• Tell me a bit about yourself

Hi! My name’s DEBASHRI. I am located in Hawaii currently. I am originally from India. I came to the US two and a half years back, a few months after I got married to Sarang.

• What is the name of your Shop?

BLOSSOMS. But on ETSY, I go by DEBASHRI (I did not know that the username would be the shop name by default )

• Please describe your creative process

I don’t have any specific time at which I work on my flowers. I create whenever I feel the urge. Sometimes even late at night or early in the mornings. If I have an idea, I just HAVE TO translate it into my creations. I only use DECO Clay. I haven’t tried to use any other material so far.

• Where do your ideas come from?

I get inspired by things all around me. Nature is naturally, my biggest inspiration, since I create flowers out of clay. But sometimes, I get inspired by clothes that people wear, and even inanimate objects. Sometimes I see a particular color on a box and I want to make flowers in that specific color. Then of course, my teacher and my clay school members - each one of them is an inspiration for me!

• How did you get into your craft?

When I came to the US, I did not have permission to work. Having worked 5 years in the corporate field before that in India, I was somewhat restless when I had no job here. I am a very shy person and cannot make friends easily. I find it easier to engage myself in reading, watching movies or some such solitary activity. I decided to learn something new while I was here. I started by learning crochet lei-making at the Honolulu Craft Supply. But after a while, I lost interest - partly because I found it monotonous but mostly because I wasn’t good at it. But while learning lei-making I came across a book about DECO Clay. I had learnt how to make paper and satin flowers in India and I was looking for something on the same lines, because I LOVE flowers. One look at the DECO Clay book told me that it was what I was looking for! My husband and I went to the DECO Clay Craft Academy in Honolulu. I was struck by how real the flowers looked. I wanted to start learning right that moment. But we were not doing well at that time. Sarang was still paying off his loans and I was without a job. We did not even have the minimum of 50 dollars required for membership, leave alone the class fees and the cost of materials. But I really wanted to learn this craft and Sarang was very supportive. Finally, after saving for 3 weeks, we were able to pay for the membership and we decided that I would just attend one class a month. Even that was more than what we could afford at that time. But we are glad we didn’t let it stop us. Slowly, things got better and I started taking classes more frequently. And here I am today - a certified instructor from the DECO Clay Craft Academy. As soon as I got my work permit, I registered my business. Now, I sell my creations online. Also, I get orders from friends. And everyday, I make more and more flowers, sometimes trying my own techniques.

• Apart from creating things, what do you do?

When I am not creating clay flowers, I create music. (I have been learning music since I was 3-4 years old) I also love stirring up gourmet dishes :). I even make jewelry for relaxation. I love reading books, watching good cinema. Whenever I can, I also catch up the game of cricket on the internet. I love travelling too. And recently, I have started taking an interest in photography. So, there are lots of things that I love doing! But more than anything, I have a fulltime job taking care of my home and husband :).

• How do you promote your work?

I am still learning this one! Like I said, I am very shy. I can’t get myself to go up to people or shops and try to promote my creations. Therefore, I find the internet forums very convenient since I can just give a link to my work and request people to check it out. That is about the only promotion that I do. I guess, I have to get better at this

Also you can visit my Blog to know more about me!

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