Join us LIVE for our Embossing Paste Class: https://marypolanco.thrivecart.com/embossing-paste-class/

So, I don't really have a specific hack or dupe, but I just want to encourage crafters to look to art supplies sometimes. Craft companies are chasing trends, and want you to always be buying the next new thing or hot trend or whatever. But art companies are about developing the long-term customer, who will be loyal and buy from them for years to come, the same products over and over. So they price fairly and try to keep the product the same year over year. So you can often get better prices for art supplies (and often for a better quality product) than you can for craft-branded supplies. For example, modelling paste/texture paste/embossing paste, you can usually get larger sizes and better quality if you buy the art supply instead of the ones from the craft companies. And pouring medium is a great alternative to Triple Thick/Glossy Accents, etc. It's still pricey, but a better deal than the craft ones. And there are so many other things.

Second tip: mix your own stuff. You can make your own pastes and shimmers and stuff with art supplies. So you only have to store the base ingredients plus colour (watercolour or acrylics or dyes, or whatever) instead of taking up space with a bunch of separate pots for all of the different colours of products. Plus, if you're only mixing up what you need, you don't have to worry about it drying out. And since you're constantly using the base ingredients, you don't have to worry about them drying up either. Buy some mica powders if you want to add shimmer to your product. I don't think there are many craft products that I haven't been able to create myself with the art supplies I have.

Third tip, search engines are your friend. Most of what I've learned about "duping" craft products, I've learned from searching "{product name} diy" and almost every time, I've found an answer. Also, ask your crafty friends, irl or online. If anyone has any specific questions about this comment, just ask, and I'll be more than happy to share any knowledge I have about more specific things/products.

There is no such thing as too many money saving videos! Keep them coming, Mary❤ we love your videos❤

When I saw your thumbnail, I immediately clicked on it and said to myself "yayy I love these videos that she does !  I'll have to put that in comments ".  Then you asked if you did too many of these videos and my answer is a hard no!  These are amazing!  Thank you!

Add my vote to keep these videos coming.  I enjoy watching and appreciate you showing what works and what doesn’t.  Love harbor freight for craft stuff.  Got some pick type tools, and sanding blocks, among other things.  Looking forward to class!

To pick up sequins and jewels, I rolled museum putty from Dollar Tree onto the end of a chopstick.  Works perfectly.

I cam across you with the glass mat Tim Holtz one turned into as magnetic one and now I can’t stop watching your!  You come up with amazing ideas!  That you so. Much!

Dearest Mary - wonderful video (as usual). Harbor Freight - you "showed" the magnet "hooks" - I use those EVERYWHERE - artist studio, card area, even my kitchen. LOVE those hooks! Misty "push down" tool. Found, at a thrift store, glass door-knobs - 1 large & 1 small (they match). My dear hubby (amazing wood worker) made a round wooden base. Attached the door-knob, covered the wooden bottom with felt. I use the large one with my Misty & we keep the small one for my grand-daughters to use. They are beautiful, fit the hand perfectly and the sparkle in my grand-daughters eyes is priceless! Thanks Grandpa! Be blessed Mary & have a wonderful day.

Never too many money saving ideas! My husband made me stamp press from scraps of wood laying around. The biggest investment was the fancy glass knob he put on the top to match the doorknob on my craft room door.

May I just say that I love you????
OMG! The spackling hack is BRILLIANT. I love stencilling with texture paste but it is soooo expensive! I bought some spackling paste yesterday and it works like a charm at a TINY fraction of the cost.
And you can never make money saving videos too often in my book.
Thank you! ❤️

I remember container store had these tiny cube looking magnets they were insanely strong

I need three tweezers so I still have one when I’ve misplaced the other two🤪LOL

Love your comment "just take time to play" ❤

Here is my helpful hint.  I use Accent #100 COVER for card base (learned that from you.).  For a long time, it was around $14.  For some reason the price for the 8.5 X 11 size jumped to $30.  Here’s the crazy part - the 11X 17 size is currently $26 (yes, same number of sheets).  So, I bought the bigger size and took it to a local print shop and they cut it precisely in half for about $6.  So now I have 2 reams for around $32, which brings it to $16 per ream.  A LOT better than $30.

My daughters and my daughter in law are going to go thrifting next week for my birthday and I have already shown them pictures of what I’m looking for to use in my craft room!!!   I can NOT wait!!

I love all your money saving hack videos.  It's why I subscribed to you in the beginning.  You've never failed me yet!

I added your steel idea to the bottom of my TH glass mat and at the same time bought magnets similar to the ones you show here.  Home Depot had both items.  Works great!

i love your energy, your ideas and your voice

Love these types of videos Mary!  Sometimes I make my own washi tape when I know I will want quite a bit for a specific project. I use the cream colored masking tape and put several strips of it along a non stick craft sheet or wax paper. Then I use stamps with my preferred ink colors, paints, etc. similar to creating a masterboard type page, just using strips. It always turns out great.

I learned like so much by just watching only 3 of her videos. I like she is thinking outside the box. Btw red, blue, yellow are primary colors and green and orange are secondary colors :)