As some of you know, I LOVE to travel. Seriously love it. And I often am not picky at all about where I go, as long as I get to see the sights and eat the food….and visit a few craft stores or handmade markets along the way! This month our whole family took a trip to Hawaii’s Big Island (also called Hawaii) and we spent 5 days taking it all in. And one of the sights (for me at […]
Jacquard Pearl Ex – New Colors
Jacquard Pearl Ex pigment powders are extremely versatile supplies for any artist or crafter. They now come in over 30 colors. I’ll be testing some of the brand new Chromatic Colors: Citrine, Emerald, Magenta, Sapphire Blue, Scarlet and Dark Brown. This collection is a really gorgeous intense set of jewel tones with a deep lovely brown. Here’s a description from Jacquard’s website: “Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments are our most versatile product! Jacquard Pearl Ex is a safe, pearlescent, non-toxic, inert […]
Cool2Cast Product Review
When Jenny asked me if I was up for trying out Cool 2 Cast, I thought it sounded like fun. I’m always up for trying new things. Cool2Cast has been on the market for a couple years, but it is new to me. Although I’m a big fan of fabric, my hot glue gun is never put away for too long, and I like trying new media all the time. Cool2Cast sounded like a great way for me to try […]
Clover Create-a-Strap Review
When I reviewed Nancy Zieman’s Trace N Create Tablet Keeper pattern, I had no idea I was about to fall in love. This wasn’t the gentle, slip into love… this was heart-stopping love. I completely fell for the Clover Create a Strap. I have no idea where this product has been all my life. I’ve been making straps the hard way for a long, long time. The Create a Strap is a system that makes creating perfect straps effortless. Here […]
Mod Podge Mod Melts Review
Cathie and Steve, designers over at Plaid (the makers of Mod Podge), have come up with a new product called Mod Melts. Here is what Cathie has to say about the new product: With our new sea glass and milk glass Mod Melt Sticks and Molds you can now make your own scrapbooking, mixed media and jewelry making embellishments. You can customize Mod Melts with a variety of finishes! You can use FolkArt acrylic paints, shimmer mists, alcohol inks, glitter, […]
Craft Countdown with Becky Striepe
My name is Becky Striepe (pronounced “stree-pee,” like “sleepy”), and I am a freelance writer and vegan crafter living in Atlanta, Georgia. My life’s mission is to make green crafting and vegan food accessible to everyone! 5 tools or supplies you can’t be without 1. Vintage buttons 2. Ric Rac 3. Fabric scissors 4. Burlap 5. A rainbow of thread colors 4 favorite sources of creative inspiration 1. Food and cooking – I love making […]
Craft Countdown with Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 I’ve been writing here on Craft Test Dummies for a while now (2 years this coming July). While at CHA in January Jenny and I started talking (Well, ok. The truth is that we NEVER STOP talking but that’s a story for another day) and two things came about. The first thing is that I promoted myself to Managing Editor here at Craft Test Dummies. With Jenny taking on more […]
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 melange of projects, ideas, and tips that will make any reader a glitter expert by the last page. I bet there’s even a project in […]
How-To: Recycled Mint Tins with Washi Tape and Mod Podge
I love a good upcycling craft, I love little storage containers, and I also love Washi Tape. This, my friends, is therefore my “Trifecta” of crafting- a project that recycles mint tins- like the ones for Altoids- into happy little storage tins- great for earbud storage! Disclosure: links below are affiliate links and I’ll receive a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting CTD. To make them, you’ll need: Recycled mint tin (I used […]
Craft Product Review: Clover Kanzashi Flower Makers: Pointed Petal
When Jenny handed me these Clover Kanzashi Flower Makers at CHA, I knew that I’d be reviewing them during National Sewing Month, but I had no idea how great the timing would be! As it turns out, a few weeks later, my husband was nominated for an Emmy, and I suddenly found myself making my own evening gown. So, the kanzashi flowers I made during this review are actually the finishing decorative details for my dress and shoes, and I’ll […]
UK WEEK, part 1: Photo Journal {Craft and Inspiration}
A few weeks ago I had the good fortune to travel with my family to London for 10 days worth of walking, sight-seeing, and of course, searching for art and craft! Just walking around the city you can’t help but be inspired by the architecture. And in our travels, I found some amazing works of art/craft that couldn’t help but take photos of so I could share with you: This was the alter cloth at All Hallow’s Church– reportely the […]
Epiphany Crafts Button Studio Review
While I was at CHA I had the pleasure of meeting with Tricia from Epiphany Crafts. She was so gracious to share their latest tools with me which includes several sizes and shapes of the Button Studio as well as the Shape Studio. These are cool tools that let you cut a shape and apply an epoxy sticker, aligning them perfectly! I told her they were so cool that I wanted to share a sample with the readers of Craft […]
Crafting New Year’s Resolutions, Part Two: Branch Out
This resolution is a promise to myself and a challenge to you, dear crafty friends! BRANCH OUT. CROSS POLLINATE. COLLABORATE. I know that I blog in the virtual world, but dearies, I LIVE in the real one. What I hope to do in 2010 is to take my crafty love OUT of my third floor loft, OFF of the interwebs, and BRING IT. In other words, to find crafty love in different places, and connect with new folks in new […]
Crafting New Year’s Resolutions- Charitable Intentions
With Christmas safely behind us, New Years’ approaches with that eternal question: “What can I change for next year?” Crafters inevitably have a long laundry list, but the one I’m tackling today is “charity.” There area a couple of ways to craft for charity. One of the easiest ways is to CLEAN UP, CLEAN OUT. For some, this IS the goal- just to purge your craft closet/room/studio of unused craft supplies. It feels even better to get organized when you […]
Crafting the Time to Make Your Own Art
I LOVE crafting for the holiday seasons. I gladly put my hand up for school parties, fundraisers, and occasionally wake myself up in the wee hours thinking about what I need to make next. Most, if not all of the above examples include deadlines. I also teach at local bead shop, and so I have deadlines there, too: get this sample done, get my next project in, etc. Then there is my free-lance craft product review blogging. Write an article […]
Glow in the Dark Crafting -Volume 2
There were so many cool GITD items to talk about in yesterday’s post, I just couldn’t get to them all. So here’s another batch of glow-in-the-dark goodness for you! Thread, Floss, and Yarns I LOVE glow in the dard threads…all of my Halloween wall-hangings have quilted spiderwebs for quilting. You can also do rockin’ machine embroidery or monogramming with this cool thread, too. And it’s not just for Halloween anymore- with these sweet pastel colors, you can use it for […]
Glow in the Dark Crafts – Volume One
Halloween is just around the corner, and what better way to spice up your crafting than to add a bit of “glow-in-the-dark” goodness to it? In regular light, these photo-reactive products have a white or pastel hue…but then turn off the light, PRESTO! You’ve got some glowing, spooky fun! Here’s a round-up of some fun GITD products/crafts you can try out for yourself! Polymer Clay Both Fimo and Sculpey offer GITD clays that can be used alone or (in […]
Craft Test Dummies now on Facebook!
CraftTestDummies now has a fan page on Facebook.
Suze Weinberg + CraftTestDummies=Fun at CHA Summer!
Jenny meets crafting legend Suze Weinberg for a craft lesson with the hot wax stylus tool.
Last Day at CHA Summer 09
Jenny shares her day-three coverage live from CHA Summer 2009, the Craft and Hobby Association Trade show in Orlando Florida. Read on for the highlights of the day and vendors to watch.
