Araucaria

The New Kalbelia Jewellery Collection

This collection of jewellery has been inspired by the Kalbelias, a nomadic Indian tribe whose main occupation is catching snakes and trading snake venom.   The earrings have been made by the Patwa community continuing the traditional bright colours and mirrors which are a signature of the Kalbelia tribe.  Limited collection available in store now!  See more pictures online here.

January Sales Continue

Our January Sale continues this weekend with great savings to be made on our collections of vintage silk and cotton cushions.

A visit to Sanganer

Carved wooden blocks have been used for centuries in India to print lengths of cloth for making clothes and furnishings.  Earlier this month we visited Sanganer in North West India which has a long established history of block printing.  The communities of “Chhippas” who work here still use the traditional chisels, hammers and bow-drills to carve their blocks.

As we walked through Sanganer we found stacks of seasoned sheesham wood piled up in the 150 or so carving units that line the winding backstreets of the village.  The Chhippas work under the front awning of these units, squatting at small three-legged
tables gently tapping away, carving the blocks.

Penny for the Coffee Guy?

The coffee girls and boys were working overtime today to win favour in Camden Lock Place (view from the window today) with their “well executed coffee.”  We think there may have been some confusion between Halloween and Guy Fawkes, but they certainly stopped the crowds dead in their steps….

Meanwhile we have been busily listing a new collection of wooden printing blocks for online purchase  – you can now buy these from outside the UK at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/araucarialondonshop

And downstairs below us in the bowels of Camden Lock Market Hall, Clara should win the best witch job for scaring the kids away from her sweet shop.

Bewarned! The Long Halloween Weekend is Upon Us…

We are all ready to go for the extra long Camden Lock Halloween Weekend.  Over the last few days Forge Farm in Oxfordshire have brought hundreds of pumpkins into the market and traders have been put hard to work to carve their own displays.  Forge farm will have a stall throughout the weekend selling many varieties and sizes of organic pumpkins throughout the festival.  The London Waterbus will be running special Pumpkin Cruises to London Zoo and Little Venice from Camden Lock where there will be all manner of trick or treats to tempt the taste buds.

Cottons & Linens

New to the shop this week, a collection of cool cottons and linens in soft earthy tones, designed for casual living.  Tops, pants, dresses and jackets.  Coming to Viejo Imperio in Santiago soon…Limited collection available now in Camden Lock.  Click here for more pictures from the shop

Lockstock Festival Guide (for what’s happening today in Camden Lock)

Yep, another Lockstock festival today in Camden Lock with free events throughout the afternoon and ticketed events (£5) in the evening.  Click on the picture for a bigger view of what’s going down today.  Our shop will be open from 10am untill they lockus out….probably around 6pm.

Camden Riots

The police patrolled Camden High Street last night (above).  This morning a number of mobile phone shops had been ransacked, and there had been looting from Sainsbury’s Local and Evans bicycle shop (below).

Tonight security staff have been boarding up the premises in the market facing onto the High Street.  All the markets are closing earlier this afternoon as a precaution at 5pm.

Pedal Power Reggae Arrives at Camden Lock