I finally received Emma Lefebvre x Craftamo February subscription box today. Unfortunately, as you can see, my box is seriously damaged again like the first one. 🙁
As can be seen, the bubble wrap was very thin and I could feel the damage inside before opening the package. At CAD$84, this is disappointing to unbox. It is shipped from China, and sadly, my package seems to be hastily put together.
The box is made of very soft cardboard. However, I have seen people unbox theirs and they did not look damaged. Nevertheless, it is disappointing to receive yet another crushed package. In fact, I have ordered Paper Pumpkin and none of the boxes ever arrived damaged!
What’s Inside Emma Lefebvre x Craftamo February Box
For the purpose of comparison for value, here is what you are getting in this box:
- Dagger Brush size 10
- Cat’s Tongues brush size 6
- 4 half pans (Hooker’s Light Green, Raw Sienna, Purple Lake and Permanent Rose)
- Washi tape x 1
- 2 sheets of tracing paper
- 5 sheets of 100% cotton paper (8.3″x11.6″)
- 1 reference photo
- 1 template
Assuming the contents are all made in China, the washi tape and 2 sheets of tracing paper don’t really add up to the value of the 48-pan palette in the first box in my opinion. Chinese made washi tapes are very inexpensive, you can buy one for CAD$2-3 at most Asian stores here.
Presentation Needs Some Improvement
By the way, the plastic wrap was already loosened in two of the pans. Am I the only one? If you have received your box that came in such rough shape and presentation, please comment below. I am starting to feel cursed! 😛
Meiliang Dupes?
Out of curiosity, I swatched the Meiliang shades that have the same names as the four that came in the Emma Lefebvre x Craftamo February Box. They looked identical, but Meiliang is not lightfast, while Craftamo’s paints in this box claim to be. You be the judge. 😉
Tracing Hack!
Next, I followed Emma’s tutorial and painted my version of the “love heart”. I traced the heart from the template using a Derwent Graphitint pencil, which is water soluble. This way, the outline will dissolve in water and the line won’t show. Here is the trick: instead of using a graphite pencil to shade the tracing paper to transfer the outline to the cotton paper, I used a nail art tool, which I normally used to emboss paper to preserve highlights in my coloured pencils drawings. This way, I don’t need to shade the outline on the other side at all.
Review of the Brushes
Afterward, I used the dagger brush to paint the peonies, and the cat’s tongue to paint the roses and leaves. I must say I really love Emma Lefebvre x Craftamo brushes so far because they have the right amount of snap but also hold enough water. As has been noted, these are really good quality brushes; I have come to love them even more than my Princeton Aqua Elite!
Craftamo v. Meiliang
By the way, when I painted with the four shades from Meiliang above, there is not a major difference, except the Craftamo paints are brighter. For these four shades, both Craftamo and Meiliang are transparent, but Craftamo’s paints are more vivid after mixing, while Meiliang will get cloudier after mixing.
As an illustration, I purposely desaturated the Meiliang colours a bit when I painted it. Otherwise, the greens can get too dark for my liking.
Worth It?
Since the subscription box is once again available at Craftamo (if you subscribe it will start in May 2023 and end in May 2024), I am sure you want to know whether the box is worth it. Not gonna lie, this is expensive. I feel that CAD$70+shipping is a lot for what you are getting. Comparatively, the first box was worth it because you get the tin, but a washi tape and 2 sheets of tracing paper don’t add up to that value in my opinion.
It is worth noting that the brushes are really good and I like the paints and paper as well. However, I will be skipping the next two months, since I don’t think I will need two new brushes every month.
All in all, if you like these brushes and don’t already have a lot of supplies, it may be worth it for you. Personally, I would have liked each box (except the first box) to be priced at CAD$70 including shipping.
Spoiler Alert: March Tutorial
By the way, you can take a peek at March’s tutorial here. You will see what paints and brushes you’ll be getting. 😉
