Studio ABCD’s most characteristic feature is also its most out-standing feature- the aim and ability to work and create sustainably. ABCD, an abbreviation for A Basic Concept Design, is a design consulting agency that started four years ago and from that point on, they have constantly aimed at protecting the environment from the evils of industrialization. They currently focus their energies into recycling and upcycling scraps with the help of block printing, creating stationery, wrapping paper, chandeliers and overall feel-good products.

Started by Raahul Khadaliya, Studio ABCD’s misson is to increase awareness about sustainable development – and this philosphy has given birth to a product development project called ‘The Second Life’. “We seem to have lost our way in the process of capitalism and globalization”, he says. Over time, he has come to believe that the human appetite for greed has ruined the balance there once was in nature. ABCD is his step towards contributing to the restoration of this lost balance.

The Second Life products are designed and created to promote the ideas of sustainable impact through minimal use of energy, eco-friendly materials, sustainable ideologies like reuse and recycle. This products are made and produced by various small scale vendors and NGO workers to provide livelihood opportunities. Each product has it’s own story of raw materials, design idea, usage and production process, energy efficient production, ethical employment embedded to it’s core thinking.

Old Newspapers upcycled into Gift Wrapping Paper

Upcycled Newspaper - Block Printing - Gift Wrapping, Framing, Cladding by Studio ABCD

Waste from Printing Units upcycled into Lamps

Eco-friendly Lighting - The Green Lamp by Studio ABCD

Post Printing Waste upcycled into Notebooks

Fusion Notebook, Unique and Upcycled/Repurposed Notebooks by Studio ABCD

Film Posters upcycled into Envelopes

Upcycled Film Posters - Envelopes for Stationary - Customisable Brand Envelopes by Studio ABCD

Paper Margins upcycled into Notepads

Bacha-kucha (leftover) Notebooks, Upcycled/Repurposed Notepads by Studio ABCD

Printing Press Leftovers upcycled into Progress Report Notebooks

Progress Report Notebooks, Upcycled/Repurposed Notepads from Leftover Papers from Printing Presses by Studio ABCD

Most Indians have heard of Ganesh Chaturthi. Many non-Indians will know of the festival, too. Fact of the matter is Ganesh Chaturthi is probably India’s most popular festival and Ganeshji one of India’s most-loved deities.

Keeping that in mind, and the fact that Ganesh Chaturthi is just around the corner (September 17), we couldn’t help but wonder how many of these temples are as well-known as the festival. Tell us, how many of these revered shrines have you heard of, let alone been to?

1. Ganesh Tok, Gangtok, Sikkim

Sikkim is known far and wide as a land of Buddhism, mountains and natural beauty. But a temple devoted to the elephant god? Now that’s something new.

The Ganesh Tok temple is located 7 kilometres from Gangtok town on the Gangtok-Nathula Road and is perched at 6,500 ft. above sea level. It offers a scenic view of Raj Bhavan, Gangtok town, and Mount Khangchendzonga, the third highest mountain in the world.

Another interesting thing to make a note of is that the inside of the shrine is so cramped devotees need to get down on all fours and crawl to pay their respects to the Lord. Perfect.

Speaking of cramped spaces, we have a collection of eco-friendly Ganesha statues for all spaces in store for you here.

2. Khade Ganeshji, Kota

Generally speaking, Kota is best-known for kachoris, palaces, gardens, stones, and saris. But those in the know will also tell you that there is a very famous Ganesh temple in this city that is referred to as the ‘Khade Ganeshji.’ It is among the very few places in the world that you will find a Ganesh Idol in a standing (‘Khade’ is the Hindi word for ‘standing’) posture.

Have you seen very many (or any) Ganesh idols that are not seated? You haven’t, right? And that’s only one of the reasons a pilgrimage to the Khade Ganeshji in Kota is definitely on.

Speaking of interesting names like ‘Khade Ganeshji,’ you might want to check out our range of nameplates with Ganeshji here.

3. Swayambhu Ganpati, Ganpatipule

The Swayambhu Ganapati Temple is believed to be 400 years old. According to lore, a farmer while walking through the Kerda jungles discovered the idol of Ganapati and built a temple around the idol. Thus was born the name ‘Swayambhu Ganpati’ – the word ‘Swayambhu’ means self-created in Sanskrit.

Incidentally, on account of the location (20 kilometres from Ratnagiri), the Ganpati in this temple is also known as the Paschim Dwar Devata, or the sentinel at western gate.

4. Ranthambore Ganeshji

The fearsome and destructive power of Lord Shiva’s third-eye is the stuff legends are made of. His son, Ganeshji, however, is not known as a ‘three-eyed’ one. And that makes this historic temple atop Ranthambhore’s 1000-year-old fort and its Trinetra Ganesha very unique (‘Trinetra’ is the Sanskrit word for ‘three-eyed).

Every day, the Ranthambore Ganeshji receives at least 10 kilograms of snail mail from around world. What’s more, thousands send the first wedding invitation card here to invoke the Lord’s blessings because, as per folk tales, the first one to be invited to grace Lord Krishna’s and Rukmini’s wedding was the Ranthambore Ganeshji over 6500 years ago!

Speaking of seeking the Lord Ganesha’s blessings before embarking on something big or new or important, we have so many ways to celebrate this very popular and generous deity here.

5. Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Pondicherry

This is the epic tale of a shrine that defied the might of the French. Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the temple was constructed five centuries ago, long before the French arrived at Pondicherry. The name is derived from the old kulam (pond) on the western side of the temple that used to be full of manal (sand) blown in from the shores.

Legend has it that on several occasions French missionaries attempted to raze the shrine (which the devotees resisted stoutly) and each time the idol was hurled into the sea, it would magically return. Today, the temple still stands defiantly in the heart of the French Quarter at the same spot it was constructed on five centuries ago.

Oh, and when you visit this legendary indestructible temple, be sure to give the temple elephant Lakshmi a coin and get blessed with a friendly pat on your head for your devotion, belief, and troubles.

You know, there are so many great Ganesh temples that aren’t on this list due to space constraints. And there are many Ganeshji-themed products at Engrave that we haven’t told you about for the same reason.

Well, the temples you’ll find all over India and in some other parts of the world, too. And the products you’ll find here.

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.

You know how people say all sorts of dumb things about art that quickly reveal how little they know about it. This, we think, is very sad. We are surrounded by art. It makes a lot of sense to try and understand it. And a good place to begin this beautiful and stimulating voyage is here.

A is for Abstract

Abstract is a term generally used to describe art that is not representational or based on external reality or nature. Here are three abstract masters you can talk about briefly the next time the subject of art comes up.

Jean Metzinger (1883-1956)

Must mention: Metzinger was a figure of some importance in French painting in the lead-up to the First World War, Metzinger was a leading theorist in the Cubism movement, who became famous for his treatise entitled Du Cubisme (1912) written in collaboration with Albert Gleizes (1881-1953).

JMW Turner (1775-1851)

Must mention: Commonly known as the "Painter of Light", his most important works include Hannibal Crossing the Alps, (1812, Tate, London); Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great Western Railway, (1844, National Gallery, London), The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, (1835, Philadelphia Museum of Art) and The Fighting Temeraire, (1838, National Gallery, London). He is rightly regarded as one of the best landscape artists in the history of European painting.

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)

Must mention: Wassily Kandinsky was one of the greatest Russian artists of the 20th century, and a leading exponent of Expressionism, Wassily Kandinsky was both painter and art theorist. Renowned as an outstanding 20th century colourist, he had a strong physical sensitivity to certain colours which he was able to 'hear' as well as 'see,' a condition called synaesthesia. He is also credited with creating some of the first abstract art of the 20th century. Among his most notable works are Blue Rider (1903, private collection), Black Frame(1922, Musee National d'Art Moderne, Paris) and Several Circles (1926, Guggenheim Museum). He is regarded as one of the leading expressionist painters and arguably the greatest of the early abstract painters.

And if you enjoyed this little educational trip into the history of Art, you might enjoy this part of our store that’s dedicated to art lovers.

If you like making stuff and have lots of photos you’d like to do things with, this is the DIY project for you.

Things You’ll Need

• 4″×4″ white ceramic tiles
• 9″×3″ photos
• Glue
• A sponge brush to apply the glue
• Clear acrylic spray
• Small felt circles
• A fair bit of Patience

Let’s get to work:

Step 1: Pick out a set of photos you like.  Print them. Print more than you think you’ll need. Better to be safe than sorry. Tip: Photos with Instagram filters look the best for this project.

Step 2: Trim the printed photos down to 3.25 x 3.75″

Step 3: Clean and dry your ceramic tile. Tip: It may not be a bad idea to ‘rough up’ the surface of your tile with some sandpaper. It helps the photos stick better.

Step 4: Using your sponge brush, paint a thin coat of glue on the back of each photo.

Step 5: Carefully place the photo on your ceramic tile, leaving about 1/4″ border around the top and two sides, and about 1″ border at the bottom.

Step 6: Smooth down the photo with a credit card or something similar. Take care not to let the photo slide around on the tile too much. Let it dry.

Step 7: Next, apply a thin layer of glue over the entire tile, photo included. Make sure you’re using even, straight brush strokes, since these will still be somewhat visible on the final product. Let it dry.

Repeat two or three more times until you have a good strong coat on top of your photo.

Let it dry between each coat.

Once it has dried, let it dry some more.

Step 8: Spray the tile with a coat of the Clear Acrylic spray. This will make the surface of the coaster smooth and water resistance.

Step 9: Stick the felt pads on the underside of tile to protect your tabletops.

Wait 48-72 hours before placing cold liquids on your tile.

Cheers.

Source: Darkroom and Dearly

The 5th of September brings with it a realization of how integral a role our teachers have played in shaping our lives into what we are today. Celebrated on the birthday of Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Teacher’s Day reminds us to be grateful to our mentors. And when it comes to honouring them, we ought to do our best.

Here is a list of simple yet heart touching gifts that your teacher would love.

1. A set of five great movies about Teachers

• To Sir With Love (1967)
• Imtihan (1974)
• Hip Hip Hurray (1984)
• Stand and Deliver (1988)
• Dead Poets Society (1989)

You can also pick your own five movies about Teachers. Maybe you prefer Dangerous Minds or Mr. Holland’s Opus or Half Nelson or Goodnight, Mr. Chips or Black. There are plenty of teacher-themed movies to check out. Take the trouble to make a list of movies you think your teacher will love, look for the DVDs or Blu-Rays or what have you on Amazon/Flipkart, and have them gift-wrapped and delivered on or around Teachers’ Day. It’s a chapter in your teacher’s life your teacher will remember forever.

2. A more organised life

Most of my teachers were incredibly disorganised. Their offices were always strewn with all sorts of papers. They were forever looking for something. They often looked lost. Most teachers are like that, I think. That’s why, the one thing you can consider doing for your teacher on Teachers’ Day is giving the harried soul a more organised desk and life. Happily, we have so many ways to help you help your teacher achieve that.

Miniature Grand Piano Desk Organiser by Exquisite Woodworks.

3. Divine Inspiration

The Hindu deity Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions. Ganesha is, in many ways, the god of Teachers. A touch of Ganesha on any day is always welcomed by believers around the world, but the gift of Ganesha on Teachers’ Day is even better, don’t you think?

Atharva Ganesha by Eco Ganesha.

4. A Hand-Painted Potted Plant

It’s not that hard to find clay pots. It’s not that hard to find some paints either. And it is quite hard to think many gifts more thoughtful than a small potted plant. Desktop potted plants are low-maintenance, good for health, and make for gifts that will be remembered for years to come. And when you add a touch of customization to the potted plant with a bit of your own art, they become really special. This much you can do for your teacher on Teachers’ Day, no? Yes.

5. Come Together

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ― William Arthur Ward

Indeed, it takes a one hell of a teacher to inspire this kind of devotion from a class. If you think your teacher is or was this great, come together for him like this class.

Enough said. Here’s to an inspiring and very happy Teachers’ Day.

Names and nomenclatures are important, interesting and fun. It’s why we make it a point to put a lot of thought into the ideas for the products that showcase them. Happily, all this hard work has helped us become India’s most accomplished maker of name plates and, in the process, introduced us to hundreds of names, nicknames, family names, and stories connected to tens of thousands of names. Many of these stories are rather intriguing and we think worth sharing with you; something we are going to do in a series of blog posts centred around answers to quirky questions like ‘Are Dwivedis, Trivedis, and Chaturvedis related?’ or ‘Why do most Sindhi surnames ends with –ani?’ or ‘Why do some surnames have two capital letters?’, and more. And on that note, let’s get right into the history of name-calling.

The most common first name in India

Modak Analytics, a three-year-old start-up in the big data space, collected and sifted through 18 tera bytes of data which was made public by Election Commission and Indian Census. This data included the names of 81 crore Indian citizens (close to 65% of the country's population) - which is a really huge sample.

Based on this data, it was found that the most common first name in India is Ramesh.

Reverse Engraved Innkeeper Name Plate.

Some other interesting tidbits from their analysis:

• Of the 13.4 crore voters in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s biggest State by number of voters, at least 1.2 crore people have Ram somewhere in their name. i.e. 1 in 11 voters in UP has Ram somewhere in their name.
• In Andhra Pradesh, the name Srinivas is spelt 600 different ways
• About three lakh women in Gujarat have Gita Ben as their first name.
• Bihar is home for 3.27 lakh women with Sita as their first name and an almost equal number of women named Geeta.
• Other names that are quite popular are: Lakshmi (19.28 lakh, Andhra Pradesh), Fernandes (81,000, Goa), Shankar (11.41 lakh) and Patil (24 lakh, Maharashtra)
• Two longest names for voters are registered in Andhra Pradesh - E Janake Sathya Surya Vijaya Durga Maheshvari in Sangareddy constituency and Venkata Sathya Suriya Maitreyi Kumari Toleti in Narsapur constituency.

Source: The Hindu Business Line

The most common last name in India

While the article above does not throw much light on last names, one can speculate that the most common last name is Kumar.

Its a surname that's prevalent across the most populous states in North India - Uttar Pradesh & Bihar; and in South India - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Tamil Nadu. You will also find a large number of Kumars in East India (West Bengal) and West India (Gujarat).

Engraved Wooden Name Plate - Photo Vignette.

At Engrave, we've put together India's largest collection of designer name plates. You can visit the collection here.

Since the world’s most famous paintings are held privately or by museums and very rarely go on sale, its difficult to put a price on many of them.

The Highest Known Insurance Valuation for a Painting: Mona Lisa

As per the Guinness World Records, the highest known insurance valuation for a painting is $100 million – assessed for the move of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Mona Lisa’ from the Louvre in Paris to Washington DC and then New York City for a special exhibition in 1962-63. However, insurance was not concluded because the cost of the highest security precautions was less than that of the premiums.

Taking inflation into account, the 1962 value of US$ 100 million for The Mona Lisa would be around US$ 774 million (as of Sep 2013).

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci – Is this the most expensive painting in the world today? Perhaps, not!

Interestingly, King Francis I of France bought the Mona Lisa painting for his bathroom in 1517 for 4000 gold florins, or 13.94kg of gold. The equivalent today would be $654,369.

Would The Mona Lisa still be the world’s highest valued painting? Perhaps, not.

Till the 1980s, the art auction market was dominated by European paintings that were created by artists belonging to the 19th century or earlier – especially the Renaissance style. In fact, when The National Gallery of Art, in February 1967, acquired Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Ginevra de’ Benci‘ (1474) for around $5 million from the Princely Family of Liechtenstein, it was the most expensive art purchase known to the world.

Ginevra de’ Benci by Leonardo da Vinci

In absolute dollars (not adjusted for inflation), this record was broken when the J. Paul Getty Museum paid $10.5 million for Andrea Mantegna’s ‘Adoration of the Magi‘ (1462) at Christie’s in London in 1985. Both Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506) were Italian Renaissance painters

Adoration of the Magi by Andrea Mantegna

Since then, all paintings that have held the distinction of the ‘most expensive painting’ belong to the “modern” genre i.e. post-1850 paintings. So whether ‘The Mona Lisa’ (1503-17) would still hold the highest valuation of all paintings is a matter that can’t be settled given the changed tastes of our times.

The Record Holders

Here’s a list of all paintings that have held the record since the 1985 sale of Mantegna’s ‘Adoration of the Magi’:

Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh – triple the previous record and ushered a new era in top art sales

Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers (1888)

Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh. You can purchase a canvas print of Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers here.

Sale date: March 30, 1987
Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Sold for: US$ 39.7 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 82.9 million
Seller: Daughter-in-law of Chester Beatty (an Irish-American mining magnate and millionaire, often called the “King of Copper”)
Buyer: Yasuo Goto, Yasuda Comp. (one of the oldest and largest insurers in Japan)

Irises (1889)

Irises by Vincent van Gogh. You can purchase a canvas print of Irises here.

Sale date: November 11, 1987
Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Sold for: US$ 53.9 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 109.4 million
Seller: Son of Joan Whitney Payson (the first woman to own a major-league team, Major League Baseball’s New York Mets, in North America without inheriting it)
Buyer: Alan Bond (a British-born Australian businessman)

Portrait of Joseph Roulin (1889)

Portrait of Joseph Roulin by Vincent van Gogh

Sale date: August 1, 1989
Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Sold for: US$ 58+ million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 111+ million
Seller: Private collection, Zürich
Buyer: Museum of Modern Art, New York

Portrait of Dr. Gachet (1890)

Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh – sold exactly 100 years after van Gogh painted it

Sale date: May 15, 1990
Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Sold for: US$ 82.5 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 149.5 million
Seller: Siegfried Kramarsky family (a Jewish financier who fled to New York to escape the Holocaust)
Buyer: Ryoei Saito (a Japanese paper magnate – honorary chairman of Daishowa Paper Manufacturing)

Vincent van Gogh is by far the best represented artist in the list. However, it is interesting to note that during his lifetime Van Gogh was never famous as a painter and struggled to make a living as an artist. Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907)

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt

Sale date: June 18, 2006
Artist: Gustav Klimt
Sold for: US$ 135 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 155.8 million
Seller: Maria Altmann (a niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer, a wealthy Jewish patron of the arts who served as the model for some of Klimt’s best-known paintings)
Buyer: Ronald Lauder, Neue Galerie

No. 5, 1948 (1948)

No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock

Sale date: November 2, 2006
Artist: Jackson Pollock
Sold for: US$ 140 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 162.7 million
Seller: David Geffen (an American business magnate noted for creating Asylum Records, Geffen Records, DGC Records; was also one of the three founders of DreamWorks SKG)
Buyer: David Martinez (managing partner of Fintech Advisory, a firm that specializes in corporate and sovereign debt)

The Card Players

The Card Players by Paul Cézanne – the most expensive painting ever sold. You can purchase a canvas print of The Card Players here.

Sale date: April 2011
Artist: Paul Cézanne
Sold for: US$ 259+ million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 269.4 million
Seller: George Embiricos
Buyer: Royal Family of Qatar

Others in the 100 Million Club

There are 10 paintings in all that have sold for a US$ 100+ million price tag – 3 of which are included in the above list. The other 7 paintings are listed below:

Eight Elvises (1963)

Eight Elvises by Andy Warhol

Sale date: October 2008
Artist: Andy Warhol
Sold for: US$ 100 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 108.1 million
Seller: Annibale Berlingieri
Buyer: Unknown

Garçon à la pipe / Boy with a Pipe (1905)

Garçon à la pipe by Pablo Picasso

Sale date: May 4, 2004
Artist: Pablo Picasso
Sold for: US$ 104.2 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 129 million
Seller: Greentree foundation (Whitney family)
Buyer: Barilla Group (Yep, the Italian company that makes great pastas!)

Nude, Green Leaves and Bust (1932)

Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso – Wonder why Picasso’s seem to sell on May 4!

Sale date: May 4, 2010
Artist: Pablo Picasso
Sold for: US$ 106.5 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 114.3 million
Seller: Frances Lasker Brody estate
Buyer: Unknown

Flag (1954)

Flag by Jasper Johns

Sale date: March 2010
Artist: Jasper Johns
Sold for: US$ 110 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 118.3 million
Seller: Jean-Christophe Castelli (an Italian-American art dealer)
Buyer: Steven A. Cohen (an American hedge fund manager; founder of SAC Capital Advisors)

The Scream (1895)

The Scream by Edvard Munch – Sold in 12 minutes flat. You can purchase a canvas print of The Scream here.

Sale date: March 2010
Artist: Edvard Munch
Sold for: US$ 119.9 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 122.2 million
Seller: Petter Olsen (a Norwegian businessman, billionaire and member of the Olsen shipping family, who own Fred. Olsen & Co.)
Buyer: Leon Black (an American businessman; founder of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management)

The Scream has been the target of several high-profile art thefts. In 1994, the version in the National Gallery was stolen. It was recovered several months later. In 2004, The Scream was stolen from the Munch Museum, and recovered two years later.

Woman III (1953)

Woman III by Willem de Kooning

Sale date: November 18, 2006
Artist: Willem de Kooning
Sold for: US$ 137.5 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 159.8 million
Seller: David Geffen (an American business magnate noted for creating Asylum Records, Geffen Records, DGC Records; was also one of the three founders of DreamWorks SKG)
Buyer: Steven A. Cohen (an American hedge fund manager; founder of SAC Capital Advisors)

Le Rêve / The Dream (1932)

Le Rêve by Pablo Picasso

Sale date: March 26, 2013
Artist: Pablo Picasso
Sold for: US$ 155 million
Adjusted price (as of Sep 2013): US$ 155.9 million
Seller: Steve Wynn (an American business magnate; played a pivotal role in the 1990s resurgence and expansion of the Las Vegas Strip)
Buyer: Steven A. Cohen (an American hedge fund manager; founder of SAC Capital Advisors)

Paintings that can stake a claim to the record

While future records will be decided by choices of the rich and famous, if we had to pick 3 works that we think would get on the ‘most expensive’ list, they’d be:

Las Meninas / The Maids of Honour (1656) by Diego Velázquez

The work’s complex and enigmatic composition raises questions about reality and illusion, and creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer and the figures depicted. Because of these complexities, Las Meninas has been one of the most widely analyzed works in Western painting.

The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh

You can purchase a canvas print of The Starry Night here.

Van Gogh’s genius hauntingly shines in the vivid colours and swirling clouds of “Starry Night,” perhaps his most popular painting. The painting depicts the view outside his sanatorium room window at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence at night, although it was painted from memory during the day. The original now hangs in the permanent collection in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Guernica (1937) by Pablo Picasso

You can purchase a canvas print of Guernica here.

Picasso painted Guernica in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village in northern Spain by German and Italian warplanes, on 26 April 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Republican government commissioned Picasso to create a large mural for the Spanish display at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris.

Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. This work has gained a monumental status, becoming a perpetual reminder of the tragedies of war, an anti-war symbol, and an embodiment of peace.

Get back to your roots!

Nothing compares to a warm, bubblebath, to ease the knots in your body. And this experience is unsurpassed when you are soaked in the goodness of a homemade organic soap.

India is a veritable treasure house of beauty secrets that are getting lost in today’s commercialisation. Soniya Gaikwad, a Pune based entrepreneur, contemporises this age-old wisdom of our rich heritage into ready-to-use bath soaps through her venture ‘Pratha’, which means tradition.

Soniya Gaikwad - Founder of Pratha Naturals

Pratha creates organic handmade soaps for different types of users. The soaps have been customised to give you a feeling of refreshment and to battle various skin woes such as dryness, stickiness, tanning, ageing and even acne. Her creativity unleashes, as she designs her creations in eye catching shapes.

Colourful and catchy - the handmade soaps are loaded with benefits

“We wanted to be in a field with no limit for imagination, creativity, expansion and at the same time, giving us extreme pleasure to work. From many years’ effort and research, we came to know that we can give people a better option for bath and beauty products,” says Soniya, the creator at Pratha Naturals and Handmade.

Her recipes use everyday items, natural botanicals, butters and natural oils. They add oils of coconut, palm, castor, avocado, almond, hazelnut, tea tree and olive for a rich creamy lather. Butters like cocoa butter, shea butter, mango butter and ingredients like honey, haldi, saffron, aloe vera, essential oils, natural herbs, nourish your skin and cures stress.

These homemade concoctions are inexpensive and completely safe. Made in small batches, they are hand stirred with safe fragrance oils, hand cut and hand wrapped.

The soaps are hand wrapped in smart eco-friendly jute packaging

"We have a great heritage of these products, which are getting lost. So we want to revive them and let people feel the difference on their own" - Soniya.

Many great ideas are known to have been born over long and relaxing baths. No wonder, people all over the world are ready to spend big bucks for a personalised and luxurious bath. So why not try it, when it’s natural, inexpensive and comes with the warmth of love?

What to look for at Pratha?

Pamper your skin with Haldi-Chandan-Kesar:

An absolute beauty soap that helps in relieving acne and scars.  

Absolute Beauty Soap - Haldi-Chandan-Kesar by Pratha Naturals

Anti Aging Raspberry Soap: 

With its significantly high levels of antioxidant compounds

Anti Ageing Raspberry Handmade Soap by Pratha Naturals

Asian Glory Soap:

Made from wild rose found in the western hills of Sahyadri

Asian Glory Handmade Soap by Pratha Naturals

Or just try the Jasmine Love made from jasmine extracts,

Jasmine Love Handmade Soap by Pratha Naturals

Your naughty lil champ doesn’t love to bathe? 

Give them a heart shaped Vanilla Soap or yummy multicoloured Tooti Frooti soap.

They would love to spend time on it.  The aromas are specially created to stimulate the brain activity of children, and make them feel refreshed and happy after the bath.

Vanilla Heart Handmade Soap by Pratha Naturals

Tooty Fruity Soap by Pratha Naturals

Wish to gift your loved one something different and extraordinary?

Pratha’s Gift Packs: Soaps of different shapes and sizes, wrapped in attractive packaging.

"Get back to your roots, spend some time and see how graceful our traditions are” - Soniya

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso

We hear you, Senor. It’s one of the reasons we felt the need for this weekly introduction to the world of art to help us discover, nurture, and nourish our inner artist. And not sound foolish while trying to sound witty the next time we are confronted by a work of art.

Last time we touched upon one of the As of Art in A for Abstract. It’s only right, then, that our next stop is... Z, Z for Zeng Jing.

Z is for Zeng Jing

No, Zeng Jing is not a Chinese dish you order at a restaurant. Zeng Jing (Tseng Ching,1564-1647) was a Chinese painter during the Ming Dynasty, which ruled China from 1368 to 1644. It was under its aegis, during the first half of the 15th century, that technological and design advances brought milky white and cobalt-blue porcelain to perfection.

Zeng Jing painted using subtle light and shade, and he was considered by many critics as being significant for his assimilation of illusionistic concave and convex method of western oil painting. His portraits were described as "breathtakingly real, as though they were a reflection of the sitter in the mirror."*

Portrait of Ge Yilong by Zeng Jing: In this portrait a Ming scholar named Ge Yilong leans on a stack of boxed books.Zeng used the finest brush, pointed and vertical, to convey the beard. The subject's face is configured using pale ink, while nostrils and cheeks are touched with umber to give tonal gradation and chiaroscuro effects.

A common feature of his portrait is the presence of large area of empty spaces surrounding the figure. The style of Zeng Jing was distinctive enough that it became known as Bochen style, after Zeng's style name 'Bo-chen'. His followers and disciples are known as the Bochen School.

It is characteristic of Zeng Jing's portraitures that the subject only occupies a quarter of the space. Common literati practices required a considerable space to be left on the scroll for calligraphic inscriptions, which should be large enough and appropriately balanced with the pictorial elements of the overall composition. Since a large proportion of Zeng's painting subjects were scholars, he often left space for later inscriptions.

And if all that is a bit much to digest for just the sake of polite conversation, just remember, it helps to know China. You never know, your next customer could well be from there (on last count, the arts and crafts market in China was worth over 10 billion dollars per year). And he or she might just appreciate the fact that you know a little more about China than just Chinese food.

*Yang Xin, Richard M. Barnhart, Nie Chongzheng, James Cahill, Lang Shaojun, Wu Hung. Three Thousands Years of Chinese Paintings. Yale University Press. pp. 243–246. ISBN 978-0-300-07013-2

If you’ve ever been to a flea market, you know it can be quite chaotic. If you haven’t, well, brace yourself. Odds are you’ll have to sift through tons of junk to find a few a hidden gems. So here’s a list to help you add some method to the madness and get the most out of your flea market experience.

Follows these tips and end up a flea market conquerer

Comfortable Footwear:

Flea Markets often call for a lot of legwork. Wear comfortable shoes, like loafers, moccasins, sneakers or floaters.

Program your GPS:

Maneuvering in a flea market can be quite the undertaking. Make sure you have the location programmed into your phone. Also, arrive early and scope out parking, because, let’s be honest, it will cause a hinderance and you’ll be left lugging your bags around. The early bird catches the worm, the same goes for parking spots.

Carry change:

Using big note like 1000s and 500s, will waste time in acquiring change and you might miss out on a potential steal at another stall. So make sure you carry multiple denominations of 100s, 50s, and 10s

Practice your haggling skills:

Flea Markets call for ample bargaining. Find a friend and practice!

Water:

Hydration is key. Nuff said.

Research:

Most flea markets do a lot of promotions, displaying the vendors. Do your research, look for favorite vendors, their products and find out their stall numbers, to increase efficiency.

Map:

Try to find a map of the flea market, and analyse your route of assault. Time is key, use it well. For example, start with the small stuff first and then move up to the larger, sizeable objects, so that you’re not left hoisting big packages around.

Large Tote:

Carry a handy tote to carry all your wares. You don’t want to lose anything in the hubbub.

List:

A list in a checklist, inception much? Lol, jk. In order to not be swayed by everything you see, make a comprehensive list of things you want to purchase and try your hardest to stick to it. Try?

This checklist is kind of like your cheat sheet, your holy grail to conquering a flea market and reigning victorious. Share with us your tips, tricks and hacks, on any of our handles, on successfully braving a flea market.

Introduced by the Japanese, popularized by the Chinese, and ultimately consumed in great numbers by Americans, the fortune cookie is a sweet, old-fashioned way to spread a little cheer and good luck. Here’s your chance to do the same the next time you throw a party.

Things You’ll Need

• Plain Paper
• Printer
• Fortune Cookies
• Paper Towel
• Microwave Oven
• Chocolate Chips
• Bowl (Microwave safe)
• Spatula
• Gumpaste Flowers

Note: If you’re in Mumbai, you can buy fortune cookies from here.

Steps

1. Print out custom fortunes using any text editor. Cut to size.

2. Wet a paper towel and wring slightly. You want the paper towel to be damp but not dripping wet. Wrap towel around fortune cookie and microwave for 20 seconds.

3. Unwrap fortune cookie from towel carefully, towel may be hot. The fortune cookie should now be pliable enough to open. Quickly removed existing fortune cookie message and replace with your custom printed one. Reshape fortune cookie (should be fairly simple, as the cookie already has its form) and hold for 10 seconds to keep form.

4. Place 6 oz of chocolate chips into cup (This should be able to dip at least 20 fortune cookies). Microwave chocolate for 30 seconds on med heat.

5. Check chips by trying to stir with spatula. This is important, chocolate is very unstable and burns easily. If you heat it for too long it will be a lumpy mess. If the chocolate is not melted enough after stirring for 30 seconds, microwave in 15 second intervals. If the chocolate comes out of the microwave looking like its melted, it is probably burnt. You want it to look solid, but when stirred it will melt slowly and look velvety smooth.

6. Take the fortune cookie and dip it. Place it on parchment paper to cool.

7. Decorating for any occasion is easy. To make holiday cookies, after dipping in chocolate, dip cookies in red and green sprinkles. Colored sugar works great for Easter or any “shower” event. Gumpaste can be molded into various shapes and placed on for decorations. To see how to make gumpaste flowers, head here.

Source

Instructables (available under a Creative Commons license)

“Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the ‘creative bug’ is just a wee voice telling you, ‘I’d like my crayons back, please.'”
- Hugh Macleod

Hoang Tran, founder of Wax Nostalgic, not only took his crayons back but also Tran turned them into a canvas. Taking inspiration from pop culture, he hand carves crayons into intricate wax sculptures. Scroll down to see his gallery of work.

The Simpsons

Yogi Bear

South Park

Captain America

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Great Villains of Gotham

Hello Kitty

Minions – Despicable Me

Llamas

The Big Lebowski

Game of Thrones Sigils

Studio Ghibli

Doctor Who

Beauty and the Beast

Little Mermaid

Green Arrow

Breaking Bad

Adventure Time

Andrew W K

Bob’s Burgers

Cat

Fox

Donnie Darko – Frank the Rabbit

Daria

Futurama

Power Rangers

Gremlins – Gizmo

Halo

Invincible

Little Shop of Horrors – Carnivorous Plant

Nightmare Before Christmas – Jack

Robby the Robot

Skull

Spade

Spawn

The Sandman – Morpheus

Walking Dead

Bride & Groom

Also read:
Carved Crayons – Part 2 – Star Wars
Carved Crayons – Part 3 – For Pet Owners

“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.”
- Robert Fulghum

And some are Star Wars characters, the good guys and the bad, learning to co-exist in the same box. What more could a Star Wars fan ask for. Take a colourful trip down memory lane below.

Also read:
Carved Crayons – Part 1 – Pop Culture
Carved Crayons – Part 3 – For Pet Owners

Ganeshotsav, this year is being celebrated on the 17th of September, and it's our endeavor to make it a green one. Our overzealous celebrations result in noise pollution, traffic jams and water pollution that causes tremendous damage to our marine ecosystem. Below are some shocking facts about the impact of our celebration in 2014. This year lets take a pledge to celebrate responsibly and have an ecofriendly Ganeshostav.

Choose from a wide range of eco-friendly Ganeshas by Eco Ganesha

Brass Ganesha statue by Imli Street

Vidushi surrounded by her beautiful creations.
Browse her entire collection here.

élan is a young, fun, brand, which aims to bring vibrant colour into Indian homes in organizing, living and entertaining. Started by Vidushi Gupta Agarwal, it has very interesting, modern products ranging from cake servers and 3-tiered cake stands to cute metal gardening ware, file holders, magnets, and even dabbas!

élan dabbawala tiffin box

It’s not often that you see colours in functional products in India, a lacuna that Vidushi knew she could explore and tap into. So be prepared for beautiful serveware in aqua, ivory, peach and pink – colours that you can’t help but want to see on your buffet table the next time you entertain. One of the best things about élan is its affordability. In fact, there is a whole range of products priced under INR 500 and they are perfect for giveaways and gifts.

élan 4 bucket caddy

Vidushi has come full circle in her exploration of a suitable medium to create functional pieces. Her family has been in the traditional galvanized sheet metal business for years. She was always keen on starting something on her own, but not with metal. After completion of a Communication Design Course at the Parsons School of Design, New York, and a bit of work experience which she describes as her formative years – she came back to India and dabbled in porcelain and other mediums. After a small online exhibition where she created new designs with metal, she realized she should do more work in this medium. And élan was born.

The serve ware is undoubtedly the range which caught my eye and most appealed to me. As an avid home baker, and someone who participates in charity bake-offs regularly, I thought the 2 and 3-tiered cake stands and trays, servers and other accessories would make wonderful additions to my tea- party tablescapes. I also wasted no time in picking up these beautiful cake servers and trays for my friends. They make the best gift for friends who love to bake or make jewellery (can’t you image baubles displayed on the cake stands?), hold exhibitions, and entertain frequently. And I definitely thought the bird houses would make pretty additions to one’s garden.

élan scallop cup cake stand

élan 3 tier stand

I am always fascinated with business names, especially in the art and craft industry. When I asked Vidushi about the story behind the name élan, she said yes she named it élan for the obvious connotations of the word in English, but more importantly, elaan also means ‘a declaration of war…’ in Hindi, a forceful, action-oriented word that resounded totally with her ambition.

élan retails at several brick and mortar shops, as well as online. They recently opened their first store in Delhi, because they wanted people to come in and get ideas on the various ways their products could be put to use. For instance, a tray could be both functional and decorative, and the beautifully arranged showroom would also let you see which colours or wall backgrounds would set these products off optimally. You could also buy élan right here on engrave.in.

Are you the proud owner of an élan product? We would love to hear from you! Do get in touch with us with images of how you have been using your product.

Are you a hoarder? Well, there’s a better way to manage your old stuff and craft them into something beautiful for your home.

Even if you have no waste materials gathering dust in your attic, you can forage around your neighbours and collect some nice materials that can be moulded into something gorgeous. As the saying goes, ‘one man’s trash is another’s treasure’.

Check out the following do-it-yourself projects with which you can create something innovative from something unwanted.

1. Bottle Vases

Got any wine bottles and liquor bottles lined up after all those heavy nights of partying? Don’t throw them away. It’s not only liquor that they can hold.

The different shapes and sizes of beverage bottles makes for some beautiful décor pieces. You can cover them up with anything like magazine pages, newspapers, colourful yarns, twine or any other fabric that looks a bit unusual.

Fill the vases with water, place some beautiful flowers, and you can use them as centerpieces on your dining table or atop the living room shelves.

2. Denim Bracelets

What do you do with old jeans? Throw them away? Do that no more.

Get some thin bangles that you have, and wrap them up in pieces of the fabric. Tie them up with thin iron threads or twine, and you have your very own fashionable Denim bracelets. Gift them to a friend or flaunt your own style.

3. Denim Baskets

It’s not just bracelets that you can make from old denims. Cut them up and stitch them down to make an all-purpose basket. They can be both decorative and be used for storing stuff.

Besides, the denim fabric is so much better than plastic, and will go nicely with your home décor.

4. Jar Planters

All the small jars you get with stuff like jams, marmalades, pickles etc. can all be put to a greener use. Fill them up with garden soil and plant little flowery plants in them.

You can hang them up in your kitchen, dining room or living room, giving your décor a greener outlook. Opt for transparent jars instead of opaque ones, so that you can see the soil. It gives an earthier feel to the decoration, plus your interiors would be filled with fragrance of the flowers.

5. Bottle Chandeliers

Bottles can always be reused and made into elaborate decorative pieces without breaking a sweat. Group a few wine bottles and cut out their bottoms.

The bottoms can either be cleanly cut or it can be irregular depending upon your taste. But take care to chaff the irregular bottom edge else someone might cut themselves.

Drop small a bulb holder into the neck, from the top, and screw in small bulbs. You can opt for different colour bulbs, if you are going for a discotheque feel; else putting in yellow or white light should be enough to get you a smart chandelier.

Far more items can be added to this list, so let us know about any products you've upcycled in your home!

Previous Editions: A for Abstract Art | Z for Zeng Jing

M is for MF Husain

It's MF Husain’s 100th birth anniversary. Some of you may have noticed. Google India certainly took the trouble to remind us. Now if you wish to pick up a bit of the fine art of taking art, it helps to know a few things about a big big name like MF Husain. And hence this M for MF edition.

Let’s begin with some memories of MF you might want to make a note of.

First things first

Maqbool Fida Husain was commonly known as MF Husain. He was a Modern Indian painter of international acclaim, and a founding member of The Progressive Artists Group of Bombay (PAG). He also directed a few movies.

Did you know?

It took MF Husain just two months to paint the 29 canvases that make up his famous Mahabharata series.

MF, the filmmaker

M.F. Husain made his first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter, in 1967. The film was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and won a Golden Bear. In 2004, he directed Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities, which was screened in the Marché du Film section of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

From rags...

Husain had come to Mumbai in 1937. In the initial days of his struggle he earned 36 paisa or 6 annas a day by painting hoardings.

To records...

In early 2008, Husain's Battle of Ganga and Jamuna: Mahabharata 12, a large diptych, from the Hindu epic, fetched $1.6 million, setting a world record at Christie's South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale.

The final word

“I wanted to use her [Dixit] as a vehicle to take art to the maximum number of people. And the best way to reach people was to paint a superstar.” – Maqbool Fida Husain

“Never invest in any idea you can’t illustrate with a crayon.”
- Peter Lynch

We know what a big emotional investment a pet is. And crayon sculptor Hoang Tran brings that same degree of tender loving care to this Pet Box of Carved Crayons. What more can a dog lover ask for. Check out how a dog’s life has been transformed into something so beautiful. You can get one made for yourself here.

Also read:
Carved Crayons – Part 1 – Pop Culture
Carved Crayons – Part 2 – Star Wars

While trawling the web, we discovered this really cool initiative by Godrej. It’s called Godrej Archives.

In a nutshell, Godrej Archives is a step towards nurturing and celebrating the history of Godrej. It aims to share the contributions made by the Godrej Group to the industrial history of India and highlight its role in the country’s future.

Recently Godrej commissioned a well-known artist, Jeremy Myers, to create a sculpture from their last batch of typewriters.

They chose well.

This artist is obsessed with creating pieces of art only out of typewriter parts. He is an avid collector of typewriters and scours yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets, and other such spaces for them. Also, he does not use any power tools to create these sculptures.

Interestingly enough, before this artist got into typewriters, he worked for a while as an apprentice to an idol maker in India. There he learnt to create huge sculptures using resin.

What he did for Godrej was done using 60 typewriters. And when in India, he did as many Indians tend to do – he broke a few rules and did a bit of ‘jugaad.’ As in, he melded a few parts together for his kinetic lotus sculpture because it was mechanical. But it was well worth it.

At 13-and-a-half feet, the kinetic lotus is his magnum opus and largest to date.

Making of the sculpture - The Lotus

At Engrave, we can’t get enough of makes who hand-make all sorts of amazing things in India. We appreciate what Jeremy Mayers and Godrej are doing for Made in India and handmade in India.

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” – Coco Chanel

That statement rings so true, especially in this age where fashion is being crafted out of the simplest of objects that were once deemed unworthy. Fashion, which was once attributed to the clothes we wear, has now spread its tendrils to reach into everyday objects, oozing allure and innovation.

Everything from home décor and furniture to handcrafted products and upcycled curios form a fashion statement like never before. So how does one live to knit out fashion from the creative depths of one’s mind, to craft exquisite works that breathe life and feel intimate to the surroundings?

Hear it from Bhavini, the creator of Needlework Jukebox, who has wowed admirers with her dextrous creations.

The Creator & The Creation

Needlework Jukebox is an amalgamated collection of inimitable accessories and household products that sprung from the brain of Bhavini, a Bangalore-based homemaker. With a wide variety of hand knitted products and beautifully crafted home décor items, she designs with a touch of homeliness and style.

The face behind Needlework Jukebox, Bhavini.

Bhavini’s stockpile of crafts mainly include handmade crochet items, stitched pouches and bags, upcycled denims and jeans, embroidered frames, elegantly crafted wall pieces etc. Since most of her work centres around knitting and needlework, she chose the name Needlework Jukebox.

“I love to try my hand at different desings using needle work and my products have a wide mix, hence the name coined by my daughter 'Needlework Jukebox'.”

Bhavini credits the inspiration for her needle work to her mother and daughters. Originally from the town of Surat, in Gujarat, Bhavini was pulled into the world of needlework by watching her mother and other female relatives ardently crafting different forms of products. The initial curiosity and admiration of the craft later took the form of passionate hobby and compulsion, which in later years gave birth to the present form of Needlework Jukebox.

Presently based in Bangalore, Bhavini, mother to two daughters, says the art calms and relaxes her amidst the bustling daily chores.

Funky finds from Needlework Jukebox

Unique Crochet Scarf made from soft wool & acrylic blend yarns by Needlework Jukebox

Crochet Hat with Flower Beret Style by Needlework Jukebox

Zippered Pouch made from upcycled jeans and khaki material, embellished with a ric-rac lace by Needlework Jukebox

Dressy Drawstring Bag by Needlework Jukebox

Our Verdict

Try getting into the groove of crochet designs and upcycled accessories and up your fashion statement in more ways than one.