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, […]
Craft Haul and Visit to Le BHV in Paris, France
Craft Trip and Haul from Le BHV in Paris, France Hi, Crafty Friends! I’m back with another installment of “Jenny goes craft shopping in Europe, Part Two!” Well, not quite- that’s a joke….. kind of. But YES, this is the second post on my latest trip to London and Paris. Check out my first post here when I visited John Lewis. And. like the last post, my goal is to Introduce you to a place you might not know; Show you […]
Review and demo of On Point Glue from Imagine Crafts
Today we are looking at GLUE! On Point Glue from Imagine Crafts is a clear liquid glue that dries strong and flexible. And the applicator has its own built-in pin to prevent clogs, as well as having a super-fine tip so you can get into little nooks and crannies, or the thinnest of die-cuts. From the Imagine Crafts website: Precision craft glue that eliminates the need to purchase separate adhesive, bottle and needle for unclogging. This all-in-one is the glue […]
Folk Art Color Shift Acrylic Paints
I love to review and try out new acrylic paints- they are so versatile for wood, paper, mixed media, home decor- EVERYTHING! And these new Color Shift paints from Folk Art are seriously blowing my mind. Rich, shimmery colors with a flash of iridescence- it makes my crafty heart go pitter-pat. From the Plaid Website: Give your next DIY craft project a metallic luster that shifts in changing light with FolkArt Color Shift Metallic Paint! Part of the FolkArt creative […]
Target Craft Haul from Dollar Spot & Clearance
Let’s see what crafting goodies you can get at the Dollar Spot section of Target in March 2017. I’ll show you what I got from the Clearance section, too, and the cards I made. 🙂 Who doesn’t love a good craft bargain? And if you’d like a closer look at some of those cards…. I had so much fun playing yesterday= and on the cheap, too! Do you shop sales? Which stores do you like best? Share your tips […]
The Benefits of Crafting
Crafting and Health- Benefits for Mind, Body and Spirit. (Note: this article originally appeared in the Craft Industry Today magazine, published by the Association for Creative Industries, formerly the Craft and Hobby Association.) If you ask any artist or crafter, you will hear a variety of comments about how art-making or crafting makes them feel: “I get in the zone.” “All my troubles melt away.” “I feel so much better when I’m creative.” So anecdotally, even instinctively, […]
Recent Craft Hauls- Michael’s and Consumer Crafts
‘Tis the season to shop for cra-afts, fa la la la la, la la la laaaaa! I’ve been stocking up on some craft supplies for projects, gifts, and to stock up for next year. I’ve shared my craft hauls on Periscope (the longer version) so I’ve edited them down to share with you here and on YouTube. First I shopped at Consumer Crafts on Cyber Monday. They had a killer $3 shipping deal and I got my items shipped from […]
Best Black Stamp Pad for Marker Coloring?
Since coloring is still such a popular thing to do, many stampers are wondering which stamp pads are the best for coloring with markers. over a stamped image. Some stamp pads bleed or smear, others turn colors (yikes) and no one wants a craft-fail. So which stamp pad is best for coloring with markers, both water-based and alcohol-based? Now before we begin: – I used the following stamp pads that I had. PLEASE don’t leave comments that I “should have tried […]
Stamp Of Approval Card Kit from Catherine Pooler-My First One!
Every now and then, I need a mojo boost. And for me, that sometimes means a new product or kit or tools to spark my creativity. My friend Linda has been a big-time fan of the Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval card kit, so I decided to give a kit a go! Just so you know, I paid for this kit with my own funds and I have no connection to the company. Just sharing my thoughts and all opinions […]
New Craft Studio: Part 2: Ceramcoat Chalk Paint Spinner Makeover
As part of my move here to #NYC (you can read a bit about that here) I’m setting up my new studio. I did bring a few pieces with me, including my slatwall spinner. But it was in sore need of a makeover! So I used Ceramcoat Chalk Paint to give it a facelift! (Disclosure: Plaid sent me the paint, but I’m sharing this because I used it and I loved it. I was not compensated for this post.) One […]
Musings on Health Benefits of Crafting and the “Art Tribe”
Earlier this summer I was asked to write and article for Craft Industry Today (a magazine published by the Craft and Hobby Association) on the benefits of crafting. As a former music therapist, I am well versed in the benefits of creative endeavors, so I happily accepted the task. I did a day’s worth of research, cranked out a 1700+ word article, and submitted it. Later that day, I was having a Periscope chat and the topic came up. What […]
GIveaway! Testors AirBrainz AirBrush Kit
I’m really excited to announce a cool giveaway today! I’m partnering with Testors on a few things (like this airbrushed puzzle project) and a top-secret project for the show Hands On Crafts For Kids that I host- and today they are offering YOU a chance to win an AirBrainz Air Brush Kit! You may remember that I reviewed the kit HERE… and found it to be really fun and easy! Changing out colors was literally a snap, and even clean-up […]
Air Brush Puzzle Project with Testors AirBrainz System!
Today I have a cool post today, sponsored by our friends at Testors! If you remember, I while back I reviewed the AirBrainz Air brush system, and I really liked it! It was easy to use, the paint was quick to dry, and it was super-fun. Anyway, today I’m going to show you how to make a Puzzle Card using the AirBrainz system and…wait for it… CRAFT STICKS! All you need (these are an Amazon.com affiliate links if you are interested in […]
Three Wedding Favor Ideas That are Totally Dazzled!
Today I have some wedding favor ideas for you- three fun DIY crafts for a home made wedding that is “Totally Dazzled”- that is made glamorous with rhinestone embellishments from TotallyDazzled.com– our sponsor for this post! All of these wedding favors feature rhinestone embellishments- mine are from our sponsor TotallyDazzled.com– and they are super sparkly and high-quality. I chose these for my projects, but they have a wide variety of slides, buckles, pins, and buttons in different sizes, styles and […]
Needlepoint Giveaway for National Craft Month!
Heya friends! Time to celebrate National Craft Month with a fun giveaway! Here’s a video to explain what’s up today! And now- click the blue link to enter to win!! a Rafflecopter giveaway Note: Must be 18 years or older Must live within the U.S Prize will arrive within 2-3 weeks. CraftTestDummies is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. Winner will be drawn at random. Chances of winning are dependent upon number of entries. Winner will […]
January Craft Hauls from Target and Tuesday Morning!
I don’t know what has gotten into me lately, but I’ve been a pushover for discount craft shopping! I took trips to Tuesday Morning and raided their craft section, then headed over to Target for some bargains! I shared my craft hauls initially on Periscope- (by the way, you can watch the full replays on Katch.me, and even see the questions and comments!) But I did edit them a bit and posted them on YouTube. Take a look! And here’s Target! […]
Distress Backgrounds Two Ways
I have really been having a blast with our One Little Tag challenge- and I got inspired to pull out my Distress Stamp Pads out of the mothballs and play with them again. I remembered this technique I saw once on how you could use plain water to get a fun patterns, so I made a Periscope to share (follow me there for LIVE videos/tutorials) and I recorded it onto YouTube for you. If you want to play along, these […]
Hearth Room Renovation and Fireplace Screen Makeover with Krylon
This summer we did a HUGE renovation of our kitchen and hearth room. The kitchen was a total tear-out, whereas the hearth room where we watch TV was more of a “facelift” maneuver. We updated the brick fireplace with stone and a new mantel from designs we found on a post on https://howtohome.com/. And while we hired out the “big” work, I added my finishing touch by making over our old fireplace screen with Krylon Supermaxx paint! Disclosure: this post […]
Happy Thanksgiving from #TeamCTD
From all of us here at CraftTestDummies, we wish you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving! We’re going to take a few days off to enjoy our families, some good food, and maybe even a Black Friday sale or two. Cheers!
Heading to London town
I’m on the road again! Those of you who know me know that I love traveling (here’s a link to my crafty/travel posts), and searching out fun crafty adventures is always part of the plan. Next week (Nov 9-11 2015) I’ll be in London with hubby and paying a visit to my Italian Daughter. She stayed with us from September 2013 to June 2014 through AFS- a program I support and continue to participate in. (Right now we have a daughter […]
