Amazon.com Product Description

IlluStory is a multi-award winning kit that lets you write and illustrate your very own professionally typeset, hardbound book! This kit includes markers and special book pages for creating an original story that is mailed to the publisher in the postpaid envelope provided. Each book features up to 12 pages with 20 typeset words, and includes a Title page, Dedication page and a special "About-the-Author" page. The author's name, book title and illustration are laminated onto the cover. You have your choice of six cover colors to choose from. Additional reproductions and rush service are optional. The IlluStory kit now offers an Internet production option that includes online drawing tools and allows for more words per page, a choice of font styles and colors, and faster delivery times at no extra cost. IlluStory has won many prestigious awards such as the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award; Dr. Toy Best Toy Award; Parents' Choice Classic Award and the Family Life's Best Learning Toy Award. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A fun and educational gift!
As a teacher, I had to buy this gift for my seven-year-old niece. She loved making her own book, and the finished product that they send you is very professional looking, like a book that you would purchase from a store. They even included some tips and activities to help children write their stories, including diagrams for pre-planning and brainstorming. My niece loves her book and shows it off to everyone - she even took it to school and got to read it at storytime. This is a great educational activity that really gets children to be creative, and they love it. Buy it for all of your favorite kids!

This is fabulous!!
My daughter received this as a gift. She LOVED creating her story. We had lots of fun together with the planning and the layout and she really enjoyed being able to express her creativity so freely. When the final product, a hardbound copy of her story arrived, she was so excited. Now we read her story often and it is so neat to know that the words and illustrations are her own. We also bought this as a gift for my friend's son (his sixth birthday) and he loved it as well. My daughter recently asked me if we could get another kit so she can make another story. I definitely will get this for her again. It is a wonderful gift and also a great keepsake for years to come.

The Perfect Gift
This is one of the greatest gifts my 5 year old daughter ever received. It kept her occupied for hours, not to mention the days when she likes to go back and read it. It was so interesting, that my 7 year old nephew helped her create the book. They drew a line down the middle of each page so they each had a side. Then they just created their masterpiece-no arguing-just sharing and imagining together. I now give this as a gift to anyone around the ages of 5-7 years.

Inspiring for Young Authors
We bought this for my son, who loves to write books of his own. When he received the finished version of this book, he was so proud and wanted to write more books. The finished product makes a great gift for grandparents and other loved ones. It also inspires a love of reading and writing in children. What a wonderful do-it-yourself project for children!!!

A fabulous idea!
I bought this for my 8 year old niece last Christmas. It was a HUGE hit with her and everyone who has come in contact with her finished masterpiece. Everyone wants to know where I got it. This really helped my niece become more sure of herself and she now loves to write! ... Read more

Book Description

Publish your own keepsake photo book!!

PhotoStory lets you publish your own book, but you can also include your favorite photos, stickers, stamps or other art material. Simply send in your decorated kit pages with the story or captions you want typeset, and in just weeks you'll receive back an archivalquality 7" by 9", laser reproduced 15 page hardback book. Numerous options allow you to create almost any type of book up to 50 pages in length, and for any number of additional book copies. The 168 Mrs. Grossman's stickers make it easy to be creative. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Product, Great Company
I used this product to create a book for my sister's baby shower. It was a big hit. The customer service of this company was amazing, they were always very quick to respond and very willing to work with me to create an amazing book. I have been telling all of my friends with children that they need to buy this product or one of the many others from Creations By You. You will not be disappointed with your purchase, the end product looks like a professionally produced book.

Buy this product!
My children did the Illustory kits for years but once they got a little older, they wanted a little bit more and this kit is perfect. You can still do drawings with your stories but this kit lets you use photos and stickers (some already come in the kit) and stamps and scrapbook and art materials--just about anything they want to jazz up the pages. We've made books for friends as a birthday gift, we did a travelogue of our last vacation and we've even used them to make an end-of-the-year yearbook for the teacher (everyone wanted a copy!). This kit is so cool and unique--there are hundreds of uses for it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

THESE COLORS ARE GREAT
I really loved receiving the 213 count coloring set for my birthday. The quality is excellent and the durability is better than most I've encountered. And i've encountered a lot of just plain crappy crayons/colored pencils. I reccommend this product to anyone who just loves to color! ... Read more

Editorial Review

It may be a grind to wait nearly 30 days to create polished rockjewelry with the Rolling Stones Rock Tumbler. But, as the makerswrite, "you are grinding in days what it takes nature thousands of yearsto do in a stream, river, or ocean." So, find a clean, remote area with aproperly wired outlet where the constant tumblingwon't disturb others (and where curious little hands won't wreak havoc), and start rolling. The first step involves assembling and lubricating thetumbler itself. Once the two-cup, plastic barrel rolls easily atop its10-inch-long and 6-inch-high plastic base, it's time to open the smallbag of gritty stones that comes with the kit. Constant maintenance and much patiencewill reward the owner with shiny stones in about one month. A smallsampling of jewelry settings and findings is provided, along with orderforms for gold-tinted accessories. --Liane Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Thumbs up on the Tumbler!!!!
I bought NSI's Rock Tumbler, for my grandson, the budding geologist. While there are many different tumblers out there with a wide range of prices, I chose to buy NSI's brand because of its high quality and low noise. I'm familiar with NSI as I initially purchased the Rock Tumbler for my own son several years ago. My son used it so much, I was afraid he'd burn the motor out of it, but he never did! I only wish I'd kept it to give to my grandson, otherwise I wouldn't have had to buy a new one! The set includes everything you need to do your first batch of stones: an electrically operated tumbler, barrel, grit and polish, rough semi-precious stones, a jewelry kit, and instructions. Unlike many of todays toys which give children instant gratification, polishing rocks is a good lesson in patience as it takes several weeks to see the result. After using the tumbler himself, my grandson reported that it was his favorite present as he enjoyed the anticipation and suspense building up to opening the tumbler. He never knew what magical surprise awaited him. Even though it's been a few years since I gave my grandson the tumbler, he still collects rocks and transforms them into treasures that he often makes into gifts for others, such as necklaces and key chains. I definitely got my money's worth with this purchase. If you have a rock lover or jewelry maker at your home, you can't go wrong with NSI's Rock Tumbler as a gift!

Middle School Science Class Usede This Tumbler!!!
My 8th Grade Middle School Science Classes used this Rock Tumbler Machine and achieved great success and , I hope, knowledge. For the unit on rocks and minerals we did a science experiment with 1/2 of a rock sample for the Variable in a tumbler and 1/2 for a Control not in the tumbler. Students ran the entire lab for the month. The final results were great both as a science lab and an enjoyable activity. The use of the diatomaceous earth becomes another lesson. I recommend that you keep some of the same types of rock out of the tumbler just to compare after the tumbling is done even if you are not doing it as a lab in a classroom.
There is a lot of noise connected with this piece of equipment. I could leave it in a storage room. Also I recommend that you tape it onto a board or on the table as the vibrations may cause it to move. Make sure that the seal is tight so no water leaks out. This is noticed at the very beginning if it should occur and can be easily fixed.
Some students went ahead and ordered their own Rock Tumbler. I warned the parents about the noise!!!

A Little Patience Never Hurt Anyone!
My 8 yr. old daughter bought this item herself and loves it! She understood from the beginning that it would take a long time since it was doing nature's job of "thousands of years" in just one month. In a world of toys that offer instant gratification for our youth, this one teaches them that nature just doesn't work that way! Yes, it's noisy (we put ours under a styrofoam cooler & put a rock on top & that helped A LOT), yes, it's takes time, and yes, it is a bit messy, but look what you get in the end. Through all three steps, your child (and probably you too) learn the process and see how nature can turn a seemingly ugly rock into a beautiful gem. If you don't like noise, waiting or a little mess, this isn't for you. If you do like cause and effect, you will love this product. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day!!
...

Waste of noise
It was really noisy the whole time and the rocks never changed.

It is a very loud toy. It goes for about 30 days non-stop.
just make sure to put in a place that the sound can't bug you ... Read more

Editorial Review

Lite Brite offers a whole new dimension to creative play with the latest rendition: the Lite Brite Cube. While the space to create on is a bit smaller, artists now have four pegged panels into which they can poke colors. The cube requires adult assembly, but once that’s done, it’s just like you remember. Choose a design sheet from the eight included--or go freeform with solid black paper--and start plugging colored pegs into their respective spots. Over 500 pegs are included in a rainbow of colors, and the cube has two drawers to store them in. (These drawers fall out quite easily and can cause a mess of spilled pegs, so be careful when transporting.) New to the peg world are Power Pegs--up to four of the same colored peg molded together for quicker completion. The Lite Brite Cube has a blue plastic handle at the top so artwork can be carried around (and shown off) easily. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Reviews (57)

No Refills Available
The lite brite cube is great, but refills are impossible to find. I tried ordering them directly from Hasbro and have been told I will be receiving a refund check because they are out of stock. They said to try Wal-mart and Toys'R Us, but as we know, they don't have them either. Very disappointing!

Lite Brite
My daughter loves this toy. She is now 4 years old. I would not recommend it for small children because the lights are small. Sometimes they are hard for my daughter to handle. It comes with many different templates to make all sorts of things, all you have to do is punch the lights through the black template. However, this toy is different than the ones we remember because the lights do not stay in well if used without the templates (making your own design). Also if you use it this way, it is not as easily seen since the background is white.

No Refills Anywhere!
I would recommend that anyone looking for a lite bright buy a used one on e-bay. They are great, but refills are no longer available in stores or from Hasbro. Once you have used up what it comes w/, you have no additional refills available for purchase EXCEPT on e-bay where they are going for $12.95 + shipping.

Therefore, do to the lack of refills, the life of the toy (in my daughter's eyes) is short & not worth buying new for $20 some dollars!

FIND REFILLS HERE!
Liked the toy, but like many others, disliked the fact that I couldn't find picture refills. After hours of searching online(and finding that you have to print out a hard copy of an order form and mail it in with a check to hasbro to get refills directly from the company) I found an online store that has refills. www.zooscape.com has picture and peg refills for the lite brite cube. Mine arrived in good time and great condition.

refill solution
I found out how to get refills for this toy.

Go to Hasbro.com, then click on customer service, then replacement parts. Find Lite Brite Cube, Print out order form and mail!! Cost $7.00 ... Read more

Reviews (9)

My daughter loves this toy!
My 9 year old daughter saw this toy at a local store, and has has many hours of fun with it since. Sure, it doesn't come with a ton of cloth or trim, but we happen to have some substitutes: old magazines, newspapers, tissue (glue to backing for durability), and lots of colored pencils. Almost anything works, and if your child is reasonably creative, the enclosed materials will serve as a springboard for using household items for further designs. The patterns are simple enough for kids to cut out and to use over and over, and kids find the dolls very attractive.

These dolls are the best!
I got my Fashion Angels kit from a friend for my birthday, and I absolutely love it!If you don't know what to get your daughter,niece,or friend for her birthday, get her this. It is a must have for girls that want to be fashion designers!

These ANGELS make mom REJOICE!
My 7 year old daughter loves crafts (she gets that from her mom). I saw the Fashion Angels at the toy store and thought she'd love them, but did some research first. I was a little worried about the "warnings" that the toy might be misrepresented. I purchased it anyway. I was a little disappointed in the amount of fabric that came with the set, but this is easily remedied by a quick trip to the fabric store, OR BY USING YOUR DAUGHTHER'S OLD BLUE JEANS, play clothes, etc. to make more outfits. We spent one of our holidays with girls aged 6 - 13 NON-STOP making outfits for the angels. It held ALL of the girls' attention for hours on end. BRAVO to The Bead Shop for a toy that doesn't get pushed to the back of the closet. This will be something that my daughter and I enjoy together for many years to come!

great!
I am 14, and Love fashion angels. They are so much fun, and get me a chance to be creative. It comes with so much stuff, and yoou can build as many outfits as you want. I find it hard to believe, anyone could not like this toy.

LOVE IT!!
I love Fashion Angels! They provided hours of fun for my girls. You can dress them up in all different kinds of outfits. After they were finished they packed everything up in the portfolio that comes with it. Great toy! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Most played with toy in our house
I bought this for my 8 year old daughter for Christmas last year and she loves it. My 4 year old also has a great time playing with it. They have another Ello set and they combine the 2 sets for even more people and animals. This toy keeps them entertained for a long time. I have recommended it to a lot of people.

Pieces slip apart
My 5 yr old was very excited and persistent about putting the pieces together according to the picture. This wasn't easy, and when I tried to help her, I found that the pieces for putting together the animals, were not molded to fit together, but are shaped in such a way that they can't grip each other. So we could get the animals put together a few seconds, and then the pieces would slip apart.

We did not find this to be true with the non-jungle related parts, such as the blocks which snap on to the rectangular pieces. However I was very disappointed with this product overall, and will probably try to bring it back. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Well worth it!
I bought two of these for my 2- and 4-year-old boys. It's one of the few toys used daily. Saved me alot of wall scrubbing.

WOW - What a great Idea!
I cant believe how convenient this toy is - my son loves to draw pictures and play with magnets on both sides of this board. I told the pre-school teacher about it and she bought three for her classroom! ... Read more

Features

• Makes 18 bracelets
• Comes with a plastic storage case
• 6 cases of color-coordinated beads
• Plastic cording

Reviews (13)

Very Disappointing
My daughter just received this as a birthday gift. It is a nightmare! First of all it claims to be mess free, but that is a completely wrong. The release mechanism that allows you to pour the excess sand out at the end sticks and so when she shakes it the sand pours out all over the place. The kit contains six pictures that have cuts in them over adhesive. To color the picture, you pull off sections of the picture. Even I had difficulty lifting getting the paper to release properly! My daughter was very frustrated and upset that she was unable to do it. In addition, once the six pictures are used up, the whole thing is worthless! On the whole - it is definitely a big disappointment and I would steer clear of buying one.

THIS WAS GREAT FUN FOR MY 3 1/2 YR. OLD
HOWEVER, it is a bit messy and definately requires adult assistance. The sand sticks all over (including on top of the sand already on the picture). The dispenser, used to empty extra sand, does not work well at all. We had fun with it, but isn't really user friendly (unless a child is much older!).

All in all it was fun and my daughter made pictures for her teacher, aunt and grandparents. She really enjoyed it!

Still looking for info on purchasing additional sheets?????

Big mess for a "No-mess" project
We have a 5 and 7 year old. It was fun for them, but a little too messy. This project was difficult for them as well as for Mom! After the funnel broke, on the first try, no matter what we tried, sand went everywhere. We found it much easier to just put a larger piece of paper under the sticker, sprinkle the sand on, crease the paper, and pour back into the bottle. We had much less mess this way. It would be better to buy a child nice colors of craft sand & a glue stick and let them be creative with that.

Horrible Toy
My 4 year old daughter was given this toy for her birthday. Peeling the stickers off in the manner required is impossible for me, much less alone her. The lines peel up and this causes the picture to look incomplete. After doing the first picture our release button got stuck open and no amount of manipulation could fix it. Therefore, when you shake the box, the sand now comes out all over the place. The idea that you could ever "release" the sand back into the little bottles, even with the funnel is ridiculous. Due to static electricity you can never really get all the sand out of the box so you don't always get true colors. The only part of this activity my 4 year old can do is pouring the sand on. Thanks to the broken release button she can't even do the shaking. There are only six pictures included and as far as I can see there are no ways to purchase more, which at this point, I am thankful for! I would expect much better from Crayola. Save your money, your frustration and your home from turning into a beach and try another craft project!

No mess?... Not with this toy!!!
The box at the store said it was suitable for ages 3 and up so I thought it was a great idea for my creative 3 1/2 year old son, provided I helped him a little. Well, the help ended up being more than a little. In fact, he mostly had to wait for me to do almost everything but pouring the sand on the pictures. He did have fun and so did I and the pictures turned out very nice, but the work of pilling off the stickers is so minute that only precise hands can do it neatly. You have to plan in advance which stickers to pill off first so that you don't mess up the picture by pilling the smaller stickers. Some actually were still stuck to the bottom sheet and tore it a little, making a small hole in the picture.
As far as mess is concerned, this is not the right craft to do on a wooden table. Do cover yours before you start using this toy so that you don't end up with scatches all over it! The sand spreads all over the plastic artboard and ends up jamming the funnel realease button. My son's stuck in the open position so we have to be really careful when we shake the picture to spread the sand on it, and when we pour the excess sand back in the bottles. Our table ended up covered with sand (and it caused some scratches, like I said earlier).
The two picture frames are a great idea, but the tape doesn't stick very well and we're going to have to find a solution so that they don't keep on opening up.
All in all it's a great idea but it needs many improvements. To avoid frustration, I wouldn't recommand it for children under 10.
I had fun, but then again, I'm 30!!!... ... Read more