Hello arty-crafty folks,
Wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you all enjoyed making your special Valentine’s Day projects. Today, I have a passionate Bangalore crafter, Neha Dev sharing her story with us in ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’.
Neha’s craft journey started about 3 years ago. For her it just happened one day, and since then there has been no looking back! Her craft journey began with making themed jar gifts for various occasions! Later her focus shifted to paper crafting and now she experiments with varied assortment of mediums to make boxes, handcrafted hampers, decoupage home decor, fridge magnets, and home decor projects.
Read along to find out how Neha, started her craft journey, her favourite craft forms, her most desired arty-crafty wish, her memorable experience at Itsy Bitsy, why does she think handmade is the way to choose and much more. Do not miss out the step by step project by Neha and do leave your loving words for her in the comment section.
Rashmi Closepet M.D Itsy Bitsy: How long have you been crafting?
Neha Dev: I have been crafting since past 3 years. Crafting dawned upon me one fine day. It all began with making different themed jar gifts for various occasions! I made spa jars, jars for young girls, cosmetic jars, Indian spices jars, high tea jars and so on and so forth. Later, I went on to making various stuffs with paper and one idea led to another. Now there are so many varied assortments of mediums that I work on. My creations include boxes, handcrafted hampers, decoupage home decor, fridge magnets, tea-light platters, and very many things. My crafting style has evolved over the years and keeps evolving… I call my crafts fusion style…where I work with papers, fabrics, paints, embellishments, gem stones, wood, canvas etc.
RC: What are your favourite craft forms?
ND: My favourite craft forms are decoupage and fusion crafting which I have developed my own.
RC: If you are granted an arty-crafty wish, what would you ask for?
ND: If I am granted a crafty wish, I would ask for a whole studio with state of the art crafts storage!
RC: How did you come to know about Itsy Bitsy?
ND: I came to know about Itsy Bitsy through the online world. It was my first store where I started stocking my raw materials from.
RC: Tell us about your most exciting shopping experience at Itsy Bitsy.
ND: Each experience at Itsy Bitsy has been an exciting one. For me…Itsy Bitsy has become a way of life. I call it my ‘Genie store’, as I think of something and I find it there!
RC: Which are the product categories you check out most often for new arrivals?
ND: The most products that excite me are the embellishments, paints, handmade flowers, I mean right from the entrance to the exit; it’s an experience store for me! I get my crafty ideas by just looking at a few products and then I put it in form!
RC: What craft products attract you the most?
ND: Itsy Bitsy craft supplies give me different kinds of textures and embellishments to work with. I feel my crafting journey has just begun and many more glorious years of hand crafting ahead.
RC: Which 3 words describe your crafting style the best?
ND: My crafting style is my personality, soul calling and fulfilling…And I see art and craft in everything that enriches my senses.
RC: What are your ‘Can’t live without’ craft essentials?
ND: stash of papers, embellishments, flowers, colours, raw boxes, paints, palette knives, paint brushes, flower embellishments to name a few.
RC: What is your ideal crafting time in a day?
ND: My ideal crafting time is noon from 12pm to 4pm, 8pm to 2am and rest of the time I craft in my little imaginative world that I have created apart from being a mom, a chef and a stylist.
RC: Any inspirational tips for newbies and craft enthusiasts?
ND: Crafting is a pleasurable and joyful experience and it’s an ocean, so there is nothing like newbies. Just follow your heart, the creations will automatically follow and it will create a masterpiece. I feel there is no time or age in crafting, it just comes from within one fine day and then you are never the same again!
RC: What inspired you the most in your creative journey?
ND: I was inspired by the pressing need to create something that was in my mind. I had to give form to my imagination and it that is how it began. There are times when I do not sleep at all. I am engaged in my world of crafting with my stash and music to keep me company.
RC: Any tips for fellow crafters to help them organize their workspace better.
ND: Well each crafter is unique so I am sure they will have their own creative way to organize their workspace.
RC: According to you what’s the best way to overcome a creative block?
ND: What I do to overcome creative block is, I write and listen to music. That’s my remedy.
RC: Why do you think people should continue with ‘Handmade’?
ND: More and more people should continue with handmade, as the creativity flows through the soul and the final product is the result of hours of passion and immense creative handwork.
RC: Other than crafting what do you enjoy the most?
ND: Other than crafting I write quotes, I am a gourmet dessert specialist so I make desserts.
Here is a Step by Step project by Neha Dev
Materials used:
- Canvas
- White chalk paint mixed with black to make it grey
- Decoupage napkin
- White flower petals
- Pink flower petals
- Dried transparent leaves
Congratulations
Congratulations