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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Hello, Crafty Friends! I just got back from my most recent appearance on HSN representing the 3 Birds Estate Collection. I shared some photos and behind-the-scenes action as it happend on my Facebook and Twitter accounts, but just in case you missed it, I wanted to share here, too. My trips are whirlwind and I [...]

We love Valentine’s Day here at Craft Test Dummies World Headquarters. We make our own Valentine’s Day Cards, jewelry, and of course we have a special yumm-o dessert complete with Valentine’s Rosette decorations! I have to say that what makes this mini strawberry shortcade extra good is the whip cream on top- but it’s not [...]

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 [...]

Ever realize that you need  a little gift for a teacher, hostess, or neighbor- like RIGHT NOW? Well, if you’ve got some alcohol ink and plain ceramic ornaments, you can whip up a giftable ornament in no time. That’s why I’m calling these my Last Minute Ornaments! I made you this video to show you [...]

‘Tis the season to be crafting, so in the spirit of celebrating the holidays with handmade goodness, I tried out Christmas Woolens, a lovely traditional felt ornament kit from Rachel’s of Greenfield! I came across this kit while browsing booths at CHA last winter, and the muted colors and thoughtful details stopped me in my [...]

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 [...]

It’s for real now- Halloween is really on it’s way! We have less than 3 weeks to get cookin’ on our Halloween crafting and goody-making, so I though I’d help you out with 31 fun Halloween Craft Ideas (and that includes food crafting, too) so you can find some great inspiration to spring-board your weekend! [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

To my fellow Americans, Happy Independence Day! We’ve got three different holiday events planned, and every year I try to wear something homemeade. This year, I literally pulled together a “Patriotic Locket” from things I had in my studio. The only item you need to purchase- or find a similar item- is the locket. I [...]

A few years ago, we planted some globe allium at our new house. It’s a member of the garlic family- actually, it reminds me of giant chives. These blooms are HUGE- they are at least 5 inches in diameter. And when the bloom fades, they dry out and look like this: So… I was looking [...]

This craft ran last year on CraftsUnleashed.com- but I thought you all might like to see it here on CTD. Get your fabric scrap ready, and make a guest book/open house/autograph book that will be a treasured keepsake! Yesterday I showed you how to use recycled fabric to make shabby-chic flowers. Today, I’m going to [...]

What happens when two amazing companies join forces and resources?  You get an awesome product, of course!  Enter in Hero Arts and Sizzix Stamp and Die Cuts!  Hero Arts is one of the leading manufacturers of quality and trend-setting stamps while Sizzix is one of the most well-known names in the crafting industry and leader [...]

Mother’s Day is looming- and after making the Mini-Clipboard for my gift idea, of course I needed a card to match. Luckily, I have my Elmer’s adhesives and X-Acto tools on hand to make crafting my card a snap. First, I’ll show you the finished card: Inside: Making this card is easy! Just cut your [...]

I love a good challenge. And I really love it when I get to craft with someone I admire and respect. So this week I was doubly-happy when Vicki O’Dell (the Creative Goddess) visited CTD WHQ (CraftTestDummies World Headquarters) and we cracked into a new box of goodies from the Martha Stewart Crafts “Stitched” line [...]

It’s no secret- I love recycle/”green” crafts. There’s something about taking something that is headed for the garbage or donation bin and then transforming it into a new, useful or beautiful object. Today’s tutorial is both useful AND  beautiful- we’re going to make luggage handle cozies and tags from old neckties- the wilder the print, [...]

Spring has sprung early here in North Eastern Ohio, and we’ve got lovely flowers blooming outside. I wanted to bring some of that “spring” indoors to my crafting table. So I made some sweet little flower headpins! They are actually really easy. Let me show you how to make them! You’ll need: Clear shrink plastic [...]

Happy Leap Day! What better way to celebrate then with some great froggy art? So many crafty froggies….. have fun with it!

Yes, friends, the Valentine’s season is upon us, and it’s time to find some non-caloric ways to say “I Love You.” (Just like Fred Rodgers used to say! Well, sorta. ) So this year, since Legos are all the rage at my house, I figured that some nice Mini Figs would be a great gift. [...]