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The Crafting Blog for Crafters, By Crafters

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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 | 2 Comments

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 | 6 Comments

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 | 1 Comment

New Year, New Challenge- #OneLittleTag

January 1, 2016

I have participated in Ali Edward’s One Little Word for a few years now… I’ve had the word Embrace and Mindful in recent years. But this year I’m coupling my OLW with a craft challenge- #OneLittleTag!   I made a video to explain it… And And just to recap, our group is here on FB:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/OneLittleTag2016/members/ And our goals will be to support each other with  show-and-tell; sharing our creations will keep us on track and motivated! sharing techniques and product tutorials […]

Posted in Craft News | 8 Comments

Crafty Travel: Mexican Handicrafts

December 3, 2015

I know I just got back from London, but we had a family reunion last week in sunny Mexico! I couldn’t resist mixing a little bit of business with my pleasure, so I visited some handcraft shops to see that Mexican artists are making. While I know that they make a lot to sell to tourists, many of the techniques are traditional. I made you  a video!     And now here are the photos of my treasures….  

Posted in Crafty Field Trips | 6 Comments

Crafty Travel: Liberty of London & John Lewis Nov. 2015

November 20, 2015

As I mentioned here, I love to travel- and my favorite thing to do is to visit crafty stores and see what products/craft trends are popular abroad. Today I’m sharing my video of Liberty of London and John Lewis as I saw them in November 2015. What do you think? Similar or different than what you have in YOUR neighborhood? I’d love to hear from you!

Posted in Crafty Field Trips | 1 Comment

Mixed Media Box for OxFam (#phAdvent2015)

November 17, 2015

A few months ago I was contacted by the company Parcel Hero (a shipping company in the UK) and asked if I’d like to participate in their “Advent Calendar” program. They reached out to crafters to alter a small wooden box, which would then be auctioned off to benefit OxFam. Crafting for charity? I’m in. My mission: to alter/decorate a plain wooden box and include a small handmade gift. MISSION ACCEPTED.   Here’s how they describe it on the Parcel Hero blog:  […]

Posted in Crafting for a Cause | 5 Comments

Crafty Field Trip- The INK PAD in NYC

August 13, 2015

What’s better than visiting New York City? Visiting a craft store in New York City! Last month while we were visiting, I found out that the Ink Pad was only a few blocks from my husbands’ new apartment. I ditched the family for a few hours and headed over to check it out! So, side story. I walked in and started checking things out. After the initial, “Hi, is there anything you are looking for/Can I help you?” greeting, one […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips | 6 Comments

Crafty Field Trip- Paper Presentations in NYC

August 7, 2015

You all know that I love love love to travel- and part of the fun is finding a craft store (or two, or three!) while I’m there. Last week I was in New York City (Manhattan) in the Madison Square Park area, right by the historic Flatiron building. We spent much of the week walking around and seeing sights- (I can share some of the architecture photos on another day, if you like.) But of course I had to take […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips | 2 Comments

Overview and Demo of the Photo Sleeve Fuse by We R Memory Keepers

June 28, 2015

One of the coolest tools at CHA 2015 was the new Photo Sleeve Fuse tool. Used to cut and fuse plastic sheets and scrapbooking page protectors, this heat tool creates opportunities to make custom pockets for scrapbooking, waterfall cards and pages, and even attach embellishments. I am pleased to team up with WRMK today to share with you this overview and let you know that there is a special bundle coming soon to HSN!  Disclosure: Samples provided for review purposes; however my opinions are […]

Posted in HSN Updates, Sponsored Posts | 6 Comments

Pat Catan’s Craft Haul

June 23, 2015

Well, it’s a busy time here at CTD WHQ- kids are out of school and into camps, (and mischief) we’ve started demolition on our kitchen remodel, my husband is in transition with work, and I’m working on my projects for Hands On Crafts for Kids.  We film the entire season in one week in July, and this season I’ve got increased hosting duties and I’m designing quite a few of the projects I’ll be sharing on-camera. This means that while […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips | 4 Comments

Craft Room Confessional- I am a planner failure

June 11, 2015

So when I bought my Kikki K planner in March, I had high hopes and visions of a planned, organized, lovely lifestyle. Cute notes! Washi tape! Adorable reminders! Guess what? Not so much. I’m not sure why, but I’m just not getting the hang of it. I keep a lot of what I have to do in my head…. or scribble on manilla tags….and then I forget to put it into the planner. I’d love some ideas and links to […]

Posted in Craft News | 11 Comments

The Next Big Thing: Periscope

June 2, 2015

So the other day a fellow crafty bloggy friend announced that she was on a new social media channel, Periscope. I immediately cringed inside…because, REALLY? I already juggle Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and am trying to get in the habit of Vine. But I took a peek at this app for your iPhone/iPad or Android device…and in minutes I was downloaded, signed up, and hooked. Here’s a blurb from the website: Just over a year ago, we became fascinated by […]

Posted in Apps & Sites, Craft News | Leave a Comment

Craft Haul- LSS Rummage Sale!

May 15, 2015

This week my Local Stamping Store (LSS- shout out to Stamplistic in Amherst) had a rummage sale at their new location. The idea is that you could bring in your gently used tools and stamps and the store sells them for you. YOU do the pricing, the store does the work, and you get the amount sold in store credit for NEW STUFF. Well, I’m not a snob. I love a good tag sale and it’s new to me, right? […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips | 2 Comments

New Products Announced from Silhouette- Mint and Curio!

May 13, 2015

Yesterday I got an intriguing email from Silhouette America announcing new products! (Remember the good old days when companies used the CHA summer show for their big releases? Sigh.) Anyway, we haven’t seen a new machine from Silhouette in quite a while, so this REALLY caught my attention- and now TWO? Introducing the Silhouette Mint ( a stamping machine) and the Curio (a new mixed-media diecutter.) Note: all of this information is taken from the websites- there are no machines […]

Posted in Craft News, Crafty Tools | 7 Comments

Operation Write Home Announces Closure

May 13, 2015

Today I got my weekly SitRep from Operation Write Home’s founder, Sandy Allnock- and it included a shocker. Due to the troops being withdrawn (and correspondingly the number of cards needed) there is beginning to be an imbalance in the amount of administration time needed and the folks being served. So she’s decided to wrap it up. Take a look at the full 12-minute video here: Here are some important highlights: There will probably be funds left over from OWH- so […]

Posted in Craft News, Crafting for a Cause | 5 Comments

24 Ideas to Use Up Fabric Scraps

April 22, 2015

Another confession: I hoard fabric scraps. Sometimes is the color, sometimes it’s the texture, sometimes it’s just that it’s a bit of a piece of clothing or reminds me of something I can’t let go of yet. So I hold on to a ton of fabric scraps! Today, I have a ton of great ideas for using up fabric scraps- some from me, but a bunch from other talented crafters/bloggers/designers. SO many great ideas here!     So…now are you […]

Posted in Fabric Crafts, Giveaways, Recycled & Green | 28 Comments

Crafting and Cruising!

April 13, 2015

It seems that I’ve been living a whirlwind life of travel these days… we just got back from Melbourne and then we were off as a family for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Of course, I brought my travel kit and couldn’t resist taking a peek at what the craft activities offered on our ship, the Oasis of the Seas. While onboard, I made you a little video! You can tell I’m really in “cruise” mode because I’m not wearing makeup […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips | 6 Comments

Packing for a Polymer Clay Retreat!

April 10, 2015

Last fall my crafty BFF Vicki O’Dell, the Creative Goddess (you should check out her site VickiODell.com) and I took a little in-state road trip to the International Polymer Clay Associations’ polymer clay retreat! It was a weekend in Dublin, Ohio, at a hotel…but while the venue was small, it packed it a lot of fun and information! But…this post is about PACKING for the retreat. You see, it was the first one I’d even been to, and I just […]

Posted in Crafty Field Trips, Polymer Clay & Tools | 2 Comments

Crafty Field Trip to Melbourne, pt 1: Kikki K!

March 23, 2015

While I was traveling in Melbourne, I found a Kikki K shop and wandered in. I’d been seeing a lot of planners online and was interested in them… so I treated myself! The shop was lovely, too. I finally cracked it open when I got home. I made a little video of unboxing and initial set up….

Posted in Crafty Field Trips | 5 Comments

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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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