Markers: Prismacolor Premier vs. Sharpie vs Bic Mar-It

Some people are experts on art supplies. Some of us just go buy brands or buy the cheapest thing, because we have no idea what to choose. I've personally tried so many markers, I have lost track. From Crayola, store brands, dollar store markers, to "high-end" brands.   

I am here to give you some simple comparisons on the chisel type permanent markers. If you are like me, and are just starting out, I recommend that you still invest on some good markers because these type of markers have MANY uses.   

I went and invested hundreds of dollars on markers; $128.39 to be exact. I used coupons and sales. First I bought the Prismacolor Premier Markers: These markers are truly amazing. They glide very smooth and blend very easily. Also, they are very bright, have dual tips that serve many purposes. Every marker is coded with a color name and number. They have a big barrel that is easy to hold, but after coloring with them for a while they hurt your fingers. The plastic and the ridges are sharp. The ink doesn’t seem to last as long either. There are YouTube videos about how to revive a dry maker, however the pigment is not the same after the revival. You can buy each marker separately, but they are as much as $6 each at the local craft store. If you buy a whole pack of these, you might want to research online for coupons or bargains because a 12 pack can be as much as $30. They also have their 200 quantity pack that includes ALL their colors, but they have a price tag that ranges from $539 to $1,035. They have different collections for different colors. I currently own the main 3; Primary/Secondary, Manga and Portrait. The Portrait set that contains 24 colors, has 4 colors that repeat on the Manga Palette. If you aren't interested on drawing portraits of people, I suggest that you skip the Portrait set.   

Primary/Secondary Palette

Manga Palette

Portrait Palette

The circle ones are the repeated colors on the palettes.

The circle colors are the ones are drying out. 

Here is the Website for more information about these markers:  

http://www.prismacolor.com/products/art-markers/double-ended  

Second, I went and bought Sharpies. The great thing about Sharpies is that they are sold nearly everywhere. I pretty much own all of  their colors and collections. Another great thing about them is that they are also sold as single markers, VERY cheap. You can write on nearly any surface, and they have a wide range of points and sizes. They are also long lasting. In contrast with Prismacolor markers though, I would not recommend trying to use Sharpies for color blending. As for grip, they are smooth but no rubber grip. Another thing that I didn't like about Sharpies are that they aren't named, so you don’t know if you're buying the same color, even if it looks slightly different. They do not have a wide range of colors compared to other brands. All things considered, they are still a great buy.   

This is the latest haul from Target

These all the Sharpie colors

For more information about Sharpie:  

http://www.sharpie.com/en-US  

My third buy was Bic Mark-It. The main thing about these that attracted me was the rubber grip. OMG! It feels great, specially because I have many issues with my hands. Also, if you leave them uncapped they won't dry out for days! The pack I bought was the 36 count, which is all the colors they carry, and then I added the metallic ones. They are not very expensive. I got them for less than $30. They glide similar to a sharpie but just a bit more smoothly. Also their metallic collection has 8 colors that are very rich. A major plus for these markers is that they are name coded like the Prismacolor markers. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that the 36 pack came in a handy storage case!!!   

Bic Mark-It Colors 

Here is their direct site :   

http://www.bicmarkit.com/  

Overall, after reviewing these major makers, if you are just starting out, I would recommend to start out with Bic Mark-it. However if you are a professional and money is not an issue, and you want to be able to blend and create certain effects, Prismacolor would be the choice for you.   

As for me, after all my Prismacolor dry out, I will only buy Bic and Sharpies. 

Sharpie and Bic Mark-it Color Collection 

In my opinion; I am not a complete moron, and neither are you, lets save money!

I am not a complete moron, and neither are you.

So I have been doing some research on how to raise my credit score, (which was around 300, closer to non-existent). I am here to share with you a few tips that I’ve learned over the past year.

First, PLEASE….

AVOID:

·            Pawn Shops, Payday Lenders, Car Title Loans

·            Deferred Interest Offers

·            Visit Bankrate.com to look for typical rates for stuff. DON’T GET SCAMMED

·            Avoid predatory credit cards with VERY HIGH Interest rates

·            Avoid paying the minimum payments on loans and credit cards whenever you can.

Create a budget sheet:

It doesn’t have to be a high-end excel sheet, quicken books, or anything fancy. Just take a sheet of paper.

Example:

House:

Food:

Auto:

·            Insurance:

·            Gas:

·            Maintenance:

·            Payment:

Grooming:

Laundry:

Cell Phone:

Power/ Electricity:

Water:

Credit Cards:

Prescriptions:

Internet/Cable:

Medical Copays/Bills

Savings

Debts:

Subtract “The bills” from the “Money you do have” to see how much you will you have left over to “Play” with.

Check your Credit Annually for FREE!  On annualcreditreport.com (they give you all 3 Credit tracker companies for free. You can print or save them on your computer. **Report ANY mistakes on the credit reports. Dispute them directly by contacting Experian, Equifax or Transunion.

LAST RESORT should always be Bankruptcy!

Even if your are building your credit or trying to fix it, take out a small loan, even with a co-signer, but make sure you can afford the monthly payments!

DO NOT use services that advertise to help you rebuild your credit for fees. There are many FREE financial advisors, check your bank!

ALWAYS pay more than the minimum on your credit cards, but if you are having a bad month, pay at least the minimum ALWAYS! NEVER skip a payment!

Get a secure loan or a secured credit card if you don’t have a cosigner and make sure you use it just like a REAL credit card.

NOW…..

The hardest thing to do, is always cutting back on expenses.

Here are some ideas;

·            Make shopping lists

·            Buy second hand or generic whenever possible.

·            Use the public library for DVDs, they are free!

·            Cut out one addiction (the web says stop using expensive coffee shops, but I don’t use drugs, smoke or drink, so screw that. Lets not go crazy!!!)

·            Use your bank’s ATM to avoid fees

·            Learn what are wants vs. needs ( this one is the hardest thing to do, EVER!)

·            If it’s not broken, don’t replace it (this one is my boyfriend’s favorite)

·            Cut coupons, shop clearance, use saving apps and point/rewards cards.

·            Go to Free Wi-Fi places, and use their internet!

·            Cable? When are you really home?

·            Dollar Tree is your friend for some things, explore it.

·            Google coupons, and prices before buying high end items.

·            Carry snacks with you.

·            Ask for water refills, DO NOT buy bottle water.

I can keep telling you more and more, but you get the gist. There are tons of thrifty sites, and minimizer sites to help you. This is by no means a read to change the way you live your life, because, I am in no way, shape, or form, giving up my smartphone or anything like that. I am definitely a chronic shopaholic, but I’m also a bargain shopper and Clearance is my friend. Thrift shops are my spot!!!! 

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Tips and my opinion

Intro: This is my first Tech blog and post so it deserves an intro, feel free to skip it. I have work for several major cell phone companies, as sales and tech support. I don't consider myself an expert, but as a adviser on technology, I believe I can give you my honest opinion:

Samsung Galaxy Note 5:
My version (i bought) It's the 32GB Gold from Verizon
First, if you aren't a techy, it sucks, because all this devices, come with so much bloatware, that most of us don't need, but we can disable them on the app manager. I am sure you can google that, otherwise go to

Settings > Applications > Application Manager >  Slide to the left and find that Tab that says "ALL" under the you will choose the app that you want to disable, and if you can or are able to do so, just hit disable. =)

I then connected to Wifi did the software update, went to the Google Play store, slide to the right from the left corner of the phone and selected my applications and updated all the apps.

Now the phone is 32GB but that doesn't mean that you have 32 GB to put all your junk in there.  You have limited space, because the system needs certain memory to actually run properly, that's why many of us, end up calling TECH SUPPORT saying our phones are running slow, because we don't realize this.

To avoid the slow phone, go approximately like once a week to:
Settings > Storage >   Click on Cached Data , then press delete, then go down to  Miscellaneous files and select them all and delete ( if you are using Zedge, don't delete Zedge files)

Now so many people keeps inserting that pen the wrong way, its nearly impossible to do that. I use all Google Apps with my phone so everything is always synced.

This blog is for someone that doesn't really know much about phones and just want the simple stuff.  So I'm not boring you with specs and lingo that will make no sense to you. It has an amazing camera very fast shutter and many cool features. The pen its very accurate to the point you might be ditching the regular paper note pad.

The phone has a glass and front back so don't leave the store without a nice case and a screen protector, I bought a SPECK one for my rough days and a Kate Spade for my girly days.

A tip: Use Google Photos to back up your picture automatically, and there is a new feature on the settings of that app, that will delete the pictures once  their backed up, so it doesn't take away from your phone's memory.

I tell you, before you call tech support, google your issue, look at YouTube videos or read posts from other people having the same issues, chances are you wont get frustrated with the million questions they will ask, or the rude rep, you might get.