KMART Reusable Heavy-Duty Tablecover (274x137cms)

In the past I've bought similar plastic (polyethylene) tablecloths that lasted me only a few days before broke and torn, and they turned to to be a waste of plastic and money. However, I've had this one on my desk table for months, and is still in decent state despite several spills and using it daily to paint. It has a sturdy but light plastic matte top side and a soft flannel lining that acts a barrier. So it turns out that the 'reusable and heavy duty" adjectives are more than a promise. The cover is really large so it can adjusted to most tables out there without a problem. I especially like the black matte version. Amazing for just three bucks.   

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MÄRKBART 2-pack Scissors (Length 13 cm & 20 cm)

This pair is such a bargain. These are all-purpose stainless steel and plastic scissors.The larger white pair is my favourite as they are large enough and cut well most things I've used them them with. The small pair blades aren't sharp enough, so they are good for children and crafts. Diswashing safe. 

 

DESIGNER Sarah Fager

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MÅLA 6-piece Brush Set

I decided to give this Mala set a try due to the low price. These brushes are really small and have different tips (3 round and 3 flat) and short wooden handles. They're intended for children, so they won't fit your hands unless, like mine, are very small. The wooden material is birch covered with a translucent lacquer coat that protects the wood. The ferrule is made of aluminium while the bristles are made of soft white nylon. I find them pleasurable to use in sketching and art journaling. They get stained when using strong painting colours if you don't wash them immediately.

DESIGNERS S Fager & C Tubertini.

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HARVMATTA Box with Lid (Anthracite, 24x35x6 cm)

This box is the largest in the Harvamatta box set. I can easily store up to A4-size documents, stationery, unused painting brushes, colouring pencils and pastels, among other things. They're a bit pricey, but also good quality.

The box is very elegant and minimalist, with a hint of formality. I love the contrast between the metal anthracite colour and the cork lid woody colour. As they are so stylish, I can leave them in full view even though they might contain a lot of crap that, otherwise, would be cluttering my office. These boxes pile on each other perfectly, and they look great on top of the Harvamatta letter tray.

The main downside of the Harvamatta box line is that they don't have any closing or securing system. On the one hand, this favours easy piling on each other. On the other hand, if the box falls down, you'll have its contents all over the place. I would have loved these boxes having some sort of vintage-like wired closure or fasteners; even a tight closure like those that pickle traditional jars have. 

DESIGNER Ebba Strandmark.

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Yitexin 20-piece Alphabet Stencils 4x7in (18x10cm)

This is a generous set of alphabet stencils made of good quality stencil material and with different lettering styles, so you can use them on different projects. Due to their size, these stencils are great for art journaling, scrapbooking and school art projects. The quality of the cutting is good. However, there are some design inconsistencies within each template, something that bothers me. Good priced.

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Anhow A4 Artwork Display Frame (White) (8.3x11.8in)

This is such a cool idea. Initially designed to hang up children's drawings, I bought it to store and display some of my small artwork at home. It has a storage back, behind elastic bands where you can store several A4 items. It comes with 4 different types of passpartout, which are ideals to display paintings with narrower or wider margins; besides, they make great viewfinders. The magnetic 'buttons' clip  on/off easily and keep everything secure. I can display the frame horizontally or vertically, or hang it from the wall, all of which makes the frame very versatile. The cover is real semi-glossy glass, which makes everything looks great and it isn't too glare-ish.

 

Having said that, I want to pinpoint a few let-downs. The first one is the fact that the hinges are really visible and chunky, so this rests finesse to the display, and makes  the frame unfit for main areas. Yet, it's alright my studio or in a child's room  The second let-down is that getting the items behind the elastic bands is something tricky, because they tightly fit the storage space but, due to the elastic bands acting as resistance, getting the paper out without damaging the edges can be tricky. Needless to say, this might not be relevant if you store not valuable stuff.  Finally, the coating is not good quality paint and not thick enough, so I can already see that the edges show some tiny imperfections.   

I bought this heavily discounted but I think that the average price is a bit too high for some of the flaws mentioned.  Ikea's frames are way cheaper and better quality; yet, they aren't the same versatile design.

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