GUEST BLOGGER OF THE MONTH

Hi all,
i have promised to make the guest blogger feature a regular one during my blog anniversary celebrations,that was back in june.Somehow i couldn't materialize it,and finally i decided to start it from september.And again it took me so long,that its going to be month end,he he,better late than never:).What took me so long and made me prolong it is to make this question paper,ha ha,..yeah after thinking a lot i finalized these,..because i wanted it to be interesting as well as useful:).

So the first person who dared to answer these questions(first time is quiet difficult you see;))is Ujjwal from handmade with love.She is very well know for her CAS style,and stamping,so here comes my first interview,...(insert dramatic music;))

1. Please feel free to introduce yourself and share a little something about yourself.

Hello, I’m Ujjwal living in Pune, India and am seriously addicted to Craft- making, admiring, hoarding and most defiantly buying ( things that I don't need but MIGHT need :D ). I got married to a wonderful guy 1 and a half yearss back and life has been a beautiful journey ever since.My husband is most supportive, encouraging and ever so patient with my crafting needs(I am not sure if its the same when I go on my crafting shopping spree!)

I have been into card making and crafting since I was a small kid but it got serious when I discovered blogging a couple of years back and started my own blog in Feburary 2010 and there has been no looking back. I have met some very talented people..made wonderful friends and learned a lot.

I was a full-time working software professional but never really loved my job( except for the part that it paid and I could buy all the crafting goodies :D) because my heart has always been in crafts. I took a break from full-time job after I got married to spent more time with my family. And now I keep thinking if I should or should not go back to my full-time job and haven't reached a decision yet :)

I am glad to have been given the opportunity to be featured here today! I am looking forward to all the friendships, fun and crafting!

2. Do you have a blog?when did you started blogging?share some of your blogging experience with us.

Oh yes, I am addicted to blogging. I have been maintaining my personal blog Handmade with love since February 2010. I think the great thing about blogging is that it enables you to meet so many new people who share the same passion, learn new things and make friends. It also helps you maintain a presence in the virtual world and share what you do best :)

3. When did you discovered the crafting talent in you?

I have been crafting as long as I can remember. It started as a competition between me and my elder brother when we were little. My elder brother was exceptional at sketches and I was always jealous and wanted to do as good as him. And slowly I realized this is where my heart lies. Later, my elder brother quit sketching and found his love in sports (cricket to be precise :)) but I continued with crafts and card making and here I am today (and if you really want to know about my brother, he is a marketing manager for an IT company now:)).

4. For how many years have you been in this fied of art n craft?Share some memorable moments with us.

As I said, I have been into arts & crafts right form when I was 7-8 years old. I loved to paint and sketch. I have been very active with arts & crafts throughout school. Participating in competitions, school fares and stalls, preparing educational charts in school were some of my favorite activities then. I continued my love of crafts throughout 6 years of college, creating cards for family and friends and maintained a sketch book at all times :) I lost touch for almost a year when I started working and but then picked it up again when I discovered blogging :)

5. Is crafting is your profession?If yes,what makes to choose it,do you think is a good profession in India?

Not really, although I would love for that to happen one day. There is nothing better than doing something you love and also get paid for it :)

But I think it will take time in India for people to realize how much effort goes into hand-crafted items and what they are worth. Although people appreciate what we do, very few show interest in purchasing and promoting them. Its a long way to go.

7.In what type of crafts/paintings you deal with,which is your most favorite work?

I am mostly a card maker but I enjoy experimenting with different ideas and techniques. I have tried my hands at scrapbooking, altered items, Murals, Coffee Paintings, Madhubani paintings, Ceramic paintings, Acrylic Paintings, Warli Paintings and lots of other things. Although I do not sell my paintings yet, my parents and my in-laws are proud owners of my paintings :)

8..From where did you get your ideas/inspirations for your art?

I get inspired in lot of different ways - magazines, fabric prints, other blogs, and even watching TV. Sometimes I get inspired by a particular color combo, sometimes a sketch, a technique and sometimes by a particular tool. There's no limit to where you can find your inspiration in. All you have to do is think crafts and you can draw inspiration from anything you see.

9.What do you consider as your strength and weakness in crafts?

I think my strength lies in "less is more" approach. I mostly create clean and simple cards. Not that I don't admire other styles, I really do but I guess I am not good at layering stuff and adding embellishments :) Maybe someday I will learn to do that too :)

10.What is your success mantra?

hmm..am I successful? Do not know but I think I just love what I do and I do it with all my heart.

11..Which is your favorite art works of yours till date and why?pls share us the picture of that art.

One of my recent favorites is this card. I love the bright happy colors, all that hand-stitching :)

12..Who is your favorite crafter and why?Do you have any roll model?

I admire lots of crafters but don't have a roll model as such. Few of my favorites - Jennifer Mcguire, Vicky, Yvonne, Cristina, Teri, Emily to name a few :)

13.Do you have any dream project?

I do not have any dream project at the moment but if I can get to complete all the cards I have on my mind, it would be no less than a dream come true :)

14.What is your future plans in crafting?

The short term goal is to get published. I would really love to see my cards in prints. But I haven't found the motivation to submit yet. Maybe soon.

15.Thank you so much for spending some time to answer my questions,finally please share some useful tips for new budding bloggers.

Thank you so much for taking time to read more about me. My tips for the new crafters/bloggers would be:

- find your style and stay with it but do not be afraid of experimenting at the same time.

- Blogging and available craft supplies and techniques can be a little overwhelming in the beginning and you might feel a little lost. But just try and learn one step at a time and you will belong here soon.

- Don't jump on buying expensive craft supplies all at once. Take your time and decide what works best for you and then invest.

Hope you enjoyed the interview as much as i did,last but not least here are some of the lovely creations from ujjwal.Do leave some love for my guest:)







So do you want to be feautured here as guest blogger?its simple,just mail me to kavi_kalalayaa@yahoo.co.in,but before that here are the few simple things that required to be a guest blogger:

• You should have a blog(of course:)) which should be at least 6 months old.
• You should have completed at least 50 posts in your blog,bcoz when people reads the interview they will definitely visit your blog,so at least quiet a handful of things should be there in your blog for them to view.
  
• You should be a regular n active blogger.
  

Happy crafting,