This
is the third product I buy to use as craft mat on my table and I
finally got what I was looking for. As my craft is painting and collage,
I need something that can protect my table and it's easy to clean from
any painting, medium, gesso or craft paste so that it doesn't look
crappy when I'm not working on it. This mat fits the bill.
This
silicone mat has a velvety touchy surface, it is super easy to clean
with a simple antibacterial or household wipe, and it can be removed or
folded when not needed. It doesn't bend, slide or wrinkle when I work on
it. I placed my laptop on it just to see how the silicone reacts to the
heat, and the surface wasn't affected. The black colour makes it
perfect for my studio minimalist decor and neutral tones.
This
mat comes with a carry bag perfect to fold it and put it away when
necessary. For the sizing, see the mat against my cutting mat. As I use
it very often, I might update this review if I find any noticeable
downfall. So far, I'm very pleased.
I
bought this mat as it was described and advertised as a craft mat when I
purchased it. However, my craft is art journaling and mixed media and
this is just the wrong product for that.
GOOD THINGS
>
Perfect for measuring and cutting on it, or just to use as a computer
mat and protect the table from coffee drips, food etc.
> It is very large.
> Sturdy material.
> It looks great on the table.
> One side has inches and the other centimeters.
> The measurements are clearly marked in white colour so it is very easy to use for measuring and cutting.
BAD THINGS
> I would have wished that inches and cms were side by side on both sides of the mat.
> Not a flexible or foldable material.
> Heavy.
> Not easy to store.
>
Gets dirty very easily as it is difficult to clean from any
painting-related stuff (paint, paste, gesso, etc.) and not even acetone
will clean it. See an example of how it looks now on my table despite me
having scratched it to no avail. That being the case it usually looks
disgusting, even though I have scratched it and cleaned it thoroughly.
I
bought this mat as it was described and advertised (and still is) as a
craft mat. However, my craft is art journaling and mixed media and this
is just the wrong product for that. My review relates to my experience
with this as craft mat as this is why I bought it for and not for
barbecuing.
The parcel came with 3 large mats made of a light
material that it's flexible to fold and roll and, therefore, easy to
store and put away. It makes a good shelf liner.
This isn't a mat
I want for mixed media, as any liquid or semi-liquid product that falls
on goes through the sheet and stains what's underneath. It gets dirty
easily and, what's more, isn't easy to clean unless I use acetone or
other chemical products. That being the case, it doesn't protect my
table from anything and it is useless as craft mat for me. I have
re-purposed the mats for other uses in my home.
Posca markers are my fav acrylic markers because of the quality of the ink, container pen and nib. This is one of the larger Posca markers and has a round nib. The marker has a beautiful black matte colour and glides easily on watercolour paper (180, 200 and 300 gsm are the ones I usually use them with) without bleeding. I use it for dotting, creating bold marks in my artwork, and to fill small tricky spots in paintings. Ink is water-based so I give it a minute or two to dry off before applying any medium or any other paint on top because it smudges. It prefer to use it when the artwork is almost finished just to contour, fill in gaps and add extra marks. The nib is removable and washable. The only thing that annoys me about the nib is the fact that, when you first get the marker, you have to pump it for an eternity for the ink to come out. The nib gets easily ruined if used on wet painted surfaces, and, although it can be washed, sometimes the damage is not repairable. For the rest, this is one of my art supplies staples.
The
design of the tin, branding, and teabag sachets is wonderfully modern
and appealing to the eye. It is wonderfully designed and has an inner
cardboard structure that holds each tea specialty in specific drawers
or pockets. This structure is removable and I now use the box as
container for some crafty stuff of mine.
I love that these teas
are organic and fair trade, something that is really important to me.
All the flavours have in common that are light and clear, not strong or
full bodied. However, they're good teas/tisanes and I've enjoyed them
all.
> Chai is my fav of the lot, as it is still flavoursome
but the mix of spices is balanced and not too strong or too weak so I
can have it without sugar on its own, without milk. It is still good
with a drop of milk.
> English breakfast is good, clear and flavoursome, but delicate not full-bodied, which is my fav breakfast tea.
>
Camomile & Lavender is lovely and very soothing to my stomach. Yet,
the lavender is barely noticeable to the palate despite making 30% of
the tea content. I had it first as my stomach was slightly upset and the
discomfort went away. I've had it before going to bed as is caffeine
free drink and warms my belly before going to sleep.
> Ginger
& Citrus is perhaps the weakest link as I only notice the ginger and
little of it. I like it overall, but is not as flavoursome as I
expected to be, and the citrus notes aren't noticeable to my palate.
> Berries is again a very subtle but flavoursome tisane and I can only say that it tastes like many other berries tea.
Overall a great selection of delicate teas in a wonderful box.
This is a good facial scrub that leaves my skin squeaky clean. I love the caramel latte sort of scent, which adds enjoyment to my daily routine. The tube is generous in size and a small dub goes a long way. My only concern is that this scrub is actually quite coarse, despite the coconut added to it, and very hard on my delicate skin. I think it needs more oil in it to make it softer for my skin. For the rest, good value for money.
I bought this due to the very practical design as it's a small bottle ideal to store and carry around. Most importantly, I wanted to try the chisel tip as I use this to glue small pieces onto my collages and this seemed perfect to easily and evenly spread the glue. That was my wish. The chisel is similar to that of acrylic markers but has to be pumped out every time you want to use the glue not just the first time. Glue is liquid, spreads well when the tip is moist but it does not when the tip is not. The adhesive strength and quality of this glue is similar to average school glue sticks I also use. That being the case, I won't buy this again
