Here's a Giggle!

Just for fun, I thought I would show you where my bear making began. This little fellow is well over 25 years old and still lives with me having survived my children's growing years. He's a little flat these days, but still cute. He is made in a very cheap synthetic fur which was all that was available to me in the days before the internet and specialised teddy suppliers. I sold quite a few of these bears, I wonder if the others have survived the ravages of time equally well? I couldn't even get eyes back then, and I fashioned them myself using circles of felt with a little embroidered highlight. At least you could say he was child-safe, and that was my market back then. I think they appealed to parents because they were all a little individual and not clones churned out in a factory. I hope he brings a little smile to you today, I think you will have to agree that my bear making has come a long way over the years!

Well tomorrow is the big day! The Black and White Ball begins at 8am, I hope you will find the time to drop by and meet the bears and critters that will be on offer, and remember that there will be new additions each day of the show.

Here He Is!

I've just finished Bronson, a new bear in the lovliest brown alpaca. I've had this piece for quite a few years, just waiting for the right bear. Bronson is truly one of a kind as this fabric is no longer available, it has a very unusual shaggy look with a blended mix of browns and a few blonde guard hairs, which suits this bear so well. I've had a great deal of fun working on Bronson's feet, I used a wonderful piece of mottled leather to applique his pads which were then sculpted and shaded to create his lovely feet. I will be putting some more photos and information on my website if you want to find out more about him.

It's just a few days to the Black and White Ball, Monday is our big day! I'm starting to feel a little anxious about the whole thing, I'm not too confident on the computer and I just hope it all goes smoothly. With Sandi at the helm I'm sure everything will be OK :) So don't forget to pay us a visit at http://www.teddybearsandcritters.com/ and remember that there will be new bears and critters added each day for the whole week! Be sure to cast your votes in the Australasian Creative Design Awards which are being held at the same time and place.

Publication

My little bear Bonnie along with her tiny Bunny, is featured as a project in the latest edition of Australian Bear Creations. It was a challenge for me to create a bear with a feminine look, as my bears are, on the whole decidedly male. I'm not totally convinced I have actually made a "girly" bear with Bonnie, and think perhaps she is really a boy in a ribbon. If you wish to create your own Bonnie all you need do, is get hold of the magazine (which is available in most Australian news agencies or by suscription directly from Woodlands Publishing) and there you'll find the full instructions for her. If however, you don't want to make her yourself she will be available from my website later. I have decided to only make one of these sets, so if you wish to own them you'd better pop over to the Benson Bears website and read all about them! First in best dressed as they say.

Excitement is building for the Black and White Ball, there are quite a few collages up on http://www.teddtbearsandcritters.com/ if you want to get some sneak peeks at what will be on offer. The Ball will run for a whole week and there will be new offerings each day, so it will be worth your while to pop in each day to see what's new. Sandi has done a wonderful job of organisation to keep us all on track and focussed. Now she has the enormous task of setting up the "ballroom" with all our photos and their associated links (rather her than me, that's for sure!) Meanwhile I will be concentrating on getting a sample off to Susan Davies at Bear Basics for my UK workshops. I have finished two little pandas for Teddy Bears of Whitney's 2010 catalogue, they are such a sweet pair, I'm sure Ian Pout will be happy with them. I'm also itching to get on with a new large panda in the gorgeous alpaca that has been waiting quite some weeks now! Of course there are always orders and the neglected garden and housework to do, so busy, busy...........

A Sneak Peek

At last I have finished all my pieces for the Black and White Ball, I submitted all the photos almost by the skin of my teeth, (if there had been any internet problems it could have been embarrassing) and now I can give you all a little sneak peek at what I will be offering when the show begins on June 1st. This is only half of them, the others are in the Australasian Creative Design Awards and have to remain annonymous for judging and for the public vote. It has been such fun and a real challenge to take part in this web venture, I'm looking forward to the next one.

We have a new show in the planning, this is an exhibition of some of Australia's master bear artists and is called "When You Dare To Dream", it will run for two days in September (5th and 6th). By visiting the TBACA website (http://www.teddybearsandcritters.com/) you can read all about the show and see the list of the participating artists, there should be some exceptional works on offer at this one.

I'm going to be such a busy girl over the coming months! I have to prepare for this show, design and make samples for Teddy Bears of Whitney's 2010 catalogue, design and make the samples for my workshops in the UK and NSW, prepare for the South Australian Doll and Bear Show in August and Hugglets in September! Will I have time to breathe I wonder? As they say............. "housework only comes before sewing in the dictionary" ;)