One week left of Peruvian Presents..

.. since I'm continueing my journey back home to my beloved Peru (and husband!), stopping in Spain first. I'm leaving London on Monday the 6th of July, so this week is your last chance to get hold of the lovely things that haven't sold out yet!
I'm afraid I can't take any more beanie orders though because I'm still knitting a backlog of about 5 hats and won't be able to get more done this week.

But there are 2 ways to buy something and even get creative yourself this weekend:
Saturday 4th of July: I have a stall at the "Big Day Out at Whittington Park" festival, at Whittington Park, just off Holloway Road, N19 4RF. The free festival runs from 1-6pm this Saturday, and me and some wonderful friends will be manning the Peruvian Presents stall where we are offering the handmade presents from the blog in a "priceless shop" (this means; buyers suggest a price and Peruvian-style haggling starts..) , as well as offer a range of short workshops for kids and adults so you can make some of the accessories yourself! Beautiful prints of my husband's photos will also be on sale, plus some new accessories that I haven't had time to put on the blog yet..

Sunday 5th of July: I invite you all to a lovely crafternoon! That means: an afternoon to craft together! I'll bring all the material I have, to guide you how to make something or for you to go craft-crazy yourself. Bring some food/drink and ideas. It's also a last opportunity to pop round and buy something if you can't make it on Saturday. This is hosted at a friend's house in Caledonian Road, email or call me for directions!

SALE SALE SALE

I'm joining in the craze that's sweeping through Oxford Street and am offering a whopping 30% off on the silver jewellery! If you ask nicely, discounts might also be available on some other items.

Thanks again for all your support so far, I've already been able to buy some of the books here needed for the institute and look forward to making the other improvements when I get back to the centre!

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Note: If you can't make it the above but really want to order some of the goods, I can also make them available through my Etsy shop (where the prints will also be available soon), which accepts credit/debit card payments, and goods can be sent from anywhere to anywhere in the world: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7440983
Contact me for details.

Vintage look

I am definitely inspired by the fashion bomb that seems to have gone off in London since I've been away, and has doused everyone in mostly second-hand stuff. Is it fashion or is just because people can't afford to buy new items anymore because of the "crisis"?

Anyway, here are some vintage look items I've made. More to come here, also custom-made items available if you ask me soon!



















Three generations

This accessory can be made to be a ring, a hairband, or a brooch. These are finished with buttons, but I'm also going to make some with lovely semi-precious stones I have, will be uploaded this weekend.
It's called 3 generations because the material is my grandma's and my mum's, and I made it!


Prices: to be confirmed, probably all under a tenner
Availability: About 8-10 brooches according to the material I have





















Furry Flower
Flower brooch made with vintage yarn too. Can also be made to fit a hairband.
Several colour combinations and shapes and sizes available.

£6 - availability unlimited, made to order


















Victorian beach

This bracelet is made with only one button, but I'm working on some more with several buttons. Vintage cotton yarn (great for summer!) and buttons.

£5 - availability limited to the buttons I have, made to order

Hand-knitted beanies

I love hats and long wanted to make my own, and lucky for you guys I'm a quick learner, because I'm now offering you to order your very own handmade beanie, in the colour or colour combinations and size you want! Which means also for babies and children! Prices given are for beanie made with acrylic yarn, if you want it made from another type of yarn, let me know and I'll tell you if it's more or the same price.

















Adults all sizes up to 3 colours: £10

Kids all sizes up to 3 colours: £8

Baby beanies up to 2 colours: £6

Bags etcera..

Sold out!

Silver jewellery

Here come the really fancy pieces for those of you that prefer silver over other natural materials!

Peru has a long history of silver jewellery, and I chose a few pieces that I thought reflect the spirit of where I live, the Andes mountains most, as they include real cocaleaves, a plant so important to this region, both physically and symbolically. In case you didn't know, the cocaplant has amazing properties, and has been used by the Andes people for thousands of years as an the most effective altitude-sickness cure, an energizer, tooth decay preventer, not to begin to speak of the spiritual meaning the plant and its leaves hold.

Have a look at the jewels below, all hand-made with high quality 950 silver by a skilled Cusco silversmith. A very special present to a loved one, or yourself!

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A drop of the ocean (on sale!)

This beautiful set is in my favourite colour and shape, so it'll hurt a little when I sell it!

A set of earrings and a pendant on a silver chain, filled with purple coloured shell.

SALE- now £30! - will come in a nice giftbox, and definitely free hand-delivery within London zones 1-3!
Only 1 set available.

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Two babyleaves (on sale!)

Silver earrings with baby coca leaves incrusted, visible on both sides.

SALE- now £17.50! - will come in a nice giftbox, and definitely free hand-delivery within London zones 1-3!
2 sets available.

Earrings

Colours + ears = happy days
Handmade by me! The beads are dyed natural carved pieces of "tahua", a very interesting bead made from a root in the jungle which goes rockhard when it dries. I have lots of colours available so let me know what colours you like and I'll make a set for you. Cord also available in all colours.
£5 - several available

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Almost Pete

(The title refers to Piet Mondriaan, a Dutch artist who liked squares in colours similar to the ones used in the earrings. Take your art memory for a jog here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Mondrian)


Very simple but appealing earrings made with black thread and "tahua" beads from the jungle. The other photo shows the matching necklace.
I'm making more with other colours of thread and beads, feel free to request the colours you'd like or if you'd like with a bracelet!

Just earrings: £3
Earrings with necklace: £7

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Reddy to convince

Pretty huayruro earrings using small and bigs huayruros, and other beads.
Hand-made by me. Go well with some of the other huayruro jewellery.

£6 - about 10 sets available according to the seeds I have!

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Coconut bombshell

Simple but pretty earrings made with coconut shells. Also available in half-moon shape in lighter colour, check out the materials section.

£4 - up to 3-4 sets available

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Floripondering
Floripondio, which is often called "toé" in Peru, is a plant with some interesting healing properties, although it needs to be used with care because of its strength.

I make these toé-shape inspired earrings by hand, and they're currently available in these colours: white, purple, light-yellow and babyblue.

You can also order an earring that has more than 1 flower on it.

(as shown) £4 - availability unlimited but with a few days notice please!

Rings

Go nuts!

Classic coconut ring, great for men and woman, and I have all sorts of sizes and colours available.

£1.50 for 1, or 3 for £4!

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By hand, for your hand

This has to be the thing I made myself I'm most proud of so far, and also by far the shiniest! It's a ring with made with bronzecoloured nylon/metal thread and beads, almost unbreakable and classy. The model shown is quite wide, but as I make them to order you can choose the width, and thread and bead colours.

I'm also going to make matching bracelets and earrings in this style, feel free to pre-order those.

£8 - made to order

Bracelets / Anklets

Shiny summer

Handmade by me. Can be used as a bracelet or cute anklet. Shiny thread with wooden beads.

Available in several colour combinations, will put up some photos of other finished ones soon.

£3.50 - availability: lots, only limited to the time I need to finish them

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Lucky wrists

My favourite: the red seed used in this bracelet is called huayruro, comes from the rainforest and is well-known in Peru for bringing good luck and protection to the person wearing it. I have used one myself and it works!
Made with clever pull to tighten cord closure, easy to put on and take off.

£4 - only 1 left!

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Jungly wrists

This chunky bracelet is made with pieces of coconut shell and seeds from the jungle. Great man bracelet.

£5 - 1 left

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Colourful summer

These cuffs can be made to order, and thought they'll always be multicoloured because of the beautiful Peruvian fabric they're made with, they'll also have a basecolour, so let me know what colours you like before ordering! Fastens with visible button as above or with invisible click button on the inside.

Sale: £5 - several available, made to order

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Rainforest fingers - Sold!

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Beach wrists

Some hot days in London remind us: summer is nigh!

These natural white and painted bracelets are great for the beach. They have good hooks on them so won't come off however deep you dive!

£3 - a few available - some in kids sizes

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Pretty seedy, little beady

These classic rainforest bracelets never go out of fashion ! Elegant because they're small seeds and beads, and very strong. The beads are on the outside edges or in the middle as shown above, in white, green or blue.

£3 - 7 available in total - some in kids sizes

Necklaces

Inca Princess
A necklace made of natural serpentina stone, 1 available in green and another in cream.

£10 - 1 green / 2 cream still available

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Light Stones
A necklace made of natural green serpentina stone.

£8 - only 1 left for a quick buyer!

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Almost Pete

(The title refers to Piet Mondriaan, a Dutch artist who liked squares in colours similar to the ones used in the earrings. Take your art memory for a jog here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Mondrian)


Simple but appealing necklace made with black thread and "tahua" beads from the jungle. The photo also shows the matching earrings.

I'm making more with other colours of thread and beads, feel free to request the colours you'd like or if you'd like with a bracelet!


Just necklace: £5

Earrings with necklace: £7

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Cosmovision Cosmopolitan


The symbol of the natural stone hanger that is on this necklace is called the "chakana" in Peru, and it was a very important shape/symbol in the Quechua culture (Quechua people is the real name of who people refer to as the Incas, because Inca really only means "king").

Anyway, check wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakana) for full info. The necklace is made with nice natural thread, wooden beads, and natural stone in the shape of a chakana. Different colours available, check out the photo of the chakanas above. Thread and beads all colours available.

£6 - up to 10 available

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Summer on your neck!
Necklaces made with round cut pieces of shell, available in white or orange. Good for capoeiristas..
I also have a few matching bracelets!

£5 - 3 white / 2 orange still available

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Andes meets jungle
These necklaces I make myself! Combine typical fabric from the Andes region, with the lucky huayruro seed from jungle areas. You can pretty much request shape, size and colour and I'll make it. Can also be combined with other materials, and be done as bracelet or crazy earring (will make one of those soon so you get the idea).

£6 - the one from the photo is available, others made to order

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A slice of jungle
Also hand-made by me. The hanger is a slice of what they call "tawa", it's some sort of root that gets really hard when it's dry, and looks great dyed like this.

£7 - the one from the photo is available, others with hangers of different colours made to order

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Pretty Shipiba
The Shipibo are a tribe in the rainforest in Peru, and this necklace was made by them. With huayruro seeds and others.

£8 - only 1 available!

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Wood you?
These 3 pretty wooden necklaces with wooden beads are available separately at £4 each, or for a quick buyer as a set of 3 for 10 quid!

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Rainforest style
Long necklace made with huayruro and other rainforest seeds.

£7 - 2 available

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The future's bright
Long orange necklace, to be worn double, made with small painted stones.

£5 - 2 orange still available

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Rasta to the bone

Cool, light necklace made of fishbones, with the all-too-familiar Rastafari colours. Good man-present!

£4 - 2 available

How to order your hand-made present in London this June 2009..

When: Most importantly: I'm only in London until the 5th of July! So if you like something, order asap, also since I only have 1 or a few of each present, and often limited of the same type of material to make up more.

How to order: Email me on elisemundo@gmail.com or call me on 07958 545982 and indicate what present you'd like, with the name if it is non-customisable, and with more details if you want for example a beanie in a certain colour combination, size etc. I'll email you back on that same day to let you know if the product is available.

Delivery: is free for orders over £10 and will be done by me on my wonderful borrowed bicycle to anywhere within zone 1-2, and some places in zone 3 around North London (where I'm based). If the order is under £10 there will be a £1 delivery charge. Normally Friday would be delivery day every week, if you urgently need it before, let me know and we'll discuss other options.
Out of London orders: will be mailed with Royal Mail, charge dependent on weight.

Payment: You can pay me upon delivery, in cash. For order outside of London, call me to discuss options.

Remind me again why I want to get one of these presents?: Because they are hand-made, some absolutely unique, and it helps me incredibly with my future plans in Peru when you buy something!

The what and why of Peruvian Presents..

Elise, a Dutch imported Londoner from 2000 to 2006, escaped the tubestrikes, bad weather and cultural diversity of the city to start again from scratch with her new mountain man in mystical Peru.

In 2008 she started a place called "El Arte Sano" (Spanish for "healthy art") in Urubamba, a small town not far from Cusco, in a beautiful valley running through the Andes mountains. It's a small centre that offers English courses focused on tourism for locals to improve their jo prospects in the tourism industry, and also seeks to organise cultural workshops and events, since this small town doesn't offer much of that! (This is the blog for the centre, currently only in Spanish: http://elartesano-urubamba.blogspot.com/ )

Although the centre is doing well, virtually no money can be saved each month to do the following important things: Buy better teaching materials, renovate some parts of the rooms, and spend more time organising cultural events.

Soooo... this is why Elise is now in Europe, to raise funds and continue improving the centre. She has a real passion for the Peruvian culture and one of the thigns she is most impressed with is the skill and vast tradition of handicrafts in Peru, done using techniques that often date back hundreds of years.
She has been exploring some of these techniques herself and has decided to share these with you to offer some truly unique handmade gifs for you or a loved one.