Updated on: May 7, 2008

PanPastels by ColorFin: I got to try them today and they are awesome. No more chopping up my Soft Pastels to make them soft and smooth. PanPastels does the trick. They are ultra soft artist painting pastels, 60 beautiful colors and are pigmented. They have a unique manufacturing process requiring minimal binder& filters, the results is a rich, ultra soft & low dust formation. Each pan contains 35% more material than the average soft pastel stick. I find them easy to use & they hardy take any room to store as they interlock securely together. Be sure to check out their website at http://www.panpastels.com A must is go to techniques and click on their video, it will tell you everything you want to know about PanPastels. You will also love all the tools they have, sponges in all sizes and very soft to boot. These sponges will clean easy with soap and water. I can't wait to get more colors to play with as using the PanPastels it makes my art more vibrant and bolder.

Metallic Pearl Ink Pad by Marvy Uchida: I had an interesting experience with Marvy's new Metallic Pearl Ink Pad. Its the same size as the Matchables, this little pad is oozing with ink and the cover is on tight so that the ink last longer. The pad is easy to ink your stamps as it is small and good for all stamps. Raised Pad, Acid Free, Non Toxic & Pigmented. Come is eight colors Gold, Silver, Black, Blue, Red, Green, Orange & Violet. Check out the card I did in my Lighthouse & Scenic Art Gallery. First Card marked New called "Sunset". For more info go to http://uchida.com/

Memories Chalk Ink Pad by Stewart Superior. I just did a card using Memories Chalk ink Pad and while inking my stamp I found the ink pad had tons of chalk ink, It was easy to ink my stamp. The chalk ink dries fast and with a soft chalky texture. It is striking on Dark, Glossy, Matte and Vellum paper. Guess what, many of the Memories Chalk Ink Pads coordinate with the Memories Mists. They come in 40 colors plus 4 Rainbow pads. I can't wait to try all these luscious colors, looks like I'm not going to get any sleep anytime soon..lol. For more info go to Stewart Superior at http://www.stewartsuperior.com/

Deco Color Acrylic Paint by Marvy Uchida: I just made a card using Marvy's Deco Color Acrylic Paint. I found it easy to work with, check out my card. I started with a piece of wax paper, a Pudgy(sponge on a stick). Using Glossy card stock I made the imprint of the stamp to make my scene.Then using the deco Color Acrylic Paint I colored the lighthouse, Sailboat, Sun and Tree. This acrylic paint comes in a marker type pen with a chisel tip for thick and thin lines. Ok back to the card place a small amount of the acrylic paint on the wax paper and dip the Pudgy into the acrylic paint and I applied it to the sky and water. it was easy and came out great. The Deco Color Acrylic Paint are Acid Free, non toxic, Pigmented, permanent when dry, Opaque water base acrylic paint, store markers on sides, shake well when using, easy to clean when wet and to boot they come in 28 colors including 6 metallic colors. Deco Color Acrylic Paint are great on stone,terra cotta, concrete, paper and wood. For more info go to http://uchida.com/

Memories Metallic Mists Spray by Stewart Superior. The metallic mists come in three colors. Sparkling Silver, Copper Shimmer & Bright Gold. Remember to shake the bottle and then spray 6" to 8" from the surface for a fine mist. I did a 5x7 scenic card, this time I checked for a wind before spraying. last time I became a Blue Man. lol But this time I did it right. I used the Copper Shimmer and got an even spray on my card, I let it dry and then stamped my scene using Stewart Superior India Black Ink. It looked so good, I left it as it was. Guess now I will have use the other two metallic. Please check out my card in my gallery. For more information go to Stewart Superior at http://www.stewartsuperior.com/

Ultra Clean, stamp cleaner by Stewart Superior. I just tried this product. I was using India Black Ink on my stamps and I first tried another ink cleaner and sprayed my Ink Pad and the black did not come off. I tried Ultra Clean by Stewart Superior and after spraying and wiping it off, my stamp looked new. The black was all gone and the Ultra Clean had no odor. I didn't even use their scrubber cube and the stamp was clean. Ultra Clean comes in 2oz & 8oz spray bottles and each comes with a Scrubber Cube. Stewart Superior has a special formula for their cleaner and I wish I new what it was as it works. For more info go to Stewart Superior at http://www.stewartsuperior.com/

Blair Very Low Odor Workable Matte Fixative Spray. I was using another brand of workable fixative and my supplier was out of it. He recommended Blair Very Low Odor workable Fixative. Blair is the best workable fixative I have used in my art. I like that after I do an imprint of the stamp on my card stock and I spray the ink with my can of Blair that it seals my imprint and eliminates the smudging. Then after I color my art with my Pastels and spray with Blair it brings out my colors more bolder and vibrant. The nozzle on the spray can goes straight to where you aim for. And most important to me Blair Matte Fixative dries in seconds. The Blair Very Low Odor Workable Fixative come in two sizes of spray cans, you can buy it in a 4oz or 12oz size. To see other fine Blair Products go to http://www.blairartproducts.com/

Memories Mist & Memories Chalk by Stewart Superior: Coming out of my comfort zone I tried Memories Mist & Memories Chalk by Stewart Superior. I did my first piece on a white T-Shirt. They say practice makes perfect, how true! I made my imprint of two lighthouse stamps with Memories Chalk Ink Pads. Then applied heat with my heat gun. Next I covered my Lighthouses and then sprayed with Memories Mist in Blue, it looked great. But I found out I was spraying to far away and I became a blue man.lol You must shake the bottle and then spray 6" to 8" from the surface for a fine mist effect. Second time around I got it right. Since I was on a roll I thought I would try a card. I did my imprint of my stamp with Memories Chalk Ink, used heat gun and then covered my scene and sprayed 6"to 8" from the card and got a beautiful background. I let it dry removed the masking from my scene and colored. Memories Mist made it a beautiful card. Memories Mist comes in 12 coordinating colors and when you buy the Memories Mist you get a Memories Chalk Cube free. Memories Mist is fast drying and I love how even the spray is. For more info go to: http://www.stewartsuperior.com/

Palette Hybrid Ink Pad by Stewart Superior: I just tried Stewart Superior Palette Hybrid Ink Pad and I'm in love. Its light weight and easy to grip and the colors I used are sensational. My early favorites are Cognac, Bordeaux, Stormy Night, Cote D" Azure, Beaux Arts Blue, Paris Lights, Giverney Green and Landscape. I have got to try the other colors. Stewart Superior makes the Palette Hybrid Ink Pad in 36 colors and Reinkers for all. Palette Hybrid Ink Pad works on all surfaces and its a non-solvent ink. That means it doesn't smell bad and its non-flammable. The ink dries fast on paper or porous surfaces and requires a heat-set on glossy surfaces and fabrics. Please note it dries to quickly to be a good embossing ink. For more info go to http://www.stewartsuperior.com/

Memories Dye Inkpads by Stewart Superior: I am using the Memories in my Lighthouse Scenic Art and find the Inkpads to be dependable. quality and durable inkpad. This is one of the few pads that I use and don't get ink on my hands. The inks and the pads are made in the USA. The Inkpads are made by hand. The Memories comes in 64 colors and some of my favorites are Barn Red, Cherry Red, Peach, Grass Green, Midnight Blue Plum, Art Print Brown, Black & Soft Silver. The rest of the colors are awesome too. They have reinkers for all colors. For more info and color charts go to http://www.stewartsuperior.com/

Deco Just Glitter by Marvy/Uchida: Just tried Marvy's Deco Just Glitter. Ideal for cards or fabric. Comes in three colors Gold, Silver & Multicolor ( red, green & silver). It is acid free, oderless, lighfast. Keep capped when not in use & besure to shake it before using. Contains no pigment of color, it only contains glitter and binder. Just Glitter lets me put a little glitter in my art. For more info go to http://uchida.com/

India Black Inkpad by Stewart Superior: If your looking for an Ink that brings out all the details of a stamp. Stewart Superior India Ink Black is the pad. It is acid free, archival, plus fade resistant. Great for watercolors and markers. Dries Permanently on porous and non porous papers. Raised pad surface for all stamp sizes and Superior makes a reinker. For more info go to http://www.stewartsuperior.com/

Acrylic Blocks by Apple Pie Memories: I just found an acrylic block that I really like. They have rounded finger grips that are laser cut and polished and are incredibly smooth and felt wonderful. It is also 1/2" thick and come in three sizes- 2.5 , 3.5 and 4.5. They really fit my hand nicely and I know longer drop them when I'm stamping as I did with my other types of acrylic blocks. I like the price and they have a built in guidlines to line up the stamps. For more info go to After Midnight Art Stamps at https://www.amstamps.com/productsindex.html

Deco Color Glitter Markers by Marvy/Uchida: I just tried Marvy's Deco Color Glitter Markers. These markers will add some sparkle to your art projects. It is a opaque paint marker and comes with a fine point. When using it shake it and then press the point down gently to get the opaque paint to come out. I would advise to try it out on a piece of card stock first, as the paint can come out quickly. By doing this first the point will be covered with the paint and now you can apply it to your project. It comes in Red, Margenta, Violet, Blue & Green. Soon in a new color called Just Glitter, this marker has no color. It just applies Glitter to your project. For more Info go to http://uchida.com/

The Paper Trimming Buddy by Marvy Uchida: What a handy tool to use,doesn't take a lot of room as it is compact. Its the ultimate safety trimming equipment. Includes one straight blade cassette, a free style handle & a paper trimming unit. It has no exposed blade while handling. Patented interchangeable fingerguard safety system. It can cut 15 sheets of 80lb text. Comes with easy instructions and you can purchase eight decorative crafting style blades. They come in Straight, Wave, Scoring,Scallop, Pinking, Victorian, Perforating & Rhythm. Remember all these blades are in Blade Cassettes. For more Info go to http://uchida.com/

EZ Mount from Sunday International: I just did this 5x7 scene with Sunday International's EZ Mount Stamps. These are the original EZ Mount Stamp N Store System. The Landscape stamps were pre-cut and with deeply pressed red rubber mounted on EZ Mount Foam. All I did was press them on to my Acrylic blocks and I was ready to create my scene. I have a storage problem in my art room and to solve this problem I am storing my unmounted stamps in Sunday International storage binder. This will hold 100's of stamps. EZ Mount will stick to any smooth clean surface. Clean stamps with a mild soap and water and let air dry and remember their EZ Mount foam works with all unmounted stamps. I agree with Sunday International when they say EZ Mount is a quick, easy and afortable way to store and mount your stamps. I also loved their set of catalogs, which included Stamps and some designed by Dee Gruenig of Posh Impressions, plus tools and great color charts on Marvy Uchida, Ranger Products, Dee Gruenig and Tsukineko Products. For more info go to http://www.sundayint.com/

Krafty Lady Art Moulds©: I have used the Krafty Lady Art Moulds© with beeswax and I was shocked on how easy it was to pop out my piece from the mould. I like these moulds as they are easy to use. I was discussing the moulds with Linda, owner of After Midnight Stamps, and she gave me a run down on the moulds and this is what she had to say. Krafty Lady Art Moulds© are flexible art molds manufactured in Australia. There are currently over 350 different designs to chose from with more being added from time to time. Each art mold is hand poured, inspected, and trimmed as necessary. These molds can be used with all clays, including PMC or Art Clay, OPALS embossing enamels, UTEE, Amazing Glaze, all melted embossing powders, beeswax, porcelain and ceramic slip, soap, candle wax, melted glue sticks, paper mache, spackle - in fact, anything that can be kneaded or poured. The molds are not food graded. Please inquire if you want a design as food grade.

These Art Moulds have a built in release agent to allow quick and easy removal of your art. You do not have to spray or dust them before use. Simply press your chosen medium into the mold, flex one side of the Art Mold to release your art work and it is ready to be air dried or baked depending on the materials used. If you are pouring a hot medium into the mold, allow to cool thoroughly before removing.

Krafty Lady Art Moulds© are available in the U.S. from After Midnight Art Stamps, http://www.amstamps.com./, the Americas Distributor for Krafty Lady Art Moulds© . For more information on this product, please email Linda@amstamps.com or Kristine@Kraftylady.com.au

Puffy Velvet Fabric Marker by Marvy Uchida I just tried Puffy Velvet Fabric Markers, what a fun product that gives you another dimension in your art. You can use it on T-Shirts, canvas bags, canvas shoes denim and paper. I made a lighthouse scene on card stock. I did my imprint with Marvy Matchables and then colored with Puffy Velvet Markers. Let it dry for 20-30 minutes. Then take a heat tool and run it over your art until you see it puffing up, do not rub after puff up effect is achieved. It works great and fun to boot. Puffy Velvet is acid free, odorless, lightfast. If doing it on fabric it works better on pre washed. Shake well before using, use heat tool not a hair drier. Comes in 25 beautiful colors.For more info go to http://www.uchida.com/

#2500 Marvy Embossing Heat Tool The hottest thing in Rubber Stamping, Scrapbooking & Paper Craft. The Marvy 2500 Heat Tool provides you with faster, easier & worry free embossing. No more scorching, warping or over embossing. It is used to puff up Liquid Appique, drying air brush art & melting embossing powers. Also used for Utee& wax embellishments. I found it a quiet heat tool & has a plastic shield to cover the hot metal nozzle. Has a easy on & off switch recessed safety. I like how it handles as I am embossing Christmas Cards. Heats faster & melted my embossing power quicker. For more Info go to http://www.uchida.com/

Distress Ink has 12 new colors and all are beautiful. Can't wait to use them. They come in Spice Marmalade, Pine Needles, Frayed Burlap, Faded Jeans, Shabby Shutters, Age Mahogany, Broken China, Scattered Straw, Dried Marigolds, Worm Lipstick, Dusty Concord, Plus Re Inkers in the same. Wait to you see all these outstanding colors. For more info go to   http://www.rangerink.com

Sailor Pens I tried out the Sailor Pens in Luscious Lilac, Ice Blue, Warm Cream & Hot Cocoa. These are some of the colors in the Pastel Collection. Sailor Pens are used on black or dark colored paper. I love these pens as the color showed up bright and they came with a fine point and they dry fast & covers in one stroke. They work on all surfaces-paper, film, glass, ceramic & plastic. You can draw or write with them. Dee Gruenig selected the colors and was responsible for the Sailor White Writer becoming expanded colors. For more Info go to Posh Impressions at http://www.poshimpressions.com/productsSailorPens.htm

Gel Excel By Marvy/Uchida  I got to play around with Marvy Gel Excel pens in Classic, Metallic & Glitter. They come in eight colors in all three types. It gave me another dimension to my art. The Glitter gave me a sparkle, Metallic a shine and the Classic a regular look. This is the best gel pen that I have ever used.The Gel Excels Pens have a Soft Rubberized Grip. They are smooth flowing gel, non bleeding, smudge resistant. Acid free, non toxic, pigmented with a medium point and a see-through barrel. Always store the pens flat to last longer. Look for my card in the Lighthouse & Scenic Art - Gallery 4 called "New Mexico". All the Hot Air Balloons were done with all the colors in Classic, Metallic& Glitter. For more info go to http://www.uchida.com/

Opals Embossing Enamels by Pipe Dream Ink  Made in Australia, the Opals are a thick embossing enamel which produces a similar effect to traditional enamelling. But without many of the complications of heat on the necessary skills. Pipe Dream Ink comes in 24 glorious colors, Thick embossing powders. The Opals are a versatile product & easy to use. They allow paper artist to include both texture & color as well as a 3D element to their work. You can use the Opals Embossing Powder on any surface that can take heat from a heat gun. These are some of the surfaces you can use them on, Craft Wood Letters,Matt Board from picture framing shops, Coasters, Metal Letters, Brads, Dominos. CD's & more. I enjoyed using them in a Krafty Mould making a beautiful butterfly. I found the Opal Embossing powder very thick and easy to use. You can also get the Opalettes, they are the tester set.
For more info go to After Midnight Art stamps at:  http://www.amstamps.com/