Wednesday, 20 July 2011

Gift Tags!

Finally another DIY after forever!!!

I have been working on so many things that i just haven't been able to pull down the images and make them blog worthy!!! But here they are finally... !

So recently i have been super inspired by cards: all cards... wedding invites love cards happy birthday cards tags for gifts,basically anything to do with mixing lovely papers and paints and flowers!!! So i started with the simplest: A Gift Tag.

I made four kinds and i'm also planning on selling these (See how i slide that one in!!!) So here's how you can make them, but if you don't have the patience give me a call!!!

Happy Polka Dots!


Vintage mish mash!


Flowery flowers!


Classic Vintage!

Lets start with the first one!!!


So first of all use a round object and trace that onto the card paper. And cut along it.


Glue a piece of jute ribbon. I recommend taking a longer strip sticking it and then cutting the edges to fit. Its much neater that way. Be aware that the jute threads keep fraying so be careful!
Paint the top half a bright color!


Fix the ribbon leaving a gap. Again take a longer strip and then cut it to shape.


These are all the cards with the ribbons! looks cute huh?!!


Now cut the excess ribbon along the circle to get your shape.


Next come the punching. This is important. Don't punch too close to the edge as it can tear when you put in the ribbon or jute to tie it to your gifts.

Write in a very neat handwriting. Or better still i suggest you print out the words you want and stick it onto the cards. It will be much neater!!!


Ta-da your gift tags are ready!!!


Tie a little just thread to it to finish it up!

Next!!!!


First off paint some paper doilies. Paint extra since they could tear later.


I picked a bright blue and red palette. I used water colors and tried to get some nice shading done.


So painting directly onto my drawing board: Not such a smart idea!! The paper got so badly stuck to the board that i had to literally dry them off!!! I suggest you try to do the painting over a plastic sheet so that it doesn't get stuck and let it dry patiently for at least 4 to 5 hours. 
In the mean time cut your card paper to the size of your gift cards. Paint tea water over them to get a washed out effect. And if you still have time do another project in between!!!


Once the paper doilies have dried, place them on your gift tags and see what kind of placements and designs work for you.


I placed all details like the doilies, the small patterned paper circles as well as the jute ropes, before i started to glue them on.


These are the final gift tags! the polka dotted paper as well as the flower patterned paper i printed onto regular printing paper, cut them in circles and strips and used them here. 


Punch a hole on the top center, be careful it isn't too close to the edge.


And string a pretty ribbon into it! and there you have it!!!! by the way you can use these as book marks as well!

The best one!


So this is a long project. Only start if you can finish!!! 
Start by cutting up your papers into a slim long size.


Dip into tea water (i added a little brown color to it) hold for a while and watch the color seep into the paper. Once it reaches about halfway pull it out. This way you get a sort of shaded card. 


LET IT DRY!!!! this could easily take up to like 5 to 6 hours. keep checking and keep away from ants!!!!


Once they are dry, cut up newspaper of a decent size and stick it onto the cards front and back. Use fevicol mixed in water for a smoother less messier application. Also with a brush, brush some of the mix on top as well to secure it.


I used tea stained doilies as well. Glue them on like you did the paper.


String some pearls into some wool and wrap it around the card. Sticking the ends of wool are extremely painful. So take your time, put the glue and hold it steady for a while. 
Now add your embellishments. I used some metal butterflies, and green flowers to give it a very vintage feel.

001

002

003

004

005

006


Now does't that look like a pretty little set?!!

This last one is really simple. It hardly needs a tutorial. 


First off cut small squares. Around 3" by 3"


Using any colored sketch pens, make flower designs all over it.


Use different designs to add to the fun!!

Now add a small crepe paper flower to one corner and punch a hole in the other!! 
Ta - da once again!!!!


And that ends my work of weeks!!!! ha ha ha... so many days and just one post!!! I love what i do!!!

But on a serious note... i am planning on selling these pieces and they can be custom made with names of friends or loved ones. You can use these as gift tags for birthdays, wedding gifts anything you like. You can even use them as bookmarks. So if you want some, post a comment or send me an email!

love!
ps: once again i apologize for the quality of the images. Had to use my phone camera for most of them!!!

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

An indian wedding!

I have always wondered why when you google Indian weddings you find very loud, colorful and bright pictures. Not that i have much against it. But sometimes it would be nice to see something subtle and elegant for a change. Found this image one day and it struck me as a perfect balance between the traditional and the new age!




i love it!


Monday, 18 July 2011

My Jaipur!

Jaipur.... is home! A place where there is family there is food and shopping and sleeping and more food!! I love going there on a vacation the stark contrast from Bombay is very comforting somehow.

This trip was minus the husband, so i had a great bonding time with the family. i went shopping......

(So i first bought the bangles.... they are sooooo preetttyy!!!!!!! i just fell in love with the colors. And i always buy glass bangles they just seem more authentic!)


(then i went looking for the fabrics.... aren't these fun?? Ok maybe the pictures aren't great but i'll mail the final images once they are ready!)


.....learnt new recipes......

(That my friends is a mango cream pudding which is to die for!!! It was so delicious i almost forgot to take a picture!!!)


.......went on a picnic to an uncles village. Yup he owns the whole village!! its crazy! but it was a really fun experience since it was pouring on our way there, it made for a very green beautiful drive. I was in a car full of women discussing their homes and maids and the everyday stresses and how they find their happiness thru it all :) Once there we saw as many as six peacocks that surrounded our terrace. this is didn't know but experienced myself: Peacocks are Super NOISY!!! really they just kept calling out to each other all thru our picnic... one always thinks of peacocks as these beautiful elegant creatures... well add noisy attention seekers to the list!!!



(The sunset out there is very different  from here. Its quieter, more peaceful and all you can hear if at all are birds chirping. For miles and miles all you see is greenery and small huts. Its breathtaking really!)




(The local women were so sweet! They wanted to teach me how to make rotis on their stone ware gas stoves! But the meat is cooked by the men. One man inparticular who has been cooking for my uncle for years. And he has been using the same utensil all these years because he believes he is connected to him and only if he cooks in it can he make the food he makes. I believe him, because the food he makes Cannot be made without some kind of divine intervention!! Its unreal how good it is!!!!)


My favorite person there is Brando our dog... he is a baby german shepherd, only about a year. And he sleeps all day long in the funniest positions!!


legs up!


hands up!


now turn around!


......this actually is a very comfortable position to sleep in!!!!


......after breaking the water pipe and creating a mini flood in the back yard!!!


......he was forgiven!!!

Isn't he just adorable!! i love him!!

Jaipur is the place I'm most "Indian"!!!!


Me getting into Jaipur spirit....


.....trying to find a balance between Jaipur and me!!!!!!

Ha ha... so while being in Jaipur took away from any new creations for the blog... it sure gave me some fun memories!!!