AURA QUE at FORMS Boutique in Camden, North London

For this season, AURA QUE is now stocked at Forms in Camden, North London. A lovely boutique in Camden Lock, our jacquard/leather handbags and accessories have been placed along side lots of other lovely gifts and products! See the pictures below in store....

Founded in 2011 December, FORMS is a North London based lifestyle/culture shop offering accessories, homeware and stationery from undiscovered, classic and contemporary labels. All products are sourced around the world - from UK to the unexplored corners of the Japan. We hope you can find something special in the shop.

Forms in open Mon 11-6pm, and Weds to Sun 11-6pm

FORMS, Camden Town, Unit 16 Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AS London

Go visit!

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Celebrating World Children's Day in Nepal at Kumbeshwar's School

World Children's Day is celebrated internationally in over 100 countries, established by the UN General Assembly in 1954 to celebrate children and promoting access to an education. It is meant to promote childhood, which can only be a good thing!

The Nepali primary school in Patan, supported by Kumbeshwar Technical School (our fantastic knit producer) celebrated Children's Day in September (some countries have different dates, but still a great reason to celebrate!).  All the children from nursery to Class 6 were involved in the festivities, with a program of poem competitions, quiz contest (on fair trade of course...) and all children were encouraged to perform!

Shell Roti snacks kept the kids happy, and even some of the youngest performers were rewarded for their efforts!

Kumbeshwar Technical School also awarded size recent graduates who were top of their class in their new secondary school, to encourage them!

Great stuff Kumbeshwar, and Happy World Children's Day!

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How to use a fire extinguisher in Nepal...

At Kumbeshwar Technical School, who produce all our handknitted banana yarn products, gave all their inhouse staff lessons in fire safety....

and how to use a fire extinguisher....

As well as fire escape routes and orientation, phew!

Lets hope they never have to use it though, but it looks like a fun exercise from the pics :)

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The world's largest Thangka painting displayed on the national football pitch in Kathmandu

I just found our about something really exciting, that I WISH I was in Kathmandu to go and see at the moment!! The world's largest Thangka painting, traditional silk painting on embroidry, is on display at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu. Ten thousand volunteers worked on it over the period of 8 years to as part of an exhibition to promote world peace.

How fantastic does it look? I love the traditional Buddhist thangka's anyway - they are such beautiful and colourful works of art, painted with such precision by trained painters, depicting whole stories, characters and Buddhist philosophies.

"The world’s Largest Thangka (50meter × 70meter) depicting the Life Cycle of Lord Gautama Buddha has recently been exhibited in Dasharath Stadium, Nepal. Depicted in this art masterpiece is Lord Buddha’s life story, which is traditionally summarized in the twelve deeds that he performed from his coming to the world to his passing away.

It took 8 years to complete this Thangka for 10,000 volunteers from 16 different countries including Nepal and Japan. Different organizations from various countries have supported to complete this Thangka providing necessary materials.

This Thangka had been exhibited in Japan, United States of America, India and Mongolia before this spreading the teachings of Buddha as well as the message of world peace and unity. We humbly request all organizations and individuals to support whole heartedly to make this gala event a grand success."

http://www.echitwan.com.np/

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At the Fair Trade Supporters Conference in London - 6 October 12

I went to the Fair Trade Supporter Conference in Blackfriars London at the weekend - thought it would be good to see what was going on with Fair Trade around the UK!

I was lucky to briefly meet Harriet Lamb, who has been an inspiring Fair Trade pioneer for many years and currently the CEO of Fairtrade International (of course I gave her an AURA QUE catalogue!) and also hear stories from various Fair Trade support groups around the UK who are campaigning for their local fair trade shops, promoting fair trade produce and faily traded gifts (such as AURA QUE) and lobbying government and corporations for change in their policies.

There was also the Fair Trade Campaign Awards 2012, celebrating many local support groups with various awards for their energy and enthusiasm to promote fair trade in creative ways in their towns, such as Eastborne, who apparently processed a fair trade clothes washing line down the high street among other activities!!

Anyway, I found it really inspiring to meet so many enthusiastic people, who were passionate about making a difference to help people in developing countries, making fairtrade sugar, coffee, cotton and banana's amongst other products.

The Fair Trade Shops workshop was also insightful to hear advice and thoughts from various shop owners and volunteer staff from fair trade boutiques around the country. All really positive - good start to the weekend!

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Geometric Pattern Inspiration from Maya for our AW12 Banana Yarn Range

This is Maya, she works as the tealady and cleaner at the Nepal Leprosy Trust Office and Factory in Kathmandu.  Last winter, when I was at the factory, I loved this combination of her handknitted patterned cardy, with the bright red sari with gold trim- I think it looks great!

Since then, I used a similar geometric pattern for our handknitted banana yarn range, including the PARVA Knitted shopper (retailing at £49), the MANI Knit Purse (retailing at £10) and the VELA Neck Scarf (retailing at £29).

The PARVA Shopper and MANI Purses have full zip closure, with black lining to help protect your contents inside! Available in Grey Mono (above) and Purple/Green (below left) and Coral/Blue (below right) - hope you like the splash of colour for winter!

 

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Geometric Pattern Inspiration from Maya for our AW12 Banana Yarn Range

This is Maya, she works as the tealady and cleaner at the Nepal Leprosy Trust Office and Factory in Kathmandu.  Last winter, when I was at the factory, I loved this combination of her handknitted patterned cardy, with the bright red sari with gold trim- I think it looks great!

Since then, I used a similar geometric pattern for our handknitted banana yarn range, including the PARVA Knitted shopper (retailing at £49), the MANI Knit Purse (retailing at £10) and the VELA Neck Scarf (retailing at £29).

The PARVA Shopper and MANI Purses have full zip closure, with black lining to help protect your contents inside! Available in Grey Mono (above) and Purple/Green (below left) and Coral/Blue (below right) - hope you like the splash of colour for winter!

 

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AURA QUE Travel Dresses in the window display at Fair Trader in Holmfirth....

Our travel dresses have proved popular this summer, and I am really pleased to see a window display at the Fair Trader store in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire!

The Fair Trader promotes local products and fair trade products from abroad such as AURA QUE - I am pleased to work with them as it is in my local village Holmfirth where I grew up as a teenager!

Please check out the Fair Trader website below for more blog entries and their online boutique:

http://www.thefairtraderscooperative.co.uk/

http://fairtraderscooperative.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/event-review-moving-mo...

 

 

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AURA QUE at RHS Tatton Park Flower Show last week...

Last week we were at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show in the Country Living Tent, selling our current AURA QUE products. It was a great opportunity to meet with prospective customers and also get some feedback on our product range, directly from the visitors.  We also managed to have a sneaky peek at all the flower displays and gardens around the show, as well as sample the many great foody products on offer!

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We had stock of our new Travel Range (see below) - including the Travel Dress in drawstring bag, Sleeping Bag liner in drawstring bag and Travel Cotton Bag, all in fun bright paisley and patterned cotton fabrics.  The Travel Dresses especially proved to be popular gift purchases!

Even in the fantastic sunny weather, we still sold many of our VELA Neck scarves in the handknitted banana yarn (see below) for winter!

We also had our new jacquard/leather styles such as the ESTA Satchel shown below in summery bright coloured patterns...

Our JOGI Bag range proved really popular!

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So I am not really a flowery gardener type, it was amazing all the flower displays and gardens, some with inspiring political messages, such as the Quaker 'World without Torture' Garden (see: http://www.wirralchesterquakers.org.uk/q-cat/garden.html) and the 'Sister Sufragette' Garden inspired by 'Vote for Women'.

and to top it all off, who would not be amazed to see the Queens Jubilee and the Houses of Parliament complete with fireworks, depicted in a flower display! (see below)

 

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AURA QUE will be at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park in Cheshire between 18-22 July 2012!

AURA QUE will be at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park in Cheshire between 18th July and 22nd July 2012!  We will be at Stand 39 in the Country Living Tent, selling a range of our products from the leather bags, cotton jogi bags, scarves and leather goods!

We are hoping we will have time to look at all the flower and garden displays at the event, and hoping that the English weather holds out too!

Find our more information about the event here:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Show-Tatton-Park/2012

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Motorbike trip out of Kathmandu on Nepali roads featured on BBC's World's Dangerous Roads

Anyone who watched the BBC's 'World's Dangerous Roads' awhile ago, may have seen the winding roads out Kathmandu, amazing stepped hill fields and fantastic views, as well as the scary overtaking on corners and overpacking of the local buses with people spilling out of the doors and on top of the buses!

Last time in Nepal, I went on a small adventure out of the city, renting one of those massive Enfield bikes with a friend and making our way down to Chitwan in the South.  I have been down there many times, especially as that was where I first lived in Nepal for five months in 2003. But it was nice to get out of the city!

As I was on the back of the bike (I would not trust my driving on those roads!!) I got to take in all the sights along the way! Always things that make me laugh, like the goat ontop of the local bus, and the family of four all on one bike (scary!)  as well as the obligatory stops for cups of tea, daal baht and to stretch my numb legs (its a 4 or 5 hr journey down there)!!

The main road in Narayanghat, which is a main town on the way to India, and was 20 minutes away from the village that I stayed in when I lived in Nepal teaching English in 2003.

Unfortunately there are always the scary sights and remnants of horrific traffic accidents on the sides of the roads. Luckily we got to Chitwan safely!

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