Craft Critique - Craft Product Reviews and Scrapbook Product Reviews

Butterflies Galore!

2009-07-03T13:21:00.010-05:00

Reported by Sara McKenzie

In support of the Craft Critique Butterfly Project, I poked around to see what I might want to make and share. It feels a little bit like cheating, but if you want quantity, you can do what I did and go for die cut butterflies.

Stampin Up! has an exclusive Sizzix Bigz die "Beautiful Butterflies" that will cut 6 butterflies at once, of different sizes and shapes. Two of the butterflies are created by using a folded piece of paper or cardstock, and placing the fold at the center of the butterfly. Below is an example of what you get out of the die.

Butterflies from the Beautiful Butterflies die.

When you use a folded piece of paper, you get two-each of the butterflies on the lower row. The two on top are cut on the fold. The butterflies range in size from 4" X 3" to 1-1/2" X 2-1/4".

You can use a single sheet of paper, or you can mix and match using scraps on the different butterflies, as shown below.

Mix and match your butterflies by choosing the placement of your paper.

Of course the die easily cuts through all manner of materials. I played with vellum, handmade paper, paper doilies, and origami paper. The butterflies are sized to be used singly, or you can layer them; you can adhere the whole butterfly to your project, or you can adhere only the center so the wings are free to move.

These butterlifes are great for all manner of projects, including:

greeting cards
scrapbook pages
3-D paper projects, such as stationery boxes
mobiles

In other words, pretty much anything you want to use them for!

For the Butterfly Project in support of the Holocaust Museum, I made a display such as you might see for a butterfly collection. I used butterflies from Origami paper, vellum, handmade paper, and one from doily. They are mounted on Tangerine Tango cardstock, cut 8" X 10", and all but the one in the lower right corner are fully adhered to the cardstock. The butterfly on the lower right has a lower layer of patterned vellum, over which is a doily butterfly. I used metallic gold embroidery thread to stitch the doily butterfly, including the head and antennae.

My Butterfly Collection

Close-up of the doily butterfly, over vellum, stitched with gold thread.

I'll be sending this along for the contributions to the Holocaust Museum- since it is 8" X 10"!! Make your own collection to send along, too!

Folded Paper Butterflies

2009-07-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

By Jessica Ripley

I am so honored to be part of a group that will be creating and gathering butterflies for the Houston Holocaust Museum. It's such a beautiful project and I can only imagine how breathtaking it will be when it's complete.

As a scrapbooker, the first medium I thought of to create my butterflies was of course paper. Below is an easy tutorial for a folded paper butterfly that you can do too. They take just a short time to make

Supplies you need:
-Double sided patterned paper or card stock
-Staples
-Adhesive dots

And the quick and easy steps:

1. First, cut 4, 4X4 inch squares of paper. (smaller is fine, but any larger might make your butterfly bigger than their requirements)

2. Next, fold two sides of each square up at a diagonal, kind of like a kite shape.

3. Then attach the "wings" together. I chose staples to do so as these butterflies will be traveling, and I want to be sure they stay together. Attach the two for each side first:

4. And then the two pairs together: (The staples will be covered up in the next couple of steps).

5. Next make the "body" of the butterfly. Using another piece of 2 sided card stock, cut a small piece about 3" X 6". Fold the two sides towards the center leaving a small gap in between, and then the corners of one end out. Like a collar:

6. And for the final step, attach the body to the wings with adhesive dots.

Pavel Friedman wrote in the incredible poem:

Only I never saw another butterfly,

That butterfly was the last one,

Butterflies don't live here, in the ghetto.

It just makes me want to create and send as many as I can to this wonderful project as they work towards their goal of collecting 1.5 million. Please do consider creating a few butterflies in whatever way you can to send along too.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday.

Fabric Butterfly Tutorial

2009-07-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

By Jen McGuire

I was very excited to create a butterfly to donate to the Holocaust Museum Houston Butterfly Project. As of this time last year they had already received over 400,000 butterflies. Houston is not very far from my home in Austin, Texas so I am seriously considering a trip to see this amazing exhibit when it opens in 2012.

I recently moved into a new place and my craft stuff, sadly was the last to get unpacked. This project was the first I attempted in my new craft space. At first I felt like my craft mojo just wasn't flowing. I did everything backwards and in the most difficult way possible. I didn't start out with a very clear vision of what I was hoping to accomplish. I should have sorted through my stash more, pulled some swatches and sketched it out first, but instead I just went for it.

Happily, in the end I really like the finished project. Here is how I made it:

Supplies:

Fabric--I used new heavy weight cotton for the background and a heavier weight fabric from a thrifted dust ruffle. I had originally planned on doing a collage and using lots of fabric scraps but I really liked the pattern of the ruffle and thought it made a nice butterfly.
Embroidery floss, needle--Optional, however I found the no-glitter rule to be very hard so I felt like I had to spruce up my butterfly where I could, and I'm really into embroidery right now so it finds it's way into everything I make now.
Freezer paper or embroidery hoop: I decided last minute to use embroidery on my finished butterfly so I used freezer paper to stabilize my fabric enough to embroider without a hoop. If you think ahead, a hoop would be easier.
Pellon Wonder Under Extra Strong Paper-Backed Fusible Web
Scissors, pinking shears
Iron, board and pressing cloth: Trust me, you need a pressing cloth so that the gummy fusible web doesn't get on your iron or board and to ensure that your fabric doesn't scorch.
Ruler

How To:

Measure your background fabric to make sure to stay within the proper guidelines (no larger than 8"x10") then cut with pinking shears to the proper size. I wanted to keep things fairly simple but other options would be to sew or serge the edges instead. But, I really like the way a pinked edge looks. My butterfly is roughly 8"x9".

Draw your desired butterfly shape. I am a fan of symmetry but have a hard time creating it so I drew the left side, cut it out and folded it over to trace the right side. I chose a simple outline but the possibilites are endless, I originally thought a butterfly on a flower would be nice but I wanted it to be bold so I skipped the flower.

Trace the butterfly onto the fusible web, iron onto a piece of fabric big enough to accomodate it, then cut the butterfly shape out of the fabric and iron onto the main fabric following the manufacturer's directions.

I drew two words: "love" and "hope" above and below my butterfly. This is optional, you can stop after applying the butterfly if you do not wish to add embroidery.

If embroidering, either iron on a stabilizer (such as freezer paper) or put the fabric into a hoop.

After I embroidered the words I did a freehand outline around the butterfly using floss that matched the darkest color in the fabric, but again, the possibilities are endless.

Tear the freezer paper away from the back of the fabric. I gave my finished project a quick press on both the front and back. I know many stitchers do not iron the front of their projects so they do not flatten the stitches but I thought it made this project look a bit crisper.

That's it! Let me know what you think about my butterfly and be sure to send me a link if you choose to donate a butterfly to the museum.

A Call To Serve: The Butterfly Project

2009-07-01T15:10:00.009-05:00

We are on vacation here at Craft Critique, celebrating our American Independence. Rather than being stagnant this week, we thought we'd give something back, and reach out to our readers, asking you to take time over this summer to do something special for someone else.

There are so many deserving causes out there... it was difficult for us to select one. Then on June 10th, our cause came to light, when a gunman walked into the crowded U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington , D.C. and opened fire.

Crimes of hate are devastating. I believe that the Holocaust Memorials around the globe serve as sacred places where we are reminded of humanity's darkest times so we can be sure actions of hate, ignorance and apathy are never again perpetrated against a group of people.

More than 1,500,000 innocent children were murdered during the Holocaust. In an effort to remember them, the Holocaust Museum of Houston is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies. The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2012, for all to remember.

Craft Critique would like to send a box of butterflies as one large gift to the museum. We encourage you to share this project with your friends, families, students and children... and to take some time out of your busy summer to make one or more butterflies for the museum.

Please Note:

Butterflies should be no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.
Butterflies may be of any medium the artist chooses, but two-dimensional submissions are preferred.
Glitter should not be used.
Food products (cereal, macaroni, candy, marshmallows or other perishables) also should not be used..
Place your butterfly in a Ziplock Bag with your name and address.

Mail your Butterflies no later than September 15th, 2009 to:

Craft Critique
Attn: Butterfly Project
649 N. Spring Street
Elgin, IL 60120

You can read more about the Butterfly Project and access teaching tools HERE.

And this week we will be bringing some simple and beautiful butterfly crafts to help inspire you.

Thank you for participating and have a wonderful Independence day!

The Butterfly

The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing against a white stone....
Such, such a yellow Is carried lightly ’way up high.

It went away I’m sure because it wished to kiss the world good-bye.
For seven weeks I’ve lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.

The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto.

Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942
Born in Prague on January 7, 1921.
Deported to the Terezin Concentration Camp on April 26, 1942.
Died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.

Posi-Bendr Bow-Easy

2009-06-30T07:00:00.007-05:00

Reported by Suzy Haghighi

The Posi-Bendr Bow-Easy is a simple yet handy invention for tying the perfect bow quickly and easily. Before I get into my review of the Bow-Easy, allow me the indulgence of a bit of reminiscing about the woman behind this tool. After all, the crafting industry is a personal one; paper and glue bond more than our cards together.

Valera Scott has been in the crafting industry for 40 years and has shaped the industry in amazing ways. She has so many wonderful stories to tell. In a brief e-mail interview she mused about the early days of crafting: “The first trade show we had shown the Bow-Easy at was the HIA (now CHA) show in Chicago in about 1982. They had a one day consumer show the Saturday prior to the Trade Show opening on Sunday. That HIA show was also the first show to introduce the use of using embossing powders with ink and rubber stamps. I remember it was extremely hard to get Ranger (then the predominant embossing powder house in the country) to even sell to us. They had no idea what this "Craft Industry" thing was and really were not interested in participating. As with many of our inventions, we were about a decade too early. Needless to say, we could not get the "craft stores" interested. It was just too different at that time.”

The invention of the Bow-Easy came about in 1980 when Valera was only 10 years old and crafting with her mother Betty Scott. As they sat making hundreds of very small bows for a charity project, the invention of the Bow-Easy dawned upon Betty.

Stamp by Toodles & Binks

How It Works
The Bow-Easy is a flat, plastic slotted tool about 4.5x4.5 inches square. It goes beyond dowel and fingers to not only be an extra hand for you as you loop ribbon into a bow, but also to help shape the bow into a perfect pretty little thing.

The original Bow-Easy, which retails for $6 US, can make seven sizes of bows: 3/4 inch, 1 inch, 1 1/4, 1 3/8, 1 3/4, 2 3/8, and 2 3/4 using widths of ribbon from super thin cord style to 3/4 inch wide ribbon.

I admit I had quite the time figuring the instructions out. I am a visual learner and the 2D illustrations and written instructions got me quite confused. I was ready to give up but then I saw Jerri Jimenez's Video Tutorial, and Sharon Johnson's wonderful Picture Tutorial. When you realize that each "leg" is a loop of your bow, and the middle slot is where the knot will be, it is a lot easier to understand. You are looping around the whole leg (both sets) then dividing the large loop into a bow by running a tail of ribbon through the center slot. As I make bows "rabbit ears" style, which starts with two loops, this concept was hard for me to grasp at first.

Pros:

Gorgeous Bows - even teeny tiny ones look perfect!
Double and triple loop bows
Inexpensive
Made of sturdy plastic that will last

Cons:

Legs not marked for size
Written instructions were difficult for me to follow

I do recommend practicing on some cheap ribbon that you do not mind ruining until you get the hang of it. Once I figured out how to use it, I fell in love with the Bow-Easy. I admit to being a previously bow-challenged kind of crafter. No longer do I need to tinker and pull and twist forever to make a bow look pretty. Yay! While the instructions say that you are limited to up to 3/4 width ribbon, I found that one set of legs allowed for 1 1/2 inch wide ribbon or even wider if you scrunch it temporarily. Posi-Bendr now makes a larger Bow-Easy that will make larger flat bows in 4, 5, 6 and 8 inch sizes.

Where to Buy
The Posi-Bendr Company (eBay Store)
Stamp Simply Ribbon Store - Located in US, will Ship internationally
Scrap Sake - Located in Canada, ships to US & Canada

The original Bow-Easy retails for $6; the larger Bow-Easy #2 retails for $10.

Giveaway Time! The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store is giving our readers three Bow-Easys! To enter tell us how you make your bows. You have until Friday at Midnight to enter.

Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sticky-back Canvas

2009-06-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Martha Bonneau

When I first saw Claudine Hellmuth's Studio line at Summer CHA last year, I was immediately drawn to her Sticky-back Canvas. Claudine was doing demonstrations using the Sticky-back with her Studio line of acrylic paints, and was making the most wonderful little flowers for her make & take. While talking with her we discovered that there were many uses for the Sticky-back. It could be painted, sewed, stamped on, used with a resist, etc., and the best part is the fact that it is sticky-back...that's right, when you are done embellishing it, you simply peel off the back and adhere it to your project!

As a scrapbooker I don't do a lot of painting, but I do like to sew, and that is where I have had the most fun using the Sticky-back. Because it comes in 2 sizes, 12 x 12 and 8.5 x 11, it is easy to run it through your printer if you have an image you would like to use. I used an image from Kitschy Digitals Woodland Stuffies kit...I simply printed it onto the Sticky-back, cut out the image, peeled off the backing, and sewed it onto a canvas tote-bag. Because of the stickiness, there was no need to pin the image in place as it stayed put while sewing it on. The image printed crisp and clean, and was very vibrant.

I have also used it on a couple of scrapping projects. I scanned a vintage pattern and printed it out on the Sticky-back to create this mixed media piece.

I also created my own self-adhesive alphabets to use on my layouts. I like these instead of the little paper alphas you can buy on sheets because the canvas gives them more texture. They do not fray around the edges when cutting them out, and the adhesive is strong enough to keep them adhered to a project.

I did another project using the Sticky-back and Claudine's Multi-Medium. After cutting out a vintage image I used the Multi-Medium to adhere it to the Sticky-back, cut it out with pinking shears, and adhered it to the cover of a mini-album. I use lots of layers and textures in my projects and the Sticky-back allowed me to bring a fabric texture into a sewing inspired project.

Pros:

Self adhesive!
Able to use with many different media
Adaptable to papercrafters, painters, sewers
Claudine's blog always has a wealth of wonderful ideas on how to use her products

Cons:

Difficult to find locally, I have usually only found it on-line

Where to buy:

Have you used Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sticky-back Canvas? We'd love to see your projects... link us up in the comments, and we'll check you out!

Giveaway Winner!

2009-06-28T13:06:00.002-05:00

Our Shimmerz gift pack giveaway winner is...

Erica Hettwer said...

I sometimes use shimmer cardstock on my projects. :D Great review and that book is sooo cool!

6:35 PM

Please send your mailing address to melissa@craftcritique.com.

Thanks for reading Craft Critique and stay tuned for more giveaways!!

Journaling Pens: American Crafts vs. Copic vs. ZIG

2009-06-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

Reported by Reyanna Klein

I'm a journaler. It's always been my favorite part of scrapbooking. I just love telling stories, and I love sharing my thoughts and observations in my scrapbooking pages. So naturally, I've always been interested in pens made for scrapbookers. I really wanted to find my favorite... find the best pen on the market, the pen that makes me love journaling even more.

And even if you don't journal much in your scrapbooking and you don't write inscriptions on the inside of your cards, perhaps having a pen you love will motivate you to *want* to write more.

I decided to do a pen comparison of the American Crafts Precision Pen, the Copic Multiliner SP, and the ZIG Millenium. I reviewed all three brands using their 0.1 and 0.5 tips.

I think it's important to add that I didn't really have a loyalty to any brand in particular, so I didn't really feel a bias toward any of the three before I did this comparison.

There are different textured cardstocks out there, and most scrapbookers have a preference (I know I do!). Therefore, I decided to test three different textures: canvas, orange peel and smooth.

Here are my favorites and observations:

0.1 Tip on Canvas Textured Cardstock
My favorite of the three: Copic Multiliner SP
Observations: Although the Copic point feels delicate, it was still so soft and smooth to write with. The American Crafts Precision was nice as well, but not as smooth. The ZIG Millenium with this small tip felt coarse and rough on this texture.

0.5 Tip on Canvas Textured Cardstock
My favorite of the three: Copic Multiliner SP
Observations: Writing on canvas texture is not my favorite thing. That being said, this Copic pen made it much less painful. (Tee hee.) They all wrote roughly on this texture, but the Copic was much smoother over-all.

0.1 Tip on Orange Peel Textured Cardstock
My favorite of the three: American Crafts Precision Pen
Observations: The AC Precision wrote nice and smooth. It felt easier to write with than the other two on this texture. The ZIG was coarse, but not as much as on the canvas texture. And the Copic, though smooth, made a sound (similar to a scratching sound) as it pulled across the paper. I'm sure this is due to the fact that it has a delicate and softer tip.

0.5 Tip on Orange Peel Textured Cardstock
My favorite of the three: Copic Multiliner SP
Observations: The Copic was the sharpest of the three on this texture while still feeling smooth as I wrote. It created a very crisp line and still felt soft as butter.

0.1 Tip on Smooth Cardstock
My favorite of the three: Too hard to decide!
Observations: Eek... you know, smooth cardstock is a tough one. I suppose these pens were pretty much *made* to write on smooth cardstock, and that's why I'm having a tough time deciding. They were all pretty good, but just different and good in their own ways. I think this really depends on how you like your pen to feel. If I had to categorize them, they would be: ZIG - hard, American Crafts - medium, Copic - soft. So I guess I'll be like Goldilocks here and say perhaps the American Crafts would be a good "favorite" for the average scrapbooker. Not too hard, not too soft, but just right. :) And I think I use all three of these... depending on what mood I'm in and if I'm writing fast, slow, cursive, doodling, etc.

0.5 Tip on Smooth Cardstock
My favorite of the three: Copic Multiliner SP
Observations: All three wrote nicely on the smooth cardstock, but I preferred the crispness of the letters and the soft butter-like feel of how this Copic wrote. I'll use this Copic for a majority of my journaling (unless I need to switch to the 0.1 tip for smaller spaces).

And here are the specs and my observations of each brand:

ZIG Millenium - $2.99

pigment ink, acid-free, archival-quality, lightfast, waterproof, fade-proof, non-bleeding
available online and at most scrapbook and chain hobby stores
comes in different sizes
comes in different colors (and the ZIG Memory System Writers come in different colors as well)
rough, strong tip
not a smooth write
feels best on smooth paper

American Crafts Precision Pen - $2.29

acid-free, fade-proof, waterproof, non-bleeding
available online and at most scrapbook stores
comes in different sizes and colors
smooth, good control, strong tip (medium compared to the other two)
doesn't skip/makes good, clean lines
feels best on smooth paper
0.5 feels thicker than the other two

Copic Multiliner SP - $6.71

acid-free, pigment ink, water and copic proof, non-bleeding
available online and at some hobby stores
comes in different sizes and colors
refillable ink, replaceable nibs
soft, smooth tip
great for doodling (free-flow feel)
smaller tip (0.1) demands control of pen
smaller tip (0.1) makes a bit of a scratching noise when pulled over paper quickly
professional quality
feels good on both smooth and textured papers

Where you can buy them (some offer free shipping with $25 purchase; others offer shipping deals)...

American Crafts pens at StudioCalico.com and also at Scrapbook.com
Copic pens at CopicMarkers.com and also at JetPens.com
ZIG pens at Amazon.com and also at CreateForLess.com

All in all, I'd have to go with Copic as my go-to journaling pen... mainly, because I love the *feel* of it on paper. I do love the American Crafts as well, and the American Crafts pens do *look* best on many of the examples I gave. I'll still keep both around for everyday use. :)

After I tried these Copic pens and compared it to the others, I went out and got it in three tip sizes, and I also purchased the Copic Multiliner SP Color set, which I LOVE. Yes, Copic is pricey. Yes, they are an investment. But you get what you pay for. You can FEEL the difference in these pens. If you like top-quality products and pens that write like butter, you will *not* be disappointed.

What is your favorite pen? Have you tried the Copic pens yet?

Vendor Spotlight: Shimmerz, Blingz, and Spritz

2009-06-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

EDITOR'S NOTE: We apologize for the technical difficulties... the scheduling function is all cattywhompus!

Reported by Erika Martin

Bring on the Bling! That's what Shimmerz is all about and I sure wanted to find out for myself.

I admit...I'm not the bold and daring bling person that many girls tend to be. I like my bling a bit muted and earth-toned, which worked perfectly for me, since Shimmerz had colors that worked for my style and preference. But, if you're a flashy and bright bling girl, Shimmerz also has colors that will show off your bold personality on your projects with 39 different colors of Shimmerz Paints, 11 different colors of Shimmerz Bling and 20 different colors of Shimmerz Spritzs to pick from in their Shimmerz Shop.

I really enjoyed playing with the paints, blingz, and spritzes, and tried them out on different media with different techniques. There's quite a bit of versatility, especially with the paints. Following are a variety of ways in which I used the paints and spritzes....I really gave these products a work-out!

The first project I created was a card. I wanted to add a bit of shimmer and sparkle to my card embellishments, and chose some paper flowers to work with. I shook up the little pots of Shimmerz Blingz and Paint (I used Spiced Cider Blingz and Golden Wheat Shimmerz for my flowers) and painted it directly onto my flowers. I found that they dried rather quickly, which is definitely a plus when it comes to working with paints of any kind. I did find, also, that the paintbrush needed to be cleaned off very quickly after, as the paints dries quick on a used brush. A quick run under the kitchen faucet was all it took to wash the paint out.

The finish of the paint on the flowers has a very brilliant shimmer and even a bit of chunky sparkle when applied thickly to a couple of the flowers. The paint actually made the paper flowers a bit more sturdy.

(I used the Bold Flowers set for this card - found at GinaK Designs. I discovered that the Golden Wheat Shimmerz Paint is a perfect match for Stampin' UP's So Saffron ink and cardstock.)

When turned in the right light, you can also notice a bit of gloss under the shimmer.

One of the projects that I really looked forward to using these products on was an altered book. I'm always looking for new ways to add finishes to the surfaces on the altered books that I create.

I started out with a small children's board book (which already had the shaker window on the front) for my project and painted the cover and some of the pages with acrylic paint as a base to work on. I used some of the Mudpie Shimmerz paint with a cotton ball (which I dipped on the underside of the cap so that I wouldn't soak up too much of the paint onto the cottonball) and swiped it across the cover of the book. This gave the front of my book a nice aged look. Since the paint is water-based, it allows some of the base material to show through. I know I'm going to be using these paints on quite a few projects that I'm planning on aging.

I used a white gel pen over the top of the paint, but had a little bit of trouble with it since the paint is a bit slick to work on with markers or gel pens. I kept at it, though, and eventually got what I was going for. I'm in love with the finish this created on the front of this book.
Next, I tried stamping with the Blingz. I brushed some of the Blingz directly onto an upturned rubber stamp (from the Elegant Flowers set - GinaK) with a paintbrush. I then stamped it onto one of the pagese of my altered book (painted first with acrylic paint). It took me a couple of stamped images to get the amount of Blingz right and found that I had to put the Blingz on VERY thinly so that it didn't squish out from under the rubber image when applied to the book page.

If you try this technique, make sure you clean your stamps off directly after using them and take care to clean them well, as the paint and glitter likes to hide in the the cracks and details of your stamps.

I cut a make shift stencil with a pair of pinking scissors and painted against it to create a shimmery border on one of the pages of my altered book. Though it was good in concept, because the paint is more on the watery side, I found that the next time I try this technique, I'll need to use a decorative edge with a bigger design, rather than the small pinking edge I used. Still, I liked the idea, and know it will work next time with a bigger stencil.

Below is a view of the stamped images I created with applying the paint directly to the rubber image.

I also tried the stencil technique with the Shimmerz Spritz. I punched a bunch of designs from a strip of cardstock and then sprayed over it with the Mocha Shimmerz Spritz. The result was a bit of a watercolor look. I also sprayed down the top of the page with the Spritz to create a bit of aging and shimmer.

While I like the effect that the Spritz creates, it took a little bit of practice to aim and distance from the surface to get the look I was going for.

The one problem I had with the Spritz bottles was a bit of leaking around the top after the first few pumps to get it working. I thought it was just a fluke with the first bottle, but the second and third bottle did the same thing. I had to make sure I didn't tip the bottle while spritzing or the spritz would leak out. When I held the bottle completely upright to spritz it was fine. It does provide a bit of an issue, though, as I can't hold all surfaces up to spritz them. This is something I'll be letting the company know about so that they can take a look into that particular batch of bottles.

I like to play around with colors and finishes and tried mixing some of the colors. I painted the base of the page with blue acrylic paint and then went over it with the Spiced Cider Shimmerz Blingz. Because the Blingz are thicker, it creates a bit more coverage on the surface you're painting it on. I used my heat gun to dry it quickly, and then placed a paper flower on top of the page and painted around the edges with Golden Wheat Shimmerz Paint. I rubbed the paintbrush a bit so that it rubbed away some of the Spiced Cider and allowed some of the blue from underneath to poke through. This created a really cool background effect on my page.

The flower provided a negative stencil effect that I really like. Because the Spiced Cider Blingz and Golden Wheat paints mixed a bit, it created an all new color on top of the flower. Not one to throw much away, I used the flower as an accent on the facing page.
When I dried the paint with my heat gun on this page, I held the barrel of the gun really close to the paint to cause it to bubble. It gives a raised and bubbled effect that looks really edgy and artsy.
Mixing together the Spiced Cider and Golden Wheat Shimmerz Paint created a very earthy peach color, which I doctored up with a little bit of doodling from a white gel pen and a large gold brad.

If you're like me, you probably have a ton of cardstock scraps that you never throw away because you know you're going to eventually have a use for them....someday. If you have some Shimmerz Spritz, some cardstock scraps and some punches, you're all set to go.

I sprayed some of the Sapphire Spritz over a piece of cardstock, holding it rather close to get a mottled effect (if you hold the bottle farther back, you get more of a fine mist effect).

While the paint and fine mist of Spritz dries rather quickly, when you hold the Spritz bottle close to the cardstock, it tends to stay wet longer and you can use a heat gun if you want to speed up the drying process.
I used a 3/4 inch circle punch to punch out a bunch of little circles to use as embellishments on a scrapbook page.
I sprayed some Olive Branch Spritz on a piece of green cardstock and hand cut some leaves to go behind the blue cirlces to create blueberries for a page about blueberry picking with my daughter and grandmother.
I was surprised at how much the punched circles looked just like the blueberries in the photos I used.

This was a great way to get rid of some of the scraps I've had laying around for years and a perfect way to add some extra shimmery embellishment to a page that otherwise might have looked rather "flat."

Pros:

A variety of colors to choose from - 39 paint choices, 11 Blingz choices and 20 Spritz choices.

The Spritz bottles will last a long time - the bottles are 2 ounces each.

The shine and shimmer from these products are vibrant and brilliant.

Great for aging techniques, for background effects and glazing effects.

Wonderful versatility factor for all kinds of paper crafting.

The paints, blingz and spritzs are already mixed - if you've ever tried to make your own, you'll know what a time and mess saver it is to have this already done for you!

Cons:

Spritz bottles leaked after the first round of pumping, so the bottles, as well as the project, had to be held upright to avoid leakage.

Products are waterbased so they may dry out a bit, but the website advises to add a little bit of distilled water and mix to rehydrate the products, so this is not entirely a "con" as there's an easy fix to this issue.

Overall, I was very happy with all the experimenting and playing I did with the Shimmerz Paints Blingz and Spritz. I can forsee a lot more techniques tried with these products and am looking forward to trying my hand at painting some line art rubber stamp images with the paints.

Where to buy:

Shimmerz Paints retail for roughly $3.99 per paint pot.
Shimmer Blingz retail for roughly $4.00 - $4.10 per pot.
Shimmerz Sprtitz retail for roughly $4.99 per 2-ounce bottle.

Shimmerz has a great page with Tips and Tutorials, as well as a Shimmerz Blog showcasing the work of their Design Team, so make sure to check them out!

Giveaway time! Tell us how you add sparkle and shine to your projects and you will be entered to win a Shimmerz gift pack including 3 Shimmerz, 2 Blingz, and one bottle of Spritz. You have until Friday at midnight to enter. Good luck!!

Vendor Spotlight: Shimmerz, Blingz, and Spritz

2009-06-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Katie Renz

Who doesn't like a little bit, or a lot, of bling to go with their paper crafting? These days, there are a lot of choices out there, but relatively new to the market is a product called Shimmerz, Shimmerz Blingz, and recently added to the family: Shimmerz Spritz. The original Shimmerz and the subsequent Blingz, and Spritz is a liquid (water-based) glitter product. The first two are painted on while the last product is literally sprayed or spritzed on.

Both the original and the Blingz come in small .25 oz jars. The website calls the Blingz, Shimmerz on steroids that provides even more glitter and that is slightly thicker in texture. These little guys really do pack a punch for a water-based product.

The newest product added to the line up is the new Spritz. These come in spray bottles that allow you to spray on the bling as a mist or a highlight.
I got a chance to play with all three and although I had had some previous experience with the Shimmerz, the Blingz and the Spritz were new to me.

According to the Shimmerz website, the paints and the spritz will adhere to just about any surface from metal to acetate. I didn't get a chance to paint or spray on every surface, but I'll show you some projects that I did use the products on.

My first card uses the original Shimmerz. For my example I used the Apricot and what I've done is painted it on bare white cardstock, which you can see on the tutu (the lightest shade), then I used a coordinating Copic marker for the leotard and used the same shade to paint over it. As you can see, it creates a very distinct color difference. The shadows of the tutu were painted with another shade of Shimmerz.

For my second item, I used the Shimmerz Blingz. In this case, I again colored my image with a Copic marker and then used the Pixie Dust Blingz to give my cupcake icing some shimmer and shine. I like the neutrals just for this reason. They allow the color underneath to shine through. I topped my cupcake off with some Stickles for the "sprinkles". The Blingz is indeed slightly thicker, but goes on just as nicely. I used a very cheap small paint brush and it still gave me enough control to get my area covered.

For my third card, I used the Shimmerz Spritz. I tested it on some Papetrey ink cardstock just because it is nice and thick. I sprayed pretty heavily and it definitely warps the cardstock, but with good adhesive or some time spent under some heavy books, it flattens out just fine.

Note: the pink looks a bit lighter in the picture and if you wait for it to dry and spray again, it will be darker.

So what I ended up doing was spraying an entire piece of cardstock for my card front with the Baby's Breath Spritz. I have seen the shimmery cardstock that you can purchase, but hadn't gotten around to getting any, so I decided I would make my own. I was quite pleased with the result. I then stamped with PTI's Aqua Mist ink once my cardstock was dry.

And finally, I was playing around a bit more with some crocheted flowers that I had made up. All three started out the same white color. The white one that you see, I used a paint brush and just dabbed on some Pixie Dust Blingz, the brown one was sprayed with Mud Pie and the pink flower was sprayed with the Cotton Candy Spritz. Not much shimmer showed up, but the floss sure took the color quite nicely. I mostly sprayed the front and just did a squirt or two on the back.

I have to say that overall, I'm a big fan of all the Shimmerz products. It is definitely worth having in your craft room, and does produce that extra shimmer that we like so much on our paper crafts.

Ironically, on the one hand, all the Shimmerz product are easy to use, but I did find them messy in the same way that anything glittery is kind of messy. All the products settle, so it is necessary to shake or stir before application. I tended to stir because that seemed to work the best for incorporation. I have to say that this is the biggest negative for me.

The spritz is easy, but you definitely need a backdrop before you spray due to the nature of spraying. This is a given, but something to be aware of nonetheless. I also noticed that one of my bottles tended to clump a bit when spraying so you do have to be aware of your bottles spray pattern. But, since its liquid it is possible to manipulate the liquid on the surface and it does tend to meld together. But, this only works if you are spraying a lot. The other thing I noticed was that the glitter from the spritz definitely came off the paper much more than the paint, so be aware.

Pros:

Lots of bling
Easy Application
Lots of variety of colors
Dries very quickly

Cons:

Product needs to shaken or stirred before every application
Glitter does transfer from your project

The Shimmerz website has a substantial list of online sources to purchase their products from, but I've either had personal experience or heard good things about these online stores:

Retail Cost:

$3.99 for Shimmerz
$4.10 for Shimmerz Blingz
$4.99 for Shimmerz Spritz

Again, I have to reiterate that I find the Shimmerz products very unique. It's different enough that it provides a unique way and look of glamming up your projects. It's easy to use, but you'll need some sort of applicator for the paints.

Due to the cost of the product, it's one that I would collect all the colors over time, but they will last you a long time. A little goes a long way. The value is overall a good one considering the longevity of the product.

I would rate the product a 8 out 10 because it does what its advertised to do.

So, how many colors of Shimmerz do you have? Or how many colors do you want? We would love it if you shared what types of products and surfaces you have used your Shimmerz to decorate on.

Vendor Spotlight: Shimmerz, Blingz, and Spritz

2009-06-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Stephanie Wheeler

When it comes to glitter, I'm a firm believer in more is better. I want to spray it, paint it and sprinkle it wherever possible. So I jumped at the chance to try Shimmerz Paints, a product that has found a way to replace the glitter-and-glue way of adding sparkle to craft projects.

Shimmerz Paints makes three water-based shimmer products that are perfect for scrapbooking, cardmaking and altered projects - Shimmerz, Blingz and Shimmerz Spritz. These iridescent paints are non-toxic and can be used on most any surface, including paper, fabric, cardstock, wood, metal, ribbon and acetate.

Shimmerz Paint is liquid glitter paint that can be painted with a brush on most surfaces. Blingz Paint is like Shimmerz Paint but is thicker and contains a bit more glitter. Shimmerz Spritz is a spray that adds a fine mist of glitter or can be layered to create a more dramatic effect.

I decided to use Shimmerz, Blingz and Shimmer Spritz to make a card. I used Shimmerz in Orange Sherbet to accent the orange flowers on this image, which added a bit of sparkle while enhancing the color.

Then I used Blingz in Pixie Dust to fill in the flowers in the background, painted a paper flower with Shimmerz in Choc-o-lot and finished the card off with a few spritzes of Shimmerz Spritz in Concrete.

The Shimmerz website also offers a few tutorials on how to use their products. I found a tutorial on how to make a paper flower out of an old piece of magazine paper.

Once I constructed my flower, then I added several layers of Shimmerz Spritz in Concrete and Ruby.

It took a few minutes to dry, but the end result was exactly what I wanted...a bit of color and a just a bit of shimmer.

I really enjoyed experimenting with the Shimmerz line of products. I absolutely loved the variety of colors and found the products to be high quality and easy to use. I can't wait to experiment more with layering and adding a bit of sparkle to my crafting!

Pros:

Easy to use, just paint or spray
Dries quickly
Comes in a wide variety of colors
Available in three mediums, depending on the amount of shimmer you want

Cons:

May be difficult to find Shimmerz products at your local scrapbook store or chain craft store
Shimmerz Spritz tends to warp paper if sprayed on too heavily
Shimmerz and Blingz are only available in .25 oz jars
All products tend to settle, so should be thoroughly shaken immediately before using

Where to Buy:

Shimmerz and Blingz retail for around $4 for .25 oz. Shimmerz Spritz retails for around $5 for a 2 oz bottle.

Have you used Shimmerz products? What do you think? We'd like to know!

Vendor Spolight: Shimmerz, Blingz, and Spritz

2009-06-23T13:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Jenny Barnett Rohrs

I love shimmer and shine and all that is glimmery, so I was very excited to try this line of paints and sprays. I received three different products to try, so I had my (very sparkly) hands full!

I tried the Shimmerz paints first. They are a water-based, semi-translucent, and...well...shimmery! As I opened the jar, I found that the colors had separated, but a quick stir with the toothpick blended them.

The consistency of Shimmerz is that of heavy cream. The sparkle, I found, consisted of pearl and iridescent particles that reflected the light beautifully. A similar product, Blingz, is described on the website as "Shimmerz on steroids"-- more particles in the paint, some of them seemingly holographic, and the paint is a bit thicker, too.

Since they are watercolors, my first instinct was to stamp an image on watercolor weight paper with waterproof ink, and color in the image with a paint brush.

With water-based paints, you have the ability to layer the colors beautifully and blend them with just a little bit of water. They do have particles in them, and if applied thickly, the paint will obscure your outlines. I used both the Blingz and the Shimmerz on the crocus image, and they were easy to use and provided consistent color and coverage.

Next I tried some of the Shimmerz Spritz. After shaking vigorously to mix the product, I lightly misted three different colors on a sheet of watercolor paper.

I most gave up on one bottle-- it started to clog after the 3rd pump! It also "oozed" a little through cap, making it a bit messy; but since it's also water-based, a quick rinse cleaned it right up.

I found that the mists were semi-fine- which means I got mist PLUS some small spatter. Usually that's fine with me, but when it got to be more spatter than mist, I just added a quick spritz from my water mister and the colors blended and evened right out.

My next experiment was to use the Shimmering Spritz over an embossed resist. (See "spirit" sample.") I stamped the image using clear embossing ink and embossing powder on a brown sheet of cardstock- then I spritzed it using "Plum Pudding."

As you can see, the stamped area is still a medium brown, but the exposed paper turned the most lovely, shimmery plum! I've seen shimmery cardstock in stores and it costs a dollar a sheet- so to be able to make your own would be very economical.

Just when I thought I was done playing, I decided to use the paint direct-to-rubber.

I used a cosmetic sponge to dab two different colors right onto my stamp and blended them a bit. Since these paints are on the thin (non-viscous) side, I wasn't in love with this technique. It was hard to get good coverage on the stamp, and certainly it worked better with bold, crisp images. I liked the fact that it the paint showed up on both the black and white glossy paper I used for the "serenity" bookmarks...just another plus!

The website says it dries on non-porous surfaces, and I found that to be true- however, the coverage was poor on some StyleStones I tried to color- they turned out all blotchy- and the vellum I painted wrinkled so badly that it was unusable. Also, on some of these non-porous surfaces I found that the little sparkly bits actually flaked off. Just something to keep in mind.

Pros:

Consistancy in colors and coverage (especially if you've had problems working with watercolor cakes such as Twinkling H2O's)
Very shimmery-- oh, yes!
Love the Spritz- a little went a long way, excellent for backgrounds
Sold individually, build your own set

Cons:

Spritz can get messy, particles clog up the nozzle
Blingz and Shimmerz are on the pricey side for me- about $3.99 for a 1/2 oz
Consistancy not optimal for stamping
Limited use

Rating: Blingz and Shimmers: 7 out of 10
Shimmering Spritz: 9 out of 10

Available at:

www.Shimmerzpaints.com
There is also a list of stores and sites available here

Have you tried the Shimmerz products? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Vendor Spolight: Shimmerz, Blingz, and Spritz

2009-06-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

You ask and we deliver. We are pleased today to bring you reviews of Shimmerz, Blingz, and Shimmerz Spritz by Shimmering Products.

Shimmering Products is a family owned company, proudly creating Shimmerz, Blingz and Spritz in the USA. All of our products are : waterbased, non-toxic, versatile and highly iridescent. We created Shimmerz, Blingz and Spritz to help crafters of all kinds to breathe life and add dimension to their creations. We proudly stand behind each product and aim to give the highest quality customer service. We have many talented Design Team members to help us spread the shimmering news. Our hope is that our products will bring shimmerz and shine to all who use them.

Reported by Francie Horton

If there is one thing most girls love it’s shimmer and shine. Well, have I got some glitz for you! I had the pleasure of trying out Shimmerz Spritz and Shimmerz Blingz over the past couple of weeks and I had so much fun.

First up, I tried out the Shimmerz Spritz on watercolor paper in my journal. I used the colors Barn Door, Tuscan Sun, and Truffle. I had a Heidi Swapp mask on hand which proved to be perfect for this project. I placed the mask in place then sprayed the Spritz over it, zapped it with the heatgun, sprayed again, used the heatgun, and repeated until I got the color as deep as I wanted. I did this in several places on the layout with the three colors. I left the last layer wet before moving to a new color so that the colors would mix and mingle. I also did several layers of colors. I loved the results! I will definitely use these sprays in my journals more. And I want more colors!

the black on the left is the mask

Then I moved to the Blingz. I just happened to be working on an abstract painting a couple weeks ago and thought it might benefit from a little shimmer. So I applied Bubblegum Pink with a palette knife over the dark pink. It’s hard to see here but is very beautiful in person. I also used Fire Engine Red as highlights on the organic shapes on the right.

In a different painting I used Blingz on the background and then attempted to paint a portrait on top of it. No matter how many coats I used, though, the acrylic paint that was over the Blingz kept cracking. While this wasn’t desired for this painting, under different circumstances it could be used to create interesting effects.

And for my last experiment I used more of the Blingz as highlights on a watercolor painting. I used Fire Engine Red for the flowers, Spiced Cider in the hair, and Angle Wings for the eye lights. I was very pleased.

You have to mix quite a bit to get the shimmer into the liquid, but from what I’ve read of similar products this is a common issue so I’m not putting it in the cons.

Pros:

Prices are very reasonable when compared to similar products. (Spritz)
The range of colors is extensive. (Shimmerz)
I didn’t have any problems with the sprayer clogging or uneven spraying. (Spritz)

Cons:

Since they are called paints, I did expect them to be thicker. Instead, they are about the consistency of a thick ink. (Blingz)
You cannot apply any other paint over the Blingz or it will crackle.

All in all, I really enjoyed working with the Shimmerz products. Have you Shimmered yet? What did you think?

Lion Brand Pom Pom Makers

2009-06-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Susie Ziegler

Pom poms are so cute! I know that you can buy them by the bag at craft stores, but it is way more fun to make them yourself and use up your yarn stash. I was browsing around the craft store looking for a tool to review for you, dear readers, and I found this Set of Three Pom Pom Makers by Lion Brand. Only $3 and I have a coupon? Perfect! I want to see how this pom pom maker compares with the sublime perfection of the Clover Brand Pom Pom Makers I reviewed recently for Craft Critique.

Cool! It stores flat! This is already an advantage over the bulky Clover brand tool. The Lion Brand Pom Pom Maker reminds me of the old-fashioned handmade cardboard template technique, except that this tool is made out of flexible, durable plastic. There are two matching halves and there is a little wedge cut out. This wedge will guide your scissors later in the pom pom making process. The package has directions right on the back. Once you know how to make pom poms, it's like riding a bike and you probably will never forget, so the brave and confident can discard the instructions.

Honestly, it was not immediately evident to me how this thing makes three sizes of pom poms, but then I realized that the whole thing pops apart. Neato! Another storage advantage!

Let's start with the larger yellow size. Pop out the inside templates and put the two halves together with the wedge cutout to the inside. You'll need to cut off a length of yarn to thread through the tool. Since I don't know how much yarn to use, this could be wasteful. With my Clover tool, I could work right from my ball of yarn instead of cutting off lengths. I used multiple strings because that seems to be the way it is pictured in the instructions.

All wound up! I found that springy yarns work better than slick ones. This is an inexpensive acrylic yarn.

The next step is scary. You have to carefully cut around between the two circles using the cut out wedge as a guide. If you aren't careful, all your pieces will fall out and you have to start over. Tie it up with the template still in place.

Yipes! It's pretty shaggy, but a little haircut will take care of that. Hmm.. it is considerably smaller than the template. This is the largest pom pom, but it is only 1 3/4 inches across.

On this even smaller pink and orange one, 1 1/4 inches, I had a very hard time tying the string really tight so there is a gap in the center.

Finally, how about the itty-bitty blue template? I had to thread my yarn on a needle to wind up this one. Yipes! This thing is less than and inch! I can do it. The pom pom I made with this size was about an inch in diameter.

Here is what happens when you can't tie the string tight enough. The whole thing comes apart and you have to discard it. Alas.

Pros:

Space-saving flat design is easily stored in a crafter's crowded supply drawer.
Inexpensive for a set of three sizes.
It's nifty how the colorful sizes snap together for storage.
It occurs to me that you can probably make larger pom poms if you use two or three of the sizes snapped together.

Cons:

There is no way to know how big the pom poms you make will be. The sizes aren't even marked on the packaging.
Awkward and fiddley in your hand. Binding up the pom pom is a delicate operation.
Makes only smallish pom poms.
You have to cut off a length of yarn to thread around the tool instead of just wrapping it.
Shaggy poms will need a haircut.
*sigh* I want to use my other pom pom tool instead of this one.

After struggling with a few pom poms using this Lion Brand tool, I found myself longing to break out my other tool. When I used the Clover Brand Pom Pom Maker, I probably made about 20 fun, large poms before quitting. Interestingly, I think Lion Brand knows that some crafters might prefer the other tool and they offer the Clover product at their yarn website. I think maybe this one is for traditionalists.

I don't recommend this tool for serious pom pom enthusiasts. I highly recommend the pricier Clover Pom Pom Makers, but if you are determined and looking online, you can buy this Set of Three Lion Brand Pom Pom Makers directly from Lion Brand, Amazon, or JoAnns.

Gosh, pom poms are fun. I like to use them with my gift wrapping. What do you use yours for?

Giveaway Winners!

2009-06-20T14:45:00.003-05:00

Here are the winners of our Sharpie giveaways. Please email your name and mailing address to melissa@craftcritique.com. Congrats and thanks for reading Craft Critique!!

Maureen said...

I would autograph my loaner laptop from my dh. Then he'd get the hint!

6:45 PM

BishopsMommie said...

did not even know they had paint like pens...cool

11:17 PM

jessgos1313 said...

I love my sharpies!!! From crafting to making signs for work, they are the best!!! :)

1:42 PM

Axes DesigNs said...

OH! How I can get one!!!!!!!! I love sharpie!!! are they selling in USA?

9:42 AM

msfreida said...

What an AWESOME review! :) I SO LOVE my Sharpies! I've been using the white fine-tip paint marker for a while now...has since replaced my Uniball Signo! No skipping with this baby!!! :)

Stainless steel and refillable...WHA HOOO!

1:39 PM

Quickie Glue Pen by Sakura

2009-06-19T07:00:00.002-05:00

Reported by Katie Renz

Glue. Just a simple four letter word that is an absolute must have in the crafter's repertoire. It's something that we all groan and moan about... "which one, how many, is it permanent, will it stick, is it acid-free, is it available, is it expensive," and the list goes on and on and on. I'm not going to address the general issue of glues and adhesives, but what I am going to do is tell you why I LOVE this particular product. This product is Sakura's Quickie Glue Pen. No punches pulled here and no guessing as to whether I like it or not. I love it and here's why.

First and foremost is that it literally glides on. This glue pen is just that, like a pen. There are no clumps, there is no pushing the glue out, and thus far in my experience I haven't had any issues with it clogging. It has a fine tip that will fill in the finest details and thus far it has worked like a charm every single time I've used it.

Here is a very simple and easy way to use it. Just like its name, you can use it as a pen. Doodle yourself a little bit of glitter fun.

Personalize just about anything.

So, let me show you how I've put this oh so little power house to use. I wouldn't consider myself a super huge glitter use, but I do enjoy a sparkle here and there. The Quickie Glue Pen allows for some intricate detail that you wouldn't be able to create otherwise.

The glue is blue when it is applied and will dry clear. If left alone, the blue glue turns clear and becomes repositional - cool huh?

I worked each small section at a time with the glitter color I wanted and when I was done with a particular color of glitter, I would move on to the next color. You don't have to wait too long, but make sure that each colored section is dry before moving onto your next color.

And here is my finished card. I don't have any black glitter so I ended up using some Black Stickles.

And how about fun flock. I thought the pen worked wonders with this too.

And my finished card using the Quickie Glue Pen and the Fun Flock.

(images used are from Clear Dollar Stamps, Martha Stewart glitter, Stampendous Fun Flock)

Another perfect use for the Quickie Glue Pen is for adhering small pieces of cardstock to whatever project you are working. Any of you who use die cuts by Quickutz or any of the fonts out there by various other die cut systems will find the pen perfect.

The only thing I would say is that if you plan to use this glue for repositional purposes especially larger items, I would suggest using a different type of glue. I really like this pen for detail work, not that it wouldn't work, but I feel like something with a larger glue surface would suit better for larger projects repositional or not.

As you probably figured, I am a huge fan of the Quickie Glue Pen.

Pros:

Fits and feels like a pen which provides extra control
Glides super smoothly
Doesn't clog or clump
Affordable

Cons: (grasping here)

It would be nice if Sakura offered the exact same positive qualities in a slightly larger surface

This pen is widely accessible both at craft and office supply stores, but here are several online stores that carry the Quickie Glue Pen.

Retail cost for the Quickie Glue Pen is $2.79 and is worth every penny. I'm sad it took me this long to find it... don't ask me why, other than the fact that I had other glue pens and that's just what I used. The pen is super easy to use and I would rate this product a 10 out of 10.

Seriously, I love it! So, I showcased a couple of uses, and we at Craft Critique would love to hear of any other uses that you may have found. If you don't own this pen, try it out and then let us know what you think.

Vendor Spotlight : Sharpie

2009-06-18T11:45:00.002-05:00

Reported by Melissa Norris

One of the first real crafts I remember doing is using paint pens and Sharpies to alter items. Picture frames, book covers, and more, I left my trace on it all. When I went to college, my markers went with me. I decorated the front of mix CDs, labeled anything I didn't want a roommate to eat, and made gifts for my sorority sisters. Due to my long history with these crafting staples, I jumped at the chance to review the paint pen options from Sharpie and as well as the new Stainless Steel marker.

Due to a recent move, I only have access to a few other craft supplies (my husband thought furniture was more important...what was he thinking!), so I decided to go with tests for this review. Here are a few things to note, I received the water-based paint pens, oil-based paint pens, and the Stainless Steel Sharpie.

I started with black cardstock. The first four are the water based pens and the green is the oil-based. As you can see, the oil-based didn't fare so well. The others did alright. I think especially after using them a bit, the ink will thicken up a bit and flow a bit more smoothly. The oil based ink immediately faded and has actually gotten lighter since taking the picture.

Next, smooth, white cardstock. All all of the pens did well. The blue and bottom black are the water-based paint and left a rich, opaque color. The first black is the regular Sharpie and gives a finer line than the black paint pen even though they are both the standard fine-point. The paint pens, green, oil-based especially, did that thing on paper, where the bristles in the nib sometimes hang and give you that splatter effect. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. I think it was mostly due to the larger nib size on the oil-based pen.

I had high hopes for the Hambly overlay. The top black is the regular Sharpie marker, which worked well as far as staying power goes. You do see more of the brush strokes and if you don't go over multiple times, you get that purple-black color. The green, oil-based pen dried a bit shinier than the water-based, but scratched off easily. None of the paint pens held up to a simple scratch of my fingernail, so only use these if it will be something that isn't handled regularly.

Sharpies of any time are a great idea to dress up simple sheer flowers. The regular, black Sharpie held up well to my scratching, but pooled a bit more and has that purple-black color again. The black, water-based pen scratched off very easily, and the green, oil-based pen stayed a bit better. Again, not a good choice if you will be handling this a lot. And this flower was textured as compared to the smooth Hambly overlay.

Glossy paper had interesting results, and it's hard to tell from the photo, so I apologize. The blue, and bottom black, water-based pens looked great going, but when I came back I noticed that they had crackled. This is great if that's the effect you are going for, but I wasn't. The green, oil-based did well and maintained that shiny look it has when it dries. The standard Sharpie also did well (first black).

A great use for any Sharpie marker or pen is to dress up those boring buttons. The oil-based pen and regular Sharpie (black through the middle) did great. They couldn't be scratched and left a smooth, bright look. The black on the right, the water-based, scratched off easily.

I decided to put my oil-based, green paint pen to work to add a little color to this boring flower pot. The color went on smooth and I haven't been able to scratch it off. The thing to remember about paint pens, is that you have to keep pumping or priming the nib to ensure the flow of paint. But always remember to do this on scratch paper instead of your project! I can't tell you how many times I've made that mistake the past.

Pros:

Stainless Steel Sharpie: Sleek design, refillable, the envy of my husband and easy to find when he steals it; what more could a woman want.

Sharpie Oil-Based paint pens: Similar to the rest of the paint pen market out there, but has the name Sharpie to back it up. I feel more comfortable with that if I have any problems with my product. Also, works great on those non-porous surfaces.

Sharpie Water-Based paint pens: I love the acid-free and water-based qualities and does great on porous surfaces. I can definitely see myself using these on posters and layouts. Great when you want that bold, opaque color that markers can't provide.

Cons:

Stainless Steel Sharpie: More colors please!!

Sharpie Oil-Based paint pens: I wish they are more widely available on the market, I don't see them often at my local craft store.

Sharpie Water-Based paint pens: Same thing, I wish they were more widely available. I also wish they worked better on non-porous surfaces.

Overall, I love all of these products and am happy to add them to my craft supply, for completely different reasons for each. I've also become a huge fan of the water-based pens simply for use on paper because I'm a big fan of that opaque color and think they would look great on journaling or for making great titles.

Have you used any of these products? Let us know what you think.

Follow up: There was a comment in one of our articles about the Sharpie Water Based pens no longer being available. I am happy to announce from our contact with Sharpie that they are continuing to be made, there was only a packaging change. So go get some today!!

Vendor Spotlight: Sharpie

2009-06-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Heather Strenzwilk

As a long time fan (and collector) of Sharpie Markers by Sanford, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review three new products: poster paint, oil-based paint and stainless steel markers.

Sharpie Stainless Steel Permanent Marker is a high end version of a fine point black Sharpie Marker. It features a high end stainless steel barrel with a laser etched Sharpie emblem. When I showed my husband and neighbors at a picnic everyone was impressed by its sleek styling. It is currently available in black only and it is refillable. Inside it is the same black permanent marker that can be used to label possessions, boxes and address labels. This was by far my favorite product for this review. In the future more colors will be available and I hope an ultra fine tip version.

As you can see in the photo, the oil-based paint marker dried
with a very gloppy and uneven surface and will need to be sealed prior to handling.

I also received two oil based opaque paint markers: medium point black and fine point blue. The blue pen provided more consistent ink coverage. For testing, I "colored" a binder clip, tin foil, matte cardstock, an acrylic shape and a metal embellishment and brads. After an hour of drying time, I tried to scratch the tin foil with a fingernail and the blue ink stayed put but the black smeared and flaked off the foil. The coverage on the acrylic star was gloppy and uneven, as you can see from my photo. The metal frame and brads fared better, but they needed to be sealed.

This is how the gold and red poster paint markers look on a black photo matte board.

I also received a red and a gold Poster Paint Sharpie Markers, both with medium points. After shaking them and priming the tips to release the flow of ink, I tried them on a variety of surfaces. Despite numerous attempts to increase the flow of ink, the markers seemed dry at times and pooled ink at other times. I doodled with them on card stock and on a black photo matte. As you can see, neither pen showed up well on the black background. Perhaps if the markers had been fine point, I would have been happier with them. These are labeled as poster paint, and they seem better suited for sign making and the like. Since this ink is water-based, it might need to be sealed as well.

Pros:

Stainless steel pen is very attractive and refillable
Stainless steel version has permanent ink
Oil-based and poster paint markers available in 15+ colors and points ranging from fine to extra bold
Labeled as safe for scrapbooking

Cons:

Projects created with oil-based and poster paint inks might need to be sealed
Oil-based and poster paint inks are gloppy and don't apply smoothly
Oil-based and poster paint markers are not as widely available as classic permanent ink Sharpie markers and might need to be special ordered

Sharpie Stainless Steel markers list for $6.99 (refills for $1.99)
Sharpie Oil-based markers list from $3.37 (fine point) to $4.84 (bold point)
Sharpie Poster-Paint markers list from $3.37 (fine point) to $7.76 (extra bold point)

These Sharpie Markers are available from these online retailers:

The major US office supply stores carry the Stainless Steel Sharpie markers and their refills. Specialty Sharpies such as the poster paint and oil-based are available from independent art supply dealers.

As a long time Sharpie Marker aficionado, I'll stick with the basic permanent markers and the stainless steel version. The stainless steel Sharpie Marker rates a 10 for its sleek design and because it can be refilled (and was the envy of my neighbors). The oil-based and poster paint markers had inconsistent ink flow and projects needed to be sealed, despite labeling to the contrary, so I rate them both a 6.

Have you tried these Sharpie Markers? Do Sharpie paint markers compare with other brands of paint markers? Please share your thoughts with our readers.

Follow up: There was a comment in one of our articles about the Sharpie Water Based pens no longer being available. I am happy to announce from our contact with Sharpie that they are continuing to be made, there was only a packaging change. So go get some today!!

Vendor Spotlight: Sharpie

2009-06-17T11:45:00.001-05:00

Reported by Suzy Haghighi

Since 1964 Sharpie Markers by Sanford Corp have been a staple in homes and offices around the world. Moms use them to label children’s clothing and backpacks, students scribble with them on countless CDs, even celebs use them to sign autographs. President Bush used Sharpies personalized with his signature exclusively in the White House.

Sharpies now come in 39 colors and seven varieties, ranging in tip size from Ultra Fine to Magnum. Rather than messing with the success of what goes into their flagship product, the Permanent Marker, Sharpie has designed a sleek, modern and ultra cool casing for their utilitarian fine tip marker. The Stainless Steel Sharpie has it's name and logo engraved onto the body, has a great comfortable grip despite the larger size, and is so pretty you won't want to hide it in the tool drawer. It retails for about $7 US as opposed to the $1.79 for the regular Sharpie. I took this pretty pen on a craft spin to see how I would like it.

Cards made with Magnolia Stamps using Sharpie Permanent and Water Based Markers

I discovered that my favorite ways to use the Permanent markers are for outlining or coloring on acetate. Sharpie Permanent Markers adhere to most surfaces and contains pigments and dyes that are almost impossible to remove (depending upon the surface written on). Glossy surfaces are notorious for not allowing ink to stick to it – it either beads or wipes away. Not with these babies.

The permanent nature of the pen and the wonderful way it bonds to surfaces makes it hard to shade and blend in coloring. Sharpie knows and capitalizes on this in their advertising: The strong, bold ink serves as muse for the company’s slogan Write Out Loud.

While I use Copic Alcohol Markers to color, I love using Sharpies on my cards when I want a really strong, bold ink for accenting. I used the Ultra Fine Tip to create faux stitching on one card, and the Stainless Steel Sharpie with its traditional fine tip to create polka dots on an acetate card, red pencils, and a painted wooden ladybug. The marker was also used over my Copics to color in the polka dots. The ink looks great on all of my projects; the ultra fine did not bleed into my paper or slip on the paint or pencils. It dried quickly on the acetate and the pencil coating; it did however pool a bit on the acetate (see pic below).

Please note a fine tip is rather wide for card making purposes. It could not be used for journaling or writing small letters, however, the Ultra Fine could. The solvent in Sharpie Permanent Markers does contain Propanol so they are not considered acid-free. While I would not use these for archival craft work such as scrapbooking, I have no problem using them on cards.

The Sharpie Water Based Extra Fine Paint Pens in White is also great for accenting over my Copic Marker work and is archival quality and acid-free. I used it here to highlight hair and the ladybug's face. White is an almost impossible color to formulate without using pigment (as opposed to dye-based inks). These skip less than my white gel pens while remaining about 50% opaque (see picture above). The white is bright which makes them great for accent work or dotting snow on cards, but you do have to be careful of the valve-action tip. While the point is extra fine, the ink is rather watery and seeps out of the valve-action tip when pressed. To avoid problems I press and release the valve over copy paper then do my accenting.

I am not sure if Sharpie Oil Based Paint Pens are acid-free, but they do state that they are xylene-free. They are more opaque than the Water Based Paint Pens, write better, and can be used on any surface. The ink was not watery at all and the color seemed bolder to me.

Besides being useful, Sharpies are also economical and long lasting: someone did a rather scientific measurement to see how long a Sharpie lasts and estimated the total writing distance to be 1800 feet, which is quite impressive. That person is much more organized than I am -- I can honestly say I have never run out of ink on my own before I lose them. They need to make a Sharpie with GPS.

Pros:

Economical
Long lasting
Strong, bold ink color
Writes on many surfaces
Multipurpose types for all craft needs
Great for use with acetate or other smooth surfaces

Cons:

Limited color variety
Bold, strong ink is not good for blending, line marks
The lids do not really match the inks so it is best to make a color chart
Tips tend to dry quickly
Permanent marker bleeds through thin and fibrous papers, fabrics and cloth
Paint Marker ink clogs a bit or leaks from valve, can also "spit" ink onto your work

Where to Buy:
Wal-Mart (Sharpie Permanent Marker in assorted colors for $14.88 US)
Office Supply Stores such as Office Depot (12 pack of Permanent Fine Point Black for $7.79)
Amazon.com (Stainless Steel Sharpie Permanent Marker for $5.99)
Wallack's (Sharpie Paint Extra Fine Oil Based Marker in White for $3.47)

In conclusion I give the Sharpie Permanent Markers a 9/10 and Sharpie Paint Markers a 7/10 overall. As a card maker, Sharpies will not replace my beloved (and much more expensive) Copics, but they are fantastic for certain uses on my cards that make them an indispensable tool that belongs in everyone’s craft room. They are fantastic on acetate or plastic products – the color stays bright and bold, and does not budge once put on a surface. On paper they are bad for blending, but great for pops of permanent color. How do YOU use Sharpies in the craft room?

Vendor Spotlight: Sharpie

2009-06-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Reported by Jo-Anne te Raa

I am a huge Sharpie fan. It's not a pen we can buy here in Holland so it's the FIRST thing in my cart when I visit Target! If you understand my Sharpie love then you will know what I thought when this little beauty fell through my door:

In a sleek stainless steel casing, to all intents and purposes it looks like a VERY expensive pen. It looks cool in my bag and funky in my scrap tote! I can't really judge, from a pricing perspective as to me most things craft wise are cheaper in the USA compared to where I live. Priced at $6.99 and the refills at $1.99, I do think it's competitive. I do love the idea that it's refillable, giving the "green" amongst us another reason to buy!

To test it out I decided to go back to my roots - scrapbooking. I started using the Sharpie range, originally, because of my love for photo altering. It's a great pen to use when you want to put a pen through a little more than you average black marker can handle.

For this layout I scratched the background of my photo away, using a Tonic tool (this works better on cheaper photo prints). I then added color with water-soluble, pastel crayons.
With a baby wipe I smeared the color into the scratches, creating a perfect journaling background. After letting this dry and settle I added my journaling.

The rest of my layout was all based on my "blue" journaled photo.

What I really like about this pen is the amazing ease at which it flowed across, what is in fact a very difficult background. My regular Sharpie wouldn't struggle but would need a great deal more manipulating and time. I expected that this pen, being a thicker nib, would take longer to dry but it really didn't. It's a pen I would order via the internet to have here in Holland. I really have taken to this pen and have used it in a million different scrapbooking tasks. I do hope it comes in different nib sizes as I would like some finer pens too, to use daily at work. This one is too thick for that as it does soak through the paper.
Overall I would give this pen an 11 out of 10!

I also got to play with the paint pens. Well I got to take the lid off!
I was covered in "paint." So was my table and a layout I was working on. I don't want to give this a bad review as it might have been the shipping of my pens or even that these were new samples. But I was not happy. I think the review of these, out of commercial fairness I should leave to a fellow reporter!

So based purely on my stainless steel Sharpie:

Pros:

Beautiful casing, sleek, trendy and enviable.
Refillable
Not your regular Sharpie, so I do think its competitively priced.
High performance and long lasting finish.
Perfect for altered journaling techniques
Efficient and seems to last forever!

Cons:

I hope it comes in more tip sizes
It's so attractive you will need to guard it.....someone may try to steal it!
Some might find the price a little steep

Overall I loved this product and was very impressed. It is definitely on my "need to refill" list!

Try it out and let us know what you think! Visit the Sharpie Blog, it's a great way to keep up with all the new releases....have fun!!!!

Vendor Spotlight: Sharpie

2009-06-16T11:45:00.002-05:00

Reported by Katie Renz

Who doesn't have a Sharpie of one shape, size, or color in their household. I'm no connoisseur, but there has always been a black Sharpie in the junk drawer and it was usually the go to pen. The first pen I am going to talk about is the new Stainless Steel Sharpie and according to their website, celebs love it!

The nice thing about this pen is that the outer casing is for the long haul. Buy it once and when the ink runs dry, just purchase a refill. Those of us that are environmentally-friendly will like this option.

So what I did was use the pen on some different papers I have around in my craft area. Overall the pen is very nice, but the size of the barrel was a bit large for me. I personally prefer a smaller pen. I also felt the tip of the pen wasn't quite as smooth as some other sharpies that I've used in the past. I don't do a lot of autograph signing, in fact I do none, but when I make to the big time, maybe I'll have a different opinion.

The ink does feather though, and it does depend on the quality of paper too. The ink bleeds through if you let the point rest on your surface and it definitely shows on the backside.

Overall, the Stainless Steel Pen is very aesthetically pleasing and unique and does what we expect Sharpies to do.

Now onto my other samples. I received a couple of examples of Sharpie Paint Pens. I had never even heard of these or seen them before so it was all new to me. The paint pens are divided into water-based paint and oil-based paints, and come in a variety of sized tips from extra fine, to broad and chiseled. I received one large tip and several medium tips.

I have read that lots of artists use Sharpie brand pens to sketch, draw, and paint with, but since that isn't my field, I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do. So, what I basically did was play with them on different surfaces that I had in my craft room and I did figure out a cute little project to make.

Both the water-based and oil-based paint markers need to be primed. If you haven't used them before, or are unfamiliar with them, they have a ball inside them that you can hear when you shake just like cans of spray paint. I must admit, it's kind of neat to shake them.

If you are familiar with some of the liquid glue adhesives out there, these pens are like that in that the nib is empty until you press it down and let the liquid travel down the pen.

I used the oil-based on some clear acetate that I had on hand. It went on super smooth, and what I liked about it was that it looked like paint. Same result with some glossy cardstock that I had on hand too. Plus, both oil-based and water-based were quite quick to dry.

If you notice in the background, there is a piece of 12x12 cardstock that I used the black oil-based marker on. It worked quite well and had excellent coverage. You could see the design from the back, but it didn't bleed through and that was with good coverage.

The glossy cardstock is shown in the picture below. The brown is the oil based and the purple is the water based paint marker.

Now, how about a wood sample. I just happened to have a wood birdhouse laying around with no purpose so I thought I'd test the bottom. The BROWN is oil based and the PURPLE is water based. The only real difference I noticed was that the water based feathered more than the oil based. What I liked about "painting" with the markers was the amount of control I had while "coloring." You could do a lot of detail work that would be fun.

So, what would a paper crafter use Sharpie Paint Markers for? Well, this is what I did with mine. I did some altering of a clear can. This particular can used to house sateen flowers that I purchased at Michaels. I removed the paper label and washed the can. I decided I wanted to paint stripes on my clear can so I masked it to create my stripes.

I would recommend using painters tape, but I couldn't find mine so I had to use my Eclipse Tape (gasp). My eclipse tape didn't create the seal that I wanted, but it worked alright for my purposes. After it was all painted, I did have to do a little "clean up", but I was able to remove the excess paint that seeped underneath my tape edges.

Here is my finished project after I added some extra stamping and decoration. I made this to house some doggy treats for my Mom's little doggy Daisy.

So in conclusion, I would have to say that I have always been a fan of Sharpie markers and will continue to be so. Can I live without the new sleek Stainless Steel pen? Yes. I will probably stick with my basic black Sharpie markers. My personal favorite is the pen with the fine point on one end and the medium tip on the other.

I did very much enjoy the Sharpie paint markers, both the oil- and water-based. These would work great for smaller projects, but are clearly not made for any large surfaces in terms of painting that is. If the need arises, I would definitely get myself some. They were fun.

Pros:

Very little odor
Pretty good variety of colors and tip sizes
Comfortable to hold
Nice flow and coverage

Cons:

The overall size of the stainless was bit too big for me
None really for the poster paints

Lots of retailers both brick and mortar as well as online carry Sharpie markers, but here are 3 online sources of the Stainless Steel Pen:

Three sources for Sharpie Paint Markers:

Retail value for the Stainless Steel pen is $8.64 (but this varies by pennies depending on which site you visit) and sale prices vary even more.

Retail value for the poster paints for both oil and water based markers depends on the size of the tip as well as if you want to purchase individually or in a package. Range being from $3.37 - $4.84 and again, sale prices all over the board.

I thought the pens (all of them) were very easy to use and did what they are supposed to do. I feel that they might be expensive initially and can't really say how long they will last, but so far so good. From what I have gathered, artists enjoy sketching and drawing with them, but as a papercrafter, I tend to see these pens slightly differently,but I DO see lots of potential uses now that I have some experience with them and realize that they are out there.

I would rate the stainless steel marker a 6 out of 10 and the paint markers a 9 out of 10.

We'd love to hear from some of you mixed media artists or how about any illustrators out there. What do you think of the pens and how do you use them?

Vendor Spotlight: Sharpie

2009-06-16T07:00:00.002-05:00

We're thrilled to bring you an in-depth look at an old-school favorite! Actually, it's not so old school, since Sharpie's been changing it up recently... over the next three days, check out the new stuff Sharpie has to offer!

Reported by Kristine Fowler

Whether or not they are part of your craft arsenal, you have no doubt heard of Sharpie markers. After all, the Sanford Ink Company introduced the very first Sharpie in 1964 (The Sharpie Fine Point Black Marker). Now a division of Newell Rubbermaid, Sanford has through the years expanded the Sharpie product line. Currently available are various tip sizes and styles, a ton of colour options beyond basic black, and ink options that include not only Permanent Markers, but Industrial Permanent Markers, Highlighters & Everyday Writing Instruments.

Recently I was lucky enough to play around with what is probably the coolest member of the Sharpie family, the Sharpie Paint Markers! My package from Sharpie included 5 pens - 2 Water-Based, and 3 Oil-Based.

I'll start first with some basic info:

2 different types of Paint Markers: Water-Based and Oil-Based
Both types offer a variety of tip size/style options: Extra Fine, Fine, Medium and Bold
Each type is available in variety of colours, but not every tip size/style is available in all colours.
Both lay opaque colour and can be used on light or dark surfaces
Both are water and fade resistant
Cap color matches the ink color
Virtually odorless

In addition to some of the items already mentioned, the Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers are:

Acid Free & Archival Quality (which is important to scrapbookers of course!)
Child-Friendly

And, the Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers are:

Permanent
Opaque & Glossy
Quick-Drying
Abrasion, fade & water resistant
AP Certified and Xylene Free (for more details on AP Ceritification click here.)

Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers: My Experience

The first thing I did with the Oil-Based Paint Markers wasn't really a project at all - it was more of a necessity. You see, my son was getting ready for Sports Day at school, and we needed to put his name on his plastic water bottle. Admittedly, I had it in my mind to reach for my trusty Sharpie Fine Point Black Permanent Marker to do the job, but as luck would have it, the Red oil-based Paint Marker was handier - so I thought, what the heck?

When I first opened the cap of my Medium Point Red Paint marker, I saw this...a white tip. Then after reading the instructions on the barrel, I gave it a shake, and saturated the tip easily by depressing the marker point several times on a piece of paper. Next, I very quickly wrote his name - twice in fact, one of each side of the bottle. The marker wrote smoothly, laying nice even color. Since I had a limited amount of time available before the school bus arrived, I was initially concerned about how long the paint would take to dry, but I was pleasantly surprised when it had indeed dried completely to a nice glossy finish in just a few minutes. Phew!

I snapped a pic of the bottle just minutes after writing on it. I see now it's a bit blurry, and for that I apologize, but I was in a hurry as I mentioned. That photo is on the left below. The picture on the right was taken about 3 weeks later after the bottle being used pretty much daily. You can see in the photo that the paint did suffer a bit with a few minor abrasions, but overall I think it has held up pretty well. This is one of those items that takes a lot of handling, so minor damage was to be expected -- but what better way to test the the staying power of the paint!

(left: newly painted, right: used & abused)

Now, because this is of course a crafty blog - I figured I ought to also play with the Oil-Based paint markers a bit more and actually make something creative! Here's what I came up with:

My altered stapler (come on admit it....it's cute right?):

And this simple custom plant pot (sticking with the swirls and dots theme but this time using the Swirly Vine template from The Crafter's Workshop instead of free-hand)

You might be surprised to hear that on each of these projects, I used the same Sharpie Fine Point Oil-Based Paint Marker in Lime Green. As you can see in the pictures it seems that the color of the object to which you are applying color affects the appearance of the paint once it dries. I think this is more a case of contrast (and our eyes kind of playing tricks on us) than anything else, but the way I see it, the Lime Green paint applied to the robin's egg blue plastic plant pot appears almost yellow - whereas on the teal blue stapler, it looks Lime. Regardless of the 'why' behind it, I would definately test your paint on a hidden area of your project before you begin just to make sure it is going to look the way you want it to.

The one thing that I unfortunately didn't have on hand to experiment with was an acrylic scrapbook album. Based on my experience though with the plastic plant pot above I think these pens would be absolutely perfect to use on a project like that!

Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers: My Experience

These are seriously fun to play with! I absolutely LOVE everything about them. They lay color evenly & beautifully. They dry to an almost chalky appearance on cardstock just like regular paint and they are incredibly opaque - even on black.

Here's a super duper quick layout that I pulled together to demonstrate the opacity of these pens. Again I used the Crafter's Workshop Swirly Vines template, and this is the Sharpie Fine Point Blue Water-Based Marker:

There has been so many times that I have wanted to add color, or text to a dark background and aside from using pigment inks or gel pens, I just couldn't do it. Now I have yet another option...... and I love to have options! I will definately be getting myself more of these!

As a side note: If you look closely at the button on the above layout, you'll see it is 2-toned green. I used the Lime Green Oil-Based paint marker to paint the rim of the button just to make it a bit more interesting. Using the oil-based paint pen, the creative possibilities for altering metal and plastic embellishments is seriously limitless.

What about Tip Sizes?

My sample pack from Sharpie included two Fine tip and two Medium tip pens (one each in Oil, and one each in the water-based variety). After playing with them for a bit, my personal preference is the Fine point - although I stress that this is a personal preference. I'm not much of a free-hand doodler and prefer instead to use templates, so the Fine Point offered me greater flexibility. In some instances, the medium tip was just too large to use. I was initially concerned that coloring larger areas with the fine point might prove difficult, but that wasn't the case. So when I buy, I will buy the fine point.

The sample pack also included a White Oil-Based marker and I was initially super excited about this. After playing for a bit though, while I wasn't disappointed with the opacity of the paint (it rocks!), I was disappointed with the bold point tip as I found it very difficult to manage. I most certainly couldn't stencil with it, and as I said before, free-hand is definitely not my thing. The barrel of this marker is also about an inch around, so I found it more cumbersome in general to work with. It would probably work great if you were looking to make a big sign or something though - or drawing something quite large that didn't require a lot of detail work.

So what's the bottom line?

With the exception of the Bold Point (for the reasons I discussed above), I give the Sharpie Paint Markers an 8 out of 10. My rating would have been higher absolutely it weren't for the fact that I have been unsuccessful in finding a Canadian distributor (please correct me if I'm wrong on this point as I'm in the market to buy) and if they were a little bit less expensive.

You can pick them up south of the (Canadian) border at various locations for around $4 (US) or less. If you would like to shop online, you can try artstuff.net or markingpendepot.com, both of whom seem to have reasonable pricing.

So have you tried the Sharpie Paint Markers and have an opinion to share? Leave us a comment and let us know.

BONUS Review: Sharpie Stainless Steel Permanent Marker

Also included in my Sharpie sample pack was the NEW Stainless Steel Permanent Marker. Here is Sharpie's description of the product:

Stainless steel barrel design with Sharpie logo laser etched on barrel
Unscrew ink cartridge to replace with Sharpie ink refill cartridge
Fine point tip size for marking and writing
Marks on most surfaces
Fade- and water-resistant ink encourages multiple project uses
Quick drying, AP Certified Nontoxic formula

And in my opinion what a stylish and classy looking pen this is. It is much more elegant than your standard Sharpie. Thinking back to my wedding 12 years ago, I wish I had had the Stainless Steel Sharpie on the table with our guest book and signature frame. It would have been well-suited for the task.

After playing around with it for a bit, and writing on various surfaces and types of paper - I can't say there was anything that put me over the moon about it, but it was nice for sure. Aside from the asthetics, there are other upsides - it is refillable (thus eco-friendly), and it is fine point and thus made for 'signing'. It is still definately more of a marker than it is a pen in my opinion and I probably wouldn't want to write an essay with it, but that wasn't what it was made for anyway.

One of the neat things that Sharpie did when designing this pen was that while the threads on the ink cartridge refills are made of plastic, the threads in the barrel (where the refill screws in) are made of metal. This was smart thinking on their part. I would guess that making the refill threads plastic keep their cost down (currently $1.67 on Amazon.com which is very affordable), but making the barrel threads metal - protects you from stripping the threads by preventing you from overtightening and ruining your new premium stainless steel pen. I know from experience that it is relatively simple to strip plastic threads on a pen when you're refilling. Not a pleasant thought when you're paying around $6 for a writing implement. (Currently the Stainless Steel Sharpie is retailing on Amazon for $5.99).

Missing from the Stainless Steel version of the marker though is some indiciation on the barrel (while capped) as to the color of the ink. Although it is currently only available in black, the Sharpie standard has always been that the cap color matched the ink color. While I can appreciate that asthetically this wouldn't 'fit' with the image or style of the Stainless Steel marker, I can't help but wonder what change they will make when and if they expand the Stainless line to include more than just the basic black.The Stainless Steel Sharpie debuted at the Oscars and apparently the celebs love it - do you? Let us know what you think.

Therm O Web Memory Tape Runner XL

2009-06-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Reported by Heather Voinski

In the 10 years that I have been scrapbooking and paper crafting, you would think that I would have found the perfect adhesive for me years ago. I've been through just about every kind you can think of, and until this past year nothing was "just right" for me. While in my local craft store I came across the Therm O Web Memory Tape Runner XL and it's been my go to adhesive ever since.

The XL tape runner has a patented pivoting head, it goes on clear and gives you an acid free permanent bond in a refillable dispenser. It comes with 600 inches (50 feet) of adhesive and so does the easy drop in refill.

I originally purchased this thinking that it is a great value for the price if it really worked. It turns out that it really does work great, and I found my favorite adhesive!

The XL holds everything...from ribbon and fibers to metal embellishments and buttons, I have yet to find something that it doesn't hold for me. I've used it on my paper crafts, scrapbooking and when making handmade cards. The pivoting head makes curves and circles easy peasy! The refills are just what they say they are....easy to load. Simply open the case and drop it in and you are done.

My favorite part of this tape runner is that it has a cover that locks in to position out of the way while in use and then you can close it when you are done. It's made it easy to take to crops with me or for those days that my desk is really a mess because you can close it and it won't get attached to anything else in your work area.

Pros:

Lots of adhesive at a great price

Easy to refill

Cover that snaps in place when in use and when not in use

Comes in different color dispensers (mine is pink!!)

Cons:

Only comes in a permanent bond....sometimes it can be tricky to get off if you make a mistake.

You can find the Therm O Web Memory Tape Runner XL at your local AC Moore or Michael's. There are several online places to find them: Scrapbook.com, Create For Less , and Amazon.com. The suggested retail price for the XL is $4.99 but you can find it at the above online stores for about $3.50. Refills are also available at the same stores and you can get them in bulk at an even better price!

Have you ever tried this product? If not is it something you would try? We love to hear from our readers, so drop us a comment and let us know!

Giveaway Winners!

2009-06-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

We have several giveaway winners to announce:

The winner of the K&Co Paper:

~kelly marie~ said...

These papers are gorgeous! Thank you so much for the chance to win!

The winner of the Kitschy Digitals digi kits: (choose 5 from http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/digital-kits-and-fonts/kitschy-digitals/digital-kits/)

Cris Marsh said...

WOW! I love these! Love the gnomes, love the shrooms. What fun! The woodland stuff is just my style.

The winner of the Kitschy Digitals print/embroidery kits: (choose 5 from http://kitschydigitals.bigcartel.com/)

amy.blose said...

I really love the frames because you can use them in so many different projects!

The winner of Francie's beautiful pillow and banner is:

Michelle (mla1111) said...
These embroidery patterns look awesome! I just started getting into embroidery & these are really unique....love them!
9:40 PM

Please send us your choices (if applicable), mailing address, and email address to melissa@craftcritique.com

Thanks for reading Craft Critique and stay tuned for more giveaways!

Digital Scrapbooking 101: Part 1 of 6

2009-06-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

After this week's Kitchy Digitals feature, we're betting some of you are ready to dip your toe into the digital scrapbooking pool! The following is the first of six articles written by Jennifer Wilson of simplescrapper.com, to help get your feet wet in the digi-realm:

Digital Scrapbooking 101: Part 1 of 6 by Jennifer Wilson

Deer in headlights or kid in a candy store? I was both when I discovered the world of digital scrapbooking. Simultaneously thrilled to explore a new hobby and totally lost as to how I would learn it all, I jumped right in… and never looked back. In this six part series, I will help you learn the basics of “digiscrap” and no-fuss ways to fit digital memory keeping into your busy life.

Part 1: What is digital scrapbooking?
Memory keeping has gone digital. Paper, scissors, glue - nearly every tool a paper scrapbooker would use can be found in electronic form. Your supplies all come as image files and the software you choose (like Photoshop Elements) consists of your favorite tools all rolled into one. Digital scrapbooking allows you to use a computer to take the best of the paper craft and leave the mess mind. Your memories can go from camera to page without ever leaving the house!

Here are some examples from my personal scrapbook gallery:
1. Camping

2. Big Man on Campus

3. Girlfriends

As you can see, digital scrapbooking opens up a huge window for creative expression. There is no one style – there are many! While some scrappers choose to mimic paper-style pages, others rely on traditional graphic design or leverage the power of software to create their own art. There is no right way to scrap and in digi, the only limit is your imagination.
Scrapbooking the digital way is one of the few places in life where you can get a “do-over”. Digi offers the flexibility of starting fresh with no additional costs - you can’t use up or run out of digital files.

There are a growing number of digital shops where you can purchase digital ‘kits’ and other supplies as well as blogs designed to help you learn new digi skills and shortcuts. The community is growing every day – so there’s no shortage of places to share your work and network with other scrappers.

Is digital scrapbooking right for you? It is if you appreciate:

The lower cost (and reusability) of digital supplies
A no-mess, highly portable hobby
Being able to tweak and re-tweak your design
Having a backup of your scrapbook pages

Digiscrapping is perfect for busy crafters who want to preserve their photos in a creative way. This series will give you all the secrets you need to get started. Next month, Part 2 will demystify the lingo of digital scrapbooking. In the meantime, here’s your homework assignment. Visit myscrapbookart.com and explore the gallery. Which scrapbook pages appeal to you? Share a link here and tell us what you like about the style.

Thanks Jennifer! We're looking forward to your next installment!