Information

[oceanbreezes423]

Imagine my frustration when I was going to use a jar of Picket Fence paper glaze, only to find it as hard as a rock!! I have approx. 25 jars of this and I have only 2 that are usable!!! I am so disappointed. Some never even had the seal taken off. Has anyone experienced this? Is there something I can do to "soften" it back up? That is quite a bit of money to throw away. Thanks for letting me vent cherries!

[Art_Teacher]

That is disheartening for sure!  I don't know that you can soften them up.  Maybe contact the company and tell them that they have dried even with the seal intact?  You might get something, and they should know their seals aren't working!

[VickiR]

Imagine my frustration when I was going to use a jar of Picket Fence paper glaze, only to find it as hard as a rock!! I have approx. 25 jars of this and I have only 2 that are usable!!! I am so disappointed. Some never even had the seal taken off. Has anyone experienced this? Is there something I can do to "soften" it back up? That is quite a bit of money to throw away. Thanks for letting me vent cherries!

Yes!  I feel for you.  However mine was the Nouvo Mousse!  They were brand new and I bought them at the CKC show.  Every one of them was like a rock and even cracked when I took the seal off.  Won't buy any of it any more.  The Crafters Workshop Stencil Butter is the only thing I use.  It's goes on literally like butter and cleans up easily.
 

[VickiR]

That is disheartening for sure!  I don't know that you can soften them up.  Maybe contact the company and tell them that they have dried even with the seal intact?  You might get something, and they should know their seals aren't working!

I tried everything and contacting the company.  Of course, it was not purchased through them so they weren't going to do anything about it.  They couldn't believe that they were dried and cracked and offered some tips on how to recondition it but nothing worked.
 

[Art_Teacher]

That is disheartening for sure!  I don't know that you can soften them up.  Maybe contact the company and tell them that they have dried even with the seal intact?  You might get something, and they should know their seals aren't working!

I tried everything and contacting the company.  Of course, it was not purchased through them so they weren't going to do anything about it.  They couldn't believe that they were dried and cracked and offered some tips on how to recondition it but nothing worked.
  

That is sad!  I have noticed many art supplies I order for school have the same issues...especially the paints.  I think they are left over from the covid shutdowns, and they are trying to pass them off as new product, sadly.

[VickiR]

That is disheartening for sure!  I don't know that you can soften them up.  Maybe contact the company and tell them that they have dried even with the seal intact?  You might get something, and they should know their seals aren't working!

I tried everything and contacting the company.  Of course, it was not purchased through them so they weren't going to do anything about it.  They couldn't believe that they were dried and cracked and offered some tips on how to recondition it but nothing worked. 

That is sad!  I have noticed many art supplies I order for school have the same issues...especially the paints.  I think they are left over from the covid shutdowns, and they are trying to pass them off as new product, sadly. 

That could be for the paints.  The mousse I purchased before COVID, probably in 2018.  I was so disappointed because I bough  4 different colors.  A real waste of almost $30.
 

[jordanbev5]

The Picket Fence brand has been the ones that dried up for me specifically the Paper Glaze. Once I opened it and started using it, I had to use it ALL up or lost it. Pushed me to figure that out but then I couldn't use it, say, 6 mos later. Really a disappointment! The Nuvo Mouses I add water to and they were ok to use but not as good as new. I kept those. Disappointed with Bo Bunny's glitter paste which dried up quick too. Love my Mixed Media but only Cosmic Shimmer metallic or opal pastes are good to go no matter how many years you own them. Dyan's paints dry up too fast in my opinion too. I have spent a fortune on these and when I purchase them, (NO MATTER where I am) I open and test them where I am. I emailed Picket Fence on a brand new paste they had on a "sale" and it was dry from the get go, and they never emailed back, so do not buy them anymore. I was in a store YESTERDAY, and was moved to buy their Ocean color (which I have used before), but opened it, and it was bad right there in the store!!!  Do NOT purchase ahead of using way in advance, unless you plan on taking a 50/50 chance that your money will be wasted!!
Cosmic Shimmer gilding polish and opal polishes seemed to be the long lasting ones.

I don't have this color but the previous colors like Pistachio, Green Pearl, Lilac Rose OPal, Summer Sky, and Golden Glow. They last and last and have their own sponge dabber. I have NOT tried their Cosmic Shimmer SAND. 
Has anyone use that and how did that work out??

[emmapaige]

Since talking about dried up products and since I'm in the process of merging and purging, my Crafter's Workshop and Vicki Boutin products are still good. I guess I already tossed the Nuvo products since I only had two left and I just tossed them. 

I really need to use these more often because they are so beautiful! 

[oceanbreezes423]

Yep. Same problem with Picket Fence glaze.  Had to toss most of them. A serious waste of money. 

[Creative gLori]

I had 2 Gina K Glitz glitter gels that hardened up. I asked about it on FB groups & was directed to Themoweb/Gina K webpage; which suggested to put some warm water in it, put lid on, & let sit overnight. I did the 3 times and it did nothing, for me, so I ended up pitching it. You can try that it you want to. I ended up ordering a new one, only because the one color was on a DP LO that needed it for the other page that was incomplete. I have yet to check the new one from Thermoweb. It was suspiciously wrapped in clingwrap when it came.
You may want to contact the company. I truly hope you can resolve the issue, as that a lot wasted investment.

[Deanna13]

I'm so sorry this happened. I've had texture paste and other products dry up too.

[AnniePee]

This is terrible!  I've never been a mixed media person, no paints, mousses or wet stuff allowed in my scrap room. Now I know why -- besides the fact that I'm messy and a spiller.  So sorry for your losses.

[SandyJay]

I have had limited experience, but I have plenty the Crafter’s Workshop stencil butters.  I just opened some of them up.  Some were fine where I hadn’t used much, the others with a lot gone were thicker, but I added a little bit of water and whipped them up good with a spatula, they got creamy again.   

I had Sizzix crystal paste, it was drying up.  I added water to that too. It didn’t accept it as well as the stencil butters, but I think I saved it, for now.  

A newer jar of Ranger metallic white texture paste is fine.

An unopened jar of Nuvo expanding mousse has a very weird spongy dry texture, I just threw it out because it  was like - moss?  

I just checked more of TCW stencil butters (I have 17 jars!) and they are all fine, perhaps a couple could use a bit of water to keep them happy.  

I hope this helps moving forward.  Good luck, and sorry about your wasted products.  

[MTCanuk]

I also had Nuvo mousse dry up and  also texture paste.  Even with putting press and seal over them.  Such a big waste of $$$.  I also invested in TCW butters and find them good thus far. 

[Jolly Holly Scraps]

Following this board, as I love mixed media!

I have steered away from buying a lot of the mixed media products because I did have stuff dry out in the past and yes, a waste of my money!
I AM going to try the stencil butters when I get extra funds, because I've heard great things about them from everyone!!

I use gel mediums or modeling pastes most of the time and mix those with my own inks and paints and pigments. I use these gel mediums in my mixed media artworks, too, so I don't consider them an extra expense. I've only had good luck with these, but I use them a LOT so they probably don't have a chance to dry out on me!

[pawprints]

This happened to me with Bo Bunny Glitter Pastes. I recently had to toss every one of them and it really hurt. The Nuvo Mousse dried up on me too. I used Picket Fence a few weeks ago and it was good, but I had just recently bought it. I guess I should get crackin' and use those soon. I love the Stencil Butters and haven't had any problems with those. Or the Simon Hurley Pastes. I should really go and check all of them out. 

[Nana01]

I had to start buying from the traditional art supply companies that have been around for years. ACOT sells them. My items from all the companies everyone already mentioned didn’t last long. Yes Golden products are more expensive but it evened out when I had to throw away most of my mixed media stash from other companies. I still use my stencil butter too. That has held up well.