Hibearnation
So far, January has been mostly a cold, muddy, grey month here in my little corner of Kent. We missed the excitement of the heavy snow that turned the rest of the UK white and instead, slipped our way through several days of black ice. This week, not only is it time to complete my tax accounts (groan!) it is also raining heavily. Spring can't come soon enough! It's early yet, but I can just about see tiny signs of new buds on my daily walks with the dogs, so there is hope of an end to this bearmaker's self imposed hibernation!
I have been using this cold dark month to build my annual portfolio photobook, incorporating my 2025 teddy bear designs. It is quite time consuming but I believe, worth the time to record my designs. I have created these books since 2006, so now have quite a library of them. I think last year's portfolio book is due to be delivered to me by postie later today, which is always such a lovely satisfying moment! Flicking through the pages with a cuppa, is a lovely way to remind me that my little business has ticked over for yet another year, all thanks to the loyal collectors who invite my teddy bears into their lives, time and time again.
Last year I sent most of my bears to new homes in the UK, America, Australia, France and Hungary. Many of the bears went to lovely collectors who have supported my work over the years and I was delighted to hear from new collectors who found me through my social media outlets (Instagram and Facebook) ... (if you haven't already, you are welcome to follow me and my bears on the links below:)
https://www.instagram.com/allbearbypaula/
https://www.facebook.com/allbearbypaulacarter/?locale=en_GB
I have been using this cold dark month to build my annual portfolio photobook, incorporating my 2025 teddy bear designs. It is quite time consuming but I believe, worth the time to record my designs. I have created these books since 2006, so now have quite a library of them. I think last year's portfolio book is due to be delivered to me by postie later today, which is always such a lovely satisfying moment! Flicking through the pages with a cuppa, is a lovely way to remind me that my little business has ticked over for yet another year, all thanks to the loyal collectors who invite my teddy bears into their lives, time and time again.
Last year I sent most of my bears to new homes in the UK, America, Australia, France and Hungary. Many of the bears went to lovely collectors who have supported my work over the years and I was delighted to hear from new collectors who found me through my social media outlets (Instagram and Facebook) ... (if you haven't already, you are welcome to follow me and my bears on the links below:)
https://www.instagram.com/allbearbypaula/
https://www.facebook.com/allbearbypaulacarter/?locale=en_GB
I usually like to begin a new year with a classic teddy bear and this year was no exception. After the chaos of Christmas, I opted to have a slow start to 2026 by tidying my workroom and packing away all the household Christmas decorations, so that I could create my first bear of the year in a calm, peaceful environment. Dear Irving teddy bear was the result and he is now available for adoption from my website.
During the long dark winter evenings, I enjoy a spot of knitting and not only for the bears... I have also had fun knitting a Jack Frost doll and dressing a duck recently! I find knitting a great way to fill time while I wait for longer daylight hours and warmer weather to make a return. I'm no winter gardener, that's for sure, so my garden will have to wait until Spring but I do have a patch of daffodil bulbs shooting up sturdy leaves in the front garden now and am excited to see them burst into cheerful yellow nodding blooms ... that shouldn't be too much longer surely?!
On that note, I will end my post for today. I hope you are easing your way gently into 2026 and I look forward to sharing my teddy bears here with you again this year.
Happy New Year Everyone!
Best wishes,
Paula x
During the long dark winter evenings, I enjoy a spot of knitting and not only for the bears... I have also had fun knitting a Jack Frost doll and dressing a duck recently! I find knitting a great way to fill time while I wait for longer daylight hours and warmer weather to make a return. I'm no winter gardener, that's for sure, so my garden will have to wait until Spring but I do have a patch of daffodil bulbs shooting up sturdy leaves in the front garden now and am excited to see them burst into cheerful yellow nodding blooms ... that shouldn't be too much longer surely?!
On that note, I will end my post for today. I hope you are easing your way gently into 2026 and I look forward to sharing my teddy bears here with you again this year.
Happy New Year Everyone!
Best wishes,
Paula x