Craft Test Dummies

Sometimes you just need a little creative kick in the pants, and I’ve found that a kit can do just that. I have ordered some Simon Says Stamp products recently, and decided to take the plunge and try out the Card Kit of the Month. Since July is my first one, I thought I’d share […]

Hello crafters!  I am so excited to show you the new Distress Marker Spritzer from Ranger and Tim Holtz!  When I first saw Tim demoing this at CHA last January I was ecstatic!  It works so well with masks and stencils and you can pretty much use any marker in your crafty stash with it.  […]

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve already gotten a sneak peek. Monday was Memorial Day, and I committed a good 2 hours to making AnyHero Cards for Operation Write Home. For those of you who maybe don’t know, I make cards out of the supplies I get here to review on CTD and then […]

Last week I was traveling- and while I loved being on vacation with my family, that meant there was NO TIME for  crafting! I was eager to get back into the studio and when the Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge of the week hit my email box, I was ready to rise to the occasion. […]

Last week I was watching my friend Christine of ScrapTime use Wendy Vecchi stamps that came with their own stencils and masks for adding layers without over-spraying the background. But then I got to thinking- why couldn’t I do that with my Brother Scan N Cut? The answer is YOU CAN. And it’s EASY. You […]

After playing around with the Brother Scan N Cut Canvas software (see the link for my video tutorial of that) I got inspired to make a card. I’d watched a video by Jen McGuire using an “inlaid” technique with her thin dies. It occurred to me that you could do the same with your electric […]

I just ran across a new site (to me) that does sketch challenges for card-making: My Favorite Things Blog. It’s a stamping website (and I have no affiliation with them) and I saw this sketch and liked it alot: Since I had to make a few cards using the Pantone 2014 Fall Colors, I dug […]

One of the best thins about the crafting/artin community is that I’m constantly getting inspired by other blogs. One of my favorites is BalzerDesigns.com- Julie is an amazing mixed-media artist and I’ve been lucky enough to appear on her show “Scrapbook Soup” the past few years. Last week, she shared a canvas that she did […]

Hello, crafty friends! It was a crazy January and between travel and CHA, I had precious little time in the studio. I’m finally back in th swing of things and have been a card-making mo-sheen! I got really inspired this week by the Operation Write Home Sketch challenge (210) that they put out this week, […]

Some of you may know that once-upon-a-time I was a Music Therapist, and back when I was a student in college I spent two summers working at Highbrook Lodge, a camp for the visually impaired. The wonderful training I received there has stuck with me my whole life, informing how I “see” the world and […]

Ok crafty friends- today I have the EASIEST 5-minute craft ever for teachers, crossing guards/bus drivers, even little neighbor gifties. Behold the 5-minute Post-it Note Holder!   You’ll need: Heavy-weight cover or cardstock cut to 3 1/2 by 7 1/2 inches (you can get 4 out of a 12X12 sheet of paper by making your […]

Hey Crafty Friends! Last week I reviewed the Candy Box Punch Board from We R Memory Keepers. And as I was playing, I started getting all of these ideas for making (slightly) large sizes AND for making different things with them! So today I want to share them with you! I made these step-out collages […]

The Thanksgiving holiday is just around the corner and I’m doing some last-minute crafting and decorating. I decided that this year each person would get their name on their plate along with a little treat. I used the Candy Box Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers to create my Holiday Place Setting Treat Boxes […]

After last years’ success with the Envelope Punch Board, it only made sense that We R Memory Keepers would up their game and come up with new versions of the punch board. At CHA last summer they debuted FOUR new ones- and today, we’ll take a closer look at two of them: Gift Box Punch […]

Earlier this summer, Carolina reviewed the new Mod Melts line from Plaid. Almost immediately, we got a comment asking what was the difference between Mod Melts and traditional hot glue sticks. I took it upon myself to do an extra round of testing- and I’m sharing my results with you today! Both are extruded from […]

Do you have a purse littered with stubs and bits that you mean to scrapbook one day? Do you have pics on your phone or photo-sharing stream (such as Instagram)? Lastly, do you have a stack of paper that you really don’t care for anymore? Well, you can make this Instagram-friendly “Smoosh” (Smash-style) book in […]

Halloween is one of my families favorite holidays…and this year it’s even a little more special because we have a foreign exchange student celebrating with us. (Did you know that Halloween and Trick-or-Treating has spread to Italy? Go figure.)   To get geared up, we put out some decorations and I whipped up this little […]

I mentioned that last week I went to the set of Scrapbook Soup to share some fun projects for the upcoming season. Wanna sneaky peek? Here’s one of them! This project is great for using up some of the craft supplies you probably have on hand- watercolor paints and Mod Podge! Here’s what you need: […]

As you may or may not remember, I’m using a lot of the crafty goodness sent to CTD WHQ to make cards for our troops via Operation Write Home. I figure I’m blessed with an abundance of craft supplies, so it’s good karma to pay it back with some charity work.  So today I want […]

So, rarely do I share scrapbook layouts here. First off, I’m not a big scrapbooker in the traditional sense, and secondly…well, I’m just not that good at it! But when I was asked to come back to Scrapbook Soup and tape some segments for next season, I thought I’d better dust off my scrapbooking skills […]

OK, I know  I have reviews stacking up to the ceiling. But before I buckle down and get a-testing, I needed to play a bit. You know what I mean? Of course you do.  Crafters are like that. We can *have* to make a gift or card, but really we might be itching to do […]

Hey, Crafty Friends! As you know, I LOVE a good resist. Since I’ve already shared crayon-rubbing resists and Mod Podge Resists, today I’m going with something more traditional: heat-embossed resist greeting cards! I love making these- they are so much fun to create the background patterns an then whip up into any kind of card […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]