Artful Affirmation Staircase

I came across this photo on Pinterest and knew I had to share it with you. It's from a site called Cherry Blossom Girl. One of the first things I thought of when I saw this was how I wished I had stairs like these to decorate.
Wouldn't it be wonderful and inspiring to climb these everyday? Talk about a bad mood buster! I'd post quotes from my favorite books or movies, or maybe my favorite empowering quotes. So many ideas!

Photo credit: Cherry Blossom Girl

Let's say I do have stairs in my house. How would I recreate this?
Actually, here's an alternative to the stairs, why not cover a whole wall with phrases in different fonts and sizes? Here are some DIY ideas on how to do just that!
- Image transfer onto wood
- Stencils
- Decals
- Using transfer paper
- I'd handpaint them myself!
Check out Cherry Blossom Girl for more artful inspiration!

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Crafty CLassic: Friendship Bracelets

Like an early Beatles song and a pair of Converse hi-tops, there are some things that never go out of style - like friendship bracelets. I came across these over at HonestlyWTF.com and all these happy summer camp memories came flooding back. However, I don't know if my versions ever looked this good. Let's just say they did, okay? I love the way the photography here makes them appear super stylish!

Photo credit: HonestlyWTF.com

From honestlywtf.com:
For several months now, we’ve been receiving emails requesting a friendship bracelet DIY. Well, friends, ask and you shall receive! Today, we’ll give you a step by step tutorial on the classic chevron pattern. If you used to whip up friendship bracelets like a champ in grade school and have since forgotten how, consider this a refresher course. And if you can make these with your eyes closed and arms tied . . . umm, can we still be friends?
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL TUTORIALFelicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

The last of the mystery boxes!

We are just abut done with the art room! Here are links to the last of the boxes of goodies!
Paint and color
General crafty goodness (lots of shrine making items)
Fabrics

Here is Maya being goofy with my mystery boxes!

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

A week in photos: 2012 Cruise, Art Class, Book Covers, Coffee Bean Ice Cubes

Busy times as always over here. Here's just a few pics to prove it!

Click to enlarge!

The 2012 cruise is finalized! After going back and forth whether to do a four-day cruise like I wanted or an eight-day like we did this year - we settled on the eight day. The ship is brand new, we had such a great time and the price was just right. I hope you'll consider joining us! I limit the group to 50 people so we have plenty of room to stretch out and so I have time to hang with everyone! i'll have full deets soon, but for now, here is the flyer!

Now the next adventure!

How to Transform a Mexican Embroidered Dress into a Top

I bought a Mexican embroidered dress like this in Mexico a couple of years ago, vowing to lose weight so I could wear it in its full glory. However, earlier this month I tried it on and my bootie would not compromise. Instead of hanging the garment back in the closet, I decided to make it work on my own terms!

Drastic measures to clean my art studio...cyber craft supply sale!

Let's talk art supplies. MY art supplies. They are taking over.

We are getting our art studio remodeled soon and we're on a mission to purge. We've been working every night on cleaning and sorting the studio, but there is just soooo much! I packed up boxes and donated them to local schools, but there are still many special things that I paid full price for in the heat of my craftaholic mood swings and I don't want to just give them away. 

Crafting in the Car: Tricked Out TOMS

Don't even try to tell me that you are too busy to craft a little something now and then. Especially when there is someone like Denise (Pearmama) out there juggling kids, work, home, writing and so much more. If she can do it, so can you. She made little babies these IN THE CAR while waiting for her sons' baseball practice to end. Aren't they fabulous?
My question for all of you: Where is the most out of context place you've ever crafted? (I once resined 100 magnets in a fancy hotel room!)

FROM DENISE:

"The finished product. A simple, one color design. I want to snag a pair for myself. Sometimes I forget that I can paint my own shoes if I want to! LOL I guess it's sort of like the construction worker living in a home that is falling apart. He works on everyone elses home but his own."
CLICK HERE TO READ HER TUTORIAL

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

How to Glitter a Suitcase (Without a Mess)

 I've had this little laptop roller case for a few years and have always wanted to chicafy it up. My first thought was glitter, but I knew it wouldn't last long after all the wear and tear. BUT when these new "safe sparkle" Tulip glitter products came out, I knew the time had come!

Amazing Huichol Art Car

Alright, I know this is a guy applying beadwork to a car. But you know what? He is practicing the art form of Huichol beadwork embedded in beeswax and he enlisted the help of two families to cover this Volkswagen with wax - and then hand-applied seed beads. He deserves a crafty shout out.
The delicate designs cover the bumpers, handles, steering wheel and practically every other piece of the vehicle.

I found this on the blog for Brooklyn Street Art, and if you click over there, you can see even more photos. You'll also find a wealth of information about other public art in the area and the people behind the paint brushes.
In the meantime, here is a video interview with the artist behind the making of this car.

LINK
Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

MAYA IN THE MOMENT TEEN CRAFT: Floppy Sun Hat

From my daughter, Maya:
Today's confession: I designed my project but my mom made it for me. You see I made my first version and well.... let's just say it didn't quite turn out how I wanted. My mom is out of town (she is actually at ilovetoCreate in California this week) and she is always my go to person to help me make my project look good. When I called her about what I should do, she told me not to worry and to send her a picture of what I made. She remade it for me exactly the way I wanted, only better!

How To Make Cake Pops

KPNX, channel 12, invited me to come on the show today to demo how to make cake pops. For those of you who saw (or missed) the segment, here is a link to my tutorial. Have fun!

CLICK HERE FOR THE CAKE POP TUTORIAL

CLICK HERE FOR TIE DYE CUPCAKE TUTORIAL

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Make Your Own Copper Garden Stakes

Sometimes the garden area needs a bit of TLC, you know? And for those times when your thumb is far from green, decorations certainly come in handy. Artist Linda Peterson found a way to construct impressive copper flowers that are sure to steal the limelight!

Photo credit: Linda Peterson

See what I mean? Que cute! I would totally buy these at the store, and I'm happy to know they are "makeable!"
Click here for Linda's tutorial.

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

CRAFTY CINEMA: Mr. Poppin's Penguins

What do you get when you combine a beloved children’s book with funnyman, Jim Carrey? You get a live-action family film with lots of goofy giggles. Directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls, Freaky Friday), the tale is about a lonely businessman who inherits a small group of penguins and finds his life overrun by all things chilly, fishy and best of all – cute!

Here is a way to bring some penguin magic into your world with this easily stenciled shirt.

Yarn Bombing or Art?

Those of us who eat, sleep and breathe in the crafty universe, have been aware of "yarn bombing" for years, thanks to the folks behind Knitta, Please. Now The New York Times has acknowledged it too!
Last month, reporter Mallia Wollan shared insight to the spirit behind this fancy fibrous movement.

Photo credit: Olek

From lamp posts to stop signs, guerrilla knitters have made their mark one stitch at a time. However, when you see this photo of the Charging Bull near Wall Street that crochet artist Olek covered - don't you dare call it yarn bombing.

Plastic, skulls, hearts and ears...

Having fun with frosted shrink plastic using my Crafty Chica Markers! I don't use a toaster oven though, I use an embossing gun and I use a heavy book to flatten the pieces before they cool.

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Random pictures!

 My current method of storage for odds and ends that i use all the time.

Father's Day Treat: Heart-Shaped Eggs!

 

Isn't this sooo cool? It's a real, good-to-eat boiled egg that has been molded into a heart shape. It's not that hard at all (no pun intended!) I found this on the blog of Anna The Red, and she also has all kinds of other tutorials for molding food into lovable shapes such as a Hot Dog Fairy!

Don't you think this would be such a cute idea for Dad? YES!!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE HEART-SHAPED EGG TUTORIAL.

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

How To: Spring Infinity Scarf

Note from Kathy: I live in Arizona, so lightweight anything is a treat for the hot weather. That's why I love this infinity scarf tutorial. It's a cool way to add texture to an outfit without worrying about breaking out in a sweat!

Photo credit: The Cottage Home

From The Cottage Home:

Have you seen the "infinity scarves" popping up in all the stores?  Basically is just a round tube of fabric that you can loop around several times to add an instant pop of color to any outfit.  I think these are great for the woman on the go because . . .

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

The Annual Latina Blog Awards Nominations!

Will you nominate me? Please click here! 

All you have to do cut and paste this:

Diary of a Crafty Chica http://thecraftychica.blogspot.com

into this category:

Favorite Art Blog (Includes Crafts. Photography, Scrapbooking, and Painting)

Thanks!!

Doormat Decor: Use Waistbands From Old Jeans

Recycling old jeans into new wearables isn't new - purses, patches, headbands and belts, we've seen it all. But this genius post from Passionfly made my crafty heart skip a beat. Using the waistbands and inseams, she constructed a sturdy doormat that is almost too cute to wipe your feet on!

Click here to see Passionfly's full tutorial

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Seven Mantastic Crafts for Father's Day

1. Mantastic Soap. Have a metrosexual kinda pop? Whip up a batch of creamy and yummy smelling soaps for him. I used cocoa butter melt and pour soap base, and then added a bit of essential oil. You can use darker soap colorants for a macho touch, and then wrap them in cool scrapbook paper. They will make a nice side gift for dad!

MAYA IN THE MOMENT TEEN CRAFT: Tulip Color Change Tank Top!

From my daughter Maya:
My mom brought home a package of Tulip® Color Change™ 3D Fashion Paint and I couldn't wait to try it! I wanted a tank to wear over my bathing suit for when I go swimming at my cousin's house - perfect for decorating, right?

Art auction for a great cause!

AUCTION ENDS SUNDAY, JUNE 12 AT 6 PM, PT 

This is an annual art auction by recuerda mi corazon at Time to Shrine! One hundred percent of donations support the sincere efforts of Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots, a trusted community outreach facility dedicated to providing a multi layered approach to assist children and their families in skills that ensure their own independence and success.

	You'll find 27 offerings from artists across the country, inlcuding...

Art & Doll Shrine by Christine Alvarado of http://dubuhdudesigns.typepad.com/du_buh_du_designs/.

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Four Ways to Spray Dye a Dress!

Megan Nicolay changed the way we look at T-shirts.
Thanks to her books Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt and Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt, now all we want to do is cut them up and show them off! Megan recently shared how to take your creativity to the next level - spray-on dye! Check out her blog post to see four easy techniques to add color to fabric.

From Megan:
"As some of you know, I’ve been just a little bit obsessed with my spray paints lately. And it’s because they’re the perfect quickie spiff-up and surface embellish for T-shirts, pillows, dresses–or any other fabric item you want to spray! Since it’s spring, though, I grabbed up some plain cotton dresses to spray. Here are four different ways to pair those fabric spray paints with templates made from materials around the house including masking tape, stationery stickers, and freezer paper. Pull your spray paints from your holsters!"
Click here to see her full tutorial!

 Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Make a Pin Cushion Ring

I'm an avid sewer, and when I'm in the the thick of it, sometimes my loyal pincushion is nowhere to be found. That's why I'm impressed with this clever trick that Laura from My Little Nook came up with.
So handy - literally!

From Laura:
"...what I really needed, was a finger pin cushion. I wanted one for a pretty long time, but I didn't like those that you make out of the bottle cap. So, I made my own variation, which I really like."
CLICK HERE TO READ HER FULL TUTORIAL
Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Summer and fall events!

Things are getting very busy this season! Click below to see the full schedule!

Phoenix Fridas exhibit, June 10-July 30th, Chandler, AZ

Designer Crafts Blog Hop: Eight Patriotic Fourth of July Crafts

It's never too early to get a jump start on Fourth of July crafts. Here are some that I've made over the years. Hope you like them! And here is a link to all the other blog hop participants!

This is a fun kids project - a Statue of Liberty tiara made from an upside visor and drinking straws. Use Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to glue down the straws and blue tape to hold in place until it sets. Add glitter and an embellishment and you're good to go!

Sneak peek of what's going on in my DIY Publicity Class!

Yesterday I launched my DIY Publicity online class, and all I can say, it rocks! I posted a video, a lesson plan, and an exercise booklet. We covered building The Foundation of You, How to Write a Compelling Bio, photo publicity shots and so much more. The discussion forum has been buzzing!

Because I love you, my happy blog readers, I'm going to share a sneak peek of a page from each booklet. Hope it helps you in some way! Enjoy!
And by the way - you can still sign up for the class!

Heart-Shaped Seed bombs

Eva is a fashion designer living in Germany, who loves to garden when she isn't sewing. One of the many ways she shows her love for nature is by making these adorable "seed bombs" from flower seeds, newspaper and water. These would be great to make and give to a new homeowner, don't you think? I "heart" this project and am excited to make a batch!
My personal tip on this project:- Try to stick with seeds that are fitting to the location and environment you want to beautify - that way everything can live and grow in harmony!

Photo property of Eva at Mademoiselle Chaos.

From Eva at Mademoiselle Chaos:

"What will it be: A cute little paperthingy containing flower seeds, which can be thrown anywhere you go (given there's some soil in which the plants can grow). Just deposit, water a bit if needed and then wait  and see what sprouts. Great to beflower urban landscapes."
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL TUTORIAL.

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Help me feature you!

 I am all about spreading the crafty love! I want to see what you're making and blogging about! Here are three ways to be featured, Crafty Chica style!

1. Do you use any Tulip, Aleene's, Crafty Chica or Duncan Ceramics products? If so, take some pictures and post them on our Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/lovetocreate. We read ALL of them - sometimes we pull out ideas and blog about them! Don't be shy, share your goods!

2.  Now that I'm the crafts editor over at BlogHer.com, I'm coming across all kinds of striking DIY projects throughout the blogosphere. Not only am I sharing them on the BlogHer DIY page, but I'll be featuring them here as well. Did you make something ultra innovative that you want me to feature - or did you see something spotlight worthy? Send me the link to the blog post HERE for consideration.

3. I'm still interested in Inspiration Friday posts and articles for this blog. Send me a line HERE if you have a project, essay, review or anything else fun to contribute!

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Summer Fun: Ice Cream Cone Piñata!

Summer is in full swing, which means parties galore. Think icy, cool, and tasty - as in ice cream cones! Whether you are organizing a kids' get-together or an evening soiree, Tiffany Bird's ice cream cone piñata will be the hit of your gathering. Not only is it fun to admire (and filled with candy), but it is a cinch to make! Visit Tiffany's site, Simple Modern Mom for more party ideas!

From Tiffany:

"The last time I made paper maché was in elementary school. But if elementary school age kids can do it, I was sure I could make one."

CLICK HERE TO SEE TIFFANY'S FULL TUTORIAL

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Life Lessons Graduation Journal

Cover of the journal.

 Maya graduated from high school last week and we had a big family party to celebrate. About one hour before the event, I realized I forgot to make the most important element - the life lesson journal for guests to write in! Here's how I made it super fast!

Clumsy crafting.

Tonight I ripped off a piece of packing tape, which got stuck to an open jar of gold glitter, and as I stumbled to try and save it, I stepped on a bottle of pink paint that had fallen on the floor!

Now I have tape stuck on the table, glitter all over the place and pink paint sprayed across the carpet.

Just another crafty Friday night, folks!

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Painting 101: Tackling a Large Canvas

One of my goals for this year was to practice my painting skills. Six months in, let's just say I have a whole new respect for painters! Thankfully, my husband is a professional painter, and I have friends who are as well. Every time I get stuck, I cry out for help and they guide me through the correction process. I'm going to share one of my recent projects! I call this one "Dressing Frida." It's a younger version of Ms. Kahlo wearing a curvy Mexican embroidered gown. It's my way of blending tradition and contemporary style.

From FaveCrafts Radio: Click HERE for PR Online Class Info!

New works in progress (getting ready for our Frida Kahlo exhibit!)

 New painting for our upcoming Frida exhibit! This one is called "Corset in Bloom." We (group members) each have a theme we are usingto build our pieces around. Mine is "Frida Fashion."

 Pins! Pins! Pins!

 More paintings for the exhibit! Patrick is building the frames, and then I still need to paint them!

Check out our group blog - The Phoenix Fridas!

Felicidades,
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING

Phoenix Fridas Exhibit: I Leave You My Portrait

LINK

PRESS RELEASE – VISION GALLERY – CHANDLER, AZ

Contact:  Yvonne Villareal Torres                                    480-782-2695

VISION GALLERY is proud to present “I Leave You My Portrait” an exhibition of artworks and installations inspired by the works of Frida Kahlo, created by the Phoenix Fridas. The Phoenix Fridas is a group of Arizona artists, Kathy Cano Murillo, Gloria Casillas, Leticia de le Vara, Michele Delgado, Anita Mabante Leach, Carmen Guerrero, Emily Costello, April Edwards, Lucia Madrid, Monique Sanderson-Mata & Annalisa Rios.