8/25/2023

Paul Rubens Hot-Pressed 100%-Cotton 300gsm Watercolor Journal (Black)

I wanted  a compact good-quality small notebook or journal just to do warm-up mixed-media exercises and experimentation, and this item seemed to fit the bill.
 
THE GOOD STUFF
> Very good-looking sketchbook.
> Good-quality off-white 300-gsm watercolor paper. I love its smoothness and tone. See details about my testing below. 
> Stitch perforated paper sheets, which tear off easily. 
>  It has a separator ribbon, something that I love because I use it a lot!
> The notebook measurements are 3.8’’ x 5.2’’, a pocket size that makes it perfect to carry in my small handbag or briefcase. Perfect for traveling as well. I wanted something that is easy to store and this can be stored anywhere easily. 
> Affordable. 
> Very lightweight.
DOWNSIDES 
> The product Amazon-page photo and description and what I got are not the same. I've already given feedback to Amazon as some of the photos and statements are misleading and don't t relate to the product I got at all.  
> Unrefined leather-like cover.
> The paper is excellent, but I wanted a good journal not good loose paper sheets.
> My item doesn't have the elastic band/strap mentioned/photographed in the description page. I find this not only deceiving, but also disappointing because it seems to be an issue not just with my notebook but with many reviewers'. A band is necessary in any small journal with detachable sheets because, eventually, they'll all be loose and the band is needed to tide them all up. 
> Bad quality binding, with some parts just glued and others loosely sewn (see my photos). The product page says that it's loosely stitched to allow the removal of the middle thread to have a double-spread or panorama sheet. That's good, but since the binding is so poor, not all the pages are thread-stitched, all of them are perforated and some of them detach on their own, how is this going to work?
> One of the sheets was already cut off when I opened the product. The pad came sealed (as per my photos) so ain't sure if that's a factory issue or the item was a re-purposed return.
> The separator ribbon edge is already loose-threading itself (see my photos). 
> The back cover inner pouch is glued with the opening facing the spine, which makes it not only difficult to use but also useless to me.
 
PAPER TESTING
I've tested the paper twice before posting this review. Herewith my first impressions. My first test was done with a non-gessoed sheet. As per my photos, I used watercolour pencils, waters-soluble crayons (Neocolor II, Tim Holtz) and markers (Posca, Tombow), oil pastels (Ohuhu), soft pastels (Munyo), acrylic ink (Liquitex), heavy and fluid acrylics (Golden) alcohol ink, alcohol markers(Faber Castell, Copic), archival ink refills (Ranger), Stabilo-All and China black pencils, my fountain pen; FC Pitt permanent-ink markers; metallic markers as well as an UNI white gel pen. The paper stood well, without bleeding, most things, included my two alcohol markers, which is impressive. I found the paper especially lovely and smooth when watercolouring Posca, Tombow, Necolor II and Stabilo All. Soft pastels extended well with water, even though they aren't water-soluble and cheap, but oil pastels were not good on this paper, yet my pastels are cheap. Alcohol inks bled (see my photo) and, in a lesser degree, archival undiluted ink.
 My second test was done on a sheet of paper with clear gesso added to it, as this is how I usually work. I used simple mixed media, acrylic paint mostly, but also aquarelle pencils and markers, and plenty of water. The paper was a pleasure to work with and it doesn't buckle at all. Truth to be told, I usually work heavily on the paper, more than in this case, adding collage, stitching and what's not; yet, I'm very satisfied with the quality of the paper. 
 
IN SHORT
I consider this Rubens journal to be a mediocre journal. The paper, on its own, is excellent. However, I'm not buying loose sheets of paper but a journal, so it defeats the purpose. I wouldn't give this as a gift, but it serves me well for what I need: to experiment with my paints and have everything neatly collected. I will have to supply the missing elastic strap myself and sew the separating ribbon. This journal seems like a degraded version of the advertised product, like a bad batch perhaps, and there are significant discrepancies between what it's described on the product page and what I got. Bear in mind that the same journal is listed on a separated page and marked as 'Amazon choice', but it's a bit more expensive. Either way, next time I buy this journal, if it's as it is now, I will return it.
 

8/21/2023

Hxyrxib 2Pcs Flat Silicone Paint Brushes

I've had this pair for a few months now, and I love them. The two-piece is perfect for my needs as I paint on small surfaces and I don't need anything bigger. The bigger brush is 2" wide, and the smaller 1". I find the larger one great to spread gesso, different mediums on larger surfaces, a whole sheet of paper for example, while I use the other one for smaller surfaces, to  glue collage pieces and to properly paint. Both are perfect for mediums because I can easily wipe them out clean with household/baby wipes. However, they're called 'color shaper' for a reason; that's because I can move the paint in ways that normal brushes don't allow me to and  I can create cool effects with the sides, the edges or part of the brush surface.
 
The handle is made of good quality material. Despite me leaving the brushes in water for long periods of time, they haven't deteriorated or pealed off. The product description page says that the handle is made of wood, but it feels more like sturdy plastic to me. If it's wood, the plastic coating is really good. 

The ferrule is made of good-quality metal and hasn't loosen up so far, something important because if the silicone brush gets loose, it loses precision and functionality.  
 
The brush part is made of good quality flexible silicone, and works well on watercolour paper. The main issue with these brushes, like most other shaper brands I own, is that they have a slightly convex shape on both sides, which tends to create 'pools' of product on the upper part. I've learned not to use the whole brush surface just the flat part, the sides or the tip. Yet, I've also found that some brands have one part convex and the other flat (see my photos), and that works better for me. Also, the brush part is not as flexible as other brands shapers.
 
Overall, I'm very happy with the product. Color shapers are never super-cheap, but this combo is affordable and good value for money.

8/20/2023

Sabco Microfingers Mini Duster (Green)

This is a good duster. It's structure and handle are made of sturdy plastic, while the head is velvety soft and dusts beautifully, especially at-reach wide surfaces (tables, beside tables, consoles, shelves). Ain't sure why is called 'mini' because I'd say the head is quite large, and certainly larger than my old one.  What is mini (meaning short) is the handle, so ain't able to reach lamps, the top of my blinds or high surfaces unless I use a chair or a stool.  It gets the dust out easily and I wash it under running water with average household soap and, when dry, it looks like new. I can wash it because the head is a sort of glove that I can get on/off. I wish  it had a Velcro closure to make the removal a bit easier, but it's not difficult at all. I love the brand and having all my cleaning products in this bright green. Good value for money, too. 

Lindt Lindor Dark Assorted Cornet 327g

This is the only chocolate package that it's a regular in my grocery shopping. I don't fancy the fancy-flavored or filled-in chocolates or bonbons. I don't like average milk chocolate at all. I enjoy chocolates that taste of chocolate, and dark chocolates are those that do it for me. T The three varieties in this cornet do taste of chocolate and I love them all for this very reason. They are the perfect size and very good quality, with the right amount of sugar for me, which is not the usual you find in average chocolates. The blue-foiled variety is the one with more milk, but still tastes of chocolate; it's very creamy and smooth. The silver-foiled is 60% cocoa and tastes a bit stronger, while the golden-foiled (and my favourite) is the 70% cocoa, which has a bit of bitter after-taste, something that I love. I wish this cornet had more dark varieties in it. The main downside is that the core of the balls gets very soft and even runny when the weather is warm or hot, so, I keep them always in the fridge and, if carrying them to work in Summer, I put them in my insulated lunch bag. Not the chocolates that I gift more often just because not everyone likes dark chocolate; otherwise, it is my preferred selection of chocolates. 

8/18/2023

Kiolabo Furniture Repair Kit Wood Markers & Wax Sticks

I bought this kit to deal with some heavy scratching on my floorboards due to the removalists' carelessness. Also, with time, some of the boards get slightly scratched with normal use, and I wanted to cover this up so that the floor looks nicer.
 
This is a nice starter set as has a mix of wood colours to match most timber furniture. I found my ones in here. The package has a set of coloured wax crayons and the matching-colour markers (which are the ones that use the most). It also has the crayons sharpener, which is really mindful.
 
I've used this product many times on my floorboards and once on a piece of furniture. I found it worked best on the latter as it's laminated very-dark timber, which is very forgiving, and the mix of wax stick and marker gave me great results. See my photo.
 
My experience with the floorboards is a bit different as they're honey coloured and the markers, even the lightest one, can still stain the timber. I found that the product works best when 1/ the scratch is light and there is not much decoloration, as the marker helps covering it up. 2/ When there is some sort of deep scratch that can be filled in with the wax as then the marker works great to mask the thing. 3/ When professionally-repaired wood pieces on my boards have a different colour from the original, as  the markers help unify tones. See my photos.  My experience is also that noticeable scratches are difficult to cover up with this product. At best, a bit of colour (especially if several coats are applied). The application seems to be permanent and the product quantity is long lasting. I've used it many times and I've had it for over a year. I follow the instructions on the package as I've found that they're important to prevent damages to the wood being treated.

I wish the product came with some filler compound to fix deep scratches and that the marker nib was smaller, as this would make them more precise and would prevent staining, which forces me to constantly wipe the area and being extra careful not to get out of the scratched line. However, this is a great kit for a great price, which I use all the time.  
 

8/14/2023

Sluxa Cat Pencil Pouch

I'm in love with this. I bought this pouch as a gift for an impending birthday, but I will be purchasing one for myself. It's just like in the photos. The cat illustration is very realistic and more so when the pouch is full. The holder is made of some sort of silicone material outside and fabric lined inside. The zip runs smoothly and has a chain puller. The zip chain and zip head are the only things that could be improved. The pouch is generous in size (see my photo against an A4 wallet).  I couldn't resist checking how much stuff I could fit in.  I was able to comfortably fit in 17 items (a mix of markers, new pens, pencil erasers, and even my Townbows) and there was still room for small items like erasers a small USB etc. Very roomy! I bought this very discounted, so that's an added bonus.   

Generic Self-Threading Needle Set Wood Storage Box

I was very much looking forward to receiving this kit, as I have poor sight and threading any normal needle is very difficult to me. The wooden container is just wonderful; good looking and very roomy, so I can store other needles inside with the ones in the set. It has a screw top that keeps everything locked. So, that's wonderful. The issue is the needles themselves are described as having large eye, and that's not the case at all. They're self-treading, for sure, but they are so small (both the body and the eye) that getting them to self-thread is as difficult to me like normal ones, like it defeats the purpose I bought it for. If the needles were a bit larger in size, this would be the perfect set for me, but that's not the case.