The Itsy Bitsy Big Shot Party

July 6th was a red letter day for all of us here at Itsy Bitsy because it was the date of the first ever Big Shot Party - a party to celebrate and commemorate Itsy Bitsy becoming the sole distributor of Sizzix products in India. 15 likeminded crafters from various corners of Bangalore got together at the Itsy Bitsy store in Banashankari to share ideas, dies, embossing folders and their mutual love of craft. I, myself was thrilled to be part of this fabulous event and take great pleasure in writing all about it. 

The Itsy Bitsy team had done a fabulous job of setting up the space. Each crafter got a dedicated space along with a name tag for themselves and their Big Shot. I was the first to arrive so I got a chance to see the room with all the tables set up and the demo station in place. Pretty soon the invitees started coming in. Some came alone, others with their daughters and others with their husbands so pretty soon it became a bustling centre of activity and excitement. It didn't take much to start chatting, we all had one big hobby in common - a love for all things crafty so as we waited for the final guests to come, we shared tips, ideas and practices so much so that we were practically interrupting each other. 

Soon we were ready to begin so everyone took their assigned spots. After a welcome talk by Itsy Bitsy owners Harish and Rashmi Closepet, I took the stage with a quick demo on the Big Shot, the Tattered Floral Die, the We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy Tool, the We R Memory Keepers Sew Ribbon Tool and heat embossing.  Shortly after Sharada Acharya did a demo of a tag using the Itsy Bitsy Scallop Circle Die and I gotta say, it was a clever idea and a rocking demo!

Then it was time for cake and refreshments. Any guesses what the cake was? That's right - it was a BIG SHOT CAKE!! How cool is that! Rashmi and Harish cut the cake amidst party poppers and confetti and we all drooled over the rich chocolate hiding under all that fondant!

Next it was time for snacks and refreshments, after all we crafters need some solid fortification before our creative minds can get to work right? There were some fabulous eateries on offer and we all pigged out just a little as we continued to catch up with each other on our crafty interests.

Finally it was time to get to work. Harish took the group through all the Itsy Bitsy products available for the layouts. There were dies, embossing folders, inks, stamps, embossing powders, embossing guns, flowers, chipboard laser cuts, papers and so on. Apart from these guests were encouraged to ask for any additional supplies they needed to make their layout stand apart and these items too were provided. At 4:30pm, it was time to start crafting and the group was given 2 hours to create their masterpeice!

We wrapped up by 6:30pm and each layout was photographed. Following that everyone got together for a group photo before heading back home, energised and enthused from a dedicated afternoon of crafting! We had a fabulous time hosting this first ever event of its kind and considering its success we are hopeful of doing it again. So if you're in Bangalore and you have a Big Shot, watch this space for more exciting events coming up! 

Here's a look at the fabulous layouts from the Itsy Bitsy Big Shot Party! To vote for your favourite be sure to visit our Facebook page and hit like on the one you like the most.