Monday, September 21, 2015

Feeling Groovy with the Groove Tool and StencilGirl Stencils

Welcome to Day 1 of our Blog Hop with Art-C and The Groove Tool. I want you to read this entire post while humming 'Feeling Groovy." Because that's what I did while working on this post. Could.Not.Get.It.Out.Of.My.Head.
I'm going to confess that I didn't expect to like this tool. I'm not a tool junkie in general, I am kind of old fashion and tend to do things the way I always have. When Art-C sent me one I didn't know what to make of it. First of all, I had just purchased a Clarisonic (for my face) and the Groove Tool looked suspiciously similar, ha! Note to self, keep it in the studio.
Here is a picture of the little guy, isn't he cute! There are four heads the come with the tool, moving from the left, we have a sponge, brush, coarse sander and fine sander. Being a stencil maniac, I knew I wanted to try the sponge tool for sure. And if you are a regular reader of my blog, you surely know how picky I am about my stencil sponges. Ahem.....
But I digress. 
As I was trying to figure out what to make, I opened my journal to find two pages totally stuck together, I hate it when that happens. Being up for an experiment, I snapped on the coarse sander and went to work: 
breaks my heart when this happens, argghhh......

I sanded the damage and then painted over it.
First I used the brush tool to cover up the damage with a similar color. Then I snapped on the sponge tool and stenciled a pattern.
Newly stenciled areas.
Wow. Honestly I was so impressed with this darn sponge, I went ahead and added pattern in a couple more areas. It requires hardly any paint! Seriously, I used just a few drops and it made such a nice clean result, check out this close-up. It is a real fooler - I could barely tell I was depositing any paint and when I lifted the tool it was such a crisp pattern I was super pleased. 
Closeup up of stencil parts. 
Next I wanted to distress something because I like doing that but my hands are arthritic and using sandpaper is not their favorite thing.  
Journal page thick with paint.
This journal page had some thick paint and I feared it was going to be a sticky mess, so I used the coarse sanding attachment and went over the white circle area. No pressure whatsoever. The tool does all the work. And amazing, I got this cool distressed look. 

Distressed with sanding attachment.
To sum up:
  • Groove Tool sponge rocks with stencils - use very little paint, you get a terrific result
  • Groove Tool sandpaper will knock the sticky edges off your journal pages easy peasy
  • Groove Tool sandpaper will distress a painted surface with ease
  • I think that Groove Tool is going to seriously help my arthritic hands.

The Groove is available now at EVERY Hobby Lobby store.  Most Michaels and Joann Fabric and Craft stores have it now, as well. At Hobby Lobby and Michaels, it is in the stamping isle.  At Joann, it is in the paint and stencil aisle, near the unfinished wood.  Of course, it may be ordered directly from Art-C by calling Customer Service at 800-448-6656.
Thank you Art-C. I love this Groove Tool!






70 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:14 AM

    These are great pages! Another great way to show off this tool. Gorgeous!

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  2. So much texture with just one tool. Great looking.

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  3. Thanks I wondered about this!

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  4. With my arthritic hands, this looks like a valuable tool to have in my art room❤️❤️

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  5. Funny you should mention Clairisonic ... that was my first thought too!!

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  6. Looks like a very fun and useful tool. Can see many uses for it.

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  7. Wow - so many ways to use this!

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  8. Anonymous9:01 AM

    Wow, looks like an amazing little tool that I just may have to try! Thanks for sharing it!

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    1. Anonymous9:04 AM

      oops, here's my email address for the giveaway chance: iluv2cre84u (at) gmail (dot com)

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  9. I'd like to get to know this tool!

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  10. Great project! Fascinating tool. Looks like a must- have! Anything to help these sore hands. Thank you!

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  11. Like the textures, this is a great tool to have on hand :) And like Gail Klein, great for sore hands. :)

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  12. So fun to see how you incorporated The Groove Tool into your art journal pages!!
    I can't put my Groove down! lol! Happy you are part of this hop, Mary Beth! :)

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  13. It will be so fun to play with " groove tool " 😁

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  14. The Groove tool makes it look so seamless and more professional...would love to win the giveaway!

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  15. It sounds and looks wonderfully versatile.

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  16. Anonymous10:55 AM

    It sounds like the Groove Tool would work very nicely as a big help with many needs...

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  17. Looks like a cool tool... Easy to get a thin even coat of color...

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  18. I'm planning on going to Joann's on Wednesday. Have something to add to my shopping list.
    This sounds like a fun tool - very versatile and useful.
    it did a great job on your stuck pages.
    thanks for sharing.
    txmlhl@yahoo.com

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  19. Groovy is exactly what this looks like - can't wait to use it!

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  20. This sounds like an amazing tool to have on hand.

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  21. Love all the layers

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  22. I was so pleased to read that you liked the sanding head - as my arthritis hates hand distressing and lets me know! But the other heads look just as awesome. I enjoyed how you used your tool for repair and additional stenciling - and it looks wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

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  23. I love this tool for all the reasons you cited, MaryBeth! And this art of yours is totally wonderful!

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  24. MORE POWER TOOLS! Wowie. =)

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  25. Oh! You can use this with stencils??? Awesome.

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  26. WOW! Great tool to spark your imagination.

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  27. Thanks for the review MB! I've seen these around online and wondered about them

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  28. Love your pages. What a great new tool.

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  29. very impressed with what the groove tool can do! thanks for sharing

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  30. I love this tool too! And I love your artwork! Aloha, angi in hana

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  31. Very cool, I have seen this tool and wondered how I could use it. I am a tool junkie! BTW, try Daddy Van's beeswax polish for sticky pages. It is great. Daddy Vans.com, they also have a great stain we can use for projects. I learned about it from Shannon Green, she has some videos using it.

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  32. It looks great!! I can hardly wait to try one out!

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  33. Anonymous6:48 PM

    Now you're groovin! Hot stuff! Good God Almighty!! ann_choate(at)yahoo(dot com)

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  34. Didn't think I needed one until I saw these demos! Would love to get lucky!

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  35. What an awesome tool.

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  36. That is a very cool tool! I love what you were able to do with it. Thank you for the chance at the giveaway.

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  37. This is a sensational tool. I wonder how I have created without it for some many years. I am starting a new 4x4 canvas series and this The Groove Tool will make the project uber efficient and fun.

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  38. I love this tool oh my ..my mind went into dreaming ideas of what I could do ..thanks for sharing the wonderful

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  39. Fabulous project and that tool looks incredible, - fingers crossed!!

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  40. This looks amazing! I totally need one of these! where has it been all my life? (cindyceroky@gmail.com)

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  41. I'm loving this tool. adlopez77(at)gmail(dot)com

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  42. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  43. i like the way the tool cleaned up that damaged page. another great idea for its use :)
    sorry. i didn't see the note to add my email till after i hit send.
    kenoly2000@hotmail.com

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  44. I really need to get my "GROOVE" on great tool, great applications. This is my second blog hop ever, so now I know what the hoop-dee-doo is all about.

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  45. I would like to try it, especially as u demonstrated...b

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  46. I so love how you used the tool & I understand the hands having issues- this tool makes things possible that I have trouble with- what an awesome invention- very cool

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    1. oh and my email is charcats7@gmail.com :)

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  47. I love what you did with it! I think this tool could help with my hands also. Many times my fingers curl up but with this I could use my whole hand!

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  48. Great ways to use the
    Groove Tool. Looks like
    it does a lot of work with
    out much effort from you.
    Great looking projects.
    Carla from Utah

    chph4evr@msn.com

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  49. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  50. love your project it would be wonderful to win
    manicros@hotmail.co.uk

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  51. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  52. Oops....spell check missed my mistake. I'd love to have the new tool & add to my stencil collection.

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  53. Love how this tool distresses! I had seen this tool at Hobby Lobby but wasn't sure I would get use from it. Thanks to your blog I am now a fan.

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  54. very cool project. i think i would like this tool.

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  55. Neat project and tool!

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  56. Wow thanks for all the info. Beautiful journal pages.No more achy hands and wrists! I am sold...... I want!, I want!

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  57. Love things with a motor & anything that will save what's left of my hands!
    Beautiful page too














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  58. Great pages! Love that using the sponge still gives a crisp stencil effect and doesn't seem to seep under the stencil.

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    1. Tidwell (dot) Susan (at) gmail (dot) com

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  59. What a great little gadget! My hands are getting arthritic, too, so this might be good for me!
    ....Raine
    AquaLuna13 (at) msn (dot com)

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  60. Just an amazing creation, WOW just superb!!! I would love to win this amazing tool! <3

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  61. groovy.... love your post!

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  62. di
    anagarcia1464@gmail.com

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  63. I would never have thought of trying this method to fix pages - I have quite a few where this has happened... I've got to try this! Thank you for sharing how you did it! (Beautiful journal pages too, of course!)

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  64. I've got to get myself a Groove Tool! Thanks for explaining the different tips. And thanks for sharing your art!

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  65. Well, MaryBeth, you certainly make this look easy-peasy….I can relate to the arthritic hands, I too have this blessing in my life, lol. You seem to have rocked this tool, and believe me, if I didn't live a hundred miles from a Michaels or HobLob, I'd have bought one by now. Our JoAnns doesn't have it - yet - they may get it. Thank you for showing great techniques with the groove tool - and yes, I AM feeling groovy even though I don't have one, (yet)

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    1. susan(dot)chesley(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  66. great looking journal page and tool!
    stamping sue
    http://stampingsueinconnecticut.blogspot.com/

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