Craft Test Dummies

Sencils are the new stickers. For the longest time, stencils were boring, dated, and passe. But recently, new, improved, and totally hip stencils have been hitting the market. I was lucky that iStencils.com contacted me to try out their line- they are SO cool! Here’s a little bit about iStencils from the website: We have [...]

Love home decor and personalizing gifts, especially glassware?  Well, this year at Winter CHA, DecoArt aka Americana, one of the biggest and most recognized names in the crafty painting world, premiered a brand new line of gloss paints including Crystal and 3D gloss enamels.  Their booth at CHA was absolutely stunning with tons of glassware in an array of colors [...]

Everwhere I look these days, I see chalkboard surfaces- on walls, on serving cards, on garden pots, on pantry jars, even on scrapbook pages. But what good is a chalkboard surface if the chalk you write with is messy and brushes off easily? Sometimes you want the LOOK of chalk, but with the versatility and [...]

I need to admit up front that I am an alcohol marker virgin.  Yes, that’s right.  While everyone else has been playing with those *other* brands – you know what they are – I’ve been sitting here happily coloring with my watercolor crayons and pencils.  But I’ve still been wanting to know what the buzz [...]

I’m on a bit of  a Luminart products kick here at CTD WHQ- and today I want to share with you my impressions of the Silks Acrylic Glazes. Silks acrylic glazes are translucent shimmering acrylic-based paints, but lack the opacity of your “normal” paints. Here’s the description I found on a vendor’s website: What makes [...]

With all of glazes, shimmer sprays, paints and inks out there, don’t you ever just want to have everything match? Guess what- when you own Primary Elements Artist Pigments by Luminarte, you can. With these handy powdered pigments, you can make….well…. just about anything! Here’s how they are described: Primary Elements Artist-Pigments are created by [...]

I’ve really been missing out all this time.  At CHA in January, the folks at Ranger gave us some of the new colors of Liquid Pearls which they released, and I have been playing with them for the last few days…and now I am wondering why it took me this long to find out how [...]

A while back I reviewed the LetraSet ProMarkers as well as the AquaMarkers, and found them to be really good to have in the craft studio. The ProMarkers are alcohol-based, and come at a better price point than most. As you may recall, though, the marker has two nibs, on on each end- a bullet [...]

While at CHA Winter in January, I had the pleasure of meeting Dyan Reavely, the newest signature designer at Ranger. She’s developed a line of stamps, stencils, and ink sprays. Her line is notable for it’s whimsy and bright colors. Take a look at the video I took at CHA: So today I’m reviewing the [...]

My 3 kids love to make art, and between my art supplies and theirs, we have a ton of arts and crafts products in our home.  Somehow, though, we hadn’t managed to acquire anything similar to today’s product, and I have no idea why…because it’s a win-win for everyone…no mess and tons of fun! Do-A-Dot [...]

I’m intrigued by dyeing fabric. I quilt, and I was told once by a prominent quilter that once I started dyeing my own fabrics, I would be hooked and never go back. Sometimes, though, you need to dye fabric for a more practical reason- to hide a stain or restore color to denim. For all [...]

There are so many mists and sprays these days out on the market and each and every one of them seem to be different and special in their own way. I am a bit of a spray, “hoarder” too, they’re just so much fun, versatile and I consider them a good tool to have in [...]

To a novice or newbie crafter, alcohol-based inks can be a little perplexing. I’m happy to share Pinata Inks by Jacquard and hopefully both de-mystify what this inks are and why they can be so versatile in your crafting supply box! Let’s start with a little information from the Jaquard website: Beautiful, highly saturated and [...]

This is an exciting time for crafters- products that were almost unheard of a few years ago are now common for paper crafters. (Gesso, anyone?) And almost EVERYONE is really making “mixed media” art now, combining different materials and techniques for everything from card-making to scrapbooking to canvas art. If you are interested in dipping [...]

Awhile ago, one of my Facebook Page friends asked me if I knew of a product for embossing your handwriting. I immediately shared what I knew- I’d been using the VersaMarker for years. But it got me wondering- what other embossing pens were out there, and how did they stack up? Time to put on [...]

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know I’m in love with shimmery paints. I’ve known about Jacquard Lumiere Paints (and I’ve gone through a bottle or two in my day) so it was shocking that I never reviewed it! So today, crafty friends, the day has come to talk about [...]

It was bound to happen. With all of the amazing glimmer-shimmer-spray-mists out there, someone had to come up with a fabulous canvas product to go with it. And thanks to Prima Marketing Inc, their Resistant Canvas pieces are an amazing compliment! There are a lot of options, but today I’m going to focus on the [...]

**WARNING: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A MANICURE-FREE ZONE. INKY FINGERS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN** It’s no secret, I’m a Ranger-head, I even have taught some fun Ranger technique classes at local scrapbook stores.  Ranger products make my crafty little heart warm with happiness.  I was so excited when I saw the Adirondack Color Wash Sprays by Tim [...]

Do you like the idea of scrapbooking, but get nervous when trying to pick papers and embellishments? Do you balk at the idea that scrapbooking can be so expensive? Do you have years of photos and memorabilia sitting in boxes? The SMASHBOOK line by K & Company is for you! So what is a Smash [...]

I’ve been a big fan of Claudine Hellmuth’s white gesso for quite some time.  It is wonderfully opaque, thick and creates a great texture on your projects. I’m addicted to it for my art journaling pages and prepping the thin pages for watercolor, acrylics, etc.  (If you’re unfamiliar with gesso and its uses, check out [...]

I love glitter, and was have used the Krylon Glitter Spray in craft projects for over a year now. So when I heard that Krylon was “kicking it up a notch” I was super-anxious to try the Glitter Blast. According to the website, Taking glitter to the next dimension. A uniquely intense, sparkling glitter finish [...]

I like stamps. I like BIG stamps, too. So I agreed to try out Jumbo Cling Rubber Stamps from Stampendous, as well as their Jumbo Perfectly Clear Handle. These are foam-mounted rubber stamps feature bold designs. This is how they are described on their website: Stampendous Jumbo Cling Rubber combines the drama of large designs [...]

Here’s another post inspired by the “which one is best?” question. I like to stamp images on fabric postcards, art quilts, and even ribbon for paper crafting. So I got to wondering which stamp pad would work best on fabric (providing a nice, clear image) and which, if any, would survive a washing. The contenders [...]

I’m continuing my focus on all things fabric and sewing this month, so I felt the DecoArt So-Soft Fine Glitter Fabric Paints would work in well with the theme here. I mean, who doesn’t like to add a bit of glitter? The DecoArt So-Soft Fine Glitter Fabric Paints are described on the site: SoSoft Glitters [...]

It has been a “Martha-full” week here at CTD WHQ (that’s CraftTestDummies World Headquarters) and I’ve reviewed her Paints, Tools and Accessories, Tintable Fabric Medium, and even Upcycled a Cabinet. But today, I’m turning my attention to her Stencils and tools for stencilling- her foam pouncers, stencil brushes, and First off, you should know that [...]

When I opened my box of Martha Stewart decorative paints from Plaid, I was over the moon with the products they sent me. And one of them- the Tintable Fabric Medium- I knew I wanted to try out right away. Let me show you what my day’s worth of experimenting yielded. It’s so new, it’s [...]

One of the biggest hush-hush buzzes this year at CHA was the debut of Martha Stewart Paints by Plaid. (Remember my foray into the secret locked room to get a sneak peek?) Now, however, the secret is out, the products are on the shelves- and in the hands of yours truly! Now, there are SO [...]

We’ve done a lot of travel this summer, and I knew that making art was going to be a significant part of each trip. So in preparation, I ordered 4 different travel watercolor field kits and thought I’d give you the low-down of how each one performed for me. Interested? Let’s begin! First up is [...]

I started out my crafting days in stamping, and though I took several years off from stamping, I eventually made my way back, and I have never been more addicted to stamps than I am now! Of course with that comes a need for many different types of ink pads, to serve different needs.  When [...]

Today’s CHA coverage is brought to you by: I always enjoy popping into the Plaid booth to see what is new and fun- not to mention, I LOVE catching up with Steve Piacenza and Cathie Filian. This time, they were doing a canvas home decor project. That seems to be a big trend right now! [...]