Crafter In The Spotlight 22 - 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 November 2016 is “Vinita Bajla”! An extremely versatile crafter, this crafter seems to inherit her artistic flair from Kolkata, a city known for it’s artisitic & cultural heritage!

She is very passionate about Decoupage & feels crafting is therapeutic! J I’m surely you would all agree! :-) Here creations are truly elegant & classy ! What really inspires Vinita, 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 do visit our blog & leave your comments for her.

Here are excerpts of my interview with Vinita:

Rashmi Closepet, MD, Itsy Bitsy : Tell us a bit about yourself & your background?

Vinita Bajla : First of all a Big Thank you to Itsy-Bitsy for this week’s feature as crafter in the spotlight. 

I was born and brought up in Kolkata, which is rich in its heritage of art and culture. I got married and settled in Bangalore which is rich in its diversity. Over the years I have spent time learning different forms of art such as mural paintings and ikebana. I love reading and listening to music. With my family’s support I can proudly call myself a professional decoupage artist.

RC : How did you get into crafting?
VB : I have always had a flair for crafting even as a child, Crafting at that time was limited to scrapbooks, card making and of course the charts we made in school for our bulletin board competitions, which carried forward during both my daughters’ school years. Couple of years ago, I had learnt decoupage and fell in love with the art instantly and the crafter in me was born! 

RC : What is your favourite type of craft?

VB : My favourite type of craft is card making and Decoupage hands down!!

RC : What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

VB : Paints, Paper stacks, chipboard embellishments, stamps, sequences and stencils sigh.. I can go on and on...

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

VB : If I had magical powers I would build a hobby and a craft store in every neighbourhood and paint the world with colours of love and peace.

RC : Your prized possession in your craft stash from Itsy Bitsy?

VB : It would be stamps and stencils

RC : How would you describe your style of crafting?

VB : I believe in free-style crafting and also customizing products for my clients.

RC : How do you organise your time for crafting?

VB : Crafting for me is therapeutic and I ensure to have enough of it every day... I wish all day J

RC :Tips for people who want to craft?

VB : Follow your heart and continuously keep yourself updated with the latest products and techniques available.

RC : Your all -time favourite quote?

VB : Live.Love.Craft.

Here is a gorgeous project by Vinita & step by step description :

The Art of Bottle Decoupage

Materials Required:

Empty Wine Bottle

Gesso

Mod -Podge

Sponge

Paper Napkin

White Acrylic Paint

Varnish

String

Embellishments

Toothbrush

Flat Brushes

Technique:

01). Soak Bottle overnight in warm soapy water

02). Wash and wipe the bottle in the morning

03). Apply a coat of white gesso and leave it to dry completely

04). Apply a second coat of gesso and leave it to dry completely

05). Now apply a coat of white acrylic paint and leave it to dry

06). Choose your napkin/tissue and tear it horizontally into half ensuring 

the bottle all around

07). Place the napkin on your bottle and start sticking it by applying mod-podge in strips

08). Press the napkin to surface of bottle gently with the sponge

09). Continue till you cover the complete bottle

10). Tear off the extra bits of napkin

11). Cure it till it dries completely

12). With a toothbrush, spray a bit of the contrasting colour on the painted part of the bottle. Leave it to dry

13). Apply a coat of varnish and let it cure completely

14). Lastly add the string and the embellishment to decorate your bottle

15). Voila! Your home decor is ready! It can be used as a flower vase or placed on the mantle and you can insert string lights as well.

Enjoy crafting your bottle J

Here are a couple of Vinita's other awesome creations:

Many congrats Vinita 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.

Looking forward to many more creations, Happy Crafting!