KALYANI JHA | NT BUZZ
About eight years ago, Simran Deshpande began experimenting with making handmade jewellery using quilling and tassels. She later displayed these at her college and was met with a good response.
Buoyed by this, the Marcel-resident decided to take this further and launch a business, Trendyartz, under which she created jewellery pieces like tassel earrings, charm necklaces, and pendants.
In 2022, things took a different turn when customers began requesting whether she could preserve a few memories in her works using resin.
She began small, but today she incorporates memories in bigger orders too. “Besides using real flowers, I also incorporate materials such as pet fur, chocolate wrappers, baby’s umbilical cord/pregnancy kit, and even jewellery made using breast milk, into my resin art. Each craftedpiece has a unique story to it,” she says.
Her range of resin art works includes crafting frames, coasters, wall hangings, clocks, and jewellery made with real flower bouquets, varmala flowers, and wedding accessories.
“I also make unique dashboard accessories, frames with mantras and quotes, and jhumka earrings,” says Deshpande who is a research scientist and food technologist by profession. “Whenever I feel like relaxing, I work on creating my artworks,” she says.
The price range of her products depends on the size and customisation. The time is also dependent on the size of the order and the amount of customisation involved.
“For example, if somebody wants to preserve their varmala, it requires a minimum of 15 to 20 days, as there’s a lot of back end process,” she says.
Since she is dealing with some very precious memories she has to be extra careful in making such products. “There’s a certain ethic that I follow. For example, when working with flowers, I have to keep in mind that they have a short shelf life and will turn black or get fungus after that. So I have to be very mindful regarding such things,” she says.
Care is required in all aspects be it from sorting out the flowers to deciding on the design, etc. “There are sometimes bubbles that appear in the resin, as it is liquid. And sometimes the resin doesn’t cure. So, one needs to be careful. Placing the name in the frame also requires precision,” says Deshpande, adding that her most memorable order was preserving a wedding garland and bangles in a
clock and a frame.
The wedding and festive season is her busiest time and at times her family helps out with her orders. Deshpande sells her products from her social media handles and also takes bulk orders.
