Easter isn't simply about hunting for treats and biting the ears off chocolate bunnies. It's also about having fun at other people's expense - if you are into confetti eggs, also known as Cascarones. You can buy ready-made eggs at the grocery store, but how fun is that? Part of the payoff is knowing that you made them. Visit a party store to choose from all kinds of confetti. I used small sequins in my eggs for a shiny effect. Confetti eggs also are great party favors all year. Paint them to match a baby shower or birthday party and fill them with small candies, a favorite quote or a small toy. But remember: When cracking them over someone's head, tap the egg and squeeze it with your hand to make sure it opens.

Confetti Eggs
Supplies
1 dozen eggs with container
Water-based acrylics, brush, cup of water
Paint pen to draw designs
Steak knife
Confetti or sequins
Paper towels
Colored tissue paper
White craft glue

Directions: Working with one egg at a time, poke a hole at the bottom with the steak knife, just big enough to drain the egg. Let contents drip out. Rinse the inside of the egg and rest it, hole side down, on the paper towel. When the eggs are dry inside, decorate the shell with watered-down acrylics. Pour a teaspoon of confetti inside the egg. Glue a piece of tissue paper (matching the color of the egg) to seal the hole. Set the egg hole side up to dry. Paint and embellish the egg carton to match.

Tip: Only use a light coat of paint. Too much and the egg will be hard to crack.

* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: Cinco DeMayo, Easter, food crafts, Latin-inspired

I was so excited to decorate my son's and daughter's rooms. Well, that is, until I asked for their input.

All I wanted was cheery, kid-friendly inspiration. Instead I received an elaborate floor plan from my 8-year old, Maya. I should have known that letting her watch too many episodes of The Powerpuff Girls couldn't be healthy. She came up with a grand plan of lime-green walls, fuchsia furniture and bright-yellow curtains -- all trimmed with glitter and flowers.

Next up was DeAngelo, my 10-year old. He had just one simple request.

"Can I just have that Coca-Cola lamp from Nonnie's house?" he politely asked. "That's all I want. Please leave everything else alone. And I just like my walls white."

The lamp was a dusty artifact that had been stored on my mom-in-law's back porch for years. How he ever found it in the first place, I have no idea. He called Nonnie and, a day later, she hand-delivered the lamp to his bedroom doorstep. DeAngelo's decor was complete.

Maya's psychedelic setting wouldn't be so easy. We finished the fuchsia dresser and yellow curtains. I'm still working my way up to the lime-green walls. Until then, I'm devising a series of whimsical accessories to tie the wild colors together. One of which is this
flower-power wastebasket. I hope it will bring as much joy to your house as it has to ours.

Flower-Power
Whimsical Wastebasket

Supplies:

Assorted colorful plastic flowers with leaves

1 wire wastebasket

Wire nippers

Glue gun

Clear, wide strapping tape

Directions: Cut apart the fake flowers and leaves into strands. Cut the bottoms so that each strand is no longer than 4 inches. Beginning at about the third row from the bottom of the wastebasket, insert a flower through a hole. Weave the stem out and then in through a hole underneath (for security). Fold the stem downward and snip the excess. Do not cut it too short, or it will leave a sharp edge. Seal the end down with the glue gun.

Continue working in a circular motion around the basket, skipping a few holes between each flower for a more balanced, even look. Use your hand to smooth down the stems inside the basket. Use leaves throughout to fill any bald spots. If you want to create a smooth surface inside the basket, use layers of strapping tape to cover the stems.


***
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* All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com

Labels: home decor, inside

Sorry the picture is blurry. This is a collage step stool I made from all my scrap Mexican images I had floating at the bottom of my picture box. I didn't feel like filing them, so I used them for this piece. I added gold micro-stars, glitter accents and then poured over on a coat of resin. This step stool actually belongs to my friend Kathya, who bought it from me (she is picking it up soon). But I thought I'd share!

Labels: collage/paper

I met the fabulous Ele Shnier who makes a living by making fake food! Check out these Easter chocolates.
Fake Easter Chocolates
Supplies
Cutting mat
Rolling pin
Easter-theme cookie cutters
1 can of cooking spray
1 bag of Crayola Model Magic
Large foam stamps
Delta Ceramcoat acrylic paint, Burnt UmberSmall paintbrush
Brush-on varnish, satin
Assorted dimensional squeeze paints in bright spring colors

Directions: Lightly coat the cutting mat, rolling pin and cookie cutters with cooking spray. Pinch off a baseball-size piece of Model Magic and use the rolling pin to smooth and flatten it until it is 3/4-inch thick. Take a foam stamp (does not need to be sprayed) and press it firmly into the Model Magic so the design looks sharp and defined. Take a cookie cutter and press it in place so the stamped design is in the center. Remove the cookie cutter and peel the Model Magic from the mat. Remove excess product. Let air-dry for 24 hours until hard. Paint the entire surface with three coats of paint, letting each coat dry. Varnish and let dry. Embellish with dimensional squeeze paint and let dry.

Tips: Use a blow dryer to speed drying time for the paint. Once you open the Model Magic, keep the substance tightly wrapped or it will dry out. If you want to mimic other types of foods, Schnier suggests setting the real thing close by so you can copy its shape.
* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: Easter

I finally got the knack of Liquid Sculpey, so I drank some green beer and made this:



Last month I attended the Craft & Hobby Association national convention in Atlanta to check out the new crafty goodies on the market. One of the shining stars of the show was Translucent Liquid Sculpey, a bakeable liquid polymer clay. It was a hot topic among the crafty attendees because of its impressive versatility. Not only can it be used as a photo transfer and/or decoupage medium, it also does the trick as an adhesive and clay softener. It can be used to add dimensional effects on scrapbook pages, make window clings, faux-stained-glass art and many other dazzling projects. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I created this happy Irish Claddagh picture necklace. The Claddagh, with two hands presenting a heart with a crown, is a symbol of love and friendship.
Claddagh Necklace
Supplies:
Claddagh picture
Inkjet matte finish photo paper
Translucent Liquid Sculpey
Embossing heat tool
Small bowl of water
Premo polymer clay, white and green
Small paintbrush
Brayer
Craft knife, scissors
Small hole punch
Jump ring
Necklace cording

Directions: Size the Claddagh picture to your liking. Print it out on a sheet of the matte-finish photo paper. Cut out the picture and punch a small hole at the top (so you can hang it from a cord later). With the brush, paint on a thick, even layer of the TLS over the entire picture. Turn on the embossing heat tool and use it to dry the TLS until it goes from cloudy to clear. Let the picture cool and then place it in the bowl of water. Rub the back of the picture with your fingers until the paper comes off. You should have a translucent rubbery copy of your picture. Pinch off a quarter size piece of the polymer clay and use the brayer to roll it flat. Cut out a desired shape (circle, rectangle, square, etc.) with the craft knife. Squeeze some TLS on the top surface, lay the TLS picture on it and press in place. Use a needle to poke a hole through the clay, lined up with the hole on the picture. Pinch off a piece of the green polymer clay and roll it into a snake the size of a spaghetti noodle. Use it to outline the shape to frame the picture. Paint on a thin layer of the TLS over the entire surface. Bake in oven according to manufacturer directions. Remove and let cool. Insert jump ring and hang on cord.

Tips and variations: If you do not have a heat embossing tool, you can bake the picture in the oven according to manufacturer directions. For a mosaic look, cut the TLS in small squares, rearrange them on the piece of clay and then fill in the grooves with more TLS. If you plan to make a lot of polymer clay projects, it's best to buy a small toaster oven to be used specifically for the craft, because the clay does have a light odor.

* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: jewelry, multi-culti, st. patrick's day, wearable art

Keri demonstrated several fun ideas for St. Patrick's Day parties today on Good Morning Arizona. Here they are!

Centerpiece:
Keri took a large terra cotta saucer and filled it with green moss (you can also use sade) and then added potatoes (in honor of the Irish!), gold coins and in the center she placed a planter and filled it with golden gems and tea light candle.

Plates:
She took two clear disposable plates and inserted paper decorations between them. She also created a game with the plates. She put a different number on the bottom of each of the plates and then put mathcing numbers in a hat. She said you can draw out numbers to give away prizes!

Plastic Beer Glasses:
Using Gallery Glass, Keri drew clovers with names on a piece of glass, let the Gallery Glass dry and then peeled them off and put them on the plastic beer cups!

Keri Plezia is a talented stained glass artist. Check out her web site! She also makes all kinds of other crafts and sells them at Zia Record locations in Phoenix and Tucson, as well the Black Hearts Bazaar Noir boutique in central Phoenix.

Keri mentioned the Phoenix Fridas. This is a local women's collective (craft group!). There are seven of us and we meet monthly to craft, chat and eat. Soon we will be doing art shows and workshops around town. Sign up for the Crafty Chica newsletter to stay posted on the upcoming events!

The Phoenix Fridas are:
Kathy Cano Murillo, artist and crafter
Tracy Dove, painter
Keri Plezia, stained glass artist
Anita Leach, fiber artist
Carrie Wheeler, illustrator
Leticia Amezaga, t-shirt and clothing artist
Carmen de Novais, musician/beader


* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: multi-culti, st. patrick's day

I can't wait to get my hands on a silk screen set up. in the meantime, I went with a home ec version. I likee!

Have you ever thought of the perfect T-shirt phrase? What are you waiting for? Put it on a shirt, already! You can do it by going to a local print shop (expensive), embroidering it (time consuming) or silk-screening it yourself (messy). Actually, the latter is an emerging trend in crafting. People are either buying kits or creating homemade versions to design fabric, greeting cards, shirts, canvas art and more.

If you want the look of silk screening without the hassle or cost, start with this simple solution.

Supplies:
1 T-shirt
Sheet of regular paper (for use in the computer)
Large piece of cardboard
Craft knife and mat board
Double stick tape
Sponge brush
Fabric paint
Blue painter's tape





Directions: Wash and dry the shirt. Type your phrase using a word processing program on the computer. Enlarge the font size to at least 100 point or larger as desired. Until you get the hang of this process, stick with a simple thick font, as opposed to a detailed or cursive one. Print. Working on the mat board, carefully cut out the letters with the craft knife to create the stencil. For letters with holes (a, e, g, etc.), cut the centerpiece and set aside for later use. Insert the cardboard inside the shirt, so the paint will not seep through. Place the stencil where you want the phrase to be on the shirt, and then secure the edges with the blue painter's tape. Cut a snippet of double stick tape to secure the floating pieces inside the letters that have holes. Dip the dry sponge brush into the paint and dab it on a separate piece of paper to remove any excess (if there is too much paint on the brush, it will seep under the stencil). Lightly pounce the brush up and down in the open areas of the stencil. Let dry and then repeat the process until it reaches the shade you like. Let dry. then peel off the tape and paper, and remove the cardboard.

Tips and variations: Only use fabric or textile paint so your design will be soft and flexible. Turn the shirt inside out to wash and dry. Use the same method to transfer silhouette pictures, company logos, etc. Instead of words, use multiple stencils and different colors in geometric shapes or Wing Dings (small icons found on word processing font lists). Instead of painting on a shirt, you can also use etching cream and this stencil method to decorate glassware.

* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: multi-culti, st. patrick's day, wearable art