Crafter in the Spotlight Smita Singh

Hello arty crafty friends! It is Thursday and once again I am back here with you with yet another interesting story of an ardent Bangalore crafter, Smita Singh. It feels so good to hear about inspiring incidents, out-of-the box ideas and to see amazing projects by crafters from all corners of the country in ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’. Hope you like it as much as I do!!

Smita earlier worked as a lecturer in a college. Now she beautifully juggles time between kids, home and craft! Smita has been inclined towards art, craft and painting since the very beginning. Her mother is her biggest inspiration. Mixed media, decoupage, painting and paper crafting are Smita’s forte but that doesn’t stop her from experimenting with new art and craft forms.

How did Smita 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 along to find answers to all these questions and discover more about her interesting journey and catch a glimpse of a step by step project by Smita. Don’t forget to leave your loving comments for her.

Rashmi Closepet M.D Itsy Bitsy: Tell us a bit about yourself & your background?

Smita Singh: Hi everyone, I am Smita Singh, born and raised in the beautiful town of Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh. I am a post graduate in organic chemistry and worked as guest lecturer at a degree collage for a year. Currently, I am settled in Bangalore. I am a happy homemaker by choice looking after my adorable kids, a 12-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. Along with managing my home and taking care of kids, I am a fulltime crafter and I love every bit of what I do.

RC: How did you get into crafting?

SS: Crafting was a progressive journey for me. Since, my childhood I loved art and craft. My mother also had great interest in it. I have grown up seeing my mother learning and doing different types of crafts. So, I can say it’s in my genes. I loved to paint and took part in various painting competition and other arts activities during my school and college days. I kept my passion alive by doing a lot of crafting for myself and my kids school projects. Also, I can proudly say it progressed to the next level after joining Itsy Bitsy’s Crafter’s Cafe on suggestion of one of my crafter friends.

Thanks to my family and friends, today I am a full-time crafter. I get inspired by other crafters to try new techniques and I completely love it!! When I craft, I am in my own beautiful world which is full of colours.

RC: What is your favourite type of craft?

SS: I love to experiment with all forms of art. Along with decoupage, mixed media and paper crafting and I also love to paint. I do Madhubani painting, water colour, acrylic and oil painting, dot mandala and glass painting. I believe in learning new forms of art! Sometimes, I learn it myself and sometimes I take up professional classes. I believe learning enriches you and is necessary for personal growth.

RC: What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

SS: My favourite products from Itsy Bitsy are chalk paints, chipboards, handmade flowers, one and two step crackle medium, decoupage papers and the list is endless. Every Itsy Bitsy product is unique and it’s really tough to pick just one.

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

SS: If I had magical powers, I would first add a few more hours to a day so that I had more time to do what I love doing the most! I would then want to create awareness about various forms of art and craft among the rural people and help in growing the crafting fraternity. I would help the rural folks realize that art and craft can also be taken up as a full-time job.

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

SS: My prized possessions are chalk paints, crackle medium, stamps and stencils.

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

SS: I like traditional, vintage as well as contemporary style of crafting. While painting, I am fascinated by nature. I strongly feel that an artist is a free soul and her/his work cannot be defined by boundaries. I wish to learn much more and want to expand my horizon.

 RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

SS: As a wife and mother of two growing kids, I always have to be on my toes when they are around. Mostly, I craft when the kids are in school and sometimes during the night.

RC: Tips for people who want to craft

SS: Those who want to craft should do it with full dedication. Be original, appreciate the hard work of others, get inspired and create your own beautiful masterpieces. Love what you do and always believe that it’s never too late for a new beginning.

RC: Your all -time favourite quote?

SS: “Dream is not what you see in sleep it is the thing which does not let you sleep”

–  Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam

So, follow your dreams; they know their way. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.

Happy crafting!!

Here is a gorgeous step-by-step mixed media project by Smita, titled – “Create your own magic”

Supplies used from the store:

  1. Rectangular MDF plank
  2. Black gesso
  3. 2 in1 Mixed Media Paste – white
  4. Stencils
  5. Chalk paints
  6. Decoupage glue
  7. Decoupage napkin
  8. Chipboard
  9. Soft gel medium
  10. Tinted metallic paints
  11. Fairy Dust

Step 1: As I wanted to do mixed media with black base, I directly painted the MDF plank with black gesso.

Step 2: Once it was dry, I decided to give it some texture with help of stencils and Little Birdie Mixed Media Paste. I adhered a lace from my stash using gel medium and later covered the whole portion with gesso.

Step 3: After the whole setup dried, I adhered corrugated sheet in the center. I wanted to give my project a lively look and so I decided to do decoupage on a piece of MDFcoaster using a beautiful napkin, decoupage glue and varnish. I kept it aside so that I can work around the remaining project freely.

Step 4: Now keeping my theme in mind I arranged few things from my stash leaving the center space empty. After I was satisfied with my arrangement I covered the whole portion again with black gesso and once it dried, I started giving it colours using chalk paints (Tuscan Teal and Marsh Green) and then dry brushed with  tinted metallic paint (Golden Glaze and Blue Waltz) till I got the desired result.

Step 5: I now adhered the decoupage piece in the center. Then I applied gel medium on the wings chipboard and sprinkled some Fairy Dust on it. I adhered it on either side of center piece. Finally, I added some sentiment tiles to it.

And my magical fairy with golden wings is ready to spread love and joy.

Thank you for stopping by!!

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

Many congrats Smita  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!

 

 

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