Handcrafted splendour from India

More pics from India - I don't think I shared these here.

I went to a handicraft exhibition once, and here is a sampling of what I saw. All these amazing objects are handmade lovingly by craftspersons from all over the country. They travel together in organized groups across the land, so at any given 'mela' or fair you can see wonderful creations from many different states all at once.

There was pottery in the juiciest shades...mugs, platters, bowls, dishes - they had them all!





Dots, stripes, geometrics, flowers...YUM!



Lots and lots and lots of them...



Some kind of relief work in black and brown...



And pots with personality!



You can see the handcrafted (im)perfection in the glaze on the scalloped edges - you can tell this is the real thing.



I wish I had a better shot of these slippers - they are jute and cotton with bead and sequins sewn on - all made one by one by hand.



And hand-embroidered, sequin-encrusted, embroidered little clutches for the night out...



The fabrics were unbelievable. These stacks are pure cotton, hand-dyed, and printed by hand with wooden blocks. I actually saw this process several times when I was a kid and lived in the fabled Pink City of Jaipur, and it was simply fascinating.



And of course the silks and brocades, spun as if with light, although these were most likely not handmade. But they were fit for a princess, for sure!



Hope you enjoyed this!

Street eats

Pictures I took on the run of a vegetable market in Poona. Most of it is out in the street, but some of it is in an ancient building with real stained glass windows. It's like walking into a different world. I only wish I had time to compose my shots, but I hope you'll get the idea!

Here's the structure I just mentioned - all old black stone with strange spire-like thingys...




There were bunches of onions and garlic and peppers suspended in mesh bags, along with bananas and pineapples and lemons...

The ceiling is very high, with those windows all around shining red and green.

And this is the outside part of the market:




Can you tell this place would be blindingly bright without those awnings?


I wish I had more pictures of the fruit stalls. There were strawberries and figs and papayas and pineapples and pears and peaches and pomegranates (OK, that's a lot of p's, but you get the idea) not to mention the grapes, bananas, apples, and oranges, of course...and a few others I didn't even know the names of.


This strawberry seller's awnings really caught my eye - they were so festive!



Broccoli, bitter gourd, eggplant and cucumber...


And all the fresh green (and red) things this man could find...




Look at those mounds of produce...stunning!



They had everything packaged and ready to go - corn, lentils, mushrooms, stir-fry medleys...I would happily turn vegetarian with a market like this to go to!

Strawberries in Poona

In February.


And they were unbelievably good.

Update from India

I've been in India a few weeks now, and was able to manage only one blog post so far, and that not for this blog, but for the two lovely ones I frequently contribute to. This was a story about a house so full of color that I had to feature it. Interested? Read more here or here!

Meanwhile, the BabyButton is being very enchanting to all my relatives, and is sleeping better than she ever has, but is also learning the Magical Art of Throwing. Throwing what, you may ask. Why, tantrums, of course! Thank goodness for Attachment Parenting techniques for a crying baby!

Other than that, it's been wonderful so far. Lots of family and fun, and yes, food! I have pictures, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to upload them. They are on my dad's computer right now, but I hope to sort them out soon. He's been clicking away by the hundreds!

Color Culture - Pink City

Here's a post I did for Etsy's CraftingInColor team about color and culture. Way back, my family lived in Jaipur for about six years. The city left an edelible mark on me, and this a tribute to all my Jaipur memories.

Have you ever hesitated to use pink in your work? In the Western world pink can sometimes have a negative connotation as being frivolous or effeminate. In India, it is generally celebrated in all its manifestations, making its mark even in architecture!

Just take a look at these majestic buildings of Jaipur, the country's famed Pink City. Back in the 1700s, the Maharajah who built it had the palaces painted pink to emulate the sandstone monuments of the Mughals.

To show you just a few-

The Palace of Winds:





City Palace buildings:







Not pink, but I couldn't resist including this magnificent Peacock Gate:



I love the detail in these peacocks - hundreds of years old, and now back in vogue!



And here are some gorgeous pink patchwork rustic Indian wall hangings, sparkling with sequins.





In jaipur even the elephants are decorated!




Handmade puppets for street shows...




This type of jewelry is called Meenakari.




Colorful parasols in the marketplace - fit for a princess!




And some Jaipur-inspired art from AllPosters.



Jaipur artisans also make lovely blue pottery, but more on that later.

Pictures courtesy gangesindia.com, saharaglobal, travelpod.com, href="http://www.allposters.com/">allposters.com

Songs in white - A2D guest post

White, I thought. Peace and hope and joy. Comfort and lazy mornings. Dreams and quiet nights. Clouds and mountain snow. Star-like flowers.

White is lovely to live with.

So here it is: the White Collection. Rooms to dream about, rooms to dream in.

Read my post for Addicted2Decorating for what inspired this collection.













These pictures are from my files and I no longer know how I found them. If you happen to know the source(s) please let me know so I can properly credit them. Thanks!