Tag Archives: Projects

Dakiya

My friend Shivraj, who is generally just rad and brilliant, has been making things with his hands. His postman wallet is a genius invention and I use the shit out of mine. It’s a wallet for artists and spiffy people, pocket sized and super nifty.

It’s actually comical when myself and all our friends reach for our wallets these days because they’re all versions of the postman. I was kind of obsessed with mine for a while, and  took a bunch of photos for him and one day we ordered pizza and scanned a whole bunch of stuff together. He’s got a bunch of versions like the telegram and airmail too with denim or leather and even a vegan version (no leather trim) but for now, find the waxed canvas seamail and inland in his webshop or barter with him!

my desk

Block Booth

Ran the photo booth at the Bandra Block Party on Sunday. So many lovely, quirky characters in the vicinity. Such good sports. Special thank you to my borrowed bedroom curtains for being the best backdrop for the first few hours. I will dry clean you.

Pretty/Good

I’ve been recycling. Stolen designer drink bottles make beautiful vases to stolen wedding flower arrangements. One happy criminal window sill.

Bowls of Shtoof

For the last few weeks, I’ve been hanging out at my food blog Bowls of Shtoof writing about well, food, as Soph probably best describes it – through experiences not ingredients. Right now, it’s an archive of travel posts and unusual or interesting foods and finds and a smattering of recipes. It’s an exercise in writing often and about something I really love, so let me know what you think.

More Art on Walls

Pondicherry

This is such an interesting piece, and the detail gets lost in the smaller image so click to enlarge. Love the style and love that the artists painted the tree for continuity.

Melbourne

Truer things have never been said while eating soup on Degraves St.

Siem Reap

Photos being pasted on city walls as part of BlowUp Angkor, this past November.

Mumbai

One of my favourite pieces down the road that’s just been painted over. Ah well, such is the ephemeral nature of street art.

Interestingly enough, the burgeoning graffiti movement in Bombay began in my  apartment building when the Wall Project founder Dhanya Pilo was a tenant. It has grown to include many public and private walls all over the city and it’s very inspiring to see and be a part of. Think I’ll post more pictures from my neighbourhood soon.

Card Party

Thought I’d blog about my new cards because they are the business! The other day I found these boxes of blank cards made from handmade paper in a store and I had to make them mine. I’d already decided that printed, glossy cards were just not going to cut the mustard.

I love me some of that handmade aesthetic but I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted. I still have the handwriting of a seven year old  so that was out, cutouts were ridiculous and tedious, I suck at Photoshop (unless you want to hire me in which case its like I was born-to-edit), letterpress was favoured but my family’s printshop has been reduced to rubble and then I had it – my grandfather’s beast of a typewriter!

So yes, each card is individually typed out, which leaves lots of room for imperfections and I am okay with that. I chose the tan for the paper because with age and the crinkles and creases, it starts to look like well worn suede. It does take a little while longer than handing off cards to a printer but who am I kidding? I have lots of spare time. I had enough spare time to make a card tower. Also punching those keys makes the most satisfying sounds.

Only card party I’m throwing. Happy Diwali. I’m off to Calcutta tomorrow.

Bandra by Night

Neville, a fantastic photographer, my oldest friend and first mentor and myself have been taking to the streets at night with our 50 mm arsenal, his with a very low 1.4 F-stop, mine not as fancy. Bastard. We’re shooting a series of Bandra’s old Portuguese fishing villages and started with Chuim Village earlier this week. Last night we shot the areas around Chapel and Varoda Rd. It’s nice, because although we’re often shooting the same subjects, Neville loves geometry and shadows while I seek out pretty things – like shrines and furry animals. Many of the street lights weren’t working though, but since I’m head over heels about the architecture in the villages, I’ll do a Bandra by day in time. Here are some of our pictures.

Sheena

Diptych by Neville

Sheena

Neville

Sheena

Sheena

Neville

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DIY: Dilapidated

Strolled down with Daniel to my family’s old printing press today, decrepit and desolate as it may be. But the building is wearing so beautifully, I decided to take a few pictures of the paint, walls and shutters chipping, rusting and fraying to make some virtual origami paper of sorts.

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First glimpse

My friends have been shooting a short film and for the last week and a bit, I’ve been busy screwing up my already heinous sleep cycle by acting in it. We shoot only at night and I don’t think we’ve spent a single moment not intoxicated. I wrapped up my scenes today and these are some pictures from on set, thanks to my buddy Sushant Chhabria. I’ll post some of our film stills if and when I can. I can’t spare many details but I am the vulgar female lead and we have a pretty stellar cast I’d say including Jackie Shroff and as exhausting as it’s been, it’s been so much fun. Plus I’m the only tantrum thrower so that’s always nice. 

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DIY: Chain Scarf

So I knitted this maybe two weeks ago and didn’t get around to posting and now I don’t have anyone to photograph it on except my nana but she won’t co-operate because she’s watching CNN (the anxiety channel) because India’s had its first swine flu death today because of a misdiagnosis at the hospital, the very Pune hospital where I was born. But I digress, this scarf was really easy to knit and stitch really, I did it everywhere I went for a couple of days – bars, restaurant, waiting room. I don’t know how others make theirs but here’s what I did.

Things I used:

Size 6 needles
Two big balls of black wool, used simultaneously
Black thread
Needle
Scissors 

Things I did:

Knit 12* strips, one knit row, one purl row, one knit row.. until you’re satisfied with the size of the hoop it creates. This particular stitch is designed to roll inwards on the sides so add a few extra onto the row, I used less but I’d say 15 stitches per row is a good number. Also keep in mind when deciding the length of each strip, that they will be linked with others so the empty space will be minimized accordingly.

Once you have your strips, fold them in half backwards and stitch them together at the open end. Then turn them out, making sure you link each loop like a chain before you stitch it up. Use logic often.

If you have any questions, just ask or email me. But if you can’t knit, I can’t help you. Go watch a youtube vid or something. You can learn anything on youtube. Or maybe just cut up some old tshirts and make a fabric one. 

* or however many you want depending on length you want

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