Crafter In The Spotlight 18 - 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 delighted to introduce & feature yet another Crafter this week ! This week’s crafter in the Spotlight for October 2016 is “APURVA CHAWLA” ! An Assistant Professor in English Literature, this talented crafter got into crafting when she took a 2 year break from college to look after her son.

She is very passionate about Scrapbooking & loves making Scrapbooking Albums! Simple & Clear she says is her style & her creations are neat, beautiful & appealing! What really inspires Apurva, her tips for fellow crafters, her favourite quote, how would she contribute to crafting world if she had magical powers ?? To know all these & to know more about her interesting journey, please read the interview & leave your comments for her.

Here are excerpts of my interview with Apurva:

Rashmi Closepet, MD, Itsy Bitsy: Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

Apurva Chawla: I live in Chandigarh, the city beautiful. By profession, I am an Assistant Professor at Government College, and teach English Literature and Language to undergraduate and post-graduate students. I have a six year old young boy who keeps me on my toes in the evenings. I love spending time with my family.

RC : How did you get into crafting?

AC : I took two years leave from the college to look after my child. That was the time when I rediscovered my childhood passion and creativity and gave it structure and shape.

RC : What is your favorite type of craft?

AC : Scrapbooking is my all time favorite. Making scrapbook albums of different themes, whether big or minis, is my passion. Gift boxes of different shapes and sizes are yet another favorite. I love learning new crafts all the time.

RC : What are your favorite products at Itsy Bitsy?

AC : Well, it’s hard to mention specific products because so many are my favourites. The ones I buy regularly are DCWV paper packs, stickers, buttons & stamps. There are many products which are my dream buys at Itsy-Bitsy, like Shapeabilities Dies, Crate Paper Packs and epoxy embellishments.

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

AC : Well, I think a paper trimmer and a scoring tool are very essential to crafting. Whatever paper and embellishments we use, what gives the product an appeal and professionalism is the crisp folds and neatness.

Then, a good quality cardstock and designer paper is a must have. There should be no compromise on quality of the material used. 

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

AC : I am happy that Itsy Bitsy cares about a crafter’s needs and wishes. The very feeling that I as a crafter am very valuable for Itsy Bitsy motivates me all the more to explore my creativity. I would love to see Graphic 45 papers, echo pack paper collection kits and Martha Stewart & EK success paper punches on the shelves of Itsy Bitsy. I would be the first one to grab them from the store, I bet.

RC : You draw inspiration from?

AC : It is a tough question because there are so many crafters whose YouTube videos have been my teachers and guides so far. I would say with pride that I have drawn much inspiration from Ginger Ropp (My Sisters Scrapper) & few others.

RC : What are your other interests?

AC : When I am not crafting, I am busy writing poetry & short stories, both in Hindi and English. As I mentioned earlier, I love spending quality time with my son. Since, I am in the middle of my Ph.D research, I like reading about my topic of research.

RC : If you had magic powers, how would you contribute to the crafting world?

AC : First of all, I would stretch the day and night to 48 hours, so I could get more time for crafting. Secondly, I wish I could buy anything I want with the blink of an eye. That way I could create endlessly with a variety of good craft supplies. And also, I wish that I could meet my gurus of crafting world (those I mentioned earlier) to learn from them and knowing them personally.

RC : Your prized possession in your craft stash?

AC : Of course, my MS Scoring Board and DCWV paper packs and my good old DELI paper trimmer. I just cannot imagine making anything useful without these. I am glad I have them. And yes, a big carton of different kinds of embellishments that I’m hoarding and keep buying off and on.

RC : How would you describe your style of crafting?

AC : I like working with pastel shades and also brights when it comes to themes like birthdays and vacation. I would say that my style is clear and simple. If you see my products, they don’t have very intricate designed covers, rather simplicity is their virtue. Yet, they are self explanatory, in the sense that they appeal to the eye for their neatness and sturdiness.

RC : How do you organize your time for crafting?

AC : Where there is a will there is a way! Although my days are spent in the college teaching, and evenings with my adorable little boy, I extract some time during nights for crafting. My passion does not let me sleep until I have created what I aim to. I totally and madly love scrapbooking.

RC : Tips for people who want to craft?

AC : I would suggest that one must have the basic tools of crafting like a paper trimmer and a scoring board. The adhesive should be of very good quality, because that holds all the pieces of a product and keeps it intact. There should be absolutely no compromise on the quality of the raw material used. Once you possess all these basics, you should feel free to explore your own style of crafting, irrespective of the dominant trends. Then only, one can work passionately forever. One should be a good learner, ready to acknowledge the inspirations and guides.

RC : Your all-time favourite quote?

AC : “Love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment. It is the ultimate truth that lies at the heart of creation.”

Rabindranath Tagore

Here are a couple of Apurva 's awesome creations:

Many congrats Apurva 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 and other platforms.

Also, visit our Youtube channel to view & to know more about this crafter – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95xykmV41uw

Looking forward to many more creations, Happy Crafting!