The Odd Job Lady

My goodness, it's already a quarter to five in the afternoon and there have been so many loose ends for me to tie today, I haven't had time to sew a solitary stitch. A significant portion of this bearmaker's day disappeared writing answers to interview questions for the Teddy Bear Review magazine article ... those questions looked innocent enough, but they sure made my cogs whirl! Hopefully I've put together enough information for an interesting read when the mag is published. By the way, I've been told my article will appear in the July/August publication which will give me something exciting to look forward to!

I also sent little 'Tiddler' on his way to Belgium this afternoon, so with a good Spring breeze blowing in the right direction, he will soon be with his new owner.

www.allbear.co.uk

Finally, I overhauled a couple of pages on my website. It certainly needed freshening up as some of the pics of me were almost three years old and much as I'd love to stay forever young, I think I was possibly pushing my luck! 'Paula's Page' is now bang up-to-date with the pics Tina took of me a few weeks ago. I have also given the 'Awards Winners' page a Spring clean because it had become cluttered. Now I'm feeling far more organised and will be able to return to work on the white bear in my work basket tomorrow, without all those odd jobs hanging heavily over me!

Rule Britannia!

'Victor'

How exciting, I have just received an invitation to be interviewed by an American magazine wanting to introduce UK bear artists to their US 'fans and collectors'. With specialist teddy bear collectors' magazines so few and far between these days, editorial coverage is hard to come by, so this is a real scoop and naturally I'm delighted! I'll let you know how to go about buying a copy when the magazine is published ...

Ad break

The November issue of 'Teddy Bear and Friends' magazine dropped onto my doormat yesterday and in the 'Artists' Showcase' section is my latest advertisement. I'm very pleased with the way it stands out on the page (thanks to Tina's lovely 'Victor' photograph!) and hope it will help to spread the 'All Bear' word throughout America and beyond.

Teddy Bear and Friends Nov/Dec 2008 issue, on sale now!

By the way, my last advertisement for this year will be published in 'Australian Bear Creations' Nov/Dec issue, on sale from Woodlands Publishing on the 8th November and I'm really looking forward to seeing it in print.

I have been hunting through some back issues of teddy bear magazines today and could kick myself because despite clambering up into the loft space to ferret through my trunks, I still can't find my copies of the bear mags which over the years published articles on both 'All Bear' and 'Auntie Bears' ... I am particularly upset at losing the early Auntie Bears articles as you can imagine. I think I must have accidentally sent the mags to the dump during the intense pressure of moving house the year before last and sadly, I haven't been able to locate copies of those issues on the internet yet. I am hoping I will at least manage to find the millenium (January 2000) issue of 'Teddy Bear Times' magazine, because that particular issue contained a lovely article I wrote about my Chiltern Bears and I remember being delighted when it was published in the very first issue of the new millenium! I'm also keeping my fingers crossed for the early 'Teddy Bear Club International' magazine (published mid/late 90's) containing our first 'Auntie Bears' article to turn up one day, but as neither magazine is in publication any longer, I realise it may take me a while to locate them. I'll let you know if I find them ...'Gently' my 1997 Teddy Bear Times cover star! (Issue 47) Shown here with two 'Teddy Bear Scene' issues (2004 & 2006) featuring my bears - top left insert pics.All was not quite lost in the house move though, I'm pleased to say I did succeed in finding my very first ever front cover for the 'Teddy Bear Times' magazine up in those dusty trunks! 'Gently' was a lovely big bear, about 26" from memory. I don't remember where he went to live, but I do remember being thrilled to bits when I saw he had been given the front cover of TBT in October 1997!

Teddy Bear Times magazine - issue 49 February 1998

Before I go back upstairs to work on my show bears, I thought you might like to see an early 'Auntie Bears' advertisement from 1998 ... I can't remember if this was our first attempt at magazine advertising, but I think it probably was. Back then my sister Fiona and I enjoyed being able to take larger ads, conveniently splitting the cost between us. Very handy!

I love teddies, featured artist!

I was contacted by Chrissie, the owner of 'I love Teddies' recently and asked if I would be willing to be interviewed as 'featured artist' for the month of August. Never one to miss an opportunity for a little bear related promotion, I jumped at the chance and I'm delighted to tell you, the interview has just gone live! If you would like to visit the 'I love Teddies' website and read the featured artist interview, please click the link below:

New Zealand Teds

I received a lovely email a little while ago, from a lady called Hazel, editor of the 'New Zealand Teds' magazine. Hazel and her co-editor Pam are dedicated to introducing New Zealand to teddy bear art. They stumbled upon my 'Bearing All' blog and decided to contact me to see if I would be willing to contribute an article and some photographs to their magazine.

New Zealand Teds magazine - June/July 2008 issue

I was delighted to be invited to put something together and then yesterday, a complimentary copy landed on my doormat, all the way from the other side of the world!

After receiving the depressing news about Teddy Bear Scene magazine being wound up earlier this week, the New Zealand Teds have definitely put a big smile back on my face, so I would like to take this opportunity to say,
thank you very, very, much ladies!

If you would like to support the 'New Zealand Teds' magazine, subscriptions (including overseas subscriptions) are available at a very reasonable cost. Please email: hurlys@xtra.co.uk for further information.

Shining Success Story!

I have another special surprise to report today! I received my subscription copy of the April issue of 'Teddy Bear Scene' magazine yesterday, only to discover that my 'Billy Buttons' bear has been included in a super article entitled 'Shining Success Stories'! What a lovely compliment!

If you would like to purchase a copy of this month's mag, you will find it on sale in most large branches of WH Smith in the UK, or pop along to http://www.teddybearscene.co.uk/

Teddy Bear Scene magazine issue 128 - April 2008

I am so delighted this dedicated mag has taken the time to highlight and actively support the international competitive work taking place in the world of bear art. And that reminds me, 'Teddy Bear Scene' is now accepting entries for their own 'Readers' Choice Awards' and as 'Billy Buttons' was a finalist last year, naturally, I am keen to kickstart my competition entries for this year with a submission. Time to put my thinking cap on!

Don't worry, my head hasn't been completely turned by competitions and publications, I am still primarily occupied with the business of bears and just to prove my point, here is a preview of my latest 20" bear ...

20" Bear in progress ... mohair/silk blend

... he'll be finished and of course named, later today, so please pop over to my website in a while, if you'd like to find out more about him. By the way, this bear is made from the softest shade of mushroom in the mohair/silk blend I mentioned in an earlier post and boy oh boy, is it gorgeous!

'Restoring teddy bears and stuffed animals' by Christel and Rolf Pistorius

No matter how many years I've been designing bears, there's always more to learn and alongside my frequent bursts of internet research, I also like to keep my eyes open for interesting bear-related publications. I spotted this book by Christel and Rolf Pistorius on Amazon.co.uk last week and couldn't resist adding it to my bookshelf because it offers a great opportunity to learn about the construction of vintage bears, from the inside out. I have several other interesting books on their way to me too ... but I'll save those titles to share with you another day.

In progress - Erin Rose's pink cardi!

And finally, I must make time to finish the pink cardigan this week! At this rate little Erin Rose will have outgrown it before the cute little bumble bee buttons are finally sewn on!

Paula Carter aus England

How exciting! I have an article published in an online German magazine! Would you like to read it? You would? (!) Okay, here's the link:

http://www.kuscheltiernews.info/news2008/paula_carter_allbear.html

I do hope you have more luck understanding the article than I did - sadly, my schoolgirl German is horribly rusty and limited to counting to ten, telling someone I am hungry and ordering a beer, so I can only guess hopefully at what is being said about my bears ... still, on the plus side, at least you can rest assured I should never go hungry or thirsty in Germany!

Postscript: I have just found the original interview questions and my answers, so if you are like me, linguistically challenged and would like to read the article, this is the gist of it:

Questions:

Please describe your bears with your own words.

When I was a toddler, my parents bought me a large teddy bear (who, at the time, was almost as big as I was!) from the English manufacturer 'Chiltern'. This special bear gave me a wonderful sense of security for many years to come and for that reason, I have always been drawn to bears of significant proportion. My own designs stay true to this concept; they are substantial teddy bears with their roots based in traditional English teddy bear design, yet with a contemporary flavour - I like to think of them as modern classics.

- When did you start making bears and what was the occasion?

Initially, as an adult, I indulged my fascination in the early Chiltern Hugmee teddy bear, by hunting out books to discover more of their history. One thing led to another and before long, I had stumbled across a specialist collector's magazine, which of course told me all about artist bears and how to find them. I visited a London show and was so excited to find such that artistically designed bears of every shape, size and much character were being created today! I came away from that show clutching a bear-making kit and from that day to this, approximately fifteen years later, I have continued to create my own bears.

- Do you recollect the first teddy that you made yourself?

The first bear I ever made was from a child's toy making kit. I hand sewed him from start to finish and when he was complete, named him 'Orange Blob Bear'. He wasn't very handsome, my son loved him though!

- How do you get ideas or inspiration for new bears?

I am constantly thinking of new ideas for my bears, I take inspiration from almost everywhere. Poetry, stories, places I love, food, unusual names, elements of nature, beautiful fabrics ... there is always something to inspire me! I also love to research antique bears and that will often lead me into an idea for new work.

- What do like most when making bears?

I really enjoy the whole process of making bears; there's something entirely satisfying about creating personality from raw materials. However, I think it's important to stress that for me, making bears isn't just about bear craft. It is about the process of design, creation, promotion and administration. As I sell my work to achieve an income, the art of running my own business is every bit as important to me as the craft of creating my bear designs and that involves being a 'Jack of all Trades'. As well as my crafting skills, I also rely heavily on my computer skills, marketing techniques, administrative ability and so forth!

- Do you have a personal great dream regarding the bear making?

My goals are quite simple. I would love to continue to be able to create beautiful bears of quality, for collectors to enjoy. It is important to me to continue to be part of the movement promoting bear art, working hard to bring it to an even broader audience.

and especially regarding England
- Please tell us something about the place where you live. What's your place of birth?

England is my home and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. These days I live just outside the county town of Maidstone in Kent, but I was born in Hampshire, near the sea and have always loved the British coastline; it can be rugged, dramatic and yet always so beautiful. I also love the hustle and bustle of our Capital city, London, which is about an hour and a half's drive from my home. London is such a fascinating place, with wonderful architecture, fabulous museums and of course, the bright lights of the West End!

- Is there a teddy bear scene in England (regular fairs, competitions, magazines ...)?

England was the birthplace of several important teddy bear making manufacturers throughout the past century: Chiltern, Chad Valley, Merrythought, Deans, to name but a few. These days there is a thriving teddy bear scene in the UK and we have many dedicated bear artists bringing exciting new designs to the industry. Specialist collectors shows take place throughout the country but my favourite UK shows are held in Kensington Town Hall in February and September. Both shows are run by www.hugglets.co.uk and they showcase an amazing array of talent, both from the UK and overseas. Definitely a must for any collector's calendar! We also have two important UK monthly publications, the 'Teddy Bear Scene' magazine and 'The Teddy Bear Club International' magazine. Both magazines work extremely hard to support bear art and each sponsors an annual competition, designed to promote the status of the teddy bear as art.

- Do you think that your bears are influenced by your place of residence/country or would they look the same if you lived elsewhere?

I think the fact that I am British has played an important part in the way I approach my bear making. I love the early English bears, (particularly those manufactured by Chiltern from the 1920's/1950's) and have always been hugely inspired by my country's bear making heritage.

Paws for Applause!

Teddy Bear Scene magazine Issue 127, March 2008

On sale 14th February!

I'm buzzing today! My subscription copy of Teddy Bear Scene magazine just dropped through the letterbox and inside, is a fabulous double page spread featuring my teddy bears. I haven't been able to resist leaving it spread open on the dining room table, so that I catch a glimpse every time I walk past ... too vain eh?! I know, shame on me! But even after all these years, I still get such a zing from seeing my bears in print and that thrill never diminishes! By the way, this may sound completely daft, but I was so tickled to see my garden pebbles used for the page background!

Paws for Applause to:
Penny (www.bear-artists-online.com)
Samantha (www.teddybearartistevent.co.uk/)
and Susan (www.bearbasics.co.uk)

I was also absolutely delighted to turn a few pages and discover the editor, lovely Kathy Martin, has published my comments about three very special people who I believe have really put themselves out to help promote bear art recently. Penny, Samantha and Susan, I do hope you enjoy your 'Paws for Applause' bright shiny moment this month (thank you Aleta for that perfect turn of phrase!) You've truly earned your moment ladies!

Well done you!

xxx

Life is a rollercoaster.

Up one minute, down the next! Well, not quite, but it just goes to show a teddy bear maker has to keep her feet firmly on the ground. There's no room in this business for airs and graces, after all, prima donnas don't cut the mustard!

As you know, this week Billy Buttons was nominated in the 'Readers' Choice Awards', which was such a thrill for me and then today, I learned my poor Crocus has been overlooked in the URSA nominations. The odd thing is, I received so many lovely messages of support for Crocus, but not enough votes to push her through to the final.

The messages from collectors touched my heart, each one making me beam with pride and gratitude as I read. Although I can't pretend an URSA nomination wouldn't have been a huge compliment, I am just so proud to have such strong support from all over the world. If you're reading my thoughts now, warmest hugs to you and thank you all so very much!

I need to start work on my Hugglets show bears right now! It's going to be a nose to the grindstone few weeks; I just hope I can finish enough special bears in time for the big day. I spent yesterday afternoon battling an embroidered nose ... why does that always chose to happen when I have a tight deadline I wonder? Ah well, deep breath, a calming mug of coffee and hopefully I'll win that particular challenge today!

It's no good, I can't keep it quiet any longer, I'm dying to tell you that I'm just about to send off for my copy of lovely Kathy Martin's book, 'Teddy Bears, a collectible history of the teddy bear'. (See pic) Yet another rollercoaster moment! I was so proud when she asked if she could reference my work in her book, I couldn't quite believe it! That was some time ago and the book has only just been published ... as you can imagine, I'm bursting with excitment and can't wait to hold my very own copy! If you would like to purchase a copy, please check out the details in the September issue of Teddy Bear Scene magazine:

(http://www.teddybearscene.co.uk/)

It's on sale now!