ALERT: Bringing Alcohol?

Hey all,If you are bringing alcohol to the playa (and I think about 3/4 of the registered theme camps in the 7:30 sector have bars so this means you) please please please make sure that every one of your camp mates is aware of the state and federal laws about serving alcohol.Toaster and Queer DJ Shifta at BRC in 2010 wasted! Hot Messes!If someone looks under 21 – ASK THEIR AGE – better yet as for their ID. They were sending decoys into theme camp areas asking for alcohol last year. 5 camps along our avenue got $1,500.00 tickets for serving alcohol to an underage participant. You can also get a ticket for allowing a person under 21 to hang out in your bar area.

They have even sent a decoy into a camp that was having a private camp dinner and the decoy ‘pestered’ folks until someone gave him a beer so that he/she would leave them alone. PLEASE NOTE – this camp did NOT even have a bar that was serving to participants. It was a private camp dinner.

Yes – it sucks to have to ask for id. But I’ll tell you something – I’ve looked younger than my age my whole life, hell I occasionally still get carded in the real world for buying beer at a grocery store and I just turned 40 (in fact I got carded for buying beer FOR my 40th birthday). And I’ll tell you what, I would have no issue carrying my id with me at burning man if it meant the difference between being served and not being served. It’s not as big a deal as you might think – I mean you’ve got to carry your camelback with your water/tp/hand sanitizer etc with you any way, right?

And post a few signs in your bar area (or around your alcohol if you don’t have an official bar) that says “no one under 21 will be served”. You (and your bartenders) still have to ask the question – “are you 21 or older?” but posting a sign is not only a reminder to your folks to ask that question but also hopefully will discourage under age  drinkers from trying.

I’m not sure if it counts to john Q law – but I would say it’s a reasonable way to prove that your camp has no intentions of serving alcohol to minors. I’d also suggest that you post something behind the bar that only your  bartenders can see that gives you the month days and year that would make a person of legal drinking age.  So you can ask them what  their birthday is and you can gauge their reaction (ie thinking too long) as a way to judge.  Note:  that still isn’t a substitute for an ID – if they don’t look 21 and have no ID don’t serve them.

Cause I don’t know about you all, but I don’t have the spare $$ these days to not ‘trouble’ someone who looks under 21 about asking for their id.

It would be REALLY nice if Reverend Bloodshot or myself didn’t have to spend a day going around to all the 160+ camps in the 7:30 area and ‘reminding’ them of this policy (which has happened for the past two years because the cops like doing stings in our neck of the woods).  PLEASE do forward this to EVERYONE in your camp and make sure the policy is well known.

Thanks

HepKitten & Reverend Bloodshot

*******************************

Here’s the official language:

** Bars on the Playa

Local law enforcement would like to see us continue to address the potential issue of underage drinking at our event.  Though we, the project, are not offering alcohol to anyone and are not responsible for bars at Burning Man, there are possible consequences for camps with bars and us if we do not address this concern. Please read the following to make sure you are fully informed.

We do not believe that there are any rampant problems with underage drinking at our event that would merit investigation. However, you should be aware of Nevada laws on underage drinking.  Here are some useful facts:

– It is a misdemeanor to serve alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21 years old in Nevada.  The law still applies if the alcohol is gifted as opposed to sold. Theme camps are considered public space and subject to enforcement of this law. (NRS 202.055)  In 2001 the Nevada State Supreme Court limited the application of NRS 202.055 to only servers who had actual or constructive knowledge that the person seeking the alcohol was under 21.  This means that you must card someone who looks underage. Conversely, if someone looks of age you are not required to card him or her.

– It is a misdemeanor for a minor to consume or possess an alcoholic beverage in a public space (e.g., theme camps, open playa, center
camp, etc).  (NRS 202.020)

– It is a misdemeanor for a minor to pass him or herself off as being of age. (NRS 202.040)

– Misdemeanors carry the following penalties: Up to 6 months in county jail, and/or a fine up to $1,000.  Alternatively, community service may be sentenced in lieu of, or in conjunction with jail time and fines.  (NRS 176.087)

– If a minor loiters in a place where alcoholic beverages are consumed (besides a food establishment) then the minor could receive a fine up
to $500.  (NRS 202.030) Also, if the person in charge of the “tavern” allows the minor to loiter then he or she could be fined up to $500 also.  (NRS 202.060)

Enforcement of the laws is either done by carding the person outright, or through undercover sting operations. None of this is new and not terribly different from most other state laws.

But what can you do to #1 Avoid illegally serving minors?, #2 Avoid being cited, or #3 If cited, demonstrate the due diligence against serving minors you used when operating a bar on the playa?

1) Don’t serve anyone without ID, who appears underage.
2) Ask for ID for anyone who appears underage. Learn to read it properly and determine by the date of birth if the person is old enough to drink.
3) Post “No Minors Allowed – No Minors Served” signs to discourage minors from committing a misdemeanor by loitering, requesting, or consuming alcohol at your bar.
4) Do not allow minors to loiter at your bar: ask them to leave.
5) Confer with a co-server — get a second opinion — when a patron  appears “youthfully” over 21.
6) Work together – if you have refused to serve a patron because they do not appear to be of legal age, notify all your bar servers of your decision. There may be undercover operatives working with local law enforcement that attempt to be served more than once.

(NOTE: Federal and local law enforcement priorities differ on one or more of these issue. If you find yourself in an unfortunate encounter please get a badge number and/or name and note what agency you are dealing with. It might come in handy.)

Bottom line: NEVER, NEVER knowingly serve alcohol to a minor! It’s illegal and it’s not cool.

 

Playa Names

Playa Names

I came across this posting and thought it needed to be shared. You can find it here

What are other types of burners called and why? Thank you

[–]turnerjer 18 points 4 days ago

i won’t try to give them clever names, but a few archetypes spring to mind:

the jaded old-school burner: never shuts up about how much BM sucks now… but still comes! you won’t see much of these guys, though, because they never leave their camp.

the first-timer whose mind is completely blown the whole fucking time : depending on your point of view, these people can be deeply inspiring, or even more annoying than the jaded old-schoolers. usually they take too many drugs and will have at least one nervous breakdown.

the camp bitch : would really have been happier staying at a nice hotel in reno… but then they wouldn’t have lazy filthy campmates to complain about! they can’t believe what giant slobs everyone else is. will moan incessantly about how no one else wants to wash the dishes. if you’re burning with more than two other people, you have at least one of these in your crew. if you don’t know who it is, maybe it’s you!

the overly spiritual burner : can be easily identified as the person who never laughs at your jokes. thinks burning man should be like easter mass: solemn and incomprehensible. just drop them off at the temple while you hop a totally undignified art-car to the upside-down-on-a-pole-in-a-wet-t-shirt drinking contest at Pinky’s.

the acquisitor : measures how much fun they’re having by how much stupid crap they can stuff their pockets with. warning: they’ll try to steal some key piece of decor from your bar. also, they’ll try to trade you a handful of painted bottle caps for a dose of E.

the font of swag : exact opposite of the acquisitor. each morning they’ll fill their bag with homemade junk, and won’t return to camp until they’ve “gifted” away all their garbage.

the center-camp-hanger-outer : hangs out at center camp the whole time. by the end of the week, they’ll have spent more money on iced-coffee drinks than you spent on gas. PRO TIP: center camp is lame.

the creepy date-rapist : always has plenty of drugs.

the raver : sleeps during the day. measures fun in decibels. does too many drugs.

the yahoo : should have gone to miami beach. picks fights.

the weekender : arrives on friday in an RV that’s more luxurious than your apartment. doesn’t want to meet their neighbors. doesn’t pack out their trash.

your dream-girl/guy/both/other : your perfect soul-mate. you’ll spend the most wonderful night of your life with this person. then you’ll find out they’re married.

 

[–]ranalicious 10 points 4 days ago

but the married dream-girl/guy/both/other will probably be poly, so it all works out.

 

[–]TardGenius 6 points 4 days ago

I fucking LOLd hard at “dream-girl/guy/both/other” – That’s happened to me EVERY YEAR! This year, I’m not fucking falling for it! (Which is exactly what I said last year) Sigh….

Also, TIL I’m a Sparkle Pony…but I do help build/tear down the dome.

 

Why Burning Man 2011?

As mentioned in a previous post, there is a lot of reasons that make this year’s “Rites of Passage” very inspiring for people to attend. Beside the usually amazing pieces of art, performances and regalia of costumes and production there is much more.

Features

This year features something never seen at Burning Man which is the C.O.R.E. Project that will include 24 additional effigies from various regions around the world; mostly in the U.S.. They will be placed in a circle around the MAN and burned on a night on it’s own.

“The Circle of Regional Effigies (CORE) consists of 23 effigies created by Burning Man Regional groups around the world. They will be placed in a ring 600 feet around the base of the Man. These effigies are a celebration of the Burning Man Regionals and their efforts to support the Burning Man ethos as a global cultural movement. Please read about the pieces, so you can understand them better, and enjoy them that much more on playa.

All of the CORE projects will burn simultaneously at 9:00 pm on Thursday of the event.” [source]


This new feature this year promises to bring a whole new dimension to the Burning Man Event for 2011 unlike any other.

The Temple

The Temple has always been quite an expression and a very special marker for the event since it is burned as a conclusion to the week’s event. The Temple of Transition with it’s six spires takes over a huge chunk of real estate out there and is expected to be a true beauty! It is physically being brought to the playa as I type this out.

Motivations

How many people have posted on Twitter and Facebook that it was a checkbox on their ‘bucket list’ to attend Burning Man in their lives. I guess “Rites of Passage” screams to those people as if it was a calling to them specifically. If this is on your Bucket List, please buy a sports car and hire a hooker instead. Maybe go to Amsterdam! Wait – those are my bucket list items.

Maybe you keep swallowing the rumors that this is Burning Man’s last year and you need to get on the crazy train before the train closes. The rumors about 2011 being the end were being cooked up fast and dirty, but the future of Burning Man is not projected to end anytime soon with the immediate re-origination of BMHq; they are going from an LLC to a non-profit.

Conclusion

All in fun and good humor, whatever your twisted reason for being drawn to the desert be sure to do it smart! Water: Piss Clear! Food: eat smart and take care of your own ass! Dust mask: check. Non-vented goggles: check. Completely open mind: __________.

Hit for your week: Pick one day and no matter what is asked of you the answer is Yes.

 

SOLD OUT!!!!

According to BMorg online Ticket Sales for Burning Man are officially sold out! That’s right kids, one of the biggest years ever for this event, is running out of tickets. …er, ran out of tickets? Something like that.

2011: Rites of PassageIn January when tickets went on sale Tier 1 and Tier 2 sold out within hours. That meant that a buttload of tickets flew through the door in spite of the miserable management of the on-line ticket system. Patient and experienced Burners are used to the insanity of 1st day sales, but thankfully they have been working on improving that system.

Attendance

The event is limited in it’s terms of being able to grow. Last year at it’s highest point which was Friday night the highest level of people present was just over 53,000 people. There is a magic number Burning Man has to look at as a tolerance (a gray line) before exceeding the attendance limit and getting fined by the BLM. According to Marian Goodell that tolerance floats around 52,000 because for a variety of reason tickets are issued for various services and contributors; bottom line to be there you have to have a ticket even if working it.

Marian GoodellOur BLM permit is the restriction. We are between 5-year permits and this year we need to stay with the max-population to be within 2% of last year’s max-population. We grow every year more than that, so we couldn’t allow the natural growth for 2011, we’ve had to shut things off to stay within the BLM’s comfort zone. Capacity is a relative term in the desert. We need to stay near the max pop of 52,000.” – Marian Goodell (7/25/2011)

There is a fixed in growth allowed of about 3,000 per year… and this is by word of mouth. In reality, growth is expected but there is negotiation involved between the powers that be that set those along with the required presence of Law Enforcement.

2011 Features

This year “Rites of Passage” features the CORE Project where 24 Regions around the World (YES! The World) are bring effigy’s somewhere between 15 to 20 feet tall to be placed in a ring around The Man and will be ignited a day or two before The Man burns.

The Man will be posed differently than ever before too!!! He will be in a stride, which means the entire body will be in a step.

25th Anniversary? Last year was touted as the 25th Anniversary of Burning Man going back to the days of Baker Beach. Word is that the actual anniversary, counting events, falling on 2011. Just an item from rumor control…

Rumors / Truth

There are always rumors and interesting stories flying around. Only believe what you hear from the source. Check out Burning Man on Facebook and their web site Burning Man [dot] Com.

MAP OF THE WORLD

2011 Black Rock City

ROUGHLY speaking, and without any authority to claim one way or another, for those asking here is the general Queer Spread. There are a couple concentrations of gay camps.

The Gayborhood usually contains but not limited to:

  • Comfort & Joy
  • Camp Beaverton Home for Wayward Girls
  • Gender Blender
  • Dickstracted

The Gay Ghetto usually contains but not limited to:

  • Moonbow
  • Tiny’s Lounge

Like I said this is generally rough. Be sure and check out all the postings including the Events Page where great things are going on. The Beavers and Gender Blender have some amazing classes and events, but they post on their Google Group of which I will add to the links section to the right.

Now, there are camps that might be “queer” that have not participated with Gay Burners yet, but given Radical Inclusion everyone is a little Queer out there… just get into the Downlow Club and see. HA HA HA… Some of the camps that threw down and have a very queer vibe include:

  • Pink Mammoth
  • Mal-Mart [www.mal-mart.org]
  • Pink Heart Camp

 

Costuming

(7/18/2011) Yesterday’s trip to the “Prepare for the Playa” and my recent involvement with “Burning Man Costume Creations” got me thinking a lot about what people are wearing to playa.

A few weeks ago I went to “Rites of Massive” which was a huge fund raiser on Treasure Island for Opulent Temple and the Distrikt which are 2 of the larger clubs on the Playa. It was huge, amazing and… opulent. On the way in I started looking at peoples wardrobe and heard a veteran burner describing to his newbie friend was is burner and what is not.

There is a mainstream of apparel that smacks of typical burner attire including for women: corsets, fishnets light tubes and fake dreads in any form; also include almost anything you might see Stevie Nicks in. For men there are these beautiful long pirate or Edwardian coats, womens skirts, more dreads either real or fake and often some kind of full on women’s outfit at some point. Note: almost anything with faux fur is a winner as in vests, animal hats and giant coats!

With all the talk of radical self-expression there is a hell of a lot of definition what is burner and what is not. It can’t all be furry pimp hats and Edwardian /  Stempunk blah blah blah, but the idea of radical Self Expression is the ability to make your own spin on the costume of your choice.

Burning Man itself is a very hetrero-centric, Caucasian, hedonistic love fest that somewhere along the way blended with the Raver community. I feel often that their radical self expression is something Queers like us already do on a daily basis; but with a little more style. (Note: hesitates with some of these words as to not seem to put us above this demographic, but note that gays – lesbians –  trans-genders – etceteras have been do this in the default world in our daily lives)

The impact on the Burning Man culture with the huge presence of gay neighborhoods has more or less fit into the culture and the costume expression that has gone along with it has been fairly uninspired on a lot of levels, but I suspect we have made a lot of effort to show how much we appreciate Burning Man and the ability to play like all the others. The biggest innovators from the gay world has been the more hard core gender bending camps that Comfort & Joy as well as Camp Beaverton/Gender Blender have brought to the scene.

Costumes for the Newb

If nothing else there is a shopping list of must haves when at Burning Man and a few suggestions. As far as what the average burner is wearing often that is defined by the economic status you are in or what you are able to create. Radical Self Expression still has to be the core that your express yourself with! You can go to things like “Prepare for the Playa” and spend hundreds of dollars on playa gear, too. What I saw on prices was pretty high, but then I looked closely at what was there and said…I can make that. Don’t be afraid to whip out your hot glue gun or Barbie sewing machine and give it a whirl.

What you Need

Tutu (or 2) | Good Shoes/Boots | Sari or wrap | Theme Costume (See posts on ePlaya)

Okay, so maybe that is a relatively short list of needed items. But the beauty of that is YOU get to fill in the blanks. I think… the billion bunny marsh is a annual tradition led by $tephen Ra$pa so you might need a bunny costume. Of course any type of cute bee costume seems to be a winner. Las year they did a whole superhero thing that went on through several days and camps. If you watch the chat boards they will start talking about something new. I did see something about unicorns… but who knows where that will go.

For survival through the week be sure to read all that Burning Man has to offer on Burning Man [dot] Com

Bikes on Playa

Burning Man is huge. No matter how dedicated you are, accept the fact that you won’t get to see everything. However, you will be able to see and do a lot more with a bike. And as with anything else, a little bit of planning and preparation can make the difference between a comfortable reliable mode of transportation, and a wasted effort hauling a 40lb piece of junk to the playa.

Here are some suggestions:

Don’ts

  • Don’t bring a kiddie (BMX) bike – they may pack easily but are horrible to ride on the playa – very tiring…
  • Don’t bring a bike with skinny tires as they tend to corkscrew when turning in the soft playa buildup.
  • Don’t bring expensive bikes – leave your “good” bikes at home.  PLaya CruiserOr plan on locking them up well.

Do’s

  • Fat tire (Cruiser, Mountain bikes) bikes do better on the soft playa sand
  • Consider purchasing a thrift-store/garage sale bike and dress it up. Make it your “playa bike”. Optionally, go all out and build a frankensteinesque bike like this Chopper
  • Make sure you have a comfy seat – otherwise your rump will suffer.  You can build a comfy seat with padding and duct tape and/or cloth/fur etc.  Or buy them, but the comfy gel ones can be expensive
  • Get a cheap combination lock because bike theft/borrowing is quite a problem at BM.  Write the combo on your wrist in permanent marker and on the inside of your tent (or something you won’t easily lose).  (I have 4 combo locks and don’t know the combination to any of them!)
  • Decorate you bike and make it more than just a means of transportation. However, when you are dressing up your bike out please make sure that stuff won’t fall off and litter the playa as you ride.  Faux fur works really well – just make sure it is well secured to your bike. Decorating also helps because a unique looking bike is easier to find at popular SlimeChain Waxgathering places like Center Camp, Arctica, Temple, Man, etc.
  • At least one working brake is essential.
  • Oil the chain and make sure it doesn’t have any seized up links (one that won’t bend). I find the wax based lubes work best as the dust sticks to oil based lubes and tends to gum up the chain. And bring the bottle so that you can re-up as needed, and share with those who forgot to lube up.
  • Make sure you have good tubes (consider investing in a $8 bottle of “slime” – the goop that self-seals the tubes in case of puncture.
  • If you plan on riding at night, you will need lights (front and back). Please point your headlamps downwards so as not to blind other playa citizens. Glow sticks woven through your tubes are pretty cool to watch and make you more visible.
  • A basket or a luggage rack to carry stuff (including ice) is most helpful (Suggested by Zong). The little kid trailers also work well for hauling back ice and usually run around $20 used at garage sales, thrift stores, and Craigslist
[source the burningtribe.com]

Camping 101

I am not the authority on camping at Burning Man. There is a whole survival guide available for the ‘how to’ and ‘how not’. This week I was talking to some people about their camping choices and it got me thinking about if any of our members were asking themselves the same questions.

Burning Man still has not released the official camp list, but they have changed the criteria for becoming a “theme camp”. The number of people as a minimum was greatly reduced so as many as 3 people can have a theme camp. The idea is to open the door to creativity and interactivity as much as possible.

Really some of the Queer Camps have done really well in this area and some of the new ones are looking pretty impressive. Everyone knows ‘Comfort and Joy‘; or at least you heard of them (see the Queer Camp page to get more details on these camps mentioned). They have things going on through most of the not the least of which are fully produced shows and the pink gym for those heavenly workouts.

The Camp Beaverton Home for Wayward Girls and their sister/brother camp Gender Blender have some great workshops you will find listed in the what where when.

These are just the big names while there is a whole bunch of camps with varying events to entertain and delight. BUT, what would make you camp with an established camp? Why? And why pay camp fees?

Well, you get the chance to be part of the machine that makes the camp work and your donated time along with your camp fee support the infrastructure of the camp. It’s like working for Disneyland and buying your own lunch at the cafeteria. Maybe you hate Disneyland and want to play alone on the Teacups???

One friend of mine on his first year had every opportunity dangled in front of him to become a part of any of a number of theme camps from the mega to the small and intimate. Yet, he chose to camp alone on something like J and 8:30… on the outer rim. He set up his camp and came home only when he was done playing. He went out to the quiet and sometimes neighborly outskirts.

I suppose that has been the complaint of some people camping much closer to the Esplanade, the lack of quiet. Rather the thump-thump-thump of roving art cars and sound camps. But I personally have spent my last two years just off the Esplanade and never had those problems. In 2009 I camped with Sin City Village on 7:30 and Esplanade. In 2010 I camped with Journeys at 5:30 and A.

That might be another alternative to Queer Camps is spending time with your region like I did.

Whatever choices you make for your burn do what you want to do. Here is some advice from other members for new and veteran burners that you too can participate in!

The City: “Rites of Passage”

Have you seen the new map of the city? 16 new streets this year! Sold out ticket sales!?!?! WTF? Check out these street names:

  • Esplanade
  • Anniversary
  • Birthday
  • Coming Out
  • Divorce
  • Engagement
  • Funeral
  • Graduation
  • Hajj
  • Initiation
  • Journey
  • Kindergarten
  • Liminal
I may not know what a couple of them are, but I love them all!

Burner + Virgin = Birgin

General Burning Man Image

So many people lately have told me they have never been to Burning Man and always wanted to go. The ones who are not blowing smoke out their asses sometimes ask questions about it. It’s definitely not all naked people and drugs! It is so much more.

The question often asked: what is Burning Man? Anyone who thinks they can answer that question and do it successfully should have a Pulitzer. The experience at Burning Man is so personal, so individual, and not dependent on anyone else. Even if you go with your best buddies, the only person that can screw your burn or make it the best ever is YOU.

Burning Man Survival

Burning Man has resources for you on their web site for what to prepare for that are an absolute necessity to read. There are any number of members out there sharing their experiences and their variations of survival out there. Do me and every other burner a favor before going out at a minimum:

Respect the world you are going into and respect the people ahead of you as well. Don’t get caught up in the party and miss out on the art and performances that are mind blowing, inspiring, and life changing.

Image from tamalerocks.com

Preparation

Besides and the resources above there is some evaluation you need to consider and this too shall help shape your burn. Where are you camping and with whom? Our Queer Camp list here on GB will get an update soon of the Gay /  Lesbian / Queer / Trans friendly camps of which there are many. You are not limited to a Gayborhood / Gay Ghetto (areas where gay camps have collected) because they still span the width of the city. While some are private and some require a camp fee.

Maybe you want to go it alone and camp on the outer rim? A lot of people do that with a lot of success. All you have to do is arrive and plop your butt down in any free space. Often I hear the benefit of that is you may have access to cleaner toilets through the event.

A Personal Note

This coming year will be my 3rd year on the playa while we have many members on the site who have many more. Burning Man has changed over the years. I have managed to spend some time reading and learning the history of Burning Man to what it was before the Opulent Temple, before Root Society and Distrikt. It is a value to know where this sprang from and what started it.

Contribute in the way that works for you or dabble in the different things you can do because if you go as a spectator for the event it will be very different than if you participate and add yourself to the machinery that makes the city work. I found my passion in the art of Burning Man while I know a lot of people who find their passion as a Greeter, or as a Front Gate attendant and Ranger. Working at the ARTery, the DMV or the Cafe is all rewarding, but that depends on what gets your vibe going.

And finally get involved with a local Burner Community. Stay out of politics if you can and let your relationship with the local community grow naturally and with the idea that you are there to support the concept of community. COMMUNITY! This is the big word that I think some people gloss over. Being a member of a/several communities means you are a part of that element. YOU are one of the neurons of that atom. Without you that atom is incomplete.

I am going to "Rites of Passage" and staying:

  • With a Gay themed camp (45%, 46 Votes)
  • With any camp that will take me (26%, 27 Votes)
  • ...on the outer rim (17%, 17 Votes)
  • With them Beavers (7%, 7 Votes)
  • Comfort & Joy (5%, 5 Votes)

Total Voters: 102


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In Closing

Gay Burners has a place in the culture of Burning Man because when it comes to Radical Self Expression and Radical Self Reliance it is definitely something we queers have been doing for generations. Some times just to survive in a world hostile to us.

In my observation I have seen people exploring their concepts of sexuality, sexual identity and the boundaries of their body image. Some of us from the older generations can appreciate that and maybe rural gays. We can support and honor not only our queer identity as Burners, but the exploring blurry lines of all the other Burners.

Playmates: Wearable Art

Hey Guys! I’m Booka, the mastermind and lone workhorse for “PlayaMates.

I’ve been a Artist all my life. Recently, I really needed to find a new outlet for my talents, AND find a way to fund my Burn. I got the idea to create outfits (mostly from faux fur, which is sorta traditional) that were really finely crafted, luxurious, and original Art pieces on their own. For the past 8 months I have done little other than sew! Mind you, the majority of what I have been doing is entirely stitched by hand (I do the linings by machine). It takes a number of weeks with each piece to work out the design, and all those little details that make them something special and unique.

Hand sheared fur, inlaid differant furs, “Horse hoof cuffs”, satin linings, alot of pockets, a little military styling all go towards makeing sure that each piece can stand on it’s own as a original little work of Art. I don’t do duplicates, who would want what anyone else is wearing anyway? Alot of love and attention has gone into this collection, and I’m proud of it. The feedback from the pieces I have sold has been really encouraging; mostly how luxurious they feel, and how cool they make people look. So please check it out, see if something has your name on it. I try to be as flexible as I can, so don’t be shy. Enjoy.

Love, Booka

Check out the site at: playamates.com/

I am also on facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/PlayaMates/198701076830348?ref=ts