Bloomin' Design Studio

People in the state of TamilNadu, India follow the tamil calendar which is based on the old Hindu solar calendar. This calendar consists of 12 months and 7 days in a week. Tamilians start of the new year by eating Manga patchadi which is sweet, sour and bitter made of raw mango, jaggery and neem flowers to signify different aspects of life. Bitter is to signify that the bitterness of life has been dealt with and we are now ready to move forward, sweet and sour signifies both the good and bad in life.

Have a very good new year!

Here is a piece from my handmade gemstone jewelry collection. This is a stabilized turquoise tear drop necklace. I used varied shapes of turquoise beads and made loops with wire and then added them to a chain. Finally added a lobster hook and a chain extension.

Turquoise is a semi-precious gemstone and is the birthstone for December. Turquoise is considered to be a symbol of good fortune and success. It is formed in sedimentary and igneous rocks and is a very porous and a soft gemstone. Proper care should be taken as it can easily be discolored, scratched or broken.

Brinjal Plant Kolam
This kolam depicts a brinjal plant also known as an eggplant or aubergine. Color has been added to the flowers and tender brinjals. I have used crayons for coloring as I wanted to get the grainy look that colored sand gives. The number of dots go from a count of 13 in the center line all the way down to 7.

Flower Pot Kolam
This kolam shows a flower pot with flowers blooming. The flowers, leaves and pot have been colored in using watercolors. The number of dots go from 17 down to 9.

Scalloped Flower Kolam
This kolam has lots and lots of flower petals embedded in it. I have used markers for drawing the scalloped curves that form the flowers. The number of dots are repeating blocks of 4X4.

I received these pretty cards and flowers from people near and dear to me. Ask my 4-year old daughter the year that her mom was born and she will say 5678 and hence the title.

Rising waters in meramec river flooded a major intersection in Fenton. This is a picture that was taken a couple of days after the intersection was closed. You can see the exit and entry ramps into the freeway under water.