Clover Soft Touch Crochet Hooks

Reported by Dana Vitek

I hadn't been crocheting long when I realized how much it hurt my hands. My fingers ached, and sometimes the tip of my thumb went numb. Despite my mother's insistence that it was because I was holding the hook, and the yarn, wrong (and in the wrong hand), I knew it was because traditional crochet hooks are not ergonomically correct. Especially when crocheting tight fabrics in single crochet, like in amigurumi, there is a lot of pressure exerted over just a tiny area of the hook's handle.

Enter the Clover Soft Touch crochet hook. Isn't she a beauty? With a nice wide handle to spread out my grip, I don't feel that I'm squeezing it too tightly, like I did with the traditional model. And when I'm spending a lot of time crocheting (like I did while watching the Olympics), I can definitely tell the difference in the way my fingers feel the morning after.

Now, a long-time crocheter (like my mom, who is resistant to change under the best of circumstances), may not feel the need to fix what isn't broken. She claims that the bone in her finger has a groove in it right where the hook goes, thank you very much, and doesn't need any newfangled crochet hooks to make afghan after afghan (after afghan). But since I'm new enough to not be crotchety about my crochet, and I tend to make things with a tighter stitch, I'm happy to let the Soft Touch keep my finger bones groove-free.

If you hold your hook like a pencil, and not like a dinner knife, I can see where this hook may not make a huge difference in your grip, because you're used to having three free fingers anyway. But I'm a dinner-knife-grip kind of gal, and I can't say enough good things about it. Don't get me wrong, I've found some things I don't like too. In fact, let's get to that part of the article already:

Pros:

• Wide handle to spread out pressure from fingers
• Hook head is more like the Boye than the Susan Bates (crocheters know what I'm talking about, and if you're not a crocheter, I bet you're pretty bored right now), and I like it better.
• The finish on the metal is kind of, frosted maybe? Sanded? Not shiny smooth like other hooks, and I think the yarn slips easier, which I like. My mother hates it, as I'm sure you would have guessed.

Cons:

• All of the hook sizes are the same golden yellow color. That's annoying, because I can't tell them apart without reading them, and I'm lazy. They make the soft touch handles in different colors for their plastic light-up hooks, so I don't know why they didn't carry them over to the metal ones.
• I was going to say that they don't make them in those teeny tiny steel hook sizes where they'd be REALLY useful, but they do, so never mind.
• Oh my word, they're spendy. They cost $4.50 MORE a piece than the Boye hooks. Ouch.

I suppose you'd like to see a project that I made with the Clover Soft Touch crochet hook. I'm sure the future owner of this blanket would like to see it too, before he heads off to college... if I could just get it finished! (he's only a month old, I have some time...)

One super soft green blankey for baby James:

Yarn: Sensations Angel Hair Light Green (exclusively at JoAnn's)
Stitch pattern: linked triple crochet


Clover Soft Touch hooks are available online at JoAnn.com, Amazon.com, and directly from Clover. They retail for $6.50 each, but I think they're worth it. I see now you can get them as a gift set with a handy storage pouch, or just the pouch by itself, which looks like a good stocking stuffer for me, just as soon as I finish crocheting the stockings. Ahem.

So have you made the switch to the Clover Soft Touch hooks, or are you keeping it real with the old-school Boye and Susan Bates? Leave us a comment and let us know!

The MOTHER of all black ink tests...

Reported by Dana Vitek

Well, I finally did it... a no-holds-barred look at 14 different black inks, 3 different markers and three different card stocks.

I did a similar study back in early 2007, and posted my results on SplitCoastStampers; holy moly, was I ever a rock star then! The biggest names of stamping commented on that post, and the queen herself, Julie Ebersole, mentioned little ole me on her blog. Then I passed out.

But, I knew my work was not finished... there were MORE black inks out there, and clearly I needed them. So, now I've got them. I'm up to 14 black inks, some I've had for years, a few I just opened today (don't tell my husband!).

Here are the players, in alphabetical order by manufacturer:


Papers:
Georgia Pacific White
PaperTrey Ink Stamper's Select in White
Stampin' Up! Whisper White

Markers:
Copic Lemon Yellow
Prismacolor Deco Yellow
Stampin' Up! Barely Banana (yes, I know, this is not an alcohol-based marker).

Weather conditions:
79 degrees F, 44% humidity, a perfect August day in Delaware (just above sea level), and why am I inside again?

The process:

• Created a grid and printed it on the three different card stocks with my laser printer.
• Stamped each ink into its appropriate box.
• Carefully cleaned the stamp between inks with a three-step process:

1. Ultraclean, then dry
2. Stampin' Mist, then dry
3. Swipe with a baby wipe

• Allowed grids to dry for 30 minutes while starting this post
• Colored over the lines (on purpose) with the appropriate marker
• Cleaned each marker nib, each time, by coloring on a sheet of printer paper
• Swiped a line of the matching colorless blender pen through each colored area
• Checked for bleeding, feathering & smearing
• Ranked the inks 1, 2, or 3 on each grid
• Entered the results into a spreadsheet, tallied and averaged the results

**Please note: I did not heat-set any of the inks, because I wanted to see the results of the average (lazy like me) stamper. Heat-setting the pigment inks would probably improve their performance**

Results:

• A ranking of 1 indicated no black ink movement with the yellow marker or associated clear blender.
• A ranking of 2 indicated no to minimal movement with the yellow, some movement with the clear blender.
• A ranking of 3 was a hot mess. Movement with both marker and blender.
• I threw the SU! marker results out of the averaging, because they were the true definition of hot mess. So, the averaging only took alcohol-based markers into account.
  
  
  
  
  
  I was VERY impressed with Ranger's Nick Bantock Ink and Tsukineko's Memento... that stuff didn't budge with either of the alcohol-based markers or their clear blenders. Ranger's Adirondack and Distress inks also fared very well. As for the rest of them, well, you can be the judge (click for a larger view):
  
  
  
  
  As for the papers, the PTI smeared the least, followed by the Georgia Pacific, and then the Stampin' Up! Whisper White.
  
  Between the alcohol-based markers themselves, the Prismacolor smeared less than the Copic by 0.05 of a point (averaged), so I'd call that even.
  
  Recommendations:
  Ranger Nick Bantock or Memento on PaperTrey Ink. Anything else, you'll need to heat set or stay within the lines.
  
  So what do you think?

Silpat - not just for cooking anymore...

Reported by Dana Vitek

Actually, I've never used it for cooking. But I have used it a TON in my crafting exploits. The Silpat holds a place of honor on my craft table (namely, under whatever stack I'm shifting from one place to the other to find whatever implement/embellishment/uh, stickerment, I've lost). Seriously, I use it as the base for all of my projects. It protects my work surface from inks, high heat, cleaners, polymer clay, alcohol (recreational and otherwise), and cleans up with a baby wipe. What's not to love?!

Originally designed for lining cookie sheets, the Silpat is French, and very ooh la la. It is thick and heavy (when compared to teflon-coated "craft" sheets), and lays flat on my work surface with no wrinkles or folds to flatten out. Its silicon coating is durable; I've yet to leave a stain on it, and I'm really not all that vigilant about keeping my area clean (I know, you can hardly believe it).

Its best feature, non-stickability, can also be its worst, though, if you're not careful. Since ink that is overstamped around the sides of your project does not dry, it transfers readily to the next piece of cardstock that you lay down. No big deal if you're not persnickity, or if the back won't show, but I can't tell you how many custom invitation reply postcards I've had to recycle because I forget about this "feature." The argument could be made that operator error is hardly the fault of the Silpat, but I'm the one writing this article, and I'd prefer not to look sloppy or forgetful.

I suppose you could turn the bug into a feature by laying down some ink on purpose and creating a monoprint. Here I used VersaMagic chalk ink Dew Drops directly to the Silpat, spritzed it once with water, placed a piece of Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock face down (where is my brayer, anyone?), squished it flat with the backside of my Stampin' Scrub because it was sitting right there, and voila, instant, one-of-a-kind background papers.

(ignore my mother's hand in the picture, I don't know how it got there, she wasn't even here.)

And can you see that canvas-like texture? A happy accident! The Silpat has fiberglass mesh at its core, and the pattern transfers along with the ink. Look how much work it looks like I did! Elapsed time, 20 seconds.

(Stamp: Stampin' Up!-Only Ovals; Cardstock: Stampin' Up Whisper White and Orchid Opulence, PaperTrey Ink Stamper's Select White; Ink: VersaMagic Dew Drops - Spring Pansy, Pretty Petunia, Brilliance - Pearlescent Purple; Ribbon: Offray.)

I also use it a lot with my polymer clay work. The Silpat has a surface that isn't exactly tacky, or sticky, or gritty, but it has a little "tooth" to it, if you will. Just enough to let friction hold your work in place. Here's a photo of the Silpat going right from my work surface, straight into the oven (on a cookie tray).


I love not having to transfer uncured clay from one place to the other; it gets less mangled this way. As in not mangled at all, which is great, because my polymer clay skills need all the help they can get.

(Stamp: PaperTrey Ink - Wise Owl Bellies; Clay: Sculpey III - Translucent & Purple Granitex; Ink: Brilliance - Pearlecent Purple)


Pros:

• Non-stick surface with just enough tack to hold your stuff still.
• Flat, flat, flat. No wrinkles. Did I mention that it's flat, because it is.
• Durable. I've abused the daylights out of mine, and it still looks (and works) great.
• Wipes clean with a baby wipe. I'm considering getting my kids' hands dipped in silicon.
• Multiple sizes to fit your work surface.

Cons:

• Price. It's not that $20 is a lot for all this thing does, but since it's not a traditional craft product, it's not available at craft stores where you could use a 40% off coupon. And I'm cheap frugal. Just ask my husband.
• That ink transfer issue I talked about above.
• You know, I've seen prettier colors.

You can find the Silpat at kitchen stores like Linens & Things, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Williams-Sonoma, as well as Amazon.com.

I love my Silpat, and definitely recommend it to anyone looking to not just protect their work surface, but add a tool to their arsenal. What do YOU use to protect your work surface? Leave us a comment and let us know! Also, if you know where my brayer is, you can mention that too.

Prismacolor 4-in-1 Premier Art Markers

Reported by Dana Vitek

Rubber stampers have been treading not-so-lightly into the world of alcohol-based markers, due to their versatility and extreme awesomeness. Traditional marker artists and designers are all, "yeah, well...DUH!" but we stampers are pretty new to the art marker scene.

Prismacolor art markers have been around for a long, long time. I used them (poorly) during my stint in interior design school, and my husband used them 1000 years ago in graphic design school. Their nibs and label design have changed over the years, but their ink formulation has endured. The newest version, the 4-in-1 Premier Art Marker, is double-ended, with a fine tip on one end and a beveled chisel on the other. The large end allows for quick coverage of large areas, as well as three different line-widths, depending on how you hold the marker, while the fine tip lets you get into tiny detailed areas.

As for the hallmark of alcohol markers, blendability, Prismacolors do that well too. As a beginner during design school, I was frustrated by the lines left by these markers when you don't keep what's known as a "wet edge" and it's hard to keep a wet edge over a large space when rendering an interior drawing (by the way, don't Google "wet edge" Oy.) It wasn't until reading the one billion blog entries about that other alcohol-based marker (you know the one I'm talking about), that I figured out what I was doing wrong. Here is an example of the right way to blend:


Color with lightest color, shade with slightly darker color, accent with darkest color, color over the whole thing with the lightest color again... voila!

Now, I know what you're saying: "Dana... should I buy the Prismacolors or the Copics?! Just TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" and my answer is... I just don't know. It really depends on how much you color, what your budget is, blah, blah, blah. Here's honest truth from my point-of-view:

• I think the Copic ink blends easier than the Prismacolor ink.
• I think the Prismacolor large end is better than the Copic Sketch chisel end.
• I think the Copic Sketch brush end is really nice.
• I think the refillabillity of the Copics is a big selling point, if you do a lot of coloring.
• I think the Prismacolors do a decent job for half the price of Copics.

Personally, I have over 100 Prismacolor markers, and 17 Copics (only 5 of them are the Sketch variety, because my dear husband surprised me with the 12B set of Copic Originals. "Surprise!" "These aren't the ones I wanted; I mean, THANKS!"). I think as my Prismacolors run dry, I'll replace them with the Copics, but I don't think I'll dump a ton of money on the Copic sets right now. There's just not that big a difference, IN MY OPINION, in their performance, to invest in the Copics immediately.

[is the one on the right worth $7.50 (for three markers) more? You tell me!]

Of course, that's not going to stop me from drinking at the fount of Copic wisdom, and applying it to what I have available.

Here's a card using said wisdom:

(Stamp: "Poo Happens" Inkadinkado; Ink: "Lamp Black" Nick Bantock Collection, Ranger; Markers: Prismacolor PM-133, PM-78, PM-10, PM-71, PM-108, PM-109, PM-48, PM-170, PM-16, PM-172, PM-121; Cardstock: PaperTrey Ink Stampers Select White, Making Memories"Max")

For more info on why I picked the black ink I used, check out the MOTHER of all black ink tests on my blog...

Another fab aspect of Prismacolor markers (and other alcohol-based markers), is the ability to color on non-paper stuff. I've successfully used my Prismacolor markers on shrink plastic, metal, and cured polymer clay. Since the ink repels itself on non-porous materials, you can get this cool mottled effect (think polished stone technique without the cotton ball mess).

Here's a pendant I made with polymer clay, colored with Prismacolor markers:

(Stamp: PaperTrey Ink; Markers: Prismacolors in many shades of blue & green; Ink: Pearl-Ex Copper)

Enough with the "TA-DAH!" already... cut to the chase:

Pros:

• Price. Prismacolor markers retail for between $2.09-$3.25 USD (depending on where you find them), about half the price of other professional-quality alcohol-based art markers.
• Availability. I've seen Prismacolor art markers in every big-box craft store I've been to, both as open-stock and sets. Their prevalence in places where you can use a 40% off coupon is a huge plus.
• Label. Their labels are actually in color, so it's pretty easy to find what you're looking for if you're digging through a box because you're too lazy to put them back on the rack, for example. Ahem.
• Consistency. Prismacolor makes a huge number of art media (e.g. colored pencils, pastels, watercolor pencils) and they name the same colors the same thing across the board, so the "Deco Pink" marker is the same color as the "Deco Pink" colored pencil. That's nice when you're mixing media for layering and shading.

Cons:

• Naming/numbering system. Their numbers seem to be arbitrary, not grouped by hue or value. That's one of the big advantages that Copic has: intuitive, or at least intelligent, numbering.
• Not refillable. Score another point for the Copics here.
• They're round. Meaning cylindrical, and therefore have the tendency to roll off your work surface into the realm of two-year-old children and marker-eating dogs. Ask me how I know.

So do I recommend them? Sure. Will I buy more of them now that I've gotten my hands on the Copic Sketch markers? Maybe not. But they do a good job at a good price, and sometimes, that's all you need. They're available online at Dick Blick, Joann & Amazon, as well as your local craft or art supply store.

Anybody out there have Prismacolor markers? What do you think? Leave us a comment and let us know!

KLUTZ Books - Activities for Kids (and the young at heart!)

Reported by Dana Vitek

We're well into summer vacation, and the chorus of "I'm BORED!" has become deafening. So, what to do on days when it's too stinkin' hot to get outside?! KLUTZ Press to the rescue!

KLUTZ books are super-cool activity books geared toward kids, and contain both the instructions AND the materials needed for a number of projects. From paper airplanes, to polymer clay, to pot holders, (and many, many more) there is an offering to intrigue even the most determined-to-be-miserable-and-make-you-miserable-in-the-process kid.

I love Klutz books. They are without a doubt my go-to idea for every kid's birthday gift I buy. I, myself, learned to juggle by reading the very first KLUTZ book ever published: Juggling for the Complete Klutz way back when I was 10 years old (and yes, I can still juggle... several decades later).

I enlisted a bevy of kid testers for three of the current KLUTZ Press titles: the aforementioned Juggling for the Complete Klutz, Nail Art, and Melty Beads (a product of Chicken Socks, a Klutz Press division for the 4 and up crowd).

First up: Ben learns to juggle:

Ben is a nearly 10 year-old boy who recently got straight A's on his report card, and is the son of a dear friend. Like most 10 year-olds (my proto-self included), Ben decided that "the book said to start with one block, but I'm going to start with two." After just a few minutes he was starting to get the hang of it. I'm certain that with more time and practice, Ben will be juggling like a pro. From my point of view, Juggling for the Complete Klutz is more than just an instruction manual... it's witty and well-written, and the illustrations are hilarious. It comes with three bean-bag juggling cubes and a storage pouch. First published in 1977, this is the 30th anniversary edition...I'd say it's holding up well.

Next up: Camryn paints her nails:
Camryn is nearly 8, and is the super-sweet daughter of the same dear friend. A fan of all things girly, she got right down to business, first removing her old nail polish, then picking out the bumblebee design to grace her digits. She said she liked that the nail polish went on smoothly, and her mom liked that it was water-based and non-toxic. She had a bit of a hard time getting the stripes thin enough to suit her, and I think maybe a finer detail brush would help here. But, all in all, here's Miss Camryn sporting clearly recognizable bumblebees on her left hand.

My favorite part? The nail polish is peel-off, so there's no need for nasty nail polish remover! The book includes a LOT of design ideas and helpful tips, as well as six colors of nail polish.

I birthed the last participant my very own self... this is my kid, Max. He's 5, and loves red. And blue. Just ask him. Max also loves fire engines and police cars. I love getting him to work on his fine motor skills, counting, colors, and shapes without him realizing he's being schooled. The Melty Beads book comes with a clear peg board, approximately one billion 600 colorful beads, a sheet of parchment paper, and a book full of idea templates. With very little help from me, Max was able to pick a template, put the pegboard in the right place, and place the beads in the appropriate spots. I put the parchment paper on top, set my medium-hot iron on it for 20 seconds, and VOILA, another permanent piece of plastic to keep forever and ever. Seriously though, Max is quite proud of his work, and currently displaying the fire engine and police car in his room.

Klutz has plenty of books & activities to keep the kids busy outside too... Big Bubbles, The Foxtail Book, and one of my childhood favorite activities: Chinese Jump Rope (cultural incorrectness/insensitivity notwithstanding) are just a few. There are also a ton of books geared toward stationary activities, which are great for car rides and plane trips.

So do I recommend KLUTZ Press products? Whole-heartedly! I've given away probably two dozen of the titles as gifts (and own and have used probably a dozen more), and I've only ever heard (and can say) great things about them.

Pros:

• Price. For less than $20 (USD)(in most cases), you get a well-written & illustrated book AND the stuff you need to do the project. Many of the books are in the $12 range, and certainly fall within the in the "oh.my.word, you have ANOTHER birthday party to go to?!" budget.
• The writers make sure not to talk down to kids. There's nothing I hate more than patronizing children's books, and I've not found one yet in the Klutz series.
• Interesting topics, for your tree-climbing outdoorsy kids, those with fidgety fingers, fact-loving bookworms, budding Houdinis, and everyone in between.

Cons (if you insist):

• Seriously, I've got nothing here.
• The boss lady says I need three cons.
• This is the third bullet... maybe she won't actually read this part.

You can find Klutz Press books in craft stores, book stores, and toy stores. You can also buy them directly from the publisher. I rate them an 11 out of 10. Have you used any of the KLUTZ Press products? Leave a comment and let us know!

Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel Paint

Reported by Dana Vitek



I first bought and used Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel paint nearly nine years ago while trying to come up with wedding favors. I didn't wind up using the "hand-painted flowerpots" idea, because, oy, a painter I am not. But, I saved the paint. It was stashed in a plastic drawer for all these years.

Just recently, I went through a glass ornament phase... you know, the kind of phase that requires you to buy one billion empty glass bulbs on December 26th so that you can spend ALL YEAR preparing for the next holiday season craft fairs. Ahem. Is it June already? Anyway, my bulb-painting phase consisted of using alcohol inks, etc., and not paint, but for the purpose of this report, I sacrificed three out of my vast stash to try it out:


Not too shabby. I used a few different Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel products for these; the Azure Blue paint is thick and definitely opaque. The White Frost claims to give an "etched glass effect." I don't know about all that, but I will say that I liked the way it lined the inside of the ornaments and made the glass look thicker and not so fragile. And my new favorite shimmery paint: Shimmers in White Pearl. I think I'll be incorporating this paint into this year's ornaments (just as soon as I get started on them).

The folks at Delta recommend using their three-step process:

1. Surface conditioner
   
2. Paint
3. Sealant

Luckily, the bottles are all labeled Step 1, 2 or 3, in case you find yourself suddenly unable to read words. Normally, I'm all, "Bah! Surface Conditioner?! Who needs it?" Well, you need it, especially when painting on glass. Actually, it's mostly isopropyl alcohol, so you could probably substitute that if you wanted to (don't tell the Delta people I said so). Mostly you're just looking to clean off smudgies, fingerprints, and oil from your hands.

Now, not everybody gets into glass crafts, but every paper crafter I know is nuts about plastic embellishments, especially those spendy ghost shapes or whatever. To me, anything that claims to work on glass really just means that you should be able to use it on non-porous materials, so I broke into my stash of plastic packaging pieces that I've been hoarding saving, to try it out.


I used a foam brush, and painted the backs of these stars (cut with Cuttlebug dies) with some of the regular PermEnamel (Classic Navy Blue), the White Frost, and the Shimmers. On a couple of the dark blue ones, I painted the fronts with the White Frost and the Shimmers to see what kind of effect I wound up with. Honestly, I wasn't all that impressed with the White Frost by itself or over the blue (I didn't think it looked etched, even after a prolonged stirring), but I was pretty happy with the Shimmers.

Here's a card with my DesignerImposter embellishments:

(Stamp credits: PaperTrey Ink-Out on a Limb Extras, K&Company-Amy Butler Lotus Greeting Stamps; Ink: VersaMagic-Night Sky, Brilliance-Pearlescent Beige; Cardstock: PaperTrey Ink-Paper Basics Kraft; Accessories: Cuttlebug Star dies, plastic packaging, Scor-Pal.)

And a close-up of the stars of the show...



To be honest, it was a whole lot of effort for these embellishments, and this card took close to two hours from start to finish (and I don't even love it!), but, the stars were as close to free as you can get.

Pros:

• Price. The bottles I have from 9 years ago are marked $2.99. The bottles I picked up a month ago were, you guessed it, $2.99. This is the only product in America unaffected by inflation (well, that and McD's double cheeseburgers, but that's a different post.)
• According to Delta's website, the paints are dishwasher, microwave and oven-safe (up to 350 degrees).
• Easy to use, and keep well, provided the caps are all the way closed when you put them in a drawer for nearly a decade. Duh.

Cons:

• I didn't love that it's opaque, because I think if you're painting on glass, you want the light to shine through. However, for painting on ceramics, I think it would be great. Delta does make a translucent glass paint that I'm going to try.
• The suggested drying/curing time is, get this- 10 days. HAHAHA... these people do not craft the way I craft. It dried to the touch in about 30 minutes though, so that's closer to acceptable.
  
• All the bottles, including the glaze/sealant, are marked "Not for surfaces with food contact" so I guess I don't understand why it's such a coup to be oven & microwave safe if you can't use them with food. I suppose you could paint the underside of dishes... that makes more sense.
• The bottles also come with the following warning: "This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm." That sounds like some bad juju right there, so be careful with it; don't go painting it on your skin or inhaling it.
  

You can find Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel at any craft store; I got mine at A.C. Moore. You can also find it at Joann's and Create For Less.

Do you use Delta's Air-Dry PermEnamel for something cool? Leave us a comment, and show us your stuff!

Iris Multi Media Organizer Box

Reported by Dana Vitek

If you are anything like me, your stamping life changed with the sudden swamping of the marketplace with, say it with me now, PHOTOPOLYMER STAMPS! Also known as acrylic or clear stamps, these bad boys have changed the way I create. Unfortunately, they create something of their very own... a storage dilemma. The popular stamping message boards are full of threads with newbies asking about the best way to store clear stamps (and cling-mounted rubber stamps too, let's not forget about them). The general consensus: empty CD cases!

Brilliant! So smart, that I immediately bought 200 empty CD cases, assuring my husband that a bulk buy was really the cheapest way to go, and certainly I'd have plenty to share with other stampers who were as desperate for storage as I was. Ahem. So, how do I store my 180 CD cases full of clear and cling-mounted rubber stamps? I present the Iris Multi Media Organizer Box:

The first pass of moving and organizing my stamps filled about 50 CD cases which I was able to fit in a re-appropriated CD rack stolen (permanently) borrowed from an old roommate. It did its job, but it was out in the open. My daughter would often toddle by, remove anywhere from 17 to 48 CDs at a time--depending on her mood--and leave me cursing the fact that my basement craft room still wasn't finished. When I came across the Iris Multi Media Organizer Box, I knew I could finally keep my kids out of my stuff, oh happy day! To be fair, my husband found and bought the first batch of these boxes for his computer geekery stuff; I promptly dumped them out to keep the ill-gotten gains for myself.

The boxes themselves are typical Iris quality plastic with tight-fitting lids. They measure 9 1/4" x 17 1/4" and are 6 3/4" deep, so it's a pretty sizable box. According to their website, they can hold 57 CDs, but I have 60 in each of mine. I like round numbers. Here's one of them:



The best part about these boxes is their compartment-size flexibility. They come with two dividers, and three different slots for those dividers, so they can be customized (within reason) to what you're storing. Do you keep your stuff in large DVD cases? They can hold 26 DVDs (maybe more, that's just what their website says). Or, you can take the dividers out entirely
to make a big bin that is (gasp) big enough to hold your 12" paper cutter (that's really more like 15 inches) and all of your rulers:


For you folks in a hurry, here's the executive summary:

Pros:

• Plastic storage with a tight lid keeps out dust, buggies, and children with grabby hands, if you have any of those issues in your work area.
• Transparent, so you can see their contents at a glance without even opening them.
• Movable dividers to customize the space specifically for your stuff.
• Stackable.

Cons:

• Price. For what is ultimately a plastic box, it's pretty spendy. I've seen them for between $8.99 to $11.99. I paid $15 for a three-pack at Costco and felt the sweet satisfaction of getting a good deal.
• Transparent (yes, I know... it can be both), so you need to keep them out of direct sunlight if you're storing photopolymer stamps or anything that can fade, like cardstock or designer paper.
• As much as I really, really want it to, my Tonic guillotine trimmer just won't fit. But, since it was hardly designed with that in mind, I can't really fault them for it!

You can find the Iris Multi Media Organizer Box at office supply stores (like Office Depot, and a quick Google search turned up these other retailers: stacksandstacks.com, huney-do.com, and spacesavers.com.

I definitely recommend the Iris Multi Media Organizer Box for storing your CD cases (whatever might be in them), and other random stuff as well. Do you have this storage system, or do you have something that works even better? Leave us a comment and we'll check it out!

Tim Holtz Non-Stick Micro Serrated Scissors by Tonic Studios

Reported by Dana Vitek

At the risk of sounding like a Ginsu knife infomercial, the Tim Holtz Non-Stick Micro Serrated Scissors by Tonic Studios can do (almost) anything! I've used them for things well beyond the scope of the crafting world, like trimming my daughter's bangs, cutting apart the 150 twist ties they use to hold toys in packaging, and yes, I'll admit it, even...trimming my toenails! (I know... too much information)

My husband earned his very own pair for the tool box after I found him cutting carpet with mine. And you know those plastic blister pack nightmares that everything is packaged in these days... no sweat for these beauties. Double-sided carpet tape, red-line tape, clear packing tape, strapping tape... no problem!

Now then, back to crafting.... I've used them for trimming unmounted rubber stamps (no turtles were harmed in the trimming of this stamp...):

(their points are sharp right down to the ends, so they can get in there close)

and soon-to-be-wood-mounted sticky-backed rubber stamps:
(they have an awesome non-stick coating so they don't get all gummed up!).

I've even used them for ribbon (their micro serrations grip the ribbon as they're cutting, so it doesn't slip), and for cutting yarn while crocheting.

Pros:

• Non-stick coating makes a huge difference when cutting stamps with sticky-backed foam. Just give them a swipe with a baby wipe and you're good to go.
• Well-engineered pivot point give these scissors enough oomph to cut through tough stuff.
• Light weight and sharp points give them enough finesse for detail work.
• They come with a protective slide-on cap to keep the points covered when not in use. (Safety first!)
• I'm left-handed, and these scissors don't seem to mind. No trouble there!
• Price...retail price is $11.99 and they're worth well more than that in my opinion.

Cons:

• Their micro serrations will leave marks on paper and cardstock; there are better tools for those media.
• I'd love to see a variety of handle colors to keep them organized by task. With multiple pairs in my household, I'd like to know at a glance which ones are mine and which are my husband's. Plus, I'm partial to pink things.
• Getting them sharpened might be tricky, but since one of the blades is not serrated, maybe it wouldn't be. I've not tried it yet.
• I lost the protective cap. But that's not their fault.

I got mine at White Swan Rubber Stamps, the cutest little stamp shop in Delaware (home of tax-free shopping!). I encourage you to shop locally whenever you can. You can also find them at these small, independent web-sellers that I can personally recommend (not affiliated, just a happy customer): AllThatScraps.com, EclecticPaperie.com, and CornishHeritageFarms.com.

I love my Tim Holtz Micro Serrated scissors, and highly recommend them. What do you think? Have them and hate them? Love them to pieces? Let us know!

Easy Crocheted Accessories

Reported by Dana Vitek


I'm a beginner crocheter; I just started in January, and while I have moved passed the "what is THIS mess" stage, I'm still new to pattern reading and understanding. I chose Easy Crocheted Accessories by Carol Meldrum as one of my first reference books. It has tons of cute, easy projects to choose from, and is written in a clear, easy-to-read format.

The author included a fabulous "Materials, Tools & Techniques" section as the first chapter, great for newbies like me, but I suspect even a seasoned crocheter might learn a thing or two. She has terrific photos and diagrams of different stitches, which makes it easy to see what the finished swatch should look like. She also included an in-depth discussion on yarn types and how to go about making yarn substitutions. I really felt that this introduction added a lot to the book.

I picked three projects to make, and have spent the last few weeks crocheting furiously. I have an confession to make: I am a pattern maker's worst nightmare, because regardless how how much experience I (do not) have with a craft, I assume that if I can't understand the directions, something is wrong with THEM, not with ME. Thankfully, I had very few confusion episodes with these patterns.

I started with this super cute striped, felted bag.

It's the first project in the book, and as written, requires the crocheter to change yarns every four rows. I assume that is to help you practice changing colors and fastening off, skills that every new crocheter needs tons of work on. I changed the pattern up a little (see, I told you, nightmare), and switched yarns every eight rows (or so). This bag is simple, uses only single crochet, and according to the teen-aged girls I had around as I was making it, "totally CUTE! I would DEFINITELY carry that!"

Feeling pretty good about myself, I tackled project number 19, the Open-mesh shrug.

I have to tell you, I'm pleased as punch with the way this turned out; it fits just like it is supposed to, and is something I would not be embarrassed to wear to work over a tank top. I had a little bit of trouble with the armhole shaping on the first side, but it was easier on the second, once I knew what I was doing. The last couple rows of the pattern didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but by that time I was feeling confident enough to just wing it, and it turned out great.

Finally, I whipped up this adorable bracelet in a couple of hours, because if there's one thing I have languishing in my craft stash, it's beads!

The pattern was simple to follow, although I'm glad I have a background in jewelry design and construction, because the directions were not all that detailed on how to attach the clasp, and I imagine if you didn't know how, it might be confusing. I dare say that mine came out better than the author's (sorry Carol!), and I definitely see myself making this one (and variations of it) again and again.

Each pattern in the book has a side bar called "Before you start" which lists all of the particulars (materials, hook size, gauge, finished size, key techniques and abbreviations) for that project in one easy-to-find place. I loved that feature, as I was able to tell at a glance whether or not I already had all the right skills, and all the right stuff to do the project. I especially loved that she re-listed the abbreviations on each page, because standard crochet pattern instructions read like another language, and I hate flipping pages to decipher them. She also has "Tips" and "New Skills" boxes scattered throughout the book which I found to be quite helpful.

Speaking of at-a-glance details, here are mine for this book:

Pros:

• Great photos of finished projects as well as detail shots.

• Clear directions in standard American crochet terminology (the author is Scottish, but I never would have guessed).
• Includes a resource section on where to find specialty yarns in the U.S., as well as a project by project listing of each yarn used, a glossary, and an Internet resource list.

Cons:

• Some of the patterns were not to my taste, but many were. I'll get a lot of use out of this book.
• I wish this book was spiral-bound so it would lay flat while I'm working. I have this gripe about most books, though.
• I'm a lefty, and there was not a "special for lefties because you're so awesome" section. Again, I have this gripe about most crochet books, and if I really need special directions, I hold a mirror up to the diagrams and pretend I'm DaVinci.
  

Where to buy:
I got mine at Michael's, but you can also find it at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or directly from the publisher. If you have a local yarn shop, you could check with them too. It retails for $24.99, which makes it less than a buck a pattern, a great deal as far as I'm concerned. I give this book two overworked thumbs up!

Do you have this book? Do you love it, or would you change something about it? Leave us a comment and let us know!