Filet Crochet Tablecloth

Pin It

As far as I can remember this was my very first crochet project (major one). I learnt to crochet while in college. My classmate taught me to do hair bands. Once I learnt the trick I graduated to doing doileys. Then I got this pattern from a friend and started doing it immediately. It took me ages to finish it. I can't say I fnished it exactly, I didn't do the edges. I didn't have the patience to do it.

Here is the pattern. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Yummy Fridge Magnets

Pin It

I love fridge magnets and those were the first things I attempted using my first pack of M-seal. I really loved these yummy goodies, but sadly the only thing I am left with now is the toast and the cupcake without the cherry in it. The rest all is broken (by my son, of course). I made these actually about a year ago. Lukily I had photographed them.

If you are wondering what the long one is, it is paneer tikka with pieces of green pepper and tomatoes in between.

M-seal work in penholder

Pin It

Working with M-seal is one of my favorites.  It is easily available in any hardware store.  I love to make miniatures.  This time I used it to convert an empty plastic container into a beautiful penholder.

Working with M-Seal
You can get M-seal in a hardware store. It is used for sealing stuff like leaking pipes, etc.

 

It has two components.  You have to take equal quantities of both and mix them thoroughly.  It will have a doughy consistency. .

Remember to apply some oil in your hands before handling it because it tends to stick. White M-seal is also available but I haven't tried it. I think that would be a better option.

Once you have mixed thoroughly you can start molding into shapes. You have to use the douth immediately because it starts drying up after a few minutes. Let it dry, preferably overnight, and paint.

I used acrylic paint.  But first I gave a coating of blue enamel paint, which I had at home, because the letters in the container were visible over the acrylic paint.  Then I used acrylic paint to paint the plants and fish.  Finally I gave a coating of varnish to provide some gloss.  

Glass Painting

Pin It

Glass painting of a Rajasthani dancing girl.

Here is the pencil sketch if it could be of any use.

Some more glass paintings

Travel: Bihar- II

Pin It

Rajgir

Venuvana – Forest of Bamboos

Gifted to Lord Buddha by King Bimbisara. It has a Japanese shrine with a monastry for Lord Buddha to reside.



 Virayatan

It is a Jain ashram. It has a hospital which provides free medical treatment.



Pawapuri
It is a holy place for Jains as Lord Mahavir, founder of Jainism, attained salvation here.

Jalmandir

A marble jain temple built in the middle of a pond.

Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya is the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

Mahabodhi Temple

The pipal tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment is behind this temple.

The Pipal Tree

There are seveal Buddhist shrines around the main temple but we could see just a few of them because of lack of time.

Wat Thai Temple



Tibetan Temple

The Giant 80 ft Buddha Statue

Vaishali

The lion pillar was built by King Ashoka.  It is here that Buddha preached his last sermon.  A portion of Buddha’s ashes were excavated from the Stupa here.  It is also a pilgrimage destination for Jains as Lord Mahavir was born here.

Bihar, indeed, was a surprise. It has such great places to see but transportation is a big issue. Unless you have your own vehicle or have made arrangements for one, getting around Bihar is extremely difficult.

Some of the unusual means of transportation we had to rely on to get us around.

Travel: Bihar- I

Pin It We had been to Bihar on a 3-day trip during the winter break. Though not a popular tourist destination it has some very interesting places to see which are of great historical significance.

Nalanda

Ruins of Nalanda University

Our first stop was at Nalanda. This is where the largest international center for learning flourished between 5^th and 12^th century A.D. It is believed to have been destroyed by fire. It is said that Lord Buddha was a frequent visitor to Nalanda.


Temple Remains

 

Remains of Monastries





Xuan Zang Memorial Hall

Built in memory of Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), a great Chinese scholar and traveler who was a student at Nalanda.



Inside the Hall





Ceiling

Rajgir 

Maniyar Matt

A small shrine dedicated to snake god – Mani nag.




Ropeway that leads to Vishwa Shanti Stupa.

Vishwa Shanti Stupa

One of the 80 peace pagodas in the world.

This stupa has four status of Lord Buddha on four sides.