My Maruvam Plant Blooms

Hello Friends!

Hope you are all busy preparing for the Christmas, New Year and Pongal. Here it is really cold. Temperatures are down. So me and mom are trying best not to expose ourselves to those chilly winds. Cyclone has passed and sun is out. But still it is cold.

We all keep on learning new things daily either by choice or by chance. Sometime back when I was walking in my garden, I happened to glance at my Maruvam plant-or rather under shrub. It is a small shrub with aromatic leaves. 

Oh and there were such tiny blooms. This is the first time, I saw them or noticed them, though I have been growing it in my garden for the past so many years. These flowers are very tiny and light green in colour. I don't know whether the picture is clear or not. It was difficult to capture such tiny things.

Maruvam

I think I have mentioned Maruvam before in one of my posts. We use these stems with the leaves along with flowers like jasmine, chrysanthemums in making flower garlands or strings to wear in our braids. We also use it in our Puja. Lord Hanuma likes these leaves, hence it is offered to Him.

Today I learnt that it is know as Sweet Marjoram in English and belongs to Oregano family. It has got such sweet smell, relieves stress and has other medicinal properties. Till now, I never knew its name in English.

I dry the stems and add it to bath water sometimes. I also use it for making dry flower and herb sachets to freshen up my cupboards and storing spaces.

This herb is very delicate and cannot tolerate extreme temperatures. Will it survive the cold? I have to wait and watch.

Oh and I have many additions to my garden. I will show them in my next posts.

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Kites and Flowers

19 to 1 Straight Dots

This one is very simple and easy to draw and also to colour. Well kites are part of this festival in some parts of India. Isn't it? So I always have some of them in my Rangolis.

Hope you are liking my Rangolis.

NOTE: These designs are my own original creations, which I create by spending much time and after hard work. So please don't post these photos or designs (even if you draw these by your own hand) on your site or blog . Please link back to my blog. I hope you understand this and respect my request. Thank You.

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Roses and Swastika Rangoli

19 to 1 Straight Dots

Hope you like this. Please do leave your comments or suggestions. I would be happy to read them.

NOTE: These designs are my own original creations, which I create by spending much time and after hard work. So please don't post these photos or designs (even if you draw these by your own hand) on your site or blog . Please link back to my blog. I hope you understand this and respect my request. Thank You.

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Carpet Rangoli

Rangoli-34621 dots to 1 dot- straight dots

Here is a Rangoli, a carpet with swastikas and ashtadala padma or 8 petalled lotuses(geometrical) designs weaved in.

Keep an eye on my blog for more...

NOTE: These designs are my own original creations, which I create by spending much time and after hard work. So please don't post these photos or designs (even if you draw these by your own hand) on your site or blog . Please link back to my blog. I hope you understand this and respect my request. Thank You.


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Card using pom poms

Hello friends!

Today it is so chilly here. We have had a heavy rain just the other day. With impending heavy rains because of the likely crossing of Phethai  Cyclone by tomorrow, we are busy  completing our chores before the rain hits us.

Today I am sharing with you a card I made sometime back. 

As usual, I used an A4 size card stock-cream coloured glittery one. Folded into half. I have used glitter adhesive tape as you can see above. 

I have stuck a square piece of basket weave hand made paper, metallic orange coloured with dimensional foam adhesive for the container. 

I inserted the flower making wire into the pompoms and glued it to the card, with their ends tucked into the container. Then I cut some leaves from green hand made card stock and arranged them so that they covered the stems of the pom poms. Then I added the butterfly sticker.

I made a tag with same cream coloured card stock, glued the ruffled orange coloured hand made paper scrap on to, then added the punched out butterflies from green, yellow and dark brown scraps. I tied it to the card with the orange satin ribbon.

I stamped the sentiment on to a separate card stock piece, punched the border and inked the edges using golden turmeric artistry ink.  Then attached it to the card with dimensional adhesive.

But I had tough time in keeping the basket weave square and the wires with pom poms glued to the card. They kept on falling off. I had to use some glue on to the dimensional adhesive. 

Hope you like this. 

Materials used:

• Cream coloured glitter hand made card stock A4 size
• Green coloured hand made paper scrap
• Basket weave hand made paper
• Ruffled hand made paper scrap(orange coloured)
• Green, yellow and dark brown card stock scraps
• Glitter tape self adhesive
• Border punch small
• Butterfly punch
• Small butterfly puffy sticker
• Small sized pompoms
• Gold coloured flower making wire
• Orange coloured satin ribbon
• Self adhesive half pearl strip
• Sentiment stamp
• Black pigment ink 
• Golden Turmeric artistry Ink
• Single hole punch
• Dimensional foam adhesive
• Glue
• Scissors

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Flowers and Butterfly Rangoli

15 dots 3 rows upto 3 straight dots.

Now that we have invited the Lord into our home, offered him a beautiful carpet to sit, we are offering colourful and fragrant flowers to Him. 

As the Lord is known as Kamalaksha or Rajeeva Lochana, meaning His beautiful eyes are like lotuses. Therefore, the butterflies have surrounded Him, attracted to his lotus like eyes.

Hope you like these Rangolis. 

Any, comments, suggestions are always welcome.

Watch out for more...

NOTE: These designs are my own original creations, which I create by spending much time and after hard work. So please don't post these photos or designs (even if you draw these by your own hand) on your site or blog . Please link back to my blog. I hope you understand this and respect my request. Thank You.

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Carpet Rangoli

16 dots 2 rows, upto 2 dots, straight dots

We have invited the Lord with lotuses and lamps in our first Rangoli. Now we are offering him a beautiful carpet studded with precious stones and embroidered with gold thread to sit.

Hope you like this watch out for more.

NOTE: These designs are my own original creations, which I create by spending much time and after hard work. So please don't post these photos or designs (even if you draw these by your own hand) on your site or blog . Please link back to my blog. I hope you understand this and respect my request. Thank You.

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Rangoli-2018-19--1

Rangoli-343

17 dots 5 rows- straight dots till 5 dots

Lotuses and Swastika Rangoli: So here we go. This is the first one I am posting. Let us start our Dhanurmasam with this Rangoli. Lord likes lotus flowers. Swastika is symbol for auspiciousness. Lamps are lit as a symbol for illuminating our lives, bringing in wisdom, leading us towards the right path.

So on the first day-on 16th let us welcome the Lord to our homes with these flowers in the Rangoli.

Hope you like this Rangoli.

Please do remember to chant the name of your Ishtadevata while drawing the Rangoli.

Watch out for more on my blog...

NOTE: These designs are my own original creations, which I create by spending much time and after hard work. So please don't post these photos or designs (even if you draw these by your own hand) on your site or blog . Please link back to my blog. I hope you understand this and respect my request. Thank You.

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Rangoli Fest 2018-19

Please please do circulate this and spread the word around as much as you can. 

This year by God's Grace, I am able to create some designs on paper. I will be posting my rangolis starting from 14th December. 

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Simple Cards

Hello there!

I know you are all busy preparing for Christmas. Today I am posting a card which I made for a friend.

I folded an A4 size white card stock with an offset on the edge-that is the top fold is lesser in width than the bottom one. So that you can see that part of the  bottom fold even the card is closed. I hope I have explained it properly. 

I don't know what such folds are known as where the top fold is smaller the the bottom or when the bottom fold peeks out.

I then glued a layer of pink embossed card over it and also a strip (with lacy border punched out)on the bottom fold.

Then I took a square shaped white card stock, punched out the lace and stamped the sentiment onto it. Then I glued it on the top.

I used a hand made paper baby pink for the insert. You can see it in the second picture.

Hope you like it.

Materials Used:

• A4 size white card stock
• Dark Pink Embossed Card stock
• Border Punch medium size
• Sentiment Stamp
• Black Ink
• Hand made paper 
• Glue

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Rangoli Fest - 2018-19

Friends! you are all invited to join me for the month long Dhanurmasam Rangoli festival on my blog.

I will be posting designs at least one every day starting from 14th December. Dhanur masam starts from 16th December. 

So please do share this post, circulate the word around as much as you can, so that all those who want new rangoli designs can benefit from my post. 

Your comments, suggestions or any queries are always welcome.

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Card For A Friend

Hi Friends!

Here is a card I made entirely using punches. This is also a card I made using just two colours white and red but for the butterflies.

The lace on the outer edge was cut using medium sized border punch. The leaf like cut on the inside was cut using a bigger border punch.

I used A4 size white card stock for the base and also the layer on the top, red card stock for the middle layer. 

This was an easy card to make. Moreover my craft resources at that time were very few. So I had to manage with them.

Hope you like it.

Materials Used:

• A4 size white card stock
• Red Card Stock
• Border Punch medium and large size
• Butterfly stickers - 3D- self adhesive
• Sentiment Stamp
• Black Ink
• Glue

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Rangoli Festival 2018-19

Hello!

Friends, the pious month of Dhanurmasam starts from 16th of December. You all know that it culminates in Sankranti or Pongal celebrations.

This whole month we draw beautiful Rangolis in front of our main entrance or in the front yard before the Sun rise to welcome lord Vishnu. It is considered as a form of prayer and thanks giving to Lord Vishnu and Sun God who is also know as Pratyaksha Narayana. After all without their benevolence, all living beings cannot sustain their lives. Sun whose light and heat provide all living beings not only the life sustaining energy but also food for survival.

So as a thanks giving we offer our prayers the whole month through our Rangolis. Isn't our culture unique in celebrating the Nature and its changing seasons?

Last year I couldn't post any rangolis as I was not well. But this year I am better and so will try to post new designs. Please do try them. And if possible send me some pictures. 

Alas I cannot draw such huge designs on the floor myself this year too(last year I just could draw anything at all). I will be so happy to see yours as at least through you I can reach The Lord.

I just hope I can post more than one design till Pongal. I am already creating new ones. So do join me from 14th.

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Hi Friends!

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Hello Friends!

Hello Friends!

Hope you are all doing well. I am getting better.

I am all excited. 

I am back with new energy, new thoughts and with more enthusiasm. So many of my friends are missing me. But now I am back and will try be in touch with you more frequently.

Are you all ready??? 

Be ready. Be ready.

Keep an eye on my blog...


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Are You Ready?

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Another Black and White Card

Hi folks. Hope you are all doing well.

I guess you are all preparing for Christmas and New Year. WE are just in the middle of the Karthika month- a month where we pray, fast, take dips in rivers or other water bodies and visit temples. It is winter time here. The temperatures are going down steadily. This is also a time for picnics and travelling.

Well I am busy with getting my house and my garden to some state of order. With all the neglect for nearly over an year everything is in chaos. I am better but not yet completely. I have to attend therapy sessions.

Today, I will share with you one of my cards-very simple black and white colours.

I have had these big butterfly stickers with me for some time and I wanted to use them.

I have folded an A4 size white card stock, punched three sides with border punch. Then I added the stickers and the half pearls. 

Basically I wanted it to be a simple uncluttered card in black and white. But in the last moment I added a bit of colour in the sentiment.

Hope you like it.

Smile Card

Materials Used:

• A4 size white card stock
• Border Punch
• Butterfly sticker
• Smile puffy sticker
• Black half pearls (self adhesive)

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