Product Review -- Easy Canvas Prints

I am a total sucker for gallery-wrapped canvas prints -- they just look so professional and highlight pictures so well.  So when Brendan from Easy Canvas Prints asked me if I'd like to review their pictures on canvas, I didn't have to think twice.  I checked out their website and was impressed with the variety of sizes -- you can order one of their "most popular" sizes or pretty much any combination of dimensions you can cream up -- and other options, like color treatments and retouching.  They also have a cool visualizer that shows you what the size of print you're looking at would really look like up on the wall.  Of course, being the cheap-o that I am, price is a major factor in where I shop for anything.  I am happy to say that Easy Canvas Prints pricing is extremely competitive, even with some of the sale prices I've seen on other sites.  Even better -- if you become a fan of Easy Canvas Prints on Facebook, you can get 50% off AND free shipping.  I hate to pay for shipping, so that's a big plus for me.

I have to say, I was impressed by the service team as much as the print itself!  After I uploaded my file to their website, there was some problem with it.  They let me know right away and worked with me to make sure that my canvas looked exactly the way I wanted it -- even though it was over the Labor Day weekend!  I don't think the people I was working with even knew I was reviewing the product; they are just awesome like that.

Shortly thereafter, my canvas arrived, and I am genuinely impressed with it!  The color is what strikes me the most -- some wrapped canvases are a little muted, but the colors in this one are very true to life.  The texture is beautiful as well, and the detail is crisp and clear.  In fact, as many times as I've looked at this photo, I had never noticed that Sam is wearing a wristband until I looked at this canvas print!  So glad THAT made it into our family photos...

Conclusion:  I will definitely be looking to Easy Canvas Prints again when I'm ready to print more pictures on canvas.  Check them out, and let them know I said hello! :)

P.S.  Many thanks to FotoFly in Draper, Utah for taking this adorable photo of my kids.  Seriously, people -- if you need great family photos but don't want to spend a gazillion dollars, that is the place to go!

Freeze Frame - Product Review

I'm happy to introduce a new feature of my blog -- the product review! I think we can all agree that fellow-scrapper-enabling is what keeps the scrapbooking industry afloat. I mean, before I got sucked (happily) into the online scrapbooking community, all my supplies fit into one plastic bin. But now, as I hop through tons of forums and blogs, I am constantly finding new goodies that I just can't live without (or discovering older supplies that are too good to let go). As a result, I have a messy, overstuffed room full of fun things just begging to be shared with the world.

The first product I'd like to review is the Freeze Frame. I was introduced to it at the Scrapbook Expo last month, and I almost didn't buy it because I really had shot my budget all to heck, but it was such a great idea I knew I'd be kicking myself if I didn't take it home with me. Here's a video of how I used it for my first project, and I'll sum up with some conclusions below:



Pros:
-You really can glue each layer in one pass instead of trying to pick up and replace each element and get everything just the way you want it, definitely speeding up the process.
-It also helped me not lose little things like the dot for my exclamation point, which is always aggravating.

Cons:
-The adhesive mesh was very strong, and did not want to let go of the super-delicate elements on my page.
-It's a very large item, about 18" square, so you need to clear a good chunk of scrapbooking real estate to use it. I got everything mostly in place before I got it out, then carefully moved my layout into the frame, and that worked just fine.
-You do need to replace the mesh after a few months (depending on how much you use it, what kind of embellishments you use, etc.)

Conclusion: For me,the fun part of scrapbooking is creating the elements and arranging everything just so. Getting all the little bits and pieces adhered down can be a pain, and the Freeze Frame made that part a snap. Definitely recommended if you have a big enough desk -- I think I'll get a ton of use out of it.

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars
Price: MSRP $29.99 (I got mine for about $20 at the Scrapbook Expo, and I noticed several online shops had prices in the low-mid $20 range.) Replacement mesh is about $6