Bangalore update and some new creations

Finally settled well in a rented house in a eastern suburb of Bangalore! Lovely weather here, very pleasant days and cool nights. Feels like heaven when compared to the hot October weather of Mumbai. Getting refreshed by the quiet and calm after living in noisy Mumbai for the last several years, but we do miss the fresh produce in vegetables and fruits which were aplenty in Mumbai.

New place, and some new creations....
After being inspired by the beautiful creations of my clients who buy supplies from me, I decided to make something myself. It had been a long time since I created something beautiful. Maybe all the packing, shifting, and unpacking had taken a toll on my creativity. Now, after settling down here, and breathing in the fresh air of Bangalore, I am getting creative again.

Agate tear drops and semicultured pearls make a  beautiful choker necklace

Going bronze with brown onyx beads and bronze findings

Going traditional with green onyx beads and German silver findings 

Que sera, sera!

In June of 2005, I first landed in Mumbai as a new bride, full of dreams for a new life ahead, a little sad, but happy too. Sad because I had to leave behind, my parents, sister, friends, and all that had been a part of my existence. I had to leave my world behind to build a new life together with the love of my life. On the other hand, I was happy, excited and eager to step into a new place, start living with new people, and explore new places. I think every girl who gets married goes through these emotions, feeling both sad and happy at the same time. Today, its deja vu for me!  After spending seven wonderful years in Mumbai, it is time to move with bag and baggage to Bangalore. Today, I am sure, my husband must be feeling the same way I did when I first moved to Mumbai.  He has to leave behind everything that he grew up with and move to a new place. We are both very excited about the change as we both had wanted it from a long time, but at the same time, it is saddening for us to leave our world behind, the world that we had created lovingly over the last few years. Que sera, sera!!

Hello!

Hi there! Remember me?? Sorry for being off the radar for the last couple of months. Been busy with my supplies store and also an impending relocation which will eventually happen later this month. So I have been busy finishing my pending orders as I want them done before we leave Mumbai. Also my supplies store has expanded so much that it takes up most of my time and so I hardly get any time to sit and complete my projects. But I am enjoying it all!!

Meanwhile, I also tried my hand on some jewellery making with Tibetan silver connectors. Tibetan silver is an alloy which may contain just traces of silver if at all.  It is so much fun learning something new when the outcome is so beautiful!

March went marching away

The month of March went by so quickly, it amazes me! We had my family visiting us and days just flew by. My seven-month-old nephew filled our lives with so much laughter and happiness that we never knew how the time passed away so soon and ever since he's left, we have missed him so much! It is so amazing that a child's innocence makes you forget everything else in life and brings so much joy and happiness around him.

Another thing that gives happiness to me is my craft and I just love the shiny acrylic beads! So many colors and so many variations to combine them with, and when the bags are lined with matching satin fabric, it just adds to the beauty of these shiny little beads. How amazing when we can create so many different things with a little thought, a little patience, and a hunger to keep learning new stuff in life!

Btw, did I tell you my sister is an Etsian too? She has opened a shop on etsy for Indian fabrics and supplies.
Do check her shop out if interested. I wish her all the success in her new venture. 

Hellooooo

Its been sooo long! Almost a month since I last posted here. The last two months, I have been very busy with my online stores. Did I tell you all that I opened another online shop in December. This shop is basically for supplies. Since beads are always available in bulk at the local craft store, I had a whole lot of beads left in my stash and did not know how to put them to use.  Then one lady from my hometown suggested that I sell these beads to her as these are not available in Mangalore. This prompted me to open another shop www.beadwaali.etsy.com. Yes, BEADWAALI!!! Name courtesy, my hubby dearest!!! Please have a look through my shop if you are interested.

The last two months, I have been busy establishing this new shop. Listing, selling, promoting, participating in forums, managing a team by virtue of a team leader in one of the forums.....so on n so forth!! So my blog was neglected. I just couldnt find the time to juggle all these together. But this is the best phase of my life!!  I have always wanted to start a business of my own, from the comforts of my home, where I can be my own boss, nothing too stressful, something that I can enjoy as well as earn from.  Hoping to keep the momentum going.

Here's some of the stuff I made over the last few weeks.

A pearl clutch

Glass rondelle and lampwork beaded bracelet

Cellphone cozy

  

There are crazy ppl out there!

In our lives, we come across different types of people on a day to day basis. I too have come across lots n lots of different people. Some are wonderful, some are nice, some are superficial, some are skeptical, some are demeaning, and then there are some who are outright crazy!

Wonderful people: These are some people who go out of their way to appreciate other people and their talent. I have a few clients who swear by my work, who always are on the lookout for new creations in my shop, who always recommend my name to others, and who never fail to encourage or motivate me. Thanks guys!

Nice people: These are people who are nice to your work, your talent, talk sweetly and gently, may or may not buy my creations, may or may not be interested in my work, but always have a good word to say. I like them!

Superficial people: These are people who go on and on saying good things about my creations and telling me how I should set up a boutique/store and how my creations would sell like hot buns and how they would love to possess some of my creations. When I gently remind them about already having a store of my own, they smile and then find some excuse, and change the topic altogether, never mentioning my creations again!

Skeptical people: These are people who are always worried whether I will do a good job on their orders, whether I will be able to get the right colors, whether they will get their money's worth. All this in spite of already having seen my work and my collection!

Demeaning people: These are people who do not respect the fact that hours n hours of time, labor and energy have been spent on each one of these creations. They place orders for bags and give me just a  vague idea of what they want, and in the end, when the bag is ready, they calmly say that that was not what they wanted!! This despite the fact that I always try to do my best and create something special for every client of mine. What I want to say to such people is that, I have succeeded without you and I don't ever want you to have any creation of mine!

Crazy people: Then there are the crazy ones. I had one lady who sent me an email accusing me of passing off some junk as her order and that half the order was missing from the parcel. She in no uncertain terms told me that I was trying to cheat her. After spoiling my peace of mind and exchanging several emails, she finally sends me an email saying that it was not my parcel at all that she was talking about. She had mistaken my name with someone else's!!!!

Do you want to add any other group to the above list?

Wish u all a happy new year!!

Here's wishing all my readers and fellow bloggers, a very happy and prosperous new year!!! 2011 has been wonderful, but its time to move on, move into a new year, carrying with us the lessons we learnt in 2011 and leaving behind all the negativity. May all of us have happiness entwined in our lives like the threads of my crochet work. May all our lives sparkle like the crystals of my beadwork! 

So that brings us to my latest creations!

Glass rondelle and Asfour crystal bracelet

Glass rondelle and millefiori bracelet

 Take care and stay safe!!

The simplicity of childhood

Little Tanya, my friend's daughter, all of 3 years, attended her first sports day at school, where all the kids participated in various sports activities and regardless of their victory or loss, every child was awarded a medal as an appreciation of their participation. I was amused to know that Tanya refused to take off her medal, proud that she was of her achievement. She wore the medal the entire day and even went to sleep wearing it.

This took me back by about 26-27 years when I, a little girl at that time, had had a similar experience. I grew up in a small village in Kerala, where my dear Grandfather was respected and loved by all, and was treated as the village head!

When I was around 4 years old, I, along with the other kids of my age, was sent to the village school, also known as Anganawadi, which served as the starting school for all kids.

By the virtue of being the granddaughter of the man the villagers loved and respected, the teachers were always partial to me, so much so that while all my classmates were made to sit on the floor in the classroom, I was given the teacher's chair to sit. This continued  until one day, my Mother saw this and requested the teachers not to treat me any different from the other kids.

On the annual sports day of our school,  my Grandfather was invited as the Chief Guest and I, instead of participating in the various sporting activities, spent my time sitting on my dear Grandfather's lap, sharing the refreshments offered to him.  At the prize distribution ceremony, all the kids who participated, were presented with steel tumblers as a sign of appreciation, by my Grandfather. In spite of not having participated in any sporting event that day, I was taken aback that I had not been given the memento of appreciation!! When we returned home that evening, I bawled and cried my eyes out until finally my Grandfather 'presented ' me with a brand new tumbler which had been bought for the household. Instantly, my tears gave way to smile and my day was made!!!

As kids, we valued such simple joys and were proud of our little achievements. Today, we are more materialistic and fail to find happiness in the simple joys of life. I miss those days!!   

New creations!

I have really fallen in love with making beaded crochet hoop earrings.

Happy birthday to Me!!

Thanks to all the people who made my birthday a great day for me!

Had a wonderful time all thanks to my Hubby Dearest, inlaws, family, friends and last but not the least, my dear blogger friends, who enriched my day with all their love and wishes. Thank you NRIGirl for the beautiful post. It has been a greattt day and hopefully a great start to a wonderful new year!

AND, the cherry on the cake!!! I had FIVE sales today!!!!!!!!!!
All of you who would like to buy some of my creations, please visit my shop at Etsy and avail of free worldwide shipping for the next few days, by using the coupon code FREESHIP. 

I am soo excited!!

and you know why?  Its my BIRTHDAY on Sunday, the 20th of November, and I am always soooooooooooooo very excited about my birthday. I look forward to it with a child-like excitement!!
If my best friend forgets to wish me (that's usual with her...she forgets her own bday!!) I call her up and remind her that its my birthday. So desperate na?? But that's how I am.  I want all my loved ones to wish me. In fact, last year, on my birthday, when Stranger called me up (Stranger was not aware it was my bday), I told Stranger too!  So ppl dont forget to wish me. I am looking forward to receiving all your wishes.

Here's something I had been meaning to do since a long time. Avail of a 20% discount sale on all items at my Etsy shop for the weekend. Use coupon code BDAY20.  Make the most of this sale.

Made a new pair of earrings yesterday.

WOMEN and some beadwork

Lately I have been busy with creating new stuff for my online stores. Due to the ongoing Diwali vacations for my students, no tuition for a week and I have all the time in the world to pursue my hobbies, but sometimes I feel time just passes by in a jiffy!! Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with some new ideas for new creations!!!!! I have also ordered some craft supplies online, so eagerly waiting for them! Last weekend, when my husband offered to take me to a mall for some shopping, I suggested that we visit the craft shop instead...hehe...the look on my husband's face was worthless!!! My explanation was, instead of ending up spending money on needless things in a mall, I might as well spend it on something that will be useful for my craft, which will in turn make me happier!! I am sure my husband must have muttered "women!!" 

Here's some of my work that I did today. The first one's a pony-beads-on-a-cd coaster. I have a whole lot of pony beads stocked up which my husband lovingly got for me from Mexico last year. I don't know how to use them. So tried this coaster today. 

The second is a beaded centerpiece. I am happy with the end results. I just love when different colors come together to create something unique!!

Now that I am done with these...what shall I do next?????

Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge!

We all come across some people in life who we don't gel with. May be they have hurt our feelings through word or deed. May be they have hurt us so much that we do not want to ever have anything to do with them. May be we do not even want to look at their faces anymore!! I too have faced such situations in life when someone very dear to me, someone who I looked up to, hurt me and saddened me when I should have been the happiest. He/she betrayed my trust when I most needed them. I had decided that I am never going to forgive that person, never going to meet that person, but it does not help matters when we move in common circles. Invariably we are going to bump into each other and the only way to avoid each other is to look the other way. But does it help?? That is when my Mother-in-law taught me an important lesson in life. She told me that by feeling hurt and angry with someone, I am hurting myself. Every time I think about that betrayal, I am hurting from within. I am hurting myself. I am losing my peace of mind, but does it affect the betrayer?  No!! In fact, the more I hurt from within, the more I am letting the demons win. I am letting the one incident hurt me time and again. I am the one who is losing. So what do I do about it? She told me, forgive your betrayer. FORGIVE??????? Am I hearing it right?? Forgive my betrayer after all that he/she has done to me?? No I can never do it!! I am not a saint! She only smiled that knowing smile.....

Later when I reflected over what she said, I realized she was right! By thinking about the betrayal and the betrayer, I am letting him/her hurt me again and again. By hurting again and again, I am only letting the perpetrator win.  Why should I avoid seeing eye-to-eye with that person? Only a person who is wrong fails to meet the eye. If I know I am in the right, then why should I not meet his/her eyes??  So I decided to take the bull by its horns. I realized that I will stop thinking about the betrayal only if I let it go, and I can let it go only if I forgive that person. It is not easy to forgive someone who has hurt you deeply, but it is easier to take a stand in life and say "I will not let you hurt me again".

Following this important lesson, today after many years, I have realized that I am in a happy space, a space where it is easier for me to confront the person who has hurt me, meet the person with a smile on my face, a smile that hurts the betrayer, a smile that makes my betrayer squirm, a smile that takes me away from all the hurt....Today, I have moved past that incident and my betrayer affects me no more....

I am no saint. In fact, I am still a short-tempered person, but I have learnt one important lesson in life....that forgiveness in the sweetest revenge.

A special message from Stranger

This morning I got a special email from our dear friend, Stranger-in-my-heart. This is what Stranger has written to all of you. "- Hi from me to all our blog friends through your blog. Ramadan Kareem to all our friends who celebrate Ramadan..."
Currently busy with personal life, Stranger promises to be back soon. Stranger sends lots of love to you all!! 

I have been featured!

Recently a friend asked me to be a guest blogger on his travel blog. He wanted me to write about the places I had been to, and so I wrote my first post for him on Udaipur. Please check this out. http://justbackpack.wordpress.com. More posts to follow.....

Its a BOY!!

Our family has just had a new addition, a baby BOY!! Before you people jump the gun, my sister delivered a baby boy this morning. The fella arrived five weeks early!!! Too eager to see the world, I guess! Its been a happy day, a joyous welcome to the newborn....May the little one be blessed with a life full of health, wealth, and happiness. 

First birthday and 100th post!!

This is my second post today. As I was done publishing my previous post, I suddenly realized, today, 28th July is the first birthday of  "The World's My Oyster"!!! Exactly one year ago on this day, I took a nervous first step into the world of blogging and I must say, my journey has been wonderful!!! I take this opportunity to thank all my followers for having been with me, following me, and encouraging me to give my best.  Survived through 100 posts...and I AM NOT DONE YET!!!

Ninth Japanese bag!!!

Of all my crochet creations, the Japanese flower bag has been loved by most. Till date, over the last few months, I have made nine such bags at least. I am so familiar with the design now, that my sister jokes I will be able to make it in my sleep, one bag each night!! I wont be surprised myself if I manage to do that!!

Anyways, each bag is as loved as the others and each has been made with  love and dedication.  This one's for a young girl, S, in UAE whose favourite colour is PINK.

A surprise gift!!

Today when I opened the door to the courier guy, I least expected something for me. Even though I knew a gift was being sent to me, it totally took me by surprise when the courier fellow told me that it was for me. I was very excited to see the sender's address. It was from Stranger's two daughters!!! Thanks S and S for the lovely gift!! Thanks to u too, Friend! The gift is very very pretty....a beautiful pendant-earring set and a lovely hair pin. Thank u soooo very much once again!

Attacked, yet again!

In contrast to my last post where I described how happy I am living in Mumbai, today is a gloomy and sad day! We have been attacked, yet again!!! This is the third terrorist attack in Mumbai since I moved here six years ago. The first time it happened was in 2006. We were on a short vacation to Pune when we got the shocking news of the train bombings. I had quit my job just 10 days prior to that incident.  I would have been in one of those trains had I been working on that day. It was the same route I took to reach home every day. After that tragedy, I avoided trains for quite some time but then trains are the lifeline of Mumbai. We have to travel by these local trains to reach our destinations. How much longer could I avoid them? Also the fact that my husband and many of my near and dear ones still traveled daily by these very trains made me resilient.  Again, in 2008, when the terrorists attacked the Taj, the CST, the Oberoi etc., I didn't let my husband go to work for a day. But then how long can we stay cooped up?  How long can we fear death and stop living? Living in Mumbai makes one resilient and ready for any eventuality. But every time terror strikes, it is shocking and scary! And every time we become more resilient! For a few days after such tragic incidents, we are all on our guards for suspicious people, suspicious objects, etc. Then life moves on...until the next strike. How many times will this repeat? How many times do we have to face death and uncertainty? Why are we not safe? Today, I think the only person feeling safe in Mumbai is Mr. Kasab who is protected by 50 commandos. It is ironic, isn't it that the person who unleashed terror on the people of Mumbai is today all safe and sound while the common man does not even know if he can reach back home safely tonight?
Today my thoughts are with the victims and their families whose lives have been changed forever, who have been wounded and scarred for life, whose dreams have been trashed,  who did not live to see another day......