A History of Provencale Fabrics

I was going to write a post on the history of tablecloths in France, but Jenean isn't here to spellcheck my French. Instead I thought this video provided a good summary. Enjoy!

PS: Wanting a handcrafted tablecloth from Provence of your own? Visit our store to our selection of Provencale fabrics.

DIY Cavallini: Reverse Paper Art

I was recently inspired by this Pinterest to create some art:



It seemed like a quick and easily project so simple it came from a Mommy Blog and was meant to keep five-year-olds busy.

HA! I was so naive.

First off, in my defense, I did make things way more complicated than they needed to be. My vision was larger than a mere handful of crayons. And that canvas was down right petite. No no no, my masterpiece was going to be a giant explosion of waxy color.

So, for better or worse, I set out to create be an artiste. Here are instructions (plus a few things I learned the hard way).

DIY Cavallini: Reverse Paper Art

Supplies:

• Box of crayons 
• Scissors 
• Hot glue gun 
• White canvas (don't be too ambitious) 
• Depending on how poor you are either contact paper or a cut out of a shape you like and rubber cement, double stick tape or a glue stick.

Step 1:

 If you have contact paper (a double sided sticky parchment), cut out a shape that you want to be left in a white outline. I chose an Eiffel tower from a Cavallini decorative wrap. Since I didn't feel like making the long trek back to Michaels I used rubber cement to secure the tower. It works because even though the cut out is firmly in place it also is easily lifted off later.





Step 2:

This is a purely gratuitous picture of my getting in the way. 

Step 2: (for real): 

Hot glue a row of crayons at the top. Do not make the mistake I did and unwrap them all. Not only is it time consuming but it also causes the colors to run together more than they normally would once you melt them. The wrappers keep colors separate. I also attempted to use adhesive letters to spell out a French phrase. It didn't work for me as they weren't stuck on well enough and started to fly off the canvas. But if you're feeling creative, give it a try.



Step 3: 

Using a hair dryer (It will get everywhere so I recommend stealing your roommate's) begin to melt the crayon wax. Note: Melting it on your kitchen counter with just a box in the background is a TERRIBLE idea. Wax splatters which meant we had to live with a nice rainbow sink and crayon flavored toast for a few days. Save yourself the headache of scrapping off crayon and do this outside or at the very least over newspaper. 

Step 4: 

This is what your canvas will begin to look like, only with defined colors because you listened to me and kept the wrappers on. The melting of the wax became quite the process. I had planned to remove the crayons from the canvas, which meant pulling them off and then dealing with the white streaks left with the glue. Instead make a picture where the crayons look great on top (like this).











The Final Result?

Once the mostly dry peel off the Eiffel Tower (or leaning tower of Piza, elephant, whatever you used). Touch up the outline with white paint and voila!

Mine still needs some touching up. I also went through and peeled off the chunkier pieces of wax and remelted them to make the colors smoother. 

Our Cavallini papers are only $4.50 and come in a variety of themes. Whether you're into London, Italy, or Paris, there's something to spark your creative fancy. 

See for yourself at www.efvillageshop.com!

The History of Murano Glass

While also home to Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, when it comes to art Italy thinks beyond the brush. Since the early 13^th century Murano, a small island in the Adriatic Sea, has served as the home to glass artisans recognized throughout the world.  

Glass starts out as a mixture of siliceous sand, soda, lime and potassium and has to be heated to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be molded. In the early days of glass making it soon became apparent that Rome’s wooden buildings did not make a good setting for glass factories. Fires were a frequent hazard in the populous city and as a result operations were moved to the island.

During Murano’s glory days glass makers were considered part of the upper class. They could marry nobles, carry swords and their crimes were overlooked by lawmakers. On the downside, they also were prohibited from leaving the island out of fear of the Murano glass making secrets getting out. Those who were caught often faced getting their hand chopped off! These strict regulations worked. Murano contued to dominate the glass industry until the 18^th century when competing artisans with new techniques started to become prominent in Northern Europe.

Today glass can now be found at every home goods store and there’s no secret to creating mirrors (prime Murano merchandise once upon a time). But the artisans of Murano are still at work creating beautiful pieces of jewelry, dishes, and more. After decades of persistence, the island is now back on top of the glass market.

We have beautiful Murano glass rings at fantastic prices – One for $10 or two $15. Bracelets made with the avventurina technique are also available (so named because of chance mixing of copper flakes with glass that led to it's discovery).

We look forward to seeing you soon both in store and at www.efvillageshop.com.

Duval's World Cafe Promotion

As we ring up a customer's order we often get asked for a dinner recommendation. Obviously this is a difficult choice as Sarasota has some of the best restaurants in the world (trust us, we would know!).

While there's something for everyone on the Main Street strip (Patrick's, Sangria and Tequila Cantina are some great spots) a new restaurant on the block has caught our attention.

Duval's New World Cafe at 1435 Main Street is a truly excellent dining experience. Described as "seafood oriented with a New Orleans twist" the menu has a dish that is as adventurous as you want (a recent Monday featured a surprisingly delicious seaweed salad) to as mainstream as you like (the eggplant parmesean is to die for!). Are you middle of the road adventurous? I tried the famous chicken po' boy with chipotle remoulade. It didn't disappoint.




Oh, and when you visit, don't bother asking the server what's the best item on the dessert menu. Just order the salted caramel sorbet and stop by to thank us later.

We're so excited to welcome Duval's New World Cafe to the block that we're offering a special discount for all of their customers. Bring in a receipt from your meal and we'll give you 10% off your purchase at European Focus Village.

Artisan international food and special deals on European goods...who can resist?

Duval's is open Mon-Sat 11am-10pm and on Sun from 11am-9pm.

European Focus Village is open until 5 pm everyday (4 pm on Sundays) and 24/7 at www.efvillageshop.com.

Putumayo: Your Taste-Tester of International Music

As an infamously indecisive person I love to order flights of wine when dining out. The simple choice of white or red can be difficult enough without adding in the decision of which wine-making region I want to test. A little taste of all the local tapas bar has to offer is perfect.

The selection of Putumayo music at the Village is just as tricky to choose from. A truly global music company, these CDs capture the flavor of everywhere from Ireland to New Orleans. And just like a flight of wine each compilation gives you a little taste of the music scene in these regions.

The entire Putumayo collection is terrific, but if I had to choose some favorites, I’d go with the following:

1. Music from the Winelands

Of course I have to keep with the wine theme for my first selection. This CD has a song from every wine producing region you can think of: France and California, of course, but also Spain, Greece and Argentina. The tracks are perfect for a relaxing evening at home with friends chatting over vino.

2. Rumba Flamenco

This lively mix of tunes puts you in touch with musicians from as far as Spain and as close as Los Angeles. The eclectic guitar paired with smooth vocals makes you wonder why modern radio bothers with auto tune. Dancing is not required…but most likely will occur once you catch on to the rhythm of Spain.

3. Acoustic France (pairs well with Paris) 

Imagine if Jason Mraz or John Mayer released tracks in French. Acoustic France shows that singer/songwriters are just as carefree in Europe as they are stateside. With a little bit of high school French you’ll be able to enjoy the lighthearted nature of the lyrics. A bit more traditional, “Paris” is also a great, jazzy offering, and "French Cafe" is a consistent best-seller.

4. A New Groove

One of the more modern sounding of the Putumayo CDs, a new groove features some of the best electronic artists from around the world. You may recognize Thievery Corporation, a popular band featured in the soundtracks to several movies and TV shows. I even heard a track played at a chic downtown Sarasota lounge. This CD takes from all over Europe, a true Putumayo taste tester. 

To sample more of the collection, visit www.putumayo.com or come to the listening station in our store. 

We're available, as always, 24/7 at www.efvillageshop.com