doily patterns...

Tealight candles adorning our entrance...

Tealight candles have become a big part of the Diwali illuminations in many Indian homes. I love using these along with the traditional oil diyas.

I wanted an interesting background to form a base for these candles. Coasters were one option but I zeroed in on traditional 'Kolam' stencils available widely in stores that sell 'pooja articles' or stalls near temples.

The patterns remind me of doilies that my mother used to crochet during my childhood:-)

A lotus shaped kolam stencil...

Some interesting design stencils...

(images by Arch)

'It's a book' ... full of laffs!

I got an email from a friend yesterday with silly jokes about computers and what they've done to us since they took over our lives BIG TIME just over a decade ago.  It reminded me of the article I read after comments from a fellow blogger concerning the diminishing number of picturebooks in book shops, and the discussions I've lurked on about the death of the book and 'long live digital'. So I decided to dedicate this post to "It's a Book".  

Lane Smith, the creator of this picturebook wrote: "The reason I made the book? Certainly not to 'throw down the gauntlet', as one critic has stated.  Naw, I just thought digital vs traditional made for a funny premise.  No heavy message, I'm only in it for the laffs." 

Laffs?  Lots of them!  It's a brilliant collection of facing pages with much of the information coming from the illustrations, though of course it's the interaction between word and picture that create the humour.

The front cover, as you can see above, stars a book loving monkey; the back cover shows us a jackass, confidently sitting in a chair holding a book and confiring "No... it's a book." The inside pages show us how he discovered the book. 

The endpapers are a warm orange, reflecting the colour tones throughout the book.  (Interestingly the book featured in the story is also an orangly colour.)  We move from warm orange to a dusty blue past a simple dedication and no copyright page. The title page covers a double spread, introducing the characters: 'It's a mouse'; 'It's a jackass' and 'It's a monkey'.  The choice 'jackass', instead of 'donkey' is obvious, but it only hits you when you get to the final page.  

Lane Smith has described the monkey as traditional and the jackass as modern, and visually they are the opposites of each other too.  The pointedness of the jackass radiates speed, modern day efficiency, and relentlessness (using Smith's own word for his character), he's tiny too! The monkey's roundness oozes a slower life, a calmer, ponderous one.  He's enormous next to the jackass!  

Jackass asks lots of questions, 'How do you scroll down?; Do you blog with it?' 

This is one of my favourite facing sets, when we are introduced to the mouse. 'Where's your mouse?'  

Questions continue, 'Can you make characters fight?'  'Can it text?' 'Tweet?' 'Wi-Fi?' 'Can it TOOT?'  Calm traditional monkey keeps replying, 'No, it's a book.' Another fun page is the jackass' reaction to seeing a page of the book, (which is actually 'Treasure Island'). '

'Too many letters.  I'll fix it.' says the jackass! But jackass is eventually tempted to take a good look at the book and time flies, depicted not in the words, as there are none, but in a series of clocks which move from 12.05 to 16.35, but on a good old-fashioned clock with hands! 

The frustrated monkey ends up going to the library, and our mod-con jackass still seems to think the book needs charging.  Back comes our friend the mouse, from under the monkey's hat. 'YOU DON'T HAVE TO...' 

And we all know the answer to that ... 'IT'S A BOOK, JACKASS.'

Following my usual obsession with peritext, I particularly like the way the copyright page is at the back of the book, and includes a bit of bumff about Lane Smith.  Very cleverly done! 

The short, simple sentences in this picturebook are deceptive  - this is a book which works on many levels, playing on our commonly shared understanding of what computers and books do, as well as knowing a little about what certain books contain.  

Lane Smith contributes to a blog called Curious Pages, where he's written about 'It's a book', describing some of the options he made as an illustrator, with the help of his wife, who designs books.  It's well worth visiting.  And there's a book trailer on Youtube, which is fun too. But the book is better!

How could we use 'It's a book' in the classroom?  Well, it's an excellent picturebook for boys! Why not use it to begin discussions about before and after.  Many of our younger students don't know a life without technology, but they could ask parents and grandparents and think about the world before computers became part of everyday life.  Look at some of the verbs like blog, text, tweet, wi-fi ... and scroll ... what is a scroll, and how different is it from the verb to scroll.  I wonder what happened when books began replacing scrolls?  But most importantly, look at the book, read it together with your students and have a good old laff. 

glassy illumination...

As the festival of lights approaches, my head is bursting with various ideas to try out at home.

I also love checking out what's new in the market for diyas and lamps...

Recently I picked up these small glass oil lamps. It's a small flower shaped glass container with enough space for two tablespoons of oil. On top of it goes a detachable metal flower-shaped wick holder!

Placing them on a terracotta plate and scattering white rose petals makes it a lovely center of interest.

Love the floral pattern the light and glass together create:-)

You could also place them on small traditional coasters and line them on your window-sill or entrance...

Here I have placed it on small framed 'Patachitra' painting.

(Images by Arch)

festive twinkle...

Yesterday while cleaning the drawers I found a string of fairy lights.

I draped it on our antique medicine chest and saw stars descend into our living room.A simple idea that can transform your space.

These twinkling lights are definitely going to be part of my diwali decorations:-)

Hope to share more simple decorating ideas for diwali from my home.

A Christmas giggle!

I was in the city on Saturday and I noticed that the old part of town was getting ready for Christmas, with lights being set up in the trees.  "Oh no!", I thought ... "I blogged on a book for Halloween in August, I need to blog on a book for Christmas NOW!"  And so top of my 'To do' list is a blog post with a Christmas picturebook.  

I'm not religious, and I tend to look at Christmas in my English classes through the eyes of the consumer, we'll have fun with toys and talk about presents.  But here's a suggestion for something a little different, something that brings a bit of a giggle to the nativity scene.  Jesus' Christmas Party was called "The funniest, most endearing version of the nativity story for many years" by the Sunday Times when it came out in 1991.  Nicholas Allan 's website opens with frilly knickers hanging on a line, an illustration from his picturebook The Queen's Knickers.  There are no knickers in Jesus' party but Allan's brilliant slap dash water colour illustrations bring life, emotion and joy to the reader, alongside the chuckling you can't keep within when you turn some of the pages.  

No endpapers in my version, but there is a "Free nativity press out playset!" It interferes with the opening of the book, bringing the title page before the copyright page, which feels kind of odd.  

The illustration on the title page is of the three kings, sparingly illustrated, all in blue, smiling with their eyes closed, podgy hands gripping their gifts.  Blue is a recurring colour, with all the figures dressed in blue, shadows in blue and background washes in blue and bluey greens.  This blueness brings a wholeness to the artwork, but at the same time conveys a cool distance. 

There aren't many double spreads, but the narrative flows well through the facing pages.  The opening page faces the copyright page, there's nothing our innkeeper 'hero' doesn't like more than a 'good night's sleep', and we see him in his bed, fast asleep.    The narrative continues with a knock on the door, and we see the innkeeper looking cross, his candle lit and sitting up in bed - the facing page uses short, sharp dialogues, depicting a cross innkeeper.  "... 'There's only a stable round the back. Here's two blankets. Sign the register. So they signed it:'Mary and Joseph'".  The words play on our prior knowledge of the Christmas story and the illustrations  show us a surprised couple, seen looking into the inn from outside, (we are in, they are out).  The woman is holding her front carefully.  

And so it continues.  

The innkeeper  "... shut the door, climbed the stairs, got into bed, and went to sleep." only  to be awoken again by Joseph asking for a blanket, a smaller blanket. Each time the innkeeper opens the door, deals rudely with the situation and then "... shut the door, climbed the stairs, got into bed, and went to sleep." He's woken by a star (so he also closed his curtains), then three shepherds, who he rudely tells to go "ROUND THE BACK".  At each awakening the illustrations show him getting more and more frustrated, until  the kings arrive. 

The two facing pages I've photographed here are hilarious! The way both words and illustrations work together to make the meaning  is brilliant. Finally it is the chorus of singing that wakes him.  "RIGHT - THAT DOES IT!"   

The simple, minimal, cartoon-like illustrations show us the very cross innkeeper taking the situation into his own hands.  "... he got out of bed, stomped down the stairs, threw open the door, went round the back, stormed into the stable, and was just about to speak when - "

We turn the page and the blue has been replaced with warm browns and yellows. Look at the first of the double spreads, everyone has their finger to their mouth, and a light is emanating from within, casting shadows on the walls behind the figures.  "'Ssshh! whispered everybody, 'You'll wake the baby'"

And of course our cross innkeeper takes a peek at the baby in the manger, and his anger disappears.  The illustrations show his frown turning into a smile.  "...'Oh', said the innkeeper, 'isn't he lovely!'"  and so off he goes and wakes up the other guests in the inn.  

The illustrations show us their grumpy faces in contrast to the innkeepers wide open smile and sprightly step. The final spread depicts a joyous scene of smiling faces, the warm orangey, brown prevalent and all is jubilant, and "So no one got much sleep that night!"  

The final page, a verso page is illustrated with baby Jesus in a wooden crib, a round cartoon face with closed eyes and a smiling mouth and the light glowing from his halo.  "THE END" 

It's a very funny depiction of the well known story and the shared knowledge of the story, together with the cartoon illustrations make it appropriate for primary classes in countries where this is part of their culture.  

There is also a musical version, which would make an excellent play with a difference for a Christmas party. 

Whether you just read and look, or encourage the children to act out the story it's a wonderfully different way to celebrate Christmas in our English classes. 

I've worked with one other Christmas story, Little Robin Red Vest, which is about friendship and giving, and gives an explain as to how little Robins got their red chest.  It'snow out of print, but you can get second hand copies through the Amazon market place links. 

  

If you've used a picturebook at Christmas do let me know and I can include it in my festive list. 

Varnam

Remember the lovely Creative Corners's of Karthik Vaidhyanathan's home in Bangalore?

He's back this time with Varnam~ A colourful line of home furnishings.

A full-time media professional with a passion for interior design, Karthik's Varnam showcases the amazing beauty of traditional Indian handmade textiles.

Karthik explains, "Varnam is a sincere attempt to highlight some of the inherent beautiful qualities that traditional Indian fabrics possess.

The product line consists of table runners, curtains, cushions, etc. all handmade from Indian sarees and blouse materials.

Pillow Covers made from saree and blouse materials...

Curtains...

Table runners...

I felt these were apt since Indian stories incorporate some of the most beautiful patterns, colours and motifs. The sarees include traditional nine yard Maharashtrian sarees or ‘Navvaris’, cotton sarees from Tamil nadu , Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

I have also made use of the very popular and blouse material traditionally used by women along the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, ‘Khan’."

The products are simple with no added embellishments.

Varnam is being showcase at The Ants Store in Indiranagar from October 22nd to 24th, 2010. If you are in Bangalore do drop by and check out the stunning range of home furnishings from Varnam.

(images from Karthik)

Fall

Every Fall i like to go up the Matanuska Valley and see what it looks like. In my opinion it's one of the prettiest drives in the state. I'll admit that in a state like Alaska that's just splitting straws, but the Matanuska Valley is close by for me. I do think that mile for mile, it's prettier than the more popular Parks Highway.

I've driven by this place a million times and always told myself i should stop and take a picture.

On this day, it finally looked just right.

Fall can be tricky up here. Some years it rains most of the season, some years we have big wind storms as soon as the leaves change color, blowing them all away. Some years the leaves change and we have a long stretch of good weather, like this year, but sometimes it doesn't snow in the mountains until after all the leaves have fallen. And finally all that stuff has to happen when it's my day off.

A lot has to come together for a perfect fall. Enjoy these pictures.

 I bushwacked up here with Fisher once to get a late day shot of the Chugach. By the time we started back down it was after sunset, and  something large and noisy in the woods spooked us both so bad that Fisher made me go first!

I really should know the name of this mountain by now, but there's no way for me to get to it, so i've never bothered.

This one is called Castle Mountain. It's a very cool mountain that is hardly ever visible from the road. On this day i finally found a place that offers a good view of it. Unfortunately is was one of those falls when a big wind storm blew half the leaves off the trees before i could get out there. That's OK though, now i finally know where to get the shot when the conditions are right.