Craft Test Dummies - The Crafting Blog for Crafters, By Crafters

Spooky Spider Halloween Bookmark Craft

October 24, 2018

Spider Bookmark Craft for Halloween

This is one of those little fun crafts you can do with the kiddos to get into the Halloween Spirit! Or... if you are bug nerds like we are at my house, you make them just because you LOVE spiders and what they do for the environment! Either way, you can paint and glue these up in no time. And if you like, get creative and make some monsters, … READ MORE >>>

Review and Demo of LDRS Hybrid Ink Pads

October 15, 2018

LDRS Hybrid Stamp Pad Review

Since I’m on an inky kick, I realized it was time to break the LDRS Hybrid Inks out of the packaging and give them a go. (These were sent to me for review, but I am not financially compensated by the company and am not obligated to give them a favorable review. My opinions are honest and my own! (Disclosure: affiliate links contained in post) I was sent 4 colors of LDRS Hybrid ink to play with, as well as […]

Review and Demo of Nuvo Hybrid Inks

October 1, 2018

Happy October! In some areas of the crafting world, folks are calling it “Inktober” and encouraging artists and crafters to draw, stamp, print and doodle their way through the month. I’m taking it as an opportunity to review some of the inks, stamp pads, sprays and dies that have been waiting patiently all summer. So today I’m kicking it off with a review of the Nuvo Hybrid Inks by Tonic Studios. I’ve had these little “Diamonds” ink cubes in […]

Craft Studio Tour and Organization Ideas

September 20, 2018

Heya! It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted…because, well, let’s be honest- I was starting to feel like there wasn’t anyone reading. I post videos on YouTube and see immediate responses- comments, likes, and views. With the blog, it’s slowed waaaaaaay down. I mean, who has time to read blogs anymore? Well, at least a few of you….. because I got a couple of emails wondering if I was okay, or if we’ve moved again (god forbid!)…. so I decided […]

Tonic Studios Dies Unboxing (Giveaway Closed)

April 20, 2018

It’s been a while since I’ve posted (lots of kitchen renovation excuses) and to show my contrition, I want to share some goodies with you! I recently got a LOVELY box of Tonic Studios dies and just had to dive back into Periscoping by sharing the unboxing. Just a quick reminder here- I do live broadcasting via Periscope, and you can catch my live (and chatty) shows there. You can watch them on your mobile device, or on replay on […]

Wax Paper Resist Background Technique

March 20, 2018

Here I am with another cool background technique for you to try- the Wax Paper Resist Background technique. The best thing about THIS wax resist background technique is that you probably already have everything you need to create it without heading to the store. Let’s get started! Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. That means at no extra cost to you, if you purchase something through one of those links, I will receive a small commission that supports the […]

Comparison of Liquid Watercolor Markers/Pens

March 16, 2018

I realized I published this video ages ago, and didn’t share it here. With all my frenzy with watercolor markers- (meaning specifically a pen that has a liquid reservoir in the handle and a brush nib that dispenses liquid watercolor ink when squeezed,) I just had to compare some of the popular brands. So I dug out the ones I’ve reviewed here before: Nuvo Aqua Flow Markers & Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers– as well as some ones that were newer […]

SAI Japanese Traditional Watercolor Brush Markers- Review & Demo

February 23, 2018

SAI Japanese Traditional Watercolor Brush Markers

SAI Japanese Traditional Watercolor Brush Markers- Review & Demo I kind of feel like markers are taking over the art/craft world- every day I learn of a new brand or style. So this week I drug out this set I purchased from Amazon a while ago to give them a look-over– the SAI Japanese Traditional Watercolor Brush Markers. Like other brush-style markers I’ve reviewed (namely Zig Real Brush and Artezia) these markers are traditional barrels filled with felt and ink, […]

Rinea Metallic Foil Paper & Ghost Ink Review

February 21, 2018

Rinea Metallic Foil Paper and Ghost Ink Review

n Rinea Metallic Foil Paper Review This was a product in the “new product showcase” at Creativiation 2018 that really caught my eye- not just because anything shiny/metallic is so in right now (even though it IS) but also because it was paired with some mystical product called Ghost Ink that created a cool effect that you could use with stamping. So I scored a sample at the show, and it’s one of the first products I had to try and […]

Jane Davenport debuts at Creativation 2018 & Watercolor Card

February 13, 2018

Jane Davenport Watercolors

Jane Davenport debuts at Creativation 2018 It’s been about a 3 weeks since I got home from Creativation 2018! It’s taken me that long to recover from a massive chest cold, unpack, and “get settled.” (And I had a kid with an impacted wisdom tooth and house remodeling just to complicate things!) While I put the Creativation 2018 videos up on YouTube, I realized I hadn’t shared them here on the blog. So for the next few weeks I’ll be […]

Creativation 2018: New Product Showcase

January 20, 2018

Creativation Trade Show

It’s that time of year again- Creativation! Despite the new name- Association for Creative Industries (AFCI)– it’s still the CHA tradeshow in the hearts of many of us old timers. I flew in on Friday despite having a massive chest cold. By 4pm, my voice was entirely gone. But even that won’t keep me from attending the events and taking as many photos as possible. The way they are doing the product showcase this year is an upgrade from last […]

“OLT” Craft Challenge for 2018

January 16, 2018

OLT craft Challenge week 2 tags

In January 2016 I realized that I was doing tons of craft reviews, but making very little *art.* I decided to try making a little bit of art (or a least a portion) every day, using a tag as a base and started my One Little Tag Craft Challenge group on FB to encourage others to play along with me. After all, it’s small, cheap, and if you hate it you can just throw it away. And if you LIKE it, […]

Cutting Shrink Film with a Cricut Die Cutting Machine

January 12, 2018

How to cut shrink film in Design Space using a cricut

Cutting Shrink Film with a Cricut Die Cutting Machine Who here remembers Shrinky-Dinks from their childhood? (Raises hand) Well, Shrink film has come a long way since then and it’s just as fun now as it was then…. and as an adult/ mixed media artist, sometimes it’s SUPER handy as a creative medium. Case in point- I wanted to make some New Jersey charms to make for a present I was working on for our new AFS daughter (she joined […]

Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Brush Pen Review from Tonic, Demo & Comparison

January 9, 2018

NUVO shimmer Glitter Gloss Pens

Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Brush Pen Review from Tonic, Demo & Comparison Here’s how the Aqua Shimmer are described on the Tonic website: Add shimmering glitter details to all of your crafting projects. The perfectly formed watercolor brush nib makes the pens extremely versatile and is perfect for adding small detail or color washing areas. Two glitter gloss pens in each pack. Like the Aqua Flow brush pens I reviewed earlier, they have an actual paint brush style tip: […]

Arteza Real Brush Markers Review and Demo

January 5, 2018

Arteza Real Brush Markers Review and Demo

Arteza Real Brush Markers Review and Demo I’m back today with another review of a marker! This time, it’s the Arteza Real Brush Pen Marker. These are available at Amazon.com currently for $49.95 for a 48 pen set! Here’s the description: Real brush pen set of 48 unique colors for sketching, drawing and painting Water-based ink for watercolor effects Flexible nylon brush tip for fine, medium and bold strokes Non-toxic, meets ASTM standards Safe for children with supervision Create Line […]

NUVO Aqua Flow Markers (review and demo)

January 3, 2018

NUVO aqua flow brush pens

NUVO Aqua Flow Markers from Tonic Studios (review and demo) Products provided for review purposes; however the brand has no control over the content and I was not paid to review them. Opinions are honest and based on my first-hand experience with the product. This post may contain affiliate links. That means at no extra cost to you, if you purchase something through one of those links, I will receive a small commission. It seems like mixed media is […]

Mini Blossom Die Cutting Machine from Altenew (Review and Demo)

December 8, 2017

Mini Blossom Die Cutting Machine from Altenew (Review and Demo)

Mini Blossom Die Cutting Machine from Altenew (Review and Demo) I love my manual die0cutting machines- there is something about the immediate gratification of turning a handle a few times and a perfectly cut paper image pops out. No wires, no computers, no fuss! And traditionally manual machines also handle heavier materials more easily with less prep- so there’s that advantage too. For a while now I’ve had a large die cutting machine on my worktable- but it eats up […]

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