Artist Profile - Ayesha Puri

First there was Abhilasha, then there was Aarti and now there is Ayesha. I'm calling them the "A" girls for their Ambition, their Aspirations and their Attitude! 

We all have great ideas from time to time....we go looking/shopping for something and cannot find exactly what we want, so we reluctantly settle for second best, and then always think "Now, maybe there's an idea for me? Maybe I should do something about it"? And then we all go home to our busy lives and forget about it till the next time we go in search of something, cannot find it....and.......you know what I'm talking about. 

Wel, not these girls. They are risky and brave and take fate into their capable young manicured hands and make things work!

Meet Ayesha Puri! A consultant who hung up her 9 year old corporate hat and dived headlong into designing pretty things, specifically her own line of home furnishings, and so aptly calls her company  - ALL THINGS PRETTY!"  This is what she says about ATP:  

 
"My venture is called All Things Pretty and we are a few months old now. Our current focus is on decorative cushions and we are slowly looking at expanding into table linen, bed linen as well.  Our product prices range mostly between INR 500 to 1100 or so. I am working on a summer range of quilted cushions using English country prints. I retail mostly through exhibitions in Delhi and NCR and am open to taking orders and mailing products within and outside India. My products are also retailing at ZAZA home in Zamrudpur, New Delhi and a few other stores across India.  I was hugely inspired to start my own home furnishings venture when I was setting up my home two years ago and shopping for a lot of cushions and linen in general. I think that was really the trigger. In the next few years, I hope to get into exports, open a lifestyle store and be known as the one stop shop for home decor"!

Ayesha was also covered in the Feb issue of the Ideal Home and Garden. 

Here are a few images of her fabulous work:

Lovely products in vibrant colors at a very reasonable price....what's not to love about it? You can see more at her etsy shop, and if you want more details and/or information...e mail her at Ayesha.puri@gmail.com. See? What an easy way to add some colorful Indian pop and ethnic zing to your interiors!

Aarti-st profile - Aarti Verma

Aarti-st...Aarti...get it? Ok sorry...couldn't resist that :)


One thing that never ceases to amaze me these days is the incredible amount of young talent I see every day, in my very own desi neck of the woods. People, only a few years out of college who are successful textile designers, handicrafters, potters, artisans, artists and social reformers trying to revive dying skills. There is Neha of Matsya, Abhilasha of Mish Mash, Rachana and her gorgeous clutches and Ritika of Mora......not only do these gals have the talent and the creative gene oozing out of every youthful pore, they have the entrepreneurial chutzpah it takes to turn their dreams into reality. People are thirsting for such originality, the design climate in India is ripe for creativity and talent to flourish. 


The newest toddler to enter this arena is Aarti Verma of Art meets Fashion. True to its name, the company deals with hand painted and handcrafted fashion like handbags and kurtis, as well as home decor accessories - cushions, jewelry boxes -  which are an amalgamation of art and fashion. But her hand painted handbags, clutches, totes and sling bags are really what grab your attention. Fun, funky, quirky, über cool and edgy.....not only will they make a statement, they are so totally functional. If you're a fashionista it will only up your "fashion quotient". If you're a total fashion misfit - like me - it will upgrade you to a fashionista! 


Take a look....

The "Fashionista" collection

From the "On the Ramp" collection

The "Madhubani" collection - easily my favorite. Is that a surprise?

From the "African Inspiration" collection - paired with some big chunky jewelry, you'll be a smashing success!

 The "Tribal Inspiration" collection. Add a turban and some colorful clothing.......wow!

From the "Gods and Goddesses" collection. When did Ganesha ever look so cool?

And here are pics of her other work...cushion covers, tunics and kurtis

To see more, or to snag some of these goodies for yourself, go to her Facebook page or the website. Happy shopping!

P.S. And just in case you're wondering, who does the paintings....? The girl is a fabulous artist herself. Here is a sampling.....

Check out her sketch blog. All this talent in one tiny (yes, she is petite) package...? Not fair!!!

Holiday card frenzy!

Its that dreaded time of the year....time to send out holiday cards. Sure, one click on your computer and you can email a card or personalized family pic to a gazillion friends at once, and then sit back and relax....but wouldn't a nice, handmade card be better? Look what I found just in time for the holiday season? Or maybe I should say "look who I found'? Anand Prakash! AP is a self taught designer and entrepreneur in Delhi, who single handedly turned his passion for handmade paper into a lucrative booming business! It all started with a book mark he made in college for a friend - while studying economics at Delhi Univ. - and the rest as they say "is history". He continued making cards at night and marketing them by day, and it was only a matter of time before Adam Smith and Keynesian economics got replaced by art and design!!! He set up his company Anand'z Creation in 2001 and this year Anand is celebrating his 10 year tryst with paper!

The work his company does is impeccable. Absolutely breathtaking designs are executed with skill and patience, one area where he scores over others doing the same thing. The pieces are unique, and the detailing is unparalleled. And best of all, his creative products are hand crafted from recycled and 100% wood-free handmade paper.

This is his studio in Delhi

Beautifully embroidered hand made greeting cards

Cards embellished with metal

The Spice range is a collection of stationery, recipe books and invitation cards

Stunning travel journals

And personal journals in jewel toned colors using tussar, dupioni and matka silk

His brass and metal range is equally unique

as is the festive range

Re-cycled paper jewellery

So if you want to add a little Indian bling, zing and pizazz to your holiday cards, you can get on the website and contact them for more information to place an order. And while you're doing that, I will scan my family pic and e mail it to all my relatives for the holidays! :-)