Stepping up with stones :)

These are some paperweights I made out of stones of different shapes. 


For the first one I took a triangular shaped stone that had a little tapering towards the front. I marked down 3/4 or the wider portion and applied glue. I then poured some brown rice on top of the glue to make it stick. You will need to wait for 2-3 hours for it to stick completely. Once it is dry enough to handle, glue down two "black eyed peas" (chowli) for the eyes and a black bean for the nose. Cute. Isn't it?

For the second one which is a beetle (I hope it does resemble one) I just painted randomly scattered circles with red acrylic paint on a circular stone. Since the stone was grey in color, I had to go on and brush it down with black color first. Let the first coat of color dry completely before painting the circles. Again glued the eyes and Voila! The third one is just a painting of random circular designs with leftover paint!

An ode to inspiration

In this rat race, it is difficult to think outside of the box. The world is becoming more and more mechanical and it is almost impossible to look at the simpler side of life. Everybody is so busy running errands in their 9 to 5 jobs (did I say 5???) that there is no time to indulge in some creative pleasures.

There are times when I have been told how easy it is to give in to laziness when you have all the time in the world to yourself. But, I believe, it is upto an individual to spend time as he/she would like to. Do what you are passionate about and you wont be calling it "work" ever. I believe, there is no place for laziness or boredom if you choose a hobby that satisfies you, that keeps you in touch with your creative side…and every person has one. And thats exactly what "Creative Box" does; It inspires you!

Paperweights made from stones of different shapes
 

I feel lucky to have known Bhairavi first as a colleague, then as a friend and now as a fellow craft enthusiast. Infact, it was her vision with which she could dare to leave behind the mundane and follow her creative side, that inspired me to take up crafting seriously. They say dreams can turn into reality, if only someone dares to dream. Bhairavi, u dared girl! I wish CB keeps doing better and better and keeps inspiring fellow crafters.

Wine bottle decoration with rolled up magazine pages

Anklet from paper beads

Tissue paper flowers

I have being doing a lot of recycling lately, with magazine pages, stones and stuff that we would rather throw away. I hope you like the pictures and they make you smile, because they for sure bring a lot of self satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment to me.

Creative box for me was a spark, that gave way to new ideas.When I am tensed and need to unwind, I take up some craft work and then my mind is at ease. Doing this is my way of expressing myself which is important. I will always be thankful to CB for making me appreciate my skill.

Crafty Times!

Afternoons can become really monotonous when you are at home. So I decided the best way to avoiding becoming lazy is to keep myself busy.

These days I have been totally involved in recycling stuff and hate to throw away anything even remotely useful. Luckily I have a knack of doing arts and crafts!

Doing crafts some times involves visiting craft stores and picking up colors, beads and other miscellaneous items that can some times be expensive. So I thought and thought and came up with the idea of using stuff that is easily available around the house and do something creative with it. Of course there are other people who have thought about it before. So I started an exhausting internet search of recycling stuff and making them into decorative items. One search item did catch my attention. "Jewelry making". Hang on.... decorative jewelry??? that too from household materials? You are kidding me!!!

After digging deep into my closets, I realized that one of the many things that we have available in ample quantities (sometimes even more than we require) are plastic bags!!! Lets face it - we are conscientious enough not to throw them in the trash after we have put away all our groceries and yet at the same time, we get lazy to collect all of them and put them in the recycle bin at the store :)

Anyway, leaving all that aside, let us begin with our project. I shall demonstrate how to make a simple anklet from plastic bags. I have tried to illustrate every step with an image below.

Materials Required -   Lots of Plastic grocery bags
                                    Plastic drinking straws
                                    Scissors
                                    Glue
                                    Some string

Yes. Thats it!!! So here we go...

Step 1: Lay down your plastic bag flat and cut off the handles and bottom part.
Cut out long strips out of these. Remember these will need to be rolled up so make them thin.
Step2: Place one strip on a flat surface. Place a drinking straw on one end of the strip and start rolling. Keep gluing the plastic to keep it in place.
Step3: Once the plastic strip has been completely rolled up, cut off the drinking straw at the edge. It should resemble this -

You now have one finished bead. Continue Step 3 till you have enough beads for your anklet. Keep these to dry for about an hour.
Step4: String the beads, you can use fishing wire or even dental floss to string them. I have just used some leftover yarn.
Step4: Make a hoop at the end of the string and string a bead through it. Just like the once we use to tighten a necklace. It should look like this -

Step5: Wear your anklet and tighten the bead. The finished product is the result of your efforts and some cool recycling :)

P.S. - It is great to use plastic bags of different colors for this project. Else, just get some old nail color out of your drawers and paint away... (make sure these dry completely before you string them). Happy Crafting!!!

Sweetness at the Square!

"So donuts huh??? Whats the big deal? Nothing new? Another highly popular fried food made of sweetened dough in the shape of a ring."  This is what I told my friend when I was told about the new donut shop at the square. Ring. Hold on… Did I say ring??? As in a circle with a hole?? I couldnt have been more wrong. Come over to “Denton Square Donuts” to have the image of your stereotype busted!!!

Here, the donuts are soft, flaky and square… yes square!!!!! The only donut that is as unique as the Denton square, I daresay. And guess what? They are baked? So come on you health conscious, fried food avoiding Denton-er; come take a bite of heaven.

The place is the coolest, strategically located and has a great décor. The people are friendly and efficient. If you have an iPhone, download the app, and you are ready to place an order through your phone. Talk about Cool!!!

 

If you come here expecting regular donuts be prepared to get pleasantly surprised. The donut menu comprises of bacon and maple, pizza, peanut butter…… even jalapenos and cream cheese. And this is just the starting line-up. I am sure there will be more sweet and savory options as days go by. All this and more for a couple of bucks each. I am sure the Oreos and s'mores donuts will have you craving for more!! Surely, the biggest strength of your will power would be to stop after ONE!!