JOIN USShe dispels the myth that one requires special skills to multi-task. Entrepreneur Lavanya is a shining example for home-based business women and those who effortlessly alternate between a personal and professional life, as she conquers anything that comes her way with ease.
She has woven magic with her hands ever since her childhood. After her wedding, she completed a Montessori training course and worked as a principal at a primary school for a while. Then she decided to quit her job and take care of her family. “But being idle was not the solution for me,” she firmly says.
She began to teach art and craft classes to her close friends, and three years back she thought about starting a full-fledged venture called ‘Kruthi — The Art of Crafting’.
Her classes comprise all things creative — from 3D crafting in porcelain clay, Thai art on banana leaf
to drawing classes in different genres such as the art of zentagles, abstract painting, paper quilling and ikebana. And during the five-minute short breaks in between classes, she would provide sweet treats and savouries to her students, which became a big hit.
Soon after, she started bakery and confectionary courses as well, teaching how to make goodies like souffle, pastries, eggless baking, sugar craft, cake decoration and desserts.
She loves the aroma of home, and likes freshly-baked goodies and whole-wheat products from her in-house kitchen. She makes sure that she doesn’t add any preservatives in her items.
“I bake structural cakes and don’t use dummy cakes, which means that I don’t add thermacol or rice crispies in my cakes. Hence the cake has to be cut and eaten then and there, unlike in stores, where it can be preserved for a long time.”
Her culinary classes are more popular than her craft classes. “The food market, filled with adult home bakers and children who are
experimenting, always has scope for growth.” Her classes depend on the number of enquiries she receives, and sometimes, she teaches as many as 20 children in one batch.
She feels that too many cooks spoil the broth, literally, and hence prefers working alone. “I don’t want to compromise on quality.
I am extremely particular about the finish on my products.” She is currently trying her hand at designing models and boxes for schools and summer camps such as a gravity box and other theme-related items. “If I don’t find some materials in a local store, I like to convert materials that are available to suit my needs. Modifying raw materials is a big aspect to art itself.”
She was part of a team of six homemakers who helped create India’s tallest ‘whimsical caricature cake’ of a one-legged Santa Claus, which has entered the Limca Book of Records. She also hosts events with ‘3D Studio’, a sugar craft industry, and has been a judge at a cooking contest. However, Lavanya shies away from the limelight and believes that word-of-mouth is the best marketing technique. “I don’t like to advertise or sell my work. I like it when people
approach me after hearing about me.” A self-taught and passionate handicraft artist, she feels that critics help her soar to perfection, and with her parents and husband as her biggest motivators, she wants to continue ‘Kruthi – The Art of Crafting’ for a longer time.