Craft Test Dummies

X-ACTO is the big name in small cutting tools! It’s so sharp that your mother didn’t let you use one until you could be trusted with a scarily powerful little knife. Oh, but when that glorious day came, life with an X-ACTO meant that you could slice through all kinds of media with ease. I [...]

I’m intrigued by new ways to create my own fabrics. Whether it’s for a home decor project or the background fabric in a mixed media project, I’m forever searching for new things to try. Enter Ink Effects from DecoArt. From the DecoArt Ink Effects website: Ink Effects are fabric transfer inks that absorb into the [...]

Today we are going to talk about a product that is timely for the holidays- Martha Stewart Ornament Templates!  These templates are made by EKSuccess brands.  I tried out the Small Rectangle Ornament Template, Small Triangle Ornament Template, and Large Rectangle Ornament Template. The website has the following to say about each of these: Small [...]

The last few times we were at CHA and I stopped by the dazzling booths of DCWV, (Die Cuts with A View),  I noticed that they were advertising a new digital scrapbooking app.  I hadn’t tried any yet so I decided to give this a go for on-the-go scrapbooking- the eScrap app!  Here is how [...]

I’m here to tell you, punches have come a  LOOOONG way, baby! Punches are like the new die-cutting machine. They are more flexible, interchangable, and detailed then ever before. Now Fiskars have a new punching system called AdvantEdge, and it cuts both intricate borders and paper ribbons using papers up to 12 inches long. All [...]

For this review, I tried out a fun and surprisingly modern Self-Finishing Needlepoint Coaster Kit in the knotwork pattern from Jenny Henry Designs. Consider yourself warned: this is definitely NOT the kind of plastic canvas project that your grandma gave you as a kid! According to the Jenny Henry Designs Etsy Shop: This kit contains [...]

So let me start this review with a little story. My little girl is an apple that fell not far from the CraftTestDummies tree- she loves to make art. She doodles, colors, writes stories with illustrations, and SmashBooks. She even takes a weekly drawing class! And she is PROLIFIC. There is barely enough wall space [...]

Today our Guest Star on CraftTestDummies is Tammy Doyle. We welcome her as a guest star, and we’re so glad she’s here! Text from book: “Bring the magic of a fresh snowfall into your own home with this gorgeous collection of crocheted snowflakes. Spend an hour making an ornament or two, or take a weekend [...]

I was sent the Husking Hoops and Loops kit from Quilled Creations to review.  I will tell you all right now that I am a husking and quilled paper novice.  But I have wanted to try my hand at it for so long.  I eagerly jumped right into my kit. The Quilled Creations website states: [...]

By now you know I’m a sucker for cool tools. When I was offered a chance to review the Martha Stewart Craft Circle Edge Punch before you could even BUY it…..well, you know I jumped at the chance. I couldn’t wait to see how it worked! The starter set includes the base plate, one decorative [...]

American Crafts has been a staple in the paper crafting industry for years.  I always look forward to their new paper releases in bright colors and versatile patterns.  They have the cutest matching embellishments and fantastic booths at CHA. I’ve also been a fan of their broad range of markers and writing tools over the [...]

  Book Review: 30 Minute Necklaces by Marthe Le Van   From the back of the book: Ready to be beguiled? Intrigued? Energized? The super stylish  necklace designs in this book will capture your undivided attention for the 30 minutes it takes to complete them. Got wire? Of course! How about leftover copper sheet, beads, [...]

I really love Mod Podge Dimensional Magic and use it frequently to add a glossy top coat to my projects. How excited was I to find out that there are now new formulations that have gold an silver glitter in the bottle? (Yes, I know you can just add it, but why not use it [...]

I love craft punches. With a simple squeeze, you can cut shapes out of different materials that you’d never be able to cut by hand. So to find a punch that actually punches three different shapes that you can layer is like having three punches in one. So meet the Layering Punch by EK Tools [...]

This week has been rugged at my house. Hurricane Sandy became a Superstorm right over Ohio and left us with a week of rain, downed trees and…no power. Over the past few days we spent 51 hours without any electricity. But no worries- my house of intrepid crafters turned to Needle Felting Kits by Dimension [...]

One of the products at CHA Summer that really made me happy was the Plus Decoration Touch n Slide Pens. If rub-ons and adhesive tape runners had a baby, this would be it. Fun designs on a clear background with an easy-peasy pen dispenser. Let’s get started! Description: With Plus Decoration Touch n Slide Pens it’s fun [...]

I never went to summer camp, so I was always jealous of my friends’ belt buckles and pouches with their names burned in leather, Western-style! Thanks to the Sizzle Dual Temperature Craft Iron from Purple Cows, I’ve been able to recreate the arts ‘n crafts cabin of my dreams. Here’s what the website has to [...]

Every crafter has their “idols.”  You all know of my undying love for all things Tim Holtz.  And in my creative Bible, if Tim is God, then Heidi Swapp is definitely my crafty Jesus. (Jennifer McGuire is my Holy Spirit of inspiration.)   I have always enjoyed seeing Heidi’s clean, happy and identifiable style.  I’ve also [...]

Next up in our testing of the new Mod Podge formulas is Brushstroke Mod Podge.  The Plaid website indicates that: Mod Podge ® Brushstroke creates a highly textured finish that resembles hand painting. Apply over posters, prints or to decoupaged canvas projects for an artistic look that’s an affordable alternative to genuine painted wall art. [...]

Who remembers the original Shrinky Dinks? Ahhh the ’70′s. Just so ya know I didn’t have the Glow in the Dark Shrinky Dinks. Lame. I know. And yes, I realize that I’m showing my age when I remember the ’70′s so darn well.       Book Review: Shrink! Shrank! Shrunk! by Kathy Sheldon   [...]

Some time ago we reviewed Distress Stains by Ranger and you got to see the wonderful semi-transparent color in a dauber bottle. Now, Ranger has released three new signature Tim Holtz products in this line- Metallic Distress Stains in Antique Brass, Tarnished Bronze, and Brushed Pewter. So let’s take a nice close look! First, here’s [...]

Today, I’m reviewing Neenah EPC™ Film – Environmentally Preferable Cuttable Film. Neenah EPC™ Film is marketed as a greener alternative to more traditional vinyl heat transfer sheets, and it can be used as a substitute for vinyl heat transfer film in just about any project. It’s available in both multi and single color packs, and [...]

I was super excited when Jenny took me to the Helmar booth at Summer CHA in July.  I had followed their design team‘s amazing creativity and inspiration over the years and was ecstatic to test some of their many, many adhesive products!  Today I’m trying out Helmar Acid Free Glue.   Helmar describes this as, [...]

The original Mod Podge formula may very well be the king of crafting adhesives.  I personally reach for it first when I need an adhesive.  The folks at Plaid have been coming out with new and exciting formulas.  Let’s put the new Antique Matte version to the test. The Plaid website simply states “Give your [...]

Just when you think there are no more innovations to manual die cut machines (Bigger sizes? Check. Electric Motors? Check.) Fiskars comes out with the Fuse Creativity System- which is able to die cut and letterpress in one pass. WHOA, NELLY! So there is a LOT of ground to cover here- and I warn ya, [...]

Book Review: 30 Minute Earrings by Marthe Le Van   From the back of the book: The earring designs in this book will WOW you, INSPIRE you, and MOTIVATE you to drop everything else for 30 minutes and create a pair of SUPER STYLISH earrings. Beyond the obvious (gorgeous) rewards, each project will help you [...]

In an effort to make cards and other papercrafts even more interactive, now there is a way to add scent to your embossing with Scentz by Color Box of Clearsnap. I picked these up at my local scrapbooking store and couldn’t wait to try them out and see how they smelled! First, though, here’s how [...]

Spray mists and inks have been really hot in the scrapbooking and mixed-media world for a few years now, and if what I saw at CHA last summer is any indication there is no sense of it cooling down anytime soon. One of the new spray inks/ mists I saw was Plain Jane Simply Sheer [...]

If you like to journal or scrapbook, having a great white gel pen is really handy to have. A nice white line on a dark background can have a LOT of impact and “pop!” But which white gel pen really delivers?? I was on a quest to find out and today I’m sharing my results [...]

Last year when I attended the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo here in Cleveland, I saw a lot of the same-old-same-old. However, there is one booth- one designer, really- who speaks to me year after year. I love Laura Murray Designs and her focus on surface design. (She’s where I first learned about foiling on [...]