Smriti Bakshi

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I decided to work after being a dedicated homemaker for almost 18 years, but the whole idea of going out and leaving the kids behind was not a very pleasing one. I have two adorable but naughty boys. So every morning I would come up with a new business idea, by noon, my company would already be set up and by night, I would wrap up the whole idea. Like a true Piscean I love day dreaming.

Friends often describe me as someone who has her own style, and that feels good!

"As far as I can remember I have always been very fascinated by crafts. I am very creative and have always made little things on my own. I think this urge has been within me most of my life, but I really hadn't explored it.

"It so happened that one day I sat down to make a birthday gift for a friend, as I usually did for all my friends. At the party everyone saw it and, to my surprise, I actually got two orders. Super excited, I got down finishing my first order.

"Then, one day when I was working at home, my husband came home early with some friends. I was so ashamed as my entire dining room was littered with papers, trays, paints etc. But again to my surprise, they didn't mind the mess and instead were really happy to see my stuff. I sold four products and took orders for a few more. Before I knew it, I had started my new venture and I am very happy with the way it is coming along.

"What I love about this craft is that it gives me the freedom to put many elements together. But I must admit, decoupage is not a simple technique to do. It needs a lot of precision and you really need to master it to be able to create something beautiful. If there is a slight wrinkle while pasting the paper, you have to scrap it and start all over again. It takes me about five or six days to complete the whole process, but each process is fun in itself.

"I use different kinds of paper, like tissue paper, card stock, printed paper etc. Right now, I outsource most of the papers from overseas as they are difficult to get here, but I am trying to find ways to replace them with Indian made papers. Some of the papers I used are recycled from newspapers and magazines. I do a lot of work using comic strips, which come out so cool and quirky! I love them!

"I love crafting and I am proud to say that I have learned part of my work through internet. Then I met a lady who helped me polish my skills. It gave me a lot of confidence training with her for a while, in a way she made me realize what I am capable of.

"Since I am a relatively new artisan, I hope that in due course of time I may be in a position to train more women who can join me as I generate work for them."