Crafter in The Spotlight 30 - Itsy Bitsy

Hello Crafty Folks, I am delighted to introduce & feature yet another talented Crafter this week! Ever since the inception of “ CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT”, we have been featuring & introducing talented crafters week after week every Thursday. For the first time, due to reasons beyond control, we were unable to bring it to you as usual on Thursday! J Sorry, if we have disappointed you! But, don’t worry, here we are with our final edition of the year where we bring you the final crafter for the fabulous 2016!

This week’s crafter in the Spotlight  for DECEMBER 2016 is none other than the very talented “KARTHIKHA BALASUBRAMANIAN!” For, Karthikha, a software developer who works as a technical lead in a MNC, juggling between work, family & craft seems to be a everyday lesson time management ! J

Karthikha seems to have got her creative genes from her mom & this self – confessed OCD crafter wants everything perfectly finished to the inches! J

Card Making, Stamping, making Fancy Folds & Quilling Jhumkas is what she is passionate about & CAS cards with a neat & co-ordinated finish is her style! Making & Gifting handmade cards is something that gives her immense happiness & i can proudly say that i have been one of the lucky recipients of Karthikha’s cards & i can certainly vouch for the happiness it gave me when i opened the envelope & saw the lovely handmade card!J Thank you Karthikha, loved it! 

What really inspires Karthikha, 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 & to see a tutorial on a creative, please read the interview & leave your comments for her.

Here are excerpts of my interview with Karthikha Balasubramanian:

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

Karthikha Balasubramanian : Hello EveryoneJ It’s a great honour to be recognized by one of the leading craft stores in India! Thanks to Itsy Bitsy and Rashmi mam for this opportunity!

I’m Karthikha, from Erode district in Tamilnadu. I’ve settled in Hyderabad, with my loving husband and darling daughter. I work for an MNC as a software development technical lead, and crafting is my hobby. Juggling between home, office and craft is now my hectic schedule, guess I’m learning time management slowlyJ

RC: How did you get into crafting?

KB: I’ve been into crafting since my childhood, making simple greeting cards and trying out DIY stuff during school crafts periodJ. I’ve always loved doing something creative and I got it from my mom, who has tried various art forms! However I’m now stuck to Paper crafts – Cards and Quilling. I entered the blog land of crafting a couple of years back and got to know a loooot of tools, techniques, crafters, blogs, types of crafts and more!! And I’m still learning! I made some really good friends too!J

RC: What is your favorite type of craft?

KB: Card making is my favourite! The happiness you see on the receiver’s eyes on being gifted a handmade card is priceless! And I feel cards make any occasion special! I love stamping, making fancy folds, reusing scraps and trying out different techniques that I learn. I also hoard wedding invitation cards and reuse them for punch outs on cardsJ. Quilling is my next favourite craft and I love to make and wear matching jhumkas!

RC: What are your favorite products at Itsy Bitsy?

KB: Who wouldn’t think of those lovely beautiful flowers? They are my most favourite of all! And the list goes on with Color splash, Brads, lovely Chipboard elements, Silicon glue, Stencils, Laces, Charms, Sprinkles and moreJ. The sprinkles and shaker set are just perfect to make quick cards! I also love those wonderful Embellishments that were recently launched.

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

KB: When it comes to crafting, I’m greedy!! I would hoard a lot of craft supplies, clone myself and craft all the time, gifting friends and familyJ. I’ll also gift every crafter a magic wand that organizes all craft supplies at the right place after finishing a projectJ. That’s one time consuming work which I hate doing, but have to, so that I don’t hunt for supplies the next timeJ

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

KB: I would choose 2 items – Flowers and Color splash! I’m so awed by them that I don’t feel like using them! Precious stuff is to be preserved right? ;)

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

KB: I don’t have any specific style of crafting, but I love making CAS cards, less embellishments, color coordinated with neat finish. My OCD mind wouldn’t accept something that goes off by even 1/8th of an inch!

RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

KB: Here comes the tough question! I craft over the weekend mostly, and sometimes during the weekdays nights. Holidays are well planned to take some time out for crafting. My husband helps me out often by babysitting and making sure my daughter doesn’t come to the room where I craftJ

RC: Tips for people who want to craft?

KB: Try out whatever your heart desires! Manage your time and priorities, relax and enjoy craftingJ. Take a break if you want to, but don’t force crafting. A relaxed mind can be more creative! And I love to see my craft supplies organised. I hate the time taken in cleaning the mess, yet, I force myself so that my next project becomes easy when I find the supplies quickly. This small tip goes a long way in keeping your mind calm.

Want another simple tip?J I don’t have a dedicated craft space, I use the extra bed in another room. It is filled with my craft supplies and projects 90% of the days in a month and I clear it only when guests arrive!J I cover it with a bed sheet to hide them from my daughter :D This will surely help young moms I guess! LOLJ

RC: Your all -time favorite quote?

KB: Keep SmilingJ Focus on your strengths, than whine on your weakness!

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

After having Mixed Media in my to-do list for a long time, here I am, finally with my first try! An MM canvasJ Mixed media crafting experts, please ignore if I’ve made silly mistakes, appreciate your feedbackJ

Here are the steps on how I made this mini canvas.

Step 1:

I took a 4x4 Canvas Panel, placed stencil so that it covers the entire canvas and applied Texture White using Hobby Brush.

Step 2:

I then sprayed 3 colors of Color Splash – Gold Rush, Hot Pink and Lime Splash randomly.

Step 3:

I dried the panel using heat gun, to set the colors as they were.

Step 4:

I applied direct ink on the edges using Picked Raspberry Distress ink.

Step 5:

I then took a lattice chipboard and trimmed it to the height of the panel.

Step 6:

The chipboard is first given a coating of white acrylic paint, and then a mist of Lime splash. It is attached to the panel using Silicon glue.

Step 7:

For the right side corners, I wanted to add some more texture and added Doilies with the help of Mod Podge.

Step 8:

Now comes the embellishments part. I’ve used one big blue flower, mini flower brad (I removed the brad and attached a pearl to the center), leaf charm, cage charm and 3d butterflies. I also had some decorative metallic pollens recycled from wedding braid flowers. Attached all these embellishments using Silicon glue. I’ve also given a splash of Gold Rush on the doilies.

Step 9:

Finally, I’ve added a sentiment ‘Believe’ – stamped on white card stock using onyx black ink, distressed using Picked Raspberry and fussy cut with a pair of pattern scissors. 

Here are some close up pics!

Hope you like my creationJ

Here are a couple of Karthikha’s other awesome creations:

Many congrats Karthikha 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!