The Anti-Social Butterfly

One of my long-standing principles about decorations has been to do everything handmade. I like the ef fort and love that goes into creating the items. One of the items that I created recently were Moravian Stars.  These German-origin origami sculptures are popular during Christmas and require patience and precision to get them right.  This link is my favourite for the instructions. It explains the steps simply and tells you the the right proportions. Materials 1. 4 long strips of paper - choose the dimensions basis the guide .  2. Scissors 3. Loads of patience to get it right the first time. Time: 20-30 mins for first star. 10 mins thereafter. Rohini's hack: Instead of cutting strips of paper, I use pre-cut quilling strips. They are available in a multitude of colours and sizes. Pick the right one basis the guide and you all set! Check out my set of colourful stars. I usually string them up and hang them on my...

My love affair with the Lamington began at first bite. I was returning from an office trip and this was the only thing I could buy with the last of my foreign exchange. Anyway, every bite of my little treasure was savoured until there was no more. The memory stayed on and I was interested in learning all about the yummy delight. Here's a little about the humble little Lamington, courtesy Wikipedia : A lamington is a dessert of Australian origin. It consists of squares of sponge cake coated first in a layer of traditionally chocolate sauce, then in desiccated coconut. It is that simple, really. However, I do not get access to a proper oven for baking and I was eager to try it out. That's when I decided to give the dessert a spin of my own. My inspiration- the Bounty Bar . Here's the recipe. Ingredients Sponge cake (regular or eggless, depending on the audience) Cooking Chocolate Desiccated coconut Method 1. Cut the sponge cake into ...

Nemo's Happy Pillow (right side up) Did someone say evil? A definite mood-lifter on those drab monsoon day is with a little day-dreaming. On those days, I think of myself as a super villain, with an evil kitten resting on my lap.  I almost got to further that fantasy with 1 of my crochet projects - a cat pillow. It was actually made in 2012, but was only used in 2013 that too not by the intended recipient. Don't I look pretty? It all started with a CAL/KAL proposed by my Ravelry Group . One of the things that could be made were pillows. I didn't require any for my home, so was wondering what use to put it to, when suddenly I remembered Nemo, my cat!  Still excited by the arrival of my kitten, I thought of making one for him. Cos, obviously every super-villain needs a pampered, evil kitty! :) The pattern chosen was the Pinwheel Pillow by Morgan Forrester . First 2 colours It took me a little over a month to complete the project. It ...

After I quit my job as a corporate drone in 2012, I started looking at options to keep me occupied as I served out my sentence. I had planned to devote a few months to full-time arts and crafts activities as I kept me and my evil kitty entertained. However, as most vacations go, I never really did get as much accomplished, instead using the time to just recuperate and spend as much time bugging my husband as possible. The list of things to be done were endless and as a start I planned to finish some unfinished projects. Here's what I finally got done with:

Not many of my friends know this, but I love jigsaw puzzles. I love how a seemingly jumbled series of bits and pieces can somehow come together to become a beautiful picture that has a story to tell. Mind you, completing a jigsaw is no mean feat. Like every act of love, it requires, attention, concentration and loads of time. I learned this the hard way after it took me just over a year to complete my first puzzle. Previously, I had played with puzzles as a child and then later on numerous Websites. With the very first jigsaw puzzle picked up 6 years ago, I was hooked!