Bagels with Cream Cheese

V LOVVVES bagels.. He has a few every time he goes to the US and almost everytime we go to a Dunkin Donuts outlet.. This one has been on my must-try list for a long time but I was a bit apprehensive about getting the texture right (my nemesis in baking!) But when I did dare try, what a treat we had that Sunday morn for breakfast!!

Made the bagels and the cream cheese from scratch.. Will upload the recipe soon.. if you'd like to try it sooner, please check Peter Reinhart's recipe on Epicurious and Yummy Tummy for the Cream Cheese! Both are a little time and effort-consuming.. but worth it, really!!

Flowers with Thanks to Dr. Sonia

Hello all!! I'm back from a loooooong hiatus, thanks to Dr. Sonia.. She literally brought my blogging spirit back to life when she put in a comment in my previous post asking if everything was right :-) I just adore her for her time management and involvement with all her readers despite being a busy professional with an active kid at home!! KUDOS TO YOU MA'AM!!

Though I have not been blogging actively for the months past, I have been experimenting a lot with cooking and crafting too whenever I can steal time after my son sleeps (and everyone else too, for it usually gets past 1 or 2 at night!!). Yes, I really don't focus too much on photographing and blogging/recording things too much due to this time crunch but just manage to click a few pics with hubby's phone for memories' sake..Well, there's no stopping us crafters, right? :-)

That said, it is really becoming increasingly difficult for women to manage everything these days.. Work, home, child(ren), hobbies, relatives, guests, social circle and what not.. PHEW!! ;-).. So, here's a little bunch of handmade flowers for all the wonderful ladies and Dr. Sonia especially!

I die cut half A4 sheets of blue and teal felt, a pink jute sheet and a purple foam sheet to begin with.. Here, I have used Sizzix Tattered Florals die. Then, I layered the flowers with different combinations to check out what looks good. Once the combinations fell in place, I used a head pin and a bead for the center and glued the layers using hot glue (by melting a glue stick over a candle..I had bought the glue stick in an exhibition long back and it was lying unused till now!). Then applied distress inks (Worn lipstick, Evergreen Bough and Chipped Sapphire) around the edges of some of the flowers (lighter toned layers) to make em pop and voila.. done!

Will be posting more pics of my craft work and a few special new dishes that I tried (all in the past few weeks) in future posts.. but please do bear with the poor quality and raw, unedited or minimally edited pics.. Time is at a very high premium and I'd rather prefer to use it to finish those n projects that I always start but have to leave unfinished!!

New Born Baby Card

Wish you all a Very Happy New Year!!

V's cousin has had a baby boy recently.. news of a new birth in the family evokes a completely different, happy and nostalgic feeling in me after my son's birth.. i sure felt happier earlier too when i heard such news but this is so different!! I hope other mothers too can identify with what this is about.. hmm :)

I have made this card to welcome the little one.. Have done some basic stamping, embossing, inking and matting.. The banner is made by cutting pieces out of a washi tape..

How is the card? Here's a close up and better view:

Congrats card for sis

Hi all! I made this card for a special li'l girl who's becoming a prettier damsel everyday and is getting engaged! My baby sister is getting married!! How time flies...

I have embossed the floral pattern from an Itsy Bitsy stencil and inked the raised areas. Have added die cut and embossed elements which I have inked and stamped. And finished with the bow.. Hmmm, need a little more practice with bow making isn't it? :)

Hope u like it sis... We are all jumping in joy for you :)

Wire-form earrings

Hi all.. I made these wire-formed earrings for my sister. This is the first proper wire-forming that I have ever done. I have tried coarse wire-wrapping earlier though. You might have seen my wire-wrapped faux-jade necklace.. Am yet to make the bracelet I had told then... Lazy me :-)

The main challenge in making these earrings was in replicating the shape.. You might notice that they are not exactly similar. And there are tool marks on the second one too.. Hmmm.. I need more practice! And next time I think I should use a light hammer to flatten out the shape properly.. Here I had used just the handle of my pliers to flatten :-)

 But I like the way they've turned out.. Much better than what I expected. The design is like the traditional kolam/rangoli we draw at home, right? Do you like them?

Fibre-tissue paper earrings

Remember my rice paper earrings? This one was made the same way... From a piece of a new kind of violet-colored paper I found in a bouquet wrapper... It looks like tissue paper but is more fibrous and difficult to tear. Do you happen to know what it is called?

I have used a handmade wire loop of 22 gauge wire, pearl metallic acrylic colors and kundan stones. I have tried to give a rustic look by dabbing the paint rather than applying it smoothly. Have not sealed it yet but hope to do it tomorrow night (read as after my son sleeps.. :))

How is it?

Thank you Berina!! I cook/click/craft therefore I am…

When Berina of Moxie Craftie wanted to tag me in a blog hop, I was so overcome with joy and agreed immediately..Thank you so much dear!!  But me being me, I completely forgot about it and totally missed her post tagging me :-o !!