Busting Stress with Quilling Tools

Paper jhumkas did not just revolutionise campus fashion in recent times, but the making of jewellery as well. It took no time for jewellery designers to mushroom in every corner, and Parvathi Thampi, a student of BSc (Zoology) at Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, jumped on the bandwagon.
Busting Stress with Quilling Tools

Paper jhumkas did not just revolutionise campus fashion in recent times, but the making of jewellery as well. It took no time for jewellery designers to mushroom in every corner, and Parvathi Thampi, a student of BSc (Zoology) at Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, jumped on the bandwagon. But she was sure she would not do it as a business. “I learnt paper quilling from a friend during the break after my medical entrance exams. I thought it would cure the exam ‘hangover’,” laughs Parvathi.

Parvathi’s older sister Shruthi Thampi, started helping her out, but they were only doing it for themselves and were not sure others would want their creations. However, friends and relatives started placing requests. As work mounted, they had to think of pricing the product. “We started getting orders from outside our friends’ circle. Relatives of friends, and friends of relatives started showing interest,” says Shruthi.

“There have been times when we got 12 orders from one individual. But, we decided not to charge like boutiques do. However, we had to charge for the materials used, be it beads or the paper. Some of the designs we make are complex. So we also decided to charge for the time we spend on it,” says Parvathi.

Now that Parvathi has started college, she has little time. Shruthi, who studies BTech has no time either. Yet, they take out time during weekends for making paper jewellery. Parvathi feels that extracurricular activities always aid studies. “I am the kind of person who needs to actively engage in something. However, while preparing for my entrance exam, I did nothing but study. Maybe this affected the result badly,” she says.

Her latest extracurricular activity has other advantages. “Jewellery making is a stress buster. Moreover, when we know we are good at something, we become more confident and that reflects in everything we do,” she says. “I want to learn to make terracotta jewellery too. As for my career, however, I want to be an academic expert in Zoology, and jewellery making will just be one of my many hobbies,” says Parvathi.

Archanaravi@newindianexpress.com

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