Being "Afshan" :-)

Being myself is a puzzle which I try to solve with each passing day.
Every day I discover a new side of me which may or may not stay.

I am like that season which passes by but leaves its mark.

I am like that glow which enlightens you, yet keep you in dark!

I rhyme with out a reason and I write a poem any time, any day.

Poems make me sing, make me smile and they make me sway.

I heart my blog and even my man can't come between us.

I talk to myself here and at times trap my soul in my words!

"Being Afshan is a riddle to solve,a mind to evolve and thoughts which revolve or dissolve!"

Reading and writing keep me sane and I write to know me more.

Even as I am writing this I realize there is something more in store.

I love celebrations, I love getting decked up and I love travelling and nature.

I am thoughtful at times, watchful many times and sometimes I am a premature!

I travel in to memories and  keep the kid in me alive to enjoy life's smallest joys.

The man in my life helps me maintain poise and also bears my noise;)

I can never write a short post, so please tolerate these few lines about me.

To know more you and me should sit and talk over ten cups of coffee or tea!! :-D

Meet the budding entrepreneur - Ranjana :)

Being a woman entrepreneur by pursuing one's hobby on a regular basis is commendable specially when a woman has to manage the house, do her day job  and simultaneously keep her passions alive. Not that any woman is forced to work or  meet the needs of a home but multitasking comes naturally to many woman :) Today on my blog I want to introduce a budding entrepreneur. I met her in the " original HP Indiblogger meet ". I found her sitting alone like me and thought to say hi. As we were two lone birds we immediately bonded and exchanged conversations, personal and professional details and by the end of the day even our phone numbers. Being my first blogger's meet Ranjana's company was a life saver as I started getting bored. During the conversation she said her's is the arts and crafts blog but then I thought that it was just her hobby but later realized that she is a small scale entrepreneur. Her day job is on the computer like many others' but by night her imaginations soar high with the wings of passion, enthusiasm and energy. She mostly makes hand crafted jewellery and apparel and recently she even started 3D quilling.

Do visit her blog - http://ranjana-craft-blog.blogspot.in/ . Her Face book page -"Ranjana's creations" .Even if the working hours are strenuous and life gets busy with her kid she takes out time to ignite her passion and learn with each passing day .The ear rings she makes are to die for. They are appealing and the color combinations are pretty.

Some of the ear rings she made are below. 

leaf design with black and white crystals

This is my favorite from her valentines day collection.

Another pretty design. Ain't they cute?

She also does work on embroidered clothes using laces , kundans and motifs. The below one is a maroon khadi silk dress. She attached the lace on the border, patches in the middle and motifs here and there . The second one is a kalamkari sari. Kalamkari is technique of painting on cloth with vegetable dyes. She attached Kalamkari patches on a saree. The outcome is the result of hard work for 6months!

The maroon dress

The Kalamkari saree

        Given below is emboss painting for screen printing on a green khadi silk saree.

You can find more artistic works on dresses and sarees at http://ranjana-craft-blog.blogspot.in/search/label/Dress%20design. On her blog you will find the products of your choice using the labels and tags.

She also makes the art work for specific occasions and festivals. She makes Kumkuma(Vermilion)  bharanis. Mostly they are made of wood in various designs. She used kundans to decorate them. The below one is my most favorite design with sliding doors and two compartments. When every nook and corner of the house exudes art, every thing seems interesting :)

The above saree and blouse are specially made to wear on the occasion of Diwali. I immensely liked the patch work , laces attached , screen motifs used and also the delicate golden chamkis. The design is so intricately and artistically done that I can only applaud looking at it.

Not only does she make dresses and jewellery but also makes many interesting items which you would want to use for a specific occasion. For instance for Rakshabandhan she made the rakhis and cards below. She is a master at quilling and made the cards for various occasions.

 

In the above picture you are seeing the Rakhis with cards ready to be sent. Aren't they lovely? I am sure they will multiply the smiles!

I never like the costly greeting cards which we purchase. Rather than getting some thing from a shop how cool is the idea of making it yourself and writing a personalized poem or a message? The above hand made cards are my personal favorites. It gives a feeling that you took the effort to make the event special :)

Not only this she also has the painting talent. She makes pencil sketches and also makes glass paintings and coffee paintings. Have you heard of coffee paintings ? Yes I too heard it for the first time on her blog. Only coffee and water are used in the painting. Have a glimpse at it below.

The unique coffee painting which she tried for the first time

 Below is a simple glass painting made by her.

She also does the ceramic work on pots and aluminium plates. This is done using the ceramic dough and sand. The one below is a Moghulai style flower vase with the vines made of ceramic dough and the second one is a design made on an aluminium plate.

Ceramic pot

on aluminuim plate

This single blog post is falling short of words which can be used to project her plethora of talents. She is ingenious. From crochets to paintings to bidri work to jewellery, neck designs, mirror work, pencil sketches and many more, you name them and she will conjure them. To know more visit her " blog " and check out her creations. Contact "Ranjana on facebook" to know about her latest works and deals.

Icing on the cake is that she has recently been awarded by a blogging community Indiblogger.in for the best blog under "hobbies" section. Check out here.

I can't think of any other person who deserves this award more than her. She is a true winner.

The woman behind all this- Ranjana. She is wearing the jewellery made by her self :)

Ranjana at the IB meet. This was my creative group :)

The highest art is always the most religious, and the greatest artist is always a devout person. --Abraham Lincoln --

Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking.
-- Anita Roddick  ---



I wish she becomes a full blown entrepreneur pretty soon and inspires all of us. Do encourage her!

Written for the Indiblogeshwaris' "Ladies Independence Special Contest" in association with "womenentrepreneursinindia.com"

PS: Images are taken from her blog!