Ixone –with this name I don’t even need a surname– is the creative behind CrafCraf, one of the most important blogs about sublimation and DIY crafting in Spanish. She is an Audiovisual Comunicator with a Masters in Multimedia Creation and Production. Even though she has been crafting during her whole life, in the last years she became popular by recording the making of her paper craft, card making, vinyl and HTV crafts. The mouse with red glasses from her logo is a classic on YouTube. That is why this 36-year-old artist started receiving many little mice dolls from another crafters of the community. She lives with them all in “a rat hole near the Mediterranean”. Keep reading to get to know her better!
How does your crafting journey begin?
When I was a child, I remember my mom doing my crafting projects for school because I was a great student, but my degrees in crafting were not that good, so I used to ask for her help. As a teenager, I loved stationery (I still do) and started hand making some birthday cards for my friends. They were very basic but still love them because they came from the heart. I’ve always loved cutting and gluing cardboard and in 2014 I bought a cutting plotter, my Silhouette Cameo 1, that’s when the blog journey began.
How do you usually find inspiration?
I’m usually inspired by other crafters, and I love to spend some time scrolling down on Instagram and navigating through all the Facebook groups. I go to Pinterest for research when I have a specific project, but Instagram and Facebook are my main sources of inspiration.
Could you please describe your creative process?
Many projects are just an “Ouch! I forgot to do something for…” a birthday, a blog post, a video… And I rush to finish something on time. But my most personal projects usually spend a lot of time inside my head, not only because I’m busy doing something else but also because I overthink a lot. I plan all the process, I check all the supplies and tools, then I craft and realize it doesn’t work as I expected. That happens all the time!
So, I have to go with Plan B. You can think a lot about what you will do, but you will never know how it works unless you do it. I’ve learned that you never have to be afraid of being wrong, there’s always another way to do it and that’s probably the good one, because that’s how it came out of the actual process on the actual project. So yes, I mean most of my projects are actually the plan B and not what I wanted to do at the beginning.
What is the thing you like about your crafting discipline the most?
I don’t know my “crafting discipline” but I guess I’m more popular for using cutting plotters and what I love about them is that they make me feel I’m a better crafter. I can’t draw, but they do. I can’t cut intricate designs, but they do. They can do all the things I can’t, and I don’t have to struggle to get a clean cut or a complicate design anymore.
Which is the tutorial and the project that you have created and make you feel more proud?
I’d say my favorite tutorial is the one about removing HTV. It’s probably one of my worst videos in quality terms, but it has helped so many people it feels great. Well, it has helped many people, but I’ve also received many complaints from people that burnt their new shirt trying to remove an image that was screen printed (facepalm).
Most of the projects I’ve made were gifts, so I keep a very few of them and I can’t choose just one. I’ll say, one of my favorite projects on paper is the can I made for another crafter, Planeta Silhouette, where I created a small galaxy with her planet, her spaceship, some lights and some inside jokes. This project was on hold for about a year, but I had a lot of fun doing it.
And the projects I treasure the most are my sewing projects. I can’t sew, I’m terrible at it and that’s why I feel very proud of myself when I create a simple tote bag and add some HTV to customize it. I guess my favorite one is the one with the «wolf with the red roses» because it was my first and I really love the design (though it is not mine).
Could you imagine that your blog would become this successful?
No way! In my blog we are all mice and rats and we always feel small, but we’ve created a great community. We love our mice fellas and we have a lot of fun doing tutorials, laughing about our mistakes and sharing many projects.
Having a blog is very time-consuming but when you find this amazing people, it’s worth the effort.
Looking back, what would have you done differently?
I guess there are a lot of things I could have done better, but I have no regrets. It’s a process, and I did what I could at each stage.
What is the next thing you want to create or learn?
I have a lot of projects in mind, but the thing I’m trying to learn right now is design. I’m trying to improve my designing skills because I struggle with it every time I want to start a project.
Can you give us three specific tips for somebody that wants to craft their first project?
Do what you want. Don’t follow a trend or copy someone else’s style, just do what you feel is right for you at the moment. Never think your work is worse than someone else’s. Crafting is a process, and your style will change over time. You will learn new techniques, find new inspiration and learn from every mistake. Feel proud of every step on this long journey.
Don’t let a good idea ruin a good project. Sometimes you have a great idea, it’s a new technique, a new design, a new structure… and you want to try it as soon as you can but, maybe, it doesn’t fit in this project. If it doesn’t fit, don’t use it. Don’t let a good idea ruin a good project, stay with your project and create a new one to use this specific idea.
Enjoy it! When crafting is no longer your happy place, stop and think about it, find what’s wrong and try to fix it. Maybe you took an order, and you were not ready for it. Maybe you don’t enjoy this project, maybe this new technique is not your thing… Don’t waste your precious time in something you are not enjoying, do what you love.
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