Crafty Chica Cruise - Swag & Shopping edition

Hey! So this cold of mine has gotten worse before it decided to get better, & my blogging is behind schedule. To tide everyone over until the Day 2 of the cruise recap, here's a sneak peek at what goodies I came home with!


I understand my purse was about $5 more than some girls paid, but MINE has a BAT on it!
I didn't even know that was there when I heard this purse calling me....



I know these are probably called "gringo bolsas" or something, but they are tough, light and you can take 'em to the beach! I also got a small pink one with the Virgen on it.



Ron asked me if I have to say Klaatu Barada Nikto! when opening the Necronomicon (and if I don't say that in the right order, will the book bite me on the nose?).


The pottery I was insisted my friends NOT allow me to buy and me NOT buying the same pottery (photo by Alisa Abrenica) Ann and Alisa left me unsupervised for about 5 seconds, and that was all I needed.


Yoli and I had a speed-shopping 40-minute stop into Casa Ramirez in Ensenada. There are still a few pieces that didn't make it into this photo!

and now....

SELECT SWAG!!

This isn't even NEAR all of it! The bumper sticker from Etsy that says, "My other car is a sewing machine" is already up in my studio. I think I need that on a license plate frame, though! In this pile of wonderful you'll find the Crafty Chica Loteria card game pieces, the Crafty Chica Collection (La Casa Loca) book, freebies from Etsy, Naughty Secretary Club, Cigar boxes (thanks Cindy and ...), Art Girlz goodness and much, much more! My "Enjoy Carne Asada" tee shirt is already in the wash! The box with the little nichos is one of the craft projects we worked on during the cruise -- I'll blog separately on the projects later.



My favorite tidbit of swag ("¡Tomemos otro WEES-kee!")



Another photos of our tiaras and the custom puzzle games Kathy made us! (photo by Kathy Caño-Murillo)



Some of Kathy's glitters (we weren't given our own stash of supplies 'cause they're still in development by Duncan)! The entire Crafty Chica line will be available at Michael's stores in CA, AZ, TX and a few other states on July 1!! The sparkle on the purple and silver glitters made even me, who eschews loose glitter, fall in love! (photo by Yoli Manzo)



More glitter and Crafty Chica paints! (Photo by Belén Rodriguez)



Glue and glossy varnish! (photo by Belén Rodriguez)

There was lots of other goodies to play with, too. So much in fact, that I didn't even get a chance to work with the stencils or stamps! Kathy is also coming out with a line of iron-on crystals by Duncan, which are WAY more affordable than the ones I use.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR JULY 1 TO GET HERE!

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Pillowcase Tutorial (my first one!)

As promised, I am publishing my first blog tutorial. When I finally stop blogging long enough to update my website, I'll have a page that lists each tutorial by categories (to be determined) and that link back to my blogspot (official) blog.

This first tutorial assumes a basic level of sewing knowledge and ability to use a rotary cutter. I do see a need for a rotary cutting tutorial, so it's on my list of things to write up soon.

I am also working on putting a link to a .pdf download of all my instructions, so please hang in there until I can get it done!

Love, Krissi

p.s. The pillowcase in the tutorial is not my favorite (read: I hate it - I didn't pick the fabrics) -- anybody want it?

And now, without further introduction...


INSIDE-OUT PILLOWCASE

This is an awesome looking pillowcase and is one of the easiest to make, once you've seen how it's done. (All photos link back to my Flickr account so you can view them larger!)


Instructions for this and similar cases are oot-n-aboot on the internet. I've seen them called "hot dog" pillowcases and "roll-sew-pull" pillowcases, should you want to Google for more information.

For one standard pillowcase here's what you'll need:
(just double the measurements if you're making 2)

• Fabric A (body): ¾ yd
  (trimmed & squared to 41"high x 27"wide) watch those directional patterns!
  
• Fabric B: (cuff): ¼ yd
  (trimmed & squared to 41" high x 10" wide)
  
• Fabric C: (trim): ⅛ yd
  (trimmed & squared to 41" high x 3" wide)
  
• coordiating construction thread (ALWAYS use 100% cotton thread on cotton fabric!)
  
• optional: decorative rayon thread(s) & disolvable stabilizer for decorative stitching

FYI: I almost never use pins in my sewing but you won't want to try to do this project without 'em!

1. Trim fabrics as indicated above.
   
   Even if your fabric measures correctly, you will want to square up the fabric with your rotary cutter, mat and ruler. If your measurements are off by a tiny bit, don't worry -- just make sure that pillow pairs match (so if you have 26.5" for one pillow, cut the second to 26.5" -- you can make up for the lost half inch by adding it to your cuffs!)
   
   
2. Fold and press the trim fabric (3" x 41") in half longwise; wrong sides (WS) together
   
   set aside
   
   
   
3. Spread out fabric for your cuff (41"x10") right side (RS) up
   
   
   
   
4. Place body fabric RS up on top of cuff fabric and line up edges (pin if desired)
   
   
   
   
5. Place folded and pressed trim fabric on top of body fabric, raw edges matching
   
   remove pins and repin all three fabrics (four layers) together)
   
   
   
   
6. Roll body fabric (this is the cool part!):
   
   stop when approx. 4"-5" of cuff fabric is exposed. DO NOT ROLL CUFF FABRIC.
   
   
   
7. Fold cuff fabric over "roll" and match raw edges
   
   Remove and replace pins
   
   and Voila! You have a fabric "wrap."
   
   
   
8. Sew a 3/8" seam along the long edge
   
   
   
   
9. Always SET YOUR SEAMS by pressing (lift and press with your iron on all newly stitched area - don't "rub" it on the fabric) Don't ask why you should set your seams, just do it - you'll love me for it later when you get amazing, professional results.
   
   Apologies for the state of my iron. I got it as a b-day present and dropped it a week later, but it still works! It's a Rowenta Powerglide2 WITHOUT the annoying auto-shutoff and it's the only iron for me! No-one carries those locally and I'm too lazy to order a new one online, so get used to seeing this poor dilapidated, but beloved iron!
   
   
10. Flip It, Baby!
    
    The super-keeno reason to use this technique is that the four raw edges where the various fabrics meet is now enclosed inside of the cuff! No unraveling, no seams to finish!
    
    
11. Press (don't "iron") all of your seams open and flat, using the tip of your iron and steam, if desired. Watch your fingers!
    
    
    
    
12. Fold WS (yes, wrong sides!) together and match all raw edges for a French Seam!**
    
    Beginning at cuffed edge, stitch down pillow using a 1/4" seam allowance, turn at corner and sew to folded edge
    
    
    
    
13. Set your seams!!!!!!
    
    
14. Press seams open
    
    
15. Turn your pillowcase inside out and press
    
    
16. Using a 5/8" seam allowance, sew around the case side and bottom, encasing the raw edges (this is the inside of your pillowcase and will not be seen)
    
    
    here's what the seam looks like inside the finished pillowcase:
    
    
    
    
17. Flip it right side out (I didn't need to remind you to set your seams first, right?) Put it on a pillow and enjoy!
    
    

If you have a fancy machine, you can add decorative stitches to the trim fabric in between steps 11 and 12. One x-mas I made my nieces each a pillow case in their fave color with their names stitched on the trim fabric (yay for programmable machines with text stitches!) I've found that one or two layers of light to medium weight dissolvable stabilizer works well for me.

Here are a couple of the custom pillowcases I've made for our home.


If you don't want to do a French Seam (and frankly, I don't know why ya wouldn't), a zig zag stitch may also be used to finish the raw edges and prevent unraveling.


This case was made using a different pattern and is a testimonial to why (1) you MUST finish your raw edges and (2) this inside-out technique ROCKS!

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I spend all my $$ on other folks' art!

Mind you, I’m not complaining. It is what it is... Anyway, look what just shipped out to me from Target.com!


I’m so excited that I didn’t miss the boat on these limited edition bracelets designed by Crafty Chica Kathy Cano-Murillo featuring art by Patrick Murillo! Oh, and they’re only $30.

The photo could be better, but it’s an AWESOME bracelet! A few of the girls were wearing them on the cruise and they’re somewhat subtle for Miss Kathy (no glitter - LOL) but they are really shiny and quite eye-catching.

I love the little perro, but I think I need to commission a gato necklace or earrings from Patrick and Kathy, don’t you?

There is also a limited ed. coordinating Virgen necklace (called a "religious ribbon necklace") available.

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Crafty Chica Cruise - Day One

I started writing earlier today while waiting for my hair to finish processing (needed to re-lighten spots and redo the faded pink). Unfortunately, I was writing in MySpace (instead of in my "real" (Blogspot) blog and erroneously pressed the "back" key. DANG! Happily, blogspot has an autosave and a draft feature!

DIA PRIMERA:

Last Monday, the 3rd, I met up with the Sacred Snatch herself and her mamita, Virginia, at the Sacramento airport. With iPods and passaportes in our little manos, we happily awaited our flight to San Diego. The flight and taxi ride to the pier were completely uneventful until we pulled up and Yoli said, "There she is!" And there she was indeed! The Crafty Chica, Kathy Caño-Murillo with her pinky-red streaked hair and in an adorable "Enjoy Carne Asada" Tee was standing by the ship with many huge boxes, smiling at us.


our ship, the Carnival "Elation" (photo by Kathy Cano-Murillo)


Kathy's tee (from Beezo California)

After we got yelled at by a mean ol' security guy who didn't want us standing in a big, uncongested, open space for a quick hug, we checked in. I had been prepared to wait hours in line, but we were almost rushed through! They've got that check-in procedure down to a science, let me tell ya!

Yoli, Virginia and I headed for the "Libido" (LOL) deck for some lunch and ended up drinking a very potent and tasty rum concoction sold to us without resistance by a hot, young, Nordic waiter. The extra rumminess of the drinks was necessary for anyone who saw how luggage is loaded onto a cruise ship! You either need to pray that the luggage hits the net hanging precariously over the side of the ship OR drink OR pretend it's not happening. I had missed the luggage juggling, but as anyone who has ever traveled with me knows, I don't like going places - I just like being there. Airports stress me out and I don't usually relax until I can get in my room and relax. Hence, the rum. It was good.

Following lunch, we wandered around the hallways looking lost and awaiting our luggage and the inevitable fire drill. Everywhere we went, it seemed folks were asking us, "Are you crafty chicas?" What gave us away out of a crowd of 1600? Was it the pink hair? Was it the cute latinas at my side? What about us said "Crafty Chica" is unknown, but whatever it is, it's clearly recognizable!

During the fire drill, we found Kathy and Patrick, and his mom Susie and her cousin Cecilia just outside our muster station at the "Drama Bar" (how appropriate) with life preservers in hand. We lost Yoli to our pal Mala Hija somewhere between the muster station and the life boats, but I was unwittingly trolling for chicas, using my newly adorned denim jacket as a shiny lure. Boy, it sure works well!

¡mi corazon chaqueta!
This jacket was the perfect bait for a fantastic artist, Alisa Abrenica, who I stalked only briefly (like 5 minutes) on MySpace before the cruise. She followed the lure during the fire drill and walked up to introduce herself. Little did I know that by the end of the cruise, I'd be smitten with both her and her awesome roommate, Ann. They're total "keepers!"

We started off the Crafty cruisin' in earnest that evening with a cocktail party that included introductions and a frantic exchange of more ATC's and artist swag than I've ever seen in one spot! Kathy distributed nametags and we all got to be queens of our specialty that night. She even made us all little tiaras to wear (and they were sported by several of us throughout the cruise!)

Kathy hands out nametags (photo by Yoli Manzo)


fuzzy tiaras for everyone! (photo by Yoli Manzo)


Yoli's swag bags! Great Snatchy goodness, individually wrapped for your protection! photo by Yoli Manzo


Well, what else would I be Queen of?

We also got our Crafty Chica totes full of goodies, and mine even included one of those Enjoy Carne Asada tees! There were several tote designs from which to choose, all created by the talented Patrick Murillo! Of course, you KNOW I chose a Corazón Sagrado design.

"Ohboyohboy! Whad'I get?" (photo by Yoli Manzo)

The bags included swag from:
Craft Zine (a magazine I actually subscribe to!)
Quarry Books (Crafty Chica Collection Book)
Naughty Secretary Club (postcard)
Beezo California (T-shirts)
Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez and St. Martins press (books)

We also got to choose cards from a pile and each had a different "sewn" greeting card by Kathy and Patrick. Each envelope also contained the name of one of the cruisin' chicas, for whom we would make a "secret friend" crafty gift. Can you believe I got Alisa as my secret pal and this card???!?!?!

Kathy/Patrick's La Crafty Rockera design with a kitty & a parrot AND she's sewing!

I couldn't have chosen either better if I'd hand picked 'em!

All of this was before din-din and I can assure you that the only thing I remember between getting my tote bag and passing out in my bed was this:

Warm Melting Chocolate ... thing aka choco-crack


stay tuned for... "DIA SEGUNDO"

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New blog location and two new features!

Howdy gang!

I know I owe you a blog on the Crafty Chica cruise, but I'm suffering through a cold and don't think I would do the trip justice if I tried to write about it now! In short, it was F@%ING AWESOME!!! Kathy and Patrick Murillo are just about the nicest people I've ever met! Her positive outlook rubbed off on me not unlike the copious amounts of glitter that trailed behind us all as we moved through the ship! Hopefully, that will tide you over. In the meantime, there are photos in my MySpace pics section and in my Flickr account.

Right now, I'm working on paper to sketch out my revised website, krissisandvik.com I decided to move my "official" blog to Blogspot for more/better exposure outside of MySpace, so here I am!

I will also be creating two new sections that I think everyone will love:

++++"Over Krissi's Shoulder" (working title) will feature a walk through of some of my projects and will include tips, hints & lots and lots of photos. Look back through my blog and you'll see a few of these here and there. I'll also be creating some beginning to intermediate projects with step-by-step instructions. These will be available for download FOR FREE.

++++"Shopping with Krissi" (again, the working title) will be a list of my favorite products, their uses (why I love them better than other brands) and where to find them. I'll also list my favorite stores, both online and brick and mortar.

I would be THRILLED to receive some feedback from those of you who regularly read my blog and check out my pieces. Let me know what you want:

Would you rather have those features in a blog you can subscribe to, or on their own pages of my website?

I get asked "how did you do that" all the time - which project would you like to see in progress?

What tips & tricks do you want to learn?

What products do you want to know about?

What kind of free project would you like me to offer for download?

It's finally your chance for some input, so SPEAK UP FOLKS!

xoxoxo

Krissi

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