Decoupage Workshop With 50 Young

I have always been interested in decoupage art. It is very simple to make, all it requires is patience and innovation. The best part is that we can use almost any thing, tissue paper, greeting cards, fabric, magazine clippings, newspaper, photographs, etc. All you need to do is to cut, paste and then cover with several coats of varnish or lacquer. Some of the decoupage work that I have done in the past……

Lately I attended a decoupage workshop to get into the groove and re-hone my creative skills. 50-young group had organised the decoupage workshop and Sangeeta Pardeshi was our mentor.

All the things that were required for this session on decoupage were neatly assembled on the table. Colorful tissue paper, glue, sponge, sandpaper, Mod fudge, latex white paint and wooden pencil holder.

We started by painting the wooden pencil holder with latex white paint and kept it for drying.

The printed tissue paper was a special kind and it had three layers. We separated the three layers, discarded the plane ones and worked on printed layer only. The border had to be torn off. Tearing the paper is better than cutting, the rough edges of the tissue blends easily with the back ground.

For 3d work that I had work on some time back, a very sharp scissors was used to cut the prints separately, the white edges were painted black before I could use it. Three layers of same print were placed one over the other to give depth by folding the second and third layer. (well that is for advance work)

Coming back, the three layers of tissue paper were separated, and the colorful printed top layer was used for the project.

Working slowly, we applied glue to the white pencil holder (that we had painted earlier)…stuck the tissue paper with the brush and applied glue neatly (inside and outside of tissue) in one direction only over the print. Care must be taken to avoid crease and to iron out the bubble (if any). Left it to dry

To give the gloss, it was covered with few layers of ModPodge, drying each layer before applying the next coat.

Sandpaper is used to smoothen the rough edges and give a good finish.

The decoupage session was of two hours, but time just tick by. There was a lucky draw and I won one more article.

I was excited to share this art with my friends. We met over lunch at friend’s home and then sat down to work on making more things.

It was an enjoyable evening creating designs on drinking glasses.

There are many videos on decoupage available on line. If you seriously want to practise this art, you could watch tutorials on U-tube. One link that clearly explains this art, gives step by step tutorials. Do visit it at http://www.wikihow.com/Decoupage

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100 Happy Days: Day 97 Indian Dolls

Happiness is being immersed in creativity

I was passing through a handicraft store,when this couple caught my attention and took me back to pre-social-media days when all my free time was spent in various handicraft activities including making dolls. Having a creative hobby can liberate us from so many things. I have not made dolls for sometime now, but till today, I have made more than 100 dolls of different culture and costumes. Whenever I make, I am so immersed in the activity that outer world ceases to exist. Right from designing the clothes and jewelry, to getting the expressions closer to reality, the mind is completely occupied around the activity.

Looking at the finished product, there is a sense of achievement. It feels good to stare at your creation of making something from odds and ends. The dolls have life, they talk to you, and they begin to have an identity you can relate to.

Maybe i should make one more soon.

So here I am, with the project of ‘100 Happy Days’I am posting pictures each day here on my blog then sharing the link on my page on FB too. You can enjoy my work either here or on my page at FB at Pushee’s World

Made Ganesha Idol This Year

I still like creating handicraft stuff, really I do. Well that’s what I would do all day if I am not occupied with listening to the music, or flipping through pages of a book or hang around social media or FB, twitter, blogging, movies, food, friends. Can’t help it.   Too many distractions or should I say ‘too many interest’?

Well, last week I was with some friends in Tenerife and my friend suggested I make an idol of Ganesha for her. In India, during Ganpati season, all the stores are full of idols but in places out of India, it is difficult to find unless you visit an art store.

I have silicon mold to begin with, all I needed was the rest of the art materials.

I have an artist friend who also owns a hobby store, so it was not difficult to find the materials required to make the idol. Many years ago I had learnt to make clay by binding fevicol glue with corn flour (which is more eco-friendly) but my friend suggested I use chalk powder.

First step was to mix chalk powder with water and pour it into the mold. Let it set for 30 minutes and then remove it.

The idol was ready and now it has to be kept for drying for at least a week.

The idol has to be scraped and polished using sand paper, to give it a smooth finish, a special attention to be given to the base so that it is able to stand. I stuck the base to a rectangular cardboard and stuck few beans to give it a rough look.

After one week, the idol is coated with base solution (kind of rubber solution) that will prevent it from absorbing too much paint.

I selected white paint for the idol because it gives an ivory look.

A final coat of gold paint to highlight the jewelry on the idol.

It was important to mount it on a stand. I bought empty boxes, stuffed them with newspaper and covered it with gold paper.

And finally a decorative lace on the border did the trick.

Reading - passion transformed.

If I had been able to store all my books that I have bought during many years (and not having lost any, during my migrations and uprooting, that has happened about five times in my life), I would have had a very huge library.. Before the internet occupied my comfort zone, I could never go to sleep without reading a book…and during the daytime too,(to avoid conversation with a stranger) reading was my savior, any and every reading material was important to me, be it a magazine, or a thick novel, a children’s story book or granny’ spiritual book, and sometimes even a wrapper of my bhelpuri or a peanut packet. (I would transfer the peanuts into my palm, open the conical packet, straighten it and read the contents while I munched on the peanuts) Even during traveling in a bus, whenever I shifted my gaze from my book, and peeped out of window, it would be to read the signs on the road, scripts on hoardings and even the shop names. If my co-passenger was reading and I would find myself peeping into their book (curious to know what they are reading) or pick up a sentence to mull about. But now…..Alas! My reading habits have found a new home and my computer is my library. Moreover, I need glasses to read and this has limited my reading habit. (Especially traveling a short distance, it is cumbersome, to remove the specs from my purse to read a book, and then remember to put it away carefully before you alight the transport.) Nowadays, I buy only one book at a time, and it follows a particular sequence, I buy a book, read it and pass it on. (I think I have reached Nirvana because I have no more attachment to anything, not even to my books.) I just have few collection of books left which I have managed to store them at different spots in the house (actually I don’t have enough space). And everybody is welcomed to pick up any book from my shelf and keep it. I don’t care if they forget to return it…..I can survive. I enjoy books that have a story stretching over several years; also I like to read biographies, success stories, humor, suspense, thriller, adventure and romance. I don’t like reading books such as ‘Self Help Books’ ‘Self development’, ‘How to…’ or ‘Self Improvement’ books because I want to learn from my own experience. If someone recommends me to read a particular book, and if I trust her choice, then I always read it…. I am always curious to know my friend’s selection of books.…….and luv to know what they are reading.....