Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts

8/26/2025

Liquitex Professional Freestyle Paddle Brush (1-inch)

This range of Liquitex brushes is level up anything I own. 

This 1-inch paddle brush is perfect for art journaling, sketching and working on small surfaces. I use it mostly on thick watercolour paper and it is perfect for blending, making chunky marks and for spreading paint on large areas. The bristles are slightly stiff but still soft on the paper. Easy and intuitive use, it becomes the extension of my small hands.

Very good quality handle and bristles. They don't deteriorate easily despite me keeping it inside a water bucket for longer than advisable.   

I wish they made this as a long-handle flat brush using the same quality handle and bristles.   

8/23/2025

TEHAUX DingDongTu Spiral-Bound Cold-Pressed 300mg/140lb Watercolor Paper Pad (26.5x26.5cm, 12x12")

This pad, and others from the Chinese brand DingDongTu are distributed by different Amazon sellers and sold with different names. However, the DingDongTu name brand is on the front cover and this how I refer to them. 
 
The cover looks beautiful, and it's made of sturdy hard cardboard. It holds the pad beautifully, even when all the sheets are fully painted and, therefore, thicker. The spiral bound system allows me to  get the sheets out, work on them individually without staining or damaging the rest of the sheets or the covers. The rings are sturdy enough not to self-open, but also easy to open. You have to pull each ring half up and to the sides at the same time to open them. If you pull the ring halves just to the sides, it won't work. 

The 12X12in size is perfect for art jounaling and experimenting without sacrificing space.  
 
The paper is a great -- cold-pressed 300gsm/140lb watercolour paper, which is great for watercolour and for any wet mixed-media. The texture is smooth. 
 
As I use this for mixed-media, I gesso each page before working on it. The quality of the paper is brilliant for the price. I use acrylic paints of different viscosities, acrylic inks, as well as water-soluble crayons and graphite sticks and the paper stands most things I do to it,  including scratching and rubbing. 
 
I'm a regular buyer of this DingDongTu pads, and they are a staple in my art studio.  

8/19/2025

Posca Acrylic Marker15pc Set (Assorted colours, 3M, Fine Nib)

Posca acrylic markers are one of my favourite artwork staples, and I like having different nib sizes to use for different art purposes. 
 
This size is perfect for fine detail and line work. These nibs are reversible, which comes handy when they become dirty or a bit "scruffy", because I can simply  reverse them and experience the marker as if I had a new one at hand. 
 
Posca markers contain acrylic paint, they create beautiful clean lines and last quite a while. The quality of the acrylic paint is fantastic. Permanent colours once dried and they dry quit quickly. 

To get the paint out for the first time, pump down the nib till is totally impregnate with paint. Shake markers before each use if they haven't been used for a while. . 
 
The selection of colours in this pack is great; although there is a predominance of warm colours, there is also some cold colours plus black, white and grey. Perfect for my needs and a prefect package for gifting, as well. Posca markers are quite expensive, so this pack is great value for money.
 
The main downside of these markers is that they aren't refillable or reusable, so there is a lot of plastic waste. Also, Yet, they are not refillable. 

8/10/2025

HIGHROCK Premium Tailor Scissors Titanium Soft Grip (Purple)

This is my preferred set of scissors among the several I own. I don't particularly like the coating colours but the coating is not only decorative, but it's meant to protect the blades from corrosion, glues and other sticky substances.  
 
The blades are made of sharp stainless steel and I can easily and cleanly cut cardboard, paper and fabric.
 
I love the three sizes and their ergonomic design, which makes cutting effortless. The largest one (23.6cm = 9.3 inch ) are perfect for tailoring, the second one  (21.3 cm = 8.4 inch), are for all craft purposes and the smallest one is for embroidery and snipping (143mm = 5.5 inch). 
 
They are good for both right and left-handers.  
 
They were an amazing value for money, too. 

8/02/2025

Marbig F/S Stapler No.10 Black

This is a simple but effective medium-sized stapler. It covers all my small hand, which is small, so it might be a small stapler for anyone with large hands. It isn't an office stapler, but I'm still able a good deal of sheets  together (up to 16), which is good enough for most of my uses. This stapler is really light, as well. The stapler's side has a window into the staples barrel, so one can see if the staples are running out or not. 

The quality seems to be basic. It's made of apparently cheap plastic and metal, something that one can expect for the price. 
 
Staples need to be purchased separately, but they are very cheap. 
 
Not a stapler I would have for a professional home office or for heavy-duty work, but great for general and school purposes.    

7/13/2025

Paul Rubens (Haiya) 48-pc Macaron Oil Pastel Set

This Haiya set complements the basic colours set as the former contains many colours that the other set lacks: the pinks, the light oranges, the light blues. I miss, though, having some warm whites, different tones of beige and greys. The greens in the set aren't specially pastel or macaroon and they are very similar to the ones the basic set has. This Haiya set has many of the qualities I love in the Sennelier oil pastels minus the price tag -- these Haiya soft oil pastels are buttery, creamy and the colours are gorgeous. They blend beautifully with my fingers, a blender stub or a tissue, and the colours are true to the sticks wrapping.
 
Unlike the basic colours set  these sticks have a flat tip, not a bullet tip. This doesn't bother me as even the bullet pastels become flat with use anyway. Besides, I love using the edges for fine line work.  The wrapping of each pastel stick is very pretty but it's mostly written in Mandarin. Also, unlike the basic set, they don't show the pigments or the level of opacity on them, Besides, some of the writing is tiny, and not  even a magnifying glass allowed me to see what is written there.
 
Ain't sure whether these pastels aren't lightfast or not as there is no visible indicators on the wrapping. I've browsed the web and there seems to be an agreement among artists that these pastels have a good level of lightfastness.
 
I find this box packaging is an upgrade with regards to the one the vibrant colours set has, as it the former is sturdier, has glossy finish, more elegant and, therefore, more appropriate for gifting. . 
 
The leaflet full-colour photos with the instructions is very good. No swatch chart included in this set, though. 

Overall, a great set, good quality soft oils, good price and well packaged, and a perfect companion to the vibrant colour set box. 

7/08/2025

TEHAUX Ceramic Stackable Paint Palette with Lid (8.5x8cm )

This is such a great palette system. It doesn't only looks good but it size is perfect to use while sketchbooking and art journaling. The palette is relative small in diameter so it doesn't occupy much space on my table. The lid hides anything ugly from sight and, besides, it allows any paint left over to keep fresh and wet for longer. This was in my wish list for over a year due to its high pricing, but I bought it at a very reduced price. That being the case is not only good value for money, but also a must in my art studio at the moment. 

5/12/2025

Kaslaider Silicone Bear Stand-up Pencil Case (Large)

This is a really cute vertical pencil case made of super-soft silicone. The design is really whimsical and the case feels expensive. It's well made and well finished (from the printing details, to the zip, to the inner erasers holder, to the opener chain detail). I wanted this covered case to put some pointy tools inside, like small palette knives, metallic clay tools, dot makers and so on. It can hold quite a big of stuff and protects my fingers from getting hurt as it would happen if I left some of the tools I put inside in the open. Good value for money and this model is way cheaper than other silicone animal pencil holders. The only let-down is the smell of the silicone; although not strong, it's a bit odd. No fancy packaging but I wasn't expecting that for the price.

5/06/2025

Yubbaex 6pc Basic Washi Tape Set (Black & White Plaid Grid)

This is a small set of grid black & white (off-white I'd say) washi tape rolls. I love the simple patterns because they are excellent to use in tag art and mixed media projects due to their simple design. They go well with everything and they make great accents. The rolls in this set are small in diameter and only have 5 metres of tape each, which is more than enough for me. I have other gridded tapes, and these ones are lower in quality, but nothing to complain about because the product is sold as a basic set and  costs little. 

Jacquard Lumiere Metallic Silver ( 2.25 Oz 5)

This is another beauty from the Jacquard Lumière collection. The silver colour and brilliance are there because the paint has both metallic and pearlescent pigments. This paint is  medium to light body (viscosity) and is not fully opaque, so I need two or three coats if I want to cover something completely. Sometimes, I use a primer coat of matte grey and then apply this metallic silver. The end result is a natural-looking beautiful silver. The brand sells this paint as lightfast and waterproof and those are big hits with me. I prefer heavy body to light body (fluid) acrylics, especially for metallic colours but this one is just beautiful. 

Derwent Inkense Blocks (Tin of 36)

Derwent Inktense Blocks are professional-quality highly-pigmented water soluble blocks that can be used as watercolours or as mixed media crayons. This package contains a great mix of vibrant and neutral colours that are perfect for my needs. 
 
I love the tin box quality and design, which is great to keep the blocks safe and neatly stored. If I remove the inner holders, I can use it for other purposes. I love the "crevasses" on the sides, which are perfect for broken or half pieces. 
 
Having used the Derwent XL blocks and XL coloured graphite blocks I can honestly say that I prefer the two first to the Inktense Blocks. However, I love the quality of the bright lines and accents I can get with these blocks especially when I don't mix them with other products, as they're vibrant and make any piece standout.  They're very bold as watercolours. 
 
Are the Derwent Inktense blocks/pencils lightfast? According to the company, "87% of the range is lightfast, however, once water is added, lightfastness ratings will be different depending on how much each colour is diluted." They also state that these blocks are made using different binders and wax blends, which affects the lightfastness of each colour. As mentioned in other cases for similar products, you need to use a medium to seal the colour if you intend to work with liquid media after using these blocks. The same can be said if you use them on you painting top layer. Furthermore, once the piece is finished, you can protect it by using an UV protection varnish and, of course, by keeping the artwork out of direct sunlight.   
 
If I had to buy them now, knowing as I know, I would buy the Inktense pencils, which will have the same quality pigment but are better for me. So, in short I like these ones but I don't love them. 

MIND
The blocks are quite thin and break easily while exerting a bit of pressure. Handle with care. 

TouchCool 3pc Acrylic Marker Set (White, Fine tip, 0.8mm)

I paid little for these three acrylic gel markers. I was not hopping much from them because they're from a brand that I don't know and there were no reviews when I purchased them. Glad that I had no expectations because these markers are just OK. 
 
The first issue is that it takes a while for the ink to come out. When it does, it's really fine and clean. However, the ink doesn't always flow effortlessly, especially when working on mixed media, so that's the biggest let-down. 
 
The second issue is that these markers are sold as waterproof and they aren't. Just today, I painted some lines on dry acrylic paint. Then, I came with a damp tissue and the marker lines went off easily. I'd say they're OK for school and crafts purposes, but you would need a sealer of you want them to be waterproof. .  
 
The writing on the exterior gets off easily  as well, but this doesn't bother me.

Paul Rubens 6-pack White Soft Oil Pastels

This is a selection of white soft oil pastels sticks (with cylindrical tip, not bullet tip)  to complement any Paul Rubens (Haiya) set. White is the colour that I use the most (in backgrounds, to mix colours, as highlights), so having an extra supply of them at an affordable price is essential. These sticks are creamy good-quality soft oil pastels that remind me of Sennelier's, but at a fraction of the price. They spread, mix and blend well. They're opaque and cover any surface without gaps or see through spaces, easily. They can be blended with tissue paper, my fingers, or a stump. I use them for layering, sgraffito, mixing, lighting and toning different colours. They are covered in fine paper that can be easily removed when needed. They work well as accents on the final layers of mixed-media projects. 

Mont Marte Fluoro Oil Pastels 12-Pieces Set

I cannot stress enough how beautiful these oil pastels colours are in real life. I haven't been able to find anything similar in good quality brands, so I decided to buy this set just because it was cheap and Mont Marte is a good brand for student art supplies. 
 
The colours didn't disappoint; actually, they blew me away. Perhaps the red isn't the best fluoro red out there, but is still beautiful. These aren't soft pastels, but they are still creamy. They blend OK with quality soft pastels and well with themselves. Having used low, medium and high end oil pastels, these cannot compare in the amount of pigment they have or the level of coverage. Yet, they are still decent and a pleasure to use as highlights over soft oil pastels, or on their own on the top layers of mixed-media projects. Most fluoro pigments aren't lightfast or aren't super lightfast, so I don't expect this to be in the list of light-resistant list. Yet, this doesn't matter if you just want to use them on art journaling, sketchbooks or in small projects that won't have the artwork displayed on any wall. 

4/19/2025

Meeden Portable Paint Brush Washer (Large, 11D x 11W x 12.6H cms)

I have a similar small washer, which I love, and I was looking for a container as large as this one. However, I couldn't find anything affordable till I found this Meeden washer. 
 
This washer is as large as described on the Amazon product page, not less not more. It's made of good quality sturdy stainless steel and its design is perfect for indoors and outdoors, for acrylics and oils. 
 
I can carry this outdoors thanks to the handle and the locking system, which allows me to hermetically close the jar. Sometimes, I use it on its own, without its inner grate insert, and others with it. The grate is perfect to rub the brushes and help removing stuck paint. If left for a while, the solid parts of the paint deposit on the bottom, so I can empty the water and wipe out these solids with a napkin and dispose of it in the rubbish. 
 
The container box looks great and is really good quality, so it's perfect for gifting.

3/01/2025

SANNAHED Frame (White, 50x50 cm)

This Sannahed frame is the largest of the line and is made of a sturdy fibreboard conglomerate coated in matte white. It comes with an enclosed acid-free paper mount, a glass-like glossy plastic cover, a back rest flap and wall hook. It's easy to assemble especially if you follow your intuition and not the confusing assembly leaflet! 
 
This frame is really large but still looks amazing. Like the rest of the line, it's minimalist, stylish and contemporary. I cannot stress enough the compliments that this frame gets me. I placed it on an easel with a painting of mine, and it looks like taken out of an art gallery.

The thickness of the edge is the same as that of the smallest frame, 6 cms. That being the case, I wouldn't place this large frame vertically on its edge because would tip-over. Use the back flap, an easel or hang it from the wall instead. 
 
MIND
> The 'glass' cover is coated with a thin piece of removable self-adhesive film that you have to remove before display. 
> This 'glass' is very glossy, so mind the light source and where you place the frame; otherwise, the glare would ruin the display. 
> If you use the mount, you can only showcase a 30x30 painting/picture; or a 50x50cm painting without the mount.
> Frame overall sizing is 52x52 cms.  
> Instructions leaflet isn't the best.

DESIGNER  Who knows.

ASSEMBLY LEAFLET

 


2/22/2025

Lightwish 100%-cotton 300gsm/140lb Watercolor Journal (4.7x4.7 in)

This is such a cute watercolour journal. It is not only affordable, as most Lightwish products are, but also has a good-quality 300 gsm cold-pressed watercolour paper. It's perfect for both watercolour painting and mixed-media. The size is ideal for travelling or as a carry-on sketchbook.
 
The paper has a bit of tooth to it, so it's a bit rugged. I've tested it with acrylic inks and paints with and without priming. The results are quite good. The paper takes a lot of water in. It buckles a bit when wet, but it recovers its flatness once dry. I've also tried it with  the same materials, adding clear gesso and the inks and paints run more smoothly and I can work the paper harder. 
 
The binding is excellent and I can open the pad almost flat without the stitching coming apart.  However, the colour tends to bleed down through the stitches holes. That might not be a problem if you don't paint the full spread or just focus on motifs on each page, do zentangle or drawing. Painting an inks drip down. Yet, for the price, this is a fab mini sketchbook.

Due to slightly textured surface, the use of fine white markers and Posca pens is not the best, unless the paper is totally dry and they go over a very dark colour.
 
The cover has a fabric-like texture in a beautiful turquoise colour. I like my journals to have the cover in different colours as this helps me easily identify different journals. This is important to me because I use them to explore different colours or materials.
 
The elastic band is a must because, once you start using the pad, this won't close fully. Besides, once the whole pad is used, the band will help close the notebook properly. 

Finally, the pad has a ribbon bookmark, something I really love.

2/01/2025

Kinbom 6pc Detail Paint Brush Set (Red)

These medium-quality affordable detail brushes are better quality than expected. I've now used them for several months.
 
The set has two items of each size (5/9, 3/0, 2/0) and, although they are not liners, they make good lines, shapes and fine marks. They're great for corrections on small areas, for mark-making and to fill in small areas or corners in a journal. I use them with flat or soft paper surfaces so I don't know how they would react with canvas or wood panels. I always use them with acrylic paints/inks and no issues so far.
 
I tend to forget my brushes submerged in water for too long, from some hours to a couple of days. The bristles tend to bend and lose shape while left in water for a while, but they recover it easily by drying t hem with a paper towel and, at the same time, pressing them into their straight shape with my fingers. I initially feared that the red handle would lose its colour or break open, but that hasn't happened. So, I think these brushes are better quality than they look like. On the other hand, they look like a downgraded version of the brushes depicted in the product page photos.
 
Although unimportant, the brushes colour is more like burgundy, definitely not the beautiful red in the photos. I just wanted any coloured handle to differentiate these brushes from other small ones I own, so any colour would do.  

In short, an economic student-grade set of detail brushes that are sturdy, durable, and versatile.

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.