I was going through old photos and came across this one I made a few years back. It's an altered vintage Mexican cowgirl postcard layered (foam core in between) on top of collage paper I made. Add a frame, and boom! Instant art for your walls!


***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* 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: collage/paper, multi-culti

Just another idea for those tiny fabric scraps. Who in the world could toss out a 1" square piece of animal print fabric?

Supplies:

2 pieces of fabric, a little over an inch.
Small image printed on fabric paper, or any other kind of soft image.
Sewing machine, or hand needle & thread.
Acrylic paint, liner brush and micro glitter.
A pinch of batting.
Metal glue.
Flat ring base.

Directions: Sew the image to the front of one of the pieces fo fabric. Sew the two pieces of fabric like a little pillow (inside out on three sides). Turn it right side out, add the pinch of batting, and sew up the open side. Glue it to the ring base. When it is dry, hold it steady in your hand and use the liner brush to paint on a border. Sprinkle on the micro glitter while the the paint is still wet.

This is just how I made it, but you can take it from there and add whatever else you want! Trims, charms, etc... I love using fabric for unconventional means, and this idea is perfect for that.

And if you ever get sleepy, you can just put your head on your ring! Kinda, sorta...


***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* 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: jewelry, recycled, sewing, wearable art

Today's project is all about making the most of the odds and ends in your art room. Once I cleaned out all my extras, I realized that I could put them all together to make something functional! I posted a picture earlier and got a few emails about it, so I thought I'd share the crafty recipe for it!

First let me say that here in Phoenix, we have this magnificent craft warehouse called Diane Ribbon and Notions. It's been around for more than sixty years and is owned by the original family! You walk in there and it is a wall-to-wall paradise of cardboard boxes stacked from the floor to the ceiling. All superfly crafting treasures! And because they have been around so long, you can find really wild treats from the 70s and 80s.

So anyway, last time I was there I picked up some blank dog tags. I glued down scraps of paper on them and then a picture, and then painted on accents, added micro stars, and glitter. Yes, even in the tiny space of a dog tag, you can cram in all those elements! I covered each one in resin.

And then I took some mini-bottles, filled them with glitter, attached a chain, added word beads and charms and some old-fashioned key rings. Now that I look at the picture, I think it would have been cool to add a bit of yarn too!

As far as the glitter in the little bottle...just think - you will have (contained) sparkle with you where ever you go! I actually glued the lid down. That way I can tell people "In case of emergency, break bottle of glitter!"

Supplies:

Keyring
Decorated dog tag, or another large picture charm of some sort.
2" of chain
mini-bottle filled with micro glitter (add a bit of glue inside the rim to hold it tight)
Eye pins
Beads
Needle nose pliers
Jump rings

Directions: Attach the dog tag. Attach the bottle to the chain, and add that to the keyring. Put the beads on the yee pin and use jump ring to attach!



***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* 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: glitter, jewelry, wearable art

This is a project from my Crafty Chica Collection book, glittered soda pop bottles!

Here's how to do it:

Buy some glass pop bottles. I love the Mexican ones because they have raised designs or the labels printed directed on the glass. But you can also use flat paper label ones. It's all good!

You'll need acrylic craft paint, assorted brushes, and toothpicks for the micro spots.

You'll also need decoupage medium and ultra fine glitter in colors that match your paint colors.

First paint the entire bottle, and all the little details. Let it dry.

Next, working one area at a time, coat it in a thin layer of the decoupage medium and then pour on the glitter. Don't sprinkle the glitter - POUR it! If you sprinkle, you'll miss some spots. Trust me. Tap off the excess glitter and move on to the next spot.

Stop when it is all covered in glitter. Spray with varnish to seal it.

You could skip the paint part, but I like to do that step because it makes the glitter more vibrant. Red glitter on red paint, yah, baby, gimme more....

Now you can use your bottles as vases, centerpieces for a party, for a window sill, etc.


***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* 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: glitter, home decor, inside

One of the biggest rewards of crafting is seeing a high priced item at a swanky boutique and grinning - because you know you can go home and make it for a fraction of the cost. On a recent trip to New York City, I came across a wildly adorned (and very expensive) rock star T-shirt that had all kinds of hand-applied crystals all over it. Talk about going from grunge to glam! I could hardly wait to get home just so I could make my own version. I decided to take it up a notch by starting with a faux-vintage tee and adding on some sequins and glitter too. The various sparkly textures play off each other nicely without being too over the top. Note: This project will take one solid afternoon (or two chick flick DVDs), but will be worth every second of effort.

Tricked Out Tee
(NOTE: Because I work for Duncan, I have access to all their fabulous products, so I used a lot of them on this shirt!)

Supplies:
1 T-shirt with a simple image
1 piece of cardboard lined with freezer paper to slide inside the shirt
1 large package of crystals that match the image (I used these from Tulip, and you will need about 100 of them, depending on how much you want to apply)
1 crystal iron-on heat tool (I used this one from Tulip)
1 crayon
Polyester glitter (made for use on fabric, like Tulip Fashion glitter)
Sheet of paper
Sequin trim
Permanent fabric adhesive (I used Aleene's Fabric Fusion)

Directions:
1. Slide the cardboard inside the shirt.
2. Working on a flat surface, open the crystals and lay them in front of you.
3. Working on a small section at a time on the shirt’s image, pick up a crystal with the crayon and place it on the fabric. Use the heat tool to adhere it by pressing it on the crystal until its adhesive backing melts.
4. Place more crystals where you want them (in groups of four or five work good), and then continue applying them the with heat tool.
5. Add the glitter. Work over a sheet of paper. Fill in other areas of the image with the glitter by painting the surface with the permanent fabric adhesive, and pouring the glitter over it before it dries. Tap off excess.
6. For other areas, apply the fabric adhesive and add the sequin trim. Let it all dry.
7. When finished, remove cardboard. Gentle wash, inside out, hang dry.


Tips and Variations: If you don’t want to fill the entire areas with crystals, just use them on the outline of the image. You can choose to apply the crystals very close together, or spread out a bit. The closer they are, the more you will need and the longer it will take. If you do not have a heat tool, you can apply them with a mini-iron, standard iron, or permanent fabric glue.




***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* 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: glitter, wearable art

I leave for Cali in a few hours for CHA!! But before I lay my head on my fluffy pillow, I wanted to share this idea. I don't come back until the day before Valentine's, and that wouldn't give enough of a lead to make this.

And keep checking back here because I'm going to be photo blogging from Anaheim!!

OK, on with the show!



Valentine's Day Light Box

Use your favorite Valentine's Day card, or a personal photo, to make a dimensional lighted shadow box. Actually this concept can be used for any theme you want. I am so excited for when I have a break so I can make a whole bunch of these!

Supplies:
Small glass jewelry box (I bought mine at Michaels Arts & Crafts, locations Valley-wide at www.michaels.com)
Paint
Hand-held rotary tool
Hot glue
Decorative paper, pencil
Valentine image (I got mine from CandyCoated.org)
Foam core
Scissors
Glitter
Battery-operated strand of 10 mini lights
Sequin trim
Wood beads for feet

Directions:

Paint the box and let it dry. Turn the box over and using the hand-held rotary tool, create 10 holes in the back of the box. Blow off dust.

Open the box and hot glue decorative paper to the back of the box. Use a pencil to poke through the paper where the drilled holes are. Glue the valentine image to a piece of foam core and cut around the edges.

Coat the edges with paint and sprinkle glitter over it. Let dry. Cut a small piece of foam core and then hot glue the image to it. With the box upright and the lid open like a door, hot glue the foam core to the inside base of the box, and then glue the image on top of it. Insert the mini lights (one light in each hole).

Hot glue the battery pack behind the box. Hot glue the door closed. Add sequin trim around the front of the box, and any other decorations you want. Hot glue wood beads as the feet for the box.



***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* 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: lights, shrines, Valentine's Day

Heart-shaped Sugar Cubes

These are great for serving up breakfast in bed in style!

Supplies:
1 tray of silicone mini-heart molds (I bought mine at Target’s Dollar Spot)
1 cup of granulated sugar
A few drops of water
Bowl and spoon
Index card
Plate
Icing
Edible decoration (M&M, heart candy, etc)

Directions: Pour the sugar in the bowl and add a few drops of water. Mix with spoon until sugar has the consistency of wet sand. Pack the sugar very tight into the molds (no more than two at a time). Place the index card over the mold and carefully turn it over so sugar hearts slip out onto the index card. Let harden for one hour. Decorate with icing and edible decorations.





***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* 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: food crafts, Valentine's Day