Magic Mesh Product Review
Dottie Ann New Colors 2007

Randi's
Review
Andrea'
Review
Chris's
Review
Rebeccaj's
Review
Renee's
Review



Review by Randi

Magic Mesh products, and Dottie Ann in particular, has been a long time personal favorite embellishment. Thus, it was no surprise that I was VERY excited about the addition of EIGHT great new colors to the Dottie Ann collection! Just what IS Dottie Ann? Like Magic Mesh, it is self-adhesive mesh; the difference is that circles are found in the negative space of the mesh (instead of squares like regular Magic Mesh.)

My only "complaint" about Dottie Ann was the limited color selection. The Magic Mesh Company has taken care of that issue with the addition of these new colors:

I love how just a little variation in use gives a different look. The following two layouts both feature the Coral Crish Dottie Ann, but with totally different results. On this first layout, I adhered the Dottie Ann directly to the bottom of the page to create an anchoring border. The color that shows through the circles is the color of my background paper. Further smaller embellishments were added on TOP of the Dottie Ann.

Jazz
Dazzling Day paper, Scrappin' Sports 'N More!
Black Prismatics Cardstock, Prism Papers
Coral Crish Dottie Ann Magic Mesh
Flower, Petaloo
Art Glitter, Barbara Trombley
Brads, Karen Foster Design
Ribbon
Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

The Dottie Ann takes "second stage" on this similar layout. Again I used the Coral Crish, but this time I adhered it to a mounted strip of black cardstock so the contrast shows through the circles. By placing it behind the photo it becomes more of a background instead of the main embellishment.

Woodpecker Dance
Pretty Paisleys paper, Scrappin' Sports 'N More!
Black, Intense Yellow Prismatics Cardstock, Prism Papers
Coral Crish Dottie Ann, Magic Mesh
Sizzix Letter Font
Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

Dottie Ann is great on smaller creations too, such as cards, and the eight new colors open some new opportunities for use. I like the subdued Baby Blue on this springtime card.

New Beginnings Card
Pink Daisies paper, Sandylion
Frosted Pink cardstock, Prism Papers
Azalea Metallics Cardstock, Prism Papers
Baby Blue Dottie Ann, Magic Mesh
Spring Accents, Spring Words stickers, Sandylion
Ric Rac and Ribbon, Tie One On Ribbon Club
Permanent Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

The eye-catching brightness of the Lemon Zest Dottie Ann drastically changes the appearance of the same springtime paper collection!

Spring Fever Card
Azalea Metallics Cardstock, Prism Papers
Honeycomb Paper, Sandylion
Spring Words sticker, Sandylion
Lemon Zest Dottie Ann by Magic Mesh
Oval Pink Mosaic Tiles, Sarah Heidt Photocraft
Ric Rac, Tie One On Ribbon Club
Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

A little or a lot, Dottie Ann adds texture, color and interest with no bulk. Thanks to the new releases, there are now eight more reasons to love Dottie Ann! Get your hands on some of the new colors soon! If you'd like to see some of the original colors, check out the first





Review by Andrea

Magic Mesh has a really great product that just keeps getting better! New colors are available this year in the Dottie Ann mesh. Dottie Ann is 2 inches wide and goes on in strip form so that you can trim to the length you want. The packages come in lengths of 1 yard, plenty for 3 large layouts! The reason for the "Dottie Ann" name is that each strip of mesh actually has small 1/8" holes cut out instead of the more traditional square cut-outs. It adds a great twist to the mesh design, offering lots of options with today's trend towards circles!

There were 8 new colors in the review package. I would characterize them as spring colors since they are bright and cheery. There are the yummy names: Lemon Zest, Baby Blue, Coral Crish, Lavendar, Nutmeg, Outrageous Orange, Perfect Plum and Robin's Egg Blue. The nice thing about Dottie Ann is that is has a carrier strip on the back covering the adhesive. It makes easy punching and trimming without sticking to your scissors. The thin backing is easy to peel off when ready to adhere.

With so many color choices, it was hard to pick just one to work with! I had a layout challenge to use colors of a football team, so I opted for the bright yellow Dottie Ann to match the San Diego Chargers colors. When using the mesh on the page, I layered them side-by-side for a nice mat of mesh. I found that the Dottie Ann is a PERFECT template for sewing too! The dots are nice and even making it super easy to create a sewn accent in a matter of minutes. No measuring, no erasing pencil marks, it's all there!

Title: Lizard Chargers
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics: White & Twilight Dark, Exclusives: Giallo)
Dottie Ann (Magic Mesh, Lemon Zest)
Stamps (Stampabilities and Stampin' Up!)
Paint (DecoArt)
Ink (Ranger Distress Ink, Faded Jeans)
Thread (Making Memories)
Sketch (ScrapFriends)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Making a card and using Dottie Ann as an embellishment works like a charm. I just received this beautiful fairy stamp and thought the mesh matched really well to the design of her wings and dress pattern. An accompanying dotted ribbon completed the effect.

Title: Fairy Card
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics: Stormy Dark & White)
Dottie Ann (Magic Mesh, Perfect Plum)
Stamp (Faerie Song Art Stamps)
Ink (Stewart Superior India Ink)
Chalk (Craf-T)
Ribbon (Tie One On)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Versatility is one of the best features of Dottie Ann mesh. You can cut it, trim it, punch it or die cut it. The colors are fabulous for the spring and the look just adds so much to any project. Now add the ability to use it as a template for sewing, wow! That's just great! Add some to your embellishment collection today, you'll be reaching for it in no time.





Review by Chris

Magic Mesh really hit upon something when they created the self-adhesive Dottie Ann mesh. It adds dimension and texture to any project without adding weight and bulk. And it is extremely versatile. It can be used as is, cut up, torn, or die cut. Because it has a matte paper finish, it can be inked, stamped, painted, and printed on. It can be layered under or over other items, or used free standing by itself. It makes an excellent guide for hand stitching. And the peel-off backing makes a great template for ink or paint. For something with so many uses, it is also very reasonably priced at $3.99 for a one yard package.

I received one yard each of the eight newly released colors: Baby blue, Coral crush, Lavender, Nutmeg, Outrageous orange, Perfect plum, Robin's egg blue and Lemon Zest. These colors would be just perfect for fun spring layouts, cards and other crafting projects.

The lavender Dottie Ann was the perfect accent for this layout. I used it “as is” and layered ribbons and patterned paper on top. I love the depth and dimension that this small strip gives this colorful layout.

Fly Away
Products used: Patterned paper (MAMBI, Chester; Making Memories, Ledger)
Mesh (Magic Mesh, Dottie Ann)
Bookplate (Li’l Davis)
Ribbon (May Arts)
Chipboard (BasicGrey, photo corners; Heidi Swapp, letters)
Rhinestones (RhinestoneNY)
Pen (Sakura, UniBall)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Tape Runner)

I wanted to make a sign for my scrap room, to display my inspirational “word” for the year and I was anxious to try something different with the Dottie Ann mesh. On this project I used the peel-away backing left over from my layout as a template for a painted dot design. I also punched out some flower shapes and layered them onto the design. I really like the contrast between the flowers cut from the mesh and the inverse design achieved from painting over the backing paper.

Deliberate
Products used: Patterned Paper (BasicGrey, Gypsy)
Mesh (Magic Mesh, Dottie Ann)
Rub-ons (BasicGrey)
Flower (Crafta Frame, HomeGrown Bloomers)
Punch (EK Success)
Rhinestones (RhinestoneNY)
Chipboard letters (Scenic Route)
Embossing powder (Judikins, Jasper) Wooden Sign (Walmart)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Tape Runner, A Fine Line Beads, Glass, etc.; Xyron)

Magic Mesh’s Dottie Ann is the perfect embellishment. With a wide variety of colors from which to choose, it is adaptable to being used just about any way you might like. I definitely keep it in the top, most-frequented drawer in my scrap supply cabinet. You should too!





Review by Rebecca

A rewarding part of scrapbooking for me has been shopping for embellishments. I can spend hours online shopping for the products that appeal to my style of scrapping. The perfect embellishment for me is an item that will add color and texture to my projects, an item that will be appropriate for a variety of projects and themes and an item that is reasonably priced. The Dottie Ann by Magic Mesh fits all of these criteria.

Magic Mesh is a company that has been around for many years and I remember using the products on some of my first layouts. Dottie Ann is a product I have not used previously but I have high expectations since it is made by Magic Mesh. I received eight different colored Dottie Ann strips. The strips are 2 inches wide, feel like paper and have tiny holes punched in the strips. These new colors are: Baby Blue, Coral Crish, Lavender, Nutmeg, Outrageous Orange, Perfect Plum, Robin's Egg Blue and Lemon Zest.

My first project is my layout titled "R&K: Rachel and Knuckles". I cut a couple strips of the Lemon Zest mesh, folded them over and stapled them to the top right of my layout. The strip cut and folded easily. I do this frequently with ribbon and I really like the look with the Dottie Ann. I did not need to staple the strips since they are self adhesive but I did so in order to keep a unified look with the ribbon. I covered a couple petals of an orange silk flower with the same shade of Dottie Ann and used it in a layered flower embellishment I made. The Dottie Ann adhered to the petals and it was easy to trim the mesh around the flower. Finally, I used the Dottie Ann as a template and painted over the strip. I removed the strip easily from my layout as intially I had only removed the backing from a couple corners.

R&K
Products used:
Patterned Paper (BasicGrey)
Dottie Ann (Magic Mesh, Lemon Zest)
Flowers (Funky Die-cut Florals by Urban Lily, Silk flowers from craft store)
Ribbon (Scrapologie Monthly Kit)
Plastic Alphabet (Heidi Swapp)
Paint (Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers, Citrus)
Label Stickers (Office Depot)
Ink (Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Brushed Corduroy)
Pen (Micron by Sakura)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Glue Runner)

For my next project, I wanted to feature the bright colors, the pattern of dots, and I wanted to take advantage of the self adhesive feature. I used the Robin's Egg Blue Dottie Ann to cover a clear acrylic letter. The strip adhered to the acrylic with no problems. It was easy to trim around the letter because the strip cuts just like paper.

Snow
Products used:
Dottie Ann (Robin's Egg Blue, Magic Mesh)
Patterned Paper (Chloe's Closet The Back Nine, 18 Holes)
Screen Prints (Hambly, Vintage Circle Wallpaper Lime Green)
Stamp (Poppy Ink)
Acrylic Letter (Heidi Swapp)
Paint (Lil' Davis, Pearl)
Ink (Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Brushed Corduroy)
Pen (Micron by Sakura)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Glue Runner)

Finally, I decided to try stamping on the Dottie Ann mesh. I trimmed a piece of the Perfect Plum Dottie Ann and placed it over patterned paper and then stamped over the mesh. I used a pigment ink but the ink did not stamp evenly in all of the holes. I then used a purple embossing marker to add ink inside the holes of the Dottie Ann mesh. By using the marker I was able to emboss in the holes. Embossing on the mesh works well but stamping and getting ink inside the holes does not work well. After embossing I added a sticker with part of the sticker on the patterned paper and the bottom part of it on the mesh. The sticker lifts off of the mesh but because I had adhered it to the patterned paper and it has a clear background I am unable to lift the sticker off the patterned paper. I decided to add some liquid adhesive to the sticker and that worked to keep the sticker adhering to the mesh. Overall, I like the look of the card and the mesh on the bottom of the card.

You Are Amazing Card
Products used:
Dottie Ann Mesh (Magic Mesh, Perfect Plum)
Embossing Ink (Wet Looks Embossing Markers by Marvy Matchables)
Patterned Paper (Sandylion Wedding Collection)
Stickers (Scribbles Enchanted Word Art by Rhonna Farrer)
Embossing Powder (Ranger, Clear)
Ink (Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Brushed Corduroy; Stampabilities Pigment Ink Pad, Plum)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Glue Runner and A Fine Line...)

I really enjoy using Dottie Ann Mesh. There are a range of colors that make them fun to use. The product is light and thin so it will not add bulk to your layout but it will give it nice texture. I appreciate the convenience of having the self adhesive backing with the paper backing. I was not pleased with my original results when I tried rubber stamping or even adhering a sticker over the mesh. However, after working with the product I was able to find a solution to achieve the results I was looking for. So I highly recommend Dottie Ann mesh for scrappers shopping for embellishments!





Review by Renee

Magic Mesh is a self-adhesive mesh embellishment that has stood the test of time, a rarity in the scrapbook industry. Magic Mesh offers a variety of products in their embellishment arsenal. For this project, I was asked to review the new releases to the Dottie Ann collection. For the review, I received eight new colors of Magic Mesh Dottie Ann including Baby blue, Coral crish, Lavender, Nutmeg, Outrageous orange, Perfect plum, Robin's egg blue and Lemon zest.

The Magic Mesh rolls are a generous two inches by one yard, and are self adhesive, with a wax paper backing covering the adhesive on the product. The Dottie Ann line has a series of uniform “dots” covering the product, giving it a different texture from the usual magic mesh products. The adhesive contained on the mesh strips is pressure sensitive, allowing it to be easily placed in your desired area. However, it is also repositionable so that it can easily be lifted and reapplied should you make a mistake in application.

When I received my collection of Dottie Ann Magic Mesh strips, I immediately thought that this product would make an interesting graphic backdrop for a layout. For my first project, I cut varying lengths of the Nutmeg, Perfect plum, Lavender and Coral crish strips to use in lieu of patterned paper. The colors from this collection work extremely well with black and white photos, and the uniform dots of the Dottie Ann collection perfectly coordinate with the other polka dot embellishments on the market now.

Title: Me, Myself and I
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Mesh (Magic Mesh Dottie Ann)
Silk Flower and pin (Heidi Swapp)
Chipboard Alphabets (Pressed Petal Chip Chatter)
Chipboard arrow (BasicGrey Undressed)
Paint (Making Memories)
Die Cut Letters and Die Cut Machine (Spellbinder Wizard and Spellbinder Playful alphabet)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner and 3-D Design Blocks)

For my next project, I continued the graphic theme strongly suggested by the mesh strips. I used the Baby Blue, Outrageous Orange, Robin’s Egg Blue and Lemon Zest in smaller graphic strips to create a card using a popular teenage expression. In order to maximize the color that I was able to use on the card, I cut the two inch strips in half lengthwise. Despite having been cut, the strips still have a finished look to them. Furthermore, I was able to lift each strip several times while getting them straight. Despite the multiple liftings, the strips have adhered well with no curling on the edges.

Title: Wasup! Card
Products used: Mesh (Magic Mesh, Dottie Ann)
Chipboard ribbon slide (BasicGrey Undressed)
Ric Rac (Tie One On Ribbon Club)
Paint (Making Memories)
White Pen (Sharpie)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I loved working with the new releases from Magic Mesh. The Dottie Ann mesh is simple to use and makes a great addition to scrapbook pages and cards. Because it is repositionable, it is easy to use while maintaining a good permanent bond once applied. Magic Mesh is a fun product to work with and these new color releases are no exception. They are definitely something to watch for.





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