U.S. Art Supply’s 40″ Professional Quality Mat Cutter

U.S. Art Supply has single-handedly re-awoken my crafty nature. From painting to framing, airbrushing and more, the only thing I needed to have done professionally was my matting. No more, because U.S. Art Supply has made a mat cutter that puts the one I saw being used at Joanne’s to shame.

With solid, strong aluminum hinged guide rails and aluminum mat channels (with 2 production stops) mounted securely to a solid, heavy premium MDF backer, it’s build like a tank and designed for heavy-duty use for years and years and years. There’s also a fold-able 27″ 90 degree 27″ squaring arm to keep things even and straight, and you get both straight and beveled cutting heads that use a simple razor blade to cut, so keeping a fresh, sharp blade in there is a breeze and the cost is minimal. It’s so simple to use that I can’t imagine I ever having paid someone to do this for me. Quick, sharp, precise cuts every time, and perfectly square too. And I love that I can set the bevel I want and not just have flat edges. The unit comes mostly assembled, so the box is huge, and even though I saw that it’s a 40″ unit I was still in awe of the sheer size of the system. You’ll need an extremely long counter or table to operate it on, and thankfully it has non-marring feet on the bottom as well.

Gone for me are the days of hoarding framing discount coupons for my art projects, because with U.S. Art Supply’s Professional-Quality 40″ Mat cutter, I’ll never need to rely on someone else to cut mats for me, or pay an exorbitant or ridiculous price for pre-cut mats. after a few projects, this mat cutter pays for itself, and with U.S. Art Supply you’re also getting top-notch customer service, soup to nuts. They only want 100% satisfied customers, and always go above and beyond to get you there. I recommend this product highly!

Connect with US Art Supply at:

• Online
• Amazon
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Get your own right 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.

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Valentine’s Gift for Her: Pirouline Chocolate Sticks with Chocolate Cake Heart Scented Candle and Heart Box with Assorted Chocolates #Review

Every Valentine’s Day, as much as I love chocolate, I will admit the typical a dozen roses and chocolate treat gets a little ordinary. I don’t desire jewelry and what I do desire, is something left to remember the holiday from. A holiday that has gotten ridiculously expensive. Plus, I like my roses with roots attached, so I can plant them and enjoy them all year around.

When I was offered to review the Valentine’s gift set with Pirouline Chocolate and more, I admit I was intrigued. Why? Because it’s a little of everything and from the girl who hasn’t finished her Christmas chocolates yet, this is ideal for me. The set comes with:

• A metal tin with lid, filled with Pirouline Chocolate Sticks that is reusable and adorable.

• A candle that is a dark chocolate cupcake, filled with a heart shaped white chocolate center. The candle smells like a delicious chocolate cake but comes with zero calories. Just light it and enjoy it time and time again.

• You also don’t miss out as the set includes a mini heart shaped boxed filled with five individual chocolates, and this is a perfect amount for me. You also have a keepsake heart shape boxed that you can reuse.  The outer box (lid) is decorated with a red roses motif.

Retail Price Point: The entire set is $15.95 via Amazon and if you have Prime membership, that is the total cost with delivery included. You can even include a gift message via Amazon to be included with the parcel.

Verdict:
There is no going out to stores and having to pick 3 items and then pay shipping if your loved one is far away or if that day you will be working, so that means Valentine’s Day gets put on hold. The set covers all bases by still being filled with chocolate but allowing the gift to leave a little memento behind. The candle is utterly fragrant that I found without lighting it, it still fills the living room with a delectable chocolaty scent, so I can keep it as-is and use it time and time again. I have done this where a candle never gets lit and becomes a decor item because the scent lasts, plus some things are just too cute to melt. The candle comes in a clear box, so you can opt to showcase it in the box, take it out and even store it back again for the coming year or a special date night at home. The Pirouline Chocolate Sticks came with only a few cracked but none had crumbled! They are filled with Chocolate Hazelnut and go perfect with coffee or munch them like I do straight out of the tin. The five chocolates came in perfect condition. None were melted, cracked or aged. Something that has happened in prior years where a heart shaped box was filled with dry and old chocolates, these were perfect and are made by Elmer Chocolates. Yes, the gift is economical but still makes the one gifted feel warm and fuzzy and that is truly what you want in the end from a gift. The person to know you thought of them and that is what matters!

Connect with Practical Therapies at:

• Amazon
• #ValentinesDayGifts #ChocolateSticks

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Practical Therapy (Amazon).  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 Wooden Artist’s Brush & Tool Box

To say that I’m a fan of U.S. Art Supply would be a gross understatement. Everything they make is quality, affordable, and they provide everything that a professional artist, or a weekend art warrior like me, could ever want or need. And it’s all just a click or two away. And then they go and offer me this amazing Wooden Artist Tool and Brush Box and make me fall in love with them all over again.

Hubby, bless his heart, has fully embraced my rediscovered crafty-ness. He’s bought me brushes, pencils, pens, paints, and tools, and I was just about out of places to stash them all. He even donated his old plastic art supply box from high school, but it was woefully under-equipped to handle my supplies. And you could probably imagine the “decorations” a bored 13-year old might doodle on there in art class. So it didn’t exactly look stunning in my little craft closet. Thankfully, U.S. Art Supply’s Wooden Artist’s Tool & Brush box looks so spiffy, I don’t think I want to hide it away in the closet anymore! With 4 separate easily-accessible sections, 3 of which are accessible from right outside the box, you have plenty of room to store all your supplies but also keep them within easy reach! The top hatches slide open, the bottom drawer is generous, and the compartments that are under the top hatches are deep enough to hold just about anything! Made of 100% solid wood, no particle board or verneers, and with wonderful craftsmanship, it’s built to last for years and look awesome doing it. The leather-wrapped handle on top is really a gorgeous accent as well, and the brass fittings and hardware are a nice touch.

My first box was slightly damaged from shipping and the bottom drawer was permanently, hopelessly stuck. Not to worry, U.S. Art Supply’s staff is so courteous and helpful they had a new one out and in my hands in a matter of days. No muss, no fuss. I love U.S. Art Supply’s products and service, and this Artist’s Brush and Tool Storage Box is a winner!

Connect with U.S. Art Supply at:

• Online
• On Amazon
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On Google+
• On Instagram

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.

Velocity Toy’s V-Thunder 1:14 Scale Remote-controlled Truck

We’ve always love remote controlled gadgets in this house. Hubby’s had them since he was a little guy, and I’ve played with a few in my time. They’re always good for some fun whether you’re 6 or 60. The only caveat to that is when they don’t work. Then they’re frustrating, horrible headaches that are a waste of money. I was hoping for the former with Velocity Toys’ V-Thunder 1:14 Scale Remote Controlled 4X4 Truck, but unfortunately what I got was the latter.

Right out of the box, the V-Thunder Truck didn’t work right. It went forwards and backwards, but that was it. It wouldn’t turn. We tried everything we could, but the unit was defective. That wasn’t even the only failure. The “Sounds” in the form of music never worked. When we got the thin plastic shell off, we saw why: the wires to the speaker were never soldered. The red and blue LED’s in the wheel wells worked, but the anemic 6v NiCad battery pack could scarcely handle the functions of the truck, I can only imagine the amount of unnecessary drain on the battery those would be. And as I mentioned, the plastic shell around the truck is almost paper thin, but thankfully the bumper is sturdy, otherwise your first impact would also be your last on the body. The controls are poor, in that there’s no gradual acceleration at all. It’s full-power forward or no power, and with no steering, that ended badly every time. There’s no adjusting them, because the analog adjustment levers are molded on the plastic frame of the controls, and non-functional. It was also, for reasons I’ll never understand, covered in dirt and filthy out of the box. Odd.

For the price, you could do a lot better. Cursory glances around Toys R Us, Walmart and Target showed multiple vehicles of similar size, that probably work, for much less, sometimes less than half the price. If this were a gift, it would have made for a very unhappy recipient. I tried to contact Velocity Toys about this, multiple times. They directed me to contact “Airsoft Joe” for a replacement. “Airsoft Joe” had their auto-response on, and let me know they’d get to me as soon as possible. Multiple emails have yet to be answered since from either company. If I had bought this from them, I’d have felt like a fool, but thankfully I got a unit at no charge to test and review. So combine the defective product with poor to non-existent customer service and a blatant disregard for aftersales support, and you’ve got a product I not only don’t recommend, I’d avoid doing any business with them for anything in the future.

Connect with Velocity Toys:

• Online
• Normally, I’d put quite a few links, including where to buy. I don’t recommend anyone buy from this company, and their products and service are bad, so I’m really not going to “promote” them so much as warn my readers away.

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Velocity Toys. 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.

AStorePlus®: 8 Pcs Nail Art Design/Detailing Painting Brushes with Dotting Pen Set #Review #NailArtBrush

As a nail polish enthusiast……okay, I have dozens of bottles and sometimes even accidentally buy the same color because I forget what I own! I have also been down the nail art alley of products, to now have a sense what works and what does not. Price wise, I have also paid well for brushes that their art was leaving bristles behind when used. I called it “surprise brushes” because you never knew when they would come apart and/or how many bristles they would surprise you with. This taught me when one brush shows any sign of failure, just trash the thing!

In comes AStorePlus with an assortment of 7 brushes and 1 dotting tool. I have a set that came in a zipper pouch and love that set. Never a surprise bristle attack and because the brush sticks are made of plastic that can be wiped to clean, acetone is not a something to fear when cleaning up my supplies. The AStorePlus collection features:

• Smooth Wooden handles painted in a White color with a black design
• A Dotting tool made of metal tip
• The 7 brushes come in different sizes with an assortment of thickness and angles
• A long metal shaft/sleeve, which holds the bristles tightly and allows the user to get a nice angle for easy use and cleaning

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Retail Price Point: A collection of nail art 7 brushes and 1 dotting tool for $5.25 with free shipping on Amazon.

Verdict:
When I received these, I noticed they feature painted wood handles, but what these brushes feature that others of like kind don’t, is that long metal shaft/sleeve to allow cleaning without seeping onto the painted wood area. Cleaning is a major concern both for hygiene purposes but also to keep the tools clean enough for longevity and re-usability. Other brushes feature a short metal shaft that can cause the consumer to accidentally come in contact with the wooden painted handle, making the manufacture’s paint bleed and disintegrate. Thankfully, the AStorePlus brushes avoid this from occurring and had the forethought of having long metal shafts to avoid this from happening. I use acetone because I don’t want residue on my nails from glycerin or additives that may not allow polishes or nail art to last, causing a short lived manicure. This means a brush has to be able to soak (short-term) in a cap of acetone, which I save the older caps from used bottles to do this with. The AStorePlus brushes sat in acetone and not once did the liquid wick up towards the top to meet with painted handle. I found the handles to be a comfortable length and ergonomic enough to allow my left hand to work on my right hand’s nails with ease. I have used the brushes 4 times and every time they clean and return to their natural shape and point when dried. I saved the plastic sleeves for each brush, so this allows me to keep the points in shape when stored in the same pouch I keep all my nail art brushes in. I have paid more for 3 brushes than what the 8 tools here cost on Amazon. The price point makes this an affordable hobby and also makes a perfect beginner’s set to own. Like with make-up brushes, I don’t use everything in a collection but I learned with time what heads I used more and later purchased duplicates of the sizes and angles I wanted. The same applies here and so far this set has the finer points I seek, so that means I use more of the brushes than I thought I would. I was able to let go of any cuticle wooden sticks, as now I use 2 of the brushes in this set to clean around my cuticle with acetone for a clean edge look. It goes beyond art and also a may to get the best looking manicure you can get without issues and this set from AStorePlus was problem-free for me. I did my Halloween nails using just the brushes and they cleaned up black and dark red garnet polishes with ease, as they did at making fine white roses on a black background. With the holidays approaching, these are the perfect stocking stuffer to add and a welcoming site for any nail art beginner!

 

Connect with AStorePlus on:

• Amazon
• Facebook
• #NailArtBrush

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from AStorePlus.  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.

 

AW Fashions: X-Men Wolverine Silhouette Men’s Cotton T-Shirt #Review #Wolverine

My Husband likes t-shirts with movie themes and/or characters, however most are done over the top and look too busy. The images are over done and you end up with t-shirt that looks more geared towards kids than adults. Simplicity is lost!

In comes AW Fashion’s with a 100% cotton t-shirt that is simple when it comes to the image. You like Wolverine, you get Wolverine and that’s all!

Retail Price Point: $18.99 and we ordered the red colored shirt in a size large.

 

Verdict:

AW Fashion makes t-shirts and tanks for the family and most are based on simple logos and images. The prints range from novelty, presidential candidates to shirts with quotes and so forth. What I liked best was the quality of the shirt. The material is 100% cotton that is pre-shrunk, plus the thickness is moderate. Not too thick to be bulky but not too thin that you wonder if it will hold well after the first wash. The cut of the t-shirt is also nice, none of those odd “vintage cuts” that are for men with no arms and chest. The sizing is normal and I opted for a size Large for my Husband to accommodate an athletic physique. He was very happy with the t-shirt’s style, however he did comment the cotton was not the soft type of fabric and more towards being a little on the scratchy side (pre-wash). The sleeve is not binding across the arms, plus he commented the shirt was comfortable when wearing (pre-wash) and he could overlook the scratchiness of the material since we had not washed it yet. The screen-print of the image (Wolverine) is also solid and smooth. A thick black silhouette that will not peel or flake once washed. Overall, for when it comes to comic book hero’s and shirts of this kind, this one is nice and simple where an adult can wear it comfortably without the image looking like it’s just geared towards younger kids.

Connect with AW Fashions at:

• Amazon
• Facebook
• #Wolverine

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from AW Fashions.  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: Wood Table Box Easel Painting Set; Paints, Canvas, HB Pencil, Brushes, and Plastic Palette and Knives #USArtSupply

U.S. Art Supply did it again in sending out a starter kit that is welcoming sight for new artists of all ages, or nicely supplements what an established artist may have. Paints, is something that I always run low on, so I always welcome a set whenever possible. The acrylics supplied in this kit are fabulous and have a smooth texture that is not too thin or thick. The colors can be moderated from bright to mute, depending on how you mix the media. What I love most is the pigments are rich in color, so I don’t have to keep squeezing out product to get the color I want (i.e. intensity) but end up with too much material and/or layers applied.

The Kit does not end there and this is all you get from U.S. Art Supply:

• 1 Wood Table Box Easel with a slide out drawer for storage. The case also has a handle for easy carrying
• A 12 Acrylic Paint set and these are actual size tubes to use, no sample sizes! Each tube contains 12 ml of paint.
• 3 canvas panels for the artist to start creating with. They measure 9″ x 12 ” in size.
• An HB Pencil to outline and sketch with.
• A Palette Knife made of Plastic for easy cleaning.
• A Plastic Palette that makes it easy to wash and clean after use because the paints peel off if they dried onto the surface. The palette has 16 wells that are circles and square in shape.  The amount of space was wonderful because I did not run out of room and was able to makes custom color washes all in one sitting.
• Also, 4 Brushes of various sizes and made with wooden handles (#2,#4,#6,#8).

 

Retail Price Point: A ultra fair price of $24.96 and ships free with an Amazon Prime Account.  You can choose from an Acrylic set (the one I received), A Watercolor set or an Oil Painting set for the same price point.

 

Verdict:
I can’t say enough and absolutely love this kit. It has everything you need and/or want, that I was overwhelmed with the amount of content. I looked at the price point and kept trying to find where I was shorted but could not find one thing wrong. The drawer that pulls out slides with ease and even has two metal hinges that lock it in place. The carrying case serves as a stand, so this is perfect for an artist on the move and if you want to visit a park and feel inspired to paint, all you need is to bring a bottle of water for you and your paints and you are set.

I was able to create a painting and all I used was the paints provided by U.S. Art Supply and a cracking media. I wanted to create background for pocket watches I will be making and framing, they will have a vintage look, so I went with an antique crackle finish that you add to paints to create the look. Once the paint set and dry, I was ably to apply the second step that actually creates the crackle. I sealed the work with polyurethane once I was finished. My Husband liked the painting so much, that he wants me to frame it as-is and make another background for the pocket watch project! This kit is great for kids to adults because the products that U.S. Art Supply gives you, come with zero frustrations! I had brushes that worked and no loss of bristles while painting. An easel that stayed in place and paints that allowed me enough time to work while I painted but dry beautifully with no crackle………..well, except where I wanted it!

Connect with U.S. Art Supply at:

• On-line
• http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LUZSXMG
• Facebook
• Twitter
• #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.