Happy Holi!! Holi hai!!

Holi, the Indian festival of colors and spring is here! Kids all around are at their naughtiest best spraying water (and color) on each other and on those nearby. It is the time when we celebrate the triumph of good over bad once again. Read more about the festival here. It is also the time of some festive delicacies - the thandai (a milk-shake like preparation with almonds, saffron, pepper, rose petals and other exotic ingredients).

Here is wishing all my fellow Indian card makers a very Happy Holi.

Enjoy with your loved ones.

Hugs and cheers,
Smita.

A Blog Award

Hi all,

Writing this post from our hometown, Kolkata. Not a good trip so far. There had been some unexpected and unfortunate turn of events after we reached here. Things are a little better today and I thought I'd log on. It was a pleasant surprise to see a blog award from Shalini.

Thank you Shalini. And 10 things that make me happy are:

1) Crafting
2) Shopping, shopping, shopping... retail therapy is unbeatable!
3) My son
4) A hug/smile from hubby
5) Support and smiles from my parents, siblings and friends
6) Surprise gifts
7) New clothes and jewelery
8) Good food and cooking/baking
9) Blogging and reading blogs (!)
10) Dinners at fancy restaurants ;-)

Cheers,
Smita

An eventful weekend and some fun cards

Hello girls!

Been waiting to write this long post but couldn't. A lot has been going on in my life. My son, Aaryan, had a big fall on Saturday (think he was trying to be Spiderman or something) and got a few stitches on his chin. So, Saturday just flew past in related events.

On Sunday, my brave prince told me he was feeling a little better. So I decided to visit my city's (Mumbai) most prestigious  art & literature events called the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. They had loads of stalls selling handmade  stuff; live bands performing; movie screenings (in many languages); theater; kids workshops; art masterpieces; photography and art exhibitions... and a zillion other things for art & craft and literature lovers. I met up with a cousin there and had one of the most memorable times of my life there! It was just t eh sort of place I could get lost in... and since DH's not too keen on these things, I liked the fact that I had gone alone.

On my return journey, I took a train ride back in Mumbai's 'famed' local trains. I had traveled by train before but what I experienced on Sunday had never happened to me before. I was sandwiched between God knows how many women; my left hand was holding on to a bar above my head, the right hand was holding on to shopping bags (paper bags of course! since I was at a handmade items fair!!!!); the bags tore open; hands crushed...phew! it was a nightmare. And I was claustrophobic amidst that mad mad crowd!! But I finally managed to get off at a station. Reunited with my son and husband :D...

Monday morning: I wake up to find that my hands are nearly dysfunctional. Couldn't move them much. Managed to pack DH's tiffin for work, pack Aaryan to school, buy some necessities and ready to collapse in the afternoon. But my DS had asked me to make a card for his classmate's birthday party in the evening. Can't refuse your little man when he so lovingly shows off his mom's work ;-) This is the card and tag set I came up with for the little girl:

My back still hurts and we are leaving for our hometown - Kolkata, the city of joy!!- tomorrow.

But the good things are - I got a good back massage yesterday ;-) and sat down for some serious crafting last night. And what did I make? Some cards that DH's aunt wanted me to make for her to gift away during the year:

1) Hubby's favorite (he liked it inspite of being fed up of my pink obsession...yay!):

2) I love the blue here. Aaryan liked it too :-)

3) Hubby's 2nd favorite ;-)

4) My favorite. Still waiting to write a beautiful sentiment that I have in my mind :-p

5) Well, didn't like it half as much as my previous flower pot, but it is ok.

Cheers,
Smita!!!

Pinkish..!

Hi,

I was in a mood for pink today after a particularly crappy evening yesterday... Spent the morning cutting paper that I finally didn't use... and the afternoon crafting away even with my little boy running around all over my stuff! I just had to do some crafting to make myself happy and to raise my spirits a bit. Here is what I came up with.

The first one follows the Mojo Monday sketch (well, loosely again if I may add). Always think I want to do their challenges... But then I back off seeing that the sketches have so many elements, that I can spoil the fun big time even for those poor souls who'd visit my blog following Mr. Linky! I am happy with the card today... and it does me good because I think the pink is just right for my mood ;-)

The second one is a just-like that card. Again a popup. I want to do better with the popups... but I kind of like how this one springs up.. I wanted to show off the patterned paper... not very happy with the front of the card, but hey, it is ok once in a while to do what you feel like ;-)!

Cheers,
Smita

A heavy card...!

Hey,

This one's a heavy card...quite literally!! I used Hobby Ideas Shilpakar (craft clay) to create the bubbles et al. Though there is nothing very elegant about it, I still decided to submit this one for the Cinema Saturday Creative Card Challenge. Sankari and Brooke, love you guys for these innovative and lovable challenges. My inspiration... the colors blue and silver.

This card also fits with the Cute Card Thursday challenge - Spots & Dots. So here goes my first entry to this challenge.

The front of the card:

And the inside... (it started off as a popup card, and then I changed my mind)...

That's it...

Hugs,

Smita

I am back!!!

I am back finally!! No... not without any card yet again... but with my first 2 cards (that are being posted here) of the year!! That took long, huh? ;-) Personal issues as I mentioned in a previous post.

Here are my cards based loosely on the 2S4U sketch for this week by the wonderful Laura! How I have missed being part of these challenges. But when the mojo doesn't work, it just doesn't... ! I have been blog hopping for a while though; checking out what my blog friends and idols are doing.

Anyway, here's my take on the sketch:

This is for someone's 50th birthday (can't mention who yet!). Someone special to us and our family. I was crafting after so very long that I did make quite a few mistakes here, but I loved the card  whatsoever! The glitter brackets (what else can I call those gold things!?) were handcut. I traced them using gold acrylic paint from a Faber Castell stencil and then cut them out. Love the stencil!! Sentiment is using dry letter transfers. And the pearls are Itsy Bitsy. Background patterned paper from Hobby Ideas.

The second card was another 'just-like-that' card, which I converted into a best wishes card.

Nothing much to write about. A stamp used in the background from Hobby Ideas. Patterned paper and 3D Epoxy sentiment from Heidi Grace (thank you Donna!), 3D sticker from Hobby Ideas. Lots of  layers and I love it!!

Hugs,
Smita

You don't know till you try...!

I was excited about the first ATC swap we are having here with fellow Indian cardmakers. Unfortunately, I couldn't work on the ATC when I should have. Today, I finally sat down to it... Since I was crafting after soooooo very long, the mind sure was bursting with ideas. But only when I got down to cutting the base cardstock did I realize how really tiny an ATC is :D... Anyways, I still carried on with my initial plan... till my son, Aaryan, decided to wake up from his noon nap in less than half an hour after he went off to sleep... And he was sitting with me all the while asking why I was doing each step.! Phew!! Finally, after loads of distraction, I completed the ATCs, but now I am not satisfied with them :-(

I will show them to DH in the evening to seek his opinion and if all is well, I'll post them on Wednesday. Tomorrow is India's Republic Day (a national holiday)...! Otherwise, I'll need to get down to creating another set.

If I hadn't tried making the ATCs today, I'd never have known the difference between making a card and an ATC... the thought process may be similar, but not the same for sure...!! :-) Hoping my hostess for this month will overlook our little follies since this may be the first time for most of us :)

Cheers to the group of Indian card makers who dared to go beyond our limitations to take up a hobby that is so difficult to keep up here! But we've all turned a hobby and some curiosity into our passion... :-)

Cheers,

Smita