Top 10 for 2018

Here are my top 10 ways to make the second half of the year awesome!

TOP 10 FRUSTRATIONS WITH ART SUPPLIES

FOR EVERY AWESOME ART SUPPLY OUT THERE...THERE ARE

AWFUL ART SUPPLIES OUT THERE.  

HERE ARE MY FRUSTRATIONS...PET PEEVES!!!

(SOME ARE NAME BRANDS...SOME ARE IN GENERAL.)

 *Once again..this is only my opinion...and my experience.  You may have a wonderful redeeming story about the art supplies I find frustrating!

1) PENCILS - WHAT IN THE WORLD???????  I have found a brand or two that are pretty consistent...but what has happened to the pencil industry?!  Soft cheap wood that won't sharpen properly, lead that is broken all the way through and keeps falling out...erasers that only get marks off because they are part sand paper?!?!?  Come on pencil makers...make me some pencils that will actually last!  

2) COLORED PENCILS - I'm not sure if I should blame the people that make them, the people that ship them, or the people that stock the shelves?!  My students love colored pencils...I love colored pencils, but you know what I don't love?  The fact that they lead falls out faster than the pencil can be sharpened.  

3) WASHABLE GLUE -  The issue....it is washable because it is white water!!!!!!  BLAH!!!  

4)  FISKAR SCISSORS -  WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU!?!?!?!?  You use to be the greatest thing around....no one could beat you.  Now...your cheap plastic & construction make me long for the good ol' days.  I can not tell you how many of my new Fiskar scissors have broken(where the handle attaches to the scissors).  I still have some of the Fiskar scissors from when I started teaching here 13 yrs ago that are still going strong(though a bit rusted).  

5)  CRAYOLA WATERCOLOR (8 color ovals) -  The colors are light...there are air pockets in the colors...and the "pans" of color are very shallow...so it doesn't last long.  

6)  ROSEART CRAYONS - The colors aren't bad...but the texture is very "crumby" & they break in half with very little pressure from little hands.  Also...don't even try to laminate things colored with RoseArt crayons.  

7)  ELECTRIC PENCIL SHARPENERS - I've not had any luck with electric pencil sharpeners in my room.  I gave up on them and have metal hand held sharpeners.  If you have a great brand..please share.  I may be willing to try again.  

8)  MASKING TAPE (EVEN 3M) -  I am an expert tape tearer-offer!!!!   However...masking tape has gotten so cheap...it does not tear evenly.  So having children tear masking tape is surely one of the levels of "the bad place".  Are they really saving that much money by giving us crappy stuff?!?!?!  

9)  RULERS -  Is it just me...or are rulers SUPPOSE to be straight???  What in the world???  Is the Old Crooked Man working at the ruler factory these days??!?!?  

10) FELT - Can sheets of felt not be consistent in thickness?  Why is it...when I order a pack of felt...I can see through some parts of it but not others??  Is it too much to ask to have a consistant piece of felt??  

WHAT ABOUT YOU?? WHAT ARE PRODUCTS YOU ONCE LOVED...BUT NOW HATE(or dislike a good bit)!  HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN THE COMPANY?  

TOP 10 ART SUPPLIES FOR THE ELEMENTARY ART ROOM

THIS IS NOT A LIST OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO RUN AN ART ROOM...BECAUSE YOU NEED A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF!!!!  THIS IS JUST A LIST OF PRODUCTS I LOVE!! 

***This top 10 list is my opinion....if you like something else...AWESOME!  Share in the comment section the products you enjoy.  If a parent company of any of these products is known for killing puppies or kicking old people.....please do not yell & scream at how evil I am for supporting such things.  THANK YOU! ***

1)ELMER'S GLUE ALL

Not the washable stuff!!  It is too thin.  Most other brands are also too thin.  This causes the paper to become extremely "wet" and does not "stick" things as well.

2)TACKY GLUE

(Elmer's Craft BOND or ALEENE'S)

For those sculpture & assemblage projects where Elmer's Glue All is just too ridged!!!  

Aleene's in the gold bottle has been around forever...and is a wonderful product that I use in my art room.  Elmer's has come out with a pretty great product too....plus it has the ease of the twist top lid to open & close!!  

3)CRAYOLA CRAYONS

Accept no substitute!! ha ha  I actually do use other brands in my table crayon boxes(I like to have a variety of colors)...but if I were trapped on a desert island with only one box of crayons...it would be Crayola!!!!  

4)CRAYOLA CONSTRUCTION PAPER CRAYONS

Seeing is believing!  I had my doubts when I first got construction paper crayons, but now I can't imagine not having them!!!!  Though I wish there were more color choices....they are so much fun!  

5)PORTFOLIO SERIES OIL PASTELS

Wow...talk about a dreamy product!!!!  Water soluble, amazing colors, creamy consistency....what else do you need from an oil pastel!?!?  Though they are a bit pricey....they are well worth it!  

6)SARGENT ART-TIME TEMPERA PAINT

I'm not a big tempera paint snob...I use just about anything.  However, I do like the look & feel of Sargent's Art-Time.   If I'm able to get it....I do!! 

7)RED HEART YARN 

My first few years of teaching I tried ordering yarn via catalogs, but was never happy with what I received.  I finally gave up, and started buying all my yarn from a big box store.  That way I am able to select the size, color, and weight of yarn I feel will be best for my weaving projects.  I love the Red Heart yarn.  It is affordable...and comes in a ton of colors that the kids love!!  

8)SHARPIE MARKER

You can't go wrong with classic black, but the other colors are great as well!!  I've tried other permanent markers, but Sharpie seems to out live/outlast all the rest! 

9)SCRATCH ART SCRATCH-FOAM

For beginning print making projects...this is a wonderfully easy product to use! You also don't compromise on the print...they images turn out great.  

10)MR. CLEAN MAGIC ERASER

I know that it isn't really an "art" supply...but come on....WE USE THEM ALMOST AS MUCH AS ART SUPPLIES!! ha ha  This product is truly amazing...and has saved my tables.  

SO WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU LOVE IN YOUR ART ROOM??