Category Archives: Craft

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  Weaving a better life

  Posted on April 1, 2013 by nisha in Craft

  On a cold December afternoon in Bihar, Padmini and I were doing our best to keep ourselves warm. Our back-packs did not allow for elaborate winter clothing and we hoped to get by wearing multiple tee shirts under a thin sweater. It was about 4 pm when we reached the Sikki Sangh, a women’s co-operative [...]

  Post Tagged with Bihar handicrafts, Bihar Tourism, handicraft, India, Madhubani
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  Madhubani, folklore and reality

  Posted on January 25, 2013 by nisha in Craft

  When folklore and reality are blurred, there is a sense of fantasy that pervades the air. As the local folk point out the forest where Lord Ram met his love Sita for the first time, the smell of fresh flowers, the blushing young girl and the budding romance is clearly audible in their voice. Every [...]

  Post Tagged with Craft Tourism, Kohabar, Madhubani, Mithila, Ram, Sita
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  Taking stock

  Posted on September 10, 2012 by nisha in Craft, Featured, My projects

  I know I’ve been out of blogging for a long time now. So much was happening that I had to take a break to reign in the chaos. Now that I am in control, I think I should get back to this favorite activity. More so because I am turning 30 in 4 days. Considering [...]

  Post Tagged with Craft, journey
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  The story of Madhubani…

  Posted on August 14, 2012 by nisha in Craft

  I realised that all my ranting about Madhubani fell on deaf ears. It is not like I have a million readers everyday. But even the ones who diligently read the blog complained. I did not write what Madhubani was all about. I was so busy de-stressing after that hectic week that all I could think [...]

  Post Tagged with Godna paintings, Madhubani, Maithil Brahmins, Mithila
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  The Madhubani week…

  Posted on July 25, 2012 by nisha in Craft, Learning, My projects

  It has been a rather hectic month. I spent the first part trying to figure out train tickets, accommodation and making boxes. Making boxes is not an easy task. All those tutorials on ehow and wikihow never expose you to the reality of explaining the same to the local carpenter. I had a tough time getting a [...]

  Post Tagged with Madhubani, Madhubani workshop, Tissue box holders
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  Working with colours

  Posted on June 20, 2012 by nisha in Craft, Living

  I called up a friend to chat up after a day’s work. She was getting back from work in a taxi and she had a lot of time. Traffic in Bombay can be a blessing at times  She was generally updating me about work and life and she concluded that nothing had changed. When she [...]

  Post Tagged with Lacquer, lamp bases, Sankheda, tea light holders, wood turning
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• A Himalayan vacation

  Posted on May 14, 2012 by nisha in Craft, Featured

  What is an Himalayan vacation for most of us? A wonderful whiff of fresh mountain air, a cup of tea while you are swaddled in cozy woolens.For some it is an opportunity to provide a means of livelihood and change the lives of the locals. Nisha Subramaniam travels to Naggar in Himachal Pradesh atleast twice [...]

  Post Tagged with Himachal Pradesh, Self Help Group for women
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  Dining table, Madhubani style

  Posted on March 29, 2012 by nisha in Craft, Living, My projects, Spaces

  This one is atleast 6 months pending. I’ve always wanted a Japanese style sit down table. Memoirs of Geisha and Nabinkumar’s vist to Ahmedabad rekindled that desire and I set out to make one. I picked up wood from a saw mill, gave it to my carpenter (who by then was used to my quirky demands) [...]

  Post Tagged with Dining table, furniture, Madhubani
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  Warli you can learn

  Posted on March 21, 2012 by nisha in Craft, My projects

  There is a Warli painting workshop coming up in two weeks. And I am super excited. As a customer, I love the idea and wish more and more people would do this. As a marketeer, it helps me build a transparency with my customers. They know what they are buying, they know the person who [...]

  Post Tagged with Ahmedabad, Culture, Workshop
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  Block by block

  Posted on February 22, 2012 by nisha in Craft

  About 80 percent of my wardrobe is filled with clothes made with all sorts of block printed fabrics. The stripes, the florals, the bright colours, the muted ones, the big designs and the tiny prints. All the while, I thought these blocks were machine made (I did know making blocks existed, just that I wasn’t [...]

  Post Tagged with Block Making, Gujarat, Pethapur
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