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Craft Test Dummies

The Crafting Blog for Crafters, By Crafters

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Tombow Brush Markers

April 27, 2015

I’ve been on a bit of a marker kick. And why not? Lots of colors, inexpensive, and versatile. So today we are looking at the Tombow Dual Brush Marker Pens.   Here’s how the company describes them: Flexible brush tip and fine tip in one marker. Brush tip works like a paintbrush to create fine, medium or bold strokes; fine tip gives consistent lines. Dual Brush Pens are ideal for artists and crafters. The water-based ink is blendable and the […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes, Paper Crafts | 9 Comments

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

April 20, 2015

Markers are an essential crafting tool- for adding color to stamped images, custom-coloring accents, drawing, creating washes…well, markers are a timeless crafting and art-making staple. Today I’m reviewing the Zig Clean Color Brush Markers to see how they fit into my craft studio! Disclosure: sample provided for review, but all opinions are my own and based on my first-hand experience with the product. Here’s how they are described on the website: Unlike many “brush” pens, the Zig Clean Color Real Brush […]

Posted in art supplies/mixed media, Paints, Inks & Dyes, Paper Crafts | 3 Comments

Gansai Tambi Watercolor Paint by Kuretake

February 18, 2015

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 some info from Amazon.com: Available in set of 12, 18, 24 and 36 Colors for Sketch, illustration, sumi-e and more  Box Cover provides color chart […]

Posted in Paints, Inks & Dyes | 3 Comments

Review of Crafty Croc Liquid Chalk Markers

February 4, 2015

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 solution for leaving your mark on almost any non-porous surface! Write with bold, fun colors on glass, ceramic, metal, mirrors, car windows, menu boards, chalkboard […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 5 Comments

Video Review: Ranger Ink and Dyan Reaveley New Dylusions Sprays

January 9, 2015

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 Dylusions sprays because their bright, poppy colors and hues jump off the page! The new colors are chopped pesto, slate grey, pomegranate seed, tangerine dream, […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes, Paper Crafts | 5 Comments

Ranger Ink – Wendy Vecchi – New Archival Ink Colors

December 2, 2014

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 the ones I show you in the below video are her newest.  If you enjoy this color palette, Wendy has also released embossing powders in […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Craft Projects, Paints, Inks & Dyes, Paper Crafts, Paper Crafts | 2 Comments

Krylon Frosted Glass Finish Spray Paint Review

September 30, 2014

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 it on in one simple step. Semi-transparent allows light to filter through Transforms the look of any glass object quickly and easily No messy creams […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 5 Comments

Review of the Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin’ UP

September 24, 2014

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 to products you might otherwise not try, and give you a creative jumpstart. Today I’m looking over the Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin’ UP, October […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 10 Comments

Comparison of Ways to Blend Colored Pencils

September 16, 2014

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 used a higher-quality pencil (Prismacolor) and a lower-cost one (Crayola) so that you could see the difference in pencil, if any. Let’s take a look! […]

Posted in Comparisons, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 6 Comments

Lumi Sunfold Product Review

September 15, 2014

inkodye product review

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 basic theory behind the product… here is what they say about their kit: An exciting new way to print elegant patterns on any natural fabric. […]

Posted in Paints, Inks & Dyes | 1 Comment

Gamsol Overview and Demonstration

September 10, 2014

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 out! I made this video, and there are some still photos too.     And here’s a few pics of my finished card: Here are […]

Posted in Crafty Tools, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 13 Comments

PRODUCT REVIEW: irRESISTIble Pico Embellishers

August 14, 2014

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 paints, and likely water based inks and sprays. I’m not familiar enough with alcohol based products to test them with this too. Description from website: […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes, Paper Crafts | 5 Comments

Prima Comfort-Craft Tools Chalk Edgers

July 3, 2014

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 is a cross between foam and felt and the pad is SUPER juicy. It’s still a smaller size pad, comparable to a cat’s eye or […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 1 Comment

Video Review: Ranger Ink and Tim Holtz New Alcohol Inks

June 11, 2014

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 the video below for more information on these fabulous new colors.       So what do you think, crafters?  As I mentioned these are […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes, Paper Crafts | 4 Comments

Craft Product Review: Ranger Ink and Tim Holtz Mini Distress Ink Blender

May 23, 2014

Hello crafters!  For today’s video review I’m showing you the brand new Ranger Ink and Tim Holtz‘ Mini Distress Ink Blender 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 tools! Disclosure: Product provided for review purposes and links below may be affiliate links that support free content on our channel. Thank you!  These […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes, Paper Crafts | 3 Comments

Blendabilities Markers from Stampin’ UP -DISCONTINUED

May 19, 2014

Update 3/20/15- This just in! Due to manufacturing issues, Stampin’ Up has made the decision to pull the plug on the Blendabilities Markers. If you received defective markers, you MUST seek a refund by June 2015. Here is the official announcement from Stampin Up:  BLENDABILITIES PRODUCT LINE HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED Many of you may already be aware that we have experienced a quality issue with our Blendabilities product line, and we thank you for your patience as we’ve worked through […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 23 Comments

Tim Holtz Mini Distress Ink Pads by Ranger Ink

May 16, 2014

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 products. Check out the video below for a quick run-down.     As mentioned above, there are 24 colors available in packs of four at […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes, Paper Crafts | 3 Comments

Lindy’s Stamp Gang Sprays Review on Balzer Designs

May 12, 2014

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 how she uses them. She even did a swatch test!   I encourage you to clicky-click on over to read Julie’s full post and leave […]

Posted in Paints, Inks & Dyes | 2 Comments

FolkArt Multi-Surface Paint

April 25, 2014

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 sure a few that aren’t mentioned). The manufactures website describes it this way: “FolkArt Multi-Surface works on almost any surface you can imagine. This means you […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 6 Comments

Chromatix Alcohol Markers from American Crafts

April 15, 2014

Chromatix Alcohol Markers from American Crafts

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 website: AMERICAN CRAFTS-Blending Markers. Add color, shading and detail to paper crafting projects with Chromatics alcohol-based blending markers with dual tip. Available in a variety […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 2 Comments

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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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CraftTestDummies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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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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