Product Description

No one knows better than crafty chica extraordinaire Kathy Cano Murillo the satisfaction that comes with creating one-of-a-kind items. In Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul, she offers thirty original projects ranging from colorful jewelry and elegant candles to hip Mexican coffee coasters.

Along with full-color photographs, step-by-step instructions, and a handy resource guide are Murillo's fun and inspiring tips for connecting with your culture, tapping into your creative spirit, and finding new ways to spice up your love life, glam up your garden, redecorate your kitchen, and much more.

With Kathy Cano Murillo's guidance and glittery ideas, crafty chicas of every age and skill level will be well on their way to developing their own personal sense of style while living artful lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #263440 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-01
• Released on: 2006-02-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Review
"Kathy Cano Murillo is a Crafty Chica who proves that crafting is not just your abuelita's game to play, it's yours and it's now. Kathy manages to make crafting both cool and caliente!" (--Jackie Guerra, actress and host of DIY Jewelry Making )

"Who better than Kathy Cano Murillo to offer up ideas for becoming colorfully creative and nurturing a happy heart? Crafty Chica knows the balance between using the right glue and not coming unglued over your project." (--Jenny Hart, owner of SublimeStitching, crafty TV host and member of the Austin Craft Mafia )

"There are not many craft books that make you weep with joy. Crafty Chica's Art De La Soul is one of them. Inspiring, generous and loaded with fantastic projects, this is required reading for anyone aching to bring some funky craftiness into their world." (--Jean Railla, author of Get Crafty )

About the Author

Kathy Cano-Murillo is a full-time features reporter at the Arizona Republic where she covers theatrical film and celebrity profiles, and her very successful column, "Crafty Ideas". She has published several top selling crafts books including La Casa Loca and The Crafty Diva's DIY Style Book (2004). She is the founder of CraftyChica.com, a wildly popular web site launched in 2001 to inspire women to brighten their lives with clever craft ideas. She is the creator of a line of Hispanic-themed wallpaper borders and accessories for girls in Lowe's Home Improvement stores.

Customer Reviews

But I'm not a crafter...
and I bought this book anyway and I'm glad I did. My wife and I took a vacation in Mexico last summer and we've been trying to think of what to do with all the souvenirs. This book has so many ideas like the shadowbox table, which we plan to make. The only reason we haven't is because we can't stop looking at the pictures and reading the memoir pieces. I never realized crafting could be so purposeful and meaningful, the author really expresses that in her writing. So maybe I'll become a crafter afterall...

Charming Crafty Author Entertains as She Educates!
Kathy Cano Murillo, the author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul, Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life, has delighted me with her craft book. I don't normally get all excited about making purses out of 50 cent hardbacks (That cool project is called "Hardback Book Purse" and is fabulous!), nor do I relate to holidays such as Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which I find slightly scary. However, with Kathy as my guide, I understand that this tradition of honoring the dead is similar to the manner in which we honor our ancestors no matter what our ethnic background. After reading what she wrote, I opened my mind and learned what I had never understood before about this holiday, and now I find it compelling and fascinating.

Not only am I willing to learn about a culture which is different from mine, I am totally charmed by this craft book. When I first started reading it, I began giving my husband orders: "Jim: PLEASE go get me a balsa wood box! Please get me a roll of silver embossing tin! I want a knob! A really cool one! Please!(my husband is a builder). Yes, my first project was "The Empowerent Box". I particularly liked this project because it is beautiful and because you store your favorite quotes in it. You hand write them out, place them in it, and keep it next to your bed. I have several favorite quotes. One is "Hope is the thing wth feathers." As a parent with disabled children, I never give up hope. Another is "The buck stops here". Do you have any favorite quotes? A keepsake box, made by you, is such a lovely place to keep treasured words which mean something special to you.

Kathy Cano Murillo is quite an amazing person. Not only does she set you aflame with desire to create her projects, with your paintbrush flying and your glitter shooting sparks all over the place, she writes fun stories. Some are about mishaps she has endured (read the Chocolate incident and you will relate totally!), and some are touching stories about her family. It's a lovely combination: you get projects like "The Mighty Mosaic Address Sign", with has cool marbles and loteria playing cards decorating it, you get tales, suggestions on movies with crafty aspects to them, (this is cool--trust me), fun tips on how to take each project to the next level, and a style of writing which engages you from the first page.

I am not Hispanic, but because of Kathy Cano Murillo, I have a high respect for the family values, the hard work, the humor, the love, and the creativity she offers, here in this book, as an unofficial ambassador for the Hispanic people. She should be very proud of this book. It is superfun and cool.

Other than the projects I already mentioned, several of my other favorite projects are: "Wonderfully Worn Flower Fence", ALL the "Potions for Passion" (and why not!), and the "Love Letters Pocketbook". That one is really pretty.

I think this author is one in a million. Try this book and you will soar--she will be the wind beneath your wings! A great and unique experience! I love this book!

Craftalicious!
This book ROCKS! Its super colorful and funky. Mexican pop culture craft projects that are as fun to look at as they are to make. Really good for kids or a night with the girls. If you are looking for a different and inspiring kind of craft book, this is it!! Awesome!!!