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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 |

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 |

Chibitronics at CHA 2016!

February 5, 2016

Sometimes when you are walking around the show floor of the CHA Megashow (this one was held in January of 2016), you find booths that really catch your eye and get you exciting about crafting at a whole ‘nother level. Such was the case at the Chibitronics booth. Their idea is to integrate STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) WITH crafting.  I love this concept- getting kids experimenting with making creative things AND feeding their brains with science! Take a look […]

Posted in CHA Coverage, Kids Stuff |

Dina Wakely of Ranger Wows at CHA 2016

February 1, 2016

I’m not gonna lie- seeing all of the cool craft demos at CHA 2016 is as much fun as seeing the new products. And when you can stand just a foot away from an artist like Dina Wakely and watch her demonstrate, it’s a little breath-taking. Lucky us, Sara got some EXCELLENT videos at the Ranger booth- and now you get to check them all out! In Part One, we see Dina talking about her new stamps and stencils… …And […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

28 Lilac Lane Buttons by May Flaum for Buttons Galore

January 27, 2016

This post and video are part of our coverage of the Craft and Hobby Mega Show (industry trade show) also known as the CHA Show 2016. It was January 7-12  in Anaheim California and we were there to get all of the new product information and demos for YOU! Please check the CHA 2016 tab for more coverage and all of the videos are on the CHA 2016 playlist on YouTube. Enjoy!  While trotting around the show floor, I ran across […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Plaid Booth Tour & Demos at CHA 2016

January 25, 2016

One of my favorite booths at CHA show is Plaid. You might not think “Plaid” when you think of super-brands like Mod Podge, Martha Stewart Crafts, Bucilla Needlearts, or Handmade Charlotte, but Plaid Crafts is behind them all! Let me show you some of the highlights from the booth! First, I say Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza giving a demo on the Photo Transfer Medium:  Get yours here! (affiliate link) We also had a quick photo op with Vicki O’Dell! […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

New from Silhouette at CHA 2016

January 21, 2016

Silhouette America is a trusted (and familiar) name in digital die cutting- but they are still innovating with two new products this year. We had a chance to catch up at the show and film TWO demos-one of the Mint (a stamp-making machine) and the Curio (an embossing/etching/diecutting tool.) First, take a peek at the MINT: Next up we have a demo of the CURIO- it’s a nifty machine that etches and embosses as well as cuts. Take a look: […]

Posted in CHA Coverage, Crafty Tools |

Vicki’s CHA Trend Sightings

January 20, 2016

Vicki's CHA Trend Sightings

If you ask three different people who went to the Craft and Hobby Association Trade show what trends they saw forming you would likely get three different answers. Partly because different people are drawn to different craft forms and partly because the show floor is HUGE and there is no possible way to remember every thing you saw. Having said all of that, here are some trends I saw.     Fiber arts are BIG! Think embroidery, felting, “painting” with […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Tim Holtz and Sizzix at CHA 2016

January 19, 2016

New Sizzix Products from Tim Holtz at CHA 2016. See ALL the videos!

One of the things we LOVE about CHA is the ability to see our favorite designers and all of their new products. For today’s installment of CHA show 2016 coverage, we are hanging out at the Sizzix Booth with Tim Holtz. Over these FIVE videos, you will see the booth tour, steel rule dies, and framelits. Grab a cuppa, kick back and enjoy! Sizzix Booth Tour: New Framelits Shapes: New Steel Rule Dies: And the new Vagabond TWO!! And the […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

CHA 2016 – Ranger Ink Designer Challenge –

January 16, 2016

Ranger Designer Challenge from CHA Show 2016

Greetings, my crafty friends!  It is the end of day two here at CHA and let me tell you, we have been a busy bunch!  Being a Ranger gal, every year I always enjoy going to see the Ranger Ink designer challenge.  This year was no exception!  The designers were challenged to use Tim Holtz’ new Distress Crayons in creative ways in conjunction with Dina Wakley’s new Media Board.  Not familiar with these new products?  I would highly suggest you […]

Posted in CHA Coverage, Craft News |

Richard Garay Collections from CHA 2016

January 15, 2016

Richard Garay cha 2016

  Richard Garay released a line with Spellbinders at CHA 2015 and it was a great success- and this year he is back with a retail line! Here in these TWO videos, you’ll see Richard give us an overview of the lines and a die cutting demonstration, and then a closer look at the “Lumberjack” stamps. Now let’s take a closer look! This post and video are part of our coverage of the Craft and Hobby Mega Show (industry trade […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Spellbinders: New Tools at CHA 2016

January 14, 2016

Last week I was at the Craft and Hobby Association Megashow, commonly called CHA. Now that we are home and unpacking, expect to see a LOT of posts from the show- mostly videos and demos that were LIVE on the show floor and/or recorded on Periscope.   Since I uploaded this  THREE DAYS AGO, this 2-minute video has over FIVE THOUSAND VIEWS!!! So far it’s the “winner” video of CHA 2016. Take a look at the new tools from Spellbinders […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

Vicki’s Favorite Picks from the CHA Top 20 Products

January 10, 2016

Every year at the CHA Mega Show the top 20 new products are shown to the media and judges vote to determine the best of the newest products. This year there is a wide variety of products in the Top 20 but here are a few of my very favorites. The winner won’t be announced until later in the show so I will be curious to see if any of my favorites is the winner.     This is how […]

Posted in CHA Coverage |

CHA 2015 – Heidi Swapp Booth and Minc Video

March 13, 2015

If you are a regular reader of Craft Test Dummies, you know that I am a HUGE fan of Heidi Swapp.  Heidi has a been a fixture in the paper crafting industry for over a decade and has always been a never-ending source of inspiration for me.  Her products always trigger my creative side and prove to be incredibly versatile.  This year at CHA, Heidi did not disappoint as we got to see a plethora of new products!  Check out […]

Posted in CHA Coverage, 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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