Craft Test Dummies

Need a last-minute Mother’s Day card? Or birthday or “Thank you” for that matter? I’ve got a quick card you can make in under 15 minutes with basic stamping supplies you probably have on hand. This card hinges on stamps. They can be from the same set or mixy-matchy…. but you need a t least [...]

Are you like me when it comes to scrapbooking?  Over-obsessing over every embellishment, color choice and photo placement?  Does it take you two days to finish a page?  Do you sometimes NEVER finish a layout?  Well the fabulous May Flaum comes to our rescue with, “Fashionably Fast: Ten Strategies for stylish, speedy scrapbook pages.”  This [...]

I love fabric- it’s such an easy, inexpensive way to add or change the color and style of a room! So when Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores offered me some brand new, exclusive HGTV fabrics to play with, I said sure. Here are the fabrics they sent me: Now I’ll give you a peek at [...]

Another confession: I hoard fabric scraps. Sometimes is the color, sometimes it’s the texture, sometimes it’s just that it’s a bit of a piece of clothing or reminds me of something I can’t let go of yet. So I hold on to a ton of fabric scraps! Today, I have a ton of great ideas [...]

Yesterday I showed you how I transform paper scraps into paper beads that mimic glass lampwork beads- and today, I bring you more projects to use up, transform and recycle paper, newsprint, sheet music, and more! I’ve got some amazing projects for you to check you- and there’s a giveaway, too! Now, If you are [...]

Ok- Time for a show of hands- who here is a paper hoarder?? Don’t worry- you are among friends. No judgment here. I find that not only that sometimes to I have a hard time cutting into my favorite sheets of paper, but sometimes when I do, I can’t even toss the little baby scraps. [...]

This is a craft that I’ve done with the kids, but I’ve also done by myself for fun. It’s also eco-friendly, because you can re-use tissue and crepe paper from parties, presents, and packaging. The idea is to use the wet the tissue paper onto watercolor paper and let it “bleed” to create a picture. [...]

Some of you may remember back at Winter CHA 2013 I picked Basic Grey’s new chipboard albums as one of my top product picks.  (Go take a look!)  I even mentioned that Knee Highs & Bow Ties are two of my favorite paper lines that debuted.  Both collections are very similar but Knee Highs is [...]

A big hello to first-time “Guest Dummy” Ashlee from I’m Topsy Turvy. She’s got great tutorials for the crafters, and cakes to DIE for. I mean really spectacular! Anyway, I love what Ashlee did with these eggs- and you all know that I LOVE my pistol-grip Dremel. Can’t wait to try these out myself! I [...]

Sometimes glitter gets a bad reputation. Often referred to as “the herpes of the craft world,” once you let glitter into your life, it likes to stay forever. But who says that’s a bad thing? Glitter is bright, bold, funky, and easy to use, and Momtaz Begum-Hossain’s 101+ Things to do with Glitter offers a [...]

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 [...]

Earlier this week I shared my review of Artistic Wire Mesh and I got pretty excited making a Ruffle and Sparkles bracelt- so today I’m sharing the tutorial with you! You’ll need some basic supplies: Now for the How-To Video:   Which do you like better: the sweet red delicate version or the chunky/edgy black [...]

It’s that time of year again- when we all wear our hearts on our sleeve…or ears….or hands…. or lapel! Time to make and wear some really cut Valentine’s Day jewelry…this year, I’m integrating one of my favorite paper crafts: QUILLING! Never fear, friends! It’s easy and Mod Podge Dimensional Magic Silver Glitter Formula makes it [...]

UPDATE: I was on a local TV show recently- Golden Opportunities- and I had a chance to demo these on air. Now, the host needs some remedial crafting lessons, but if you follow these steps you’ll have great roses!  I know this is an oldie but a goodie, but I had to whip up some [...]

I love to make cards! So easy, so fun, and so many opportunities to play with different themes, techniques and embellishments. I hauled out my Valentine’s/Love themed papercrafting box and started to play. I keep my themed/holiday paper, tools, stamps, and embellishments in the same box so that I can easily find them when I [...]

Do you ever feel guilty on Christmas morning when you see all of that pretty gift wrap torn and strewn all over the place? Ever feel the need to compulsively save it?? Well, I do. And I did. So last year I salvaged some of the “good” bits of wrapping paper, ribbons, and greeting cards, [...]

Last month hubby and I headed to London for a week. I love that city, and it was my first time being there around the holiday season. I was entranced by  English Christmas Crackers (not the food, the party favors!) and even took a class at Handmade London on how to make them. Sadly, you cannot [...]

A few weeks ago the Martha Stewart Circle Edge Punch went live on HSN, and almost immediately I started getting questions about where folks could find the pattern for the paper angel embellishment that was shown on a gift bag. I searched, but couldn’t find a pattern. So I made my own to share with [...]

This post originally appeared on CraftsUnleashed while I was a design team member there. But now it’s time for you to have the crafty goodness here! All supplies were from ConsumerCrafts.com. I just realized that I don’t have ANY napkin rings for my Thanksgiving Dinner table- so I got out some supplies that I had [...]

I have a lot of candles around my home; in the kitchen, living room, bedroom- even the hallway! Sometimes I try to buy new candles for the seasons, but often they just sit there looking tired. So I decided to “dress” my candles for the seasons by making re-usable wraps featuring May Arts Ribbon. Now [...]

I’m a big fan of Halloween- always have been. And when I learned about Mexico’s Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos), I was even more smitten. To celebrate both, I created these glow-in-the-dark Calaveras of polymer clay, my version of the traditional sugar skulls. I’ve made a few photo collages to help you [...]

I kid about my children being my “junior assistants.” But lately, my 11-year-old son has taken on a crafting identity all his own. I really wanted to share his creations- and process- with you. “D” really enjoys playing a game called MineCraft and has been playing for the last 6 months or so. Minecraft is a [...]

I really love to decorate for Halloween- each year I add something special/different to my mantel display. Since I’d recently reviewed Scrapbooking Attitude, I knew it would be perfect for adding a cool, spooky vibe to my dollar-store candles! To make this fun Halloween craft, you’ll need: Dollar-store candles Scrapbooking Attitude Printable Film & printer [...]

Kits seem to be really hot these days. (Or have I just been living under a rock?) Scrapbook Update did a series on Kits, PaperCrafters Corner just did a WEEK on kits…and well, I’m obviously kit-deficient. So Nicole from Home and Garden Welcome offered to send me a kit  and despite being a little nervous [...]

Halloween is just around the corner, and my kids are so excited. As a Mom, though, I’m worried about safety after dark. So my son and I came up with a Halloween Craft- a tote bag that he could make (and meet his specifications of  ”being cool” ) and I would be happy that it [...]

After school is always a kind of hectic time for my household. The kids burst in, tired from their day and walk home, and the first thing they do is as “what’s for snack??” So I make a quick snack menu to hang so that they know right away and I can cut down on [...]

Last week I shared my review of the Martha Stewart Crafts Glass Paints from Plaid and you got a sneaky peek of a work in progress. But today you get the whole tutorial of how I transformed a “blah” glass serving dish into a lovely fall focal point! Can you believe that I found a [...]

Yesterday I shared my review and video overview of Scrapbooking Attitude by Avatrex- that whole “printable film” thing is wicked cool! And if you remember, what I was most excited about was not its uses for paper, but for cool substrates like leather, wood, and craft foam.  As I was doing my swatch tests, I kind [...]

Hooray! Today we have a guest post from a lady I totally admire for her recycled crafting misson! Thank you Becky for being our guest today on CTD & sharing a totally practical and CUTE craft using recycled neckties.Take it away…  Hi there! My name is Becky Striepe, and I am a freelance writer and [...]

About this time of year, my kids get the itch to start making gifts for friends, teachers, and grandparents. I came up with a kid-friendly craft that will enable them to give a gift they’ll be proud of- and it’s a great way to share those wallet-size photos from school pictures! I used a manual [...]