Li’l Garden

Pretty flowers in orange and red. Leaves and creepers in green and yellow. Mud as soft as snow, carpeted with wilted leaves. Pretty little mushrooms all over the place, fresh after the rains. If they have no place in your tiny yard, fear not. Here is a handy little garden to sit cosy in your apartment, reminding you of nature, its bounty and its beauty.

This is made of m-seal and ceramic clay. m-seal is first kneaded to make a dough. Shape it into leaves, flowers, stems etc. After drying, they are painted. The base is a used CD, painted in hues of brown, green and yellow. All the little m-seal flowers, leaves etc are stuck on to this painted CD. Finally, a coat of varnish is applied over it, to keep away dirt and to give it a glossy finish.

It is a good way to re-use CDs. I am not sure if m-seal / ceramic clay are harmful to mother earth. Kindly share with me if you know about it.

Hanging trinkets

.

Red, green or plain terracota, you can find them dancing in the wind. Hanging them against plain walls is one of the best ways to bring out their beauty. Door curtains made of beads or sea shells are also famous. They are made from a variety of materials like fabrics, beads, terracota, patchwork, appliques etc.

The ones from Rajasthan are animal or bird figurines made from fabrics. Rajasthani hangings are famous for their bright colours.

 These are made from terracota. They are small in size and are ideal for hanging over balconies or in gardens… The ones below were bought from Dakshinachitra in Chennai.

 

This is the traditional  yaali… yaali is a mythical animal found in south indian scultures. They are believed to be keep watch over gods and are found sculpted in stone in temples.

Metal ones are the most common ones. Sun motiffs, bells, animal motiffs and beaded ones are designs that have survived unchanged over centuries. They are also hand sculpted hangings.

Inspired by these beautiful hand made wall hangings, I tried to do one on my own. I used a bangle for the outer frame. The inner design is hand embroidery over red fabric. Beads are made from m-seal.

 Small in size, but their charm and beauty can make any space cheerful.

 Image sources:  horse hanging from pardesiservices.com, metal hanging from shipwreckbeads.com

It is harvest time and the start of a new tamil year. I wish all my tamil friends a happy pongal