Seasons Greetings

Paper Snowflakes

It has been a slow December this time. Or let me reword it... Fact is that December is always a slow month, as the onset of winters and grey days seem to dull my creative juices. The lack of sunshine takes a toll every winter. And then, as too many happenings on the personal side spill over this year, it means work-wise things have taken a backseat.

With work crawling through most of this month, I am now staring at a bunch of half-finished things on my table. Unfinished painting collages, just started bottles, and half-done mosaic projects. Definitely not a good place to be in.... especially for any creator. But I was reading through a newly discovered blog of a fellow artist and I realised that all of us go through such cycles. Sometimes we work in a frenzy, and then sometimes nothing quite gets done.

Anyhow, in a bid to move on, I tried making some paper snowflakes yesterday with this super tutorial from instructables.com : http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-6-Pointed-Paper-Snowflakes/?ALLSTEPS. The first one was a bit of a dampener but the second one turned out real neat and pretty.

Suggest you give them a try and add some Christmas cheer to your windows. I will be travelling with family over the Xmas weekend; so here is wishing you all merry times with family, friends, food and of course, Santa! :)

Daffodils and Tulips

The brief said "shades of yellow, ochre and rust" were required along with "some vines". What I thought was a four-sided bottle turned out having eight sides - four slim sides and four broader ones. The expansive neck of the square-ish bottle only made things more difficult. And to top it all, not only was time at a premium but I also had guests at home. ...Phew!!!

Yes, these were the circumstances in which I started work on this bottle. After agreeing on daffodils and tulips with the client, I tentatively created the flower outlines, one type on each alternate side. As I diligently filled in the appropriate shades according to the brief, things started looking up. The four broad sides were covered; so far, so good. But what next?

I still had no idea about what to do with the upper part, the neck and those slim sides. And how were the vines supposed to be incorporated? Traditional and leafy green vines would have made the bottle look too cluttered. So one morning, very hesitantly, I started making vine-like designs using the colours of the outlines - yellow and black. At least they would fit in well with the colour scheme. But I wasn't sure if my unusual take on the vines would go down well with the client....

....Till that lovely Saturday morning when I actually met her to hand over the commissioned bottle. It was with a mix of relief and satisfaction that I saw her joyously accept what I handed her. And yes, as she very succinctly put it, my vines added a "vintage look" to the cherished bottle.

Believe me, there is no greater happiness than to see the look of wonderment when you hand over a finished bottle to an appreciative client. Thanks, dearest J, for giving me this opportunity!

Catch Up Time

In all my happiness at having a successful show in my first ever outing this Diwali, I totally forgot to update the blog..... Ouch!!!!! Guess it is time to confess that in trying to be a one-person army, I find my hands a bit too full at times. And while I do get to post fairly regularly on the Facebook page (thanks to my smartphone), the poor blog gets a miss. To top it all, the busy festival season didn't help the cause either. Ah! well, now that you know where I come from, let me share the happy bits with you.

The Creative Rumblings stall got a very good response at the Ardee City Diwali Mela in Gurgaon. Not only was our work greatly appreciated, but each and every visitor told us how much they valued our creative thinking and our efforts at recycling/repurposing. Quite a few of our products got a new home, and I came back feeling elated. Yes, the hubby (who accompanied me to help out) and I came back happy and tired, but most of all, it was such a humbling experience to receive so much love!! Sharing here a few of our moments from that eventful evening.

A look at the Creative Rumblings stall

 

Close-up of the hand-made goodies on sale

 

The view of the mela from the other side

In the meanwhile, I am back to doing what I do best, and have a couple of half-finished bottles on my table already. Here's a peep at one of them.

Also, there are a thousand plans in my head after getting such a fabulous response upfront. As the remaining year pans out, let's see how many get translated to reality. Wish me luck, dear readers!
 

Diwali Countdown: Rangoli Diya Trays

Diwali is the one festival when we like going traditional. And  putting up pretty rangolis at distinct places around the house is such an integral part of this festival. But wait! Time is always at a premium during festivals, and rangolis require not only time but loads of patience too.... now what?!?

Well, we have the perfect solution to your rangoli decorating woes. Just check out these beautiful, hand-crafted rangoli diya trays. In one go, they will add a dash of bling to your décor, and infuse the traditional quotient too. Display them with some marigold and rose petals strewn around, and see the magic that they create around your home.

So let your home sparkle and shine this Diwali, with these hand-crafted rangoli diya trays. To pick one or more of these, write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com. Or even better, catch me at the Ardee City Diwali Mela in sector 52, Gurgaon today as I have lots of pretty designs available. Happy decorating!

Diwali Countdown: Bottle Lamps

This Diwali, go hand-made! Light up a special corner of your home with these hand-painted lamps that are sure to be the conversation starters at your next gathering.

After the festival, you can always convert these lamps into vases, to display fresh or dried floral arrangements. Or even those paper flowers that the kids learnt at school!

Want one of these? Write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com or catch me at the Ardee City Diwali Mela in Gurgaon on the 19th of this month. Happy lighting up!

Diwali Countdown: Bottlemania

With the festival of lights just a week away now, can this blog afford to be in snooze mode any longer? ....Well, I am back and promise to share with you some easy-breezy décor ideas over this week. So that by the time Deepawali dawns, you and your abode are more than ready to welcome all - your family, friends and the goddess of wealth!

To start with, I have a bunch of bottles ready in a festive combo of pink, white and silver. While one has been inspired by traditional henna motifs, the other two are more modern in their design. Display these singly or as a group, they are sure to add a touch of classy appeal to your festive décor setting.

Want one or all of these? Write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com or catch me at the Ardee City Diwali Mela in Gurgaon on the 19th of this month. And yes, keep your eyes open for more decorative items and décor ideas on this page all through this week. Happy decorating! :)