What is this Awesome Achievement?
The Deviousness Award is an accolade which is traditionally handed out
on the 1st of every month to one truly outstanding deviant.





Hi Itti! Could you please give us an introduction of who you are and what do you do on and off DA?

Hi I'm a mathematician living in Edinburgh, looking to get into computer programming. I'm 25 and a girl. People describe me as geeky, enthusiastic, thoughtful, shy, friendly, creative, and terrible at talking about myself.

On deviantART I run a little group called #Artcrossing where you exchange art or craft gifts in the mail (more about that later). I submit a variety of different media into my own gallery - traditional drawings, literature, photography, calligraphy, cooking, other crafts and a few random extra things when I get an idea. I probably identify most strongly with the artisan crafts community out of all those. There are so many different crafts out there and a lot of crafters are very encouraging and helpful if you want to try new things.


You've been a deviant for more than 7 years. What brought you to dA and what made you stay all these years?

Wow, that takes me back. I think originally I found dA through a friend. As for staying, I've had extended breaks from time to time (usually over the summer holidays when I was still at school/uni) but I always end up coming back. I have friends on here that I connect with, and in the last couple of years communities I've created that I love being a part of. dA is such a great place; there really is a space for everyone. It took me a little while to settle in but this community is really a part of my life now.


What was your motivation to get involved in projects like #Artcrossing and other groups you're in?

In 2008 I joined a secret Santa that had a bunch of problems associated with it - I won't go into them, but it inspired me to run my own secret Santa the next year and do it better. After running that for a couple of years, I found more problems that I wanted to fix but couldn't because they are inherent in the way a secret Santa works - things like people ending up receiving nothing because their partner never made anything, or people having genuine life problems like hospitalisation and feeling so guilty about not being able to make their gift.

I wanted to make a system where it's fun to participate and not a stress. So I came up with #Artcrossing. You have to send something first: your gift has to be made and mailed and received by the recipient before anyone is ever given your profile to make a gift for you in exchange. I love the way it works because it means you do all the hard work first, and then your gift in return is like a reward! And it also means that if something unexpected happens and someone has to drop out, they haven't let anyone down. They can just let me know and I'll get someone else to take over, instead of the original person stressing over making a gift that has turned from something fun into a chore.

I love the way my little group has run, it's really started to feel like a community, everyone admires everyone else's work and has got to know all the different names and faces around. We've had a huge pile of new members recently what with #Artcrossing being mentioned on the deviousness article, but I'm sure that the new faces will all be made welcome. Everyone in the group is really supportive and friendly and I love running it





You have a very eclectic gallery that goes from traditional art to artisan crafts to culinary art. What made you try this variety of different mediums? What about something new you would like to try but haven't done yet?

I've always loved experimenting. From when I was little I used to get loads of those craft kits and try out all the different ones. But for ages I only thought of dA as a place to upload my drawings. I was still crafting and writing and things but just never thought of putting them on here.  Once I got in the habit of uploading different stuff, my gallery started to become as wildly eclectic as it is now.

I often get ideas from tutorials online or from contests. The first culinary art piece I ever did was for a FanCraftic contest - a mashup between the Artisan Crafts and the Fan Art galleries - and it was a three little pigs cake. And a poetry contest inspired me to try out villanelles. The #ArtisanCraft Creative Craft Challenges are also excellent for inspiration and trying out new methods. I love doing those, although it's often several months later that I actually manage to finish the challenge...!

As for something new, I have plenty of ideas and not enough time to make them! I've just indulged in a candy making book so I have a bunch of new recipes to try there. I also have a découpage project I just started - that's new to me, too. I even have a jewellery idea I'm really excited about but I don't want to tell anyone what it is til it's finished as I'm hoping to sell them




Receiving the Deviousness Award is seen by many as one of the biggest honors one can receive as a deviant. What can you tell us about this, now that you received it? What was your reaction when you found out?

I actually found out the day before, in person (these are both firsts, I'm told). I was at the London devMEET on 30 June, we'd finished the picnic part and migrated to the pub. I was actually feeling a little in awe as I was mostly surrounded by staff, volunteers and seniors and I thought they probably didn't know who I was. Then partway through the evening ^Beccalicious beckoned me over to $Heidi and a whole cluster of staff and volunteers and broke the news to me. To be honest after that it's a bit of a blur! I remember lots of people clapping and being rather flustered and blushing... $dxd kept apologising that they'd embarrassed me, but it was the good kind of embarrassed, y'know? I don't think I stopped grinning from that point on until I was in bed that night. I'm still grinning now!


If you were a color.... what color would you be and how do you think you would taste like?

I would be purple... and you would have to taste me to find out!