Artists Who Inspire

So my many years of reading blogs have introduced me to some amazing artists. I plan on featuring one here every week. Art can bring up different emotions, happy, sad, nostalgic. The first artist I am featuring I feel a certain connection to, because like me, she is Bengali, and like me she lives outside of India. She lives in one of my favourite countries, Switzerland. We also seem to have some of the same favourite things like the lotus flower, peacocks, elephants, paisleys and of course India.

I'd like to introduce you to the amazing Dithi:

Her most recent painting made me gasp, the beauty of the sun setting, reflecting on the river, and the wind blowing in the woman's hair, it just made me feel instantly like I was back in Kolkata. 

She truly is an inspiration, as she followed her passion and created a career out of doing what she loves.

Please check out her beautiful blog, where she showcases her art as well as her photography.

http://www.dithitara.com/

And to buy her original art, or prints, please go to her Etsy shop.

Daily Photo

The Beauty of Recycling

About 2 years ago I went to a jewellery making class at the local bead store in Ottawa, Sassy Beads. It was a great class where I learned basic wire work techniques, and beading techniques. It turned out to be the perfect hobby for me, because projects could often be completed in one night. As a teenager I had tried to learn embroidery and knitting, but ended up with many half finished items.

Soon I realized that my new hobby was a bit expensive. So I started asking friends if they had any broken jewellery, or items they didn't use so I could transform them. I got so many items, that I still haven't been through them all. If a piece had sentimental value, I would return it to them transformed.

Below are a few examples of what I have made by recycling jewellery.

These are two earrings, which were both missing their matching pair.

So I turned them into this necklace:

I highly recommend trying jewellery making, it's great to be able to fix jewellery as well as make it, and it can easily be done while watching t.v.

Daily Photo

Daily Photo

A New Beginning!

When I first started this blog, I had envisioned myself sharing some of my photography, but didn't have any other focus. Shiny things often distract me, and sure enough I got distracted away from this blog. But when I started this blog I also felt that I really had some great things to share.

I recently lost my job, and I have had a lot of time to think, to craft, to scour the net for inspiration. I have also taken this time to decide to take a big scary step. A step I thought I would never take, but with the help of my wonderful friend Ronjiny, I am now willing to take. I am going to finally start selling my photography, but in what I think is a unique way. We are printing my photographs on fabric, so that the pictures of nature I have captured can now be worn around people's necks as scarves.

It's a unique idea inspired by my mother-in-law, when I mentioned I wanted to do something a bit different with my photography. I am so excited, and scared, and this blog will now be used to document the beginnings of this new venture.

I also will be sharing my crafting adventures, blogs and artists that inspire me, and some cool printables that I have designed.

I can't thank all my wonderful friends enough for always encouraging my creative side.

Come back tomorrow to see some examples of jewellery I have made by reusing old pieces.

Photos of Spring

I find myself yearning for spring! This cold spell is not what I expected!

Brrrr -15 with windchill.

These pictures remind me that eventually it will be spring!