CHA 2015 – Tim Holtz Idea-ology Booth Tour

March 18, 2015

Every CHA I cannot wait to go and visit the Tim Holtz idea-ology booth; It reminds me of visiting my great-grandmother’s house when I was little with vintage goodies hiding in every nook and cranny. She had one of those big, bronze cash register with the giant buttons, hundreds of spools of thread lined up in rainbow formation and large room partitions that had postcards, stickers, and other memorabilia from her extensive travels. What Tim and his creative team of […]

Mod Podge Mod Melter by Plaid

March 9, 2015

Disclosure: sample provided for review, but all opinions are my own and based on my first-hand experience with the product. Back at the CHA show in January 2015, the Plaid booth was all abuzz with Cathie and Steve and their new tool for the Mod Podge line, the Mod Melter. The Mod Melter dovetails with their other products, specifically the Mod Melts and Mod Molds– which we’ve reviewed on here already. So let’s dive in! From Plaid: The Mod Melter […]

My Favorite Crafty Things: Brad Setter and Piercing Tool

February 27, 2015

The other day when I published my video on Start-To-Finish Watercolor Cards, I got a comment about the tool I was using for the Inlaid Die-Cutting Technique. I realized that once again I’d reached for one of my favorite crafty tools: the We R Memory Keepers Brad Setter and Piercing Tool. . I reviewed this tool AGES ago…but it’s still on my worktable and I think I use it almost every day! I made you this little video to show you […]

Overview of Oly-Fun

February 26, 2015

Disclosure: Oly-Fun sponsored this video, but all opinions or my own and based on my first-hand experience with the product. I’m so excited to bring you today’s post- I’m going to show you what I learned about Oly-Fun! Ever heard of it? From the Oly-Fun website: “The everything material” This is one of the easiest, most versatile materials you will ever find. You can sew it, glue it, staple it, pin it or tie it. You can write on it, […]

Just for Fun: Craft Haul!

January 28, 2015

The other day my crafty BFF Vicki O’Dell and I met for lunch and retail therapy. Here’s the video of my craft haul- all those goodies for under $50! I got all of these goodies for under $50! What should I play with first?

#OLW (One Little Word) for 2015 & Round-Up

January 6, 2015

I’m not a big resolution-maker; as a former music therapist, I’ve been trained to make short term or long term goals with measurable and observable data. But I do like the idea of taking stock and re-evaluating my life’s mission statement. And on our long drive to NYC last week, I had a lot of time to think. I’m always rushing from one task to another, from one event to another, and sometimes it feels like it’s all just washing […]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from #TeamCTD!

December 25, 2014

I just want to take a moment in the rush to wish you all a happy holiday season and THANK YOU for being a part of the CraftTestDummies family. Whether you like our YouTube videos, get your inspiration by following our boards on Pinterest, join in the conversation on Facebook, or hit me up for craft queries on Twitter, I’m truly grateful for the amazing crafty community we have here. I wish you all the best and hope you’ll continue […]

Making Craft Videos for YouTube

December 19, 2014

Ok, so this is a little off the topic of crafts. But I’ve been getting questions as to how I set up my space to film tutorials for YouTube, so I wanted to pull back the curtain so to speak and share my video set up for you. Of course, I did this by making…. a video! Hop down to see the links to the products I use. The links are in a grey Amazon Widget- give the box a […]

Craft Room Confessional: Obsession with Binder Rings

November 25, 2014

OK, crafty friends! Usually I take the time between Christmas and New Year to reorganize and sort out my craft space, but this year I’m getting started early. I’ve bee thinning and purging as well as reorganizing what’s left to make it more visable and hopefully then USABLE. Right now I have a craft obsession with BINDER RINGS. They come in a variety of sizes and even colors to make your craft room more organized. Take a look at […]

Five Holiday Projects Featuring Krylon Spraypaint! (Vlog Hop)

November 18, 2014

Hey, Crafty Friends! As many of you know, I love to make YouTube videos and sharing great crafts and projects with you is one of my passions. This season, I’ve teamed up with Krylon and some amazing video creators to bring you even MORE crafty happiness! We’ve put together a little “video blog hop” or Vlog hop to inspire you to get crafting. Here’s how it goes- you visit the first video in the series below, and give it a look […]

“Surprise” Acorn Ornaments or Gift Boxes

November 12, 2014

Today I have a great tutorial for you! It’s not yet Thanksgiving so I’m not “completely” in holiday mode yet.. but I AM thinking about hostess gifts and decorations that would work for Thanksgiving, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah OR Christmas. (That’s a tough order to fill, right?) Well, these acorn ornaments are that “shabby glamorous” look that’s big right now, and it can be used for ANY fall or winter celebration. Note: this is a sponsored tutorial and the links below […]

Episode of Scrapbook Soup Live: 404

October 28, 2014

Hey Crafty Friends! This week another episode of Scrapbook Soup in which I appeared has gone live online. This will be available to view in it’s entirety from October 24- 31, 2014. It says that I’m there to talk about technology, but we actually talk about mixed media and the growth process of creativity!! Take a look here, just click the link! http://www.scrapbookmemoriestv.com/ And the projects by Joe Rotella and Kazan Clark are wonderful. Enjoy!

Review it & DO IT! Spooky Goblets using Krylon Frosted Glass Effect

October 1, 2014

I love to decorate for the different holiday seasons-and I especially love making crafty items for our parties and family get-togethers. (And Halloween crafting is my FAVORITE!) But what if you don’t want to *store* all of those decorations and supplies? Well, then make something that you can re-use for the next season, of course! And today I’m going to show you how you can use Krylon Frosted Glass Effect to make a spooky design on your goblets… and then […]

My Favorite Crafty Things: Spray Basting Adhesive

September 18, 2014

When I interviewed Carolina Moore on our Craft Countdown, I was thrilled that one of her top-favorite crafting supplies including a sprapy basting adhesive (spray baste.) I love it too- even though I do way more papercrafting than sewing. But after you watch this video, you’ll see why I love it and you might, too. I’d love to hear your questions or comments!

Command Center-Getting Organized for Back To School

September 2, 2014

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Office Depot, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #inspirestudents http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV My kiddos headed back to school last week and it became clear on the first day that this was going to be a super-busy year. My son is in his last year of middle school and is participating in band, two soccer teams, piano lessons and a wind symphony. Little girl is also […]

My Favorite Crafty Things: CRAFT KNIVES

August 29, 2014

I don’t care what kind of crafting or DIY you do, you probably use- or need- a craft knife. (Emergency seam ripper, anyone?) Well, a GOOD craft knife is a thing of beauty. And here’s my rant on it! Now just to reiterate: Choose a craft blade/knife that is easy to replace the blade. CHANGE YOUR BLADE OFTEN for great cuts and best results Keep out of reach of kids and pets. (“Park” it in a mug filled with rice.) […]

Scrapbook Soup Behind the Page Interview 2014

August 18, 2014

Earlier this spring I was invited to film some segments for the nationally-televised Scrapbook Soup tv program, which airs on PBS. In addition to the two tutorials I filmed (including the Two-Fer Inlaid Diecut Cards and Making Custom Stencils and Masks) I also was interviewed by the host, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. This was an unscripted, unrehearsed interview- and I was sorta surprised at some of the answers that popped out of my mouth! Take a look: That last answer was […]

Craft Room Confessional: What is In My Card Catalog(s)

August 15, 2014

In my first Craft Room Confessional I gave you a tour of my super messy well-used crafting area. I got a few comments on the library card catalog directly behind me as I face the camera (actually to my left side as I work.) That’s where I keep my most-used products and most of them are paper-crafting related. Wanna peek inside? Let’s take a peek! Do you love or hate the idea of little drawers? Any comments or suggestions? Give […]

DO IT! Krylon Dual Paint

July 29, 2014

Happy Tuesday, crafty friends! I’m so excited to share a new “special edition” web series brought to you by myself, Vicki O’Dell the Creative Goddess, and our kind sponsors, Krylon. Each webisode is actually comprised of two videos- the “Review It” portion, where I share an in-depth look at a product, and a “DO IT” portion, where Vicki shares a tutorial. We chat at the table, joke and share lots of good information! For our inaugural series, our sponsor is […]