Kalalayaa's art studio

ALTERED BOTTLE

2012-01-31T00:53:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
hope you all a great start to the week so far.Today i am here to share a altered bottle i made for LESSology n couple of more challenges.As you all know i am not much a recycling person,but i love to make altered projects these days n this altered bottle was in my to-do list for long time.Well finally i made,..yay..so happy n loved the outcome:)Isn't it too cute,now i am going look out for more bottles in my home,cya:))

Supplies:
Stamps:Magnolia n fiskars(sentiment)
Coloring medium:Inktense water color pencils
Paper:Paper mania capsule collection(blue)
Embellishments:Laces,seam binding,prima n mulberry flowers,stickles,blings.
Tools:Ms butterfly punches,cuttlebug tiny tags

Challenges entered:
LESSology:Floral delight
Cupcake craft:Recycle
CES challenge blog:Check it out
DYSU:Ribbons

Happy crafting,

PINK N GREY

2012-01-27T02:57:00.000-08:00

Hi all,long time,no see huh?lolz..life is getting busier these days.Here is the card today,i made for pooja's beyond grey challenge.I loved the color combo,and wanted to give it a try.I just love this image from sarah kay,perfect for a valentine card,so romantic:).I am planning to make more valentine cards,lots of ideas peeping in my,lets see how for it will work out:)
See you all soon with more cards,hopefully:))
I have couple of things to remind you all before i leave,still there plenty of time to enter "For the love of crafting"challenge#3,i see very less entries this time...??come on people,its time to make some valentine projects,lets see some love from you all:)I have a series of mini give away's in my Facebook page,first one is already going on..check it out if you are interested.Become a fan if you really like my works,i promise you will not be disappointed,as i will be updating my facebook page with new works n updates more often than in my blog,as it is really easy to post updates on FB,than making a blog post:)

Supplies:
Stamps:Sarah kay,papers:Echo park,paper mania,dcwv,Ms punch,prima flowers,timholtz alpha dies.

Challenges entered:
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Word "Love"
Crafty Purple Frog Valentine's Day/Show us some love
Hanna & Friends - Colours: Pink, Grey
Little Darlings Challenges - 16 Polka Dots
Scrapbook Stamp Society - Hearts and Flowers
Cupcake Craft - All You Need Is Love
Creative Inspirations Paint - Pink
Fussy n friday challenge:Polka dots
Anything goes challenge:To the one i love

Happy crafting,

CAS CARD

2012-01-13T02:15:00.000-08:00

Hi,
just a quick card to share using my new harvest berries set from PTI.I have decided not to make much CAS cards this year,but seeing so many lovely cards in the blog i couldn't resist doing one for the ICR challenge.But as i said earlier i would love to create whatever comes in my mind in the flow,and this card is such a one,suddenly flashed in my mind.So here it is..hope you all like it.See you all later.

Challenges entered:
Indian Craft Room Challenge 14-Anything Goes +Cas
CAS-ual fridays:Scallop
Craft room challenge:Clean n simple

Happy crafting,

"FOR THE LOVE OF CRAFTING"CHALLENGE#3

2012-01-11T03:25:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,
challenge#3 is up on "For the love of crafting" challenge blog.I have delayed it for a day,life is getting busy in all the directions and hardly find time for anything,hmm but still managing everything,commitment is a commitment right?Ok,so this week's theme is:

Love is in the air+color pink

Easy peasy right?since valentines days is round the corner,i have selected this time.Boy,i really found hard to find time to make this card,i really squeezed in some time n make this quick card.

My favorite style of card,so it was quiet easy for me.And i am sorry i don't have any guest DT inspiration this month,but the good news is the top 3 winners of the challenge will be the guest DT for next challenge,good news..huh??The prize for this month's challenge is sponsored from my CRAFT STORE,head on to the challenge blog to know more.

Challenges entered:
TOMIC:pink+bow
CES challeng blog:Anything goes
Magnolia Down Under - Anything Goes
The Ribbon Reel:Pink+polka dots
Anything Goes Challenge - Anything Goes
Cards und More - Stripes & Pearls
Karens Doodles - Valentine`s/Love
Sweet Stampin - Spots and Dots
Simply create too-more than 2 layers.

Happy crafting,

NEW BEGINNING..

2012-01-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

Hi,hi,hi...
welcome to the first post of this year in my blog:))))Today is my turn to post the inspiration project in crafty jc challenge.The theme is "something new",it can be for new year,new baby,new house or anything related to a new beginning.
As soon as i started thinking for the project,the phrase is the first thing came to my mind.So keeping that as focal point i created a wall hanging.So this is the hint for what kind of projects you can expect from me this year,yes more of altered,mixed media n my layered style.Its good to experiment with different styles(i mean a style which is totally different for me),but it really does create a stress when you change the style for every project.I hard to switch over every time,so i have decide not to stress myself too much,n just allow my mind to think freely n create things which ever comes in the flow.Let see what comes this year:)))

Okies,enough of my rambling,now on to the project i have used a mount board as the base,covered it with pattern papers n decorated it with lots of flowers n butterflies..pretty simple for me ..he he.This is based on the inspiration picture this week from the shabby room.I loved the branches,butterflies n the colors in the picture and i have incorporated it in my project.The size is 7 by 10 inches,but still find it hard to find place for all my embellishments,lolz.The letters and the butterfly are cut with silhouette,and all the other things are from my stash.Hope you got inspired with my project n do play along this month:))

Supplies:
Stamps:Magnolia
Paper:Echo park victorian garden
Tools:MFT flourish die,MS punches
Embellishments:Pookla doodle flowers,chipboard,pielane glitter dust,charms n ribbons.

Flutterby Wednesdays - open
Inky Impressions - anything goes
My Mum's Craft shop - Something new
Paper Take Weekly - Anything Goes with the option of New Theme
Incy Wincy Designs - Anything Goes
Ooh La La Creations - Anything BUT a Card
Kaboodle Doodles - Celebrates
Paper Creations Ink - Die Cuts and/or Punches
Pollycraft - Punch It
The Shabby Tea Room -Time Flies (use Something with Wings)
Pile It On - Anything Goes
Lily pad cards-chipboard challenge

Happy crafting,

GIFT BOX

2011-12-31T01:23:00.001-08:00

Hiya all,
so we are the on the final day of the year n ready to welcome the new year n hope everything goes smooth n well:))).Here is my final post of the year.I thanks all my blog readers,followers and my crafty friends for an amazing year full of craftiness.I wont say its a great year for me,but definitely a good year,especially on the craft front.Got lots of new goodies,learnt lot of things,won in some handful of challenges,started my challenge blog,took up craft store seriously,wow..hope it continues n i have lots of plan to do n goals to reach in the coming year.In personal side,i met some really interesting persons in my life,n learnt quiet a few things,how to stay positive and what it can give to you,how to deal situations etc..:).I have decided to take my profession more seriously(till now i have worked only to get my craft supplies:)).So lots of things is there in store in the coming year in my blog and hope you all continue to give your support as you did all this year:).

Ok,now on the my today's project,i made a gift box for new year with lots of layers n embellishments.ts been quiet a long time since i made something like this,experiment with more of CAS cards n stamping these days.So i have embellished the box to my heart content..:).Hope you all like it.

Wishing you all a very happy new year,may this coming year brings you all lots n lots of happiness n craft goodies:))))).

Charisma Cardz Anything Goes (ends 4th Jan 2012)
Partytime Tuesdays - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine - Anything Goes
Ooh La La Creations - Anything BUT a Card
My Mum's Craft shop - anything goes
Crafty jc challenge:Holiday favors.

Happy crafting,

MY TOP 10 CARDS FOR 2011

2011-12-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

Hiya all,
it was heavily raining for past 2 days here,n i hardly feel like doing anything even though i have lots of things to finish up.But hey,i am enjoying the weather too,its good to chill up sometimes,huh...but we all want it to stop now,so that we can celebrate the new year.Hmm...lets see whats is there is store for new year.
I saw a link up party for top 10 cards of 2011 HERE,n thought of participating.Its nice to rewind back n see how far we have grown up,right..?:)And without no guesses i have seleceted mostly tilda cards as my favorite,i love her:p.This year i have been experimenting with lot of other styles too,especially on stamping,but when looking at all these i think the layered embellished cards are my cup of tea,what do you think?

Happy crafting,

STRIPES..

2011-12-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my take on this week inspiration picture from Runway inspired challenge.There are so many things to get inspired,what caught my eye first is the black n white stripes on the run way,the color grey.So i have used them as the main focus of the card,other things are the green bag,the splash of yellow on the back ground,n the purple eye mask,which i have used as embellishments here.
I have used the color block technique for the butterfly,scroll down for the tutorials.Thanks for stopping by.
This also goes to Tuesday trigger-Stripe-tastic and DYSU-Stripes

Cut the card stock scraps in different widths.

Take a base card stock,apply glue n stick the strips one by one in different color n widths.

Allow it to dry for 15 mins n then die cut your desired shapes.There are more ways to achieve different effects with this techniques,will post a detailed tutorial soon in my tutorial blog.

Happy crafting,

COLOUR Q#116

2011-12-24T02:41:00.000-08:00

Hiya friends,
wow the blog land is full of festive colors n i am loving it:)Wishing you all a merry merry Christmas.
Here is my card with all the bright festive colors,inspired by this weeks color q.I am following their blog for long n love the bright cheerful color combinations always,but somehow i couldn't participate till now(sshh..i tell you a secret,i really cant work with color restrictions,love to use it on the go,so i hardly participate in color challenges:)).But as i love to try which is hard for me i decided to give it a try at last in the year end,and i am loving the result:))

Supplies used:
Stamps:Flourishes
Dies:PTI butterfly die
Embellishments:Twine

Other challenges entered:
CAS-ual friday-Kraft+twine
Stampin For The Weekend - Anything Goes
My Mum's Craft shop - anything goes

Happy crafting,

QUILLED ALPHABETS

2011-12-23T02:40:00.000-08:00

Ok...i have not quilled the alphabet actually,because it needs lots of patience n time which i dont have:)So i have cut the letters with silhouette sd n decorated it with quilled flowers.Love how it turned out,hope you all like it too:)

and here is the sneak peak of my next project i am working on.I am really hooked with quilling now,and trying to finish this off before i get bored:).So till the next post keep guessing..:)

Happy crafting,

GETTING INSPIRED...

2011-12-19T05:28:00.000-08:00

My take on this week's case study inspiration.Its such a gorgeous card by amy,n so many fab things are there for inspiration.This also goes for moxie fab world potpourri inspired challenge.I have taken the color combo n the doily as inspiration which goes very well with the case study card.The splash of blue/teal is inspired by amy's card which makes it qualify for play date cafe challenge.

This card is based on moxie fab world kitchen inspired challenge,love the shades of green n the pattern and i have used it in my card.
Entering both the cards for Wee memories free for all challenge.

Happy crafting,

TRENDY CARDS

2011-12-16T04:24:00.000-08:00

Hi,
finally i made some cards after long time.I am inspired by some of the fashion related challenges going on in blog land.Wow..i never thought fashion photographs can be such a great inspiration for card making,now instead of browsing all art related pictures all the time i am going to search for some fashion pictures:))

First one is for Moxie fab world,love that pretty shirt.I am inspired by the hound sooth pattern,textures,the color combo and the brooch.I have used faux letter press technique for the base,all the die cuts are from my new PTI collections,a epoxy brad to finish it off.

Here is the card for the new Runway inspired challenge blog.I love the bright yellow in the inspiration picture,its such a bright n happy color to lift anybody's mood:)The card in my mind was totally different,after lot of avatars it finally ended up in this which is totally different from what i planned,but any ways i am happy with the result finally.Tell you what it took 2 hours n lots of papers for me to finish this card:((sometimes you cannot bring out what you think in mind,still the beautiful card was there in my vision for sometime now only for me to enjoy;)

Happy crafting,

"FOR THE LOVE OF CRAFTING"CHALLENGE#2

2011-12-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
the challenge is up on "For the love crafting" blog.The theme is for this month is,

Home decor/gifts projects for Christmas/new year

We have some amazing GDT samples,and a yummy prize package sponsored by imaginationsonline.com,do check out the details HERE.

For my project,i have made a desktop calendar.This week is really hectic for me,i have gone for a short trip and after coming back caught with sever cold n throat infections.It was so irritating,that i couldn't concentrate on anything.I finished this only yesterday evening,though i have decided the project long back,i couldn't execute it well due to my cold:((I am not much happy with the color combination,it looks very dull.Somehow i have managed it with lot of glitter n white to make it little brighter.
Lesson learnt-even though the last minute work works out well most of the time,it may go wrong sometime with unexpected things,better to finish up things pretty early:).

Ok,here is my well- managed project,lol.I think tilda made things little better:).

Supplies used:
Papers:Some unknow company(lolz),prima and echo park
Dies:Spellbinders beaded oval,doo hickey swirls
Embellishments:Echo park stickers,prima flowers,stickles,rhine stones.

Happy crafting,

GUEST DESIGNING AT DYSU

2011-12-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
i have made it top 3 and selected as guest designer in DYSU challenge blog last month for challenge#44.So today is my guest designing post there,do check it out here.The challenge is
"Something old",it could be some old supplies,or a image or vintage style.This weeks sponsors are saturated canary digis for 2 digi images and a prize package from gecko galz.
I have done a total vintage style card with lots of distressing.The digi is from saturated canary digis,loved coloring it.Hope you will join us this week.

Supplies:
Papers:Bo bunny time piece collection
Image:saturated canary digis
Tools:Spellbinder tag dies,cuttlebug embossing folder,mft rolled rose dies
Embellishment:Lace and faux brads

Challenges entered:
Ruby's Rainbow - monochrome
Paper Take Weekly - Anything Goes
Make it Monday - always Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp and Show... - Elements of Time
The Crazy Challenge - Anything goes
The Ribbon Reel - Anything Goes
Samuel Taylor's Challenge - Anything Goes

Happy crafting,

GUEST DESIGNING AT ICR

2011-12-02T05:54:00.000-08:00

Hiya,
as a winner of last challenge in ICR,i am the guest designer this month for ICR challenge#13.The challenge is to create a christmas card with non-traditional christmas colors(No green or red and no white back ground).So i went for blue christmas card with lots n lots of glitter:)Though i love all cute images,tida is most special to me,she makes my card extra special,so whenever i need to make a special card,i opt only for her:).
I kept the layers n embellishment little less and bold without adding lots of small things.So the big star in the background and the dress is done with pixie dust glitter,i love love the sheen it has,and the edges are done with stickles.The flower is handmade.The swirls are from doo hickey(my most favorite,you can see in most of my cards)the sentiment is printed n layered with spellbinder dies.

Aud Sentiments Challenge Any Winter Holiday Sentiments
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Lots of Sparkle
Creative Card Crew - Monochromatic
Creative Craft Challenges - Free For All Week
Karens Doodles - Non Traditional Christmas Colours
Ooh La La Creations - Lots of Sparkle
Simon Says Stamp and Show... - Stars
The Crazy Challenge - Stars and/or Snowflakes
The Cutie Pie Challenge - Pastel Christmas
Addicted to Stamps - Christmas card
Lollipop Crafts - 'B' is for... (i used bling)
Magnolia Down Under - Let it Snow

Happy crafting,

SCRAPPY SCRAP CARDS....

2011-11-29T23:53:00.000-08:00

Hello all,...
did you like the new design of my blog??i somehow didn't like the previous one,and wanted it to change long back.Finally i found time only yesterday,i spent whole evening for designing it,and i absolutely love the new look:))isn't it fresh??:)

Ok coming to the card,as the title suggest i made both the cards only with scraps for priya's challenge.The first card is inspired by Jennifer Mcguire ink,she has done it as CAS card only with the strings n birds.I tried cloud background behind,actually i should have used lightest blue ink for the BG,it was so dominating before,so i made the strings bit thicker and applied white watercolor pencil all over the cloud and now it was bit ok.To bring it still more down,i added a sentiment panel n the sun,hmm..but the clouds are dominating i guess..what do you all think?I have used the tiniest pattern papers to cut the birds,even a bit of paper is not waste when u have dies or punches:))

In this card,the background is made totally with scraps.Love the outcome.Now that i have my tutorial blog i will add tutorials for all the possible n different thing i make.Scroll down for the tutorials or visit my Tutorial blog.

This is all you need..

Pattern paper scraps
Distress inks and blending tool
Circle dies or punches
Card stock for base&
Glue

I have used first 2 sizes of spellbinders plain circle dies for this,you can even use some medium size punches if you don't have the dies.

First cut all the papers in 2 to 3 different size.Distress them individually.

Glue all the pieces individually n start sticking one by one over lapping each other.Since it is in circle shape go outside the card stock in the corners.Stick in the same style for whole of the card stock,remember the card stock should not be seen any where.

Once you finish it off,allow to dry for some time and trim the excess in the outer edge.You can either stop with this step and use as it is.Or try the next step to give even more finishing.

I have embossed it with distressed stripes embossing folder,this will help you to merge all the papers well and give a finished look as a single paper.
Tips:

Use only 2 to 3 size of circles,not more than that.
Stick it in a balanced way with alternate light n dark color n sizes.
Don't not use a very intricate design embossing folder or a simple one,the former will not allow the pattern paper designs to show off,the later will not be seen at all.Use a medium one.

Happy crafting,

A DIFFERENT PROJECT

2011-11-28T02:34:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
happy monday.Today i am here here with quiet a different project.This is a frame i did some time back for echo park dots n stripes project n few other challenges.This is similar to the one i did HERE.I liked the outcome,a relieve from regular cards.The tags are hand cut,used some chipboard letters n hearts with pie lane pixie dust glitters,some spellbinders n PTI die cuts to finish off.I have used craft jc palette#3 as color scheme

Creative Inspirations Paint - Anything BUT a Card
Crafty jc challenge: pick ur palette(palette#3)
ICR:Dot/stripes+tag

Happy crafting,

ONLY STAMPED CARDS:)

2011-11-25T02:22:00.000-08:00

Hi all,its friday already n week end is here,yay.Before i go on to the post i have couple of things to remind you all.

I am having a small give away in my face book page(a stamp set),do have a look.To enter n win LIKE my facebook page.I will announce the winner once i reach 225 likes.

Divya of jewels of sayuri is organizing a blogger meet for all chennai bloggers tomorrow.All the details can be seen in Blogger kottam blog,i am sponsoring 2 craft kits for 2 lucky participants.Do drop in if you have time.

I am having a sale for pattern papers in my CRAFT STORE,today is the last day n only few packs are left over.Check it out if you are interested.

The first challenge is up on my new blog "For the love of crafting" and running,you have time till dec 9th,hope you will join us this month:)

Okies,now getting back to post,i have attempted some cards only with stamping,yes...i restricted myself from using any other stuffs like punches,dies,embellishments etc.Its nice to try something which we think we cannot do at all:).Do let me know what you people think.

MEET MY NEW FRIEND,TEDDY BEA:)

2011-11-23T04:39:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
how have you been doing?hmm..its been a week since i posted,lots of things are going on behind the screens.Yup,i am busy with lots of these,so as usual i am getting confused which one to do first:((.Okies here is the tag i came up with today for crafty jc challenge,i have used palette#2,just love the combination n i have tried a softer version of it.I have already done one for palette#3,yet to post it.
Coming back to the title of the post,meet my new friend teddy bea.I love love love anything that is cute n keep collecting them all(like stickers,key chains,dolls..he he)even if i don't need them.When it come to cute digi's,i really can resist buying cute ones.There are lots n lots of digi companies are there,but few are really making a sensation,one of them is teddy bo&co,isn't the bear is the cutest?though i dint like them at first when i saw them,i fell for them i saw lot of colored versions:))

ICR challenges:Dots/stripes+tag
Bows 'n Berries Make a Tag
Craft your days away :Embellishment bingo(pearls,flowers,ribbon)
DYSU:Splash of blue

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy crafting,

GUEST BLOGGER OF THE MONTH-NOVEMBER

2011-11-21T02:48:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,
this months guest blogger is ramya from Art platter.She is new to me,i got a mail form her some time back n when i visited her blog i was really impressed.She is a versatile crafter with lot of different works in her blog,and she has lots of simple tutorials too.So check it out what she says about herself n her art journey,over to ramya..

1.Please feel free to introduce yourself and share a little something about yourself.

Hello, I’m Ramya and I live in Chennai with my folks. I am working as a Management Consultant after my Post graduation in Management from a Business School in Bangalore.

Used to be (still is) the kind of person who keeps scribbling in the corner of textbooks during class hours. I have now taken this to the next level by seriously getting into crafts and reading on art.

What started with pencil scraps, chocolate wrappers and match sticks for the ‘Art From Waste’ competitions in school has now changed to polymer clay, duplex paper and kundan stones. The materials used have changed, not the inclination to experiment!

2.Do you have a blog?when did you started blogging?share some of your blogging experience with us.

Oh yes... My very own blog, which has now become a dear friend - Artplatter.com was launched on October 2010. At that time, I was still writing about whatever I came across, or any art related topic that fascinated me. Slowly I started making tutorials on various crafts and started connecting with various talented people in the world of blogging. The best day was when I received my first comment - I was just so happy to respond!

3.When did you discover the crafting talent in you?

I can’t remember really!... Maybe when I was 6 or 7, if not earlier.

5..For how many years have you been in this field of art n craft? Share some memorable moments with us.

My most memorable moment was when I used to make designs and sketches of jewellery in my 4^th standard, my friends used to comment even then that I could take this up as profession. Since then I’m in the pursuit of honing my craft skills.

6.Is crafting is your profession?If yes,what makes to choose it,do you think is a good profession in India?

I wish I could turn it into my profession very soon. And I’m working my way towards it. With the kind of rich heritage that India has, I am sure there could be a no better place in the world!

7.In what type of crafts/paintings you deal with,which is your most favorite work?

I do anything that fascinates me: Paper crafts for kids and adults, pot work, polymer clay work, glass painting and so on. My favourite although is flower making.

8..From where did you get your ideas/inspirations for your art?

Everything around me is an inspiration – the world we live in and the ‘world wide web’!

9.What do you consider as your strength and weakness in crafts?

The will to experiment and my mom who never asks me to enter the kitchen are my key strengths! So I’ve got a lot of free time once I’m back from work. I consider myself still a beginner and so there is still a long way to go – an exciting path ahead awaits.

10.What is your success mantra?

Well, as I said, still a beginner, but I guess getting featured on Kavi’s Kalalayaa Art Club is Step 1 of success. So in that case, the mantra is Kavi and the passion I have towards crafts. I can just spend sleepless nights in the company of fabric colours and adhesive.

11..Which is your favorite art works of yours till date and why?pls share us the picture of that art.

One of my favourites are these hibiscus flowers which I made by recollecting the process an art teacher taught me when I was in my eighth grade.

12..Who is your favorite crafter and why?Do you have any role model?

My favourite crafter is Inna of Increations. She truly is a Quilling Ninja. I love how much she experiments with quilling. The kind of perfection and the depth of her creations are just so inspiring.

13.DO you have any dream project?

Oh yes. I have many, to list a couple of them – one is to do a ceramic mural covering half of the living room wall at my home. A large quilled painting is something which is also in the pipeline.

14.What is your future plans in crafting?

Very soon I plan to start a whole segment on handmade cards. Right now I am working on a few designs. Lamasa Crafts after that.

15.Thank you so much for spending some time to answer my questions, finally please share some useful tips for new budding bloggers.

Be passionate about what you do.
Nothing is too small. Start small and dream big. After all, crafting is all about turning something simple into something fascinating.
Remember to Have fun!

Do you want bethe next feaureted blogger here?E-mail me you blog link to kavi_kalalayaa@yahoo.co.in

CUTE CARDS:)))

2011-11-15T04:57:00.000-08:00

Gud evening friends,
today i am here with 3 cute cards with some super cute images from tiddly inks.I recently visited their blog for entering a challenge n literally fell in love with those super cutest images.I could resist buying them n made 3 cards using their image today.Do you know what..i made these 3 cards in just 2 hours,phew my quickest ever:)

I am sure you too with love with these cuties,hav a look...
In first card i used my new dies(look at the heart:)),my favourite basic grey papers with some flower n ribbon.This is my favorite of all three:)

The Crazy Challenge - 1 Image, 2 Papers, 3 Embellishments
Di's Digis Designs - Ribbons and Bows
C.R.A.F.T challenge: cute
ICR:Dots/and or stripes with tag

This is a circle easel card with some different circle die layers,flowers n butterflies.My parents liked this the best in all three:)

My Craft Spot - Easel Cards
Hooked on Crafts - Punches and /or Diecuts
Little Claire's - Shaped Cards
Polkadoodle - swirls and pearls

The final one,i really become tried n kept it very simple,but still i liked the outcome.

Sending all three card to Tiddly inks Anything goes challenge.

Happy crafting,

"FOR THE LOVE OF CRAFTING"CHALLENGE#1

2011-11-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,
today i am super super excited for many reasons.The first challenge of my new blog"For the love of crafting" is up today.The theme for this month challenge is "HANGING OUT",to create some thing that can be hanged.Visit the BLOG for more details.

Another good news is i have won in ICR challenge for my easel step card(my third win for the same card) and happened to be the guest designer there next month.And my CASE STUDY CARD have made it to first in top three in DYSU challenge,which means i will the future guest designer there.I am all the more excited:)))

Ok now on to this project,i wanted to make something really special as this is for the first challenge so i made a wall hanging in my favorite shabby chic style with lots n lots of flowers n butterflies.This is quiet a huge one measures 11 by 11 inches,the frame is handmade with card stock and i made it in a lay out style.This can be assumed as a bigger size birthday card too,lolz.
Note this is picture heavy post,as there are lots n lots of details.

The super cute image is from wee stamps,i love the innocence on her face..so pretty:).Can u make the psot with hanging in the left hand corner?it is for writing the name of the person who is going to get it.Lots n lots of flowers,some handmade n others are from prima n mulberry.The happy birthday is cut with my silhouette,other word stickers are from echo park.Lots of pearls,rhine stones,pie lane glitter heart,Ms butterflies n more....Hope you like it.Do play along with us this month:)).

Challenges entered:
C.R.A.F.T. - Cute
Crafty Ribbons - Anything BUT a Card
Dutch Dare Card Challenge - Punches and Dies
Charisma Cardz - Cutesy Project
Crafts and Me - birthdays
Cooking It Up With Katie - fancy, flowers, unusual fold
Decorate to Celebrate - must be party decoration Birthday Party
Shopping Our Stash - Stickers, Rub-ons or Chipboard
Tiddly Inks - Anything Goes
Create me pink:Flowers

Happy crafting,

MORE CAS CARDS...

2011-11-07T02:10:00.000-08:00

Hi,
happy monday.Today i am here with 2 cards.First one is for Case study,don't you just love the inspiration card?i do.I couldn't decide on what to take as inspiration,as everything is just perfect.I mainly took the die cut shape n the flower stamp as inspiration,the spellbinders label 9 is the newest addition to my collection n i just love it.Made it as a black n white card with a splash of color on the butterfly.Why text back ground for a flower n butterfly themed card?i don't know but this is what strikes my mind immediately after i saw the card.I masked the butterfly shape n stamped the text background,poped up another colored butterfly.All the stamps are from hero arts,sentiment is from flourishes.

Supplies used:
All the stamps are from hero arts,memento black ink,rhinestones

Entering this to following challenges:
Cupcake craft challenge:Textalicious
DYSU challenge:Use teal
CAS-ual fridays-Over the edge
Creative Inspirations Paint - Anything Goes
Fussy and Fancy - be thankful and feature a sentiment

This card is for PTI's make it monday multi stamp background.I almost took all my PTI stamps out n tried different combinations,oh boy...loved the effects.But in that mess up,i lost the tiny leaf stamp in this card:((.

Supplies used:
All stamps n dies are from PTI

Happy crafting,

I LOVE CAS CARDS..

2011-11-04T23:21:00.000-07:00

Yes..yes..i love making CAS cards these days for many reasons..i can use my stamps well,it so quick n stylish n so on.Here is a super quick card i made for Wee memories brads,button or bow challenge.I am making more CAS cards,but since the wee memories challenge is going to get over in few mins i will be posting it later.
The stamps are from PTI everyday button bits n the pretty button is from pie lane.Some brads n twine to finish the card.

.

Thanks for stopping by.
Happy weekend,

Crackled glass technique

2011-11-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

Omg,..its really tough to get back the mojo after a break or vacation.Finally i got down to work today,especially for the lily pad card challenge.Loved the sketch by nina,n i thought its the right time to try the crackled glass technique too,tutorials from split coast stampers.

I am always a curious cat,when it comes to trying out new techniques.Actually i have to it keep it in the freezer for sometime(atleast 3 to 4 mins),after the embossing is done to get the cracks.But i took it after 1 min.,he..he..so dint get much cracks.Once again i embossed it,kept it again in the freezer for 3,4 times n finally got the result...,uff...i seriously cant wait to see the results:)And finally i inked up my flourishes stamps.Its been nearly 2 month since i got the stamps:((once upon a time i was dying to get those????some times we go crazy in buying n just forget it after getting it in hands.
I am not sure whether the cracks are showing well in the photograph,but it looks great in real..a superb technique for sure.

P.S:Want to customize your pattern paper for your project?,use the main image stamp you use in the card for the pattern paper with some neutral color inks,the effect is really good:).

Entering this to Wee memories brads,bows or button challenge

Thanks for visiting.
Happy crafting,

BIG NEWS.....

2011-10-31T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
hope you all had great vacation:).It was lot of fun,..n its really hard to get back the mojo now and all this above i hurted my fingers badly when i sat down to work yesterday.So no crafting for 2 more days:((.I thought of using this, time to start my new blog"For the love of crafting"which was in my mind for quiet a long time.So the time has arrived and the NEW BLOG is launched:)),this is basically a tutorial blog,where you can find all the tip,tricks,techniques,product info,tutorials n more,but it has more interesting features like artist of the month,fun interviews anm a monthly challenge too:))

Read more about it....

Tips &tricks:According to me anyone can learn the basics easily,that is how to do a painting or craft work or so...but the simple tips n techniques each one apply makes the huge difference between a great artist,good artist and a normal one...I myself use lot of tricks n techniques if the regular things doesn't work for me.So if you have any ideas n tips like that you can share it here.

Tutorials:There are lot of tutorials going to be featured here,so if you have any tutorials to share(old or new one)from your blog you are more than welcome.Initially to start with we will share the tutorials already we have on our blogs,the idea is this should be a one stop place for all the tutorials.And as we progress we will be adding more new tutorials too.

Product info:You can find the information about different craft supplies,..how to use it,what are their different uses etc.

Membership:Talking about 'WE',this is going to be a group blog,so if can contribute something on a regular basis..i.e,at least weekly once,you can become member of this blog and post it yourself.I f you are interested shoot me a mail to kavi_kalalayaa@yahoo.co.in with a link to your blog.Make sure you can contribute regularly otherwise your membership will be cancelled.

Monthly challenge:To spark your creativity more,we are going to have a monthly challenge here.This is not only related to paper crafting,but anything like mixed media art,quilling,craft works,home decors etc..you can expect really different challenges each month.Since this is going to related to different subjects,there will be no permanent DT members,according to challenges each monthly i will contacting the persons who are best at it.At the end of the challenge winner n top 3 or 5 will be announced.Prizes will be intially sponsored from my craft store.

More features:As i already told this blog is going to place for all kinds of arts n crafts,say painting,embroidery,crochet,paper crafts,mixed media,craft works,murals,home decors,handmade gifts..phew..you name it.So all types of artist are welcome to this blog,if you cannot contribute regularly you can do it occasionally,in that case you have to mail me the article you want to publish here.

Here is the list of activites that is going to take place:

Tips and techniques
Product information
Tutorials
Artist of the month
Some fun interviews
Monthly challenges etc

Hmm..these are the things came to my mind now,if you have any idea please feel to share.The main thing is to bring all the people(craft lovers)together to share their experience,tips etc n more importantly to have fun.

Ok,you can ask me now will be the benefit for you if you join here n do all these,nothing big but you can get more friends,get to know more people from same n different field,can get more readers n followers to you blog etc.In simple words more you can get POPULARITY,i think that is more important for everyone:))

Hope you will join me there,any if you are interested to share any tips,tutorials,techniques you can mail me to kavi_kalalayaa@yahoo.co.in

YOU ARE A DEAR FRIEND...

2011-10-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Check out the Guest blogger post HERE.

Here is my take on this weeks case study inspiration.I loved the background stamping n the big bold flower in her card n i took those as inspiration.Hope you like it.
Wishing you all my friends a very happy diwali:))).

crafty jc challenge-simplicty

Happy crafting,

GUEST BLOGGER OF THE MONTH-OCTOBER

2011-10-23T01:43:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
my guest blogger for this month is priya from Color conceptions.She is a multi-talented lady,and a chennai blogger,yay its nice to meet people from same place through blog land which otherwise would have not happened.
Read through her interesting interview,and she shares a special tutorial for making a felt flower here.Finally,leave some love for my guest,and if you are interested in being a featured blogger here,please mail me to kavi_kalalayaa@yahoo.co.in with a link back to your blog.Do not leave the interest in the comment section,i am unable to get the link to some of the blogs,so mail me and i will get back to you.

1.Please feel free to introduce yourself and share a little something about yourself.

Hello, I am Priya from Chennai, India.. I am married to a handsome husband and a mom of 5 year old adorable boy.My hubby is the best critique of my works and if he likes it, I know it is a hit!!I had been working with a reputed software company but had given up the job for my kid and to pursue my interests.I like to try my hand at any art or craft and my interests keep changing often..:)

Now,I love blogging..oz I get to meet lot of people, make some friends and witness huge talents and have fun!!

2.Do you have a blog?when did you started blogging?share some of your blogging experience with us.

Yes..!!Started my blog in Nov 2010 and here is my blog ColorConceptions.I had wanted to start a blog for longtime..But did not have time.. After I quit my job last year, I was browsing and visited many art and craft blogs.They are my real inspirations , that urged me to start a blog immediately. Kavitha’s blog was one of such early inspirations.Blogging is all about getting inspired and inspiring.It is fun and great way to connect with people having same interest.. !!
In this journey,

3.When did you discover the crafting talent in you?

I could nt say exactly when…as early as I could remember, I had been passionate about arts and crafts.And every relative and friend of mine would have atleast one of my works with them.. :).

5.For how many years have you been in this field of art n craft? Share some memorable moments with us.

I remember, I used to take my drawing book everywhere and drew car,bus..etc and whatever I see, when I was 5.Later my drawing interested subdued and my craft interests raised its head till school days..Then was busy with studies, job, marriage, kid.. till I forwent my job..:))

6.Is crafting is your profession? If yes, what makes to choose it, do you think is a good profession in India?

As of now, it is a hobby! Would love to take it for a profession. But I doubt, me becoming crafting professional any sooner !!

Crafting can be good profession , provided you are much dedicated , know the pulse of market ,give your best and value for money to the customers ,meet deadlines. Teaching crafts can also be taken up as profession.

7.In what type of crafts/paintings you deal with, which is your most favorite work?

I mostly make cards now, as you can do one in a jiffy(for regular blogposts J) , does nt need lot of patience, get to try a lot of new techniques. At times, my painting interests come back and do 1 or 2 paintings.. I make Tanjore painting, Acrylic painting, glass painting,Coffee painting,ceramic painting,Mehandi,quilling, soft toys,decoupage, Kerala murals, M-seal mural, epoxy mural and many of that sort…I love my Tanjore paintings the most.

8.From where did you get your ideas/inspirations for your art?

I get inspirations from magazines,blogland and google .Ideas can pop up from anything,anytime,anywhere..!! I just put in the back of mind, what I need and go on..One fine moment, yurekah! The bulb glows and that is when I get my ideas..

9.What do you consider as your strength and weakness in crafts?

My Strength is , when I am seriously into some craft/ art I give full attention and enjoy making it to the core! Weakness is, when I lose interest, I set aside the project and God knows when I will work back on it!!

10.What is your success mantra?

Give your best and enjoy doing it!

11.Which is your favorite art works of yours till date and why? pls share us the picture of that art.

Tanjore paintings are my most favorite art work till date and this Yaal Ganesha is so special.I wanted to try a not so common piece, once I saw the sketch, I jumped into making it.( Yaal is a musical instrument used centuries ago and our tamil poets describe," its music is the sweetest of the sounds.."!!)My in-laws are hoarding it now!.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qdK2x8EZHRY/TSCwKZFi1uI/AAAAAAAAAQo/zrQjSVAEjRM/s1600/tanjore+Ganesha.jpg

12.Who is your favorite crafter and why? Do you have any role model?

There are so many of crafters, Indian and foreign, who are my favorite….coz, I find something good in each one of them.. Most Favorites are of them are Jennifer Mc Guire, Gina K, Dawn McVey,Niki Estes,Teresa Collins,Kristina Werner

13.Do you have any dream project?

Interior decorating my dream home is one dream project!I have so many.. If I complete all of them , I will be the best artist/crafter in town!! J

14.What is your future plans in crafting?

My future plan is to open up a shop to sell my art/craft works.. But I have nt set a deadline for it yet!!

15.Thank you so much for spending some time to answer my questions, finally please share some useful tips for new budding bloggers

Thanks Kavi for choosing me as a Guest blogger!, I really enjoyed answering the questions too...

Try learning simple things first.. when you are comfortable, move to next level.

Try different techniques and see what you excel in! Make it your style.

Give out your best in whatever you do.

All the very best for budding crafters and thanks for reading patiently about me..:)

I thought I would make a tutorial common for both card makers and crafters.. So here I am presenting you the Kanzashi flowers..They can be made in satin cloth, ribbon,velvet and paper too..

Take felt in 2 colors(can be done in single color too)

Cut small squares with it.. need not be perfect, you can also try with circles.. it gives a different flower :)

Fold the squares in half

Join the below two ends

Secure the folds with safety pins

After it is done for all the 8 pieces, Sew them one by one ,removing the pins

Sew together the last petal with the first one and knot it below

Fill the center with button or brad or any other embellishment. Finally, the Kanzashi flower!! Is nt it gorgeous?!!

Here is some of the beautiful works from priya..

CARD PATTERNS SKETCH#137

2011-10-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
here is a super quick post to share my card for this week's card pattern's sketch.Generally i don't post at this time,but today was too busy with shopping n other stuffs,and i don't want to miss on this challenge..so here is my card.Off to sleep,see you all soon with guest blogger of the month post,till then keep guessing:)

Cupcake Craft - Buttons and Bows
Art Impressions Stamps Challenge - Lace
Crafty Ribbons -Ribbon and Lace
Paper Play – Use Black

Happy crafting,

MDUC#118 SKETCH

2011-10-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
thank you all so much for the sweet comment on my previous post,all of you all are so shocked to see a CAS card in my blog,lol.So,i am here with my usual style card,..love how it turned out.
This is based on this week's sketch at MDUC,its just fab n i badly wanted to give it a try.Lot of new products have been used,first is cherryleen doily dies,the ready made doilies are either too big or too small which doesn't suit for the cards and this one is perfect in size.Its very intricate,so i have to run it at least 4 to 5 times in the machine to get it right,but worth the effort.Next is basic grey jovial paper pack,oh ful of bright n bold papers n i am loving it.The large daisy flower is from prima which i bought long back,but i never had heart to use them,they are so so pretty.And finally look at the acrylic shoe charms..isn't it gorgeous?i got from crafty emma store when i won a 10gbp gift certificate in a challenge.

Fab 'n' Funky - distressed or torn
Crafty Ribbons - Ribbon and Lace
My Time To Craft - Punches & Dies
Sweet Stamps - Lots of Layers
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Lace
Cupcake Craft - Buttons and Bows

Happy crafting,

CAS CARDS

2011-10-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hi peeps,
happy monday.Last week has been super lucky for me,n i have lots of things to share with you all:).First is i got top 3 spot in 3 of the challenges,in CRAFT challenge n glitter geeks for my easel step card and in craft your days away for pretty in pink tag,i am super excited:).

Second is i am the featured crafter in Craftsia this week,check out my interview HERE.

I am having a give away in my Facebook page,look out for the details in sidebar---->

P.S:I am having some awesome papers for sale in my Craft store,do have look HERE.

So finally i have a shocking news for you all,lolz..yes i tried some pure CAS cards for crafty jc challenge-simplicty.Ok,simplicity is not my style,but i wanted to give it a try for this challenge.As i said earlier,i love trying things in which i am not comfortable,..but after making these cards i really become comfortable with this style n started loving it,and if i continue making CAS cards,i will become lazy to do layered cards i guess..these are super easy n quick.
For the first card,i clear embossed the hero art flower design on white card stock n distressed it with some pastel shade ink pads.Isn't the flowers are gorgeous?,now this stamp becomes my most favorite:).Some pearls,twine n pie lane button to finish the card.

For this card i used hero arts antique engraving butterfly stamps(again my fav,..i just love all the hero art stamps) n sentiments stamps..easy peasy one,the circle frame is done with plain circle nesties

Very minimal use of stuffs,so nothing more to explain...but i love the end result.Please leave your feed back as i am curious to know:)

Happy crafting,

Love you...

2011-10-11T04:24:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
hope you had a great start to the week.This card is based on this week's Case study challenge,i so love the stamping n colors,n decided to give it a try.As usual this is a last minute entry,phew i couldn't do it before that no matter how hard i try.The damask stamp in the background is from my mind's eye lost n found collection,i love this set so much to good for the money.The butterfly is from hero arts(again my fav). The corrugated heart n panel is made with kraft card stock n crimper,i so love the effect ,i wonder why i haven't used it before.The music sheet pattern paper is from echo park,the glittery heart is done with pine lane pixie dust glitters,some mulberry roses,hat pin,button,twine n lace to finish the card:).

Ok,..i may sound over excited but i want to show this stamped panel separately as it gets covered in the card.This is the first time i am trying repetitive stamping,i have done once before but that is with measuring the stamps,making blocks n stamping inside.This is done directly without making any blocks,just with eye measurements,so i am proud of myself,lol.

As i said i am over excited,..i tried some more too..so what do you think about my stamping??do i have a future in it?:)))
Challenges entered:
Heart Song Inspirations - Use Die Cuts and/or Sponged Backgrounds
Karens Doodles - Distress It
I Did It Creations - Anything Goes
One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes
Simon says stamp n show: Things with wings
Crafty pad:Vintage

Happy crafting,

EASEL STEP CARD

2011-10-08T03:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
i am so excited to share this project today.I saw this type of folding card 2 weeks back in THIS BLOG and i almost fainted,what an amazing card it is,the best card i have seen so far.This looks like both easel n step card combined together,but dont know the name exactly,and i googled it n after a long research with trying different names finally i found the tutorial,yay...here is the LINK.

Looks like complicated,but super easy n fun,i am loving this.As you all know i love to add lot of details till the last space is left in my card,lolz..and these type of folding cards have lots of space to add on details,so with out any more ramblings here are the pictures for you to enjoy:))).

Challenges entered:
Card Makin' Mamas - fancy/more than 1 fold
Glitter Geeks - flower power
Paper Crafting Journey - Die cuts and/or a punches
C.R.A.F.T. - Bright Colours
ICR11-easel card+basic shapes(square)

Happy crafting,

{PRETTY IN PINK)TAG

2011-10-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
today i am here to share the latest tag i created.It was in my mind for long time,n finally i made it:)I made this for MDUC challenge,where pink,white n gold should be used,so i used lots of pink n some white n gold.I have used lots of flowers,some peals,butterflies n die cuts,hope you like it:)

This week has been hectic,n some how i don't feel good,feeling something bad n dumped(n feeling alone,hope you too have experienced this feeling sometimes,feeling bad n alone for no reason ) don't know the reason,.So i am not in mood to write anything,hope this will change soon.

Challenges entered:
Flutterby Wednesdays - anything goes
Digistamps 4 Joy -think pink for Breast Cancer awareness
Fab 'n' Funky - diecuts/punches
Inky Impressions - breast cancer awareness or monochromatic
Crafty Sentiments - Pearls Flowers & Pins
Anything Goes Challenge - Diecuts/Punches or Both
The Crazy Challenge - Think Pink
Crafty Emma - Totally Gorjuss/Pretty Girls
Allsorts - Five Flowers
Craft Your Days Away - Tag it
My Sheri Crafts -Think Pink
Incy wincy- THink pink

Happy crafting,

NAPKIN FOLD CARD

2011-09-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
i tried a new fold card today,this is called napkin fold card and you can find the super easy tutorial HERE.Sorry for the poor pictures,somehow i couldn't get it right today,may be i should tomorrow in day light.

Challenges entered:
Do You Stack Up? - Inspiration Picture* Swirls
Meljens Designs - Shapes: Use a circle and a square in the same creation
Paper Crafting Journey - Die cuts and/or a punches
Inky Impressions - punches or dies
Bearly Mine - 3x Design/Backing papers to be used.
Paper and Such Design - Recipe (i choose paper,ribbon,flower)
Incy Wincy Designs - Fancy Folds
Ooh La La Creations -Punches/Dies
MDUC-Fancy folds

Happy crafting,

SOME HAPPY NEWS N CARDS...

2011-09-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
hope your week started well,For me for sure:).I completed 3 cards today,..omg that's great but still feeling guilty as i have other important works to complete.Hmm,,..but i am addicted to card making n challenges,.. so that's ok,i rush up n finish all that tom..no regrets:))
Before going to the cards i want to share some happy news,first is my handmade card shop is now open at Craftsia,after a long wait.Having a online shop is my dream,but that needs some investment,time n some more maturity n experience for me:)),so i prolonged it.But when this offer came for me from craftsia,i immediately grabbed it as dont need any of these for this now,because its something like Etsy,exclusively for Indian hand made products,where you can start your own shop without much investment.So isnt it a great news?this is really needed now in India.Ok,please visit my shop HERE.
Second is my THIS CARD is selected as one of the honorable mentions in Wee memories,happy:))

Now coming back to the card,the first one is based on Play date cafe colors,i can see lot of cards in blog land in fall colors n themes n i really wanted to try one.But we have nothing to do with a fall card here in india,so i changed the sentiment and made it into a love card,lolz.I embossed the card stocks,n distressed it with tea dye inks,the maple leaf is embossed n cut with with crafters companion,button is from pie lane,sentiment is echo park alpha sticker(stickers are the best thing when u want to make your own sentiments).I love making these type of fun cards now a days:))

Woodware USA -Fall/Autumn
Paper Pretties - Fall Inspired
Gingerloft - Vintage or Distressed
Just Some Lines - Fall(Autumn) Colours

This card is based on i{heart}2stamp sketch,I really loved it n its one of the popular sketch now in the blog land.This is the card i struggled a lot for,i couldn't choose the pattern papers right(i think that is the toughest part of card making),and i end up cutting around 3-4 papers n couldnt use those:(((its a heart breaking thing).Finally i used my new DCWV all dressed up stack n its perfect.

Crafty Boots - Wings
Ooh La La Creations - Punches/Dies
Wee memories:Pattern papers

This card is based on cardabilites sketch and i really love this sketch too:)

Hooked on Crafts - Ribbon and Lace
Wee memories:Pattern papers

Happy crafting,

GUEST BLOGGER OF THE MONTH

2011-09-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
i have promised to make the guest blogger feature a regular one during my blog anniversary celebrations,that was back in june.Somehow i couldn't materialize it,and finally i decided to start it from september.And again it took me so long,that its going to be month end,he he,better late than never:).What took me so long and made me prolong it is to make this question paper,ha ha,..yeah after thinking a lot i finalized these,..because i wanted it to be interesting as well as useful:).

So the first person who dared to answer these questions(first time is quiet difficult you see;))is Ujjwal from handmade with love.She is very well know for her CAS style,and stamping,so here comes my first interview,...(insert dramatic music;))

1. Please feel free to introduce yourself and share a little something about yourself.

Hello, I’m Ujjwal living in Pune, India and am seriously addicted to Craft- making, admiring, hoarding and most defiantly buying ( things that I don't need but MIGHT need :D ). I got married to a wonderful guy 1 and a half yearss back and life has been a beautiful journey ever since.My husband is most supportive, encouraging and ever so patient with my crafting needs(I am not sure if its the same when I go on my crafting shopping spree!)

I have been into card making and crafting since I was a small kid but it got serious when I discovered blogging a couple of years back and started my own blog in Feburary 2010 and there has been no looking back. I have met some very talented people..made wonderful friends and learned a lot.

I was a full-time working software professional but never really loved my job( except for the part that it paid and I could buy all the crafting goodies :D) because my heart has always been in crafts. I took a break from full-time job after I got married to spent more time with my family. And now I keep thinking if I should or should not go back to my full-time job and haven't reached a decision yet :)

I am glad to have been given the opportunity to be featured here today! I am looking forward to all the friendships, fun and crafting!

2. Do you have a blog?when did you started blogging?share some of your blogging experience with us.

Oh yes, I am addicted to blogging. I have been maintaining my personal blog Handmade with love since February 2010. I think the great thing about blogging is that it enables you to meet so many new people who share the same passion, learn new things and make friends. It also helps you maintain a presence in the virtual world and share what you do best :)

3. When did you discovered the crafting talent in you?

I have been crafting as long as I can remember. It started as a competition between me and my elder brother when we were little. My elder brother was exceptional at sketches and I was always jealous and wanted to do as good as him. And slowly I realized this is where my heart lies. Later, my elder brother quit sketching and found his love in sports (cricket to be precise :)) but I continued with crafts and card making and here I am today (and if you really want to know about my brother, he is a marketing manager for an IT company now:)).

4. For how many years have you been in this fied of art n craft?Share some memorable moments with us.

As I said, I have been into arts & crafts right form when I was 7-8 years old. I loved to paint and sketch. I have been very active with arts & crafts throughout school. Participating in competitions, school fares and stalls, preparing educational charts in school were some of my favorite activities then. I continued my love of crafts throughout 6 years of college, creating cards for family and friends and maintained a sketch book at all times :) I lost touch for almost a year when I started working and but then picked it up again when I discovered blogging :)

5. Is crafting is your profession?If yes,what makes to choose it,do you think is a good profession in India?

Not really, although I would love for that to happen one day. There is nothing better than doing something you love and also get paid for it :)

But I think it will take time in India for people to realize how much effort goes into hand-crafted items and what they are worth. Although people appreciate what we do, very few show interest in purchasing and promoting them. Its a long way to go.

7.In what type of crafts/paintings you deal with,which is your most favorite work?

I am mostly a card maker but I enjoy experimenting with different ideas and techniques. I have tried my hands at scrapbooking, altered items, Murals, Coffee Paintings, Madhubani paintings, Ceramic paintings, Acrylic Paintings, Warli Paintings and lots of other things. Although I do not sell my paintings yet, my parents and my in-laws are proud owners of my paintings :)

8..From where did you get your ideas/inspirations for your art?

I get inspired in lot of different ways - magazines, fabric prints, other blogs, and even watching TV. Sometimes I get inspired by a particular color combo, sometimes a sketch, a technique and sometimes by a particular tool. There's no limit to where you can find your inspiration in. All you have to do is think crafts and you can draw inspiration from anything you see.

9.What do you consider as your strength and weakness in crafts?

I think my strength lies in "less is more" approach. I mostly create clean and simple cards. Not that I don't admire other styles, I really do but I guess I am not good at layering stuff and adding embellishments :) Maybe someday I will learn to do that too :)

10.What is your success mantra?

hmm..am I successful? Do not know but I think I just love what I do and I do it with all my heart.

11..Which is your favorite art works of yours till date and why?pls share us the picture of that art.

One of my recent favorites is this card. I love the bright happy colors, all that hand-stitching :)

12..Who is your favorite crafter and why?Do you have any roll model?

I admire lots of crafters but don't have a roll model as such. Few of my favorites - Jennifer Mcguire, Vicky, Yvonne, Cristina, Teri, Emily to name a few :)

13.Do you have any dream project?

I do not have any dream project at the moment but if I can get to complete all the cards I have on my mind, it would be no less than a dream come true :)

14.What is your future plans in crafting?

The short term goal is to get published. I would really love to see my cards in prints. But I haven't found the motivation to submit yet. Maybe soon.

15.Thank you so much for spending some time to answer my questions,finally please share some useful tips for new budding bloggers.

Thank you so much for taking time to read more about me. My tips for the new crafters/bloggers would be:

- find your style and stay with it but do not be afraid of experimenting at the same time.

- Blogging and available craft supplies and techniques can be a little overwhelming in the beginning and you might feel a little lost. But just try and learn one step at a time and you will belong here soon.

- Don't jump on buying expensive craft supplies all at once. Take your time and decide what works best for you and then invest.

Hope you enjoyed the interview as much as i did,last but not least here are some of the lovely creations from ujjwal.Do leave some love for my guest:)

So do you want to be feautured here as guest blogger?its simple,just mail me to kavi_kalalayaa@yahoo.co.in,but before that here are the few simple things that required to be a guest blogger:

You should have a blog(of course:)) which should be at least 6 months old.
You should have completed at least 50 posts in your blog,bcoz when people reads the interview they will definitely visit your blog,so at least quiet a handful of things should be there in your blog for them to view.
You should be a regular n active blogger.

Happy crafting,

{RECYCLED}DOOR HANGER

2011-09-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Finally i have managed to do some recycling for Crafty jc challenge,again tomorrow is the last date:)I am not a recycling person at all,because i don't like to hoard unwanted things,once i get any new stuffs immediately i throw away the package box or whatever it is because of space constraint.This is hardly my 2nd recycled project to be exact:)).Any ways i did a door hanger with an old cd,so here it is...

I have used my new MFT rolled flowers dies(yeah,..i have got lot of new stuffs recently:))and i must say its gorgeous,i am so loving it and went little over board n made lots of flowers:). Look at the tiniest flower,..its oh so cute;))I have used my new MS eyelet lace border punched,frilled it n sticked it around the cd.I love using banners,its the best way to cover up the empty space:)

Some how i feel,tilda is looking little dull in this.I was wondering why n finally found out the reason,yes,..tilda looks much brighter n beautiful with soft n shabby colors.This is the first time i am using bright colors for her,using dark color as mat or here n there is ok,but i feel soft colors are apt for tilda cards,what do you think?

Just to ensure that it is made with cd:))after that i covered it with cardstock.

Southern Girls - Anything Goes
Pixie Dust Studio - Circles
Magnolia down under challenge: Inspiration picture
Paper Shelter Challenge - anything goes
Crafting for all Seasons -10 fall colors

Happy crafting,

BIRTHDAY CARD+FABRIC ROSETTE TUTORIAL

2011-09-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
i am on a roll.I really want compensate last weeks hang over,so you can expect more posts from me.There is a long list of to-do cards in my little note book,hope i can manage to finish them in time:))I love using sketches these days,and this one is based on deconstructed sketch.

I really dint have any color combination in my mind,so i went random,but i think it looks good:))The image is from C.C.designs,love this cutie,i have used pixie dust glitter on balloons and cupcake.papers from basic grey n paper mania.

Challenges entered:
Bearly Mine -Button it up
Creative Craft Challenges - Buttons & Bling
Going Grey With Scrap-Creations - Anything Goes
Bows 'n Berries Glitter
Crafty Sentiments - Happy Birthday
Critter Sketch - Recipe: 1 image, 2 different pattern papers, 3 embellishments, and 1 sentiment
Kaboodle Doodles - Lots of Layers
Ooh La La Creations - Punches/Dies
Outlines Monday Challenge - Lots of Layers
Paper Creations Ink - Buttons or Bows
Stamps R Us - Birthday Card

Here is the tutorial for super quick fabric Rosette flower i used in THIS CARD.The materials you need is fron strips of fabric scraps,circle card stock and glue gun.Neither your fabric nor your circle needs to be perfects,this is just like a abstract flower and imperfect one looks great:)

Heat your glue gun,put a drop in the center and stick the cloth.

Twist the cloth and start rolling it.Put small amount of glue and stick a small part and repeat the same process little by little because the glue dries very fast.

Roll your cloth tight so that it wont come out after sticking(but it should not be very tight otherwise it becomes very thin)

Finish of till the end,and stick it well (starting n ending should be sticked well).

Cut of the extra card stock and decorate it in the center with some bling or pearls.

Hope you liked the tutorial.

Amy of A thousand sheets of paper is having a amazing candy of papers n stamps.Do check it out,it ends sep 23th,so fast:).

Happy crafting,

KRAFT N BLACK

2011-09-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Hi,
i am here just to share a super quick card for this week Case study challenge.I am in a stamping spree now,love playing with inks n stamps these days,let me see for how long this lasts bcoz i really wanted to put all my stamp for good use.
Love this black n craft combo,the image is embossed with black glitter embossing powder,some back ground stamping with tim holtz stamp.Nothing much to say about this card,let me know what you people think about my stamped cards:)).

I am also entering this for Wee memories no pattern paper challenge.

Happy crafting,

GARDEN GLORY

2011-09-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hi peeps,
i promised to be back with more projects soon in my previous post,but soon after that post i was down with sever fever n cold,grrr..Whenever i plan to work more,i am down with fever,i will better stop planning anything.lol.And even though after taking tablets this cold is not getting cured less than a week,then why the hell i should take medicine,yuk..i hate it.

Anyways to compensate one whole week i did some 3 cards yesterday,all for moxie fab challenges.Today is the last day for the entries,so i have no other way,he,..he(i am a last minute chaser you know)

First one is for Tuesday trigger-Garden glory,i just loveeee the inspiration picture and after thinking a lot i came up with this.A fully stamped card,yay,,..this is my first card using only stamping and i am so happy with the result.The leaf flourish stamps are from PTI turning a new leaf collection,the flower n the sentiment is from hero arts and i added some bling and border punch to finish the card,..pretty simple but i loved the outcome:)))

This card is using vertical sketch from Moxie fab world,i inverted the sketch.This is totally a fun card,so i used lot of happy colors.All the elements are hand cut except the bird n could which are PTI dies.

This is using square sketch from Moxie fab world,this is again a new style for me..can i cal it masculine card??Love the yellow n craft color combo,the colors are based on inspiration picture fromJay gee's nook.The background is stamped with maya road geometrical stamps n color box white frost.The guitar die cut is from PTI,star is hand cut,doily die from MFT,stickers from echo park.

I am entering all these 3 cards for Wee memories No backing paper challenge.

All these card are totally not my style,but i enjoyed making it and loved the outcome too,..so which one is your favorite??

Happy crafting,

MY LIL NOTE BOOK

2011-09-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
thank you for all your wonderful birthday wishes yesterday,i am overwhelmed:)).So i made this lil sketch book as my birthday gift(yes i am gifting myself:))).Its really good to make something for yourself sometimes,which i don't do often:).Ever since i saw ujjwal notebooks i want to make one,but i tried it in a different way.As she said echo park little boy n little girl papers are apt for these fun projects.This is such a simple project took me only 1/2 an hour,apt for gifting:)

Ok,now on to the story why i made this book,..i want to make a note of all my favorite challenges,sketches and most importantly the deadlines.Its really hard to turn on the system every time n see it,and once i log in i just start visiting other blogs too,..and then some browsing and then to facebook and it keeps on going,.it end up spending a hour or two and finally when i shut down again i forget about all the challenges n deadlines.So now i decided to make a note of all that n keep,so i dont waste time n i wont forget the deadlines too:)

So you can see lots of projects from me now on,..hope my idea works out well for me:))) see you all soon.

Happy crafting,

BOOK BOX CARD

2011-09-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

Hi all,,
happy friday.I tried making a book box today,i have seen this in camilla's blog lot of time and she is a pro in making this.The box part was actually difficult as i dont have a score pal,this is my second attempt and i am still not happy.But i am happy with the total outcome.I have used Pie lane pixie dust glitter on star and angel's wings,omg i just love this fine glitter and it comes in 20 yummy colors.I made many embellishments with it,now i don't feel bad that i don't have martha stewart glitter(once i ordered micro beads instead of glitters and still i feel bad:(()

Supplies used:
Stamps:Whiff of joy,Dies-spellbinders beades n plain oval,Papers-Echo park,Embellishments-seam binding,doily,prima flowers,glitters roses from my craft store,laces.

Delightful Challenges Bling It
Hanna & Friends - Little Gifts
Kelley Kid's- girly girl
Truly Scrumptious decorate the inside
Crafty Creations - anything but square
All That Scrap Wednesday Challenge - anything goes
Anything Goes Challenge -Vintage/Shabby Chic
Bearly Mine -Flowers Flowers Flowers
Ribbon Carousel Challenge - Anything Goes
Die Cut Dreams - Make a Gift Box or Gift Bag
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge - Anything Goes
Kaboodle Doodles - Ric Rac, Fabric or Lace

I have a super fun slae in my CRAFT STORE BLOG till september 20,and you get 10 to 30% discount.Visit my store blog for more details.

Happy crafting,

YOU MAKE MY HEART HAPPY...

2011-09-06T03:28:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
i am here today to share my card for Play date cafe's color splash challenge.Isn't it the border looks beautiful?ok,before you scratch your head(generally i do if i see a new product,he,he,..) which border punch/die it is i tell you it is made with the smallest spellbinders label 1 dies.More often we use only the first 2 or 3 sizes of the nesties and others go waste,now i found a way to use them,yay:).
If you have a second look on the dies/punches you can notice most of the patterns are repeated in different ways(this one looks like bracket punch),so now i decided to give a second,third,fourth look before i buy,what about you?

I have done some embossing with fiskars texture plate,i am happy about the designs n the cost but i feel it doesn't give deep embossing like folders.

Closer look of the fabric flower,i love it:)

Supplies:Fiskars texture plate,cuttlebug dies(heart),spellbinders lable one,sentiment stamp from hero arts.

Challenges entered:

Yvone's blog:Ribbon flower
Wee memories:sentiment
Waltzingmouse challenge:sketch

Happy crafting,

WISHING YOU EVERYTHING WONDERFUL...

2011-08-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is my second post for today,Click HERE to check my previous post of accordion tilda card n leave your comments:)))

Ok,after seeing my first card you should have guessed that i will be super tried now:))but still i don't wanted to miss this week Play date cafe challenge as i love,love the colors.Totally my fav,soft n subtle.So here is my super quick card(done in 20 mins;)))

The colors are really subtle in real,i tried editing in Photoshop for the first time n it becomes super bright(any tips on editing pls).Die cut is from MFT,dress die cut is from silhouette,papers n tag is from echo park Victorian garden,self adhesive stones from pielane,lace n stamp is from hero arts,some seam binding n prima flower n rhinestone brad to complete:)))

OMG,my room is a complete mess,i have to clear it out before i craft something.Off to sleep now,good night:)

Challenges:

Craft Us Crazy - 2W, 3E - Anything goes in August (Again) - 2nd week
Crafty Sentiments - 1E, SIO - Ribbon & Bows & a HOP
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - SIO -recipe: Anything Goes
Pixie Dust Studio - SIO -Add a Tag or Create a Tag
Paper Shelter Challenge - 3E, SIO - #28 diecuts/punches
Scrapbook Sisters - #49 flower, ribbon, gem

Happy crafting,

ACCORDION FOLD TILDA CARD

2011-08-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

This week's case study challenge is to make you signature style card.Well,if you follow my blog regularly,you know i love experimenting with different styles.I always love to work out of my comfort zone,if i feel something is tough for me i challenge myself to do that.Of course,once i am comfortable with it i stop doing it,lolz..i know working on same thing makes you specialize in that,but i don't want to contend me within a small circle as art is a ocean,i try to learn atleat a little in my life time.

Ok,now on to today's card i am back with my favorite tilda card)did anyone miss her?;)).Its been quiet a long time i made card with images,as i am trying to make without it too.My signature style is using lots of pattern papers n layers,images,punches n die cuts n loads n loads of embellies,wat ever i can add in a 6 by 6 card:p,lol..

This card is been in my mind for long time,accordion fold card+tilda,but couldn't figure out how to go about it.When i saw Kylie's THIS CARD,i was jumping in joy,yes this is want i exactly wanted:))).Omg love,love,love her card,i made a different version of it,with a garden set up,..so let me know how is my tilda garden:)))

This card took me nearly 2 days,i worked patiently for this for the first time(claps for me pls:))).
Tilda is colored with intense pencils,the bird cage is stamped n colored,the light in the center is heat embossed with glitter black embossing powder. the tree is hand cut,embossed with embossing folders n distressed.The tiny flowers are punched out,distressed n glittered individually and added some pie lane chunky glitters n pearls for the center. The main butterfly is stamped,n colored n glittered,other butterflies are punched out with MS punch.I have done paper pierecing with faux stiching all round,not sure you can make it out.

Lots of glitters have been added,but i am not sure whether its showing off.I tried taking picture in the natural light for the first time,usually i take inside the room.I take it with my camera mobile,and actually it was good even though is not great,but i don't know what's the problem is,many of them told the picture looks dark now a days,so let me know how it looks now.

Challenges entered:
Incy Wincy Designs ,Hooked on Crafts ,KB Cute Monday ,Inspire Me Fridays ,My Craft Spot
Stamps R Us, Jellypark Challenges, Catered Crop ,Paper Sundaes, Sparkles Forum ,Sisterhood of Crafters , pixie Dust Studio

Happy crafting,

THANKS FOR MAKING MY DAY,..

2011-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

How will you feel when you plan to do so much things next day,and one things spoils them all?today is one such a day for me,i planned to work on so many things for today,and even before i get up power supply has gone:((that too only for our house.So you can guess,its the most difficult things to make EB persons to come n attend fault only to your house,n finally it came around 2 o clock.Ooff,.i was totally tried already,but still i want to make these cards as the challenge ends today.

First one is for CASE STUDY,i cased chupa's card.Oh i love her cards,and oh boy,she make such wonderful cards everyday.Don't she feel drained??he he i cant do that.
Here is my take,did you see the seam binding?yeah i got some and i love it:).

Papers:Studio calico,prima and EP
Tools:PTI amt stack die ,leaf die n spellbinders label 20
Stamps:PTI
Embellishments:Seam binding,paper flowers n buttons

Here is her original card:

Heart Song Inspirations - Shabby Chic style and/or use Pearls
Kaboodle Doodles - Ribbons
Karens Doodles - Use Your Punchers and Die Cuts
Marianne Design Divas - Anything Goes
Paper Pretties - Colors: Blue, Brown and Choice

This is for Play date cafe challenge,i dint have any navy blue papers with me so i used some quilling strips for layer.

Supplies:
Stamps:PTI
Dies:PTI
Embellishments:Baker's twine,n charms

KB Cute Monday - Use twine

Happy crafting,

BLACK N CREAM

2011-08-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

Okay,i am now quiet comfortable cards without images,lolz:)I love these type of cards,although its quiet challenging.This one is similar to my previous card,this combination(black n cream)has been in my mind fora while.In fact its my most favorite combo in my dresses,isn't it a relief from regular black n white cards?The scallops are with MFT dies,if you notice my cards these days you will realize that i am concentrating more on perfect measurement and cutting.It does give more professional look to the card for sure,even 1 or 2 mm can make a difference.

The back ground polka dots are stamped,yeah its not perfect bcoz the card has some texture and its difficult to stamp on it.this is one of my rare card without pattern papers:)Nothing more to say,but i love the end result:)What do you think?

Supplies:
Stamps - ippty
Tools -MFT scallop die
Embellishments-organza ribbon,jute twine,mulberry roses,rhinestones.

Challenges entered:
The shabby tea room-Polka dots
Crafty Ann's - scallops and or fancy borders
ICR challenge 9-Celebration+no digi or stamped images
Tellen's Place - anything goes
Jellypark Challenges - favorite embellishments(i used ribbons n flowers)

Happy crafting,

UPDATE,..

2011-08-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
i have added many new things in my craft store.Do take a look at my CRAFT STORE blog.

Now you can get
CLEAR ACRYLIC stamps,
ACRYLIC BLOCKS,
SELF ADHIVESIVE RHINESTONE N STICKERS OF PIELANE,
PAPER CRAFTING KITS in all ranges to suit your budgets.
NEW PATTERN PAPERS and DESIGNER PAPERS
DIE CUTS IN FOAM N FELT
Embellishments like SHAPED EYELETS,BAKER'S TWINE,RIBBON KITS,PAPER FLOWERS,etc are available.
More themed based scrapbook kits like,BABY BOY,BABY GIRL,LOVE,BIRTHDAY etc are available.

More scrap booking n paper crafting kits will be available soon in different themes.Now you can also get customized scrapbook n paper craft kits on order according to your need of theme,colors,embellishments etc and in any range from Rs.250 to 1000/- to suit your budgets.
Please mail me to kavi_kalalayaa@yahoo.co.in for more details.

For all the orders placed this month,you will get some free gifts according to the worth of your total order,it can be anything from my store,so hurry up and place your order soon:))).

If you need anything in particular or wish to see something more in my store do let me know.

Happy crafting,

HANDMADE FLOWER,.

2011-08-16T03:24:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
i know i am missing missing in action so often these days,but i have a valid reason for that:))Yes,i am into a whole new venture,and its taking all my time.Sorry i couldn't even comment on many of your posts,but i promise to catch up sometime soon.Ok,did you ask what is that?shh,..i am not suppose to tell anything now,.but soon..so keep watching this space:).

I made lot of cards last week,but have no time to post it.This is the latest one with card pattern's sketch and play date cafe's colors this week.I am actually not well now,as i am working continuously now(which i don't do actually)hurts my leg badly.I generally use to stand n work most of the time as it will be easy for me to move around n pick up the stuffs which i dumb here n there;))my leg is paining badly.Ok coming back to the card,i really love how it turned out.I really kept it simple,n this one s a quick one though.The gorgeous rose(he he,..)is handmade with crepe paper and i am loving it.It does look gorgeous in real,since it is in white,doesn't look well in the photo.

t
Supplies:
Papers from EP and basic grey.
Stamps:Tim holtz.
Tools:MS deco shells n butterfly punch.
Embellishments:Rhinestones,pearls and ribbon from my stash.

Challenges entered:
Make it Monday - Anything Goes
Paper Playtime - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp and Show... - Bling
Paper Creations Ink -Flowers
One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes
Creative card crew:-Handmade flower

Happy crafting,

QUILLED YELLOW FLOWERS FRAME

2011-08-10T23:08:00.000-07:00

Hi peeps,
how is the new look of my blog,.isn't it yummy?lolz.Ok i am back with a quilling project today after really long time.Remember my big Quilling wreath i did sometimes back,after that i was really became tried of quilling and dint do anything after that.But seeing lot of quilling projects these days,especially in face book,i badly wanted to make one.

The design is from one of my quilling book.The tiny yellow flowers are done without tools,which took me quiet some time,rest all is quick one,i have finished this in 2 days.So how is the result?i am curious to know as i did it after really long time:)).

SHABBY LOVE,..

2011-08-08T03:41:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,
i am back with a card today .Case study is celebrating their first anniversary with blog hop n huge prizes,i really enjoyed hoping over to all such wonderful blogs,inspired:)))This week challenge is to case any of the DT members card and i have selected Andrea's card.Oh,i so love her shabby chic style and the uses of punches n die,fabulous:).

After seeing all her wonderful works finally i selected THIS card,oh my my most favorite.I tried my best to do justice to that beauty she created:).

Supplies used:MS punch deco shells,papers-prima,dies-plain circle,corner dies,embellishment-ribbon,pearls,twine and mulberry rose.

Challenges entered:
Dream Valley Challenges - (1st week) Distressing
Sugar Creek Hollow - Vintage, Shabby Chic or Primitive
One Stop Craft - Sentimental
Cuddly Buddly - real or faux stitching
Just Add Ink - tearing/distressing
Craft Us Crazy - Anything goes
Delightful Challenges - Stitching real or faux
Yvonne's blog-Modern shabby
Sassy Studio Designs - Lets get sentimental - Use a sentiment on the front
Moving Along With The Times - Don't be square

Happy crafting,

FRIENDSHIP CARD

2011-08-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

Hi, friends,
i am super busy these days(don't ask me why:))) n couldn't spend much time in blogging.Now i am back,n want to share quiet a few things with you all.Firstly the power cut problem here in chennai is totally rectified and i am all the more active now.More active means,started with more things and struggling to complete all,lolz.
second,i want to share a link of a super blog i found recently.It belongs to a 9-year old boy,yes a boy who is 9 years old.Its very rare to see boys interested in crafts,..and oh my he is super talented.I have seen children's good at craft and making some nice things with the help of a teacher or parent,but he does all by himself and guess what,.his works are professional.After seeing his blog,i was like what!!!what am i doing all these days,lolz:).Unfortunately the blog is in different language and couldn't translate it.But there is step by step pics which explains it well.Ok enough blabbering,hold your breath and take a look at his BLOG,and i am sure you will agree with me.

Third is my card i did yesterday.Of-late i am trying with different things in my cards,i don't like monotonous works.So i change my style often.I am thinking of to minimize the layers n embellies in my card,especially when i use pretty papers like these.It feels bad when it get covered,so not too much of layering nor CAS,this is another style which i like now.Do you?

Love,love,love this cutie pie:)))

Supplies:
Stamp-TGF,Papers-Basic grey,Dies-spellinders big scallop circle n plain circle,distress inks,Embellishments-button from pie lane,prima flower,ribbon n pearls from stash.

Fab 'n' Funky - Friendship
For Fun Challenges - anything goes
The Paper Variety - circles
Truly Scrumptious - buttons and bows (2nd wk)
Going Grey With Scrap-Creations - - Buttons and/or Bows
Cards und More - Dots & pearls
Happileigh Scrappin- Anything Goes
Hooked on Crafts- Cute and Cuddly
Crafty jc challenge:Friends are forever

Fourth i received some awards which i dint share.Better late than never,first from shubra.She makes super cool card and i like her handmade flowers.Thanks for this cute award shubra:))

Next is from Nisha of Nisha's life style.She has a wonderful blog which deals about interiors n its definitely a feast for your eyes,do check it out.Thanks nisha:))

Hussena
Shubra
Khushboo
snehal
Bhavana

Finally our blog friend romina is having a wonderful give away to celebrate her 75th post n 50 followers.Have a look,and follow the rules to take part.

Happy crafting,

COLOR SPLASH

2011-07-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
how are you all doing??again the power cut is still continuing here for hours and its totally draining,.even mind is not working:(( .But i really enjoy with stamping at the moment except the cleaning part,yeah its really difficult that too when you are using lots of stamps and i don't have a large block for big stamps so i find it quiet difficult.
Here is my cards i made today's,first two are for Play date cafe color splash challenge.
First card i did some masking for the sun n loads of stamping with tim holtz,inkadinkado,hero arts n some other stamps.I have layered the panel with foam dots.

I am entering this to Wee memories CAS challenge,Craft your days away-summer time challenge,DYSU wings challenge

Here is my second take,the flowers are heat embossed,some faux stitching,bow,tag and a button to finish.Very simple huh??but i love the result:).
I am entering this to Less is more buttons n bow challenge,Bearly mine add a tag,

Here comes my final card,for romina's challenge of one layer cards???oh my god she dint allowed to use anything else other than stamps.That too the challenge is for people like me,mallika n anita who love layers and layers and more layers,lolz.I have made the background with shaddy shutters n broken china distress inks.Have tried some layered stamping with stamping the first layer with grey n then with black ink and it become a mess i think.Looks like a modern art for me,..he he,..let me know what you all think about my stamping ventures:)).

Happy crafting,

ADDICTED TO STAMPING

2011-07-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
thanks for all your wishes,i am feeling much better now except.But yeah this week the power supply here in chennai is crazy,can you imagine days without 4 to 5 hours current supply in this techno world??and thanks to the humid climate its sweating like anything and its totally draining both physically n mentally.Because of all these my mojo totally went away from me,but thanks to mojo monday's beautiful sketch.It brought back it some what,and i badly wanted to give it a try.

Did i tell you all?,yeah i am totally addicted to stamping and love experimenting with it.It really does give a professional look to the card,than any other techniques.Don't you love this combination,yellow n brown?very rich indeed.The solid yellow paper is from basic grey paper pack(it has some lovely shades of solid papers).I have embossed it and distressed with brown shades of inks.The image is heat embossed with black pigment ink n clear embossing powder.The sky too made in brown shades to match the card,hope it doesn't look bad:))

Supplies:
Pattern paper:Basic grey
Stamps:Inkadinkado n hero arts sentiment
Dies:Spellbinders plain circle n PTI mat stack
Punch:EK success edger note
Distress ink:Tea dye,walnut stain n wild honey
Embellishment:Organza ribbon,ric rac n buttons from autumn leaves

Crafty Ann's - embossing or debossing or both
Tellen's Place - anything goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - buttons and bows
Charisma Cardz – sunshine colors
Craft Us Crazy - anything goes
Shelly's Images - anything goes
Paper Pretties - embossing
7 Kids College Fund - texture
Allsorts challenge:Free n easy
Have a happy n lazy sunday:)
Happy crafting,

PRETY & FLIRTY

2011-07-19T08:24:00.001-07:00

Well,this cold likes me a lot i guess.Its not leaving me more than a week and its so generous too,it brought all its friends like fever,cough everything,lol.Any ways i made this card to get out of my feverishness.Love this week tuesday trigger inspiration photo,felt like grabbing up the pretty dress from my computer screen,he he. This card s inspired from this weeks Case study challenge,CAS card,yeah its quiet difficult for me:((.I just love this bright yellow,but had tough time photographing it,..it does look better in real.
The flourish is made with rainbow stones n pearls,flower is hand made with pine lane glitter balls for center,some embossing n hero arts sentiments is all used in this card,..he he very less??

Kaboodle Doodles - Embossing
Make it Monday - Anything goes

Happy crafting,

PEACH&PINK

2011-07-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
hope you all are doing great.I am not,feeling very low n not well too.Poor me,i can manage hardly a post per week,that too after trying very hard.I have become busy or lazy?no idea.
Ok let me come to the card,this was in my mind for more than a week ,but couldn't really work.Finally i managed,i tried peach n pink combo this time,pink really goes well with all the color.I planned for a matching gift box with this,and even colored 2 images but i couldn't make it,may be some time soon.The theme for this card is flowers n butterflies for few challenges,so right from paper to border punch,charms,pin n everything i used with butterflies n loads of flowers and bling's too.
Don't feel like writing much,instead lots of pictures for you to look at the details,..

Challenges entered:
Shabby tea room:Flower power
Craft challenge:Butterflies
Gingerloft:Make it sparkle
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Sentiment with at least two words
Meljens Designs - buttons and bows
Paper Play – things with wings
Pixie Dust Studio - girly girly
Moving Along With The Times – favourtie things(pink,die cuts,butterflies)
Divas by Design -pastels
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Craft Room Challenge- Butterflies
Kaboodle Doodles - Use those Scissors(i have used scissors to make the scallop heart)
Stamps R Us - Through the Garden Gate

Have a great weekend.
Happy crafting,

REMEMBER TO SMILE TODAY:))

2011-07-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey people,
just a quick card to share.Can you believe that i post on sunday that to in the night??well i really don't craft on sundays,i am a lazy girl on that day.According to me sunday is only to relax and eat well.lolz.Anyways i just loved the sketch of mojo monday this week n play date cafe colors too,so i combined both n made this card.Since mojo monday challenge ends in few hours,this quick post.I really love these kind of cards now a days,done only with stamping,n i am still experimenting.Loads of new stamps are waiting:)))so what you all think,do you like these kind of cards from me?should i continue in future?

Thanks for looking.
Happy crafting,

WOHOO,..TOP3'S

2011-07-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Yay,...my Mixed media card made it to top 3 in The stamping boutique for no DP challenge.Now that is not the only thing my Purple n pink card won in Fairy fun fridays for which i got 3 lovely digi's n it make me the guest designer there next week,wow my first one abroad:))And the same card won in Anita's window challenge too:)It has been a fanstatic week for me,i am so so happy n flying in cloud 9.I always have a feel that my cards didn't get much recognization as my paintings n murals do bcoz i always wanted to give my best in anything i do. But now no more complaint,all smiles:))))))))))))

Happy crafting,

CIRCLE CARD

2011-07-05T01:37:00.000-07:00

Yay,..finally i have done a circle card.Its been in my mind for long time,and today it came into life,lolz.Most of the time i think how nice it will be if we are able to bring life to all our imaginations??but to the fact only 25% is coming in to reality,others will be in mind for some time n go off:))

It becomes really difficult for me to work within this small card,all my tilda cards are quiet bigger since i add lot of elements n layers to it.But i quiet managed well with layers n embellishments finally.I have created a little outdoor scene,n loved the outcome,so what you all think?

Supplies used:The bigger circle are cut with circle cutters,the lacy circle n inner circles are with spellbinders,MS-picket fence n doily lace punch,clouds is from PTI dies,magnolia swirls n leaf dies,pie line butterflies,coloring-inktense water color pencils.

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge - Summer Doodles
Hooked on Crafts - Flowers
Make it Monday - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp and Show... - a Flourish
Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Summer Flowers
Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
Card and Scrap - Punches/diecuts
Clearly Inspired - Punches, Die Cuts or Cut Outs
Crafty Catz - Colors of Summer.
Fuzzy Wuzzy - include an animal - .Get Punchy

Happy crafting,

MIXED MEDIA CARD

2011-06-30T03:56:00.000-07:00

Being a painter basically(i mean artist)i want to incorporate some painting in my cards for long time,but dint have any clue to how to go about it.After seeing julee's mixed media cards,the light blinked in my mind.I love the effect it gives,do take a look at her blog,she has even given step by step procedure she used.But as always i am very impatience to read,i straight away started assuming the procedure by seeing the picture.I made this card for ujjwal's challenge in yvonne's blog.The challenge is to use dry or wet embossing,i have used both.

Actually you don't need to be very careful to do this,just do what ever come in mind,and that adds the beauty to it.I first applied different photo color inks randomly on water color paper(you can even use any other paints,but photo colors are much brighter),then sprayed some water with mini mister for the colors to blend well.After it dries i did some stamping,masking,and misting and added some tissue papers in between to give a lighter color effect(it absorbs the color)and texture.Finally after it dries completely i embossed it with cuttle bug and applied some white acrylic paints with a dry brush on embossed parts.

Here come the most saddest part,i planned to emboss the image and did it with black ink n clear embossing powder.But my heat gun was not working:((the fan is actually working,but heat is not coming n smoke started coming:((i am damn upset,have to go to electrical shop again,hope it works again,pls pray for me:((.I finally embossed it with gas stove,as i don't want to miss the challenge.

I have used MS cherish punch for the card,Spellbinders label 18,cute tag is from cuttle bug dies,stamp is from flourish kid's play and twine from my craft store.

This is how the paper looks before embossing,i really liked this effect a lot n will use this in my next project,may be a mixed media canvas?

And after embossing,..

Bugaboo Wacky Wednesday - embossing
Divas by Design - die cuts/punches
Paper Shelter Challenge - anything goes
Creative Craft Challenges - Make Your Own Backing Papers
The Stamping Boutique - No design paper
Cheerful Stamp Pad - mixed media - My favorite Background

Happy crafting,

Link Up Love Party with K Andrew

2011-06-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

I found this amazing link up party by K.Andrew,a cool way to meet up new blogs and bloggers.
Check out her blog for more details.
According to the rules i have to share one of my favorite project,all my tilda cards are my favorite,but this one has a special n the most favorite so far:).Well i am greatful to god who gave me the art of crafting.*wink*..without that i am wondering what would be i am doing now,lol.

PURPLE N PINK

2011-06-25T03:46:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
i made this card for anita's window frame challenge.I really want to make something special for her challenge n i think i am succeeded??.Since the challenges is to make a sentiment as the focal point,my tilda went to the side,lolz.The window frame is created with scallop rectangle n plain oval dies.I have tried a purple n pink combo today n it looks great together.

So wat's new in this card?,i have tried coloring with distress inks.I really enjoyed doing it,more or less water color technique but quiet time taking.Yes,it took half an hour to color this picture,which otherwise will take ten mins with color pencils.I was happy with the result,love the super smooth finish it gives.I guess you can make it out in the photo itself,see the close up of tilda.And i have used my silhouette finally!!i was so scared use it in the starting and it really took me a week to learn everything about it.The big doily was cut with it:).

Fun with Shapes & More -lilac/pink
Fairy Fun Fridays - - Wedding.
Inspire Me Fridays - -anything goes
Stampin For The Weekend - My favourite things.
CCEE Stampers - - Use pink.
Ruby's Rainbow-flowers
Southern Girls-Anything goes
karens doodles-flower power
everybody art challenge-anything goes
Deep Ocean Challenge - - Flowers

Thanks for looking.
Happy crafting,