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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Crafter In The Spotlight 4 - Itsy Bitsy

Hello friends!! Itsy Bitsy brings you "CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT" – a unique way of encouraging and appreciating the talented crafters. We recognize talented crafters week after week, turn the spotlight on them & feature them in our "CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT"! We love what you talented crafters create & are amazed at each of your unique creations every single day! We love the way you use Itsy Bitsy products & give life to those products.


We are very excited to announce this week’s “CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT”  - June 2016 – VAISHALI KHANDWALA KAJI !
An Architect & a freelance Interior designer, she loves to decoupage & teach craft ! This extremely talented crafter wants to use her crafting skills to design customized, co-ordinated home accessories! Her journey into crafting started in Singapore where she had to teach craft to Children & this is an experiences she cherishes in life! Her creations are utility based & feature fabulous textures !  Playing with materials, textures & forms comes naturally to this Architect !She has been an active participant in Itsy Bitsy Crafters Café & we wish her loads of success on this creative journey of hers & would love to see many more creations from her in the future.
Congratulations Vaishali!!


Here are excerpts of my interview with Vaishali

Rashmi Closepet, MD, Itsy Bitsy : Tell us a bit about yourself, your background? Where are you originally from?
Vaishali Khandwala : Hello Rashmi, team Itsy Bitsy and everyone, to whom, I am connecting through this spotlight. Thank you for appreciating my work. I am an architect by profession and have been a freelance interior designer.  I am currently staying in my home city Mumbai. Happy to be a mother of a lovely daughter and a crafter at heart.

RC : How did you get into crafting?
VK : Marriage  and motherhood are the 2 M’s that bring change in every girl’s life . This changing course of life, paused my interior work, however was keen to creatively occupy myself. We moved places and each place had something new and exciting to offer. I was in Singapore then and decided to teach craft to children. It was fulfilling to see children enjoy the craft time and especially my daughter, who would come up with her own innovative creations. Crafting in a different country was a great experience….different thoughts, set ups, and amazing craft supplies. It all added to my knowledge and ideas. Soon we moved to Bangalore, and it was here that I got introduced to the crafting fraternity in India. A creative world much, much bigger than I thought to be. This time, I moved a step ahead, from crafting for children to making hand crafted products. Gradually, I got to know about supplies, I had not heard of before….new techniques, new mediums and so much to explore, experiment and craft. My love for crafting got a new direction and the journey continues.

RC : What is your favourite type of craft?
VK : I enjoy decoupage, as with this technique I can create utility and home décor products, at the same time it helps me up cycle treasured objects. It’s not easy to find customized, co-ordinated home accessories and that’s what I intend to cater to. I also love making beautiful, personalized decoupaged gifts for various occasions.
I have got opportunities to work on some scrapbooks and have had happy experiences. Coming to mix media, it makes me feel like an artist and reminds me of my interior projects.  Playing with materials, textures and forms comes naturally to me. This art is forgiving and helps adding dimension to the craft. My crafting journey started with children. Crafting for their needs and teaching them craft are the most fulfilling moments for me. It’s like connecting with the child in you…working with basic yet interesting craft supplies. Craft table full of colourful, cheerful stuff !!!!

RC : What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?
VK : My favourite products from Itsy Bitsy are the variety of embellishments, flowers, stamps, stencils, pattern papers, texture mediums and blanks for decoupage. However the collection of general and theme art and craft supplies is huge. Amazing products and Diy kits for children. Products that can help bloom their creativity in a great way.

RC : What products from Itsy Bitsy do you think are must have’s for a crafter?
VK : Every crafter must have embellishments and pattern papers from Itsy Bitsy. They are sure to find a unique collection at Itsy Bitsy.

RC : What product would you like to see at Itsy Bitsy?
VK : I would want to see more collection of inks, sprays, mix media mediums and decoupage napkins.

RC : What do you do to make your workplace inspiring?
VK : My workplace needs to be organized and supplies well segregated.  May sound a little different, but I cannot work with a mess around. Craft materials inspire and pave way to my creations. Need not be plenty at a time, but I try to make the best of what I have.

RC : What are your other interests?
VK :  I like to visit new places and watch movies. Spending time, reading creative blogs and  learning something new each day motivate me. I also like to take craft workshops. Being a facilitator opens up new perspectives.

RC : If you had magic powers, what would you want to contribute to the Crafting world ?
VK : Magic powers….I would love to have them and create a space for children where they have the freedom to explore their creativity. Children are immensely talented, they can do wonders. Would like to interact with them and support them. Each child has his/her own creative world and being a small part of it with magic powers would be a dream come true.

RC : What is your most treasured possession in your craft stash?
VK :  I treasure most of my craft supplies. Decoupage napkins and stamps in my stash are dear to me.

RC : How would you describe your style of crafting?
VK : I cannot say that I have one style of crafting. Crafting is journey. Every time, it’s working with different set of base products and supplies, attempting to make something different and better each time. Incorporating new techniques and ideas is the key. A common factor is the style with which I bind forms and elements together.

RC : What do you do when you’re suffering a creative block?
VK : When suffering from creative block, I take a break, go with the flow. That’s soothing enough. I really do not worry much about it. It’s sure not to remain forever.

RC : How do you organize your time for crafting?
VK : I generally prefer to craft, when my daughter is at school. So I make a schedule accordingly, such that I have time for her when she comes back.  In case of something urgent, late night hours have to be put in.

RC : Tips for people who want to craft?
VK : People who want to craft are passionate about it. Use that passion and love for crafting to creating something new. It is satisfying and will take you long. The resources and supplies available today are overwhelming.  Go step wise, figure out what you like, invest wisely and make the most of your talent. Believe in yourself and your work, each one of us can contribute in a special way. So enjoy the journey. Crafting is a form of expression for me. I always say Create, Express, Enjoy !!!!

Here are a couple of Vaishali’s awesome creations :




Many congrats Vaishali for being the CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT - ITSY BITSY :-) :-)
You will receive Rs 500/- Itsy Bitsy gift voucher :-) :-) & a Crafter in the Spotlight badge, which can be proudly displayed on the side bar of your blog.
Also, visit our Youtube channel to view & to know more about this crafter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy4CbZzBC-4
Looking forward to many more creations, Happy Crafting!



Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Travel Journal By Sampada Srivastava

Hello Crafty friends, today we have another guest designer at the Itsy Bitsy blog. She is none other than our last week’s “Crafter in the Spotlight” SAMPADA SRIVASTAVA!  Sampada continues to amaze us with stunning creations. Today, she will showcase a delightful lemon themed travel journal which is adorned with beautiful flowers & pearls! Visit our blog to see this fabulous creation & please show your love by leaving your valuable comments for our guest designer! 

Over to Sampada..

Hi All,
I hope you all had an awesome weekend...well I had a fun time travelling this whole last week with my family. This is my first Guest Designer post so I am pretty excited about it..
Well Delhi’s summer is the painful thing but guess what its raining in my city...which is a instant mood boosters esp for Delhi-NCR people..And here I have this lovely little travel journal to share with you...I have been in love with Itsy Bitsy products since I jumped into crafting and when Itsy Bitsy asked me to do a guest post, it was irresistible.


Now on to the post, I have altered a mini brag book which I have bought few months back from Itsy Bitsy. It was kept since that time because I couldn’t get time to make use of it. So, in this project I am altering it with with a classy theme. It is super cute and has space for pictures and journaling. It is handy and its Travel size makes it perfect for Travel/Vacation journaling so here I am with perfect Travel journal.

More detailed pictures at the end of the post!
& Don’t forget to see the video attached below which has all the details of the Product list with their name...so easy for you to search. Also I will be listing the material list at the end of the post and you can get entire collection from Itsy Bitsy so once you are over with my post you can grab yours.

Now coming to the process,

So this is the mini brag book which I will be altering. 
I am using MARIPOSA BUTTERFLY COLLAGE GOLD GLITTER sheet to cover the top of the journal. This pattern paper is one of my favourite and you don’t need to add any texture on the base as it is already so amazing..I have cut the sheet and distressed the edges with scissor for ripped look and then I distressed the edges with DISTRESS INK, available at Itsy Bitsy. And then I pasted it on the Top.
http://itsybitsy.in/scrapbooking-paper-crafts-tools/?categories=15754#/page/1

Then I pasted a oval cut pattern paper below the oval frame and stick it on the cover.
I did crackle paint on shells and leaves, and chosen color wisely so as to complement other embellishments. I have gone LEMON with this project...LOL
Crochet Flowers Lemon Chiffon
Phoebe Petals Lemon Chiffon 6 pcs
CROCHET TRIMS LEMON CHIFFON

I don’t remember the name of the product for leaves as I have got that long time back but it was in a pack of butterfly-leaves-swirl mdf.

So you can see the crackled texture on the shells and leaves.

Next started embellishing the cover page starting from Lace, pollens on the base and flowers on the top. These classy Pearl beads has added extra beauty to the journal. Detailed pics below.



Monday, June 27, 2016

Sizzix Floral Wreath By Deepti Stephens

Hello Crafty friends, hope you had a great Weekend! Today, we will be having a guest post from the very creative blogger / designer DEEPTI STEPHENS! :-) As you all know, we are currently celebrating “SIZZIX FEST", with heaps of discounts , loads of giveaways & lots  of creations using  the versatile Sizzix products ! So, who better than Deepti to do a post on the newly released “ SIZZIX DIE “ & inspire you for the "ANYTHING GOES USING A SIZZIX DIE OR EMBOSSING FOLDER challenge"! Deepti is from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh  & designs for SIZZIX!  She loves making cards & her creations are fun & cheerful! 
Over to Deepti.


Hello everyone! This Deepti Stephens from Catchy Design. I’m so happy that I’m doing a guest post for one of my favourite online stores in India. I would like to thank Rashmi and Itsy Bitsy team for giving me this wonderful opportunity. :)

A little about me? Yeah! I’m Deepti from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. I’m a very passionate card maker and a YouTuber and I love to doodle a lot! Yep! That’s me, a girl next door :-)
I made a card for you guys for ANYTHING GOES USING A SIZZIX DIE OR EMBOSSING FOLDER challenge. You can read all the details about this card below!

CARD DETAILS

For my project today I decided to go with one of the Sizzix’s latest release ‘Floral Wreath designed by Brenda Walton’. This set has 23 thinlits which are absolutely wonderful! I chose the bird, leaves and the banner for making my card. My idea was to stack the leaves behind the bird. I wanted the bird to be my focal point so I placed the stamped banner a little beneath the bird. I’m more of clean and simple and hence my projects will be clean with a touch of splatters, glitters and sequin!!


First, I die-cut a bunch of die-cuts from a white card stock by running it through the Big Shot Plus Machine and water colored them with Distress Inks. And later I applied Gold paint and Glitter Glue to the diecuts for some extra shimmer!

Instead of white cardstock I chose Kraft card stock as my base because I thought the colors would pop against the Kraft. And yes! They did! I adhered all the die-cuts on to the card panel with Glue and foam tape. Then I stamped the sentiment with Black Ink. I thought my main card base was too plain, so ran it through the Big Shot Plus Machine with wood-grain Embossing Folder. So this wood-grain part gave a nice back drop to the panel. Later I mounted the card panel on to the card base with foam tape! And that’s it! :)

Here are a few more still shots for you!
I hope you like this card and got inspired. Thanks for stopping by. It's pleasure working with Itsy Bitsy. Take care, bye! :-)

Friday, June 24, 2016

Blog Hop - Remya Ramachandran

Welcome friends to our last DT reveal today!

This is Rashmi, here to introduce  Remya to the design team.

Remya, an engineer by profession quit her IT job to enjoy motherhood & started dedicating her spare time to her long lost love - crafting, painting & sketching! She entered the world of paper crafting through quilling in 2014 & since then has been playing around with quilling, decoupage & mixed media. She loves experimenting & exploring products & related techniques.


  


Over to Remya now.


Fellow Crafters! Good Morning!

I am super excited & proud to be engaged into the Design Team of Itsy Bitsy. Thank you Rashmi & Tanvi. With the wide range of products available at Itsy Bitsy, you would be spoiled by the choices around. Since my early days of crafting, this has been my go to shop for variety of crafty things. I consider it a privilege to share this platform with some stalwarts of Crafting under the umbrella of Itsy Bitsy.

This is my first post here & is a part of the sizzix bloghop.
You can find all the details of the blog hop here.



Who does not want a repository for all of the things that interest and inspire you – something that’s handy where you could engrave your memories. A journal is the answer. If it’s one which is made by your own hands, it becomes very special for you!

Today, we are going to make a lovely journal to jot down your memorier & store pictures of you & your loved ones. We would also learn to use "We R Memory Keepers Crop-a-dile" & its buddy "Eyelets" which would give an aesthetic look for your journal.
A few words on We R Memory Keepers Crop-a-dile. Its a very convenient & easy to handle tool. With this you can punch holes of various diameters depending on the product you choose. Convenient rulers are present so you can figure out exactly where you want to punch the hole. 


You can use it to punch through - Paper and Card stock, thick chipboards, leather, thin tins & much more.

                                  Here is the journal I made - 











Materials Used


  1. Black Card Stock
  2. Pattern Paper -Yorkshire Pudding 
  3. Pattern Paper -Tis the Season 
  4. Decoupage Paper -Vintage Postcard 
  5. We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile
  6. Eyelets
  7. Glitter Gems
  8. Ribbons
  9. Chipboard
  10. Glue 
Hop over to my blog where a detailed tutorial on how to make this beautiful journal is available and also to get a chance to win a Sizzix die.



Thursday, June 23, 2016

Crafter In The Spotlight 3 - Itsy Bitsy

Hello friends!! Itsy Bitsy brings you "CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT" – a unique way of encouraging and appreciating the talented crafters. Week after week, we will bring you talented & versatile crafters, some seasoned and crafting from many years others, budding crafters but holding a lot of promise. We love what you create & are amazed at each of your unique creations every single day! We love the way you use Itsy Bitsy products & give life to those products.


We are very excited to announce the third crafter in the spotlight for June 2016 – SAMPADA SRIVASTAVA. A 25 year old software Engineer at IBM who’s turned a full time Crafter! , She thinks it was destiny that made her bump into a Itsy Bitsy store in Bangalore 3 years ago which is instrumental in finding her true calling! Her awesome creations remind me of a fairy tale garden filled with stunning flowers & Butterflies! Scrapbooking & Mixed Media seem to be her favourites & crafting she says is her “ Highway to Happiness”!



Here are excerpts of my interview with Sampada 

Rashmi Closepet, MD, Itsy Bitsy: Tell us a bit about yourself, your background? Where are you originally from, your Work, family etc?Sampada Srivastava: I am 25 years old and have done Bachelors in Computer Science. Currently working as a Software Engineer in IBM & I recently discovered my passion for crafting...a very creative side of mine. I am originally from Gorakhpur(UP), now based in Gurgaon. 

RC : How did you get into crafting?
SS : I used to do sketching in my School days but to be very true I was never into crafting or aware of how vast this field is. Well it really is a story that how I get into crafting. I was working in Bangalore and there only I fortuitously bumped into Itsy Bitsy Store. I was never into crafting before that but we say it a twist of fate that I got to know about such wide range of craft supplies..and trust me I got crazy seeing all that in one place..and then and there only I bought pretty handful of craft supplies without even knowing what and how to use. Then I started doing R&D about Scrapbooking...My brother gave me my first order and there it started... I made one...two..three and the counting goes on... then just after few months I shifted to Gurgaon and gradually my crafting also lessened due to work, home etc. I didnt get much time to craft but I never stopped doing my R&D over it.and concurrently I realized that there is so much more I can do rather than sit in office and code all the time..This thought was steadily building up my passion for craft and somewhere I knew in my heart that this is what I want. And my setback turned into my comeback.. I am lucky that my Husband encouraged my decision whole heartedly then from around 4-5 months, I am again back to Crafting and now with more zest and great Enthusiasm. 

RC Why do you Craft? Or what do you like about crafting?
SS Crafting has made my life better even my Mondays!!
This is something which has given me direction to do something new everyday. For me, Crafting is like Eat, Sleep, Craft & Repeat!
Obviously I do have a personal life too. LOL!
The most I like about Crafting is that you need not worry when you do mistake..because it may result in some unique creation.

RC What is your favourite type of craft?
SS Long list..but my most favourite is Scrapbooking and Mixed media.


RC What is / are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?
SS There are so many things in my list but I love the Embellishments esp Flowers and 3D stickers, Pattern papers, Stamps.

RC What products from Itsy Bitsy do you think are must have’s for a crafter?
SS Every Crafter must have Flower/Butterfly Embellishments and Pattern Papers from Itsy Bitsy

RC What product would you like to see at Itsy Bitsy?
SS I was so happy to see Stencils which was launched recently by Itsy Bitsy...but would like to see more Mixed media products like Sprays, also it would be great if you can add more Pattern paper packs

RC You draw inspiration from ------------------
SS I believe that until and unless you won't experiment, you won't grow....and there is great satisfaction in seeing my each and every project shaping up from scratch to end.
If you ask about my inspiration that it is hard to know exactly..Inspiration is something that can come from anywhere..It can be anything, any person, any incident...For me it kept on changing every now and then.. Its just that I keep experimenting with my craft materials, colors, themes.. I always try to be better from my previous artwork.

RC What are your other pastimes?
SS I like travelling and exploring new places & Shopping for craft supplies..I always think I won't buy any craft supplies now until I finish what I have but it never happens. LOL

RC What would you be doing if you were not crafting?
SS Don't know..If not crafting then I am still an Engineer by profession.

RC If you had magic powers, what would you want to contribute to the Crating world ?
SS If I can contribute anything to crafting world then it would be the crafting awareness and resources for craft supply needs to small towns. There is astounding and amazingly talented people out there which still have not encountered their talent so it is very important to expose this supressed talent. The growing crafters will in return make the crafting world grow more. 

RC What is your most treasured possession in your craft stash?
SS I love each and every stuff..but my most treasured one is my Big Shot Plus, it was gifted by my husband so it's Close to my heart.

RC What do you do when you’re suffering a creative block?
SS I constantly keep notes of what I do...any creative idea, thought, motivational quotes(it keeps you going) and when I get stumped ..I stop work just go through that and it helps..That will sound funny but I create scrapbook in my mind..layouts in my head before I touch my materials to actually start with...
Also I feel like we need to be little easy with regards to creative blocks. May be you need that time to chill out!

RC How would you describe your style of crafting?
SS I do not have any fixed style..I keep on trying to create something unique and better each time. I try to learn everyday..and implement it in my work and it defines my style of work. It's my High-way to Happiness.

RC How do you organize your time for crafting?
SS I have a fixed routine for crafting in which either I create projects or I try to learn and explore more about new techniques and tricks.I make sure I packup before 6 pm so that I always can spend time with my husband...but during hectic schedules..I work late nights(that's the time I feel the most creative me!!)

RC Tips for people who want to craft?
SS Just do what you love to do...Crafting field is boundless and there is huge range of materials and techniques which you can try your hand on.Just be confident..and don't get disappointed with your failures..it is something you will always learn from.

Here are a couple of Sampada’s awesome creations –



Many congrats Sampada for being the CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT - ITSY BITSY :-) :-) 
You will receive Rs 500/- Itsy Bitsy gift voucher :-) :-) & a Crafter in the Spotlight badge, which can be proudly displayed on the side bar of your blog.



Also, visit our Youtube channel to view & to know more about this crafter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DynK6Y81V7Q&feature=youtu.be
Looking forward to many more creations, Happy Crafting!