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I got turned on to it from my MySpace crafty amigas: Sacred Snatch, Mala, Crafty Ruka and Vidirosa! I signed up for two swaps and I'm sending them out with this week's orders. One is a set of Frida earrings and the other is a matchbox shrine.
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Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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I always have a hard time with Easter. I've never been into cute chicks and
bunnies, and my version of the pastel palette consists of hot pink, banana
yellow and neon green. But that doesn't mean my Easter eggs have to suffer.
This year, I'm being bold and teaching my kids a lesson in pop art. I
clicked over to Google images and found some Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein
and even Keith Haring images. The trick to the eggs is to color them as
usual with traditional egg dye kits (I used Twinkling H20 watercolor
paints) and then apply images printed on water slide decal paper. This is
clear paper that has a protective backing that is most used in model car
kits. After printing the image, soak it in water and the image separates
from the backing. The result is a transparent background. If you don't have
time to buy the decal paper, you can decoupage the image on the eggs.
I'll have the printable directions up in a few days!
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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Here is another project I did for Duncan using Allene's Fabric Fusion. This is a new fabric adhesive that is not stringy and once you are done with your project, you can even wash or dry clean it! For this bag, I used one placemat, folded it in half and decked it out in fabric, gems and even paint.
Here are the directions from DuncanCrafts.com on how to make it. The fabric is from Alexandar Henry, available at St Theresa's Textile Trove.
I think this bag would be super sweet for going to a Latin dance night, or a reggae concert. Or a downtown coffeehouse, any place tropical and colorful. If you are going on vacation this spring or summer, you can make one just for the trip! You can also personalize it by making a fabric transfer of any photo you want and use Fabric Fusion to apply it to the placemat. It's also a spiffy way to use up fabric scraps.
I didn't include this in the directions, because I didn't want to overwhelm anyone - but the sun fabric? I dyed that! I like to buy vintage dishtowels and then dye them keep them for use with my collage projects. The dyeing part isn't as extreme as it sounds. You can pick up a bottle of Tulip Fashion Dye - it is a bottle that comes with colored powder at the bottom. You just fill it up with water, shake it and BAM! Squirt it on your fabric!!
I'll have a tutorial later on it. Next time I dye a batch of fabric, I'll video tape it and post it.
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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Altering photo albums and address books are my latest obsession thanks to Alyson at Duncan. Her mission for me was to create a project using Aleene's Paper Glaze. Can you imagine all the ideas that popped in my head? I couldn't pinpoint one, without changing my mind.
All I can say is thank goodness for grocery shopping! There I was at Fry's Marketplace, loading y cart with milk and other family staples when I cruised through the office supply section. I came across and a display of lonely looking address books. Who buys address books at the grocery store? Right at that moment I had a vision of this boring book tricked out in glitter, pictures and other shiny objects. My life hasn't been the same since. Not only did I make the above book, I've also been whipping out photo albums too (scroll down this blog to see the latest ones).
I think you need to make one too.
Here are the directions from DuncanCrafts.com!
Here is the link to buy the images I used from ArtChixStudio.com
See how happy I look with it? Ahhh, life is good...
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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I've had several people ask me about workshops. As of now, I have three big ones coming up for later this year!!
First up is Art Unraveled, where I'll be teaching two classes, plus I'll have a vendor booth there too. AU is a five-day altered art conference where dozens of teachers from all over the country come to Phoenix to teach classes on all kinds of edgy, far out art collage techniques. I'm talking rock star artists like Traci Bautista, Michael DeMeng and Cory Celaya!
For my classes, I'm teaching a Dia de los Muertos Fabric Memory Book class and a Te Amo Love Shrine class.
I'll also be there on the first night for the "Meet the Artists" event, and on Saturday for the shopping extravagazna.
Here is more info on AU 2007.
Next is the Chica Lit Club Fiesta, August 17-20 in New Mexico. This is a multi-day conference for writers and readers of Latina literature. Founded by Alisa Valdes Rodriguez (Dirty Girls Social Club), this event brings together published and wannabe published writers specializing in "chica lit" - as well as all kinds of other writing. I will be there talking about my adventures in non-fiction books, newspaper reporting and writing a novel. I'll also be teaching a writer's themed art workshop.
Here are the details on that.
Next is my Italy workshop!
It is September 15-22 in Cortona and it is going to be FABULOUS!!! We will be touring the Tuscan countryside, plus making art, sampling wine and chocolate and all kinds of other heavenly treats.
Here are all the details on that!
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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Tonight Patrick is performing at a gig. Before he left, he bet me $50 bucks that I would not clean up my room tonight. I took him up on his offer and put out my hand to 'shake'. He changed his mind, thinking he'd come home to a fully redecorated Top Design showcase. Not! Instead of cleaning my room, I'm going to blog! I'll clean it tomorrow, no worries, right?
I was a busy bee today. I hustled to get the last of our orders packed for shipping tomorrow (that's means your purse, Mala!), had a birthday party for Maya and then made a few things for our store. Here they are! Oh - I may as well share the movie list too.
These are the DVDs I watched while making all this stuff:
The Secret (I finally could afford to buy it and I LOVED it!)
An Unmarried Woman (I was a kid when this film came out and remember my parents talking about how it risque it was. i was so curious to see it! So finally, I saw it!)
Reservoir Dogs (DeAngelo is making his first movie and worships Quentin T., so I thought I'd better watch this so I could chat camera angles and such. Aye, too much blood!)
Fabric collage purse. OK, sit back and let me tell you a little sumpthang about this bag. I hand dyed the background fabric and whipped up some fabric transfers of watercolor paintings I made. I painted, sewed, quilted, embroidered on this bag. It is very cool and you haven't seen the back side of it. Oh, Ok, I'll show you!
Wood burned chest (below)
Day of the DEad photo album(below):
Here's another photo album I made today!
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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I blogged about this movie (The Namesake) a few months back. First off, it didn't take watching the trailer to know that I would love it. I'm a huge fan of the director, Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Mississippi Masala) AND Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle). I even got to eat lunch with Kal one time, and he is such a wonderful, genuine person who cares so much about his craft, as well as his culture. Anyway, this film is about a traditional Indian couple living in the U.S., and their American born son who is having a hard time juggling both worlds.
The Namesake qualifies as a crafty cinema film because there is a scene of the mother making a batch of handmade holiday cards for her family and friends. Even though the scene was a short one, it has oodles of details. Her cards and art supplies are spread out all across the entire dining table - so ture, right? And then she decorates the cards with a handpainted elephant, and clusters of micro beads at the top.In honor of my appreciation for the film, I made this card (below) similiar to the one featured in the movie.
And I added in the movie trailer too!
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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There is this cute little restaurant and bar on Central Ave called FEZ. I'd have to say their Orange Citrus Margaritas have become one of my favorite treats. But I can only have them when I don't have anything serious lined up for the night. Otherwise I do things like jump in the pool with my clothes on, in front of my in-laws.
But tonight, I didn't have anything planned. Woo-hoo! Load me up! The whole ride home from work, all I could think of was sipping on one of those tasty OCMs. I was determined to talk Patrick into the idea as soon as our eyes met. Tomorrow is our 17th weddng anniversary and I'm sooo ready to party. I got off the car, burst through the front door and saw my man standing in the kitchen leafing through the mail. I threw my arms around his neck and squealed:
"Let's go drink!"
He stiffened a bit, put his hands on my wrists and said, "Uh, Kathy, we can't right now."
I wasn't having any of it. I wanted FEZ. Orange Cirtus Margaritas! I nodded my head. "Yes, we can!," I said. "Come on, let's go drink!!! Right now!"
He put his hands on my shoulders and spun me around to face the living room.
Sitting there was our daughter, Maya, and her friend from school - working on their science project.
Oh. My. God. I rarely get sauced, but I just felt like letting loose tonight. I can just imagine Maya's little friend going home to her parents: "Maya's mommy is very thirsty! As soon as she came home from work, she wanted to go drink!"
Sheesh!!! Why couldn't I have said something classier, like, "Dahling - let's indulge in a cocktail, shall we?" or "It's our anniversary tomorrow, let's sip champagne and go ballroom dancing."
But nooooo. I had to go all hillbilly with: "LET'S GO DRINK!!!" Hardy har har! Snort!
I ended up going out to dinner to PF Chang's with my sister and my dad. I didn't get my Orange Citrus Margarita, but I did get Orange Peel Chicken!
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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Today Patrick told me that living with me is like being on roller skates one day, and a skateboard the next. Last week I was at the bottom of the super frumpy frump dumpster and this week, I can't stop kissing him, the kids and the dogs! i evenkissed my sister's foot recently (don't ask).
I've been so upbeat and excited about EVERYTHING that I can't even sleep at night. For the past three nights, I've have to take a Tylenol PM just to get some zzzz's. Patrick is giving one more night and then he is hiding the bottle. He says he can tell when I'm in hyper happy mode when I'm wearing my girdle, eyeliner and when my desk is organized and the bedspread is wrinkle-free. He always tells the kids, "When Mommy is happy, everyone is happy!"
Let's see, what else is up? Oh - I'm heavy into American Idol zone these days. I've been blogging about it HERE for my day job. Please go there and leave some comments!! Writing about the show makes me work a different side of my brain. I'm not good at being nit picky and critical, I always see the brighter side of everything. That doesn't make for a good critic. For this column, I have to watch the show, dissect all the contestants performances and then write about it. All I can say, is once you get started being snarky - it's easy to keep going! I practically have to make inspirational greeting cards for the homeless, using rubber stamps that say "dream" or "believe", just to balance out my karma.
I have a few things to wrap up this week and then, hold on to your pinking shears - I have a GOB of cool ideas and news to share here! For now, we have a stack of orders to mail out, plus it is our 17th wedding anniversary on Friday, and our daughter's 14th birthday on Sunday. Between right now and Sunday, I have to make it through three work days, THREE parties (two of which I have to organize), plus one art festival. As soon as those minor details are out of the way, I'll be free to clock in some hours online.
Coming up soon - I recently interviewed Angel Aviles - "La Sad Girl" - from the film, Mi Vida Loca. She is now an indie filmmaker AND she is super crafty! I'm going to post that podcast interview next week. In the meantime, go check out the DVD of the film.
Thank you to the 500 people who tuned into my MySpace teleseminar last week, it went really well! And thanks to Nancy Marmolejo for setting it up!
If you live in the Phoenix area, tomorrow I'll be on KPNX, channel 12, showing how to make the Yarn Mosiac Lampshade with Fabric Fusion adhesive and Hysterical Yarn!!
Wow, that was a lot of info. I think I see what Patrick means about the skateboards and roller skates kind of life. At least it is better to be moving that stuck in one place all the time, right?
OK, go be crafty!!
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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We have some things listed on eBay right now, I forgot to let people know and there is only 4 hours left!
CLICK HERE TO SEE!
Original painting
Original painting
Handpainted leather Mexican purse
Frida Glitter Ring
Have a nice weekend!!!
Kathy :-)
P.S. We also have new stuff at our store too!
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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This crafty chica is back in action!!! Thank you so much for all your awesome thoughts and support, I'm sending it right back at you 10 fold!!!
I hope you are as de-LIGHTed with this week's project as much as I am!
I like to knit and love to crochet, but hardly have time for either, yet that doesn't lessen my addiction to yarn. So when I came across the bewitching spinning skills of Austin, Texas, artist Amanda Jones, I was hooked. I used her yarn to make this frilly lampshade and you can too!
Jones' Hysterical Yarns start at $23.05 for 55 yards. To see more of her work, visit www.venusart.org or venusart.etsy.com.
CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE DIRECTIONS
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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It's after midnight, and by the time I'm done with this post, I bet it will be close to 1 a.m.
Up until an hour ago, I was in code orange boo-hoo mode. And in case you haven't noticed, I've been there for almost a month. It sucks. It's not depression or anything like that, but just dealing with change of life. I know a lot of people cruise by this blog and I usually don't post anything ultra personal, but I think it's my calling to share my experiences. Crafts, drama, glitter - right?
By day I'm a newspaper reporter and I LOVE, love, love my job and the awesome people I work with. I'm spoiled, iknow others don't have it as good and that only makes me love it MORE. In fact, I love it so much that I refused to ever imagine the day when it wouldn't be there. It was unheard of.
Not anymore.
So, like any large company, in order to keep up with the times, etc... things are getting shifted around. Nothing scary like layoffs, just shifting around. For the past month, every thought in my brain has been "What will happen to me? What will happen to me????" Also, I obsessed about what people thought of me, I replayed every scenario in my head where I could have done a better job, I listened to office gossip and became addcited to it. It got to the point that I worried so much about my place in the new world, that I couldn't sleep, craft, cook, shop, clean, answer emails, see my friends. I just went to work, tried to concentrate on my tasks and get home to Patrick and the kids. I even gained five pounds from self-pity snacking. Not good.
I even got to such a point of paranoia and insecurity last week, that I hurt the feelings a friend who tried to help me. Stuff like that is foreign to me, I'm usually the one trying to make peace and keep everyone happy! The situation brought my self-esteem down about another 10,000 notches. I wished so bad I could go back in time. That I would have taken a chill pill. That I would of had more faith in my destiny, my karma, my work, basically in myself. As a result, my sister was mad at me, and didn't talk to me for several excruiciating days. I know I joke about my sister a lot here, but I never realized how much I miss her when she is not around!! Taking our dogs out on our coffee runs and sharing the boring details of every minute of our time away from each other are truly some of the highlights of my life!
More boo-hoo!
Thankfully, over the weekend one of my guardian angel amigas Margot, sent an email to check up on me. In a paragraph I typed while boo-hooing, I shared my office drama. She replied with lightening speed and told me about The Tao of the Black Hat. You MUST read that post of hers -and all of her blog, it wil change your life!!
Anyway, her advice for healing was a crafty approach: buy a black hat and decorate it like a pirate or with skulls, take a picture in it, and then hang it up and put it on the wall. In other words, I had to own up to being the bad guy. And then I had to force myself to move on because I can't change what happened.
I've felt a bit better this week, thinking of how "this too shall pass" and all those other cliches. My sister and I had a heart-to-heart last night, and I have faith that things will be OK with my friend. I've been thinking, how, in the big picture of life, this moment is just a fleck of glitter. Right?
Actually, I don't see it like that. Those flecks add up to a LOT of sparkle. We have to choose our actions wisely and think FIRST if it will do something positive, move something forward for the good of everyone. Not just with our day jobs, but with our kids, spouses, friends and everything else. If it is purely a selfish action sprouting from insecurity, let it go! Think of the pile of glitter, it all adds up!
Just a couple hours ago, I was sitting here, feeling sorry for myself, trolling through celebrity gossip blogs, when my Aztec Warrior Angels must have smacked me in the head. I swear, I had a mini-outer body experience and I could see me sitting here, my face frowning, my body five pounds heavier, my hair all a mess and my bedroom a shambles.
That is NOT me! I've never been about wasting time, much less whining about things I KNOW have the power to change.
I felt a surge of energy and I hopped up, cranked up my favorite playlist, rearranged my room, took a shower, folded the laundry, answered emails and made a to-do list!! By golly, I think I've found my way out of the bottom of the sticky varnish jar.
I don't know what will happen to me at work, or what my new job there will be. It's not that different from anything else in life when you think about it. We have no guarantee that things will continue as we wish they would. That's why we have to make the most of RIGHT NOW, savor the smiles. Do what you love and love what you do, thank kind of deal, ya know? Plus, my dad always told me change is good, it makes us stronger and more versatile.
I think back to my life before I was a newspaper reporter. Talk about change. I've come a long way. I had a long wild mane of kinky hair that I was proud of. I traveled through Europe, worked as a barista, and later a road manager for a Jamaican reggae band. I organized concerts and booked bands all over Arizona. I made jewelry and sold it out of the back of my car. I crocheted rasta tams and gave them away. Patrick and I led the boho life of eating cous cous, veggies and plantains. I cooked! Life was so simple then. And I loved it as much as I love life now, and it's empowering to know no matter how things work out these days, I can make the most of any situation.
I can feel that I'm ready for a the next level. I don't know what that is, but if and when it comes, I'm cool with it. I'll embrace it and work it like Miss Jay on America's Next Top Model. I'm ready to take charge (cue Get Up, Stand Up) and be thankful. I'm ready to put mascara on again. I'm ready to find my flow again. I'm ready to smile, laugh, blog, write, make art, cook, play and enjoy my family.
I *let myself* get knocked on my butt, I did it to myself. But now I'm getting back up on my own, taking charge and having faith in all the good things and good people around me. There are lots of them!
I've had my last boo-hoo!
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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I've been invited by biz gurus Suzanne Falter-Barns and Nancy Marmolejo, to speak as part of a teleseminar called "Getting BETTER Known Using Social Media". I guess they noticed I was a MySpace addict!!
I use the site to promote my books and such and have had all kinds of success, both personal and professional. This Thursday I'll share some of the tricks of the trade that I've learned.
Until then, you should check out both of these fabulous women and their web sites, because there are all kinds of amazing ideas for pimping your web site and business.
OK, HERE IS THE LINK TO SIGN UP for the free teleseminar this Thursday. 2 PM EST.
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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A few weeks back, I mentioned my love for crafty cinema. Well, you should know I'm also into "crafty lit" - juicy novels that have characters who paint, bead, knit or sew. I'm the nerdy type who always has a book on me and I utilize every pocket of time to take in a chapter.
These days, I'm toting around The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs (Putnam Adult, 2007, $22.95 hardback). I'll admit it took a few pages, but now, I'm hooked. Lots o' drama. The book centers on a small New York City knitting shop and the women who meet to knit and share their stories of woe. Look for a film version, starring Julia Roberts, in June 2008. Another crafty lit book I recently finished reading is The Interruption of Everything, by Terry McMillan (Signet, 2006, $9.99 paperback). Often hilarious and sentimental, our protagonist, a 40-something wife and mom, works at a craft store and questions her life decisions. But what she is sure of is her ability to make impressive crafts.
This project is dedicated to book lovers who like to share their finds. These pockets and bookmarks are a fun way to add spice to your library, and keep all the titles in order. If you belong to a book club, think about setting aside a meeting so the members can whip up a batch of these items. Supplies were purchased at Lucky 15 Paper Arts, 4216 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix, (602) 466-2736. Other local paper arts stores should have them as well.
HERE ARE THE PRINTABLE DIRECTIONS
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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I'll admit this is not one of my favorite projects of all time. I've been a little stressed lately, and this project shows that! However, maybe there is something you can pick up from it. I like the concept, I just don't think I executed it the way I first sketched it out. This is colored tin that I cut into flames, underneath, I used yellow glass paint. This would be a cool idea to do on a bedroom mirror or window!
HERE ARE THE PRINTABLE DIRECTIONS
***
Author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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| I Recommend | |
 | Crafty Chica™ Chunky Glitters™ $2.99 |
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Crafty Chica™ Loteria Game™
$8.99 |
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Crafty Chica™ Love Shrine™ Workshop-in-a-Box™ $12.99 |
 |
Crafty Chica™ Iron-On Design™ $3.99 |
 |
Crafty Chica™ Charms™ $3.99 |
