Santa is on His Way

All of the snow has definitely melted. It's raining. If it wasn't for the wind, the weather would almost feel warm. The photo below may be the closest I get to a snowflake. 

Oh well. 

White, or not, there are more important aspects of Christmas than the weather.

So I would like to take this moment to wish everyone the happiest of holidays...ever.

I hope you are with the ones you love, or lovin' the ones you're with.

I hope you're drinking Egg Nog, eating Gingerbread Cookies, playing a Board Game, singing Carols, and cooking a Big Dinner; all at the same time. It's not Christmas if you don't go overboard.

Much Love.

And Happiness.

Ludwig's Approval

I have become quite confident about the fact that I enjoy fur; and Florida Scarf enjoys fur. As I explained yesterday; it's cold in Germany and we're outside a lot. Fur is the perfect accessory for temperature control. This is the newest fur I have purchased for the company. I brought it to Ludwig today to see what his opinion of it was. He gave it five stars. I can now, again with confidence, say that this fur was worth it. Ludwig says the region it came from is known for it's quality, and the way the leather was treated, on the reverse side, is quite a lot of work. The guys who I bought it from do a fine job. 
Ludwig says in order to have fur this soft, and clean and nice, the rabbit is raised for it. His name is King.....Rex in German. This fur is the equivalent to Kobe beef; if you'd be speaking of cows. 
As I write this I am surprised that fur scarves are the latest chapter in the journey of my small business. It was never a medium I had intended to work with. As I find myself in this new world however, exploring and embracing its culture and traditions, I like it. If I was in America, or at least New Jersey, I wouldn't be afforded the same opportunities. I need to seize them. Every other place I have been I seek out traditional materials to use for my scarves and hoods. When I lived in St. Augustine, FL, I took advantage of the vintage culture. When I lived in Alabama I bought houndstooth... I also met a girl who was from Ecuador and she sold me Tagua Nut buttons. When I was recently in Bali I bought fabric; hand woven, hand dyed, and batiked. While in New Jersey lots of my buttons were handmade by my mom. Now I'm in Germany, still finding handmade clay buttons, but also finding fur.
And while Ludwig hunts, rabbit and boar and deer and such. It is expensive to tan the hides. He doesn't pay to do it anymore. This is why I have to buy it from someone else. After today however, Ludwig has begun to needle me to purchase the rest of his furs from him. He still has a few that he has not gifted to me. I'm sure I will buy them. I visited with him and Katharina today and gave them their Christmas basket....Oh and I got my feet wet in the tax office.

Read the Rest Here.

Christmas Shopping for the Company

The Christmas markets have been in full swing for three weeks now. With eight trips under my belt; one could say I've been taking full advantage of the season.

It amazes me how much time Germans spend out of doors. Weather is, absolutely, not a factor. I am outside all of the time; for long periods of time. It's the only way to absorb the culture...and fresh air. It could be 10 degrees Celsius and raining; and there will still be crowds perched outside coffee shops enjoying a beverage (and perhaps a cigarette) at a table. They may be under a blanket; but that just makes the dedication even more apparent.

Luckily, I've got plenty of outdoor clothing. It is of the greatest necessity to always carry with you a hat, gloves, scarf and an umbrella. It doesn't matter what month, day, or time of day it is; in Germany you must be prepared for it to be cold and/or rainy. Being the cold freak that I am; I also carry two sets of Hot Hands. Sometimes I need more than Glühwein to encourage my blood to continuously circulate. 

With Christmas less than 10 days away I've definitely begun to hear the phrase, “You've seen one Christmas market, then you've seen them all. While in general I find this opinion a bit boring, I also found a Christmas market this Sunday to put that opinion to shame. (Try to stay with me here.) I attended a two-day Christmas market at Gut Wolfgangshof (an old farm estate, in Anwanden, hosted by the Schloss Hexenagger group. The website is www.winterzauberland.de You might want to bookmark it for next year. 

This was not your typical Christmas market. Yes, they had Glühwein and Lebkuchen. Yes, they had chocolate and bratwurst. But they also had organic, farm raised, lamb sausage with a most fantastic paprika seasoning. (and I don't even like lamb) They had lots of vendors from farms with fresh eggs, meats, pelts, preserves, jams, and jellies....so much of the land's bounty. Yes, many vendors there were selling Christmas ornaments and candles. But the ornaments were hand carved and the candles hand-dipped beeswax. I am also in love with how the Germans have not let the simple traditions of craftsmanship fall to the wayside. There was even a blacksmith present. He was doing demonstrations, but also letting children practice as well. It was cool. Even better; there was a camel. You could ride it. I didn't. Kids did.

Since the market was on a farm estate, the barn was full of crafters and vendors too. I found many beauty products I would have loved to purchase.There was a guy selling lotion made from potatoes (cool) and I couldn't keep from tripping over millions of delicious smelling soaps. On the ground floor of the barn they had a exhibit of the traditional biscuit ornaments. The biscuits are hand made in molds, then baked, then painted. Here you could buy them and paint them yourself. I bought two, of course, but I brought them home to paint with my own paint. I'm going to give them to my neighbors and landlords as gifts. There were also many fabulous jewelers present at this market. My sights and senses were overwhelmed with all of the beautiful possibilities of jewelry. I always take jewelers' business cards in hopes of contacting them and asking them to make me incredible buttons. Here, in Germany, I think I'm going to have great luck with that. The jewelers I have met so far seem quite personable and interested in custom work. For instance, wouldn't it be awesome to have buttons from this artist?...www.erdwind.de...

So what did I buy? Nothing for myself; I must admit. I bought more fur for Florida Scarf. I met these awesome dudes, from Leipzig. They traveled quite far with their outstanding collection. They had so many interesting, beautiful, high quality pieces. I wanted to buy them all. I chose to purchase the softest rabbit pelt I could find; just one. I don't want to go overboard with any one style. Florida Scarf, in fur, has been a hit here in Europe though. Seeing how much time we are all spending outside; now I understand. Fur keeps you incredibly comfortable and warm.

I could ramble on about my enchanting Sunday afternoon, at the Magic Winter Market that was terribly gorgeous and enchanting, and cold, and rainy, and muddy; but you would get bored and fall asleep, and it would leave me no time to mention Saturday.

Saturday was another cold and rainy (typical) day in Germany. I rode the train to Nürnberg and went to the Winterkiosk (www.winterkiosk.de) at the Kunsthaus (Art House) across the street from the train station. It was three floors of handmade wares, repurposed clothing, vegan food, glühwein, recycling, books, and basically everything else for the modern hippie. It was fun; but with an extremely different flair than the market on Sunday. Saturday was fun, and funky. I am happy to report that I found some buttons for Flo Sca on Saturday. I am slowly building an army of supplies born and bred in Deutschland. 

After the Winterkiosk I made another stop at the Nuremberg Christmas market. (I couldn't be in the city and not drop by) That place is crazy! On a Saturday. Crazy! In a good way. I really enjoy shopping once all of my normal Christmas shopping is over with. Like this weekend; the only people I bought things for were (technically me, but also for) Flo Sca customers...and I don't even know them yet. This means there is no pressure, and I get to hang on to the items for a while. I will use them (myself) to make the scarf with, then they will be purchased. It's like a double gift. Initially it makes me happy. Then, later, it makes another person happy.

Fall Bazaar in Wiesbaden

Please Join Me If You Can....

Normally, it is difficult for me to get dressed without layering or accessorizing. Recently it has begun to get even tougher. It's Fall, and soon it will be replaced by Winter. Germany is getting pretty chilly. It's perfect timing for my last bazaar of the season. I know it seems early for bazaar season to be ending, but I'm keeping it simple this year.

In preparation for an event like this my creativity goes into hyperdrive. I can't sleep, I can't relax; all I can do is think about sewing. It's a good thing my husband isn't around to endure this. My productivity would drive him nutty, and he'd tell me I need to relax. (Actually, he tells me that anyway.) I've been making new pieces constantly for the past couple of weeks. I go into my sewing room and don't come out for hours. I make a cup of coffee (or get a glass of wine, depending on the time of day) put some music on, and get lost in the colors and patterns, and the way they look and feel. The windows in my sewing room face the front of the house. Every time the landlord or my neighbors walk by they can see me. My neighbors tease that I only live in one room in my house because each time they check, I'm in there. They also tell me not to work so hard. But my reply is that it is not work. I think it is fun. The part where I stand in front of people and try to sell them is the part that feels like work.

So what have I been doing? Well, most of my core features to the scarves and hoods are still here; warmth, minimalism, interesting buttons, recycled fabrics, vintage fabrics, and exciting color combinations. There are some new elements I've been working with too; to freshen up the inventory and give you something to lust after. I've got more furs. I've got some fabrics I picked up in Bali. 

Of course, there are a few new supplies from Germany too; mostly buttons. I've been able to make more deer antler buttons thanks to the wood shop on post. I have also been exploring new shapes and sizes in both the hoods and the scarves. But my time to prepare is quickly coming to a close. The bazaar is this weekend.

I also wanted to take this time to quickly post the new fur scarves I have made. I had a lot of interest in this style at my last craft fair. I only made two and I sold them both. I wanted to give everyone in my area (and on the internet) a chance to see them before I take them this weekend. If you are interested in one of these please contact me. I am selling each one for $65. As you may remember; the fur is from a 1930's/40's mink coat.

After Wiesbaden I will be loading the Etsy shop. This is the other part of the scarf business that feels like work. But I'll put some more music on, make a cup of tea, (for a change) and load pictures and descriptions of my creations to share with you for this season. I hope you're looking forward to me completing that task; I am. When it's all over I'm going to switch to painting for a while. I'll need a break by then, I think. I want to finish some new paintings before the new year.

Florida Scarf Fur

There's nothing better (to me) than working with new products and materials. It is such a cool breeze on my days in the studio. Since I moved to Germany the new supplies have just been abounding. It is incredible to see where your life goes when you meet new people and travel to new places. As I reported (last post) one of my new favorite accessories are my Swarovski crystal buttons. I had a great time visiting their museum and had to bring something home to share. I was pretty pumped that they made buttons. This green cashmere and fur scarf featured above has crystal buttons. (They are not shown.)

And now for my next new feature, fur. I'm not afraid to admit it; I like fur. It's soft, and super warm. The fur that I use is upcycled vintage fur. It's not much of a status symbol, but it's pretty luxurious nonetheless. Currently, I have been fashioning scarves from a 1930's mink. The things this coat must have seen, the places it is sure to have been, are what make it appealing to me. When this coat was purchased, it was a whole different world. And since it was too old to be a coat anymore; I reinvented it as a scarf. Cut up into manageable pieces and accented with gorgeous buttons, the legacy can live on. The tag said the coat was from Flemington Furs in N.J. Flemington Furs is still around. They are celebrating their 90th Anniversary, and they are still at the same location. Impressive.

My other fur resource is my neighbor. As I stated previously, he is a hunter. He gave me some fur to work with. It is fur from a German animal called a Bisam. It is in the mink family. The fur is really soft. If you are interested in learning about my neighbor, and his hunting practices, you can read this older post. In this scarf, I paired Ludwig's fur with some cream fleece, gilded lotus print, and beautiful, handmade wooden buttons from ARemarkYouMade.

I am really excited about these new combinations. If you are too, there are more photos for viewing, and they are available for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Ludwig's Furs

In case you haven't heard this is my neighbor, Ludwig. No, not the guy on the right. That's my husband. My neighbor is the gentleman on the left. Ever since we moved to Germany he and his wife have been one of the highlights of our life. They have been key members of our social circle. They don't speak much English and we don't speak much German, but we get along quite well. They are always sharing tips and tidbits to help us make the most of our German experience.

Ludwig is, in my opinion, a real man of the Earth. He is hunting and fishing all of the time. When he goes on these local expeditions he brings back deer, boar, rabbit, trout, and any other catch to be found in the woods or lakes here. He also will pick berries and bring them home and his wife makes jams, or desserts. Just yesterday he went hunting and brought home some fresh flowers. They shared them with me.

This flower is called a May Bell, and it smells delicious.

The reason I am sharing all this information about my neighbor with you is because he has a decent collection of furs from his recent hunts. Together we thought I might be able to help him sell them on Etsy. If you, or anyone you know is interested here are the links:

Fox Fur

Steinmarder Fur

These pelts are smaller and reasonably priced. They are perfect for someone just beginning to sew fur. Their size is just right for small projects like trim on a collar or a hand muff.

Ludwig hunts the animal population in the local woods, here in Ansbach, Germany. This has been his home for roughly 50 years.