Craft Test Dummies

Alcohol markers are an essential for any stamper who loves to color OR any crafter who likes to color-coordinate their accessories. And if you think there is only brand of alcohol markers our there, think again! So today we are talking about Chromatix Alcohol Markers from American Crafts. Here’s how they are described on the […]

Back in my high school days, a long long time ago, my mom and I were really into stamping. She was a representative for a direct sales stamp company so we were pretty faithful to a certain brand of ink. After a few years, I went off to college and became “too cool” for stamping […]

Markers were all the rage at CHA- water-based, alcohol-based, and so many different accessories to go with them. Copic came out with a new line, too-  Copic Doodle Packs. There are 8 different color ways in the 4-pack option. (It looks as though there are 7-pack options, too- but we weren’t asked to review those. […]

Jacquard Pearl Ex pigment powders are extremely versatile supplies for any artist or crafter. They now come in over 30 colors. I’ll be testing some of the brand new Chromatic Colors: Citrine, Emerald, Magenta, Sapphire Blue, Scarlet and Dark Brown. This collection is a really gorgeous intense set of jewel tones with a deep lovely […]

Remember how I shared some of the new/and or improved products of CHA show? Well, this is the first one I’ve gotten in my hot little hands- Gelatos Double Scoops! Look at ALL THE YUMMY COLORS. Yes, even the metallics have been “super sized.” Compared to the original version (bottom one) you can see that […]

When I was recently sent the Tulip Fabric Spray Paint to review, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. It sat on the corner of my work space for well over a month, staring me down, taunting me with it’s metallic-y goodness. I finally braved up enough to get to testing it out […]

Hey there crafters!  Today I wanted to re-energize your creative brains with Alcohol Inks by Tim Holtz and Ranger Ink.  Alcohol Inks are one of my all-time favorite products by Ranger and seeing as how we haven’t reviewed them here at Craft Test Dummies, I wanted to give a quick run down of what they […]

I love a metallic or shimmery marker-and with the holidays coming up, what project couldn’t use a bit of sparkle and shine? So today I’m going to review the Letraset Metallic Twin Markers! Here’s how they are described by Amazon.com: Metallic Markers handle and perform like watercolor paints, only in the convenience of a twin-tipped […]

Ever wish you could just gold-leaf something? Add a bit of metallic elegance? Today we are looking at Krylon Leafting Pens, and they will let you do just that! Let’s take a look! Here’s the description from the package: KrylonLeafing pens add a touch of elegance to your home accents. All you need is a […]

If you are a stamper, you know that the right stamp pad for the job is pretty much essential. You use the wrong stamp pad- well, your project might not turn out or stand the test of time. It’s in this spirit that I dive into another stamp pad review- this time, the Memento Luxe […]

Hello crafters! Today we are going to take a look at Tsukineko all-purpose inks!  I have to admit, I scratched my head a bit when I first received these; what do these little cuties do?  Looking at them a little closer, these are very fluid inks with a watery consistancy.  You can use them with […]

Hello Crafters! As you know Craft Test Dummies was at this last CHA in Las Vegas when Tim Holtz debuted his new Distress glitter with Ranger Ink.   Here’s how it’s described on the Ranger Ink website: Distress Glitter complements the nostalgic palette of other Distress products with its unique glitter type to mimic the look of vintage mica. […]

Sometimes you have that perfect stamp and you think, “That really needs more than one color.” Or perhaps you’d like to create a whole background in a variety of colors. Lucky for us, there is  a PERFECT inkpad for that- the Kaleidacolor Rainbow Dye Ink Pads by ImagineCrafts. Here’s how they are described on the […]

When I first saw this product at CHA last year, my question was “what IS it?” Is it an enamel? Is it a paint? Is it an embossing medium? The answer is sorta-kinda-YES to all of them. 3D Enamel Gels from Piccolo Globecrafts is a liquid, air-dry plastic paint that gives the look, opacity, and […]

Cathie and Steve, designers over at Plaid (the makers of Mod Podge), have come up with a new product called Mod Melts. Here is what Cathie has to say about the new product: With our new sea glass and milk glass Mod Melt Sticks and Molds you can now make your own scrapbooking, mixed media […]

  When I think of oil paints, I think of a beret-wearing French artist on the banks of the Seine, staring off into the sunset and dabbing at a palette. But anyone can get a hold of oil paint, including a scaredy-cat crafter like me. Shiva Paintstiks are a handy version that puts the paint […]

Disclosure: This is a post sponsored by Krylon. All opinions are honest and my own.  It’s high summer here at CraftTestDummies World Headquarters and that means more time in the remote office- AKA my porch! Located right off of our bedroom, it’s a lovely covered veranda that is a great place to read, blog, and […]

If you’ve visited CraftTestDummies anytime before, you’ll know that I love papercrafting and stamping. Sometimes it’s just a little bit of “zhush” to make a project really stand out. So I had to dig into the We R Memory Keepers Sew Stampers and Doodle Stampers as soon as they hit my doorstep!  From the website: The […]

I couldn’t be more excited to share with you today’s review!  For starters, I am officially a Ranger U graduate and am a Ranger certified instructor!  Last month I travelled to New Jersey to the Ranger Ink factory to learn some amazing tips and techniques taught to us by Tim Holtz, Claudine Hellmuth, Dyan Reaveley […]

If you love to upcycle or recycle, you know the value of spray paint! It can transform yard-sale finds into new treasures for your home economically and in almost no time flat. That’s why today I want to share with you Krylon ColorMaster Spray Paint! Here’s how it’s described on the website: ColorMaster’s formulation provides […]

I was sent the brand new glass chalkboard paint from DecoArt to try out.  I was excited to jump into it after the failure I had on glass when testing the Americana Clear Chalkboard Coating.   I started with the information on the DecoArt website about this Americana Glass Chalkboard Paint: Glass Chalkboard Paint makes […]

It’s a well-established fact that I do like shimmery, shiny things. So when I heard that there was a new glittery brush-type pen…well, I had to get them, right? (I picked them up at a LSS while I was on vacation, so it counts as a souvenir, too!) Meet the Wink of Stella Brush Glitter […]

Most crafters are also DIY-friendly folks. I personally like to paint furniture and accessories to upcycle them, and so when the friendly folks at Color-Glide Pro reached out to ask me to try and review their painting tubes, I thought it would be a good fit.     The Color-Glide Pro is a brushless painting […]

I admit it, I have never, ever tie dyed anything before.  It’s always seemed messy and a little daunting to me.  My oldest daughter Emma picked up this Tie Dye kit by Creativity for Kids (which is owned by CTD favorite, Faber-Castell) up at the local Target with some of her allowance money.  I kind […]

Stamp pads are a wonderful, marvelous thing. Every paper crafter needs to have at least FOUR different stamp pads in their crafty toolbox. But there is always a question so which stamp pad works best for which jobs. So today, we’re taking a closer look at VersaFine Stamp Pads by Tsukineko!     From the […]

Decoart sent me a wide selection of their Patio Paint to try out.  Perfect for this time of year don’t ya think?  First a little from the Decoart website about the product.   Product Description: Patio Paint is permanent, weather-resistant acrylic paint for outdoor decorating on concrete, wood, and terra cotta. Patio Paint is formulated […]

Today we are playing with Faber-Castell’s Crafter Crayons.  These are part of their Design-Memory-Craft division that is geared towards using high-quality art products in mixed media and paper crafts.  So, these aren’t your average crayola’s!  According to Faber-Castell, “Paper Crafter Crayons™ are highly-pigmented wax crayons that can be used on all types of crafting surfaces.” […]

“Make new friends, but keep the old; One is silver and the other gold.”  I was definitely singing this Girl Scout song while reviewing the new Jacquard Pinata metallic alcohol inks.  We previously reviewed their regular alcohol inks here, so go over there to get a little bit of a information if you are new […]

Sprays and mists are still popular (and fun) in both papercrafting and mixed-media. Once upon a time a long time ago, I tried the original Walnut Stain by Tsukineko. Since then, they have come up with some lovely new, contemporary colors and are now called “Antiquing Solutions.” I wondered how they would work- want to […]

I was given a bottle of Americana Clear Chalkboard coating from Decoart at CHA.  I smuggled it in my liquids bag and onto the plane home.  I couldn’t wait to give it a test.  Make any surface chalkboard?  Well lets just see about that! The Decoart website has the following to say about this product: […]