Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Textile Holiday - Bhutan"s hidden treasures

Spectacular Textile Holiday in Bhutan


Continuing our blog instalment of the Colouricious Textile Holiday to Bhutan, we reveal what other attractions lay in store for you to experience on this creative holiday. To fill you in, Colouricious Holidays specialise in organising group textile tours which will enable you to see the sights of Bhutan and experience local textile making and crafts up close and personal. You’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture, colour, community and witness the spectacular mountain scenery of this country which lies at the foot of the Himalayas.

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On a Bhutan textile holiday, you’ll be in the hands of our experienced guides and stay in high quality local hotels many of which have access to WIFI and television. This type of unique tours enables you to explore the Bhutanese culture, scenery and local crafts in more integrated way. You’ll discover papermaking, fabrics, embroidery and other ceramic crafts. You’ll marvel at the beautiful weaving techniques and colourful textiles produced and have the chance to buy some keepsakes to bring home.

Journey through Bhutan’s creative textile cultural heartland


You’ll be able to visit a variety of markets and museums and see the variety of crafts and textiles which are on display. On route is the Dilli Haat market, offering the most amazing, authentic crafts to purchase. It is one of Delhi’s famous markets covering 6 acres of land and features 62 stalls selling an array of embroidered and woven fabrics, silk products, cushion covers, bags, shoes, saris, paintings, jewellery, handicrafts, wood and stone carvings, carpets and rugs, furniture, antiques and leather items. Click here for some top tips to make sure you get a fair price for your goods.

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What makes this market so special and so renowned is the traditional ‘weekly village market’ atmosphere it promotes. The small thatched roof cottages create a small village feel even though it’s one of the biggest markets in Delhi. It was specifically created by the government for local artisans to showcase their craft and products, encouraging them to venture out from their villages and sell directly to customers, increasing their profits by cutting out the middle man. Stall allotments are rotated every 15 days so different crafts man can display new items so there is always something new to be discovered. It has been a successful project preserving India’s traditional heritage.

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There is so much to see with these artisans often displaying their skills at their stalls or in the exhibition hall holding different shows to promote handloom. There are live cultural and music performances by different artists from around the country. There are also 25 food stalls on site with a diverse selection of cuisine. Now this is shopping in style. It’s an incredibly beautiful market with such an array of vibrant fabrics and definitely not one to miss!

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Local crafts with local materials


At Colouricious Holidays, we want you to have an unforgettable holiday as this country deserves to be admired for its stunning fabrics and architecture. This holiday has been running for 3 years receiving such wonderful feedback. Many of our guests are return customers and book onto other crafty holidays to different destinations across the world. Listen to our guests lovely testimonials below. Colouricious Holidays want you to be inspired for your own textile projects in future. You’ll have an amazing array of photo opportunities which will enable you to bring back even more amazing memories of a stunning country with amazing crafts people who produce beautiful textiles and designs. You’ll see the technicolour of designs which are imbued with meaning and status for the Bhutanese people.


Immerse Yourself In The Culture, Community And Colours Of Bhutan


web-dzong-sewing-textiles-stitching-craft-holidayBhutan is a fascinating country bordered by Tibet and Nepal and is deeply influenced by Buddhist monasteries which pepper the landscape. Set in the heart of the Himalayas, you’ll be able to meet the indigenous people who have lived and thrived in these conditions for generations. You’ll be able to visit the beautiful Buddhist temples and see prayer flags which are on display. One of these beautiful landmarks waiting to be explored is Trongsa Dzong. The town is located on a steep ridge with the fortress edged next to a sheer drop often disguised in the clouds and mist, overlooking the gorge of the Mangde River. It remains the only access point between  eastern and western Bhutan. It is the largest fortress in Bhutan containing 25 temples and houses over 200 monks. Tronga-dzong-colouricious-holiday-craft-tourThe buildings are set on different levels on the rocky spur with wide stones stairs and maze of beautifully paved courtyards and passageways connecting them all. Its impressive architecture makes it a must see along with the fine decoration of mural paintings lining the walls designed during the rule of the first king. An important printing house is located on site where religious texts are printed using the traditional woodblock printing technique. The watchtower has now been transformed into a state-of-the art national museum. Trongsa tsechu is also held here every year, an important five day festival marking the triumph of Buddhism for the country. A large embroidered or painted religious picture known as thongdrel will be unveiled with many dressed in exquisite colourful costumes and masks. There is also the fire blessing where people run through and archway of straw alit with burning flames.

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Colouricious Holidays


Colouricious-holiday-craft-textile-tourDoes this sound like an adventure you want to be a part of? Please visit www.colouriciousholidays.com to read more on what a Colouricious Holiday to Bhutan entails. There are many more amazing things to uncover so take a look at the highlights. Colouricious Holidays offer unique craft and textile experiences to help inspire your creativity. You will be travelling with a group of like minded guests using trusted tour guides and hotels. We take care of everything so you don’t have too so remember

Learn, create, be happy!


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Monday, December 11, 2017

Creative Holiday - Bhutan"s Textiles

A Creative Holiday to Bhutan


Do you love beautiful fabrics and sumptuous colours? If so you’re going to love the journey of exploration that Colouricious Holidays have planned for you. If you sew and love fabrics and want to embark on a journey into the heart of Bhutanese textiles then look no further. You will explore the heart of local textiles and will be taken on a journey to delight your senses on this creative holiday. You’ll be able to sample local food and culture and a variety of different crafts at local markets. Hosted by the wonderful Isha Sharma, you will be guided through Bhutan"s textile and craft hotspots. You will stay in personally selected hotels to give you maximum comfort to expand your creativity.

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Creative holidays with a difference


With Colouricious Textile Holidays to Bhutan, you’re sure to get a craft holiday with a difference bringing you to destinations you’ve never been to before. You can discover hidden gems like rural villages which still do traditional crafts off the beaten track. Our local knowledge enables us to find the best traditional local craft centres which offer the highest quality materials and textiles for you to discover on your journey of a lifetime. One of these destinations is the National Institute of Zorig Chusum. It"s an arts and crafts school teaching the 13 traditional crafts of Bhutan. These include embroidery, weaving, painting, wood carving, calligraphy and sculpting to name a few. You will witness students being trained in these ancient techniques helping protect the invaluable heritage of Bhutan. It"s great way to integrate yourself into their way of life, watching locals making local crafts and being able to join in and try them for yourself!

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Discover the magic of the Bhutan Valley


Creative-holidays-handicraft-craft-makingOur creative holidays to Bhutan begin in London where you’ll fly to Delhi and then arrive in the sacred Paro Valley in Bhutan. This valley is considered one of the most picturesque in Bhutan with the river of Paro Chhu meandering through it"s flat fields. There is so much to see from the richly decorated shops and houses to the 155 temples and monasteries in this area dating back to the 14th century. It"s also home to Bhutan"s iconic landmark, the Tiger’s Nest. This beautiful temple, built on a cliff face, sits 900 hundred meters above the Paro Valley. It is believed Guru Rimpoche flew on a tigress and landed in cave on the cliff face anointing this as the location to build a monastery. He mediated here for 3 years, 3 months, 3 days and 3 hours to subdue the demon tigress. It is considered the most holiest of sites as it"s believed Guru Rimpoche established Buddhism in Bhutan. The temple is built into the cliff face where you can explore the caves and walk along stairways made in the rock. There are many beautiful paintings on the walls even the scenic woodland path to approach the site is littered with prayer flags. Click here see the top attractions Part Valley has to offer.

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During your trip you’ll be introduced to Bhutanese culture and discover its sacred ancient history. You’ll discover the Buddhist religious culture and folklore.You’ll be given a tour of the beautiful textile museums and see local hand weaving in practice taking part in painting and weaving workshops. You’ll have such a wonderful time in Bhutan, discovering textiles and crafts and culture that you won’t want to leave.

Feast your eyes on Bhutan"s architecture


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Be sure to bring a good camera because you won’t want to miss out on capturing the essence of Bhutan’s culture or miss the beautiful architecture and craftsmanship. You’ll see breath-taking scenery especially at Buddha point. Incredibly, it stands at 169 feet and contains 125,000 smaller Buddha"s also gilded and made of bronze. It"s one of the biggest Buddha statues in the world looking out over the Kuensel Phodrang nature park, the southern approach to the capital Thimphu. Amazingly Thimpu"s population is 100,000, so there are more Buddha"s contained in this magnificent statue than people in Bhutans capital. Buddha Dordenma was built in honour of Jigme Singye Wangchuck 60th birthday as the fourth king of Bhutan. It sits upon a beautiful decorated mediation hall. The landscape will provide an unforgettable backdrop for you to experience unspoilt forested mountains which descend into the glacial valleys giving way to evergreen paddy fields of exotic red rice.

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Unique craft and textile holidays


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There’ll be lots of opportunities to bring back samples of local crafts and feast your eyes on traditional uses of textiles such as prayer flags, embroidered thankras, colourful costumes. We pride ourselves on providing a unique experience for people who want to have a creative holiday with a difference. We want to show you the very best of Bhutanese crafts and provide a textile tour which will enthral you.

Keep an eye out for our next blog to see what other wonderful activities await you on this textile holiday to Bhutan with Colouricious Holidays or visit www.colouriciousholidays.com to see the full itinerary and book a place!

Learn, create, be happy!

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Medieval Start Kit

Everything you need to get started in block printing. An ideal Christmas gift for the crafter in your life.


  • 6 Medieval blocks

  • 3 small bottles of fabric paints

  • 3 sponges

  • A paint tray

  • A Foam Mat

  • A scrubbing brush

  • A DVD guide to Block Printing


Medieval Start Kit

Medieval Medley

9 delightful Medieval blocks packed with 4 small bottles of our fantastic fabric paints and 4 sponges.



Medieval Medley