We were sent Gemmies Design Studio to review. I thought it would be a good way to start the Summer, with a craft project and the girls love playing with shiny gems. This is a craft activity from Character Options where you can design your own creations out of pretty crystals.
The Gemmies set is really cleverly designed to hold all the craft materials. It costs £29.99 and comes with everything you need to get started.
There is a drawer to hold all the crystal gems. It would be the perfect size to fit on your desk and then it is ready when you want to craft. This means you can keep everything neat and organised.
There are cards with the instructions for making different jewelled creations. You can also watch videos showing what to do, which is a good idea when you are getting started. up stand. The Design Studio also comes with a bumper set of beads, tool and a choice of five designs, which can all be made using the design mat.
The set is designed for girls aged 6 to 9. We found that it was much too hard for this age group. It was really fiddly to fit the gems together and they kept falling off the band. The patterns were really hard to follow for this age group. The girls have all enjoyed making loom bands but this was much harder and they felt a bit frutsrated not being able to do it. I have to admit I found it frsutrating too as it took over an hour to make one creation. I think older children who enjoy following instructions would like this better.
There are two differently themed activity packs in the range priced at £9.99
The box also works as a display stand and has a light inside. This means you can present your creation beuatifully. The light makes the gem creation shine and look really sparkly.
You can buy the full range at www.character-online.com
Disclaimer: We were sent this set for the purposes of this review.