Christmas Crafts!

With 2 days of snowfall , we have now been ensured of a white snowey christmas! yayyy...And while our village is being turned into a winter fairyland :D I for one have been browsing through all the crafty blogs for lovely handmade christmas decor and I fell in love with each and everyone of them! So my top favourite blogs for christmas DIY crafts are:

1) Pink and Green Mama.

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These pine cone elves are the cutest christmas decor i have seen! And on this blog you will find loads of other lovely and easy crafts as well! Simple pure DIY <3


2)Craftzine

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Pretty, Practical and Easy! Ok now where are those bulbs of mine...*searching*!


3) Sweet Tidings

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This somehow soothes me! Amazingly lovely and easy as well! understated yet very chic! I want!

These are just some of the crafts i want to try out or have been trying out ..Sadly my laptop seems to have been hit by the holiday bug as well..doesnt want to recognize my camera at all! :x So while i force / pray/ swear / cry / threaten my laptop into working normally ... feast your eyes on these lovely blogs and have fun!


Disclaimer : All the pictures/images on this post have been accredited to their respective sources to the best of my knowledge. I donot own any of these images . In case of any discrepancies in accreditation please bring it to my knowledge. :)

St.Nikolaus Feast Day!

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It was Saint Nikolaus Feast Day yesterday ...And somebody (probably our Secret Santa) ;) had left a nice bounty of chocolates on our doorstep! That felt amazingly good and warm as well!


Leaving you with this beautiful and easy DIY christmas decor

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Do check out the tutorial here at PaperVine. :)

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Oceanic Love!

Its probably the cold and chill thats speaking, but I am craving for some sun , sand and heat! While a visit to India is 2 months away, I am satisfying myself with some Ocean fun! Since Pinning is now my favorite pass time, I came across this lovely Swedish blog Lilla-a-design and this cute DIY for kids.

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This is such an easy peasy and cute idea!

Since I was spending so much time in the ocean *(well..virtually..sigh!:( ), I also painted this:



Acrylics on Canvas


The turtle turned out ok...but I am not very happy with the background...Well will probably paint over the background..soon enough! :D

Well..back to more Virtual " Surfing "!

DIY Paper weights!

On our last visit to Mummelsee ( a beautiful glacier-age lake in Germany) , I picked up some smooth rounded stones. Since then , they have been dropped on toes, been stepped on, landed on hubby dear's laptop and finally when he threatened to throw them away or at me, I decided to do something useful with them! :D So I thought of making them into lovely paperweights. So with a paintbrush, cans of paints and a varnish...I made these!





Both the Autumn and Winter landscapes on the stones were inspired by our trips around Germany. They make for pretty good souveniers! :D Next time will try something more Indian!


Then I grouped them together on a window sill with this handmade Twine wrapped Jam jar! :D

I was pretty late on the twine DIY wagon...but i finally made some pretty twine wrapped jars for myself! Those are going to be my Christmas decor!

Linking this to Patty's Colours Dekor Weekly Story -59!

Old Legends , New Colors

I have always been fascinated by our Indian legends.Over the years , I have collected a huge treasure of these books..One such legend is from the Ramayana . The Kishkinda Kanda is a beautiful chapter of this great epic. In it you will find a veritable treasure trove of stories...One such is seen in the Sarga 58 when Sampati narrates his story on hearing of his brother Jatayu's death.

Jatayu

"Jatayu-Sampati"
Acrylics on stretched Canvas.

Close up of the border

This painting of mine depicts this very story..of Sampati and Jatayu's younger days.
Both brothers in their younger days used to compete with each other showing their flight prowess. However, one day Jatayu's excitement gets the better of him and he ends up very near to the scorching heat of the Sun. Sampati with all his brotherliness , shields the young Jatayu , thus losing his wings and falling on Mt.Vindhya in the process. Sampati is never able to fly again in his lifetime.
This story of love and sacrifice is what I have tried to bring out in this painting!

Linking this to Patty's Weekly Story-Wk 58!

New Colors!

Have been working on some new paintings, mostly mythologically-themed...some unknown stories/legends from the Great Epic of Ramayana. Although far from complete, I thought of showing you lovely ladies a glimpse. Here it goes:



And just for some more fun..check out this Video from Sita Sings the Blues! Very cute and Funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdFfB7P_YGQ

Chaos Theory

I am not very good at Math. Never was . Never will be. But somehow the Chaos Theory I can relate to. why? you ask...Well ever since i took to bed last week...my house looked like it was plundered by invaders, hit by a tornado etc etc.Utter Chaos. Now am back on my feet and loving our freshly cleaned cozy home! And thus Order prevails. The world is back to spinning happily on its axis.
So I took up my paint brush, canvas and palette and came up with this:

Chaos
Acrylics on Stretched Canvas

Done with a butter knife! oh I know..Art Blasphemy...:D but dont yet have an artists knife...till then..a butter knife it is!

Lace Lined Dreams!

I have always been a fan of the dainty little lace . Probably because my mum used to stitch dresses for me herself using a lot of lace..maybe those memories have propelled my love for lace. But my love for it was limited to just clothing. Until i saw this

image source here

Such clever use of Lace!!!
It looks so unique, different, elegant and yet fun!! I wouldnt mind this in Pink and white as well! ;)


I am now down with the flu! :( And hence no new projects for some time. Keep watching this space for some new paintings sooooooooooooon! *(fingers crossed)

Till then..Enjoy the winters with Good Health!!

Hanging Gardens!!

I am totally in love with Pinterest...Its a site which keeps me engaged and absorbed for many a happy hours! While i was going through some DIY decor stuff..I came across this



...And totally fell in love with the ingenuity and beauty of the whole idea! Its sooo innovative and pretty..Though I dont exactly have a green thumb or patience to clean up the floor that this might make ..I totally adore the idea!!

What a delightful start to the week...:D. So what do you think of the idea? would you make something uniquely wonderful like this for your home to add a touch of green?

Do visit the website to which the image is credited...String Gardens. They have even more unique ideas there!
Have a great week my sweets! :)


Image Source: here and here.

Diwali!

This is one delayed post on Diwali..But forgive me for my tardiness...been quite busy playing the hostess to friends. While its not been the same as being in India..we had our share of fun nonetheless! Lighting tea-lights instead of oil diyas , explaining to neighbors what Diwali is with my almost non-existent German Language skills was all fun too! Here are some glimpses of our Diwali :





The one thing i missed most was a Rangoli...sadly couldnt make one this time! :(




Hope you guys had as much fun during Diwali as well!!! A belated happy Diwali again to all of you!!

Monday Moods!

Hello All ..its Monday again! I had quite a busy week..the no show of posts are an evidence to that.But to make up for it... I am here to brighten your monday with this lovely picture taken at Weinheim!

Dont you just love Autumn! We are enjoying every bit of the colorful interplay that takes place in this season! I am trying to incorporate these colors into our home as well...

Here's a look:




This a closeup of my Table runner...( a lovely saree turned Table runner) !

So hope this brightens up your monday blues!!

Linking this to Patty's Weekly Story !

'Shopo'holic!

I have always followed SHOPO with interest! I love their products and the fact that they are unique and sooo much fun doesnt hurt either! ;) They have a range of products decently priced and in sync with every kind of decor taste!

So my three faves from their HUGE..and i am not kidding here ...Huge range are these:

Teal Brocade Patchwork Cushions from Anek Designs

Patchwork Table Runner again from Anek Designs

Camel Terracotta Lampshade from Poi Doi

Its hard to select only three...but these are my top *(debatable) bt still top 3 faves!


I am also absolutely awed By NVY STUDIO sarees! A Saree from her is definitely on my list ..but a different post on that soon!


This wraps up my post on the Amazing SHOPO!

Linking this post to Patty's Weekly Story 54 and the inspiration Shopo !!!

Weekend Wrap-up!

So i have been missing from the Blogscene for almost a week...what with Diwali just around the corner ..so been busy with all the cleaning, decorating. Planning a menu, decor, etc. has kept me away..plus been upto a whole lot painting too...



My newest pride and joy...

"Bheda"

Acrylics on stretched Canvas.

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More DIY decor to follow..but right now..i am in a tizzy..planning for Diwali!
Have a good weekend !

See you bright and fresh next week!

Mural Monday

Ok..So this isnt exactly a mural..but it is my first attempt at" Kerala Style" Murals. For more on this style of paintings please click here and a post from the lovely blog "Celebrations Decor" on Kerala murals. It is a very detailed post, do check it out here.

Labelled Krsna, Its acrylics on Canvas.

This piece was supposed to be a gift for a friend, but Hubby loved it so much..so this one goes up on his office wall!

View from another angle.

The painting took me about a week. Working on some more right now... Those will be up here soon enough too..Til then!

Have a good week ahead !

Linking this to Patty's Weekly Story -53!

Vacation in Venice-2

And here I am , on a sunny but windy and cold Sunday morning with my wrap-up post of Venice.

When we visited Venice , it was a slightly damp and windy day ! Even as we were touring the different landmarks of the Islands of Venice, much of our views were blocked by the mist and fog, but some how as the day progressed , it lessened and the views became much more clearer. I will shut my yapping for a while and let the photos do the talking!

Gondolas

St. Marks Campanile by night.

St. Marks Square

Venice's famous roadways.

Frescoes

So this wraps up my Venice vacation. Venice has inspired me in a number of ways..A temptress, A Song of beauty and charm, A city of the ancients but a City of modern warmth!
Hope you guys enjoyed the pics as much i enjoyed our vacation .

A Vacation in Venice.

"I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs; A palace and a prison on each hand; I saw from out the wave of her structure's rise As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand: A thousand years their cloudy wings expand Around me, and a dying Glory smiles O'er the far times, when many a subject land Look'd to the winged Lion's marble pines, Where Venice sate in state, throned on her hundred isles."
-Lord Byron, Childe Harold.

Tha quote from Lord Byron says it all! Venice is indeed one of the most beautiful places I have had the opportunity to see. It is a City drenched in colors...Colors of beauty. The richness of the City's architecture will have you drooling over it! So let me warn you beforehand..this is going to be a picture-heavy post.



Can't you just hear the Gondolier's Song mesmerising the entire environment! Look at the burst of colors ...we were spell-bound by the sheer richness of the colors all around us!

A charming road-side cafe...Such lovely cafes dot the Venetian landscape..adding to the colorful swirl of enticement that is Venice!

The Merchants of Venice! selling their lovely wares..Delicate Laces of a variety of hues, Carnival masks of porcelian, stunning water-colors celebrating the beauty of Venice!

Loved the picture of this calm cat enjoying the weather!





Venice is famous for its unique Glasswares (especially the Burano and Murano Islands)...They are showcased all around the City..thus enhancing its elegance....Oh to be back in Venice...Pictures simply dont do enough justice to the beauty of this Old City.

I will leave you to enjoy the allure and charm of this Grand City. One more post on Venice is lined up. Till the next post...Ciao!




Disclaimer: All the images used in this post have been clicked by me. Please donot use without permission/credit. I am willing to share!