"I'm a Crafty Chica" Contest Winners!

I'm sorry it took me so long to choose a winner for the Crafty Chica essay contest.

More than 130 entries came in, and they were all soooo good. It was really difficult to choose just one. I almost had a panic attack. Patrick helped me by printing them out and cutting off the names so I wouldn't know who they were from. We read every one of them several times and narrowed it down to 20. And then 10. My family, a few friends and my boss, Alyson, helped me narrow them down to the top five. I just could not pick one. So I decided to choose them all! One message that rang through was that crafty chicas certainly do comes in all styles and backgrounds! I appreciate you putting the time and energy into writing me, I am blown away and humbled by the enthusiasm! With the product line coming out soon, I'm going to have a LOT more contests coming up! Special thanks to Quarry Books and Duncan Enterprises for donating prizes for this contest!

1st place:
- Theadra Chapman (see entry below).
She wins a Crafty Chica Collection book, a goodie-filled tote, and jewelry!

2nd place:
- Mary Tafoya (Click here to read her entry)
She wins a Crafty Chica Collection book and jewelry.

3rd place:
- Sharon Shannon (Click here to read her entry)
She wins a Crafty Chica Collection book.

Runner-ups: (they both win jewelry!)
- Diana Acevedo (click to red entry)
- Artful Artsy Amy (click to read entry)

NOTE If your name is not on this list - no worries: We are ALL crafty chicas, I will sending a small prize to everyone who entered! Please email me (see link on right column) your address!

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I chose this as the winner because it truly embodies "crafts, drama, glitter!" And I love that at age 5, she stole rocks from her neighbors yard, painted them - and then SOLD them back to him! LOL! - Kathy


Why I’m a Crafty Chica!!
By Theadra Chapman

"I remember being very young and watching the local noon-day news with my mother. They were doing a segment on recycling. This was the early 80’s and recycling was not as common as it is now. As clearly as if it were yesterday, I remember my mother laughing. “That’s not recycling. That’s called being poor.”

We were poor in things, but not in love. Anything we had was used and reused until it was used up. To this day, I cannot pass an old magazine, some small piece of fabric or an empty container of oatmeal without thinking, “what could I do with that?” Nothing is waste when enough imagination is applied.

Growing up, our neighbor had beautiful white lava rocks outside his house. When I was 5 years old, I stole a basket full of rocks and painted them with my watercolor set and sold them back to him. Entrepreneur? Thief? No…young crafter. Thankfully
other neighbors soon introduced me to non-crime related arts and crafts. Fran taught me how to sew and crochet. Meryl taught me to paint things and use glitter. And Mrs. Wilson taught me to cook. Well, she tried. All of these women shared their time,
their spirit and their love of creating with a small girl who learned that expression of self was the name of the game.

I began to sew in earnest in High School. I was not a standard size (sigh) and buying clothes was difficult and humiliating. After being asked to my first school dance, my mother broke the news that there wasn’t money in the family budget for a formal dress. I was crushed because I knew that none of my friends had dresses that would fit me. My mother gave me $15.00 and suggested that I sew a dress. Well, the
occasional skirt or shorts was all fine and good. But a formal? Could I do it? I went to the local fabric store and looked for something simple, and shiny. A
very kind woman helped me find a simple pattern and some cheap, silky fabric and wished me good luck. She even offered to put the zipper in if I got the rest of
the dress done on my own. As I drove home from the store I cried because yet another crafter had reached out to help me on my creative journey. (The dress turned out great, by the way.)

In college I discovered collage. No magazine or photo was safe. I created dozens of posters covered in thoughts, sayings, scenes, portraits that spoke to me and what it was like being a member of Generation Y. Every failed class, diet or relationship was
immortalized in paper and glue stick. I shared these with few people, but treasured their reactions of study and surprise and smiling. I studied Theatre Arts and found an entire community of people with one common purpose – EXPRESSION! I loved stage craft and costuming. I was the “go-to-girl” for mask making, mending scrim backdrops with a crochet needle, and partnering with my dear, dear friend Jean-Louise to
create enormous metallic wings out of cola and beer cans. The theatre taught me that things can be less than cheap. It was the message that must be heard. At all “cost”.

I’m now in my 30’s and in the business world. I’m a corporate trainer for a major retailer and I have ABSOLUTLY brought my happy, crafting soul to the job. I am known about the office for my fun, whimsical, stylized wardrobe. No stuffy “power suits” for me. I wear anything that strikes my fancy – from 50’s inspired circle skirts and sweater sets to kimono styled dresses and tunics. I’m even famous for a particular skirt I made out of vintage fabric printed with small TV sets with hula girls in tem and TV dinners on it. (trust me, it works) I bring the spirit of crafting into my classrooms. I ask adults to write poetry about the computer systems we use. I have them draw pictures of what their job is and what it means to them. Once I even made a short film with a class about sales. When these classes start, the students are usually stiff and self-conscience and resist the exercises. I work tirelessly to create a safe and fun (and budget-free) environment to allow their spirits to shoot out and have fun. This, I truly believe, is the best way to learn anything. My
students agree and are extremely successful in their endeavors.

Last week I made 2 bumble bee piñatas for a work picnic. They were a huge hit.

I found your book “The Art de la Soul” in the airport a few weeks back. I was on my way to a business function and was a little spiritually lost. I knew that I wouldn’t be crafting for a whole week. I devoured your book before the plane landed and joined
your email list that night. I’ve been thinking about your “crafty chica” contest for days.

I am a crafty chica because I know that no amount of money spent on expensive clothes, store bought home furnishings or framed art posters will mean as much to me as free, fun, “recycled” art that I make myself.

That is why I am proud to be a CRAFTY CHICA!!"

See more crafty ideas in The Crafty Chica Project Library! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2008.