Craft Test Dummies

I spent quite a bit of time at the Kuretake booth at the CHA show in January- and one of the products that caught my eye were the Gansai Tambi Watercolors. Made in Japan, these highly-pigmented watercolors are rich and vivid- and I couldn’t wait to buy a set and try them out!   Here’s […]

As I mentioned in my post from CHA, both neon and chalkboards or black backgrounds are still all the rage. So of course, we’re going to need some chalky and/or neon markers, right? Today we are looking at the Crafty Crock Liquid Chalk Markers. From the website: Crafty Croc™ Liquid Chalk Markers offer a versatile […]

Hello crafters!  Today I wanted to show you the six new colors of Dylusions ink sprays!  There were already 18 colors from the Dylusions line so these new six make 24 total.  New to Dylusions?  Check out this review by Jenny and learn the basics about these awesome sprays.   I am a huge fan of […]

Hello crafters!  Today I want to introduce to you the six newest colors from Ranger Ink designer, Wendy Vecchi, in her Archival Ink line.  We have already done a full review of Archival Inks on Craft Test Dummies that you can see here.  There are now 12 colors total in Wendy’s Archival ink line, and […]

Love the look of etched glass- but was a bit wary of using chemicals? Or maybe you just didn’t want anything so *permanent.* Well, Krylon’s Frosted Glass Finish spray paint is a great alternative.   Here’s how it’s described by the manufacturer: Frosted Glass Finish Create beautiful, frosted glass the easy way — just spray […]

I’ve been smitten with kits and subscriptions series lately. I love getting a “surprise” in the mail (even if I’ve had a sneak peek of what’s coming” and the idea of a little dose of creativity is just about what I need these days. Kits can push you out of your comfort zone, introduce you […]

Last week I spent time reviewing Gamsol and then comparing which colored pencil brands worked best with it. Now I’m working in the other direction- what other ways can we blend colored pencils? For this round, I compared Gamsol (odorless mineral spirits), Turpenoid Natural (non-toxic version of turpentine) and Baby Oil (mineral oil.) I also […]

When I first heard of Lumi Sunfold dye, it made me think of the nature prints I made at scout camp using specially treated paper. We would place leaves, sticks, grass, and shells on specially-treated paper, then lay the paper in the sun. This would result in simple prints of our designs. That is the […]

I recently bought some new rubber stamps and they are perfect for coloring. However, using markers can be a bit challenging and I was ready to pull out my colored pencils again. Recently Jennifer McGuire mentioned Gamsol- a colorless, odorless mineral spirit used for blending pencils and I thought it would be fun to try […]

I love painting and drawing, so seeing a product that I could both paint and draw with, intrigued me. I was sent 10 of the 29 colors of Tsukineko‘s irRESISTible Pico Embellishers, to test out and do a product review. These are a resist, designed to work with their Texture Spray. It can be used with watercolor […]

Stamping has been around forever, but using stamp pads as a form of paint is a relatively new trend. Now Prima is taking the direct-to-surface application of stamping ink VERY seriously with the Comfort-Craft Chalk Edgers.   These little chalk-ink stamp pads feature an ergonomic molded grip handle and an unusual “iron” shape. The pad […]

Howdy crafters!  Today I wanted to show you the six new colors of alcohol inks that were debuted at this last CHA by Tim Holtz and Ranger Ink.  If you are not already familiar with alcohol inks, I suggest you check out this review I did of them a while back for CTD. Check out […]

Hello crafters!  For today’s video review I’m showing you the brand new Ranger Ink and Tim Holtz‘ Mini Distress Ink Tool!  Don’t let the name fool you though, you can use all sorts of inks and paints with these!  Check out the video below and let me know what you think of these snazzy little […]

Alcohol markers are all the rage in papercrafting- for coloring, creating layers/backgrounds, and for custom-tinting embellishments. Now you can get ones that coordinate with all of your favorite Stampin’ UP products with Blendabilities Markers! These markers are two sided- that is, you get both a brush tip and a writing tip in the same barrel. […]

This past CHA in Anaheim, Ranger Ink and Tim Holtz debuted Mini Distress Ink Pads! These little wonders are great for on-the-go crafters, teachers or anyone that is new to the distress ink world. After playing with these, I absolutely love the versatility they provide and are a great addition to Tim’s line of Distress […]

Last week I was reading one of my favorite artist’s blogs- Balzer Designs- and Julie did a mini- review of the Lindy’s Stamp Gang Sprays. I saw this same product at CHA, but we didn’t get any to review. Lucky for us, Julie did, and she wrote up a great overview of the sprays and […]

Small bottles of craft paint are useful and versatile in just about any craft studio. The FolkArt Multi-Surface Paint can provide even more versatility because you can use them on any of the following surfaces: wood, glass, ceramic, metal, terra cotta, slate, paper, fabric, tin, canvas, tile, paper mache, clay, rigid plastic, concrete, resin (and I’m […]

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 Chromatixs 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 […]

Ever wondered which was the best stamp pad for water-based markers or Copics? 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 […]

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 […]