Crafter in the Spotlight Swati Goyal Saraf

Hello arty-crafty folks!

This week in ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’ an ardent crafter, Swati Goyal Saraf from Jaipur tells us about her creative journey.

Swati was enthusiastic about art and crafts since her childhood years but took up serious crafting about four years back. As Swati says, she just can’t live without clay and colours and loves clay modeling.

Read along to find out Swati’s favourite craft forms, her arty-crafty wish, how she describes her style of crafting, what she enjoys most besides crafting and more. Also, catch glimpses of a step by step project by Swati. Don’t forget to leave your loving comments for her.

Rashmi Closepet M.D Itsy Bitsy: What are your favourite craft forms?

Swati Goyal Saraf: I love clay modeling. I like making fridge magnets, name plates, photo frames, wall clocks and decor items with clay. I also love dot mandala painting and decoupage. I always try to combine these elements together to create something different!

RC: If you are granted an arty-crafty wish, what would you ask for?

SG: My arty crafty wish is to have an art studio where everyone can learn all kinds of art and try new experiments to become a renowned name in the field of art & craft.

RC: How did you come to know about Itsy Bitsy?

SG: Few years ago I visited Bangalore to meet one of my close relatives. That time we visited the Phoenix Mall. She took me to the Itsy Bitsy store in the mall while we were shopping for birthday party props. That’s the first time I came to know about the store.

RC: Tell us about your most exciting shopping experience at Itsy Bitsy.

SG: Last summer Itsy Bitsy had a big sale on their anniversary. At that time I grabbed lots of new things which I have never used and also loads that I usually use. That was indeed exciting!

RC: What craft products attract you the most?
SG: Clay, tools, paints, miniatures and lot of small things like thread, paper, different type of tapes, stencils…In short all types of craft supplies attract me!!

RC: What is your ideal crafting time in a day?

SG:  As crafting requires peace of mind, enough space, and time, I usually craft when my daughter is in school or at night when everyone’s sleeping.

RC: What are your ‘Can’t live without’ craft essentials?

SG: I just can’t live without clay and colours.

RC: How long have you been crafting?

SG: I’ve been into arts and crafts since school days. But, I started doing it professionally from June 2015.

RC: Which 3 words describe your crafting style the best?

SG: Customized, colourful, elegant

RC: Any inspirational tips for newbies and craft enthusiasts?

SG:  There are no rules for crafting. Try out different techniques. Find out what you enjoy creating the most. Always use your products in effective ways.

RC: Any tips for fellow crafters to help them organize their workspace better.

SG: Craft supplies need a lot of space for storage. I have an almirah and a table with multiple drawers and shelves to store all my craft essentials in a more organized manner. I also store my craft supplies in lots of transparent boxes for easy access.

RC: What inspired you the most in your creative journey?

SG: All crafters inspire me a lot in different ways to try new styles of art.

RC: According to you what’s the best way to overcome a creative block?

SG: What I do to overcome creative block is, I leave the project for 3-4 days and refresh my mind to come back with new ideas. That’s my remedy!

RC: Why do you think people should continue with ‘Handmade’?
SG: Handmade things are the result of hours of passion and immense creative handwork. It has been made with someone’s effort, time and creativity. That’s why handmade is unique and more and more people should continue with handmade.

RC: Other than crafting what do you enjoy the most?

SG:  I enjoy cooking.

RC: Which are the product categories you check out most often for new arrivals?

SG: Stencils, new types of clay, colours, all kind of texture pastes.

Here is a step by step project by Swati Goyal Saraf

Step 1- Take a plain MDF plank. Make a  border with the stencil and Texture Paste . After it is completely dry, apply gesso on the entire plank. Next, apply chalk paint or acrylic paint on it.

Step -2: Now apply different shades of colours on the border to highlight the border. Take a small piece of MDF and apply black gesso on it. Make a border with the help of Thai clay.

Step 3: make figures with help of different coloured clay and clay tools.

Step 4: Make another complete figure with the help of clay.

Step 5: Make little feet with two different colors for a girl or a boy??

Step 6: Now apply some dark colour on the borders. Make hair on figures and write the quotation on the black board.

Step 7: With this step we will focus on finishing part like painting small details.

Step 8:  Fill the picture with some Pearl Drop or with beautiful clay hearts ?…Don’t forget to add some flowers and leaves!

Step 9: After the entire thing dries completely, apply a coat of clear varnish (protect the work from water and direct sunlight)

So finally our creation is ready….

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

Many congrats  Swati 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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