All posts filed under: CRAFT

Explore Local Handmade Crafts

Owner of Papermelon, Devi Chand from Chennai Creates Sustainable Paper-Based Jewellery

Devi Chand, from Chennai, works out of her little studio and creates impressive paper-based jewellery. She found a way to roll paper to create interestingly shaped beads and that gave her an idea to further use in accessories. The sealant she uses also works to make the paper splash-proof! Back in 2009, she started her paper jewellery venture, Papermelon. Even now, she finds joy in collecting all types of paper and upcycles them to make her creations. Just like her, her jewellery is upbeat, happy and colourful. Check out her collection and wear some as a conversation starter. Also, read through our conversation with this cheerful wife, mother and entrepreneur who is living her dream!  Hello, it’s great having this chat with you! Give us a small bio. Hey! I’m Devi Chand, and I make some exciting sustainable paper jewellery. I create from my little home studio in Chennai. I’m a mother of one, who is also a regular visitor at my quaint shop.  Tell us about your venture Papermelon.   I studied design at NIFT. …

“Pottery Can Teach You a Lot About Life” – Akshaya Salin, Owner of Pottery Studio ‘The Burrow’, From Ahmedabad

Akshaya Salin was on her way to become a civil engineer when fate steered her into taking up pottery for her post-grad. She fell in love with how the calming yet exciting process of pottery truly is! Based in Ahmedabad now, she owns a small atelier named ‘The Burrow’ and works her heart out as a full-time ceramic artist. Hey Akshaya! Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi, I’m Akshaya Salin! I’m 26-years-old and based in Ahmedabad. I’m a Malayali settled in Ahmedabad. I did my undergrad in civil engineering and then moved on to working in environmental education for a bit. During this time I randomly came across pottery and my interest was sparked. I was then led to work on a post-grad course in ceramic and glass design at IICD, Jaipur. This experience officially began my path in ceramic design. I continued my journey by working at Claystation, Bangalore. It’s been a year since I have moved back to Ahmedabad and started my own small atelier ‘The Burrow’.  What types of mediums do …

Kavya Madappa from Bangalore, an Eco-warrior Creating Tree-free Paper at Bluecat paper

Kavya Madappa is from a hill station in Karnataka, Coorg. Growing up, she was always surrounded with nature – hills, rivers and fresh air. Her love for nature has inspired many of her ideas and revelations, one of them being Bluecat Paper – a venture that makes and sells tree-less paper. It uses various by-products and textile wastes like linen, flax, hemp, coffee husk, mulberry bark, and banana fiber to make creative products like notebooks, coasters and more.  With over 650 products, a few installations and an exhibition in Dubai, she has become an eco-warrior! We were amazed to know about her venture and how she is giving her best to make the world a better place! Scroll down to read our chat with her.  Hey Kavya, thank you for taking some time out to chat with us. Please introduce yourself to our readers!  Hi! My name is Kavya Madappa, I’m 41-year-old. I live in Bangalore even though I am originally from Coorg, Karnataka. My hometown is known as the Scotland of India, with green …

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Crafting Her Own Future — A Jewellery Maker and Owner of LS Jewellery, Lusano Sophie from Kohima

Stepping away from conventional careers, Lusano from Kohima took up an independent step and started her own venture. She launched her line of accessories, LS Jewellery. Inspired by handmade jewellery making, Lusano began experimenting with pieces, which led her to start her brand.  LS Jewellery features “elegant, feminine and minimalist designs that caters to people of varying tastes,” as she puts it. It’s versatile, chic and everything your wardrobe needs right now! Find out more about the story of this young and inspiring entrepreneur as we chat with her.  LS Jewellery is handmade and crafted by Lusano herself. Hello Lusano, tell us about yourself and what you’ve been up to recently! My name is Lusano Sophie. I just graduated with Economics Honors from Shillong. Besides my jewellery collection, I love reading and want to start a venture related to books. I’m working on it, so be on the lookout. Tell us about your venture LS Jewellery. What is the story behind this start up? I always loved collecting jewellery although I didn’t really wear them …

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The Inspiring Journey of Mixpick Enterprise With Rongsenmongla Jamir From Nagaland

“Any opportunity to adorn oneself is human and accessories are an easy way to do it” ~ Marc Jacobs We belong to a generation where technology, like most people say, has exploited the lot of us. In some way, technology and modernization is a bad influence (as the old proverb goes ‘excess of anything is harmful) and yet here we are today proving that statement wrong! Meet Rongsenmongla Jamir, founder of Mixpick Enterprise, an online store selling accessories and crafts. The young girls balance the trends and the traditions in creating their pieces. Read on to know more about them and their venture.  Mixpick Enterprise is an online store started up on: May 2018 Founder – Rongsenmongla Jamir (24) Co-founder – Limakum Jamir (21) We had a chat with Rongsenmongla Jamir, founder of Mixpick Enterprise about the venture and more Hello there, to start things off it would be great if you take us back to how it all started! The groundwork for our venture was laid in 2016, when young talents were given an opportunity …

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A Chat With Shirali — A Miniaturist From Ahmedabad

They say, the road to finding your passion is long but rewarding. Such is the story of Shirali, who stumbled upon an art form while she was pursuing fashion, which  we became her calling! A bio-chemist-turned-fashion designer, Shiralis discovered her passion for sculpting miniatures in 2011. Since then, she hasn’t turned back and continues to create marvelous miniatures.  “My goal as an artist is to create top 20 miniature staple food of every state and create a food trail across the country. I have started working on this project, and to my amazement, I found so many overlapping similarities in local cuisines from one state to another. Same food, similar recipes and yet different names!” Shirali talks about her work, what influenced her to take this up and the challenges she faces while running her venture. Read on!  We had a chat with Shirali, miniaturist from Ahmedabad about her venture, “Small Idea”, which is about sculpting miniatures such as food, bag charms and so much more! Hello, introduce a little about yourself. Hi I’m Shirali, …

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Meet The Sisters Behind Crochet Doll Venture “Handmade Cottage” from Manipur.

Meet the crafty sister-duo behind the crochet doll venture “Handmade Cottage” from Manipur. Both the sisters are trained nurses, who initially started their crochet venture as a hobby. Despite the challenges they face in a world where people’s expectations have been significantly altered through factory-made goods – in terms of speed and low price, these sisters are motivated more than ever to bring people back to appreciating artisanal handmade goodies through their humble yet ambitious motto of “One doll at a time, one smile at a time and one happy customer at a time.” We had a chat with the sister duo of “Handmade Cottage” from Manipur. They talk to us about how their hobby turned into a profitable business venture and the challenges they face along the way. Hello, please introduce yourself. Hello R&L, thanks for having us. We’re two sisters running this venture, “Handmade cottage” from Manipur. I’m Yungyung Ragui (29) and my sister’s name is Sovi Shaiza(27). We’re based in Ukhrul and Imphal. Professionally, we are both trained nurses but we have …

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Lipok Esther – An Artist and Entrepreneur from Nagaland Talks About Her Passion Venture “Fire and Earth Ceramics”

Pottery has been a craft ever since our ancestral times. It is said that people in East Asia started making pottery as early as 14000 BC before they even started farming. From being a necessary craft within a household, pottery today has evolved into an art form – with many artists experimenting with various materials and techniques to keep this craft relevant even in modern times.  Today, we chat with a talented ceramic artist – Lipok Esther from Nagaland to talk about her venture ‘Fire and Earth Ceramics’ which has caught the attention of many not only in Nagaland but also beyond. She speaks passionately about her craft, emphasizing her dedication to preserving Naga heritage and customs. According to her, ceramics is relatively new in Nagaland, even though pottery has always been part of Naga culture. Throiugh her venture, she aims to introduce ceramics while honoring Naga art forms and her own passion for pottery. Chats with ceramic artist Lipok Esther from Nagaland to learn more about her venture ‘Fire and Earth Ceramics’ Lipok’s creations …

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Roots & Leisure Team Tours Wokha District in Nagaland to Cover “Tokhü Emong” Festival and Welcome The Famous Migratory Birds Amur Falcons

“Tokhü Emong” is a post-harvest festival which is celebrated by the Lotha tribes in Nagaland. This year, the founders of Roots and Leisure will be traveling to Wokha district (home of the Lotha tribes) in Nagaland. We will be experiencing the festival first-hand and will take all our readers along for the ride – Tune in for LIVE video coverage from the tour and the festival on our Instagram page. This year, the festival starts from the 5th of November and goes on till the 7th of November at Wokha, Nagaland. It will host various local indigenous fun games like fire making, traditional karting, yodelling and more – with local Naga bands like De Band, Tune Up Channel from Mokokchung and more performing at the evening function.  Banner set up for Tokhü Emong Festival in Wokha, Nagaland. | Photo by wethenagas Tune Up Channel, rock band from Mokokchung will be playing at Tokhü Emong Festival | Photo taken from Indihut Another exciting thing about this tour is the “Amur Falcon Festival” which will be happening this week from …

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Meet Devika Gurung from Sikkim Who Is Using Her Passion For Arts And Crafts To Empower The Underprivileged Women Of Her Hometown

Some of us go a whole lifetime before we know for sure what our true purpose, passion, and calling in life is. Devika Gurung, from Namthang, Sikkim, is one of the lucky ones who found hers in her 20s. She uses her skills in traditional knitting and weaving, which were passed down to her by her mother and grandmother, to empower underprivileged women in her home state. Let’s delve deeper into the story of this inspiring woman. We had the pleasure of speaking with Devika Gurung, founder of “Fidgety Fingers” – a project that empowers local women in Sikkim by teaching them traditional arts and crafts such as knitting and crochet. Devika shares with us her personal journey in discovering her life’s purpose and the challenges she faced along the way. Conversation with Devika Gurung, founder of ‘Fidgety Fingers’ – a project that empowers women in Sikkim to earn a living through art and crafts R&L: Hi Devika! Please introduce yourself, and tell us more about your journey that led to starting your own venture …