text stringlengths 1 19.3k | label int64 1 5 |
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Construction paper is awesome! Lots of colors, good quality | 5 |
I enjoyed working with my grandson and teaching him sculpture with this medium, he wanted hands on and natural, so I got this clay for him. He loved it. | 5 |
I love it it's perfect best desktop i ever pought looks very modern and artistic. Good for all kinds of art easy to clean. | 5 |
I realize half the reviews for the Fiskars Ultra ShapeXpress were good and half were not. For the price I thought I would try it. I watched several videos on line on the correct way to use it. I am pretty proficient with crafting tools. I must say I was very disappointed. It was difficult to keep the cutter close to the inside edge of the Fiskars templates. It did not handle corners or curves well. Cutting out the star shapes was almost impossible. I would not recommend this product. | 1 |
Sometimes you just need an oversized pin bowl! I had a few small pin holders around my sewing room, but way too many pins (if that's even possible). This Dritz Longarm Magnetic Pin Bowl can hold a lot of pins and I love that it's magnetic so I don't have to worry about my pins falling out and stepping on one, which I have done in the past.
If you are looking for a sturdy pin bowl this is definitely the one! | 5 |
It's amazing on hard surfaces. You may have to work with it a little on fabric. Try using transfer tape with it and see how that works for you, too. It's thin and flimsy and will stick to itself, but it's great to keep things from bleeding through, be it ink or glass etching. | 4 |
Thank You | 5 |
Great cardstock for paper flowers!! | 5 |
Another tool for my quilt projects and will be in good use at a later time. | 5 |
I thought I was getting at least a package (5) of blades in this order! | 1 |
this was a gift for my granddaughter who is learning how to sew and it should be a great help to keep her sewing straight. | 5 |
The quality wasn't terrible but they aren't firm foam and they are smaller than 1 inch. Not what I wanted. | 2 |
Great art supplies! | 5 |
Very satisfied with the paint brushes. | 5 |
this embossing folder is a nice background for a card or a photo in a scrapbook. Good quality, sent right away and the price was better than in my local stores. | 5 |
I didn't like mine as much as I thought I would. The top part wouldn't slide on and actually ended up snapping in half. It's made of very thin plastic and is not very good quality. Was hoping for something a little nicer and easier to put together. | 3 |
I use for "urban sketching" - GREAT product. Does NOT leak. To clean it in the field, simply bring along a paper towel -squeeze & dab the brush onto the paper towel between colors & when finished - voila! clean brush. | 5 |
Love them. | 5 |
Enjoy using these attachments with my machine. Thank you | 5 |
it's a great bead | 5 |
So wonderful & easy to put on | 5 |
For the price, these are perfect. They all work fine. I needed round nose pliers for jewelry making in an undeveloped country. Now the youth can proceed! | 4 |
I just got this, but think I will get a lot of use out of it. I got the hardcover one and this softcover one. Both look good. | 4 |
A lot of beads | 4 |
Love this size plate!!! Great for card making!!! | 5 |
WILL MAKE A NICE CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO GO ALONG WITH THE ART SET | 5 |
We have locking gas caps, these swivels make twisting the single key than the whole wad. | 5 |
These are really wonderful pens. The fine tip were perfect for smaller labels and signs. Too bad my daughter took them home with her after a visit... | 5 |
This would have been 5 stars if I ordered a 35 inch mat, however, I thought I was ordering a 36 inch mat. Crazy! | 3 |
I had never ordered the jumbo before and it really is Jumbo. The blue is a pretty light blue and so far I have had no problems with knots or breakage. Yes I would recommend this to others. | 5 |
New to pastels. Purchased this larger set after using the 12 pencil set a few days. Much better to buy the larger set with more colors first! They blend well. I use them in addition to Prismacolor Nupastels. Sharpen to a point with care. I use the small red General pencil sharpeners. | 5 |
Arrived and was as advertised. | 5 |
Good quality beginner yarn. I use it for testing stitches and filler for additional colors on scarves. | 4 |
Quality is not so good. A sharpie works better. | 3 |
Fiskars Softouch Scissors, Left/Right Hand, 5 Inches, 1.75-Inch Cut (99217097) I use these little snips for clipping curves in applique. The blades are very sharp and the spring action makes it so much quicker to make tiny snips along the seam allowance. I also have a pair of these at my sewing machine for snipping threads, seam allowances, and corners before turning. I have found them indispensable! | 5 |
Great for the person looking to make jewelry. Give your next piece a very professional look with these great silver chains. | 4 |
Works great, recommend. | 5 |
Keep my pencils organized and all my colors group together plus I can leave a couple slots in between to add new pencils love!! it is bulky when u get a lot pencils in there! So my hubby hung a hook on the wall at my area where I color | 5 |
Does exactly what it's supposed to do. Balances well, thread flows evenly. Good product. | 4 |
I recently discovered clover products, and I absolutly love them. Well made and easy to use. These needles are no different. They make hand sewing easy. | 5 |
I have heard a lot of great things about the Princeton Neptune watercolor brushes. I like my number 6 brush just fine. I think it is even softer than my Mimik Squirrel brushes from Jerry's artarama. So that will come in handy for glazing. | 4 |
Caron Neon yarns are a "stand out" product. There are so many uses for this yarn. | 5 |
Love it. Very handy. | 5 |
They are sponge brushes. Not much to be expected. These seem pretty decent and have a good variety of tips. Ultimately though I only see sponge brushes as having a few uses before they wear out and get trashed. These seem pretty good though. I like that the foam is very smooth, | 4 |
works well with the Xyron sticker maker | 5 |
I'd like to have given them a better rating, but they just don't hold up or stay as tight as some other brands I've used. At least they are inexpensive and in this case, you do get what you pay for. | 3 |
This was a little thicker than I work with. | 4 |
Top notch quality!! Superior to others I've used. Thanks! | 5 |
I got the amount that I was expecting. Colors just like in the picture. Uniform beads and bright colors. | 5 |
have been please with the quality and consistency of the shape and size of these beads. The holes are uniform in size! | 3 |
These were the perfect size I was looking for. Used them in polymer clay and they baked easily, and I was even able to remove/replace them in pieces after baking. Very pleased. | 5 |
The selection in this pad of paper is beautiful. I love the sparkles.
Also that it's reversible. I'll be able to use for a lot of projects. | 5 |
Use these feathers for a prom dress I made. Good quality and very beautiful | 5 |
Very nice heavy bags. Its a keeper. | 5 |
The threads are well packaged and come in very pretty colors, my only problem with them is that many of the spools don't have a start and it's a hassle trying to find/create an end while others have the end piece separated and placed on top. If these were all easy to start, it would be a five star product for the price. | 4 |
I am writing this review from the perspective of a comparison between the Cricut Expression 2 and the Silhouette Cameo. My review is also approaching the application of these machines from a more industrial perspective, NOT from and arts & crafts perspective. In other words, what applications can inexpensive computer-controlled cutting machines be put to outside of the usual arts & crafts world, and how do the two most popular machines of that type compare in those divergent applications?
By Arts & Crafts, I am referring to applications that involve the usual 'hearts, flowers, puppy dogs, cupcakes' shape cutting. By Industrial, I am referring to other tasks such as cutting stencils for spray painting numbers on shipping crates, cutting gaskets, cutting of labels and industrial markers, cutting picture frame masks, and so on.
I have obtained and used both machines during the same time period. I have had extensive communications with both manufacturers, both in pre-sales discussions and in post-sales customer/technical support. If I mention a feature of a product, it is one that I have used and verified personally. If I mention a limitation of a product, it is one that I have experienced personally AND also discussed with the manufacturer to see if I was missing something and/or if there was a work-arounf or alternative way of achieving the goal.
Both machines will cut out shapes from sheets of flat materials under computerized control. Both machines are very similar in design and layout, and both work in the same mechanical fashion. Both machines are about the same size and can cut shapes from similar sized pieces of raw material. Both machines use a tiny metal knife that us moved up and down under computer control, while the knife holder moves sideways and the material moved front and back. Both machines use a knife blade that swivels so that it always cuts regardless of the direction the materials is moving in relative to the knife itself.
Other than these similarities, there are significant differences in the philosophy between the two products. Henceforth in this review I will refer to the Cricut Expression 2 as the "Cricut" and the Silhouette Cameo as the "Cameo".
The Cricut is fundamentally designed to provide a wide range of predefined symbols and symbol sets from which the user can select adn assemble the desired craft projects. It does this without the need for any additional equipment, and specifically the user does not need to have a personal computer or have any knowledge of software or computers. It is the more portable of the two products because you can pick it up and take it to another location easily without the need to lug along a personal computer (or have a personal computer in the new location). The Cricut is self-sufficient.
The Cameo is fundamentally designed to act exactly as an inkjet or laser printer does when connected to a personal computer; it is in effect a computer printer that produces patterns by cutting them from material as opposed to producing them by putting ink or toner on material. It cannot be used without a personal computer. Its user mist be able to learn and use computer software, the same as learning other software such as word processors, photo editing, web browser, page layout, and other popular applications. The Cameo is not self sufficient.
The Cricut does not allow the user to create shapes from scratch. You must find a suitable shape, or group of shapes, from within the huge library of predefined symbols that is spread across a large number of Cricut cartridges. It is possible to 'weld' different shapes together and this offers some flexibility, but ultimately the shapes must originate in the cartridges. When the user has a specific shape in mind and cannot alter it to suit what can be found in the cartridges, it can become quite frustrating. In the task of trying to assemble the designed custom shape, the user might have to purchase several cartidges, and they are not cheap. It is also quite possible that the desired shape cannot be cut at all.
The Cameo allows the user to create shapes from scratch. There are no cartridges at all. If the user does not wish to design their own shapes, there is also an extensive library of online shapes designed by other users. Cameo does not limit where the shapes come from, but does offer a great many from their own online library at 99 cents per shape. The user can buy only the shape, or shapes, desired and does not need to buy an expensive cartridge only to get a single shape from it. Instead of purchasing shapes designed by others, the user can draw any desired shape using the compter software, and can offer it to others for use.
The Cricut has a nice display, consisting of a color LCD screen with touch sensitive surface. All the operations can be performed by touching the screen, or for more precise selections a plastic stylus is included. Once a given cartridge is plugged into the Cricut, all of its shapes can be viewed on the screen as tiny thumbnail images, and the desired shapes can be selected to a queue, from which they can be dragged to a virtual cutting mat, showing where they will appear on the material to be cut. Any shape can be selected, enlarged, and resized.
The Cameo has a small simple display like a calculator's or an older cell phones. It diplays only one color and shows only text. It is used for diagnostics and for messages like "Load the material" and "Unload the material". All other operations are done using the included computer software, using the computer's keyboard, mouse and screen.
The Cricut can be used, optionally, with the free Craft Room software on a personal computer. This software must be downloaded from the Cricut website; it is not included with the machine. The software includes a library of all currently known cartridges, and allows the user to assemble a complete cutting session before the actual cartridges needed have been purchased. The Craft Room software will not function unless the computer is currently online with Cricut; this is important, since it means that you must have an internet connection anywhwere that you want to use the Cricut in conjuction with the Craft Room software. The Craft Room does not allow the user to design their shapes, but it does provide a more user-friendly interface for the Cricut, since more tools and objects can be viewed on the larger computer screen.
The Cameo must be used with the included Studio software; this comes on a CD-ROM in the box with the machine. For a fee of about $50, it will upgrade itself to the more advanced Designer Edition. The main advantages of the Designer Edition are the ability to import a wider range of graphics from other programs. Both the regular version and the Designer Edition allow the same design and cutting functionality, so for most people there is no need to buy the Designer Edition. The Cameo's software only needs to be online with the Silhouette website when you wish to purchase shapes from their library, or when you wish to do an upgrade to a newer version. Otherwise, the software works without the need for an internet connection.
The Cricut includes a white LED headlight next to the blade, so you can see what it is cutting as it does so. The Cameo does not have such a light.
Both machines use cutting mats, which are clear plastic sheets with a special adhesive on the top surface to make it a bit tacky. This holds the material to be cut so that it does not slide around during cuttings. The mats wear out due to wear from the blades cutting through into them, and from the adhesive wearing out.
Both machines use blades that attach to a tool holder on the machines. The Cricut uses tiny blades that fit into a blade holder, while the Cameo requires the user to replace the blade holder when the blade wears out; this makes the Cameo blades a bit more expensive, but on the other hand it is much easier to handle the larger blade holder then it is handling the tiny (and sharp!) Cricut blades. The Cricut blade depth can be adjusted while the blade holder is attached to the machine, whereas the Cameo blade holder muct be removed from the machine in order to change blade depth. Both machines seem to cut equally well.
The Cricut is not intended to make its cuts on specific areas of the mat (you can get close, though, using the Craft Room software). The Cameo allows very precise cuts relative to the material, so you can specify that a shape be cut starting 1/2", for example, from the edge of the material.
The Cricut is not intended for cutting out pre-printed materials; it is intended to cut out shapes in different materials (of materials of different colors) that can be later assembled to form a multi-colored overall shape.
The Cameo is not a printer, but it does allow importing and designing shapes in any desired color or combination of colors. Then it will send the image to the printer of your choice, printing on the material to be cut; this is limited only by the ability of your printer. The Cameo software will print registration marks on the printed sheet, and when the printed sheet is then loaded into the Cameo machine, it used an electric eye to scan for the registration marks, and will syncronize and align the cutting with the pre-printed images. This allows an infinite number of printed images and cut shapes to be made. The syncronized cuts are very accurate, matching the desired printed images. The user can specify where the cuts are to be made relative to the printed shapes, or the software can automatically figure it out. This even applies to graphical objects imported into the Cameo software, as opposed to being designed in that software.
The Cricut requires that all text come from the cartridges, so the user is very limited in regards to available fonts. The Cameo software can use any True Type font that is installed on the computer, which means pretty much all fonts available to other Windows applications, and of course you can download any font you want from the internet. Since none of the Cricut cartridges include a 'stencil' style font, you cannot easily use it to cut stencils for painting signs and such.
I find that overall, the Cricut is probably a better choice for people interested in arts & crafts projects, or for people who don't have or don't care to use a personal computer. I find that the Cameo is better for people who are prepared to use a personal computer and who desire complete freedom in what shapes they cut.
Finally, I have found that emails to Cricut take four to fives days before a reply arrives, whereas emails to teh Cameo folks are answered almost immediately, and with real and useful responses. I have found that phone calls to Cricut require long waits on hold (typically 20 to 30 minutes) and then often the person answering the phone does not know the answer and transfers me to another group of tech support people, with another long wait. Evbery time I have called the Cameo folks, I have gotten through very quickly. Most importantly, it seems that Cricut support people either know the software or the machine, but nor both. The Cameo folks know both the software and the machine, since they must be used together. My experiences with the Cricut software included issues with getting the software to recognize the machine, whereas in my experience, the Cameo software was more bullet proof and installed easily and recognized the machine every time without trouble. | 3 |
receiving my beads was perfect - they were packed so carefully and looked just perfect for the project that I am embarking on to use them. even the people that I give them to absolutely love them, they are so pretty | 5 |
Classic simplicity that compliments charms well | 5 |
Lovin it | 5 |
I watched a tutorial on the Missouri Star Quilting site, on making a tote bag using Bosal Unique fusible foam. As soon as I received the foam, I made a tote bag, and it worked so well, I am going to make several more to give as gifts. I recommend this material it works great. | 5 |
very good adhesive. highly recommend | 5 |
These are just neat. They're bright, colorful and very functional. They clamp around your spool of thread and keep the thread from unraveling. I will be buying more. | 4 |
Ok beads | 4 |
This is my third or fourth Pentalic book. I love the price and the quality. They make great stocking stuffers, too! They hold up well in your pocket, bag, or purse. | 5 |
Works great! Arrived on time! | 5 |
I'm so pleased with this chain. The quantity for the price was awesome! I am planning many necklaces with this. | 4 |
As always, Sulky products are dependable. Arrived in a timely fashion. | 5 |
This works great and this price is much better than at fabric stores here in NJ.
It's a wonderful stabilizer for embroidering on towels, put a piece on both the top and the bottom of the towel to keep the stitching from sinking into the pile on the towel. Once you're design is stitched you cut off the excess and wash and dry the towel. They come out beautiful.
For FSL I often get away with just one layer of this. I've made tons of lace trim and several doilies all of which came out perfect with just one layer. | 5 |
This item arrived on time and worked well for my project. There is quite of bit of elastic on the roll, so measure carefully. | 4 |
The markings on this 2-sided board are nice and bright. I like that I can choose the pink or turquoise depending on what color I'm cutting. Easy on the eyes. And the plastic top makes for good cuts with my Xacto knive. | 5 |
Leaves a glossy finish to all my paper crafts. It doesnt dry as stiff as i'd like but I assume that if i apply more coats, it should stiffen up nicely. Like all water based glues/ sealers, you have to expect some warping of teh paper but that can be reduced by placing your paper under something flat and heavy when drying | 5 |
I really love this yarn. I'm using Delft with white to produce a winter themed blanket. The color fades from a pale light blue to a deeper medium blue mixed with the white. Its just lovely stuff. The way this particular type of yarn Lion Brand makes is shaped can make it a challenge for some projects. But once you work with it makes some lovely looking stuff. It does not show stitch patterns very well but it will show an over all blanket pattern off. | 5 |
Great, as usual | 5 |
Craft Product thank you for good service | 5 |
This is a great block of watercolor paper! I'd read or heard several recommendations for the Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper. I wanted to try it in both the hot- and cold-pressed types. Watercolor blocks can be expensive, so I thought the smaller blocks would be a good trial size. This hot-pressed paper is awesome. I'm am no expert at watercolor painting, but have been learning using a variety of paints and papers. I generally use inexpensive paper to try techniques and do rough preliminary sketches. I have come to the conclusion that once you know a few basics of watercolor painting, you should use the best quality paint and paper you can afford. This is one of my best choices for paper. Color goes on smoothly, with all the wonderful watercolor painting effects. I definitely recommend this block! | 5 |
These are one of those "Ok, but" items to me. Pretty and versatile, yes ... but not worth the base price plus shipping cost. I won't order again. | 3 |
This yarn is a bit rough and thin, but I suppose that's what you get for the price! | 3 |
These beads are truly shiny and black just as they look on the website. My order arrived before the scheduled date. | 5 |
I,m sure some have found a wonderful tool but I didn't,t realize how many parts there are and find it hard to store in my small room. Just seems like a lot of work to get the results. I like regular stamping better. Sorry Inkadinkado. Otherwise I do like quite a few of their stamps they have. I,m just not patient enough to get this contraption out. | 2 |
Gorgeous beads! Very sturdy. As pictured. | 5 |
All good. | 5 |
very sharp and will last a long time | 5 |
very cool idea | 5 |
This case was perfect and just what I was looking for. I love it. | 5 |
Clover bamboo needles are always good! They have texture that holds the yarn well -- especially lace and sock yarn. They don't seem to tire my hands as much as aluminum ones. | 5 |
Where have you been all my life? This bowl is not only functional but pretty enough to decorate any room; the wood is very handsome. Even small skeins of unwound yarn fit easily inside. I have been using a skein of worsted-weight cotton curled inside the bowl; it pulls through with ease even though the wrapper is still on the skein. Highly recommend. | 5 |
This is by far the cutest stencil I have purchased so far! I used it for foregrounds in my paintings, particularly when I am not happy with the front of the composition. It always turns out cute! As an intermediate painter, if I am unhappy with a composition, I rearrange it into an abstract, and oftdn add stencils to jazz it up. This one is the BEST! | 5 |
good scissors and good variety | 5 |
its just what i was looking for! Works great! ....and did i mention fast shipping? yeah! fast shipping! Thanks soooo much! | 5 |
Huge step up from grocery store watercolors. So vibrant and yummy! The pans are small but will last a very long time. Super portable. Love the many mixing trays. Some of the colors granulate terribly but maybe that's normal. All in all I'm obsessed with this compact kit of beautiful color. | 4 |
This is a beautiful mold...I used resin in it and it released from the mold with no issues and it looked amazing! I am so glad that I decided to purchase this...I am looking forward to making many more...Super fast shipping and great price! | 5 |
A great way to use up your scraps and/or matching the color ended for your project. I have found that using a quill tool it is much easier to roll and it stay together until the end. | 5 |
can't do a reviews | 4 |
great fun | 5 |
I love this machine,
I own a pazzles and I bought this one for cutting out words and more busy designs.
It works fantastic. I love it for the detail... Since I already invested in a Pazzles which is
a 12x12 cutter I bought the smaller Portrait. | 5 |
These sheets worked great in the printer, exactly as advertised and never got stuck or smeared at all. Very pleased! | 5 |
This wonderful to draw with the cover will bend around to the back, and easy to remove pages to frame pictures or throw away mess ups.. The paper is quite nice I have layered different mediums on it and its held up great. Through like with most drawing paper you still need something behind it so markers don't bleed through to the next page. The hard cover Protects pages wonderfully | 5 |
work great so far | 4 |
Love using Smash Book products! | 5 |
A needle threader such as these are just what they are, however, rest assured, they have been around forever, and still the best for the old standby threaders! | 4 |
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