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