US Art Supply: Large easy to carry, Art Supplies and Storage Wooden Box, with removable Drawer #Review #USArtSupply

I started in 2015 getting back in to doing crafts at home and that means I needed to replenish my art supplies. This meant letting go of dried out paints from the early 2000’s and buying everything from new acrylics, water colors, oils, pastels and you name it. I have built a large collection and I figured a clear plastic storage box would do the trick. I then outgrew the box. Bought a second box and when I outgrew that, I noticed that my plastic boxes really did not satisfy me in how it kept things, to the point sometimes I avoided getting something out to not mess with how the box was sorted. It was time to think of a better solution.

I have reviewed for US Art Supply in the past because it’s a crafter and artist dream store. You think of a project and you simply visit their warehouse store on-line to see what you need. No gimmicks when it comes to what they carry and every set or item comes with details attached, so you know what is included before you place an order. Then comes the quality of their products……phenomenal and economical. Two words, which I love. I love to save but I also want good quality, something that is sometimes sacrificed by the budget you wish to keep but US Art Supply does not make me feel guilty for trying to save. They actually encourage it! They post deals all the time and I found that when I open my craft boxes and trunks, I see their logo on everything I own. I like that because I am finally where I want to be when it comes to the supplies I have. An idea hits me and I finally have the supplies to make that idea come true. No limits or constraints…..or waiting to save to be able to afford doing a project.

When US Art Supply offered to send their large storage wooden box, for storing art supplies and crafts, well I did not pass it up. When I ordered the box on Amazon, it was an artist’s dream. You have a wooden shelf that is removable, so you can easily access the items underneath and/or have them right next to you when you are drawing or painting. Everything I have from the metal objects I collect to the paper goods, and even frame hanging materials……well, it’s small in size. I can’t use plastic baggies for everything and being able to label one box as my “metal objects” carrier and another for my fabric, like ribbons to left-over material from past projects, keeps everything dust-free and also ready to use. I don’t throw anything out that can be re-purposed. Even the smallest fabric cutting has served me well in the past, so I keep until I need it again. The wooden box is what I call “naked wood”, so it’s a project in itself if you wish. I will be staining mine and then using a Damascus style stencil to add more beauty to the box. A project is always easy when you have a good beginning and this box is built well and made of wood. No plastic! Just real wood that if taken care of will last for years and years. You have a handle for easy carrying versus my plastic totes that tended to pop open when a finger accidentally poked up and lifted the lid while I was carrying them. None of that here! You have real metal locks (latches) that snap close and keep everything in place. Nothing was overlooked here. Even the bottom of the box has been used wisely. You have sections, a total of 7, which are divided on the bottom. You can keep everything from jumbling when storing or carrying easily. The removable shelf I mentioned also has a divider, which makes it 2 sections that fits brushes to color pencils, and keeps them from rolling everywhere when stored. I love this box and I love that even though it’s a light weight wood, the cost is fair!  You can make this box into anything you want from storing make-up to even making it look like a mini trunk by removing the handle.  The possibilities are endless!

 

Retail Price Point: $26.96 via Amazon and if you have Amazon Prime, the shipping is free.  The box measures 16.1 x 8.6 x 6.4 inches.

US Art Supply has a large array of wooden boxes, again if the one above does not enlighten you, well they have others that will. I told you they thought of everything for artists and even an artist needs a way to keep their tools and materials in place, so find the storage solution that fits your needs by visiting US Art supply below.  I have been using their boxes to keep my sewing materials, so it does not matter what your art is, they have a supply solution that will meet your needs!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from US Art Supply. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Colorona Beginner’s Acrylic Paint Set

 

I’ve fallen back in love with crafting, and one of the things I’ll never tire of is paints. Your basic, main colors will always be in need and when I get a chance to try out a new brand, I’m always looking forward to see if they’ll be better than my last brand. While they missed that mark by a bit, this Colorona set was decent for kids and beginners, but priced a little too high for the quality of product you receive.

I’ve used many, many sets of paint from quite a few companies, and they are always comparable in quality, with a slight edge going to the paints and stains I’ve bought from U.S. Art Supply for overall quality and value. These Colorona paints miss that mark by a fair bit. They’re on the light and loose side, some even slightly runny. The coverage is mediocre, and they don’t seem to level at all, which means that every brush stroke will show when it dries. The pigments are not the most vivid or deep, and you need several coats just to get a solid color without the base material showing through, such as painting bare wood. This would be fine for watercolors, where one would expect the grain to show through the lighter paint, but these are supposed to be acrylic paints and have full coverage, and they just do not. The included accessories are great for getting started, with the brushes holding their respective points and edges well with little feathering and no lost bristles. The wood shafts felt light and may not last too long, but I think they’re meant to be disposable. The plastic palette is always welcome and does the job it’s designed for, and does it well. The sponge is fun for some textures, and seems well suited for these lighter, looser paints. A word of warning about opening these paints: Every set of acrylic paints I’ve ever used had a small point on the cap to puncture the seal, where these have a silly little star shape, and they will “pop” when punctured and spurp a little paint out. I’d recommend doing this over a sink, and well away from your body to avoid any spills or stains.

In the end, were the set priced more accordingly, I could see recommending this for kids just getting started, but the lack of coverage and leveling means you might end up with a budding artist frustrated by poor materials. At $21.99, it’s priced far too high to be reasonably considered for a “starter” kit with this quality of product. Colorona needs to either step up it’s game with quality or drastically lower it’s price.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Colorona Art Supply . I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

U.S. Art Supply’s Stretched Square Canvas Multi-Pack

I’m a huge fan of U.S. Art Supply and the products they provide, and that should come as no surprise to any regular reader of this blog. And they’ve been so generous in providing multiple products for me to review and try out, I’m almost out of superlatives to describe their awesome supplies. And then they go and do it again with their Professional Quality SQUARES Freedom Series Stretched Canvas Multi-pack. Honestly, I’m in heaven.

These are professional primed cotton canvas stretched over real hardwood frames (no MDF or particle board here!), stapled and glued on the reverse for clean, smooth finished edges. They are strong and sturdy with no flex and no twist. They are also double-primed with acid-free acrylic gesso so that either oil paints of acrylics are good to go. You get 2 each of 5 different sizes in this pack, 4″x 4″, 6″x 6″, 8″ x 8″ , 10″ x 10″, and 12″ x 12″. They’re also about 1″ thick all around. Great for kids, crafty adults (like me), artists, novices, dabblers, or even folks like me that loved painting, and just got out of the habit, until U.S. Art Supply eased me back in and unleashed the little creative monster inside. They are suitable for immediate hanging framed or unframed, I loved these, as the possibilities are endless what you can create. And the best part is they’re competitively priced with you local brick-and-mortar art supply store, and usually much, much more affordable (with many, many products having free shipping)!

U.S. Art Supply is a great company to boot, with tremendous after-sales service, and a real personal touch in their communications. Their website is vast, comprehensive, and has everything one would ever need to create their next masterpiece. It’s a company I’m proud to support and happy to be buying from in the future. Like this package, and every single one they’ve ever sent me, it’s packed well and arrives in perfect condition. I’d say the only limit to what you can create is your own imagination, because, like this Canvas Squares Multi-pack, it’s no going to be for lack of supplies.

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• Buy your own pack here or here!

I received the above product(s) free of charge from US Art Supply.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

US Art Supply: 3″ x 3″ Mini Professional Primed Stretched Canvas (1-Pack of 12-Mini Canvases) #Review #UsArtSupply

I again welcome US Art Supply to the blog and this time they sent the most adorable little canvases for me to review. I have been on an art and craft kick that seems to have no end to it, so you can see why my love for US Art Supply runs so strong.

The miniature canvases measure 3 inches by 3 inches, with a 3/8 of an inch profile. These canvases are made using acid free gesso and are triple primed, so you have a nice thick platform to create on. The canvas material is stretched by hand and over wooden “stretcher bars” that are made with kiln dried wood, which tends to not lose it’s shape. Your art remains beautifull for year to come without worry of sag or destruction to the image. If you put the work in to make something, it should reward you with years of lasting so you can enjoy it!

Retail Price Point: $11.97 for 12 mini canvases in each pack and they measure 3 x 3 in size. This is also a product that qualifies for free shipping with an Amazon Prime account.

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Verdict:
I figure it was time to make something for a bare wall that has been in our library/office. I have geodes and the such on the book shelves along with books but I wanted something that represents nature, but had a unique appearance. Something educational but also contained beauty and because I love to garden, I figured an homage to bees. These little guys not only help my citrus trees produce fruit, keep my berry bushes producing boysenberries, but they love everything from the rose garden to the hibiscus bushes we have along the wall. Always busy and buzzing, plus with the amount of bees lowering in count, I figured it was time to show appreciation for the little workers. I went with a green background to keep within nature’s colors and sketched a bee (of course with a US Art Supply pencil). I went with metal flowers to add contrast to the piece and again a different element of texture. I gathered some worker bees that seemed to have worked too hard and perished (in the pool) and put them under a glass dome and in a bottle using copper wire. I even took US Art Supply’s 3 x 4 inch canvas and used it backwards to create a honey store. These canvases can be used more than just the front-side and that is what I love about them! The material is smooth even on the backside and because US Art Supply takes care in production, the back portion is made nice enough to be usable. I fixed everything to a floral fabric and redid a vintage frame into a shadowbox frame, to provide more depth. This also allows me to use large items like glass bottles and domes. I collected everything I had on bees from charms to even earrings (bee wings) that I used for the honey bottles and the bumble bee earrings to be featured flying around the black colored rose on the fabric, just like they fly around the flowers. Simple and really just re-purposing what I had around the home because I figured a bee uses all it can in nature to keep working (or for me crafting)!

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• #UsArtSupply

I received the above product(s) free of charge from U.S. Art Supply. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

US Art Supply: 24 count Assortment Panel Pack Liberty Series #Review #USArtSupply

Being able to get a panel set like this for this price, well it’s not anything I can find in stores. I covered earlier on the great products you get from U.S Art Supply and I am always floored by the quality and price points. U.S Art Supply makes crafting and creating art affordable and that tends to stimulate creativity because there is nothing to stop you. I get ideas just like everyone and the worse part is wanting to do, but not being able to afford to.

The U.S Art Panel Assortment Includes:

• Six 5″x7″ panels
• Six 8″x10″ panels
• Six 9″x12″ panels
• Six 11″x14″ panels

Retail Price Point- $34.96 for a total of 24 panels in 4 different sizes. Ships free with Amazon Prime membership too.  The panels have a weight of almost 10 pounds, so there is no skimping on materials and quality here!  Each panel has on the back a label that the artist can complete, reflecting the title of the piece, artist name, medium used and date with signature.  How neat is that!

Verdict:

This is a great starter kit because you have panels in all sizes and a wonderful kit for an established artist. Great for crafting and even for a family activity. Everyone can create anything for any wall size and what I like about panels versus canvases that have the wooden frame, they are super easy to frame because of being flat. The panels are made with acid free materials and are more of a hardboard versus the give a stretched out canvas may have. You can draw, sketch and paint with any media from oils, acrylics to pastels. No limitations! The edges of the panels are wrapped over neatly, so no “raw-edge” to have to cover or worry about. The acid free mention is worth noting because it means your creation from art-work and/or memories will not deteriorate or age, due to the panel’s materials. These panels are also great for more than painting with the plethora of metal crafting materials available from metal flowers to even magnified glasses. You can create a real masterpiece without even having to wait because this panel assortment from U.S. Art supply ships free from Amazon with Prime membership.

Connect with US Art Supply at:

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• #UsArtSupply

I received the above product(s) free of charge from US Art Supply.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

US Art Supply: 3″ x 4″ Mini Professional Primed Stretched Canvas, 12-Pack Review #USArtSupply

Crafting places have become extinct like book stores. It saddens me because I still want to make crafts and create my own decor. I’m limited when it comes to places like Michael’s because they stock a little bit of everything and that means I’m usually finding 1/2 of what I need, and then trying to hunt for the rest on-line. Joanne’s is wonderful but I have one store near me that is small and limited in stock, or I’m stuck paying shipping because they play the coupon game via their on-line site. Talk about craft stores making me not want to do crafts! I have purchased at Aaron’s Brothers frames but when it comes to canvas and paints, I better catch them on one of their 3-Day deal sales or pay too much.

In comes US Art Supply, a company that puts a stop to the coupon game and has their prices reasonable 365 days a year. It’s literally a super store and if you paint, cut glass, air brush, play with fabric or even pottery…..they stock it! It’s there for you to shop 24/7 and they are with it when it comes to availability because they have an Amazon store too. They have survived the times by staying ahead and carrying their own home brands and also the popular ones we have been depending on for years. I spent over an hour just browsing US Art Supply’s website and it just perked my creativity and I realized I wanted to again create. Making crafts and art relaxes me and changes my environment. A new picture on a wall changes what you see and I was brought up that if you want something made right, you most times have to do it yourself. I have the want and now I have Us Art Supply fulfilling my artsy needs!

I was sent a pack of their 3 x 4 canvases. The pack contains 12 ready to paint stretched canvases that are primed.  The canvases are triple primed using an acid free acrylic gesso.

This is the first frame I created and then changed my mind. I went with a shadowbox and a painted burlap backing instead.

Retail Price Point: $14.96 and if you have Amazon Prime, it’s eligible for free shipping!

I have a hallway that was itching for a picture because the walls were bare. I have always had a love with frames, doorways, walls and just anything architecture and the sort. I could print up pictures from around the world of doors but I wanted something more my own, so I made my own mini doors. I purchased a shadowbox frame for $15 and the rest was made at home. I also used Us Art Supply’s acrylic paints and I absolutely love them. They are vibrant and dry the same way with shine and intensity. I made 6 doors and incorporated wood, nails, metal to even copper wire to create a more dimensional piece, plus different materials incorporated tend to make a nice blended look that creates a nice flow to the piece. The canvases are a dream to work with. The primer stays on and helps the pigment in the paints pop. No grainy finish and no matter how much I painted, aged with a patina, water washes, and I even used oil paints, the primer never peeled or wrinkled. Smooth and a perfect canvas to create on that never gave me any problems no matter how much I tended to change my mind while I created. I love that kind of freedom because my ideas can only become reality if the materials I use allow them to. The price is more than fair and I compared. For the quality, the quantity of canvases, you just can’t go wrong with Us Art Supply! I can also order at 2 AM and Amazon has spooked us by delivering that evening or the following day in the morning. Yup, less than 24 hours from ordering and I’m making art happen. You just can’t get that anywhere else!

Painted Burlap backing and I printed out gate images and adhered them to wood. I then made doors with the Us Art Supply canvases.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from US Art Supply.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Ander Blake Company’s Color Gallery Acrylic Paint Set

If I’m being honest, I hadn’t picked up a paint brush since high school. I used to paint often, and enjoyed creating things. Then, life, work, and family started taking up nearly all of my time, and my creative side took a back seat to my other responsibilities. So when I got a chance from the Ander Blake Company to dip my toes back into that creative pool, I was more than a little excited.

My experience had been heretofore been primarily oil paints, like the kind you had to buy for art class. And I tended to use mainly primary colors, so this set was not that hard to adapt to. It was smooth, spread easily, and mixed well. A big plus to these is that they thin with water, not the linseed oil I used to have to use for my old oils. Which also means that they can be sprayed through an airbrush. Painting on canvas or wood produced the same bright, vibrant colors, too.

The tops seal well, so you don’t have to worry about them drying out, and the package they came in has dividers so storage is a breeze. All twelve tubes are .4 fl oz. each, which combined with their rich pigments and ability to thin so easily, means these paints should last you a good long while. Ander Blake says these paints are good for ceramics and fabrics as well, so the only limit to what you can create is your own imagination. If I had to pick one thing I didn’t truly love about these, it’s that the “forrest green” is not a very true, deep green, as you can see from my pictures. thankfully the blues and yellows were sufficient to make a very good, true green. At under $14 for the set of 12 paints, you could do much worse. A word of caution: These paints have a lot of pigment, which means that should you get it on something you didn’t intend (Like, say, a husband and his t-shirt), it will probably stain, most likely permanently. They do have also have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, so you can buy with confidence.  Overall I liked them and would definitely recommend them to beginners or craftspeople alike.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Ander Blake Company.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.