Checkin’ In: Crafty Chica Kathy Cano-Murillo

There are few peeps in the crafting world who haven’t heard of the Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano-Murillo. There could be no better way to describe Kathy because she is indeed one Crafty Chica! All that glitters may not be gold, but likely, it has Kathy’s stamp of approval, being as she’s the biggest glitter advocate I know of, having originated such slogans as “Don’t be bitter, use more glitter!” Indeed, Kathy! She is head of the glitterati, the godmother of glitter.
Kathy contributed two sparkling projects to the pages of CRAFT. In our premier issue, CRAFT Volume 01, Kathy showed us how to spice up a plain terracotta flower pot with clay, vivid color, and of course glitter:

And in CRAFT Volume 02, she shared with us how to make fun earrings of paper and tin with an unmistakable Crafty Chica flair:

We checked in with her recently, and despite her super busy schedule, she had a great update to share with us. Here’s what she said:
“I’ve been keep very busy. Everything is still growing at a very steady pace! These days I work full-time for Duncan Enterprises as a Senior Product Developer and Spokesperson for my own brand! The team at Duncan is amazing because they have allowed me to work on CraftyChica.com as my main job. (You may remember I used to be an entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic.) Aside from the product line, which is for sale on my site, amazon.com, and several indies shops around the country, I also released a new book this year.”

“Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing (Potter Craft) is my best-selling book to date! It was my message to help crafters embrace sewing. It seems to have worked; I get emails daily from people who appreciate and embraced the concept! I’m currently working on the follow-up proposal that will be even more exciting and sparkly!
I’m also gearing up for the 4th Annual Crafty Chica Cruise in April 2010. Last year we had 50+ crafters, and this year we are opening it up to even more! These were people from all ages, backgrounds, skill levels, and art styles who came on board to craft! We have six workshops, a 24-hour craft room, plus a mercado area for cruisers to sell their art, cocktail party, sightseeing, and lots of free goodies!
We have two new brands on the Murillo household: www.MantasticCrafts.com (my husband Patrick Murillo) and www.MayaintheMoment.com (my teen daughter, Maya).
Our Heard Museum exhibit, La Casa Murillo: A Life Size Shadow Box is coming to an end after 11 months! Thousands of people have come through to see it. It has more than 500 handmade items that my husband and I created in our home studio. There will be a “moving sale” on August 21, where a live auctioneer will auction off the larger pieces to the public!
My biggest news is the release of my debut novel on March 1, 2010. I love creative writing as much as I love crafting. I’ve been writing ever since grade school. I spent many years as a journalist and now I’ve entered the world of fiction writing! I love that now I can combine both worlds! The book is first in the “Crafty Chica Novel” series. It is called Waking Up in the Land of Glitter.”

“Here is the synopsis:
Struggling domestic-goddess-in-training Ofy is determined to turn heads at this year’s International CraftOlympics. To do that, she’ll need the help of her best friend, Star. Considering herself a serious artist, Star is hesitant, but finally agrees to help as a way to end her own creative slump. Truthfully she thinks Ofy is a little loca about the whole craft thing — and about her idol: local TV personality, Crafty Chloe. Star doesn’t trust the bottle-blonde, even after she becomes part of their crafting team. As the competition heats up, Star will learn Chloe’s dirty little secret, why crafting means so much to Ofy, and that beauty, art, and creativity can take many more forms than a canvas hanging in a gallery.”
Wow! Thanks, Chica! Check out Kathy’s product line, site, and new books for some seriously spicy flavor.