strikes and I really don't like that.
Other than that it is a good thing to get for a beginner, however, I might consider buying a little more ... expensive and professional later.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Nothing like described! It is NOT a parallel controller and will not work with Mach 3. Dont bother!! It is NOT what is advertised. Everything about this item says parallel port control and ability to use Mach 3. Neither are true!! It has an unbranded USB controller with ZERO parallel port option. The controller is a PIC microcontroller based board that nobody has a clue of a driver. With limitations you can use USB-CNC from Planet-CNC to control it, but nothing else. The home-brew CD-ROM they send you has an unlicensed copy of the USB-CNC software but no driver for the USB controller inside of it. Mine came in pieces. The emergency stop button was hanging out of the front and the X-axis connector was not even connected. btw - The emergency STOP button doesn't control anything at all----nothing! Now the vendor wants me to "go wait some days" and they'll have "their manufacturer" find me a parallel unit. Yet they still don't correct the advertisement on Amazon.....Amazon is becoming more like a street hustle dealing with vendors like this....a E-flea market.<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/ZJchao-TM-110V-220V-CNC-3020T-DJ-upgrade-from-3020T-Router-Engraver-230W-11000RPM-Machine/dp/B00COOD8ZY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">ZJchao(TM) 110V 220V CNC 3020T-DJ upgrade from 3020T Router Engraver 230W 11000RPM Machine</a>
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
A great do-it-yourself recipe book. I received this recipe journal as a gift this year for Christmas. I've always been a huge fan of the Moleskine journals, and figured I would enjoy this journal as well. It does not disappoint.
My mom always had her recipes in a tin container with each recipe written on an index card. This journal basically replaces this system, allowing you to keep all of these handwritten recipes in one place. The journal is broken down into different sections, appetizers, first course, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and cocktails. Each of these sections gives you space for the recipe itself, but also rate the recipe, put a wine pairing with it, and make little notes in the margin.
As with all Molskines, there's plenty of space for personalization and customization. The sections in the back allow for you to add notes and other recipes, but are not the same format as the main sections. If you want to continue to use the journal but have run out of recipe pages, I've found a simple solution. On the Moleskine website, you can print out templates:
[...]
You can either type right on the template itself, or print it out and write on it like the other pages. A great way to use up the pages in the back of the journal if you don't plan on using them for other things. The journal also comes with stickers to further personalize your recipe book.
All in all a great journal for a great price. I hope to slowly add to it over time, and finally get all of my mom's great recipes out of her tin and into my journal!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
So much fun. I am an avid cross-stitcher so I was excited so try something new. This was very easy to do and the finished product is stunning. So very sparkly! Walking in the Rain is not completely diamonds, it was maybe 2/3- just the red and yellow tree parts. The gems were round and there was an easy to use tool to help with placement. This is tiny and you will need to get kind of close to see it so you may want to have a good table to work on. I used a tv tray while sitting on the couch and it was perfect. It was very enjoyable and I would recommend this product to anyone detail oriented.
Edit: I have done two of these now- the Lighting Scene is completely rhinestones and was simply beautiful. This set came with so many more colors and took quite a bit longer to complete but well worth the work. The rhinestones on this are squared and was multifaceted so there was even more sparkle. Great product and I recommend this one even more!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
This is a surprisingly good glue-up kit. This is a surprisingly good glue-up kit. I wasn't expecting all that much, but I have used it on quite a few projects now and am coming to rely on it. The stand is very handy and has earned a permanent spot in the cabinet next to my assembly table. The roller tip stays on one of my glue bottles, and the other gets used for other tips when I need to do things like dowel holes or biscuit joints. It's very easy to clean up, too!
I didn't give 5 stars because the stand could be a little heavier-duty, and the tip assortment just isn't going to be useful for everyone. There is probably something in there that you will use all the time, and even more likely there are a few things that will get used at some point. If this was about 20-30% cheaper it would be a 5-star product all day long.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
I didn't cut a fringe into the paper like most piatas. It was difficult to find a big roll of streamers at a reasonable price, but this fit the bill! I needed to make a few piatas for a children's party. Terraria was the theme, and I couldn't find something that was suitable, so we made some Eye of Cthulhu piatas. (Yes, that's a thing.)
It tuned out 500 ft was more than enough. I didn't cut a fringe into the paper like most piatas, but wrapped it with 2 layers of the crepe paper and some Elmer's glue. It worked well and provided excellent coverage over newspaper. (The eyeball shape was created using a balloon and a flour/water based papier-mache.) I made 3 piatas, and had probably half the roll left over.
It was a messy project, but it worked out well!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
A great punch! The resulting snowflakes are prettier than pictured. Punches very well and I was pleasantly surprised that the resulting snowflake is prettier than the product's picture is able to relate . I tried the punch out on cardstock and two layers of typing paper. I wish I had ordered more at the $5.99 price! I'd hoped to order a few for Christmas presents after I'd found out the quality of the product, given a few of the reviews I'd read about it. The one I've received is well worth the $6.+ they want for it now, but I wanted to be sure it worked well before I'd ordered more, so I'm a little disappointed the price went up. (The day I got the notice my order for this item had shipped the price had gone DOWN to $4.99! Still, when I went looking for it locally, the price for this same item at the craft stores in my area was still $5.99 and all the pegs for it were empty, so I'm glad I got it when I did for the price I did and have no complaints! Thank you, amazon!)
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
LOVE THIS BOTTLE CUTTER AND EVEN MORE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE. LOVE THIS BOTTLE CUTTER AND EVEN MORE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE!
One of our Dachshunds got a hold of the separator rings that came with ours and chewed them right up! I sent a message to the company asking if I could purchase replacements (as it was very clearly my fault that my dog ate them). Within 24 hours they wrote back saying they'd replace them for free and to send my address. I purchased this cutter specifically for the separator rings because they're really hard to find now so I was so grateful.
Not only that, the cutter is designed really well. The cutting mechanism is spring loaded so it applies its own force. My old cutter from a different company required me to press down, so I didn't aways have a consistent outcome. Not with this product! The spring loaded blade applies just the right amount of pressure to give a perfect etch.
This cutter comes with everything needed to get the job done too, so you will not need to shop around for extra tools.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Does not cut well and keeps folding up during use. If it wasn't so cheap, I would make an effort to return my order. Upon arrival, they were nicely packed in individual plastic sleeves. However, when I took them out, they all had a dull sheen and spots of rust or discoloration (meaning they did not seem at all like shiny, new scissors as depicted in the photos). I have used 3 of the 4 scissors and none of them have been satisfactory. One of them kept folding up on itself as I was trying to cut off a tag (see attached photo). I had to pry open the blade part just to detach it from the tag I was trying to cut off. I tried using another to trim some unruly hair on my eyebrows and it ended up ripping out a few strands from the root (seriously, ouch). The third that I tried was hard to open/close and there was a slight gap between blades, which means it was not flush. My recommendation: spend a little more on a single pair of quality travel scissors.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Super-Yay. I love this thing! It is a little quirky, but it does what it's supposed to do and it is the most affordable winder going. I've wound up over 100 grams of yarn on this winder and it was full and a little precarious, but it worked. You have to be careful and make sure the skein and yarn are lined up just right, and the yarn guide is in the right place. That can be hard if you don't have a lot of room and you don't have a really good place to attach the winder. I sometimes attach it to the seat of a chair and put the swift on my bed nearby. Then I can aim the chair wherever I want.
I've had the winder for about seven months and it's going strong. Knock on wood! :)
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great for cat toys. I did not order this for its usual purpose. I received several
packages from Amazon in which crumpled kraft paper was used
for cushioning and found that my (5) cats love to play in the
paper; they sleep on it, burrow to make "nests", chase each
other to make crinkle noises. This paper works perfectly. It
is heavy duty enough to stand up to cat claws, without tearing
or shredding; a 25-30 foot section, crumpled and coiled around
the room lasts for at least 2-3 weeks and is a whole lot less
expensive than the $25 cat crinkle tunnels sold in pet stores.
And if it can hold up to cat claws, I bet it works great for crafts
and shipping.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
dyed them for a better color match and applied them over these splitting seams. I have an old pontoon boat and several of the seat seams have split. I have purchased several of the 4" x 8" patches, cut them in half, dyed them for a better color match and applied them over these splitting seams.
They hold great, have not peeled etc. in spite of being in the hot sun and exposed to the elements on a boat. Not even a little shifting or sliding out of place which would expose the gooey adhesive.
My only con is that with the last patch I bought, it was not embossed with the little stars around the edges......it was just plain flat. Wish all had been just plain flat from the beginning or at least, give the customer an option of flat or embossed.
Overall great product that works as advertised and as it should, considering the price.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Nicked after two months. Looked through a half-dozen different shears before settling on these, both for the convenience of easy tightening in the future and the sharp, durable blades, especially after reading the reviews. They truly do cut extremely well and hold their sharpness through intense work, even compared to other titanium scissors I've used.
Sadly, after less than two months of fabric and occasional cardboard cutting, they've already got a bad nick that will take quite a bit of work to file them down properly, being so hard. It'd probably be more cost-effective to replace; they're just as disposable as any other pair of shears but more expensive. I wouldn't buy Westcott again.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Nice little glue gun. Needed a glue gun for a project, decided to pick this one up on amazon based off of the price and reviews. Overall I like the gun. It's a little smaller than you would expect for a glue gun, but it works really well. Only leaks glue slightly when powered on, but most glue guns do. I like that it comes with a bunch of glue sticks to start using right away. It also comes with a little metal triangle to attach to the gun so you can set it upright.
Only complaint is that I wish it had an "on / off" switch in addition to the "high / low" switches that are there. You just have to plug or unplug it as needed, which isn't too hard.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Economical Party Decor. I purchased these for a pink and gold themed bridal shower. They are definitely cheaper quality decorations but since they are hanging up, no one could tell. The pom pom was a nightmare to assemble since the tissue paper was so thin and tore easily, but everything else was simple to assemble. I ended up not using the pom pom and the decoration still looked full. I wish the set included the strings to hang everything as matching colors was difficult.
Pros
- Easy to assemble (with the exception of the pom pom)
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Pom pom paper is very thin and tears easily
- Doesn't include matching ribbons to hang
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Not As Easy to Use as It Looks-Beware. I was very unhappy with this product! It did ship promptly, which was good. However, all of the online videos made it look so easy to load, but that was not the case. When I tried to load this adhesive gun, the adhesive came right off of the first roll of tape, so I had to use the second roll. And when I was inserting the second roll of tape, the adhesive was still coming off. When I finally started using the glider, it worked for a little while, and then the adhesive came off of the tape completely-right in the middle of a marathon scrapbooking crop! I have never been so frustrated, especially since I had to go out to the store and buy a different adhesive roller, which wasted precious time. If you need a reliable adhesive roller for scrapbooking, I recommend exploring other options, as there are other rollers out there that are much easier to load, and they work much better. I do not recommend this product.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Gorilla Tape. I bought these at a local arts and crafts store because I needed scissors and the concept was nice. Next thing I knew, I found myself elbow deep in a project involving five kinds of tape, six kinds of glue, and a boatload of cutting. These scissors performed admirably, cutting through aluminum tubing, yoga mats (don't ask), super sticky metal tape, and even super glue infused foam board without missing a beat. Until I had to cut Gorilla Tape.
The first cut was fine, maybe even the second, but by the third cut, adhesive residue had built up to such a point that the scissors tore, more than cut, through the tape. The Gorilla adhesive was easily removed by rolling it off of the blades, but this is dangerous; these things are sharp! I also have to cut through Gorilla Tape much slower than other tapes or materials to avoid the tearing and binding.
All in all, these are awesome scissors. I've never had any other pair that was more effective for art projects.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
They came out good, but the grout sheds on the furniture. I think that these were cute, and came as expected, but now that they are done and they look great, the grout tends to shed on my furniture. Maybe I am not good at grouting things, so I wouldn't really know if they would shed on your furniture, but that's the only downfall I saw. Well other than I would have liked to have been able to pick the glass colors that I wanted, I think these were good. I didn't like the green color so much, but found that the green is actually the back of black glass, so if you would like making coasters with red, purple, and black glass, then you have that option also. I am in my mid 30's, and did craft projects after surgery while I was healing and sort of stuck in the house, but for kids, I would definitely keep a parent around as this is mainly glass and grout so it makes a mess and could be dangerous. I would have also liked if there were other layout/stencil options, it came with one and I didn't love it so I tried to make up my own.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Very disappointed. I had the craft station for almost a year now, and I used it couple of times. I really loved it at first, even though it takes a little bit to get used with it. A month ago I needed to make some invitations for a friend. After like 50 cuts, the first blade starts to rip off the paper, not cut it. I changed it. Same thing happened. Then, I had a thinner paper to cut, it just ripped the wedge, could not cut it. I was looking for replacement blades, couldn't find them anywhere. I wrote to EK telling them my concern. They were nice enough to send me a replacement blade and told me they will be available at Michaels soon. Today I wanted to make some Christmas cards, and the little piece that you cut with, it just broke. The top part broke and the spring just got out. I looked at it, thinking to glue it down, but if I'll glue it, there's no way I will be able to push down the blade. If you want to use it more than just 2 times a year, think twice before buying it, because it's not going to last.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Kid Friendly Set of Washi Tapes. One of my daughters has fallen in love with Washi Tape. She spent the night at a friend's house recently and they worked for hours making projects using the tape. I ordered this set to put in her Easter basket. To say she was excited to find it there would be an understatement. She has spent every waking moment, outside of school, using these tapes to make so many neat items. The set arrived as described and pictured. What I liked about this particular set was that each of the rolls was kid-centered. She loves hearts, emojis, flowers and cupcakes. The colors are extremely bright and vivid. With such a large set she has many different options. It will be some time before I need to replenish her stock. I received promotional pricing on this item in exchange for sharing my thoughts on it.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
This thing has been AWESOME! I was able to clean up my yarn . This thing has been AWESOME! I was able to clean up my yarn and re roll the pesky jumbo rolls that are not center pull. The cakes it makes are so nice for working with. I can wind pretty darn fast with this, but it's nice to be able to vary my speed and slow down when the yarn doesn't wan't to cooperate. I've wanted one for a long time, but none were big enough to bother purchasing. Well this one is! I can do a jumbo 1lb roll of Caron or rhss jumbo roll with no problems. I was also able to roll jumbo rolls of Bernat Home Bundle, and also Bernat blanket just fine. It is a little spendy for what it is in my opinion, but still very worth it!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Caydo Flexible Adhesive Magnetic Sheets. Caydo Flexible Adhesive Magnetic Sheets are very good for the crafty person
These come in 12 sheets and are easy to use just cut to size peel and stick. They are just average strength so not for a really large or heavy project.
I personally add a little glue to the back as I don't want to chance them coming off.
I really like the fact the sheets are big enough you can cut them any way you like yet small enough to store anywhere. I would recommend these to anyone as they are a great value.
Item was purchased with a promotional discount for free in exchange for testing and giving my honest unbiased opinion of this product. No compensation for a positive review was provided. All of my reviews are based 100% off of my experience with the product and I never guarantee a positive review I hope you found my review helpful. Thank you.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
If you work with it, this is a great clay. I'm describing this from my personal experience using this clay. Your milage may vary depending on what you are making and how you use it.
- Strengths:
- very strong when well pressed and formed. It can be torn apart, but takes a bit of force for the thickness involved.
- flexibility is amazing. (when fully cured) I did a strength test on a self made flower petal and bent it about 200+ times before it showed serious cracking. Even then it didn't snap apart. It just showed white stress marks and fine cracks.
- dried texture feels like soft vinyl. Can be painted or mixed with paint, sprayed and finished with various finishes. (may make it less flexible because the paint won't flex as well as the clay, but it will still adhere.)
- Makes very realistic looking plant life if treated just right.
- Depending on the project, there may not be an easy substitute for this clay. (various home made cold porcelain type clays can fit some, but not all features of this clay.)
Frustrations (or weaknesses):
- more difficult to work with than many clays if sculpting because of below concerns
- you need a fresh batch. If you don't get one fresh, then you want to put a moist towel or paper towel in the opened side of the bag and seal it away in a container for a full day.
- surface dries very quickly, so you need to take out only so much at a time and leave the rest stored away in a moist container.
- tends to crack or split when drying if it is flexed or manipulated with when partially dried.
- doesn't want to stick to self and layers can split apart if not fully joined. (but can be forced to with some effort like moistening or altering some clay to make it like paste)
- takes longer to cure than polymer clay that has been baked. Expect about 24+ hours depending on thickness. It may seem cured enough earlier to remove from molds, but not fully flexible until the day after. (this is using very thin layers. Thicker layers may take up to a week or two.)
Neither good nor bad:
- package so far seems to be a ziploc type bag with the clay tightly wrapped in cellophane type plastic. Left like this unused long enough may cause it to slowly dry out. (this is even when ordering directly from the company.)
- Dries creamy and cloudy. Light still passes through if thin enough. If you need it whiter, you can mix it with other air drying clays. (I've used things like hearty and delight)
- is flexible, so if you need something hard and rigid, this won't be as useful.
- if left very moist or wet after fully cured, the clay softens and may be fragile, but then dries out to be firm. I didn't notice any loss to detail. This may or may not mess up any painted jobs that are unsealed. (My piece was unpainted.) Doing this may allow some degree of reshaping, but not to the degree of brand new uncured clay. For that reason, the clay is near waterproof, but water resistant would be more truthful. Yet, this may still be useful if exploited just right.
- tends to lay flat when drying. This can be frustrating but worked around by propping up areas. With my projects I found it better to work with this tendency and make flat objects.
Some things that helped me use this clay:
- Refrigerating between uses is helpful, but not as important. It may be if you have unused clay over a month to use. The paper towels seem more likely to mold than the clay. Then again I tend to use up the clay within a month of opening. If I am not using it so rapidly I store it in the bottom of my fridge where it won't freeze.
- Use water sparingly. When overused, at best makes the clay very sticky and hard to use. At worst, separate like eraser shavings on my hands.
- Hand lotion on hands also helps delay drying time or restore the clay to some degree better than using water alone.
Ideally the less needing to be added, the better.
- Mixing with a fluffy type clay yields something easier to work with for sculpting. The fluffy clay (I used Delight) seems more dominant, so mix less of it to the Lumina.
Update: I included photos of things I've made with the clay.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
You will LOVE these. These snips are as wonderful as I'd hoped they would be when I ordered them. I have a rag quilt with 6 layers of flannel and was having real trouble making the snips. These easily cut right through the 6 layers- no problem! I was thrilled! I had 16 rows to snip in a 40" long baby quilt and did it all in one sitting - and no aching hand. I was amazed at how quickly it went. Now that I know how easily and painlessly I can finish off this step, I am really looking forward to making more rag quilts. The performance of the snips is great, the price is an extra bonus. I would definitely recommend these and they will definitely be gifts for sewing friends and family.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
For the price these are a great buy, I've been getting single rolls at Target . For the price these are a great buy, I've been getting single rolls at Target for almost half the cost of this 6 pack. The colors and patterns are are very vibrant and a nice change from the normal ones I've seen in the local stores. The effect of the shine was a nice added bonus and really made my first project pop. I will be buying these packs from here on out. I am in love with this brand! I received a discount for this product and agreed to provide my unbiased opinion in this review. I have no obligation or inclination to give this product a favorable review, so please know that the above review represents my honest opinion of this product.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Too much cranking for too little playtime. The audio quality is fine, but it is not a convenient radio if you are looking to avoid a wall wart or replaceable batteries. The solar cell doesn't seem to charge this radio at all, and hand cranking is an awkward and unrewarding process. Of the multiple hand-cranked radios I've owned (including the original Freeplay), this is the least useful (God only knows why you'd want a siren on a radio). My favorite is the Freeplay Driven, which is much easier to crank, it runs much longer after a cranking session, and it does charge itself back up when sitting on a window sill. Ooops, the battery ran out again...excuse me while I leave this review to go spend a minute trying to charge it back up....
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
upon receiving my product I was very satisfied, the box was sealed and everything was in . I bought the mini minc from Chile, upon receiving my product I was very satisfied, the box was sealed and everything was in order, however, when using it for the first time, the folder did not pass for the other, and it was impossible to use it, taking it to a technical service in my country, they discovered that it was USED !, being that I bought the new article, at the moment of opening it they discovered remains of melted folders stuck in the rollers, with paper and foil, it seems incredible to me and out of all limit because this It is clearly a SCAM, I do not recommend it for international purchases, DO NOT DIE IN DECEPTION!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
3 Hole Punch. While I've had the punch for a few months, I rarely used it. When I did it worked as advertised. I have a slight shoulder problem and that's why I bought the electric version. Today I did over a hundred pages with no trouble.
I thought it was time to empty the punches. What a miserable time. The emptying door opened easily but when I tried to get the punches out, it took forever. Punches from all three (punchers) had to come thru a narrow opening to get to the opened door. After nearly 5 minutes of pounding (softly) and using a sharp tool, I believe I got most of the punches out.
The cleaning problem is why I didn't rate it higher.
I recommend it, but with the caveat above.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great For Making Molds For Jewelry Pieces. I've tried several products for making molds for pendants, etc. and there are a lot of them that I like. So when I saw this one advertised, I wondered, Do I really need another one?" Then I decided, what the heck - the products and tools are half the fun of making jewelry as far as I'm concerned.
Sculpey Mold Maker is fun to work with and gives great detail. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it's a bit sticky. I noticed that it also kind of stuck to the metal sheet during baking but in the end, it all worked out. I plan to try refrigerating it before using it next time to see if that helps. For some reason, I haven't found very many tutorials with tips and tricks for this product yet but I'll keep searching.
I also have Super Sculpey Sculpturing Compound, which Ive had for a long time, and it had begun to stiffen up just a little. I read that adding the Sculpey Mold Maker to the Super Sculpey softens it, making it like new again. It's definitely true! But you want to add it in very small increments because a little bit really does go a long way. I don't really use the other types of Sculpey Clay but I would imagine you could use it with those, as well.
In my opinion, you definitely want to give this product a try - especially if you like to play while creating - and who doesn't like that!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Pretty Good, Very Basic Set. This is a very basic set of 6 clay tools, which are actually like 12 tools due to each piece having 2 different modeling/sculpting ends. I like that each tool is numbered, (#10, #13, #19, #24, #36 and #37), as I couldn't tell in the product photo, although some of the numbers are difficult to read. Each of these hardwood tools were nicely smooth, with the exception of the #37, (with the rounded blunt end). This one was slightly unfinished and raw-feeling, but thankfully not splintery. Although I've seen the flat #10 combing tool in various sets with teeth even and uneven, and in this set, the teeth are not perfectly even. I think this is a pretty good, although slightly flawed set, and expect these tools to last me for several years with normal use.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
My 8.5-year-old and I are having loads of fun with this loom. My 8.5-year-old daughter has been very interested in making rubber band bracelets since many of her friends at school are making them too. Initially, we did them by hand, and created very basic, simple designs. Then I heard about this kit called Twist Bandz Rainbow Loom, and decided to try it out as my daughter wanted to try more complex designs. I purchased this at one of the craft stores locally at a reasonable price and got started on the kit (with my daughter) as soon as we got home. The box itself comes with the basic essentials required for creating the bracelets, i.e. a bag of multi-colored mini rubber bands, a needle for threading the bands, and C-clips for fastening the finished product.
I would advise purchasing more rubber bands in assorted colors, whioh we obtained from our local craft store, since the amount of bands supplied with this kit will run out quickly. My daughter wanted to make Halloween bracelets and we got individual packs of black, orange, and purple bands. The Rainbow Loom website has tutorials on how to make various designs, from simple beginner's to intermediate and more advanced. My daughter and I also found some excellent how-to videos uploaded by creative individuals on youtube, and my daughter was able to make a fishtail rainbow loom bracelet all by herself. She got the hang of the loom very quickly and I'm hopeful she'll be able to handle the more complex designs with more practice. I love this kit as my daughter gets so much pleasure and confidence from being able to make something by herself, and it also develops motor skills, and builds dexterity and patience!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Colors NOT as advertised (reality=more pastel vs. bold colors advertised). Also, packages do NOT contain "all 8 colors. TWO ISSUES:
1) The colors on the website/amazon listing are BOLD, BRIGHT colors...in reality, they are very different. I was trying to avoid pastels so specifically purchased these because of the dark pink and other deep colors and was disappointed when the papers that arrived looked totally different.
2) I wanted to make 1,000 rainbow wishing stars for a memorial for a friend's baby, so I ordered 4 packages of "Origami Stars Papers Package - Various (All 8 Colors)" but only two arrived with all 8 colors as advertised (even after ignoring the fact that the colors appeared differently online)... Two packages were missing the dark orange color. One had an extra set of pink, the other an extra set of red. Not helpful in completing my project with an equal number of all of the colors so I had to downsize the memorial project significantly as a result.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Wonderful so far. So far, so good!
Got the winder tonight, and promptly wounded nine skeins of yarn - two bulky, five sport weight, and two lace weight skeins. It took a skein to really figure out how to operate the winder in the optimal way, but once I did, it was smooth sailing. My problem was that I wasn't keeping tension on the yarn and it wasn't staying in the metal feeding loop. When this happens, the yarn starts spinning onto the wall all wonky and the ball thats formed is really loose. But, if you keep some tension to make sure the yarn is always in the feeding loop, there are absolutely no problems. Also, a huge plus, as other reviewers have noted, is that there are no exposed parts, so the yarn never gets caught.
Overall, I'd completely recommend this winder, especially at the price I paid - around 25 dollars.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Works Well for Some Specialized Applications Requiring Low Tack Tape. This is one of those products that probably should just be tried. I bought it for less than $4 as an Add On item. It works perfectly for what I wanted, but I mostly wanted to use it for masking and holding lightweight paper in place on a light box.
-It is not as sticky as painters tape or masking tape.
-It is thicker and more rigid than most tapes. I can lay it down and use it as a hard edge to draw very straight lines.
-I've laid it down over ink drawings and dried watercolors and not had any damage to the paper, ink or paint. The only thing I see on the back of the tape is lint and stray cat hairs.
-I haven't seen or felt any residue on the paper when tape is removed. I've never left it on for more than a day or two, so that could change with time. I don't know.
-The tape is 3/4-in wide. It's easy to cut for smaller width or to form shapes for masking.
I would not use this for anything requiring much strength.
I would recommend trying some of this tape on a test swatch if concerned about removing medium.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Beautiful. Was dissapointed this wheel arrived with dusty parts. It must have been sitting for awhile but no one bothered to pass a rag over it before packing. The hook for threading snags in the storage hole on the wheel and you have to wiggle and fight with it to get it out. At one point the hook fell off the handle. Its difficult to bend the hook piece tighter without the right tools because the metal is thick and strong which is a good thing except for in this case. The instructions are only pictures. Not easy to follow but thank goodness for youtube instructions. Over all its a beautiful wheel that l absolutely love. Beautiful finish, expertly crafted from quality materials. Would definitely recommend and purchase from again.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Can't wait to use these. I haven't actually used these yet, but I can tell that they are well made. A friend let me use her set in our pottery class a few weeks ago and after just a few minutes of trimming one of my clay pots, I knew I had to get my own set. This is a great value and I especially like the fact that they're double ended. As my husband and I have accumulated many tools for our wheel throwing, it's nice to have ten tools in the space of five.
Update Sept. 21st: I used these for the first time today and I loved them. I haven't figured out how to get the most out of each tip yet, but I look forward to the practice. I'm going to have to order another set as my husband likes them as much as I do... which causes a sharing dilemma if we're trimming pots at the same time.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
This is a horrible product. I recieved this product as a present from a friend (who got it from wal-mart), but I feel it should be known that this product sucks. Within the first few minutes of using this loom, one of the pegs broke. I was not pulling the yarn to tight and I was careful about making sure my yarn was just loose enough so as to not stress the pegs. After that anytime I would fix a peg with superglue another peg would break(Not even one that had previously been broken!). I was gentle with this loom and I was only able to make two hats before it started completely falling apart. And I know my loom was not just a default because a friend of mine purchased the same kind of loom and her pegs have been breaking off too. In conclusion this product is cheap and breaks easily. If I could give it zero stars I would.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Fit well, offer good support. I was skeptical that these gloves would be helpful for milder hand arthritis, but I tried them because the customer comments were positive. These really are is good as the comments say, and they are a better fit for my hands than medium-sized IMAK compression arthritis gloves. One thing to be careful about in any glove of this type is the tightness of the fingers; because the tips are cut off, finger projections that are too tight can cut off circulation and make your fingertip swell. I have that problem in the index finger of my right IMAK glove, but not with the Dritz Crafters gloves. This may just be because the shape of my hands, but it's good to know that both brands can compete.
My only complaint is that the inner seam of the thumb of the Dritz glove split after a few months. The material is somewhat thin and the seams are small to prevent pinching, so gloves like these may wear out relatively quickly.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Not the worse, but I've had better. From the product listings pictures, I knew this wasn't going to be a transparent transfer paper. However, it is very difficult to get the grid lines straight onto the vinyl design because the transfer paper is so opaque. I cannot see the vinyl design until the transfer paper has already been placed. This is an issue if you are needing to use the grid lines to center your vinyl design before placing on an object. I also had a difficult time getting the vinyl to stick to the transfer paper, it was pretty time consuming and tedious process to have to constantly put the transfer paper back down and rub the vinyl to get it to stick. While this isn't the worse transfer paper out there, it certainly isn't the best. So you get what you pay for. Next time around, I'll pay more for something better.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
The single edge blades. If you are like me and you like single edge blades, this is it for logan cutters. Personally, I think single edge blades cut much straighter, and have less drag. The down side is that you can only use one tip, because if you turn it around it won't cut right. The bevel HAS to be facing you. Meaning you should be able to see the bevel when you put it in the cutter head. If you put it in the other way it will cut super crazy and wobble all over the place. Also, this fits my framer's edge cutter but I don't think it fits my hand cutter. Make sure it fits your cutting device. It cuts 8-py but I use it for everything.
4 stars is because they are much better than any of the other logan blades, but they are not as good as the blades for pro cutters like c+h and fletcher. They give me good cuts, I'm satisfied.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Not bad for the price. I give this product 4 stars. It works, but it doesn't work great. To adjust the back stop, you need to use either a wrench or a nut driver conjunction with the wing nut. When you use the allen wrench to adjust the rollers or the color, you need to use your other finger to hold the square knot, as it does not stand still when you turn the bolt with the Allen. It took me about 10 tries to get it down pat. But that's okay because it gives me an excuse to drink more wine and beer. I will attach photos to show my finished products along with my mess ups. The instructions were not very clear, it seemed as though someone who is not a native English speaker wrote them. I also use 220 grit silicon carbide sanding paper with water to send the bottles in a figure 8 pattern. I hope my review has helped you decide whether or not to buy this product. Again, for the price I give it four stars.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
It's pretty stuff, but that's about all. This tape does not stick to anything well. I bought it to "edge" an art project I did with my students that was mounted on cardboard, so I wanted the tape to fold over the edge to hide it. It didn't stick at all. I had to glue it in place to make it stay in place. I thought that was because I had finished the front with acrylic spray, so I figured that was why it wouldn't stick. BUT, it wouldn't stick to the edge or the back of the cardboard either. Then, frustrated, I tried it on regular paper, it didn't stick to that either. It's pretty stuff, but that's about all! I will be leary of any colored tape now. Too bad, too, because there are so many creative applications.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Budget friendly, cost effective, great results - Fun even for the Adults. This 24 piece face/body paint with glitter party pack was so much fun. I ordered it for my sons 4th birthday party and got to be very creative with it. The crayon sticks made drawing out easy and the paint brush made paint and coloring easy. I especially love the glitters Gold and Silver, made the art come to love. For those of us who cant draw, the stencils made it easy. All the parents are the party asked about it and loved it. The adults even played around with it. This option bets hiring someone to do the party for you. <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/PaintFun-24-Piece-Face-Paint-Body-Paint-Glitter-Party-Pack-Paints-60-Faces-100-Child-Safe-FDA-Approved/dp/B015HSBQ1G/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">PaintFun 24 Piece Face Paint, Body Paint & Glitter Party Pack. (Paints 60+ Faces!) 100% Child Safe (FDA Approved)</a>
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great Scissors - NOT great Quality Control. I ordered these little scissors as a gift. I was given a pair several years ago. They are small, sharp and very nice to always have handy. Unfortunately the pair I received was very stiff. I could hardly open them when I first got them. I went to the Slip N Snip website and there they suggest a drop of oil on the pivot pin. I did that and it helped to open the scissors. The more serious problem was that even after using the oil I was unable to get the scissor to fold into the closing position. The only way I could fold them closed was to push with a small piece of wood at the pivot pin to get the blades to retract. After that it took significant pressure to push the two handles together.
If I would not already had a pair that worked perfectly I would have wondered how these were even being sold. I think there is a serious lack of quality control. I see some other reviewers have complained about the same issue. I read those reviews and took a chance, unfortunately I got a "dud". Luckily Amazon makes it easy to return items and these are going back. I give the scissors 5 stars and the quality control 1 star.
I'm going to look locally and see if I can find these scissors. If I find them I'm going to try them in the store to be sure the pair I buy works properly.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Be sure to read the details. This product is MUCH smaller than I anticipated and I will likely send it back due to this. It's the same size as a cube of Post-It notes. Additionally, the pix do not show perspective, so there's no way to tell how large the paper is based on the photos. Also, even though the colors are pretty and quite vibrant, it seems a tad pricey to me. However, if you're an origami enthusiast, you may be accustomed to paying more for this specific kind/brand of paper.
A caveat: To be fair, in the craziness of trying to shop for Christmas, I didn't thoroughly read the dimensions. That is my fault, for which I take total blame because the dimensions are clearly listed in the description. That was my bad.
However, in my case, I purchased this paper for my son who has trouble with his fine motor skills. He's been doing origami to help improve a bit, but this paper is much too small for him.
Overall, it's probably a great product for someone who is seriously into origami; but it doesn't work for us.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Most innovative decorative circle edge punch yet. I had been on the fence about this punch for some time. But when I came across a 50% off coupon I bought it at Michaels. Sorry, Amazon... BUT some of the punches aren't available in the stores, so I went back to Amazon and purchased a punch I really liked, so I'm good again, grin.
For those of you who don't really know what you can do with these punches aside punching out doilies in all sizes, I invite you to visit my blog, [..] to see what I have done with this punch. The possibilities really are, well, maybe not quite endless, but definitely several-fold.
True, the instructions are a bit bare bones, but then again, the punch really is simple to use:
1. open the punch by pulling it out of the plastic sleeve that covers the bottom. See that cutting plate wedged inside? Take it out, and put it in the machine's moving tray smooth side up.
2. Decide upon what size circle you want to cut out. Select that size at the rounded edge of the tool (see that lever that can move? Say you want an 8" circle, so you slide it on 8), then also move the cartridge (punch) up to the 8" mark. Do not go in between, it won't work. You need to work with full inches only.
3. Next, you find the center of a piece of paper larger than 8" diameter (can be an 8.5" x 11", that's fine) and put that center underneath the cross hairs of the "knob" on the left side of the punch, making sure that both of the "knob's" magnets connect with their counterparts underneath for a secure hold. Then you place the punch head on top of the paper (which extends over the bottom cutting plate, okay?) and hear the magnets connect as you place it down. Punch, lift off the punch, and rotate the paper with the knob one notch in either direction. Replace the punch and punch down, lift off, turn, place punch, punch down, and so on. It sounds a little labor extensive, and it takes quite a few punches to get around the entire paper, but before long you get the hang of it and then it goes easy. If you find it hard to punch, lift off, replace the punch, and try again. It may not have aligned perfectly before.
In time, as your punch feels a bit "sticky", use wax or freezer paper and punch through that a few times. That lubricates the punch and eliminates the "stickiness. If you encounter areas that aren't punched cleanly, try punching through aluminum foil a few times to sharpen the punch again.
If you still have trouble understanding how this punch works, please feel free to contact me via my blog and I will try to help you. Note: I am not affiliated with Martha Stewart in any way, not exactly a fan of her ever expanding "empire", but I do acknowledge when an item is well made and thought out.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
smelly but usable. I received some hand salve from a friend and wanted to try to make my own. The recipe called for beeswax so found this one and I read the reviews that this smells and thought I would try it anyway. So when I got it, yes it does smell and was thinking I shouldn't use it, but then thought I would try it anyway. When heating it up it smelled and when I was done making the salve it smelled more like the smelled more like the smelly beeswax then the essential oils that I used and nothing like the original one my friend gave me. I was also more of a yellow color. So found out she used the white beeswax, and figured I would just chuck these and start over. When I came back a day later it actually smelled a LOT better. The white still smells the best but now the yellow just smells a little more beeswax, not bad at all. I would use this for other things that don't require a lot of wax but not something made mostly of the wax. I will just be getting the white from now on.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great mold, has held up very well through 3 dozen+ batches... but Amazons price is ridiculous. When I bought this mold here on Amazon, less then 8 months ago, it was $19. Now it is over $29??!! That is a ridiculous price increase IMO. Too bad Amazon doesn't offer the $$ savings they used to. The new price is the only reason I give this 4 stars instead of 5.
The mold itself is awesome - I have used mine for at least 3 dozen batches of soap and it still works like new (doesn't look quite like new anymore, but works exactly the same)... Silicone tends to hang on to the scent from the most recent batch (or 2) of soap, but this has never affected a new batch at all for me.
I love the size/shape of this mold, perfect for 8 1-inch bars of soap if you fill it right up to the top. And it makes for nice smooth, clean edges and corners. If your soap seems to stick to the sides of the mold at all, just wait another day or 2 before removing from the mold. Some soaps can take a bit longer to be ready to remove when you use silicone, since it doesn't breathe at all, so the soap can stay a little softer for longer than it would in a lined wood mold.
Great mold, not-so-great price here.... look around.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
smoke out. They burn great on a variety of waxes. But the main reason i bought them was they advertised as low smoke. They are not low smoke. We use candle heaters and these smoke so bad it causes the eyes to burn. So for the outdoor heaters OK we have some specifically for that now. but I will not use these indoor again. Black ash under the low heater, grunge that needed to be cleaning out of the other four. Not at all happy with the product. When you put them out they smoke like crazy as well. I do not how they classify soot or smoke, but these are high soot and not low smoke. Looking for a better option for next month. Right now kicking up the electric heater until I can afford a new set. Very very dissapointed
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
who isn't sure if they will like it/doesn't have a lot to spend it is perfect. ive had this winder for a while now, and it has gotten plenty of use. I think for a hesitant buyer, who isn't sure if they will like it/doesn't have a lot to spend it is perfect. I wasn't sure if I would like to have my yarns wound into cakes, I wanted to stay under $25, I was just all around hesitant because I didn't know... now that I know that I LOVE having my yarn wound I want to upgrade. this particular winder is GREAT for begginers, or someone who doesn't have a lot of yarn. my stash is GROWING and the cakes it makes are smaller than I would like, so I have4-5 smaller cakes of the same color taking up space as opposed to 1-2 larger ones. also the metal wire/yarn threader arm has worn out so it constantly falls. I did find that it works best with worsted weight/acrylic yarns. plain old red heart it does great! some thing like caron simply soft the center collapses after its removed so its squishy, and any bulky weight yarns are hard to wind. it does ok with cotton. I am still happy with my purchase, because now I am educated and informed. and I still use this winder ( I have yet to buy an upgrade) and have suggested it to people who are begginers, and will continue to do so.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
This Scrapbooking Notion Has Cross-Over Possibilities. As a quilter, I love to borrow from the world of scrapbooking. (You folks have the coolest stuff!) When I discovered this adhesive craft paper, I was sure I could use it somehow with fabric.
Occasionally, I use paper templates for transferring small patterns. The problems are that regular paper is thin, tears, wrinkles, and shifts all over the place unless you pin it down, and even then I can never get an exact reproduction of the shape I want (because pins distort the template and fabric).
This craft paper has enough stickiness that it adheres to fabric with no need for pins. It stays put long enough to trace the pattern and is sturdy enough that my marker butts up nicely against the edge.
The only problem is that it is reusable on fabric for only a finite number of uses. The fabric tends to diminish the adhesion by leaving minute linty fuzzy bits on the paper. Also, the paper backing is really difficult (for me) to peel off. I have a hard time getting it started.
This craft paper works pretty well as a peel-and-stick medium for quilting templates. I am pleased to be able to borrow yet another notion from the good folks in the scrapbooking world.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Perfect Variety of Colors! A great starter pack. I decided to start sealing my card envelopes with my favorite seal, and this set of sealing waxes was the perfect variety pack for my purposes. The colors of wax I received were exactly the same as in the picture, and I can see myself taking a while to use these up. I love the variety; now I can match or complement the color of my card envelopes, which adds a fun level of customization to heart-felt notes I send to friends and family. I currently do not use an actual wax melting spoon, but use an old, lone stainless steel measuring spoon that lost all of its friends somehow over time. I swear dishwashers eat them like dryers eat socks.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
I guess I should've expected a pretty mediocre gun for the price. It works I guess, in the sense that glue comes out of the tip when you plug it in. But this is without a doubt the messiest glue gun I've ever tried to use. If you leave it on the high temp setting, it just leaks glue CONSTANTLY. But if you turn it to the low temp setting, the glue is barely warmed for more than a few seconds, so you have to be really quick with what you're gluing (and unfortunately might lose some of your accuracy). I guess I should've expected a pretty mediocre gun for the price, but the best glue gun I ever used was a hand-me-down that's almost as old as I am and was only a middle-of-the-road quality gun in the first place, so I was hopeful I might have found a decent replacement. I guess I'll stick with it for now, since it's not really worth the hassle of returning it, but I'll be replacing it with something else as soon as I can find a better one at a reasonable price.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Surprised. I had been looking for a travel guide to give to a friend's son for his trip to Ireland. I searched, but was unable to find anything I really wanted until I found this sketch book. Using Avery full sheet clear create your own see through labels and a few travel stickers, I was able to create a wonderful & unique pocket travel journal with very specific information about the places he was going. I had started to buy the journal version of this book, but the pages are not as thick as in the sketch book. In the end, it really ended up being a combination journal/scrapbook for him as he took double sided tape and pasted in ticket stubs, brochures and other items to help him remember his trip as well as writing his daily activities inside. I was really pleased with the overall outcome and inpressed by the quality. It really held up well during travel and it size allowed him to carry it easily with him. Overall I'm thrilled with the purchase and plan on buying several more.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
No longer natural. Update: 5/7/17: Our family will no longer be buying this product. It now contains synthetic dyes. They don't even tell you which ones. Defeats the purpose, you might as well buy regular old playdough if you don't care about exposing your kids to toxic dyes, it lasts longer and is way cheaper.
We've bought two boxes of this stuff so far. I would say we probably only buy this particular brand, because there are no others that use natural dyes on Amazon.
Pros:
- Good consistency, just like regular playdough
- Pleasant, neutral smell
- No nasty, unsafe, toxic dyes being continually exposed to my child's skin (the largest organ on the body!) [...]
- Nice colors, they're not perfect and vibrant, but they are not pastel by any means. They're just nice, clear but muted tones. Natural without being weak.
- Nice tubs that are wide and easy for my 3 year old to take the dough out of.
Cons
- SOY. Soy is a xenoestrogen (exposure in the human body mimics the effects of estrogen). Also, over 90% of soy is genetically modified. Because our family avoids endocrine disrupters (soy, plastics, chemicals) like the plague, I allow for this because I haven't found anything better.
- GLUTEN. We also avoid gluten. No one is allergic, but we have our reasons. My son does not eat this (he's past that stage and we wash our hands as soon as we're finished with it, so I overlook whatever potential downfalls there may be to dermal exposure since the biggest concern for me is wheat's effect on the gut lining.
- It WILL dry out. I suppose that would be what most people would expect from this type of play dough, but just be warned. Especially if your kid is like mine and breaks it into little bits or makes you roll it out (more surface area means it dries out faster).
- It's pricey (especially given the use of cheap wheat and soy ingredients), I would expect this price from something with higher overall quality ingredients.
I was going to give this 4 stars, then after writing about the wheat and soy, I changed my mind. I can see the wheat, it's a lot tougher to make gluten free and have it work and I totally understand that, but the use of cheap, unhealthy soy oil really is unnecessary and inexcusable. Our ids are exposed to enough hormone disruptors, we should be doing whatever we can to keep them out of their toys.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Poor product and manufacturer's customer service. I bought a jar a few months ago and kept it indoors. When I opened the jar and mixed its content, the wax resist looked perfectly normal. However, as soon as I began applying it with a brush, it started forming large clumps of wax on the porcelain surface. After five calls to Amaco and their empty promises to call me back, the advice I got from the technical support was to avoid buying from their distributors. "We don't know how they store the product, so we cannot guarantee quality. Next time buy directly from us". And no, the manufacturer is not going to replace the defective product.
I used many Amaco items( incl. wax resist) in the past, but next time I need to buy anything, I will do my best to avoid their products. A company that treats customers and distributors this way doesn't deserve any loyalty.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
What a great find. I was extremely pleased with this product. I had never used it before, but I needed a decorative tape to wrap Christmas packages for mailing. I purchased several designs, and found them to be very pretty. It was just a big "hit" with me because the tape went on smoothly, it stuck securely, and the designs were so unique that using it was fun. It is "decoration" on its own and sometimes needs nothing else added to it. I could find many other uses for it using other themed designs that aren't Christmas. It would be a wonderful thing to use in scrapbooking. It lies so flat, and even though it is thin, other designs or markings don't show through. I think that I could recommend this tape to anyone who has hobbies in arts and crafts, or even just people who want to design small things like birthday cards, etc. I received many compliments on it from those who received my gifts and many wondered where I found this tape. It is so easy to use that even children could use it if taught how it works best.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Magic fix for my dishwasher. My dishwasher wasn't getting anything clean--glassware was actually turning brown. I wondered whether the rusty spots on the dish racks were responsible so I googled how to patch them and found sugru. It has worked like a charm! I rather clumsily patched all the holes in the vinyl coating of the dish racks with globs of sugru, waited 24 hours and went back to using the dishwasher as usual and hey presto! Everything is clean and shiny again! This was a month ago and the sugru shows no signs of coming loose or dissolving or wearing away. Plus, because I ordered the multicolor pack, the dishwasher now looks quite festive!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Save Your Money. I needed some inexpensive small scissors to wear around my neck to cut yarn on the zillions of granny squares that I am making for an afghan. I didn't want to use my expensive needlepoint/embroidery scissors and 'thought' that these would be a good alternative. I relied on the DMC brand name, thinking that they probably weren't the best for that price, but would at least be of a descent quality. Since they were sealed in plastic, I couldn't try them before I bought them.
Boy was I wrong. They are cheaply made and are VERY stiff and they bind occasionally. In other words, they do not operate smoothly. My husband put a bit of oil by the screw, but it didn't do much good. They cut the yarn easily enough, but since they are new, I don't know how long the blades will stay sharp.
I'll use them until they are dull and then toss them. Lesson learned ... you get what you pay for and you can't blindly trust a brand name.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
when the spring stops being spring-y. Oct. 2011 - I bought this to do the fringe on a flannel rag quilt. I started on the outside of the quilt, which is only 2 layers of flannel. While the blades are very sharp, the spring quit springing open after a mere 30 minutes. The only way I can use this is to push the blades open every time.
Nov. 2011 - revised review. The fact that this thing wasn't springy at all was driving me nuts, especially considering how sharp the blades still were, and I've never had trouble with Fiskars products before. I unscrewed the blades from each other, cleaned in between, (there was no fabric stuck in there, but I wanted to be sure.) I then reassembled the snippers, and still no springy-ness. I then tried slightly loosening the screw that holds the blades together, and voila! I would guess that this approach may require me to tighten or loosen the screw again over time, but at least the snippers are useful again.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Pretty designs; one roll just a bit smaller than the others. I have purchased another set of washi tape from Allydrew that I was perfectly happy with. This set had a few minor imperfections, which I took a star off for. A few of the rolls were slightly smaller than others, which was sort of strange. One of the rolls had a wrinkle in it, though when the tape was removed from the roll for use there was no wrinkle.
I enjoyed the designs in this set, although do be aware the bright green roll is seasonal (Christmas trees).
As with most washi tape, it is sort of translucent and writing or whatever is on the paper is visible through the tape. As far as writing on the tape, only Sharpies (regular and fine point but not pens) write on top of the tape. The tape is re-position-able, though it does pick up pencil lead.
The included gift tags are good-sized and made out of a shimmery paper. They do have a slight smell, sort of like paint. The scored holes for the tie and decorative edge must be poked out. I recommend using a ballpoint pen to poke the holes out from the side where the score is more shallow.
At the time I purchased this tape, it was listed for $19.99, which roughly trasnlates to a little more that $1.60 per roll of tape plus the gift tags.
*Disclaimer: I received this item at a discount in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.*
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Life saver. I used Sugru on both bigger and smaller projects. For smaller projects, 1. the paint on my glasses arms were chipped off, and repeated contact with it caused inflammation on my skin. I covered the glasses arms with a thin layer of Sugru, and it took care of the problem. It was a lot harder than I thought to apply a very thin layer of Sugru on metal though. Smearing Sugru through a layer of plastic wrap helped. 2. I fixed a couple of cables with Sugru, which is fairly easy. The bigger project is a shower improvement. The shower in my room has only hot water, and it gets really hot in the summer. I'm a renter, and my landlord doesn't want to deal with the shower. My only option is to somehow turn the sink into shower, but still be able to use the sink when I'm not showering. The problem is I couldn't find proper adapter for shower to fit the faucet. But then with Sugru, I don't have to have the perfect size of the adapter. I used Sugru to connect a 3/4 to 1/2 adapter to the faucet. So now I can connect the shower to the faucet when I need it, and remove it when I don't need it. All in all, in my opinion, Sugru would be perfect if there's a way to store opened but unused Sugru for later.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
I love this gold set of washi tape. Washi tape .... Washi tape on everything! I love this gold set! the colors are bright and vivid. They stick very well to plastic/walls/wood. I got this set because I wanted to Washi tape my cabinets. I put washi on the shelves and it looks so awesome! It is discrete but you can still see that the tape is there on the shelf. My favorite was the two solid sparkly ones. I will say the quality is nice and it would make a wonderful gift to a crafty friend or a great stocking stuffer for the holidays. I can't wait to washi everything I own now.
I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I never guarantee a positive rating. I would never recommend a product I do not personally try myself. I always test products received. I am an everyday consumer just like you.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Cheap tools that hold up when working. I have a printmaking class were we were instructed to carve into a block of wood in order to create prints. I was not sure what exactly carving tools were, so I decided to find something cheap online (since i'm a student on a budget). I found these for 11$ (plus S&H) and let me tell you, they sure do what they're made for. I was worried about buying a cheap set of carving tools, but hey, these got the job done. They are very sturdy and come with different carving sized tools. It also comes with a sharpening stone (havent used it). If you want to see this product in action, just type in the name into YouTube and there are a few tutorial on how to use them. Not sure how well they hold up against different types of wood, I used Poplar.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Perfect for carving miniature figures or animals. I purchased this wood carving kit for my husband as a birthday gift. He has always been interested in wood carving, and also works on other wood projects often. This set includes 12 different tools: deep gouge, medium gouge, shallow gouge, narrow straight chisel, wide straight chisel, rounded chisel, 4 angled knives / chisels, parting tool, and pinpoint tool. They are all packaged well so you can easily store them. Whether you are carving miniature figures like animals, touching up furniture, or other wood projects, these tools will make the job fun and easier. They are comfortable to hold, and feel strong and durable. My husband has been playing around with these for awhile now, and these are working well. No problems or issues at all with the quality or workmanship.
This product was provided for an honest evaluation. These are especially great for beginners!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
I repaired the edges of my canvas bag and the black tape blended into the navy blue canvas pretty well so the repair isn't as vis. My canvas bike panier was beginning to tear at the base of the bag and I didn't want to toss it, so I gave this tape a try... It's incredible!
You get about a foot-long strip of tape, roughly 2-3 inches wide which needs to be cut to size, so make sure you check the dimensions of the items you need it for, and the color of the tape. What can I say? I repaired the edges of my canvas bag and the black tape blended into the navy blue canvas pretty well so the repair isn't as visible.
If you're an outdoorsperson I'd suggest keeping this in your emergency kit in case any gear gets a snag while you're out. Read other reviews for uses- people have used it for everything.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great product for a quick fix. I purchased this patch to repair the collar on my leather jacket. It had worn through on the neck crease. The color isn't an exact match but it is closer than it looks in the pictures. The patch is easy to apply on a clean dry suface, but be careful, the adhesive is good and strong - so place it right the first time. The patch adheres well and will adjust to cover a curved or folded surface over time. Make sure to round any corners when cutting the patch. I would suggest at least a 3/16" radius on all corners. I made a pattern on a piece of scratch paper that I used when trimming the patch. The patch is just thick enough that when cut it, you can see the uncolored tan color of the leather material. Before applying the patch, I used a brown Sharpie pen to darken the edges. This worked very well. I wear this lightweight jacket when riding a motorcycle and simply wanted to extend its life because it is so comfortable and lightweight. It has a nice well worn look and the patches do not detract too much from its appearance.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
So much paper! So many colors. I'm crafty, and I love me some construction paper. It's great for making holiday decorations, birthday cards. I use it to wrap small gifts when I'm out of fancy wrapping paper. This pack is perfect for several reasons. Not only was the price right, this "smart stack" of paper isn't connected to a pad with goo. I don't know about you, but I've ripped several sheets of perfectly good construction paper in my day, trying to remove them from the pad. This is also good quality paper, not that mushy stuff. 300 sheets provides you with a variety of colors-- light blue, pink, black, yellow, green, white, red, blue, orange, brown and purple. Imagine the possibilities! I do have to admit that the white is mostly wasted on me, since I always have computer paper at the ready and would much rather have more of the colors. I also have no idea why different quantities are provided in the pack, maybe depending on supposed popularity of each color? You get the most red, green and white. This is followed by yellow and blue. Then you get a smaller amount of black and orange, and the smallest supply of purple, brown, pink and light blue. Fortunately, 300 sheets is a lot, so even the colors provided in the tiniest quantity still give you about 15 sheets each.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
NOT AS EXPECTED, HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED. I purchased four packs of the brooch bouquet stems containing 12 stems per pack for a total of 48.
I was looking for the easiest way possible to make my bridesmaids brooch bouquets for my wedding.
I will say the item arrived quickly. They were ordered on Saturday afternoon and arrived on Monday afternoon with Amazon Prime but that is the end of any positive review for this item.
1. They are LONG and would only work for bigger bouquets. As my bouquets will be smaller I tried to cut the these stems to size and ruined the them.
2. The instruction call for additional material to pin the brooches to the stem which are NOT included. The instructions are confusing at best. I purchased brooches at a craft store that do not have a clasp or pin so I have no clue how to fasten them on the stem. I eventually used a hot glue gun out of desperation and ruined the brooches.
3. These stems only work for smaller brooches. Large brooches do NOT fit in the stem bud and while medium brooches fit on the bud, they are too flimsy to hold the weight.
I am unbelievably disappointed and frustrated with this purchase.
BUYER BEWARE :(
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
and Steven Universe cosplay and have always been happy with the results. I have used this on over 10 occasions for Homestuck, Undertale, and Steven Universe cosplay and have always been happy with the results. For those who have never used this before or who have trouble, i have several suggestions. First, wash your face thoroughly before use until all dead skin and oil is off, and moisturize with lotion first. Let is soak in as long as possible, then dampen a makeup sponge and dab in even circles to apply. DO NOT SWIPE OR RUB, unless you want to have to do more than one layer! set with baby powder or setting powder between colors or new layers, and leave areas where makeup will be applied as thin as possible. Finish it off with powder and if possible Ben Nye sealant spray (the blue-green kind). This will last you through several thorough applications. PLEASE NOTE THAT SEALING IS A MUST FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN PHOTOSHOOTS! YOUR FRIENDS, THE CON STAFF, AND WHOEVER YOU HUG WILL THANK YOU!
A good thing to note however is that if you are wearing a costume that shows more skin i HIGHLY recommend wearing tights, arm sleeves or even arm socks with fingers if at all possible! You will enjoy your Con experience a lot more if you don't have to stress about re-application! Have a great time with this!
Included is a pic of Kanaya using White snazaroo, and Eridan using Light grey.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great Little Light Box. I just got this today, but it came at a great time. I used to do about a dozen "Thank You" cards and a scrapbook page. The craft station is basically a light box with some added function. It's the brightest crafter-aimed light box I've used. The LED lights on this box are bright enough to shine through all my heavy cardstock, even black, glittered and patterned cardstock. I love the light box function of this thing, which is why I give it five stars. The bright LED lights line the full 12 by 12 working space. I think the light box alone is worth the price.
A light box is useful for crafters to trace and cut letters and designs onto papers, but I have also used my old light box for cutting fabric crafts and to make copies of cards and designs I've hand-drawn. That box used florescent light and will be retired. This one is much better.
The box does more than your average light box. It has a moveable ruler, an alignment tool and cutting tool. The cutting tool is pretty standard, but the blade is easy to replace. It's as easy as the amazon video says it is. The blade was a little awkward for me to use at first, because you have to push down on the blade shuttle while you move it to cut, but I quickly got used to do that. The blade shuttle is easily removed and replaced and you can turn it around to cut on the opposite side of the surface. The ruler can lock down so your paper won't slip. It locks down pretty tightly. The alignment tool is removed and replaced the same way as the blade shuttle.
I had some concerns that the blade would cut the light board surface, but I ran it back and forth across the surface at least a dozen times and the light board looks no worse for the wear. I will update my review if this changes.
The Craft Station comes with some tracing stencils. The light box has an area behind the light (on the opposite end of the raised lip) where you can slide stencils in, which is great. That means your stencils won't slip! Some of the things you can trace with the supplied stencil are: happy birthday, happiness, congratulations, best wishes, thinking of you, love, thanks, it's your day, best friends, you're the best, welcome baby, baby girl, baby boy, celebrate, I love you, thank you and just married. There are also stencils for some border designs, some journalling spaces and letters and numbers. You can make your own stencils to use as well.
The craft station also comes with an embossing pen and one stencil for embossing. I've never used an embossing pen (I have a cuttlebug), but this ones seems to be just like the embossing pens you can buy without the craft station. I wasn't too impressed with the embossing, but I think that's because the stencil supplied is rather intricate. The stencil is about the thickness of a piece of cardstock, so I made some cuts of less intricate designs and used the tool on them. It works nicely with less intricate designs, and it also works with cuttlebug dies. For the supplied stencil, I found the pen too thick and the lines to thin to yield good results. I will play with it more, since it seems fairly easy to design your own stencils. The Martha Stewart stencil is metal, which is ideal. I found the pen slipping sometimes on my cardstock stencils.
Only one edge of the cutting surface is raised. I like to use the side of the surface to align my projects. I guess they assumed you would use the alignment tool for that, but I would have liked for at least two of the sides have a raised lip. The alignment tool is only a few inches long. The raised side is horizontal to the ruler tool.
The placement of the on/off switch in the middle of the cord is a little awkward. I would have preferred the on/off switch to be on the device. The manual suggests you actually unplug the light box when it's not in use anyway.
My final concern is that the lightbox doesn't appear to have any user serviceable parts (I looked on EK Success Brands to be sure, and I didn't see anything on replacing the lights). To me, this means that if the lights go out, you're left with a plain cutting surface. There are multiple LED lights in the product, so the probability of them all failing is probably slim. LED lights last a long time, so it's probably not a reason not to buy the product.
All in all, this is a great, bright, multifunctional light box that any paper crafter would love to have. I know I already love mine!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great for all kinds of fabric, cuts clean, perfect for quilting, dressmaking and more. My mom has sewn since long before I was born, and still does to this day. She makes clothes for all of us at times, even her grand kids. I know she used to have some really expensive and awesome scissors back in the day, but I think they went missing in one of the many moves we had to do over the years. So these are perfect for me to give to her, and I am thankful that I got them at a reduced price to try and review. I was going to ask her if she could make some quilts for the kiddos, out of old clothing from their first year. Aside from my oldest two, who I only have some baby blankets left from that time, but I figured I'd ask her what she could do with those to make something special for them as they get older.
I did try out these scissors, because I didn't want to give her something that was kind of a bummer. You know? I have to say I'm very pleased, I have a lot of fabric of various textures and thicknesses and these scissors served me well in working with all of them. I've had trouble with scissors I've bought from the fabric store, just because they tend to get dull easily or my kids think they can use them for whatever. These have their own box, and a distinct look, meaning my kids know better (finally) than to use them. I'm sure my mom will be happy as well. :)
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
A must for the creative soul. Bought and received these some weeks ago. While in the hospital last November I found out I was a decent colorist. Around February I started getting hooked on the entire adult coloring hobby. One of the issues I find is too often ink or paint or what ever your using gets on the side of your hand. The next thing you know, you have smeared or really messed up the project your working on. If you tend to like things you do to look professional (I guess I'm sorta a perfectionist with somethings) , this can be very frustrating. A Facebook group I'm a part of was talking about this issue and someone mentioned there was a glove made for artist or want to be artist like me. I couldn't find it at any of the art or craft shops I went to so I checked Amazon. A course I found it. Lol.
This is actually the second company I've ordered from on Amazon . I really liked the first one I purchased but I love this one. I find it well made and holds up well? To me it is very comfortable. I tend to be hot temp but this doesn't make my hand at all sweaty. I'm a left handed and it works perfect for me. Most importantly it does what it's supposed to do. I have found it helps greatly keeping the color where I want it to be and not accidentally being smeared. My biggest issue with it is that when I screw up I can't blame it on my hand accidentally putting color where I didn't want it io be. I hope you find this helpful as you make your decision. If so let me know.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Cannot Live in Fear of My Tools. I like the concept and they work great on tape and paper. I had issue on cutting through plastic mailers, which I'm not totally sure its designed for that. However what bugs the heck out of me is how flimsy it feels! You know how sometimes you start imaging the worst possible thing that can happen and freak the heck out? Well thats how I feel with this product! I'm always scared if I press too hard, it will break and the metal edge will go flying into my eye. It feels that thin and unstable. Oh god! I'm imagining it now as I write this. They should either thicken the blade to add stability, or shorten it. Another minus is that I'm constantly retracting it by accident because my index finger naturally rests on the retraction mechanism
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Tired of Not Being Told Where My Product Is Made. After I received this item I compared it to another store bought X-acto Brand tool. Now I am questioning the authenticity of this item. The cheap look of the box and the material used to hold the items into place as well as the quality of the blades is leaving me to believe that I may have been hoodwinked into buying yet another Chinese made knock-off of another American Made product that I love. Amazon, can you tell me, no US, the consumer that the products being offered here are legit? It is there any qualifying process that your vendors must go through prior to selling on Amazon?
This whole issue of authentic vs. knock-off should be of concern to every single consumer. The lack of concern for basic rights for factory workers is the biggest issue if you want cheap goods to keep rolling into your home. Selling out your neighbors job to another country should be more of a concern if you don't mind paying a couple dollars more. If the environment is your hangup, then definitely stop buying Chinese made products. Especially since Chinese manufacturers have a very open lack of concern for the environment. I don't know anymore... I am down to save a buck like the next guy, but I am not okay with selling out our own economy by giving away American jobs in the process.
If y'all don't care for the political/social message, then consider this: will it be your job next?
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Very Zen. Very useful & reasonably priced (at least from this vendor). Check out several if you're shopping as the prices for the same product vary. The yarn winding is very therapeutic & easy. My mess of bits of yarn or small rolls are now all very tidy & even. This winder can't handle the bigger rolls, so you either have to split them or wait until you've used at least half before rewinding them. I've also read you can expand the base & the vertical part w/cardboard & that allows you to wind bigger rolls. Haven't tried that yet, but I'll update this review if it works.
Advice: Start winding a bit losely so the finished ball is easier to remove. After that, you can hold the source a bit tighter & end up w/more yarn on the ball. Winding anything but a tiny bit of yarn without tightening the pressure at all ends up w/balls too floppy for my taste.
A single complaint: The metal guide you see sticking out is very necessary but won't stay out after the first couple of winds, no matter how careful you try to be. It's an easy fix with a bit of tape, but the design should be improved to prevent this. Don't try to use the winder without the guide fully extended as you'll end up w/yarn tangled at the bottom of the turning part. Glue may also work, but if you're not able to fold the guide again, the guide won't fit back in the box.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Simple to use but takes practice to get proficient if new to mat cutting. I was a picture framer for a while years ago but I had never used a hand held mat cutter, just the full sized kind, so I understood the concept of what I was doing. It does take some strength and manual dexterity to do the work the large ones handle on their own, like keeping a steady hand and maintaining firm even pressure with both hands but it's easy enough once you get the hang of it. That said, my first mat came out perfect with this tool, but like I said I had the general technique down already. I don't have other handhelds to compare to but this one is solid and lived up to my high hopes. It feels like it will serve me well with care. If I had more room I would have invested the money and bought a tabletop model but I do recommend this one, especially for those with limited space like me.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Great starter kit. When I opened the package I was extremely surprised and impressed at how sharp the chisels were right off the bat. Usually blades that are inexpensive require additional sharpening prior to use, but there were ready to go right away. My test was done on a piece of spare redwood I had in my garage. I make furniture in my spare time and typically only have hard woods available. The handles felt comfortable and are made of sturdy wood. The blades were very secure in their housing and didn't flex when I used them. The blades carved easily into the wood and I was able to work very smoothly, despite the harder breed of wood I was using. I am very anxious to see how this will work on something more traditional to woodcarving like basswood. My guess is it will be more than adequate. My only critique is that I would have liked the addition of a chip carving blade as well. I think that would have really rounded out the set, but that is more of a personal preference and doesn't take away from the product.
I received this product at a discount for my honest review.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
BUY IT!!!! USE IT!!!! YOU WILL LOVE IT. I managed to get a used FILBE (Family of Improved Load Bearing Equipment) USMC main pack (5k cubic inches of pack space!!! AND it fit on my ALICE frame!!) at the local flea market surplus for a GREAT price... Unfortunately, it had a small slit/tear in the front of the bottom storage compartment area (well... it IS used). I didn't want to just sew it closed and further compromise the front.... and I tried a regular iron on fabric patch I had on hand... and it didn't hold. So I did some research and read the reviews here... and while out at the local Field & Stream store I found this for sale in clear (for a little more than Amazon... But hey, this review is about the PRODUCT... not the retailer) ... IT DOES EVERYTHING IT SAYS IT WILL DO!! Slit closed, bag integrity reinstated, even have more left over to put in my camping repair kit... Because, hey, I also carry a tarp, a hammock, etc and I'm not gentle on any of it!! If you camp/hike/hunt/fish... heck do ANYTHING outdoors... GET THIS PRODUCT... Sooner or later you'll need it!!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Best Bottle Cutter EVER. I previously had the Generation Green G2 bottle cutter. I had this perfect idea for a friend to turn his favorite etched beer bottles into cups. Needless to say out of the 8 bottles I had, I only got 1 usable cup, and even that was a poor cup.
I bought this Kinkajou back in September for my birthday and only just got to using it today (time constraints with work and being a college student). I can however say this is the BEST choice I ever made! It works perfectly and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It's no more hard work trying to get the perfect straight line, the separation rings make it even easier to separate the bottle ends without injury to yourself or the bottle.
In my trial with 6 bottles I had one that didn't quite crack right but it's very small and will more than likely sand down with no problems. Aside from that the only other issue is that I hadn't tightened the Kinkajou tight enough on one bottle and accidentally hit it so the score line didn't match up.
So out of 6 test bottles, only that last one wouldn't work out and that was MY fault and not that of the product. This thing is amazing!
This thing is pretty fool proof and comes with well written directions as well. This deluxe kit was even more amazing because it came with a nice package of sandpaper to finish your glasses off nicely!
Never dealing with any other bottle cutter again!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
The Colored Silk Maple Leaves prove that nature can be such a beautiful sight when the leaves are changing colors. The Colored Silk Maple Leaves come in a package of approximately 80 assorted rich fall colors. Nature can be such a beautiful sight when the leaves are changing colors. In the south, I don't get to see this nearly as good as say people that live in Missouri. I've driven up there once for a wedding at a winery and although the wedding was beautiful, I couldn't stop staring at the trees.
However, these beautiful ones by Factory Direct Craft's are a great artificial version and although they aren't on branches. I can hang them all over the house to create that effect. I decided to string mine together with needle and thread to create a banner to hang in my living room. I know there are many more uses for crafts and such. It's good too know I can reuse these again for something else.
I got them at a discount in exchange for my honest review. Opinion is my own.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
This Great Sculpey Medium Blend Clay Has Quickly Become My Go-To Polymer Clay for Detailed Sculptures. As of late Ive been going back through some of my many art supply purchases over the years and reviewing the ones that stood out in order to hopefully help other artists make informed purchases, and Sculpey Medium Blend is one that definitely warrants a five-star review!
I enjoy art and sculpture, and over the last few years I've really been digging into physical sculpture in particular, and with it, I've been trying a lot of new tools and materials along the way. For years I used to use an electric meat-grinder and pasta roller in order to mix my "perfect" clay (which was a blend of Super Sculpey, Sculpey Firm, and a little Sculpey III), so when Sculpey Medium Blend was announced awhile back, I was interested in checking it out and comparing and contrasting it to clays and blends I already used. I must say: I've been exceptionally pleased and surprised with the results!
This particular pack includes three 1lb packages of Sculpey Medium Blend, and I think the best way I could describe Sculpey Medium Blend is that it is about the grey color of Sculpey Firm, but with a consistency between Sculpey Firm and Super Sculpey. I love working in a neutral grey clay because it really helps details pop, and in reverse: it makes you aware of rough areas or areas with fingerprints you might want to smooth out. This clay smooths just the same as other polymer clays I've used (with Turpenoid or rubbing alcohol), and it's really quite pleasant to work with!
While I'm sure there will be times I will want to crack open my meat grinder and pasta roller once again to mix clays, I can honestly tell you that since I've started using Sculpey Medium Blend, I've all-but stuck to it. It's just that good, and it's contributed to all of my sculptures that you see in the photos below.
That said, this clay has become my go-to polymer clay for detailed sculptures, and I would highly recommend it to any artist or sculptor who is interested in adding a new clay to their creative arsenal.
I am a longtime Amazon Prime customer who enjoys writing reviews in my free time. If you have any questions or comments about this product or my review, feel free to message me and I'll be glad to help!
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Suncatcher eyes are my favorite. I usually use smaller eyes because most of my amigurumi projects are small. For larger size toys, these eyes are just under a half inch in diameter.
They are safety eyes, which means they have a peg on the back, and a washer that locks in place when you push it down on the peg. I like them for crochet and knit projects, inserting the pegs between stitches in the right places, check placement, then put the washer in place. Once the washer locks, you can't separate them without destroying the washer. It makes them very secure.
These handpainted eyes are made of acrylic I think, and painted from the back with non-toxic paints in glittering, jewel like style. The fantasy colors and cat's eye slits make them just lovely on little dragons, snakes and of course, cats in fun pastel or jewel tones.
Absolutely recommended for amigurumis and other stuffed toys for children 3 and up. For younger kids, embroidered eyes are always the safest option.
|
arts-crafts-and-sewing_crafting
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.