MiSh-mAsh

Mysterious paper sculptures - Central Station Blog post

2011-11-26T17:38:00.000+05:30

Mysterious paper sculptures - Central Station Blog post

Last Week

2011-11-25T19:07:00.001+05:30

Hopped across to Mumbai for a wedding.

They Draw and Cook

2011-11-23T07:43:00.001+05:30

I'm guessing you're a foodie, in which case this book is a must have, makes a wonderful gift for anyone who likes to draw or cook or both as the case may be.

I got my copy and I can't stop turning the pages. Its page after page of delightfully illustrated recipes.

Get your copy here and like me if you are in India there's always Flipcart.
My next project is to contribute an illustrated recipe to They Draw and Cook, you can do the same.

More Kusudama

2011-06-17T09:22:00.009+05:30

I'm hooked on origami and the kusudama in particular. These beauties above only require six modules to create them.

The pink kusudama needs six modules and the bigger black and blue one needs thirty.

I'm going to attempt the Firecracker next.

I think I'm ready to take commissions to create window displays, decorate party spaces and small weddings!

Aanaimariamman Temple

2011-05-10T21:36:00.008+05:30

Brightly painted temple dedicated to Aanaimariamman somewhere in the middle of the Mudumalai forest.
This is not normal I believe but hey its a temple where the tribals come to worship once a year.
The jungle tracks leading to the temple were strewn with liquor and beer bottles. Pretty wild temple festival but not very eco friendly.
Click on the image above and check out the painting on the back of the shrine. Elephants coming to drink at a river with mountains in the background and dense forest on one side. Someone got a chance to express themselves. Cool I say!
The Nilgiri mountain range in the background.

Bangles

2011-05-06T16:11:00.009+05:30

Shiny metal bangles in every hue to match any ensemble in your wardrobe.
Jewel encrusted bangles. Some for as much as Rs.950!
Dressing up was never so much fun.
Patterned and plain.
A steal at Rs.30/dozen, a girl can never have enough.

Kusudama

2011-04-28T07:00:00.001+05:30

Kusudama
Two birds with one stone -reuse,reduce, recycle and hone origami skills all with a stack of flyers and you end up with two kusudama. Priceless.

Blue Mountains turn Violet

2011-04-14T18:28:00.006+05:30

Pocket Quilt With 26-Pocket Tutorials @Craftzine.com blog

2011-01-03T22:05:00.002+05:30

Pocket Quilt With 26-Pocket Tutorials @Craftzine.com blog

Cozy Wall Street Bull sends warmest wishes

2010-12-28T10:12:00.003+05:30

Cozy Wall Street Bull sends warmest wishes

Paying homage to Black.

2010-12-19T08:58:00.012+05:30

Plantation House has turned dramatic paying homage to black

To heighten the drama are stunning charcoal drawings by Priya Sebastian.

My cell phone images don't do this stunning display justice. If you haven't had a chance to visit and view the show you can see more pictures here and here.

Radhamani Akka's Kitchen

2010-12-12T11:19:00.013+05:30

On my latest trip to Kerala I was invited for tea to Rahdhamani Akka's house and I fell in love with her kitchen.

Here's Radhamani in her kitchen. She's wearing a nightie which in most other parts of the world is strictly viewed as nightwear but in Kerala its considered to be loungewear or leisurewear, something to be worn in and around the house and neighbourhood. The crafts women suggested I should consider wearing a nightie and stole on my next visit because my trousers and tops were creating a minor stir if you please!
The movie posters of malayalam film actor Mohan Lal make a brilliant back splash for the section which has the wood buring stove. When the posters get grimy and black with soot they are torn off and replaced with posters of the movie showing in town at that time. Most kitchen have a wood burning stove for daily cooking which is slower and a gas stove for making that quick cup of tea.
Firewood in the loft. Stainless steel utensils, pots and pans. Radhamani Akka keeps a spotless home. Everything has a place.
An assortment of ladles, strainers and spoons.

Muscovy Ducks

2010-11-29T23:15:00.007+05:30

Have you seen such ducks? I hadn't until two weeks back and have since discovered they are Muscovy ducks.

Progress on Found, Stitched and Dyed T-shirt

2010-11-11T12:32:00.005+05:30

Tea is an important part of my life and I've dyed fabric with the dregs of my morning cuppa ever so often so I decided to dye part of the t-shirt with tea.

One sleeve was put into the vessel containing the tea decoction and left to boil for about twenty five minutes.
The results of simply dipping and dyeing.

The overall appearance of the t-shirt now reminds me of the sky so I'm going to call this piece The Firmament.

Icing on the Cake

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2010-10-12T19:18:00.002+05:30

The Reveal

2010-10-05T17:26:00.010+05:30

Remember the experiment of beer caps sprinkled with vinegar and wrapped up in the t-shirt and left to marinate in a plastic bag?

Its been a week and time for the reveal.

A sprinkling of fungus. A bit like stardust I like to think. This was unexpected, a lovely bonus I must say.
The beer caps did rust. So they are made of iron and not aluminium like I feared after the bundle was created and left to marinate.

The results of my first experiments with rust.

The pinkish stain which was the reason the t-shirt was donated for the found, stitched and dyed project has as a result of the rust experiment faded out of sight proving that it wasn't rust after all.

Any ideas of how to fix the fungus spots so they don't fade or disappear when the t-shirt is washed or boiled in the next experiment?

Here's what others are doing.

2010-10-01T06:00:00.003+05:30

Vaastu now determines what colour you should paint your house.

Rust

2010-09-27T22:08:00.006+05:30

Attempting rust dyeing for the first time.

Flattened beer caps, not rusty but I'm hoping the wet t-shirt and vinegar will do the trick.
Wet T-shirt, beer caps and vinegar all rolled up and marinating in a plastic bag for a week.

Pedal Power

2010-09-22T08:27:00.004+05:30

Bike madness

Sun Spots

2010-09-19T10:53:00.006+05:30

The scarves I embroider have the ends tasseled.

The first step in creating tassels is to unravel the weft. The unravelling leaves you with masses of yarn perfect for embroidery.
The sun peeped out from behind the clouds this morning after days and I decided to embroider sun spots with the weft yarn on the stained t-shirt making progress on the found, stitched and dyed project.

2010-09-15T14:13:00.004+05:30

I'm back

2010-09-10T12:53:00.011+05:30

Actually I've been here all along just a terrible case of neglect. So I'm back to infuse fresh blood into MiSh - maSh. The transformation began a couple of days back when I decided 'big pictures' should not be the reason my ardent followers come to pay a visit, so I've made them all regular size and will now start posting pictures again.

I've also chosen to feature my progress in the Found, Stitched and Dyed Project here.

I'm working with this old cotton knit t-shirt which belongs to my husband. It has this intriguing stain on it.
I'm not sure what stained it. Its pinkish in colour. Could it be rust?

Come back in a week to see the changes I have wrought to the t-shirt with stitching and dyeing.

2010-01-11T11:09:00.007+05:30

I love the grainy images a cellphone camera produces when anything is shot in low light.

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Did you spot me?

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