It's just another New Year's Eve

It's another New Year's Eve with our year almost at an end and to be honest, I'm all for a quiet night in with the telly tonight. It always seems to me there is something a wee bit maudlin about ringing in a new year after a family Christmas, then letting the old one, full of memories of loved ones, slip like grains of sand through the fingertips on the stroke of midnight...

So 2019, I thank you for my family times, for the fun times ... and for the days of sunshine. I wish our time together could have lasted longer; maybe less of a race from start to finish, perhaps more of a gentle stroll with warm sun on our faces but here we are, just another New Year's Eve, another one like all the rest.

And of course tomorrow a new decade will dawn. May it be full of hope, possibility and of course, love and laughter for everyone.

2020, I ask that you take good care of my family, continue to fill my grandchildren's days with magic and above all, keep safe our world for them.

xxXxx

Thank you Blog Reader, for sharing a glimpse of my creative world this year, for reading my ramblings and simply for being out there ... wherever there is. I wish you all a kind and gentle 2020 and hope to see you here again soon.

Happy New Year!

:-)

Christmas Magic

Christmas 2019 crept up on me, so my preparations were very impromptu this year but somehow, everything came together at the last minute and as always, we enjoyed our traditional family holiday at home together. 

Somehow, despite the festive rush, I did manage to fit in a pantomime with the Grandchildren and make a pudding, cake, mince pies and a cute new angel tree topper ...

Miracles can still happen at Christmas it seems!

Then in a blink of an eye, almost as quickly as it had arrived, our Christmas magic vanished, along with Father Christmas and the shreds of leftover wrapping paper. 

Having my children and grandchildren together under our roof for Christmas is something I never take for granted and am always very grateful for ... because for me, being together around the table with my family at this time of year, is the true magic of Christmas.

:-)

Robin's Red

After yesterday's far too luminous photographs of my latest teddy bear, I thought I'd better try again, so I went back out to the garden this morning, armed with my faithful Canon EOS 400D SLR camera...

There is occasionally a teddy bear who is determined to be more of a challenge than most of his easy going pals and Robin Red is certainly one of those bears! He is the sweetest of teddy bears and his mohair is very beautiful, but I don't mind telling you, it really is quite a challenge to photograph for a simple 'point and shoot' photographer of teddy bears like myself!

I think I'm just about there and for now, these photographs will suffice - they aren't perfect but at least they are an improvement on the virtually fluorescent pics snapped on my mobile 'phone camera yesterday.

I think I will update my website with these photographs for the time being and just keep trying with the photography of little Robin Red ... fingers crossed I figure out my camera settings soon.

In the meantime, if anyone has any handy tips on how best to photograph red teddy bears, I would be happy to hear them!

:-)

Robin Red

Well, I couldn't let Christmas pass without a red teddy bear now, could I?! 

12" Robin

While I was out walking with my dogs earlier this week, I spotted a cheeky little robin redbreast sat upon a branch with his chest feathers fluffed, as he watched us, watching him. He made me smile and think of my Dad, so I have named this red teddy bear, Robin Red.  

Incidentally Robin teddy is not flourescent red as his photograph suggests, he is in fact a beautiful deep Christmas red, but heaven only knows how you convince a camera lens of that! Cameras seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to red fabric ... I may try to photograph my little Robin Red again tomorrow, please wish me luck!

In the meantime, if you would like to adopt this sweet festive teddy bear, he is now available from my website and ready to hop into Santa's Sack!

www.allbearbypaula.com

:-)

Update: Robin Red has now been adopted.

A frosty start!

The world turned white in my little corner of the UK earlier today. It wasn't quite snow, but the heavy frost covering the garden first thing this morning was absolutely beautiful and the spider's webs woven through my washing line were so lacy and delicate!

I braved the cold to take a few photographs of my latest bear 'Neve', a sweet 14" teddy and her larger pal Brandysnap, a rather fabulous 20" traditional boy.

I wasn't sure about the studio pics I took of Brandysnap last week, so thought I'd try again in the natural morning light ...

I must admit, I like the outdoor shots best ... but the question is, which do you prefer?!

Both Neve and Brandysnap are now featured on my website, so if you would like to find out a little more about them, please pop over to:

www.allbearbypaula.com

Thanks!

:-)

Update: Neve and Brandysnap have now been adopted!