Handmade Artist Shop - HAF

Ever heard of  HAF? If not you really have to check it out!

The first time I heard about this shop was when, Pearl of Beadiggem was hosting a Giveaway of a free shop on HAF. Since I was caught between Artfire and Etsy then, I was really enthusiastic to participate. But then a contest can have only one winner and sadly I didnt win. And now I have a second chance - HAF is having a blogging contest to win a free shop for life!!! And I am participating :)

Coming back to HAF - The handmade artists' shop is an online retail venue that helps artisans sell their Handmade creations. They only accept handmade creations and unlike Etsy there is no vintage unless of course it is used in recreating something handmade. Also there is reselling of non-handmade supplies and there are no reseller. You can sign up as a buyer or seller, and for $5 a month you could own a shop. But to do that you need to hurry up for after 10K artists they are about to close the open registration. After this their next goal is 20K but they will select and feature artists from the sign up to keep their exclusivity level high.
Their shop categories include Jewlery, Accessories, bath and beauty, Pet care, wedding, Paper and books, pattern tutorials and kits, supplies, dolls and much more.Unlike other retail avenues, here you are competing only with handmade products, so the issue of price matching to a mass produced product is over. They also have an active forum to discuss work and worries. Take a look at some of the product listed in the Jewelry section..in this snapshot from Jewelry shop

 There many reasons for you to explore Handmade Artist Shop… and I hope that you'll have fun doing so :)

Cheers

Rings, roses & my Etsy Store

 I used to hate finger rings till I went to college. I was then going through a rough phase and the astro-gemologist we consulted made me wear three rings of yellow sapphire, hessonite and Emerald..  yumm!! you might say but I used to find them irritating (too loose or too tight...but never right) and I used to keep removing them much to my mother's dismay. But since I had to wear them...I got used to it. After college I removed those rings, but, thats when my love affair with statement rings started. If you are among the early followers of this blog, you will remember my initial posts on rings my first sheet metal ring and my experiments with wire. Though I still make wire rings, they are cheap and fast, I have grown lazy and finally (yes!!) found ring backs locally so I have resorted to making floral adjustable rings. Take a look at these. These are made of fabric (glass tissue), leather and acrylic flower cabochons.
They are for sale...to buy please contact me directly by mailing me

Also Check out my new Etsy store !!!
Limited products to start with, but I'll be adding new ones every week :)
The leather rings are available on etsy, If you would like to buy the others, buy contact me and I will list them for you.  

 Yipee!!  100 Followers :) :) You guys are the best :)



Cheers

Bridal Series - South India (Hindus)

The groom ties the thali around the bride's neck

In the Indian (hindu) culture, marriages are conducted to resemble the wedding of Lord Rama and Sita. Even today, people sing the song "Sita kalyana vibokame" (Sita's marriage celebrations) during weddings  and hence the bride is decked up in every possible way to resemble Princess.
 South Indians (Tamil, Telugu and Kanadigas) mostly wear Temple jewelry, Keralities wear gold and Maharashtrians wear pearls and gold during wedding. Silver is usually not worn and is considered auspicious only in the form of vessels, lamps etc.

Here is a summary from head to toe
Hair /head accessories:  a center focal with a tie up on two sides. The discs are called sun and the moon (symbolizing the blessings of celestial beings). At the back (crown of the head) is Rakodi worn to protect the brain and fresh flowers surround it. The lower portion of the braid is decorated with gold plated/stone studded snake motifs (naagar) in decreasing proportion while some wear discs similar to the rakodi. Some others wear fresh flowers or floral shapes (either as screws or combs) and the braid ends in a silk tassel. A bindi adorns the forehead.

In some communities (both tamil and telugu) Bride and the groom wear an amulet tied with a yellow string on the forehead. Brides from Maharashtra wear mundavalya – strings of pearls tied horizontally across the forehead in a cascade from the temples down to the shoulders, framing the face.
 Earring: Traditonal Jumka (basket earrings) with a chain are worn
Nose ring: some brides get their nose pierced just before the wedding and are gifted with a diamond nose pin. In Maharashtra, the much celebrated nath or Circular barbells is worn

Neck: A collar necklace or addigai with stones is worn close to the neck. This is followed by a chain, gold bead or pearl necklace with a heavy flat pendant. The Coin necklace or Kasu malai follows it. Coorgi women wear a long chain or gold and black beads. Malayalee (kerala) bride The bride also adorns various gold necklaces with designs inspired by temple borders and interspersed with colored glass stones. Maharashtrian women wear netted necklaces and popular motifs for pendants include fish, lotus, conch, bitter gourd and serpents.

 Mangalsutra/ Thali/Thirumangalyam/Muhurthamani : Considered the most sacred of all jeweleries for a married woman, it is the the Hindu equivalent of  the wedding ring and is tied by the groom around the bride's neck as a sign of commitment. The thali could have the design of the Conch and disc (Shangu - Chakram), tulasi madam ( holy basil plant),  shiva lingam (Phallus) or Goddess Meenakshi represented as per family traditions. As the Mangal Sutra lands on the middle of the bride’s chest, it symbolizes that her man has occupied the whole of her being through her heart. Coins, coral beads or doomed bezels are also worn along with the center piece in the thali.
In kanadiga and Maharashtrian communities, a chain of black beads with a pendant is worn as the mangal sutra and is called the Muhurtamani (mani a gold piece with the sun and moon representing the delicate balance a bride is supposed to maintain between the husband’s and her maternal family.)

 

Waist/hip belt: A waist belt (gold plated with stones) or Oddiyanam is worn to keep the saree in place. Also before the Thali tying ceremony when the bride is presented with a new saree (9 yards in case of Brahmins) A belt made of reed grass is then tied around the bride’s waist by the groom or his sister and signifies bonding her with the new family.

Hands : A carved/embossed/stone studded armlet (called Vanki or angada) shaped like a snake or floral arch is worn. The Finger ring  which the maternal uncle buys for the bride is the most important. In Kerala there is a custom of wearing gold rings with the spouse's name engraved on it.

Bangles are considered very auspicious and it is customary that the brides wears atleast one pair of new bangles. In the south, bangles are predominantly gold with glass bangles to match the colour of their sarees. In Maharashtra green bangles are considered a sign of marital bliss. Also during the pre wedding ceremonies a holy thread (kappu) is tied on the brides wrists to ward off all evil spirits. It symbolizes a kind of protective armor for the bride.This is removed only when the couple reach the bridegroom's house after the wedding

Leg: Some brides wear anklets but it is not customary to do so.
Toe ring: Metti: After the Thali is tied and offerings are made to the holy fire, The bridegroom holds the bride’s left toe and helps her to tread on a grindstone by taking seven steps (Saptapadhi) while taking 7 vows and is symbolic of the solid rock foundation for the union.The the bride's aunt (mother's brother's wife - usually married with children) slips in the silver toe rings to enhance the bride's fertility and offers her advice to start a family.

Well then its a wrap bridal posts on Indian (Hindu) jewelry. Jains & Sikhs wear similar ornaments with maybe different names. What Indian Christians, Muslims, Parsis wear would be slightly different and would be talked about in a separate post, later in the series. Nomadic and Tribal jewelry is completely different and hence is excluded from these two posts....Here is the post on the North Indian section, in case you have missed it.

References:

Maharashtrian Bridal jewelry 


images: Brides of India

Hope you all enjoyed reading it..looking forward for more contributions to the series... especially from Europe and US
cheers

Diamonds - a girl's best friend

While on the topic of Bridal series, I thought Featuring Diamonds in the lapidary info section of the month makes a lot of sense. 
For it is one gemstone, that is on the wishlist of brides all over the world irrespective of their religion, caste or community. 
In my community, diamond earrings or studs are a must for the bride a woman who does not own them is pitied by the society and commands no respect even today.

Now for the article posted on She  

Diamond – an allotrope of carbon is a rock that cuts through almost everything and melts every girl’s heart. Originating from the Greek word “adamas”, meaning unconquerable, their indestructibility and sparkling life have made diamonds the true symbol of enduring love. In 1477, when the Archduke of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy, he started the tradition of a diamond engagement ring.

As we all know, what determines the quality and value of a diamond are its 4 C’s; Cut, Color, Carat and Clarity. Please keep this mind while purchasing or selling Diamond jewelry.

 

The word cut not only defines the shape of a diamond but also gauges the quality and the precision of cut which gives it its fire. The way the diamond sparkles in the light is called its BRILLIANCE and FIRE. The most important type of cut is ROUND BRILLIANT which gives maximum light. The other types are oval, marquise, heart, emerald, pear and square.

COLOR: Though most diamonds look colorless, but there are many subtle shade differences and the more colorless a diamond the more valuable it becomes. But also rare are diamonds with a strong pure color. These are called Fancies and are extremely rare. Pink and blue are the most prized, but virtually any color is possible. The ones with D+ or E rating (given by GIA - Gemological Institute of America) are exceptionally white.

Dravidians first measured them against carob seeds in 700 BC. Since then Diamonds have always been known by their carat or unit weight. Each carat is a standard metric weight of 0.2grams, and each carat is divided into 100 cents. So for example, a quarter of a carat is 25 cents, written as 0.25.

 Click here to read more of the article>>>

Please do not republish without prior permission from me and She.Sulekha.

Article Source: http://she.sulekha.com/diamonds-a-girl-s-best-friend_05_2011_postedby_divya-n

Author: Divya N

hope you enjoyed reading it!!
Cheers

Bridal Series - North India (Hindus)

Weddings in India are not just celebrated in a very extravagant manner, they are the sanctified events they are taken very seriously. The Indian Wedding Traditions vary, depending on the culture, religion and region from where the bride and the groom come.Since its a big country I am dividing it at central India into north and south sections mainly for the sake of convenience. As each state has its own, unique traditional wedding with equally traditional attire and jewelry, this post is just an attempt to summarize Northern Indian Bridal jewelry of Hindus and even then does not include all states/ communities.

For the first post of this series, let us welcome Ms. Vichitra Agarwal (Bhajjanka), from Kolkata, who has co-authored this post on northern Indian traditions. Vichitra, is an Hons. grad and is very passionate about writing. She also writes regularly in Hindi for Achchikhabar.

This Summary is a list of bridal accessories (of the bride) from head to toe.

Hair accessories:

Maang Tika is a forehead dangler hat features prominently in Bengali, Marwari, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Muslim weddings. Rajasthanis have Borla which is round in shape, unlike the usual flat maang tika. Sheeshphool/singarpatti are the side strands coming from the ear attached to the motif of the maang tika and is known as Shithi in Bengali.

Manipur brides wear an ornament called tikli

Crown/Mukut: - A golden mukut for the bride and a Topor made of thermocol for the groom is a must in Bengali weddings. Kata are golden pins used for holding the bun hairdo and chiruni, a golden comb adorned with semi-precious stones are worn by Bengali brides.

Earrings/Karnaphool:- Dangling earrings in plain gold, or kundan ( with stones) are worn. kanautis – earring suspenders used to provide support to the heavy bridal earrings and the much needed relief to ears. Worn by a Kashmiri bride. Dejharoo is a pair of gold pendants hanging on a gold chain through the holes in the ear lobes. This holds the similar significance in Kashmiri pundits as a mangalsutra does among Hindus.

Nath or Nose ring: A nose-pin is compulsory in most of the Indian weddings, particularly in Marwari and Muslim weddings. Nath ki lad, Similar to kanauti , used for providing support to the nath.

Neck pieces:Raanihaar and Guliband (chik) are collar necklaces worn close to the neck and is tight fitting. Sitahaar/Haar is a huge and heavy necklace, worn next.Instead a 3, 5 or seven strand necklace of gold beads or stones (polki in jadau setting) with a central pendant may be worn. Matar mala or a long chain with pea shaped/sized golden balls/beads follows this. Mangalsutra (auspicious thread) is a pendant necklace with black beads and it is akin to the wedding ring of the west. The bridal bangles differ on the basis of the customs and traditions of a community. Haathphool: known as Ratanchur in Bengali, is common to both Hindu and Muslim weddings. A haathphool, which means flower of hand, covers the fingers, the back of palm, and the wrist. It consists of a bangle/bracelet fastened to the wrist, which is attached to a flower sitting pretty on the back of palm, spreading out to five rings, one in each finger and thumb. Chudi: - These are the usual bangles in glass or gold which are, generally, in sync with the neckpiece and the outfit. Red and green glass bangles are a norm in Marwari weddings where the bride wears them for 45 days starting from the day after wedding. Gujaratis wear chuda a mix of red and white ivory (or lac or acrylic) bangles for upto 6 months after their wedding. Kada, known as Bouti, Chur, or Bala, is broader than a bangle and is worn in each hand. are Bengali variations of a Kada. Mantasha is a golden cuff. Sankha and Pola traditionally made of  conch shells are white and red bangles which are a must in Bengali weddings. Equally important is Noya, an iron bangle, worn in the left hand. Baajuband/Bhujband is a decorative armlet. And Kaliras (golden flower shaped danglers) are worn by Punjabi brides  to ward of evil. The brides wave it over the head of the unmarried girls in the family, with the wish that they get married soon. Waist:Taagadi, known as Biche in Bengali, is worn on the waist. Chaabi ka guccha or challa is a bundle of keys hung on the waist. It is not a jewelry in the true sense of the term, but considered a transfer of power from the mother-in-law to the daughter in law. Leg: Paajeb/Payal/Nupur are Silver anklets set with ghunghroos and, at times, semi-precious stones. Bicchiya/Chutki/ Anvta are Silver toe rings.                 It is not mandatory to wear all of the above listed jewelry pieces. And the must wear pieces vary from one community to another and depending on the family’s budget. They can be artificial, silver, golden, set with semi-precious stones/kundan, diamond, jadau, or platinum. Gold jewellery is the most common, followed by diamond. Jadau pieces became the rage following the movie ‘Jodha Akbar’. Some Kashmiri brides and hill (tribal) brides wear beaten silver with filigree work.  Some also include coral and turquoise beads with silver to make the jewelry special and auspicious. The wedding jewelry worn in Pakistan is very similar to these and a lot of times is sourced from India... That's part one for you. Thanks Vichitra and I hope that you join us more often in the future. Tune in next week for the post on South Indian traditions by yours truly.  Resources: Find here a full list of Ancient Indian jewelry names and description  Images: net : Brides of India Cheers

Celebrating bonds and Relationship ties - Tutorials

 

This week starting with August 7th or Friendship day is a special week of Festivals celebrating bonds and  wonderful relationship ties. Friendship day, Varlakshmi Vratham - August 12th (Women fast, Pray to Goddess Lakshmi for prosperity and Tie Yellow cords on their wrists), Aavani Avittam - August 13th (men change their sacred threads and offer prayers to their ancestors), and Raksha Bhandan again on August 13th (where girls tie a sacred thread -'Rakhi' on their brothers' wrist and pray for their well being and in turn brothers would give their sisters gifts or money and promise them to help them when ever they need and protect them throughout their lifetime) all operate on the metaphor of a thread or band.

As this is my 100th post on this blog, I am going to celebrate it the way I know best...By making cool stuff & writing a tutorials for them..

 First on board is a friendship bracelet made using craft foam - a flexible material (bright hued & water resistant)

The Mouse Pal Friendship Band (dedicated to my wonderful Internet friends and fellow bloggers who have thought me pretty much everything I know about jewelry making today)

Materials Required : 

Foam sheets in 2 colours
cord
Permanent Marker
hole punch
Glue, Scissors/cutters
Some time and loads of Love ;)
Procedure: 
Cut a strip of craft foam to go around your wrist once. Punch holes at the ends. On anotehr strip of foam Write the letters " MOUSE PAL" or whatever you wish too - could be the name of your BFF. Cut out the squares and glue them to the base strip.  Knot a length of cord at one side (leaving a tail) and loop it through the other hole. Done!! Make em in hundreds and gift them to all your friends.
To wear it, slip it onto your wrist, pull to tighten and knot. It will stay on better.....

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Now for the second tutorial. Celebrate Raksha Bandhan this year with this DIY Rakhi

Yo Yo Rakhi:

 Materials Required : 

1 Yo yo in the chosen fabric 

1 metallic flower spacer or a flattened bead cap

2 jump rings

20" decorative cord

2 small tassels

Matching thread and needle

Some time and loads of Love!!.

 Procedure: Make a Yo yo in required size (follow this link for a tutorial) .

I have replaced the button with a flattened bead cap for a traditional look). Now add Jump rings at either side. Take 10" of the cord, slide a small tassel into it and knot it. Put the cord into the jump ring and knot it once again to secure it. Repeat on the other side. Done!! Surprise your brother with this self made rakhi this year.

 (Refer this visual if you want to learn how to make a quick yarn tassel )

Or if you like something funky...Create a Craft foam Rakhi using the Above tutorial for a friendship band. Replace the alphabet tiles with kundan stones to give a traditional touch to it

   

If you are interested in making a Suraksha Kavach (Protective amulet) take a look at my tutorial using Evil Eye beads to make the Kakatiya Bracelet, which can be used for both Raksha bhandan and a Friendship bracelet

I just realised that this post looks a little crowded and over the top - ya that's bound to happen when there are 3 tutes in one post...but hey thats what we call as " 3 -in- one Super bumper Festive offer in India...." 

So join me in the celebrations and have fun

Cheers :)

Creations for the creativity expo

Remember my post on the Creativity expo by Wholeport to inform you that they were giving away packets of crafting goodies, in return for images of finished products for their Facebook album? Well they have kept up their side of the bargain by sending all participants their choice of goodies and images have started to flood their facebook page. There are loads of lovely work...take a peek at my submissions below....

The first comprises of a spoon pendant and  origami earrings and is called a "spoonful of flowers" jewelry set (tutorial coming soon !!). The second is a half and half bangle made from wrapping strips of paper on a wooden base and then glazing it. It has two different patterns of Japanese origami paper. 

 The third is a bracelet and earring set made from a combination of leather and paper. The papers were too flimsy to be rolled as a bead so I thought of using a base. The result is a sturdy, shiny piece that can be worn for long. The look is inspired by the Tibetan Prayer wheels or Khor I saw during my trip to Nepal.  I have used beads that have Buddha's image on them and antique spacers to give the effect. The piece is called Mani Khor (a circle of beads) and is the Tibetan name for prayer wheels with beads


Click here to go to the Wholeport contestants album to view all the entries...and don't forget to like mine on the album to help me win a $50 coupon to the Wholeport store.

Then...Remember my Artfire -Etsy dilemma..well that's almost solved. Artfire is closing down its free basic section and is going to become pro only. So I will be shifting to Jewelsofsayuri on Etsy. It will take some time though. Until then wish me luck and mail me at jewelsofsayuri@gmail(dot)com for any enquiries.

Cheers