Swing by through the day, through the night - Banna Creations brings you the perfect weave of life!

A few weeks ago, I was musing on how Banna Creations could add its bit of creativity to Diwali – those days just before and after. I’ve always loved the colors of nature – their mood swings and attitude to life. When I started researching on colors for weaves and natural prints, I simply decided that it was going to be on nature’s patterns and life.

A thousand lamps light up the season; small diyas adorn households; the colors of rangoli form fine art, adorning homes.  Festivity and fusion warm up a chill night. It’s also a time for smiles, exchange of gifts, sweets, new clothes and definitely the season for generosity. It’s a season when one looks up to the skies to see the magic in the skies, that seems like a thousand fireflies waltzing.

I chose Tussar to form expressions of life, love and life during Diwali.

 

Have you smelt the earth, just after a rain? It does something unexplainable to your senses. It makes it come alive with the sounds of nature. For my first creation, I chose the color of earth, expressed in Tussar silks. The feel of tussar and the slight lift it gives you, when you drape it around, gives you a feeling of being close to nature. As the weaves are quite simple, I’ve chosen heavy stringed pearls for the ear and neck pieces.

 

The next color chosen is neither gray, nor black. That’s the color most visible when you look towards the skies to see the magic in the skies. With self threadwork, the design elements are minimal. A great saree to be worn while visiting or distributing sweets, or just attending a party this season. The heavy jhumkis lend a festive look to the otherwise sombre ensemble.

Moving on to green – that’s a big Wow! As the lights light up the evening, if you are one of those who love to tread another path, just go ahead and do it! Who wouldn’t love to drive out of your regular surroundings out into the open. Who wouldn’t love to catch up with friends, all dressed in silks. And while the silks and sarees share their secrets, you have yours too! Of dreams, hopes and aspirations, of love and sadness, of emotions that catch up with time.  Yet again, pearls give it a heavy accentuated appearance. Three strings to be precise, with a gold clasp!

And for the final ensemble, this fusion red  does look smart with a few bold strokes. It’s silk alright, but one does need to be bold and bright too. The heavy ear-rings add to the sparkle. As the silks rustle, make sure that the ear-rings too swing in step.

 

As you dream of a lovely day when you hold your presence on the stage, take a peep into the recesses of your collection. Imagine yourself in a tussar, on stage, with a sitar, playing gently, while the audience soaks in those musical notes.

Swing by through the day, through the night

The season’s perfect for secrets and desires

It’s not just another day, as today and tomorrow are never the same!

As the silks and pearls, silver and beads play out their roles in harmony

Life becomes another stage, where you live out patterns of life.

Some of them find their way to the artisans silken weaves

Weave gently oh dreamer, take care not to tread on my dreams

For I need them for tomorrow!

Banna Creations lights up Diwali with Tussar stoles woven with the colors of light and life

Scripting a golden bond, Diwali or Deepavali opens up every year with the promise of life and light. It’s a time for festivities and celebrations, warmth and magic. Diwali is really an ode to food, flavors, relationships, colors, light and life. Banna Creations comes softly treading right into the season, with its gossamer stoles set in the warmth of rich colors and flames. I work with artisans and artists as they weave their magic into soft and silken fabrics. Let me talk about Tussar skills – that soft and natural silken fabric that’s trending today. Tussar has a universal appeal, lending its charm to the wearer. Tussar fabric has found its way as stoles, that helps you carry it off in style – be it with casuals, formals or party wear.

Working on traditional weaves and prints, I often feel a surge of happiness around Diwali time. The sweets, dances, exchange of gifts, the friendship, travels – they all add to the beauty that’s limitless under the glow-lit skies. Fireflies at work, magic in the skies, the soft rustle of skills, great food – all these and much more add to the warmth. I believe that it’s this very warmth that translates itself into expressions of work through silken threads and weaves.Tussar has a universal appeal, lending its charm to the wearer. Weaving  magic with  looms, the artist brings to the market, exquisite patterns in tussar silks in all the colors of life. There’s so much humanity and warmth that Diwali stands for, reflecting in a real style statement in fabric, attire, accessories and interiors. Visual associations in silks, threads and prints find their way in stoles, worn by the woman across different age groups today.

A whiff of chill cuts through the night. Houses are lit and decorated with light, flowers and colors. In wafts SHE, in a rich black kurta, darker than the darkest night. She’s carefully chosen a Tussar printed with gold, motifs. Just watch the way she has carelessly thrown it around, yet carefully wrapped it around her neck. Her face lights up the night, lending its flame to the motis around her neck. Traditionally fashionable. Need we say more!

Another woman of today is engaged in applying last minute touches to her ensemble. Shocking pink elegance – the threads of which drew inspiration from the moods of the sky one Diwali night many years ago. Watch the magic adorn her neck.

Have you made paper boats and floated them in little puddle pools? Have you felt the

soft touch of tussar silk, colored in wine red? Have you pasted traditional paisleys in soft reds?

If you love nature, pick up this green stole with motifs tied in a loose know. The green colored motifs set against soft tussar against your black kurta stands out striking and vivid.

Tread softly oh dreamer, for you fly on the wings of dreams

Moving silently within the spaces of light and life, earth and heavens

Weaving magic through the looms of life

Hush, hush – what could be that glow?

Is it the flame of life or the strokes of my heartbeat

Or the sparkle on my stoles! Or that soft  touch

Tell me more! 

Watch out for Banna Creations’ Diwali special stoles. Choose the ones that will make heads turn!

The Traditional Art of Making Lac Jewellery

Rajasthan in western India is home to several ancient and traditional Handcraft forms. 

The making of Lac jewellery is also one such Handcraft tradition that has been handed down the ages.

These exquisite pieces are made all over the state and it is known that this art form was initially developed by the Tribal people of the state. 

The many small lanes and bylanes in the pink city of Jaipur are home to several traditional lac artisans. Each one of them have tremendous skill and carry forward age old craft traditions. 

 Lac jewelry is available in versatile designs, which add to its beauty. Among the various items in lac jewelry, the bangles have always found a special mention and have been a tremendous source of attraction.  Bangles made of Lac are bright in colour and glass work done on them makes them very very attractive. 

Artians have today taken a step forward and are not only making bangles but also Neckpieces, Earings, Jhumkas, Bracelets, Anklets etc. 

. 

The process of making lac jewelry is complex. Glass beads and pieces of mirror in different shapes and sizes and decorative wire are also used to add beauty to these pieces of jewellery.  

All lac Jewellery consist of an inner-core that has a covering of thin layer of superior quality lac. Core lac, when mixed with a material similar to white clay, strengthens the piece . The Dry ingredients are heated, mixed  and hammered  repeatedly until a dough like mass is formed. 

Once this mass is heated, the lac expands further and can be worked into any desired shape and size. Further, a tool (flat-shaped) is used to roll the piece on a flat surface to give it uniformity and the right amount of thickness in the desired shape. 

In some cases where the designs are simple  the lac is moulded by hand and in other cases where designs are more complex metal moulds are kept ready for each unique design. 

In case moulds are used The shaping is done by suppressing the length of lac into grooves (colored) on every side of the mould. The lac takes the shape of the groove into which it is forced. 

This process, which requires great precision, produces the most beautiful pieces of jewelry.

As part of the finishing process, Rhinestones are pressed in and set in the wax at the required places. The final work involves attaching beads and and sequins to complete the piece. 

Each piece of jewellery takes a few days to make with Great precision and skill. 

Visit 

http://www.bannacreations.com/lac-jewellery/192

To take a look at some beautiful pieces of lac Jewellery