Into a New Year

Into a new dawn

brimming with hopes and aspirations

dreams and fancies

I drift along

with friends and family

expecting your company,

with words of wisdom

words of advice

words of inspiration

just words

that delight me,

forever and ever and ever...

Wishing all my friends a Happy and Prosperous New Year

with Health, Wealth and Happiness...

ps:the poem is in the shape of a vilakku (traditional lamp) if you notice... :)

*ps:A huge Thanks to Sonal Barjatya, Shirley Ng Benitez, SoulBrush and Patricia Torres for their Guest Posts and to everyone who visited and encouraged my lil endeavour:) 

Loads of Love

Colouring The Decor With Patricia

If there is someone who did fabulous décor it is Patricia, for me! Patty is a friend who could lend you a great support in bloggyland. I love her designs and décor ideas. Her home in Dubai is like a canvas where creates and recreates magic time and again. Her daughters are blessed to acquire a mom like her coz she conjures their parties with ingenious ideas and fancies. She is indeed a Blessed Lady.

I am truly glad to present before you, Patricia Torres from Colours Dekor….

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

~ Calvin Coolidge

As a kid, I loved Christmas, it meant we were off school and Santa would come our way with loads of gifts. It was a time with family and friends, plum cakes and carols, parties and music..... *sigh*

Today, I believe... that we do not have to wait for Christmas to give!! Whoever said... Christmas was the season of giving... wasn't aware that you didn't need a season to give... *smiles*

What I love about this season is how our home transform into something so beautiful and precious... How we plan to be with family and friends and people that truly matter in our lives.. How we pause for  a moment to say 'thank you' to all those who touched us in different ways.. .

I believe in Santa Clause... Do you??

I love the time leading to Christmas, the planning, the preparing... *smiles*... The talk about gifts... meeting for coffee with friends, prior to going on a shopping spree... Saying that, this year, I've only purchased stuff thats on sale... which means.. I pay the difference between the original price and the sale price to charity... Its my little way of giving...

Every year, we plan and do some DIYs... The girlies like doing things... and we try and personalise our home... We make things out of paper... make pretty cards for all our loved ones... write personalised messages...





This year, I was running out of time.. so we only made the 'hanging decoration'

Hope you've enjoyed the little... 'me & Christmas' post... with me... Thank you Deepa... for hosting this and making Christmas Merry....

Brush Strokes From The Soul

The name SoulBrush(Jocelyn Rossiter) is what caught my eyes first. She is one of my oldest blogger friends in this bloggyland and one of my favourite; for her free spirit and will-do attitude. I feel the word “impossible” is ne’er to be found in her dictionary. She’s agile and would accept the challenges of art and life alike.

Soul’s art does touch my soul…it’s creative, innovative, fun and colourful. She always amazes me with her endearing spirit create more and more.

Soul is a teacher, a loving grandmom and an avid artist from London. Her art is soul personified! I would settle for nothing less!

Presenting Soulbrush…

'Tis the season to be jolly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la'.

We hear this every year,sung to us in all shops, by carol singers and in churches all round the World. And we throw ourselves into the Christmas spirit with joy, enthusiasm and lots of overspending.

My message for this year is‘

Mindfulness

I would like us to pause and think of those less fortunate than us.

 The old and lonely. We are all going to be old one day and maybe lonely too….Think abou tthese people now and tomorrow and next year too. Why don't you see if you can 'rent a Granny for the day' - someone sitting all alone in an Old Aged Home, with only her memories to keep her warm. Take her home and allow her to share in your festivities.

The ill and dying. Although we cannot always take them home with us- let's spare a prayer and a hope for each and every one of them this year, as they probably won't see another Christmas on this earth. May their Christmasses be filled with everything they desire (not materialistically!)

The homeless. When I see someone sitting on the side of the road with despair in their eyes and all hope gone, I often think...'this could so easily have been me', and I always spare a few coins for them, or some food. May be they would enjoy some of the leftovers from our opulently lavish Christmas dinners.

Abandoned pets. I get so angry when I see or find out about pets that are just 'thrown away' at this time of the year, either because people going off on holiday to 'find some sunshine' and the boarding kennels are closed, or they just get 'tired' of caring for a pet. Please remember- 'A pet is not just for Christmas, a pet is forever'. Maybe you could give your child one of these abandoned pets as a gift this year (but don't expect your child to care for the pet- you have to commit to it personally).

The lonely and alone. You don't have to be over 60, or poor, to be lonely, you can feel lonely at 16. Many many people will be spending the festive season on their own, without companionship or a loving family, and if you know anyone in this situation, then please invite him/her/them over for a meal.

Let's find our humanitarianism this year. Let's dig deep in our own pockets after what was an extremely difficult year for everyone economically, and give, give, give.

In my family- we adults-husband, sons and me, don't exchange presents- we give a donation to each other's charity of choice.

Because in a week's time, a lot of people won't even remember what you got or even who gave it to you!

I wish you all a blessed and heartfelt Festive Season filled with 'mindfulness' and joy.

Love and happy festive season to you dear Deepa,

Joss xx

(soulbrush: www.soulbrush.blogspot.com

 etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/soulbrushart)

Thank you very Soul for this fabulous post. You have always been a loving and generous Soul.

Soul is having a Sale in her Etsy shop till the end of December, Do feel free to drop in Friends.

Soul, Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas - Shirley's Illustrations

I stumbled upon Shirley’s blog, Shirley Ng Benitez Illustrations, and was utterly surprised to find the joy, innocence, fun, humour, emotion, sensitivity, feeling, intimacy and above all the love for nature – all in every illustration! I must say her illos are lovable and charming spreading warmth and delight. I am happy to have found her blog and wish her that even more heart-warming illustrations are born out of her pen/hand J

I am sure you would not leave her space without a J!!!

Shirley is a designer/lettering artist and an illustrator. She owns and operates Gabby and Co. She started the firm in 1998 and has worked in the design field for over 20 years. She has lettered cards for American Greetings Inc., has designed for major design firms and toy companies. Her work includes Web Design and Graphics, Application Graphics, book Production, technical and medical collateral and illustration for the children’s market.

Phew! That’s SOMETHING, isn’t it!!!!!!!!

Whenever I see her illos I get an Xmassy feel. You will certainly know why…

Presenting Shirley…

The spirit of Christmas...

...is celebrating nature's splendour.

...is wishing peace to all.

...is sharing the season with friends and family.

Thank you Deepa!

Merry Christmas, Shirley and my dear Friends!!!

Christmas Carnival - Sonal Barjatya's Textile Magic

An Interview With Sonal Barjatya

Sonal Barjatya is synonymous with Studio Saubhagya, her dream project on the way to realization. It is an effort to bring specialized design, creatively handcrafted with various embellishments in an array using her academic knowledge she gained from Textile designing at NIFT and intermingling it with her sheer ingenious talent.

I found the concept of Textile jewellery really interesting. The jewellery that  she makes is truly exquisite and amazing. I feel any girl/woman would love to wear such fabulous pieces. What caught my eye is her attention to detail and most importantly, the ‘Indianness’. Quoting her motto “One of a kind” is definitely accurate for her products. The variety she provides in her products is also interesting.

1. Could you brief us about yourself and your area of interest/work/art?

As a child I always had an inclination for painting, sketching and trying out new crafts. Things made by hand had a special place in my heart. My passion for all this fetched me a Gold medal in Bachelors Degree in Textile Craft and Garment Production. Further to make my passion into a profession, I took admission at NIFT Delhi and finished my Textile Design and Development course bagging Best Academics Award. Since then I have been working on textiles in various forms. Designed sarees for Nalli Silks, worked on Home Furnishings for various Export Houses and now, designing Textile Jewellery and other knick knacks.

  pink and turquoise blue set

2. Who would you say is your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from all those women who are self - made. Who have move forward in their lives against all the odds and never looked back. No matter what background they come from and how big is their name.

pendants

3. What made you to choose this particular art form?

After Shifting to Dubai, I didn’t find a suitable  Design job and at the same time, this Dancing Bird Jewellery Design competition from Abharan Jewellery LLC  was announced. I never knew anything about Gold n Diamond Jewellery but then gave it a try and stood first runner up there. It was then I got my clue. With my expertise in Surface ornamentation I decided to try out some textile jewellery and Viola! It worked....



Jhumka

4. What inspires your designs?

As of now, I am highly inspired by the folklores of Rajasthan and Gujarat. I love the bright colours used in their art and crafts. My designs are an amalgamation of traditions and new age. I am trying to use age old techniques of embroidery and thread wrapping in new forms.

pink necklace set

5. Which is your personal favourite – ethnic or contemporary?

I like mix of both. That sets you apart from others!!!



blue embroidered eardrops

6. How long does it take to make a jewellery set?

It just depends on how extensive the design is. Each piece is very unique, very exclusive so from concept drawing, frame work, choosing pearls and stones, embroidery n then finishing... it all sometimes takes up more than 10 hrs!!!

yellow crochet set

7. For your potential customers, what is the price range that you offer?

My products are gifts, gifts for 'you' and 'your loved ones' so I try to keep them really affordable. I have things that starts from 25 dhs and some that are more than 200dhs too. You will find things that fit in every pocket :)

journal

8. Besides jewellery making, what are your other interests?

I love painting with water colours.... someday I will start doing it again!!! Travelling and reading revitalise me. And my favourite time pass is playing with my 5 yr old :)

hairclips

9. You are a stay-at-home mom, how do you balance your work and home?

I only work when my son is at school or when he sleeps, trying to finish as much before he is back!!! After he returns I am just like any other mom :) He doesn’t stop me from working but then I love spending time with him too. Isn’t it the advantage of working from Home :)

Keychain

10. How has Dubai helped you to grow as an artist?

I thank God , that I didn’t find any design job after shifting to Dubai because this only led me start making Textile Jewellery and got little recognition . I have met many people, made new friends who come from various parts of the world and cultures, contributing to my work in some or other way.

paisley eardrops

11. What is your future plan? Any idea of opening a store (so that we women can hop into and buy some exquisite handmade jewellery at our heart's will & content)?

Inshallah!!! Some day.... right now my work is at very small scale but in future I would like to expand it. I am also looking forward to it. It would be like Dream come true :)

u.a.e. national day eardrops

12. What would be your golden words for those who are interested in this field?

Don’t stop yourself from trying out new things and don’t worry about people. No work is small work. Making different things is simpler than making things differently so just keep the faith and move forward.

beige set

13. On a lighter note, I am sure that there would be many-a-raised eyebrows reading your surname (I was one among them too, remember?), would you like to explain to them something that would add to their interest?

Yeah!!! After marriage I do belong to the BARJATYA clan, the famous film makers and producers. But I lie way too down in the family tree so it doesn’t make any difference :)

vanity mirrors

One of my personal favourites along with the rest…

Thank you Sonal for this lovely chit chat and for taking your time out of your busy schedule to answer all my queries. I hope and pray that all your dreams do get to the goal achieving all that your heart desires along the way.

Wishing you A Merry Christmas and a Very Happy 2012!

Hope you enjoyed this chat and the superb handcrafted collection. Do visit Sonal's FB page to know more. To get there, Click here.

See tou tomorrow with an interesting Guest post from one of the Charming Illustrators.

Christmas Carnival - Easy Handmade Christmas Cards

Hello Dear Friends
Hues n Shades begins the Christmas Carnival!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, I am going to bring before you some handmade Xmas cards for those who don't think they are arty enough to get into detailed drawings and elaborate process. The cards made here are created with minimum accessories and minimum effort. Try this, create some cards and send it your loved ones. My daughter, Lil A (now she's 8 yrs old though) has been my Great Assistant here.

Please do not forget to leave a comment.

I am displaying seven cards with instructions.
(click on the picture to enlarge)

Few images of Santa, Pattern paper etc are taken/printed from google.

Hope you all have enjoyed this card making session. Please do leave a comment and share your views.

Tomorrow you are going to Meet An Artist from Dubai who could create wonders with fabrics...Do not forget to turn up tomorrow...

Christmas Carnival at Hues n Shades

Mirdif City Centre, Dubai

Dear Friends

Here's the news....

Hues n Shades is about to celebrate the season with some interesting posts with card making and few Guests who have made a mark of their own in their chosen field of arts. They are all unique, talented and extremely inspiring personalities. Art has no borders, no age, no division...It's for anyone who has an eye for it and can enjoy it. I am sure you would love to meet them.

The festivity starts tomorrow with Easy Handmade Christmas Cards. Guest posts will make their appearance from 24th onwards and will run through until 26th of Dec. Each day you will encounter something new and exciting. Perhaps it could even leave you all inspired(it certainly has inspired me!)...So stay tuned :)

See you tomorrow

Flying High (Acrylic Painting) And A Christmas News

Flying High, Acrylics

I wish to take a giant leap

Forging forth with all my tiny might

Extending my vision and sight

I hope not to seep!!!

Christmas is around the corner and Hues n Shades is brewing up things which the readers would like. It's in for some Special Guests...special people who have inspired me a lot and who would ofcourse be an inspiration for you all as well. I am super excited and I can't wait for long!!!!

So stay tuned...and do not forget to visit this space the coming week :)

Shri Ganesh - Hues n Shades Page

 Shri Ganesh

I was actually waiting to complete my Ganeshas to introduce my readers to my Facebook page. I wanted to begin it with the blessings of Ganesha, the Lord to tackle and overcome all obstacles.

It's also my page where I will be posting all my artworks which are up for sale. It's through the usual snail mail method. The artworks will be done based on orders and it will take 30 to 45 days excluding the period of despatch and delivery depending on the work involved. 45 days are usually for murals on canvas.

Even if you have no plans yet to buy my art, you could always engage in some 'window' shopping, glimpse through some artworks  or some artistic adventures:) Or you could support my art. So friends, here's your opportunity to do the same...hop over here and get coloured through hues n shades :)

I would request all my friends to please visit my FB page and support me (ahem...shamelessly requesting!!!) by clicking on 'LIKE' which in short means LIKE MY PAGE pls. The link is given below.

https://www.facebook.com/Hues.n.Shades

Books and Authors - Sharjah International Boookfair

Sharjah International Book Fair – Final Part

On both the earlier days I couldn’t ‘see’ books and bookstalls…I could meet only the authors. So on Friday(25-11-2011), we made it to the bookstalls, drifted around devouring the titles and pictures of the various books and wishing to own this ocean of mesmerizing Other World of letters. I bought some for my litlun but couldn’t get one for me…the place was thronging with feet and voices.

My husband who is very much interested in Malayalam Lit noticed that some big shots were to adorn the Dome that day. So we purchased their book and rushed to find a place for ourselves. As few minutes passed, there was absolutely no place even to stand except near the dias.

Mr. Mukundan (a leading Malayalam novelist) along with Mr.Benyamin (a young Expat/NRI novelist from Bahrain), Mr.Ramanunni (A Banker/Novelist) with Shajahan Madampat, a critic, commentator and writer graced the dias. Each one of them addressed the audience and spoke of their latest work. I feel each one would be a Best Seller from what I heard. There was also the launch of Delhi Gathagal (Delhi Tales) of Mr. Mukundan.

Mr.Ramanunni spoke eloquently and interestingly regarding his book, Jeevithathinde Pusthakam (Book of Life), with catchy words and phrases, asking for our attention and not letting us divert even for a second. Benyamin, the young and the dynamic, an NRI himself threw some insight into the world of NRIs which was so common in this part of the world. He mentioned few instance from his latest book, Manhaveyil Maranangal (Yellow Shadows of Death) Both these books I feel is pretty interesting. While the former was out of stock when I asked for it, I got hold of the latter.

The Question-Answer session with Mr.Mukundan was a good one. I understood how down-to-earth the great writer is. His simple style when he spoke, spoke volumes about his personality. He has spent several years in Delhi and that’s where the book Delhi Gathakal originated as the name reveals.

A young poetess was also introduced after the crowded dispersed for the book signing so I couldn’t get the name of her work. She is Heba, an eighth grade student. I couldn’t get any other details but managed to get a click though. A Budding Poetess! Best of Luck HebaJ

My daughter, Lil A and Heba

I am waiting for next year to be swarmed by more books and authorsJ

Ps: Thank you for adding my story in your site…and Letting me know about it RupertJ

Finally, Thanks to Mr. Suresh Kavassery for submitting my work to the OICC (Overseas Indian Cultural Congress) and Thanks to the OICC team for selecting and publishing my work in their magazine.

My poem 'Waiting for Twilight' published in

Overseas Indian Cultural Congress(OICC)

Have a Wonderful Day, My dear friends...

See you soon.