User:Crafty Chica1/sandbox

Kathy Cano-Murillo is a Mexican-American artist, author, and digital entrepreneur.

Cano-Murillo is the founder of Crafty Chica, an online magazine dedicated to self-help topics, art and handcrafts that combine Latin and North American cultures. This project has garnered acknowledgments such as being named one of the "Top 25 Hispanic Influencers on Social Media".

Early career
In 1988, she launched a jewelry line that was sold in local Phoenix shops. In 1990, she and her husband Patrick Murillo were represented by a team of sales reps for their Latino-centric home decor line of handmade goods which were sold in Bloomingdale's By Mail, Target, and more than 300 independent gift shops around the country.

She went to work as a part-time Features news clerk at The Arizona Republic in 1994. In 1997, she began to write entertainment and local interest articles and eventually a weekly Saturday craft column by 1999. The column was picked up for syndication by Gannett News Service in 2000, which ran in 200 papers across the country, and she began a weekly morning craft segment on KPNX Channel 12 in Phoenix.

Crafy Chica
At that time, she began to have a presence in national media, where she appeared as a special guest or was featured as an innovative business model. CraftyChica.com garnered press from the New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post among other national press outlets. Additionally, she has appeared on a number of national craft shows for the DIY Network and Lifetime TV and has been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday.

Cano-Murillo incorporated her crafts into campaigns for Kmart, Neutrogena and Best Buy and worked with brands such as Coca-Cola, Disney, Central AZ, HP, and others. She has also been recognized savvy social media influencer by Mashable  and NBC News.

In addition to writing and crafts, she is also a speaker on the topics of business, motivation, social media and creativity while speaking at conferences, meetings, and social events about the benefits of entrepreneurship and pursuing lifelong dreams. Cano-Murillo presents her message across many platforms, such as the national BlogHer event and local events in her home state of Arizona.

The Crafty Chica product line is with Sizzix  and her second round of designs debuted in retail stores nationwide in Fall 2017.

Writer
Cano-Murillo has authored seven craft titles and two women’s fiction novels, Miss Scarlet’s School of Patternless Sewing and Waking Up in the Land of Glitter. She has also written short stories and contributed to several books including Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul.