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I have been a long-time lurker on these boards but I just had to respond to this post. I have a set of the makeup brushes from Amazon that I purchased as soon as I saw the "brand" ones and recognized that they are the exact same makeup brushes I had been seeing for months on Amazon. Mine are super soft and I'm pretty aggressive with my brushes and not ONE hair has fallen out so I'm not sure exactly what brushes J is talking about in her videos. Perhaps there are some really cheap ones out there but the ones on amazon work perfectly fine. I rub them really hard on towels to wipe off the ink color before moving onto another color, no transfer of colors and no shedding. I have the set by Kedsum sold on Amazon for exactly $5.06 for the same set The mark-up on these brushes is ridiculous. I'm not one to promote knock-offs but some of these craft companies are getting quite ridiculous with the pricing of tools that are not "original" ideas. As mentioned above, remember that a lot of these "recommendations" are affiliated links so you will never see a recommendation for a cheaper alternative. Granted, there are some really great original tools out there but when I see a "new" craft tool that interests me I always look around to see if it's in fact a "new" tool and not just something taken from another industry. A few examples that come to mind are the magnetic bowl to hold small dies, sold on craft sites for about $12 but found at Harbor Freight Tools for like $4, the stamp/die storage pockets sold for $6 for 25 on most sites but sold on Amazon and ebay as DVD storage pockets for a fraction of the price for a set of 100) or the $40 heat resistant craft mats that are basically your standard oven liner sold for about $5. So always look around first!
The Yoseng brand look exactly the same the reviews are quite high on Amazon. I would give them a try. In either case Ebay has the Kedsum set for $18 right now (Free shipping). I'm in the process of ordering the HaloVa set from Amazon for $5.50. What I like about this set is that it's a set of three medium size brushes (which is the size I use the most). I'm sure they will work the same.
Cyn
(Tried to quote Cyn, post #41 but it didn’t take!)
Hi Cyn, and welcome. I agree with so much that you said. I bought my magnetic parts bowl on Amazon very inexpensively, for example, though I saw it had gone up in price - probably because the seller knew crafters had caught on and were buying it.
I think we need to take care, since sometimes we get what we pay for. A local LSS friend bought a cheap teflon (?) oven mat that she thought was like Ranger’s, and ink leaked through it - and someone else posted the same thing (here?).
Harbor Freight is great for a lot - and also has junk. It was a go-to store when I worked with kiln-formed glass, and some tools people “saved” money on quickly broke.
And of course shipping factors in.
JM is open about affiliate links, and given the years of free teaching she’s provided - other than a few inexpensive classes - I figure good for her - she works hard. And many are on Amazon. I think her recommendations are real, and that she does what she says - uses products for quite a while before recommending them. That’s not to say any human is totally without bias, so I wouldn’t be surprised if friendships factor in. But as someone else said, she hasn’t steered me wrong.
I bet you’re right that maybe the brushes were bad knockoffs. And maybe they disappeared. I bought a centering ruler that was so thin and sharp it cut me, and I told the seller. The ruler is no longer on Amazon.
Just my take. YMMV. And should!
Last edited by bjeans; 12-27-2018 at 12:17 PM..
Reason: Added who I was responding to since quote didn’t work.
BJjeans..I agree with you. I have no problem with JM's recommendations..she has never recommended a crap product. What I meant is that, as with anyone who earns a living out of affiliate links, MOST of the time they won't give you a cheaper alternative and that is perfectly ok. I think it's up to the consumer to dig around and do their own research. I personally never had a problem with my oven liner and I've had the same one for YEARS--it's quite thick. However, I have since fallen in love with the Tim Holz Glass Mat which is wonderful (and unique). But as I mentioned, I do a lot of research on products I get and I haven't been burned yet.
JM is open about affiliate links, and given the years of free teaching she’s provided - other than a few inexpensive classes - I figure good for her - she works hard. And many are on Amazon. I think her recommendations are real, and that she does what she says - uses products for quite a while before recommending them. That’s not to say any human is totally without bias, so I wouldn’t be surprised if friendships factor in. But as someone else said, she hasn’t steered me wrong.
In her favorite stamps video she showed a few of which she admitted she hadn't yet used. I immediately found that a bit odd and went, hmmmmmmm..........until I thought about all of my years-long favorites that have never touched ink! lol I have MANY a stamp set that I just had to have cause I loved the images and have yet to actually use them - and still wouldn't considered parting with them. smh
The Yoseng brand look exactly the same the reviews are quite high on Amazon. I would give them a try. In either case Ebay has the Kedsum set for $18 right now (Free shipping). I'm in the process of ordering the HaloVa set from Amazon for $5.50. What I like about this set is that it's a set of three medium size brushes (which is the size I use the most). I'm sure they will work the same.
Cyn
Another good option. Three brushes might be plenty. Not sure I need all those little ones. I agree that so many items can be found at better prices with good sleuthing. I don’t mind paying a little more sometimes but 50. was way out of my brush budget.
I have those oven mats also. I liked them better than the craft mats because they are not so flimsy and the edges didn’t curl. The glass mat is my go to now so the mats are back in the kitchen.
In her favorite stamps video she showed a few of which she admitted she hadn't yet used. I immediately found that a bit odd and went, hmmmmmmm..........until I thought about all of my years-long favorites that have never touched ink! lol I have MANY a stamp set that I just had to have cause I loved the images and have yet to actually use them - and still wouldn't considered parting with them. smh
Oh, I’m a doofus. I meant recommendations for tools, adhesives, paper, etc., where quality and results can vary a lot.
We know stamps will work well if manufactured by a reputable company, or the company will/should stand by them if there’s a problem. It’s not as if JM is focused on stamp quality since it’s a given.
(I’ve had two stamps and two dies that were defective and the companies immediately replaced them and without having to return them. In fact the owner of Taylored Expressions pulled the die out of a pack, tested it and it was in my hands two days later.)
And I admit I’m SO with you on favorite stamps that haven’t been used. And stencils! And dies. Sheesh.
JM may have talent, skills and is a creator of beautiful work, but keep in mind Jennifer is a sales representative, as well as papercrafting artist.
She is given products by companies to use and promote in her videos and by doing so she get's paid through her product links and sales.
I enjoy her videos and I've some techniques from her and I will continue to follow her on Youtube, but I'm not buying into all her product recommendations.
I will be donating a portion of this post’s affiliate earnings to The Kind Campaign. The work to end bullying in school.
If you aren’t familiar with how affiliate sales work, it is simple. When you click one of my links to a store and then shop there, the shop gives me a small “tip” as a thank you. This does not cost you more! I make 100% of my income from these tips. (I do not accept paid sponsorships on my blog as I want to only use products I like… and share with you only the best.) This income supports me bringing videos to you! I thank you for your support – always! And it makes it fun to be able to shop, craft, and donate all at once.
I received my off brushes today. I haven't tried them yet, but I like the way they feel. The tops are very soft but the bases are tight and sturdy are very dense and not stiff. I'll put them to the test soon and report back to you.
[QUOTE=cr529;21759548]I have been a long-time lurker on these boards but I just had to respond to this post. I have a set of the makeup brushes from Amazon that I purchased as soon as I saw the "brand" ones and recognized that they are the exact same makeup brushes I had been seeing for months on Amazon. Mine are super soft and I'm pretty aggressive with my brushes and not ONE hair has fallen out so I'm not sure exactly what brushes J is talking about in her videos. Perhaps there are some really cheap ones out there but the ones on amazon work perfectly fine. I rub them really hard on towels to wipe off the ink color before moving onto another color, no transfer of colors and no shedding. I have the set by Kedsum sold on Amazon for exactly $5.06 for the same set The mark-up on these brushes is ridiculous. I'm not one to promote knock-offs but some of these craft companies are getting quite ridiculous with the pricing of tools that are not "original" ideas. As mentioned above, remember that a lot of these "recommendations" are affiliated links so you will never see a recommendation for a cheaper alternative. Granted, there are some really great original tools out there but when I see a "new" craft tool that interests me I always look around to see if it's in fact a "new" tool and not just something taken from another industry. A few examples that come to mind are the magnetic bowl to hold small dies, sold on craft sites for about $12 but found at Harbor Freight Tools for like $4, the stamp/die storage pockets sold for $6 for 25 on most sites but sold on Amazon and ebay as DVD storage pockets for a fraction of the price for a set of 100) or the $40 heat resistant craft mats that are basically your standard oven liner sold for about $5. So always look around first!
Also the Wagner heat tool is only $18 on Amazon and not $30 like on some of the supply websites.
How do you clean your brushes? I have a foam blending pad for each color but the brushes i would just get a set of ten from Amazon , so how would I clean them to put in next color?
They’re plastic, right? Just rub on a microfiber cloth - no need for soap, or clean with a dot of dishwashing soap. I’d use cloths. While microfiber cloths get really stained, but it doesn’t affect them, and no ink comes off onto anything else. I toss mine in the washing machine now and then.
Fast forward to 12:29 to see JM clean hers. While she has the more expensive type, plastic is plastic.
The set I bought came with a little rubber cleaner, so I wipe the brushes on that, and then on a cloth just to check. I’ve also used these knockoffs a number of times and haven’t had any trouble with shedding.
How do you clean your brushes? I have a foam blending pad for each color but the brushes i would just get a set of ten from Amazon , so how would I clean them to put in next color?
When it comes to brushes I dedicate one to each of the color family and use them with all my ink pads without really cleaning them. I may brush them on scrap to remove any remaining intense color after use, but no washing/rinsing.
Gina K was a guest on Simon Says today or yesterday. She demoed the Picket Fence brushes with one of her stencils and did a nice job I thought. Good to see them in action.
Thank for sharing the video. I like how she used a piece of scrap paper to protect the areas she did not want to color as she moved through the process.
That scrap paper technique was helpful for me too. I’m still going to add the cheaper brushes to my next amazon order but I have a better idea of how much pressure and ink saturation she uses. If those brushes are a fail I would consider buying a couple sizes of the Picket Fence.
Last night I tried them for the first time using Dewdrops ink to add some shading around a die cut. I'm very pleased with the outcome. The brushes are very easy to work with and there was no shedding of fibers. After shading I ran the brush over a piece of scrap to remove any remaining ink and there was none left on the brush.
Hi Ladies, following on from reading this, I ordered myself a set from E- Bay, They were £7.99 when I ordered them on Friday, but when I went to get a link for my blog post on them, I see they've gone up to £12.99 from that seller!
Anyway, as i say, I've done a blog post trying them out, and once I realised how little pressure you should be using, they worked a treat. And didn't shed a single hair either. Love how super-soft they are, and it seems to me that the selection of shapes & sizes is exactly the same as the PF ones.
Just to add on here ladies, I had a comment on my blog post from a visitor who had bought a set of the Picket Fence brushes. She confirmed they are most definitely the same as Make up brushes, as her PF ones have things like 'Foundation' and 'Eyeshadow' on the handles!
I used your link to ebay and just ordered a set of 10 brushes for $5.99 with no shipping! They will not arrive for several days, but I am in no hurry. I am eager to give these a try. Thanks for the links.
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I posted in post 20 on the previous page that I had bought an elf brush at the store to try, and wondered how they worked.
Well, I tried it making one of my DD Gallery cards this month (actually I made several the same) and it works wonderfully. I learned two things. Use a little ink at a time so you don't get splotchy results. That is the only hint I need to give.
I'm planning to pick up a few more in the makeup section at the store next time I'm there and use them for color families.
Hint learned from Jennifer McGuire. Brush your brush over a microfiber cloth to remove excess ink when you're done so you don't get unwanted color next time you use it. Actually she uses microfiber a lot and I'm going to get some of them too.
Another great tool, the microfibre cloth. If you clean stamps with baby wipes, I've found they can often leave stray fibres behind. A quick wipe over with a microfibre cloth removes them easily.
Agree microfiber - or microfibre for friends over the pond - are terrific. I have very cheap ones, expensive ones, ones that have been around before paper crafting, and these are the ones I use exclusively:
(Note the prices and pack sizes - if you want a whole bunch for some reason it’s not much more to double or triple the number.)
They are very plush, not too large, and can be soaked with ink but don’t “let go” of it even if used immediately in the same area. Some of mine look like a rainbow threw up on them, but the ink doesn’t affect use, and occasionally they’re tossed in the washing machine - which doesn’t remove the ink. These are the ones Jennifer McGuire links to... but I got mine before she wrote about them!
Baby wipes are used less, but still now and then. Shedding so much depends on the brand. In the U.S. the Costco ones never shed, and can be purchased on Amazon too. An instructor once told me the Target brand is excellent but I’ve never tried them.
In addition to the microfiber cloths, I use a shammy, cut to size, for cleaning my stamps, stencils, glass mat, etc. which I also buy at the Dollar Store.
Just tried these Amazon Yoseng clones out. They blend well. In answer to the necks being flimsy I would say maybe so but I put my finger over the top of the head of the brush while blending to avoid a lot of stress on the not too thick neck part. Also no shedding yet. Don't know how these compare to the other more expensive brand but they didn't noticeably change my life so far so there's that.
Here's a tip that may be of help, at least is works for me. I don't have these particular brushes, but I do have the clones of the Clarity brushes. I bought them because I just couldn't get really smooth results blending inks with the daubers or sponges. The brushes were definitely an improvement, but still not perfect. Not for me anyway. So I experimented by putting about 3 or 4 drops of glycerine down on my work surface, and swirling the brush through it before loading it with ink. I get much smoother results this way. If I'm inking a large area, I add more glycerine from time to time to keep things going smoothly. HTH
I'd never heard of these brushes until recently. I think, for myself, I'm going to get some of the cheapest ones I can find. If need be, I could replace them a couple of times before spending the same amount of money as the name brand...
Just a thought....
