S(teal) the Show!

As the old year rolls its mat to make place for the new year I too needed to make place for my "new finds" from the recent trip. The store-room shelves had to be scanned for articles that could be discarded but believe me, for someone bitten by the "makeover bug" it is not an easy task! 

The first such finding was a remake of a B-Prabha painting, done in water colour by me, that I had actually seen on a greeting card from CRY. It was an exact replica of the original and hence I was kind of proud of it yet it was still to find a place on the walls already occupied by works of painters of repute.

Next was a terracotta jug that I had spotted in an handicraft exhibition by an NGO. Discarding it somehow felt like disrespecting the hard work and talent of the underprivileged but in its current form somehow it did not fit in anywhere.

The Kathakali wooden mask, picked up on my kerala trip, had memories wrapped around it and hence was still lying around but never put up anywhere, probably because it was too bland for the surroundings.

With just few hours to go to the "31st Party" I hardly had anytime so here is a quick-fix done. I gave the terracota jug a quick coat of a neither-bright-nor-dull shade of teal, primarily because it had to match the painting which used similar teal shade as backdrop. I can always work on it further but as of now I decided to keep it simple. 

The kathakali mask was given the same blue and green shade that was there in the painting so that together the three things formed a homogenous cluster.

The before and after of the makeover of the jug and the mask is for you to see. 

Its wonderful to see how a dash of colour can bring in so much life into lifeless things. I guess the "nasha" of makeover is primarily for this joy derived out of transforming non-descript things. So I had two perfect accompaniments for my painting. The only challenge now was to find a place for the three things.

Though I firmly believe that books need no adornment yet I somehow felt they could add a little charm to a small book-shelf lying against one of the columns in the lobby. Few orange flowers in the teal jug just completed the whole look. 

As the setting sun paints some orange hues on the column, I manage to capture it in my cell-phone camera for you to see. What do you think about it?

Here is a longer shot but few rows of the books could not be captured in the frame still!

As I complete this blog I can't help repeating to myself what Virginia Postrel said,

By reshaping or decorating our outer selves, we express our inner sense of self. "I like that" becomes "I'm like that"....!

Meanwhile don't you agree the Teal jug actually steals the show! :)

©Fursatnama 

Please don't forget to give your feedback through your comments below this blog. It will help me in many ways. If you like my posts do share and follow.

Do KNIT Disturb!

"There was a time before I felt I was a blogger, when I was a yarn spinner and I just wanted to tell a story until it was over."

The colourful picture that you see is not a pile of yarn, it's a pile of potential. Having spotted the potential of a good story in them, I am going to weave today's blog or rather knit it up, around these very yarns of wool! 

Think wool, think knitting and the first person that comes to my mind is someone who has spotted this "potential" in the piles of yarn early on, and hence doesn't wait for a particular season to knit. She has no motive or agenda for knitting - it's a selfless act. She has no one in particular for who she begins her next piece of knitting - in all probability it will end up as a gift to some random lucky kid. She knits because it is very conducive to her thoughts. And when she puts down the needles, she writes for a while or works in her garden then takes up her knitting again.

For the first time, I am going to feature "someone" on Fursatnama, and to say I am really excited about it (does that mask my nervousness), is an understatement for sure! 

To feature someone I agree that my first duty should be to write a gripping yarn. 

Conveying a credible persona who make you feel what they feel, comes second. 

But all these rules are kept aside when I present to you 

Ms. Aruna Khot, 

a courageous lady,

a huge source of inspiration for anyone and everyone she comes in contact with. 

Being highly creative is just an inconsequential bit about her but then that is the reason 

she is here on this page today!

Here is her brief story, in her own words.

Her story confirms what Elizabeth Zimmermann claimed - "Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either." Sharing with you a miniscule glimpse of her enormous amount of knitting!

In the rhythm of the needles there is a music for the soul.

"Once you start something don't stop until you complete it. Don't let excuses, problems, hardwork or anything stop you from completing it." ~ Sonya Parker

Sometimes the most beautiful things are in front of our eyes, and we don't even notice because we're either too busy or too afraid to take a closer look." ~ Katja Michael

"Knitters just can't watch TV without doing something else. Knitters just can't wait in line, knitters just cant sit waiting at the doctor's office, Knitters need knitting to add a layer of interest in others less constructive ways."

"There is practically no activity that cannot be enhanced or replaced by knitting, if you really want to  get obsessive about it." ~Meditation for Women Who Knit Too Much 

Aah....can anything be more adorable than this pair of booties!

Give a child the right shoes and he can conquer the world!

When choosing a pattern, look for ones that have words such as "simple", "basic", and "easy". If you see the words "intriguing", "challenging", or "intricate", look elsewhere. The warmth woven in here may melt away, amidst the complication!

"I make a habit of setting aside some time each evening to take out my knitting and work quietly on it, happily relaxing. I believe that it prepares me for sleep and washes away the cares of my day."

Hope it has been an inspiring treat to witness the spirit of  Arunaji, woven with the colourful knitting yarns! To me she is a Hero, because she is someone who is selfless, and generous in spirit, who just tries to spread as much positivity as possible. 

For those of us who have never indulged in this creative pursuit, remember, 

"....everyone has to knit when they're here....but not every person has to use yarn!" 

©Fursatnama 

Please don't forget to give your feedback through your comments below this blog. It will help me in many ways. If you like my posts do share and follow.

Bowl of Colours

"The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most."

~ John Ruskin

Today I noticed these clay pots in the Pooja room - the one I had used for growing Jau (जौ ) during Navraatra. But for the religious sentiments, they seemed to be of no use to me. They are not deep enough to grow plants. Also they seem to have a balancing issue hence they tend to topple to one side. Their lack of aesthetic value only reduced the possibility of recycling them, further!

An evening with no other engagements seemed perfect to indulge in colours. Here goes John Ruskin on the clay pots then!

Since the clay pots did not have much use I decided to paint them "bottoms up" which would even tackle the balancing issue. I cleaned the surface with a wet cloth and started off by making random geometric patterns on the back side. Next I picked up three bright shades of Blue, Yellow and Orange, and the result is there for you to see [Figure 1].

Figure 1

The second pot I kept the Orange (for the sake of continuity, in case I place them together) and added Pink and Green as the other two shades. [Figure 2].

Figure 2

I outlined each pattern as the final finishing touch and ended up with a vibrant piece of clay [Figure 3], supposedly a bowl, but painted on the back. I loved the final result but I was not very sure where was I going to use them. 

Figure 3

I had several options though. I could use both the pieces in my balcony garden, as wall pieces, amidst a dash of green. The pieces are such fiery bowl of colours that they would just brighten up any place they were put in! Aah that's interesting. Let me try doing just that!

I have this cream and gold wall - the painting from my "Benares" series. An off-white and gold Meera Bai placed amidst two antique boxes, again in cream, brown and gold, together make it all a li'l monotonous. So I decided to place one of the coloured bowls in this setting [Figure 4].

 Figure 4

The photographs do not do full justice but it really lifts up the mood in real! A zoomed in version [Figure 5] might give a better idea.

 Figure 5

A dash of my favourite spider plant in a pot of gold, completes the look!

 "When people show you their true colours don't get mad, paint a beautiful mural of life lessons and keep marching forward."

©Fursatnama 

Please don't forget to give your feedback through your comments below this blog. It will help me in many ways. If you like my posts do share and follow.

The Green Light Project

Today's blog is all about driving away the darkness.

May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.

~ J.R.R. Tolkien

The blog may appear philosophical to you (and probably it actually is) but it essentially is a decor blog, at the core of it for sure. A dash of DIY (Do It Yourself) to help decorate the dark rooms around us - aah did we turn philosophical again!

All I have used is a few empty mason jars (you can use any glass jar or wide-mouthed glass bottles for that matter). Thin metallic utility wire is used to make handles for the jars, so they can be hung up from a hook, or tied together in a cluster, Strings of rice-bulbs are put into them, and lit up. Within minutes you have an all-season, no-cost, zero-maintenance, outdoor-lighting, ready! I have these metallic cages hanging all around in the balconies. I have put potted plants, with the foliage hanging out of it, in some while the others are left bare. Stuffing a portion of the light strings, adds to the charm no end.

I use strings of fairy lights (or any string of light bulbs) as my magic wand to transform places into my personal heaven, literally. I have shared some pictures below to give you a glimpse of how it has been used outdoors, in different parts of our balconies, amidst the greens. The "Inside-story" shall be shared some other time.

Believe me, this place feels no less than heaven in the nights, when you are cushioned-up in your cozy chair, sipping your favourite adrak waali chai, as the gentle sea-breeze caresses you, while Kishore Kumar in his most sentimental mood, croons right in your ears, via the bluetooth speakers!

**The pictures are accompanied with some of my favourite light quotes on a (not so) lighter note! :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm a firm believer that lighting affects mood,

and twinkly lights on strings bring something magical to every ocassion,

though I'm fond of using them as year-round home decor.

~Erin Morgenstern

"To me, lighting really sets the mood for a room. 

A 40 watt bulb in a cheap lamp is the same as a 40 watt bulb in an expensive one."

~Edward Walker

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There's a reason why they're sometimes called fairy lights. 

When the night is right, there aren't any strings at all." 

~ Erin Morgenstern

In Light there is Dark, and in Dark there is Light.

~ Kami Garcia

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I played around with the flowers and the lighting, 

so that was a good way to educate myself. 

~ Robert Mapplethorpe

Give light and the darkness will disappear of itself.

~Desiderius Erasmus

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To shine your brightest light is to be who you really are.

~Roy T. Bennette

We are indeed the light of the world - but only if our switch is turned on.

~Anon

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We've all got both light and dark inside us. 

What matters is the part we choose to act on. 

That's who we reall are. 

~ J.K. Rowling

In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.

 ~Francis Bacon

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are darkness in life and there are lights, 

and you are one of the lights, 

the light of all lights. 

~ Bram Stoker

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. 

~ Martin Luther King Jr.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it. ~ Terry Pratchett

It's hard to be a bright light in a dim world. 

~Gary Starta

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't wait for someone to Green-Light your project. Start now and spread the joy. Edith Wharton says, "There are two ways of spreading light - to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." So spread the light of this blog, eitherways! :) 

©Fursatnama 

Please don't forget to give your feedback through your comments below this blog. It will help me in many ways. If you like my posts do share and follow.

Trunk Full of Memories

Decorating at times is a way of keeping trunk full of memories alive! 

For me an object is something living. So is the box you see in the picture [Figure 1]. This box contains a secret life much more intense than that of certain human beings. Probably!

Figure 1

So what is the story of this box? Those of you who have spent a considerable part of your lives in hostels must be familiar with a Trunk of your own. By the time I went to a hostel, Suitcases had conveniently replaced the mighty metallic Boxes.  So while I was packing my suitcases for my hostel sojourn, my father got very nostalgic, recalling his hostel days. I could see his enthusiasm as he shared anecdotes from his hostel days. The conversation finally ended with the revelation of the big secret - that he still had his Trunk from hostel days, hidden somewhere in the box-room.

Many years later, when I was trying hard to convince my mom, to let my stuff from hostel days be preserved as memorablia, I remembered Dad's hostel box. To my utter disbelief it had been relegated to the store room that majorly comprised of junk, or things left to be turned into junk. It was sad to see its state when I knew how precious it was to Dad, and I strongly felt that this was no way to encapsulate his fond memories, of the days gone by!

Thus began the task of revamping a Trunk!

I started off with a thorough clean up  of the box, inside out. Since the front lock was half gone, I removed the small metallic handle too. Next with the help of sand paper i eased out the rough surface, all over. Wiping it again with a dry cloth, I applied a base-coat of paint to the entire trunk. I really had nothing specific in my mind and as always this makeover was going to be impromptu, impulsive and an impatient one!

I found some painter's tape (sticky tape) and stuck it all around the box, making big geometrical shapes, mostly triangles, as the tape-lines crossed each other. I filled all the shapes with bright red, green brown and black, in no particular order. Wait for the colours to completely dry and you would find neatly drawn out boundaries around the geometrical shapes, in the colour of the base coat. I painted that with dull gold, in varying thickness just to make it little less organized. This is how the front of the trunk looked now [Figure 2].

 Figure 2

 Repeating the same on all sides, the complete look was a sight for sure! [Figure 3].

Figure 3

As you can see, there were no restrictions on the dimensions. The impulsive stroke of brush dusted with gold only making it a little shabby but believe me, no one has ever noticed it yet.  

I am highlighting it through zoomed images for you, so that you don't lose heart when you come across it. [Figure 4]

Figure 4

Finally it was time to give it a place of importance, back in the main house. So three brass Buddha statues were arranged in a tray and placed on top.  To create some more serenity for buddha a plant with thick green foliage is placed right behind him. A lamp to provide the illumination for the metal to reflect and spread the "light." [Figure 5]

Figure 5

I hung a vintage brass bell from the ceiling to complete the look [Figure 6] and on days when a little more drama needs to be created, a string of rice bulbs does it with perfection [Figure 7]!

                Figure 6                                   

                                       

    Figure 7

Oh yes, do I need to tell you how Dad feels when he sees the Trunk full of memories being the cynosure of everyone's eye! 

©Fursatnama 


PS: Please don't forget to give your feedback through your comments. It will help me in many ways. If you like it do share and follow. :)

Magic Wand Called Decoupage

"Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life."

A simple quote that I keep interpreting in a thousand ways while adhering to it each day. On most of the days putting some life in supposedly lifeless things is the surest way to "make a life" to me!

So here is a saga of another such attempt, like in my previous blog, to reincarnate the typical boring plastic planters and make them come alive.

I took three of these small sized planters, which had come with some plants from the nursery [Figure 1]. Since the plants were already repotted into bigger and better things, these were simply waiting to be discarded, till their destiny took a sudden twist!

 Figure 1

I decided to try my hands at Decoupage this time. For those of you who do not know, it is essentially sticking pieces of paper or cloth on the object and layering it with several coats of glue.

I looked around for some bright options and found this perfect piece of clothing - a bed sheet lying unused since ages! It had distinct flowers in pink and light blue, and I started off by cutting out these flowers neatly, from the sheet [Figure 2]. 

 Figure 2

The "makeover" task began by giving a base colour to the pots. I painted them white so that the original pretty colour of the flowers is not sabotaged. But then the persistent need to "add colour to life" took over and I gave a bright yellow base coat to the third planter.

The next step was to stick these cutout pieces of cloth (the flowers here), overlapping cleverly, over the planters, layering each piece with glue. I took one portion of Fevicol and mixed an equal amount of water to it and mixed it well. This is the desi version of Mod Podge which is otherwise used for decoupage, in few countries around the world. Mod Podge is now available in India too but you actually can achieve the same through our desi variant. Remember to let each layer dry out before applying the second coat of glue. A final coat of sealant, in form of lacquer or varnish, gives it the sheen that you see in the picture [Figure 3], and the protection that you will see in the years to come.

 Figure 3

Honestly, the end result had me really happy. They had already acquired so much life in them. But I had started off with the goal of seeing them "full of life" so you can guess what the next step had to be - yes growing plants in them! 

I had this beautiful collection of cactuses (cacti to the Latin lovers) which had flowers going perfectly well with the colours I had chosen for the planters. So I had no hesitation in pairing them together [ Figure 4]. You can see for yourself how beautiful they looked together [Figure 5]!

 Figure 4

  Figure 5

Aah, I was spoilt for choices, to set these beauties in! The about-to-be-discarded planters had turned into objects of Cinderella's fairy tale, in less than an hour, and the beauty of it being - they wouldn't be turning into pumpkins at the stroke of midnight! For now, they find their place under a painting of women folks from the same desert land where these cacti hail from!  And boy, aren't they at home - blooming away to glory! [Figure 6]

 

Figure 6

©Fursatnama 

PS: Please don't forget to give your feedback through your comments below. It will help me in many ways. If you like the post, do share and follow the blog.   :)

KindergarDen

I was home for few days and it being against my nature to just laze around, I decided to go back to indulging in what i find most exhilarating - revamping, an area, a corner of the house, a plant or just a pot!

Being an internet savvy person, it made sense to look for some ideas on the net. Predictably, i ended up on Pinterest, which has no dearth of inspiration. What caught my eye was this colourful picture [Figure 1] saved from boredart.com :

 Figure1

Being an avid fan of container gardening and a lover of terracotta, did not let me look any further. I knew what I had to do in my fursat ke do pal! So here is a detailed version of what followed next.

I had a stack of old, unused, terracotta pots lying in the store, collected on different pretexts - mostly religious ceremonies. I chose five of them, ensuring variation in shape and size. This is how they looked before I got on job. [Figure 2]

Figure 2

I decided to go for some bright colours- yellow and orange (aah you know how we Indians have this fondness for tadak-bhadak!) but purposely avoided green and red as it would then become very stereotypical! I chose the 2 shades of blue instead and stuck to brown for the fifth pot. I used fabric paint. Before painting, it helps to soak the pots in a water else it dries up the paint the moment it is applied upon. Once done, the pots had had a "makeover" in the truest sense! [Figure 3]

Figure 3

These pots were ready to enhance the beauty of any surrounding they were put in. They could be used on your study table to hold your pens and stationary items, on your dresser to stack your brushes and lotions or on the kitchen shelves as spoon n ladle holders! But my passion being making pots and growing plants in them, this is exactly what I did next. I planted them, ensuring different foliage and colour of plants for the five pots, and let them soak in a little sun till they found their roots in the new place. [Figure 4]

Figure 4

The plants were essentially low-maintenance ones which needed just a hint of sunlight to put their chlorophyll to use. So I could now move them to anywhere in the house and add some colour to the surroundings. I had this perfect place for them in my mind - a teakwood console table lying in the corner of a room, by the window! It being brownish red only made matters worse for me. Its solid presence always reminded me of that strict headmaster sitting in a corner of the hall, who had nothing interesting about him but his presence alone was enough to restrict others from smiling. So it was time to cheer "him" up! I tried putting just two of the "students" to this arduous task first. [Figure 5]

Figure 5

They did manage to bring some colour to "his" expressionless state but I realised it made them a little nervous. So to empower them enough I decided to let the whole "class" pounce upon "him" and the result is for you to see! [Figure 6].

Figure 6

Needless to say, it is one of the happiest corners of my home now. The mundane "school" is now a bubbly and cheerful kindergarten or rather I should say kindergarDen! :)

©Fursatnama 


PS: Please don't forget to give your feedback through your comments. It will help me in many ways. If you like it do share and follow. :)