KISS Electric Nail File and Nail Dryer - Product Unboxing & Review

I tried the new Electric Nail File & Nail Dryer Care Kit and it went much better than the Magnetic Eyelashes, haha. 

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/I_kb3zjoKEI 

Product Review: Cobiz Hot Glue Gun

Product Review - Cobiz Industrial Glue Gun 

Product Link: HERE

It's crafting time! This glue gun is pretty epic, and not for the faint of heart. This is a large sized glue gun and it comes with 5 industrial glue sticks (which are much are much larger than your normal glue sticks). 

*This hot melt glue gun comes with 5, 11 mm glue sticks.

This tip is copper and a fine tip, so the glue comes out evenly and smooth - but not too much at once. This glue gun can be used as 60W or 100W depending on your project. The 60W option is for your basic projects; such as building a bird house out of wooden sticks or other craft projects that need to be well structured. 

100W usage is for the projects that require the glue to be much more hot-- such as applying to finished and unfinished wood, glass and plastic. I should mention here that this 100W option is HOT, super hot. The glue was steaming when it came out! 

Typical usage would not require the 100W option, but it does come in handy for some projects. 

Here's a short video showing it in action. 

Overall, this is a fantastic hot melt glue gun from Cobiz. Even the glue is great, and I had no problems at all using the gun or glue. It heats up within a minute or two and stays hot. I did not use the 100W option for more than 10 minutes - so I can no be sure if it keeps hot for extended time. I wouldn't recommend keeping the glue gun on 100W for a long time anyway, though. 

Ready to get your next craft/DIY project done? 

Click HERE for the Amazon page!!

https://www.amazon.com/Cobiz-Premium-Sticks-Industrial-Crafts/dp/B0721PTD5B/&keywords=glue+gun

A short tutorial... Glitter Camo Frame

Once upon a time....my boss (true story, but she's my "assistant" boss, I suppose) asked me to "bling" her frame for a fancy certificate she had just received. She said I could do anything I want...

The before. 

The frame...a sad dark brown wood-like thing with a gold paint 'beads' around the inside. 

I used the following for this frame: 

- Acrylic paint

-Various colors of Martha Stewart Ultra Fine Glitter.

-Random nail polish colors to match the glitter colors, and a clear polish.

-"Paillette" nail decor (tiny plastic hearts and stars for fingernail decoration)

-Any clear enamel for topcoat (a sealer works best).

The directions are simple. 

Prep: You will need a flat surface, something to lay under the frame to catch the excess glitter (I used foam plates to 'catch' the glitter and return it to the tubes to use later). Remove the glass and the cardboard backing from the frame. 

1. Paint entire frame with a base coat of any color of Acrylic paint, (I used a light pink, color doesn't matter too much but a light color will let the glitter shine as a lighter color, and dark base coats will make the glitter seem darker in color). 

2. Apply another base coat and let this dry overnight (12 hours). 

3. Allow to dry overnight, or at least 12 hours. 

4. Paint nail polish in sections, one color at a time. Any design or just 'blobs' like I did. Immediately sprinkle heavily with glitter. Let sit for about a minute and shake off excess glitter. 

5. Repeat this process for every color you choose to use. 

6. Using a clear nail polish around the inner edges of the frame, add the paillettes in matching colors.

7. Do any touch ups that are needed. Adding more nail polish and glitter as needed. 

8. Nail polish dries in about 15 minutes, so allow it to dry completely. 

9. Spray entire frame with the clear enamel sealer (take it outside, of course), then allow this to cure for 24 hours. 

10. Replace glass, and cardboard backing....and you're done! 

Update: Sweepstakes & a coming soon informational note!

Greetings Blog-world...Blog-ville? Meh. It's been a busy weekend...and I don't have much to add right now..but I have great amounts of good things...very soon. 

So, COMING SOON: 

I have a couple crafts to share, which may or may not contain glitter.

I also have book reviews, one of which I just started reading...so it may be a bit for that one. A couple product reviews also..shhhh...I can't tell you what they are yet, you really must learn to be more patient. 

I have more, but I don't want to be overly ambitious and rush myself into things...so I will leave you with that...for now. 

And now...a few sweepstakes --

Win a iPad (and an iPad Mini for a friend, read details)  

Rubbermaid - Dorm Room Sweepstakes  (win organizers)

Infinity Markers Giveaway (daily) 

Dofino Cheese - Send your love with lunch sweepstakes 

Yay..and Good Luck! 

Handmade Watercolor Paints

Here's another find that is far from new. Handmade watercolor paints, made from random things you might have around your house. I found the tutorial and recipe at Lilac Silhouette, which I used. 

The results were great. I followed the directions, using generic products (not name brand). Everything was cheap, this project cost maybe $1.  

The next day, I checked them...and they looked like this. Eek! 

So, I drained off the extra..oil?  And let them dry some more. 

Success!!! Then I tested them...

Yay! They work. It would appear the more food coloring you add, the better the color (obviously). The yellow I made (from the 'drain' photo), didn't show up at all. Next time I will add half the bottle of food coloring!! 

Moral of the story - make your own watercolor paints, especially if they are for kids!

Original idea/tutorial found at:

Homemade Alcohol Inks

Alcohol Inks are highly expensive...considering what they are. So, making our own alcohol inks can potentially be insanely helpful. I decided to try these out, and see if the homemade version compares to the purchased versions, such as Ranger Inks. 


Here's what you'll need:
Empty Spray Bottle(s)
Rubbing Alcohol 

Powdered Drink Mix (unsweetened)

I have no link to an original tutorial on this one, since it's so simple. All you do is mix alcohol with unsweetened drink mix. Put it into a spray bottle, and you're done. The hardest part was finding the spray bottles. Empty bottle can be purchased at stores like Walmart, in the travel size section (where you buy the tiny soaps and shampoos). Or, you can use some old tiny body mist bottles like I did. 

Most tutorials that I found said to add the powdered drink mix to the bottle, poor the alcohol in, and shake. Since my bottle were so small, I chose to pre-mix the ingredients in a foam cup first. This also helped keep those little undissolved bits out of my bottles, which I will discuss shortly.

I tried 3 different brands ...here are the results --

Cherry, Wylers. I used two packs, and a 1/2 alcohol. The spray dries into a reddish/pink color. However, the drink mix does not dissolve well...and several tiny spots of the mix itself also come out of the spray nozzle. It adds an interesting effect, if that's what you're after. 

Purple, Flavor-Aid. I used two packs. This color worked great on paper (although you can't really see it). This brand of mix dissolved the worst...leaving a lot of undissolved bits at the bottom of the foam cup (see photo below). 

Lots of undissolved drink mix in the Flavor-Aid version. 

Blue, Kool-Aid. This may be the best, as the best...I only used one pack of mix to get this pretty color. It did have some undissolved bits, but that seems to be something we have to live with. 

Here are all the colors/brands, sprayed multiple times (and shown a bit wet). 

Overall, I would say this method of making our own alcohol inks works fairly well. Kool-Aid did have the biggest color 'impact' for the buck. Flavor-Aid and Wylers are a close second.

The biggest tip I can offer is to do as I did, and dissolve the powders as much as possible before adding them to a spray bottle. Those little bits can clog the spray nozzle, or even come out onto your project. Be aware, however...alcohol dries fairly quickly and you do not want to leave it sitting in a cup for too long--it will evaporate. 

Depending on which application you are using these inks for, some may not work out as well (such as stamping). For adding a hint of distressed color to paper--this will work. 

DIY Glitter Flats (or heel...or whatever)

 If you pay attention to fashion (or if you watch commercials on TV), you may have noticed the growing trend in sparkly glittered shoes. The shoes, mostly heels and dress flats, are adorable and ...expensive. I found a pair of Jimmy Choo Walsh Glitter Ballerina Flats on the Neiman Marcus website for $425!! Don't believe me--click here! Ok, yes this example is on the extreme side, there are generic knock-off's available at Target and Sears (among others) ranging from $15 - $60. I'm a thrifty kinda gal...so I say BAH!! HUMBUG! If I can make it cheaper, and (even better) more the way I want it...then that's how it's gonna be!


 Last Halloween, my daughter was a witch...I bedazzled a black dress and made her some glittery black flats to match. The same glittery flats that are now "in style". I do not have  after photos, sadly, but I do have a before photo.

 Aren't those...special. I got them at a thrift store for 50 cents...what did you expect? So, I glittered them, and they looked great. The shoes are no longer with us, but they looked very similar to the ones shown in the photo below.

(Photo from Vanilla Joy, DIY Fancy Glitter Shoes)

 This photo is from a DIY Tutorial from Vanilla Joy -found here.  Same theory, although I have some personal recommendations to add. 


 Firstly, I took a pair of ugly gold flats with a plastic decoration...It was sewn on, and easy to snip off and remove. Instead of painting them black with spray paint (which would chip and fade on the slick material over time), I used a Sharpie and hand-colored them. 


 I also used Martha Stewart glitter, which I adore...but that's a post for another time. I used the colors "Onyx", and "Hematite" for extra sparkle. There's a kit that would come in handy if using the same colors from Martha - (black is at the far right, and hematite is in the center).

 Once everything is all sparkly and shiny...and dry - seal it! This can be a tricky part, as many spray sealants will dilute the glitter's shine, and cause the glitter to look matte. I did not seal the shoes I made, and the glitter only lasted through 2 -3 uses. I may suggest Krylon's Clear Glaze (spray), however I am unsure of the results. 


That's all for now....I'll be adding many more crafty things soon!