Crafter in the Spotlight Mousumi

Hello Artsy Craftsy friends!

Once again I have one of our talented fellow crafters here to tell us more about herself in ‘Crafter in the Spotlight’. This time it is Mousumi Vinay, a Bangalore crafter who was born and brought up in Odisha.

Mousumi has been passionate about crafting from her childhood and the art of decoupage is her most adored form of crafting. She loves everything vintage, ethnic and rustic. Given special powers, she would like to help those who do not get a chance to showcase their talents, mostly the rural women.

How did Mousumi 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 Mousumi 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?

Mousumi Vinay: Hi I am Mousumi from Bangalore. I am a full time home maker and a mom of an 11 yr old boy. I was born and brought up in Odisha. I am a post graduate in Economics, which was followed up with an MBA in HR. I worked for 4 years in the corporate sector. Since childhood, I always had a flair for art and craft, home décor, gardening and teaching. I have always felt strongly about nature and the importance of recycling. I come from a family of teachers.

RC: How did you get into crafting?

MV: Since change is the only constant thing in life, few years ago a change in situation in my life pushed me to stop my pursuit of a full time job and to look after my son. Slowly I realised my passion and decided to pursue my hobby seriously after we booked our new home and started doing the interiors three years back. My interest towards art and craft grew with passing time.

RC: What is your favourite type of craft?

MV: I love Decoupage, which is a French art of decorating with a piece of paper.  I always wanted to explore new techniques and wanted to create something unique.

RC: What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

MV:  Though it is very difficult to pick and choose, but some of the products which I can put my finger on as favourites are, Chalk Paints, cardstocks, flower embellishments, MDF, laser cut embellishments, Moda acrylic paints, pine wood MDF raw materials etc. I must say I love the rustic Chalk Paints and hand-made home decor products available at the store.

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

MV: In case I had magical powers, I would love to help all the women, mostly from villages to showcase their talents. There are numerous ladies who have immense gift and flair for crafting but do not get suitable opportunities and a stage to showcase their talent. Many times it also happens that in spite of their desire to work, they do not get a chance to be economically independent without compromising their responsibilities towards their families. I would also have added a few more hours to a day so that all crafters would get ample time to do what they love the most!

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

MV: The recently released Crackle medium, Gesso, Moda acrylic paints set etc.

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

MV: I basically love all Indian traditional art forms but with passing time I realised my love towards everything vintage, rustic, wooden.  I love everything ethnic.

RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

MV: I am generally occupied with many indoor and outdoor chores every day. As soon as my son comes back from school, I stop my work to be with him. I teach him and few more kids of his age group in the evening. So, I make sure I do most of my craft work during the day and finish my pending job before going to bed.

RC: Tips for people who want to craft.

MV: Do what you Love and Love what you do. Believe in yourself and in your skills. Be passionate about your work and creations. Have an open mind towards learning and experimenting all the time.

RC: Your all -time favourite quote?

MV: The Most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy –it’s all that matters!! If you Love life, Life will love you back.

Here is a gorgeous project by  Mousumi  & the step by step procedure:

Hello All !

It’s a pleasure to share  5 easy step  tutorial of the below set of decoupage  bottles with you today .

 

Materials Required :

Two empty bottles, Gesso, white and black acrylics(optional), white and black chalk paints, one step Crackle Medium , Decoupage glue -matte, paper napkin, embellishments.

Techniques :

Step 1 :

Wash and wipe the bottle properly. Apply a coat of white gesso on half of the bottle where you would use white paint and leave it to dry completely. Apply a coat of white acrylic on top of that as shown in the picture below. You can also use white chalk paints directly without using gesso.

Step 2: Now use black acrylic / or chalk paint directly on the other half. Leave it to dry completely .

Step 3 : Paint the whole bottle with one step Crackle Medium. Don’t over brush. Let it dry .

Step 4 : Apply a coat of alternate colours of Chalk Paints. You can use acrylic colours too. I wanted a matte finish, so used Chalk Paints and am quite happy with the look . Apply a generous coat of Chalk Paints and move the brush horizontally to get the same crackle effect. Based on the thickness of top coat the crackle effect differs. Don’t reapply on the same layer. Let it dry.

Step 5 : Tear the required napkin design with a wet brush , peel the first layer and stick it with decoupage glue applied with flat brush. Press it with a sponge. Make sure there are no air bubbles inside. Use embellishments as per your wish. Apply a coat of glue all over the bottle to seal it. You can apply varnish too for further sealing.

And We are done . I loved making these set of two bottles and quite happy with the outcome. Hope you all like it. Thanks for going through my tutorial. Do revert back, if you have any queries.

Much love

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

Many congrats  Mousumi 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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