



Teddy Bear Review magazine - August 09 issue
'Collect It' magazine - September 09 issue
Stuart, surveying the view from the top of Bluebell Hill
The megalith we were hunting for, sits in a field close to the house Stuart lived in as a child, so we ambled down the hillside until we reached Kits Coty, then pushed our way through overgrown woodland tracks which looked as though they'd been untrodden for the entire three decades, since Stuart was last there!
'Kits Coty House'
To my delight, behind the megalith was a field of beautiful poppies, posing perfectly for the camera!
The only problem with walking downhill, is that at some point, you have to climb back up! After a lovely time photographing my pretty poppies, we trundled back through thick woodland in search of another remembered childhood track. The idea was that it would provide us with a shortcut back to the top of Bluebell Hill and yes, it certainly did that - however, as we all know, time plays tricks on the memory and Stuart had forgotten just how steep this particlar pathway was ... what this photograph fails to convey is that my heart felt as though it was about to explode from my chest!
Father's Day at the Bluebell Hill Memorial
Not only was it the Summer Solstice yesterday, it was also Father's Day. A poignant tribute of flowers and cards had been placed at the memorial of the three Air Ambulance crew who tragically lost their lives when their helicopter crashed close by, in 1998.
If I remember back to my childhood in the 60's, I think even then I had the first stirrings of magpie instinct. I recall saving pennies in a little red suede drawstring purse simply because I liked the feel of them, then there was the old wooden box I 'borrowed' from my mother - it had a keyhole but no key and I filled it with tatty postcards and penpal letters; my windowsill was lined with souvenir dolls in national costume and of course, I never could see my way to parting with treasured soft toys, no matter how scruffy and unhygienic they became ... in fact, several of those dear tatty old friends are with me still.
Four decades later and the instinct to surround myself with the things I love, is still very much alive and kicking. I simply can't do 'minimalist', that's not me at all. From bears to books, pottery to piggy banks, I confess my collecting sins! I thought you might like to take a peek at one of my little weaknesses ... I discovered these piggies when I was on a pretty tight collecting budget and since then, have become enchanted by them!
Each piggy bank is made by the Arthur Wood pottery company, (mostly during the 1960's and 1970's) and each has been hand painted with flamboyantly pretty designs. I think they are delightful collectables and of course, are also useful for saving up pennies for my next piggy indulgence!
If you would like to learn a little more about Arthur Wood piggy banks, you can find more lovely examples at: http://www.piggybankpage.co.uk/arthur_wood.htm
By the way, did you notice the vase next to my elephant piggy? Well, therein lies another of my pottery passions ... but I'll share that one with you another day!
20" Bernard
Measuring Bernard for his knitted waistcoat
My wicker chair, food for creative thought ...!
Is it just me who battles to access financial life now that everything relies on number sequences? Pin this, pin that ... don't they realise that to a bearmaker, pins are very different things?! Colourful phrases enter my consciousness with ease, but numbers? No. Numbers fly in briefly, then fly straight back out again. This causes me no end of trouble and I've lost count of how many calls I've had to make to reset wretched pin numbers since their introduction to banking world.



So, today's post blows a big noisy raspberry at pin numbers and offers you the beauty of fragrant June roses instead ... enjoy!
Anyway, it occurred to me today, that collectors and non-bearmakers interested in teddy bear artistry, might find it interesting to know a little more of what lies behind the creation of artist bears ...
Well here we are again, Friday already. Where do the weeks go? Don't they understand a girl of my maturity requires time to, well take its time! I had my entire day planned around a trip to the hairdressers and after a busy week, was really looking forward to a little Paula pampering, with particular anticipation placed on my spell in the salon's massage chair, which can feel quite heavenly on a Friday afternoon after a week spent hunched over the sewing machine and computer!
My day started badly when I checked my company business card online - panic swept through me when I saw a couple of extra hefty charges for an item I hadn't anticipated ... fortunately, that particular heart racing moment was quickly eased when it was pointed out to me that one of the items was in fact a refund, not a debit ... ahem.
Anyway, lippy in place, boxes in boot and most definitely running late, I hurled myself into the car and ...
Hmph.
'Bellamy'
23" 'Bellamy'
Those who follow my work, will know this really is my kind of bear - big, classic and utterly classy! Bellamy was a special commission order and I am delighted with how he has turned out. Working with such beautiful mohair has been an absolute joy; sadly though, this mohair is not always as easy to find as it once was because it's the top end of mohair luxury - it's dense, curly, has fabulous colour and wonderful sheen and needless to say, a price tag to match! However, it is so utterly glorious it's definitely worth hunting down ... I think it would be almost impossible to create a bad bear from it!

Birthday girl!
I freely confess to being a fair weather gardener. Out comes the sunshine and I reach contentedly for my trowel and watering can. It has been beautifully warm over the weekend, with not a cloud to be seen - perfect for pottering! Did I tell you last summer that I absolutely love roses? 'Prima Ballerina', 'Peace', 'Wendy Cussons,' they all have such gloriously heady summer perfume and after years of enjoying these beautiful hybrid tea roses in my last garden, planting them againhas been like welcoming old friends to our new garden. On Saturday Stuart and I took drove out to my favourite nursery 'The Potted Garden', to find a climbing rose. After mulling over all the wonderful possibilities we found 'Warm Welcome,' a flamboyantly free flowering, bright orange rose ... I can't wait for it to begin showing off later this month!
So why cue the blues? Well, the perfect accompaniment to a summer's afternoon planting roses, has to be Albert King blasting out on the stereo! Grubbing around in the mud to the sounds of Albert King with Otis Rush, or Stevie Ray Vaughan ... hey, does life get any better than that?!
Our new roses are in bud now, almost, but not quite ready to photograph, so in the meantime, here are a few colourful snaps of my pretty patio bedding plants ... sorry I can't remember what they are called, but aren't the markings on those yellow blooms gorgeous?!