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. [...]
April 8, 2013
Crafty Field Trip: Piktails of Orlando, Florida
Last week I took a vacation with my family to Florida. Funny, I’ve been there 5 times since December but haven’t had a chance to actually enjoy the sunshine! So of course I soaked up some rays, visited some theme parks, and took a field trip to a scrapbook store, Piktails! (Side note: actually, we [...]
April 5, 2013
Whimsy Kits by Heidi Boyd
Every great once in a while I see something online and I think, “that is super cute” and I have to make it. Even if it’s not within the usual realm of my work. I mean, who says I have to stick with mixed media and jewelry making EVERY day? So when my Facebook [...]
April 4, 2013
Book Review: Practical Origami: Folding Your Way to Everyday Accessories
It took me 33 years to make a paper crane without crying. Succeeding at origami requires both patience and precision, two skills that are not my forte. It also requires clear instruction, something that can be rare in the origami world. Ever try to use one of the patterns on the paper package? Inscrutable! Frustrating. [...]
April 3, 2013
Fabric Mod Podge
I love all of the new formulas of Mod Podge and being able to run them through the wringer. The fabric Mod Podge formula was no exception. I was eager to dive into my bottle and really see what the benefits of this product are. The manufacturer’s website had this to say about the product: [...]
April 2, 2013
Product Spotlight: Basic Grey – Knee Highs Collection
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 [...]
March 29, 2013
National Crafting Month Finale- Win a Fiskars Fuse!
Wow! I can’t believe that the month has flown by this fast- but it has. National Crafting Month is almost over. I’ve decided we should go out in a blaze of glory with our biggest giveaway yet- a Fiskars Fuse Creativity System! If you read my initial review, you know that this is my new [...]
March 28, 2013
Update on the Fiskars Fuse Creativity System- New Dies, New Sizes!
You remember I reviewed the Fiskars Fuse Creativity System last fall- and I found it to be an amazing and sturdy machine. The only question in my mind at that time was “when are they going to come out with larger dies?” After all, the machine is massive and could take much larger dies that [...]
March 27, 2013
What is Tophatter.com?
This is a question I was asking myself when representatives at TopHatter.com approached me and asked me to take a look at their auction website. Unlike other auction sites, this one is LIVE- that means, you must be present and online to bid and win. It’s a fast-paced, fun way to bid on handmade items, [...]
March 26, 2013
Craft Tool Review: Nancy’s Hobo Tote Collection Trace ‘n Create Bag Templates from Clover USA
At CHA this winter, Clover USA had a ton of exciting new products, but Nancy’s Hobo Tote Collection Trace ‘n Create Bag Template was definitely one of my favorites. For me, working on this review couldn’t have come at a better time. My current handbags were all starting to look pretty rough, and I really [...]
March 25, 2013
Craft Tool Review: X-ACTO 9″ Paper Cutter
Having good cutting tools and paper trimmers are essential for any paper crafter. And sometimes we need tools for big jobs and sometimes we need them for small projects and sometimes we need something to take with us on our travels. Today we are going to take a look at the X-ACTO Designer 9″ Guillotine [...]
March 23, 2013
Set Your DVR’s- National Craft Month Craft Day on HSN
It seems like I was just there yesterday, but here we go again- another trip to HSN! Monday, March 25th is going to be a BIG craft day! In addition to the regular 3 Birds Estate Collections I usually demo, this time I’ve got designer products to show, too. This time I’ll be sharing [...]
March 22, 2013
National Craft Month Giveaway #3- The Envelope Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers
Have you all been having a great craft month? I have! As a matter of fact, I even got to celebrate my birthday a few days ago and got some great handmade cards that brightened my day! Hmm… notice the “green” theme? I wonder if St. Patrick’s Day was seeping in…. ? And this [...]
March 21, 2013
Guest Tutorial from I’m Topsy Turvy: Carving Eggs with a Dremel
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 [...]
March 20, 2013
Silhouette Portrait Digital Die-Cutting Machine Part 1: Basic Cutting Tasks
I love digital die-cutting- the intricacy of the shapes, the ease of use, and the sheer number of designs available are what seals it for me. And despite my years of digital die-cutting experience, I’ve never used or reviewed a Silhouette America machine! Come into a whole new world with me… First, let’s take a [...]
March 19, 2013
Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 Embossing Paste Video Winter CHA 2013
Here is Wendy Vecchi again at the Ranger Ink booth showing off a fun technique using her brand new Studio 490 metallic embossing pastes! Amazon.com Widgets
March 18, 2013
Fiskars Cuts+More Scissors
The perks of being on Team CTD include getting to try out fancy new toys. You thought this review was about a simple pair of scissors? Yes they are scissors but they are so much more. The Fiskars Cuts+More Scissors are multipurpose scissors that will help you to perform a variety of jobs around the [...]
March 15, 2013
Facebook Appreciation Giveaway!
It really HAS been a great week at CTD. You may know that we have a Facebook Page, and over there I share behind-the-scenes pictures of what product is coming in for future reviews, what is on my worktable, organization ideas, crafts in progress, HSN updates, giveaways from crafty blogs…you know, all the “extra” stuff [...]
March 15, 2013
#NatCraMo Giveaway #3- SliderWriter Laser Guide
WOW! It’s been a great week here at Craft Test Dummies World Headquarters. I’m so excited about some new reviews were working on, and I am *thisclose* to 6 THOUSAND Facebook Fans! So let’s celebrate with a giveaway, shall we? Earlier this week I showed you the SliderWriter laser guide tool. While I’m not [...]
March 14, 2013
Wendy Vecchi Art Parts & Distress Paints Demo Winter CHA 2013
Here is the fabulous Wendy Vecchi showing us some fun tips and techniques using her Studio 490 Art Parts and Tim Holtz’ new distress paints! Jenny’s note: I love all of that sparkle and layering. Do you layer inks, paints, and sprays? We’d love to hear what products you use and how you layer [...]
March 13, 2013
Book Review: 101+ Things to do with Glitter by Momtaz Begum-Hossain
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 [...]
March 12, 2013
SliderWriter Laser Guide Tool
Do you avoid hand-writing or lettering in your journals or scrapbook pages because your writing goes up- or downhill? I do. And I’ve recently learned that while I “eyeball” alot, my eyes don’t seem to be on the level either! So I really enjoyed testing out the SliderWriter, a laser-level tool for calligraphers, paper crafters, [...]
March 11, 2013
Update on the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board
Today I have the third installment of the Envelope Punch Board Saga. As you may recall, the Envelope Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers took CHA by storm and generated quite the buzz. I then got to take one home to test out. At that time I discovered that there were some measurements that [...]
March 9, 2013
#NatCraMo Giveaway #2- Lisa Pavelka Prize Pack
As some of you may know, I LOVE me some polymer clay. I started playing with PC years ago, and for a while I was active in my area teaching PC workshops, jewelry classes, and creative expression classes using. Along the way, I became aware of Lisa Pavelka’s amazing work and her wonderful products. Fast-forward [...]
March 8, 2013
Craft Product Review: Jacquard Pinata Metallic Alcohol Inks
“Make new friends, but keep the old; One is silver and the other gold.” I was definitely singing this Girl Scout song while reviewing the new Jacquard Pinata metallic alcohol inks. We previously reviewed their regular alcohol inks here, so go over there to get a little bit of a information if you are new [...]
March 7, 2013
Tim Holtz Shattered Kraft-Core Paper Video Demo Winter CHA 2013
Here is Tim Holtz at Winter CHA demonstrating his new line of paper with Core’dinations, Shattered Kraft-Core. What a fun pack of paper this will be to play with and try all different kinds of inks, stains and sprays on! Here is a photo of the paper that Tim worked on in the video: [...]
March 6, 2013
How-To: Mod Podge Resist Technique
I love resist techniques, and usually I use clear stamping ink and embossing powder to create a resist on my papercrafting projects. But I was really lazy pressed for time the other day in the studio and wondered if Mod Podge Gloss formula would give me the same effect. Wanna see the video? {{Spoiler- YES [...]
March 5, 2013
Stencil Trends from CHA Winter 2013 from Plaid, Ranger, and TCW
This year at CHA I noticed the trend of using stencils in paper crafting, home decor, and mixed media is still going strong. I picked up some samples to play with and got inspired! I am personally drawn to the geometrics, tribals, and city scapes. I even made a little video! I misspoke about [...]
March 4, 2013
Review of Walnut Ink Stain Antiquing Solution by Tsukineko
Sprays and mists are still popular (and fun) in both papercrafting and mixed-media. Once upon a time a long time ago, I tried the original Walnut Stain by Tsukineko. Since then, they have come up with some lovely new, contemporary colors and are now called “Antiquing Solutions.” I wondered how they would work- want to [...]
March 1, 2013
Happy National Craft Month 2013! #NatCraMo Giveaway #1
Happy National Craft Month and first day of March! I confess, I LOVE March. (It’s also my birthday month and I have a thing for St. Patrick’s Day, as I’m part Irish! Today, we are going to kick off this month with … a GIVEAWAY! But first, I want to share that I just got [...]
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