My Favorite Products
On this page you will find a list of all my favorite things!! I have used the vast majorty of things on this list and if not I tell you that! There are links to them if you want to purchase them. These are Amazon Affliate links so I will get a small commission if you choose to purchase after clicking the link. Don't go crazy buying supplies - use what you have, but this page is here if you want to try something new.
Writing Pens
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Uni-ball Air Micro 0.5 mm Fine Rollerball pack og 6, 4 black, 1 blue, and 1 red https://amzn.to/4rF57Xg This pen is great for writing on top of paint - which is something that some pens struggle with. Its also waterproof!
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Uni-ball UM 154 Signo Broad Point Gel Pen – White – Pack of 3 https://amzn.to/4iKr3wm A good pen for adding white embellishment or writing to a page!
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Sharpie S-Gel Pens, 0.7 mm, black, 4 count https://amzn.to/48z1gE1 These are not waterproof but I love writing with them.
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Fude Ballpoint Pen Extra Bold, 1.5mm, black ink, 3 pens per Pack https://amzn.to/44ZF9Ey This is the thickest regular pen and it is waterproof. Its a nice bold pen for adding writing to your pages. It also writes well on top of paint.
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TWSBI Eco T – Clear Fountain Pen F Nib. https://amzn.to/48XU9nB I LOVE this pen. It is a fountain pen. You will need to purchase fountain pen ink to write with it, but if you want to write a lot this is a great pen.
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Lamy Safari Fountain Pen. M Nib. https://amzn.to/4qhWm4H I like this pen a lot too. A Lamy Safari was my first fountain pen and I loved it so much I ended up getting a few more! It will come with a blue cartridge but after that you will need more cartridges or an ink converter https://amzn.to/3YyQ0Sg and some ink!
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Fountain pen inks: Most of them are not waterproof. I've only used one that is waterproof and it is this one: Platinum Carbon Black Ink https://amzn.to/4jzkRYl
Fineliners w/ Waterproof Ink
These are all very similar and are waterproof. What you can find depends on where you live.
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SAKURA Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens, 6 pack of various sizes https://amzn.to/3Ld9rwR I love these fineliners. They come in a variety of sizes. If you are heavy handed I recommend staying with 03, 05 or larger sizes.
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Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens - 4 Black India Ink Pen Wallet Set - Assorted Nibs Artist Markers (S,F,M,B Nib Styles) https://amzn.to/4juKV6S I love these as well. With this pack you get 4 different sizes.
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Uni Pin Fineliner Drawing Pen - Sketching Set - Black Ink - 0.03 to 0.8mm - Set of 6 https://amzn.to/4sPiQM7 This set of 6 has various sizes.
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STAEDTLER Pigment Liner Bonus Sketch Set of 6 Liners for the Regular Price of 4(2 free) https://amzn.to/4qhD0N1 This set of 6 has various sizes.
Paint Pens
Good for adding color. A good paint pen will cover other media such as watercolor and acrylic paint. They will also write on a variety of surfaces.
Grabie pens are less expensive, but they occasionally splatter paint – at least the fine tip ones I have do. They are great for adding detail. You can buy a variety of colors and different sizes as well.
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Grabie Black & White Extra Fine Tip Acrylic Paint Marker Set, 6 Pack, 0.7mm Acrylic Paint Pens for Highlights and Fine Details https://amzn.to/45wtm0w
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Grabie Acrylic Paint Pens Markers, 28 Colors, 0.7 mm, Extra Fine Tip [These are the paint pens in the video!] https://amzn.to/4qO7I07
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Grabie Acrylic Paint Pens Markers, 18 Colors, 0.7 mm [A smaller set of the paint pens in the video] https://amzn.to/49dzIUP
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Grabie Glitter Metallic Markers, Extra-Fine Tip Glitter Acrylic Paint Markers https://amzn.to/4qIIkIX
Posca paint pens are my favorite paint pens. I have used them on paintings, in journals, and even on murals! They are more expensive but you can buy sets or 1 at a time. They come a large variety of sizes and colors.
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Posca - Ultra Fine to Fine Paint Marker Pens Set - PC-1MR, PC-1M, PC-3M - Black Ink - Pack of 3 https://amzn.to/4syCbRn
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POSCA Paint Markers, PC-5M Medium, Set of 8 https://amzn.to/3Yw5Lt2
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Posca Paint Markers, PC-3M, Fine, Set of 15 https://amzn.to/3LEm5VJ
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Posca Paint Markers, PC-1M Extra Fine, Set of 12 https://amzn.to/4qJR6GA
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POSCA Black & White Bullet Tip - Set of 6 Pens (PC-5M, PC-7M, PC-3M) https://amzn.to/4syg1ic
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Posca 8 Pack (PC-17K, PC-8K, PC-5M, PC-3M) Black & White Medium to Large https://amzn.to/4qOysgY
Art Journals
When I first started art journaling I used Strathmore Mixed Media Art Journals like these:
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Strathmore 460-19 500 Series Visual Mixed Media Journal, Vellum, 9"x12", White, 34 Sheets https://amzn.to/4pziNRw
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Strathmore Visual Journal Mixed Media Vellum 5.5"X8" https://amzn.to/4jR4pDb
This was back when there were very few options for mixed media journals and also I didtnt know a lot about paper. But, that doesnt mean that these are not good journals. They are actually great for mixed media art journaling and come in different sizes. I don't really like working in spiral bound journals lately but they benefit of them is that they can expand easily if you glue in a lot of ephemera! You can also fold the cover and pages behind the page you are working on and these jouranls ahve a hard cover which makes them sturdy for jouranling out and about!
A few years later I moved into the Canso XL Mixed Media spiral journal. My favoite one was the 7"x10" which is not a typical size in most journals. These are usually available at local craft stores and are not very expensive. The paper holds up well to a variety of techniques.
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Canson XL Series Mixed Media Pad, Side Wire, 7x10 inches https://amzn.to/4pzMKRF
The longer I did art journaling and the more classes I took from different teachers - and probably as mixed media work became more popular - I began to learn more about different types of journals. I moved away from sprial bound jorunals so that I could create more spreads -- two pages that are completed as one art journal entry. So, I tried a different Stratmore:
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Strathmore 460-19 500 Series Visual Mixed Media Journal, Vellum, 9"x12", White, 34 Sheets https://amzn.to/4pziNRw
I also tried Dylusions Art Journals. These are journals with really thick pages and they work great for mixed media work. Some of them come with ledgers, or dots or lines on some of the pages - some of them are completely filled with blank pages. I've used them in a variety of sizes in both rectangle and square formats.
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Dylusions Journal 5x8, https://amzn.to/453tuo8
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Dylusions Jouranl Square https://amzn.to/49Lkt5H
The all-purpose mixed media art journals that I have been using lately are from Royal Talens. They are inexpensive, come in a variety of sizes and different cover colors, and hold up well to mixed media work. I used a 9x12 for an art journal w/ a variety of techniques and a smaller square one for making prints while traveling using a kneaded eraser.
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Talens Art Creation Sketchbook - 13x21 cm [apox. 5x8 in.] - 80 Sheets - 140 g/m² https://amzn.to/4qapfPZ
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Talens Art Creation Sketchbook Black 21x29,7 cm[aprox 8x12 in.], 140 Grams https://amzn.to/49nnSaZ
I said "all-purpose" in the previous paragraph because I have also been doing more urban sketching which - for me - is typically done with watercolors. So, in this case I need/want an art journal with watercolor paper. My favorites are Moleskine Watercolor Art Notebooks. I like the A5 for sketching on location, and I LOVE the pocket size for when I am traveling. The pocket size easily fits in my purse with a pen, water brush, and small watercolor set so I can make drawings/paintings whenever I want.
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Moleskine Watercolor Art Notebook, Hardcover, Large (5” x 8.25”) / A5, 72 pages https://amzn.to/48TF4o0
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Moleskine Watercolor Notebook, Hardcover, Pocket Size (3.5” x 5.5”), 60 pages https://amzn.to/3Xy0alB
Another book that I used primarily for watercolors (but did also try acrylics and it worked great) - was from Etchr. They make beautiful watercolor journals with very nice paper so I wanted to try one. I ended up getting the Mixed Media book because it was less expensive. It worked well but - for me - the pages were too thick and I didnt like the feel of the journal.
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Etchr Mixed Media Hardbound Sketchbook – Cold Press, Portrait, 8.3” x 5.8”, 110 lb paper https://amzn.to/3XGHu2X
Glue
I really like using glue sticks and Uhu are my favorite, but different types of glue have different uses. Soimtimes you might want a liquid and in that case my favorite is Art Glitter Glue.
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UHU Stic Permanent Clear Application Glue Stick, 0.29 oz, 12 sticks https://amzn.to/3ML1hMh
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UHU 99655 Glue Stick, 1.41 oz, Pack of 6 https://amzn.to/48pFRgn
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Elmer's Glue Sticks, Disappearing Purple, 4/Pack https://amzn.to/4qIkKvT
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PVA Glue, 8 oz https://amzn.to/4syI4xM
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Reptile Glue, 4 oz https://amzn.to/4jyVg1Q
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Art Glitter Glue, 4 oz https://amzn.to/3NeHaXe
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Mod Podge, Matte Finish, 8 oz https://amzn.to/4pv32es
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Liquitex Professional Matte Medium, 237ml (8-oz) https://amzn.to/3LD0ZqH
Tape
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3 Pack Double Sided Tape Roller https://amzn.to/4soI97g
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2 Rolls Double Sided Adhesive Sticky Tape for Arts, 1/2" https://amzn.to/3L7ueSx
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Washi Tape Set, 10 Pack https://amzn.to/49vd1dA
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Washi Tape Set 20 Rolls - 7.5 mm Rainbow Colors Thin https://amzn.to/49tIsFo
Acrylic Paint
Right now Amsterdam Acryic paint is my favorite. It works well, they have good colors, and they are not expensive.
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Amsterdam Acrylic Standard Tubes, 20ml-Tubes, Set of 24 https://amzn.to/3Yz2bhN
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Amsterdam Standard Series Acrylic Paint Set | Color Theory Mixing Set (5 x 120 ml Tubes) | Primary Colors + Black & White https://amzn.to/4aS71Ov
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DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint Set – Popular Colors, 18 Bottles (2 fl oz) https://amzn.to/4bp6Eeo
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Artbreezing Acrylic Paint Set,36 Colors 0.74 oz [I have not tried this particular brand but it looks like a good starter set] https://amzn.to/49c4NZ8
WATERCOLOR PAINT
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Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paint Set, Palette Pocket Set, 12 Half Pan w/ Brush [This is a higher quality set] https://amzn.to/4juVS8t
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Amazon Basics Vibrant Watercolor Paint Set Tubes, 24 Colors, Assorted Colors [I have not used these but they should work just fine!] https://amzn.to/4juVS8t
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Grabie 50 Colors Watercolor Paint Set [I did not show these in the video but I have used them and know many people really like them!] https://amzn.to/4sMTMFs
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Daniel Smith Watercolor, 6 Tubes, 5ml [these are my favorite but you will need watercolor pans to put them in or a ceramic dish to use them with. https://amzn.to/4t1QcHE
Other Art Supplies
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HG Art Concepts Travel Size Painters Color Diary – Watercolor, 6” x 8” spiral Bound - For swatching all your different watercolors! https://amzn.to/4psflJk
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Bohin Extra-Fine Chalk pencil, White - Used for Calligraphy Projects https://amzn.to/4pK0AkI
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16 in Tall Folding Camping Stool for Urban Sketching - Somtimes you can't or just dont want to sit on the ground when you are out Urban Sketching. https://amzn.to/4rEEQIZ
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Silver Brush Black Velvet Watercolor Paintbrushes - My favorite watercolor brushes https://amzn.to/4azpA9U
Art Books
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An Illustrated Journey: Inspiration From the Private Art Journals of Traveling Artists, Illustrators and Designers by Danny Gregory https://amzn.to/4iIkcn9
Dog Stuff
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Gentle Leader No-Pull Headcollar - My dogs pull and lot and are very strong but they dont pull with this! https://amzn.to/4rEwcda
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Joytale Reflective Dog Collage, Soft Neoprene Padded, Metal D-Ring https://amzn.to/4480v1U
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Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats for Training – Peanut Butter Flavor - Charlie and Delta's favorite training treats https://amzn.to/44CAecg
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Dog Bark Deterrent Device - Ultrasonic Dog Training Device for Indoor or Outdoor Use. This is how we got Delta to stop barking when we went somewhere in the ar. https://amzn.to/49TrvWH
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PetSafe Easy Walk Harness for Dogs – Front Chest Leash Attachment - This also helps reduce pulling. https://amzn.to/48XNMl2
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Dog Paw Trimmer with LED light, Ultra-Low Noise Dog Trimmer Grooming Kit with Replacment Blades, Waterproof Rechargeable Pet Hair clippers for Paws, Eyes, Ears, Face, Rump -- This is the only way I can shave Charlie and Delta's feet! https://amzn.to/44gIheF
TRAVEL
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Apple AirTag 4 Pack https://amzn.to/3XBwlAC
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Waterproof Airtag Case 4 Pack https://amzn.to/3MsxCH
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Kaptron 2Pcs Cell Phone Lanyard: Universal Adjustable Crossbody Phone Strap and Wrist Strap, with 2 Lobster Clips and 2 Tether Patches, Compatible with Most iPhone and Android Smartphones (Black) - This is how I have visited so many places and have not yet had my phone stolen! If you are clumsy like me it also keeps your phone from falling out of your hand! https://amzn.to/4rBswcg
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Vacuum Bags for Travel with Rechargeable air Pump, 15 Pack Carry-on Size Compression Packing Bags for Luggage and Suitcase, Space Saver for Clothes and Clothing Travel. - These bags helped me get more into my backs when I moved to Spain. You can also store off-season clothes in them which is what I am doing now that I have moved. https://amzn.to/3XBaN72
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Zelin Anti Theft Zipper Clips, Double Opening Small Carabiner Clips, 4 pcs - Use these to "lock" zippers so that your backpack doesnt come open or pick pockets cannot easily get into your purse. https://amzn.to/4iXwdFv
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Baggallini Women’s Securtex Anti-theft Memento Crossbody Bag https://amzn.to/3KdiKMP
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Baggallini Caryall Expandable Lightweight Travel Tote 22” Packable Folding Compact Nylon Washable Weekender w/ Luggage Sleeve - This has been a life saver a few times when I over packed or needed a larger back when I was on my trip. https://amzn.to/4pTzO9O
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Baggallini Securtext Anti-Theft Belt Bag 8.8” x 5.5” Crossbody Fanny Pack for Women, RFID Wallet, Locking Zipper Travel Purse - My favorite purse for travel because it is anti-theft! That way you can "lock" it and not worry about pick pockets quite as much. https://amzn.to/4rv7T1k
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Travelon RFID Blocking Passport Zip Wallet https://amzn.to/48Fs9ow
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Fitkicks Hideaway Packable Zippered Backpack - I love this backpack because it packs down small but when you use it as a backpack it holds quite a lot. https://amzn.to/3XCzkbZ
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10 Pcs Large Black KN94 Mask for Adults, 4 Layer Filter and 3D design, Adjustable - I wear these on the plane so I dont get sick when I am traveling. They adjust so they fit well and are comfortable. https://amzn.to/3NrDuSb
Move Abroad Items
Spanish
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Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners - Easy to read stories. Each one is about 3 chapters long. Each chapter includes vocabulary and comprehension questions. https://amzn.to/4rHjcUn
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Madrigal’s Magic Key To Spanish - This book gives you all the tips and tricks to learn spanish fast. For example, there are a lot of words that are bascially (or exactly) the same in Spanish and English - learn them and you suddenly know much more Spanish. Its a thick book and has a lot of really good information. https://amzn.to/48oLs6B
*If you are working on learning Spanish and want a referral to a good teacher who does online classes I am happy to give you my teacher's info! Use the contact form below to send me a message.
Portugues
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Passaporte para Portugues: Livro de Aluno + ficheiros audio - This is the book my teacher used when I was learning Portugues. It comes with Audio so you can hear a variety of Portugues accents speaking the language. By the end of the book you speak A2 Portugues. https://amzn.to/4oBrY3
*If you are working on learning Portugues and want a referral to a good teacher who does online classes I am happy to give you my teacher's info! Use the contact form below to send me a message.
Misc.
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Dry Bushing Body Brush Set https://amzn.to/4pK0AkI
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Celeb Luxury Colorwash Color Depositing Shampoo - This is the main thing that keeps my pink hair so vibrant for so long! https://amzn.to/4a32Z5A
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Overtone Daily Color Depositing Conditioner” 8 oz temporary coloring conditioner w/ shea butter & coconut oil - This is also good for keeping color hair vibrant. I used this before I found the shampoo. https://amzn.to/4qeXTrR





