5 min wall art

Quick butterflies made up of card board on the wall. The best part is that on a windy day these garden butterflies appear to flap their wings...

I have committed to make my garden wall a learning wall for all the kids who come by. The below vertical garden goes very well with these butterflies....See this link if you missed it earlier
http://omnimood.blogspot.in/2014/02/garden-art.html
 

Mini Garden .............with real plants

I love upcycled art, I love miniature craft and I love gardening….So what better than a full fledged living mini garden (18” X 11” inches)!

 

Here are the steps and you can do it too (Let me alert you , we are talking about living plants so u must take care of them). I water them , feed them and talk to them each time I step into my garden.

 

I got hold of a wooden electric box (you could do it in a plastic or clay tray which will last longer), cleaned it and sketched my garden landscape on paper. I wanted to include a water pond, relevant pond creatures, a bridge,  a park bench, a garden patio and a shade area.

 

 

Step 1:To start with I started designing the pond area. If you have the time and inclination you could actually contain water in it with floating or aqua mini plants (http://www.aquascapeinc.com/index.php?page=articles&a_id=62). However it gets quite tedious to clean it regularly (it catches water worms, mosquitoes breed) plus the  birdies use it as a water bath and damage the plants. So I broke(Yeah, broke! I dint get it cut coz I wanted some cracks to appear to create ripple effect in water) a glass to make  it fit the box as per my design. Once done, I painted the glass with water color paints with appropriate shading using blue, yellow and green. I layered the base of the box with foil. This was primarily made to serve two purposes (a) During the day the foil reflects light and give a beautiful clear water effect to the pond (b) the bright reflection of it keep the birds away from spoiling my plants.

 

Step 2: I wanted to build solid land around the glass which will hold the glass tight and serve as a base to my garden. No better medium than white Portland cement (I used JK White). To make the mortar of sand, cement and water I used a proportion of 2:1:1. In the box / tray I placed a plastic square box to block the space for my plants. I placed the glass as per my design and cemented around it. When the cement was slightly settled I placed small pebbles and shells around pond. On either sides of the pond I placed 2 sticks to mark holes for the bridge I was to add later. Remember cement takes about 2-5 hours to dry, but since I was planting in cement structures I need to cure the cement. That simply means spraying water over the cement patch after 24 hours and repeat again after another 10-12 hrs. This also serves to remove the excess lime in the cement which can harm the plant growth.  

 

 

Step 4: Make the bridge: You can gather twigs in your garden , or sticks or anything to give a wooden effect. Once you have measure thee length and the width of the bridge, cut the sticks accordingly and stick them on a thing piece of cloth. Once dry cut it along the stick (If your cloth is a strikingly different color you can paint it. I chose a difficult method to do mine. I actually tied up each stick to another to form a garland. This is much sturdy and also work well if your planning a hanging bridge, but the tying has to be done correctly such that is balance the sticks evenly across. Once your base is ready, place two thick wires across the pond to prepare a base to place the bridge. Stick your stick structure to the base wire or if you have stringed it together like I did. . simply tie it to the wire……

 

 

Step 6: Park bench…..This is the simplest step. Just get hold of ice cream sticks (that will be a good excuse for you to hog on some!) Stick three stick as the sitting area. I used Fevikvick . You could use an fast stick glue. Once dry, break one stick into two equal halves and stick it to the front forming the front two legs. Once dry, create the back legs by sticking 2 full sticks on either side. Lastly just place two long sticks to form the back rest. And voila!, you’re ready to sit on it.

 

 

Step 5: I wanted to build an archway garden tunnel (I enjoy walking in these in real gardens and they are rare).. . So once again use a wire to build two arches as per the design.

 

 

 I joined them with intermediate wire pieces as I planned to let creepers spiral on them. My creeper is still a baby and growing. However you can follow this link to see how it will turn out finally I assume.http://www.123rf.com/photo_7613464_green-archway-in-a-park.html

Step 7: Garden Patio (as in the pic above): White was the color I was thinking of. In any piece of art you need to balance colors (as beautifully as nature does it) to be appealing to the eye. White was missing. . Although I used white cement, due to the sand it seemed beige. So I used plaster of paris. It is also very fast to use. I gather some big glass pieces to create a patio. You could use pebbles, flowers, stones, old jewelery or anything to create a design in the plaster of paris but u must be quick as it dries within 10 mins. I used 2: 1 proportion of plaster of paris to water ratio. If you want it to set quicker use hot water.. . If you don’t like white you could simply add a tube of poster colors in the water an get the color you want.

 

 

 

Step 8: Garden Shade.  I simply love the patterns and colors that throw up when sunlight passes through painted glass.

 

 I got hold of an old CD, removed the plastic coating on it , cleaned it till  it was completely transparent. If you don’t have patience with a CD you could use a plastic / glass lid which suits you.  I drew some random leaves on it and painted it with glass paints to give a translucent effect. Notice in the afternoons when the sun is overhead it throws a beautiful shade and is enhanced coz of the bright white plaster. You could ship this step altogether if you plan to place this mini garden indoors.

 

Step 8: Make garden miniatures: (my favourite)……………design small pots, small birds, frogs, mushroom, swans, ducks, butterflies, aligators, tortoise all that you can think of. Since my tray / box is small I only stuck to birds and frogs as I wanted to make a “human friendly” garden on the other side. Since, I would water the plants, I used polymer clay to make it water resistant. If you do not plan to keep real plants you could use cold porcelain to make these miniatures.  Here are my frogs, mushroom and birds.

 

 

My rooster n hens (I have planted a variety of moss here which will cover this soil and the cracks in some days). So it will appear as though the hens are feeding on them and the cracks will space out the moss well.

 

I made these pots to plant  succulents as they need less soil and less water.

 

For birds I just used my imagination and made a small pair of blue birds, stuck them on a small piece of show glass on a medicine bottle cap to appear as a bird bath. 

 

And you cant miss my oysters!

 

 

Step 9: Gather the plants. This is highly subjective. However first decide where you will place this garden. The amount of sunshine it will get. The number of time you will water and how well it holds water. For starters I recommend using succulents/ cacti as they care for them selves. However if you are like me, you may venture into other plants which will add a lot of fauna to the garden.

 

Step 10: Assembly. Now that you have all the parts of your garden together you just have to set it up. I suggest start with the plants. Sometimes you realize that plants take to certain directions and sides, this may make to rework your plan. After that I got my animal and pond in place. I stuck the frogs, oysters, bird bath etc with fevikvick. I haven’t stuck to mini pots as I keep them under my painted shade in the afternoon overhead sun as I use them to plant seedlings and then transplant it. This design has withstood the rains, storm and sun till date. It has nurtured the plants in it and has kept the pesky crows away (thanks to the reflection)…….

…………………………….Not to say the least, its placed in our balcony where we check it out over our morning tea, my kid has learnt all the pond creatures and the associated flora fauna thanks to this project….

Supplies I used (However in my description I have given supply alternatives)

A wooden tray
polymer clay (air drying)
potting mix soil
Plants (as described)
Sticks/ ice cream sticks,
Strong glue/ fevikwik
glass and glass paints
white cement
pebbles & shells
sand
pearls & mirrors
thread


PS: I realized in the hindsight that I hadn't clicked pictures while making it. Hence excuse me for that.


 

2 minute Gluten free oats cookie chocolate (microwave)

As I see my kid munching on junk it troubles me that probably I’m not offering her sufficient alternatives. Wanted something low fat, more nutritious and of course tasty. Hence after much experimenting I have arrived at a perfect and easy recipe of oats , ragi ( finger millet) and raisins which is a hit among kids (and adults)…

Here is the list of ingredients:

1. One cup Oatmeal (this is a great source of fibre among other benefits and will also give your cookie a nice munchy texture)
2. Half a cup Ragi/ Nachni/ finger millet flour (you can add all purpose flour instead if you like but ragi is extremely rich in calcium)
3. One egg (you can choose to skip this one, but I found the cookie to turn out less brittle with egg)
4. One table spoon castor sugar (you can add more if you please)
5. One and half table spoon unsalted butter  (you can add oil instead)
6. Three table spoons cocoa powder.
7. Pinch of baking powder.
8. One tea spoon salt
9. One cup milk

 

To these you can add any of these ingredients as per convenience and preference. (not more half a cup)

·         Sunflower seeds/ Pumpkin seeds/ crushed peanuts

·         Dates

·         Raisins(if u like you can soak these in rum for an hour before using it)

·         Assorted dry fruit pieces (make sure these are broken into smaller pieces (powdered if necessary)

·         Choco chips

·         Rice crispies (lesser than 1/4th cup)

·         Flax seeds (this will give you your dose of omega 3 nutrients too but add very few as it may add a very strong taste)

 

Process:

Beat the egg well , gently add flour, sugar, oats coco powder. Continue mixing till you find it difficult to stir anymore as it hardens. Now slowly add milk as you continue stirring the mixture. Now add rest of the ingredients till mixed well. The consistency is thicker than that of cake but thinner than bread dough. Line your baking tray/ microwave friendly vessel with butter/ oil and place the dough in it. Here you have to ensure that the dough sits flattened (hence it has to be flowy in consistency) , because if it’s too thick it will not bake well. Remember we are using less oil than normal!............just a 2 minute wait and your cookie is ready (depending on the power etc, you may have to cook it a little more…if you cook lesser it will be like hard cake which is better than it being burnt!)  Just poke it with a fork and check. Your fork should come out clean if cooked.

Once done, let it cool completely and you can pack it in a jar to carry some daily for the next week. I can’t really comment on how many days it lasts without refrigerating it as it has been polished off within 3-4 days in my house.

Contemporory study wall

Contemporary Saraswati goddess...(Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and nature)

 

The dancer within

This is a 12" X 8" art plate (which can be hung on the wall, pinned to a soft board or kept on the table).

This was custom made for participants of a ballet and contemporary dance performance hosted by a leading performing arts institute.
 

Some more wall art

This one gives a great feel to your "self room/ study room"............
My sister calls it ............"In search of solitude"

Its once again home made clay with metallic paints

faux metal wall art

Here is some experiment with home made clay and metallic paints.....

These look great with different light effects in the room......

 

Name plate DIY customized

I made a small water color painting. Used it to make a name plate DIY........

 

I used a old plastic box to create a frame, paint the name and its ready to gift.........

Also due to lighting effect in the doorway it gives a 3d effect

 

Orange (Citrus) cake microwave

I never thought id ever post recipes...but here I am my experiment with citrus cake turned out extremely tasty!

You need 2 eggs,  1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or butter), 1 cups flour, 1 cup semolina,  3 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup fresh orange/ sweet lime pulp, zest from oranges, vanilla essence....

 

First beat the eggs well and add all the other ingredients except zest. I dint use a juicer but manually extracted the pulp such that it remains intact and tastes great when u bite into it. Gently sprinkle the zest. I added lesser sugar as the oranges and sweet limes I used were extremely ripe and sweet. Pour into a microwave bowl lined with butter/ oil and I let it cook in the microwave for 7 minutes (keep checking that it doesn't over cook or will lose the pulp taste

 

Once done I scooped out the center and put some orange marmalade, sprinkled icing sugar and designed the cake to look like an orange slice....

It tasted great and kids love it! Later I experimented the same with fresh pineapple juice, turned out lovely too!

Garden Art

Used some box card boar, old packaging material and paint to make this hanging wall art. Plan to get some nice plant for the stone basket........current have laid grass!

 

 

This was picked by recyclart Org...see this http://www.recyclart.org/2014/07/vertical-garden-kitchen-scraps/

 

 

Show piece (paper mache)

Made a bathing dame out of thrash lying around the house...........















Used a wire that was string to last years diary to create a model skeleton, head of the garlic pod, kitchen tools (knife, scissors etc) and made glue of flour (which was lying open since we went out and had caught bugs)  and water.....and a roll of toilet tissue!!!
I shaped the wire to create a base. I tore the tissue into small bits and let it soak in the sun for a day....Added some flour and water (also salt to avoid molds) and made in into a dough consistency.. . .I shaped a woman with the tissue dough around the wire and let it dry. In the mean while, I picked a plastic packaging material thrashed outside a grocery shop and painted it to give water effect. I further tore the remaining tissue and stuffed it in the tub to give a lather effect...

After shaping the tissue pulp I let it dry in the sun for another day. Next day I painted it with acrylic paints and coated it with varnish. Made her wine glass out of plastic bag. Stuck some accessories for the charm...

Kept in on the bathroom shelf as a show piece!!

 

Caterpillar costume (fancy dress)

stitched a quick caterpillar costume from some old t shirts...

 

Dress of old shirt

Stitched a quich baby frock  with some fish puff ons to keep her busy and entertained...

Well it is made up of an old t shirt. The fish cut outs are from an old gown, hemmed it around the edges and stitched it on..........

baby dress

Stiched a dress with matching shorts, some roses, embroidery etc 

My customized snack bag

I could not find an appropriate bag to carry my snacks and cutlery during the work day......So thought I should simply stitch one....here it is!...

Made up of an old trouser and tie, with a sponge n plastic lining inside to keep food warm and water proof!  It fits perfectly in my office drawer and is safe for machine wash as well!

Paper mache vase

Made a contemporary paper mache vase with a see through angel setting

The base of the vase is made from scrap card board. Which was layered with paper mache and painted. The center is made up of old toffee wrapers and the baby cupid is an old xmas decoration lying around the house. The round plastic , both sides, are lids of a take away coffee cup......Since these come with straw holes..everytime the wind blows (ot the fan) the cupid swirls around)!!!

Girl by the window sill : Newspaper basket

Made a newspaper basket of trash paper...used a combination of oil pastels, glass painting, water colors and lots of imagination
The window effect is created using a projector sheet. Behind which (on the card board) have stuck collage buildings and combined with water colors...........
The girl herself is a oil pastel painting......
And the window top decoration is use of glass paints on old scrapped packaging materials....

 

 

baby

glass painting on window

Had a shabby window where no curtain could be put, so painted the glass

Love it, 6 am in morning my daughter gets up , points at the colorful shadow of the painting on the wall and shouts..."Hey!!!"

 

Custom made wall art

This was custom made for a restaurant with an interiors themed based on contemporary form of  Indian gods

 

(16" X 20")

16" X 23"

16" X 23"

 

pop up cards

Quick 5 min pop up cards for the kids

origami bunny

 

This works well on the desk to hold stationery or trinklets