Crafter in the Spotlight Richa Tainwala

Hello arty crafty folks! Hope you all had a relaxing time with family and friends this summer and crafted to your heart’s content!  Soon the monsoons will arrive but nothing can ever dampen a crafter’s spirit…so, I am here once again with the story of another talented crafter in “Crafter in the Spotlight”. Let’s see what inspired Richa Tainwala from Kolkata to follow her passion for crafting.

Born and raised in Kolkata, Richa is a full-time homemaker and a zealous crafter, who is now settled in Bangalore. Richa has been inclined towards art and craft since childhood. She loves experimenting with newer techniques all the time and has recently fallen in love with Decoupage.

Read further to find out what are Richa’s favourite craft forms, about her crafting style, her favourite Itsy Bitsy’s offerings and catch glimpses of some beautiful projects by Richa. Don’t forget to shower some love and best wishes on her in the comments section.

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

Richa Tainwala: Hello everybody! This is Richa here. I am from Kolkata, born and raised here, but currently I live in Bangalore. I am a trained Montessori Teacher. Presently, apart from being a crafter, I am a full time, hands-on Mom to my 2 beautiful girls.

RC: How did you get into crafting?

 RT: Drawing, sketching, painting and crafting have always been my hobbies and passion since childhood. I remember making cards in all occasions. I also used to make lots of charts and drawing in school. I was inspired by my parents, especially my father who would take great joy in teaching me crafts. I learnt needle-work from my mother and I absolutely love cross-stitch. My husband supported me when I started crafting full time. He even helped me out with the logo for my venture. He would love to see me take my crafting passion to the next level.

RC: What is your favourite type of craft?

RT: It is very difficult to single out any one kind of craft. I love doing gift packing. I have started doing decoupage on boxes, holders and it is my current favourite! I am a self-trained crafter and have learned a lot through YouTube videos and tutorials.

RC: What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

RT: I love the Chalk Paints, Two step crackle medium, Alcohol Sprays, Flowers and more.

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

RT: “Wow!! Magic!! It will be absolutely awesome and mind boggling… First of all I would like to do something with children, as they are full of life and have immense potential and talent. They have so much creativity in them. As I am a full time Mom, I understand this because my girls keep coming up with so many ideas and it is a pleasure to learn from them.

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

RT: The list is endless… but my prized possessions are the Chalk Paints, Crackle Medium, stencils, handmade flowers and embellishments.

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

RT: My style of crafting is very methodical and neat. I like to try out new techniques and I like my projects to be colorful.

RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

RT: With two kids around, I do no find enough time. Afternoons and late nights are my crafting time. Also, I feel I get more creative at night as there is no disturbance and the ideas keep coming up.

RC: Tips for people who want to craft

RT: Take one step at a time. Don’t be hesitant in what you do. Everything you make or do is your own creativity. You don’t have to compete with anybody. Maintain your individuality.

RC: Your all -time favourite quote?

RT: Nothing is “Impossible”, because the word itself says, “I am possible”.

Here is the step by step tutorial by Richa Tainwala

Firstly, I have taken a tissue napkin holder box

I have then applied one coat of ‘Lemon Yellow’ Chalk Paint.

I have then taken a flowery decoupage paper.

Then I cut it and then stuck it with ‘Decoupage Glue’

Then I applied the 2-step Crackle Medium Base Coat on the entire surface including the flowers. Let it dry for a minimum of 2 hours. Even if it is dry it will be sticky to touch.

Then I applied the 2-Step Crackle Medium Top Coat on the entire surface again. Use the top coat sparingly if you want big cracks and a little lesser coat, if you want smaller cracks.

Once the top coat dries, you can see the cracks appearing.

To highlight the cracks, I have used the ‘Lime-Green’ Colour Splash. Use little colour spray in one area and immediately wipe it off with wet wipes.

I then used the ‘Salsa-Red’ Chalk Paint to give it a distressed look.

Apply Varnish. Here, I have used 2 layers of varnish.

Lastly, I have used pearls and flower embellishments to give it an elegant look.

Your napkin holder is ready.

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

Made these miniatures using the felt cloth from the store. This was my first order that I had done for a Mumbai based client.

Quilled Earrings. The Quilling strip is from the store and also the Jewellery Accessories plus the Rolling pin

Stained Glass Coasters. I had made this for my sister who wanted me to make something bright and colourful for her. The Stained Glass Paints and the Liner are all from Itsy Bitsy.

This is a Decoupage box that I made for my mother some time back. She absolutely loved it.

This is another Decoupage Crackle Pen/Pencil Holder that I did sometime back. I had made it for my brother who loves desserts. All the materials have been picked up from Itsy Bitsy.

Many congrats  Richa  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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