Review: Whipped Cream Clay from Sophie & Toffee

White & Pastel Pink, Piping Tips, & Fake Sugar Sprinkles

Price: SGD 12.14 (approx $9.53 USD)

Availability: buy here

About the product:

• This is new generation whipped cream which is 100% environmental friendly with no harmful vapors.
• It has a slight fruity scent which is similar to our deco sauces.
• This type of whipped is more flexible and elastic and finished with a gloss.
• It is also easier to squeeze as compared to other fake whipped cream product which comes in a tube.
• You can easily attached our piping tips and it is ready to use!
• Each 100g comes with FREE 4 piping tips (randomly chosen).
• Colors: white, chocolate, lilac, blueberry, raspberry, peach, pastel pink, strawberry 

Thoughts:

I was super excited when Sophie & Toffee contacted me to try out this product because I'm continuously looking for new whipped cream materials to try! I have never used the clay type before, so this was my first one. I was also really interested because they said it did not have the harsh scent that most (if not all) silicone caulking has. I had to take a break from making whipped cream cases because the silicone fumes were aggravating my allergies, and adding to these headaches I was having :( So to hear that these clay whipped creams have a nice scent was awesome! It smells like vanilla-coconut!

They come in 100ml tubes, and you can screw their inexpensive piping tips right onto the tube. This is very convenient because you don't have to worry about setting up a piping bag and getting the stuff into the bag, and cleaning up after! I love that it comes in a variety of colors also. No need to mix paint and get messy!

One tube is enough to make 2 full iPhone cases, with a little left over for smaller projects. You should unscrew the piping tip after you're done, then put the cap back on tightly to save the whipped cream. You can let the whipped cream dry up in the piping tip, then peel it out afterwards.

I found that this whipped cream is a little hard to squeeze out of the tip. It is more dense than silicone, so it doesn't "flow" as easy. It helped to "massage" the contents of the tube for a few minutes to make the whipped cream easier to squeeze out!

The piped whipped cream will hold its shape. It becomes a little more "flat" after it sets, but doesn't melt into blobs like some other silicones do. It has superior adhesion properties to many silicones! I pulled on the cabochons on the cases I made, and they're not going anywhere lol! The feeling of this whipped cream is rubbery and flexible. It's not "springy" like how silicone is (when you push on it, it kind of bounces back) but it's NOT hard or brittle. It is rubbery.

 These are the cases I made with Sophie & Toffee's Clay Whipped Cream!

in Pastel Pink

I put their Fake Sugar Sprinkles on this ice cream scoop :)

Overall I would recommend this clay whipped cream for deco, especially to hobbyists and people just starting out! It's fun, convenient, simple to use, great quality, smells good, and has lots of colors! It is also not very costly (if you work it out, about $4.76 per case). I think this is a great project you can do with children too, since it's not harsh chemicals/smell like with silicone :)

Review: Whipped Cream Silicone from Sophie & Toffee

Price: SGD 12.25 (approx $9.77 USD) 

Availability: buy here

How to use: Cut open the tip of the pack and squeeze all of the silicone into a prepared pastry bag with piping tip attached. It helps to push all the silicone to the tip of the pack BEFORE cutting it open. Then as you squeeze it into the pastry bag, tightly roll the pack from the top down to get as much as you can out of it.

I was so excited to receive this new silicone from S&T to try out! This special silicone is imported from Japan.

⭐ Single-use 60ml, no need for storing
⭐ Enough to make 1 iPhone 4/4s case
⭐ Smell isn’t too strong
⭐ Not sticky or stringy
⭐ Not hard to squeeze out
⭐ Holds the shape well
⭐ Glossy shiny finish
⭐ Dries flexible in 4 hours
⭐ Lightweight, doesn’t make your phone super heavy
⭐ Comes w/ 2 free piping bags

Sophie & Toffee also offers a variety of piping tips! To make this case, I used the 6-point star tip in the top left-hand corner of the 2nd picture. You can get this set of 8 piping tips from S&T here for approximately $2.77usd.

Thoughts: 

I personally am not a fan of GE Silicone II (although a lot of people use it), I do not like how stringy, sticky, messy, and smelly it is. Using GE as a base to compare this to, this Japanese silicone is nowhere near as sticky, it was easy to clean up just by wiping it off my fingers with paper towel. It was not hard to pipe because it wasn’t “stringy” like how GE is. It holds the shape definition of the shells nicely. It dries within 4 hours and has a squishy texture, and is shiny. It is also lightweight which is a plus because most silicone combined with cabs tends to add a noticeable amount of weight to your phone. It has a very strong bond to the cabochons, and is secure and durable, even when I tried gently pulling on the cabs, they didn’t budge.

Initially when I was piping the case, I didn’t notice a strong smell like how GE has. However I should note afterwards, I did notice it has a strong “rubbery” smell up close when it had cured (it is not a “vinegary” smell like some silicones have). So I suggest letting it sit in front of a fan or open window for a few days and the smell will dissipate :)

Overall I would definitely recommend this silicone specifically to hobbyists looking to make cases for themselves! It is convenient because 1 packet is just enough to make one case, so you don’t have to worry about having too much left over, or having to store it and it drying out. It is easy to use for beginners and experts alike.

Have you tried this silicone? What are your thoughts on it?

 I will be doing a giveaway with the case I made with this silicone, so stay tuned for details :)

 

Shop Review: Sophie & Toffee

I've written about Sophie & Toffee on my blog a couple of times, and they still remain my #1 recommended decoden supply source since I started doing deco in 2009!

I would highly recommend Sophie & Toffee to those new to deco, because you'll find practically everything you need to start here! They have a huge variety of cabochons --  characters, sweets, flowers, hearts, bows, food, and more -- as well as rhinestones and pearls, miniatures, charms, chains, deco toppings, fabric ribbons, beads, polymer clay canes, resin supplies, clay, clay molds, hobby kits, jewelry findings, and crafting tools.

Their site is neatly organized into categories to find exactly what you're looking for. It's easy to navigate and user-friendly. You can sign up and create an account for free, and you can have a wishlist to keep track of all the items you want to buy. I love that now they offer wholesale price options if you want to buy in bulk. You can buy 1 piece at a time, or get better pricing for buying 5, 10, 20 etc.

I have NEVER had a negative experience with Sophie & Toffee. They ship promptly and you can track your order. It usually takes around 2 weeks to get to me (they are based in Singapore). Their customer service is also impeccable! They are very quick to respond to emails and help you resolve any issues with your orders -- I received a broken piece once, and it was replaced free of charge in my next order.

They also have lots of specials and sales! Visit them on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram to keep up to date with their discounts and more.

I recently received some products from them for review:

Tiny black bows and blue stars. Candy sprinkles and pink sweets.

Yummy Korilakkuma desserts! Hello Kitty ice cream, Donuts & cakes. My favorite roses.

 

I love their cabochons because they are very well made and high quality, and they also have many unique pieces that you can't find elsewhere! They just came out with these new Korilakkuma sweets pieces and I just HAD to get them. I have not seen them available anywhere else yet so get them from Sophie & Toffee while you can!

Here is a case that I made with some of their Korilakkuma sweets pieces:

Here is a case that I made with their sprinkles:

I'm proud to say I use Sophie & Toffee products on just about all of my decoden cases in my shop, Kawaii x Couture! I would highly recommend Sophie & Toffee to anyone interested in deco :)

Want 10% OFF from Sophie & Toffee?

CLICK HERE to get a coupon for 10% off your next order with Sophie & Toffee!
Expires August 31, 2013.

FTC Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were provided to me for review by S&T.
This is my 100% honest opinion and experience with their business and products.

Sophie & Toffee 10% OFF coupon for all your decoden supply needs!

Here's a code for 10% off any order from Sophie & Toffee! They are my #1 recommended decoden supplier for their huge variety of cabochons, fast shipping, and excellent customer service!

Click the link below to get the code!
(code is only valid if the website is accessed though the click-through link!)

http://sophieandtoffee.refr.cc/LTZ7V8D

This offer expires on 7/23/12. Happy shopping!

UPDATES: Becoming exceedingly disapppointed in Yukiumi.com

So today I received a replacement of the missing items from my order in the mail! The package was postmarked 3/26/12 so I know they sent it out well after I filed a dispute on Paypal. It's not all the same pieces as pictured in the set advertised on their website, but it'll do. I'm just relieved that I finally got something.

However, I'm more disappointed that I did not receive a direct reply from them. No apology, no explanation. All my emails to them went unanswered. I'm still disgruntled that I had to open a claim on Paypal to get this far. Had I NOT done so, I don't think that they would have responded to any of my emails nor sent me the items or given me a refund. So I'm still sketchy about their business ethics and still would advise others to be wary when buying from yukiumi.com. Make sure to check your order to see that you get everything you purchased and if you're suspicious of anything, don't hesitate to file a claim right away!

UPDATES: Becoming exceedingly disapppointed in Yukiumi.com

After escalating the dispute to a claim, they apparently informed Paypal that they did indeed send me the missing items. SERIOUSLY?! ONLY when faced with Paypal interrogating them, do they choose to reply. AND IT WAS NOT EVEN DIRECTLY TO ME!!! I sent them 4 emails which received no reply whatsoever, and it took me to open this claim to get any kind of response. They are still claiming that they sent me the items. Needless to say, I am extremely irate at this point.

Thanks Christina for letting me know about your experiences in my last post! If anyone else is having a similar problem with this company, PLEASE file a dispute/claim with Paypal. Anything suspicious should be reported in order to find out if this company is in fact ripping people off!

Becoming exceedingly disappointed in Yukiumi.com

I’ve ordered from this decoden supplier since 2010 and have always been happy with their products, prices, shipping time, and customer service. However, my past three orders have got me questioning their business ethics.

• They were advertising $1.99 rhinestones and pearls with a FREE crystal box. When I received my order, there was no crystal boxes, just the rhinestones and pearls in packages. I contacted them and they said they were out of stock; so they gave me a refund, so I was okay with that. But really, why would you still continue advertising that they are going to come with a crystal box?! Take the ad down for goodness sake! And if I had not asked, would you have not given me a refund??
  
• The order after that, I ordered 2 sets of decoden. Upon unpacking both sets, I was missing one pink bow piece. I emailed them about it twice, no response. I decided to let it go since it was just one piece.
  
• But the last order I made, I was missing AN ENTIRE SET of decoden pieces. NEARLY $10 WORTH OF PRODUCTS. I emailed them immediately upon discovering this. On their website, they say they ensure 100% customer satisfaction and will respond to you within 24 hours. I emailed them at their general contact email, returns/exchanges email, and customer service email. NO REPLIES. It’s been almost a week since I first emailed them. I opened a dispute on Paypal and still received no replies, so I escalated the dispute to a claim and am currently awaiting any response from them (which I am not really anticipating at this point). I just hope I get my money back.

I don’t know if they’re under new management or what; but these occurrences have got me feeling really cheated and disappointed in their business. I don’t know what’s going on with their end because I haven’t received any kind of communication from them… but at this point I’m too turned-off to care.

I have one more order from them that’s currently in transit, so we’ll see how that turns out. It’s unfortunate because they have great prices and cabochons I don’t find anywhere else; so I’ll probably still be inclined to order from them in the future… but after such negative experiences, I definitely won’t be recommending them to anyone anymore.

My Etsy Store! Kawaii x Couture - Handmade Custom Deco Phone Cases, Jewelry, & Accessories

Hey everyone! I made a couple posts about my decoden adventures before, but now I've ventured into the world of Etsy with my handmade kawaii creations! Feel free to visit my shop at etsy.com/shop/kawaiixcouture. I make all kinds of phone cases and accessories. I also take custom orders :)

Sophie & Toffee 10% Off Coupon! For all your kawaii decoden needs! :)

Hi everyone! For anybody interested in decoden and cute stuff, be sure to check out

SOPHIEANDTOFFEE.COM ♥

Here is a coupon code for 10% Off your order :)

http://sophieandtoffee.refr.cc/S31EW5

The promo code is STFRIENDS10.

In order for the code to work,

you NEED to get to the website through the click-through link.

Discount expires on February 27, 2012.

Happy shopping! ^__^

Website Spotlight: Strapya-World.com!

As exemplified by many things on my blog, it's pretty obvious that I'm kind of a "Crazy Korilakkuma Lady" of sorts :P I'm pretty much OBSESSED with Korilakkuma (not to be mistaken with his counterpart Rilakkuma!). I will buy pretty much any Korilakkuma-related items I can get hands on lol.

One of my favorite places to buy from is
Strapya-World.com!

They offer a HUGE variety of Japanese cellphone straps, kawaii charms, otaku gadgets, decoden supplies, and much more!!!

Here are some of the things I've bought from Strapya-World:

Decoden flowers, pearls, cabochons, phone strap, charms, keychain, deco sticker sheet, pouch

Korilakkuma keychain, phone strap w/ charms, bow decoden for my DS!

Korilakkuma pouch that fits a camera perfectly~

Blingy Korilakkuma iPhone case! I LOVE this case :)

Ocean critter keychains!!! Little known fact about me, I loveee axolotls, jellyfish, and octopodes. The pink thing is an axolotl, and the white thing is a squid (close enough to the aforementioned! lol)

I also bought some furry Korilakkuma containers. I have this large one and a smaller square one at work for holding post its, paper clips, etc. Adorable and functional!

~ ~ ~

Overall, I love Strapya-World because they just have SO MUCH STUFF! It's one of my favorite websites to just go on and online-window shop when I have free time. They always have new items coming in too, so it never gets old. Another awesome thing about them is that they ship super fast! I've made 3 orders so far and EVERY order has come in 2-3 days FROM JAPAN. That's extremely fast, even faster than when I order from places in the U.S.!

So if you're into all things kawaii, Japanese, novelty, decoden, etc. I would highly recommend Strapya-World :)

Completed Decoden Project: Kawaii Hime iTouch case! + The Who, What, Where, & How-to's of Decoden ♥

Hey everyone! Here today to share my latest completed decoden project, an iTouch case!

This project took me approximately 5 hours (of course, I took lots of breaks in between :P) and cost me roughly $60. Deco'd cases for iPhone, Nintendo DS, and other items seem to have really been rising in popularity lately, and I can see why they cost upwards of $90. It takes A LOT of time, materials, and patience to fully deco one of these cases. But it is really fun and rewarding!

This post is for anyone who is interested in doing their own deco projects, buying deco materials, or a buying a pre-deco'd case.

What is decoden?

Deco-Den [デコ電] — which literally means, DECOration DENwa / phone that is encrusted in Swarovski, rhinestones, glitter, seals and paint. Deco-den doesn't only include phones, it can be how you decorate your keys, makeup sets, camera, etc. (source)

Who created decoden?

"Japanese ‘Hime-Den’ [姫電] comes from Hime meaning “Princess” and Den for Denwa or phone. Hime-Den refers to girlly keitais who have money — average and total monthly cellphone bill for a regular Hime-Den is about 60,000 yen per month or $530 USD and time to decorate their phone! (source)" -- don't quote me on that... but that's what I found through google :P ...Nowadays, decoden is popular with a wider audience... anyone who likes kawaii/hime/gyaru style!

Where to buy decoden materials?

I would HIGHLY recommend Sophie and Toffee as your first stop. They are based in Singapore and all prices are in SGD, so in USD; it is SO much cheaper! Their prices are already extremely low compared to many US distributors (who I honestly feel overcharge for their products) and shipping is only SGD$4... roughly $2.90 USD. They have a HUGE selection... a decoden lover's paradise ;)

The other two main places that I personally buy from are Yukiumi and Strapya. Yukiumi has a nice selection of deco materials but they are on the pricey side. Strapya is based in Japan and they also have a huge selection but the prices really vary. Shipping is also kind of pricey but it is rather quick.

Decoden materials can also be found on Etsy for various prices from various sellers.

Where to buy pre-made cases (iPhone)?

• Yukiumi -- from $69.95 and up
• Etsy -- various prices/sellers
  • PinkyAnela (~$100-160, does custom orders too)
  • Blissbead ($39.99-79.99)
  • Starsdeco ($25-$85)
  • Charmmy Couture ($55)

For the Do-It-Yourselfers:

Here's the breakdown of where I bought my deco supplies and how much it cost me to deco my iTouch case:

FROM EBAY


2nd Gen iTouch Case -- $3.99, free shipping

If you want it PINK, don't buy this case. It is "hot pink" but is actually a bright fluorescent neon-orange "pink" and looks nothing like in the picture. I was resent a CLEAR case -- a better choice because you can paint the inside whatever color you want. I used OPI's Oh So Glam nail polish for a light pearl pink.

FROM YUKIUMI



Silver Crown (metal) 1 pc. -- $3.95



Pearls/Gems Combo A -- $14.95

This combo is worth it. You get so many different pieces. All you need for a quick deco project. And you will have LOTS left over. I would go with white because you can easily paint it whatever color you want.

~$3 shipping
TOTAL -- $21.95

FROM STRAPYA



Cellphone decoration/nail art glue w/ picker -- $6.00

This glue is VERY VERY VERY sticky and VERY messy. The picker is cute but doesn't work that well. I got glue all over my hands and it pretty much sticks to everything and stays there for a really long time. Not even washing took it off right away. But it works really well and bonds everything to the case securely. The tube looks really tiny but I still have more than half a tube left after deco-ing the entire case.

Franche 8mm Width Jewel Charm Part (Korilakkuma) -- $3.50
Franche Famous Character Parts for Strap/Bracelet 6mm Width Korilakkuma -- $3.50

These are actually for phone straps, but they have a flat bottom surface so you can easily glue them down. Most of you know I have an obsession with Korilakkuma so of course, I had to include him somewhere ;)

~$7.50 shipping
TOTAL -- $17.50

FROM SOPHIE & TOFFEE



Japanese Craft Supplies Cabochon - Lolita Ribbon(I got pink)
SGD S$0.60 each
Measures 19mm



Stunning Crystal Faux Pearl Heart Cabochon
SGD S$2.10 each
Measures 22mm



High Quality Clear Crystal Silver Chain - Half yard 2.5mm
SGD S$7.00
Rhinestones measures 2.5mm



Round Clear Faceted Rhinestone Set - 200pcs 2.5mm
SGD S$2.60
Measures 2.5mm



Clear Acrylic Faceted Rhinestones Set - 200pcs 4mm
SGD S$3.70
Measures 4mm



Unique Flower Cabochon (I got one white & one pink)
SGD S$0.80 each
Measures 15mm

SGD$4 shipping

TOTAL -- $15.93 (USD)

OVERALL TOTAL:
$59.37

---

Decoden How-to & Tips

• It's cheaper (and funner and feels more rewarding) to decoden your items yourself!
• If you want to use something less messy than glue but something that's still strong, try an adhesive sheet or adhesive dot sheet.
• Pre deco'd sticker sheetsare great for quick decoden projects! -- I used one to deco my cellphone.
• Search around to find the cheapest prices for materials or cases. Some places are really overpriced.
• Ebay is the best place to buy cheap cases and most sellers have free, fast shipping and excellent customer service.
• Tweezers are REALLY helpful :)
• A full decoden project can take several hours... patience pays off ;)