Tuesday 17 August 2010

handmade creativity...

Today I am featuring two very talented young women Kanika Bahl of Anek Designs and Kalyani Ganapathy of Kye.

Kanika Bahl is a textile designer from NID and has recently started her own Etsy Shop called Anek Designs. She designs handcrafted home furnishings and accessories.
Brocade Fabric Gift Envelopes
Colourful Fabric Gift Envelopes
Kantha work mobile pouches
Potli Keyrings
Do drop by at her blog, ...AND ANOTHER or Anek Designs on Etsy.

Kalyani Ganapathy is an illustrator/artist and also the creator of Kye. A venture where she designs home furnishings and accessories.
Kye has just launched their monsoon collection of handcrafted cushion covers called Monsoon Struck
Embrace, screen printed and hand embroidered cushion cover
Siesta, screen printed and hand embroidered cushion cover
Birdie, screen printed and hand embroidered cushion cover.

You can order online by writing to Kalyani of Kye at writetokye@gmail.com.

Thursday 12 August 2010

Hues from Dastakar Nature Bazaar 2010

Craft Bazaars and Melas have a special place in my heart, the colourful ambience with India's rich art & crafts displayed by artisans are a treat to the eyes...

Here are some frames from the colourful Dastakar Nature Bazaar.
Loved the vibrant kites, how magical a room would look with loads of them hanging from the ceiling!

Never tire of these colourful baskets made of wild grass.

Dastakar's Ranthambore Project. The Tiger motifs on bedspreads, cushion covers were so charming:-)
Mirror mirror on the wall, can you spot me at all;-)

Beautifully crafted paper-mache' birds from Orissa

Handmade Dolls

Gorgeous terracotta pots, jars and pans from Kumbham Pottery, Kerala
Intricate Kantha work on silk from West Bengal
Want to hang some pink elephants and blue fish?

Some beautifully crafted baskets and home accessories

The Dastakar Nature Bazaar is on till the 15th August, 2010.

(Images by Arch)

Tuesday 10 August 2010

At the centre...

Every home has a central hub around which the daily activities of the family revolve.

The dining table is where most of our tasks are accomplished but there is another space in our drawing room, the centre table (actually it is an old ancestral swing converted to a low table) where we spend many evenings chatting with family & friends.

It is also a space like a canvas where I keep painting various hues in the form of floating flowers, things from our travels, magazines, books...

Here are some vignettes from the ever changing arrangements on my centre table...
Roses and wooden block from Jaipur, Rajasthan

Frangipanis & Pebbles from Nubra Valley, Ladakh.
Wooden Padukas from Jew Town, Kerala

(images by Arch)

Sunday 1 August 2010

Attiser

Seaside Savvy Quilt
Here I was sitting with a huge mug of ginger chai, nursing a sore throat and fever when I received an email from Seema of Attiser.
Seema shared a mesmerizing collection of hand-block printed linens & bedding with me and I must admit, the colours were so beautiful, it just completely lifted my spirits and I just had to feature their products on Rang Decor.
Sweet Nothings Quilt

Seema specifies that in their collection of handcrafted bedding and linens they have tried to create a unique look by combining handmade Indian block-print with country style decor and adding new contemporary colors to come up with a new, fresh, airy and bright look that can be defined as a fusion look.

They have a range of home decor products~ Bedspreads, Quilts, Table Covers, Curtains, Cushion Covers, Napkins, Placemats and even Moleskine Books

Sage Midori Table Napkins
Southern Nights Table Napkin
Sweet Nothings Table Cover
Amethyst Amore Table Cover
Seaside Savvy Cushion Cover
Amethyst Amore Cushion Covers

Attiser's mission so beautifully worded~

Kindling Passion in Color, Discovering Beauty in Imperfections
Crafting artisan-quality products, to bring unique beauty to our world.
Transforming ordinary homes with extraordinary handmade creations.
Empowering our community through fair and ethical trade.

Wooden block with intricate design
Quilting process

Do visit Attiser and pick up some handcrafted colourful beauties for your home.

(images from Attiser)

Wednesday 28 July 2010

Tranquil, Wayanad.

I was going through some old photographs from a few years ago and was hit by a huge wave of nostalgia.
We had gone to Wayanad, Kerala for a holiday during the monsoons and stayed at a beautiful home-stay called Tranquil nestled in a private coffee plantation. The lush green surroundings with meticulously maintained garden, the hospitality of the family, homemade jams & jellies, the friendly dogs and those chilly evening conversations with amazing company left us feeling completely warm and fuzzy inside.
What I wanted to share with all of you is the fantastic variety of flora & fauna (eeks, sounds too technical;-) and how the indoor and outdoor spaces blend so beautifully into each other.
Raindrops drenching the bright red petals...
There was a gurgling stream inside the plantation!
A treehouse where we spent hours reading...
Peperomia(?) Plant lovers, help me here:-)
Flowers floating in traditional Kerala Urlis and stone mortar & pestle..
Floating cabbage varieties...
Lovely stand with natural garden accessories...
The open dining area surrounded by lush greenery.
Table set for breakfast, with home-made preserves and jams:-)
Plants curling themselves around pillars & pipes...
Magical chimes on display...
Anthoriums and other exotic plants line the outer wall...

Sigh* Hope all of you liked this Monsoon getaway!

Enjoy the rains.

( Images by Arch)