Tell me your design mantra, I'll tell you your bling mantra!

What's your design mantra? Not the first time you've been asked that, and I guarantee it won't be the last time. I think by now people know mine.....

We all have our distinct likes and dislikes when it comes to design and decor. Some folks like a clean minimalist look, some like lots of stuff around them, some like big bold chunky accessories, some like small knick knacky things (Ma.......are you reading this? :-)), some like traditional Indian, some like uber modern Western!

But does your taste in decor extend beyond interiors to your clothing and jewelry? Most likely it does, whether it happens unknowingly or consciously (I suspect the former). If you like ethnic tribal folksy touches in your home, chances are you like the same in clothing and bling bling. If you like sophisticated opulent interiors, I bet you like diamonds and rubies!

So here are some room interiors I clubbed together with jewelry that goes with it. A silly extremely time consuming exercise I indulged in yesterday......! Tell me, which one most personifies you? As for me....hmmm..take a guess! (Click on the smaller pics to view better as larger pics)

Like me, you are probably a combination of 2 or more. Its really rare for someone to get pigeon holed into any one category. That was fun!

All room images via, most jewelry via and other internet sources (which I absentmindedly forgot to jot down)

Birthday giveaways!

One year ago at around this time, I was wiping the sweat off my brow gearing up for the launch of Saffron and Silk, putting the finishing touches on my blog, despairing about color and theme, agonizing over the name I had picked, trying out different templates, defining the content, finalizing the font, typing and re-typing my profile information so it was short and succinct but still descriptive enough, and last but not least, wondering if anyone would bother to read the blog, let alone comment.


Well, the time has flown by. My blog turns 1 year old today, the 28th of March,  and even though I still fret about content and font and theme, I know for a fact that there are people reading it. So for that, I am thankful to each and everyone of you that has read and/or commented on my rambling all-over-the-place posts this last year! I hope I can sustain your interest in it for more time....


So, as a HUGE THANK YOU and a celebration of my blog's first birthday....its time for a giveaway! 

{Now, it just so happens that my blog's birthday coincides with my birthday as per our Tamil calendar! For those wondering what on earth I am talking about, I have to apologize because it is way too complicated, I still don't get it....it has to do with the sun and the stars and the moon, and the 27 segments the sky is divided into, and the 12 zones of the sky (the Zodiac), and the sun spending one month in each during one year, and the moon spending one night in each segment, so today is also the day the moon and the sun are co-horting in the same segment as they were the day I was born!!!! Sounds like 2 people having a clandestine affair!!!!}


In a nutshell, TODAY is the day my blog turns 1 year old, and if the venerated priests says it's the day I turn 50, who am I to argue? All the more reason to celebrate. 


So in honor of 2 birthdays I am doing a "double giveaway"! Here is what is up for grabs....these two pairs of lovely earrings made by the talented Aparna at Nine by Thirty! 

The first set of earrings has "faceted garnet with sterling silver beads and leaf hoops" 

And the second pair of earrings is - you're going to love this - "lava bead rondells with Bali sea shell silver beads with leaf hoops"!!!!

Now......a little something on Nine by Thirty. This is the brainchild of Aparna......a prolific writer and a chai-loving fellow Hyderabadi, also known to many blog readers as the Ketchup Girl! Not only does she have a totally wry, tongue-in-cheek approach to writing, the girl skillfully weaves silver into stunning jewelry as deftly as words into prose! Her witty writing leaves me rolling on the floor, her exquisite jewelry has me swooning on same said floor! Her caustic writing drips with sarcasm as much as her silver danglers drip with lustrous stones...(ok, so that was a weird analogy, but then SHE's the writer, not me:-). Then, as if writing and designing jewelry wasn't enough, the girl cooks like a dream. 

But, since I am giving away some bling bling made by her very own hands, here is a peek into some of the other stunners she has made...

A bloodstone and silver necklace

Cinnabar and silver hoops

and this, of which I recently became a proud owner...graduated sujilite with silver

THE RULES:

So, what do YOU THE READER have to do to enter the giveaway? VERY LITTLE!


1. Leave a comment, one, or two or even three...three is the limit! Whether you leave 1, 2 or 3 comments, let me know which of the two earrings you prefer, which country you live in AND your e mail address/contact info. If you prefer not to reveal that information, you can alternately e mail me at Inimak@in.com, BUT YOU STILL NEED TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE BLOG to be entered into the draw. That's it. 


2. This contest is open to residents of India, the US, UK and Australia! And of course anyone residing OUTSIDE of these 4 countries who is entering for someone residing INSIDE these 4 countries.


3. Say whatever you want in your comment....complain, rant, rave, nag, talk about the weather, what you had for lunch, cricket, your weekend plans...anything.....just as long as it is a comment. 


You don't have to blog, or tweet or Facebook the giveaway, unless you want to! Just have fun commenting!


I'll keep this open till the 15th of April, midnight IST, and then pick the winners using random.org. Of the two winners the one with the lower number will get first dibs, in other words the earring of their choice! Winners in Australia and India should receive their spoils by end April, winners from either the UK or USA will have to be patient and wait till end May to get theirs in the mail! :-)

Good luck to you all and DON"T FORGET YOUR E MAIL ADDRESS - either leave it on your comment OR e mail me!

Morocco and Turkey - my 2 favorite countries!

Of all the countries I have visited, Morocco and Turkey are without a doubt my favorites. I love chunky jewelry, I love fabrics, I love slippers, I love lanterns....so when I discovered a Canadian design store in Ontario that sells Moroccan fabrics, slippers and jewelry as well as lanterns from Morocco AND Turkey....I was hooked! Owned and managed by Fran Devlin an intrepid world traveller, Palmyra Design has some of the most fantastically beautiful Moroccan goodies I have seen. Devlin loves Morocco (duh, who doesn't???) and imports an assortment of items from workshops and studios in and around Marrakech, Essaouria, and Tazenakht, her specialty however is lanterns in reticulated brass, mosaic glass, delicate boule and colorful hanging glass votive holders. Recently, they have also added some lanterns from Eminonu, an old area of the city of Istanbul.

I have literally spent a good couple of hours today browsing their website as well as this blog that led me to it, and cannot seem to get enough. They ship anywhere to the US, so you lucky US residents can not only enjoy their website, but maybe buy as well??? Admittedly pricey stuff....but its so gorgeous!!!

Moroccan lanterns

Turkish lanterns

In addition, the showroom also carries luscious fabrics, beautiful tea services and gorgeous house slippers.

And then, as if that wasn't enough to tempt me, they carry some of the most stunning pieces of Moroccan/Indian inspired jewelry I have ever seen. 

Sigh! That's all I can say! Sigh!

Check out their website for more fantastic stuff!

A Giveaway, a giveaway!

Yippee! Anu of My Dream Canvas is having a giveaway here. Its an absolutely beautiful pair of earrings designed by Joanna, a talented designer based in Australia. This is Joanna's jewelry store on Etsy!

I am so thrilled that finally there is a giveaway that includes us folks in India (even though I fully understand the reason why so many giveaways are limited to the US given the logistics of shipping to India...)

The winner will be picked on August 15th...I have my fingers crossed!!!! 

Check out Anu's blog! Its lovely!

Artist profile - Jewelry designer Christa Clark

I am thrilled to once again feature another one of my very talented friends - jewelry designer Christa Clark! Christa and I go wayyyy back. We went to design school in Bellevue, WA state from 1994 to 1997. After school we sort of lost touch except for intermittent information about each other via mutual friends. We both went on to work at different architectural companies as designers and then last year, through this wonderful thing called Facebook, we reconnected again! Christa is still working as designer with Mithun Architects in Seattle, but also an amazing jewelry designer. Hers is the perfect fairytale story and this is how it goes....

Somewhere in the late 1990’s, Christa was searching the shops for a necklace she had conjured in her mind – it was a long necklace that would tie in the front, studded with chunky turquoise stones. She was convinced that this necklace would make her life complete. - surely it had to be out there somewhere. When her search was rewarded with nothing but disappointment, Christa remembered what she always told herself growing up – “I’ll just make it!” She made the necklace and started wearing it, and was surprised at the number of comments that she received from friends, colleagues, even people on the street. She continued to make pieces for herself, until a friend encouraged her to participate in a local art show, show her jewelry, and maybe sell a few pieces. Christa ended up selling every piece she’d brought, and coming away with orders for a couple dozen more – and this is where Swish was born.
Christa founded Swish in the winter of 2005, and never looked back. Today, her jewelry is sold in several Seattle boutiques, and has amassed a loyal following of discerning accessory-philes. She lives in Seattle with her husband John and their sweet little girl, Ryan.

Designed and handcrafted in Seattle, Washington, Swish jewelry is composed of precious and semi-precious stones set in fine silver, sterling silver and 14 karat gold filled. Christa’s hand-forged, precious metal pieces strike the perfect balance between simple, modern design and warm, organic tactility. Take a look at these fabulous pieces and you will see how they are characterized by unabashed combinations of materials and an adventurous play on scale and proportion.

Stunning vintage jewelry by Michelle McCormick

I am thrilled to bring you my second artist profile! An artist not in the traditional sense, as in someone who draws or paints, but an artisan who produces the most beautiful jewelry. Like me, Michelle is an interior designer, and we worked together for a few years at Callison, an architectural company in downtown Seattle, designing Nordstrom stores in the US. Then Michelle found her true calling, and has never looked back since!
Michelle designs one-of-a-kind jewelry from found objects, sparkly things, estate sale vintage finds and anything else that has character and tells a story. Her aesthetic is vintage ranging from Steampunk to Organic and Floral in style. All of the pieces have a refined design sensibility, combined with the wonderful patina of time. Nature and everyday objects are a constant source of inspiration, especially when viewed with fresh eyes. She find inspiration everywhere and is always on the hunt for new materials and treasures. She loves the qualities of old worn wood, flowers, rhinestones past their prime, peeling painted metal, rosaries, keys, watch gears and tin type photographs. In her words "The patina of time creates a mystery and the beauty often times lies in the imperfection". Michelle's passion is to look for the unexpected beauty and charm in everyday objects and to re-purpose that into wearable jewelry for people like you and me to love.
Michelle lives on a farm in the great Pacific Northwest. For those of you not familiar with it, the northwest it is one of the most spectacular places in the US. Gorgeous snow covered mountains, rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, pristine coastlines, fabulous weather and the friendliest people make it a great place to live and work. Here is some of the beautiful jewelry that comes out of Michelle's imagination and workshop! If you are interested in buying any of her jewelry, shop here!

Thank you Michelle, for allowing me the privilege of showing your work!