Craft Critique - Craft Product Reviews and Scrapbook Product Reviews

Acrylic Paint Comparisons

2009-11-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Reported by Erika Martin

Acrylic paints are my favorite type of paints to work with. They're inexpensive, and the color choices are almost limitless. I can stand in the paint aisle at a craft store and gaze at them for hours. The hardest thing to do is go in with a budget and have to decide which colors I'm going to take home. It's a visual feast! If I had unlimited funds, I'd put one of every color in my cart!

I was recently looking at my stash of paints and realized how many different brands I had in there. I found that I was choosing paints at the store for the colors and not necessarily for the qualities the different brands offered. I started taking the paints out and playing with them with the purpose of seeing what the pros and cons were. Once I started doing the comparisons, I was amazed.

The 5 brands of paints that I did my comparison on are:

Ceramcoat by Delta
Apple Barrel by Plaid
Americana by DecoArt
CraftSmart by Plaid
Anita's

I started out with a canvas board that I've had since I was in my teens. I drew my design on this canvas back then, worked on it a little bit and then we moved, so it got put in a box and it's been waiting all these years to be finished. I figured this was a great time to get back to work on it. I used this as my piece to compare my paints on as far as canvas went. I used a wooden piece for my other comparison for the same brands.

CERAMCOAT (by Delta)

I'll be honest and admit that when I took all of my paints out to look at them (and I have WAY more than what you see in the basket above - those are just the paints I use the most of), I found that I had more Ceramcoat (by Delta) than the other brands. One of the reasons for this is the first PRO that I have for their paints.

* The Ceramcoat line has an extraordinary amount of colors available. More than I've ever seen of any other brand on the shelves at a craft store. There's a total of 233 colors.

I know the packaging doesn't make the paint better or worse, but I really love their packaging. it's so clean and simply. It doesn't feel cluttered like other paint brand packaging does. I just can't help myself...when I see that label on the front of the bottles, I'm drawn to them.

I used Blue Heaven on the sky of my canvas and found the coverage to be very good for a primed canvas board. Canvases tend to hold oil paint on a first coat better than they do acrylics, so it's typical to need a couple coats of acrylic to get full coverage.

Lighter colors do tend to show the canvas through them, but the Ceramcoat paints give a really good coat the first time. It doesn't take much to touch them up after the first coat. The paint is thick enough for a good first coat, but not too thick to make it hard to work with in smaller spaces.
Wood is a much more porous surface and calls for a couple coats of paint as a primer. The Ceramcoat did really well on the first coat.

Ceramcoat touts their paints as "America's Favorite Acrylic Paint." The paints are a bit more on the higher end of acrylic paints. Most stores sell them for a MSRP of $1.69 per 2 oz. bottle, though there are bigger bottles of the more popular colors in 4, 8 and 12 ounce sizes.

These paints typically dry within 15 minutes.

APPLE BARREL (by Plaid)

The Apple Barrel line of acrylic paints are ideal for porous surfaces and great for wood, kids' crafts, and basic crafting. They don't necessarily work great for canvas work, as even with a second coat, the coverage isn't enough.

After a second coat:

The bottle label recommends using them for porous surfaces and that's definitely what I have to stick with unless I want to do 3 or 4 coats on a canvas. I find myself steering clear of the Apple Barrel paints when working with primed canvas, but when I'm working on paper crafts or wood, it's an ideal paint to work with.

The bottle recommends allowing the paint to dry for 1-2 hours between coats, though I've found that I can administer another coat on a porous surface within a half hour.

There's a little over 100 colors to choose from, including neons (which are hard to find in acrylics) and they also carry large economy size 8 oz. bottles of basic popular colors.

The price ranges from $1.29 - $1.49 in most craft stores, so they're a good choice if you want a good-coverage paint for porous surfaces but you're working on a budget.

ANITA'S

This is a brand that has been on US craft store shelves for years, though it's hard to find much in the way of information online about them directly from their company site, Design Objectives Limited. I've got a fair share in my paint supply and they are a bit on the lower price range at around $1.19 per 2 oz. bottle.

I do like the Anita's brand paints on canvas as they have good coverage and the colors are vibrant and very opaque. That's one thing I've realized about paints that claim they are opaque. Not all paints are created equal. What one brand's standards of "opaque" is.... another brand has a very different standard.

Anita's paints even advertises as being ideal for using on canvas, which is a plus in my book. The first coat goes on thick and smooth and there's not a lot of touch-up required.

There's usually not as many colors available as Ceramcoat, which is why I tend to go with the Ceramcoat line more, but I find that the two brands are very comparable.

AMERICANA (by DecoArt)
There is a total of 235 color of Americana paint, which is 2 more than the Ceramcoat line, though I haven't seen the full range of colors on a store shelf yet.

American boasts a total of 15 recommended surfaces for their paints and 5 of them are non-porous surfaces, which makes them ideal for primed canvas, one of my favorite things to paint. Because of the limited range of colors on most store shelves, I tend to veer toward Cermacoat, but the Americana paint is almost perfect for one coat on canvas. On wood surfaces it is even better.
This is one paint that I would really like to buy more of, as I like the appeal of a one-coat wonder.

Their price range is $1.19 - $1.29 per 2 ounce bottle, but they also carry 8 ounce bottles in selected colors.
CRAFT SMART (by Plaid)

I'm fairly new to this brand and just recently discovered it at my local Michael's. This paint line is made exclusively for the Michael's stores. Craft Smart also carries other art supplies that are made just for Michael's.

I was looking for some low cost acrylic paints for my 9 year daughter to start out with, since she's always getting into my stash of paints and especially my favorite colors (she has good taste!). When I found the Craft Smart line, I picked them up based on the price. At only 59 cents a bottle, it seemed like a really good deal for starter paints for a 9 year old.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality when I tried them out on my own projects. The quality of these paints are just one step below the Ceramcoat quality, but more than a dollar cheaper.

One of the downsides to this line is that there are only 74 colors available, so unless you're willing to mix your paint colors, there's not a large range of shades to work on complex colored projects. They're ideal for projects calling for bold colors and also for kids' crafts. The price makes them a great deal, especially if you're working on a budget.

So, what did I find in my comparison?

The adage that "you get what you pay for" isn't always true. Even some of the cheaper cost paints match up to some of the higher cost paints. The cheapest of the paints (Craft Smart) was almost as good as the most expensive paints (Ceramcoat).

It also really depends on what you're using your paints for. Some are formulated to work on all surfaces (Americana) while others are best used on porous surfaces (Apple Barrel).

I've found that my paint collection is made up of a majority of Ceramcoat paints, but it's not been out of a choice of quality, but rather the selection and the packaging. Now that I know what the differences are in the paints since doing my comparison, I'll be expanding my collection to include more of the other brands and try to bring my paints together in color families, rather than brands.

What brands are your favorite? Do you have a favorite color? What interesting surfaces have you used your acrylic paints on? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Dritz Mark-B-Gone Marking Pen

2009-11-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Reported by Susie Ziegler

This weekend I misplaced my water soluble marker and I found that I was unable to get started on my embroidery project without it! This is the Dritz Mark-B-Gone Marking Pen. The blue pen is for marking light fabrics and the white is for dark fabric.

There are many ways to transfer designs to fabric for embroidery. You can use iron-on transfers like these from Sublime Stitching or these from Aunt Martha. For awhile I was using pencil to trace images where the transfer was worn out or images I found on the internet, but a pencil mark is not removable if you make an error. I also sometimes like to use Sakura Micron Pigma pens for detailed lines, but that line is totally permanent so you better be certain of what you plan to stitch!

Here's the blue pen on light fabric in action. The line is a little bit thick and bulky, but I don't have to be totally precise when I draw out my designs.

Here is the light marker on dark fabric. It is quite a light mark, but I can see it. I can keep my designs for a while without finishing the stitching. They do fade a bit depending on the level of humidity.
You can use these pens on a variety of fabrics, but avoid anything that can't get wet. The only way to remove these lines is with a wet cloth or a spritz of water. Do NOT use soap to remove the marks! Certain soaps will set the mark instead of removing it!

Yipes! Don't iron either! This mark did come out, but I've seen the iron set the mark instead. Scary!

Pros:

Completely soluble in water.
Works as advertised!
Essential embroidery gadget allows for user error and errant lines.

Cons:

Plastic pen is very much like my kids super cheapo coloring markers, so it gets lost with their things in my unorganized area.
Line is thick and bulky, difficult for detail work like faces or fine lines.
Follow instructions carefully so you don't have unsightly permanent marks underneath your stitching.
Pricey. Must remember craft store coupon..

This set of two Dritz markers was about $7.40 at my local sewing store. You can also buy each pen separately for about $5 each.

I love these pens and most of my friends in my embroidery swaps use them too. How do you transfer lines onto fabric for embroidery?

Fiskars Combo Border and Corner Punch

2009-11-02T07:00:00.004-06:00

Reported by Christine Ousley

As I was walking along the scrapbook aisle the other day at a local craft store I saw a new Fiskars punch that really caught my eye. When I realized what this punch could do, I hurried over to the register, paid for my purchase, and drove home as fast as I could.

As soon as I started using the punch I realized that it was an excellent product; it is very well engineered. First off, this punch combines two punches into one. The levers on the top determine if you punch a corner, or part of the border, or maybe both. So it's more portable and takes up less storage space. Secondly, the way that they have created a stair step platform has made aligning the paper with the punch unbelievably simple. No more pictures to follow. Just slide your paper to the left until it hits the next notch.

I was so thrilled with the way that this punch worked I decided to create a little video to show you how easy it is to use.

Here is a picture of my finished project first:

Pros:

Easy to use
Beautiful borders for your papers
Two punches in one
Levers are on top and easy to push

Cons:

Hard to find at your local stores
Only works perfectly with papers measured in 1 inch increments, though you can work with it so the imperfections are not noticeable.
Not as many border designs as other border punch products

Do you love use border punches on your crafting projects? Have you tried the Fiskars Border Corner Combo Punch? We would love to hear from you!

Scor-Bug by Scor-Pal

2009-10-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Beth Silaika

I am not a fan of bugs. With the exception of ladybugs, butterflies and the occasional dragonfly, I have a swat to kill policy! Bugs creep me out!

In April, just as the flying critters are making the first Spring appearance in New York, Scor-Bug flew into my craft collection. I stumbled upon this new bug, which is not only cute, but pretty versatile for crafters! This little grey and teal spotted tool is a great accessory which works in conjunction with your Scor-Pal.

The tool has retractable "teeth" on a rotary wheel. The ergonomic design of the tool allows you to easily grasp the tool and gently glide the teeth in the grooves of the Scor-Pal for even bumps on your paper.

You simply place your cardstock or paper on the Scor-Pal, determine where you want your embossed line to occur, line that placement up with a grooved Scor-Pal line, and drag the Scor-Bug tool's rotary teeth over the paper. One thing to remember is to start your tool in the groove off the paper in a groove line or you will not get the full embossed effect, just a minor little dotted line.

Another item to consider is where you place your cardstock on the scorpal. You want to remember to leave a small gap between the top edge of the Scor-Pal and the paper you are "bugging". If you don't leave a slight space between the paper and the top of the Scor-Pal, you will find that the entire piece of paper will not get the pierced line. The tool hits the top edge of the Scor-Pal and stops with a small part of the paper "un-bugged". This can be difficult because I always use the top edge of the Scor-Pal to ensure that when I score a piece of paper it will be straight. When you use the Scor-Bug, you need to line your paper up with the grooved lines to ensure a straight edge.

The dotted area can be used to give some fun detail to your cards and scrapbook pages. Here, I used it to create a double embossed line on my cardstock.

You could use the other side of the cardstock for a pierced look, like faux stitching.

Whichever way you use it in your crafting applications, the detail that this tiny little tool creates is awesome.

Pros:

Simple to use, simply drag the rotary teeth in the groove of your Scor-Pal
inexpensive
creates a neat row of embossed or debossed dots on your paper
use the Scor-bug tool along with your Scor-pal without moving your paper to create a nice linear pattern. You do not even need to move your paper.

Cons:

You need to have the Scor-Pal to use this tool, you cannot use it on a flat surface

You have to remember to place the cardstock or paper a small distance away from the top edge of the Scor-Pal or you will not be able to "bug" your entire piece of paper. You also have to ensure to line up your edge the paper with the Scor-Pal grooves so that you will create a straight line

You should only drag the Bug in one direction, if you drag it back AND forth, it will not create a nice even line, it will look messy

You have to start dragging the Scor-bug off your paper or you may not get in the groove and only get a slightly dotted line, not the full pierced dot.

Scor-Pal created a new rage with its scoring tool, and the Scor-Bug is a wonderful little addition to the Scor-Pal family. I wouldn't squash this little Bug! I give the Scor-Pal a thumbs up! For less than $7, it is worth it to add it to your collection of tools!

I would love to hear how you use the Scor-Bug in your crafting applications.

Vendor Spotlight: Zentangle

2009-10-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Taylor Usry

When the Zentangle arrived, I was absolutely blown away by the beauty and simplicity of its packaging. I checked it out on the website once I knew it was on the way, but I didn't really expect it to look as good as it did in the picture! The box is compact - about the size of a book (it measures 5 1/2 " x 8 " x 1 3/4 " (14 cm x 20.5 cm x 4.5 cm). It really seems designed to travel anywhere with you, which is a wonderful feature.

I watched the enclosed DVD for the entire 29 minutes straight through. It's one of those tiny DVD's, and it has a note that says it won't fit in the slot load players like Macs have. However, my kit came with a second, larger DVD, so I watched it on my Mac. I'm not sure if that is included for every kit now or not - but the large (regular sized) DVD does not fit in the box. It was very helpful to see the artist create each different tangle (defined as a simple, easy to draw pattern). Also, it is set to very soothing music that totally relaxed me.

The process is simple: start, using the pencil, by making a small dot in each corner. Connect the dots to make a square. Inside the square, you create a string to help define each area for your tangles. Once that is done, switch to the pen and create away! There is an enclosed die (called an icosahedron, which is a twenty-sided polyhedron die with numbers on each face) to help stimulate creativity. The die corresponds to a legend, so when you roll a number you can choose to use the pattern it suggests, or roll it again.

The kit comes with 2 Micron pens, made by Sakura Color Products. I absolutely *love* these pens! After using them to make a few tiles, I tested out a Zig marker of the same width (.01) to see if I'd get the same results. Nope! The Zig didn't seem as smooth or give me the depth of color that the Micron pen did. When the makers of the Zentangle said they did extensive testing for the best materials, they meant it. I found that the same thing held true for the tiles as well. I tested the process out on a 4"x4" chipboard coaster (twice, to make sure I wasn't just doing it wrong) and the results were nowhere near as pretty.

Once you have completed each of the areas within the strings, switch back to the pencil to do your shading. Lightly rub your finger over the places you have shaded. Then add your initials to just outside the drawing, flip it over to sign and date, and it's done!

The biggest reason that I wanted to test out this product were some of the benefits and uses the website suggested. Because I am bipolar, as well as a long term sufferer of depression, I am always looking for new and useful techniques for stress management and relief. I recently ceased all of my medication while we have another baby, so it is especially important to me to have access to good coping skills. I take mental health very seriously, and am always looking for new and different opportunities to practice interesting techniques. I'll admit, I was slightly skeptical about how well this would work. But I'll try anything :) I sat down for what I thought would be just enough time to watch the instructional DVD and maybe complete one of these. Before I knew it, I spent an entire morning creating these!

I enjoyed the process so much. My initial apprehensions that there would be a "wrong" way to complete a tile as way off base. There isn't. Even if you make a pattern slightly differently than suggested, it still comes out alright. You can draw your string in any design that is pleasing to you - again, there is no wrong way. Using the Zentangle is similar like meditating - I was able to easily focus on the task before me and let my mind slip away from stressors. The website offers interesting perspective on different theories of Zen tangle.

After I finished several tiles and my failed chipboard coaster experiment I thought I'd see what other surfaces worked well with the kit. I love the tiles, but due to their exceptional quality they are a bit pricey to replace. I found that Prima cardstock worked very well - I made several bookmarks for personal use (here I used a scrap of Sugar Cream). By far my favorite was the tiles, though - they realy are an excellent quality. I have plans to test out more materials but I had to tear myself away from the kit!

I couldn't be happier the Zentangle found its way to my craft room. The benefits for me personally are tremendous - a creative outlet that allows me to focus, relieves stress, improves concentration, and soothes my nerves. Not bad for such a small package! I also think that the end results are beautiful! I'd love to purchase some of the frames (but they do seem like more money than I'm willing to spend) for them.

My only downside (if I have to pick one) to this is the price. I feel like it may be cost prohibitive for many people who wish to use this kit in a therapeutic way. I understand that the price is directly related to the exceptional quality of the products in the kit. And truly, the supplies are elegant. I will happily pay to replace my supplies because I know that the system works for me. It may be hard for others to make the initial investment, though.

I'll be taking this with me on every trip my family goes on. I recommend it without hesitation to everyone!

Vendor Spotlight: Zentangle

2009-10-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Heather Strenzwilk

According to the Zentangle website, a Zentangle is "an easy to learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns." I recently received a Zentangle Kit which contains: an instructional mini DVD, full size DVD, instruction book, heavyweight artist's paper tiles, 2 Pigma Micron 01 black pens by Sakura, golf pencil, sharpener and 20-sided die in a book shaped box covered with green organic paper. These tools are all you need to create this unique artform.

I had tried unsuccessfully to create Zentangles using information from the Internet. The DVD and companon guide in the kit were what I needed to understand the process and how to replicate the patterns. I began by watching the DVD, in which several Zentangles are created from start to finish accompanied by Oriental background music. In fact there is no dialogue on the DVD. Since I like to work and "listen" rather than watch, this forced me to watch the DVD and observe the technique.

The process is rather simple:

On a tile, mark several points with a pencil and connect the points to create a shape (or tangle).
Draw several lines to portion the tangle into separate areas.
Use a Micron pen to create a unique pattern in each section.
Use the pencil to lightly shade the edges of each pattern and outer edge of the tangle and blend the pencil to give a shaded look.
Add your initials near the finished tile and sign and date the back of the tile.
Admire your work.

These are my first Zentangles- notice the difference between the onces I created with pencil (bottom) vs. Micron pen (top)

After waching the DVD I created my first Zentangles on copy paper, first with a pencil, then a Micron pen. The pen didn't move smoothly and my pencil shading didn't blend well at all. I really felt like I was dragging and the process was not fun. I grabbed a Micron pen and created 2 more Zentangles. These were better (Micron pens are some of my favorite pens for journaling).

By this point, my confidence was growing and I felt ready to "graduate" to the tiles.

Once I had created 5-6 Zentangles, I felt more confident with the basic patterns and was able to focus on enjoying the process and not following directions. Once I switched to "fun mode," I think my Zentangles improved. My nine year-old daughter saw what I was doing and she created several pieces herself. She used a Sharpie Ultra Fine Black Marker and her designs were bolder because of the slightly wider tip. At this point, I also started experimenting with tangles that were not square, but ultimately I prefer squares.

It was easy to add pencil shading using the paper tiles that came with the kit.

Next I graduated to the tiles. What a difference- the tiles are "mould-made, acid-free, 100% cotton, heavy-weight fine artists' paper with a beautiful vellum surface finish" and were a wonderful surface for the Micron pens. It was very easy to do the pencil shading and blending on thie surface too. The small golf pencil that came with the kit was small for me so I switched to a more common (and longer) #2 pencil and shading remained successful.

On the back of each tile is a place to sign and date your artwork.

When I completed a tile, I added my initials to the lower right corner of the Zentangle. On the back of each tile is a place to add a signature and date. I often forget to date my work so I like this reminder. In the future I want to punch a hole in the corner of some tiles, and add a metal ring to create a mini book of my designs.

Zentangles are definitely fun to create and were a fun way to relax and enjoy some quiet art time with my daughter. I like the relaxing Oriental music on the DVD. This is a very portable artform and one I can easily do while traveling. I sometimes replace form with color; because these are black and white, I am forced to focus on form.

All in all I had fun creating Zentangles. I learned a lot more from the companion guide and DVD than I did from surfing websites for information. The paper tiles are wonderful, and I loved how easy it was to work with them. Micron pens have been one of my staple pens for years, so I was happy to work with them in the kit. Rolling the 20-sided die (Icoshedron) to help me choose a tangle seemed silly to me but might be attractive to someone else. I also liked the box that stores all of the items from the kit (except the full-size DVD which doesn't fit.) However, the price of the kit was $49.00 which was way more money than I would ever pay for a kit like this.

Pros:

Love the paper tiles in the kit. Wish it came with more than 34 tiles.
Tools come packed in a sturdy yet attractive storage box
Additional tiles are available (55 tiles for $29)
Micron pens are excellent pens and perfect for the art form
Online gallery for inspiration; live classes available in select areas

Cons:

The kit is very expensive ($49.00)

Are you familiar with Zentangles? Please share your thoughts with our readers.

Clearsnap Style Stones

2009-10-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Sara McKenzie

I've been playing with Style Stones by Clearsnap for a number of years now. So it was fun to pull them out again and take a really critical look, and try some new things with them.

Style Stones are a man-made stone material. They have a very smooth surface and require no additional preparation before you use them. And they are pre-drilled for use on jewelry, lanyards, or to hang from other pieces of work.

Below is a package of the "Small Shapes" package in the plain ivory-colored finish. They are intended for stamping images directly on the stone. Four to six stones come in a package for about $4.00.

In addition to the small assorted shapes shown above, the smooth surface stones come in a package of 4 larger assorted geometrics, a package of rectangular stones (all the same size- perfect for bracelelets!), stars and shells, tags, and oval cameos.

The package below is the "Leaves" set. These are natural finish stones that are engraved, and lend themselves to the use of contrasting colors.

The maple leaf, below, shows up-close-and-personal, the detail in the engraved sets.

There are loads of images in the engraved sets: celestial, quilt tiles, bugs, Celtic designs, Asian images, fruit, Geishas, flowers, chickens(!), snowmen, angels, Christmas trees, faces, and Aztec designs. And these are just the square shaped tiles. They also make Style Stones in shapes: hearts, star, triangles, dominoes, hands, flowers, faces, and the list goes on. Many of the designs also come in bulk packaging: 24 stones for $11.95.

In addition, there are engraved tiles (no holes are drilled in these), and frames.

For my projects, the first, easy step was to compare craft ink versus dye ink on the flat, ivory style stones. The picture below shows a cameo stone (1" long and 3/4" wide) in the center, and a triangle stone (a 1" equilateral triangle) on the right. The stone on the far left shows the natural, unfinished color. The middle stone was colored with Stampin' Up! "Taken with Teal" Craft ink, and the stone on the right with "Taken with Teal" dye ink. This very clearly shows how much more opaque the Craft ink is, versus the dye ink. The same color has a completely different look: deep and rich versus pale bright and transparent.

After heat setting (and you MUST heat set! no matter what ink you use!), I added a second coat of ink to each stone. You can see below how the color becomes more even with the additional coat.

The messiest part is coloring the edges- but I suppose you could wear gloves and avoid the inky fingers!

On to the engraved stones. I had never tried acrylic paint on these stones before, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Below is one of the Leaf stones, on which I painted a copper metallic acrylic paint. No sweat. Coverage was perfect, and took only one coat. And it doesn't require heat setting. You can see where I painted a little bit outside the lines; that was cleaned up easily by a light sanding with one of my craft sanding blocks.

I then held the stone by the edges, and tap, tap, tapped the surface against my ink pads. Again, I compared the same color dye ink and craft ink, because I wanted to see them contrasted against the metallic paint. The dye ink is on the left and the craft ink on the right. I like them both- but I really like how luminescent the dye ink looks- almost like it is lit from behind.

Clearsnap also provides an inking brush for working with the engraved styles stones. They are packaged in a set of 3 with slightly different sizes, or you can buy them singly.

They are really nothing more than small stippling brushes, so you might be able to find them at an art store or your local big-box craft retailer. But if not, they are the perfect size for working on the engraved Style Stones. AND, they are double-ended. One end is short and stiff and good for getting in the small crevices (below, right) and the other end is a bit longer and good for filling in larger areas.

In the photo below, I am touching up the blue portion of the design. The green was applied first, with the inking brush. I wanted the surface color to be more even, so I used the brush for that as well.

So, what did I do with these interesting little embellishments?

First, I used them like tiles. I finished 8 of the leaf stones as shown above, and plan to use them on the top of a wooden box that I had finished earlier. The top has an inset, and it is just crying out for something special. I am a little embarassed to say that I have hit a bit of a roadblock: how best to mount the tiles? I've thought about using copper foil tape and soldering them, as if they were stained glass. And I've thought about using grout, just like regular tiles. But I haven't been able to decide. So, the pictures below are still showing an unfinished top. (If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!!)

Above: Painted wooden box with inset lid.

Decorated Style Stones just waiting to be set in place!

Above: Close up of finished Styles Stones. I used dye ink for the surface-

I like the slightly mottled look. Wondering how to mount them....

Then, I decorated a tag Style Stone. I inked with bright green, heat set, and then stamped a pattern on top with turquoise ink, and heat set again. I added some small rhinestones, a brass dragonfly charm, a glass leaf charm, and glass beads. I finished it with some ribbon and cotton crochet floss. I plan to give this to a teenage friend so she can hang if off of her backpack.

Above: Decorated Tag shape.

Above: Detail of decorated Tag Style Stone.

And finally, I made a necklace using the triangular Style Stone that I coated with Taken with Teal dye ink (above). I over-stamped an image in White Craft ink, and then embossed it with white embossing powder. It is edged with my favorite gold leafing pen from Krylon. I covered the design with Crystal Effects, and added a tiny clear rhinestone in the center.

Style Stone necklace strung on ribbon and fiber,

which I knotted at regular intervals.

Close-up of Style Stone necklace.

Pros:

Fantastic surface to work on - smooth, even, takes ink and paint beautifully.

So many choices!! Both plain shapes for your own designs, or engraved images to elaborate.

Pre-drilled holes. Hooray!

Not too heavy- you can wear them comfortably as earrings.

Not too light- necklaces will hang properly.

Great size for all kinds of uses: jewelry, decorating other items, scrapbook pages, cards.

Cons:

This is not so much a con as it is a caution: when you heat set the ink, the stones get REALLY hot, and take a few minutes to cool down. I usually work on two or three stones at once, so I can work on one while another one is cooling off.

Apparently you can't buy them directly from Clearsnap (see below), but they are available at many other stores online.

I've never seen them at the big box craft stores, but I have seen them at occasional independent craft stores.

They are a bit expensive when bought in packs of 4 ($1 each), but are a better value when bought in bulk (50 cents each).

I am pleased to see that Clearsnap updated their website- it is a little more user friendly than it used to be. On the other hand, I was surprised to see that Style Stones do not show up on their product list! Fortunately, they are still there- just do a quick search and you will find all of them. The unfortunate aspect of their website design, at least as far as this article is concerned, is that I cannot create links to every specific product window. You'll have to do the work on this part: go to the Style Stones page, and then click on the various images to see the different styles. And, you apparently can no longer buy from them on-line- even though a catalog is in the navigation bar, it is not a live link to anything. Nor are there any prices listed. Hmmm.....

But overall, here is my impression of Style Stones: Love them!!

So, let me know if you have any ideas for me on how to mount my tiles in the top of my box! And share your experience with using Style Stones, too!

Grafix Rub-Onz Transfer Film

2009-10-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

Reported by Jessica Ripley

One of my favorite things to do while crafting is to create my own unique embellishments to add that extra special something to a project. There's just something about that personal touch that really makes it my own, and gives me just a little more satisfaction, you know? So when I ran across Grafix Rub-Ons Transfer Film on a stroll through the art store, I just knew I had to give them a try. I mean, make your own rub-ons? How awesome is that?!

The package I picked up came with ten 8 1/2" x 11" transfers (though they come in packages of 4 or 25 as well). There are 10 sheets to print, write, or stamp on, as well as 10 sheets which contain the adhesive to make the magic work. The package also comes with easy to follow instructions and the good old standard Popsicle stick to be used once the rub-on is ready. It's also worth mentioning that the transfer sheets are acid free. The instructions state that designs can be created by hand, using an ink-jet or laser printer, or by stamping an image. I decided to give all three a try.

First and foremost, I decided to give the hand-drawn option a whirl. I couldn't quite picture how the adhesive would pick up pen ink to turn it into a rub-on, and wasn't sure it would work, but wow was I pleased! I decided to use my Cricut to draw a few designs on the matte side of a transfer sheet to start (I'm not the best at sketching you see):

Next, I hand colored in those images with Sakura Glaze Pens (coloring I can do):

I let the ink dry a bit (about 20 minutes) before attempting the next step, which was to apply the adhesive sheet to the inky side. This step is easy, the backing peels away from the adhesive cleanly. Applying it to the transfer sheet is a bit trickier however, but just go slow and be sure to smooth out any air bubbles.

Once the adhesive is down, it is permanent, not moving, now way, no how, so do go slow and take your time with that step. Next I trimmed the leaves as closely as possible to the design (which the directions recommend to prevent a "halo" effect), and applied them to my tag. Peeling off the very thin layer between the now sticky ink design and the backing is just a tiny bit difficult and takes some patience. I found that tweezers helped get it going, and it was best to start in an inconspicuous area if at all possible just in case the design was slightly wrinkled. However once it was started, it worked just as well as a traditional rub-on.

I love how the ink from the Sakura pens look as a rub-on!

For my second project, I chose to try the stamping technique in order to add some ghosts to the Halloween jar below. These transfer sheets are an excellent way to use a stamp around a curved area where normal stamping just wouldn't work.

First the images were stamped onto the matte side of the transfer sheet, it is just a little slippery so use care when doing so. It's about the same as stamping on vellum:

Next, the backing was pulled off an adhesive sheet and applied over the inked side of the transfer sheet. This was done after trimming both down to size too, which was easily done with a paper trimmer, in order to use only what was needed for this particular design. With the stamping and hand-drawing options available, no scrap of these sheets will go to waste.

Then I trimmed the ghosts and applied to the jar. The adhesive stuck them to the glass surface just fine.

And here's the finished project. You can see the color of the transfer shows here as I didn't cut out the middle of my ghosts, it's just slightly opaque.

Extremely happy with how the transfer films performed so far, I had one last test to perform. Using my ink-jet printer, I decided to create one large rub-on to apply to an 8" x 10" canvas I had on hand, just to see how it worked. First I created the design in Photoshop Elements:

(Digital Stamps By Leah F. from Funkyplaygrounddesigns.com)

It's important to note that when using text with these transfer films, it must be reversed or the final design won't be readable, unless you look at it in a mirror. That is just a minor draw back when it comes to working with stamps or handwriting, it can't be done unless the text is reversed.

And if you can write backwards, well more power to ya.

After the design was set, I printed it out and followed the same steps. Attaching the adhesive sheet, and then pulling that off. That's where I hit a little snag:

My rub-on was much, much to big and it wrinkled right down the center. The final film before applying the design is quite thin, and of course sticky, so it folded in on itself a bit. However that was entirely my fault, and still, it attached to the canvas beautifully:

We'll just call it a happy disaster as it still gets the point across.

In summary,

Pros:

The ability to create self-designed rub-ons in three ways, hand-drawn, using a printer, or stamping.

Easy to follow instructions that have you creating your own rub-ons in minutes.

The adhesive stuck well to three test surfaces, including canvas, which means that it will stick well to just about anything a traditional rub-on would.

Cons:

When using text, it must be printed backwards. This can limit use of stamps or handwriting designs.

The adhesive film is a little difficult to begin to pull off the attached rub-on, and it takes some patience and possibly tweezers to get going.

Transfer film is a bit slippery, so use caution when stamping.

All in all, I was extremely pleased with these Rub-Onz Transfer Films from Grafix. They do exactly what they say they will, are easy to use, and above all really, really fun. I just know I'll be reaching for them again and again to add those personal touches to my projects that I love. I give them a 10.

How about you? Have you used them before? We'd love to see your projects! Leave us a comment and let us know!

Halloween Craft Roundup- Day 2!

2009-10-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to day two of our Halloween Craft Carnival... clicky clicky and go get crafty!

Oh Martha... how will we ever keep up?
Candy Creatures
Cupcakes, Cookies & Treats
Cocktails & Drinks
Indoor Decorations
Outdoor Decorations
Crafty Templates
Creepy Crafts
Glow-in-the-Dark
Kids' Costumes
Baby Costumes
Costumes from the Supermarket!
No-Sew Costumes
Costumes for Adults
All the pumpkin ideas you could possibly need, ever.

And some non-Martha stuff
MONSTER FEET!

Links that are full of more links (aka fractal linkage):
From our very own Rachel @ SwapBot
24 Halloween Crafts in 24 Hours!

Ideas for AFTER Halloween
Candy Wrapper Crafts
Cool paperbag leaves

Day of the Dead ideas
Crafty Chica: Day of the Dead Shrine Challenge
Day of the Dead Necklace for Kids

Now go... make something spooky!

Halloween Craft Roundup- Day 1!

2009-10-24T08:57:00.014-05:00

It's not too late... if you craft like I craft (the glue's still drying on the card when I shove it in the envelope, sound familiar?) then there's still TONS of time to bust out some Halloweenie crafts.

Here are some links to get your creative juices flowing... (big thanks to our Facebook and Twitter followers for hooking us up!)

Halloween Cards & Scrapbooking
Cute Halloween Card
CUTENESS!
C&T Publishing

Party Ideas
Food & Party Decor Ideas
More food & party stuff
Cute Mummy invitation
Embroidered place cards
Candy Cauldrons

Costumes
Over the Top Hat
Witch's Hat
Super Hero (requires sewing)
Super Villian (NO sewing)
Big Bad Wolf costume for your dog
StarWars costumes (including an adorable R2D2 by our very own Sarah Moore, Editor-in-Chief)

Treats
Mummy treat container (I'm totally doing these)
Halloween Hand Sanitizer bottles! (I'm doing these for my co-workers!)
Here's one from our own Amanda: BOO!
Marzipan & Almond Paste Pumpkins
Decorated Popcorn Balls
Here's one from our own Jenny: Juice Box Sleeves
Make'n Mold
Sassy Treat Box
Perfect Pumpkin Treat Box

Kids' Crafts
Cool pumpkin with a surprise inside
Cute Q-Tip Skeleton
Pencil Toppers

Decorations
Robert Mahar's Sock Skeleton!
Glass Luminaries (note: PPA is plain ol' Elmer's Glue)
Oh! Here's a fun Halloween Tree
And a little Halloween House
Tons of fun ideas here
Ribbon Wreath
Another cool Halloween Tree
Lanterns!
Gourd & Pumpkin ideas
Decoupaged Pumpkins
Print & Fold Decorations
Paper Bag Luminaries
Fun stuff from Xyron
Milk Jug Skeleton
Pumpkin Candlesticks

Tomorrow we'll be featuring the Queen of Halloween: Martha Stewart, as well as what to do with all those left-over candy wrappers, Day of the Dead craft ideas, and lots of other fun links.

Be sure to leave YOUR Halloween crafty links in the comments... and go get your ghoul on!

EK Success Winner!

2009-10-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here's the post you've all been waiting for... 5 winners!

Martha Stewart Glitter:

Chris C said...

Wow more great projects - I would never have thought of covering shoes with glitter - very clever.
Thanks for the chance to win.

Slimline Bat Punch:

Melinda Wharton said...

Love the stuff you made with the K & Co Tim Coffey cutouts - they are really vibrant colors, like you said. They do NOT look like you just threw them together! Would love a new EK Success punch! Thanks!

Harvest Paper Pad:

Creative Mish said...

I love these colors! They're so bright and fun!

Jewelry Pliers:

Michelle in NJ said...

wow, those beads are pretty....thanks for the chance to win!

Mindscape Halloween Clear Stamps:

Cassi said...

Great products, EK Success leads the way in product development!

Please email Melissa@craftcritique.com with "EK Success WINNER" in the subject line with your address.

Squigglefly Digital Stamps

2009-10-23T07:00:00.004-05:00

Reported by Heather Strenzwilk

One of the hot trends in stamping today is digital stamping. I was very reluctant to put away my rubber stamps until I was comped several Squigglefly images for a project over the summer. I was immediately drawn to the style of the images. Thicker lines make them easier to color, they can be re-sized, and they come in both left- and right-facing versions. Because they are electronic, storage is not an issue and they can be printed an unlimited amount of times.

'Pretty Witch' is perfect for creating a treat for your favorite ghost or goblin

Squigglefly is a family business owned by sisters Ashley Summers and Chesney Young. Their mother, Holly Young, describes herself as a "Squigglefly Supporter Extraordinaire" and is well known to the stamping world. Among their talented pool of artists is their aunt Lynne Stansbery (of Shy Bears fame).

I recently spoke with Ashley and Holly about the success of Squigglefly and digital stamping. The company was named Squigglefly to generate some buzz about digital stamping. They credit the wide variety of their images to their artists, who are encouraged to draw what they like, and it shows in their wide variety of images. New images are released on the 3rd Saturday of the month in a mini release party.

'Mudzie Plays Christmas Tree' is part of the ever growing Mudzie collection

Squigglefly recently secured the rights to sell digital versions of Shy Bear s and Mudzie the Moose. In the past these images were only available as rubber stamps. Consider the possibilities of using these beloved characters in new ways by using your own sentiments or adding rub-ons to give the images your unique style.

'Flower Umbrella' is part of Squigglefly's latest release

The Squigglefly team has visited local stamp stores (Little Rock, AR area) because many crafters don't know what to do with digital images. Their seminar focuses on basics such as how to download, arrange, re-size and add text to digis. For those living in other areas, the tutorial section of the website offers some video tutorials.

I added the words to Mudzie using PowerPoint software

Squigglefly initially offered a modest 15 images; today they boast over 500! Their most popular images to date include: Divine Bovine series, Turtle with Flower, Oswalda the Ostrich and First Haircut. With 99 cent bargains and a free digi image with every $15 spent in the shop, there is something for every budget. Want to try before you buy? Free images and background papers are available on the website. Once you purchase an image, you can download it again for free.

Pros:

Wide variety and style of images
Thicker lines make the images easier to color
No need to flip images- they come in left and right facing versions
Mudzie the Moose (I am Heather the MooseLover after all!)

Cons (because I have to):

Website gallery displays artwork oldest to newest rather than newest to oldest

'Thanksgiving Thanks' is perfect for a special Thanksgiving card

Squigglefly has generously offered Craft Critique readers a 25% discount on all purchases until 11/15/2009. Simply use the discount code (all lower case): craftcritique

Have you gone "Squigital" with Squigglefly digital stamps? Share your thoughts with our readers.

Ellison Pad-It X-Press Kit

2009-10-22T07:00:00.002-05:00

Reported by Lexi Daly

I often receive questions about how I make my own notepads, so I thought I'd review the tool that helps me do it, the Ellison Pad-It X-Press Kit. Other than my paper cutters, this is probably the oldest and most used tool in my studio. Here's Ellison's description:

"The Ellison Pad-It X-Press is an innovative press that holds any shape stack of paper firmly in place while you apply padding compound. Just paint on the padding compound with a paint brush and turn stacks of die-cut shapes into instant notepads. When dry, lift the handle to remove creative shape booklets. The Pad-It X-Press Kit includes everything you need to get started: the Pad-It X-Press Machine, 1qt. White Padding Compound, 6 Sheets 9" x 12" Chipboard, and 2 Glue Brushes."

The two main items in the kit are the Press and the Padding Compound. As the description states, the Press is used to press down and hold paper into place so you can apply the Padding Compound. You print, stamp, and cut any kind of paper you'd like to turn into a pad, and press it down in the Press, leaving the edge you want to bind facing out. Then you simply paint on the Padding Compound and let it dry.

Because of the size of the Press, you can do multiple pads at one time. I've found it's best to stack pads of the same size in the same stack, but as you can see above, depending on the size of your pad, there is plenty of room for more than one stack--they just have to be the same height. Once the pads are dry, you take them out and separate them. I prefer to use a craft knife to cut them apart because it's neater and more precise. The drying takes a little time (especially if you live in the damp south!), but otherwise it's a very quick process. When the pad is dry, the Padding Compound holds the sheets together until you're ready to tear them off. The results make great gifts--who doesn't use note pads? And a special design or personalized one is even better! Here are some examples:

checklist pads to throw in your purse

small decorative pads to leave by the phone

game pads to toss at the kids

morning routine checklists to get kids involved

For the most part, I create my designs on the computer, cut them to size and stack them in the Press. In addition to what I've shown here, I do a lot of simple name pads in these and other sizes. And don't forget the reason Ellison gave--turning die-cut shapes into pads. The possibilities really are endless!

To sum things up:

Pros

easy to use
sturdy
can pad multiple pads
can create pads of varying shapes & sizes
compound lasts a long time

Cons

a little pricey ($99)
large in size/hard to store
only available online

So there you have it, another tool to add to your collection! The Ellison Pad-It X-Press perfectly coordinates with the many supplies paper crafters have and makes it easy to create some really cool, useful gifts. If you ever wondered how you could make your own notepads, now you know and you can check it out for yourself!

Book Review: Amigurumi Two!

2009-10-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Amanda Talbert

I'm a knitter. If you are, live with, or know a knitter, you understand that means that I have a huge closet full of yarn. My favorite way to use up the little odds and ends of all of that yarn is to crochet amigurumi. According to Wikipedia, amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures.

When my 8 year-old daughter saw the cover of Amigurumi Two! by Ana Paula Rimoli at the book store, she made me buy it on the spot. It took her 3 minutes of book perusal to determine that she needed me to make her one of everything in the book. I asked her to start by picking the thing she liked the most. It had to be the rabbit.

Dexter anyone... anyone??

All of the small animals in the book start with the same pattern called "little toys" and then are made into specific animals through the addition of small details like paws ears or tails. I found the pattern for the little toys to be very detailed and easy to follow and when I forgot how to form a stitch or two I turned to the back of the book and had a look at the General Guidelines section. The illustrations for the basic how-tos are wonderful but the photos of all the cute little creatures are even better.

There are patterns for amigurumi tools, birthday cakes, even a full amigurumi tea set. I can hardly wait to start on an amiguruni mushroom. As with most of the crochet books I have read, this book doesn't give detailed instructions on how to assemble the pieces once you have crocheted them. I don't find this to be much of a problem.

Most of the projects require yarn, a crochet hook, fiber fill, thread or embroidery floss for their little mouths, and toy eyes. The book has patterns that would make great gifts for adults, kids, and babies. Now that I own the second in the series of amigurumi books by Ana Paula Rimoli I will have to look into buying the first. I have a feeling it will be worth it!

Are you an amigurumi guru? Have a book suggestion? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Scor -Tape by Scor-Pal

2009-10-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Katie Renz

Today, I'm reviewing a double-sided adhesive that you will definitely want to add to your sticky arsenal. No bones about it, this tape is a must have in my opinion. Once I found Scor-Tape I was in double-sided adhesive heaven. There is only one thing that could possibly make this better and I'll share that at the end.

If you aren't familiar with Scor-tape, you might be familiar with an item and company called Scor-Pal. Diana Crick is the designer and founder of this company that produces a 12"x 12" scoring pad and tool, as well as other products, one of which is the above mentioned Scor-Tape. This is really a perfect marriage, because the Scor-Pal was created to help you create wonderful 3-D products using professional looking scored creases, and the Scor-Tape will help you keep your projects together and secure.

The score-tape comes in a variety of widths:

1/8" is 27 yards for $3.70

1/4" is 27 yards for $4.80

1/2" is 27 yards for $7.00

1 1/2" and 2 1/2" * NOTE* Scor-pal is out of these 2 widths at the moment, but are expecting a shipment within the next couple of weeks.

6"x 6" sheets in a package of 5 for $4.80

Let me tell you why I love my Scor-Tape. I'm going to bullet them because the reasons are quite cut and dried:

It works. This adhesive keeps projects together
It tears. Imagine not needing your scissors to cut the tape.
The liner comes off and is static free
It's affordable.
It comes in multiple sizes... the 6"x 6" sheet is awesome!

One of the neatest items is the 6"x 6" double-sided adhesive sheets. These are great for punching items and then applying glitter, embossing powders, beads, and even fun flock. Take a look at the couple of examples I've laid out to show you the result. I used a Martha Stewart heart punch and a Fiskars Apron Lace border to punch my items.

I peeled off the back side (the brown layer in the picture) and then stuck them down to some cardstock.

I applied glitter, fun flock, and embossing powder:

Here are some close-ups. I love the super clean look you get using the double sided sheets. And they punch beautifully.

Pictured below is of the pink fun flock. Just pour and rub it in with your finger.

Green embossing powder. I love the leathery look I got. Now, I can't guarantee what the embossing will look like, and it could/might/probably be dependent on whatever brand you are using.

And finally, Martha Stewart Glitter on both the heart and the border punch.

And finally, here is a card that I made using a punch as well as the 1/8" Scor-Tape. In this case, I took pieces that were slightly longer than the width of my card, laid it down and then snipped the edges. Just add glitter, rub with finger, and you're set.

Recipe: TaDa Creative Studios designer paper, thickers, Martha Stewart heart punch, border punch, and glitter, scor-Tape.

Here's a close up of the glitter strips.

I do not use Scor-Tape for my cards or scrapbooking, although if you wanted to you certainly could. I just don't find it cost efficient due to the amount of cards I make, but I do use Scor-Tape for any 3-D project that I make, or any time I can't use a tape runner. I also use Scor-Tape to attach bows or really anything that I need a small piece of strong tape. I really already listed my pros above, but I'll put down my 3 biggest below.

Pros:

Strong Adhesive power
Love the non-static removal of the liner (sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference)
Really love the fact that it tears

Cons:

I would love to see a super clear/transparent double sided tape
and maybe some more widths? (a stretch)

The tape is extraordinarily easy to use and the value is exceptional. I have three words to share with you: I love it! I would rate this a 10 out of 10.

So, have you been looking for the perfect tape, or is this stuff already in your personal arsenal? Do you have any suggestions for other ways to use it? Share with us... we want to know!

Book Review: Beyond the Bead

2009-10-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Erika Martin

It's been a long time since I've made jewelry or played with clay, so when the opportunity came up to review the book, Beyond the Bead, by Margot Potter, I jumped at it.

I have to say that since I've been creating, I've really gotten back into it and spent another $37 at the craft store yesterday on more jewelry findings, beads and clay. I'm totally digging the new creative juices that are flowing, and one of the best things to come out of this book is that I'm finding new ways to use things I already have in my stash (namely: scrapbooking and stamping supplies) to create all new works of art that are wearable!

Beyond the Bead is a funky, eclectic collection of techniques which is broken down into different chapters based on the main materials used:

Glass
Plastic
Digital images
Ephemera
Scrapbooking supplies
Clay
Metal

The book also has sections that break down the tools & supplies you'll need for making the jewelry showcased in the book, along with basic techniques on conditioning clay, turning loops and more.

Here is a quick video tutorial that I made using the directions as shown in the book on how to turn a loop.

Each project has beautiful and up-close photos, as well as step-by-step instructions with full color photos detailing the techniques. I found them very easy-to-follow and well-written. It was great to have the photos so large so that I could see everything that was being done. It made creating very easy.

I would have loved to try out every technique and project in the book, and eventually I most likely will. I did do quite a few projects, though, that I'm excited to show you. I learned some new techniques and I've found a new hobby to get into. I tweaked some of the instructions and improvised with tools because I didn't have everything the projects called for, but they still turned out to be something I'm very proud of.

PLASTIC

When I saw "shrink plastic" in the section of the book focusing on creating with plastic, I realized how long it had been since I've last used this medium. I forgot how much fun... and frustrating... it could be to work with. I was definitely out of practice, so it was nice to be encouraged to use it again. One tip that wasn't included in the book is to make sure you have your shrink plastic in a small contained area if you're going to be using your heat tool (embossing gun) to shrink it. I like using a heat tool because you don't have to heat up your oven or toaster oven to shrink the plastic, but it can be a bit frustrating to blow your heat tool on the plastic and have it sliding all over the place while you're trying to melt it.

The instructions show how to color in your images, give tips on what images are the best to use, how to cut them out, how to make the hole before shrinking, heating and finishing the charms. I even liked that the book showed how to transfer an image onto the shrink plastic if it's from a book (rather than a stamped image). I've never done that before, but will definitely be trying it out. This will only work with translucent shrink plastic since you'll need to see through it to the image below to trace it.
I chose to use a Stampin' Up! image and stamped it onto white shrink plastic (since I only had white shrink plastic). It's best to use a solvent based ink (like Staz-On) to stamp your image. I found that other inks just rubbed off the plastic. I used Sakura Souffle pens to color the images after they had shrunk. To string the beads and attach the earring hooks, as well as attach the charm to the necklace, I used the techniques I learned in the "Basic techniques" section of the book to turn loops and create wrapped loops.
DIGITAL IMAGES

I wonder how many others out there have a ton of bottle caps that were all the rage for a while on the scrapbooking market a few years back. I'll admit that I have a entire plastic shoebox FULL of them. I've probably used all of 4 or 5 over the years. This book includes a project that put bottle caps to use, and I couldn't have been happier with the way mine turned out.
Because I didn't have a drill on hand to drill holes for jump rings, I improvised a bit. That's what's great about instruction books. They give you ideas and if you don't have everything they call for, you can put your imagination and ingenuity to use and improvise with what you do have.

Crystal Effects, Glossy Glaze, Glossy Accents...these are all liquid lacquers that you can use to either coat a project or encase items in to make them look suspended. This is what I used to fill the bottle cap after adding beads, a button and star confetti.

I added a pin back to the backs of my bottle caps to create pins out of them. These would also work well as earrings, as well.

SCRAPBOOKING SUPPLIES

Scrapbooking is one of my most passionate crafting loves, so my studio is full of scrapbooking and papercrafting supplies. It's always fun to break out of the mold and find new and nontraditional ways to use things you already have on hand.
I never would have thought to use chipboard for making jewelry but I've now gotten hooked on this. The pieces are lightweight so they don't make for heavy jewelry and the possibilities are endless. It's like having a small canvas to work on. You can paint them, emboss them, sponge ink onto them and more!

I created a matching set of earrings and a necklace. I followed the directions to lacquer my chipboard on the front, but I used a gold Pen-Touch marker (Sakura) to coat the back of the chipboard pieces.
CLAY

I have to say that this was my favorite chapter of the book. Working with clay always seems so therapeutic to me. I love working the clay in my hands and softening it and molding and shaping it. The book shows how to condition the clay using a pasta machine but since I don't have one, I used my hands. It's definitely good therapy for your muscles.

I'm not a big fan of skulls and crossbones, but I have friends that are, so I tired out the technique shown in the book to make a necklace and I also created a bigger skull and turned it into a pin for a friend's daughter. Again, I improvised because I didn't have the black bead for the eye, so I created one with black clay. Instead of using sparkly decoupage medium, I created my own using Crystal Effects liquid lacquer and mixed glitter into it. I got the same effect and could use what I had on hand. I picked up more clay yesterday because I plan on making more and adding them to my Etsy shop as well as giving them to friends as gifts.

I also tried out the Faux Metal technique in the book to create a pair of earrings and then modified the technique to create a matching barrette. This technique is a great way to use your stamps. A whole new world of crafting with my stamps (and I have a LOT of them) has opened up to me.
I did make the mistake of not having my clay thin enough (this is where a pasta machine or rolling pin would have come in handy) to put jump rings through the holes on my clay beads, though I now realize that if I'd had bigger rings on hand, I could have followed the directions completely in the book. I've already remedied that with my latest shopping trip and I have larger rings on hand for upcoming projects.

So, what did I think of this book?

I LOVED IT!

It got my creative juices flowing in a whole new direction and gave me reasons to look at my crafting supplies in completely different ways. I can also use some of these techniques on cards and scrapbook pages, so it's an across-the-hobby art form. I learned things that I didn't know before I opened the covers of the book and definitely plan to continue with this new-found hobby. I'm actually going to buy Margot Potter's other book on beading and creating - The Impatient Beader gets Inspired! Her style is so refreshing and she makes it so easy to springboard off of her ideas. I highly recommend this book for beginners and advanced beaders and jewelry makers. She gets you thinking outside the box.

I did notice that many of the items called for in the book were from Ranger, which is one of the reasons that I didn't do some of the techniques called for. I simply didn't have all the tools or findings that were on the supply lists and being that I was just getting back into this hobby, I had a limited budget that I could work with to get supplies. Some of these items were things like pendant frames, melting pot, alcohol inks (trust me, you can't make your own with dye-based inks and rubbing alcohol...I tried and failed miserably at it, so I'll be putting money aside to get some in the near future, as I love the effects), as well as tools like jewelry drills, wood burning tool and soldering tool. I would really like to create some of these projects and will put those tools and supplies on my wish list for future purchases.

Even without all of the supplies and tools, there were still ways that I could do some work-arounds and springboard off the ideas that Margot shared in her book. I'll also be involving my daughter in some of these projects as many of them are great for kids to work with, as well, with adult supervision.

Well done, Margot...I highly recommend your book!

Have you read Beyond the Bead? Did you love it? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Vendor Spotlight : EK Success Brands - Martha Stewart Halloween

2009-10-17T13:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Melissa Norris

Let's face it, Martha does Halloween better than anyone. And her Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween line by EK Success Brands is no exception. The quality is top notch and all of the designs work together.

Let's start with the glitter (which you have a chance to win if you leave a comment on this post!). I've written articles about Martha's glitter before and I'm definitely a big fan (maybe even collector). This 6 pack features great halloween colors in a perfect size. And as mentioned before, a little does go a long way as you can see in my projects below.

My daughter is going to be Tinkerbell for halloween and we needed to find some green shoes, but it was turning out to be quite difficult. So we picked up some silver glitter shoes from Target, gave them a quick spray with some adhesive, sprinkled on the green glitter, and TaDa! Now all we need are the white puff balls and we're all set.

And I've always been a fan of Martha's signature glittered pumpkins. I picked up a bag of the mini ones, added a good coating of spray adhesive and glittered my heart out. And I still have a bunch of glitter left over. Now I just need a nicer plate to put them on.

I received the drippy goo edge punch. This punch is definitely top notch, and they've made a design change to the edge punches so the edges fold in, saving you a bit of storage space, and they stack quite nicely.

I made this little treat bag using the goo punch and the goo letters. The drippy goo provides a nice edge and a quick and easy project, especially if you have to make a bunch of treat bags for your kids class like I do.

The paper pad provides 24, double sided sheets of quality cardstock. The designs coordinate well together, along with all the other elements in the product line. Many of the designs feature embellished images with glitter or flocking. And with 4 sheets of each set of designs, you definitely have enough to make all the projects you want to. I have tons of paper left over and can't wait to make my halloween layouts for this year with it.

I made these little canvases using all of the products provided. I used the glitter with some sticky alphabet letters (similar to the red liner tape) and they turned out perfect. The cupcake liners make a great accent. And all the papers from the pad coordinated perfectly.

Here's a close up of one of the canvases. I used the spray adhesive again to coat the spiderweb felt ribbon and wrap it around the canvas. The spider sticker is great! It's hard to see but the spider is flocked and the red eyes are tiny crystals. And the glitter coated the sticky letters perfectly.

Last, I used up some of my scraps and a circle punch to cut out these little circle toppers for some candy jars. It's great when you can use every last piece!

Pros:

Great colors and designs, and everything coordinates well
Quality, quality, quality
Perfect for decor, scrapbooking and more!

Cons:

Sells out fast (Michaels never has enough), but try shopping online
Wish the cupcake wrappers came in even more designs

Overall, the Martha Stewart Halloween line did not disappoint (as if it ever does!). The elements work so well together, making for easy decor, scrapbooking layouts, cards, and more! I can't wait for next year's line, and sooner than that, the Holiday line!!

EK Success has generously donated some of the products featured in the weeks reviews to give away to our great readers! Please leave your comments on this article to win a Martha Stewart Crafts – Mini 6 pack Halloween glitter set from EK Success Brands. You have until Sunday, October 18 at Midnight to enter.

Vendor Spotlight: EK Success - Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween

2009-10-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Martha Bonneau

Every year as Halloween approaches, I start stalking my local Michaels to see if the Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween items are in yet. Martha never lets me down; she always has the best (and spookiest!) items. If you are at all familiar with the items in the Martha Stewart Crafts line for EK Success you know that, for the most part, everything is super cute with a vintage touch here and there. What makes the Halloween line stand out for me is that cute goes out the window and they go much darker...think skulls, and bats and spiders oh my! One of the stand-out products for me this year is the patterned paper pad:

In this pad you get 24 double-sided sheets of paper in an assortment of designs. These are quality, heavy-weight papers with added details such as flocking, embossing and glitter. I love that these papers have so many elements on them that you can cut out and use in a variety of ways like labels, tags and embellishments. There are even 4 templates provided on the back of the packaging to help you create paper decorations...I think that's a great (and green!) idea.

I admit it, I am a sucker for cupcake liners; I love to use them in my papercrafting projects. As someone who has a lot of cupcake liners in my stash, I have to say I buy the Martha Stewart Crafts ones every season as I love the designs she comes up with...plus they coordinate perfectly with all of the papercrafting items in the line, which makes them easy to use. I created this altered book using papers from the paper pad (the skeleton and the labels are cut from the patterned papers), some of the fabulous cupcake liners and layered stickers. I am sure those liners are fabulous with a cupcake in them too!

Another aspect of the products in the Martha Stewart line is that they are versatile enough to use on many different types of projects... you don't necessarily have to be a papercrafter to enjoy these products. I used the spiderweb die-cut felt ribbon as an embellishment on these simple fleece scarves. I just used some fabric glue to adhere it into place and there you go... perfect scarves for a night of trick-or-treating.

Of course you can't write about Martha Stewart Crafts without mentioning the glitters, and oh, what wonderful glitters they are!

I received a set of 6 glitters in complementary colors for Halloween that come with their own little tube of adhesive. Why do I love these glitters so much (and this is coming from a non-glittery girl)... first of all, the colors are the best and they complement the rest of the line perfectly. Secondly, the texture is wonderful as it is very, very fine. A little bit goes a long way so even though the containers in the Halloween assortment look small, you will get a lot of use out of them. Each of the containers has a shaker top and is very easy to use. You can use the adhesive that comes in the package or any other adhesive you would normally use to adhere glitter. I was surprised at the precision of the tube of adhesive that came with the glitter set as I could even use it to write with.

Another of my favorites are the edge punches
For this review I received the Fence edge punch. The punches are a great way to add a decorative border to your cardstock or patterned paper. I found this punch very easy to use; it didn't take massive amounts of pressure to make a punch, and the cuts were clean and precise. I own quite a few of the Martha Stewart Crafts punches and have been very happy with all of them. I made this card by accenting the edge of the paper with the Fence punch, the spider is cut from one of the sheets of patterned paper in the pad and then accented with some of the glitter.

Pros:

Full range of products that coordinate through design and color.
Great designs!
High quality, everything has the look and feel of quality.
Not just for the papercrafter, all kinds of crafters will enjoy these items.

Cons:

Hard to find unless you have a Michaels in your area, Wal*Mart and Archivers carry some of the line but not all of it.

I had a great time tapping into my inner ghoul with Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween line from EK Success... let us know what you think!

Vendor Spotlight: EK Success and K&Company

2009-10-16T13:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Sarah Moore

For me, Halloween is a holiday that can transcend traditional style and design. It's an excuse to create something weird or silly beyond your usual tastes, to experiment with bizzare images and wild colors. I mean, when else can you mix lime, violet and orange... really?

I have to be honest... when I think of EK Success I would ALWAYS choose the Martha Stewart Crafts line for myself as a design match, but these fun K and Company designs are so family friendly and silly, I was really excited to play with them.

Our reporters are so talented... and this week you've seen some amazing designs. I decided to keep things super simple, and show you some really easy Halloween cards you can bust out in a day with your family. There is still plenty of time to get those Halloween cards in the mail!

These first two cards were created using the K and Company Tim Coffey Halloween Words & Icons Die-cuts. These retail for about $5.00 and boy do you get your money's worth! 174 individual cut outs are inside this package. All of them cute and silly! Perfect for you or your kids!

Lookee here! I just glued these to a plain A Muse card base with dimensional adhesive. Done and done!

For this card I added a word sticker and some patterned paper from the same line... easy peesy!

This card is a tad more complex... I cut the Tombstone card base with my Cricut (it's just a tag shaped card). I sponge inked the paper's edges a tad and then glued the cutouts in place. I also added these wonderful tiny EK Success Sticko Letters. Love them! "Rick R. Mortis"... get it? Especially funny if you know my husband's name is Richard R. Moore. ;)

I highly recommend the cutouts... they seem to be a wonderful value considering the vibarancy of the images and the quality of the cardstock.

Now let's talk Punches. We've raved before here at Craft Critique about the new Slim profile Punch line By EK Success. Like are other reporters I agree that they cut like butter... even these tiny images... I used Stampin' Up! papers here... so that's a good test for a teeny detailed punch like this.

Ooh! And a little skull and bones! How can you resist!?! This image is dime sized and cut out perfectly!

And last but not least... let's chat Jolee's Stickers. I used my Cricut to cut this adorable treat bag, stuck on some high quality Jolee stickers, filled it will lollipops and BAM... DONE... high quality giftable.

In my humble opinion there is NOTHING wrong with making quick, simple designs like these. You can finish them in a day, not lose any sleep, and most of your friends will think you are a crafting goddess. Who has to know it was all stickers and cut outs?

EK Success has generously donated some of the products featured in the weeks reviews to give away to our great readers! Please leave your comments on this article to win a EK Success Slim Line Medium Bats punch from EK Success Brands. You have until Sunday, October 18 at Midnight to enter.

Vendor Spotlight: EK Success Brands - Halloween Papercrafting!

2009-10-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

Reported by Lexi Daly

EK Success is a big name in the crafting world, offering a wide range of products, as you've read about over the last few days (if you're stopping by for the first time this week, be sure to read back a few days!) Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, especially for crafting. So I was very excited when my box of products arrived on my doorstep, filled to the brim with all kinds of Halloween treats. I mostly received items from the EK Success brand K&Company, from the Tim Coffey Halloween line, including a 12" x 12" Specialty Paper Pad, Silhouettes, Die-Cut Cardstock, Embossed Stickers, Grand Adhesions, and Adhesive Borders. In addition to those, the box also included an Inkadinkado Clear Mini Stamp, a new larger punch from the Paper Shapers family, and sticker packs from both Jolee's and Sticko. Wow! Truly a Halloween crafter's dream!

One thing that I noticed right away was the vibrant colors and fun images of the Tim Coffey line. They're perfect for so many Halloween projects--cards, scrapbooks, decorative items, etc. Loads of possibilities! As I opened each package and examined the items more closely, I found so many details to love.

The Die-Cut Cardstock has two of every image and are two-sided, so if you need a reverse facing image, you have it.
Many items have glitter accents, which is a must anytime, but especially for Halloween.
The Adhesive Borders are small, which is great for making cards, but include enough of each to make 12" borders, and the adhesive is fantastic.
The Grand Adhesions are layered, popped up, and perfect.
The Specialty Paper is two sided, with some designs featuring flock, glitter, or dry embossed images--see swatch picture below!

And, best of all, it all coordinates perfectly! Here are a few quick projects I made using primarily the Tim Coffey products:

The Specialty Paper Pad and Grand Adhesions made easy work of these bags, perfect for gifts or treat bags. I think we'll use them to Boo! a few neighborhood friends...

Many of the Specialty Paper designs are very detailed and don't need much embellishing, but sticking a full sheet to cardboard and adding a few coordinating Grand Adhesions and Die Cut Cardstock, along with a little ribbon hanger, gave it just the right dimension to create a quick work of spooky art...

and now each of my girls has a great new bedroom door decoration to match the rest of our very "haunted" house!

The products mixed well with the other items in the box, as well as items from my own bottomless studio, a very important requirement when I buy anything new.

One of the first things that came to mind when I saw the large Paper Shapers Jack face was a circle shaped card, and the Tim Coffey glitter swirl paper was the perfect color, and sparkly too!

The Clear Mini Stamp paired with lined card stock (from A Muse), made me think of vintage and school--luckily, there was a perfect "teacher" witch in the the Die-Cut Cardstock pack!

The eyes, also from the Die-Cut Cardstock pack, inspired this card! I spelled out the words I needed with Sticko tiny alpha stickers and added another die cut on the inside--Boo!

Another Sticko sticker--all vellum and glitter!--really makes this A Muse haunted house shine!

The Tim Coffey Embossed Stickers include several really fun sentiments to add to a card or layout. I used three here paired with another one of those totally awesome Grand Adhesions. Everything on this card just stuck right on--no adhesive necessary. It doesn't get easier than that!

The pumpkin border from the Adhesive Borders inspired another vintage card and was fun to pair with a stamped sentiment and papers from my A Muse collection.

And finally, the stash of candy from the Die-Cut Cardstock inspired another pairing with a perfect a muse sentiment. And more of that fun orange paper for a bowl--yum!

So, to sum things up...

Pros:

Fun images
Bright colors
Coordinated products
Attention to details
Plays well with other products

Cons:

Halloween is not long enough to use it all?!

As you can see from my projects, the Halloween goodies that EK Success has to offer through K&Company and several other EK Brands is so much fun to work with. And what I made just barely scratches the surface! With only a couple of weeks left, run right out and buy a few of these fun spooky treats for yourself and get busy crafting with EK Success for Halloween--we'd love to see what you make!

EK Success has generously donated some of the products featured in the weeks reviews to give away to our great readers! Please leave your comments on this article to win a EK Success Slim Line Medium Bats punch from EK Success Brands. You have until Sunday, October 18 at Midnight to enter.

Vendor Spotight: EK Success Brands - K&Co Scrapbooking

2009-10-15T14:01:00.001-05:00

Reported by Heather Voinski

EK Success products have always been a staple in my craft room. From their stickers and paper, to their great selection of punches....they have been there since the beginning with me. Their CutterBee Scissors are my #1 favorite tool and always at my side! I squealed with delight when I saw the array of products shipped to me to review. Autumn is my favorite time of year and the package I received included all of the fall themed items designed by designer Tim Coffey for K & Company. These products are great for all your craft needs of fall.

Here is some information on the items and then we can get to my Autumn projects where you will see these things in action...

K & Company Tim Coffey 12 x 12 Specialty Paper Pad is 24 double sided sheets of coordinating paper: it has 16 flat papers, 4 foiled papers, 2 embossed papers, and 2 frothed papers. These are heavyweight quality pieces of paper that all look great together. I used this pad for several of my projects and there is a lot of paper here. You definitely get a lot of paper for your money.

K & Company Tim Coffey 12 x 12 Silhouettes pack are 6 single sided die cut papers; it has 2 foiled and 4 flat. These silhouettes can be used whole, or you can do what I did and cut them to use as embellishments, which is super easy to do if that is what you are going for. They add elegance to any project you are creating.

K & Company Tim Coffey Designer Mat Pad is 18 double sided 4.75" x 6.75" sheets of designer photo mats. Mat photos instantly with this coordinating paper pad. I used these on several projects as well, and still have some to spare. Another great value. In this pad you get great smaller sizes of the paper that is represented in the 12" x 12" paper pad.

K & Company Tim Coffey Embossed Stickers set includes 24 stickers. They are foiled, and add elegance to any project. You can see from the picture that you get some great sayings, as well as some cute leaves. Don't get the wrong impression now when I say they are foiled. I was pleasantly surprised when I peeled one of these off at the weight of them. They are thick and sturdy, and super sticky. They also look great against the papers in the paper pad.

K & Company Tim Coffey Adhesive Chipboard pack includes 16 pieces of sturdy chipboard embellishments. I immediately fell in love with the three little pumpkins in the set; pumpkins are my favorite thing this time of the year. These have some great hold to them, and also compliment the paper pack and other embellishments.

K & Company Tim Coffey Grand Adhesion's pack includes 13 pieces of 3D "Grand" embellishments. I was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over these when I saw them and was almost afraid to use them because they are so pretty. They immediately screamed note cards to me. You'll see what I did with them in just a bit. These embellishments are super sticky for great hold, and will add a touch of class to anything!

EK Success Slim Profile Large Maple Leaf Punch! I add the exclamation point because if punches were made like this when I first started scrapping I would have definitely gotten way more into them than I did. I can see where a large chunk of my craft budget will be going very soon.

This punch is a new one for EK Success and part of their Slim Profile line. What does that mean you ask, well they all have these great locks on the back of them. You can close and lock this punch, and it will store neatly and stack in your craft area. They are lightweight and have a great picture on the end of them for easy finding when stacked together. No more bulky punches to try and store.

They are super easy to use and I have to say and I can't believe I am using this saying but it truly fits... it goes through your paper like butter! Seriously!! I am in love!!!

EK Success Jolee's Boutique "Autumn" sticker. Jolee's have been around for a long time. This line by EK Success offers a 3D embellishments to fit almost any need you may have. This line is my go-to when creating gifts for friends, or for scrapping that special occasion, because I know I will always find something that I love.

This sticker saying "Autumn" measures 4" x 4" inches and is one piece. It has cute little leaves surrounding it. You peel it off in one piece and add it to your project, no muss -- no fuss. They are super sticky and hold great.

This sticker is also adds some sweet bling. You will see it more in my projects below.

EK Success Autumn Earth Tone Flourishes stickers includes 10 pieces. Vellum stickers are just another kind of great stickers by EK Success. These are easy to apply and hold really tight. This pack in particular comes in great Earth tones that match all the items by Tim Coffey nicely. I love how these are softer than the usual flourish stickers you see. They add a simple touch and aren't overly right there in your face. The colors are just right.

Inkadinkado "Leaves Galore" clear stamp set include 5 clear stamps for Fall. This is the first time I am getting to use stamps made by Inkadinkado for EK Success. They are quality clear stamps, and they really held tightly to my acrylic block. I got great, clear images out of them.

Thanks for letting me explain these products to you. Now I would love to show you what I have made and what I used to make them!

One thing that I've been itching to make for fall is a centerpiece. I've been dreaming of something pretty and handmade for the center of the table when we gather this coming holiday. This is what I came up with:

These pumpkins were easy to make. I used a piece of double-sided paper from the 12" x 12" Specialty paper pack to make the large one, and a piece of 4.75" x 6.75' paper from the designer mat pad to make the small ones. The great thing about making them out of these papers were that the papers were already double sided, so you didn't have to worry about what was in the inside.

The maple leaf with glitter surrounding the stem are punched from a piece of paper from the designer mat pad. The other leaf is cut from a piece of 12" x 12" frothed paper in the 12" x 12" paper pad.

The smaller pumpkins will come off the centerpiece at Thanksgiving and each family member at the table will have one with their name on it (creative HINT: you can make these by cutting 9- 1/2 inch strips from a piece of the designer mat pad and then still have a strip left over for a place card).
I had to make some cards to send out to family that we won't see over the holiday.

This first one was a kraft colored card from my stash. I used the Maple Leaf Punch for the leaf and added the "Gather Together" from the embossed sticker pack. The flourishes are the Earth Toned Vellum Stickers.

In this second card I used a piece of paper from the Designer mat pad for the background, I just added deckled edges. Then I applied 3 leaf stickers from the Grand Adhesions pack. They really made the card pop. It didn't need much after that, but I added an embossed sticker at the top from the embossed sticker pack that reads "Leaves of Red and Gold".

(Creative HINT: Mat paper packs don't have to always be used to mat your photos. They also make it easy to make cards. Something to keep in mind next time you are browsing the EK Success mat pads in your local stores. They definitely saved me time).

Mini books are a love of mine, so it is no surprise that I used these great products to create one to celebrate my love of fall. The mini 6" x 6" book that I started out with was blank so I used a piece of paper from the 12" x 12" paper pad to cover it. Gaffing tape covers the spine.

Here is that Autumn Jolees Sticker in action. See the bling!! (the typewriter alpha used in the title is also from EK Success's Sticko line).

My inside front cover... here is the first instance that I used the Silouette Die Cuts. The die cut in this picture was part of the 12" x 12" piece and I cut off a piece of the corner to use.
The three cute little acorns are from the Grand Adhesions sticker pack. Aren't they adorable?! The "Fall is in the Air" sticker is from the embossed sticker pack.

The inner pages of this mini are cut from a pieces from the 12 x 12 paper pack.
On all of the pages, I used the Inkadinkado Stamp set "Leaves Galore" to stamp where my numbers were going to go to count the "10 things I luv about Fall".
In the bottom right hand corner is a super cute leaf embellishments that is part of the Grand Adhesions pack. The sentiment "Rustling Leaves" comes from the Embossed Sticker Pack.

Here is page 2 sporting a cute 3D leaf from the Grand Adhesions pack.

Page 3 with a ripe sweet apple in the right corner from the Grand Adhesions pack.

Left side of page 4 with the super duper cute pumpkins that I couldn't wait to peel off and use from the Adhesive Chipboard pack.

Right side of page 4 has a embellishment of a pumpkin and a crow from the Grand Adhesion pack in the right corner. The leaf was punched using the maple leaf punch and embellished with ink and a glitter pen.

The last project that I made was a wall hanging for my entry way. I started with a piece of wood that you can find in any of your local craft stores. It is the real kind that has bark on the edges.

I added the silouette die cuts around the sides and top edges. Once again, they are cut from a 12" x 12" piece.

The pumpkins are from a piece of 12" x 12" embossed paper that you can find in the paper pack. They are embossed and really add dimension (p.s. I will be coveting the remainder of this paper....it rocks!!)

The leaves are cut from a piece of 12" x 12" paper from the paper pack and are frothed.

I painted the wood with chalkboard paint before starting and when I was done added a piece of ribbon from my stash and a "Welcome Fall" in chalk. Here it is hanging in my entry. I am really loving it.

Thanks for looking at the things I made while reviewing EK Success. I am very pleased with all of the products that I reviewed and would reccommend them to anyone wanting to create for Fall!!

Pros:

Quality products: All of double sided papers are of a good weight and the stickers really stick great! The punches are easy to use and lightweight.

Variety of uses: EK Success makes more than Fall items. Be sure to check out the reviews of our other writers from this week and also check them out at your local craft stores.

Versatile: 12" x 12" paper isn't just for scrapbooks... and mat Pads aren't just for matting photos. They make awesome paper crafts and cards. Endless creating power!!

Cons:

I ran out of ideas! Must have another brainstorming session and make more with these great products.

If you haven't already, I encourage you to take a look at the other great products made by EK Success. I am sure that there is something there for any of your crafting needs.

We love to hear your comments on these products and what you think of them if you've used them! Stay tuned for more about EK Success from our great reporters!!

EK Success has generously donated some of the products featured in the weeks reviews to give away to our great readers! Please leave your comments on this article to win a 12 x 12” paper pad from Tim Coffey Harvest line from EK Success Brands. You have until Sunday, October 18 at Midnight to enter.

Vendor Spotlight: EK Success: K & Company Papercrafts

2009-10-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Stephanie Wheeler

Crafting powerhouse, EK Success has a wide range of products - from punches to stickers and tools to adhesive. An established company since 1978, they are a big name in crafting, and especially in the world of scrapbooking.

I have been a big fan of EK Success and their products for a long time, so I was excited to get a chance to review their K & Company line of fantastic scrapbooking supplies from the creative mind of Carolyn Gavin.

Carolyn Gavin's funky, whimsical designs have been seen just about everywhere, so it's fitting that her cool style would translate nicely into supplies for her Greenhouse line of scrapbooking supplies. Her bright colors and creative patterns are a perfect addition to any project and I was really excited to see how I could meld her style with mine.

I received a wide variety of products to review: chipboard and puffy stickers, stamps, patterned paper and cardstock. I knew from experience that the products would be high quality, and they definitely were.

The Greenhouse 28-Sheet Specialty Paper Pack contained more than enough cardstock to start, if not almost complete, an entire album. This pack contained not only double-sided paper, but a selection of specialty papers, including those with glitter, flock and foil.

The Greenhouse Designer Mat Pad comes with 18 double-sided precut (4.75" x 6.75") sheets that are perfect for matting pictures, using on a card, or simply cutting up to embellish pages and projects. The fact that these sheets are precut takes the guesswork and measuring out of framing 4" x 6" photos.

The Greenhouse Frame Pillow Sticker Pack is reminiscent of the 80's puffy stickers I hoarded when I was a child. I absolutely love the puffy scalloped circles and the cute flowers in the set. These stickers are perfect for adding to a cute scrapbook page or a card.

The Greenhouse Baubles Sticker set is not something I would normally buy, but I'm glad it was included in this review. The stickers are almost like small marbles cut in half, and the designs are simply fantastic. I love the shiny, candy-like look of them. They're almost good enough to eat, but I refrained and used them on a card instead.

The Greenhouse Words & Icons Embossed Sticker Set is one of my favorite items of this set. I love that the stickers are embossed, and I also love that there are so many stickers included on this sheet. And this set comes with a ton of cute sayings like "girl wonder," "go with the flow," and "this is the good life."

The Greenhouse Icon Adhesive Chipboard set had the cutest sayings, not to mention the bright colors and "extras" that are the tiny acorns, leaves, flowers and butterflies. What amazed me about this set was the quality. Each sticker is made of solid chipboard, printed in bright, beautiful, glossy colors. Some of the parts are even covered in epoxy and foil, giving it a little shine and something extra.

The Greenhouse Stamp & Ink Pack came with 11 stamps that match Carolyn's designs. I really liked the size of the stamps, not to mention that the set came with two colors of ink - pink and green.

The Greenhouse 12" x 12" Scrapbook was the only item that I haven't actually used yet. I haven't had a chance to finish all of my cute pages, but once I do, I'm sure I'll fill this album up in no time.
As I expected, I was thoroughly impressed with the Carolyn Gavin Greenhouse collection from K & Company and EK Success. The high-quality products are available in many different mediums, and can fit most any scrapbooker's needs, whether it be paper, embellishment, page storage or stamping.

The Greenhouse collection retails from $2.99 for basic stickers to $29.99 for the postbound album.

Pros:

Reasonably priced collection is made from high-quality materials.
Papers are double-sided.
Stickers, especially chipboard and baubles are armed with strong adhesive.
Acrylic stamps give a clean image when inked.
Great variety of design within the Greenhouse collection.

Cons:

Ink that comes with stamps isn't very dark; I think the stamps would work better with a pigment or solvent ink.
Collection may be difficult to find in retail stores.

What do you think about the fun and funky Greenhouse collection from EK Success and K & Company? Leave us a comment and let us know!

EK Success has generously donated some of the products featured in the weeks reviews to give away to our great readers! Please leave your comments on this article to win a 12 x 12” paper pad from Tim Coffey Harvest line from EK Success Brands. You have until Sunday, October 18 at Midnight to enter.

Vendor Spotlight: EK Success Brands - Stamping with Inkadinkadoo

2009-10-14T13:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Heather Strenzwilk

I recently had a very happy mail day when I received two mounted rubber stamps, three unmounted clear stamp sets, an acrylic block and mini clear stamp set by Inkadinkadoo, and an EK Success border punch. I have used Inkdadinkadoo rubber stamps for over 10 years, and EK Success punches for several years (I reviewed them in January 2008). Both of these well-known brands are available online and in independent and chain craft stores.

Gem Stone Halloween set was perfect for stamping my own backgrounds

Inkadinkadoo's Fall line includes: Filigree Fall, Trick or Treat and Gem Stone Halloween. All three sets that I received were very well coordinated and represented a variety of styles. Filigree Fall is perfect for Fall or Thanksgiving projects, and I really like the "So Thankful For You" image with the bold tree. Trick or Treat was a semi-cute Halloween set featuring distressed style images such as a group of trick or treaters. I thought a few times that the images had skipped as I stamped them before realizing it was the distressed style. Gem Stone Halloween features bolder, larger images outlines with small circles. I used a white gel pen to highlight the stamped images by filling in the circles.

This black and white (with a touch of beige) color scheme was perfect for highlighting the elegance of Filigree Fall set

Additionally, I recieved the clear mini stamp set called Cornucopia Thanks. I really like mini stamp sets, and since the word "Thanks" is separate from the cornucopia image, I'll be able to use the sentiment year round. The accompanying clear mini block was only 1/4-inch thick and was awkward for me to hold. I am much happier with my own 1/2-inch thick blocks.

White webbing spray plus a white gel pen highlight the stamped images in conjunction with Moon n Stars border punched accent strips

Like most clear stamps, these tended to repel (bead up) when ink was applied to them. I rubbed them lightly with a white artist's eraser, lifted the residue with Scotch tape and then they inked evenly and stamped very smoothly. The stamps worked with Versafine, ColorBox Chalk, and Memento inks equally well. Sometimes ink stains clear stamps, but these Inkadinkadoo clear stamps had very little (and in some cases no) staining.

One of the mounted stamps I received was Fall Corn. This is a very detailed image in deeply etched rubber. Like my other Inkadinkadoo rubber stamps, it stamps very well, leaving behind crisp, clean images.
EK Success Moon 'n Stars Edger Punch is a new generation of border punch, utilizing their Paper Shapers thumb punch technology for easy punching. The punch creates a two inch border, and when finished, the punch can be locked shut and stacked for easy storage. This was my first punch using this technology and it is great to easily store it in a drawer.

I really liked the pattern of this punch because it lent itself both to Halloween and baby themed projects. From the first punch on lightweight cardstock, it punched crisp and clean borders. Unfortunately however, the punch jammed while I was using it to punch Sheer Heaven art surface. This particular punch pattern had many small cutouts and sadly, despite numerous attempts, I have been unable to clear the fragments jamming the punch. Medium weight cardstock worked the best for me with this punch (and I wish I hadn't used any other type of paper!)

Inkadinkadoo stamps are perfect for decorating Halloween treat boxes

Despite my disappointment over the jammed border punch (due to operator's bad paper selection), I still believe that Inkadinkadoo and EK Success offer quality products in a variety of styles. The Fall line of stamps is fun and the unique styles lend themselves to a variety of projects.

Pros:

Wide variety of designs and styles
EK Success border punches can be locked to store flat and can be stacked to save space
Stamps are easy to clean and did not stain like other clear stamps

Cons:

EK Success border punch jammed badly with heavyweight vellum
Acrylic blocks are only 1/4-inch thick

Have you used Inkadinkadoo stamps? Have you tried an EK Success edger (border) punch? (If you have unjammed one and care to share your expertise, you can earn the undying gratitude of this reporter.) Seriously- please share your experience with Inkadinkadoo stamps and EK Success border punches with our readers.

EK Success has generously donated some of the products featured in the weeks reviews to give away to our great readers! Please leave your comments on this article to win a set of Mindscape Halloween Clear Stamps from EK Success. You have until Sunday, October 18 at Midnight to enter.

Vendor Spotlight: EK Success Brands - Stamping with Inkadinkadoo

2009-10-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Taylor Usry

What a happy mail day it was when all these fabulous goodies from EK Success arrived!! Three awesome Inkadinkado acrylic stamp sets (Pumpkins Galore, Pattern Play Halloween, Spooky & Creepy), an adorable mini acrylic stamp (Haunted Tree), two high quality wood mounted rubber stamps (Pumpkin and Among the Stars), a clear mini block, and my favorite new toy - the decorative edge punch.

I've never used an EK Success edge punch before. I have several regular punches, but this (for me anyway) was a new and improved experience. The coolest thing to me was that the punch has a little sliding button on the bottom to lock the punch in its closed position. What a great feature!! Look at the super slim profile it creates! If all of my edge punches stored like this, I'd have way more space!

And it stands up well too - it does not fall over or lean, like some punches do. It has a great weight to it - not too clunky, yet heavy enough to feel like you are definitely going to get some use out of it. I am getting tons of use out of this punch already - my daughter loves the "bat confetti" we can make by using the punch, so we are filling treat bags with it (along with the candy, of course!)

I had so much fun with these faces from the Spooky and Creepy set! I was super pleased with the acrylic used in this set - it is very thick, so when I peeled each small stamp off I did not at all feel like I was going to tear any of the stamps. I got a totally retro vibe from these stamps - like from those old B movies, remember?? Too cute!

Overall, I loved everything that I used from EK Success. I've always been a fan of the Inkadinkado line of stamps - they are very high quality. The acrylic, in my experience, does not yellow (I tested these with Stazon, Tuxedo Black ink, and Versafine Black ink and they all came off just fine, with the stamps looking good as new).

If I am forced to pick one negative aspect to any of these products, it is the clear acrylic mini block. For me, it is just too small. It fits the stamps just fine but I think it is too thin - I like a chunkier block. It works perfectly fine, though! And for the price, it is an excellent deal. I know - not much of a negative -- but what can I say??

Oh - a quick tip for acrylic stamps: sometimes, new ones may not give you a clear image. This only happened on one or two of the stamps I tested from EK Success, but the solution is simple: lightly rub the stamp with an eraser (I used a pencil eraser - it was the closest one handy) and then clean it. Everything should work perfectly then!!

EK Success has generously donated some of the products featured in the weeks reviews to give away to our great readers! Please leave your comments on this article to win a set of Mindscape Halloween Clear Stamps from EK Success. You have until Sunday, October 18 at Midnight to enter.

Vendor Spotlight: EK Success - Jewelry with Jolees Jewels

2009-10-13T13:00:00.003-05:00

Reported by Megan Lock

My experience with EK Success had only been with their fabulous paper punches. They cut well, excellent shapes, and a product that I continually go back to. Then I discovered Jolees Jewels. I spied them in the aisle of a big box store a while back and I knew they were the kind of beads I wanted to use in my jewelry. Sparkly, bright, and reflective is always a good way to go. There are some other useful and enticing products available for a novice to a professional.

To start, I want to focus on some simple projects that anyone could do. These would be particularly interesting for a teenager to try. I would have loved this sort of thing when I was a teenager and I love it now. Easy, simple, and quick.

First, I started with the brown necklace cord that already has the findings on the ends. This saves a lot of guess work for a novice and busy work for the professional. As you can see from this photo, one end has an attached clasp and the other is chain length for an adjustable length necklace. There are three cords to make three necklaces per package.

I made two projects with this cord. The first, is a simple five bead necklace. For this, you must choose wide hole beads. The bead hole must be large enough to go over the connector on the cord. These beads fit perfectly over it. To make this one, thread the five beads, crimp the edge of the finding to secure the leather cord. In other words, I used a pair of pliers (like the ones pictured below) to crimp the metal housing to secure the cord so it would not fall out with use.

This is a set of pliers that EK Success produces. Compared to others I have used, it is fabulous. It is very sturdy, very high quality, and it has a little jewel on the side that is color coded. I really enjoy this feature. This shows me that they are paying attention to the details and I appreciate that! If you're just starting out, these are wonderful to start with.

I'd also like to say that if you're new, you'll also need some bead storage. They make some excellent bead containers that will keep all your pretties safe.

The next project is also very simple. In fact, you don't need any tools at all. All you have to do is loop your cord over one of the large eye pendents. There are many varieties to choose from.

I wanted to make two more projects for those of you who have done some beading. These are not advanced, but it's helpful if you've had some experience. Here, I've used some sterling silver findings and the Jolees crystals. They wouldn't be perfect, nor would they be the best, if they didn't sparkle and shine. Let me tell you, these are perfect. They reflect well, they're faceted evenly, and they are another high quality product.

They are available in a variety of colors and it's easy to mix and match specific colors, especially if you're looking to make some custom jewelry. Here is an earring where I used the crystal, some findings, and the pliers to complete.

I love the simple pop of color. I love how it compliments the metal. Simply, I think this is a stylish pair of earrings that can be dressed up or down. Very versatile. They actually coordinate well with my next project.

Here's the gorgeous metal piece that I linked between chain to create a necklace:

As you can see, there are five holes. Two for the chain and three for embellishment. I used the bicone crystal beads. I staggered the number used in each hole for visual interest.

My favorite thing about this piece is how unique it is. You won't find anything like this elsewhere and you certainly won't find it paired with the earrings above.

Overall, my impression of EK Success is very good. I still love their products for the paper crafting world, and now that I know how wonderful all of their Jolees Jewels are, I will certainly be using them also. There is a lot of room to cut corners, and I truly believe they are offering high quality products so YOU can make the most of your creations.

Pros:

cool packaging; the clear containers can be used as storage if you don't have some already
high quality tools; I'm still very impressed with the durability and weight of the pliers
sparkle; the beads truly are excellent, they do not lack luster or desire
price point is comparable, especially considering quality
coordinate well with other beads or findings you may have on hand

Cons:

you may need to reinforce cording so it doesn't come apart (this is an easy step)
the cording is short, if you're looking for a longer necklace, you may need to recreate

Have you used Jolees Jewels? Did you like how they sparkled? Do you own any of their tools? Do you bead often? Have you only known EK Success via their paper punches (like me)? Leave us a comment and let us know!

EK Success has generously donated some of the products featured in the weeks reviews to give away to our great readers! Please leave your comments on this article to win a set of the Jolee's Jewels Specialty Pliers from EK Success. You have until Sunday, October 18 at Midnight to enter.