Craft Test Dummies

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 […]

Spray mists and inks have been really hot in the scrapbooking and mixed-media world for a few years now, and if what I saw at CHA last summer is any indication there is no sense of it cooling down anytime soon. One of the new spray inks/ mists I saw was Plain Jane Simply Sheer […]

If you like to journal or scrapbook, having a great white gel pen is really handy to have. A nice white line on a dark background can have a LOT of impact and “pop!” But which white gel pen really delivers?? I was on a quest to find out and today I’m sharing my results […]

I was sent a bottle of Magikote by Decoart to try out and review.  Magikote claims to be able to transform stryrofoam into a hard paintable surface.  Let’s test it out. The Decoart website describes the product with the following information: Create Styrofoam™ masterpieces. Simply carve, combine, or sculpt ordinary Styrofoam™ shapes. Then cover with […]

It seems like glass painting is all the rage lately- and now Plaid is hopping on the bandwagon with Martha Stewart Glass Paints. As you may remember, I reviewed the Martha Stewart Craft Paints and they were purported to work with glass, too. (Actually, I tried them and they worked great.) So why the specialized […]

As a mixed-media artist, I find myself using a lot of different paintbrushes, for a lot of different techniques.  A couple years ago, I picked up a Royal & Langnickel Soft Grip brush at my local Michaels – paying no attention to the brand, not really knowing anything about brushes or bristle-types or anything – […]

Color, color, color! Mistable sprays and inks are still really “hot” in paper crafting, and it was time to try out a new-to-us brand here at CraftTestDummies WHQ- Mr. Huey’s Color Mists for Studio Calico (by American Crafts.)  The first thing I realized when I dug out the product was that some are metallic/shimmery and […]

In a world of allergies and questions about what chemicals REALLY go into art supplies, I was excited to try out Clementine Art products. I saw them on Amazon.com and couldn’t wait to try them out! Here’s how it’s described by the manufacturer: Clementine art introduces a new way of doing art with children. Our […]

Every now and then, there is a merging of product lines that is wonderfully helpful and organic. Recently, Vintaj (a line of metal jewelry components) has teamed up with Ranger to create a specialty line of metal paints- Vintaj Patinas . Here’s how it’s described on the website. Vintaj Patinas are opaque inks specially formulated […]

It seems like only yesterday… I was running off of a massive intake of caffeine and extreme creative crafty goodness at the 2010 Creative Escape Scrapbooking Retreat.  It was the final night with a fabulous dinner (dessert first!), auctions and giveaways.  There was one thing in particular that I had my eye on in the […]

I was lucky enough to get to try out the glass paint markers from DecoArt.  I have wanted to play with these for some time.  I dove right into the product I received.  I tested seven different colors. The DecoArt website has the following to say about the markers: DecoArt glass paint markers are designed […]

One day, a few weeks ago, I was playing around with some of my spray inks.  I happened to spritz one kind on top of another kind, and realized that they didn’t want to mix together.  It made the mad scientist in me come alive with wonder…and I started going crazy, spraying various ink sprays […]

Once upon a time, my sister was a demonstrator for Stampin’ UP. We had parties all the time, and I used their products all the time! However, that was before I became a full-time CraftTestDummy, and I have never reviewed a Stampin’ UP product-til now. Hello, Classic Stampin’ Pads! Here’s a bit of info from […]

Pigment pads are essential for crafters. They feature opaque color, vibrant color, and are perfect for embossing. But Sweetheart Inkers from We R Memory Keepers have that “extra something”- an amazing design. Let me tell you about my experience with them. Here’s how they are described on the website: Sweetheart Inkers make the popular “vintage […]

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 […]