Worth well over $150.00!

And a prize it is! Lovely Lisa Pavelka was so generous it should almost be named after her! Here is a snapshot of what the lucky winner will receive:

• Lisa Pavelka Signature series embellishment container
• LP texture mat
• Sample of Magic-Glos
• Coupon for a FULL-SIZE Magic-Gloss
• 2 packs of Pardo polymer clay in gold and
• Sculpey oven thermomether
• LP signature series sample of water-slide transfers
• LP signature bracelet blank
• LP signature tote bag
• Polymer Clay necklace made by Lisa Pavelka herself!!! Really!

Original Art Pendant by Lisa Pavelka!

So here’s how to win: this time, it’s all about the linky love. Mention my blog on YOUR blog (with a link), and you’ll get an entry. Put CraftTestDummies.com in your blogroll, you’ll get another. Just leave me a comment on this post with a link to your blog so I can check it out. The contest will close Monday 3/15 (the ides of March!!) around noon EST, and I’ll check all the linky goodness and announce a winner by 4:00PM EST. Sound good?? Awesome!

As you can see from the picture, it looks a little different from most of the other paper-trimmers and rotary cutters out there on the market. Why, it looks kind of like a computer mouse! (Hence the name!)

It only takes moderate pressure to engage the blade.

To use it, you place your hand over the top of the cutter, then press down to engage the blade, then slide away from you to cut paper, fabric, or even metal. The brilliance of this design is that while the FS “mouse” is sitting on your table, the blade is up & retracted into the housing. It’s only when you press down that the blade engages. I cannot tell you how brilliant this is! Even if my kids pick it up or drop it on the floor, that blade is away and safe. But when I want to use it, I don’t have to fuss with locks or blade guards- just press and go!

At the top you can see how the blade locks in place.

I also love the ease of changing blades. I have traditional rotary cutters, and I’ll be honest- changing blades sets my teeth on edge. (I have a minor fear of being cut.) However, these blades are permanently set into a plastic housing. To change blades, you twist the knob until the unlocks, pull out the unit (still while holding the knob) and place it in it’s little protective tray. NO TOUCHING BLADES! Hooray! Even the storage trays have a little “lock” on them so that if you drop the tray, the blades won’t spill out.

Blades have their own storage trays- convenient!

Now, let’s talk about all of the blades you can use. I’ve never seen so many for one tool before- there are TWELVE- and the kit includes: straight, perforated, short wave, deckle, long wave, pinking, scallop, squiggle, Victorian, colonial, scoring and stamp. Wow! And each blade is numbered- so you can place it back in it’s corresponding storage tray. Brilliant!

So now we’ve established that the design is brilliant…but how does it cut? Never fear, intrepid crafters, the FreeStyle Mouse lives up to it’s promise. I used it on Foamies ™ craft sheet, paper, cardstock, fabric, and fabric backed with fusible web (one layer of each.) On each surface it cut smoothly and cleanly, not leaving and hanging bits or threads. (I used the straight blade, Victorian, and deckle when testing it out.) I was pleased with how nicely and cleanly it cut on all of the items I tried- even the Foamies!

I admit that I didn’t even try to cut multiple layers of fabric- the blade size is smallish, and frankly, if you’re cutting denim or 4 or more thicknesses of fabric for a quilt, you should stick with a 45MM rotary cutter. But this little qizmo is the perfect cross-over tool for those who like to dabble in many mediums.

My new BFF Paula (who designs for Purple Cow) told me that you can actually cut metal with this bad boy, too! I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m gonna. I can also see the value in buying 2 sets of blades- one just for fabric, and the other dedicated to paper.

In sum, this is my new go-to cutting tool. I see a great potential for folks who have joint paint or hand limitations, too- it may open the world of crafting back up to them. For me,  the “plus” is that you can wiggle and waggle and ziggle and zaggle all over the place and not slice your finger off! And at $49.95 MSRP, it’s a lotta bang for your buck!

I also just found out that Purple Cows is doing a blog hop Monday, 3/15/10 11:00AM EST, and there may be some cool prizes at the end. Details here.

OK, Crafty Peeps! Any thoughts? Leave me a comment!

FTC Disclosure

Like the other yo-yo makers, the Shamrock Yo-Yo Maker set consists of a template and a tray, which pop together. You put your fabric, right side down into the tray, then pop in the template piece. You trim away the excess fabric to about 1/4 inch, then sew through the guide holes all the way around.

I gave this puppy a try, and I have to say- there IS a learning curve. The first time I tried it, I sewed the fabric to the template. Now, this is more complex then just a heart or circle, so you DO have to pay closer attention.

The second try, I got all the way around without incident. (Closer trimming helped immensely.) Now, this template is very different in that there is a center gather that needs to be done before you pop the template out. (You can see it on the picture above.) OK, got that accomplished, popped the template out, then started gathering….and SNAP! Goes the string.

(Note to self: always wax the thread and use quilting/upholstery thread.)

THIRD try…OK, breathe…. waxed thread? Check. Excess fabric trimmed? Check. Gather in the  middle? Check. OK! Gathers pulled….slowly….and knotted…and- hey! It kinda looks like a lumpy-flower-thingy.

Is it "Shamrock-y" enough?

Profile: It's really thick, too!

As you can see from the side view above, it’s also really thick- about 1/2 inch or so. I think this limits is uses- for example, I wouldn’t put this on a hairclip or a card- it’s just too lumpy.

Maybe I need to pull it tighter? Fuss with it more? I’m not sure. I’m willing to give it another try-or two- but to be honest, I’m going to put it aside and make my shamrocks from the heart-shaped one instead.

Bottom line- while I love my other Clover yo-yo makers, this one wasn’t worth the effort. Feel free to leave YOUR opinion, though…I’m always open-minded!

FTC Disclosure

Wood craft kits from Total Class Creative- no tools required!

Total Class Creative is a totally new company for me- I have to admit that I’d never run across their products in a store before. However, one look at their product line and I was intrigued. The wood toys, storage items, and decorative products are really appealing and high-end, and I was so pleased when they asked me to try them out.

While they have a large product line, for this review I’m only reviewing their painted-wood items. Specifically, I tried out the doll furniture, fire engine kit, and Bunny table decoration & glitter eggs.

Fire Engine from Total Class Creative

When I opened the boxes, my 9-year-old son literally pounced on the fire engine kit. It’s part of TCC’s “Transportation Series” and he begged me to let him make it as a gift for his little cousin. How do I say “no” to that? The instructions say it’s for ages 8 and up, so I let him go. He pulled out all of the pieces and got to reading- and in less than 10 minutes he had assembled the entire thing and personalized it with stickers.

(Letter stickers not included)

The directions were easy for him to follow and maybe most importantly, require NO tools- it assembles with just slots and notches holding it together. The quality of the wood is great- no rough edges, and the pieces come pre-painted. While it’s easy assembly, you can be somewhat creative with placement of the stickers and extra embellishing you may choose to do. (My son added his cousin’s name on the side using some felt stickers we had on hand.) I also found it to be pretty sturdy- my 3 year old nephew will be able to put his toy cars in it for storage. (I wouldn’t advise actually trying to play with it like a fire engine- it’s more of a room decoration or storage unit.)

That being said, my good friend Stacy suggested that this would be an adorable baby shower gift- just assemble it, fill it with baby items, and wrap the whole thing in basket wrap. How cute is that?? Or you could use it as a centerpiece for a birthday party…let your imagination go wild.

The next item we tried was the wood 18″ doll furniture, specifically the table, chair, and bed kids. Like the previous kit, everything was pre-painted and required no tools- just slide the parts together. While my 5-year-old could not put together the chair kid, she actually figured out the table all on her own. I love the fact that the pieces are smooth and there are no rough edges- and the color schemes are so cute!

Easy to assemble & pre-painted

After an afternoon of vigorous play, I surmised that these kits are pretty sturdy- impressive! Also, I think it’s a real plus that you can disassemble the furniture to store it away flat. I would think that these would be great kits to have on hand for visiting grandkids or nieces; they put them together, play with their dollies, and then poof! They get taken apart and stored away for the next visit.

Easy to take apart, too, and stores flat.

Lastly, I put together the Easter Bunny table centerpiece- really it’s just sliding 2 parts together to make the figure stand up. Despite it’s simplicity, it really is classically elegant. I decided to dress up my bunny just a bit with some organza ribbon and silk flowers. (I adhered it all with Glue-Dots so I could easily take off the decorations.)

I also put together the pre-painted easter eggs, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the pieces came with adhesive already on them- all I had to do was peel off the paper sheet and sprinkle on the color-coordinating glitter. Easy-peasy, and so cute. Won’t this be sweet on my spring table?

Instant centerpiece!

To sum it up, these are great kits. The price points are affordable (for example, the fire truck is $11.99, and the bunny centerpiece is $12.99) , and because they are sturdy wood, you can decoupage and embellish to your hearts’ content without having to worry. (I may take one of those bunnies and do some serious mixed-media collage on it!)

What do you think? I’d love to hear YOUR ideas!

FTC Disclosure

So…without further ado…Random.org generated the number 26, so as I count it, the winner is…

Kelly T.

Her comment: Craft Candy, Yum!!! and No Calories!

Thanks so much for your comments! So…now for a bit of fun….this winter at CHA I got to participate in the Elmers’ Crazy Crafters’ Coundown and craft for fabulous prizes. While I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it already on WhenCreativityKnocks.com, I will share two words: Plumbers Helper. Oh, yeah, you read it right….

Go see the video here, and check back in every day this week for more craft reviews and another BIG stinkin’ giveaway!

Giveaway #1- the Stamper's Surprise!

Last January I was fortunate enough to attend the Craft & Hobby Association’s tradeshow in California- and wow! Did I come home with great goodies. As matter of fact, I told many national companies about my little ol’ blog and my small-yet-totally-awesome group of readers, and you know what? They loaded me down with loot to pass you to YOU!

So much, in fact, that I need to break it down into at least 3 different giveaways…so….for this first installment, this is what I’ve got to share!

• From Elmer’s: a set of Painters, extra strong glue stick, and Memory Bond Glue Pen
• From Stampendous: rubber stamps, peacock stickers, an instructional DVD, & a mouse pad- plus the sample card I made at CHA
• From the CraftyChica- some yummy (washable) glitter and Extreme Embellishment Glue (BTW, she is hosting the 30 Days of Glitter on her blog!)
• Pearl Embellisment from KaiserCrafts
• A large tote bag from Spellbinders…and…
• Two stamps & a craft organizer tote from Stampavie!

Here are a few close-ups:

Just leave me a comment & I’ll pick a name on Monday, 3/8/10 around 12:oo EST. As long as I have 31 comments, we’ll have a winner! Thanks for reading! (NOTE: A winner was chosen, and this giveaway is over. But if you click on the logo at the top of the page, you’ll see the freshest news from CraftTestDummies!)

Head over to Craft Critique to read my review of the Glitz-Up (disclosure), and then follow this link to read my review of the Crystal Crafter (disclosure) to compare!

Glitz on!

Acrylic Paint in a marker form

I hate to admit that I’ve never before used paint markers- must be something to do with the fact that I was never in a sorority! However, my world has opened up to paint markers, and I’m glad!

Elmer’s Painters, in particular, are opaque colors in a convenient marker form. To get them started, you need to shake the pen, then depress the felt marker tip until it recedes back into the tube. The paint will begin to flow through the tip, and then you’re ready to go!

For my review, I decided to try it on plastic, glass, metal and wood/paper, although the packaging says you can use it on clay, fabric, foam core, and terra cotta, as well.

I decided to start off trying it on plastic- my good friend told me that back in the day, she and her sorority sisters used paint markers to write their Greek letters on everything, including plastic tumblers. I couldn’t imagine that acrylic paint could stick to such a smooth surface, but I was wrong! I added some silly decoration to a retainer case, and it adhered well. Once it was dry, I could scratch it with a fingernail, so it might need a sealer coat to make it permanent.

For the next project, I decided to try it on glass and glazed ceramic. I love the idea of being able to decorate mugs or votives for the holidays and seasons. Again, I was surprised how well the paint glided on the surface and it’s nice opacity. Here’s how it the Elmer’s Painters performed on glass:

Elmers' Painters perfomed well on glass and ceramic!

One note about the mug, though: I did run it through the dishwasher about a week later, and all of the paint came right off. The upside of this is that you could have guests decorate wine glasses or mugs for a party, and then wash them clean for the next one!

I also thought to try them out on some metal bits (this one is from an old vegetable steamer I’m going to use in some altered art- again, it covered well. There were a few places where it got a little streaky, and I found that it was better to wait until the piece was completely dry before adding a second coat. If the paint is damp, it will lift off when then marker tip runs over it again.

Elmer's Painters are wonderfully opaque!

I also gave the markers to my littlest one (she’s 5) and let her decorate some craft sticks with the markers. Sadly, I didn’t get pictures of her creations, but she used them just the way she uses kid-type markers. I think the colors dulled a little on the raw wood, but I have a feeling if you primed the wood (or paper mache) first, the colors would really pop! I can also see my elementary-school-age son using these for school projects.

So, I really enjoyed the markers and feel like they’d be a great addition to your crafting tool box. I played with the primary and neon colors, but I’d love to see how the Pearlescent and Metal Leafing colors perform!

Some fast facts from the manufacturer:

• Opaque acrylic paint markers.
• Ideal for use on wood, plastic, clay, glass, metal, foam board, fabric, and terra cotta.
• Permanent & streak free.
• Non-toxic and acid free.
• Available in Ultra Fine, Fine, and Medium point.
• Available in sets and open stock.
• Sets retail for $10-11.50 (ish)

Do you have some of these? Love them? Let me know!

FTC Disclosure

Precious Metal Colors by Viva-Decor

I’ll start off by saying that I love paint, and have a deep-in-my-soul love affair with glimmer and shimmer. For those reasons, Precious Metal Colors by Viva-Decor is my new g0-to paint.

When the paints arrived in the mail, I couldn’t wait to try them out. The paints can be used for many surfaces, but for this review, I used them on paper, cardboard, glass, and a sealed wood surface. (I promise I’ll do a follow up review on polymer clay!)

My first project was to  painta recycled-cardboard box with the pink color.  To use the paint, you’ll need to shake the bottle   for 10 seconds or so to re-mix the mica particles that have settled to the bottom. The mica re-integrated easily into the paint, and when I poured it into my tray, the paint was smooth and creamy. It’s not as thick as some other mica-infused acrylics on the market, and I’d say the viscosity is somewhere between syrup and honey consistancy.

I put my first layer of paint on my recycled box with a foam brush. i found that it went on easily, but because my surface had printing on it, it needed two coats for sure.  I even opted for a third, just using my finger to liberally spread around the paint. (Messy, but fun.) I found that applying the paint in this manner made it look almost like metal foil! The color was rich and vibrant.

Moving on to another “upcycled” craft, I used Precious Metal Colors in green to paint over a plain, glossy black frame. I did no prep to the surface, just brushed the paint on top. It covered the black frame beautifully, and again took 2 coats. Precious Metal Colors has a great “grab” to it, and even thought I didn’t sand, it adhered well. You can see the first coat as pictured in the first photo on this post, and the final project is here:

I used the paint for the chipboard letters, too! LOVE!

The packaging says it’s good for non-porous surfaces, so next I literally poured some of the paint in an old votive glass. I swirled it around and then smoothed it out a bit just jusing my finger. (I use my fingers to paint alot, as you can see.) Wow! This effect is impressive. the paint actually sticks to the glass, and gives the feeling of silvered glass. The mica flecks show through the glas as well, making it wonderfully glimmery!

The effect on the glass is almost like it's silvered...

To finish of my Precious Metal Colors playdate, I used some nice thick watercolor paper and just painted random swatches, occasionally blending with a water mister. Again, these colors are jam-packed with mica, and you could see them swirling around on the surface. Amazing. I could barely wait for the paint to dry so I could make a mixed-media art tag.

Photos can't do this paint justice

Friends, I have to tell you I was excited about these paints when I saw them on the shelf at CHA, and getting them at home in my studio didn’t disappoint….and I can’t wait to have time to check them out on fabric and polymer clay, too!

Fast Facts from the manufacturer:

• metal-look water-based “varnish”
• 1-3 hours to dry,  depending on the surface and conditions
• use a synthetic or foam brush (or fingers)
• water clean-up
• high opacity
• 28 fabulous colors

I’d give you the “pros” and “cons” of this product…but really, there are no “cons”- unless it’s limited availability. If you love shimmery, glimmery, vibrant, metallic paint colors for your crafts, this is it!

FTC Disclosure

I’ll have new posts every day, Monday through Friday, all month! I’ll be sharing my new fav products, some awesomely crafty people, and yes….GIVEAWAYS! Every Friday, in fact! You won’t believe to crafting goodness, folks!

To get our month started off right, I found this hilarious video from “CraftyGansta” on YouTube. Fair warning: there are a few bad words, but it’s a great send-up. And a dang catchy tune!

Thanks to my good friend and partner-in-crafty-crime Lisa Falduto for sharing this with me!