I’ve been on a jones lately, looking for – and buying – craft supplies on Ebay. Purchasing your supplies this way can either be great savings or a huge rip-off. Here’s how to know the difference. First of all, take into consideration what kind of products your looking for, and whether or not “new” or “used” means anything to you. Today I got a shipment of polymer clay products, and the some of it was considered “used.” In this case, […]
Need a Craft Product Tester?
I’m available! If you have a new craft technique, product or are testing instructions for publication, I’ll be happy to try it out and kick the tires for ya. I can’t promise it’ll be a favorable review, but it will be honest – and from the perspective of the average crafty person. See my About page for contact info.
Tips for Listing Items On Etsy
I spent the AM posting things on Etsy, listing some craft samples I had lying around. What? You’ve never heard of Etsy? Well! Let me school ya… Etsy is a site for artist/crafters to sell their creations… and for folks to love to buy unique, hand-made or one of a kind (OOAK to the uninitiated) items direct from the artisans. You can also find craft supplies on Etsy, as well as Vintage Items. In their words, Our mission is to […]
NorthCoast Needlers Quilt Guild
For those of you in the greater Cleveland area looking for a Quilt Guild to join, I highly recommend checking out Northcoast Needlers. I’ve been a member for a couple of years. For current members we have a Northcoast Needlers Yahoo Group. You must be a member of NCN to join!
New “Studio by Sculpey” Line Hits JoAnn’s
Hey! I was just trolling at a JoAnn’s ETC store here in Ohio, and I found this new line from Sculpey, Studio by Sculpey I was just trolling their site last week when I posted on comparing clays. How come there was no mention of it on their site??!!! OK, so in the spirit of being the original Craft Test Dummy, I picked up two packages at $2.99 each. A little more expensive, but the packages are 2.8 ounces instead […]
More on Polymer Clay- Tips on Baking
Just a little more info on baking/curing polymer clays. We had a few unfortunate mishaps yesterday, and I’d hate for them to happen to you! First of all, OF COURSE you must follow the manufacturer’s directions for curing the clay. However, as I explained yesterday to my class, there are some important variables. We had a new toaster oven, and it was it’s first use out of the box. I could have sent smoke signals with all of the smoke […]
Buddhist Sand Mandalas
I briefly referenced Buddhist mandalas in my last post, ones made of completely of sand as a meditative practice. The ritual involves singing (chanting), dancing, incense and prayer. Here’s a great video I pulled from YouTube to show you how they do it… [youtube 9piFA7MCmbQ&feature=related] And once it’s done, there is a prayer ceremony…. and they sweep it away. Now that’s Zen, my friends!
Zentangle Versus Mandalas
Ah, how I love my crafty friends, always turning me on to something new. My friend Eva of Grand River Beads was telling me about Zentangle.com, and how she wants to apply the idea to bead embroidery. So here’s the gist of it: I think it’s kind of like a mandala: you make a squiggle and then fill in the open areas with a motif. I’m not sure what the technique is because they want you to buy a kit […]
Fun with Tin
Sometimes I just get on a tangent, looking around…. so today’s topic is “Tin.” I was harkening back to the school craft where we would cut open a soda can, flatten it out, and then punch a design with a hammer and a nail. Guess what? Folks are still doing that. But it looks way better the way they do it! (What do they know that my 8th grade art teacher didn’t???!!! Allison does handcrafted shutters and screens. This falls […]
The Craft Industry is Out to Get Us
As per my usual, I was surfin’ for some new projects to try. Martha Stewart has her new craft show in DIYNetwork, and I thought I’d check out her site. Gotta give that woman props, the site is beautiful. So I check out the “Sewn Candy Dishes.” Cute, looks accessible, maybe I’ll try one. And there is a supply list on the right hand side, so again, gotta give that woman credit… of course she’s selling them all through her […]
Greetings from the Chief Dummy!
Hiya! New year, new venture. I’ve been blogging for about 2 years at CraftTherapy.com and I’ve been thinking about all of the stuff I’d like to say or try… but it just doesn’t seem right for that venue. I am sometimes a little um..opinionated (Jeff, my husband is rolling his eyes) and maybe even verging on snarky. And cranky. (Now he’s nodding.) But I love crafting, exploring new products, techniques and sharing ideas with others… and being honest- brutally, scathingly […]
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