Spit Spot!

So, it will be New Year's Eve on Saturday and then thankfully, I can wave 2011 goodbye.  I'm not usually so lacking in enthusiasm for any entire year, but this past year has been a battle too far as far as I'm concerned ... 2011, I freely confess you have sapped me!  At last it's time to let you fade away so I can look forward to the brighter days of a shiny New Year.

My website has now been de-Christmassed in preparation for 2012! 

www.allbear.co.uk

First things first though, I need a little 'spit spot' to help me tidy Christmas away and ready myself for a fresh start ... so off with the tinsel and sparkle, this bearmaker intends to get organised!

Beach Belles!

After a lovely, busy family Christmas, filled with all things tinsel and sparkle, fresh air and a salty breeze were the order of Boxing Day. Despite being weighed down with Christmas stodge, we took off to Whitstable for a brisk promenade - as far away as possible from the faintest hint of a post-Christmas sale!

'Beach Belles on Boxing Day'

'Anyone seen Edna, Bert and Fred?'

Greedy Gulls!

Cobwebs duly blown away, we returned home yawning heavily, just in time for some tasty bubble 'n' squeak, a glass of wine, the soaps on TV and a much needed early night.

This Christmas lark is exhausting!

Psst, an angelic PS!

Well, you didn't think I'd welcome Christmas without a secret Christmas bear to share did you?! This sweet little angel flew my way after the 'Christmas Treasures' show and has been waiting quietly in the wings for our clock to tick 'Christmas' ever since.

My Christmas Angel, created by Jane Mogford of Pipkins Bears

Like so many other people who have lost loved ones, Christmas is a bittersweet time for me now Dad is no longer here to share it.  I know he would have been the first to chuckle and tell us all he could never behave himself long enough to be awarded angel status ... but this little angel bear and I both know, sometimes it doesn't hurt to have a little faith.

Thinking of you Dad, at Christmas and always xxx

'Tis the Season!

Christmas, you can come and get me now.  My tree is dressed and I'm as ready as I'll ever be, so let's roll out mince pies a-plenty,  raise goblets brimming with amber nectar to loved ones lost, sprinkle fairy dust with a smile and welcome your 'Season of Goodwill' into our home!

It's time to close the door to my workroom and turn my thoughts to nearest and dearest, so dear blog readers, thank you for sharing this bear maker's ups and downs during 2011; I look forward to writing again in 2012. 

In the meantime, warmest Christmas wishes to you all xxx

We Three Bears of Apple Pie House are!

'We Three Bears' of Apple Pie House are! 

At last I can share my latest shop exclusive collection with you and prove I haven't been resting on my laurels of late.

 'We Three Bears' shop exclusive collection
'Dooley', 'Hartley' and Egbert (13" to 19")

I met Graeme, the owner of Apple Pie House at the Hugglets' shows in London.  Having seen him in action during the shows, I deduced that not only is he a very nice man, he is also one of life's natural sales people and a hardworker toboot ... often when I was flagging during a show, lurking behind my stand with a coffee, he'd be knee deep in eager collectors, chatting as if his life depended on it!  So, when I was invited to create bears for Graeme's lovely shop, I was of course, happy to oblige.  Selling is not something that has ever come naturally to me, so putting some of my bears into Graeme's safe hands for adoption, suits me perfectly!  And as if to prove a point, 'Egbert' (the red and gold clown bear) sold as soon as the 'We Three Bears' collection was launched on the Apple Pie House website last night ...  way to go Graeme!

If you would like to find out more about my latest shop collection, please visit Apple Pie House ... thank you!

Winding Down ...

With less than two weeks until Christmas, I am happy/relieved to say, my entire collection of 2011 bears has now been sold.  The only creation I have yet to rehome is an ellie, but truth be told, I confess to making little effort to rehome this cutie, because he makes me smile and I'm rather fond of him myself!

'Forget-me-not'

Today I'm feeling all 'beared out', so I'm going to tidy up a few admin bits and pieces and then settle down with my knitting project and a steaming hot cup of coffee.  I'm clacking away at a lovely snuggly scarf from a pattern by knitwear designer Kim Hargreaves knitted on chunky bamboo needles (8mm) in gloriously soft Rowan 'Cocoon' yarn ...

So, while the rest of the world embraces the festive frenzy, I'm content to wind down quietly with my knitting for a few more days first. 

All tinsel and sparkle madness will be duly postponed until next weekend!

Buttons and Bow-ties!

I'm sure it must seem as though bear production in the All Bear workroom has all but ceased as Christmas approaches, but that isn't the case ... truly!  I have been working on three lovely bears for the Apple Pie House shop in Gloucester.  I should have all three bears ready to show you in the next couple of days, but in the meantime, here's a hint of what's in store for the biggest bear!

Vintage buttons and bow-ties!

Once my shop order is safely on its way, I'm hoping to find time to create one or two more bears for 'Santa's Sack' on my website ... I have the softest, prettiest piece of tipped alpaca, absolutely crying out to be turned into a teddy bear!

Sherry and sparkles!

I was busy making Christmas cards, calendars and a porfolio of my 2011 designs last week.  Thankfully, most of the prep work is now complete and I can spend this week working on my last few pre-Christmas bears, before allowing my focus to shift towards trees, baubles, twinkly lights and hopefully the occasional mince pie ... (washed down with a sherry, or two!)

Speaking of sherry, I confess to suffering a teensy weensy sherry induced headache on Saturday evening - well, how else should two sisters share an evening to mark the arrival of yet another 'forty something' birthday?!  Sherry, coffee and walnut cake, a natter, an open log fire ... perfect!
Happiest of birthdays to you Fo xxx

And yesterday, it was finally time to face up to the impending festive season.  Stuart and I escorted his excited six-year old grandson to watch a sparkly, lively and extremely rowdy production of  'Aladdin'.  As always, Panto worked its fairy dust magic, leaving our little guest wide-eyed with wonderment.  Luckily for us, wide-eyed wonderment is pretty tiring, so he fell fast asleep on the journey home ... result!

So that's another week flown past too quickly!  I do hope the next couple take things a wee bit slower ... I'm really not ready for Christmas quite yet!