Crafter in the Spotlight for 25th October

Hello, arty crafty folks! You must be wondering who is with us in today’s Crafter in the Spotlight? It’s Hema Bhat, an enthusiastic crafter from Bangalore.

Hema was introduced to the world of crafts during her high school years and drew inspiration from her aunts. Her mother always encouraged her to learn various craft forms which gave her a chance to learn ceramic painting, glass painting, nib painting, tatting, embroidery and more. A few years back when Hema got into quilling and making bead jewelry, she was introduced to Itsy Bitsy’s craft supplies. The decoupage products at the Itsy Bitsy stores inspired her to learn decoupage and since then she developed a knack towards it.

Hema does not follow a regular crafting routine and works her with projects when she feels like. Her crafting style as she calls it is simple and elegant. If she had magical powers, she would like to bring out the creative side of people so that more people would appreciate craft and would recycle, reuse and reduce materials and be more eco-friendly.

How did Hema 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 along to find answers to all these questions and discover more about Hema’s interesting journey and catch glimpses of a step by step project by her. Don’t forget to leave your loving comments for her.

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

Hema Bhat: I am a native of Puttur (Mangalore) and now live in Bangalore. I did my post graduation in English Literature and later joined a Multinational Company and worked there for 5 years. After a break, I worked as an English lecturer in a reputed PU College for 2 years. Now craft, which was my hobby earlier, is my true calling. I am now exploring the amazing world of craft! I would like to have my own craft studio and also conduct workshops in the future.

RC: How did you get into crafting?

HB: I was introduced to the magical world of crafts by my high school craft teacher who taught us hand embroidery, U-pin crochet, and Knitting. I also got inspired by watching my aunts who did many crafts. My mom would always encourage me to join classes of ceramic painting, glass painting, nib painting and such. I got to learn the art of tatting and basic hand embroidery from the workshops conducted by Anchor Crafts India. When my daughter started to go to drawing classes I too joined with her and learnt sketching and pencil shading. A couple of years ago when I got into quilling and bead jewelry making I started to use Itsy bitsy products. I developed a taste for decoupage by seeing the variety of decoupage materials in the Itsy Bitsy stores. Since then there is no looking back.

RC: What is your favourite type of craft?

HB: My recent favourite craft is Decoupage as it helps me upcycle things which otherwise are termed useless. I have started to collect bottles and tins like crazy!! A special thanks to my family and friends who gift them.

RC: What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

HB: Little Birdie chalks paints, clear stamps, decoupage napkins/papers, beads, jewelry materials and many more…

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

HB: If I had magical powers I would like to bring out the creative side of people so that they appreciate crafts. Then people would recycle, reuse and reduce waste and the world would be a happy place.

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

HB: Chalk paints, clear stamps, flower embellishments, decoupage materials, beads, stencils, paper packs and many more.

RC: How would you describe your style of crafting?

HB: Simple and elegant. I start with a rough idea and improvise as I continue. The end result should be beautiful and attractive. My daughter always gives me ideas and is my inspiration.

RC: How do you organize your time for crafting?

HB: I craft depending on my mood. As and when I get an idea I sit and work on it. It feels awesome to create something beautiful.

RC: Tips for people who want to craft.

HB: Craft has no rules. There is no hard and fast rule that needs to be followed. Create what your heart says!
RC: Your all -time favourite quote?

HB: A quote I read somewhere and I think it is very apt- “Being creative is not a hobby, it’s a way of life”.

Here is a Step by Step project by  Hema

A project:
I am using the Glitter Plaster of Paris from Itsy Bitsy store for this project. I thought of making few Tea-light candle holders to use them for the festivals. The glitter in it is the reason why I chose to use it as a candle holder.

Here’s a step by step tutorial on how to make these tea-light candle holders:

Materials used from the Itsy Bitsy store: Glitter Plaster of Paris, stencils, texture paste, chalk paints

1.    I took few plastic containers as moulds to make these tea-light candle holders and greased them with oil so that I can easily de-mould them once dried.

2.    I mixed 2 parts of plaster of paris with 1 part of water in a bowl. Tip: Pour water to the bowl first and then add the plaster of paris. Mix well so that there are no lumps. It should be in pouring consistency.

Pour this to the moulds as required. Mine was an inch and half in height. Tap the moulds to remove any air bubbles. Now use a small plastic cap/cup (a little bigger than the Tea-light candle) and place it in the centre of the plaster of paris mix and press it down (1 cm) and place some weight inside the cap so that it stays put. Now let it set for an hour.

Soon the mix starts to feel hot when you touch the container. This means it is setting perfectly.

After an hour or two check if the mix is hard to feel and then you could de-mould it and let it dry for a day or two.

Our Tea-light Candle holder is now ready to be decorated. I have stenciled few designs using Little Birdie chalk paints.

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

Many congrats Hema 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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