Happy New Year!

 

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!

Thanking you all hugely for 2022!  I couldn't have done it without you!

I am so grateful to my All Bear adopters and followers and would like to wish you all a very happy 2023.

I am delighted to report that all the bears I created for you in 2022, found lovely new homes around the world. I am now looking forward to beginning a fresh year of work creating beautiful new teddy bears to share with you and will be back among the mohair in my workroom later today. I look forward to introducing my first bear of 2023 very soon...

In the meantime, may 2023 be a year of peace, harmony and good fortune for all.

Happy New Year xxx

Back to the future

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Phyllis was made as a commission order for a collector in the US. I recently received an email containing a photograph of another teddy that I made way back in 2007, together with a request for a similar style of bear... not as easy as it perhaps sounds!

I put on my thinking cap, searched suppliers' websites for suitable mohair and in consultation with my customer, settled on this fabulous tangerine mohair to contrast with the white head and paws in the style of my original bear. My collector asked if I would be able to recreate the face she first fell in love with all those years ago, so I set about hand painting glass eyes to capture the sparkle, shading and needlefelting sleepy little eyelids and embroidering a stunning tangerine nose to create a 2022 version of my original teddy bear.

With her lovely chunky body, hugging arms, drumstick legs and face so full of character, 'Phyliss' has been a delightful revival of a style of teddy bear I very much enjoyed creating in the past ... and one I hope to share again with collectors in the future!

Seaside Follies

 

SEASIDE FOLLIES

I recently received an intriguing request to create this 21" commemorative teddy bear. He celebrates the life of my collector's Great Grandfather 'Jack Bellamy', a successful music hall act and Pierrot clown in the early 1900's. My collector emailed a blurry black and white photograph for me to work from and as a nod to Jack Bellamy's original Pierrot costume, included a request for pom-poms to be included in the design of his tribute teddy bear.

Pierrot troupes were a feature of almost every seaside town in the first half of the 1900's, raising funds and morale during the war years. They were obliged to be 'smart, charming and available at all times' and ready to entertain with music, dance and comedy, whatever the weather!  Many of our legendary British comedians such as Arthur Askey, Lesley Crowther and Max Miller, began their comedic careers as Pierrot Clowns, providing charming family fun at the seaside until the 1950's/60's, when overseas travel and foreign holidays became more accessible to British families and the Pierrots' heyday came to an end.

For a more detailed glimpse into the world of the 'Seaside Follies' Pierrot troupes, please visit www.seasidefollies.co.uk

Santa's Sack

So here it is, Merry Christmas!  

(Well, almost!)

20" Plumduff

Yes, Christmas is just around the corner and for this bearmaker, it is a time to cosy up in my workroom and simply enjoy creating a few special teddy bears, with a gentle nod to the spirit of our most festive season.

20" Brandysnap

The first two such teddy bears are Brandysnap, now wearing a cheerful Christmas collar tied with seasonal gold ribbon and Plumduff, who jingles happily whenever he is hugged. Both of these beautiful teddy bears are now on my website, hoping to hop into Santa's Sack in time for Christmas Day!

www.allbearbypaula.com

:-)

Update: Plumduff and Brandysnap have now been adopted!

A spooky little clown

I rarely create themed bears, but couldn't resist making a little bear for Halloween later this month ...

14" Twilight

This spooky little clown might be perfect for Halloween ... but he'll also be heaps of fun all year round too!

If you would like to know more about this sweet Twilight teddy bear, please visit him on my website:

www.allbearbypaula.com

Before I head back upstairs to my workroom, here is a link to my earlier Halloween blog posts, full of bears, dolls and of course, lots of spooky family fun ... I hope you enjoy the read!

https://allbear.blogspot.com/search/label/Halloween

Wishing you all a safe, fun and of course, mischievous Halloween 2019!

:-)

Update: Twilight has been adopted.

In glorious technicolour

In my last post I promised glorious technicolour and I think you will agree, it really doesn't get more glorious, or more technicolour, than this teddy bear!

20" Rhubarb

We are talking bold, we are talking fun, but most of all, we are talking ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!

This cheerful 20" mohair clown teddy, is now available for adoption and one thing is absolutely certain, Rhubarb Bear will brighten the darkest room and bring sunshine smiles to his new owner every day!

If you would like to know a little more about Rhubarb, please pop over to visit him on my website:

www.allbearbypaula.com

:-)

Update: Rhubarb has been adopted!

Skylark

I have been pottering my way through the summer holidays, enjoying walks with my dogs and funshine days, playing and reading with my grandchildren. Between times, whenever the weather was cool enough, I made time to work on an occasional summery teddy bear.

There is the slightest hint of Autumn creeping into early mornings now, so I don't suppose it will be long before my bears take an autumnal turn and my thoughts turn to knitting needles and cosy yarns. Before Autumn happens though, there is just enough time to introduce a lovely summer clown, created from softest peach and pale bluey-grey mohair. I called him 'Skylark' and popped him onto my website this very morning.

19" Skylark

Skylark is a striking teddy bear, with chunky proportions and a tilt growler in his tummy. If he tugs at your heartstrings, I would be delighted to hear from you...

To find out more about this lovely clown bear, please pop over to my website:

www.allbearbypaula.com

Thank you!

:-)

Blue skies and a Roly Poly

Exactly year ago this week, we were being battered by the 'Beast from the East', a ferocious snow storm but for the past three days this year, the sun has been warm, the skies blue and daffodils and blossom are starting appear everywhere. It seems there can be no predicting our British weather!

We're enjoying early Spring sunshine this week!

Having fun in the sun at a local Woodland Trust with my Grandson.
We climbed a tree together, so this photo was to celebrate us not falling off our perch!

Needless to say, I have been making the most of this unexpected sunshine by going out and about with my dogs and my Grandson. After all, how often are we ever able to enjoy warm sun in the UK in February?!!! We have enjoyed some lovely local walks together and have all been feeling relaxed and happy in the Spring sunshine.

12" Roly Poly

Happily, I also finished a cheerful new bear for my website between walks. I hope you will agree, he is a cracking little chap!

'Roly Poly' is now available for adoption from my website, so if you would like to know a little more about him, please click the link below ... thank you!

 www.allbearbypaula.com

:-)

Update: Roly Poly has now been adopted.

Business as usual

I had planned to introduce Duchesse on my blog but she sold within seconds of appearing on my website, then in the flurry of paperwork and packaging to send her on her way, I completely forgot to write my promised blog post ... sorry! She was a pretty, gentle looking teddy bear, created from lovely Schulte mohair.

20" Duchesse

After finishing Duchesse last week, I made another teddy bear from lovely Harris Tweed cloth.  I sized him down to be a bit smaller than the first Tweedy Bears, and at 17" 'Pippin' is a perfect size for cuddles. By the way, I used gorgeous autumnal shades for this bear, so he looks very cosy!

17" Pippin

Pippin is now available to adopt from my website, together with big brother 'McBlue', a very handsome 20" Tweedy Ted. I am planning to change McBlue's buttons and ribbon, as after mulling things over, I think matching grey tweed buttons and bow-tie would suit him better.

20" McBlue

I am looking forward to starting work on another Tweedy Ted this week, a special commission order for a collector. This one will be a teddy girl in pretty herringbone lilac and pink stripes,  hand woven by an independent weaver from the Isle of Lewis. It is such a joy to create teddy bears from such special cloth!

I also have a more vintage style teddy bear in the pipeline and maybe a Tiddler or two on the cards ...  or at least a couple of smallish bears; in fact, I have a head full of teddy bear waiting to bring to life at the moment!

So, it will be business as usual this summer in the All Bear workroom, then hopefully a change of pace and scenery in the Autumn, when I plan to squeeze in a ramble along Cornish cliffs and indulge myself in a spot of gazing out to sea and soaking up the view. 

Can't wait!

:-)

Cobweb

It's almost time for Halloween, a spooktastic time for teddy bear design! This year I have decided to create a clown teddy bear in magical purple and grey mohair, but rather than an being overtly Halloween ted, I prefer to think he is a lovely bear to be displayed and loved, all year round!

Introducing 'Cobweb'!

This super teddy bear has just made his way to my website, so if you would like to know a little more about him, please pop along to:

www.allbearbypaula.com

Wishing you all a safe and fun Happy Halloween 2016!

:-)

Update: Cobweb has been adopted and will be living in the UK!

The Domino Effect!

Domino was adopted so quickly, I blinked and missed my opportunity to post a blog to introduce him at the time. So, here he is, a little retrospective, but still well worth showing off ... he was such a handsome chap!

20" Domino has been adopted!

:-)

Making a Statement..

It has been a little while since I made an enormous teddy bear, so I was thrilled to be asked to create this summer clown for a keen collector ...

'Peaches' is a whopping 25" tall when standing!

Making such a large bear is jolly hard work, but very rewarding. I enjoy making BIG bears (as long standing readers will already know).  They take a heap of stuffing and are tricky to manoeuvre when it comes to stitching on ears, but the end result is always worth the extra elbow power required to bring them to life.  

I think it's fair to say, a huge bear makes a huge statement in any teddy bear collector's hug and I think this bear's statement is something along the lines of, 'Summer is beautiful, so let's have fun together!'

:-)

A Crystal Day

It may have taken me a while to find my creative stride this year, but I can, at last, introduce you to my first bear of 2016 ...

So without further ado, meet 'Crystal'!

Crystal 18"

Crystal puts me in mind of the kind of day when the world should wait, while you muffle up and enjoy a bracing walk beside a frozen lake in watery January sunshine.  I love days like those!

For further adoption details, please visit Crystal on my website:

www.allbearbypaula.com

Update: Crystal has been adopted!

Goosebump

Little 'Goosebump' disappeared almost as quickly as I could say 'boo' yesterday!

No sooner did I send him to my website, than he was invited to spend Halloween with a lovely new owner!  I'm certainly not complaining, but sending 'sorry that one already sold' emails to eager collectors who only just miss a bear they are excited about, is always tough.  

I can't stress enough, if you fall in love with a special teddy bear, either on a website, or at a show, please trust your instincts and adopt as quickly as possible, because if you've fallen head over heels in love, the chances are someone else has too ... 

Happy Halloween Bear Collecting Everyone!

:-)

Memories of Summer

A fleeting memory of when I was a very young girl; waiting in the car with my sisters at the petrol station while Dad filled the tank and mum bought freesias for our Gran ... such a pretty scent!

Introducing 'Freesia', a Summer clown teddy bear, filled with the warmth of nostalgia.

Happily, 'Freesia' has been adopted.

Wishing you all a beautiful Summer, full of happy memories!

:-)

Wavelengths

Creating a commission for a collector can be a fun process, but it can also be a bit nerve racking as it isn't always easy to tune into the same creative wavelength as a customer.  I find taking time to share ideas before committing to a project, is probably the most important step of the entire commission process.

Once ideas have been exchanged and fabric choices finalised (usually via email) it's then time to begin work ...

For this particular commission, my customer asked me to share work-in-progress photographs as her bear progressed.  It was a useful way of making certain we were both happy with the work ... and it only took a second to share snaps straight from my Iphone as I worked.

In fact, feedback from my customer during the bear making process was invaluable to me and it was fun to see how much she enjoyed watching her bear come to life step by step!

My customer's main directive was that her bear had to be BIG, a clown and created from only the most beautiful, luxury mohair. In other words, right up my creative street and a real pleasure for me to design!

My collector was also kind enough not to rush me to complete her bear, understanding instinctively that the best bears are never churned out quickly, rather they are better created with time built in for their creator to mull during the creative process.

For this bear, I hoped to achieve a  harmony of gentle Summer colour, so was delighted to stumble across Sirdar's lovely 'Crofter' yarn in perfect complementary shades for the scarf I had been asked to knit.

I decided to wait until teddy was completed before searching for his buttons because I needed them to be an ideal shade and texture. After spending several hours online, I settled on lovely chunky ceramics handcrafted by a seller in America.  She shipped them promptly and when I opened the packet a few days later, I was thrilled to see the time spent button hunting had been worthwhile - those buttons were absolutely perfect for my collector's very special Summer clown teddy bear!

A feather in my oh-so-traditional cap

Over the years I have often wondered if traditionally styled teddy bears can really hold their own against the bells and whistles of contemporary artist bears, when it comes to being judged on techniques employed and whenever I enter one of my classic teddy bears into a competition, I confess, it is usually with a fair degree of determination to have the typical teddy bear remembered and represented, whether or not he stands a chance of selection in this, the day of artistic impression.

'Beau'' - honoured with a 2014 Judges' Choice 

'Excellence in Bear Artistry Award' 

Well, today I am delighted to be able to share a little news with you ... 

I have just learned that my entry into the 2014 'Excellence in Bear Artistry Awards' has been honoured by a panel of elite teddy bear judges ... thus proving without a doubt, the traditional teddy bear still has as much place in competition as the most experimental of teddy bear interpretations!

The public voting element of this competition is now live, so please visit the link below and express your opinions on teddy bear design by casting your votes, thank you!

http://www.bearartistry.com/entries

An important business

It has been a very positive week for All Bear adoptions with Tuppence, Papa Bear and Marshmallow all finding lovely new owners over the past few days.

Papa Bear and little Marshmallow have been adopted in the UK!

Tuppence has been adopted to the good ol' US of A!

Robinson and Tootsie waved their pals off with exceptionally good grace, but were naturally a little envious as they hopped back onto my workroom shelves to wait patiently for their own someone special to invite them home ...

Robinson is still waiting hopefully to be adopted ...

And Tootsie is looking forward to meeting her special someone ...

We have received a great deal of enthusiastic interest for both Robinson and Tuppence, but adopting a new bear is an important business and not to be undertaken lightly, so they understand the need for patience and I have told them there is always the right person for the right teddy bear, but sometimes it takes just a little while longer to find that special person!

If you would like to find out more about either Robinson or Tootsie, please pop over to my new website as they are very eager to meet you!

www.allbearbypaula.com

29/6/14 Update: Tootsie has been adopted!

The Fabulous Four!

I am delighted to tell you that at last, I have uploaded some lovely new bears to my lovely new website!

Tuppence & Tootsie

There are four really rather fabulous teddy bears in all (if Ido say so myself!) the two Summery clown bears in the photo above, a dashing sailor bear and a magnificent alpaca fellow.  I'd love you to see them!

All my latest bears can be found at: 

www.allbearbypaula.com

Thank you so much for visiting!

No shakin' 'em off!

It's funny how twenty years of bear-making works ... I started out mastering traditional teddy bears, then discovered new techniques so slipped towards creating contemporary bears for a good long while, when eventually the urge to try out a new take on a vintage twist grabbed me and my 'shabby chic' bears evolved ... but finally I'm facing facts, me and traditional bears are destined to stay together; this bearmaker is happy to tell you, there is just no shaking 'em off !

I am currently working towards the Hugglets' show in Kensington Town Hall in London, which takes place on the 23rd February.  I will be bringing along my latest traditional teddies to sit loud and proud on my stand, so I hope you will be able to come along to this very special show and meet us in person!

For full details of 'The Winter Bearfest Show' please visit the organiser's website:

www.hugglets.co.uk