Design Memory Craft

Inspiring color palettes and coordinating mediums that allow you to mix and match for effortless creativity.

Highlights

Product Description

Reviews

1. Marvelous Mix and Match!!!

   
   By Colleen Schaan

   If you know me at all, you know I’m a color collector, a hue hoarder, a pigment packrat! I’m THRILLED to be adding a whole new group of products to my stash.
   
   I was sent some product from Faber-Castell’s Mix and Match line and I’m in love. Some of the products were completely new to me (the gelatos) and some were old favorites (Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils) but they all astounded me with their easy of use and compatibility.
   
   Let’s start with the Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils. They are so simple… just scribble or draw a design onto your paper and then go over with a wet paintbrush or the water brush. The dry pigment turns instantly into a smooth watercolor wash, while remaining vibrant and pure. Beautiful and blendable.
   
   Next are the pastel pencils. These are not your typical waxy colored pencils, but a solid chalk (pastel) pencil… perfect for giving a soft edge to journal pages or adding color to darker surfaces. Smooth color without all the dusty mess!
   
   The artist pens are something I didn’t think I needed or would like, but these are different! These are India ink! The ink doesn’t bleed through papers and is waterproof (only after it is completely dry – found THAT out!). The artist pen is a great way to add detail and doodling over other mediums.
   
   Next is something that blew me out of the water… the Stamper’s Big Brush Pen. The super-cool thing about this is that the brush tip is large and very flexible… so it’s easy to color up a stamp, give a small huff, and stamp the image. Easy peasy way of inking your stamps with multiple colors! You can also use the brush pen to draw, ink and color directly onto the paper!
   
   And now… for my favorite! gelatos are smooth, creamy sticks of pigment that look like little chapstick tubes. Pop the cap and glide the color across your surface. Leave as is for bold strokes of color or lightly blend with a finger, sponge, or stump. But for even more fun… just add water! A little water will give crisp blends and thick color while adding more water will soften the look! These work amazing on paper but even better on fabric! (They also come in cool metallic tones!)
   
   Sound overwhelming? Don’t know what to choose? Faber-Castell has made it super easy for the crafter to begin a colorful collection with their Mix & Match Kits! The kits contain a variety of mediums that are grouped by color… making it easy to get crafty right out of the box. Pick up one in each color and you will have a rainbow of opportunities… just waiting for your imagination!
   

2. Fun with Mixed Media

   
   By Lori McAree

   We received mixed media product from Faber-Castell for this review. I was intimidated at first, because this is not something I have ever tried and I never understood how people created such beautiful projects.
   
   One night I grabbed my supplies and some scratch paper and started to experiment. I couldn’t believe it , to my pleasant surprise, it was so easy and fun. I played around with the gelatos. They were so smooth and pretty. Then I had to hurry up and grab the colored pencils, wow, they were really nice and easy to color with and great quality. Then the big brush pen, again, wow, so smooth and easy. It was like I couldn’t get enough. After I had tried everything, it didn’t take long to start thinking of different projects to make.
   
   I was impressed with the ease and quality of all the products - for a beginner a definite plus. I am so glad I was able to review these products, I really enjoyed them.

3. Mixed Media Fun!

   
   By Heather Jensen

   I am very excited to join the Product Review Team, and even more excited to try out the new line from Faber Castell for mixed media artists. I just recently took some online classes that specifically used all the products that I received to review. I received the Mix and Match mixed media sampler, Mix and Match tool kit, Mix and Match PITT Artist pens and writing set, as well as several of the new gelatos.
   
   The tool kit: comes with all the necessities needed to get you started using the products. The water brush and misting bottle are perfect to use with the gelatos, the rest of the tools I didn't need to use for the projects I made, but I can see how they will come handy in the future.
   
   Mix and Match Pitt Pens: I did not use these in the projects I made, but can see myself using them in an art journal or for writing inside a card. They have a super fine nib.
   
   Mixed Media Sampler: Loved this set. If you are wanting to try a little of each product so you know if you like the way they work, then this is for you. Honestly, it just made me want to order more colors online. The big brush pen is made from India ink and is great for coloring images to be stamped instead of inking, or you can use them to color your images after they have already been stamped. The metallic gelatos worked great for many purposes which I will discuss below. The Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils are great to color stamped images or to swipe across paper and mist to give a great background.
   
   Gelatos: This creamy little stick that looks like a tube of Chapstick was my favorite, as they were so versatile. I rubbed a bit on my craft mat and added some water, it gave a nice water color look when I used my paintbrush to color my images. I also misted a stamp image with water then rubbed different colors of gelatos across the image then stamped. These are also great for mixed media artists because they are great on paper, textured papers, and even canvas.
   
   Textural Accents Sampler: This set included a small sample gesso, gel medium, and a glaze. I used the gel medium on my mixed media sample to adhere the paper and image to the surface I was going to use. I also used the gesso like a white paint to add color to a piece of chipboard then added glitter.

4. Fabulous Coloring Mediums

   
   By Beate Johns

   I was excited when I heard we would get a chance to review coloring products, especially since they are from Germany. I grew up using Faber-Castell pencils in school. And I had read about Gelatos, but not played with them yet. Well...let me tell you, it was no hardship working on this review.
   
   Let's start with the pastel pencils I used for one of the tutorials. OMG...how cool those are. No dirty fingers, unless you use your fingertip to smear them. Absolute control since it's a pencil and you don't have to use a dauber or blender pen to apply them. I absolutely love them for adding soft coloring to images, adding color to images embossed on silver or even adding shading to images colored with other mediums.
   
   Now the Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils are AMAZING! I don't know how they did it and it hurts my brain a bit to think about it, but they are waterproof after you blend them? Say what? Yes! I don't understand it either, but it's super cool. They blend incredible well. I used them to color an image on a canvas pennant and loved them. They dissolve easily and leave gorgeous blended colors.I can't wait to play with them more.
   
   The big brush pens can be used on paper like regular markers, or you can use them on fabric. They are filled with waterproof India Ink. The climate is very dry here right now so, if you are using these to add color directly to your stamp, do it fast or use the water mister that comes in the tool kit. The brush nib on the pen seems very sturdy.
   
   The gelatos are so much fun to play with. You can scribble them on your craft mat or stamping block add a little water and watercolor, you can color chipboard with then, add them directly to paper or fabric in scribbles and then use your waterbrush over them (or a baby wipe). You can also make your own gelato spray. Scrape some off, mix with water in a mister and BAM, done. You can scrape some off, dilute it and mix with gesso or paint to create your own paint. Can you tell I LOVE these bad boys?
   
   The tool kit comes in handy for new stampers that don't have a water mister or water brush already. It does come with a cool eraser pencil that can erase small pastel and color pencil mistakes. It also comes with a blending stump and wedge. The Textural Accents set is pretty cool for beginners that don't have gesso, gel medium or glaze at home yet. I used gel medium to transfer a printed image on canvas. I love gesso to prep canvas or add small white areas on colored cardstock, to stamp on later. Glaze is just like Glossy Accents or Crystal Effects, a clear, shiny drying glue.
   
   I liked my product so much that I have already ordered several more colors of the big brush pens, pastel pencils, Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils and gelatos.

5. Colors Galore!

   
   By Rose Ann Reynolds

   I've admittedly been caught up in the Copic coloring rage since they've become popular, so it was great to have an opportunity to try some different coloring mediums from Faber-Castell.
   
   The Mix & Match Mixed Media Samplers have a wonderful mix of different coloring mediums that all work nicely together.
   
   * The Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils color smoothly, and when you use your paintbrush or waterbrush, the colors really come alive.
   
   * The Pitt Pastel Pencils are such a unique product for me, as I've only used the messy little pastel squares. These pencils are so simple to color with, and clean to use.
   
   * The Metallic Pitt Artist Pens are one of my favorites from the sampler. These have a nice bullet nib, and the shimmer looks so beautiful on your papers.
   
   * The Stamper's Big Brush Pens are one of the more versatile coloring mediums in the sampler. The pens are big, and the nibs are a good size as well. These pens work great for inking up your stamps (rubber and clear), though I found that you need to work rather quickly. The ink seemed to dry fast, so I huffed on the image before attempting to stamp it. There is no worry about bleed-through even on inkjet papers, and I love that these pens have no odor to them. They are permanent, so you can watercolor stamped or drawn images without any bleeding. Be sure to clean your stamps right away if you don't want them stained with ink.
   
   * The Metallic Gelatos (and regular gelatos) are probably the products that intrigued me the most. They are certainly unlike anything I have ever tried before, and so simple to use. I just applied it all over my heat-embossed background for a resist appearance, and rubbed the material into the paper a little with my fingertip. This was so fun, and the clean-up was simple as well! You can use a paint brush or water brush for more of a muted color, but I wanted a bolder look for my project.
   
   * To get different looks with all of these different coloring mediums, Faber-Castell has a nice Mix & Match Essential Tool Kit.
   
   * For some different finishing touches, the Textural Accents Sampler gives many different looks. The glaze was my favorite of the three, because I love the finished sheen it adds. All three accents can be tinted as needed by scribbling a little color onto your palette, adding the medium of choice, and mixing with a brush. These accents are simple to use, dry rather quickly, and are easy to clean up
   
   I found the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft products to be of very high quality, while being versatile for so many different looks and art styles. I'm going to check out some different techniques and play around with these products more.
   

Product Gallery

See a gallery of creations made by our review team using products and materials from Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft.

View the Product Sample Gallery