Crafter in the Spotlight Mona Diwan

Hello arty crafty friends! Let’s welcome August, the month of Independence Day, Rakhi and the much celebrated Friendship Day. In the very first ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’ of this month, let’s turn the spotlight on Mona Diwan from Delhi, who is an engineer, a craft enthusiast and an aspiring entrepreneur.

Mona believes in the magic of handmade and loves creating cards, wall decors, etc. for friends and family on various occasions. Her hobby slowly turned into her passion when she started receiving orders, wrapped with love and admiration for her work. Mona is always on the look-out to experiment with newer techniques and encourages every crafter to maintain their individuality.

Read further to find out how did Mona 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 Mona in this interview. Don’t forget to leave your comments for her.

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

Mona Diwan: Hi all, I am Mona Diwan from Delhi. I am a postgraduate engineer, now married to a doctor and have 3 wonderful children. My parents and my sister have been my biggest inspiration as they have always encouraged me to take up crafting professionally. My kids and husband too support and appreciate my work.

RC:How did you get into crafting?

MD: I started crafting a couple of years ago during my free time. I am now a passionate crafter and hope to start my own crafting venture soon. I have always been fascinated with colours. I remember how I used to create handmade greeting cards, envelopes and wall decors in my childhood. I believe it is in my genes.

I have always given handmade gifts to friends on birthdays and anniversaries and everyone loved those unique gifts. Slowly, I started receiving small orders and my work has found home in many states across India.

My mother has been my biggest inspiration. She used to knit sweaters and did a lot of embroidery to add personalized touch to whatever she created.

RC: What is your favourite type of craft?

MD: I do not have any favourite crafting style, but I love to create different things with my personalized touch to make it different from every creation. Whenever I get an order I request my costumer to allow me to experiment with it in my own way. I love to explore new techniques in crafting and each project I undertake reflects it.

RC: What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

MD: Itsy bitsy has a versatile range of craft products. The beautiful collection of flowers, chipboards, decoupage papers and stencils are some of my favorites. I have always taken pride in it as it is a “Made in India Brand”.  It is lovely to see entrepreneurs working hard, day and night to give us international quality products and I believe it is our duty to encourage them by taking pride in the good deed they are doing.

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

MD: If I had magical powers, I would love to contribute to women empowerment by teaching them various techniques of crafting. I wish to make all the women in India financially independent by clubbing crafting with entrepreneurship.

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

MD: My prized possessions in my craft stash from Itsy Bitsy are primed chipboards and decoupage papers; I absolutely love them!

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

MD: I love up-cycling. I love to give a new dimension to things from anything that comes in handy.

RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

MD: I do not have much free time, but you can always find time for something you love. I hardly watch T.V or hang around with friends. I choose to craft during whatever time I get.

RC: Tips for people who want to craft

MD: My message to all the women out there is that, no matter whether you are a working mother or a full-time homemaker, keep aside some time to cultivate and indulge in your hobbies. Any form of craft is one of the most relaxing and flexible forms of art. It can be in any medium and with anything which catches your fancy. You do not need any formal degree or education. Craft whatever you like and follow your own style.

RC: Your all -time favourite quote?

MD: Your time is limited; don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

                                                                                                                    Steve Jobs

Here is a Step by Step project by Mona Diwan:

STEP 1

Take a MDF plaque and an earthen pot and sand them first with a sandpaper.

STEP 2

Paint a base coat on the plaque with LIttle Birdie Chalik Paint-Snow. Allow the paint to dry before moving onto the next step.

STEP 3

Cut out the desired design from a napkin which you want to decoupage.

STEP 4

Apply Little Birdie Mixed Media Paste using Little Birdie Brick Stencil on the plaque.

STEP 5

Apply Little Birdie decoupage glue on the plaque and paste the napkin. Also paste the napkin on the pot.
Press and make the napkin smooth  to remove air bubbles.
Allow it to dry.

STEP 6

Do some highlighting on the bricks and other places to blend the napkin design with the base.

STEP 7

Finally fill the planter with hay , flowers, birds and eggs from ITSY BITSY . Tie the planter to the plaque.

Here is the final outcome . hope you like it .

 

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

 

Many congrats  Mona Diwan 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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