Crafter In The Spotlight - 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 FIRST crafter in the spotlight for June 2016 – Yeshaswini Prakash. She is a techie by profession & a crafter by choice. Yeshaswini is a self-taught artist &expresses herself through mixed media & art journaling. We love her energy & enthusiasm and the way she uses & blends the numerous elements and embellishments in a project. She has been an active participant in Itsy Bitsy Crafters Café since its inception & we wish her loads of success on this creative journey of hers & would love to see many more creations from her in the future.

Here are excerpts of my interview with Yeshaswini

Rashmi Closepet, MD, Itsy Bitsy:  Tell us a bit about yourself, your background? Where are you originally from?

Yeshaswini Prakash:  I’m a Bangalore based self-taught wanna-be artist. :) Graduated with Information Science degree. Currently working as a Software Engineer in SAP Labs India.

RC : How did you get into crafting?

YP : Drawing and crafting have always been my hobby since childhood. I remember making tons of paper crafts like model of houses, books, greetings cards when I was a kid. 

About 5 months back I decided to take this hobby to the next level. Felt the need to explore the world of crafting. There is so much to learn: there's paper crafts, quilling, mixed media, art journalling, jewellery making and much more. I was fascinated by Mixed Media Art and started learning the techniques by watching video tutorials. Once I started making my own creations using these techniques, there was no turning back. Since then I have been working continuously to create art. 

RC : Why do you Craft? Or what do you like about crafting?

YP: The process of turning 'nothing' into 'something WOW' is what makes me craft. The end result of 1 project makes me feel I can create 1 more.

RC : What is your favourite type of craft?

YP : My favourite type of craft is 'Mixed Media'. I feel there are no rules when it comes to Mixed Media, it is a free-form of art.  You can use anything - like paper, paint, texture, embellishments to make a project. You can even tell a story in your Artwork using this technique. 

RC : What is / are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

YP : My favourite products are the flower and metal embellishments, pattern papers and various wooden alterable that are available for my projects.

RC : What products from Itsy Bitsy do you think are must have’s for a crafter?

YP : Every crafter must have patter paper from Itsy Bitsy. They can be used for various kind of crafts like card making, art journalling and mixed media projects as well.

RC : What product would you like to see at Itsy Bitsy?

YP : I would like to see more of shimmered spray paints. These are great for the projects I make. I would love to see an in-house shimmered spray paints from Itsy Bitsy.

RC : You draw inspiration from?

YP : I draw inspiration from colours. I just love to mix them up and see the magical transformation on my artwork. 

RC : What are your other pastimes?

YP : I read... lots and lots of Novels are filled in my bookshelf. I also have a passion for photography. Haven't started working on it seriously yet. But definitely have the mindset to pursue it.

RC : What would you be doing if you were not crafting?

YP : I would be sketching if not crafting. I haven't taken sketching seriously up until few weeks back. I'm currently learning the various techniques in sketching to help me get started.

RC : How would you describe your style of crafting?

YP : I would say my style of crafting is a mirror image of what is in my mind. I keep working on my craft until I'm able to replicate the exact artwork from my mind.

RC : With your busy work schedule, how do you manage to craft?

YP : I believe that there is always time if you are determined to work on something. There is no such thing as 'No time' to do something you love and are passionate about. I make sure I work minimum 10 mins in a day on my craft-work or learning crafting techniques. Most of my work are done during weekends.

RC : Tips for people who want to craft?

YP : I once heard a quote "In Crafting, there are no mistakes... just unique creations". This is the best line I can say to the people out there who want to try their hand on crafting. Just keep working without being discouraged that something you made did not turn out well. Don't ever lose your motivating factor.

Here are a couple of Yeshaswini's awesome creations - 

Many congrats Yeshaswini for being the CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT - ITSY BITSY :-) :-)  

You will receive Rs 500/- Itsy Bitsy gift voucher ( should already be in your mailbox ) :-) & 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=wkbhpZW7ds4

Looking forward to many more creations, Happy Crafting!