2/28/2025

RÅSKOG Small Trolley (white) with NORRÅVA Lid (28x38x61 cm)

I have two taller larger Raskog trolleys, which I love, but I needed something smaller (this is 61 cms tall instead of 77 cms) to tuck it under my desk when not in use, and to place it beside during my painting sessions without obtruding the area.  

The  antique-white epoxy coating is beautiful and goes perfectly with the Norrava bamboo lid. Besides, the epoxy coating  is easy to clean from paint splashes and stains.
 
Despite its small size and lightness, this trolley holds a lot of stuff. I place my brushes holders on the top shelf when painting, which I remove when not in use and place the bamboo lid. It's true that the lid protrudes a cm or so over the edge, something that didn't happen with older models. Yet, I don't see this as a big issue. On the shelves underneath I keep different painting media I often use (gesso, basic paints, palette ceramic plates, wipes, painting tools, gels, etc.). Although I use this unit for my painting needs, this trolley is perfect for kitchen and bathroom storage when the space available is limited.  

The trolley is easy to assemble thanks to the very clear instructions leaflet. The castors are great quality and roll beautifully in all directions; they can be locked in case you want to use it as non-movable storage unit.
 
DESIGNERS Nike Karlsson & Ellen Hallström. 

AVSTEG Knife Holder (23 cm)

This knife holder looks great in the photos, due to the combination of Ikea's classic metal epoxy white metal and bamboo colours. Something I love. However, the product looks less stylish and refined, even cheap, in real life.  The box airing system prevents mould from forming inside if you store the knives wet inside, but it's also a nice design touch.
 
I have it on my kitchen counter, and I have a good amount of different knives stored them. The materials aren't strong and I think that the design isn't good. The holder wobbles a bit due to the fact that has some legs and a mobile tray that rests on them. That is, the bottom tray is not fixed but loose, so it tends to slide off easily. It was designed to catch dripping water if you put them wet in. But, who would do that? I don't at least. Why not making the base solid and fixed just with some perforated holes? Why not making the holder more stable and strong? I bought this product when it was first released, so it wasn't as cheap as it's today, but I was totally disappointed. I have this holder in use, and  serves a function, but I would not recommended it.  
 
DESIGNER Zhelin Lian.

1000 PUBLISHED REVIEWS


 
 
Hi there lovely strangers! 
It's celebration day today: 1000 reviews published on this blog.  I feel like the Goddess of Reviews today, to be honest. I've gone through a long road that has taken me from from A to Z, to infinity and beyond. May the force be with me to continue this self-imposed task.
 
I started this blog many years ago as a repository for all the reviews I was publishing on different online platforms, mostly food and travel sites. The blog has grown organically to include most of the reviews I publish online, most of them on Amazon, including those rejected on different platforms because they were unfavourable to the product or service reviewed, those that I toned down to prevent rejection on those platforms, or those that I don't feel like publishing on online platforms because my real name would be shown. 
 
 
 
My reviews are honest and reflect my experience with products, services, online retailers, hotels, and so on. My aim is to be helpful to those who read them. I'm still too busy at work to engage on social media or to moderate blog comments but, believe me, I appreciate your visits more than you think. Thank Youses!  

 
 (I created all images in this post with Ideogram and Bing Image Creator) 

FEJKA 3-Pack Artificial Succulent Plants (6 cm)

This set is overall pretty, and the plants look great from afar. However, the size is tiny. The 'plants' part lacks colouring detail, which would make them look more natural. I was expecting the set to have the colours shown in the product page photos, which are way more realistic; however,  my set looks all dark green without any realistic touch. The pot is made of plastic. I would have been OK paying a bit of more money and having a more realistic plant design and a ceramic pot. Yet, you get what you pay for. DESIGNER Unknown.

KRILLE Leg with castor, white (70 cm)

These legs are sold individually to use with the individual table top of your choice. They are made of good quality strong metal and have an excellent epoxy coating. The castors are fabulous and lockable.
 
The Krille is easy to assemble and, screwing it to the table-top, is straight forward. However, the location of some of the screws holes is wrong, making something as simple as screwing a total pain. I don't have an electric screw-driver so I used a manual one and, despite having small hands, I still had difficulty positioning my hands in a way that I would be able to fully screw some of them. The spacing should have been different. I understand that the holes have to match those that the table-tops have, but the holes on the the leg base were to close to the metal bar. I had difficulty screwing them manually, so I don't know how a person with big hands or a big screwing tool can do that. For the rest, a great purchase. 
 
DESIGNER Francis Cayouette.

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.

2/04/2025

Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens, 3-Pac (Soft, Hard, and Twin Tip)

I love these Fudenosuke Tombow markers.One is the classic Fudenosuke  black with brush tip medium nib, the same in dark blue, and the other is a two-tip marker with two different nibs (fine and extra-fine). These markers are very pleasurable to use. They glide smoothly on any kind of paper I've use them on. The quality of the ink is intense and bold unlike the normal Tombow markers, which have a more watercolour nature. That being the case Fudenosuke is better for artistic drawing, calligraphy, shading, outlining and making bold ink-like marks.   
 
The ink is water-based, so these markers are not permanent. You will need a workable sealer if you want to use them in mix media as they smudge easily if mixed with anything slightly liquid. Also, if used in combination with acrylic paint, make sure that the paint is completely dry before you use the markers as, otherwise, the nib will be damaged. This is true for most markers out there, though.  
 
This package is good value for money and you have three different tips and colours. They last a long time without drying off, and the quality of the ink is always good. I've had this for over a year, and they are still as new.