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Sudha is proud to announce that 100% of your purchases will be donated to
Marin Symphony

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ENRICHING, EDUCATING, AND TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH CLASSICAL MUSIC
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“We at the Marin Symphony have long admired Sudha Pennathur’s manifold ways of meshing her brilliant creativity with doing good in the world. Sudha’s recognition of the essential power of artistic creation is a fundamental value that our mission – to enrich, educate, and transform lives through classical music – lives with in perfect harmony. Having this annual holiday sale support carefully-curated local non-profits is a beautiful thing, and the Marin Symphony is honored to be one of this year’s beneficiaries.”

Proceeds of the sale will support the Marin Symphony’s sustainability fund, helping to ensure that the Symphony can continue to serve the people of Marin through music for years to come.

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The Ancient Process of Bidri Ware

The ancient artform of bidri is a process by which the soil is mixed with ammonium chloride and water to produce a very specialk paste which is rubbed onto the heated bidri article. The paste dakens the body of the piece but has no effect on the silver inlay, As the paste is rinsed off, the design springs dramatically into view, the shining silver replendant against the black surface, Finally, opil is rubbed on the piece to deepen the black matt coating.

With proper maintenance, Bidri items can be kept bright and beautiful indefinitely. Use silver polish to shine the silver inlay, then rub pure vegetable oil over the entire surface. Water will not harm bidri, but soap and salt should be avoided as they can spot the thin black surface.

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Trends in Christmas Ornaments and Jewelry Adornments


In my world of unique crafts, “Ornaments” are small decorative objects for the Christmas tree and “Adornments” is jewelry used to beautify oneself, whether it be a necklace, a bracelet, ring or a pair of earrings. Designs by Sudha is in the business of both these types of ornamentation’s and adornments.

This year these have taken on an interesting twist. Customers who loved gold and glitz in their Christmas ornaments have turned to bright jewel tone colors. Fun stuffed animal ornaments made by gypsy craftsmen, hand painted papier mache animals from Kashmir, beaded birds and snowflakes from Agra have been the top choices of retailers. The traditional gold and silver has taken second place to the jewel tone ornaments. Skirts and stockings too have become more colorful with reds and golds with pearls.

Similarly with the price of metals going through the roof this year, I have focused on jewelry with more semi-precious stones and gold plating on silver (vermeil), and less on the pure precious metals. Diamonds once only set in gold are now being set using “polki diamonds” (these are uncut diamonds and very popular in the days of the Maharajas) , set in sterling silver with just accents of 14K gold in the bezel and backing. We will see a lot more of these interesting mixtures of metals and stones in my line this fall.

Pearls have become a girl’s best friend
and is featured throughout my line of jewelry and is a jewel of choice my museum catalogs.

Next week I will be featuring the art of lacquer in all areas of decorative handicrafts.

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Great Scots

We arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland by train from London on June 2nd to warm sunny weather. Taking a quick glance at the inventions Scotland has gifted to the world it is no wonder they exclaim “Great Scot” when there is wonderment. Many of the products we use today were invented here!

Engineer and inventor John Logie Baird was the father of television and later developed ideas such as color, 3D and large screen TV. He was also the first to patent fibre-optics, the technology now used to carry telephone calls and Internet traffic. It was, of course, Edinburgh-born Alexander Graham Bell who invented the device in 1876.

Less celebrated, but just as influential are Scots figures James Chalmers who invented the adhesive postage stamp; Sir James Dewar, who created the vacuum flask, and Robert William Thomson who invented the vulcanized rubber pneumatic tyre in 1845, the fountain pen in 1849 and a steam traction engine in 1867. Unfortunately, he abandoned his idea for the pneumatic tire over fears it would be too expensive to produce, and it was only rescued in 1888 by his fellow countryman John Boyd Dunlop. A similar fate befell the unfortunate Kirkpatrick Macmillan, who first invented the bicycle. However, he failed to patent his invention and it was widely copied.

In medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the world’s first antibiotic drug – penicillin. Another groundbreaking inventor was James Gregory, who invented the reflecting telescope, developed later by Englishman Sir Isaac Newton.

Sir Thomas Lipton is credited with revolutionizing the retail grocery trade, buying, for example, tea plantations in Sri Lanka . He developed many of the marketing techniques employed by supermarkets today, and also, additionally, established the World Cup for soccer in 1910.


Another famous economist Adam Smith is now known as the father of political economy was from here. Famously, Scotland was the first country in the world to use the banknote.When I heard that the automated teller machine (ATM) was also developed in Scotland I was blown away.

We saw several museums including the National Gallery in Edinburgh, the Castle and Queen Elizabeth’s summer home called. All of them had well developed Museum gift shops with hordes of tourists! Interesting assortments of jewellery, ties, mugs and the usual memorabilia.

Personally the best shopping in Scotland was for Cashmere. It comes in one-ply and two-ply garments and accessories. (2 –ply being heavier and more expensive). One needs to be careful with the quality since much has been mixed with lamb’s wool, but could be labeled as 100% Cashmere. The best place to shop is directly with the factories in Hawick (pronounced Hoyk). “Hawick Cashmere of Scotland” is where Ed ordered a wonderful vest in 2 ply Cashmere. Johnston which has a shop in St. Andrews also has some wonderful sweaters.

We also discovered a great boutique with unique knitted jackets and sweaters in silk and wool. He had several one-offs.

The other thing they are famous for is Scotch whiskey. There is a tasting room and a Museum near the Edinburgh Castle. Being less adventuresome, we however did not indulge in this sport.


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