F.A.Q.

No, this is not a shop, only our private collection to share/show.
We may sometimes decide to sell a few plush animals. Then I will post them in the "For Sale" section. There you can send us a message through the form if you're interested. Please remember, these are only private sales, it's not a shop.

I haven't counted them all. Together with my husband, I guess about 600.

I am living in Germany, so most of my sources are from here or the USA, as we often travel there. If I remember the place where I bought a plush animal, I will add it to the description in the galleries. I often just browse ebay or Amazon, or look for other online stores.

You can also sometimes find nice plush toys at stores like gas stations, zoo shops, visitor centers, book stores, Christmas markets, etc.

I am mostly concentrating on collecting my favorite species, like snow leopards, clouded leopards, wolves, foxes, etc. However my collection is not limited to them. When I find a nice / unusual animal, I will probably get those too. But I don't collect every plush animal.

No, I am sorry I do not have any patterns. I recommend browsing galleries like DeviantART or pages like www.etsy.com, as there are a lot of skilled artists who made plushies and are maybe willing to sell a pattern or ask for a commission. Look for "animal plush pattern".

• Try to get a pattern (shops, books, websites, other artists)
• If you don't get a pattern, try creating one yourself
• You can also try to unpick an existing plush to get a pattern
• Try to make the plush first with cheap clothes (later with good fake fur)
• Don't use too complicated designs/characters for the first try
• There is special cotton wool for stuffing plush toys
• Also think about maybe using foam for the inside of the head
• Airbrushing - pick good colors if you use it (e.g. Schmincke Aerocolor)
• You can order noses, glas eyes, etc. from online shops
• Don't be sad if it doesn't work perfectly for the first time - it does need a lot of practise. 🙂

No, I don't and never will, sorry.

• Do not leave your plushies in the sun (like in your car) - the fur may bleach/fade/turn purple
• Keep your plushies away from smoke, kitchen, etc.
• Only clean the surface of your plushies (mild soap or just warm water).
  Only wash your plushie completely if you really have to (by hand).
• If you have to (completely) wash a plushie - don't use a washing machine. There are several risks like the glass eyes getting scratched or the filling might get "lumped" into one corner. Wash by hand only.
• If you wash them - make sure you use very mild shampoo, and very important - make sure it dries completely again, also from the inside (not only the surface)
• There are special shampoos for plush toys (e.g. F.A.O. Schwartz once offered them)
• Using a fan for drying fur is OK, but make sure the inside will dry properly as well (might take several days), on a heater for example. But be careful with heaters - it mustn't be too hot! Don't leave it alone.
• When drying a plush by hair blower, carefully keep on brushing the fur while drying. This will help drying and make the fur soft again (don't be too rude or do that too often, otherwise you'll soon have a naked plushie)
• If you wash a plush animal, make sure first if it's not airbrushed. If it is, carefully try washing a little part first to make sure it doesn't come off / blur / ruin the rest of the fur.