Rasthe Hubba

Respect for fine art - something which is quite rare...

Not in Banaswadi, Bengaluru!

band of beads had the privilege to exhibit the handcrafted theme bead products for sale at Banaswadi Rasthe Hubba. A sub-festival of the city wide celebration - BLR Hubba, Rasthe Hubba brought a community feeling on the streets of various neighbourhoods of Bengaluru - Koramangala, Sanjay Nagara, Pandura Nagara, Malleshwaram, Basawanagudi, Banaswadi - to name a few. Supported by the Government of Karnataka and Bangalore Expo, this event was a great effort to bring everyone together.

Social Media Flyer

With a huge crowd of warm people, stage performances, games, beautiful rangolis and a flea market offering local produce, this hubba was nothing short of a perfect Sunday outing. Banaswadi was a region unexplored by band of beads. But, our guests welcomed us with great respect for handmade, noticing every detail - applique banner, corrugated paper visiting cards, "handmade at home" products and even newspaper carry bags! Your interest in handmade was evident right from the setup till the time we wrapped up the stall! This is what keeps us going!

band of beads is grateful to each and every guest, performer and the organizers of this event. Hoping to see you again! 

Christmas flea market @ Skadoosh, Varthur

A huge Christmas tree, a snowman and a reindeer in a snow-clad setting - a perfect visual treat on the day of Christmas! But this wonderland had a twist! You could actually go inside this Christmas tree with a lot of gifts!!!

The perfect Christmas treat!

Adding to this decor was a flea market set around, to make the perfect "fringe"! With a creations from heart, each vendor had something special to offer. The best part, there were different stories behind each creator! A wonderful company to be in.

setting up!

band of beads is thankful to Skadoosh, Varthur for providing this perfect setting on a festive day. A special mention of all our guests to stop by and take home a story. And not to forget, the wonderful stall companions for the whole day - partners in creativity!

Looking for more!

Puppet Show & Art - A Hundred Hands

 A design institute. A handmade crafts festival. A bright, spring day. Felt like heaven for an art-lover!

I landed on the new environment, where the hand-made crow puppet was to perform - an open-air amphitheater! A wider stage, a bigger audience... excitement was crawling in! As I assembled my DIY theater, I had some company on stage - NIFT students rehearsing a dance with classical music! A perfect start!

Soon, it was time! The crowds were set, ready for the show. This time, the young crowd was dancing to the tunes of the songs, and gave a perfect chorus! The crow felt at home, despite the wider theater setup! Afterall, I had my whole family to cheer and support, this time!

With a little hand-made bird puppet in their hands, lots of inquisitive questions followed after I ended the puppet workshop:

"How to make the puppet say 'caw...caw'?"

"Can I make this bird eat?"

The answers turned into actions! The children departed the amphitheater with puppets in their hand, singing "caw...caw..."! One of the birds had a leaf in its beak - to make a nest, I guess! Stories do follow stories!

And that's what band of beads believes in - traditional virtual reality! A re-visit to the ageless entertainment - art and storytelling!

A special "thank you" to A Hundred Hands for supporting art in various forms and giving a platform to showcase.

More details at:

A Hundred Hands facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/19ZAJ6CgEu/

band of beads facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/19ZAJ6CgEu/

Hello Thirsty Crow! - BIC

The ambience felt so homely - mattress seating, custom mini-theatre in a library, on a rainy Sunday morning!

"Mamma, what is behind the brown curtains?", the first reaction from a 3-year old in the audience. I heard the whispers with answers. Curious children, excited parents... I was all ears sitting behind the curtains. The ambience was captured in camera by another curious member, all grown up... my daughter! Its a wonder of perspectives!

I could hear a range of emotions as I got into the character of the thirsty crow, enacted through a handmade puppet. The audience (including the parents) were great participants. There was a point, when the "caw, caw.." became a favorite chorus! The thirsty crow was now a hero!

A puppet making activity had to follow as everyone wanted to get a handmade puppet, like the thirsty crow! It was a sight worth a capture when the puppet came to life! A world of fantasy!

band of beads would like to thank all the parents and the kids for participating in this traditional experience. Its great to see a community still holding their roots strong!

A special thanks to team BIC (Bangalore International Center) for giving an opportunity to band of beads and being a great host. It made a perfect Sunday morning!

Event details at BIC website:

https://bangaloreinternationalcentre.org/event/hello-thirsty-crow/

Handmade (not factory-made)!

"I can buy something with this!", I said, as I opened my pocket-money wallet. I was pretty sure that I would get SOMETHING!!!

I took my handbag and stepped out of my house. With a lot of ideas in mind, I strolled in the nearest market.

First, came some toy shops. "Wow! This would be so cool to buy!" But, as the human tendency goes, I wanted something which I did not have or desired to have. Walking further, I passed through all sorts of shops - branded clothes, electronic goods, home decor,.... I really got confused - what to buy?

I decided to take a pause near an ice-cream parlor. I chose my favourite flavour. In a few moments, a scoop was served in an eco-friendly cup. "This ice-cream does taste different!", I thought as I relished one spoonful after another. It had lots of fresh ingredients. The cream did not feel artificial. I liked the eco-friendly cup too! 

This shop was certainly different! I looked around. One word struck my attention in the shop-decor - "Handmade"!

I guess, most of us experience this situation at some point. The power to buy, gives the power to choose. And what we choose, represents our belief!

Handmade, from heart - band of beads

Introducing... Skirts from band of beads!

Excited to introduce the latest member on the block - skirts for 3 to 5 year olds! 

Here's what you can expect from them:

Each skirt has a personality, a theme. Themes are identified by the bead accessory and the fabric print. The bead accessory is detachable and in some cases, can be worn as a bracelet. Different skirt lengths are available for each theme.

A glimpse of the first theme/skirt:

Theme: Mom n me

skirt

Detachable accessories: Dangler-cum-bracelet, Dangler

Other skirts available for sale are at:

https://sites.google.com/site/bandofbeadsreborn/skirts