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Magazine Addict – Got My Home Companion Fix

February 20, 2008

I love magazines. Well, crafty ones, at least. Whether they are jewelry, clay, beads, fiber…. well, they all make me happy, and get my brain moving in new directions. Yesterday I picked up a Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion. Her style is very “cutesy,” which really isn’t my thing. However, I do like her new fabrics and use of color. Anyhoo, what made me buy the magazine was the project for making fabric slippers, using only fat quarters of fabric. I […]

Posted in Books, Magazines, Events, Craft Product Reviews | Leave a Comment

Yarn Painting from Skull-a-Day

February 19, 2008

Ok, so I am often inspired by other crafters, and this site is definitely worth mentioning. Skull-A-Day is the idea that you take a theme – in this case, a skull – and create one everyday, using every technique and medium you can. Since I couldn’t find an “about” page, I got no info to share on who, or why, this is happening. BUT, I do like the concept. And in particular, this yarn painting has captured my interest. This […]

Posted in Craft News, Craft Projects, Fabric, Needle, & Quilting Arts | Leave a Comment

Children’s Books with Fiber Arts Illustrations

February 13, 2008

I love to read to my kids. I especially love to read books that have great illustrations. I have two to share with you today. The first is “Tar Beach” by Faith Ringgold. Faith is a painter who began painting and storytelling on quilts. (Yum. How fabulous is that!?!) Her artwork hangs in major museums, and she’s an art professor at U of C in San Diego. But better than her bio is her books. This one features illustrations taken […]

Posted in Books, Magazines, Events, Craft Product Reviews, Kids Stuff | 2 Comments

Craft Product Review: Texture Makers by Studio By Sculpey

February 11, 2008

After checking out the new Studio by Sculpey clays, Super Slicing Blades, and 5-in-1 tool, I thought it was time to test drive their version of texture sheets. I bought 2 sets, each with 2 mats in the package. I got the Swirls and Scrolls, as well as the Chantilly Lace and Text. The sheets measure about 5 X 7, and are a thin rubber mat. They are tinted a soft green (there’s that branding again!) and are pliable. The […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews | 1 Comment

Polymer Clay Art Doll Pin Class at Stamplistic

February 10, 2008

We had a small but mighty class yesterday at Stamplistic, and a big “Thank You” to Shelly and Alice who come to play with me! I love facilitating classes…. getting to know different artist/crafters, their approach, and the life stories they bring to the table. Fortunately, Alice and Shelly “got” the project, and brought their creative juices! Here’s what they made: I’m repeating the class on Valentine’s day…so if you want to attend, just click on link above for registration […]

Posted in Books, Magazines, Events, Craft News, Polymer & Air-Dry Clays | Leave a Comment

Craft Product Review: 5-in-1 Clay Tool by Studio By Sculpey

February 6, 2008

Yesterday I test-drove the new 5-in-1 tool in the Donna Dewberry Line of Studio by Sculpey. I tried to like it. Really. But it fell short of my expectations in a number of ways. The idea was brilliant: a stylus type tool with interchangeable tips to make clay work more efficient. The set includes a ball tip, a blade, a needle tool, a chisel tip, and a bullet tip, all with a handy tip holder. So I crack it out […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Crafty Tools, Polymer Clay & Tools | 6 Comments

Craft Product Review: Clover Heart Yo-Yo Maker

February 3, 2008

OK, so I sew. Usually on the machine, but occasionally I do some hand-work. And for some reason I am captivated by yo-yo’s. I was out at JoAnn’s the other day, ran across the Clover Heart Yo-Yo Maker, and got sucked in. Since I’d never made them before – any type of yo-yo – I thought it would be great to buy the tool and check it out. First off, had to say that the instructions were great! They included […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Crafty Tools, Fabric, Needle, & Quilting Arts | 2 Comments

Tips For Buying Craft Products on Ebay

February 1, 2008

I’ve been on a jones lately, looking for – and buying – craft supplies on Ebay. Purchasing your supplies this way can either be great savings or a huge rip-off. Here’s how to know the difference. First of all, take into consideration what kind of products your looking for, and whether or not “new” or “used” means anything to you. Today I got a shipment of polymer clay products, and the some of it was considered “used.” In this case, […]

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

Craft Product Review: Studio by Sculpey Super Slicer Blades

January 29, 2008

I’m continuing to explore the Studio by Sculpey clay and tool lines, and today I’m giving you the poop on the new Super Slicer blades.The retail price of the package was $14.99 (available at JoAnn’s ETC stores, and online) and includes 4 blades: a stiff, shorter blade, a long, flexible tissue blade, a scallop blade, and a crinkle blade. There are also 2 handles that can used with any blade. Initially, I was very excited about the handle concept. I’ve […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Crafty Tools, Polymer Clay & Tools | 5 Comments

Need a Craft Product Tester?

January 28, 2008

I’m available! If you have a new craft technique, product or are testing instructions for publication, I’ll be happy to try it out and kick the tires for ya. I can’t promise it’ll be a favorable review, but it will be honest – and from the perspective of the average crafty person. See my About page for contact info.

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Children’s Books with Polymer Clay Illustrations

January 25, 2008

I love book time with my kids. And what I love even more is a children’s book with rich, visually stimulating illustrations. Ones that are really works of art. I stumbled across these books by Marian Berkes and Jeanette Canyon while searching for children’s books that utilize song lyrics- and found Over in the Ocean and Over in the Jungle The words are re-vamps of a preschool song (something about a mother duck, as I recall) and retooled to fit […]

Posted in Books, Magazines, Events, Craft Product Reviews, Kids Stuff, Polymer & Air-Dry Clays | 1 Comment

Tips for Listing Items On Etsy

January 24, 2008

I spent the AM posting things on Etsy, listing some craft samples I had lying around. What? You’ve never heard of Etsy? Well! Let me school ya… Etsy is a site for artist/crafters to sell their creations… and for folks to love to buy unique, hand-made or one of a kind (OOAK to the uninitiated) items direct from the artisans.  You can also find craft supplies on Etsy, as well as Vintage Items. In their words, Our mission is to […]

Posted in Apps & Sites, Craft News, Craft Product Reviews, Jenny Sez | Leave a Comment

New “Studio by Sculpey” Line Hits JoAnn’s

January 22, 2008

Hey! I was just trolling at a JoAnn’s ETC store here in Ohio, and I found this new line from Sculpey, Studio by Sculpey I was just trolling their site last week when I posted on comparing clays. How come there was no mention of it on their site??!!! OK, so in the spirit of being the original Craft Test Dummy, I picked up two packages at $2.99 each. A little more expensive, but the packages are 2.8 ounces instead […]

Posted in Craft News, Craft Product Reviews | 2 Comments

Zentangle Versus Mandalas

January 17, 2008

Ah, how I love my crafty friends, always turning me on to something new. My friend Eva of Grand River Beads was telling me about Zentangle.com, and how she wants to apply the idea to bead embroidery. So here’s the gist of it: I think it’s kind of like a mandala: you make a squiggle and then fill in the open areas with a motif. I’m not sure what the technique is because they want you to buy a kit […]

Posted in Books, Magazines, Events, Craft News, Craft Product Reviews, Paper Crafts | 9 Comments

The Craft Industry is Out to Get Us

January 15, 2008

As per my usual, I was surfin’ for some new projects to try. Martha Stewart has her new craft show in DIYNetwork, and I thought I’d check out her site. Gotta give that woman props, the site is beautiful. So I check out the “Sewn Candy Dishes.” Cute, looks accessible, maybe I’ll try one. And there is a supply list on the right hand side, so again, gotta give that woman credit… of course she’s selling them all through her […]

Posted in Craft News, Craft Product Reviews | Leave a Comment

My Craft Light is Giving Me a Seizure!

January 14, 2008

Attempting to be eco-friendly, I am slowly replacing regular light bulbs in my house… so when the one went out on my craft table, I decided to replace it with a Sylvania 13w energy-efficient bulb. Gadzooks! Every time I turn the sucker on, it flickers like that scene from Flashdance! I’ve heard that some compact fluorescent bulbs have so many hours of ” burn time” before they settle down and just work like they are supposed to. Let’s hope this […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Crafty Tools | 1 Comment

Polymer Clay- Picking a Clay That’s Right for you!

January 12, 2008

I’ve got some friends interested in starting in polymer clay work over in my beading group. One member asked me what is the better clay to use. Of course, that’s really personal opinion….but there are some differences in polymer clays when it comes to colors and firmness. So, here’s a quick rundown of clays, listing them by manufacturer. From Eberhard Faber (Germany): Fimo Classic: The first brand of polymer clay, Fimo, was invented in Germany, during World War I. A […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Polymer Clay & Tools | 1 Comment

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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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