ETHNIC INDIA

Dreams come true...but it takes time and effort and the belief in yourself to move forward in life,in the direction of your dreams.
I have a dear friend MEGHANA BHIDE who has taken baby steps into the world of creativity and art.

Her collection includes:

Torans, made of jari cloth, beads and dry leaves.

 

 Wooden gift and home decor items from Banaras, handmade and painted by karagirs.

 

 Kitchen organizers and kids' room organisers

 Purses, clutches, utility pouches, bags in silk, cotton and jute with superior quality and in varied designs for daily and festive purposes.

In her own words...
A note about my venture...

My first ever realisation of my creative inclination and abilities came along when I designed and stitched a evening gown for myself when I was 15. Since then for around 15 years, I never visited a tailor as I would stitch my dresses myself. Then friends started giving me orders for designing their suits, baby frocks, quilts, etc. I also tried my hands at other home craft items all along.

Then i started designing stationary items like files, folders, notepads, pen stands made of cloth and hand embroidery, etc and also started taking part in exhibitions during my college days.

I still preserve that hidden wish to have my own boutique but somehow did not have enough courage and mindset to take up the challenge.

Six years back, when I took a back seat from a full time job of editor, and got into freelance profession, the creative juices started oozing out again.

Since then have been enjoying the process of creation as well as trying to venture into a business, because it's not just a hobby but it's my qualification and wanna be profession which I always dreamt of to be in.

Now, to give my own creations a platform and a boost, I have joined hands with some other creative people, contributing to their products with my designs and promoting their products through my brand.

I wish her all the success.May she enjoy the process of bringing up her baby and the rest  as they say will happen on its own!!!

 

If any of my blog readers wish to contact her,can do so by dropping her a mail at meghanabhide@gmail.com

 

Special Folk Art Workshops at Baaya Design

 Baaya Design is organizing folk art workshops this summer to unveil the secrets of unique and magnificent Indian art forms such as Gond art and Orissa Patachitra art. Baaya Design will provide all the necessary equipments required for the workshop.

 Gond tribal paintings are made in Madhya Pradesh. The paintings are expressions of  rituals or practices that are deeply linked with their day to day lives, religious sentiments and devotions. Themes of Gond paintings are often based on local festivals like Karwa Chauth, Deepawali, Ahoi Ashtami, Nag Panchmi, Sanjhi etc. Horses, elephants, tigers, birds, gods, men and objects of daily life are painted in bright and multicolored hues. Tribal Gond paintings are done by the tribal women of the village using simple homemade colors. Colorful and highly expressive, this art has its own unique identity and rare beauty.

At these folk art workshops learn from  award winning artisan Hiraman Urweti who will share the secrets of Gond art.

Come and create your own magnificent piece of art work, and in the process also learn about these folk art forms which form a strong backing to Indian Art and craft.  So make your's and the children's summer a unique, creative learning experience. Enroll yourselves right away as limited seats are available!

Details:

Age : 12 years and above

Dates: Gond Workshops: 11th & 12th May 

 Time :  11 am to 1.30 pm & 3 to 5.30 pm (2 sessions daily)

 Fees:

Advance registration: Rs 750 per person per session

Last day registration : Rs 1000 per person per session

Where: BAAYA DESIGN, Raghuvanshi Mills. Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Near Phoenix Mills, Lowerparel, Mumbai

Contact: 022 65210165

Email : baayadesign@gmail.com

WARLI ART IN GOLD

I love the fact that art lovers find a way to incorporate folk art such as warli in Gold  jewellery too!!
And what with gold rates plunging in the last few weeks,
PN GADGIL JEWELLERS from Pune have come out with unique Warli designs.

 The Warli collection range is from 3gms to 50gms which has Warli Tops, Pendants, Necklace, Bracelets & Bangles.

check out some of their awesome designs !!!

Isn't that simply superb? So ladies what are you waiting for? and not to forget the men folk too,You can really please the women of your dreams..
Gift them this unique blend of art,creativity and GOLD!!


For more info check out their facebook page

EYE CANDY

A lazy afternoon..kids sleeping..an hour or two in hand and a laptop with net connection...
yes that is exactly how it is at my place today.


Browsed thru many interesting sites ,one such that I found worth a mention is www.hitplay.in
am featuring certain interesting kitchen utilities  below Rs499.




have a peek....



Stack it up

Perfect for lunch boxes, picnics, your desk drawer or glove box. Each set of two is packed in a peggable recyclable clear box. You can stack up the twosome easily enough for storage, or discover further uses with your imagination. It the potential to liven up a dull kitchen or even inspire a fussy child to have a hearty meal... SPORK Designed for campers, lovers of the outdoors and kids, this quirky spoon + fork + knife will not only dazzle any mighty beasts you come across in the wild, but will add a touch of conveneince and fun to your outdoor dining, too! Tea Infusers A great tool for mixing different flavors together while you are making tea .These tea bags will allow you to mix your tea, creating your own endogenous. You can enjoy your unique mix time aftertime without polluting mother earth Cool Jazz It’s time to kick back and chill and here’s a cool way to do it! Drop one of these groovy guitars into your drink, and give it a stir. Just the thing for jazzing up your favorite beverage. So do visit this site for more ,if you heart the above products...

 

Inspiration

It is important to inspire and be inspired..

There are many people out there who have great ideas.What is required is a keen eye and also a  heart to appreciate the beauty ,then ofcourse to be inspired by the idea,to create something wonderful in your own capacity.



I know all this sounds weird and out of place but lately I came across certain simple & beautiful creations that have inspired me .I have also taken the creative freedom to readopt these designs.


so here are pics of what I have been blabbering about....




On one of our road trips,we came across this massive gate.It is the gate leading to Janapada loka,a folk centre in Ramanagara district on the Bangalore-Mysore highway.

Have a closer look at the peacocks.I love the bird and the motif on the gate. Its soon going to find a place in one of my creations may be on the wall or on a terracotta pot??

Next is this painted wall inside the KAMAT LOKARUCHI Eatery area. what I loved about this was apart from the wall mural was the hanging onions and garlics.It makes the place look so rustic,yet charming!!May be one corner in my kitchen I can implement this design.

Next in line are these designs created by an artist inside the inner walls of Cauvery Art Emporium.These as borders are truly awesome and stole my heart.I had this itch to use them immediately and that I did on cushion covers as borders..But for all those of you who have a staircase running inside your home,wont it look lovely when painted on the edges of stairs,or as borders skirting a passage or on the ledge in a balcony.Tell me what you think of all these ideas..








And these are the results of my inspiration..A cushion cover with a GOND Painting in the middle and the awesome designs bordering them.

VIGHNAHARTA

No task in any Hindu household is completed without GANESH PUJAN

Recently we had a family function at our place .We invited Ganpatiji to seek his blessings.






That is the Ganesha Me,my sis and cousin made with wheat flour,turmeric and vermillion.

But you know how it is with all our functions......So much to do in so less time.
And when you have to reach another venue ,there's always this last minute rush,so much of confusion that in the end we forgot to take our lucky mascot..HE knew his presence matters and so things went well..
You can also make a Ganesha with a big ball of turmeric powder by mixing it with little water and making a paste from it.Then shaping it in the form of Vinayaka..This will stay longer than the wheat flour Ganesha..


Celebrataions,gatherings,festivals ... are so much fun.Not only do you get to meet all your friends and relatives,but we also dress up for the occassion.Our Homes get a festive feel and what better way than to say it with flowers....
Flowers add so much freshness .They enliven the surroundings and cool your senses.

some more pics of Gajanana..

The terracotta Ganesha's took my heart away when I saw them displayed at a road side stall,on our family trip to Coorg.I really marvelled, the artisan's skill and labour.All Ganesha's looking beautiful.Truly The Labour Of Love!!!

COUPONDUNIA

CouponDunia: Shop till you drop

What strikes you when you read the title...

A world of coupons...? Exactly so!!

At the click of a mouse,with the convenience of sitting lazily in your home,you can now shop and that too,what you know at discounted rates!!
Isn't that wonderful news?

COUPONDUNIA is India's largest discount coupon and offer site with more than 700 merchants listed.

You name it and the best brands/online sites for decor items,jewellery,clothes
shoes,movies etc; are listed here.
Zansaar,YeBhi.com,Goibibo,Naaptol,Jabong,Myntra are a few among the countless options available on CouponDunia.

The best feature about CouponDunia is they have all known brands under their umbrella and at the best possible price and its not a seasonal sale but available round the clock through out the year.

They have an option wherein you can subscribe for a specific online store of your liking,so that you are informed about their latest offers and deals through your email.
They also have a section of featured coupons wherein you get to know about latest brands/stores

Some of the sites that caught my attention are

Zansaar:

Zansaar specializes on selling home decors, kitchen accessories, dining accessories, collectibles and many more that will bring style to your home.

Zansaar Coupons:  http://www.coupondunia.in/zansaar

YeBhi.com:

Formerly BigShoeBazaar, YeBhi is your source for fashion of all kinds. They are  the only online direct authorised agents for brands like Woodland, Adidas, Puma, Redtape, Liberty, Bata and more.

YeBhi Coupons:  http://www.coupondunia.in/yebhi


Seventymm:

Seventymm is an online movie rental service. Choose your movie and have it delivered to your door.
They are also into apparels,jewellery,watches...
Seventymm Coupons:  http://www.coupondunia.in/seventymm


Needless to say that I found the deals at CouponDunia for Zanzaar very attractive as the decor items  were available at good discounts.Some of the kids stuff are really interesting and price worthy.

For more info about CouponDunia, check their

Homepage: http://www.coupondunia.in/

FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/CouponDunia

So all Shopaholics see you  soon at CouponDunia.