a hard working sheep

[post by Sandra]
kudos (for my german readers, I also never heard this word before, but here comes the translation :-) "ein dickes Lob") to Friederike!
She is a real hard working sheep. She gets up very early in the morning by the first cockcrow, walks into the studio, of course not before brushing her teeth thoroughly and starts to work. And for all of you who don´t believe what I´m saying, check out this little

---> film <---

(.wmv format, Windows media player required)

:-) Sandra

the simple life

no snow today, which is not astounding, as we haven´t seen any snow since the official winter time has begun.
All my stuffing material is finished and I´m desperatly waiting for the postman to bring me fresh supply I´ve ordered. Yesterday I ran through some "living with ZEN" books. I recognized that my domicil and studio had nothing in common with the ZEN spirit, that I admire so much.

from the book "Wohnen mit Zen"

So I decided to use the time to clean up the studio. Indeed, it was overdue... but it took hours and I´m still not finished.

Every time I try to sort all the stuff having collected over the last years I have an itch to sort out, chuck out and to simplify - simplify my life. Some time ago I saw a documentation of a woman who made the decision to simplifiy her life in a radical way. She lives in a house only 16 square meter small, without electricity, telefone or running water. She doesn´t call it abdication, but profit. You can watch a short movie, it´s in german language but you get an impression.

Also only 16 square meters in area, consisting of a single room on the ground level with a small loft accessed by interior stairs, is the painted house of Maud Lewis. Click on the open door of the house to go inside. (found through Keri Smith)

I know I would never be able to lower my lifestyle that much nor would a ZEN living style in my home last any longer than one day, but imagine how much time would be safed, by reducing our lifes. For this moment cleaning up one single room measuring 16 square meters, sounds like heaven to me . Simplify! - my motto for this week.
x Friederike!

want to watch it?

only a few seconds short, but that´s a start, or what do you think? ;)
I´m still waiting..... waiting...... waiting..... for the official o.k. from ARTE TV, that allows me to publish the videostream. But in the meantime you can watch it by clicking the link below, you have to go the last 30 seconds :) of the stream and et voilá....
--->LINK<--- (you need Real Player to watch it)

yours, Friederike! (you wonder about my outfit? NO, it´s not a sign for beginning airs and graces, I was just in the mood....)

the deadline-thing

doing things last minute is one of my proudly cherished specialities.
Of course I´m thrilled , that one or two of my designes and patterns are going to be published in a book. Being part of this project per se is a big honor, but the deadline for the delivery of pattern and instructions is on Wednesday and breathes down my neck. Usually I don´t work with patterns and instructions (some of my drafts are drawn on kraft paper and cutted out, to use it as a kind of pattern, but that´s it), based loosely on learning by mistakes. To write down every single step of something you usually do without much thinking, is a new experience for me. Guess who works this weekend?

xo, Friederike!

P.S: don´t forget to watch me on TV on Monday, 22nd January -12:35 p.m., ARTE TV, lifestyle magazin CHIC :)

waiting for the storm

hurrican warning for today, we are expecting the worst hurrican since years. It´s already very windy and I hope the trees in front of the house have strong roots... 
The storm will reach Cologne in about 2-3 hours

Therefore I have to stay inside, spend my time with too much coffee and too much chocolate. 
Maybe that´s the reason why doll no.8 and viking no.5 came out a bit let´s say overweight, I don´t want to use the bad f.. word. 

interesting artwork by:

Marina Dempster
Clarina Bezzola

So long for today,
Yours Friederike!

visit our "new" website

www.herzensart.com

tough hours of webiste-redesining lie behind us. Many thanks to Michael from the heart and sorry that you can count now 3 grey hairs (more). What would we do without you? We love you!!! :)
xox Friederike! and Sandra

JUMP!

into the future

5 good things that happened since the last post:

1. touchy Victoria who did her job (btw. didn´t her job) for the last one and a half year will be replaced by a new Pfaff sewing machine in the next days. It´s hard that we have to break up with her, but she suffered a bit too often from PMS. So sorry, Victoria!

2. selling record on friday: 4 pieces in only one hour, all going to USA. Thank you so much Stephanie and Wendy. One could say the dolls are nearly sold out, only doll no.1 is left in the shop. So we know what we have to do as soon Pfaff moves into our studio :)

3. another fantastic Kiki Smith book arrived

4. I visited the Guggenheim exhibition in Bonn

5. new addiction: happy-hormone-kicks through trampoline jumping, jumping, jumping....!

So long for today, yours Friederike!

P.S: Check out these dreamy photographs by Sam Lamb

new birds available

I´m in love with making white birds lately. Now I decided to sell them nicely packed in small boxes. Here are the details if you are interested...

"free the birds" - white, handmade bird in a box

birds size: about 17x11cm
made of: white felt, embroidered, soldered wire feet, paper tag, signed
price: 29 EUR + shipping costs (as long the birds are not added to the gallery, please
send me an email at friederike@herzensart.com if you are interested. Shipping worldwide, costs depend on country, Paypal accepted)

more pictures here . Talk more soon, yours Friederike!