Sandstone Love

I love sandstones... And it is difficult for me to resist a string of those lovely stones, whenever I go out shopping for beads, even if I do have a supply of those at home..

Now these ones I bought were in lovely cube shapes, with the holes going diagonal !! which is such a treat .. ! I love things unique..it does not necessarily have to be rare, and yet... ! While cube shaped beads are now all too common, they are usually drilled 'squarely' (pun intended.. !) - through the middle.. The diagonal holes were a treat and I jumped at them...

One of my friends placed an order for his wife's birthday... and as he is prone to do, let me choose the designs and everything.. it absolutely thrills me when someone does that, and I do try my best not to let down that kind of trust..

Since I know the lovely lady , it was a treat to design these special sandstones for her.

 And I had these gold plated German Silver accents with a square motif engraved on them and looked perfect, with the cube shaped stones.

The earrings are small drops to suit the birthday. girl's taste.

Once I sent the pics of the finished necklace and earrings, her husband asked me if I could make a bracelet to make the set complete. But cubes are bulky , and not easy to drape on a wrist. But , in keeping with the 'shape' theme, I found flat , diamond shaped sandstones , which I wire wrapped , with the same accent pieces... and also a cute butterfly charm .

The 'S' shaped hook is hand-made . I added a tiny chain of links, just in case the length needs any adjustment. 

Watercolour Painting After Years

Since September 2013, I have been working as an Art instructor at an Art studio here in Chennai. While I had been painting on and off, and also experimenting in various techniques with acrylics, colour pencils and other mediums, for use on my cold porcelain works, it had been a while since I had painted for the sheer pleasure of it..

I have not had any kind of professional training, when it comes to drawing or art ..but learnt through a lot of trial and error, reading books and recently, by watching a videos.

For me, the way to instruct my students is to make the process of creating a piece of art as simple and effective as I can make it. And I always leave it t the students themselves , to finish a picture as they see fit.

So demonstrating techniques, lines and other aspects of drawing and colouring, it just made me want to get back to painting again. Watercolour is something that I had not done for a while . but I decided to try out my rusty skills and finish up a picture for a change.

So here it is .. !

Material used : 130 gsm Artist's paper : A4 size

Camel watercolour cakes : palette of 24 shades. 

Brushes : No:6 and No:0

Schneider topliner 967 for the outline.

Silver All The Way ...

I have been collecting jewellery since I was about 15 . And now , I make my own !! Of course, this has not, in any way diminished my love for sourcing pieces from different places, or treasuring the ones I get as gifts. I have also bought a few pieces from other designers and have a few more on my wish list . Anyway... that is topic for another post . !!

While I can make matching jewellery for all my outfits, if I chose to do so, - and my younger self used to be excited about finding  colors, designs or patterns matching new clothes . But these days, I find that , Having a few pieces that I can mix and match regularly, and owning a few statement pieces, is more my style.

I recently , made myself this silver, choker length necklace which I could easily team with hoops, jhumkas, danglers or even colored earrings accented with some bit of silver.

Another favourite necklace of mine is a simple one, of gun metal beads. I just love that necklace and wear it on any normal day with a simple pair of hoops or studs, and dress it up with more elaborate earrings according to the occasion.

So what does your jewellery collection look like? Care to share?

Technology Woes !

My poor Toshiba laptop was on it's last legs the past few weeks.. A nearly full C drive, is where it all started . I am not all that tech savvy, though I persevere and try to make sense of the amazing amount of information that is available online. Usually, a hitch is solved painstakingly going through a lot of tutorials .

This time though deleting every file in sight, and then some, clearing the recycling bin, nothing seems to work..and everything seems to slow down.

Once I made up my mind to get a new laptop, though, the final deletion seemed to work some.. but anyway decided to go ahead and get a new one.. after 7 years , and still with Windows vista on it, it worked like a champ.. ! or maybe I do not have very high demands..anyway, we made a good team !! am sorry to see it go..

Got a new Acer Laptop, with Windows 8.1 and I cannot believe the difference.. ! I just hope that this one also works well for me.. I am not one for the latest technology and speed..but more about fit and feel..wrong thing to say in this era, I guess..but I am happy to plod along at my pace, given there are the few things that I need, to keep editing and posting pics, and a few creative things besides..


It has been a few vexing days, unable to load any pictures or keeping the internet on, as it was getting disconnected every couple of minutes...

The last picture I edited on my Toshiba laptop was for my Facebook page, as a Cover photo..

It is a fairy on her tiny flower, a la Thumbelina .. I have set it on a finger ring frame, and gifted to my daughter. All her favourite colours, pink, yellow and purple.

Black and Silver elements - Earrings

Silver and black are again a popular and striking combination. I had some frames too.. .I was trying to challenge myself to make the designs as different as possible -  with the same frames and the same color combination.

The middle design was made for a purple and black outfit. So I used long black tubes with purple agate and silver bead caps.

The ones on either side have the same frames. But I used some stunning German silver beads in one, and predominantly black beads in the other with just German silver floral spacers. the first two designs are booked. The last one is yet to be claimed by anyone. 

5 -strand Wire Woven Bracelet - Tutorial Link

This is from a video tutorial that I saw long ago, when I was just getting hooked on to wire work.

I have not been able to find that specific video, but since I was in the habit of writing down elaborate directions, and keeping notes , AND, because I am better at wire work than I used to be, I could follow them and make this bracelet.

This bracelet was done with a 20 gauge wire in Silver color, and studded with purple crystals. It is an open design, in a cuff style and with my favorite - swirl designs at the ends.

And now it is going to Shalini Chandak, who won it in a Give away I decided to, at the spur of the moment... All those who liked the bracelet on my page on FB, and those who had commented on it. I was please that I had about 31 new likes on my page this week, which is quite unusual, and just wanted to bring joy to someone else, in turn. !

If I chance upon the original  video link, I will be sure to post it here. Maybe I'd try an 18 gauge wire the
next time .

The original video I had seen,was different, with the 5 strand weave demo in copper wire, with a chain link to finish.. I learnt the weave from that, but ,I  finished the ends the same way ,as in the tutorial linked below, so I have decided to go ahead and link this one...

This one was done by Jocelyn D. - making a 5-strand Celtic weave bracelet. The link is HERE. It comes in two parts...And the link to the second part , is HERE

And for people who mastered the 5-strand weave, here is the link of a ring, which is given on Pandahall . A simple 5-strand woven ring .

Orange Tear-drop and Silver Wire Necklace..

I had bought some lovely orange teardrop beads with a pearly sheen . Orange and Gold are a nice combination and almost a classic one.. But I decided to go the other way , and pair orange with silver.

The swirls are asymmetric and he process is almost were a pleasure to make.. as hypnotic as drawing Zentangles.. !

Usually, I work out a design earlier, and then more or less, follow it as nearly as possible. But in this case, I decided to just go where it led, and just worked on, letting the design evolve.

The links were like 'S' hooks and seemed to compliment the swirls well. As I went further up, the 'S' hooks slightly decreased in size. The closure was done with a simple 'u' hook..

I found the asymmetric look very pleasing and delicate. What do you think?

Channeling Subtle with Oomph...

This is a design, similar to another I had made, with glass tubes and light blue crystals. When I was requested, by a loving husband, to make a surprise anniversary gift for his wife, I decided to re-design it to perfectly match the person it was meant for..

She loves delicate things, and has a style that is a quiet, with a lot of panache.. not a very easy thing to do..

So I went for tiny, silver tube beads instead of the glass tubes that were about thrice as long.. The colour of the beads were a big draw , so I decided to go for similar crystals, though these are a darker hue. While the earlier design had the blue crystals fully, I decided to go for transparent crystals half way past, since it would actually give more depth to the double strands of blue...

Also she prefers very delicate ear hangings, so I made it the way she prefers.. Now wishing the sweet couple a Very Happy Anniversary and years of togetherness.. Orders like these really are very exciting ... so very personal.

Inspiring Artist : Sue Heaser

I am sure that anyone who has attempted to work on Polymer Clay, and sought out some books on it, has come across Sue Heaser's name. I guess her most popular book would be Polymer Clay techniques, and I am the proud owner of a copy .. !

She is based in Suffolk, and has written over 30 books on crafting, including other books on clay, Metal Clay, miniatures,and sculpting..

She has also written a Novel called Avocado Lodge, which I really enjoyed..

She founded the British Polymer Clay Guild with fellow artists...
 Personally, having connected with her via Facebook, I have found her a very friendly and approachable person... and I love her simple way of instructions . Easy to follow for any beginner. The technique of mimicing  Pietra Dura was very inspiring to me..

It is not such a surprise that she has conducted workshop in different parts of the world, like Taiwan, Japan, USA,France and Italy...

Check out some of her work... it's fabulous.. !

Featured on Smart India Women Website...

Nearly three weeks since I posted last... the First Term exam and subsequent break, so a week's trip to Kerala, and then back - getting on track even after a small break is a chore... !

Meanwhile, my interview was featured on the website, smartindianwomen.com  so it was a nice surprise . And I got a badge to add to my website too..

How is that ???

Let me know what you think of the interview... :)

Green And Gold Wire-work Cuff..

 Free form wire weaving is something I would never tire of... The combinations and possibilities seem endless, the only thing lacking, is my expertise... !


This is just the second bracelet/cuff I have made in this free form style . I see a lot of imperfections, but I cannot truly say , that I am dissatisfied with teh results...


As a measure of my progress, I would say, it is okay, ad came off nearly as I had envisioned.

I used 18 gauge Copper wire for the frames, and 21 gauge for wrapping the beads.

The beads I used are green and Gold glass beads which have a unique wave like ripple on a squarish shape. I also used brighter gold coated metal beads with a spiral print , and plain beads in a darker green. I did not tighten the weave too much to make the green-gold beads, since they slightly rotate a bit and adds interest to the piece.

Finished the end by adding a hook, and also ending the other side in an eye for the hook.

This is the kind of fun pieces that I really enjoy making... 

Black, White and Silver....

The last pair for the two adorable sisters... One of them loves the black and white combination.. so I thought it would be nice to make the combination for both of them, but make them look really different...

Both of the designs were a play on shapes... since I kept the color combination the same.. black, white and silver inclusions...

The first necklace was made of disc shaped black beads, with interesting facets .. combined with normal white beads . I added spacers that had stylized floral motifs to the mix.

 The second one had some very ornate metallic beads . So I kept the black and white beads quite simple... and yet had interesting shapes. Black tube beads and very tiny white disc beads with the very ordinary floral spacers .


I asked a couple of my friends and family and all of them opined that they could not select which one they preferred , of the two.. ! So I considered it mission accomplished !!!


Which is your favorite?

Traditional, My Way..

As I mentioned earlier, I was given an order for 3 sets each for sisters. One of the pieces, had to be what they could wear with traditional Indian outfits, mostly Salwar kameez or Pattu pavadas with Zari borders . So I thought crystals would be nice, with Golden accents .

 So I chose mauve colored crystals for one necklace and added oval glass beads as pendant. Added simple tube shaped Golden accents and made earrings with the glass beads.

To add my personalized touch, I asses tiny miniature rolled- roses in mauve to the glass pendants, and touched them with a hint of bronze paint.

The second one was again done exactly the same way... but instead of rolled roses I did some simple tube flowers and studded the exact shade of red stones in the center of the tubes. Again mimicked the gold hints with just a touch of paint at the edges of the flowers and leaves.


SO two sets down, one each to go... :)

Cold Porcelain Bird Necklaces for Sisters..

The  sheer number of times, I sat down to write this post, is ridiculous..and it has been about three days since I started on this... ! It has been one thing after the other, the biggest issue being that our daughter is down with a severe cold.. and it is not the fact that she is unwell, but that she cannot go to school and has to be entertained 24/7 , that is really taxing ... !

As part of a surprise order, I had to make three sets each for two sisters ..young girls of 13, and 7 ..And so I decided to make one birdie necklace for each.  First I chose the combination of beads for the necklace and then tinted the Cold porcelain to make the birds  . It would have been easier to put an eye-pin on to each bird and let it cure, but I somehow thought it would have spoiled the look of the birds.. so I made cages to attach them on, so they could swing on the necklaces ... !

I just could not resist playing with them a bit..made a tiny nest and mixed up itty bits of left over CP to make some eggs and just posed the 'family' for a click !

Here the birdies are posing with their hand crafted, metal wire perches and matching beads. I was pretty pleased that my color - mixing ability did not let me down. 

And finally, here they are , on the necklaces,.. I think they look pretty cute on their perches. What do YOU think ??

Unbelievably , from beginning to end of this post, I was interrupted 4 times already !! 

Glorious Green...

My daughter keeps asking me what my favorite color in the whole world is... and I do not have an answer.. ! I love all the colors.. even the most dull shades of a color...

But if you ask me what green is my favorite, I would have to say, the camouflage, military green... while I like the green in nature, when it comes to green on other items , like clothes, curtains or other stuff, I would not pick anything green... unless it was this particular shade !!

Too many people in my family think I have weird taste in colors - but none of them are artistically inclined, as I am ... ! And I do tend to gravitate towards shades that are not the norm..burnt orange is another favorite ...!

Anyway, when I saw these beads in my favorite green, I had to pick them up... And the oddly faceted bigger beads were from an assortment that my sister had sent over... the assortment was of amber and green beads ..and there were only 4 of these particular beads... I loved them a lot and were saving them for something special..

I think this necklace was the perfect fit !! ..I gave a double strand in two shapes, balanced the bigger beads with smaller silver spacers , and small beads with heavier spacers. I am happy with the set... can't think of improving them because, usually , once I have done a set, I can re-design them in my mind, a few different ways..

And it is going to someone very special too..so am absolutely thrilled... I am posting a close-up of the necklace ..just love it :)

Country Chic With Cold Porcelain

 I had just started packing up my big order of sets for different individuals, gifted by the same person, and I got another bigger order, this time multiple sets for three people....

I know one of them very well, so I could easily sketch out different designs for her...but I needed more pointers for the other two.. favorite colors, and dislikes and such..best part was , that they did not want me to limit my imagination in any way, and were willing to take a chance with my love for introducing cold Porcelain elements in my designs...

I don not necessarily add it everywhere, but I do love to make something unique that is not available easily..

This pendant was inspired by the series of Beatrix Potter books that we gifted our daughter for her birthday.. I love the country style paintings..and this way, I got to indulge in three loves - painting, sculpting and also making jewelry...

The antique finish on the hollow pendant base is something I love.. Tinted CP and filled the base , smoothed it out.

Next, I chose the beads for the necklace... Then colored CP for the focal flower the same as the beads. Then tinted green CP for leaves...



Once that was done, painted the background , then added the tiny details, the miniature focal flower and studded it with stone..added the leaves....

It did look a little too dark, so added a tiny flower and gave it an orange and yellow color to make it pop..painted the leaves and other details so it would look aesthetic and not too busy..

Finally sealed it with Renaissance wax , once it was cured.

Spikes and Wire-work ...

These designs were also part of the aforementioned 

order.

So I had some lovely rose-red beads in a beautifully faceted shape . So teamed them up with some spikes in German silver, added ethnic style spacers in the same metal and made matching earrings.

Since the beads were light weight, the silver gave a nice balance. I prefer ornaments a bit on the heavier side, than be too lightweight and having to tug them back when the flip over ..

On the other hand, I like to have earrings in a good size, but not too heavy enough to hurt.




The next set , was made of beautiful acrylic beads, with an engraved design..

Though I love most types of beads, acrylic beads are never my first choice...but these caught my eye, particularly because the holes were on the diagonal  and I loved the engraved feel... also they had an ancient look to them, which I find very attractive..

So I used copper wire to fashion the connectors and used black crystals to lift the whole design...
I also managed to twist the copper wire at the ends to mimic the engravings on the acrylic beads. While I used antique finish ready-made ear hooks, I made the hook and the eye for the necklace, myself.

Featured in The Bead Chat Magazine - August 2014

My work has been featured once more, in the August 2014  edition of the bead Chat magazine.

The link to the magazine is HERE

I have posted the screen shots of the magazine pages that my work was featured on... but please go ahead and get a peep at the entire magazine.. the articles are superb and so are the beautiful creations on every page... !

The first one is the ring that I made entirely out of Cold Porcelain. I had posted the making of the ring and pictures of the  work in progress earlier.In case you want to check it out, the link is here..

The second one featured, is a double stranded agate with German silver inclusions. This is one of my favorites from among my personal collection.


Since the picture of my necklace is not quite clear among the other works, I decided to include an image of it with this post.. so here it is...

One Order , Varied Designs...

Getting busy making the sets ready for the big order .. I had two pre-made necklaces which I thought would fit this order because they are for girls in their teens...

So for two orders,  I had earrings made ...and then I have been working on complete sets of earrings and necklaces.. I have tried to make each of them unique so that even if gifted to the same person, she would not feel like she had similar stuff ..

The first set was vibrant orange faceted rondelles with Amber and Gold glass beads . I added antique gold coated German silver findings to give the beads the proper lift. Made matching drop earrings .

The next set was about showcasing beautiful glass beads in blue and antique gold , with antique coated spacers made of German silver. It somehow reminds me of ancient Egypt, though I fail to see the connection !! 

And of course I decided to include this lovely lamp-work necklace . Just made the earrings to complete the set. Though two sets are blue, I would say they are as apart in style as chalk and cheese !... which is precisely how I like my creations to be.. 

More sets coming up soon.. I just do not want to be overwhelmed and rushed when I create..so I paced myself to give ample time and think and work on the order. So far, so good, I think.. so what do you say?

Pearly Hues ...A Custom Piece..

 Sometimes, getting back on track after a big break is not that easy.. there is no shortage of excuses to linger about , doing this that or nothing at all..!!

Thankfully, this time there were more than enough incentives.. a few orders that have to be completed in the next few weeks..and I was dusting out all my sketched out ideas , when I got a call from my sis -in-law..

She needed an emergency gift for the evening ..and asked me if I had any pre-made sets...so it was a mad dash to look for them ..there was just one set,that was not part of my experimental collection..and I usually manage to sell what I make or they are largely custom works.. The one I had was not the perfect fit for the person she has intended to give the gift to...

So it was a scramble to come upon a design and then start making it , get my sis-in-law's approval and then pack it up...

Mission accomplished inside an hour... Thankfully I chanced upon these lovely grey tinted Mother -of-pearl beads that I had bought a couple of years ago... Teamed it with grey rice pearls and German silver spacers...and finished it with a German silver clasp too...

I went for tiny ornate bead caps that matched the spacers, for the earrings..since the metal caps were darker, I lightened the bead part by using white pearls , and made simple drop earrings...

So, the coming days will be busy with completing the orders and also doing double sessions at my weekend art classes to compensate for the weekend that I missed ... Just the way to get back on track...

..And She turned 8 .... !!!

7th July is very much a special date for our whole family.. It was when our daughter was born, so far the only grandchild on my side and the only girl and the youngest, on my husband's side ...

So we had to make another trip to Kerala..since she loves a lot of family and friends , especially her grandparents ... and Kerala is where most of them are..!So it was a weekend trip...with our share of 'surprise' gifts packed for D day.. it was a lot of planning and hide and seek ... :P !!

Anyway we managed it and she had no clue... we held the party at home, with a lot of home cooked food..my parents are veterans in giving a party , so I had no trouble letting them decide on the quantity of food... I just helped them execute it.. And as per the Birthday girl's wishes we also had a small Housie or Bingo .. after the cake cutting..everything just went smoothly and then dinner was served...

All are busy playing Bingo...


The Birthday girl told us that it was the best birthday she has ever had..so mission accomplished...and she thanked all of us for doing so much...

Now we are back in Chennai and finally ready to get back to routine , and me to my Jewelry making..which has been sadly neglected for a couple of months...



This is a pic of our baby ..courtesy of my cousin...

She is wearing a necklace that I redesigned. It was too bulky and long, with double strands...so I re-sized and simplified it.

This birthday she said,was all she had wished for ..but by the next one, she hopes there will be a few more babies,..so she can be the big sister and not the baby in the family !! 

Inspiring Artist : Meire Bari

My fascination with Cold porcelain started in earnest after seeing the creations of Meire Bari. While I was checking out Cold porcelain, I had seen a tutorial by Meire Bari on Youtube, for making Cold Porcelain. But it was not just her creativity that blew me away, but also her style of giving that 'country art' feel to the colors of her creations too...

Her work is often featured in the Biscuit magazine. She has a website with a shop that sells a lot of cold porcelain starter kits, tools, molds and tutorials. 

This is one of my favorites  from her creations.. the distressed background, the shabby and worn clothes on the scare crow, every careful detail and the matt finishing is just perfect... This is her facebook page .. Check out her latest work and let me know if you agree with me ... 

Posting seems to be at a stand-still now because after coming back from a long vacation, getting back to routine is taking time.. on top of everything is this awful heat which make one so sluggish and out of energy !

To cap it all, my daughter got fever and was down for 5 whole days...Meanwhile , on 16th June, we completed 13 years of marriage! It's the start of year number 14... !

That's us within a week of our wedding. ! I'd say that it does seem like yesterday, and ups and downs, and everything that has happened, I am thankful we were meant to be... Bring on the next few decades and beyond too... :D

Wire - linked Bracelet In Green Hues ..

This was a re-design . A previously designed bracelet, on tiger tail was changed to a wire linked one . I made the clasp also with wire.


Linked apple green crystals with monalisa beads in double green shades and also added german Silver findings , studded with stones.

Perfect for a dainty wrist.

A Great Vacation.... And Back To Work..

More than 6 weeks of not blogging !! It was hectic , trying to work out things and close down for a month's vacation... and then coming back, it is even more of a struggle, getting back the rhythm... I was back on conducting my art classes by the next day, but with my daughter still not back at school, the rest of my work keeps lagging...

The vacation was just what was needed, though...a lot of lazy time spent with family , a lovely trip to a nice backwater resort , loads of home cooking, and eating out. Bonding with my sis- in- law and brother... 

Nearly 13 years of marriage, and finally got time to show my favorite ancient Palace Museum, to my husband, just a few minutes from our home... 

Cameras were no allowed in the Museum, so no luck there... But some lovely shots of the floating cottages at the backwater resorts , and the lovely sunrise I captured .. I hope you enjoy them..

The entrance to the floating cottages and  beautiful landscaping inside the resort.

The floating cottages - view from a houseboat ride on the backwaters

A beautiful sunrise clicked from the deck of our floating cottage... the Chinese fishing nets standing like sentries .

Vishu ..2014

Another Vishu is over..last year's was not celebrated since we lost our uncle. This year, it was low-key .. with our daughter having school... Kept the kani .... which is my favorite part of Vishu..more than the vishu kaineettam or the Sadya (feast)..

I made a Sadya with the usual Sambar, aviyal, ulli curry, mambazha pulissery, pavakka khichdi, parippum neyyum, pappadam and payasam..and we got jackfruit thoran from our neighbor, so I decided not to make my intended cabbage thoran. With hubby and father-in-law, Vishu was not bad.  but yeah lot of time spent connecting to my brother and sister and parents..and also in a nostalgic mood with all the lovely memories of the Vishus past. ..

Since the vacation is nearing I did not feel too bad about a not too fun packed Vishu for our daughter.. Good times are nearly here .... !!

Blue Lampwork Necklace.

I picked the string of lampwork beads a couple of years ago..but never got round to making anything with them. They just caught my eye and there was only one string.. something I am usually glad about,. Unless I have a multi-strand necklace in mind, I like to find items that are rare, that I can work into my own designs. 

 

But I have to say that crystals are irresistible to me, even if they are found in abundance... but even in the case of crystals, I have managed to find a few different ones like an chocolatey - opaque brown and a mint-green shade of crystal..I used both of them and I have to say that 3 years past, I have not managed to find duplicates of those !! Can't tell if I am sad or glad about that ! 

Anyway, I finally decided to make a necklace with the lovely lampwork beads that remind me of candy. They are fairly heavy, so I added only monalisa beads and seed beads with them. . I have kept a couple of the beads to make into earrings if a client so desires. Just makes me happy to make really unique designs. That is exactly why I love to incorporate my hand made cold porcelain pieces in my jewelry. ... .

Two Birds on Wire !

My daughter's 'bestest' friend, our neighbor's relative has come for her vacation from Kerala. So I decided to mark the event by making them matching necklaces . Both of them are fans of pink, but recently decided to add a few more colors like purple, yellow and orange to their choices. Since I had exhausted all the shades of pink on my daughter, this was a welcome turn ..!

SO I first made miniature birds out of cold porcelain .. cute was the aim .. so here they are ..

They are really tiny! I did not want to add eye pins directly on the birds, and so made cages by hand-coiling some wire,gluing the birds on, and hooking those on to the necklaces..... 

Though the birds are the same color, I went for contrast with the necklaces. Yellow Monalisa beads and orange seed beads for one , and yellow seed beads and orange Monalisa for the other..

Now if I could get the two bestest friends to pose for me , sporting their "birdy" jewelry, it would be great ..!

One question ..would you be interested in the step by step tutorials for the birds?