Hello all,
Today is my father’s birthday, and today is also Hasthakala Creations’s first birthday! :) This sure calls for a looooooooooong story, right?! ;-)
So, let the music beginnnn…..
Like I always say, this interest and passion towards crafting began during my school days. And then in 2009, with a lot of help from my husband, I began blogging about my creations @hasthakala.blogspot.in. I thoroughly enjoyed blogging, only that I was not very active once my son was born. And after 2yrs when I thought of returning to it, facebook was “the happening” thing then. So we created this page called Hasthakala Creations as a Personal Blog and began adding newer creations here instead.
Once I learnt the method of making earrings, I used to make and wear my own, however poor their finish was. In fact, I even wore an incomplete, unbaked terracotta set that I’d learnt as part of a workshop. Luckily for me, it didn’t rain that day! :) Guess all crafters are proud of their makes, for, more than the final outcome of the learning, it is the time and passion and love that has gone into the making that makes it priceless in the eyes of the crafter!
Hasthakala Creations for sales was something completely unplanned. It was only from the comments and encouragements that I received for a picture that I’d posted here, that we planned to take it to the next level. So initially I made a few samples for friends, tested courier services for packaging and safe delivery, worked on feedback and finally launched it to public on Feb. 3rd last year. The first day was exciting and I was a lot nervous too! Sat in front of the system almost the entire day after posting my first few products for sale, and then when nothing happened by the end of the day, I found that some setting was wrong and it was not shown to anybody other than me! Ho, that was a moment of mixed emotions :D
And then slowly sales began to happen. The first few customers were my dear friends who encouraged me then and still continue to encourage me. And then it was friends of friends, and still is mostly. Really feels proud to say that Hasthakala Creations products have also reached Australia, Singapore and the United States of America. The opening of Carolz Jewelry store near here was a big boost for Hasthakala. Carolyn herself being a jewelry maker, gave me much needed guidance on the making, pricing and we also started taking customized orders at the store. She’s been a very understanding friend, gives me enough time for orders and lifts me up when I go really low! With her happened my very first experience of standing on the other side of the table at an exhibition. That was a nice exposure too. And this new year began with my first ever bulk order..so so happy about it! :)
We then began expanding our “product line” of handmade goods from quilled earrings to rakhis for rakshbandhan, gift boxes, flowers, fridge magnets, hand-decorated photo frames, quilled chains, finger-rings and the most recent recycled bags. Working on handmade Christmas gifting options was fun too, only that I didn’t do it well in advance. Nevertheless that was a learning that will come into use every year!
The next milestone for Hasthakala was beginning with workshops at the store, either a one-on-one class for home-makers, or classes for groups. They are always fun times and they say I am a good teacher! :) There definitely is going to be many more workshops at the store and we are also planning to begin at home. Hopefully we will bring out something like a 3-5 day workshop for the summer vacations. Fingers crossed on that! :)
Like everything has its own 2 sides, Hasthakala had too. There has been many a time when I regretted having started this. Either it was the monetary factor since I spend a lot on raw materials than what I get from selling completed products, or for the fact that I spend lesser time as a home-maker and with my son now. But then friends reassure me saying Sidhu is growing up too! Hmmmm, that’s true! :( :) And there were times when negative feedbacks pushed me so so low that I kept crying for hours together! (I am very sensitive when it comes to things about my passion)And, what do I do to come out of it?! Read my college slam book, or listen to “Vijanathayil paathi vazhi..” from the Malayalam movie How Old Are You..(I’m completely in love with that movie!) or chat endlessly with friends, what greater boost than that?! :D Carolyn gave me a half-hug when she heard of one of my bad experiences from Hasthakala. Wow, that was such a kind gesture! Positive feedbacks help for sure, but negative also has a good side to it. True, it hurts me a lot at that moment, but at the end I learn a new lesson and come out stronger, and I must say, it feels totally great then :D Trying to look at the little-est positive side of negative things has helped me a lot in my personal life as well, what say my dearest closest friends?! ;)
BTW, have you all got bored with the profile and cover pictures? And the fact that I have not changed the page category from “Personal blog” to something more appropriate? Well, I have not done any other craft more suiting than what I put one year ago, and continuing to maintain it as a blog gives me the freedom to write such looong stories once-in-a-while, agreed?! ;)
Ok, so that is about Hasthakala’s journey in this first year, looking forward to many many more to come. Hasthakala will always be about my passion, it will continue to be my creative space, than a business/venture. Maybe when my son is a little older, I will think about Hasthakala as something much more than just a passion. But until then, let me enjoy being a mother first and then a crafter. Please continue to understand and still support me to go on. I have many newer crafts planned and noted down in my project book :)
So till then, here’s something by OSHO from the “Points to Ponder” section of a Reader’s Digest..something very very meaningful!
“A creative act enhances the beauty of the world..I am not saying that your creativity is going to give you power, prestige, money..All that I can promise you is that deep inside you will be the richest man possible; deep inside you will be fulfilled..”
Thanks to all my likers and well-wishers, do continue to encourage Hasthakala Creations and spread the word!
Love,
Smitha
Today is my father’s birthday, and today is also Hasthakala Creations’s first birthday! :) This sure calls for a looooooooooong story, right?! ;-)
So, let the music beginnnn…..
Like I always say, this interest and passion towards crafting began during my school days. And then in 2009, with a lot of help from my husband, I began blogging about my creations @hasthakala.blogspot.in. I thoroughly enjoyed blogging, only that I was not very active once my son was born. And after 2yrs when I thought of returning to it, facebook was “the happening” thing then. So we created this page called Hasthakala Creations as a Personal Blog and began adding newer creations here instead.
Once I learnt the method of making earrings, I used to make and wear my own, however poor their finish was. In fact, I even wore an incomplete, unbaked terracotta set that I’d learnt as part of a workshop. Luckily for me, it didn’t rain that day! :) Guess all crafters are proud of their makes, for, more than the final outcome of the learning, it is the time and passion and love that has gone into the making that makes it priceless in the eyes of the crafter!
Hasthakala Creations for sales was something completely unplanned. It was only from the comments and encouragements that I received for a picture that I’d posted here, that we planned to take it to the next level. So initially I made a few samples for friends, tested courier services for packaging and safe delivery, worked on feedback and finally launched it to public on Feb. 3rd last year. The first day was exciting and I was a lot nervous too! Sat in front of the system almost the entire day after posting my first few products for sale, and then when nothing happened by the end of the day, I found that some setting was wrong and it was not shown to anybody other than me! Ho, that was a moment of mixed emotions :D
And then slowly sales began to happen. The first few customers were my dear friends who encouraged me then and still continue to encourage me. And then it was friends of friends, and still is mostly. Really feels proud to say that Hasthakala Creations products have also reached Australia, Singapore and the United States of America. The opening of Carolz Jewelry store near here was a big boost for Hasthakala. Carolyn herself being a jewelry maker, gave me much needed guidance on the making, pricing and we also started taking customized orders at the store. She’s been a very understanding friend, gives me enough time for orders and lifts me up when I go really low! With her happened my very first experience of standing on the other side of the table at an exhibition. That was a nice exposure too. And this new year began with my first ever bulk order..so so happy about it! :)
We then began expanding our “product line” of handmade goods from quilled earrings to rakhis for rakshbandhan, gift boxes, flowers, fridge magnets, hand-decorated photo frames, quilled chains, finger-rings and the most recent recycled bags. Working on handmade Christmas gifting options was fun too, only that I didn’t do it well in advance. Nevertheless that was a learning that will come into use every year!
The next milestone for Hasthakala was beginning with workshops at the store, either a one-on-one class for home-makers, or classes for groups. They are always fun times and they say I am a good teacher! :) There definitely is going to be many more workshops at the store and we are also planning to begin at home. Hopefully we will bring out something like a 3-5 day workshop for the summer vacations. Fingers crossed on that! :)
Like everything has its own 2 sides, Hasthakala had too. There has been many a time when I regretted having started this. Either it was the monetary factor since I spend a lot on raw materials than what I get from selling completed products, or for the fact that I spend lesser time as a home-maker and with my son now. But then friends reassure me saying Sidhu is growing up too! Hmmmm, that’s true! :( :) And there were times when negative feedbacks pushed me so so low that I kept crying for hours together! (I am very sensitive when it comes to things about my passion)And, what do I do to come out of it?! Read my college slam book, or listen to “Vijanathayil paathi vazhi..” from the Malayalam movie How Old Are You..(I’m completely in love with that movie!) or chat endlessly with friends, what greater boost than that?! :D Carolyn gave me a half-hug when she heard of one of my bad experiences from Hasthakala. Wow, that was such a kind gesture! Positive feedbacks help for sure, but negative also has a good side to it. True, it hurts me a lot at that moment, but at the end I learn a new lesson and come out stronger, and I must say, it feels totally great then :D Trying to look at the little-est positive side of negative things has helped me a lot in my personal life as well, what say my dearest closest friends?! ;)
BTW, have you all got bored with the profile and cover pictures? And the fact that I have not changed the page category from “Personal blog” to something more appropriate? Well, I have not done any other craft more suiting than what I put one year ago, and continuing to maintain it as a blog gives me the freedom to write such looong stories once-in-a-while, agreed?! ;)
Ok, so that is about Hasthakala’s journey in this first year, looking forward to many many more to come. Hasthakala will always be about my passion, it will continue to be my creative space, than a business/venture. Maybe when my son is a little older, I will think about Hasthakala as something much more than just a passion. But until then, let me enjoy being a mother first and then a crafter. Please continue to understand and still support me to go on. I have many newer crafts planned and noted down in my project book :)
So till then, here’s something by OSHO from the “Points to Ponder” section of a Reader’s Digest..something very very meaningful!
“A creative act enhances the beauty of the world..I am not saying that your creativity is going to give you power, prestige, money..All that I can promise you is that deep inside you will be the richest man possible; deep inside you will be fulfilled..”
Thanks to all my likers and well-wishers, do continue to encourage Hasthakala Creations and spread the word!
Love,
Smitha
