New and old

Recently I decided to make a little project. Usually I don’t remake my mandalas (only in special cases). The very first mandala I’ve made (because of no experience) wasn’t good enough as I used wrong sticks (too thick for thin threads), so I had to remake it. I wrote about it earlier.

And now second one that I had to remake.

I had my very first square mandala, which was kind of hard to make (because it was first square one). With time threads on it got loose and I figured out that the sticks I used were too thin. Wrong thickness of the sticks made threads less tight, they got loose as well as frame itself got bent inwards. All this made mandala look less beautiful for me so I decided to remake it.

This is how it looked like. Old version on old frame.

It is visible how loose threads are and how inaccurate it looks.

I took all the threads carefully from it and made a new frame from thicker sticks. I used same threads and same sequence. And, I made it!  Now it looks much better, much attractive and I like it so much. It is like it “shines” now.

After. It is so bright and so square 🙂

Next post will be about one of my favorite places. With photos 🙂

Seasons of the year

I’ve almost created a collection of mandalas that represent 4 seasons of the year. Almost because I’m lacking one. I have 3 square mandalas of green, blue and orange colors.

First one. I thought it is like winter but in the end I think that blue and white reminds me more of early spring. White snow that still didn’t melt fully and little streams that signify the end of winter when ice melts to give live to reanimate all the plants and trees.

 

Second one. Green color is summer color when all the trees, plants, grass are green green green. My favorite color combined with white that reminds me of white clouds that fly in the sky. Summer is my favorite season and this one is my favorite square mandala that I’ve made so far (it will stay with me as it brings me energy that I like and need)

 

Third one. My very recent mandala is yellow and orange colors. I thought of sun and summer when I looked at it but later I changed my mind. I think it is autumn with all multicolored leaves, with all autumn tints of yellow, orange and red. Yes, it has white color as well so maybe it is autumn in the mountains 🙂 This mandala has very positive, bright energy that I like as well.

Now it’s turn to make the one that represents winter. It will be white I guess 🙂

Little one

My recent little square mandala. I would call it snowflake as it reminds me of winter. I made it when it was cold that’s why I’ve chosen those particular colors.

It is 9″x 9″, very compact, perfect size for a parcel and I’ve decided it will be an excellent gift for my aunt for New Year 🙂

Square mandalas

These are my two recent mandalas. Maybe you can’t call them mandalas but I don’t know the other name for them. I read that sometimes they’ve been called Tibetan mandalas as they have square shape but again they aren’t quite Tibetan mandalas either.

So, I will call them mandalas because making them is a meditation and I will add square because usually mandalas have circle shape but these are made in shape of square. Square mandalas.

They are very easy to make. I can make one in few hours. The main difficulty in them is a frame you have to make prior to putting threads around it. Circle mandalas have “frame” as well but it is easy to make. With square mandalas you have to built a frame (could be either 12 or 16 rays). The purpose of frame is to make sure mandala won’t bend during the process as well as it gives stability to the whole construction.

I always wanted to make a mandala in green colors (this is my favorite color). This mandala has 12 rays (12″x 12″), it is pleasant to look at. I think this one is meant to be on the wall in my house 🙂

Second one has 16 rays (11″x 11″) and more colors

Something is going on

It’s been long time since my last post. I didn’t have time to post here as I was moving out and in as well as going for a trip to get some rest after my last terrible work experience. Now I’m searching for a new job and live in a big city. I never lived in a big city. I have plenty of time now, so I decided not to waste it and uprise my skills in handmade and try something new (or maybe something which I haven’t done for a long time).

I didn’t write here but that doesn’t mean I didn’t make new things. I’ve made new mandala (so far it’s the biggest one I’ve made) and I’ve started new item (I don’t know yet what it will be in the end and how long it will be, lol). So far, it looks like a beaded bracelet and it is still on beading loom but I like it so much and I’m proud of myself. I did some beading a year ago (long time ago:). When I started beading I thought that I forgot how do this. I was about to drop this type of handmade but…but I managed to figure it out and recollect how it should be done properly.

So, here it is. Still in progress and I already want to start something new on bead loom 🙂 and I will.

Will show the result later.

And now mandala, the biggest one I’ve made. It is very warm and I really really like it so, maybe it will stay at home with us. My husband gave me a great idea – ” hey make another one but really big, I want something big on the wall”. I laughed and of course I will make one. Things I need for that are long sticks and more yarn, haha 🙂

Finally

Finally I’ve finished my mandala. It was one of the hardest – when you think 100 times before you do next move, choose the shape, choose the color, then you do and it doesn’t look nice, then you redo it again. So, yes, this was the tough one and I don’t know if I like it or not in the end. At the beginning it was meant for my aunt (remember when I posted photos of this unfinished mandala) but in the end I will have to make a new one for her because I don’t think this one is a good fit for her. Fortunately and unfortunately.

This manadala is a weird one for me because of colors. My husband said “it is too yellow” and I look at it and is seems to me too yellow as well. 🙂 I even thought of changing the last color on it and it means to spend even more time on it that I’ve already spent. Then I think – no, I will leave it like this. There should be somebody whom this mandala belongs to. This is a special yellow mandala:) So, I will try to find a person to present it to. If I can’t I will keep it until I find somebody who will be a nice “fit” to this mandala.

By the way, I’ve started new one few days ago and this mandala is completely different. It had an easy start and huge inspiration for some reason 🙂 It is not difficult to make this one as it goes from my heart. With the new one (it is not finished yet) I don’t have trouble in choosing colors and shapes, it “runs” smoothly and easy. I like when it is so. As well as this new one is the biggest manadala I’ve ever done so far and I used different sticks for it so it looks interesting too. When I finish it I will definitely post photos here but for now my yellow sunny bright mandala.

In process

I started a mandala for my aunt.

Making a mandala is an art – an art of shapes and colors. Good thing that it is you who choose colors and shapes. Sometimes when I make them I ask a person about favorite colors, so that he/she would enjoy the colors on mandala. Other way to make them if you don’t know a person very well, is intuitive way – you think about a person whom you make it for (who is he/she, preferences, like/dislikes, character, hobbies)- that’s how you choose colors and shapes.

Mandalas can be simple or complicated (that’s how I call them). Simple – those which have simple shapes, simple colors. Complicated ones – those where shapes drastically vary, colors are bright and they so to say “vibrate”.

So the one that I started recently planned to be simple because my aunt is an old lady though very active, she is conservative (that’s why I wasn’t sure in colors), she does embroidery and some crafts too. In the middle of making it I realized that it is not a simple one – it has a tendency to vibrate.

So here it is. In the process yet. It will be the next parcel that I will send home.

Square mandala

This is another type of mandala (maybe it is not quite mandala but I call it mandala because it is the same process with wooden sticks and threads and you can meditate while making it). Though, for me, this one is more difficult to make as it needs a firm frame made of thin wooden sticks. I made only 2 of them so far. This one is a present for my Colombian friend.

Manadalas for my friends

Some time ago I posted few mandalas which I made and gave as a present to my friends and family. Today I have few more of them to share.

These mandalas I gifted to my friend from Colombia whom I met in the university and who is still my close friend and another one was given to a friend from Japan whom I met this summer and we still keep in touch. I give mandalas to those people who get very close to me and to my heart, whom I trust and whom I love.

When I make mandalas I use different colors, threads, shapes but some of mandalas that I’ve made were intuitive. It means that you don’t think of colors, shapes, threads – you just make them with the thoughts of a person to whom you will present it. In my opinion such mandalas are more difficult to make and at the same time easier. You think only about the person you make it for and it is a meditation and like floating in the river of memories about that person.

Because my friends came from different countries sometimes I look or ask (so that they don’t guess that I’m doing something for them 🙂 about their favorite colors and then I try to mix them. Usually I ask about colors because it is important to have a suitable and pleasant colors that a person like and will enjoy looking at. As well as some colors in some countries may have different meanings as positive as negative. It is important because mandala should bring only positive emotions and feelings, otherwise, it is useless and even harmful.

So these are mandalas I made for Colombian and Japanese friends.

This one was made for Colombian friend. It took me less than 3 hours to make it and so far this is one of my favorite among all mandalas that I’ve made so far. I like colors in it a lot as well as thick and colorful band in the end.

The next one is for Japanese friend

This one was a tough one because I was in a hurry to finish it and give to my friend before she left. The only thing that I would change though are the edges. For some reason I didn’t know how to finish it and left too much space in the end so the sticks were visible and I decided to cut them which was not very successful too))) But I still like it and I know that next time I will start it earlier for not to be in a hurry. There are always some ways to improve 🙂

Knitted mandalas

Mandala (Sanskrit: मण्डल Maṇḍala, ‘circle’) is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe. It can be done from different materials: painted, knitted etc. It may be used in rituals, ok I will not describe Wikipedia, there is lots of information about mandalas on Internet.

My first mandalas were painted ones. I saw them somewhere long time ago and tried to repeat them. Of course they were not cool first but now with experience they become better.

Because I study in Canada now, I don’t have all my mandalas that i could show.

Anyways, one day I saw a handmade mandala made of threads or yarn, and I was so excited, I wanted to make my own. I started to search Internet about how to do them. I found information about God’s eye or Ojos de dios and I was impressed (again information about God’s eye is on Wiki, I don’t want to tell the history, but if you  are interested you can go to Wiki). I found those God’s eye very interesting in the way of its cultural meaning and appearance. So, I decided to try to do my own.

I made first one this summer. God’s eye is made of 4 sticks and yarn, but later I found other mandalas made by Jay Mohler  and I was so excited and impressed with his works. Then I decided to try to do one of those. I began to learn how to make them from video tutorials. I just found videos on youtube and started to make my own. First, I’ve chosen wrong sticks and wrong threads. It looked like this:

Not very cool, isn’t it?))

I left this one in Canada and went back home to Ukraine, where I started to make new ones.

My mother is a very good at knitting and crochet as well. She knits clothes for herself, for me and my family; sometimes for other people. So, I found old yarn my mother used and bought sticks for my mandalas. I will call them mandalas because the basis  for them is circle and started making my own. Some of my first works that I presented to my friends and relatives:

1. 2.

3. 4.

They may look similar, but they are not. Тhеir similar appearance is due to the same yarn and colors I used for them. I didn’t have other yarn at all 🙂 The third one I presented to my mother and she didn’t like that there were too many lines, so she cut some of those (she upgraded it herself). I don’t have a photo yet, but soon I hope to have it to show the difference here. Now I don’t do so many lines, I think it looks like a web then and loses its meaning, itoverloaded.

Do you remember my first mandala?

Yes, when I came back to Canada I decided to break it and make the same layout and colors as it has before but to make it on different sticks that are more flat. The result is:

This is my home mandala, I made it to protect my house 🙂

I will show more in next posts. This is it for today.