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Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos product line

crafty chica sizzix

Here’s the new Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos product line with Sizzix: It’s now on sale nationwide!

UPDATE: It’s now 2022 and I now have an entirely new collection of paper crafting products with The Makers Movement. I’m leaving this post up because working with Sizzix was such a pleasant experience and so exciting, as you can see. I learned os much about designing for paper crafters and am proud of what I created with Sizzix! 

Stay tuned for later this fall when my new Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos product line debuts!

This is me, except with confetti falling…

via GIPHY

Remember about a year ago I wrote here about making a huge life change?

Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos line was it!

Well this is part of that story. I left my beloved spokesperson and product designer role at iLoveToCreate to push myself out of my comfort zone. I knew in my gut, soul and heart that another chapter awaited me, but I had to have faith in myself to take action. Was I nervous? Heck yah. But you know it is meant to be when you jump… and a glittery net appears. In my case, it was not one, but two offers for new Crafty Chica lines for the retail craft market.

Before I go on to talk about that, I want you to please remember this example. Give yourself the chance to take on a new adventure. Don’t settle for a ho-hum existence. You’ll regret it years down the road, trust me! Open your mind to the possibility and prepare inside and out. If I can do it, so can you!

Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos line Party favors designed by Luisa Elena Guillen using the Crafty Chica heart tag die.

OK, here we go! This post is about the first line – from Sizzix! I feel like I manifested this because for the past decade I’ve always wanted to venture into the paper arts world. Tie dye, ceramics, painting, crochet, mixed media, collage, sewing – I can do those in my sleep. Paper arts is such an elegant genre. It’s so pretty and detailed, I wondered if me, a clumsy heavy-handed maker, could pull off such beauty.

First mistake – I worried too much about “fitting in.” I should know better than that, right? As soon as I let go of that insecurity, everything fell into place. The BEST aspect of crafting is that there are no rules. Yes, there are techniques and tricks, but basically it’s an exploration to show off your personality. And most of all, to have fun and share your work!

Now I’m a paper queen. I’ve been burning up my paper cutter like crazy. The only head scratcher now is finding a home for new paper, dies, stamps and tools. Yes, glorious tools!

Sizzix is based in Lake Forest, California and they have an in-house design team that is incredible. While I was still working on building my intimate relationship with my Big Shot Die Cut Machine here in my Phoenix studio, two of their designers whipped out all kinds of dazzling samples for the mega important gathering and such.

Be sure to check out their work – Luisa Elena Guillen and Janette Lane! I’m so grateful to these talented ladies for creating the samples for the sales meetings, trade shows and more. They really helped show off the line beyond anything I imagined!

Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos line Skull book by Janette Lane using Crafty Chica skull book die.
Skull book by Janette Lane using Crafty Chica skull book die.

Before the launch to retailers, we had a special #TogetherWeMake event in Miami where I taught two projects to buyers from all over the world.

Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos line

I had a blast crafting with them, and seeing all the different ways they used the products.

I met the amazing artist, Milagros Rivera. She made a bunch of cool books and cards right then and there!

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Here are some other attendees in action.

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What you see them making is a calaca book made from a large skull book die.

The die also comes with flowers and leaves to add as embellishments.

That was in June. Just last week, the Sizzix team invited me to their HQs for paper boot camp! I brought my friend, Rina Gonzales of MothershipScrapbookGal.com – she is this blog’s paper arts columnist and I figured we could work together to brainstorm ideas of projects to share with all of you.

Related: All about  Dia de Los Muertos

Sizzix posted this on their Facebook page!
Sizzix posted this on their Facebook page!

The first thing we did was learn all about the many machines and how to use them for a variety of effects using the Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos line.

This is just one example. We also had a paper folding session too.
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This is the mini skull and mini flower turned into a wreath. I’ll have a video on this soon!

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Here’s the spread in the new catalog, complete with my Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos line! 

The skull book die is to make a memory collection of loved ones who have passed away. Or you can write poems, letters, songs, etc.

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On the second day, we filmed videos for the Sizzix YouTube channel. Here is the set design the team made for the videos. So beautiful!

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The above piece use the Crafty Chica heart Thinlit, along with the cling stamp. Product: Sizzix 661312 Thinlits Die Set, Sacred Heart W/Flowers by Crafty Chica (5-Pack) and the Sizzix 661317 Clear Stamps, Day of The Dead by Crafty Chica

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Made by Janette Lane.

This one above uses the Sizzix 661315 Bigz XL Die, Day of The Dead Sugar Skull Book by Crafty Chica and the Sizzix 661317 Clear Stamps, Day of The Dead by Crafty Chica

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Made by Janette Lane.

 

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Made by Janette Lane.

Thank you so much for reading through all of this. And thank you to Sizzix and to Eileen Hull and Laura Kelly for putting in a good word for me to them! I hope you like the line. All the inventory is now sold out to retailers, so I would suggest buying the items before they are gone! You can find them for sale at your favorite craft retailer and lots of places online, like amazon, Scrapbook.com, etc. I designed everything to work together and there are pieces that don’t have skulls at all, so you can use them all year long. As for me, I’m working on designing round two!

Stay tuned because I have some fun DIY ideas coming up for the season!

Here are some others:
This has several components. The outer ring is separate so you can use that as a skull outline for other projects, and the skull inside has hearts and a banner that come out.

NOTE: If you buy/use the cling stamps, I suggest also investing in this, it’s a pad that ensures every stamp comes out even and perfect!

Made by Luisa Elena Guillen using Crafty Chica product line for Sizzix.
Made by Luisa Elena Guillen using Crafty Chica product line for Sizzix.

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Time to Go RVing!

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12 thoughts on “Crafty Chica Dia de Los Muertos product line”

  1. YAY! I am so glad I recommended you to them and that it all worked out so fabulously. I knew your art was perfect for their products!!! You are a star and this line shines so bright!

    Reply
  2. Love this!!!! Congrats on venturing out! I do hope you have plans of creating more stamps, die cuts etc of other hispanic- latin american culture people, and events! I would personally love to see a Los Pasdos set, Lady of Guadalupe, Fredia K, 3 Kings Day, Cinco de Mayo, Loterio and others!

    Reply
  3. On the last picture featuring work by Janette Lane, on the upper shelf are shadow box style cards with images, do you know of a tutorial to make these? A link to Janette Lane?

    Thank you

    Reply

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