All that is beautiful and original

With Craftisan

When I first saw Craftisan, I was drawn in by their collection of beautiful textiles and crafts from different regions of India. I was happy to see that they are not only bringing one-of-its kind products from established craft NGOs like Dastkari Haat Samiti, The Rehwa Society, Kilmora to name a few, but also helping eliminate the middleman, and providing a platform for e-commerce to the craftspeople directly. Hearing the team behind Craftisan talk about their passion and the vision with which they have started this online venture, I knew that I had to share Craftisan with you! 

Craftisan recognizes and celebrates the existential philosophy behind crafts. It acknowledges the need for beauty and creativity that urges human society to create, and also recognizes the value of the act of creating craft as an utilitarian task, that reflects the way and means of a particular region, society or a certain social environment. Craft is utility, decoration, ornamentation, meditation and aesthetics all rolled into a single product. 

Craftisan aims to offer an ethical architecture for India's creative manufacturing sector and be a curated art and craft collective for connoisseurs of original, hand crafted products. Replicating a traditional 'haat' (marketplace) online, Craftisan will bring to us handpicked products straight from individual craftspeople, various craft clusters and also craft ngos. Having a positive impact on the livelihoods of craft communities, as well as supporting preservation and promotion of dying crafts are Craftisan's driving values. 

 

Apart from the lovely products on show on Craftisan's site, do not miss the specially commissioned and curated exhibition and sale by Dastkari Haat Samiti, called Akshara. Akshara (crafting Indian scripts) encompasses the attempt to combine literacy, artistic sensibilities and marketable museum quality crafts so that the craftspeople value education as a necessary part for their economic and social uplift. The initiative has produced some beautiful works of art - on textiles, pottery, wood, paper and metal. Craftisan plans to bring more such specially created collections in the coming months.

Buy from Craftisan right here. Register on the site and instantly get credit worth INR 1000/$20!
Remain updated with their latest offerings by connecting on facebook.

  Happy Shopping, folks!
Have a great weekend
I'll see you all next week!

[All images: Craftisan. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

Deepak and Aparna's..

There are times when you merrily skip work (aka don't blog) because there is such a holiday spirit around you and you are totally in the mood for taking a vacation. You come across pretty things and you bookmark them, for you want to share them with your favorite people, but umm...not today, maybe later. You think you'll cuddle into that warm throw with your favorite book, just one more day. And then, on one of these lazy days, you get an email, full of such treasures, that your heart skips a beat. You get very excited. You throw that throw off and open that laptop promptly. For you gotta share this exciting new indie store on the block! So my dear readers, here I am, back after a weeks' hiatus, with Phantom Hands! 

Deepak's love for history and mythology, and Aparna's innate interest and skill in art, is what propelled the couple to start Phantom Hands, the online store of carefully selected, unusual to rare antique furniture, collectibles and decor objects. The name Phantom Hands is a metaphor for all the unknown artisans who have contributed to the perfection of each object and artifact, which truly are a culmination of centuries of craftsmanship and skills, passed on from generation to generation.

I love the range of antiquities and curiosities that Deepak and Aparna have collected. From exceptionally well crafted furniture pieces to beautiful figurines, metal masks, old books to vintage flasks and bottles - and everything available at the click of a mouse!

Here's what Deepak and Aparna have to say when it comes to their aesthetic and curation process:

"Phantom Hands evolved out of our personal interest in antiques and curious vintage objects. When we are in the presence of a beautiful antique of vintage collectible, the craftsmanship, pride and attention to detail become obvious - and a certain kind of real energy fills the space around it. To us that's a very palpable feeling. We also feel a subconcious comfort around old/used things.

This is not to say that we genuinely like all antique objects. We like an aesthetic that is less ornate and where the simplicity, lines and proportions and logic of construction stand out. What is really interesting to us is that many antiques have this simplicity and minimalism, qualities that are not usually associated with antiques. Therefore the antiques we offer fit in with our contemporary lives without having an air of oldness or anachronism in its look and feel.

Then there are the fascinating stories associated with these objects. These objects take on a new meaning when you learn about their origins or about people who used them. Antiques hold a part of history, which is largely undocumented and undervalued. We like the idea that the homes of each of these objects become custodians of this history.

At the end of the day, we don't have a checklist to seek out things we like. We just pick what we connect with and then later rationalize why we like it."

What you find in Phantom Hands has been, over the years, sourced from collectors, dealers and antique experts. The couple also travel and hunt for treasures, and often find beautiful objects in the unlikeliest of places - an old printing press, a precision machining factory or through the grapevine. They then go through the process of determining authenticity and provenance from experts and proceed with careful restoration if needed.

Shop for the many treasures at Phantom Hand right here. Each object is well photographed and details of its antecedents listed out. Phantom Hands also takes great care in packing and shipping each item, which takes care of a big concern when shopping for collectibles. I shared my favorites with you in the post; tell me what you like the most!

[All images: Phantom Hands. Creative Story boarding: An Indian Summer]


I'll surface once again later this week, to share with you some very creative folks and wonderful new stores, before I don on my holiday cap and wine & dine the last week of the year away :).
See you then, folks!

Kismet

ˈkɪzmɛt,-mɪt,-s-/

destiny/fate 

It's kismet  that Kismet Jewell Nakai and I 'met' each other in the virtual world. Like the face that launched a thousand ships, an absolutely ethereal photograph shot by Kismet, that was part of my diwali inspiration mood boards, launched a full fledged post!

 Kismet and her stylist friend/partner April Sher Bhaika, conceptualize, style, create and capture magical moments via The Unreal Bride. Not limiting themselves to just wedding photography, they have experimented with a bunch of other conceptual shoots and also offer to make any moment that celebrates love and life, into a memorable one.

What I love love about The Unreal Bride was just how thoughtfully styled each shoot is. There is a certain elegance, an old world charm, opulent yet subtle accessories and props, without it being too stuffy. You can see and feel from the pictures that the photographer, the stylist and the subject had fun while shooting! With rich heritage saris and textiles, combination of modern and heirloom jewelry, the would-be and the already brides caught candid in various moods, the color and the lush setting that is so Indian in its mood - each shot is a visual delight!

Take a look at Kismet's photography portfolio here, and take a stroll through the stories and gorgeous imagery from the The Unreal Bride photo shoots right here.

In Kismet's own words:

"I started as a photographer back in 2008 officially. I chanced upon my love for photography rather late in life and went through a number of jobs before actually realizing that I wouldn't mind taking photos all my life. Sitting with a friend, we started talking about the wedding industry and how it would be a fun idea to do different photo shoots of brides - something atypical. You see it a lot in fashion but not with real brides, so we thought the combination of my photography and April's styling - we could do some real fun stuff. The blog - The Unreal Bride, was meant to be a way to advertise what we did, but instead we started blogging a lot more and we enjoyed it! From there we have done loads of fun projects, which have varied from wedding stuff to food photography to all sorts of things!" 

[Kismet and April]

You can connect with The Unreal Bride via email or through their facebook page.

[All Images Copyright: The Unreal Bride. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

Yesterday Once More

And now, even better!

Presenting

Chandan Dubey and her treasures!

Chandan is one of my earliest blogger pals, and her home, her aesthetics, eye for color, design taste and her photography has always inspired me. She has an unique take on the mundane and also the exquisite, and it's always refreshing to read her perspective and experience her visualization. So, today, I am not only happy, but also proud to announce the launch of her project, where she is attempts to, and succeeds so beautifully, in combining her different skills sets and interests. As I put the post together, it was so hard for me to decide what to leave and what to showcase - I wish I could have shared her entire portfolio of products with you here :)

In Chandan's own words:

"This select range of fine art photographs, hand crafted objects and graphic prints are a coming together of my skills as a photographer, artist and collector. The range of art work comprises up-cycled objects such as old boxes, small cabinets and platters. The idea was to restore and reinvent old objects by lending a fresh layer of interest to them with the use of equally old material, both collected and found. This includes vintage photography, film posters, postcards, old books, art and fashion catalogs, hand writtern letters, coins, stamps interspersed with hand painted detail and graphics."

Chandan is displaying and retailing her exquisite products soon. Mark your calendar for:

 AWC Annual Fair

Date: Nov 30th, 2013

Where: Trident, Bandra Kurla

Bombay

And, for the rest of us, not in Bombay

We can connect to her via her facebook page, and demand request her make this gorgeousness available to us too :)

Read Chandan's engaging story behind the project right here on her blog.

Don't forget to look at her other work

And the entire portfolio of these products on facebook, in the days to come

[All images: Chandan Dubey. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

Gaatha, a tale.

Gaatha, a sanskrit word meaning 'a great story' or 'a legend', is an initiative launched in 2009 by group of students and alumni at National Institute of Design [NID]. What started as a project to research and document the unfortunate erosion of Indian crafts clusters and heritage, has now evolved into a online repository of stories, folklore and myths associated with these crafts and their creators. Gatha has also launched an online store, aimed at helping these craftsmen reach a wider market and earn sustenance. 

Gaatha's blog is a lovely read, where the reader not only gets to know how each of these beautiful products is created, but we also get to 'meet' the skilled women and men behind the various crafts. 

Beautifully photographed, the products are a visual delight! Gaatha's online store is filled with handcrafted unique pieces for personal use and for home.

Visit Gaatha's online shop here, and immerse yourself in the enriching tales of craft, right here.

How have you been, my dear readers?

I am back after a break for Diwali and post Diwali recuperation

See you this friday, with a lovely giveaway!

[All images: Gaatha. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

This Diwali..

Get inspired 

By

What is inspiring me these days

Stunning moodboards

To inspire creativity 

And a love for all things beautiful and festive

From me to you

[click to enlarge the pics]

 Love the contemporary twist to the saree/dhoti. Complemented by Lakshmi Ganesh in Madhubani, and a Kutch woman decorating her home

The elegance of subtlety

 Ah! The visual delight of this mood board! Peacock and it's hues in gorgeous forms

The eternal painting by Raja Ravi Varma of Goddess Laxmi, and Hamsa from Morocco, interpreted as the Indian sign of 'blessing' in this mood board. On the left, fresco from Rajasthan with mughal motifs

Rich and edgy textile and fashion, goes well with the simplicity of a traditional puja thaali

Jewel tones, with the woman balancing it out with a simple chiffon saree and silver adornments
[The central image is from The Unreal Bride]

Colors and textures that spell festivity!

 Warm tones of mustard and orange, and the love of Radha and Krishna in this miniature painting

The brilliance of her native jewelry and the twinkle of fairy lights. Diwali is upon us, folks :)

Do tell me how you like the visual inpsiration

And what it inspired you to create :)

On another note:

My dear readers, 'An Indian Summer' has been nominated by the GoodHome India Magazine for their 'Best Blog' category. 

I am mighty pleased for I admire the publication and adore the creative team behind the magazine.

What I need from you is your vote! 

Just click here and 'Like' my pic

(yes, it's on facebook and yes, that's me grinning away in the pic!)

Needless to say, I shall be doing a happy dance with each click :)

Thank you, my dearest folks! Much appreciated!

Oh, and do grab the Femina Issue for Oct 30th, 2013. I have a two page spread on creative ways to do up your home on Diwali. More ideas for Diwali, people! 

[Images from: 1, 2, 3 and Pinterest]