Here's a sneak peek at a project from the new book!

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* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: wearable art

I can't stress enough how proud I am of these cards. This is restraint people. You have no idea how much I wanted to load them up with paint and sequins, but I held back. This is Crafty Chica gone minimalist. What do you think?

Anyway, I made these sweetly simple cards from The Valentine Kit by Chronicle Books. Fun stuff!

Sometimes I don't want to start from scratch. That's where crafty kits come into play.

I recently discovered The Valentine Kit, by Carey Jones (Chronicle Books, $12.95), and my life hasn't been the same since. The little box is stuffed with 10 cards and envelopes, 10 sheets of patterned paper, a sticker sheet, stencil and three yards of ribbon.

An included color booklet has design recipes, instructions, ideas and my favorite - trivia! Did you know that, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion valentine cards are sent each year in the United States? I wonder how many are handmade.

You can think about that while cutting and pasting your way to love. I made these cards using everything in the kit (except the glitter; that was my added touch). The Valentine Kit is available at local bookstores or at amazon.com or bn.com.
Handmade Valentines
Inspired from The Valentine Kit, by Carey Jones

Supplies
1 blank card
2 sheets of patterned paper
Heart stencil/template
Envelope
Ribbon
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors
Craft knife
Glue stick or double sided tape
Hole punch
White craft glue
Loose glitter

Directions: Take one sheet of patterned paper, measure and cut to fit the inside area of the card (this will serve as the lining). Open the card so the inside is face up and adhere the paper using a glue stick or double-sided tape.

Flip the card over, trace the heart stencil on the front and cut out with craft knife. Run a thin bead of white craft glue around the outside edge of the heart and sprinkle glitter over it. Let dry.

To line the envelope, cut the other piece of patterned paper to fit inside the envelope from the top of the flap to about halfway down. Affix in place and fold flap on crease. Embellish the inside of the card as desired.

Tips and variations: It's good to keep the card lining a light shade so you can write on it. By using an array of red and pink papers you can mix and match to make a collection of similar looking cards.

* 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: collage/paper, Valentine's Day

It's never too early to celebrate Valentine's Day. It's less than a month away, after all.

One simple way to add a dash of amore to your décor is to go with one of my favorite methods of crafting: embellishing goodies from the department store.

You can find a variety of heart-shaped patio lights in the seasonal section of retail outlets. Personalize them with rub-on letters or paint. I went with the rub-on letters because in the end, they have a polished look. If you feel frisky you can spell out a sentence, or decoupage love quotes or pictures on them. How about the word "love" in different languages? Either way, once they are hung, they can add a kissy-kissy mood to your room.
Flirty Word Heart Lights
Supplies
1 string of heart patio lights (glass, paper or plastic)
1 package of rub-on letters (or paint, brush or stencils)
1 Popsicle stick

Directions: Make sure the surface of the light casing is free of smudges. Write up a list of short words related to love (love, kiss, nice, hug, hot, yum, amour, etc). Lay the letter sheet over the area and use the stick to rub on each letter. Make sure to fully rub it, then carefully lift the sheet. Don't rip it off fast because the letter may tear. Repeat for the next letter. Continue until all of the lights are finished.

Tips and variations: To seal your letters, use a brush-on, water-based varnish. If you run out of letters, just touch it up with paint and a liner brush.

Crafty event of the week: Red Scarf Project. The Orphan Foundation of America has teamed with Einstein Bros. Bagels to collect 2,500 knitted or crocheted red scarves (or other unisex color, such as black, blue, green or yellow) so they can be distributed to college-attending foster youth for Valentine's Day. Donate a handmade scarf and receive a free bagel. Scarves should be approximately 60 inches long and suitable for male or female. If possible, each scarf should have a tag securely attached that reads: Handmade for You (with your name, city and group affiliation, if any). Drop off at any Einstein's shop during regular business hours, Sunday through next Saturday. For more information, visit orphan.org.

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* 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: lights, Valentine's Day

Every week I get dozens of e-mails from curious crafters from all over the country seeking tips and techniques.

So imagine my delight last year when Kitty Harmon and Christine Stickler contacted me for a brief interview for their new book Wild With a Glue Gun: Getting Together With Crafty Friends (Northlight Books, $19.99). It's bright, vivid and playful, and celebrates the global village of crafting with 65 creative projects.
Chocolate Box Valentine
(from Wild With a Glue Gun)

Supplies
Heart-shaped chocolate box
Assorted acrylic paints and brushes
Collage materials
Found objects and scrapbooking embellishments (see below)
Copper tape
Mod Podge
White glue
Seed beads
Rickrack ribbon
Angel wings (can be found in doll-making supplies area).

Gather collage materials: clippings of images and words from magazines, wrapping paper or old books, stamped images, dried flowers, tissue paper, etc. Focus on items that will convey a message of love. Remove the chocolate from the box and eat it as you apply a layer of acrylic paint over the inside and outside of your box. You can use the lid to make another Valentine, but for now set it aside.

Sort through the collage pieces and lay out the ones you intend to use. Begin fitting them into the box, cutting the pieces to size. Begin with the walls of the box and apply a layer of Mod Podge. Apply the pieces and smooth them with your fingers from their centers outward. Overlap edges if you wish or leave gaps where the painted surface can show through. Cover the inside bottom of the box, using typical collage techniques; build up several layers in imagery in places to make it look more interesting.

Finish with collage materials around the outside of the box. Let dry for several hours. Seal the box by coating with Mod Podge. Let dry. Run glue around the inside edge of the box and press in a string of seed beads. Cut excess bead string after the glue has dried. Use glue again to attach rickrack around the edge of the box. Trim the edges with copper tape to give it a finished look.

String a piece of copper wire for hanging through two holes drilled in the flange. Cut the angel wings in half and glue to the back of the box on both sides. Glue or tape excess wire to the back of the box and hang.

* 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: collage/paper, Valentine's Day

Make a Resolution Collage Calendar to help motivate you to stick to your goals such as weight loss, writing, exercising, painting, etc. Write a mini-memoir about something that happened to you. And get a sneak peek at a project from my new book, "Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul" - on sale Feb. 7th! Learn to make a set of Conversation Canvases.

Links:
Resolution Collage Calendar
CraftyPod
Delta Texture Magic

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE

* 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: podcasts

Need a little help with your resolutions this year? Try morphing an old calendar into a piece of inspiration! I'm on a mission to lose weight, so I took an old calendar and altered for my resolutions. One each month! Now I won't ever lose focus!

Here are the directions!
* 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: empowerment crafts

Here's a way to make your sweaters sparkle in a retro-fabulous way: Sweater clips! Here are directions on how to do it.

* 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, wearable art