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[Lu12jm]

Well I received all my items except one. The Today special fuser I have not used yet but love the paper that came with it. I am not sure if I will get to it for a few days. Will be testing it out as I am making candy bags for my christmas in july craft day in two weeks. Hopefully it works as stated.

The set of three xyron tape dispensers work as expected. I thought that was a great price for the size and the quantitty.

I did order the crafters companion water color paper to go along with the water color pencils and video. The video has great tips and techniques. Have not used the pencils but have used this brand in the past and they are very high quality artist level pencils. This was a great purchase and a good value. The pencils for 12 are 25.00 in the stores.

My hot off the press kits are so nice. The embossing folders and specialty paper that came with them are amazing. They have so much depth to them. WIll use them sparingly as you woulnd't need much to add that a special touch to a card or page. I ordered one kit with the cd which I love those cds and the other had a tool kit. Not sure about that as you have to trace and cut and I think my cricut will do that, But all the paper and embellishments are very pretty.

My Anna Griffin Monogram cartridge has some great designs. I said I did not purchase any Anna items but I forgot I ordered the cartrdige. I think the styles included in the cartridge are very useable for everything you can think of and it is not limited to just monograms.

My scrap rack addition arrived. I really needed two bases. I have most all of my items in the scrap rack now. It is a great organzational system. I do need one more spinder but will wait on that. Anythig that doesn't fit in the scrap rack is being donated. When I set if up I did leave a few extra pages between sections to add items to. Now off to start on my paper stash. I have a ton, I mean a ton of paper.

The rocking stamper I used on the clear acrylic stamps with no problem.

That is it. What's your opinion?

[mewsmomtoo]

Aack! All the rest of my items came today in one big & heavy box. The delivery guy left it in my backyard & it was not easy to get into the house :-)  I have unpacked it & looked at my items. The ScrapRack is pretty amazing & I am going to attempt set-up this weekend.  I will also try making some pop-up cards tonight, the kit looks beautiful. I will also try the rock a blocks this weekend. I can review 2 items right now:

410-325 3Birds Pearlescent & Foil Embellishments

They look exactly like they do on TV & they will be perfect for adding dimension to cards & scrapbooking pages. I will probably use E6000 glue to attach, but I am also going to check on YouTube & HSN reviews to see what other people are using. The first thing i am using them for is a wreath made of flip flops that i found on Pinterest. Will post a pic when i have made it (hopefully tonight)  The only thing I am worried about is the box falling to the floor, the fastener doesnt seem that secure so i am going to upgrade that :-)

PLUS 10 piece Glue Set:

Not so excited about these. They dont seem like very strong, you have to get the angle just right & you need to do it on a tabletop. If you try to put glue on something that you have on a box & the box caves just the tinest bit, they dont work. I often make cards sitting on the floor with my master bedroom kitty so this is not good for me. I found i could lift embellishments off the cards after using a lot of glue & placing them. Will recheck them tonight & see if they are sticking better & will update.Overall, i like Xyron better.

[docsgirl]

I received Anna's Playful Pieces.  While they are absolutely adorable and simple and fun to make, I felt she should have included more animals.  Since they are designed to send to children, the inside messages should not be written in cursive.  While upper grade children can read cursive, the younger ones cannot.  Children LOVE to receive cards and read the messages inside so this should have been a consideration.  My kit was lacking several pieces.  Anna claimed there were adhesives but my box had none.  It's not a big deal as I have so many but if they were supposed to be included, they should have been.  I was also missing the colorful banners that she used to decorate the inside of the card so the inside would have some dimension, almost like a pop-up.  I was really looking forward to making one of those card.  I think 'quality control' was asleep at the wheel.  All in all, I love the kit.

I just received the Engraved Endearments Pop-Up Kit but have not begun to work on it yet.  The cards look stunning and I can't wait to get started.

Enjoy all of your purchases and Happy Crafting!  docsgirl

[docsgirl]

I received the Rock a Blocks today and they give a clear, crisp image with no blank areas.  I tried them with various types of stamps and the results were always the same.  I even pulled some of my favorite stamps off wood blocks.  I'm so happy with this item.  As an aside, I did not purchase it from HSN.  I purchased it at Amazon for $7.50 with free shipping and no tax.  I only received the 4 blocks, which is all I wanted as I didn't need or want the stamps HSN provided.  I don't like to pay for something I don't need or want.

I assembled a few of Ann's Engraved Etchings pop-up cards and they are beyond stunning.  I can't wait to sent them on to some very special people in my life.  Hope you are all enjoying your goodies.  Happy Crafting!!        docsgirl

[mewsmomtoo]

Hey everyone, sorry I have been absent for so long. I promised reviews so here they are:

429-912 Plus Glue Set: Just wanted to update to say that while I wasn't thrilled with these, I
find that if I add just a little more than I
normally would, they work just fine & after a
few hours, the items are very securely
adhered to the paper.

430-681 AG Engraved Endearment Pop Up Card Kit: As usual, this is a beautiful kit & I have made a couple of cards from it, but I find it rather difficult & therefore tedious. I just don't have the creative vision necessary for 3-D cards. I will keep the kit, but definitely not buy the Christmas version coming in October :-)

427-476 Rock a Blocks: Docsgirl, you got a deal on Amazon! I'm doing their 30 day Prime trial because I am trying different things to replace cable TV. Anyway, I have not yet triedthese so i guess they are staying :-) Thank you for your reviews JanetM & Docsgirl, I'm glad you have both had such positive experiences, that bodes well for me.

435-627 ScrapRack: This is a good purchase for me - yea! It's really great to take odds & ends I have purchased in the past & get them in one place. AG didn't always have kits & I have some beautiful papers & stamps that have been stuck away. I will say that you need to have room for this on a table or on top of a short book shelf or whatever works for you because it is not realistic to think you can move it around. If you scrap at your dining table, maybe you can put it on your credence etc. Hopefully I will be able to post a picture of it before the next Craft Day.

By the way, I finally finished my flip flop wreath & I like it. Will try to post pic when I am at parents this weekend.

Also Glor46er makes & donates lap robes & pillow cases & she is selling some now on Pinterest. I bought a wonderful patriotic lap robe from her & wanted to tell you that it is well-constructed, the print colors are vibrant, the fleece is a very nice quality & I just love it!You will not be disappointed if you purchase one from her Just go to Pinterest & search "Gloria", she should be the first one & it will say "glorpenpaller" under her name.

One last thing: saw all the coloring posts on the other craft thread & wanted to say thanks for posting what pens you use. I am enjoying coloring too & am looking for an alternative to coloring pencils. I also found some good suggestions in the reviews on HSN for their coloring books.

Oops, one last thing, Docsgirl : I too bought the AG Playful Pieces Card Kit, but when it was first offered, not this last time. I too would have liked more animals & for sure, printed sentiments. I think your criticisms arE right on. Still I have so far made 15 cards that I am donating as a group to a hospital since I don't have small children to create for but I wanted this kit & have really enjoyed creatingfrom it.

OK, I'll shut up now...Happy Crafting Everybody!!