Jenny Doh's Signature Styles Book Coming Soon!

Jenny Doh is an icon in the art and craft world, thanks to her work with Somerset Studio Magazine and her new venture CRESCENDOh. She has a new book coming out on May 3rd called Signature Styles: 20 Stitchers Craft Their Look  (Lark Books, 144 pages) and it showcases 20 designers in their respective creative habitats. I'm delighted to share that I'm among them! Here is a book trailer to get you excited until May 3rd!

Snip. Snip. I couldn't resist.

Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors! Trust me, I cut a LOT of fringe, and these will save me how many snips? I could be extending the lifeline of the joints in my hand! And I'm dying to see how they work on HAIR. Eh, maybe not just yet. Aren't they glorious? The possibilities are endless!

At the other end of the spectrum is the Fiskars Fingertip Detail Knife! Fiskars sent me a sample to try and I now have several. I no longer use a regular craft knife. I've been cutting many a stencil lately and this little knuckle blade works perfect for detail. I'm excited to share that Fiskars has generously donated one of these, a cutting mat and mini-snips to each of our Crafty Chica Cruisers! We're going to make papel picado stencils!

Giannyl's Open Shoulder Top From a T-shirt Tutorial

Last night I was searching for an easy way to add ruffles to a shirt and I came across the cutest video series! The host of it is Giannyl and if you are into sleek and sexy fashion re-dos set to cool Latin tunes, she is your girl! I love that her tutorials are short and concise, as well as clear and easy to understand. I'm impressed that she is all about recycling and using what you have on hand. Did I mention her grandmothers trained her to sew? She knows her stuff! Here is a video where she shows how to make an open shoulder top from a t-shirt. Direct to you from Paraguay! Subscribe to her channel here. Visit her web site here.

LINK

Contest winners!

Here are the winners from the Crafty Chica Sweepstakes! We went through and counted every entry and used the Random Number Generator  to choose from entries! Thank you so much for entering and supporting my book release!

Grand Prize of the SINGER® Fashion Mate and the Arrow Cabinets Gidget Sewing Table: Michelle Jensen

Second Prize of the $100 gift card from Jo-Ann Stores and Tulip® Glam-It-Up!™ Fashion Embellishing Kit: Roni Dill.

Three Third Prizes of a Fiskars Gift Pack of Gingher Dressmaker Shears, Donna Dewberry Sew Taxi and Fiskars Coastal Rotary Cutter: Michelle Mora, Jaime-Lynn Gallegos, and Alexis Augustine.

Thank you so much to all the sponsors for donating these fabulous prizes. All prizes for ALL contests from the month of March (including Share-It Saturday prizes) are going out this week!

Hugs and glitter!

Chubby Girl Delight: Cake Pop Tutorial

After seeing my first glimpse of the (brilliant) Starbucks cake pops recently, I knew I wanted to make them. I wasn't alone. In the past month I've seen these delights "pop" up on not only foodie and mommy blogs, but craft blogs as well. And it's no wonder. They are an artful treat to create and eat! Bakerella is the ultimate resource for these mini-portable confections, but you can also see other versions. Alisa Burke shows off her gorgeous Spring Cake Pops here, and Jennifer Perkins not only shows how she made a batch, but also how to make a serving tray to match! That was more than enough inspiration for me!

See me at Jo-Ann Stores all month!

Jo-Ann Stores has been celebrating National Craft Month with a special display inside of each store, all over the country. Within the display are free project sheets from various designers - including yours truly!

Crafty Cinema: Glittered Elizabeth Taylor Silhouette Top

 When I was 18, I dated a boy named Paul. Paul was obsessed with Elizabeth Taylor, it made me mad jealous! The only thing I knew about her was in sixth grade when my language arts teacher explained what the word "understatement" meant. Her example: "Elizabeth Taylor likes to get married." So until I met Paul, I thought she was a crazy actress with a string of husbands. I had yet to see her films.
 

INSPIRATION FRIDAY: Tall painting (video)

Have you ever had the fantasy of pouring cups of paint over tall blocks, just to see what it would look like? It will look like this! 

LINK

Tiffany Windsor's Eggshell Mosaic Bracelets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZvyF7nKv9s

I watched Tiffany's recent Cool2Craft episode where she showed how to make these, but it was when I saw them in person that I really flipped in delight! Seriously, I did a back tuck. OK, not with my body, but with my creative spirit. Check out her tutorial on how to make them, you will see eggshells in a whole new light!

Daisy de la Flora Bejeweled Handbag

In my new novel, Miss Scarlet’s School of Patternless Sewing, one of the characters is a mysterious and flamboyant accessories designer from the 1960s named Daisy de la Flora. Her are the instructions for this fabulous Daisy de la Flora style purse!  As seen on Cool2Craft TV with Tiffany Windsor.

Personalized Button Rings

Six-year-old Bella shows off her crafty ring that she designed.

 My daughter, Maya, had a little crafting session with my niece, Bella. They made these cute button rings! Here's hot they did it...

Glass Jar Shrines

I've made shrines out of all kinds of objects, why not under glass? I've seen these type of art assemblages at boutiques and decided it was time to make one..or two...The idea is to look for miniature items that will fit under glass.

Write your own manifesto!

 

My friend Alexa from SwellDesigner passed this poster from Holstee around recently and reading it gave me goosebumps! I know a lot of it seems easier said than done, but I believe if you focus on the GOOD things and making positive changes, it will help improve the overall situation. 

I'm thinking of writing this out on a large canvas for my art studio!  Hmm...or better yet...

Taking a much-needed breather. And playing Angry Birds.

I'm here in Fresno this week at iLoveToCreate studios and the week has felt like a rocket ship on warp speed. And coming off of my book launch last week, I'm more fried than a triple-dipped chimichanga.

A shrine for love.

This weekend I had a book reading and art workshop at the Tucson Festival of Books. This young lady came to see me - she took my love shrine workshop last year and kept up with the craft. She made this shrine in honor of her in-laws. I love all the detail she put into it! I was so excited that she brought it to show me!

A week of sad tears and happy tears.

What a rollercoaster week. You know my sister's doggie, Lola that I've been blogging about for the past ten years? She became very ill out of the blue last Friday night. I went with my sister to the emergency animal hospital in the middle of the night and Lola got progressively worse by the end of the weekend.

POST YOUR CRAFT: Share-it Saturday Link Party (Giveaway too!)

Here is the winner of last week's Share-It Saturday! It's KB from http://www.kokoleo.com/! She posted this project, where she made these adorable dresses from Disney pillowcases!

Last day of blog tour!

Today is the last day of the blog tour! Click below to see the wonderful bloggers who were kind enough to review my new book!

And don't forget to buy your copy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Maya's Jumbo Tie Dye Flowers

This is a project from my teen daughter, Maya: Have you ever had a tie dye t-shirt FAIL? You know, like when it doesn't come out exactly the way you thought?  I did. Well, what do you do with the shirt? After all my sweat and tears, I didn't want to throw it out. I decided to try and make those cool poofy fabric flowers!

LIVE CHAT tonight; blog tour continues!

Tonight I'm the guest on the Fiskars Online Video Chatroom at 7 pm tonight (ET). Come join us, yes, there will be giveaways!

TV segment today: Embellished purses

On my way to channel 3, Az Family to show how to make these purses inspired by my book character, Daisy de la Flora! 9-10 am hour.

DIY Painted Leather Rings

A dear friend of mine recently dropped of a huge box of leather scraps at my house. She knows I love scraps like nobody's business! I was so overwhelmed, I didn't know where to start or what to make. So I eased into it with these painted leather rings. They are really easy to make and look like you could buy them at a boutique. Here's how to do it:

My new book trailer is up!

LINK

Hope you like it!

Crafty Chica Book Launch Sweepstakes for MISS SCARLET!

Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing: A Crafty Chica Novel is here and on sale everywhere! I hope you'll find it in your heart to buy a copy for you or a friend!

Miss Scarlet at Amazon.com
Miss Scarlet at Barnes & Noble.com


To celebrate the launch (and to help promote and sell my book), I put together a faboosh sweepstakes event with fabulous prizes! All the details are below, but I'll explain it here too:

There are up to FIVE ways you can enter! Here are your choices:
1. “Like” facebook.com/kathycanomurillo from your personal profile. If you have already "liked" my page, you can do an extra tweet.
2. Tweet this blog post and its title, use hashtag #MissScarlet and #craftychica
3. Sign up for the monthly newsletter at CraftyChica.com.
4. *Only if you have read the book*, leave a Miss Scarlet book review on Amazon, B&N or Goodreads.com.
5. Follow my blog with Google Connect.
TO ENTER: Limit of five entries total per person. I have a contest coordinator who is recording all the entries. Please e-mail your name, email and your list of entries to CRAFTYCHICA[AT]GMAIL[DOT]COM by March 13th, 11:59 pm, PT.

~*You don't have to purchase a book to enter, but it will sure help your overall karma!*~

And please take a moment to visit our sponsors' sites!

SINGER® SEWING CO.

Arrow Sewing Cabinets

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

Fiskars

iLoveToCreate



Thanks!
Kathy :-)

Miss Scarlet Blog Tour: Today's bloggers!

The blog tour begins today! Here is the first batch of reviews and interviews. Don't forget to order the book! Ok, let's go check out these blogs!

POST YOUR CRAFT: Share-it Saturday Link Party (Giveaway too!)

It's time for another round of the Crafty Chica 'Share-it Saturday' Link Party! This is a weekly feature where I invite you to post a picture of something you made, embellished or decorated recently. I'll draw one name to receive a prize and feature their work on my blog.  It's fun because it allows new people to see your work and visit your site, and you can see other people's work too!

WHEN TALENTS COLLIDE: Duct Tape Dress Form Mic Stand?

This is what happens when you are a musician married to a crafty wife. I made a duct tape dress form, and accidentally used the wrong mic stand of Patrick's. He knows I have to show it on channel 12 tomorrow, so he didn't make me take it off. Here he is in his music studio, trying to make the best of it - the band is coming over to record songs tonight and he needs the mic stand!

INSPIRATION FRIDAY: How to Get Lucky!

Four-leaf clover necklace by Patricia Field. You don't need this necklace to have good luck!

How often do you look at successful people and think, "They sure have good luck!" - and then wish you had just a pinch of it? Ditch the rabbit's foot already and take matters in your own hands. Here's how:

KODAK March Photo Craft Contest!

 

 I'm very excited to announce that I was invited to be the celebrity judge for Kodak's new contest! Here are the details:

Where to buy MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING: A Crafty Chica Novel

 Everywhere books are sold. Ask your local store to carry it!

Order from Amazon HERE

Order from Barnes & Noble HERE

HOW TO: Squeeze Paint Gem Dots!

Ok, so what is going on here? I'll explain.

Have you ever applied Tulip 3D Fashion Paint in the wrong spot, especially when it comes to dots? I have. I found a solution and it turned into a way to make super cool embellishments! Read on!

Must-have craft books: Mark Montano; Bollywood Crafts; Girls Guide to Rocking; Print & Stamp Lab!

Feeling like you need a shove into the art room? These four books will do the trick. They came across my desk and were so flashy, I gasped for air in delight! Read on, my friends!