potli keyring giveaway!!!

i know i know i promised a giveaway long back and never got around to giving away anything....but here i am now...giving away the lovely silk potli key ring as a thank you to all the lovely you!

all you need to do is blog about this giveaway on your blogs and leave me a comment on this post to let me know that you have!!

you can leave your comments till the 7th of September 2010 and i'll announce the winner (randomly picked one by my husband:) on the 9th of September 2010.

so what are you waiting for...??

gatha-a tale of crafts

this blog is a wealth of information...a must check out for all you craftaholics...and you know you will thank me for this!

it is a crash course in the crafts of India...make me so proud of my country and its rich heritage!

beautifully expressed complete with colourful and rich pictures.....i spent so much time here today(another venture by NIDians and i am so proud) go now and feast your eyes!

ps: but guys how do you work?? it is still a little unclear to me.. help!!

sri threads

Sri is a by-appointment textile gallery specializing in antique Japanese folk textiles, highlighting the indigo-dyed cotton utilitarian fabrics and boro--or patched and mended--textiles of old Japan.

Sri' also houses beautiful textiles from India

ralli quilt+rajasthani turban fabric

Śri's collection of contemporary Indian textiles is tangible proof of this epic history. they offer fine examples of uncut cloth from India's many far flung textile centers, from South India's famous cotton producing states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to northern India's legendary Kashmir, home of luxurious wools and beautiful hand embroidery. 
visit the wonderfully rich blog here

anek tags!!

got the samples for my new fabric tags yesterday yayayayyayayay!!! do let me know what you think!

two women, two brands

i have been thinking of doing up a post on these two brands (and the women entrepreneurs behind them) for a long time now and am finally getting down to it today :)

first up is "bodhi" from vadodara

Mala Sinha, an alumni of NID started the brand Bodhi in 1984(i was barely a year old then...!!) along with her husband Pradeep Sinha. bodhi is a small well knit team of craftsmen producing hand printed/appliqué/woven cottons and silks. the duo is based in vadodara where they retail out of "the bodhi shop"

For Mala the designs are her personal expression and reflect her modernity as well as her heritage as an Indian and its rich and ancient tradition of textile patterning.

to know more about Mala and Bodhi click here

if you are a girl from NID then you know what an important role "bandhej" played in our lives as design students :)

if you were happening, informed (about western indian textile craft heritage), mature and had more pocket money than the average betty...then you wore bandhej, be it the silver jewellery or clothes....                                      

bandhej was that important to us in NID!!

it is a brand i have always admired and i remember feeling super excited when it opened its first store in saddi dilli.

Since 1985 when the first BANDHEJ store opened in Ahmedabad, BANDHEJ has created a distinct idiom in its designs and a unique identity for itself. BANDHEJ was one of the first 'designer' labels in the country, which while drawing upon the Indian heritage in textiles also reflected a very contemporary sensibility in the design of its fabrics and clothing for men and women. it was started by Archana Shah, NID alumni.

the shop in ahmedabad boasts of world class interiors and is worth a visit, if you find yourself in the city.

it now has 8 store across the country including one in GOA

click here to visit the website!

it is the festival of raksha bandhan tomorrow and i have my brothers coming over to my house for the same...so i'll be pretty much off for the rest of the day today and all day tomorrow yayaya!! 

been soooo busy recently haven't had any time to breathe!

happy festivities everyone...it is ramadan and onam time too!!

a pune bloggers' meet

pune blogger meet is being proposed....and i am super excited about the idea!
i know Sulagna, Sonalee and Sharon in Pune and would love to know if there are any more of us in this wonderful city?

POA:
collect info on all the bloggers in and around Pune that we'd like to meet...and if there is only the three of us...we'll still meet... ladies what say??

decide the date and time
decide on a venue/cuisine (it is always about the food isn't it :)

here are my suggestions for the venue:
Mainland China (lunch buffet eat all you want)
Cafe Mocha
Trikaya (fine dining, award winning interiors, maybe on the more expensive side)
Bohemia (was featured in a recent issue of a home decor mag..rave reveiws on its decor...)
                                                    
lets plan the party !!

my products are featured...

on 'rang decor' yayayyayaya!!!
it is one of my favourite blogs too..thank you so much Archana for the lovely feature!

click here to visit rang decor

have a good day everyone <3

a cup of chai with co blogger Sharon!

so this was many days ago and i have been meaning to post these pics forever now....
I met up with the lovely "Sharon of The Key Bunch" about a month ago at her house (which is not too far from mine :) for tea, tarts, cakes and connecting!!

Sharon with her bundle of energy

evening tea with cake and tarts

we met up again on saturday and went to explore the handmade paper factory here in Pune...it was lots of fun  too...perhaps Sharon will share some pics of the factory soon??

now its my turn to invite Sharon for a cuppa tea....
also i have been thinking of a bloggers' meet right here in Pune...i know so many of us are here...what do you think?

envelopes are up on etsy!

hello there...how are you?
just wanted to pop in to let you all know that the red paisley envelopes are now up for sale on my etsy shop
the brocade envelopes come in a set of two, hold upto fifty 1000 rupee notes comfortably and are very sturdy!
you may even use them for keeping your pens and pencils...inside you large handbags (i am always struggling to find my pen in my big everyday bag)..
i'll be uploading more soon.

ps: the key rings were a sell out at the anvesha exhibition, i was so happy to hear that today!

exhibition update

the anvesha exhibition is turning out to be an overall success and i am so happy for the first time exhibitor and a very enterprising leena thapar.
i do hope this becomes a regular feature and so small time designers like me get a chance to showcase our work!

also in case any of you are interested in purchasing/retailing my products please email me at anekdesigns@gmail.com and i'd be happy to start a dialogue!

cheers :)

new fabric envelopes

some new envelopes that i made...available at the ANVESHA exhibition on in bombay today! details here

:)

coming soon more envelopes in printed silks!

so i sold a key ring

yay!! thats right i sold the potli keyring i put up on my etsy shop (look right there is my etsy shop button right there)!! my first sale!!
so meera sethi who lives and works in Canada/New Delhi bought my keyring and i shipped it to her a couple of days back...yup from Pune, all the way to Toronto. meera is a visual artist and you should check out her blog here.

i hope meera finds her purchase in good condition when it reaches her....so hoping for the best and thank you meera for showing such faith!

'anvesha' exhibiting in bombay...

 'anvesha' presents women's apparel (suits, kurtis, sarees, dupattas, skirts, tops and more), soft furnishing, cushion covers and accessories at A-902, Maple Leaf Raheja Vihar Andheri (east) from 11th till 13th August.

you'd go wouldn't you? when you are there you will find beautiful textiles from all across the country and then when you look some more you will find brocade envelopes, potli keyrings, kantha mobile pouches by "anek designs"
participating in my first exhibition ever..and even though i'm only showing smaller accessories...i am super excited and have my fingers crossed!!

come with me...

let me walk you through my craft cupboard today....

key rings and envelopes...ready for sale!

thats an old black and white picture of my parents, my brother(he is getting married in dec!!) and me(center)

my new chennapatna turtle!! it shakes!!

my craft supplies and lovely fabrics i work with

i have always thought that i am god's favourite child! things have just always fallen in place for me...like this cupboard....now...the story of the craft cupboard...

before i was married, Vivek my husband had recently moved to Pune for his job and was looking for an apartment where the two of us would begin our lives as a couple!

he had strict instructions from me to take an absolutely empty apartment! he got one...we moved in...and then a month later our landlady decided to move back! so we began hunting for a new apartment...we found one..the only problem was that the house came with 2 large godrej almirahs...(if you've seen them you know they don't make beautiful pics)...having no other option we took the house....and moved in.

so the cupboards were moved to the spare bedroom and there they stood empty. one day...before Vivek could put useless stuff in that almirah (we put all our luggage in the other...what a blessing) i claimed it and started keeping my craft supplies there (i carried some from home..part of my bridal trousseau hehhehe).

the supplies grew over time and i started making products...today i feel blessed that i had this extra cupboard..it plays a very important role in the making of my brand and so you see now...how things have just fallen in place for me??!!

dastakar nature bazaar in bangalore!

you lucky people in bangalore you....:)

the dastakar nature bazaar 2010 is on from 6th-16th august in your city...be sure to visit and click pictures and share with me here...

and while you are there check out the "green earth" stall...
greenearth a company started by a nid graduate - bashobi tewari, designs and markets contemporary products made from natural eco friendly material such as grass, reed, bamboo, jute, water hyacinth and cane.

these products are made in the remotest villages in bengal and  only one community makes them now
bashobi is instrumental in reviving these products and has been creating a fab collection which is of the highest quality

floor mats

check out these floor mats.... so intricate aren't they?

you'll find that these come in three different qualities: the thickest being do hara, the medium ek hara and the finest called masland (from being as fine as muslin and they really are!!).

seasonal colour coordinated collection of place mats

these maslands were used extensively in the ancestral havelis of azimganj (bashobi belongs to the erstwhile dudhoria royal family of cooch behar!) and were spread on dewans and day beds....ahh the romance of those days!!

reed mats from green earth

winter/christmas/festive collection

green earth undertakes custom and corporate orders as well....you'll go...you promise?

ps: i'd love to have a masland spread on my day bed...that reminds me...i need a day bed....and oh a bed!

if i had to dream up a company

it would be like this......

www.gudrunsjoden.com

and all these would be products made by me....but in reality these are not mine.....but hey i am working towards it...thats not so bad!! :D
i am sooo inspired by this company right now(do click to enlarge pics they are gorgeous)...totally love the look and feel of it! what do you think?