I love how art products are making their way into the crafting world. One such products are embossing pastes and gels (see my linked post about that here.) And lucky for us, companies like Faber Castell are actually improving them! Such is the case with Whipped Spackle Texture Medium from Design Memory Craft. On the website, it’s described simply, Create shaped dimensions and textured surfaces with Whipped Spackle, a versatile medium that will work on any surface. Feel like you’d […]
Archives for February 2014
Fall 2014 Fashion Report from Pantone
While I’m not a fashion blogger (heck, I’m not fashionable in any sense of the word) I DO love to see the color forecasts from Pantone. They’ve recently released their Fall 2014 Fashion Report, forecasting color trends for both women’s and men’s fashion. For women, the colors are rich and certainly not dull. Notice that Radiant Orchid (the Pantone 2014 Color of the Year) dominates. And it pairs beautifully with Aluminum, Misted Yellow, Mauve Mist, and Cognac. The colors for […]
Greeting Cards using Duck Brand® Craft Tape
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Duck Brand for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. Last week I shared that I'd had the luck and pleasure to head to the Duck Tape Headquarters to see the Duck Brand® Tape being cut and rolled, and to see more kinds of Duck Tape than I ever dreamed existed. While I was there, I kind of fell in love with the new Duck Brand Craft Tapes– and in this […]
Book Review: Flip Dolls and Other Toys
If you’re looking for a fun book on making stuffed toys that do double-duty, you may have found your match with “Flip Dolls and Other Toys that Zip, Stack, Hide, Grab, and Go”. This book packs a lot of bang for the buck! Here is what the publisher says about the book: Why make an ordinary stuffed toy when you can sew irresistible creations that flip, zip, snap, stack, and move? Filled with wit, humor, and inventiveness, these delightful interactive […]
Fun with Metal Foil Tape
One of the best thins about the crafting/artin community is that I’m constantly getting inspired by other blogs. One of my favorites is BalzerDesigns.com– Julie is an amazing mixed-media artist and I’ve been lucky enough to appear on her show “Scrapbook Soup” the past few years. Last week, she shared a canvas that she did as part of a Ranger Challenge with Distress Paints. She followed THAT up with tutorial using foam and metal foil tape that got my gears […]
Surfacez Multi-Surface Ink Pads from ColorBox
If you’ve been to CraftTestDummies before, you know that one of my missions is to find the best products for the job at hand. And smooth, non porous surfaces such as glass, plastic, leather, and metal require a very special ink. Up until now, there are have been very few options- but now we’ve got a new COLORFUL one- Surfacez Multi-Surface Ink Pads from ColorBox! Let’s dive right in! Sadly, there isn’t much about them on the website. It simply states: […]
CHA 2014: Behind the Scenes with Vicki
I’m sure you’ve been enjoying all of the great new craft products Team CTD found for you at CHA this year but have you ever wondered what goes on BESIDES walking the show floor? A LOT! I thought I would share a little behind the scenes look a la Vicki O’Dell The Creative Goddess (that’s me!) First of all, can I tell you how hard it was to leave the frozen tundra of NE Ohio and visit Anaheim, CA? […]
CHA New Product: True Angle Rulers
If you’re a quilter or papercrafter looking to take your designs to the next level, you’ve probably considered adding unique angles to your work. But angles are hard. It is hard to get them accurate. They are not easy to measure. But not anymore. Thanks to the folks at Quint Measuring systems. But before I go on, let me share this with you: Yes. She is BENDING THE RULER. I have your attention now, right? Carol and her husband, the […]
CHA 2014 – Tim Holtz Idea-ology Booth Tour
Hello Crafters! It was a great season for Tim Holtz‘ idea-ology line with so many new products to ogle over! Personally, I love the new adornments, letterpress blocks, Found Relatives cards and ephemera packs! But don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty more to see and get excited over! I filmed a little video tour of the booth, but as it’s movin’ and groovin’ on the show floor, I dance around other crafty patrons and the camera gets a little shaky. […]
CHA 2014: New Product: SandIts
I’ve gone to CHA for a couple years now, and hands-down my favorite part of the show is the new products section. This year, one of my favorites was SandIts. Paul and his son (who is manning the camera for the video below) were charming, and their product is just plain neat. Paul told me that he came up with the idea for SandIts when he had some battery corrosion that he was scraping away, using an expensive kitchen knife. […]
CHA 2014: Spotlight on New Products
As expected, CHA did not disappoint in showing off the newest products that all of the paper crafting companies were on hand to launch. After wandering up and down aisle after aisle of awesomeness, I’ve narrowed down all of the cool things that I saw to my top 5 favorites. Are you ready to see what I’m most excited to see in stores? 1. I know that I’ve discussed washi tape in a previous post and all of the new […]
CHA 2014: Trend Spotting – Needle Arts
Part of the fun of going to CHA is trying to spot new emerging trends. One trend I spotted coming out of the CHA Mega Show this year has to do with needle arts. I’ve done some looking around since I’ve been home as well and I’m pretty sure all sorts of needle arts will be a big upcoming trend. Or a re-newed trend for those of us who’ve been in love with needlework for a long time. By needle […]
CHA Show 2014 Product Update: Gelatos Double Scoops!
Remember how I shared some of the new/and or improved products of CHA show? Well, this is the first one I’ve gotten in my hot little hands- Gelatos Double Scoops! Look at ALL THE YUMMY COLORS. Yes, even the metallics have been “super sized.” Compared to the original version (bottom one) you can see that it’s about twice the size. And you get a LOT more product in the tube. So of course I had to play with them! (By […]
CHA 2014 – Spellbinders A Gilded Life Booth and Video Demo
This year at CHA 2014, Spellbinders debuted their new line with A Gilded Life. We caught up with A Gilded Life desiner, Shea Fragoso, at CHA 2014 where she demonstrated a make-and-take for us, creating a gorgeous necklace in mere minutes! I was very excited to see the new acrylic covers that come with all of the bezels; now you don’t need to wait overnight for resin to set, you can just glue a quick cover on and you’ve completed […]
CHA 2014 New Product: Amazing Tape
As I was strolling through the new product section at CHA, I came across a product that I’ve seen in my Local Quilt Shop, but might be new to lots of crafters: Amazing Tape. What’s so amazing about Amazing Tape? First: it isn’t tape. That’s right, it has no adhesive at all. It is best described as “cling wrap on steriods”. Quilters have been using Amazing Tape for years to secure thread onto spools. It can be used just as […]
New at CHA 2014: We R Flower Punch Board
Hands down one of the coolest new tools that I spotted at CHA was the brand spankin’ new Flower Punch Board from the geniuses at We R Memory Keepers. You may remember that Jenny has reviewed their envelope punch board, their gift box punch board, and their candy box punch board previously and has even offered up some updates on their use. We R has now stepped outside of the envelope and box niche and are using the punch board […]