Homemade Harvest 2013 Artist - Navanka Creations

Today I'm happy to reintroduce you to Amrita over at Navanka Creations.  Amrita is one of three returning sellers at our Saturday 7th Annual Handmade Harvest Open House and I'm so excited to see what beautiful creations she will be showcasing this year.  We both share a quilling passion and you'll often find us at a EtsyRain Crafting at Crossroads event comparing quilling photos.  Her work is really in the details of very scroll and bend of the paper she creates.  I am always inspired by her use of so many colors and you'll get so see her work in only a couple of short days!

Tell us a bit about yourself? Apart from being ‘creative’ what do you do?
I am a work at home mom to a wonderful four year old boy. I co-own Navanka Creations on Etsy with my elder sister Nimisha Singh who lives in Wheeling, Illinois.

Courtesy of my son, I spend a lot of time playing all kind of sports with him.   Listening to music and reading books help me unwind after a long day.

I also write a craft blog Craft Ideas for All with my sister where we share craft projects of varied skill levels.

What inspires you to do the kind of work you do?
I grew up in India and lot of my work is inspired by the local art and vibrant colors of India. The best part about my work is that it lets me be part of special moments in the lives of our wonderful customers.

That little smile on someone’s face when they receive a unique gift is the best payback of my work and inspires me to do better.

Do you look up to anyone? Who? Why?
I get inspired by my family, fellow artists and friends but I am most inspired by my parents. I am amazed at the hard work, sincerity and love with which they raised me and my siblings. We were always encouraged to do what we love and strive to be the best in whatever we did.

After having our son I decided to leave my engineering career to be able to spend more time with him. It was their faith in me that inspired me to pursue my passion for all things creative and open Navanka Creations with my sister. And now my son inspires me to be a better parent and make this world more beautiful for him.

I would be happy if I can raise my son to have that confidence to make his own choices in life and strive to make them work.

What other passions do you have in your life?
I am passionate about my family and my work. I would want to make this world a greener and healthier place for my child to live in. We try to make choices at home that are better for the environment.

I also love to teach and enjoy taking craft classes for children.

How do you promote your work?
At present we promote our work mostly using social media. We have a Navanka Creations Facebook page where we share our latest listings and events.

We also write a Navanka Creations blog where we share our creative process.

And we have a Navanka Creations Pinterest board to help promote our work.

In the future I’d like to be…
I would like to be a successful artist and entrepreneur. I would love to be able to give back by raising money for charitable causes for children.

I wish to open a Craft Academy where people of all age can come and learn various crafts and engage in creativity. I would also love to write a book on paper crafts someday.