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I waited seven months for my LSS to receive the Glass Media Mat and it was well worth the wait. I find that I even keep my work area cleaner because of the space it uses, I enjoy working on it. Hope others feel the same.
__________________ Mary Jo
prairiepapercrafter.blogspot.com
I wasn�t going to get one, didn�t quite get the point despite videos, and have a 1/4� thick acrylic desk top protector cut to cover the entire desk. (Tempered glass may have been better, but I didn�t love the coldness or clanginess when placing hard objects on it.)
But JoAnn had them for $24.00 so I jumped. The jury is still out since I haven�t had it for very long. I wondered about stamping on such a hard surface since I stamped on a Ranger craft mat taped to a large self healing cutting mat which was my work surface - but so far so good, and I use a platform for major stamping.
I did enjoy easy clean-up after a 2-3 hour messy alcohol ink backgrounds session yesterday. While the Yupo paper was in a 9x12 tray to contain a lot of mess, alcohol ink got on the glass mat and on the bottles which were on the mat.
As for Tim�s proclamation that the mat stops supply encroachment, nah. My supplies just hop up on the mat to get closer to me. But it would help people with less affectionate supplies. ;)
The white mat is kept on the clear piece it came on within grabbing distance, but hasn�t been used yet. I do want the ruler, which can be used like how I use a T-ruler, but am going to wait because some - not all - in early batches have apparently been a bit problematic.
Beth
Last edited by bjeans; 09-08-2018 at 09:07 PM..
Reason: clarification about acrylic protector
Yeah it worked to keep down the encroachment for a little while and then I went right back to stuff all over the place. Makes me laugh that I even believed that could work. I’m pretty sold on mine but I didn’t have anything but a taped down craft mat previously so this was a big improvement. The cleanability and the grid are the features I like the most.
I have the mat and I like it, but...........below are my personal observations/experiences, YMMV:
The things I like:
Solid flat surface (I work on my dining room table and previously had to work around the line where the tabletop opens up)
Easy clean up
(Intentionally) smeared/scribbled ink doesn't pool up
Sponging is a dream
The things I don't like:
Didn't help with the encroachment (I think its us that need to change not our surroundings, lol)
I can't use mine for straight lines when lining things up or cutting (public service announcement below)
Historically, for whatever reason, I can't cut a straight line even using a paper cutter**. I noticed my cuts weren't coming out straight even with the tool and discovered the tool was not straight. I e-mailed Tonic with pictures. They sent me a link to a video to fix it myself. In the video, Tim is doing a demo somewhere and before he starts mentions this issue, saying this is because the tool and the mat are made in different factories so sometimes they don't line up with each other. I was taught in school that a straight line was a straight line no matter where in the world it was but, ooooookay. Tim goes on to say when this happens you need to simply loosen the screws on the base, line your tool up with the lines on YOUR mat and then tighten the screws. So, I tried it. The screws were so tight I had to get my brother-in-law to loosen them and he had a tough time doing it and stripped the heads in the process. When I tried to line it up with the mat, because the part with the screws hangs hangs off the mat, when pressing down to try to re-tighten the screws the tool shifts all over the place as its being held down with one hand while the other pressing down with the screwdriver. I eventually got them tighten but the tool was right back where it started. The issue is there's no wiggle room to adjust the screws like Tim said. The screw holes are drilled up and down, not side to side so there's no way to realign the pieces, they simply go right back to where all the drilled bits fit together. My brother-in-law suggested I also check the lines on the grid of the mat. I did and found they too were off a bit. So for me, using the mat for measuring, cutting, lining-up is a bust. I e-mailed Tonic again, provided pictures of the now stripped screws and off measurements of the mat and haven't received a reply. This was a couple of weeks ago and at this point I don't expect to hear from them. Between the platform fiasco where people were getting wonky plates and this, I have to say I've lost some respect for them and their products. Two straight lines don't match up because they were made in different places?? I researched this this issue online and found Beth is right, I'm not the only person with this problem which is probably why Tim is telling people how to fix straight lines during his demos. Its a shame Tonic is giving people this as their solution instead of standing by their product.
So, my overall opinion of the mat is, eh. If I knew I wouldn't be able to line things up and cut straight line I wouldn't have bought it. Will I still use it, yes, for all the things I like about it above.
**When Joann had a sale recently I invested in the Fiskars Mixed Media ProCision Trimmer. LOVE it. Straight line after straight line. The first time I used it I heard Angels signing.
Agree about the ruler, the screws were super tight and after loosening and trying to change the alignment I gave up. Mine is about a 32nd inch off which can make a difference. I’m not using it much. I like the printed grid on the mat but the ruler is not any better than my also slightly off plastic T-square.
I�m happy with the mat. Like being able to cut with a hobby blade on it, really enjoy having the white palette built in and of course, the easy clean up. I just mixed color into embossing paste and was able to wipe it up so easily when done. I�m also find it easier to blend ink onto my projects.
My computer is at the same desk where I craft and I�ve noticed that I can get away with using my mouse on the white �rea (when the cover is on, not without the cover). Handy when I just want to look something up real quick.
So for me, it�s a win!
I wasn�t tempted to purchase one, only because my mat works so well for me. I�ve a large tempered glass thin LED light mat that�s fabulous. My option was costly, but no regrets. The new Tim Holtz mat looks like it would be a great buy for most, I don�t think I�ve read any bad reviews on it.
I was seriously thinking about getting the TH media mat, but it would have reduced my free work surface from what I already had, and the palette area wasn't something I would often need. Instead, my plan was to shop thrift stores and garage sales to find a cheap table that had a removable tempered and beveled edge glass top. About the same time I noticed a patio table we had that was not looking very attractive with its rusted legs. Perfect! The legs were thrown out, and I was left with a 24" square thick glass top. I placed it over my large grid self-healing mat; so I've ended up with a much larger work area than the TH media mat provides. One can never have too much work space! (Free wasn't bad either.)
Free is the bomb, and shopping at home even better!
I was nervous about size too, but I haven’t used the white mat (it’s removable) and the glass is 24” across (maybe?). Messy is to my sides, not reaching way in front of me (short arms) so works well. Lines are nice but I forget about them.
BTW, if anyone wants all glass all the time, glass shops can cut 1/4” (or whatever you want - that’s just what two shops recommended) tempered glass for a table or desk. But it isn’t free. ;)
I love my glass mat. DH wasn't too thrilled that I bought it since my desk already has a glass top. I had a craft mat over that top and I couldn't bring myself to do messy stuff on just the glass, it just felt weird. I have no issue doing all kinds of messy things with the TH glass mat however I think the grid lines are excellent and I love the thickness of it!
I think TH must have been trying sales psychology on us. My stuff spills off mat for sure.
As a matter of fact, several days ago I put the glass mat away for awhile. I like a completely smooth work surface and the mat edges were getting in the way.
I’ll have a use for it elsewhere.
Beth
After going through two silcone craft mats which became creased, cut, stained and curled up around the edges, I purchased the product about a month ago. I'm very pleased with the glass mat for all the reason stated in previous posts by others.
Clean up is easy, stands up to all my mediums and cutting tools.
I would not use it as a base for my BigShot though or hammer any thing on it to prevent cracks or shattering.
I hated that edge curl-up of silicone mats, so wrapped them around a self healing cutting mat and taped the edges down with painters tape. The lines could be faintly seen. (An old Jennifer McGuire hint.) At an LSS, craft mats for students are attached to chipboard or cardboard.
Very OT Funny you mentioned hammering. For safety, if cracked, tempered glass breaks into tons of rough edged pieces, some attached to each other, instead of shards. A piece can be covered with a cloth and a corner hammered or pliers used to break an edge, and it all collapses into a heap. Fusing pieces in a kiln onto a glass base makes a dish that looks like crystal with lines all through it. Begging for mis-cut pieces at glass shops was common. But I prefer paper now!
Fifi and Maryelana. I don't understand what you are cutting on the glass mat. Mine didn't come with a ruler or any indication that the mat was to be used for cutting.
I'm glad you found a good cutter...I think Fiskars are the best!
I’m not cutting anything on mine. I have some mysterious scratches on it so I’m not taking any chances by cutting on it. Supposedly you can cut on it with a rotary cutter according to videos I watched. The ruler was an add on that I bought separately. I was hoping to use it like a T-square but the lip of the ruler is a little off.
Fifi and Maryelana. I don't understand what you are cutting on the glass mat. Mine didn't come with a ruler or any indication that the mat was to be used for cutting.
I'm glad you found a good cutter...I think Fiskars are the best!
Fifi and Maryelana. I don't understand what you are cutting on the glass mat. Mine didn't come with a ruler or any indication that the mat was to be used for cutting.
I'm glad you found a good cutter...I think Fiskars are the best!
Like Mary, I was trying to use the tool like a T-square. I was cutting just about anything 'cutable' on there (paper, ribbon, washi, etc.) until I realized it was the tools and not me making the crooked lines. I think I can still use the lines on the mat to line things up like a sentiment, the misalignment shouldn't be that noticeable for something small like that, but I definitely can't use the tool with the mat so that thing is useless. At least I LOVE the scraper.
I sure hope they fix the tool - that was one of the selling points. Is the scraper very different from the Ranger scraper? We were given one in my very first stamp class. It looks like the Tonic might be a little more ergonomic, which could be nice for my not-perfect hand. But I haven’t really used it. What do you use it for?
I’d like to know what the scraper is used for also, cleaning up dried messes like acrylic paint maybe? I have it but I stuck it in a drawer and forgot about it. I can’t think of messes I make that need scrapping but I might be missing a good use for this tool.
I agree about fixing the ruler. I had pinned my hopes on that ruler being a handy T-square.
I'm sorry, I don't have the Ranger scrapper so I can't compare them.
I use the Tonic Scrapper for...............scrapping! Yes, Beth, its ergonomic; its a nice size and has weight to it which is what I like the most, I'm not afraid to use it. Mary, I use it to scrape up glue, paint and such. I used to use an old credit card which would get caught on the gunk and flip around in my hand. I have problems with my hands and wrists so that was always awkward. The Tonic has a scrapper on multiple sides so you can use it wide or narrow. It glides nicely across the media mat. In a pinch, I've also used it to separate paper from my ScanNCut mat when I couldn't find the spatula and when I knocked over an open bottle of embossing powder I used it to scrape all the powder into a neat, clean pile.
I’ll have to keep my scraper in view to remember to use it. I don’t use much acrylic paint but dried glue happens. I have used an old credit card to spread refill ink on my versamark pad because it has a straight rather than a rounded edge.
I emailed Tonic and asked if they were going to fix the issue with the T-edge down the road and got the same "made by two different manufacturers" and "here's a video of how to adjust it" response, even though I had written that some people reported that the adjustment didn't work. (I gather it may have for at least some others.)
I responded that something is either square or not, regardless of manufacturer, and that I could take my 99 cent* plastic T-ruler and put it at the top or side of the glass mat and even it was square/perpendicular to the lines on the mat, and that Tonic's response insulted buyers' intelligence.
The plastic T-ruler is thin and shifts easily, so not a good solution. Then I saw this, and have to admit am curious, though the 12" is spendy:
I emailed Tonic and asked if they were going to fix the issue with the T-edge down the road and got the same "made by two different manufacturers" and "here's a video of how to adjust it" response, even though I had written that some people reported that the adjustment didn't work. (I gather it may have for at least some others.)
I responded that something is either square or not, regardless of manufacturer, and that I could take my 99 cent* plastic T-ruler and put it at the top or side of the glass mat and even it was square/perpendicular to the lines on the mat, and that Tonic's response insulted buyers' intelligence.
The plastic T-ruler is thin and shifts easily, so not a good solution. Then I saw this, and have to admit am curious, though the 12" is spendy:
* still missing the cent sign on the keyboard after all these years (with apologies to Paul Simon, who we just saw in concert). ;)
Wow. That is a SERIOUS T-Rule, lol. Like the marking holes.
Thank you for checking with Tonic on the (not so) straight-edge tool and for your reply to them. I can't believe they think people are that dumb but as long as they have your money and gave you a 'fix' for the problem, I guess they feel they're off the hook. Its sad to seem them turning into WeRMemoryKeepers (even before the American Crafts takeover). I will be as skeptical in buying tools from them in the future as I am with WRMK.
I'm personally not a Paul Simon fan but I hope you enjoyed the show!
I emailed Tonic and asked if they were going to fix the issue with the T-edge down the road and got the same "made by two different manufacturers" and "here's a video of how to adjust it" response, even though I had written that some people reported that the adjustment didn't work. (I gather it may have for at least some others.)
I responded that something is either square or not, regardless of manufacturer, and that I could take my 99 cent* plastic T-ruler and put it at the top or side of the glass mat and even it was square/perpendicular to the lines on the mat, and that Tonic's response insulted buyers' intelligence.
The plastic T-ruler is thin and shifts easily, so not a good solution. Then I saw this, and have to admit am curious, though the 12" is spendy:
* still missing the cent sign on the keyboard after all these years (with apologies to Paul Simon, who we just saw in concert). ;)
I�m glad Tonic got to hear that. Well said. Even if you try to adjust it, it is still a mess once it�s tightened up again. Maybe a vice is needed. After a couple tries the screws wear out the threads in the plastic so you only have one or two shots at a correction. I think the 6� Precision T-Rule would solve the problem for my cardmaking. Wonder if you can hang that edge over the side of the glass mat so they can work together. If so it seems worthy of going high on my wishlist. Lining up stuff is a hard task for me.
The same person (Victor) helped with my Tim platform and not only sent a new one, but sent the wrong one at first and then didn’t have me return it. So sometimes they’re excellent. This was just disappointing.
But reps (one rep?) have been told to respond a certain canned cut-and-paste way.
OT The Paul Simon apology referred to “Still Crazy After All These Years” (still missing the cent sign after all these years), and yes, thanks, a wonderful even teary concert on his final tour - he’s 76. The first concert I went to with a boyfriend was Simon & Garfunkel when I was 15, still listening after all these years...
I�m glad Tonic got to hear that. Well said. Even if you try to adjust it, it is still a mess once it�s tightened up again. Maybe a vice is needed. After a couple tries the screws wear out the threads in the plastic so you only have one or two shots at a correction. I think the 6� Precision T-Rule would solve the problem for my cardmaking. Wonder if you can hang that edge over the side of the glass mat so they can work together. If so it seems worthy of going high on my wishlist. Lining up stuff is a hard task for me.
Yes, hoping/wondering if it could hang off the edge.
If I get one I might get the 12, otherwise forced to line up stuff up toward the top or far left side of the mat.
Or I might buy the Tonic Edge and return it if it doesn�t work. It�s about $16 on Amazon Prime. Only 5 reviews (a sixth is a complaint about the scraper), with 3 complaining the Edge isn�t straight.
One peron�s theory is there isn�t enough of a lip to keep it straight. If that�s the case, that�s similar to my 99 center T-ruler. I�ve even wondered if I could adhere something to the bottom of the �T� so it would work, but if it wasn�t absolutely even with the edge of the plastic it wouldn�t be straight on the mat either.
For lining up, a 99 cent plastic T-ruler works well. (The mega one I just posted might be too thick at that t-edge if just using with a card, since it’s meant to slide along something - but could be wrong.)
A combo of Misti Creative Corners in either the Tim platform or Misti works well too.
I was just hoping for the integrated, quick-n-easy way Tim demo’d the Edge with the mat.
The same person (Victor) helped with my Tim platform and not only sent a new one, but sent the wrong one at first and then didn�t have me return it. So sometimes they�re excellent. This was just disappointing.
But reps (one rep?) have been told to respond a certain canned cut-and-paste way.
OT The Paul Simon apology referred to �Still Crazy After All These Years� (still missing the cent sign after all these years), and yes, thanks, a wonderful even teary concert on his final tour - he�s 76. The first concert I went to with a boyfriend was Simon & Garfunkel when I was 15, still listening after all these years...
� Not sure how to do it on a phone or tablet but on computer you use the number pad - Num Lock on, then hold ALT key & type 0162.
� Not sure how to do it on a phone or tablet but on computer you use the number pad - Num Lock on, then hold ALT key & type 0162.
So OT.
Ha! The important things in life. I�m on an iPad 90% of the time using �real� keyboard, but you reminded me to look at the iPad keyboard/symbols... and a million and one but not that. But googled it. Doing a long press on the $ sign on the iPad keyboard brings up a number of options, including �. So thank you.
It means switching from a real keyboard to the iPad one, but for a real cent sign, worth it.
Vic, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT TIP! Can you tell I'm excited? lol I never knew that. (bjeans, I had gotten to the point where I thought I must have been imagining things when I thought there used to be a cent sign on the keyboard.) It really will come in handy for me. There are times when I'm explaining to someone (usually escrow) why they are out of balance a few cents. It will be nice to use the �
symbol.
I’m glad Tonic got to hear that. Well said. Even if you try to adjust it, it is still a mess once it’s tightened up again. Maybe a vice is needed. After a couple tries the screws wear out the threads in the plastic so you only have one or two shots at a correction. I think the 6” Precision T-Rule would solve the problem for my cardmaking. Wonder if you can hang that edge over the side of the glass mat so they can work together. If so it seems worthy of going high on my wishlist. Lining up stuff is a hard task for me.
Mary, make sure the lines on your mat are straight before you invest in that T-rule. My lines are slightly off from the bottom to the top. This way you won't waste money on the T-Rule if your's are off, as well.
Last edited by fifiwesfan; 09-24-2018 at 09:43 AM..
Reason: Finished my thought!
Mary, make sure the lines on your mat are straight before you invest in that T-rule. My lines are slightly off from the bottom to the top. This way you won't waste money on the T-Rule if your's are off, as well.
I�m so trusting. Never thought about lines being off on the mat itself. Makes sense. It was also mentioned that the lip on that TH ruler is not wide like most T-rulers with the big wings. I noticed that also and it makes the whole thing kind of unstable whether it�s lining up well or not. I guess the creative corners set will be my go to for lining up sentiments for the near future.
Get this....my LSS, who does not own a computer, says some people are telling her you can hammer on the glass mat! Even the instructions on the sales sites tell you NOT to hammer on it! I wonder if the person that told her tried it? Apparently not if its still in one piece! As for the extra tools, I was tempted to get one last time I was out, but now I'm glad I didn't! � oh my gosh! Holding the dollar sign DOES bring up other characters! Thanks for that tip!
Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat
