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Craft Test Dummies

The Crafting Blog for Crafters, By Crafters

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Jane Davenport debuts at Creativation 2018 & Watercolor Card

February 13, 2018

Jane Davenport Watercolors

  Jane Davenport debuts at Creativation 2018 It’s been about a 3 weeks since I got home from Creativation 2018! It’s taken me that long to recover from a massive chest cold, unpack, and “get settled.” (And I had a kid with an impacted wisdom tooth and house remodeling just to complicate things!) While I put the Creativation 2018 videos up on YouTube, I realized I hadn’t shared them here on the blog. So for the next few weeks I’ll be […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Creativation 2018: New Product Showcase

January 20, 2018

Creativation Trade Show

It’s that time of year again- Creativation! Despite the new name- Association for Creative Industries (AFCI)– it’s still the CHA tradeshow in the hearts of many of us old timers. I flew in on Friday despite having a massive chest cold. By 4pm, my voice was entirely gone. But even that won’t keep me from attending the events and taking as many photos as possible. The way they are doing the product showcase this year is an upgrade from last […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Crafty Shopping Trip and Haul from Fabric District at Sacre Coeur Basilica, Paris France

November 15, 2017

This is the last installment of my crafty field trip to Europe, which I took in October 2017. I have some great posts about John Lewis, Le BHV, Liberty of London, and Blade Rubber for you to read, too! (Yeah, I packed a LOT into a week!) But now let’s get to my Crafty Shopping Trip and Haul from fabric district at Sacre Coeur Basilica, Paris France. This area is basically at the foot of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. I […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips |

Craft Haul and Trip to Liberty of London, UK – October 2017

November 1, 2017

Craft Haul and Trip to Liberty of London, UK - October 2017

Craft Haul and Trip to Liberty of London, UK – October 2017 Did you think I was done with my travel posts? Not yet! (PS- if you need to catch up, see my posts on John Lewis, Le BHV, and Blade Rubber, too!) Today we are back in London, with what was actually my first stop- my happy place- Liberty of London.   So..Liberty of London is another large department store disguised as a Tudor boarding school. I joke that […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips |

Craft Haul and Visit to Blade Rubber in London UK

October 25, 2017

Hi, Crafty Friends! I’m back with another installment of “Jenny goes craft shopping in Europe, Part THREE!” Well, not quite- that’s a joke….. kind of. But YES, this is the third post on my latest trip to London and Paris. Check out my first post here when I visited John Lewis, and my trip here to le BHV in Paris.  Like the previous posts, my goal is to: Introduce you to a place you might not know; Show you what the craft/fabric shopping is […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips |

Crafty Travel: Inside John Lewis in London, UK

October 17, 2017

John Lewis department store in London, UK; craft area tour, craft haul, and papercrafts.

Hey Crafty Friends! This week I have a special treat- I’m taking you with me on my trip to London and Paris. I tagged along with my husband while he was working, which is why we spent two nights in London, then two nights in Paris, then BACK to London to wrap up our trip. It was quite a whirlwind! I’m not sharing my trip chronologically, but rather how I’m unpacking my goodies. In each of these posts you’ll learn […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips |

NYC Craft Shopping and Haul (plus some chit-chat)

August 15, 2017

Hey crafty friends! If you know me, you know I’ve been using Periscope for well over a year now to do live broadcasts. I really enjoy having a “craft tribe” to talk to, as I’m still trying to make friends in my new state! Anyway, today I’m sharing a video of my crafty field trip into NYC with my mom last month, and some of the awesome goodies I picked up. This is a pretty good idea of how my […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips |

Tuesday Morning Craft Haul- July 2017

July 27, 2017

I love me some crafty bargains- and I found quite a few at my (new) local Tuesday Morning in New Jersey. And I wanted to share the bounty with you! Take a look at the video:   I’m looking forward to visiting the Watchung Tuesday Morning again to see what crafty bargains await. Where do YOU go to get crafting supplies on a discount?  

Posted in Crafty Field Trips |

Organizing Distress Stain Ink Pads

July 14, 2017

I’m still settling into my new space, and it was time to start orgazing my stamp pads. My Distress Stain Stamp Pads sat it a drawer in my library card catalog. But I foud that if they were out of sight, they were out of mind. Time to upgrade my storage and organization! Since my move from Ohio, I’d gotten a Stamp N Storage case for my regular stamp pads. What a difference! I have them up on the table top, […]

Posted in Craft News |

Modern Crafts + Activism

June 22, 2017

This post is challenging to write- but that’s because I know it will alienate some of you. I hope that if my politics don’t line up with yours, that’s ok. We can still be crafty friends! I have lots of friends all up and down the political and religious scale, and we co-exist just fine. But here’s the thing- I’m not apologizing for being liberal, or using my crafts to share my views.  And neither should you. I encourage you to […]

Posted in Craft News |

Brit & Co Craft Kits Now at Target!

May 5, 2017

With the decline of the dedicated local craft and toy stores, it makes me happy when I see new craft kits or supplies on Big Box Store shelves. Last week on my run to Target I spotted some new craft kits from Brit & Co. These are not your average “little kid” crafts. As a matter of fact, I’d try ANY of them. I made you a little video, and there are photos of some of them after the jump. […]

Posted in Craft News |

New Products from Ken Oliver Crafts at CHA Creativation 2017

February 10, 2017

Today we are back with more CHA Creativation 2017 coverage from the tradeshow floor. And it wouldn’t be a show without a visit to Ken Oliver Crafts! We have a trio of videos for you showcasing his new- and most popular- products. First up, we have Ken Oliver himself sharing the new Mineral Burst mediums and the new colors of ColorBurst:   By the way, these will be launching in February- we’ll share some links once we figure out who […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Distress Oxide Stamp Pads a Hit at CHA Creativation 2017

February 7, 2017

distress oxide stamp pads from Tim Holtz for Ranger Ink

Distress Oxide Stamp Pads a Hit at CHA Creativation 2017 Well…Tim Holtz  and Ranger Ink has once again developed a new product that has the audiences at CHA Creativation swooning. This time, it’s Distress Oxide Stamp pads. Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pads are water-reactive dye & pigment ink fusion that creates and oxidized effect when sprayed with water. Use with stamps, stencils, and direct to surface. Blend using Ink Blending Tools and Foam. Re-ink using Distress Oxide Reinkers. Comes […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Tim Holtz Stamp Positioner- CHA Creativation 2017

February 5, 2017

Tim Holtz Stamp Positioner from Tonic Studios demo at Creativation CHA 2017

Stamp Positioners are a HUGE thing right now- and Tim Holtz has joined the party with his Stamp Positioner by Tonic Studios. This stamping tool features a magnetic platform, open sides, an etched lid, and padding UNDER the platform for a bit of give and a non-skid surfaces. Lucky for us, we got not one but TWO demos of the tool! One came from Paula at Tonic Studios. This video was captured as part of a live broadcast, so the […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Unicorn Spit Gel Stain- New from Eclectic Products at CHA 2017

February 1, 2017

If you caught yesterday’s post, you know that we took a stroll through the new product showcase and a few caught our eye- the UNICORN SPIT! Yep, that’s the name! What it IS is a water-based gel stain that works amazingly on both porous AND non-porous surfaces. So while you would assume it would work great on unfinished wood, cardboard, paper, canvas and fabric, you might be surprised to know that it also works great on glass, metal and tile. […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

CHA Creativation 2017- Part One

January 31, 2017

Hey crafty friends! I’m back! Last week my pal @SaraJaneCrafts (twitter) and I headed to the CHA Creativation show in Phoenix AZ. As you may know from previous years, CHA the acronym for the Craft and Hobby Association trade show. It’s open to retailers (both brick and mortar and online), vendors/brands, designers, and “digital content creators” (a new and fancy term from press, bloggers, YouTubers and other folks that promote the craft industry.) As always, I go with my Press […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Turducken Packing: How to Pack and Prepare For CHA Show (or any other conference)

January 19, 2017

TURDUCKEN PACKING: Place a smaller suitcase inside of a larger one for bring home goodies from vacations and tradeshows. From CraftTestDummies.com

UPDATED JANUARY 2017! I’m packing to head off to CHA, and I remembered this post I wrote three years ago. A few things have changed, so I’ve updated in red. This is a great guide for both tradeshow packing AND vacation packing. And yes, I still “Turducken” Pack!    It’s time to gather my clothes, biz cards and electronic paraphernalia to head to the CHA Conference and Tradeshow. For some of my first-time team members, it’s pretty overwhelming- so this […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Aerial Paper Mosaics from Hands On Crafts for Kids

January 9, 2017

Hey crafty friends! Today I’m sharing a segment of Hands On Crafts for Kids- it’s a children’s crafting show I host that airs on PBS. However, if you don’t see it in your area, you can watch full episodes every week on the website CraftsForKids.com. While these crafts are designed for youngsters ages 5-12, many of the ideas or techniques are good for all ages. And if you are looking for homeschool activities, scouting crafts, or even inter-generational projects we’ve […]

Posted in CTD on TV, Kids Stuff |

Patriotic Polymer Pins and Craftivism

November 12, 2016

Video tutorial shows you how to make patriotic american flag polymer heart pins with kindness at the center.

This post is a two-parter; one in which I share a tutorial and a second part in which I talk politics. Sort of. First, I have to be honest that I’m an American citizen who votes, and who believes in doing so. Secondly, I must disclose that I’ve had very conflicting feelings about the recent election. However, I am unequivocally proud to be an American and I feel strongly that kindness matters. So to that, I created this Patriotic Polymer […]

Posted in Crafting for a Cause |

Tim Holtz Steps Down as Creative Director at Ranger Ink

October 4, 2016

In a sudden and somewhat shocking announcement today, Ranger Ink and Tim Holtz issued a press release announcing that Tim will not longer serve as the Creative Director for the company.     From the release: We are excited to continue working with Tim on the Distress and Alcohol Ink lines as a manufacturer, distributer, and worldwide marketing partner. Our customers will see no changes to our products and we will continue to offer the same great service behind Tim’s product lines […]

Posted in Craft News |

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Hi! I’m Jenny, the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS and the Head Dummy behind CraftTestDummies.com where you’ll find craft product reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news.

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Jenny Barnett Rohrs is Head Dummy and Pied Piper behind CTD, which focuses on reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news. Jenny has appeared on HSN, Scrapbook Soup PBS series, and is currently the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS.

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Copyrighted Content Permission All images and tutorials on this blog are copyrighted material. Please contact me if you would like to borrow any media (photos, video or audio files), tutorials, or ideas from this blog. 99% of the time I would be happy to allow you to use one photo with appropriate credit and link back to CraftTestDummies.com (preferably to the same post it was borrowed from.)
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