Lo, many moons ago I wrote a rather snarky post about Zentangles VS. Mandalas and how all the fuss really just seemed to me like a marketing ploy. (Let’s remember the $50.00 kit price.) So fast forward a few years and what falls into my hands? Zentangle Basics. The lovely and charming Marie Browning herself gave the the book to try out as well as a little video demo using Tombow markers at CHA, so I promised to give it […]
Craft Product Review: ecosystem Artist Notebooks
I love keeping journals. I don’t write in them religiously, but I do keep several going at one time for ideas, lists, art journaling, and as travel diaries. Usually I just buy what is on sale at the craft or bookstore, without any thought to the actual notebook- manufacture, recycled materials, etc. Until I received an ecosystem Artist Notebook in the mail, I had no idea. So what’s the big deal? Well, this is the notebook for crafters and artists […]
Halloween Craft Book Review: Creepy Cute Crochet
Here’s another super-adorable book by Irreference (a Quirk Books Site): it’s Creepy-Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots and More! As soon as this book hit my door, my 9-year-old son grabbed and began frantically thumbing through it. Then came The List. As in, this is “The List” of items he expected to make for me. In order. For real. (God bless my son, he really thinks that I can make absolutely everything in just about no time flat. Oh, the sweet […]
Craft Book Review: “Witch Craft: Wicked Accessories, Creepy-Cute Toys, Magical Treats, and More!”
Honestly, my favorite season is fall and one of my favorite celebrations is Halloween. I love decorating the house, wearing orange/purple/lime green and black (I mean, when else can you pull THAT color combo off??) and making fun nummy treats for the kiddos. So I was ready to dive into “Witch Craft: Wicked Accessories, Creepy-Cute Toys, Magical Treats, and More!” by Margaret McGuire and Alicia Kachmar. I was thrilled when it hit my mailbox, and quite frankly I had to […]
Craft Book Review: Dover Publications Clip Art with CD-ROM
So often I see a cute craft with a great image- I’m particularly attracted to vintage images such as old-timey postcard. While at the Country Living Fair recently, I saw a lot of Halloween decorations with these types of images, and realized it was time to dig out the “Old-Time Halloween Illustrations” by Dover Publications that I’d bought this summer and give it a whirl. You may be asking, why do I need clip art? Well, most importantly, it gives […]
Crafty Field Trip: 2010 Country Living Fair in Columbus,OH
I love a good road trip- especially one that leads me to crafts, antiques, recycled and upcycled goodies, and…um…lemonade. (I’m a sucker for fresh-squeezed lemonade. But I digress.) My crafty BFF Vicki O’Dell, the Creative Goddess invited me to take a ride with her and her cousin down the Ohio State Fairgrounds to check out the Country Living Fair. How could I refuse? It was a sunny day, and after shelling out $5.00 for parking and $15.00 for entrance, we […]
Craft Book Review: “Crochet it. Love it. Wear it!” by Drew Emborsky
So, if you don’t know Drew “The Crochet Dude” Emborsky, you should. He’s a righteous crochet designer, and a good egg to boot. (And we won’t even start on what he can do with an egg….!) Anyway, Drew is a prolific designer with now 6 books under his belt. This latest one is “for the ladies”, featuring 13 designs- or, as the tagline says, it’s “The Ultimate Collection for Every Occasion.” It certainly seems that way! Here’s my summary of […]
Crafting Field Trip: Stamplistic in Amherst, OH
Wonder what a CraftTestDummy does on a weekend? Sometimes I make a big mess….and sometimes I go shopping. I took a little field trip to Stamplistic, and wonderful (and sadly my ONLY) semi-local independently-owned scrapbooking and stamping store. What makes Stamplisitic special is that they carry such a marvelous collection of scrapbooking, stamping AND mixed-media supplies. From Adirondack inks to Zentangles, they’ve really got something for everyone. They’ve also recently moved- and their new, shiny scrapping mecca on Cooper-Foster Park […]
Crafting for a Cause: Jason Orpe ALS Mojo Fest
Just found out about this craft-tastic fundraiser via Vicki Howell, and felt moved to pass it along. Watch the video to hear about Jason and Mojo Fest, then do what you can. Craft on!
Tour of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Offices
If you read my post yesterday about the Martha Stewart “Blogger’s Night Out,” you know that I left you hanging with a tease about my private tour of the MSLO offices. Let’s just take a moment to savor those words, shall we? Private. Tour. It was almost as nerve-wrackingly exciting as going to the actual party. But better. Without the noise and the crowds, it was soooo much easier to take in everything. So here’s the deal- no photos inside […]
Martha Stewart Blogger’s Night Out Party
I did a full-on, whole body “Happy Dance” when I got the invitation to Martha Stewart’s “Blogger’s Night Out” party in New York City at her Martha Stewart Omnimedia offices. First thought: “AH! I got an invite!”(Kinda cool for little ol’ me!) Then “OH! I get to see the offices where the magic happens!” (It’s a good thing!) Then: “Ohhh- what ever do I WEAR?!? (I’m not kidding. This is how I think.) I was heading to BlogHer 10 anyway, […]
Cricut Circle- Welcome Kit & Event
Well, you know I joined the Cricut Circle over 3 weeks ago, and I’ve bee waiting……and waiting…..and waiting!!!!! for my welcome kit. I got all excited last week when I finally got my FedEx tracking number with an estimated delivery date of Thursday. That was PERFECT, because I was leaving for CHA (and the Cricut Circle event) in Rosemont, Ill., on Friday AM. But. When I went to track my package on Wednesday (remember, it was due on Thursday) and…um…they […]
Cricut Imagine Overview & Gala at CHA Summer 2010
One of the things I really admire about Provocraft is their releases of new products (such as the Cricut Imagine!) For example, they have teams of folks on the show floor just waiting to give your a personalized tour. I had some time and taped part of my “tour” for you- after all, the Imagine both prints AND cuts, and there are a lot of cool functions to this machine. Here’s PART of what I got- YouTube will only allow […]
Gearing Up for CHA Summer 2010
So if you know me, you know that I’m gearing up for the Craft and Hobby Associations Summer Tradeshow! I’m always excited to see the new products, cool techniques, and catch up with crafty celebs and friends. There will be a slew of new releases (check out Nancy Nally’s Scrapbook Update site for cool sneak peeks), and of course, the most buzzed-about even is the Cricut Gala, where they’ll be unveiling the new “Imagine” machine. Rumor has it that it’s […]
Crafting an “AlterNation†with Knitgrrl
One of the perks of living in CLE + is that we’ve got some faboo indie artists/authors/crafters who make this an interesting place to live. One of the MOST interesting and talented is Shannon Okey, also known as Knitgrrl. Shannon is an author, TV personality, knitwear designer, and world-class wisea$$, not necessarily in that order. She is also a self-described workaholic. Doubt it? Take a look at the list of books she’s either authored or edited: Knitgrrl Knitgrrl 2 Spin […]
Suze Weinberg + CraftTestDummies=Fun at CHA Summer!
Jenny meets crafting legend Suze Weinberg for a craft lesson with the hot wax stylus tool.
New Sakura Two-Part UV Resin Premiers at CHA Summer 2009!
You know how crazy I am for UV curing resins- I practically keep Lisa Pavelka in business just with my consumption of Magic Glos. (read my reviews HERE and HERE). BUT, I digress. While at CHA Summer 2009 in Orlando, Florida, I came across the Sakura booth. I’ve heard of them as they produce the 3D Crystal Laquers that I know and love, but at the booth they were showing off a new product: a two-part UV resin. Surf on […]
Last Day at CHA Summer 09
Jenny shares her day-three coverage live from CHA Summer 2009, the Craft and Hobby Association Trade show in Orlando Florida. Read on for the highlights of the day and vendors to watch.
Viva Decor, Lisa Pavelka and me…at CHA Summer 2009
Jenny visits Viva Decor to see their line of crafts, craft tools, Pardo polymer clay and paints. Endorsed by Lisa Pavelka, too.
Free Gypsy & Awesome Day at CHA Summer 2009
So, I know that it’s my FIRST Craft and Hobby Association trade show, but I’m tittering inside. I met Kathy Cano-Murillo (the Crafty Chica), the founder of SoftFlex Wire, the President of Sakura, Heidi Grace, Claudine Hellmuth, Traci Bautista, Tim Holtz, and ummmmm, yea- the president of ProvoCraft. AND snagged a ticket to the gala tonight! While I’ve been told that this is a “small” show, by regular scrap/craft shows it’s still huge. Over 600 vendors, scads of make-and-takes, and […]
