Crafter in The Spotlight 43 - Itsy Bitsy

Hello arty-crafty folks,

Thursday is here again! Today I will introduce you to another passionate crafter for our weekly ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’. This week the lime light is on Riddhi Jani, a talented crafter who is originally from Ahmedabad, residing in Pune but is soon moving to the ‘City of Dreams’… Mumbai!!

Riddhi has completed her B. Sc with Biotechnology and feels that art runs in her blood. She loved painting since childhood but never imagined she would take up crafting as a career.

Some of Riddhi’s favourite are scrapbooking, paper crafting and mix media. She feels, Itsy Bitsy offers the best price and is the perfect place for craft shopping.

How did Riddhi 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 Riddhi in this interview. Don’t forget to leave your comments for her.

Here are excerpts of my interview with Riddhi Jani:

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

Riddhi Jani: Hello everyone! Thanks Rashmi ma'am and Anitha ma'am for this wonderful platform. I'm grateful that Itsy Bitsy gave me this chance.

Before I tell you something about myself, I would like to thank Itsy Bitsy for choosing me. It’s like a dream come true ❤.  I'm Riddhi Jani from Ahmedabad but right now I am in Pune. Most probably I will be shifting to Mumbai this week end. Though I have completed B. Sc with Biotechnology, art is in my blood. I can't stay without craft. I like o paint, sing and a dance a bit as well. Hey, forget to tell you that I'm a big big panipuri fan....lol 😜. I love to listen to music when I'm alone. Mostly, I like listening to slow songs with deep meaning.

RC: How did you get into crafting?

RJ: From my very childhood I loved to paint...But frankly telling you guys, I never imagined it as a career. It’s only possible because of my loving husband and mummy (mom-in-law). Without them, it would not have been possible. Really, words cannot explain the importance of craft in my life. I just can't stay without craft. I think every craft-y person feels like I do. Right guys?  

RC: What is your favourite type of craft?

RJ: Hmm...Mainly, I like to do scrapbooking and paper crafting. But I like to work with mix media projects also. 

RC: What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

RJ: Itsy Bitsy is like a perfect place for crafty shopping and with best price 😊. Though I love each and every product from the store, my favourites are Flowers, DCWV papers, Jute sheets and Butterflies.

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

RJ: If I had magical powers, I would like to change some thoughts about art in common people who do not value art and artists. Artists obviously work for money but more than that, artists want true appreciation. Am I right guys??

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

RJ: All the flowers, pattern papers and stickers❤

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

RJ: I will call it unique ❤ as I believe all craft-y folks have their own style...and they are unique in their own way 😊

RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

RJ: I really wish I can craft all day...I have a little boy who is 18 months old. So, I only craft while he is sleeping. Therefore I can hardly craft for 2-3 hours. At this stage my family supports me a lot, if my baby wakes up, mummy or my husband handles him so I can complete my projects 😊 It really means so much to me. ❤

RC: Tips for people who want to craft

RJ: Craft from the heart guys…It’s not about crafting…I think it's about crafting with feelings ❤

RC: Your all-time favourite quote?

RJ: "Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations ❤"

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

For the project you need all this stuff which is in the image.

Step-1

Take 4 ice cream sticks and fix them with the help of any strong glue.

Step-2
Fix 2 more sticks on top of the 1st layer. Then take 4 more sticks and arrange 3 of them in same line and cut 1 ice cream stick in to 3 parts. Then fix it just as shown in the image.

Step-3

Arrange it as shown in image. So it will make a little stand for our frame.

Step-4

Pick a colour of your choice. As I'm using one of my favourite colours from the store only. Let it dry, then, stick pattern paper to give the background a nice look.

Step-5
Give a little bit of shading on the first layer of the colour. I am using this pretty sentiment sticker from the store.

Step-6
Pick choice of flowers. I feel incomplete without flowers for my projects. Thanks Itsy Bitsy for the wide range of flowers within budget. I love them 😄

And yes it's ready!!! 😄

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

Many congrats Riddhi 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!

Crafter in The Spotlight 42 - Itsy Bitsy

Weeks roll over so quickly, it’s Thursday once again and time to take a peek into another crafter’s story and her creations. Today I will introduce you to our weekly ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’. This week our talented crafter in the limelight is Rutuja Paranjape.

Now a full time mom, Rutuja is an MBA in Finance and has also worked as a graphic designer for a while. Even as a school girl, Rutuja always had a passion for art and craft.

She simply loves shopping from Itsy Bitsy and still remembers her first shopping experience from the store. Itsy Bitsy handmade flowers are among her favourites but she admires all kind of merchandise available at Itsy Bitsy.

How did Rutuja 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 Rutuja 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?

RP: I would really like to thank Rashmi Ma’am, Anitha Ma’am and team Itsy-Bitsy for selecting me as ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’ for this week. I am Rutuja Paranjape. I have completed my graduation in Commerce and pursued MBA in Finance. Speaking about my career, I was into the finance sector for a few years and I also got an opportunity to work as a graphic designer for a brief period. I left my job when my daughter was born and have been a full time mom and a crafter since then.

 RC: How did you get into crafting?

RP: Art and craft was something I have always liked. Back in the school days it was drawing, sketching, painting, knitting that I always enjoyed. I used to make cards for family and friends. But I will have to be thankful to my daughter, because of whom I had to take a break from my career and was introduced to this wonderful world of paper crafting. I am also thankful to my husband, who has played a very important role in motivating me to get into crafting.

My first ever craft shopping was from Itsy Bitsy, and I still remember how excited I was to get the stuff which was so quickly delivered to me!

 RC:   What is your favourite type of craft?

 RP: Scrapbooking and card making top my list of favourites in paper crafting. However, I am very keen to try my hands at mix media.

 RC:   What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

 RP: I love all the products at Itsy Bitsy......Stamps, Embellishments, Laces, Ribbons, Sprays, Stencils, Dies, variety of Pattern Papers and the list goes on. But my top favourite has to be the beautiful and gorgeous collection of handmade flowers. I just can't resist buying them whenever I visit the online store. I love all the products, they are so reasonably priced!

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

 RP:  If I had magical powers, I would definitely want to open more Itsy-Bitsy outlets and make the awesome crafty stuff easily available to all.

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

RP:    It definitely has to be my huge collection of handmade flowers! I always make sure to keep refilling and never run out of stock.

 RC:   How would you describe your style of crafting?

 RP:    I would say creative and simple would be my style. I try to make every project different from the other and I like to keep it simple.

RC:   How do you organize your time for crafting?

 RP:   I get time to craft when my little one is off to playschool. Sometimes, I also love crafting late at night. 

 RC:   Tips for people who want to craft.

 RP:   To all the people who want to craft, never doubt yourself, always be open to learning and trying out new stuff. Remember, unless you make it, you wouldn't get better at it, so keep crafting!

RC:   Your all -time favourite quote?

 RP:   My all time favourite quote is, “You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.” So always dream and work hard to pursue your dream. This is what I firmly believe in. 

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

Here is a step by step tutorial for a Tag using supplies from Itsybitsy

First I coloured the tag with distress ink. Used a stencil to create a pattern over it, with another colour.

 

Then I stamped the sentiment and embellished the tag with a chipboard frame, flowers, lace and rhinestones

Finally, I punched a hole and fixed an eyelet for tying the ribbons and laces to the tag.

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

Many congrats Rutuja  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!

ITSY BITSY CHALLENGE#2 - 2016

Hello Crafters!

Good morning & welcome again!

This is Tanvi, here to announce the second challenge. As always it is ANYTHING GOES using Itsy Bitsy Stencils

Here are some guidelines to participate. Simple & easy to follow - 

ITSY BITSY CHALLENGE#2-2016

Theme - Anything Goes using the Itsy Bitsy STENCILS

1. Submission can be a card, box, tag, scrapbook layout, decoupage, altered art, home decor - anything as long as it is handmade and complies with the theme.
2. Please follow our blog to be eligible.
3. Turn off word verification to enable us to leave comments.
4. Entries can be submitted until 25th of each month. 
5. In order to submit your entry, click on the inlinkz button provided at the end of this post, add your image and link to your blog post containing the submission.
6. Each participant can submit a maximum of 3 entries. Please add numbers 1,2, 3 while submitting multiple entries.
7. Please link to your post and not just your blog.
8. In your blog post, create a link back to this page. 
9. Only projects posted during the Challenge period are eligible (no backlinking).
10. Entries are welcome from all over the world however if you are the winner, we can only ship your prize to an Indian address.
11. If you don't have a blog and want to add your card on FaceBook, please upload it on our FB group page Itsy Bitsy Crafter's Cafe with the hashtag - #itsybitsychallenge216 & add the link here.
12. TWO winners will be picked through random.org who will each receive a voucher of Rs.500 , redeemable online at www.itsybitsy.in. Top 3 will be selected by the DT.
13. You may link up with upto 10 challenges including ours.

Stencils are so popular in papercrafting & ITSY BITSY has a huge range too! I think stencils are versatile tools & can be used in card making, mixed media, decoupage, home decor, gift wrapping, etc in so many different ways! Today I will share some ideas for card making.

I have not 1, not 2 but 6 cards to share. So sit back relax & enjoy!

 CARD 1

Lets begin with a card using a basic background technique. Gold & black a color palette which is always classy! For this card I have used Mont Marte gold dimensional paint & the leaf stencil. The sentiment on vellum is heat embossed.

CARD 2

The brick stencil here is partially flat (distress ink - picket fence) & partially dimensional (modelling paste). The die cut leaves are painted with Mont Marte silver dimensional paint.

CARD 3

This is a simple but bright background using distress inks festive berries & abandoned coral. The die cut butterfly also in the same shades & for the leaves colored with color splash sprays

CARD 4

For the next card I made a very subtle background & the focus here is on the die cut bird (colored with color splash) & the sentiment. The gold striped washi & bright bird brings alive this card.

CARD 5

To create this bright background I rubbed the distress ink pads directly on the card stock, after which I placed the irregular dots stencil & sprayed water over it. Place a tissue to soak all the excess water & you have this beautiful texture! The flowers were popped using the inlaid diecut technique to add some interest!

CARD 6

And finally for this card I have masked the floral stencil to create a triangle shape with washi tape & sponged only within the masked region!

This brings us to the end of this post. Remember you have until November 25th, 2016 to link up your entries!

 Do visit us again as we bring you loads of inspiration to stretch your stencils!

Hugs,

Tanvi

Supplies used - 

Mont Marte dimensional paints 

Flexible knife

Chipboard shapes

Handmade flowers

Silicon glue

Stencil

ColorSplash Sprays

White card stock

Distress inks

Embossing powder

Stamps

Modelling paste

Versamark ink

Foam tape

Black card stock

Vellum 

Heat gun

Thinlits die set

Washi tape 

LINK YOUR ENTRIES HERE

An InLinkz Link-up

Blog Hop - Gopi Shah

Good Morning! 

 Time for another DT reveal. Joining us today is Gopi Shah, an IT graduate who was inclined towards crafting since her school days! However, priorities changed & crafting took a back seat. Later she started crafting to de-stress from her 9-5 job & thanks to her supportive husband & family today she is a full time crafter.

Over to Gopi now.

Hello friends,

It is such a proud feeling to be one of the design team member of India’s leading craft supply chain

of stores ITSY BITSY. Thank you so much Rashmi for this opportunity. I know I’m gonna have loads of fun working here. I’m Gopi Shah & this is my very first post here which is part of the Sizzix blog hop too. Find all the blog hop details here.

Scrapbooking, a new found love!!! This craft form helps you preserve your memories with a special touch. Today I’m gonna show you how to use the ‘We R Memory Keepers – Sew Ribbon’ in a completely different way.......

Here is the project made using Sew Ribbon, a handmade booklet

Hop over to my blog where I show you how to use the Sew Ribbon tool, how is this project made and also the wonderful Sizzix die that you can win there. Happy Crafting!!!

Supplies used - 

We R Memory Keepers – Sew Ribbon Tool – Leaf

Sew Ribbon - Green

White Cardstock

Green Cardstock

Scissors

Cutting Mat