Sarah's Review	Kathleen's Review	Melanie's Review	Catherine's Review	Eli's Review

Review by Sarah

Alterable Magnetic Easels: From Raw to Rave

Alterable Magnetic Easels from AlteredMagneticEasel.com are an innovative and unusual raw base resource for the modern papercrafter.

Measuring about 7.5 by 7.5 inches on the front face surface, 3 inches for the base, and that much again for the back, the Alterable Magnetic Easel is simply a piece of metal which has been bent at an angle to offer the utmost in designing options in a small area. I was surprised with how much altering surface I had at my disposal in such a compact product. I like that. After five years of living shoehorned into a tiny house, I’ve come to appreciate the value of the square inch. Altering is fun, but who needs bulky junk cluttering up the house? Alterable Magnetic Easels offer an attractive altering surface coupled with little bulk: and with the magnetic properties of the easel you get the additional option of changing and personalizing the finished project, adding versatility and lifespan over the average altered item.

Made of thin, galvanized steel; the Alterable Magnetic Easel is durable, sturdy, strong, and just plain looks like a quality item. I tried to fold mine at the base/front bend, but couldn’t. I actually thought about running it over with my minivan to see just how strong it is, but decided that the outing might prove to be too strenuous. Still...how many items would even rank a consideration as being that sturdy? The Alterable Magnetic Easel is not the kind of thing that is going to break if it falls off a shelf. The corners of the easel are rounded and there were no metal shards or raggedy edges which might pose a health hazard to accident-prone scrappers such as myself.

When I read the instructions provided with my easels, I found that cleaning of the metal is necessary before the project can begin. My easels arrived with a fine, somewhat grubby dust covering them, and hand oils do leave an impression quite easily. Alcohol is recommended, but I ended up using Windex while wearing latex crafter’s gloves. And I used the gloves until the metal was sealed by the first layer of paint/ink to prevent oils from getting into the metal during handling. The instructions actually say that the cut edges of the easel need to be sealed to inhibit the possibility of rusting - the easels don’t come finished on those edges. Alterable Magnetic Easels are truly a raw product!

AlteredMagneticEasel.com also offers a set of four magnets with each Alterable Magnetic Easel. Death-grip-strength magnets. These guys are DIFFICULT to get off the steel surface of the easel - or any magnetic surface for that matter - and it’s even more difficult to separate the magnets from each other. The premise behind the insane strength of these magnets is that several layers of materials may cover the easel during the altering process, thus lessening the draw of the magnets; therefore strong magnets are needed.

Even with this consideration, I think these magnets are still way too strong. On an easel that I had covered with paint, one layer of patterned paper, and Mod Podge, I was able to easily stick ten, let me repeat, ten standard size 4x6 photo prints with just one magnet. By twelve photo prints the magnet was starting to lose the attraction. We’re talking a sizeable stack here! Now, I’m not sure what sort of altering most people do, but I don’t even come close to using ten layers of photo-thick paper. Thus, the magnets remain incredibly difficult to use unless some sort of barrier is glued to the back of the magnet. Circle punchies are recommended in the directions, but I don’t have a ½” circle punch and I wanted my magnets to look professional even on the underside. I managed to find a plastic tile ½” in diameter, and congratulated myself on finding such a brilliant solution: but I couldn’t get the tiles to stick to the magnet. So I ended up having to go out and buy self-stick rubber “bumpers” - those little gadgets used on the bottoms of decorative items to prevent scratching on furniture. At last! 1/8” of rubber later, my magnets are now usable.

By the way… listen to the directions when they say to stick the magnets to some other magnetic surface while you are decorating. If you try to set them on the table, they are so strong they will fly across and stick to each other! I found that a pair of junk scissors worked best for holding the magnets. That way, I could hold the scissors handle and easily move the magnets.

Aside from hassling with those pesky magnets and having to clean the easel before starting, Alcloutier.com Alterable Magnetic Easels were easy and fun to alter. The easels accept paint, paper, Mod Podge, and more, quite readily. The instructions recommend spray-paint. Sadly, this isn’t an option in December in the Midwest, but I’m happy to report that other paint, ink and coloring options work well.

On my first easel, I painted it all over: front, back and bottom, with Jacquard’s Lumiere paint. The paint worked well on the metal and didn’t scratch away. Next, I covered the easel with papers, applying Mod Podge between each layer (for best finish when using Mod Podge, make sure to attach patterned paper to thicker cardstock: this prevents warping). The Ric-Rac ends were glued to the back of the easel, and finished with another paper covering them. Blue Prima flowers were glued to the magnets using Adhesive Tech’s Glue Gizmo; rubber “bumpers” finish the backs.

This easel is intended as a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law… one of those “has everything” people who I only see once or twice a year. I don’t have the slightest idea what her house and office look like, so I took cues from her clothes and personality. With the magnets, she will be able to easily display a photo of her choice - and change it whenever she wishes.

Title: Lisa’s Easel
Products used:
www.AlteredMagneticEasel.com (Alterable Magnetic Easel)
Jacquard (Lumiere Paint: Olive Green)
Chatterbox (Scrapbook Wallpaper Papers)
Burgundy, Blue Cardstocks (www.thescrapbookstand.com)
Prima Marketing (Ivy Leaves, Blue Flowers)
Colorbox (Cyan Ink)
Junkitz (Letter Tiles)
Bitty Buckles (Ribbon Slider)
Various Ribbons
Creative Memories (Corner Punch)
Waxman (SoftTouch Bumpers)
Adhesive Tech (A Fine Line Dimensional Adhesive, Permanent Glue Runner, Glue Gizmo)
Mod Podge (Gloss)

I decided to decorate my second easel for my other sister-in-law, going for a “family” theme focusing on the letter initials of each family member, while emphasizing the magnets themselves as the highlight of the project (rather than the easel).

Even though I wanted to keep the easel itself on the simple side, still I wanted it to look interesting. So I covered the front surface using colored ink pads, and then embossed Ultra Thick Embossing Powder over the top. This left an interesting “bumpy” texture all over the easel. If you try this technique, heat the embossing powder in small sections, being extremely careful not to touch the easel, as it becomes incredibly hot! The embossed ink chips off easily, so I finished with a layer of Mod Podge. After setting overnight, I applied the decorative patterned papers and cardstock in layers with Mod Podge and Perfect Paper Adhesive between. On the back, I emphasized texture with hanging charms, twill tape, and items decoupaged right into the Mod Podge finish.

Title: Joan’s Easel
Products used:
www.alteredmagneticeasel.com (Alterable Magnetic Easel)
Colorbox (Cyan, Turquoise Inks)
Suze Weinberg (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel: Clear)
Ranger (Embossing Powder: Clear)
K & Company (Studio K: Paper)
Prism (Prismatics Cardstock: Iced Pink, Iced Orange, Tawny Medium)
K & Company (Studio K: File Tab)
K & Company (Studio K: Rub-Ons)
Memories Complete (Pure Juice: Rub-Ons Family Time)
MAMBI (Softly Spoken)
Paperbilities (Clock Vellum Print Die-Cut)
Prima Marketing (Pink Flower)
Making Memories (Eyelet Letters)
Blue Moon Beads (Heart Charm)
Fibers By The Yard (Green Twill)
Cat, Guitar Charms
Blue, Pink, Green Craft Ribbons
Craf-T Products (Decorating Chalks: Kit #1)
Perfect Paper Adhesive (Matte)
Mod Podge (Gloss)
Adhesive Tech (Permanent Glue Runner)

I really went to town with the magnets. Frustrations aside, the one very cool feature of the super-strength magnets is the option to make reversible designs.

Options aren’t limited to the four magnets that come with the easel: any magnet will work! I applied craft magnetic strips to the back of this Prima chipboard frame, and went on altering. alteredmagneticeasel.com also offers additional magnets at 50 cents apiece.

Title: Joan’s Easel Magnets
Products used:
www.alteredmagneticeasel.com (Magnets)
Craft Magnet Strip
Weavewerks (Rag Weave: Early Autumn)
Prima Marketing (Flowers)
Prima Marketing (Chipboard Frame) K & Company (Life’s Journey Dimensional Sticker)
Crafts Etc (Frame Charm)
Junkitz (Letter tiles)
“Z” Chipboard Cutout (Creating With Paper.com January Kit)
Green Ladder, Eyelash Fibers
Cream Craft Ribbon
Spiral Clips
Mod Podge (Gloss)
Adhesive Tech (Glue Gizmo, Permanent Glue Runner)

Alterable Magnetic Easels retail at $15.95 each, which includes shipping. This product is so unique, versatile, high-quality and “wow” once finished, it’s really a fabulous altering option. Notwithstanding, at this price I would like to see Alterable Magnetic Easels at a slightly higher user-friendly level. This is because of the fact that the easel MUST be sealed in some way (it is not a “stick whatever you want on it and go” product), and because the magnets require special care in handling. Otherwise, a great product and resource for altering!

In Summary: High quality and wonderful for home, office, and gifts. I’m guessing you probably won’t be able to stop with just one! Recommended for experienced to advanced papercrafters.

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Review by Kathleen

Altering just about everything that is accessible is all the rage these days. Scrapbook artists are discovering that you can use the same great scrapbooking products for layouts on other household décor items and still preserve memories in a unique and fashionable way. Enter the Alterable Magnetic Easels, designed and distributed by Andrea Cloutier and business partner Philip Davis. The easels, when in their unadorned state, do not radiate their vast potential. The easels are steel, coated with a galvanized finish. The dimensions are approximately 7 ½ x 7 ½ inches with a 3 inch deep base. Each easel also comes with four very strong magnets that measure about ½ inch in diameter. So, while they may look plain to start, it is the infinite possibilities of what you can do with the easels that make this product so exciting.

For this review, I received two Alterable Magnetic Easels and magnets to work with. It took me no time at all to figure out what I wanted to create with them and I love the results.

The edges of the easels are unfinished and uncoated so I chose to cover the edges of my projects with foil tape to help prevent any rusting. I also painted the back of each easel with acrylic paint to give it a more decorative look. I suspect that if handled a lot, the acrylic paint will chip off. However, the information and tips sheet that comes with the easels suggests using Krylon’s Short Cuts spray paint.

My first project is a recipe card holder that I designed to coordinate with an altered recipe box. Because the magnets are so strong, I covered the bottom of each magnet with two layers of cardboard that I cut from discarded embellishment packaging. Before gluing the Nunn Designs embellishments, I used copper foil tape to cover the edge of the magnet and hide the glued cardboard. By layering the cardboard on the bottom of the magnet, the intensity of the magnet is decreased and easier to work with on the easel.

Title: Altered Recipe Card Easel
Products used:
Alterable Easel & Magnets - www.alteredmagneticeasel.com
Nunn Design - metal flowers
BasicGrey - patterned paper
Venture Tape - Copper foil
Sizzix - Die cut letters
Prism Paper - Prismatics Cardstock
DecoArt - acrylic paint
Craf-T - metallic rub ons
Adhesive Tech - Glue runner, PVA Glue, Ultimate Glue Gun
Other – chipboard

My second project is actually my favorite. I created a layout using photos of my daughter. But that is not my favorite part. Because of the magnets, the photos are not adhered to the easel and I can easily change out the photos as my daughter grows older or different events take place. The photo dimensions are very easy to print on my computer. The large photo is 3 ½ x 5 inches and the two smaller photos are 2 x 3 inches. The easel fits beautifully on my fireplace mantel. Now, while I have not done so yet, I will spray my easel layout with a protective spray since there is daily exposure to dust and light. I decorated the magnets with flowers cut out from the patterned paper and coated them with dimensional glaze.

Title: Vivian - Altered Easel
Products used:
Alterable Easel & Magnets - www.alteredmagneticeasel.com
Prism Paper - Prismatics cardstock
Chatterbox - patterned paper
Maya Road - Ribbon charm
Micron - black pen
Plaid - Acrylic paint
Making Memories - square mini brads
Michaels Craft Store - ribbon
Adhesive Tech - Glue runner, Finishing touch dimensional adhesive, PVA Glue, Beads, glass, etc... Glue, Ultimate Glue gun

I am no “industry expert” to say the least, but I think the Alterable Magnetic Easels really have the potential to take the craft industry by storm. There are so many possibilities and they would make such fun gifts. They are small enough to fit easily on a shelf, mantel, or table without taking up too much room. And even though I like the size, I would love to see the easels available in other sizes.

The Alterable Magnetic Easels retail for $15.95 with free shipping up to ten easels. The price per easel does decrease if you purchase more than 10 easels though shipping charges will apply. I give this product my highest recommendation. The easels are quality made, sturdy, and durable. These will make great holiday gifts and I am excited about all the decorating possibilities.

Note: If any family members are reading this, act surprised!

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Review by Melanie

I received two magnetic easels just in time for Christmas gift-giving! The magetic easels are made of high quality galvanized steel and are made right here in the good old USA. The metal is curved to make an easel with approx. 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" of surface to decorate. It comes with 4 high powered magnets to hold your photos or other mementos. And "high-powered" means just that - your stuff is not going anywhere if it is under these magnets.

The easel comes with an information and tip sheet. I found this very helpful. It includes some information on dealing with the high-powered magnets. They are VERY strong, so strong that I had a time getting them separated. The tip sheet cautions against injuring yourself with the magnets. Some suggestions for painting are also included on this sheet. I took this advice and spray painted both of mine with Krylon short cuts.

After the Krylon paint was dry, I covered the easel with patterned paper using Mod Podge to adhere it. It was simple to embellish - just like doing a mini-scrapbook page. I embellished two of the magnets with a paper flower and a button and tucked a photo beneath. I'm quite confident the photo won't be moving with this magnet holding it in place. This will allow the photo to be replaced at a later time. I made a pocket on the back to hold other photos or momentos (inspired by some designs on the easel website).

Title: Family
Products used:
Patterned Papers: The Paper Loft
Stickers: The Paper Loft
Ink: Clearsnap
Easel & Magnets (www.alteredmagneticeasel.com)
Paint: Krylon Short Cuts
Buttons: Bazzill
Flower Punch: McGill
Mod Podge Glue: Plaid
Adhesive: Adhesive Tech Permanent Glue Runner

I embellished the second easel much the same way. I decided to forgo the high-powered magnets on this one and just adhered the photos to the paper.

Title: Fall Easel

Title: Fall Easel
Products used:
Patterned Paper: Scenic Route
Twill: Maya Road
Charm: Crossed Paths
Tag: Other
Easel & Magnets (www.alteredmagneticeasel.com)
Paint: Krylon Short Cuts
Ink: Ranger
Stamps: Making Memories
Mod Podge Glue: Plaid
Adhesive: Adhesive Tech Permanent Glue Runner

Below is a photo of the back of one of the easels with the pocket.

In summary: I absolutely love these easels. Papercrafting has branched out into home decor and other "non-scrapbook" areas, and these easels fit right into the niche. Both of my easels are going to be holiday gifts. I am going to have a hard time giving them away, but I'm also excited to be able to give them as gifts. They were easy to paint and embellish and there are so many things you can do with them. I do wish the magnets had a little less power (maybe half the strength) than they do. I'm afraid the person who receives the one with the magnets will try to pull or move the magnet and tear the paper on top of the magnet. Be assured that whatever is placed underneath the magnets will NOT get blown off. I embellished both of these easels in less time than I have done scrapbook pages and they are going to make awesome gifts. The website has more tips and ideas for what you can do with them. I highly recommend giving these unique easels a try - you will LOVE them.

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Review by Catherine

The Alterable Easel from alteredmagneticeasel.com . What is it? It’s a high-quality magnetic metal easel to use for displaying photographs, layouts, and any number of things. I was intrigued when I was asked by ScrapFriends to review them. The Alterable Easel is the “brain child” of our very own Andrea, along with her business partner Philip Davis.

When I received my package this month, and began looking at the Alterable Easels, a million ideas ran through my head as to what I wanted to do with them. The front of the Alterable Easel measures 7 ½ X 7 ½ inches. Each easel comes with four very high powered magnets. The easels also come with a fact sheet to help the consumer work with the easel and the magnets. I love the simplicity of this product. The fact that it is simply a sturdy piece of metal with four magnets on it basically makes the options for embellishment endless!

Once I got started on my Alterable Easels, the projects went very quickly. I got both easels done in one evening, which is rare for me to complete more than one thing a night. I started out by making a recipe holder for my kitchen. Our kitchen is in drastic need of re-modeling, but whenever we do complete it, I envision it being full of rich, warm colors. So, I altered my easel around this vision. I love this paper from Rusty Pickle, and felt that using it on this easel would give it a wonderfully rich look. I believe I was right.

Title: Recipe Holder Easel
Products used:
Cardstock: Prism Papers
Patterned Paper: Rusty Pickle
Flowers: Prima
Kitchen Charms: Leisure Arts - Memories in the Making
Ribbon: Offray
Alphabet Tiles: Foofala
Adhesive: Adhesive Tech Ultimate Glue Gun; Adhesive Tech Permanent Glue Runner

Here is another view of the easel with a recipe clipped to it:

I’ve been meaning to make a clock to display in my scrapping area for several months. I felt that the Alterable Easel was the perfect thing to use to create my clock. I wanted my clock to reflect my favorite patterned papers right now, but my tastes change so frequently that I didn’t want my choice to be permanent. I used Rob & Bob Clips, along with the high powered magnets to “adhere” my paper to the easel, but I will be able to change my clock face very easily when the mood strikes. I had my husband drill a hole through the center of the easel for mounting the clock mechanism to the easel.

Title: Easel Clock
Products used:
Cardstock: Prism Papers
Patterned Paper: KI Memories; Provo Craft by Christina Cole
Acrylic Elements: Provo Craft by Christina Cole
Metal Clips: Provo Craft Rob & Bob Studios
Ribbon: Chatterbox
Clock Mechanism: Walnut Hollow
Stamp: Hero Arts
Ink: StazOn (Tsukineko)
Adhesive: Adhesive Tech Permanent Glue Runner

I absolutely love the way the two Alterable Easels that I worked with turned out! I cannot wait to get my hands on more of these little wonders, to use for gifts. My only regret is that I didn’t discover this product earlier, so that I could make them for gifts for the hard to please people on my Christmas list. I do believe that Andrea and her business partner have hit on a wonderful product with these Alterable Easels! I recommend that everyone order one as soon as you can so that you can experience the satisfaction of completing an easy project to showcase your scrapbooking art.

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Review by Eli

Andrea Cloutier brings a heavy-duty magnetic easel to the marketplace with a set of the toughest magnets I think I have ever seen. This steel “canvas” has an alterable surface of 7 ½”x7 ½” with a 3” base and tilted front for sturdy standing. Accompanying the easel was an information and tips sheet which gave lots of great information for working with the easels and magnets. The sealed steel surface is infinitely alterable. Let’s just say it is suitable for paint, paper, ribbons, fabric, charms, photos, stamping ink, embossing, other magnets…well, you get the picture. Create one to show off recent photos, to play a magnetic board game or to hold a recipe while whipping up something gourmet.

Here are some things to consider when playing with the easel:

1) Andrea recommends using a paint pen or something on the edges as it is “raw” and may rust in humid climates.

2) The magnets are extremely strong. I mean, seriously, you need to be careful when handling them. Andrea suggests gluing a piece of cardstock onto the bottom of the magnet to lighten the pull. A ½” circle punch glued on the bottom will do the trick perfectly.

My first project was inspired by something I saw a few years ago. I had a friend who loved to cook. When she had us over, she would write the menu on a plate using a dry erase marker so we would know the menu before dinner began. The easel became the perfect surface to recreate this idea. I chose elegant papers and lightly distressed elements to coordinate with my dining room.

Title: La Carte, menu easel
Products used:
Alterable Magnetic Easel and magnets (www.alteredmagneticeasel.com)
Pamela Woods squares paper (Creative Imaginations)
Chipboard letters (Close to My Heart)
Twinkling H2O's (LumineArte)
Bottle cap stickers (Design Originals)
Brown Patterned paper (Karen Foster Design)
Metal charms and dimensional word stickers (K&Co.)
Prismatics Wizard Dark cardstock (Prism)
Permanent Glue Runner (Adhesive Tech)
Glue Dots (Glue Dots, International)
Gel pen (Uni-ball)
Other: bottle caps, gold ribbon

Next, I had been pondering creating a magnetic chore chart for the family so we would know what things we needed to do around the house every day. I designed the background with four blocks: one for each member of the family and one for special projects. I created a number of tags, each with a chore on it. I added a magnet to the back and a brad on one side. The brad actually helps when picking up the magnet. Each morning, I can map out the chores for the day and when it is completed, the person who accomplished it can move it to the back of the easel. How’s that for functional and fun?

Title: Chores magnetic easel
Products used:
Magnetic Alterable Easel (www.alteredmagneticeasel.com)
Patterned papers (Provo Craft)
Metal rimmed sticker tags (Sticko) Whimsy Font Style Dies (Spellbinders)
Wizard Embossing and Die Cutting System (Spellbinders)
Ribbons (Michael's, Offray)
Scrapbook Interiors nails (Chatterbox)
Paper tags (K&Co.)
Stamping inks (Kaiser, Memories, Stampendous)
Prismatics Razzleberry Light, Razzleberry Medium, Iced Orange, Intense Orange, Majestic Purple light and Exclusive Papers Verde Pisello cardstocks (Prism)
1/2 inch adhesive magnetic strip (Crafts, etc.)
Permanent and Repositionable glue runners, Fine Line PVA glue (Adhesive Tech)
Other: sanding block

Conclusion: I love this product. My only tiny concern with this product is the magnets. I do understand that the purpose of having such strong ones is that the magnetic bond will hold through multiple layers of papers, stickers, ribbons, etc. But I had trouble getting them apart from each other and they often jumped to join each other. I will try Andrea's suggestion of gluing on a small circle of cardstock to decrease the pull.

My other favorite features include the size, which is perfect for quickly completing almost any project. It can hold a photo or two with an ample room for embellishing. The metal is strong and will take a beating in the kitchen or big kid’s room. The sealed surface construction allows for almost any application. My brain is churning with more projects that I want to complete: a school-week calendar with things that Hannah needs to take to school each day, a magnetic game set for car rides, an “adventure” easel that will include our latest family fun…and so much more.

Andrea has really brought something fun and functional to the crafting world. I have not seen anything like this before. It is definitely worth some crafting play time. See alteredmagneticeasel.com for pricing details. If you order a bunch, you get a break...I can’t wait to order more. Highly recommended.

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