Crafter in The Spotlight 41 - Itsy Bitsy

Hello arty-crafty folks,

Thursday is here again! Today I will introduce you to another talented crafter for our weekly ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’. This week the lime light is on Sini Anoop, who is originally from Kerala but has lived in Goa for many years. Along with being a passionate crafter, Sini is a Ph. D. in Marine Science. Currently Sini is pursuing a career and also keeping her creative passion alive.

Sini’s love for crafting dates back to her school days. Even as a kid she liked making creative things from anything she could lay her hands on. Trying out all sorts of craft techniques thrill Sini.

For Sini, any time is a good time for crafting; she utilizes her free time for her craft endeavors. All craft supplies at Itsy Bitsy woo her and she would like to see her favourite craft store Itsy Bitsy all around the world.

How did Sini get into crafting, what inspires her, what are her tips for fellow crafters, her favourite quote, how would she contribute to the crafting world if she had magical powers? Read answers to all these questions, discover more about her interesting journey and catch a glimpse of a step by step project by Sini in this interview. Don’t forget to leave your comments for her.

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

Sini Anoop: Hello, I am Sini married to Anoop and we have a cute little son who is 5 years of age. I am basically from Kerala, but I have lived my life in Goa and relocated to Kerala only after my son’s birth. I have a Ph. D. in Marine Science and was working as a scientist in NCAOR (National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research). After the birth of my son, I decided to quit my job to give him time. After a 6 year break, I am back to work as a Post-doctoral fellow in Marine Biology.

RC: How did you get into crafting?

SA: I don’t remember how I got into crafting, because I have been crafting since the time I remember. During school days I would eagerly wait for the craft period and would never want that period to end. I remember catching hold of any crafty thing and trying to make something out of it. During those days crepe paper flowers were my favourite. My father always motivated me, since he knew how much I loved doing it. After my graduation, studies took a front seat as I was busy with my Ph. D and research work. It was only after the birth of my little one that I got back into crafting and have been crafting and learning new techniques for the last 3 years. I am lucky to have an adoring hubby who has always supported me with my passion for crafting

RC: What is your favourite type of craft?

SA:  There are no favorites for me, as I love doing all sorts of craft. Whenever I come across any new technique, I just can’t wait to try my hand at it. However, recently I have been bit by the quilling bug and I enjoy it thoroughly. J

RC: What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

SA: That’s a tough question because all the products at Itsy Bitsy are awesome; be it chipboards, pattern papers, dies, embossing folders, stamps, stencils, decoupage napkins, ribbons and you just name it.

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

SA: Open an Itsy Bitsy store in every part of the world. What more does the crafting world need? Awesome products at awesome price to pursue their crafting dreams!!

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

SA: Dies and embossing folders from Itsy Bitsy, the stamps and the cute punches, the sparkling embossing powders, the colorful quilling papers ….woo… literally everything from Itsy Bitsy.

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

SA: I love experimenting and trying new techniques. I believe that the more you craft, the more you learn and improve and ultimately you excel.

RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

SA: For me, there’s no particular time for crafting, I craft whenever I am free and specially during night hours and weekends.

RC: Tips for people who want to craft

SA: Any craft you make, do not hesitate to display it to others and especially fellow crafters. Their comments and advice will help you improve your work and help you learn new techniques too.

RC: Your all -time favourite quote?

SA: “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

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

3D QUILLED WALL DÉCOR

Materials required:

Cardboard for base, quilling tools, quilling paper and modpodge

Take a cardboard (here I have taken a round one- Cakebase), stick the background paper (Thick Craft paper) onto it. Draw the main outline of the sketch.

Make different quilled shapes, and make flowers and leaves out of it. To give a shine, I have applied a coat of modpodge on the flowers.

Start arranging the flowers and leaves on the sketch, once your satisfied with the layout, you can apply glue and stick them on to the base. Give an outline to the birds, and start pasting the quilled shapes on the birds to complete it.

Give an outline to the heart (visible section) and branches by sticking the quilling paper vertically. Fill the branches with quilled shapes. Finally stick the remaining flowers and leaves and complete the wall decor.

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

Many congrats Sini 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!

Damask Album

Hi people, its Lekha here with my new post and today I would be using some bold prints with the new launch from Itsy Bitsy..

Its none other than the chipboard album and metallic paints .

In my last post on these lovely metallic paints and quilling flowers I had mentioned about the lovely sheen these paints have and must have for your collection..

Lets move over to the chipboard album,this can be painted, decorated with papers etc...

Here is my take on this lovely damask design I got in my DT kit. The album comes with 6 pages...a lot of space to create some wonderful albums.

I first painted the album front and back cover in broccoli metallic paint (I love the name).

Next took silicon glue and stuck organza ribbons and satin ribbon at the back of the cover page.

For decorating the cover page I have used hand cut quilled fringe flowers and very pretty pink flowers from Itsy Bitsy's margarida cornation collection and rhinestones.

Also have stamped the pages with bold sentiments from Itsy Bitsy's hope and smile stamp set. 

There is space to put photos or write or it can be used as personal journal.

Here is the complete look...

Here is the video showing all the pretty pages from the album.

Hope you liked this version and we also have Tanvi's post on creating a shaker chipboard album. Its another great idea as shaker elements are very popular these days..

Let me share some pics from her post too..

Notice loads of sparkle dots inside..

Supplies used:

chipboard album 

 metallic paints

broccoli metallic paint

scrapbooking glue

 silicon glue

golden rhinesotnes

hope and smile stamp set

 slotted quilling tool

margarida cornation collection

organza ribbons

 satin ribbon

pink frames

Keep Crafting!!
Thanks for visiting and do leave some love :)

Crafter In The Spotlight 13 - 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.

I am delighted to announce this week's crafter in the spotlight - September, 2016 - "ARCHANA SHETTY"! Ever since we started this program, we have been featuring Paper Crafters, week after week & for the first time we are showcasing a crafter who specializes in something slightly different, stunning jewellery! Archana, who likes to call herself a "True Blue Bengalurean", is a post graduate in computer applications! Although Archana made her foray into the creative world through drawing, sketching & recycled craft, quilling is her forte & designing quilled jewellery is what she is very passionate about! This committed crafter makes it a point to craft at least 4 hours every single day!

Wow, that is admirable! What would Archana do if she had magical powers? To know more about Archana, what inspires her & her all time favorite quote, please read her interesting interview below. 

Here are excerpts of my interview with Archana:

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

Archana Vasant : I am Archana, 27 years old and true blue Bengalurian. I have done my Post Graduation in Computer Applications. I am a happy housewife for the last 5 years and live with my loving husband Vasant and adorable son Inith. I am crafting for the last 3 years and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

RC: How did you get into crafting?

AV: I entered the craft world through drawing. As a kid, I loved drawing. Over the years, the interest spilled over to crafting. Initially, I used to reuse plastic bottles and transform them into pen stands, flower vases etc. I used to makeover thermocol pieces, carton boxes into photo frames. I then moved onto making quilled jewelry. Constant encouragement of friends made me take it even more seriously.

RC: What is your favourite type of craft?

AV: Designing quilled ear rings, Jhumkas and necklaces are my favourite types of crafts.

RC: What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

AV: The colorful collection of quilling strips catches my eyes every time I enter the store.

I like the feathers, beads, and organza ribbon available at Itsy Bitsy too.

RC: What products from Itsy Bitsy do you think are must haves for a crafter?

AV: Every crafter should try the decoupage sheets and varieties of glue available at Itsy bitsy. Decoupage sheets and Decoupage glue are a must if one wants to design clean and neat looking craft.

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

AV: I would like to see more of Craft punch and Terracotta beads at ItsyBitsy.

RC: You draw inspiration from?

AV: My family is my inspiration. In my childhood, my parents encouraged my interest in drawing by getting me all that I asked for. And now, my husband is a pillar of support. Without his support, I surely wouldn’t have pursued this hobby this far. My husband is the biggest critique of my designs too. His feedback always helps me in improving my work.

RC: What are your other interests?

AV: Apart from crafting, my few other interests are collecting stamps and invitation cards.

I try to utilize the designs of the invitation cards to design Photo frames.

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

AV: If I had magic power, I would instill a sense of crafting in the tender minds of all the children of the world. I strongly believe that crafting is creativity and creativity helps in making humans more empathetic.

RC: Your prized possession in craft stash?

AV: Like a mother who loves all her kids equally, I treat every single craft item in my stash as a prized possession.

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

AV: My craft work has three important traits. 1> Clean finish. 2> Enticing looks and 3> A sense of belongingness.  No wonder, I constantly get repeat orders from my patrons. ☺

RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

AV: I spend 4 hours for crafting every single day. In spite of being a busy housewife, my passion for crafting has helped me pull time for crafting. Crafting helps me unwind and where there is a will, there is always a way. Generating time is closely linked to one’s passion and commitment in my view.

RC: Tips for people who want to craft?

AV: Just one tip. Don’t wait. Start and Start now. 

RC: Your all-time favorite quote?

AV: It’s a George Bernard Shaw quote that is my favorite. “Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will”

Here are a couple of Archana's awesome creations :

Many congrats Archana 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=KTASWgS6as4 

Looking forward to many more creations, Happy Crafting!

The Metallic Sheen!!

Hi Lekha here with you to celebrate 9 awesome years of Itsy Bitsy ....lets paint the world in metallic sheen!

And you guessed it right...today I will be sharing with you some projects using metallic paints. I used these for the first time and got bowled over by the outcome..these are must haves if you love painting or mix media.

Lets get rolling..

My DT kit this time is all about canvas, paints-some very pretty metallic colors,stencils(if you don't know I have a fetish for collecting stencils and hoarding them !!) and chip boards.

Today I would be sharing three projects with you using these mini canvas.

Lets start begin our colorful journey...

For the first project..I start gluing down papers from a old book on to the  4x4 inch mini canvas using scrapbooking glue.

Next took stencil brush, teal metallic paint, blush metallic paint and irregular dots stencil. I have in past used sponge with stencils, brushes-flat and round but the round stencil brush is definitely a must have if you are a stenciling addict like me. These give beautiful outcome.

Don't forget to miss the sheen these metallic colors have..

Have also put in some velvet night metallic paint ...

and here is what we get..

Next used modelling paste with the stencil..I love this bubble texture for the background..Next is "Quilling Time". I have created this background as base for the quilling flowers..and for the first time tried Itsy Bitsy's vellum quilling strips and loved these strips..

These are the vellum quilling strips and come in some very pretty colors

For the flowers I have made fringe flowers (cutting fringes in 1 cm wide paper strip and than rolling it over the slotted quilling tool). Another is the famous Malaysian flower..and my personal favorite of all times.

 The sentiments "beautiful" and "dream" are stamped in permanent ink along with other stamped images which come from the Itsy Bitsy's hope and smile stamp set. This stamp set has great collection of all time use sentiments and images.

Here is the complete look..i have stuck two 4x4 inch mini canvas on to a wooden chipboard piece(and this comes from an old wedding card!!) using the super strong silicon glue and than worked around my way with quilled flowers.

Over to my next project ..these both are mini fridge magnets. 

Painted the base with these metallic paint and round brush.

Also before working any further I stuck magnetic sheet at the back,

and stamped the sentiment from the Itsy Bitsy's hope and smile stamp set. 

These metallic paints are even great to use with chip board designs design.

I have used combing technique for the leaves  and made Malaysian flowers and fringe flower.

Here is the completed mini magnet.

For the third canvas design, I have painted the background with metallic paints and used dimensional tape to adhere the painted circle chipboard design with wooden alphabets for the sentiment and painted them in gold. Stamped the flowers with black permanent ink.And golden rhinesotnes complete the look..

Hope you liked the colorful twist...

Would love to hear from you..do leave some love in the comments..

happy crafting!!

Lekha

Supplies used:

vellum quilling strips

yellow stick pollens

 metallic paints

velvet night metallic paint

teal metallic paint

 blush metallic paint 

 irregular dots stencil. 

stencil brush 

4x4 inch mini canvas

scrapbooking glue

 silicon glue

circle chipboard design

chip board designs  

golden rhinesotnes

dimensional tape 

hope and smile stamp set

 slotted quilling tool