Link Love: Supplies

Photo: MOMA

I'm always looking for places to get supplies both for myself and for the classroom. Michaels, Joann's, and Hobby Lobby all have good basics and offer 20-40% off coupons, but the following places are less crafty/more art specific:

• Cheap Joe's Art Stuff - I started buying painting supplies from them when I was doing my undergrad in Michigan's upper peninsula. It was pre-internet and we ordered via catalog. They still run great deals.
  
• Dick Blick - Blick stores are open to the public, however, you have to have an account if you want to order online. Their house brand of products are good quality and they give school discounts.
  
• Nasco - This catalog and web site are for art teachers. They recruit heavily to students.
  
• School Specialties - Not art specific, however, their basic supplies like markers, glue, and pencils are much cheaper than the alternative.
  
• Utrecht - I'm lucky enough to have a Utrecht store in my area so they're my go-to art supply store. They're great because they run good coupons for the home artist, offer school discounts, and produce high-quality house branded supplies.
  
• Wicked Good Farm - I was lucky enough to do a fibers/felting unit while student teaching thanks to my amazing friend Lee at Wicked Good Farm. She sent gorgeous white wool roving that was perfect -- clean from all debris, combed, and it didn't smell like farm.

Sharpie Liquid Pencil

Have you seen the Sharpie Liquid Pencil yet? It claims to :

• Write as smooth as a pen
• Erase like a pencil
• Become permanent like a sharpie marker after three days

It seems like a good fit for somebody like me who typically sketches w/ pen or sharpie. The prospect of never having to shake out another mechanical pencil lead sounds pretty good. I also love the idea of it becoming permanent so sketch books don’t end up a fuzzy, blurry mess as the pencil gets smeared around the pages. I wonder if it works on scantron tests. Just looking at the pictures, I wish it came with a skinnier body because I don’t really like holding fat pens or pencils. Overall, it sounds like a pretty cool upgrade old-school and mechanical pencils.

Tempera Cakes

Tempera paint, also known as “poster paint” or “washable paint,” is one of the most versatile paints available for kids. It mixes well, costs less than acrylics, cleans easily, and comes in gallon size bottles. It’s a staple in any elementary school art classroom. I recently learned that it also comes in “cake” form:

The cakes resemble water colors, however, they don’t break down as quickly. One teacher claimed to use a dozen sets over the span of four school years — making it an excellent choice for tight budgets. You can also buy individual replacements for colors, instead of having to buy a whole set when colors get used up.
To use them, simply drop a cake into a 3.25-ounce solo cup, spray with water, and let the kids go to town with their paint brushes. When you’re done, pop the lid on the solo cup and cleanup is a snap!