q & a with Anisha Ghosh of Saffron Marigold

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by, for leaving little notes that makes a blogger's day, for signing up in the Followers section. All this makes working on Cookie Jar so special. So please come in, settle down on large squishy cushions and woven rugs, sip from cups of coffee and tea, and let's talk about handmade love.

I love everything handmade. I’ve decorated my own home with handicrafts bought at exhibitions and craft bazaars, with paintings that my father, husband and I have done, and embroidery projects that my mother and I have worked on. The colours are warm, and there is so much handmade love. While each person has his or her own ideas about decorating, I personally believe that handmade things can make a house into a magical and beautiful home. There’s a story or memory behind each little trinket, and you know that like our fingerprints, no two pieces of handmade craft are the same.

If after this little paragraph, you’re in the mood for something handmade, then read on about Saffron Marigold and how its founder Anisha Ghosh started this unique and beautiful online boutique. And better still, get hold of the May issue of The Ideal Home and Garden that has an entire article about her business – written by me J. But before you step out to buy the magazine, why don’t you meet her first and chat a bit.

Hi Anisha and welcome to the Cookie Jar...

Anisha at the artisan studio

q. Please tell us about your professional background – companies and jobs that you’ve worked at before starting your business.

a. I have a Masters Degree in Human Resources from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. After completing my Masters degree I worked in Human Resources for approximately 5 years in companies both in India and the US.

q. How did you start your business? 

a. The idea to build a small business first came to me when as a young bride, having just arrived  in the US, I longed to decorate my home with beautiful Indian textiles; wishing their vibrancy would help lift the feelings of homesickness that frequently washed over me.

After working in corporate America for four years, a period that afforded me a fleeting ten days of vacation time in India a feeling of disconnect took seat within me. Although not a designer by education, I surrendered to my need to create a meaningful connection with the land of my birth and figure out a way in which I could somehow weave together my love for Indian textiles, my desire to do creative work and my growing fascination with the Internet and the immense possibilities it presented.

I also wanted to offer discerning customers a choice to own bedding and linens that have a story to tell, that have been created by human hands, and that somehow have imprinted upon its fibres, generations of skill, culture, and tradition.

After several months that consisted of taking a few classes, travelling, research, a lot of thinking, conceptualizing, ideating and work Saffron Marigold.com was launched in January 2005.

q. Tell us about the artisan you work with.

a. He comes from a line of ancestral hand block printers in Rajasthan. A commerce graduate by education, after cycling through a few accounting jobs he was quickly disillusioned with the unstable world of work. Therefore, he decided early on to take ownership in his destiny by starting his own block printing studio.

He employs 20 artisans now. These days he primarily plays the role of the colour master in the studio and along with two of his brothers manages all aspects of production.

q. What are the different products you offer under your brand?

Ans. We currently retail a range of cotton bedspreads, duvet covers, shower curtains, curtain panels, valances, tablecloths, table runners, napkins, pillow covers and cushion covers.

q. Where do you get your inspiration from?

a. I draw inspiration for my designs from memories, impressions from travel, or from India’s rich and diverse arts, culture and tradition. I also glean a lot of imagery from history, art, music, poetry, literature, architecture, fragrance, apparel and nature.

q. Please tell us about your business approach.

a. We have taken the slow and steady approach towards building our business. We were clear from the start that we weren’t in this to turn a quick profit. We wanted to build a business that was solid, sustainable and founded on values that were not only thought through but meticulously and intentionally woven into the various systems that the company runs on. At the risk of sounding clichéd, our entire journey has been blessed and memorable.

To hop over to Saffron Marigold, just click here.

Image Credit: Saffron Marigold

Dreams in my pocket - Anaka Narayanan

I learnt to sew recently. Signed up for a 2-month crash course and stitched a whole lot of clothes – skirts, tops, kurtas, lil’ girl frocks, kaftans, totes, and cushion covers. I never imagined that working the sewing machine would be so much fun, especially because I was always terrified of this strange machine, which I associated with women of another generation.

Ah! Our moms’ generation and the skills they had. Almost vintage now. I wonder how many young women in urban India stitch, embroider and knit? While, the crafting movement is quite hot in other countries, I guess here, it’s still associated with mothers and grandmothers. Most women today would rather post messages on Facebook in their free time…

Anyway, since I was craving for the above-mentioned vintage and traditional skills, I decided to go the whole mile, and learnt to embroider and knit from my mother. In fact, we’re planning to launch a small business with our own line of hand embroidered home furnishings. We’re still working at it like busy little Santa’s elves.

And while we’re talking about businesses built around something one loves to do, I must mention Anaka Narayanan, a self-taught fashion designer and store owner.  She runs Brass Tacks, an amazing boutique in Chennai and creates fantabulous clothes – all in handloom and with the smartest cuts and designs that I’ve ever seen.

Today she joins us in the Dreams in my pocket section. Hope you enjoy this interview.

I am….  

the owner and designer of a clothing brand, Brass Tacks. I grew up surrounded by beautiful handwoven textiles, but never thought I’d end up making a career for myself working with fabric. I studied economics, thinking I’d work on development projects, but while working for an economic analysis firm in New  York I started appreciating fashion (it was all around me). What stood out for me was the simplicity of the tailored silhouettes. Brass Tacks was conceived when I was in New York, and goal was to translate natural and handwoven fabrics into well-cut, tailored silhouettes.

My bread-butter-n-jam… 

I put together 4 collections a year and they are retailed at my store. I design each collection, working closely with my production team. I get to decide what fabrics to use and I have complete creative control over the theme and styling of each collection. It’s an amazing feeling to have that kind of ownership over your work, and to see your own creations generate business.

What inspires and invigorates me…

Unfortunately I don’t find enough time to go for my kalaripayattu classes, but it’s something that always leaves me feeling strong and high on positive energy. I love the movements in the class, but also being in a class where other people are pushing themselves to get better is really motivating (as opposed to jogging or swimming by myself).

I’m also very inspired by people who run their own businesses but who have such a great sense of humour that they never let challenges get the better of themselves.

I enjoy…

My morning cup of tea- and making it is as much a part of the enjoyment as the drinking! Unless I’m working on something that requires total concentration or reading, I always have music playing at home and in my office.

The clothes I design….

The clothes I design are very simple to look at, but there are a lot of unexpected surprises and hidden details that go into making it special and unique. A lot of time is spent on getting the right fit/shape, and we offer a wide range of sizes in the hope that most women will find something that works for them.

The designs are feminine, but not overly girly. They are not fussy and they are meant for strong-willed women who are confident and have an eye for detail. I supposed because my personal aesthetic is very simple, I never design clothes that could possibly be overbearing on the wearer’s personality.  

What counts…

Being happy. Although that’s easier said than done, because different things all add up to making one happy or unhappy. Still, it’s the only thing worth striving for.

The important lessons of my life…

Being compassionate. I know I’ve learned this but I don’t always practice it (what can I say, I’m work in progress).

Let me share…

I don’t know if I’m in a position to be giving advice to other entrepreneurs, but a friend of mine recently said something to me that made a lot of sense. You always read about how important it is for an entrepreneur to be hardworking, passionate and persistent. I’d like to add one more thing to that list: enjoy the everyday process.

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To view Anaka's website and collections, cruise over.. 

 Image Credit: Anaka Narayanan

q & a with Kavita Arvind

Little brown girls with big bright eyes and pigtails, goggle-eyed plump birds, blue skies, candyfloss trees and verdant green fields…Kavita Arvind’s paintings are refreshingly cute and Indian. Take one look at the vibrant pictures and her Chidiya Udd website, and you’ll want to know the stories behind the art. 

q. Please tell us about yourself – where your live, your family, and professional and art background.

a. I now live in Helsinki with my 1.5 year old daughter and my husband. Home awaits us in Bangalore and hopefully we will be back by March next year after braving our very first freezing Nordic winter here!

I graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad with Film and Video Communication as my specialisation. Most of my work in film centred around documentaries with women as the main focal element.

And then I went on to work with Television doing graphics and promos, got tired of all the glycerine and soapsuds and quit to go back to my alma mater, this time to teach design. After 4 years in the classroom, I felt I needed to get back to the industry and see if I had gotten rusty. I worked as a senior graphic designer for an E-Learning company. Did the whole mad hours and squinted at the computer screen for long hours.

We moved to Bangalore and a friend looked at my sketch books and asked me to paint something for him. That’s how Chidiya Udd came about.

I have been painting and drawing ever since I can remember. And the five years at NID helped me get a better grip on the pencil! At NID we start our drawing course by learning how to sharpen a pencil with a cutter blade and spent weeks just drawing lines and circles before we get anywhere close to a human figure!

I have gotten back to my paints and brushes after a rather long detour... but everyday that I paint my soul feels a little bit warmer...

q. We love your wonderful and quirky art. Would you like to tell us about your inspiration and the stories behind the cute characters in your paintings?

a. There are so many colours and smells and textures and stories running in my head! I like to paint stories from old, musty memories, from nature, I am crazy about trees and leaves. I also like to paint little things that I see everyday... two little girls holding hands and walking down a shiny street, a sulking schoolboy I spied around the corner. And stuff from dreams, from places that may not exist but where you’d rather be... lots of blue skies and miles of green.

The girl child has been something that I hold very dear in my heart, and nothing makes me madder than crimes against women and children. Meera is a little girl I would love to envelop in a big hug and nurture with all my heart. She is much more than a 6 year old with 2 pigtails and earnest eyes... she is every little girl I see who is trying to find her footing in a world that is chaotic, challenging and exhilarating!

q. Have you always enjoyed creating art? What kind of things do you remember drawing as a child?

a. I remember an old balding teacher who drew a picture and then made us copy it several times exactly the way he drew it!! Almost killed the joy of creating there!

But I survived the ‘teaching’ and I think I drew everything!

q. Before you started Chidiya Udd and took up painting fulltime, what was life as a 9 to 9 design professional? And, what do you enjoy about working for yourself?

a. Working for myself has been tougher in some ways. One needs to be so much more disciplined, all the more so when work is from a comfy studio at home and the couch beckons seductively!

The biggest kick is I can paint what I love with no one looking over my shoulder and saying I should do something different... and to find that my art does evoke a response and people even love it!!

q. What are your weekdays and weekends are like?

a. I have a 1.5 year old baby girl who is frisky and will not sit in one place for more than 5 minutes. I am a slave... sigh.

q. What do you enjoy most as a creative person?

a. To be able to share what I think and feel with daubs of paint with so many people who stop to look and listen.

q. What do you like doing apart from drawing and painting?

a. I love cooking and baking. I also read extensively, watch every film I possibly can. I am a cleanliness freak and spend some agonising minutes every hour setting everything at right angles (all this is made rather futile with the toddler tyrant). I also like watching people and can sit still for several hours doing just that!

Images: Kavita Arvind

Elephant Eulogies

Elephant dung…

What would you do with a glob of this? Wrinkle up your nose and run the other way for sure.

But Mahima of Haathi Chaap won’t. She’ll collect these from the elephant stables at Jaipur and process the poo and then turn the fibre-rich globs into thick paper. Clean, non-stinky and absolutely hygienic, and of course eco-friendly, the paper is then used to create an amazing array of products. From clocks to coasters, notebooks to knick-knacks, Haathi Chaap has a quagmire of products for quirky customers. Check these out.

Bag it!

Roller coaster

Journal journeys

Images: Haathi Chaap

Eye Candy - Liselotte Weller's happy pictures

A few years ago, I chanced upon Liselotte’s website and fell in love with her bright and happy illustrations right away. They are so quirky and full of beans that you’ll wish you could dive right into the pictures and live out your life in full colour and cute stories.

Liselotte Weller has been designing since 1984, and for over 10 years, been working as a Sign Language Interpreter during the day. “In the evenings I have been working with the love and passion of my life - the interpretation of words and emotions with colors and shapes.”


Married with two children, she lives in Aalborg, Denmark, and loves to bake, cook and fly kites in her free time. 


Nourishment

SOHO

Fuzzy, woollie

 Summer

Fresh

Images: Liselotte Weller

q & a with Kalyani Ganapathy

Bangalore-based Kalyani Ganapathy’s niche venture, Kye (which means ‘hand’ in Kannada), is about dollops of handmade happiness and homemade goodness. She paints, embroiders and screen prints her whimsical ideas on bags, purses, and cushion covers. Started in September 2008, the business, which specialises in handmade fabric products, gives her the much-needed break from the “giant screen” where she freelances as a graphic designer.

q. Please tell us about your background and childhood years.

a. All my school years were spent in the Nilgiris. I spent most of my school years at The Lawrence School Lovedale. I then moved to Bangalore to study advertising and graphic design.

q. What were your initial years in the workforce like? Where did you work?

a. While still at college I interned at an ad agency and soon found myself detesting the job. After college I worked at a design studio, my initial few months were spent just learning on the job. The best part of it was that almost every thing I worked was a challenge of a different kind.

I worked with various graphic design studios before freelancing and teaching.

q. Please tell about the ideas, work and creativity that goes into thinking up new stuff and creating them from scratch.

a. I find myself constantly thinking, be it when I am walking my dog, reading, or even shopping. I seek inspiration from things around me. I like to paint in the form of stories. What may seem like one story to me may not seem like that to anyone else. I believe that art is subjective and is best left open to interpretation.

 The tougher challenge is making these ideas workable to paint and stitch on fabric. I think it is attention to detail and the hours of laborious work in the pursuit of perfection that make ‘kye’s’ products unique.

q. What are you working on these days?

a. My focus at the moment is ‘custom made’ furnishing and accessories. Apart from this, I am thinking about larger collections for retail.

q. Would you like to share an important lesson that you’ve learnt as an entrepreneur?

a. My biggest learning is to keep persevering and never let the downside of business get to you.

q. What do you enjoy most about running a creative business and what are the things that give you a tough time?

a. I enjoy waking up to a new challenge everyday. I enjoy the fact that the work does not get repetitive. And most importantly I get to meet and interact with so many interesting people whom I never would have met sitting in an office.

q. Would you like to say something to all those vibrant, creative people out there, who would like to become self-employed but somehow cannot quit their jobs or take that plunge?

a. The creative life looks very glamorous from the outside, no one realises the kind of effort that goes into a simple job. My advice to all the creative people out there is to stand your ground, dream big and believe. There is nothing more satisfying than going to a job you love.

q. Any message you’d like to include here?

a. It may seem a little preachy but I think it needs to be said:

Support your local artisan, be it your local potter or the girl next door who makes hand crafted products. It would be very sad to see such a large part of our heritage wiped out by mechanisation.

Thanks a tonne for your time!

Images: Kye