Craft Test Dummies

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: […]

Are you a child of the 80′s? Remember those cool black velvet flocked posters that you could get at the drugstore? They came with a set of crummy markers and you got to color them in yourself? Those were the days. However, you can relive that time with SEI’s Color My Own Fuzzy Iron-On Art […]

Die cutting is still immensely popular in the crafting world for both fabric and paper crafters. And among the manual die cutting machines, only a few are electric- which means no cranking and hand fatigue. The newest of these “electrictronic manual” machines is the eBosser by Craftwell.    Here’s how it’s described on the website: […]

  From the website: Roll out long patterns to create elegant and festive borders. Use multiple rows to create backgrounds for scrapbook pages and cards. Even make your own gift wrapping paper. The self-inking stamp cartridge allows you to apply the pattern without having to stop and use a blotter. Just roll it on! The pattern cartridge […]

I really enjoy adding texture and patterns to my mixed-media projects- and Melt Art Texture Treads from Ranger Industries does just that. While they were designed to be used with UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamels,) they can be used on so much more. Let’s take a look! Here’s how they are described on the Ranger […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]