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The Crafty Chica DIY Project Library: a collection of fabulous handmade ideas by Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica! Sunday, January 10, 2010Guest blogger: Swell Designer! J'adore Junk Earrings with Guest Blogger Alexa Westerfield Hey y'all! It's Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner from the Swell Life guest blogging today!! Valentine's is right around the corner and I wanted to get a head start on my crafting, so I made some funky and chunky earrings for the occasion!! If you have visited my blog in the past couple of weeks, you may have seen my Make a Modern Statement Ring. Well, I took that same technique and made these bold earrings! The cool thing about them is that they really can be made with jewelry junk and left over trinkets and supplies!! And I'm kinda addicted. I love making these little collages and spray painting them!!! What can I say? I have fallen in love with spray paint all over again! Anyway, here are the instructions, I hope you LOVE making these fun earrings as much as I did. J'adore Junk Earrings Supplies – Capiz shells w/ drilled holes (I purchased mine at Michaels) – Plastic pearly hearts (also purchased at Michaels) – random jewelry findings, jump rings, spacers, rhinestones, etc. – Liquid Fusion glue – toothpick – red glossy spray paint – clear spray sealer – 2 ear wires – round nose pliers – paper plate – newspaper or cardboard surface – tweezers – camera phone or digital camera Instructions 1. On a flat surface lay out your wooden disk and various findings. Play around with shapes and combinations until desired collage look is achieved. At this point, I took a picture so that I could go back to this arrangement later.  2. Lay out your various findings and disk onto cardboard, laying flat. 3. Prepare area outside or in well ventilated area for spray painting. Following spray paint directions, apply several coats, letting dry in between each application. Make sure to also flip and paint other side as well. Don't overspray...this may cause puddling on your surfaces.  4. Review your composition on your camera and start reconstructing your arrangement. I applied a little dab of glue to the backs of each finding and placed it onto my wood blank. Depending on how picky you are, you may want to use a toothpick to apply Liquid Fusion or arrange your findings using tweezers. Let dry thoroughly. 5. At this point, I actually sprayed another coat or two of spray all over the piece. I then coated it with a shiny spray sealer. 6. Open and close jump rings with pliers and add to capiz shells. Open and hook ear wires to each jump ring and close. 7. Yay! You now have a really cool pair of earrings not just for Valentine's, but something to wear year round! Every pair is totally different and unique!  Thanks Kathy for letting me share my project on your blog and for inspiring all of us crafty folks on a daily basis!!! Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. "Swelldesigner" is a graphic designer at iLoveToCreate by day and a swell, crafty lady by night. She loves being creative in all ways, from photography and jewelrymaking, to trendspotting and blogging. Connect with her on her Swell Life blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: jewelry, wearable art Tuesday, November 24, 2009Sassy Sneakers  Every time I'm at Target and I walk past the Converse sneakers, my hands shake. I can't handle seeing boring white shoes. Canvas shoes. I couldn't take the craving, I had to get my fix.Supplies 1 pair of white canvas sneakers Crafty Chica™ Tango Permanent Fabric Markers™ Crafty Chica™ Little Chica Paint Packs™ Crafty Chica™ Mojito Papers™ Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage™ Small circle stickers (found at office supply store) Paint brushes Awl or hand held rotary tool Directions: 1. Remove the shoe laces, color them black. 2. Color the shoes (and the tongue) with the markers and/or paints. Let dry. 3. Use the Collage Pauge Sparkles to affix the images from the Crafty Chica Mojito papers. 4. Create holes around the top of the shoe all the way around. 5. Thread the shoes laces around all the holes. 6. Coat the shoes with Collage Pauge Sparkles. Let dry. Peace, love, and glitter! Kathy :-) ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: paint, shoes, wearable art Sunday, October 11, 2009Mask-on-a-Stick   This is an exclusive project I made for dead.azcentral.com, CLICK HERE for printable directions and all kinds of other educational info about Dia de los Muertos! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Day of the Dead, glitter, Halloween, wearable art Sugar Skull Art Apron This is an exclusive project I designed for http://dead.azcentral.com. Click here for the printable directions! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Day of the Dead, paint, sewing, wearable art Dia de los Muertos Felt Flower Headband Supplies:1 headband 1 safety pin Assorted sheets of craft felt cut into leaves and circles (different sizes with different scissors to give it more flair) Crafty Chica Charms Liquid Fusion Adhesive Clothes pin Directions: 1. Arrange your flower into the design you want, glue in place, let dry. 2. Use the safety pin to "scratch" the metal on the back of the charm and on the area on the headband where you will glue the felt. 3. Glue the charm in place in the center of the flower. 4. Glue the flower to the headband, use a clothespin to hold in place while glue dries. ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Day of the Dead, Latin-inspired, wearable art Gothic Skull Princess Crown If you want something a little dark and creepy for Halloween, but not too dark and creepy, this might be for you!Supplies: 1 plastic tiara (found at party store) Silk red roses Greenery Skull beads Mardi Gras beads Plastic twigs Crafty Chica Glitter Crafty Chica Little Paint Pack Aleene's Easy Flow Tacky Glue Round wood disc Hot glue Directions: 1. Hot glue the leaves and roses to the base of the crown. 2. Paint the wood disc and hot glue the skull beads on it. 3. Using the Tacky Glue, coat the twigs with glitter and hot glue to back. 4. Hot glue the Mardgi Gras beads around the wood circle. ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Halloween, wearable art Glittered Halloween Hair Clips!  It's OK to have spiders in our hair as long as they are glittered, right?This is an easy project that will make every gasp in crafty delight! Supplies: Long hair clips Embroidery floss Glittered leaves Plastic bugs Crafty Chica Glitters Aleene's Easy Flow Tacky Glue Hot glue To make these, first wrap the embroidery floss around the top of the hair clip. Use a dab of Aleene's to tack down the end. Next, coat the bugs with glue (using a paintbrush) and cover with glitter. Let dry. Hot glue to the top of leaf. Hot glue to hair clip. TIP: To prevent a hot glue mess, slide the hair clip onto a glossy coated business card or postcard and then hot glue embellishments on. Let the glue cool and remove. The hot glue will not stick to the glossy coating! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Halloween, wearable art Sunday, July 12, 2009Marker Tattoos We had a family party last weekend and Patrick and Maya got busy with stamps and markers. He used a rubber stamp and a permanent marker to make this faux tattoo on her arm. Doesn't it look cool? It could be a fun idea for Halloween. You can use Q-Tips and rubbing alcohol to blend different colors. ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: wearable art Sunday, June 21, 2009Virgin of Guadalupe Wrist Cuff I made this project from my glitter fabric (scroll down to see earlier post). I cut a swatch for my wrist, sewed on a fabric image of La Virgen and seamed the edges with a tight zigzag stitch. I added rickrack, and stitched on some matching elastic. That big yellow piece is not a button - it is a vintage clip earring. I glued the clasp down and then stitched through the opening. I added a milagro charm too. I am 100% smitten with this bracelet. So much that I plan to make more of these with all kinds of different images. The glitter is sealed down, but still so sparkly!** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: fabric, glitter, jewelry, sewing, wearable art Monday, May 11, 2009Painted Suitcase I painted this suitcase in June 2007 and it is still holding cup strong!I photo blogged about my suitcase recently and how it stood ot in a sea of bland bags. Seriously, this is a GREAT idea. Recently I had to change flights minutes before departure. The attendant had to call the luggage people to retrieve my bag. What does it look like? she asked me. It's purple! And covered with paint and glitter! I replied. She speaks into the phone receiver to the luggage person: It's purple and has glitter... and then she looks up at me and says They found it! See? It also is perfect for when you are waiting for your bag to come out of the conveyor contraption. You will be able to spot it right away! Not only that, but traveling is about letting loose and relaxing, so why not add that bouncy energy to your wheelie wares? It doesn't mean you have to go all funkadelic on your Samsonite, but you at least could take a rubber stamp to it. If you have a red suitcase, imagine how cute shiny white polka dots or swirlies would look all over it? Or maybe the names of your favorite cities around the world. If you want to give this idea a try, but don't want to touch your pristine designer set, visit a local thrift store and pick up a small carry-on bag for those little excursions. This is also a wonderful project for kids to take on to help burn off pre-trip excitement. I also added Crafty Chica varnish to the painted areas, and accented everything with a Tulip Crystal Icycle 3D Fashion Paint. To top it ALL off - I sprtized the whole thing with Tulip Glitter Spray. Here is a crafty chica secret: If you want to add a layer of sparkles to your paint projects - Tulips "Crystal" line does the trick. I usually use Icicle, which dries clear, but if you use other shades, it will dry with just a hint of color - plus the sparkles, of course. You just squeeze some out and rub it (or brush) it on over the painted surface. Argh, it kills me to give up these little tricks, but oh well, if it works for you and makes you happy - it makes me happy too. Besides, there are lots of other Crystal crafty secrets in my bag of tricks, but I'll share those another time... Painted SuitcaseSupplies Optional: Fabric images and fabric adhesive, foam stamps, stencils, patches 1 bottle of water-based polyurethane varnish Directions: Tape off the areas that you do not want to get paint on. Using a wide paintbrush, cover the suitcase with a coat of the white paint. If you are going to be painting it red, or another strong color, mix a bit of that color with the white. Let dry. Brush on the desired paint color all over the suitcase. Let dry. If you want to add fabric images, brush on a layer of fabric adhesive and affix to the surface, let dry. Otherwise, add painted accents using paintbrushes, stencils, stamps or anything else you might want. Let dry. Brush on a layer of varnish, let dry and repeat. Remove the tape. Let your freshly painted suitcase air out in your garage for a few days before you take it on vacation. Variations: Before you add the varnish, brush on a layer of water-based glitter varnish for a sparkly sheen. ***STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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 Friday, May 01, 2009Mother's Day Art Crowns This project started with a dollar store plastic tiara like this:  I picked up a few of them and transformed them into Mother's Day art crowns! First thing - cover the cheapie plastic. For the one that says MOM, I wrapped it with colorful yarn, using white craft glue to seal it down. I bought some blank wood letters and painted them in all kinds of contrasting colors and accents and then hot glued them to the top of the crown. For the other, I hot glued silk leaves around it. I used the "Forever a Queen" card from the Crafty Chica Inspiration Deck and glued it to a circular piece of wood, which I then trimmed in glitter. It needed height so I used some snowflake ornaments leftover from the holidays and glued those behind the circle. I glued rose buds at the bottom and wow, the crown is amazing! These are just two ideas!! Here is the trick - if you wrap the base in fabric strips or yarn - something to make it smooth, you can then glue away to decorate it! Make one for your mom to wear while she opens her gifts, she will truly feel like a QUEEN!! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: mother's day, wearable art Thursday, April 30, 2009Mother's Day Silhouette Bracelet This project is inspired by those silver silhouette charms of boys and girls. Member those???I used shrink plastic to make these, and I think any mom would swoon over something like this! It's very personalized because the heads are from family members. I even included a doggie too :-) Supplies 1 package of shrink plastic black spray paint black fine line permanent pen hole punch heat gun or toaster oven Bracelet chain with clasp Medium jump rings Needle nose pliers Camera and printer Beads and head pins (optional) Directions: Have each person stand at a profile for you. Take the pictures and then print them out to 4x6 size. Cut out the profiles from the paper. Take one sheet of shrink plastic and place the profile down and use the pen to trace it. Cut it out. Use the hole punch at the top. Shrink the piece, either with a heat gun or by following the manufacturers package directions. Do the same for all the heads. When they are shrunk, take them outside and spray paint them black on one side. Let dry, flip them over and repeat. When they are completely dry, use the jump rings and needle nose pliers to attach to the bracelet chain. Add beads to the eyepins and attach if desired. ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: jewelry, wearable art Saturday, April 25, 2009Artful Sewing Outtake: Pocket Page Purse I was cleaning out some of my computer files this weekend and came across outtakes from my "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing" book (still going strong, yay!!!).This photo was from our first photo shoot. My editors discussed it and asked us to reshoot outdoors, which I'm so glad we did! It went on to become the My Life is An Adventure Pocket Purse. In the book, we used the rectangular version. This was the secondary bag that did not make the final cut. It's still super cute though! I've had people write me to say how much they liked this idea and ask how I came up with the idea. Hereis the story: During my newspaper career, long before I started writing the craft column, I worked as a photo stylist and coordinator for the entertainment section. It was my job to set up and style photo shoots. I also had to keep all the photo slides organized for the page designers. To do that, I kept them in these slide protector sheets within big black binders. I loved that the pages had all those little pockets. I remember thinking how fun it would be to take a page with me and collect small things from throughout my day and insert them in those tiny compartments and then hang it up on my wall. As you can tell, I used to daydream a lot back then while sorting those slides! When the time came for me to sketch purses for the book outline, I immediately remembered the slide protector pages. I wondered if they even had them anymore! They did! I bought a box at a local photography shop. In the end - the idea morphed into the purse. The complete directions are in my book, but I wanted to share this picture and the concept! Here is a tip - whenever you are sewing through vinyl or plastic - always use Sewer's Aid on your needle and presser foot, it will make it glide on through! Another idea is to use a pocket shower curtain (also sew on a liner to make it more sturdy!). Peace, love, and glitter! Kathy :-) ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: sewing, wearable art Glittered Hinged Wallet OK, first of all, you'll have to forgive me for these photos. My daughter took my memory card from my camera to a party tonight, so I had to use my iPhone camera to get this project posted!You know how hinged wallets are everywhere these days? Well, I saw a glittered vinyl purple one recently and could not resist buying it, even though I knew from the start it would be too thin to hold everything I need. Anyway. I bought it, and in true Crafty Chica spirit - I immediately altered it to make it my own.  First I stamped on it using an Aztec-themed design and a permanent black inkpad. Next, I painted the girl, and then used a stencil for the sun - which I then used Aleene's Paper Glaze to affix Crafty Chica Goddess Gold Glitter to it. I let it all dry and then set out a sheet of wax paper and whipped up a small batch of two-part resin. I opened the wallet so it would lay flat on the wax paper (with the bottom and top facing up) and I ever-so-carefully applied a coat of resin to my artwork. I also used a straw to blow out bubbles. I let it set over night and the next morning I patted myself on the back for a job well done. The effect is a brilliant shine and surprisingly, the resin is not super hard, it's perfect! The texture of the wallet is still as cushiony as it was before. I must admit, I love the effect so much that now I'm on the hunt for more glittered hinged wallets! I even showed it to my boss, Valerie, and I asked her if she wanted me to make her one. "Oh, Kathy, no it's ok, you don't have to..." she replied. And then she paused, looked at it again and said, "OK, Yah, I want one!" I got "wow-this-is-really-a-rad-project" goosebumps! I feel kinda the same way I did with those chandeliers - I want to just drop everything and go into the glittered/resined hinged wallet business! Bring 'em on! Peace, love, and glitter! Kathy :-) P.S. Check out my new book and product line! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: glitter, resin, wearable art Thursday, April 16, 2009Marker-Made Scarf Yoli's sample scarf. My scarf I made in her class!My friend, Sacred Yoli rocks. She came on the Crafty Chica cruise and showed us how to decorate these super cool silk scarves using Crafty Chica Markers (you can also use glitter markers, metallic, fine point, etc) and alcohol ink. You simply draw, color, squiggle, whatever you want, onthe scarf and then spray it with rubbing alcohol that you put in a small bottle. It makes the colors bleed and makes them very vibrant. Let it dry and then use rubber stamps and ink to add a layer of words, images, whatever you want. You can also sew on trim. I've been using mine as a headband, and I've also been snipping off pieces touse in altered art projects. Here is Yoli's tutorial on this project! And if you want more inspiration - check out what Krissi Sandvik, also a Crafty Chica cruiser, did recently! Peace, love, and glitter! Kathy :-) P.S. Check out my new book and product line! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: fabric, wearable art Sunday, April 05, 2009Painted & Glittered iPhone case  At CHA last January, I was sitting at the events dinner with my fellow crafty amiga Candace Marquette, and her sister-in-law, Jaime Gaydos Fletcher. Jaime decorates iPhone covers with ultra-flashy, fun designs, and it inspired me to dive into mine and work a little magic. I can't believe I didn't think of it before! I mean, I've decorated my work beeper back in the day, and my other cell phones. Why not my iPhone case? I knew I wanted to resin coat glitter on it, and I wasn't sure it would work. I bought a cheapie hardcase cover to experiment on (eBay, $7) . I lightly sanded it, and basecoated it black with my Crafty Chica paints. For the back side, I glued down a fabric image of a sacred heart and sealed it all over the top and around the edges with Aleene's Tacky Glue. After it dried, I accented the design with Aleene's Paper Glaze and my Crafty Chica glitters. I covered the background with green glitter and added black polka dots to the green background. I then lined my workspace with wax paper, mixed the resin, and coated the cover. For the front, I added small painted accents. I let it set for 48 hours and then use a craft knife to remove any resin and/or paint from the ridges so it would snap back in place. I love it and am excited to make another one! Thanks for the inspiaration, Jaime! Peace, love, and glitter! Kathy :-) P.S. Check out my new book and product line! Labels: glitter, paint, wearable art Sunday, March 01, 2009Refab Flower Hairclip When I was at CHA in January, I stopped by to say ho-lahh to Leah Kramer (Craftser.org) during her demo in the indie craft area. As expected, she offered an adorable idea: Customized floral hair clips! Before her say a buffet of bins filled with silk flowers, accompanied by a tray of hair clips. We were to choose different flower pieces (after they had all been separated) and put them back together in our own style. I made one, wore it for the rest of the show and recieved scores of compliments! Even better, when I brought it home, Maya snatched it up. She even used it in one of her videos. That definately upped the cool factor for my clip! This project is so fast with a great pay-off, I thought I'd share it with you. Here is how to make one: Buy several silk flowers in different colors, styles and sizes (dollar store). Also buy plastic hair clips and little doodads for the center of your flower - gems, crystals, vintage earrings, buttons, etc... Separate the silk flower pedals from the stem by removing the plastic backing. Keep the center stem! Build your own flower creation by mixing and matching the pedals and replacing them on the center stem piece. Hot glue the center accent. Hot glue to the hair clip! Here is my Crafty Chica touch - spritz some Tulip Fabric Glitter Spray over the whole thing! Here is Maya's video :-) Peace, love, and glitter! Kathy :-) P.S. Check out my new book and product line! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: flowers, wearable, wearable art Thursday, February 26, 2009Fringy Laptop Bag
InstructionsTo color bag:
To apply appliqués:
MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: fabric, wearable art Stenciled Rose Tee Stenciling is perhaps the easiest crafting ever! And you can use the Crafty Chica™ Mulit-Purpose Reusable Stencil™ on any surface not just fabric! Use the fabulous colors in the Crafty Chica™ Paint Pack™ as they are or custom mix colors to make this shirt your own Chica style!
Instructions1. Before painting, always prewash fabric to remove sizing. Do not use fabric softener. Shake bottles of paint well. Place a Fashion Form inside layers of fabric to prevent paint from seeping through. MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: fabric, wearable art Saturday, November 29, 2008Frida Jewelry Set I used chunky coral beads and turquoise balls to make this set inspired by Frida Kahlo's jewelry. For the images, I wanted to try something different so I used liquid Sculpey to transfer the images, and regular Sculpey for the background. You can also use decoupaged wood pieces too!This is beautiful set to make for a friend or family member who loves Mexican culture, Frida, or big jewelry. Of course, you can make it for yourself too! And if you don't like Frida, you can use any kind of image... For complete directions, see my Art de la Soul book! *** Don't worry, be crafty! Buy Crafty Chica books & art supplies at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2008. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: frida, jewelry, Latin-inspired, wearable art Wednesday, November 12, 2008Crafty lit: Friday Night Knitting Club Scarf! Originally published for MyLifetime.com. Scarf pattern and design by Kate Jacobs.Knitting and reading go together like cappuccino and cookies. "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs, "The Shop on Blossom Street" by Debbie Macomber and "The Knitting Circle: A Novel" by Ann Hood all offer a wealth of stitches combined with straight-up tear-inducing drama. Gather up some friends, read the books and then work together to tackle a project that is perfect for newbies, like Kate Jacobs's Easy Scarf pattern. "Reading — and crafting — are about flights of fancy," says Jacobs. "Imagination. Creativity. When I need a break from my computer, I like to knit up something easy, like a hair band or a dishcloth, on big needles." *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.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: crafty lit, wearable, wearable art Tuesday, October 28, 2008VIEDO: Day of the Dead Mask
Make your own mask for Dia de los Muertos! LINK *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.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: crafty video, Day of the Dead, Halloween, wearable art Monday, October 27, 2008Dorothy Shoes My little niece, Sarah, is in third grade and is going as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz for Halloween. Everyone knows the most important part - aside from Toto, is the pair of ruby slippers. Unfortunately, Sarah's mom couldn't find anything comparable at the stores, so she asked me to transform the above vinyl pair the best I could. Their first choice was glitter. First thing I did was Google the shoes for a picture.  Next I bought sequins and tried a Crafty Chica version, which came out like this...  They didn't quite come out like the original...Sarah and I agreed we would go with old school micro glitter (plus, I ran out of sequins!). This is the end result:  They came out super sparkly and Sarah-approved. She is ready to rock the third grade Halloween party! To make these shoes, first paint them red, if they are not so already. If they are vinyl, you'll need to sand them down to give them "grip". Then coat with Aleene's Fabric Fusion one section at a time and pour on the glitter (I used my Crafty Chica Rockabilly Ruby). I wanted these shoes to last a long time, so I finished them off with two coats of high-gloss spray varnish. *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.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: Halloween, wearable art Saturday, October 11, 2008Muertos Wedding Couple Tote * Crafty Chica™ Tango Permanent Fabric Markers™ * Crafty Chica™ Market Tote™ Day of the Dead Couple Instructions 1. Color couple using any color combination you like. 2. Write the word “amor siempre” below the couple. 3. Add polka dots in open space. *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.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: Day of the Dead, wearable art Little Birdie Peace Tote * Crafty Chica™ Tango Permanent Fabric Markers™ * Crafty Chica™ Market Tote™ Bird with Roses Instructions 1. Using broad strokes, color leaves green and rose blue. Use red and yellow to add shading to body of bird. Finish coloring rest of tote design, choosing your own colors. Write the word “peace” in ribbon. 2. Add designs to border areas, using markers to draw swirly borders and flowers all around edges. Use black marker to outline your designs. 3. Decorate strap, using photo as a guide. 4. Add polka dots in open space. *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.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: fabric, wearable art Dia de los Muertos Charm Bracelet Start your bracelet with the awesome Crafty Chica™ Picture Charms™ and add some other charms and beads to make your own Chica statement! Materials List * Crafty Chica™ Charms™ * Miscellaneous Heart Charms Needle nose pliers Medium jump rings Chain link bracelet with clasp Instructions 1. Lay out chain bracelet and decide where you would like to place charms. 2. You will need one jump ring for each charm you want to attach. Pick up one jump ring and open it with needle nose pliers. Slip on charm and then connect it to chain. Use pliers to close jump ring. Make sure there is not a gap in jump ring; make sure it is closed tight so charm will not slip off. 3. Continue for rest of chain. If desired, add other charms. *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.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: Day of the Dead, jewelry, wearable art Monday, September 01, 2008VIDEO: Cardboard Bola Tie Slide Here's a bola tie slide that my hubby Patrick made for his Grandpa. To make this you will need cardboard, a sheet paper of paper, scissors, glue and paint. 1. Cut two pieces of cardboard in a circle that measures 2-1/2 inches across. Glue them together and paint them black (or whatever color you want). 2. Trace or draw your design on a piece of paper. Cut out the pieces and draw them on a separate piece of cardboard. 3. Glue those pieces on top of the circle piece. Let dry and pant black. Add a touch of gold to high light them. 4. Glue the slide on the back of the circle. We used to use this method to make colorful hair pins, brooches, magnets - you name it! *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.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: mantastic crafts, paper, recycled, wearable art Tuesday, August 26, 2008Dress Shirt Laptop Sleeve I once purchased a vintage men’s Guayabera shirt off of eBay, and loved it. But it wasn’t exactly flattering to my figure because of its boxy shape. Another item on my bummer list: I needed a vertical laptop bag for traveling. Something I could easily whip out of my carry-on when passing thorough airport security. Rather than scour the retail aisles, I decided to use my beloved shirt. I know it seems crazy to cut up a perfectly good item of clothing, but what good was it sitting in my closet? Now I can enjoy it on a regular basis. That is what a crafty life is all about, tailoring everyday objects to our personal style! If you don’t have a shirt you are willing to snip, check out your local thrift store. Dress Shirt Drawstring Laptop Bag Supplies: 1 men’s dress shirt ½ yard of contrasting fabric for lining Sewing machine 1 yard of cording Chopstick and clear tape Directions: Determine if you want your bag to hold your laptop horizontal or vertical. Measure your laptop, and then cut the front and back of the shirt so it extends two-inches around the sides and bottom, and 5 inches from the top. Toss the excess. Now cut two pieces of lining to match. Take the front and back of the cut shirt, line them up face in, and straight stitch around the sides and bottom. Add another row of stitches. Repeat for the lining. Insert the lining, face sides in, inside the shirt. Line up the inside corners at the bottom, and the side seams so they match. Pin the top raw edges in on both sides and sew a straight stitch all the way around. On one side, cut two snips (3/4” each) at the top and sew over the raw edges. Now fold the top of the bag outward to create a 1” hem all the way around, pin in place and sew. This is the casing for the drawstring. Fold the cording in half, take the folded end, tape it around the end of the chopstick and feed it through the casing. Tie a knot at the end of the cording. Variation: If you want to embellish it more, add embroidered accents, patches, vintage buttons, etc. *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.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: recycled, wearable art Tuesday, July 29, 2008Sea Shell Sandals School supplies may already be on sale, but here in Phoenix, it is still hardcore SUMMER. The only way to endure the sweat is to make cool stuff! This a nifty pair of sandals that I embellished with mini-seashells a while back. All you need is a pair of sandals that have wide bands. Working with one section at a time, add a thick coat of Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue and then arrange the seashells in a nice even pattern. I think these are perfect for the beach, or by the pool! **** *** 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: shoes, wearable art Monday, July 14, 2008Faux Tattoo Sunglasses By Kathy Cano-Murillo Special for the Republic I love Ed Hardy sunglasses. But I can’t afford Ed Hardy sunglasses. I’m not one to give up so easy. With a little tinkering in my art studio, I came up with a more affordable recipe. Hello temporary tattoos! These tatts are just like little decals that can easily be applied to any surface. You can find them at gift boutiques, party supply stores, and even the craft store. The best aspect is you can pick up a few different sets of sunglasses and decorate them all different. Here’s a tip: I found that a white base works best. If you are using black glasses, paint a layer of white and then apply the temporary tattoo and you are good to go. Not into sunglasses? You can use this technique to add personality to your portable music player, cell phone, business card holder, or any other hard surface. Faux Tattoo Sunglasses Supplies: 1 set of sunglasses with wide sides Temporary tattoos (smaller the better) Wet paper towel Micro glitter and mini crystals Clear adhesive Toothpick Clear nail polish Directions: Set the temporary tattoo on the surface. Apply the wet paper towel over the tattoo and leave until the backing paper is soaked. Carefully peel away the backing. Tattoo will be set in place. Let dry. Apply a coat of clear nail polish over the tattoo, let dry. Use a toothpick and glue to add loose micro glitter and mini-crystals. **** *** 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: summer/4th of July, wearable art Monday, May 12, 2008DIY Syesha Mercado's American Idol Earrings
I'm a huge American Idol fan, it's one of my guilty pleasures. I know it's going to come down to a David Archuleta vs. David Cook finale, but I am so proud my girl Syesha Mercado is still holding on the best she can. Am the only one who cried like a baby along with her last week when Paula told her she was "living her dream"?
One thing that has caught my eye about her during the season, is that she always wears these really cool thread-wrapped earrings. I'm a sucker for big jewelry, so that scored a few extra votes from me!  I wonder if a friend or family member makes them for her. She wears them almost every week, and in all kinds of different designs and patterns. I've seen the style before, but have no idea where to buy a pair. This weekend I fiddled around in my art room and came up with my own Crafty Chica version. They aren't as spectacularly-patterned as Sy's, but I love them, and my daughter even wants a pair too! Here is a video where you can see the earrings (during her taped interview segment): I used variegated embroidery thread and added a bead at the bottom. On a second pair I used Vickie Howell's Vegas yarn (it is sparkly). Next, I'm going to work with wire and glass beads and see what happens! In honor of Syesha - let's all make some dangly ear bobs and cheer her on for tomorrow night!  Supplies: Teardrop earring base Clear fabric adhesive (I used Fabric Fusion) Colored or metallic embroidery or crochet thread Needle Fish hook earrings 2 Small jump ring 2 head pins, ½" each 2 small glass beads Needle nose pliers Directions: Remove the label from the embroidery thread and find the end. Cut a 16" strand and tie a double knot at the end. Thread it through the eye of the needle. The teardrop earring base will have a hole in center top, feed the needle through the hole until the end is secure. Take a dab of the clear fabric adhesive and rub it around the edges of the teardrop base. Begin to tightly wrap the thread around the teardrop base, the glue will grip the thread so it will not slide. When you reach the end, glue it in place, and pinch until secure. Use the needle nose pliers to open the jump ring and attach it to the bottom of the tea drop base. Slide the bead on the head pin and use the pliers to bend the end around the jump ring, so the bead dangles. Variation: Use less strands for a finer look, or thicker thread for a bold finish. Add beads if desired. **** *** 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, wearable art Tuesday, April 29, 2008Jelly Yarn Purse by Kathy Cano-Murillo - Aug. 27, 2005 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic Every other week I receive an e-mail from a knitter asking for a funky pattern. There are so many popular books out there on the topic that there was no way I could compete. Then I discovered Jelly Yarn. It's a new type of yarn that isn't even fibrous - it's plastic thread that comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses. You can use basic knit or crochet patterns, but by using the yarn, the outcome will have a glossy texture and a cool mod look. Tips for using Jelly Yarn: metal or plastic needles work best, and if the yarn feels tight on the needles, wipe a bit of Armor All on them and they will glide smoothly through your stitches. Jelly Yarn is sold only through www.yummy-yarns.com.Special thanks to Kathleen Greco for this purse pattern. And if you are interested in some new and wild knitting designs, check out the new book Knitting Over the Edge: Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliqués, Color, Eclectic - The Second Essential Collection of Decorative Borders, by Nicky Epstein (Sterling Publishing, $29.95 hardcover). Note: This project is for intermediate knitters. To learn how to knit, visit groups.yahoo.com/group/stitchnbitch-phoenix for a list of local knitting shops and events that offer lessons. Boa Jelly Yarn Purse Supplies No. 13 US / 9mm set of knitting needles 2 balls of Jelly Yarn, in Bulky Black Licorice 1 black marabou feather boa 2 black or animal print purse handles, or a string of black beads Directions Cast on 23 stitches. To make the front and back: Rows 1-8: Knit across. Row 9: Knit 1, increase 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, increase 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 10: Knit across. Row 11: Knit 1, increase 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, increase 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 12: Knit across. Row 13: Knit 1, increase 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, increase 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 14: Knit across. Row 15: Knit across. Row 16: (Right Side) Purl across. Row 17: Knit across. Row 18: Purl across. Row 19: Knit across. Row 20: Knit 1, decrease 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, decrease 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 21: Knit across. Row 22: Knit 1, decrease 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, decrease 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 23: Knit across. Row 24: Knit 1, decrease 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, decrease 1 stitch, Knit 1. Rows 25-32: Knit across. Row 33: Knit across row, then after binding off loosely, sew cast on and bind off edges to each purse handle. Leave long tail to sew side seams. To finish: Sew side seams with remaining bind off and cast on tails. Using monofilament thread, sew boa around edge of purse twice. Make sure boa is securely attached to bag, then trim boa. Wrap tape around boa before cutting so it won't fray. Tuck end facing in, and sew securely. TIP: Rows 16, 17 and 18 form the bottom of the bag and will curve naturally with a few rows of Stockinette Stitch (purl, knit, purl). *** 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: wearable art Comic Book Belt by Kathy Cano-Murillo - Sept. 27, 2003 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic One of the biggest inspirations behind the crafting movement is the desire to have something no one else has. Or at least something that pops out. If you're into belts, the options are endless. Artists have constructed chunky waistwear from pictures, bottle caps, clay and metal. This particular project jumps on the glass-gem bandwagon. Mostly used in scrapbooking or magnet-making, these see-through "puddles" (a name they are also known by) will leave an inspiring impression once they are connected. I used images from an Archie comic, but you can alter the style by incorporating collage art, letters, words, and rubber-stamped effects or exotic fabric. Supplies can be found at Diane Ribbon and Notions, 2319 W. Holly St., Phoenix. Comic book belt Supplies 1 comic book 15-20 large glass gems (clear and flat on one side) White craft glue Scissors 15-20 bola tie slides 15-20 key rings, 1 1/2 inches in diameter 1 piece of leather fabric, 8 by 10 inches E6000 adhesive Large clasp Needle-nose pliers Directions Tear out pages from the comic book and lay them on a flat surface. Rub a drop of glue over the back of the glass gem and place it over the image you want to show through. Press firmly. Let dry and then cut the paper from the edge of the gem. Repeat the process for the remaining gems. Lay the leather shiny side up. Add a drop of white glue to the back of the picture that is on the gem and lay flat on the leather. Let it dry and cut off the excess from around the gem. Repeat for the remaining gems. Lay the gems back side up on a flat surface. Add a dollop of E6000 to the back of a bola slide and press it in the center of the backside of the gem. Repeat for the remaining gems. Let dry overnight. To connect the gems, use the needle-nose pliers to open the prongs on the back of the bola slides. Insert a key ring on one of the prongs and clamp it closed. Repeat for the other side. Connect to another gem in the same fashion. Try on the belt to see if you should add more gems to make it longer. Use the pliers to connect the large clasp. Tips and variations: Make a bracelet by using smaller gems and jump rings. *** 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: paper, wearable, wearable art No-solder Microscope Slide Necklaces by Kathy Cano Murillo - May. 17, 2003 04:30 PM The Arizona Republic I'm a sucker for pictures. I love vintage postcards, obscure ads, romantic comics, minibooks, notecards, postage stamps, wrapping paper, postcards, stickers . . . . It has become so bad that I can't pass a stationery shop or bookstore without stopping to scope out the goods in fear of missing out on some great images. This nifty necklace project is one way I've found to make use of my ever-growing collection. It's as easy as taking two microscope slides and making a "picture sandwich." There are oodles of alternatives for using these slides, and these instructions are a great place to start. Of course, always be careful whenever you use glass in craft projects. Microscope slides are available at local hobby stores (not craft shops), and the foil tape is sold at home improvement stores. Microscope slide necklaces Supplies 2 microscope slides 2 pictures, phrases, clippings, ribbon or other flat items Scissors industrial strength glue Foil or copper tape Eye pins, 1 1/2 inches long each Assorted beads Needle nose pliers Jump ring Necklace cording Directions: Work on a flat surface free of dust. Use the slide as a template to trim your two pictures. Take one picture and flip it over. Add a small drop of glue in the center of the back side. Lay one eye pin pointing up so the eyelet extends above the picture. Repeat the process for the bottom. Take the other picture and press the two backsides together, smooth firmly with fingers to ensure all the sides are sealed. Set aside until glue is dry. Cut two pieces of foil tape measuring 3 inches by one-quarter inch, and two measuring 1 inch by one-quarter inch. Create a "sandwich" by placing your image in between the two slides. Carefully apply the foil tape to one side of the glass and then fold it over to cover the other side. Rub your finger over the tape to remove any wrinkles. Continue the process until the all of the edges are evenly trimmed with the foil tape. Repeat process to make a double layer for extra hold and to pad the corners. Thread beads onto the remaining eye pins and attach them to the slide's bottom eyelet with the pliers. Add a jump ring to the top eyelet and tie on the necklace cording. *** 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, paper, wearable art Yellow Ribbon Pins by Kathy Cano-Murillo - Mar. 29, 2003 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic In America, everybody gets to say what he or she believes. Even those who say it with glue guns. While citizens are voicing all kinds of opinions about the war, some are contributing to the conversation in a unique way: by joining the "Crafting for Peace" movement. The headquarters exists only in each creative person's mind as they knit, bead, paint and sprinkle glitter in the hopes of spreading a message of hope, love and unity. I was inspired after seeing artists from all over the country create everything from peace shrines and knitted armbands to beaded safety pins and clay doves. No matter what side of the fence you're on, you can do something to show support for our troops. It's amazing how far one spool of yellow ribbon, a few glue sticks and a handful of fabric roses can go. Yellow ribbon lapel pins Supplies 1 spool of yellow ribbon Tiny wood cutouts of stars and/or hearts Red, white and blue acrylic paint or paint pens Tiny fabric roses in red, white and blue Scissors Small pin backs Hot glue Directions: Paint the wood cutouts in red, white and blue and set aside to dry. Cut the ribbon into 3-inch strips. Make one pin at a time by folding a strip of ribbon into a loop and adding a small drop of glue to secure it. Add another drop of glue and place painted wood cutout or a trio of fabric roses in center. Turn the pin over and add one more drop of glue to affix the pin back. Tips and variations: Replace pin back with magnet or hair barrette. Make a larger version by using wider ribbon, bigger wood cutouts and fishing line to hang from your rear-view mirror. *** 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: fabric, wearable art Easy Elastic Bracelets by Kathy Cano-Murillo - Sept. 14, 2002 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic Bernie Lawitz can always tell when someone enters his store for the first time. “There's always that of look of confusion,” he says. Then they say, “Oh my God.” The name of his outlet — Beads Galore — explains why. The multiroom warehouse houses has thousands of beautiful baubles that are ready to be strung, threaded, crimped and woven. Although the shop has been an artistic mainstay in Tempe for more than 16 years, beading has only recently emerged as a popular mainstream activity. It's not just artists who are designing wearable art nowadays, it's also the part-time crafter. “I'm not at all intimidated at the thought of designing my own accessories,” says 30-year-old Minnie Torres-Andrade, a full time marketing consultant. “I always steal ideas from things I see in stores. I'll think, ‘That looks so simple. I bet I can make my own for a lot less money in the exact colors I want.' Especially if I have an outfit and I want something to go with it that is unique and different.” Lawitz welcomes those fresh faces that cross his threshold day after day. Many novices to Lawitz's store find their initial introduction overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. A safe — and fashionable — place to start is with elasticized bead bracelets that are a hot item in boutiques and department stores. The first step is to decide on a color scheme and the number of bracelets you'd like, and then survey the goods before making a selection. Lawitz suggests a budget of approximately $30. He adds that those who feel they are creatively impaired should just relax and enjoy the process. “Buying enough materials to make six bracelets equals the cost of buying one from someplace else,” he says. “It's silly to buy a pre-made bracelet. If you can dress yourself in the morning and choose the right colors, you should be able to string a bracelet the same way. There is no right and wrong.” Phoenix artist Jennifer Meyers is a shining example of his mantra. Her passion for beading began 10 years ago when she needed a special accessory to match an outfit. Nothing at the store appealed to her, so she took matters into her own hands (literally). The experience led to a new endeavor future. She now works full time producing beaded jewelry that she sells on the Internet and at local jewelry shows. Her work is so appealing that she often sells pieces she's wearing. right off her arms. “I was at my own baby shower, and I had my beaded bracelets on, and the women were like, ‘Oh where did you get that?'” she says with a laugh. “I ended up selling them off my arms at my own shower. “I also once sold earrings from my ears to a cashier at the supermarket. Of course, I cleaned them for her first.” The 32-year-old considers beading a mess-free method of self-expression. It takes several cases to hold her materials, which are sorted according to size, shape and color. In addition, she has portable boxes that allow her to work while when she is away from home. “It's so easy to get addicted to all the supplies,” she says with a tone of caution. “You start amassing all this stuff before you can even use it all. It can get expensive. I say, try to set limits when you go into a supply store. Tell yourself you are only going to spend ‘X' amount of dollars. Remind yourself that you can always go in again.” Elastic bauble bracelets Supplies: 1 package of Stretch Magic elastic cording Assorted beads Small jump rings Assorted charms Scissors Needle-nose pliers Directions: Use the needle-nose pliers to attach the charms to the small jump rings. Measure your wrist, cut a piece of the elastic two inches longer, and tie a knot at one end. Begin to string the beads in your desired pattern, interspersing the charms as you go. When you reach the desired length, tightly tie both ends of the elastic together and trim excess. Variations: For a more refined-looking bracelet, use wire, thread or memory wire and secure with crimps and clasps. *** 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: beads, jewelry, wearable art Friday, April 18, 2008Recycled Grocery Bag Tote Take all those plastic shopping bags from the store or mall, cut them up and sew them together to make sturdy totes that you can use at the grocery store or food market. Make several of these so you can keep them around for your next grocery run. Nothing fancy here, just the basic recipe. Feel free to adapt to your liking! Supplies About 36 plastic bags Scissors Sewing machine Canvas tote (to use as pattern) Directions Flatten the bags into stacks of six. Cut across the top to remove the handle portion. Cut the stacks into strips or squares, and sew up the sides. For a quilted look, sew lines in the center. Make enough squares or strips until you have enough to piece together a bag that is the same size as the tote, and sew the pieces together. For the handles, cut thinner strips and sew inside the top panel on both sides. *** 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: recycled, wearable art Sunday, April 13, 2008Frida-inspired Flower Crown These are the easiest things to make and they are fun to wear when you are going to an art walk, or crafty party - or even when you are just dabbling in your art room! Supplies: 1 plastic headband, about 1" wide Green ribbon Assorted silk flowers and leaves Hot glue Small crystals Directions: Wrap the ribbon around the headband and glue the ends down, nice and even and flat. Glue your flowers to the top of the headband, not on the plastic base, but on the silk pedal, so it will grip to the ribbon. Add in the leaves. Glue on the crystals randomly. Let it all cool and wear it with style! Frida would be so proud! These are so pretty on little girls too! Variation: You can use all roses, or mix it up with different kinds of flowers. *** 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: flowers, wearable art Monday, March 17, 2008T-shirt Apron Whether you are into cooking, crafting or plain sewing - making an apron is a great project to tackle. I've seen my friends use so many resources I never would have thought of - vintage linens, old pajamas, a men's dress shirt, cloth napkins, even fabric scraps sewn together. This week, it's all about the old T-shirts. Finally, you have a use for that concert T from college or your husband's old sports shirt, the one he won't throw away. You'll need two T-shirts, one to show off the pattern and one to cut up, for this project. Find what you love, and then hack it to pieces in the name of art. If you stayed in and studied in college, then check out the junior T-shirt section at stores such as Wal-Mart (locations Valley-wide at www.walmart.com) and Target (locations Valley-wide at www.target.com), where you'll find a cheap selection of vintage-looking T-shirts with concerts, cartoons and other logos for around $10. For adult sizes, thrift stores will have a great selection of real vintage T's for as little as $2. I plan to use mine in the art room, where I'm forever looking for a paper towel to wipe my hands or a cloth to clean my paintbrush. This is a great project for beginning sewers because no pattern is needed. Supplies Coordinating fabric, about 12by 12 inches Sewing machine T-shirt with your favorite design (shirt A) Scissors T-shirt you can cut up (shirt B) Straight pins 1 ribbon 1 inch by about 48inches 2 ribbons 1 inch by 12inches Directions Hem the coordinating fabric on the top and both sides. With shirt A, cut out the design, going through the back layer as well, in the shape for the top. Turn them right side in, and sew up three sides. Turn it right side out. On the open side, fold the raw edges in and sew a hem along it as well as the other three sides. Attach to the center of the coordinating fabric to create the top of the apron. With shirt B, cut the bottom half off for the skirt of the apron. Leave it right side out and sew a hem along the sides and bottom. Center and pin the top of the apron to the bottom of the apron and sew. Center the long ribbon (cut to the length to fit you) along the middle seam and sew. Sew on ribbon straps, one to each side of the top of shirt A. Variations: You can alter the decorations the way you like. I added lace along the edge and a cupcake pocket made from scrap fabric and decorated with ribbon. For an even easier apron, skip the coordinating fabric and cut shirt A to fit as the top. *** 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: recycled, sewing, wearable art Sunday, March 16, 2008Picture Bracelet (made from washers) This is a bracelet I made using washers, pictures, bola tie slides and jump rings. A wonderful chica named Mona turned me on to the idea a long time ago, except she used pictures of typewriter keys. Very easy, and it is a great project for kids! My daughter, Maya, even demoed it on the DIY Network, and it is featured in one of my Crafty Diva books!  *** 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, wearable art Monday, March 10, 2008DIY Party favors  I'm revving up to share all the details of the cruise, but first I thought I'd post a project. Planning the party of the century? Take that extra step and make customized favors. I made these for the cruise participants so they would feel like queens of creativity! My original intention was to purchase plastic crowns from the party store and be done with it, but my craftaholic tendencies took over when I spotted these mini tiaras. They work great for weddings, birthday parties and anniversaries. Custom Party Favors - Tiaras Supplies 1 bag of small wood hearts ( 3/4-inch each) Color copies of small pictures Glue stick White craft glue Loose glitter 1 package of mini tiaras Hot glue gun 1 boa or lace ribbon Directions Cover the wood hearts with the images (1 picture per heart) using the glue stick. Using your fingertip, add a thin border of white craft glue around the edge of each heart and then pour glitter over it. Tap away excess. Set to dry. Use the hot glue gun to attach the heart to the center of the tiara. Snip off a piece of boa or lace ribbon, about 1 inch long, and hot glue it to the back of the tiara, so it protrudes from the top. Maze Game Supplies 1 package of mini maze games Craft knife Color copies of picture to fit the size of the game Scissors Glue stick Hot glue Directions Turn the game back side up. Carefully use the craft knife to remove the cardboard backing of the game. Don't lose the ball inside the game! Use the backing as a template to cut out circles of your favorite pictures. Use the glue stick to affix the picture to the backing. Make sure the ends are sealed down. Replace the backing and add a dot of hot glue on the back ridge to seal it. Variations Instead of the tiaras or maze games, you also can make other kinds of party favors by using your own paper: party horns, mini Rubik's Cubes, ball paddles, lip balms, purse mirrors, mini notebooks, 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: paper, party favors, wearable art Sunday, February 24, 2008Fabric Pillow Ring 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 Friday, February 22, 2008Mixed Media Key Chain  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 Friday, February 15, 2008Tricked Out Tee 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 Friday, December 21, 2007Ribbed Crocheted Cap Never toss out a mistake! That is my lesson of the week. I was so excited that my friend Vickie Howell launched her own line of yarns, called Craft. Rock. Love. - and that she even named one after me:  $10.50, Chica 775 She sent me a package with samples and I couldn't wait to crochet something. I happened to be leaving out of town that day, and took the yarn and a hook. I decided on a simple skullcap - something I could finish by the end of the plane ride. I must have been either too excited or too stressed, because the hat came out two times larger than I wanted. So much for my math skills. When I got home, I couldn't bear to unravel it all. A crafty friend suggested I turn it inside out and take it in with my sewing machine's overlock function. A risky move, but I went for it. I loved the result! The effect was a small "ruffle" looking seam. So I repeated the stitch all around the hat. Not only did it make for the perfect skullcap, it also has a funky ribbed-like texture. My advice? The next time you think a craft project is shot, step back and look at it from a new perspective, see what you can do to make it work. Maybe you'll invent a new technique! As far as this cap, it's a great project to make as a last minute gift because it is super simple! NOTE: I've been crocheting for years, but never use patterns, so I tired my best to type this out for you, but feel free to adjust as needed! Supplies: 2 skeins of red cotton yarn Red thread 1 H-8 crochet hook Scissors Sewing machine Directions: Round 1: Work 15 single crochet (sc) into ring. Round 2: Begin working through back loop only, 14 single crochet in each stitch (st) around. Round 3: Work 14 triple crochet in each stitch around. Continue until the hat is as long as you desire. I made my down to my eyebrows, so I could flip up the hem. Snip and tie off the end. Turn the hat inside out. Using the overlock or zigzag function on your sewing machine, sew seams vertically around the hat. Snip excess threads. Wear and enjoy! *** 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: holiday, sewing, wearable art Friday, November 16, 2007Chain & Paper Collage Necklace Collar your creativity for necklace Kathy Cano-Murillo Special for the Republic Nov. 17, 2007 12:00 AM Creating a necklace has never been easier, thanks to recent trends. The latest craze is mixing and matching contrasting chains, beads and papers to make a one-of-a-kind wearable statement. Even easier, you can use an existing chain necklace and take it apart to make it your own. Before you start, sketch out your design ideas to ensure you will have a cohesive look. Paper and Chain Collage Necklace Supplies 3 wood squares (1 inch each) White craft glue 3 pieces of decorative paper (1 square inch each) Silver paint pen Dremel tool Needle-nose pliers 12-inch medium chain 7 medium jump rings 6-inch chunky chain 1 multistrand connector 3 pieces of fine chain (1 inch each) 1 eye pin 1 bead 1 necklace clasp Directions 1. Coat the wood pieces with a thin layer of glue and apply the paper. Draw a line around the edges with the silver paint pen. Using the Dremel tool, make two holes on each piece of wood so you can connect the wood pieces. 2. Using the needle-nose pliers, connect one of the wood squares to the medium chain with a jump ring. Add the other two squares in the same fashion, followed by the chunky chain. Now add the connector, and the three strands of the fine chain. Thread a jump ring through all three strands of the fine chain and connect to the hole in the eye pin. Add the bead and use the needle-nose pliers to bend the wire over onto another jump ring. Connect that to the medium chain. Decide how you want your necklace to hang, and then use the pliers to make a break in the desired chain and add the clasp. Click here for printable directions. *** 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 * Labels: collage/paper, jewelry, wearable art Thursday, November 01, 2007VIDEO: Wood-burned purse Here we go, time for another video!!!  How are you liking these? I have some really bad hair ones coming up, I tell you about them later. At least the craft projects are good!!! Here is the link to watch! enjoy!! *** 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, 2006. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * Labels: crafty video, LifetimeTV, wearable art Monday, October 08, 2007Lucha Libre crafts! Today, my Lucha Libre Craft Lab epsiode airs on HGTV! 7 am! We trick out a wrestler mask and think of fun names for our lucha alter egos that fit our personalities. This would be an awesome Halloween costume, don't you think? We also make mini-shaker wrestler heads (my friend Anita's idea!!!), and lucha placecard holders. Directions for the lucha mask.  Directions for the lucha cascarone eggs.  Directions for the lucha place holder. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: Cinco DeMayo, Craft Lab, Halloween, Latin-inspired, wearable art Saturday, September 22, 2007PROJECT: Sew-n-Sew Necklace A necklace to inspire sew-and-sew Kathy Cano-Murillo Special for The Arizona Republic Sept. 22, 2007 12:00 AM September is National Sewing Month, which means now is a good time to dust off your machine and give it a whirl. Before you dismiss the idea, assuming you have to make a dress from scratch, think again. There are all kinds of easy projects that take minutes to complete. Example: I love to stitch two decorative place mats together, and then add Fiberfill for an instant toss pillow. I'm also addicted to microsize designs. Recently, while sorting through my fabric scraps, I became inspired to make little pillow jewelry pieces. These make adorable earrings and pendants, or you can sew them all together for a cool wrist cuff. I settled for this fabric necklace. You also can make these as appliques to sew onto clothing, quilt or fabric collage projects. Even if you've never picked up a needle and thread, there is no reason to skip out on trying - especially with a place such as Sewin' Asylum (www.sewinasylum.com) at 8805 W. Union Hills Drive, Peoria. Owner Erica Doyle provides a workshop environment where people can come in to finish, start or get help with a project. It's a great plan for those who are interested but who don't have access to a machine. For other sewing ideas and inspirations, check out your local bookstore or cable-TV networks for books and shows. For more information about National Sewing Month, visit www.sewing.org. Supplies Pinking shears 1 fabric image and background fabric for it (3 inches max) 4 pieces of fabric circles (1 1/2 inches round) Fiberfill stuffing Chopstick or pencil Small hole puncher 6 small jump rings Necklace chain Needle-nose pliers Necklace clasp Directions Using the pinking shears, line up the front and back fabric and cut out around the shape that you want as the main pendant. Do the same for the circles. Sew each one around the edges, but leave an opening. Pinch off a gumball-size piece of Fiberfill and roll it into a ball, use the chopstick or pencil to push it through the hole of the pendant and the circles. Sew up the ends. Use the hole puncher to create holes on each side of the pieces, and insert jump rings. Connect to the necklace chain. Use the needle-nose pliers to shorten the chain as desired. Add the clasp. Variations: Connect more pieces together to make a matching bracelet, or make single pieces for earrings. Instead of using necklace chain, sew the pieces together. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: fabric, jewelry, sewing, wearable art Saturday, August 25, 2007Happy Birthday Crown Crown makes birthday a royal treat Kathy Cano-Murillo Special for the Republic Aug. 25, 2007 12:00 AM I recently visited a cute boutique that several friends had told me about. The first thing that caught my eye was a gorgeous birthday crown. It was bright, shiny, glittery, and I wanted it. The problem? None of the three salesclerks took the time to acknowledge me, even though the store was empty, and I stood at the counter waiting for help for several minutes. As the seconds ticked away, I began to second-guess my purchase decision. Yes, it was a cute crown, but all my friends' and family members' birthdays already had passed. And did I really want to spend money in a store where I wasn't feeling the love? I took a deep breath and held up the crown in front of my face. "Hmmm . . . papier-mâché," I thought. At that moment, I knew I wouldn't buy it. I would go home and make my own version! I know mine is not as beautiful or elegant as the store version, but it certainly has more personality. This is a great idea for people of any age because you can choose your colors and embellishments to match their style. Use small wood letters to spell out phrases or names. Plastic crowns can be found at party stores, and Rigid Wrap at craft stores. CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE DIRECTIONS *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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 Saturday, June 30, 20074th of July Glittered Bikini and more Let me start by saying that if I had the bod to wear a bikini, I would make sure that bikini had glitter on it. Until then, this project is dedicated to anyone who can wear a two-piece with pride. I know you are thinking glitter and water normally don't mix, but these days, there are new craft glitters on the market made especially for wearable fabrics. They withstand washings and still come out looking super and sparkly. Don't believe me? Check out any of the department stores to find T-shirts, jeans, shoes and even undergarments tricked out in glitter. If the bikini doesn't set off any fireworks for you, bling out a set of shorts, a tank top or hat. Fourth of July Glittered Bikini Supplies 1 bikini (or other piece of clothing of your choice) Stencil, foam stamps or other kind of pattern Fabric glitter adhesive Makeup sponge Red, white and blue loose fabric glitter (do not use regular glitter, only use glitter made for washable fabrics) Assorted crystals Directions Cover your work area with paper to catch the overflow of the glitter. Set out your bikini or other piece of clothing and decide where you want your designs. Place the stencil on the area and apply the adhesive using the makeup sponge. If you are using a foam stamp, coat the stamp with the adhesive and press down. You may need to "fill in" with a thin paintbrush. Pour the loose glitter over the wet glue and shake off excess. If you don't have a stencil, use a fabric marker to draw your own design. Add crystals where desired. Continue until you have completed your design. Let dry for 24 hours. Wear and enjoy! Variations: If you don't want to use loose glitter, you also can use regular fabric paint or dimensional glitter squeeze paint. And here are some other 4th of July crafty ideas! Americana Folk Art Shrine Statue of Liberty Crown Super Star Snack Book Pool Floatie Thrillin' Grillin' Serving Tray Patriotic Fabric Collage Red, White & Blue Soaps Tin Star Lights *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: glitter, summer/4th of July, wearable art Sunday, May 06, 2007Custom-colored fabric It's time to color your own fabric! I was inspired to share this idea after meeting with my friend Linda Young (organizer of Art Unraveled!) for coffee last week. She was so thrilled with some fabric she painted that she brought samples to share. My suggestion is to color a large batch at one time so you will have it on hand for other projects. Aside from scrapping, use your custom fabric to make jewelry, embellish clothing, purses and anything else you can think of. Sure, there are oodles of fabrics ready to go at the store, but think of how cool it will be to hold up something you made and say, "I even dyed the fabric for this project." Visit your local scrapbook store today to partake in all kinds of paper-friendly activities. CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE DIRECTIONS Now for part two of this project...I didn't have room in my newspaper column to add this, so I'll post it here. I am now hooked on coloring my own fabric because of Tulip's One Step Fashion Dyes.  OK - before I go any further, I have to let you know that now that I'm part of the Duncan familia, I have full-access to any and all of their products. It's like crafty heaven because I can try out all the goods. and just like I've always done on this blog, whatever I make and play with, I'll post it here! So consider me your inside source!! Back in the day, I used to tie dye Patrick's band shirts. I used watered down acrylics in spray bottles, as well as pickle buckets of dye for dipping. I used to have to make them in the back yard and I hated that our pretty green grass got tie dyed as much as the shirts. After a couple years of doing that, I gave up and swore off tie dye. When I started working with Duncan, they gave me some of these One Step Fashion Dyes to try out. At first, I flinched. I didn't want to revisit the pickle bucket era! I tried it anyway, and dang - all those crazy steps are removed! It's all about shaking and squirting now! The Fashion Dyes come in individual plastic bottles with gloves and rubber bands. At he bottom of the bottle is powered dye. All you do is fill the bottle with water and shake, shake, shake - and you are good to go! I took white cotton fabric, wet it, cut it and rubber banded it. I lined my kitchen counter with a large plastic trash bag, set out the fabric and squirted the dye.  Custom Painted Fabric Supplies 1 yard of white (patterned or plain) cotton fabric (make sure it has stain guard on it) Fabric paints (any combination of): watered-down acrylics, squirt, squeeze or spray on fashion dyes, fabric markers Medium resealable bags or plastic wrap Water-based acrylic paints Paintbrush Sink Plastic gloves Rubber bands or string Washing machine Directions: Pre-wash the fabric (no fabric softener), but don't dry it, allowing the color to take. Cut into four pieces so you can dye each piece a different shade. Put on the gloves. To create a tie-dye look: Put rubber bands or string around different sections of the fabric. Using the squeeze, spray on or squirt on dye, apply color to various areas of the fabric. I like to keep my colors in the same hue: for example, purple, fuchsia and pink for one piece of fabric, or blue, green and teal, or yellow, orange and red, etc. Once fabric is covered with dye, put each piece in a separate bag or plastic wrap. For intense colors, let set for several hours, less for lighter tones. Cut off rubber bands or string, rinse in sink, and then run through washing machine, followed by the dryer. Iron and use. Hand-painted fabric: Work on a covered surface. Wet piece of fabric and lay it flat. Dip brush in fabric paint and apply to the material as desired. You can make stripes, circles, paint pictures, use rubber stamps, etc. Use gold paint with a thin liner brush to add accents. For shimmer, spray on permanent glitter. Let dry for several hours and then wash in machine. Dry and iron. Variations: Use white fabric with black patterns, and your end result will have even more dimension. Buy a package of Inkjet fabric sheets and use them to copy your pictures, scrapbook papers, small trinkets, newsprint or wrapping paper. Peel off the backing and sew the sheets together. You can also make your own paper by color-copying your custom fabric onto paper. If you want more of a painted effect, you can use the Tulip Soft Fabric Paint, which is very cool because it dries soft and light and doesn't crack. I combined my colors and watered them down just a bit to get that striped look in the top photo. I also used the gold paint and aliner brush to add some starbursts and squiggles. Last time I was at Duncan's headquarters, they gave me fabric markers to try out!!! I have yet to use them, but when I do, I'll post the details here! One more thing about custom-colored fabric. This is how I make the fabric for my purses! At first I didn't want to share how I did it, because it looks very labor intensive, when really it is pretty easy. But I'm here to share ideas and turn people on to new things, right? It's all about inspiring others! So maybe there is something new and wild you can do with your custom-colored fabric. Did you know you can also color copy it to make your own paper? Stretch it, baby, stretch it!  *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: Cinco DeMayo, fabric, wearable art Friday, April 13, 2007Puffy Fabric Appliques What to do with all those fabric scraps...hmmm...problem solved! Turn them into puffy fabric appliques! I have a box of nothing but fabric scraps, including images I've printed out on fabric paper. Rather than throw all of them out, I salvaged them by making a batch of appliques. These are fun to keep on hand because you can iron them on to t-shirts, totes, jackets, even jeans or shoes. OK, so here is how I did it! Puffy Fabric Appliques  Supplies: pinking shears fabric image (can be cut out from an old t-shirt, or a patch you have or fabric transfer paper) Assorted fabric scraps Pinch of batting Pins Sewing machine fusible web or liquid fusible web (great for heavy duty appliques!) How to make one: Cut out your image and lay it on a piece of fabric that will act as a nice border. Add a pinch of batting between the two pieces and pin in place. Sew it in place. If there are clean lines, sew along thelines to give it more texture. Now sew it to a larger piece and keep adding on until you get it the size you want. When you are done, zigzag around the edges a couple times so it won't fray.  Apply fusible web according to package directions. However, I got so excited, I added painted dots on my ricrack and I really should have waited until i ironed it on my tote bag. But I managed to iron around the paint, no tears - thank goodness! Iron it on your item. I put mine on a tote bag that I plan to garnish even further.  The picture at the very top show appliques that I hand stitched onto Mexican woven totes that I scored for $5 bucks each. For a more sparkling look, pile on the sequins, crystals and glitter. The cool thing about making appliques is you can use those iron on letters, or cut out images from fabric or vintage embroidered tea towels and so forth. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: fabric, sewing, wearable art Tuesday, March 27, 2007El Sol Tropical Tote Here is another project I did for Duncan using Aleene's Fabric Fusion. This is a new fabric adhesive that is not stringy and once you are done with your project, you can even wash or dry clean it! For this bag, I used one placemat, folded it in half and decked it out in fabric, gems and even paint. Here are the directions from DuncanCrafts.com on how to make it. The fabric is from Alexandar Henry, available at St Theresa's Textile Trove. I think this bag would be super sweet for going to a Latin dance night, or a reggae concert. Or a downtown coffeehouse, any place tropical and colorful. If you are going on vacation this spring or summer, you can make one just for the trip! You can also personalize it by making a fabric transfer of any photo you want and use Fabric Fusion to apply it to the placemat. It's also a spiffy way to use up fabric scraps. I didn't include this in the directions, because I didn't want to overwhelm anyone - but the sun fabric? I dyed that! I like to buy vintage dishtowels and then dye them keep them for use with my collage projects. The dyeing part isn't as extreme as it sounds. You can pick up a bottle of Tulip Fashion Dye - it is a bottle that comes with colored powder at the bottom. You just fill it up with water, shake it and BAM! Squirt it on your fabric!! I'll have a tutorial later on it. Next time I dye a batch of fabric, I'll video tape it and post it. No need to plug in the sewing machine for this happenin’ handbag. All you need is a placemat, Fabric Fusion and some fabric and you are set to go! Designed and Decorated by Kathy Murillo Materials List
Instructions 1. Fold the placemat in half width-wise. You want to close up the sides to create the purse. Use the Aleene's Fabric Fusion to add a line of glue up the sides to connect them. Use the binder clips to hold them in place to dry. 2. Cut out an image from the fabric (in my case, it was the rumba girl) and apply a thin layer of Aleene's Fabric Fusion to the back and lay the fabric image in place. Smooth it out with your fingers. 3. To the side, create a sun by cutting a circle of fabric, gluing it down and then cutting small triangles of contrasting fabric and gluing them down to look like flames. Cut out letters (or you can use iron-on letters) to say “El Sol”. Let dry. 4. Add the iron-on crystals and create textured accents by using the Tulip 3D Fashion Paint. Let dry. 4. Add the handles using fabric to secure them, use the Fabric Fusion to affix them to the fabric and clips to hold them in place until the glue dries. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: fabric, multi-culti, wearable art Wednesday, November 29, 2006Decoupaged shoes  Patrick and I are so slammed with orders right now it is not even funny. We seriously need to hire some help to keep up with everything. It's difficult because I'm in the mood to create new things, but customer orders come first. Luckily, I had an opportunity to slip in a little sumpin' sumpin' the other day. I had to pose for a photo shoot for a new ad campaign I'm doing for Duncan Crafts and I needed some serious shoe help. But not any foot covers would do. Recently I made some Crafty Chica collage paper and have been using it in my shrine making classes. So far, my students love it. I'm not sure if I will be selling it yet, or just keeping it to my own work. Meanwhile, I used it to funk up a pair of heels. I bought these shoes (when they were blank) at a thrift store last year. The smooth wood platform heels lured me in. I was going to woodburn them, but opted for tried and true decoupage and I'm glad I did. I used Aleene's Tacky Glue to adhere to paper, and Tulip fabric paint for the band that goes across my foot. I'm going to cover them in a thick coat of varnish next. Anyway, it felt so good to vary away from mass producing, even if for a couple hours. These are my Christmas shoes and I *heart* them! *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: holiday, wearable art Wish Upon a Star Thread Bracelets (Photo copyright Arizona Republic, 2006) This is the season for magic, dreams and wishes. Everyone has a secret plan they hope will come to fruition some day. This little bracelet will help. The idea is to give the bracelet to someone and tell the person to wish upon the star and then tie the bracelet around the wrist or ankle. When the thread wears down and breaks, the star charm will be released into the universe and soon the recipient's wish will come true! Supplies: 1 long piece of thread (about 24 inches) 1 star charm 1 piece of colorful card stock with the directions written on it Small bracelet gift box Craft paint Directions: Paint and decorate the box and set aside to dry. Double the thread and slide on the charm. Leave the ends open so the person can tie it on. Place the bracelet in the box with the directions. Tip: Instead of just one bracelet, give your friend two so they can pass one on as well. Better yet, give them several to use throughout the month. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: holiday, wearable art Wednesday, November 22, 2006Changeable Art Purse (Photo: Jill Richards, The Arizona Republic, copyright 2006) Sometimes hand-painted and decoupaged purses are too pretty to actually use, which is why I was so excited to find the Changeable Art Purse by Pursue Your Art ($29.95, pursueyourart.com). The handbag comes with all kinds of plastic sleeves to slip in artwork or assorted photos. This is a great gift for someone who is always creating something new, or for someone who is just testing the crafty waters; you can embellish as much or as little as you like. Supplies: 1 Changeable Art Purse Blank artist trading cards Decorative paper or fabric Glue sticks Paper embellishments: rub-on letters, stickers, brads, glitter, sequins, etc. Vintage images came from ArtChixStudio.com. Directions: Think of a theme for your purse, and create. Using a glue stick, line the cards with your favorite paper or fabric. Continue to decorate the cards using the embellishments. While they are drying, remove the template from the purse and cut a piece of fabric or paper to fit it. Slip it in the purse to act as the lining. Insert the artist trading cards in the pockets. It looks like this before you decorate it:  Here is where you order one! *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: holiday, wearable art Saturday, October 21, 2006Beehive Wig  Haven't you always wanted to go out in a beehive wig? OK, if you already do that, how about one with flowers and plastic ants in it? This is a super easy Halloween get-up because all you do is make this wig and then throw on a black frock with some loud, bouncy, clangy jewelry and you are set to go! And you can theme your wig to whatever you want, like a flower garden, a spider's condo, anything!! Use hot glue to add the goodies on it. Consider it a blank canvas. There are gobs of options, but being supercrafty, I couldn't settle on an "as-is" version. Embellishment is the key. My inspiration comes from the band the B-52's, the artwork of SHAG and the fact that I've always wanted an excuse to wear a blond beehive to work. (Halloween is on a Tuesday.) The traditional way to create a beehive is to tease, tease, tease using a comb - but in the crafty world, a shortcut will do. This idea can be adapted to your own style. When it comes to decorating, choose a theme such as sparkly brooches, a flower garden, an anime character, scary spiders or even minizoo animals. Think extreme. Wear a black cocktail dress - maybe some flirty lashes and chunky jewelry and you'll be set for the party. You can find basic wigs at any costume or party store, or you can buy a quality version at a local wig store. Special thanks to Anna Marie of www.DeviousWigs .com for the wig tips. Sources for Fantasy Fiber include www.ArtGlitter.com. Beehive Wig Supplies • 1 wig, long straight hair • Embroidery floss, needle • 1 piece of batting (24 by 6 inches) rolled up • Foam wig head • Teasing comb • 1 can of Aqua Net hair spray • 1 package Fantasy Fiber • Hair clips • Hot glue • Embellishments for hair: gems, flowers, leaves, plastic insects, etc. • Spray glitter Directions: Move the hair away from the crown of the wig. Using the embroidery floss and needle and working from the inside of the wig, hand stitch on the roll of batting so it stands up on the outside of the wig. This will give your beehive proper shape. Slip the wig on the foam head. Use the comb to separate a layer of hair at the crown of the wig. Holding one chunk at a time, bring hair up and swirl it around the batting, using the Aqua Net as the adhesive. Repeat until the batting is covered and the wig looks complete. Take the Fantasy Fiber and stretch it in random places around the wig for an extra shiny look. Let it set until firm. Embellish using hot glue. Add whatever decorations you want, such as flowers, plastic insect, gems, etc. Add a light layer of spray glitter for a finished look. Let dry and then use. Tip: Flatten your hair so the wig will fit your skull better. Special thanks to Anna Marie from DeviousWigs.com for her help with htis project. Check out her web site, she is a wig artista!!! *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: Halloween, wearable art Friday, September 08, 2006Fabric Collage Handbag This has to be my favorite project I've made this year. It looks like just a handbag, but I actually dyed the fabrics and then pieced them together and the sewed on glittery embellishments. I won't lie, it's a hefty project - took me about 10 hours total. But it was worth it. Today's project just about killed me, but I finished it. I call it Kamikaze Purse Making 101, and here's how it went down. A couple of weeks ago, at Art Unraveled, a national altered-art conference, I joined hundreds of serious crafters whose creations went beyond the norm. The crafters dyed their own fabrics, spun their yarn and worked all kinds of extreme magic on basic techniques. Once the event was over, I felt empowered to take on a challenging project and came up with this crazy fabric collage purse. The dang thing took me 10 hours over a span of three days to dye, draw and paint images, copy them onto fabric sheets and then unite them using multistrand metallic thread. It wasn't a pretty process, but it did help that I watched Project Runway for motivation. However, when I was almost done with the topstitching, my sewing machine broke (or rather, it revolted). I refused to give in. I marched into a Target store 20 minutes before it closed, bought a new sewing machine and stayed up until 2 a.m., until the last stitch was sewn. I'm so happy I did. Sure, it would have been easier to use a pattern, but I wanted (needed) to freestyle my way through the concept. Now that I look back, that's what I loved the most. This purse combines contrasting fabric swatches in various sizes to create a patchwork look. To keep with the theme of the fabric, I used painted embroidery hoops for the handles. If it seems overwhelming, there are many shortcuts, such as using a blank canvas purse or starting with pre-printed fabric, instead of dying your own. There are no set rules, and in the end, you will have a funky, textured bag that will be worthy of any art conference. Fabric Collage Handbag Supplies Assorted fabric Scissors, sewing needle Solid fabric to use as lining for the bag Assorted images printed on fabric sheets (sheets you insert in your printer, available at the craft store) Letter or decorative foam stamps, acrylic paint Assorted trims, yarns, ribbons, metallic threads, embroidery floss, etc. Straight pins Sewing machine 2 medium embroidery hoops Beads, buttons, charms If you want to dye your own fabric you'll need: 1 yard of cotton muslin, assorted high-quality fabric dyes (found at the craft store), plastic gloves. Cut fabric into four squares, and following the directions on the package, dye each one a different color scheme (red/orange, blue/green, purple/pink, etc). Directions: Cut your fabric into various squares, rectangles and smaller squares. Stick with shapes that will work well together. For example, I used 6 by 6 inches, 3 inches by 6 inches and 3 by 3 inches. Using contrasting colors of fabric, lay out the pieces to make up one panel of the handbag. Embellish each piece by sewing on fabric images, stamping words, adding trims, etc. When finished, pin half of it together and sew the pieces together. Repeat for remaining pieces until the panel is complete. Repeat the entire process for the other panel of the handbag. If necessary, use the zigzag function on your sewing machine to seam the edges of the fabric so they won't fray. To assemble: Face pieces right side in and sew around edges. Flip right side out and insert lining. Use the zigzag function to seam the top border. Paint the embroidery hoops and let dry. Stitch them to the inside of each side. If desired, continue embellishing the bag. Variations: If you are experienced with sewing, add a 2-inch piece of fabric in between the two panels to give the purse more interior room. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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 Sunday, August 27, 2006Reconstructed Jewelry A few weeks ago, I inherited a 10-pound bag of costume jewelry. At first, I didn't know what to make of it. I peeked inside to find a huge, tangled mess of mismatched pieces. Once I took a closer look, I realized it was a treasure- trove of opportunity. I'm talking a major pirate's booty score! With my first scoop I lifted out a handful of shiny, sparkling goodies: several decades' worth of rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and rings. I cleared off my worktable, whipped out my needle-nose pliers and went to work on major jewelry reconstruction. I turned old pins into mod-looking necklaces, small pendants into earrings, boring necklaces into charm bracelets and so on. The best part? I didn't need to buy a lot of supplies, just a bag of assorted jump rings to connect the pieces. I highly suggest giving this project a try. It's easy to execute and you'll end up with a variety of one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. To start, visit your local thrift store or flea market and buy all of the vintage costume jewelry you can. (Look for the discounted, tangled stuff.) Once you are home and have a pile of it in front of you, disassemble everything and find new ways to put it back together. I've decided that for my next round of designing, I'll incorporate contemporary elements along with glass beads and charms. This idea also works great for a girls' night out. Ask your friends to bring a sandwich-size baggie from their personal jewelry graveyard. When you meet, dump all of the pieces in the center of a table and have everyone dig in. At the end, everyone swaps pieces. Not only will it make for a fun activity, you'll also have new jewelry to show off. Reconstructed Jewelry Supplies • Assorted pieces of vintage or contemporary costume jewelry • Needle-nose pliers • Assorted chains, cording, ribbons • Jump rings in assorted sizes • Jewelry findings: clasps, fishhook earrings, ring blanks • Industrial Strength Adhesive • Assorted glass beads and eye pins (optional) Directions: Lay out all of the jewelry pieces and choose the ones that will make nice pendants, charms or earrings. Match chains, cording and ribbons with the jewelry pieces. To turn brooches into necklaces, add two jump rings to the pin and then add a strand of chain to each side. Add a clasp at the top. To turn an old earring into a charm, add a jump ring to the top hole. Some pieces may not have a hole. In that case, use extra-strength adhesive to adhere a jump ring to the jewelry. Let dry for an hour before connecting to a chain. Follow similar steps to make earrings and charm bracelets. To make rings, use the industrial-strength adhesive to attach a jewelry piece to the top of a ring blank. Variations: If you find pieces made of wood, use a drill to make holes to connect them to a chain. If you like, use eye pins to add beads to your necklace, charm bracelets or earrings. If you need chain, check out a bead shop or craft store to find different grades. You also can use old jewelry pieces to brighten up a picture frame or other home décor items. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: jewelry, wearable art Saturday, July 29, 2006Ice Age Bracelet (Photo and text copyright Kathy Cano Murillo/The Arizona Republic, 2006) Visualization is the key with this bold bauble bracelet that looks just like frozen ice cubes. Supplies: Plastic ice cube tray, Easy Cast resin, blue resin coloring, gold micro stars, paper cup, chopstick for stirring, disposable measuring cup, needle nose pliers, drill, jump rings, bracelet clasp. Directions: Mix the resin according to package directions (using cup, chopstick and measuring cup) and pour an approximately 1/4-inch layer into dry ice cube tray compartments. Sprinkle in gold stars. Let set for four hours. Mix up a new batch of resin, but this time add one drop of blue resin coloring. Dab on a thin layer on each cube. Keep it thin, because it is just to give it a faint blue tinge from behind. Let cure for 24 hours. Pop the pieces out of the tray. On each side, drill a hole at an angle, coming out the bottom. Using pliers, insert a jump ring and connect the pieces. Attach bracelet clasp. Note: After you've finished, do not use this ice cube tray to make real ice. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: jewelry, summer/4th of July, wearable art Beach Towel Tote (Photo and text copyright Kathy Cano Murillo/The Arizona Republic, 2006) Beach towels may be on clearance at the store, but we're still diving into the pool at every opportunity. Here's a way to take one of those jumbo towels and transform it into a functional (and very cute) tote bag. Supplies: 40- by 70-inch beach towel with wide trim, pinking shears, sewing machine, thread, pins. Directions: Fold the towel lengthwise. Cut the trim off one end of the towel and set aside, this will be the handles of the bag. At the other end, keep the trim (this is the bottom of the bag) and cut about 12 inches up (this is the top of the bag). Toss aside the excess, you will not need it. Unfold the towel and hem the raw edge by using the zigzag function on your sewing machine (to prevent fraying). Sew again with a regular stitch. Fold the towel again in the same fashion and sew the sides and bottom. Using the trim from the other end, cut it in half so you have two straps. Stitch the raw ends using the zigzag function. Sew one strip on the inside of each side of the bag so you end up with two handles. Note: Use the excess towel to make another tote! *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: summer/4th of July, wearable art Ice Cream T-Shirt (Photo and text copyright Kathy Cano Murillo/The Arizona Republic, 2006) If you don't have time to eat the creamy stuff, you can at least wear it. Color copy the front of your favorite icy sweet treat (Italian ice, Mexican paletas, Orange Dreamsicle) onto fabric paper, affix it to a tank and you are good to go. Supplies: 1 box of ice cream treats 1 sheet of fabric paper 1 sheet of HeatnBond fabric transfer 1 bottle of fabric squeeze paint Iron Directions: Using the high-resolution setting, color copy the front of the box onto a sheet of fabric paper, either at your local copy center or using your inkjet printer. Cut out the shape of the image, as well as a piece of HeatnBond to match. Iron the two pieces together, remove the protective backing, set in place on the tank and iron in place. Refer to HeatnBond package directions for specifics. Let cool. Use fabric squeeze paint to add small dots to outline the image on the shirt for durability. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: summer/4th of July, wearable art Arctic Eye Mask (Photo and text copyright Kathy Cano Murillo/The Arizona Republic, 2006) This mask takes minutes to make and is a luscious treat for tired eyes. This little baby goes in the fridge as well, so it will be chilly to the touch. After a hard day at work or working on the lawn, lie down and plop it over your eyes for ultimate relaxation. Supplies: 2 pieces of cotton fabric, each 6 by 3 inches Straight pins Pinking shears Sewing machine or needle and thread 1 cup of rice Essential oil (if desired) Directions: Line up the two pieces of fabric, right side out, and pin around three sides. Sew with straight stitch around the three sides, removing pins as you go. Pour in rice and sew up the top. Sew another seam around the whole mask. Use the pinking shears to trim the excess fabric around the edges. Store mask in freezer or fridge. Variation: When adding rice, add one to two drops of essential oil. Experiment with different fabrics such as satin or ultra suede, to see which you like best. Make several bags so you can rotate them. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: beauty, summer/4th of July, wearable art Friday, June 30, 2006Statue of Liberty Crown It's the 4th of July weekend, what are your kids up to? If they are little, glam them up with one of these easy crowns. It's perfect for watching the fireworks. And if you are a kid at heart, make one for you too! I also made a really cool red, white and blue, but I can't find it! As soon as I do, I'll post a picture of it here. By the way, this crown is made from a visor, straws and lots of glitter! The Fourth of July is all about flash and sparkle, especially when it comes to kids and big fireworks shows. Dress your little ones in style with this quick-to-make accessory that is sure to fire up patriotic spirit. With a foam visor, plastic drinking straws, glitter and embellishments, you and your child can make a stylin' crown so impressive, Uncle Sam would give a wink and two thumbs up. Flashy Fireworks Headdress Supplies 1 red, white or blue visor Drinking straws Hot glue gun Red, white or blue paint, with loose glitter to match Paintbrush Scissors Embellishments such as foam decorations, buttons and sequins Directions Turn the visor upside down so it becomes a crown/tiara. Hot glue the straws vertically so they are closer at the bottom and about an inch apart at the top. Cut the excess of the straws along the bottom of the crown. Use the brush to apply paint in between and on the straws, sprinkle the loose glitter. Let dry. Hot glue the other embellishments such as buttons, sequins, and letters. Variations Instead of red, white and blue, make a Statue of Liberty crown using a green visor. This idea can be used for different events all year, such as birthday parties or New Year's Eve. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: other holidays, summer/4th of July, wearable art Thursday, June 22, 2006Sassy Spool Necklace Charm  My husband doesn't get this week's project. He doesn't understand that there is a secret code between crafters - that we can spot each other in a crowd thanks to little clues. Especially when we wear a spool of thread as a necklace. OK, it's not as weird as it sounds. Every time I go to the fabric store, I longingly gaze at the thread display. The spools are lined up like cupcakes in a bakery display, all colorful and yummy-looking. Despite the excitement, a sense of sadness sweeps over me because I know I'll never have enough time to use every hue. So rather than call a crafty counselor to vent, I bought all my favorite colors and vowed to make something fabulous. I added a few beads, some velvet cording, connected them with eye pins and voila!: the birth of a necklace that any artista can wear with pride. Keep in mind, the spool is meant to be a pendant. But if you ever happen to need some thread, you'll be in luck! Super Spool Necklace Supplies 1 small spool of thread Patterned fabric or decorative scrapbook paper 1 bag of eye pins, 2 inches long each Assorted beads Large jump ring Cording, ribbon or chain Needle-nose pliers Scissors Glue stick Directions: Remove the label from both ends of the spool and using the glue stick, replace with circles cut from the patterned paper. Thread a bead on an eye pin and slide on to the spool; use the needle-nose pliers to add to the jump ring at the top. Create dangles for the bottom of the spool by adding a bead to another eye pin. Repeat until you have as many as you want. Use the pliers to attach dangle to the eyehole at the bottom of the spool. Attach the necklace cord by tying it to the jump ring. If desired, cut a small strip of decorative paper and glue it around the spool. Variations: For a bolder look, use the spools to make necklaces and bracelets. Or use it as a fan pull for the craft room, or use several to create a colorful hanging mobile. You could also use long strands of ribbon to hold spools and hang them on mug hooks in your sewing room to add a touch of décor, as well as easy-to-reach functionality. Look for minisewing kits that have micro-size spools to make smaller jewelry pieces. And while we're at it. Aren't these pins so cute? I got them at the Renegade Craft Fair.  *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: jewelry, wearable art Wednesday, June 21, 2006Puppy Paw Protectors Meet Lola. She is my sister's beagle. We like to take her on walks. But when the Arizona pavement is hot enough to melt a stick of butter, an outing is out of the question. So I crocheted these booties from lightweight cotton yarn. Lola gives them five barks and two paws up. NOTE: I'm reposting this from last year because I hate to see people walking their dogs on the hot asphalt and when the poor pooch run towards the grass, the owners tug them by the leash and say, "Come on! Behave! Stay over here!" I even saw one dog stepping in his owner's footprint shadows thinking it would be cooler. These paw protectors don't take very long to whip up. Just because it's hot doesn't mean Fido should be stuck in the doghouse. So take him or her for a walk already, and don't worry about the heat. Here's a fashionable way to protect your pooch's paws from the searing pavement. You can buy a set for $20 at the pet store, or take up the art of crochet and make your own for less than a dollar and less than an hour's time. This project is perfect for summer; the loose crochet stitches combined with lightweight cotton yarn will keep those footsies cool from top to bottom. Pavement Paw Protectors Supplies: Measuring tape 1 skein of lightweight cotton yarn 1 Size J crochet hook Scissors 24 inches of ribbon Directions: Measure the width of your dog's paw. Next, measure the length and add two inches to that number. This is how wide and long you need to make each bootie. For a medium-size dog: Begin by holding the end of the yarn, making a slipknot and inserting the hook through the loop. Make 6 or 7 chain stitches; at the end, join them to make a circle. Begin to create the bootie by adding stitches around the circle, using the double stitch. Continue to build up to desired height and then finish off. Cut four pieces of ribbon, each 8 inches long. Weave a strand through the top row of each bootie so you can tie it on the dog's paw. Variations: For smaller dogs, decrease the amount of chain stitches; for larger dogs, increase. For more durable booties, sew a small piece of suede onto the bottom. Add decorative stitching at the top. If you do not want to crochet, you can make the booties out of fleece and use Velcro straps for closure. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: outdoors, pets, wearable art Felt iPod/Blackberry Case  The kids just got Nanos, which inspired me to make some little felt sleeves for them. This is a nifty project for kids or teens to do for the summer. These little suckers are just made out of sheets of regular .20 craft felt! The fun part is that you can whip up several to match whatever outfit or purse you want to wear. You can also make them to use as coin purses, cell phones, Blackberrys or to hold small art supplies in your craft room or craft case. It's sweet because it's all nice and cushiony soft. By the way, this project is super easy, but lots more detail can be added if you want, such as embroidery, bead, trim, fringe, buttons, etc... Supplies: 2 sheets of craft felt Scissors, ruler Needle and thread or sewing machine Applique if desired Button and ribbon (or other closure device such as velcro or a snap) How to do it: Measure an extra inch beyond the size of what you are making the sleeve for. I made two cases for my iPod Mini. I simply stacked the two pieces of felt and sliced it up the center lengthwise. Keep one set and sew them together all around the seams, as close to the edge as possible. Fold up where you want, so your iPod will fit nice and then sew up the sides. If you want to add an applique, do it before you sew up the sides. If you don't have a serger to seal down the edges of the applique, then just use the zig zag stitch on your sewing machine. TIP: You don't really need a ruler, you can pretty much eyeball the size. For the regular sized iPod, you will need to cut and then sew the flap on separate. Sew the button on the bottom portion and then tack on the ribbon on the top of the flap so you can wrap it around the button to close the case. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: sewing, wearable art Tuesday, June 20, 2006Gliiter 'n Glam Ring I apologize for the long run without new ideas! I've been traveling so much this summer, I haven't had much time. But I'm back in the crafty saddle. First up - Glitter n Glam Rings! I was inspired to make these after indulging in way too much gourmet glitter from ArtGlitter.com. Supplies: Resin Jewelry Molds (see pic below, available at Hobby Lobby and other craft stores) EasyCast resin (available at Hobby Lobby and other craft stores) Mixing cups, measuring cup, chopstick for stirring (found at craft store) Mini-straw Ring blanks (I buy mine on eBay) Loose glitter (the more dimensional in color, the better) How to do it: Prepare the resin mixture according to the package directions - EXACTLY. Do not "eyeball" the measurements because your resin will not set and you will cry. Pour a small amount of the resin in the mold, blow with straw to remove gas bubbles. When resin is clear, pour in the glitter almost to the top of the mold, but not all the way. Now pour in another thin layer of resin. Use the chopstick to move the resin around so it covers all of the glitter. Blow out bubbles with straw. Let set for 24 hours. Add one more thin layer of resin and set the ring blank face down*. Let sit for 24 hours. Pop out of mold and use a file or sandpaper to smooth down the edges. If desired, use a buffing tool to make the ring shiny. *Alternative: You can skip the last part and just use E6000 to glue the ring blank on. Also, you can embed other small object or pictures by printing them out on high gloss photo paper.  Resin jewelry mold  EasyCast Resin *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: glitter, jewelry, resin, rings, wearable art Sunday, May 14, 2006Homegirl Laptop Sleeve Last week I bought an adorable 12" iBook G4 and I love it sooo much! I wanted to buy a little sleeve for it but all I could find were boring, expensive options. My little iBook is very special to me, it deserves better! So last night, I made my own. I cut four pieces of fabric (two types) that measured a bit wider on each side to allow for my seams. I made two "sandwiches" that consisted of two pieces of contrasting fabric with a double layer of batting inside. And then I sewed loopey-loops all over each seamed sandwich to keep the batting in place and stitched the two together.  This is what you call homegirl crafting. I was so excited - plus I was delirious with a cold - that I didn't even measure anything. I eyeballed the whole thing. It's a little uneven in spots, but only I can notice where. My original plan was to not have a flap, but to have the top come together with a zipper. But alas, my eyeball measurements needed glasses. I measured a bit too small lengthwise. So instead of crying and pitching it across the room in a Mariah Carey fit of rage, I relaxed and simply made one more fabric/batting sandwhich, stitched it on, added a button to the front and some ribbon to close it and there ya go! It's way better than any store bought sleeve! Now I have to go find a sturdy travel bag to carry it in!  TIP: This is a great project to use up fabric scraps. It will make the laptop sleeve more funky if you have all different kinds of patterns. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: Latin-inspired, multi-culti, sewing, wearable art Saturday, May 06, 2006Bohemian Ankle Bracelet Sandal season is in full swing, which means it's time to flaunt those ankles. What better way than to combine ribbon and charms for an earthy, East Village bohemian look? My best tip for this project is to work under good lighting because you will be stitching small jump rings to a thin piece of velvet ribbon. It's worth the detailed effort: The end result is a colorful, dangly anklet that is all about movement and sass! Supplies Thin velvet ribbon Small charms, faux coins, beads, etc. Assorted multicolored beads 1 package of small jump rings Embroidery thread (same color as ribbon), needle 1 medium jump ring Bracelet clasp Needle-nose pliers Directions: Measure your ankle, add 1 inch to the number and cut a piece of ribbon to that size. Find the middle of the ribbon and attach a small jump ring to it by hand-stitching it on with the embroidery thread and needle. Add jump rings to the left and then to the right so you have a row of jump rings sewn onto the ribbon. Using the needle-nose pliers, open each jump ring and attach a charm. If you want to add beads, put them on head pins and attach to jump rings. Close each jump ring so charms will not come off. On each end of the ribbon, add a medium jump ring by feeding the ribbon through and sewing the end. Add clasp. Variation: Use different kinds of ribbons to vary looks. Make a choker or wrist bracelet to match. You can sew the charms right to the ribbon, but they won't dangle as much. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: jewelry, summer/4th of July, wearable art Tuesday, April 18, 2006Fit to a Tee! Last month I had the privilege to sit down over coffee with the talented and radiant Megan Nicolay, author of Generation-T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt.  Megan is just as gorgeous as she looks on the book cover, with the added benefit of a great sense of humor!  Thank you to Carrie Wheeler from AZCentral for putting all these stories online and giving them such great play! Before I go on with the link parade, visit Carrie's comical and informative Spinning Wheels blog on beauty, fashion and celebrity commentary! Back to T-shirts. Here is a link to the story I wrote for last Saturday's The Arizona Republic on T-shirt reconstruction, which featured my interview with Megan about her book, as well as two fabulous Phoenix designers, Miriam Navarro and Yesenia Puente of Lola y Lola. Here is a link to directions for making a project from Megan's book. Here are tips from Megan.  Here is a link to Lola y Lola's MySpace page. While you are at it, check out these other "must-have' books on the topic!  Tease: 50 Inspired T-shirt Transformations, edited by Sarah Sockit (Perigee, 2006, $15.95 paperback).  99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim & Tie Your T-Shirt Into Something Special, by Faith and Justina Blakeney, Anka Livakovic and Ellen Schultz (Potter Craft, 2006, $19.95 hardback). OK, go cut up a T-shirt already! *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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 Friday, March 24, 2006This Charming Ring One spool of wire can lead to a lifetime of flirty finger embellishments. Here's my recipe for whipping up a batch of beaded baubles for you and the gang. I've recently come off a charm bracelet bender. After spending several weeks connecting abstract objects to a chain, I've curbed my obsession, or at least toned it down. I never let anything go to waste. Therefore, I took a spool of wire and the leftover beads, buttons and charms from my bracelet projects and made these adorable charm rings. Use your finger as a guide to shape the base and then add whatever you like at the top. I secured a jump ring to add dangling beads, and on others I anchored a button, charm or bead at the top. I love this idea because it has a speedy result, which is great if you want to make jewelry but don't have the time or energy to devote to a bracelet or necklace. For a higher quality ring, use sterling silver wire. All supplies can be found at local craft or bead stores. Charm Rings Supplies 1 spool of 18- or 24-gauge wire (sterling silver is best) Needle nose pliers with cutting device Small jump rings Assorted charms, beads or buttons Ring sizer (optional) Directions: Cut off an 18-inch piece of wire. Using your finger or a ring sizer, wrap the wire around it four to five times to create the base of the ring. Straighten out the tail of extra wire. On the ring's base, position the raw end of the wire at the top and pinch in place. Feed the tail through the hole of the base and up and around the top to cover. Pull it tight to cover that raw end. Straighten the remaining length of the tail, and if you want to have a ring with dangling charms, slip on the small jump ring and feed the wire through it to secure it to the top of the ring so it stands upright. (If you don't want dangles, you can skip the jump ring and feed on a bead, button or charm.) Make sure the end of the wire is lodged between the layers of wire. Add beads or charms to small head pins. Using the needle nose pliers, attach the head pins to the jump ring by bending the wire over the jump ring. Tips and variations: For more of a "wrapped" look, cut a longer piece of wire (about 22 inches) and after you make the circles for the ring base, use the tail to wrap around it. For a gaudy look, add a lot of dangling beads; for a daintier look, add a few small ones. Think of other objects to add such as bottle caps, birthstone gems, small fabric or silk flowers. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: jewelry, recycled, rings, wearable art Sunday, March 12, 2006Embossed Jewelry I've been swimming in the world of embossing powders and rubber stamps these days. Seeing that I'm designing a line of stamps soon, I thought it would be a great idea. So here is a little project I did with wood pieces and embossing powder. Thank you to Judy Ross from the Creative Quest for helping me! Embossing is a technique often used in scrapbooking, altered arts and any other kind of paper arts you can think of. Therefore, it's time to mix it up a bit and use it in jewelry. My inspiration this week comes from stamp queen Judy Ross of The Creative Quest in Glendale, who recently gave me a crash course in the various types of products. I've dabbled with embossing powders before, but more as an experimental exercise than a focused mission. This project is perfect for beginners because by using small wood pieces, you can play around with different colors and images and use them for a variety of purposes. If you make a mistake, it will have a weathered look and can still be used in your work. All items can be found at any craft or paper arts store. Embossed Jewelry Supplies: Assorted small wood pieces Assorted dobber-type paper inks Embossing stamp pad Assorted rubber stamps Embossing powder Embossing tool Hand-held drill Necklace chain or cording Jump rings Directions: Use the paper inks to color the wood pieces. Let dry. Dot the embossing pad over the surface of the rubber stamp until it is generously covered. Press in desired place on the wood piece - be careful not to smear. Pour embossing powder over the wet surface and tap off excess as much as possible. Heat with embossing tool until the powder dries to a shiny, raised look. Let cool. Repeat for other pieces. Drill holes where desired in order to connect the pieces or attach the cording or chain. Variations: Use small wood pieces to make funky picture bracelets, or use letter stamps to spell out words or phrases. Instead of using as jewelry, make an assortment of the wood pieces and store them in a baggie for use on future craft projects. Event of the week: Speaking of The Creative Quest, the Glendale paper arts store is hosting a weekend with artist Traci Bautista. Known for her vibrant collaged paper that she dyes, sews, scrapes, stencils and glazes, she will start Friday with a demo and trunk show, followed by a two-day workshop. Students will learn paper painting and doodle lettering and will complete an art journal from their work. Details: 6-8 p.m. Friday (demo and sale); 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Price for two-day class is $200. 7146 N. 57th Drive, Glendale. Call (623) 847-2215 to make a class reservation. *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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: jewelry, wearable art Saturday, January 28, 2006Sneek peek Here's a sneak peek at a project from the new book! *** STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * 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 Saturday, January 07, 2006Spectacular Sweater Clips  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 Monday, December 12, 2005Felt Flower Hat  This is a great project if you want to cheat a little, but still make something by hand. Buy a scarf or a hat and then make a felt flower and sew it on! You can also use the felt flowers to sew onto a pair of socks, a handbag, a sweater, a journal, etc. I love the concept of buying something and then embellishing it. It's kinda like going to the bakery and buying two dozen cupcakes unfrosted - that way you can put all your time into decorating them! I often look for items with smooth surfaces that I can paint or decoupage on. That way it is still one-of-a-kind but it won't kill you time wise to add a handmade touch! * 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: flowers, sewing, wearable art Sunday, October 30, 2005Dia de los Muertos Charm Bracelet Looking for something spectacular and special to wear for Dia de los Muertos on Monday and Tuesday? I know, I know - a calaca mask won'tr exactly be appropriate for the office or classroom. Instead, wear your skeleton style with this dangly charm bracelet! Whatcha you need: Chain link bracelet Charms, beads Eye pins, head pins Needlenose pliers White polymer clay, black paint Glue Whatcha do to make it: Pinch off small bits of clay and shape into mini skulls. Clip an eye pin down so you can insert it in the top of the skull (so you can hang it from the bracelet). Bake per directions on package. Now feed beads thru headpins and attach to link bracelet. I like mine super dangly, so I add one or two charms/beads to each link. After skulls are done baking, use the head pin to paint on eyes, nose and teeth. Add a teeny drop of glue to hold eyepin in place, attach to bracelet. This is a project from my La Casa Loca book. Thought I'd share it with you!  * 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, Day of the Dead, jewelry, Latin-inspired, wearable art Friday, October 21, 2005Monster Candy Bags After going to all the trouble of assembling an award-worthy costume for your kids, it would be a crime to send them out trick-or-treating with a boring plastic pumpkin candy basket. Go that extra step and whip up an adorable furry friend that serves a great purpose. These monster bags can be made in any size, only take a few minutes to assemble and will make a happy statement for collecting candy. Visit your local fabric store to find fur in all kinds of crazy colors to match almost any kind of outfit. And after Halloween has come and gone, they will make great accessories year-round, because monsters never go out of style. Elmo can vouch for that. Supplies 1/2 yard of fluffy faux fur in desired color Scissors Straight pins Sewing machine or fabric glue White craft glue Googly eyes 1/2 yard of thick ribbon (for strap or handles) Directions: Cut two pieces of fur each measuring 12 by 12 inches. After making the cut, pull off any loose fur fibers. Line up the two pieces fur-side in and pin three sides in place. Sew around three sides, backstitching and the beginning and ending stitch. Trim excess fur around edges, along top of the seam. Measure desired length of ribbon to make strap. Sew each end of strap to the inner seam of bag through opening. Be sure to sew several seams around attached area to secure handles. Trim any hanging threads. Arrange eyes on bag and use white craft glue to attach them. Let bag dry before using. * 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: Halloween, sewing, wearable art Friday, September 16, 2005Flirty Girl Necklaces This week my husband challenged me to use only black and white in my project. These retro pictures worked perfect for that dare! But once I was done with my column project, you know I made oodles of more items using my normal bright colors...Anyway, the outcome is some flirty fun necklaces I made using "EasyCast" resin mixture and images from Art Chix Studio. Article: Photo packages, moldable resins come together in wearable artA couple of weeks ago I attended Art Unraveled, a national conference that specialized in altered arts. Despite the intriguing workshops, the one thing everyone was giddy about was the Shopping Extravaganza. It's there that I discovered ArtChix Studio. This online company specializes in a variety of vintage images that are presented set in collage sheets, rubber stamps and transparencies. I picked up a sheet of black-and-white pictures titled "Flirt" that has assorted pictures of models from decades ago. Instead of using them in a paper project, I liked them so much I wanted to wear them. So I went with casting the pictures in resin, and I used molds to form the pendants. To buy the images, visit www.artchixstudio.com. The casting resin is called EasyCast and is sold at Hobby Bench stores or at www .creative-wholesale.com. Supplies: Assorted images printed on high-gloss photo paper Directions: Line your work surface with wax paper. Spray the molds with mold release and let dry. Cut your pictures to fit the molds and set aside. For the resin, measure 1 ounce from each bottle and mix exactly according to package directions using a stick to stir. Pour a thin layer of the mixture in the molds. Blow through the straw on the liquid to remove any gas bubbles. Let set for 15 minutes, then lay your pictures face down in the molds. Carefully lift the molds so you can see the pictures and, if there are bubbles, wiggle the picture with your finger to move the bubbles away. Let everything set overnight until the resin is firm. Mix a new batch of resin and add two drops of black coloring and stir. Pour mixture into the molds over the first layer. Blow through the straw to remove any bubbles. Let set for another 8-10 hours until firm. To remove from the molds, use your fingernail to carefully press the edge of the mold away from the resin until you hear a snap and see a small pocket of air between the two surfaces. Do that on all four sides and then twist the mold until the resin piece pops out. Once removed, flip the pieces over and sand the rough edges. Drill a hole at the top, attach the jump ring and thread the chain or cording through and close. Variations: Drill a hole at the bottom and add beads or a charm. Instead of a necklace, you can make key chains, charms or rings. Or you can actually use the molds for what they were intended: knobs, handles and drawer pulls. For more embellishments, add glitter or other objects in the first layer. Add multiple layers by repeating the process and mixing more colors. * 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, jewelry, wearable art Friday, September 09, 2005Art Collage Totes  Here in Phoenix we are hosting more than 500 hurricane Katrina victims. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are accepting donations for all kinds of things and I thought it would add a nice touch to deliver them in hand-decorated totes. Wouldn't it be cool if everyone made a tote and then fille dit with goodies for our guests? Here are my versions. 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: fabric, sewing, wearable art Monday, September 05, 2005More belt buckles A few months back I hit a gold mine when I made some belt buckles. I had some blanks leftover so I whipped up these little puppies. I coated them with resin for long shelf life. * 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: resin, wearable art Sunday, September 04, 2005Beaded Flip Flops I made these because I got tired of seeing bows and flowers on flip flops. I'm just not a bow kind of girl. I like dangle and sparkle. So I took a chain link bracelet, used eye-pins to add on beads and then E6000 to attach it to the straps. I used clothes pins to hold it in place while the glue dried. Now I jingle when I skip along... * 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: wearable art Friday, August 26, 2005Jelly Yarn Purse And here are directions on how to make this fun evening bag. Have you heard of "Jelly Yarn" yet? It's this cool new shiny yarn that can be used for all kinds of glossy, mod-looking projects for knitting and crochet. When I demo'ed this on channel 12 this week, I practically got mobbed by the hungry knitters at the station. Seriously - one of them stopped my car as I was driving away and banged on my driver's side windshield just to get a close up look at it. It's not like plastic lacing that you would use for boondoggle keychains, ala Napoleon Dynamite. Jelly Yarn has a round shape, kinda like different colors/sizes of licorice ropes. Any way, you can't find it in stores yet, but you can visit Yummy Yarns to buy it.  Boa Jelly Yarn Purse Supplies No. 13 US / 9mm set of knitting needles 2 balls of Jelly Yarn, in Bulky Black Licorice 1 black marabou feather boa 2 black or animal print purse handles, or a string of black beads Directions Cast on 23 stitches. To make the front and back: Rows 1-8: Knit across. Row 9: Knit 1, increase 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, increase 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 10: Knit across. Row 11: Knit 1, increase 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, increase 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 12: Knit across. Row 13: Knit 1, increase 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, increase 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 14: Knit across. Row 15: Knit across. Row 16: (Right Side) Purl across. Row 17: Knit across. Row 18: Purl across. Row 19: Knit across. Row 20: Knit 1, decrease 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, decrease 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 21: Knit across. Row 22: Knit 1, decrease 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, decrease 1 stitch, Knit 1. Row 23: Knit across. Row 24: Knit 1, decrease 1 stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches, decrease 1 stitch, Knit 1. Rows 25-32: Knit across. Row 33: Knit across row, then after binding off loosely, sew cast on and bind off edges to each purse handle. Leave long tail to sew side seams. To finish: Sew side seams with remaining bind off and cast on tails. Using monofilament thread, sew boa around edge of purse twice. Make sure boa is securely attached to bag, then trim boa. Wrap tape around boa before cutting so it won't fray. Tuck end facing in, and sew securely. TIP: Rows 16, 17 and 18 form the bottom of the bag and will curve naturally with a few rows of Stockinette Stitch (purl, knit, purl). *** * 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: wearable art Thursday, August 18, 2005Bleached Out Sneakers My affair with the Clorox Bleach Pen continues! You can make it too! It's really fun to experiment with different sneaker fabrics. The black turns brown after the bleach is gone. I used stickers from the office supply store, but you could also use stencils. Supplies: 1 pair of black canvas sneakers (any color but white) 1 package of price stickers (rectangle) 1 package of hole protectors stickers (these give that donut look) 1 bleach pen plastic gloves Directions: 1. Remove the laces. 2. On the inside of each sneaker, put the price stickers in rows. On the outside of each sneaker, put the hole protectors. 3 Put on the gloves. Open the bleach pen and generously coat the shoes. Let the bleach sit for about 20 minutes. 4. Run the faucet water and rinse the bleach cream off the shoes, rubbing with your fingers to remove the stickers as well. Make sure you remove ALL the bleach cream! 5. Set outside to dry. Replace the laces. * 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: back to school, shoes, wearable art Pocket Tote Add some pockets to your ordinary tote. Directions coming Saturday. * 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: wearable art Punker Pins If you don't want to tinker with your bag but still want to personalize it, a batch of these little pins to put on it will do. What you need: 1-inch wood disks, magazine pictures, white craft glue, scissors, brush-on varnish, pin back, E6000 Extra-strength adhesive. How to do it: Cut out small pictures or phrases from magazines and use the white craft glue to affix them to the disk. Trim excess. Apply a thin layer of white craft glue over the top of the picture and let dry until clear. Apply a layer of varnish. Let dry. Flip over and use extra strength adhesive to attach pin back. Let dry. Notice how the backback is decked out? HERE is how I did 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: back to school, jewelry, kids, wearable art Friday, July 29, 2005Pavement Paw Protectors by Kathy Cano Murillo - Jul. 30, 2005 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic Just because it's hot doesn't mean Fido should be stuck in the doghouse. So take him or her for a walk already, and don't worry about the heat. Here's a fashionable way to protect your pooch's paws from the searing pavement. You can buy a set for $20 at the pet store, or take up the art of crochet and make your own for less than a dollar and less than an hour's time. This project is perfect for summer; the loose crochet stitches combined with lightweight cotton yarn will keep those footsies cool from top to bottom. Pavement Paw Protectors Supplies: Measuring tape 1 skein of lightweight cotton yarn 1 Size J crochet hook Scissors 24 inches of ribbon Directions: Measure the width of your dog's paw. Next, measure the length and add two inches to that number. This is how wide and long you need to make each bootie. For a medium-size dog: Begin by holding the end of the yarn, making a slipknot and inserting the hook through the loop. Make 6 or 7 chain stitches; at the end, join them to make a circle. Begin to create the bootie by adding stitches around the circle, using the double stitch. Continue to build up to desired height and then finish off. Cut four pieces of ribbon, each 8 inches long. Weave a strand through the top row of each bootie so you can tie it on the dog's paw. Variations: For smaller dogs, decrease the amount of chain stitches; for larger dogs, increase. For more durable booties, sew a small piece of suede onto the bottom. Add decorative stitching at the top. If you do not want to crochet, you can make the booties out of fleece and use Velcro straps for closure. * 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: pets, wearable art Friday, June 10, 2005Glamoricious Belt Buckles Double-sided tape holds simple answer to buckle's look by Kathy Cano-Murillo - Jun. 11, 2005 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic I love receiving packages in the mail, especially when they come with neat art supplies. Recently, I was graced with a box of goodies from TreasureItCrafts.com. The site is run by two moms who stumbled upon a genius combination for embellishment crafts: double-sided tape, micro ribbon, gems and micro beads. The idea is to take any flat surface (leather cuffs, lampshades, scrapbooks, hat brims, boxes) and cover it with the tape, draw designs with the ribbon, glam up with gems and then sprinkle clear micro beads over all the exposed areas. The end result is multidimensional, eye-catching and in some cases, almost vintage looking. I recently purchased some heavy silver buckles and vamped them up. Supplies, kits and books can be found at www.tresureitcrafts.com or at your local craft store. Glamouricious Belt Buckles Supplies: 1 blank belt buckle Double-stick craft tape (red backing) Assorted metallic threads, approximately 1/16 in size Assorted flat-backed objects (sequins, gems, etc.) Picture (optional) 1 package of clear micro beads Tray to catch micro beads (I used a small bead tray with a spout at one end) 1 pair of cheap scissors 1 pair of regular scissors Directions: Cover the top of the buckle with double-sided tape, but do not remove the red backing. Rub your fingers over the tape to remove any air bubbles. Arrange your design on the buckle and then set everything aside. Once you know how to decorate it, peel the red backing off. Use cheap scissors to trim off excess tape. Apply the objects, but keep in mind that once you set something on it, it will not come up. Add larger objects or pictures first, gems, and then add ribbon by holding the strand down with one finger and moving it in desired shapes and/or swirls with your other finger. Use good scissors to cut ribbon. Once you have completed the design, hold the buckle over the tray and pour the micro beads over the entire surface until all the exposed tape areas are covered. Tap the buckle on the side to remove any excess beads. Use your fingers to press everything in place. Let set for 24 hours before using. Tips: Avoid touching the exposed tape, as it will make it less sticky. Save scraps of tape for future use. To clean tape build up from scissors, use an adhesive remover, such as Goo Gone. * 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: paper, wearable art Friday, May 27, 2005Sisterhood Friendship Jeans I can smell crafts from a mile away. When I first heard about the book and the movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, I knew embellishments would be involved. Sure enough, there were. This is my take on the matter, and just like the book, it works great for teens or tweens. I call them Patchwork Friendship Jeans. The idea is to have your friends buy a package of patches, decorate them and then pass them out to each other. At that point you iron them on a pair of pants. Patchwork Friendship Jeans Supplies • Package of iron-on fabric patches • Assorted embroidery thread • Embroidery needle • Assorted fabric paints, liner brush (optional) • Beads and buttons • Quilting thread • Scissors • Water soluble marking pencil • Iron Directions: Decide if you want to embroider or paint on your patch. You can also incorporate both! Use the pencil to sketch out your design. Because the patch is small, you won't be able to use an embroidery hoop. Thread your needle, tie a knot at the end and stitch on your design. If painting, use the liner brush. Using the quilting thread, attach the beads and buttons where you like. When finished, trade with your friends and then iron on the patches. Tips and variations: Always plan ahead before you stitch or paint. Cut shapes out of the patches and decorate those.  * 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: crafty cinema, wearable art Friday, April 29, 2005Scrapbook Purse You've ordered the flowers and bought the jewelry and think you're set with the Mother's Day checklist. Now, take it to the next level by incorporating a handmade gift that is picture perfect. "I'm a sucker for anything handmade," says April McConnell, 34. "Especially if it has a picture on it, I love that! It's like a little time capsule, and if it is functional, it's even better. My son has made me things for years. Sometimes it's pictures frames, other times it's key chains or pouches. Every year it gets better and better." Moms love to reflect on memories and coo over family snapshots. Book artist Kathie Shepherd, 47, realized that and designed a Mother's Day Envelope Book. She combines mat board, library book pockets, decorative papers, tags and spiral binding to create a chunky page-turner that holds messages, charms and photos. The book is such a hit that she is teaching several classes over the next week at her Glendale paper arts store, the Creative Quest. "Making a gift for a mom can sound intimidating, but my advice for people is to just jump right in," she says. "Part of the problem is that there are so many materials to use, and it gets overwhelming. If you can, pick a project and take a class somewhere. That way you can learn the step-by-step process." And don't feel pressured. McConnell's excitement comes from the love that went into it, not how balanced the corners are. It also makes her feel good knowing her son used his creativity and imagination in her honor. She's crossing her fingers that he carries on the tradition, pictures and all. "It's perfectly OK for grown-ups to make Mom gifts," she says. "Why should it stop? When does a mother ever stop loving to receive something that her child put so much thought into?" But as adults, it's hard to focus on that when we are busy with jobs, bills and the occasional yearning for diamonds, candy and flowers. "There is a misconception with handmade things that you didn't spend any money on it," Shepherd says. "We still hear things like, 'Oh, she couldn't go buy something, she just made it.' When you put the time into making something, it's actually much harder and takes much more of you than going and shopping for something. I'm not saying store-bought gifts aren't nice, but adding something handmade is a compliment. "It's the best gift you can give a mother." * 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, mother's day, wearable art Friday, April 15, 2005iPod Cozies Looking for a method of meditation, but don't have time for yoga? Pick up a crochet hook. If you stick with a simple pattern, the process of weaving yarn will clear your head of the daily slush and force you to reflect on personal issues, goals or favorite memories. Another plus is that crochet is a portable project. All you need is a needle, tiny scissors and a ball of yarn. It can be stashed in your purse or pocket. And when you're hookin' in the name of iPods, like this week's project, crochet becomes even more meaningful. iPod socks and covers sell for $20 and more at retail stores, but with a hook and some fancy fiber, you can make one for less than five bucks. If you are new to the hobby, pick up a copy of Cozy Crochet Kit, by Melissa Leapman (Chronicle Books, 2005, $22.95 hardback). The boxed kit comes with an instruction manual, yarn, assorted hooks and photos for 25 easy, hip projects such as Flower Motif Appliqués, Springtime Purse, Baby Booties and a Hippy Belt. Be the 10th caller to leave me a voicemail at (602) 444-8618 and you'll win a free copy of the kit. Cozy Crochet iPod Cover Supplies 1 skein of yarn 1 crochet hook (5.5) Scissors Directions: Make a slipknot and latch your hook onto the yarn. Make a strand of 18 chain stitches. When you get to the end, crochet up the opposite side using your preferred stitch, such as the single or double half. I used the latter for the samples in the photograph. Once you reach the end of the row, add a chain stitch and crochet around the opposite side of the original strand of chain stitches. When you reach the end, add a chain stitch and continue to crochet on the opposite side. Keep crocheting around each side and eventually the sides will begin to curl up. Continue to crochet until you've built up 18 rows. At that point, make the flap. Do this by crocheting on the same side, about eight rows. Tie off the loose strands, and snip. Turn the piece inside out if you like. Embellish your cover by using matching embroidery thread to sew on beads, or add a button so you can close the case. Tips: If you are just starting, use traditional yarn as opposed to novelty yarns. If you're a pro, choose ribbon or a feathered yarn for a more textured look. * 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: wearable art Saturday, March 19, 2005Claddagh Necklace
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 Monday, March 07, 2005Faux Silk-Screened T-shirts 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 Monday, February 21, 2005Record Album Tote In the early 2000's (that sounds so weird!), these bags were all the rage. Nowadays people have carried the idea even further by making books, paper sorters, bowls, clutches, and all kinds of other things out of old LPs. I still like this one! You take vintage album covers, laminate them, create side panels, punch holes, insert grommets, and lace it all up together. Feed Mardi Gras beads inside clear tubing (found in the aquarium supply aisle). Use grommets to attach to the bag. This lovely project is from my book: The Crafty Chica Collection! *** 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: Latin-inspired, multi-culti, wearable, wearable art Saturday, February 05, 2005Painted Dr. Scholl's
Here's the recipe for painting your own pair of wooden slippers, as well as ideas for decorating other types of shoes.
Supplies: 1 pair of Dr. Scholl's sandals. Blue painter's tape. Water-based acrylic paints. Rubber stamps or stencils. Assorted brushes. 1 bottle of water-based varnish. Directions: Unbuckle the strap and cover with the tape. Base-coat the surface and sides of the shoe in your desired color and let dry. Repeat process. Add designs with a rubber stamp or stencil and shade as needed. Let dry, then brush on several layers of the water-based varnish, letting each coat dry before reapplying. Remove the tape and enjoy. Variations: Other types of shoes are just as easy to liven up. A basic $5 pair of rubber flip-flops can be lined with combinations of oil cloth and jute or rhinestones and ribbon. Kids can get involved, too. Canvas sneakers can be given a makeover with bright colors, glitter and squeeze paint. Perfect for back-to-school fun. * For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * Labels: paint, shoes, wearable art Duct Tape Handbag Duct Tape Handbag Supplies: Scissors. Ruler. Duct tape of assorted colors. Cardboard (12 by 4 inches). Directions: Work on a large flat surface. Begin by making "panels." Cut six strips of duct tape, each measuring 12 inches long. Lay one strip sticky side up. Lay another alongside it, with 1/4 inch overlapping. Attach the remaining four strips in the same fashion. Cut six more strips and lay them sticky side down on top of and perpendicular to the first six strips. Repeat the process two more times so that you have a total of three panels. Cut two 4-inch-wide strips from the third panel; these will be the sides of your purse. Cover the cardboard with tape. Neatly connect all the pieces from the inside and outside of the bag with tape. Use the remaining pieces from the third panel to make the handles. Make a separate panel and attach as a pocket for the front of the purse. Add colored tape trim to decorate. TIPS AND VARIATIONS: For a more colorful bag, before adding the pocket, add rows of colored tape over the bag. Make other items to match, such as a wallet, bracelet or hat. * For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * Labels: kids, recycled, wearable art Jangle-Dangle Necklace If there is one tried-and-true lesson of crafting, it's never throw away scraps. After months of tossing all the extras in a bag, I decided to whittle down the contents by assembling a dangling charm necklace. The end result was a textured look composed of colorful seed, glass, metal and clay beads. Don't stop at necklaces: Use the same process to make a matching charm bracelet or set of dangling earrings. You can buy silk ribbon at fabric or craft stores. Jangle Dangle Necklace SUPPLIES: * Assorted beads in various shapes, sizes and colors * 5 head pins (1 1/2 inches long) * 1 large charm * 5 eye pins (1 1/2 inches long) * Wire nippers * Needle-nose pliers * 1 jump ring (1 centimeter in diameter) * 1 yard of silk ribbon (1 1/2 centimeters wide) DIRECTIONS: Thread two to three beads on each of four head pins; attach the large charm to the remaining head pin. Pick up one beaded pin and insert the remaining wire through the hole of the eye pin. Bend the wire over and snip excess with the nippers. Use the needle-nose pliers to pinch the wire so that it cannot come loose from the eye pin. When all the beaded head pins are attached, add beads to the top of the eye pins. Connect them to the jump ring using the needle-nose pliers and wire nippers. Rotate the wire strands so that the large dangling charm will be in the center. Thread the ribbon though the jump ring and tie a knot at the base. Measure to desired length and tie off at top. TIP: Make sure all wires are clasped tightly to prevent them from falling off. VARIATIONS: Use the same method to make elegant fan or light pulls. * For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * Labels: jewelry, wearable art Paint-By-Number T-shirt Paint-by-number kits are one of the most timeless guilty pleasures of art projects. All of us have been there. It doesn't matter what age or skill level you are at, with a bit of numbered direction, even the worst of us can create a rockin' velvet or cardboard wall hanging that consists of a tiger, sad clown, fantasy face or, my personal favorite, the happy jumping unicorn. OK, so maybe it's not the classiest decor, but when you morph the idea into a wearable version, it can become a very hip party activity. The concept is to apply the outline from a paint-by-number kit to a T-shirt and then give it as a gift along with the paint set from the kit. Better yet, whip up a batch of the shirts and let party guests decorate their own. While you're at it, make one for your own wardrobe. If you ever tire of it, you can always hang it on the wall. Paint-by-Number T-shirt SUPPLIES: * 1 T-shirt, pressed * 1 sheet of transfer paper, ball-point pen, masking tape and black squeeze paint OR * 1 iron-on transfer sheet from computer * 1 piece of cardboard to slide inside shirt * 1 paint-by-number kit or coloring-book page DIRECTIONS: Iron the shirt and then decide on one of the two methods to complete this project. * TRANSFER-PAPER METHOD: Make a copy of the paint-by-number outline and set the hard copy aside. Slide the cardboard inside the shirt. Lay the sheet of transfer paper facedown on the front of the shirt. Lay the outline on top of the transfer paper, faceup. Use the masking tape to hold it in place. Trace over the outline with the ball-point pen hard enough so the design goes through to the shirt. When finished, lift the papers and go over the outline with black fabric pen or squeeze paint. * COMPUTER-PRINTER METHOD: Scan the design and print it out on T-shirt transfer paper. You will need to invert the image on your computer screen so the numbers do not come out backward on the shirt. Apply to the shirt according to package directions. To give the shirt as a gift, attach the paints that came with the set. They are water-based acrylics and will work on fabric. To wash, turn inside out and hang-dry. If using for a baby shower or children's party activity, put assorted paints/pens in the center of the table so your guests can decorate the shirts. * TIPS AND VARIATIONS: Use coloring-book pages or draw the outlines freehand instead of using a paint-by-number kit. The transfer-paper method produces a longer-lasting design than the computer-printer method. Instead of a shirt, design a canvas tote bag, lampshade, pillow covering or hat. * For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * Labels: back to school, kids, wearable art Jewelry Box Purse You don't have to be a Beverly Hills designer to create a hand-held fashion statement. Using a basic jewelry box as the foundation, you can create a bag that is sure to raise a few eyebrows. For these boxes, Mexican oilcloth was used, making bold, bright, festive purses perfect for summertime. Oilcloth can be ordered from www.reprodepotfabrics.com. Jewelry Box Purse Supplies: 1 wood jewelry box with hinges and clasp Acrylic paints and brushes 1/2 yard of oilcloth fabric Glue gun 2 (or 4) eye screws 1 (or 2) thin, 12-inch leather strap Hand drill E6000 glue 4 (or 8) 1/2 inch jump rings 2 pieces 2-inch-long ribbon DIRECTIONS: Paint entire box; let dry. Measure oilcloth to fit around box and cut; use glue gun to attach it. Line inside of box as well. On the box's clasp/hinge side, drill a hole 1 inch from one end of one of the box halves. Drill another hole 1 inch from opposite end of other half. (For two-strap purse, drill a hole 1 inch from all four ends of box halves; use four eye screws and eight jump rings.) Add a drop of E6000 glue to each eye screw, insert screws in holes and let dry. Open box halfway and glue ribbon strips to insides. Strips prevent items from falling out when purse is opened. To make strap(s), cover one side of leather strip(s) with fabric. Drill hole at each end of strap(s) and attach jump ring to each. Attach another jump ring to each eye screw. Connect strap to screws. * For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * Labels: jewelry, wearable art About Me
Mommy, wifey, artist, author, left-handed middle-child Sagittarian. Craft designer, product developer, former newspaper columnist. My first novel, WAKING UP IN THE LAND OF GLITTER debuts March 1st!  
Note to visitors: Hola! This site is the archive of all my past projects for Gannett News Service and The Arizona Republic. These ideas are for personal use only. I make a living as a craft designer, so I will be using these ideas in my published works. If you are thinking of selling or using these ideas for profit, please give respect and "twist" them to make them your own - put your own stamp on them to make them different. It will work out for the best for both of us! Thank you and much respect from one creative person to another! — Kathy Have a burning crafty question? Visit my Ask Crafty Chica blog or drop me a line! Project Categories
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