National day crafts to make and decorate

December 2nd is the National Day of United Arab Emirates. 

UAE is a diverse country.  It is the central hub for people to meet, work together and develop relationships. This country offers a sense of freedom, security and respect for all beliefs and cultures.

Expats as well as the locals live in perfect harmony here, hence the expats are equally excited and participate in the celebrations, with little children dressed in flag colors and balloons and stickers, badges and sweets being distributed.

From record gathering of flags to breathtaking phenomenal fireworks to fancy luxury cars embossed in national flag colors and bling .. we will be seeing it all !!

While the country is all set for the National day celebration with full pomp and show, I decided to teach my students how to decorate with regular household items to make lovely celebratory decoration and accessories.

We used regular plastic bottles and cut out the base in the shape of a flower. We later applied acrylic paints in the colors of red, green, black and white.  These were then tied up and hung as decoration.

Younger students made these simple trees with various shapes.  The theme centered around the colors used.

We also rolled up newspaper and made these large flowers to stick on the walls.

Work still in progress.

we made the flag out of paper chains.  

We bought ribbons of the flag color and cut out “bangles” out of plastic bottle and wrapped it all around the plastic bottle – making a bangle with the flag colors.

We also used nail polish to color “washers” and tied it to these thin ribbons. The kids love accessorizing themselves with these.

These displayed handicrafts are a part of the UAE culture.  In the olden days, people relied on the resilient Palm tree to provide everything from shade to food to shelter material.  The branches of the palm tree were used to make these baskets, hand fans, bread serving dishes, food mats etc.   

The red siting area is just recreated here to show how, in the olden days, they would preferably sit on these hard cushions which can still be found in most homes.
Actually they are quite comfortable.

We wanted to make several more items for the National Day, but felt, slightly limited since all our projects had to have recycled material usage as well as be decorative in nature. 

How do you decorate your home, office or school for your National day ?  Do you get your kids involved in the decoration ?                

Please drop in a line to tell me if and how, you liked these easy and fun creations.

Recycled objects :-

• Empty plastic bottles
• Newspaper

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Upcycle Ideas For Photo Frame.

Hello friends.

So, a couple of months back, when I was hosting the trunk show for my handmade jewelry, I bought a load of display stands/items from a lady who had closed down her Gold Jewelry store. ( Her friend was helping her sell her stands) You can find that collection here : An unbelievable haul.

There were various colors, and in relatively presentable state. (Not the best though)

All those of you, who have ever participated in exhibitions, fairs or small shows, must be all too aware of the importance and hassles involved in merchandising and issues with table space 😦

Most of my newly sourced display items were ‘on the table display’ hence, i had to come up with innovative ideas to display my jewelry in relation

• with height
• preferably stand alone pieces

A little bit of juggling, and I managed to upcycle a few things lying around in the house, like –

• bulletin boards into display board
• a stand alone broken mirror
• and finally these large frames.

I love art and picture frames.  I am happy to buy them from stores like Pan Emirates, or  garage sales or Ikea as-is section or even dubizzle.  The maids rooms is choker full with large size frames ! ( luckily we don’t have a maid so that room is ‘converted’ into the art storage.

So anyways, here are how the frames looked.  They are in excellent condition. I just added a back support so that the frames would act as a shadow box without a glass in the front. A couple of nails were also gently tapped on it, so as to hang the necklaces.

I will be sharing a post on all the trunk shows as well as exhibitions, that I participated in, where you will find these darlings displaying my handmade jewelry.

I don’t consider myself all too frugal but I love to upcycle or repurpose – passionately.  I come from a society where upcycling is frowned upon. People who upcycle are considered stingy or cheap.  But in all honesty, I find such a society, people and systems – very shallow.  One has to learn to look beyond today .. we have already flooded dear ol earth with tons of garbage with all the consumerism and commercialization. Isn’t it time, we just wake up and do something about it ??

There are some people who wish to ignore global warming and there are some people who believe its REAL and that we should’ave done something about it ALREADY a few decades back.

I just believe, that each one of us can and should, make a difference – BUT that cumulative effort CAN make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things.  We cannot exhaust our natural resources to fulfill our immediate greed and leave our future generations devoid of basic necessities.  There are places like South Africa who are suffering water shortages already !!

A few years back I was conducting “Save the Environment” workshops where I would visit local schools and educate kids with a complete presentation with facts and figures of how we are depleting our natural resources and how we can come up with simple ways to curb wastage. It was followed by crafts where we repurposed items which are generally dumped.  It was a very gratifying experience. Unfortunately, I got a full time job alittle later and I could not conduct those workshops after that 😦

I believe, positive, constructive and progressive values should be inculcated into children from a tender age.  It should not be a SUBJECT which is studied in their O’levels or A’levels.  If anything, its too late by then 😦

Please do let me have your views too.

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An unbelievable haul !!

Hi Folks.

Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you actually hit jackpot !

I hit the jackpot with this haul – although at a certain steep price !

Jewelry making is a small endeavor, I pursued a few months back. I totally love making statement pieces of necklaces, chokers, earrings and bracelets. I especially love the leather creations.

However, I had to buy some jewelry display stands which was costing me an arm and a leg 😦

After a couple of weeks, I turned to #Dubizzle and came across this lady who was helping a friend, get rid of all her jewelry display stands, bust etc.  Her friend had closed her gold jewelry store in the Gold souk and had dumped the stands, with her friend to try and sell them.

I was happy to take it off her hands, but she wanted to make a profit and keep a cut for herself – instead of giving the amount to her friend !!!

Long story short.  We bought a couple of bags from her.  And a little dusting and polishing later, this is how they looked :-

I will be sharing a post on all the trunk shows as well as exhibitions, that I participated in, where you will find these darlings displaying my handmade jewelry.

I am glad that I did not spend pots of money on new display stands and got to reuse old ones. It fits completely with my belief and principle of recycle and repurpose too. I

How do you think, I did ?

Do you have something like Dubizzle in your country ? A platform where you can buy/sell household/business related/ cars etc in your immediate vicinity.

I am sharing my haul with my lovely friends here.

Thank you for visiting me today.

Have a lovely day and please subscribe to my blog (top right column) and my instagram                                                

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The Ultimate Art and Craft Box / Kit !

This is a simple post about helping Moms, new Moms, creative and Non-creative Moms understand, how you can get alittle organized beforehand and make beautiful memories while your little one enjoys spending that special time with you.

I’ve been a craft artist for nearly two decades. I love crafting. It is not only my passion, but it also completes me.

“Crafts” is a tiny term which encompasses a whole range of activities.  Unfortunately most of us, tend to associate it with painting or drawing or probably alittle bit of cutting.  But that’s not necessarily all that there’s to it.

I’ve taught in a couple of schools but several prestigious art institutes.  I’ve held Mother & Toddler classes, Workshop for ladies and classes for youngsters as well.

Today, in this post, I will address one concern that most moms have echoed over the years to me, how they find themselves all over the place when it comes to having some craft time with the kids.

There are 4 things, I’d like for you to remember before we address the craft dilemma :-

• Please hold your ‘fun craft time’ – as a time to explore new activities TOGETHER. It is a time when you actually MAKE MEMORIES – its supposed to be FUN. Not a task.
• Please know, that NO ART WORK is ever “COMPLETE OR PERFECT” – it is ALL in THE PROCESS.
• Please remember, appreciate your child’s effort, no matter how tiny. He is trying to please YOU as well.
• Long after they have grown, they will still cherish these priceless moments. So don’t try to work on making it “Perfect”.  Remember, “its the imperfection that adds character.”

Here are some of the issues  :-

1. Insufficient tools
2. Inadequate know-how
3. Unaware of places to shop at for supplies
4. lack of energy to drive around to places for supplies
5. Packed craft kits are expensive
6. Packed craft kits have limited supplies

So, I’ve decided to address all of these 6 issues one by one.

FYI, One of my most visited blog post is where-do-you-buy-craft-supplies-from-in-dubai

Moms who have toddlers in their troublesome twos, realize that children need various activities besides toys, to keep them stimulated.  Hence in a desperate attempt to help the little one, they grab the first craft kit that they come across in the supermarket aisle.  However, I agree that most craft kits are aimed at a specific activity and supplies are really limited.

I’m going to advise you on how you can ease the process of crafting with your toddler/little one.

Please remember, children are not just visual learners. They learn by touch, feel, smell, sight, sound and THE PROCESS !

For the first 5 years of their life, they are still getting the hang of the hand and eye coordination – gross motor skills.

They are virtually charged 10 hours of the day to play, practice and have fun.  Thru it all, they are LEARNING.

Adapting to their environment and understanding their own movements.

Let us consider a routine scenario.

Our young first-time-Mum watches this youtube video about 5 easy crafts to try out with little Sarah.  (point2 addressed) [Google and Youtube videos ‘can be” a new Mom’s best friend since they can guide you tremendously around the process of crafting with kids]

She thinks its easy enough to try it out with her little one.  She rushes to the nearest Toy store and searches high & low for a craft kit for toddlers ! { point3 – this mom had the strength and enthusiasm to drive to the Toy store. Full marks to her but (point4) not all of us drive or have a store close by, hence we can buy online as well } Refer here

Realization – most crafts kits are aimed at children older than 5 years !!  Heaps of toys are available – but not craft kits !

FYI – one of the reasons for this is that alot of craft supplies have small objects which can cause choking hazard for little ones and companies do not want to risk getting into such waters.

Ofcourse you can opt out and buy one of those ridiculously expensive painting kits with sponges and fancy brushes (Point 5 is valid and real)  But then of course, Mom can splurge over little Sarah.

So Mom buys it and brings it at home – 2 days of fun and mess later, chances are a few of the brushes ‘may’ have gone missing under the sofa, the paint tub is all but nearly over and our little Sarah has decided, she’s had enough of Mona Lisa. (point6) Most little children have a short attention span. Give them easy crafts to work with. They may work with one painting but once its over, they need something different. 

This is where little Sarah is restless and Mom is getting frustrated too as her she realizes these craft activities are probably not her cup of tea !!

THIS IS WHERE I STEP IN !! Don’t fret and fume Mama.  Read on …. there is relief for you.

We’re going to assemble the ULTIMATE ART AND CRAFT BOX for you so that every time, you want to try out an activity with your child, all you have to do is, spread the ‘drip sheet’ on your table or work space and get the supplies you need, out and voila ! Start your crafting adventure !! You never know – you might discover you really like crafts 🙂

First thing –  Chances are, you might already be having a plastic box, bucket, basket or a large container at home. Its best if it could be large and preferably with a lid. In fact, the large transparent bin with wheels from IKEA is most ideal for this purpose.  Here are a few options :

Here are some of the most basic supplies :-

I highly encourage little children who are still developing their gross motor skills to use crayons or color pencils rather than colored markers.

Please remember, a scribble made by a 2 year old, might be an entire story from his imagination. Hence please appreciate it and ask him/her questions relating to that. See how his/her eyes sparkle as he describes 3 stories from one picture !!

Avoid buying large A3 size drawing books becoz children tend to use only a partial amount of space. Infact, I keep photocopier sheets handy, which can later be framed or placed in protector sleeves and hung up on the fridge or their study desks.

Don’t underestimate the importance of the humble rubberband.  Also remember to pack a few of the large black paper clips.

Alot of crafts ask for pipecleaners too. From acting as the stem of a flower, to the antenae of a butterfly, pipecleaners/chenille have plenty of uses.

Several crafts require drinking straws. They are colorful, they are easy to manipulate and children associate blowing air or making bubbles with them.

Long after the clothes have been dried, these clothespin will be super handy in the craft box. From the body of an insect to decorating a recycled jam jar, there are endless uses of this innovative creation. An absolute Must-have for our craft box.

Styrofoam balls come in various sizes. Apart from the easy snow man, you will find several sites full of ideas on how to use these, creatively.

Below, you will find tiny sparkling stars in packets,  pipecleaners which are plain and sparkly, styrofoam balls, childproof scissors and glitter tubes.  I would definitely include all of these EXCEPT GLITTER tubes.  They are a highly messy idea and I would prefer the children to be atleast 6 years old  before they get their hands on glitter.

I absolutely LOVE this bumper kit. You could buy the items individually or just add 2 packets of these in our craft box and Voila !  Tip – These could be included as return gifts for birthday parties too !!

If you are not able to get crepe paper, the below tissue gift wrap paper will do the trick just as well. Most crafts for tiny toddlers revolves around tearing bits of pieces of these sheets and sticking it to various items.

I don’t think, any craft kit can be complete without a Sharpie marker. Although the below marker is NOT a sharpie, I think, it might do the job ! Traditionally these are alcohol based hence you can use these to draw on plastic and metal.

The value pack with 25 pieces is ideal.  It is always advisable to use the thicker paint brushes for children.  Don’t expect little fingers to hold tiny brushes. These kits with sponge faces are also fun for little ones. Just drop alittle paint in a paper plate and dab the sponge for endless hours of fun !!

These alphabet stampers are good when you want kindergarten children to practice remembering their alphabets OR sounds. It takes the stress off, from having to write. But they are optional.

 

• Every mothers nightmare is the aftermath of an art and craft activity – This drop sheet should be able to solve that issue, Mom !

Just spread it on the table or floor and use the spring clamp (in the below picture) to hold it tight to an object, alternatively, you can use the white and blue striped sheet rolls, available in supermarkets. They too are efficient.
One fun item I would include would have to be these Ketchup dispenser bottles.

Use ? – You can find several recipes for puffy paint and these bottles are perfect for squeezing the paint and designing with.

Here are some more tips.

• A glue gun is a handy tool (almost an essential item for every Crafter) . However, it can be introduced to  children once they are over 10 or 11 years of age.
• When working with little children, use only paper masking tape. Not the plastic kind.
• Please don’t buy the plastic scissors for toddlers. It practically NEVER works.
• If you want to know which is the best brand for erasers and sharpners, kindly subscribe to my blog for the next post which will have details on various brands.
• Over the years, I have realized, aprons don’t help all that much. It inhibits their movement and if anything, the plastic rubbing against eachother is a bother to most kids. Just get them dressed in one of your husband’s old Tshirts !
• Red, blue and yellow are primary colors, inorder to attain any other color, you just have to mix, any two of these two colors.  So you don’t need a dozen tubs of colors. A few will do.
• I have compiled this list considering almost all homes have paper staplers and paper punches !

So there you have it !

All the pictures in this post were taken at Dollar Plus. *However please note,  this post is not in affiliation with them. I am NOT being compensated by ANY Dollar store for this post.

When I share my experience or any information with you over here – it is done purely to help, moms, teachers, crafters, students and people who don’t have the time or energy to research these avenues.  I have NOTHING to gain from it except perhaps some appreciation from people who leave kind words of gratitude in the comments.

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Dollar Store – in Dubai ?

Dollar stores have been sprawling all over the US and Canada for several decades.  England has its own version as the Pound store and I am sure, the rest of the world too has them.

Here in Dubai, we’ve been spoiled for choices at the numerous 10 dhs – 20 dhs stores and Day to Day stores.

We even have a Japanese counterpart ‘Daiso’ providing most items at dhs 7.

Let me tell you 26 years back, when I landed in Dubai for the first time, these exact stores offered 1,2 and 5 dhs items. Infact you still might find a few of them in certain pockets of Sharjah and Ajman.

A “certain class” of people tend to have a biased view about their products, looking down upon them as cheap Chinese goods. However, I believe that is a blanket statement that just does NOT apply.  Some of the items you find here, are really good quality and some are far from it. But I would not generalize it.

For the longest time, I used to pick bulk goods from these stores for filling “return gift bags” for my children’s birthday parties.  (from Kindergarten to grade 5 !!)

Infact I remember, I used to add note pads, pencil cases, little stuffies or toy cars and some cupcakes or juice packets for valentines days for all my boys’ classmates till they completed Primary schooling, alternating the items with puzzles, popup books, coloring books, stickers, rubic cube, etc as they grew older.

When you have to pack, 70 – 80 bags, one has to be wiser with the penny and the pound ! For years, my sons’ friends looked forward to these bags.  Once secondary school began, everybody had such tech-related needs !!

Finally a few years back, Dollar Plus opened its doors at Madina Mall.

Located in Al Qusais – closer to Al Muhaisnah

This is just a quick glimpse of what you’ll find at the store.

My next post will be more elaborate with a theme !

Click on the above photos to view them in detail.

These colors are so delightfully appealing !

I love their collection of earthen mugs, colorful pails, fancy candles, baskets and those lovely vintage pictured vanity/mirror cases ! Oh so chic !!

My next blog post will also be related to the Dollar store but it will be focused around the creative aspect of what appeals to a Crafter in a Dollar store.

I am very excited to share plenty of tips and ideas of how and what to make use of, at the store. Please be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my blog, lest you don’t miss that post.

PS. I am NOT being reimbursed by ANY Dollar store for this post.

When I share my experience or any information with you over here – it is done purely to help, moms, teachers, crafters, students and people who don’t have the time or energy to research for these avenues.  I have NOTHING to gain from it except perhaps some appreciation from people who leave kind words of gratitude in the comments.

Thank you for visiting me today. Have a lovely day and be sure to subscribe to my blog (top right column)and my instagram here.

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10 AMAZING PLACES TO VISIT IN DUBAI FOR FREE

 

Dubai is the hub of amazing adventures, never-ending entertainment and exciting activities to keep you and your family occupied!

However, Dubai is alot more than a desert kingdom with outrageously magnificent structures.  It is not reserved exclusively for the rich & famous, or the exuberant tourist.  It is a city which beautifully caters to the needs and aspirations of its local and expat population.

Not every family can enjoy the luxury of shopping at world class malls, cinemas, golf courses or museums.  And hence we scoured deeper to find 10 fantastic places where families can enjoy the lovely weather outdoors with some sightseeing, perhaps a barbecue or a fabulous picnic by the lake.

After enduring the sweltering summer here in the UAE, it’s finally safe to step outdoors once again !!

Here are our 10 picks of the places to visit in Dubai FOR FREE !!

1. Dubai Creek Harbor – The best fun-filled family destination in town, DCH features a showcase of live performances, unique food concepts, workshops, kids activities and a varied pop up market. For more : https://risedubaicreekharbour.com/  
2. Al Qudra Lake   –  Al Qudra Lake is a man-made lake in the middle of Saih Al Salam Desert and Bab Al Shams in Dubai, UAE. It is the home of local trees and almost hundred species of migratory birds, ducks, swans and flamingoes.
3. The Yard –                    http://www.meraas.com/news/the-yard/                                                                             An eclectic new lakefront destination in Dubai’s rapidly developing Al Khawaneej area. The suburban hideaway encompasses Last Exit D89. An exciting family-friendly destination blending rural farm environment with urban accents. The Yard has a distinctive visual identity with playful murals that provide an ideal backdrop for photographs. An 18-metre-tall windmill, a water mill, a wishing well, a Promise Bridge, decorative vintage pick-up trucks, farm animals and bird houses further augment the photogenic appeal of the destination.
4. Al Barsha pond park      -Al Barsha Pond Park sits around the perimeter of a large 50 acre man-made pond with activities for the entire family. There is a jogging and cycling track along with beautiful play area for children.  Cycles and boats are available for rent at reasonable prices. The most ideal place for families to spend few hours in this beautiful, serene, quite park in the middle of fast paced Dubai.. Al Barsha Pond Park has all facilities such as a restaurant, clean toilets, mosque, some food and ice cream booths. Even on weekends the Park is not annoyingly crowded.  Most of all entry to the Park is absolutely FREE !!!  The evening Ripe Market makes this a top attraction with crafts and delicious foods, every Saturday.
5. Kite Beach –                              http://www.kitebeach.ae/                                                                                         While the entire coastline between Jumeirah Open Beach and Umm Suqeim/Sunset Beach was being revamped, with the addition of new jogging and walking tracks, showers, toilets and kiosks as part of the 18km Dubai Corniche project, this particular segment got special attention. Now beach tennis, volleyball and watersports (including an inflatable assault course on the sea), plus soapy soccer are organized at intervals throughout the year. There’s a small precinct of cafés, a scattering of food trucks, Wire world adventure park and XDubai skatepark.
6. Dubai Canal  –   With the Dubai Canal, the city has developed one of the more stunning examples of urban development–a pedestrian friendly retreat from the hot weather and the concrete jungle. Whats more ? Along its path is free WiFi, and stations with USB ports to charge smartphones. It’s as if Dubai designed a public park for the selfie-obsessed social media generation.
7. Horse Race at Meydan – The race season will continue till 31st March 2018. It is one of the most spectacular race courses in the Gulf with exceptional dining and entertainment packages.  There is a general admission section too, which is FREE !!  This free admission area gives access to a limited section within the Meydan Grandstand with a large number of Grandstand seats available boasting excellent views. With sufficient room on the vast apron area between the track and the Grandstand, visitors on the sides of the apron can get a close view of the thoroughbreds in the Parade Ring, before and after the race. 
8. Bird watching at Ras Al khor wild life Sanctuary –        http://wildlife-ae.herokuapp.com/            Dubai is not just a desirable hotspot for millions of tourists each year — it’s the destination of choice for tens of thousands of migrating birds. In the wetlands, just metres away from the busy city, you’ll find the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Please visit the above website and book online.
9. Al Serkal Art Avenue –                       http://alserkalavenue.ae/en/index.php                                                        In a world obsessed with technological advancement, it’s worth making some time to simply appreciate local and regional art initiatives, artists, art galleries, creatives.  It is a place where one can engage with the cultural content.
10. Dubai Fountain.                                                                                                                                                        Choreographed to music, the Dubai Fountain also known as the Dancing fountain, shoots water as high as 500 feet –that’s as high as a 50-story building !!   The Dancing  Fountain performances occur daily in the evening, from 6:30,  every half an hour, on the 30-acre Burj Khalifa Lake.  The best show would have to be the 8:00 pm one. There is a light show as well. The Dancing fountains synchronize to light and music, some classical, some pop and some Arabic.  Its definitely worth watching this phenomenal event.                                                              To make the experience even better, the organizers have set up a fountain broadwalk to take you closer than ever to the fountain. A brand new floating platform located within the fountain pool area will give the audience a whole new perspective of the captivating performances. That is chargeable ofcourse.

 

So there you have it. 10 Places to visit, picnic or rest out, with your family or friends in Dubai FOR FREE !!

There are some more places where you could have long walks,  chill out over some coffee or just drive through.  However, since they are not ideal for a picnic spot, or a family gathering and are focused more on shopping, they have not been included in the above list.

Box park

City Walk

The Walk

Marina Walk

Cornish of Atlantis Hotel

I hope this list benefits you.

***  If there is one request I have, it is that we should be conscious of our environment.  Picnics and outdoor parties are great but leaving your trash behind is not. Please remember to carry a bag to collect all your trash and dispose it responsibly. ***

***  Please remember – Our children learn from us, they are watching us and will imitate us. We have to demonstrate to them how to be responsible and environmentally aware individuals. ***

*** Please adhere to notice boards that state, what is forbidden and where. eg, barbecue fires close to a pond which can damage the flora and fauna in and around the pond. ***

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• A Little Bird Told Me  – Life of Jennifer Dawn
• Share Your Style – The Vintage Nest Blog
• Waste Not Wednesday  – Raggedy Bits
• The Creative Exchange – Summer Scraps
• Fabulous Features  – A Glimpse Inside
• 21 Rosemary Lane
• My love to create
• Inspiration Gallery Link Party  – Design, Dining, and Diapers
• Home Matters  – Life with Lorelai
• I’m Loving It  – Tidy Mom
• Home & Garden Thursday  – A Delightsome Life
• Share Your Cup Thursday  – Have A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
• Artsy-Fartsy Mama (diy, crafts, recipes)
• Apron strings and other things
• Classical homemaking
• The Squishable Baby
• Katherine’s Corner
• Life as we know it by Paula
• Pearl  Street design
• Healthy and Happy link party
• Creatively Crafty link party
• No Rules weekend blog party @ Sincerely Paula
• Take it on Tuesday @ Romance on a dime 
• Its a party @ A creative Princess
• Showing off @ Sugar Bee Crafts
• Create it Thursday @ Lamberts Lately
• The homemaking party @ Hope in every season
• Under $100 party @ Beyond the picket fence
• Pin it Thursday @ sweet bella roos
• The project stash @ 4you with love
• The project stash link party @7alive
• Thirsty Thursday @ Obviously marvellous
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• The Crafty Blog Stalker, Blog Stalking Thursday
• Becoming Martha, Keep Clam & Link Up
• Reasons to Skip the Housework, The Weekly Creative Link Party
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Power of Paint party @ Domestically speaking
• Party Time at The 36th Avenue
•  Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage,
•   Talkin’ about Thursday at Designed Decor,
•   The Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush,
•  Made U Look Linky at Made in a Day,
•  Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life,
•  Catch a Glimpse Party at A Glimpse Inside,
•  What To Do Weekends at Crafts a la Mode
• http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/
• http://tidymom.net
• Treasure Hunt Thursdays ~ From my front porch to yours.
• Grace at Home Party @ Imparting grace
• Artsy fartsy sitcom
• Get Your Brag On;
• Things I’ve Done;
•   Artsy Corner link party @ Artsy Corner,
• Linky Party DIY Inspired – The Girl Creative

Friday

• Be Inspired @ Common Ground
• Anything Goes @ Bacon time with the hungry hypo
• Shabbilicious Friday Link Party @ Shabby Art Boutique
• Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
• Creatively Made Friday
• Happy-Go-Lucky, Shine on Friday
• Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove
• Friendship Friday @ Create with Joy
• Home Sweet Home @ The charm of home
• Fabulously Creative Friday @ Jennifer Rizzo
• Friday Pin Fest @ A peek into my paradise
• bloglovin blog hop @ Sew Crafty Angel
• Lets connect social media round up blog hop @ Life on Lakeshore Drive
• The inspiration Gallery @ The Craftberry Bush
• Favorite Fridays @ I’m not a trophy wife
• WOWZA Weekend link party @ My love 2 create
• Simply Creations Link Party at My Simple Homelife,
• Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed,
• Inspire Me Please Link Party at Liz Marie Blog,
• Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest,
• What Have You Redone at Redoux Interiors,
• Simple and Sweet Fridays at Rooted inThyme,
•  Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous,
• Show and Tell Friday at Romantic Home,
•  Junkin’ Joe Vintage and Thrifty Finds at The Cottage Market,
• Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and Jello,
•  Tickled Pink at 504 Main,
• Anything Blue Friday at The Dedicated House,
•  Rustic Restorations Weekend Link Party at Homespun Happenings,
•  Great Idea Thursdays at A Handful of Everything,
• Fun Friday blog hop @ The pink momma
• Freedom Fridays @ My turn for us
• The weekend retreat @ the best blog recipes

Thank you for visiting me today. Have a lovely day and be sure to subscribe to my blog (top right column)and my instagram here.

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Creative Craft Mornings

Over the past several years, my skills have evolved.  I feel a sense of satisfaction after every completed project. Sometimes, even a little disappointed after a failed completed project – never the less, just the sheer joy of being able to create something with my own hands is exhilarating.

Till the period we were living at Arabian Ranches, I held craft workshop for ladies and art classes for children. That was, till 5 years back.  And then we moved to Al Warqa.

I missed my routine friendly creative exchanges with ladies and the young ones too.

There is such immense joy, when you have been instrumental in helping someone discover a latent talent.

Hence, moving to The Villa – Dubailand, gave me the opportunity to restart my workshops.

It was one of the best things about 2017, for me – CCM (creative craft mornings).

I was conducting craft workshops for women at my villa.

After a hiatus of nearly 5 years, I restarted this initiative and I was overwhelmed by the response.

In Dubai, we have sewing/quilt/crochet clubs, and we have quilling/papercrafting classes, however, I feel, there are far too many crafts that cannot be categorized and thats exactly, what I was offering.

There were ladies from the age group of 22 right upto 72 years !!  These were ladies, who had the zest to learn, inspite of busy schedules and running a hectic lifestyle, between career and family.   Ladies, who had to pick children from school, prepare a meal, manage their homes, attend meetings and yet they believed in giving the workshop, a chance.

I prefer to address all of them as my friends, rather than my students becoz, in essence, I learnt more from them than I taught them.  If we are really passionate about something, we will find a way to pursue it.  One of my dear friend came from Arabian Ranches and another friend from Mamzar while yet another from Jumeirah Beach Residence !!!

Finding a haven where you won’t be judged or laughed at, is precious. We learn better, we explore deeper, we grow further and we develop faster.

We did a project, where my friends had to hammer nails into a block of wood. I was really surprised to observe how quickly they learnt, steadied their hands and hit the hammer with firmness and not only that, its quite tiring having to hit the hammer 25 – 30 times.

Every project they attempted was remarkable, considering no one had attempted such projects before.

Every one learnt something new, a skill, a technique, a design,  especially me.

I learnt that, making friends with like minded creative people is A GIFT !!  And I cherish these friendships.

I was truly overwhelmed.

Enthusiasm, patience and perseverance are the only ingredients needed to brew any success story.

Needless to say, the results were amazing.

Here are some photos :-

I am determined to restart these workshops again this year as well.

I truly hope to be able to carry on with newer projects here in Mirdif too.

Do you enjoy a particular hobby ?  Are there any workshops close to where you live ? Would you like to join CCM in Dubai ?

I am sharing this post with my friends at the following links :-

Tuesday
Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party – Lou Lou Girls
Project Inspire{d} – Yesterday on Tuesday
Two Cup Tuesday – Pint Sized Baker
Simple Supper Tuesday – Hun What’s For Dinner
Show and Tell – Sugar Bee Crafts
Tutorials & Tips Link Party – Home Stories A to Z
Totally Terrific Tuesday – Live Randomly Simple
Tuesday at Our Home – Our Home Away From Home
From Dream to Reality – The DIY Dreamer
Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Just a Girl and Her Blog
Fluster’s Creative Muster – Fluster Buster
Inspire Me Tuesday – A Stroll Thru Life
Awesome Things Tuesday – My Craftily Ever After
Tasty Tuesday – Creative Kids

Moonlight Mason Jars link Party – The newly wed Pilgrimage

Talk town

Wined wednesday

Wow me wednesday

Tag blog hop

Link Wednesday

Blogging week  36 for the love of blog

Break thru link up

Homemaking link up

Wise woman link 

Your whims wednesday

Wow us wednesdays

Funky Polka dot giraffe

21 Rosemary Lane

21 Rosemary Lane

My love to create

Artsy-Fartsy Mama (diy, crafts, recipes)

Apron strings and other things

Classical homemaking

The Squishable Baby

Katherine’s Corner

Life as we know it by Paula

Pearl  Street design

Healthy and Happy link party

Creatively Crafty link party

http://www.twinmummyanddaddy.com/

Friday Frivolity 

Sweet Inspiration Link party

Friday Feature Link party

Friendship Friday Blog Hop @Create With Joy
Friendship Friday Blog Hop @Create With Joy
Inspiration Party @The Boondocks
At The Fire House Linkup @ A Fireman’s Wife
Funtastic Friday @Olive-n-Okra
Home Matters  @Life With Lorelai
Brag About It Link Party @ Across The Blvd.
Best Of The Weekend @Little Miss Celebration
Sweet Inspiration Link Party @The Boondocks Blog
No Rules Weekend Blog Party @Sincerely Paula’s
Friday Favorites @Simply Sweet Home

https://creativekkids.com/

http://www.vikalpah.com/

Friday

BFF Open House

Bloggers LinkUp – anything goes

Family Fun Favorite

Fit and Fashionable Friday – fitness and fashion

Flaunt It Friday

Foodie Friday

Funtastic Friday Link Party

High Five Friday

Home Matters Linky Party

Live Life Well Link Up; Encouragement for the Journey

NO RULES Weekend Blog Party

Off-Fridays Mental Illness Blog Share (every other Friday) – mental health themed

Photo Friday (Thurs 8p)

Pretty Pintastic Party

The Weekly Postcard – travel related posts

Ultimate Pinterest Party (12p CST)

Weekly Wrap-Up (6a EST) – Homeschooling families can share the highlights of their school week

Fabulous Friday / Friday at the Fire Station / Friday Favorites / Welcome to the Weekend Blog Hop / Friday Frivolity / Friday Favorites / Flaunt it Friday / Creativity Unleashed / Feathered Nest Friday / Sweet Inspiration / Foodie Friday / Create, Bake, Grow, & Gather/ Fiesta Friday / A Morning Cup of Joe / Weekend Potluck / SITS Girls Sharefest / Five on Friday / Friday Favorites / Friday Favorites / High Five for Friday / Friday Faves / Pretty Pintastic Link Party / Domestic Dayz / Blogger’s Pit Stop / Home Matters

Bloggers LinkUp – anything goes

Saturday

Snickerdoodle Make-Bake-Create /

Best of the Weekend (Fridays at 8 PM EST) /

Dare to Share

Financially Savvy Saturdays

Make My Saturday Sweet (Thursday eve)

Our Mini Linky Party

Saturday Sparks Link Party

Saturday Sharefest

Sunday Link Up Party List

Happiness is Homemade

Sunday Features

Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up

Weekly Wrap – fitness

 

Thank you for visiting me today.

INSTAGRAM :-   ARTYCRAFTYNAUSH

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Summing up 2017 – fateful or grateful.

Hello friends,

How have you all been ?  I hope and trust, life has been kind to you all.  Thank you for still following me, inspite of my unpredictable and erratic presence/absence in the blog-world.

2017 was a mixed bag year for us – literally !! It felt as though some one dumped us all in a bag and mixed us rather hard !!

It was a year where we lost a dear friend to a rare disease. Another dear friend buried his only 18 year old daughter due to abdominal adhesion.  Some family issues which I prefer not to discuss here. It was a year, we decided to take a hard look at our own circumstances, priorities and make some firm decisions about our near future. We moved homes, lost jobs and somewhere inbetween all this, discovered our own threshold of strength and patience.

I have always been a very firm believer of being GRATEFUL.  Grateful to Allah swt for every single blessing bestowed upon us.

In the absolute order, I am grateful for my health, my healthy and compassionate children, my healthy and caring husband, my healthy and blessed parents and I am grateful for all the comfort, I am living in. I am even more obliged that Allah bestowed me with immense talent.

Every second year, I find myself evolving ; a restless spirit, on a creative journey.  From paper, to wood, to wire to jewelry … it keeps feeding my inner drive to create, to change, to complete, to develop.

How can you complain, when you have been blessed with the medusa touch ? And yet, we mere mortals, chase materialistic gains, lofty positions and a shimmering facade.

Kuwait was our home for over 23 years.. My parents loved to play demi God, making plans and trying hard to make them a reality. Problem is, all Indian parents were doing the same, those days..  Then came 2nd Aug’ 1990 and it changed everything.  Our world was crushed under the armored vehicles and military tanks that Saddam Hussein sent to Kuwait.

That chapter taught me a very essential lesson in my life.. ..

” Take each day as it comes …. don’t PLAN for too far ahead …  ”

This vital principle is now ingrained in my entire being.  We are expats, living in a foreign land, which would never give us a passport, regardless of how many years, we give the country. That thought has always been a bit unnerving but then again, I took each day as it came, with optimism and gratitude.  Perhaps, I became too complaisant …….and 2017 was a jolt for me.  A wake up call.

I am pleased we were able to make firm decisions and take positive actions on those decisions.

I am an optimistic soul – the silver lining is my goal AND my armor.

So the clouds may have been a bit dark and heavy, but we still have a long way to go, and I’m pretty confident, Allah swt will reward us handsomely for our patience, in sha Allah.

2017 – reaffirmed my belief in being grateful.

…………….. in turning ONLY to the Almighty for all your needs.

………………complain to him, weep and share your insecurities with him.

He WILL answer ….. but remember, believing in him, also means believing in His Timing.

May all of you have a pleasant year, full of achievements and good health. ameen.

Thank you for visiting me today.

INSTAGRAM :-   ARTYCRAFTYNAUSH

HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/ARTYCRAFTYNAUSH/

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Organizing Craft workshop and designing masks.

Did you know, not every great artist can be good teacher.

Arts and Crafts are a very personal affair and very few of us have the flair to “teach”.

Most of us are excellent at demonstrating our skills as artists and designers but teaching is a skill, all on its own and not all of us are equipped with what it takes to be an motivational teacher.

I believe a ‘good’ teacher is one who can inspire you, one who has patience, and one who is prepared to accept the chaff (those who may not be exceptional talented but who are zestful and eager to learn ) as well as the wheat grain.  Alot of people believe that you have to be born with artistic skills – but I don’t adhere to that theory. Skills can be cultivated and talent can be honed.  Everyone who stumbles upon a craft-kit, is not looking to build something magnificent – but he might find comfort in simply ‘trying’ to build something abstract out of it – maybe that is his prowess. That’s where the creative adroitness of the instructor comes handy.

I’m going to talk more about crafts here, rather than arts.

I have been teaching crafts for the last 12 or so, years, in schools, art institutes, with corporate organizations, and one aspect that stands out in “crafts” is that, alot of planning and organisational skills are required for a workshop or class.

Some of the aspects, you should figure out before committing to a workshop are :-

• The length of the activity
• The age of the group
• The ability of the group
• Will any assistance be provided for a group larger than 7 or 10 participants ?
• The venue and availability of wash basin, electric socket.
• Hanging equipment if project needs to be hung for drying.
• Leg work on the theme :- research the theme, source photographs, make a fancy power point presentation and have a small write-up to introduce the background story to the students
• Plan all the supplies needed.
• Inorder to calculate all the supplies and quantities needed, I suggest to ‘actually’ work this activity out and figure out how much time and the quantity of supplies needed. Then add that by the number of participants.  And remember to carry spares.
• Visiting the venue atleast once before the workshop is a good idea. And it also helps to develop a smooth rapport with the coordinators.

This December, I was invited to give a workshop at DUCTAC located at Mall Of Emirates.

Crafts are so much fun but it can be challenging when we coordinate the activity with the curriculum or in this case, the theme.

The theme was Threads:  A link between two totally different cultures or countries, of a peculiar habit, tradition, game, food, ritual, structure etc. Obviously, I had to come up with a craft based on it as well.

I found this theme very exciting and after a day of relentless research, i was fascinated with what I discovered. While at it, I also realized, what separates us, are our differences, while in our similarities, we find solace and unity.

Here are just a few of the similarities I found, in my research. (ofcourse, there must be a few hundred more !!)

• China – India                                                            ⇔ Kites
  

  ---

  Both the countries are known for the zest with which they enjoy the sport of playing with Kites. However, kites in China, are much more elaborate and designed in various shapes, much unlike India.

•  U.S.A – Russia – China – Burma                       ⇔ Bells
  

  ---

  Amongst many other countries, these four countries are known to have Bells playing a remarkable and important historical role.

• Egypt – Mexico – Cambodia – China                ⇔ Pyramid structure
  

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  Although the Egyptian Pyramids are the most popular structures known worldwide, Mexico, Cambodia and China are also known to have their own ancient mystical prism structures.

• Africa – India – China – Japan                           ⇔ Masks
  

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  Different cultures symbolize the mask with various deities, animal, spirit or human. Made from ceramic, wood etc, communities use masks for weddings, funerals, coming of age. They ask for spirit blessings, protections etc. They use it to tell stories and impart wisdom. Used in puppetry as well as ceremonial celebrations.

• Australia –  USA Arizona                                    ⇔ Boomerang
  

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  Although the earliest boomerang was designed in Australia, it is widely used and played with in Arizona – USA.

• Mexico – China                                                     ⇔ Bowls
  

  ---

  (Taco Bowl / Bowl to eat rice and noodles) Rice is one of the staple grains in both Mexico and China – Infact they handicraft their own bowls to eat it in !

• Bali – Mauritius                                                    ⇔ Woven baskets  
  

  ---

  Both Bali and Mauritius weave their own baskets but in different designs and colors and techniques.

I decided that my subject would be Masks.  It intrigued me just as much it did, to the children.  I provided the children with cardboard after the power point presentation on how, why, when and where masks are worn,  all over the globe and then asked them to design their own masks, providing them inspiration and a whole lot of recyclable material. It was amazing what the children came up with – far beyond expectation. 

Here are a few samples from one of the groups.

One of the reasons, I love this project is becoz it helps children play and utilize scraps of foam, cardboard, buttons, macaroni, foam cups, beads, thereby realizing and understand the main concept of reusing items found around the house.

Clearly the kids enjoyed it and got to take a little of History and Geography back home too !!

I believe imparting  knowledge and information is very gratifying.

I hope I have been able to inspire you into trying something new, something unique and something fun today. If so.. please do write to me.

Thank you for visiting me today. Trust you will stay a while and leave some love in your comments.

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