The quilling queen

Photo Credits: pg 2- she story

As a little girl, Poorva Vernekar loved making her own little gifts for her family and friends. “ They always felt more heartfelt,” she admits. Fast forward to present day and she's still sharing the DIY happiness all around.

“ I used to upload pictures of my work online and that's how I got my first order,” she recalls. The customer loved it and soon more orders started pouring in and Poopie Products gradually transitioned from a fun hobby to a business. “ My close friends call me Poopie very endearingly,” she says, explaining why she chose this strange name. “I get teased about it. In fact I was told to change the name so many times by people, but it's the name I relate to and I can take all the jokes.”

Under Poppie Products, Vernekar uses scraps like paper, wood shavings, sand, bottles, cloth etc, to craft odd but cute items like jewellery, jewellery boxes, magnets, bags etc. Her forte, however, is her ingenuity with quilling. “I've never been good at drawing or painting but somehow quilling lets me express myself and create my own art,” she states, adding that most of her work is customised. “People give me a rough idea or share a memory and I try to create something that will bring that memory to life. I can always picture the completed piece in my head, the textures, the colours. Once that's done it's just a matter of getting it on paper.”

Items like earrings, cards, jewellery boxes and magnets sell faster because customers can use them for personal use, she reveals. “People have to connect with my framed work when it's not customised and not everyone can. But it's a lovely feeling when they do. It's like a little part of me that they take home with them,” she says, recalling that one of her funniest orders so far was a cattle duty project. “ A seminarian friend of mine and couldn't attend one of his best friends weddings as he was assigned some work in a different state. To make up for his absence he gives her a gift every year. So all he told me was that he wanted the couple in the picture in their wedding attire and him sitting on a cow. How I did it and placed them was up to me. He and the couple loved it. In fact he said the udders of the cow was his favorite part!” she says laughing.

At present, Vernekar gets her orders either via her Facebook page or through word of mouth. “One of the toughest things for me personally was to discuss the pricing in the very beginning of the ordering process. It took me a while to realise I wasn't being rude and just asking people for money, but putting a value to my work. It's important to be professional no matter who places the order; a complete stranger or your closest friend, to standardise prices and not bend every time someone tries to bargain, and also not get dejected in case a customer doesn't like your work but become more determined to do better,” she says. Also, she states, that people's lack of knowledge about quilling needs to change a bit. “Very few people know about quilling so it takes time for them to believe that it'll last and that the paper is protected,” she says. As far as being a young entrepreneur in Goa though, Vernekar believes that it is a great place to be. “There are so many talented people and you can feel the support for handmade work. There are also so many avenues to market handmade products, from flea markets, street festivals, pop up exhibitions and even small cafes It encourages people to stick their necks out,” she believes. “There's no jealousy and back biting but lot of encouragement and opportunity. And when you're surrounded by so much creativity and talent it'll only help you grow.”