April's Review	Andrea's Review	Randi's Review	Catherine's Review	Chris' Review

Review by April

I have always enjoyed using different mediums on my scrapbooking projects and I actually have a huge display of pens, pencils, markers, etc...right next to where I scrap for easy access! Markers, pens, and pencils of all sorts can be such a valuable tool when you are creating and I was almost giddy when I found out I would soon be adding a beautiful set of watercolor brush markers from Staedtler to my supplies!

Staedtler sent us a package of their Mars Graphic 3000 duo tip Watercolor Brush Markers and I couldn't wait to break them open! The markers came in a vibrant array of colors: Green, Orange, Blue, Yellow, Red, Van-Dyck Brown, Dark Mauve, and Black. One end has a foam brush tip that when used - colors and flows just like using a paintbrush, but also allows for fine detail because of it's non-fraying pointed tip. The other end has a fine-point fiber tip that is perfect when you need to add some fine detail or journaling to your project. The caps on all of the markers interlock and are created so that they do not roll while sitting on your crafting desk.

For my first layout I used the Red watercolor brush marker to color almost all of my accents so that everything would coordinate perfectly. To be specific, I used the brush marker to color the top and bottom of the patterned paper, on the insides of the stamped flowers, on the chipboard letters in the title, and then I used the fine tip end of the Red brush marker for my journaling! I also used the Van-Dyck Brown watercolor brush marker around the edge of the top photo, and on the sheer flowers - which I then embossed with holographic embossing powder.

Title: Jolly
Materials Used:
Patterned Paper (Creative Imaginations)
Watercolor Brush Markers (Staedtler Mars graphic 3000 duo)
Stamps (Fancy Pants)
Ink Pad (Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink)
Chipboard (Hobby Lobby)
Jeweled Brads (7gypsies)
Embossing Powder (Ranger Holographic Embossing Powder)
Sheer Flowers (Maya Road)
Pen (Sakura Gelly Roll "Stardust")
Ribbon (Tie One On Ribbon Club)
Staples (Making Memories)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, and Zots)

I wanted to show the benefits of having two different tips on each marker, so I used both of the tips to decorate my second layout. I used the fine tip end of the Dark Mauve watercolor brush marker to decorate the stamped flowers on the top and bottom of my layout, for the small doodle stitches on the patterned paper, and also for the journaling! I used the brush tip to line the edges of my chipboard title, and then printed my picture in black and white on plain cardstock and colored the entire background in Dark Mauve too!

Title: Classy
Materials Used:
White Cardstock
Patterned Paper (Autumn Leaves)
Watercolor Brush Markers (Staedtler Mars graphic 3000 duo)
Stamps (Fancy Pants)
Ink Pad (Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink)
Chipboard (Hobby Lobby)
Jeweled Brads (Karen Foster)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, and Zots)

For my last project, I used the watercolor brush markers to decorate a pop open card I created. I used the brush tip of the Van-Dyck Brown watercolor marker to line the edges of the dark pink cardstock, and then used the fine tip to doodle all over the card. I colored the back of a large ghost flower with the brush tip of the red marker, let it dry a little, and then rubbed it with a cloth, which turned it into a softer pink like shade. I used the brush tip on the smaller sheer flowers too and then embossed them with a holographic embossing powder. They turned into a softer pink shade as well and were really pretty and glittery after the embossing!

Title: Pretty in Pink Card
Materials Used:
Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (My Minds Eye)
Watercolor Brush Markers (Staedtler Mars graphic 3000 duo)
Stamps (Fancy Pants)
Ink Pad (Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink)
Flowers (Maya Road Sheers and Heidi Swapp Ghost shapes)
Embossing Powder (Ranger Holographic Embossing Powder)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, and Zots)

I really enjoyed working with these Watercolor Brush Markers and I love the fact that they are essentially a scrapbooking tool that can be used over and over again to decorate and embellish all sorts of projects. These would be an excellent addition to anyone's scrapbook or crafting stash!

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Review by Andrea

Staedtler is a company that I've known for many years due to their great reputation in the crafting world. I have a set of their watercolor pencils, so I knew that I was in for a treat with the Mars Graphic 3000 Duo Watercolor Brush Markers. The 8-piece set arrived in a clear plastic container hinged at the bottom and heat-sealed at the top. I must admit that the package was a bit too tamper-proof as I wanted to maintain the integrity of it for a storage box. I was able to use a craft knife to cut off the heat-seal portion and keep the container in good shape. Yeah! I was able to get into the package!

The markers are very well made, all 7 1/2" of them! They are dual-tipped, having a firm foam brush tip on one end and a fine tip on the other. The brush tip cover is the ink color with a ring of color around the fine tip end. Both tips are said to not fray and maintain the artist's details. The ink is dye-based and water soluble to create beautiful water effects. The colors are those of the rainbow plus brown and black. Vivid and bold, just gorgeous!

With our recent review of the PageSage DVD Rubber Paper Scissors, I wanted to steer my projects towards using rubber stamps with the markers as much as possible. I started by creating a project with stamping on the solid background paper that coordinated with the patterned paper. The colors in the marker set matched perfectly! I colored in parts of the stamp with 3 different colors (yellow, orange and purple), "huffed" on the stamp to revive the juicy color ink, then pressed onto the paper. The flourishes have a great watercolor look to them with no paper distortion at all.

Title:Free Spirit
Materials Used:
Patterned Paper, Die Cuts and Rub-on (Bo Bunny Bella Journee Marrakesh)
Vellum (WorldWin Inkjet Vellum)
Stamped Design Inspiration (PageSage Rubber Paper Scissors DVD)
Markers (Staedtler Mars Graphic 3000 Duo Watercolor Brush Markers)
Stamps (Autumn Leaves)
Ribbon (Tie One On Ribbon Club)
Eyelets (unknown)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Working into the watercolor aspect of the markers, the next project evolved quite nicely! I colored the stamp, this time using yellow, orange and brown, then pressed onto glossy white cardstock. I trimmed out the image closely and used a brush filled with water to drag the color into the open areas. I touched the water brush tip to the open brush end of the yellow marker to add more intense color. When the image was colored enough to my liking, the outside was edged with the brown marker for distinction. The crown was stamped and trimmed out then edged in yellow as a final touch.

Title:Little King Card
Materials Used:
Markers (Staedtler Mars Graphic 3000 Duo Watercolor Brush Markers)
White Glossy Paper (King James Cast Coat)
Stamps (Lost Coast Designs)
Ink (Tsukineko StazOn Jet Black)
Staples (Target)
Paper (unknown)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

The last project is a card of a collaged stamp. This image is actually one stamp that was colored with yellow, blue and black on the rubber on the distinct areas. Instead of "huffing" on the rubber, a water mister was used to invigorate the color just before pressing onto the paper. You can see some color blending around the blue into the yellow. This technique is a lot of fun since multiple stampings can be done from just one inking. The image shown here is the first stamping.

Title:Madonna and Baby Card
Materials Used:
Cardstock (WorldWin Metallics)
Markers (Staedtler Mars Graphic 3000 Duo Watercolor Brush Markers)
Stamp (Lost Coast Designs)
Mini Mister (Ranger)
Eyelets (Making Memories)
Fiber (unknown)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

The Staedtler name held it's promise of high quality with this watercolor brush marker set. I loved the flexibility of using the brush or fine tip. The markers were wonderfully "juicy" and vivid with color. Using the markers with rubber and acrylic stamps proved to be easy and lots of fun, especially on collaged stamps with small details. I highly recommend this set to anyone wanting more creative flexibility with their coloring mediums for stamps and paper. I can't wait to find a local retailer to see the other 72 available colors!

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Review by Randi

I'll be honest right upfront. I have never "gotten" stamping WITH markers. Ok, I've colored in designs on stamped images, but stamping WITH them, why? I recently discovered the answer to that question! This week I worked with a set of eight dual-tip markers from Staedtler - the Marsgraphic 3000 Duo. They are available in four different sets - an earth tone, grey tone, pastel tone, and the one I received, primary colors. The Primary Colors set includes Yellow, Orange, Red, Dark Mauve, Blue, Green, Black, and Van Dyck Brown.

Features that I REALLY liked about the Staedtler markers:

• They are odorless!
• The dye-based inks are acid-free and xylene-free.
• While my projects used the markers "straight" they can also be lightened with water for watercolor effects.
• The non-roll caps are color-coded and interlocking.
• The ease of cleaning. All I had to do was run the stamp under water for a few seconds and the color was GONE from the rubber surface.
• The markers are double-ended. One end is a fine point fiber tip great for doodling, journaling, and detail work. The other end is a foam brush tip that I found very useful for filling in sections on a rubber stamp. The company promises that the brush won't fray - another great feature!

Now on to that "why stamp with markers" question. In the layout below I wanted to use several colors of ink, but some of the smaller areas made masking for different colors very difficult. It was as easy as can be to color on the rubber portion of the stamp. When using a large stamp the first inks will dry before you're finished with the final color. I used the "huff" technique (breathing out a puff of air in a "huff" on the stamp's surface) to moisten it. I loved how easy it was to get so many different colors with only one stamp of the image!

Title:Friends in the Rain
Materials Used:
Patterned Paper, Be Blessed
Frosted Cobalt and Black Prismatics Cardstock, Prism Papers
Watercolor Brush Markers, Staedtler
Friends stamp, Stampendous
Black Fine Weave Magic Mesh
Ribbon, Tie One On Ribbon Club
Staples
Permanent Bond Glue Runner,Adhesive Tech

Stamping with markers proved very useful for this card also. Last week I took my daughter on a homeschool field trip to an organic creamery where we saw milk processed into quart bottles. I created this thank you card to send to our tour guide. Not only is all the stamping done with markers, but I edged the card with the black marker.

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Title:Thank You Card
Materials Used:
Bianco Exclusives Cardstock, Prism Papers
Black Prismatics Cardstock, Prism Papers
Watercolor Brush Markers, Staedtler
Cow Stamp, Rubber Stampede
Milk Jug and Milk Splats, Words, Paper Artsy
Alphabet Font, EK Success
Ribbon, Tie One On Ribbon Club
Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

I haven't done much with markers since my very early days in scrapbooking when using colored markers for journaling was so in vogue. I really loved the options with this set, however, and it will have a prime spot in my tool kit.

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Review by Catherine

Staedler Watercolor Brush Markers are a product that I have seen in my local stamping store, but have never had the courage to pick up and try out for myself. Staedtler produces a wide range of products; including arts and crafts products like crayons, markers, pens, the ever popular Hot Foil Pen, and my favorite Mastercarve rubber stamp carving supplies. I have used several Staedtler products before, but like I said have never used their Watercolor Brush Markers, so I was excited to get these markers for review.

Staedtler Watercolor Brush Markers are double-ended. On one end, there is a bold fiber tipped marker. On the other end, there is a flexible foam watercolor brush tip. The packaging states that the Watercolor Brush Markers are “Terrific for Rubber Stamps”. The Watercolor Brush Markers are available in an impressive 80 different colors, and are packaged in an eight color set. The colors I received are mostly basic colors of: Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Orange, Black, and Brown, along with Dark Mauve. This is a perfect set to start off with, because it gives you the basic colors to build on.

I really enjoyed working with the Staedtler Watercolor Brush Marker set that I received. Of course, the most obvious choice for using markers would be to create titles and journaling. The watercolor brush tip also makes it possible and extremely easy to use these markers to “paint” on rubber stamps to create multi-colored stamp effects. According to the Staedtler website, the tips of the markers will not fray, which is a big plus. Also, I was happy to see that the markers are Acid-Free, and completely safe for scrapbooking and memory keeping.

I used my Staedtler Watercolor Brush Markers to color an acrylic stamp for my first project. I used a variety of the different colors available to me, and colored in different sections of the stamp with different colors. Then, I sprayed the stamped image with a mister filled with water to blend the inks slightly.

Title:Seeking
Materials Used:
Cardstock (Prism Exclusives)
Patterned Paper (BasicGrey - Recess)
Stamps (Technique Tuesday)
Markers (Staedtler Watercolor Brush Markers)
Chipboard (Scenic Route)
Flower (Doodlebug Designs)
Acrylic Mirrored Flower (Imaginisce)
Digital Kit (Twopeasinabucket)
Ink (Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink – Chestnut Roan)
Journaling Block (MME)
Adhesive (Adtech Permanent Bond Glue Runner; Glue Dots)

I recently started a “Daily Inspirations Journal” in which I try to create a miniature piece of artwork quickly every day containing a quote or some type of inspiration. I decided to use my Staedtler Watercolor Brush Markers and a few stamps as the basis for my daily inspiration today. I really love the look of the Tim Holtz quote stamp colored with the watercolor brush marker. I was easily able to get a deep, dark, clear impression that I am usually not able to accomplish by using a stamp pad unless it is brand new. The crispness of the image of stamps colored with the markers totally took me by surprise.

Title: Daily Inspiration 9/10
Materials Used:
Chipboard Book (Heidi Swapp)
Markers (Staedtler Watercolor Brush Markers)
Stamps (Fancy Pants Designs; Stampers Anonymous)
Patterned Paper (MME)
Fabric word (Creative Imaginations)
Transparent Die-Cut (MME)
Button (Foofala)
Flower (Prima)
Adhesive (Adtech Permanent Bond Glue Runner; Glue Dots)

I am very happy to have the Watercolor Brush Markers available for my use. I have really enjoyed working with these markers for stamping this month, and these markers will definitely become a staple in my scrapbook supplies. I believe everyone should have a set of these markers in their stash. They are just that good. If you haven’t tried Staedtler Arts and Crafts supplies, then now is the time to get them, and you should absolutely start with the Staedtler Watercolor Brush Markers.

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Review by Chris

Brush markers are a superb tool for the papercrafter. They are a quick, no-fuss way to add color accents to any project, card, or layout. Staedtler has developed an outstanding product in their Mars Graphic 300 duo Watercolor Brush Markers. These markers are dual-tipped, featuring a brush marker at one end and a fine tip fiber point at the other. The brush tip gives you the appearance of a water color brush without the need for paint and clean-up, and the fine tip is perfect for detail lines and getting into those smaller spaces.

There are 8 markers in this set: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown and black. Because these are water-based markers, they blend well with just a brush and plain water, allowing you to create many other shades. The markers can also be used as is on paper or applied to stamps prior to stamping.

I decided first to use my markers on a layout. I have had the Tinkering Ink Noir Blanc papers for a while and I thought it would be fun to color in some of the white spaces using the markers. I used just the blue marker on the stripes and circles of the papers. I also colored the large chipboard S and then applied Ranger’s Glossy Accents to give the letter some shimmer. I love the quick drying quality of the markers and the ease of use. They are perfect for applying color without mess!!

Title:Splash
Materials Used:
Markers (Staedtler, Watercolor Brush Markers)
Patterned paper (Tinkering Ink, Noir Blanc Collection, Errol Flynn, Rudolph Valentino, Fred Astaire)
Cardstock (WorldWin, Colormates, Dark Tempting Tanzanite)
Chipboard (Powder Keg)
Dimensional Glaze (Ranger, Glossy Accents)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Tape Runner)

If you’ve been keeping up with my reviews, you know I am trying to make a card with the leftovers from my layouts. Here is my card from the scraps of the Tinkering Ink papers. Using the Staedtler Watercolor Brush Markers, I colored in the stripes and dots on the patterned papers as well as the flower image in the stamped greeting. Another cute card in just a few minutes!

Title: Thinking of You
Materials Used:
Stamp (Kolette Hall)
Ink (Printworks, Outliner)
Flowers (Prima)
Rhinestones (Westrim)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Tape Runner)
Adapted from a layout sketch from 123-scrap

Inspired by a segment in the Rubber Paper Scissors DVD, I wanted to try using the markers on a stamped project. First, I stamped an image using a quick dry dye ink, then I colored in the image using the markers. I used the yellow marker to lessen the intensity of the orange marker. It was easy to wipe off the orange residue from the yellow marker just by wiping it across a scrap of paper towel until all the orange was removed and the color was yellow again. The top image below is the stamped image colored in with the markers

Title: Thoughts of You and general cards
Materials Used:
Markers (Staedtler Watercolor brush markers)
Paper (Judikins MatteKote)
Cardstock (Prism, Prismatics, Papaya Puree Dark, Twilight Dark)
Stamps (Club Scrap; Kolette Hall)
Ink (Tsukineko StazOn Midnight Blue)
Ribbon (Michaels)
Brads (Queen & Co.)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Tape Runner)

Next I wanted to try applying the marker directly to the stamp and stamping a multi-colored image. I used the purple, blue and green to color in the various image areas and then stamped onto paper. I was thrilled with the result, which you can see in the bottom image above. The colors are so rich! I stamped the image multiple times, using the “huffing” technique between each one. Remember how you used to “huff” on the mirror or window to create steam? It’s the same technique, only you “huff” on your stamp. I huffed between each stamping and I was able to get four beautiful images from just one application of the markers to the stamp.

Here is the fourth image, which you can see is lighter than the first, but still filled with fine detail. This is a real plus for me with these markers!!!!

Finally, I wanted to try achieving the watercolor look advertised on the back of the package. I applied a small amount of marker to the center of each flower petal and then using a small paintbrush and plain water, I drew the color out over the entire petal. I used the same technique on the stems and hearts in the focal image. To create the background papers, I first dampened watercolor paper with my wet brush, then I swiped the marker across the wet area. Using the brush again, I spread the color out across the paper. You can achieve the same effect using a water pen instead of a paintbrush. This is a fantastic way to create watercolor images without the mess of paints! This entire card was created with just a set of markers, one stamp and a wet paintbrush.

Title: Thanks card
Materials Used:
Products used: Markers (Staedtler Watercolor Brush Markers)
Paper (Marco’s Paper, watercolor paper)
Stamp (Hero Arts)
Ink (Printworks, Outliner)
Ribbon (Offray)
Rub-on (JoAnn Craft Essentials)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Tape Runner)

I have used watercolor markers before, but none that compared with the quality of these Staedtler markers. The consistency of color is excellent and they are wonderfully juicy. I was so pleased with the outcome of all of my “experiments’ using the markers that I am looking forward to many more excuses... er, I mean occasions to use them!

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