Hibearnation

 

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 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

The Spring Ball

 

THE SPRING BALL

After the wettest and muddiest of winters, Spring has at last arrived in the South East of England...

... and it is such a joy to watch gardens and the local countryside, waking to a swathe of pretty pastel blossoms dancing in the breeze... from the palest, to the most bold and flirtatious. Mother Nature at her most feminine!

There are also daffodils in heartfelt yellows and oranges, swaying gently in the borders, guaranteed to warm the chilliest of walkers, frilly hyacinths in pretty tutus of pink, blue and lilac, the shy purple crocus (almost at an end now) and sturdy camellia shrubs adorned in the most fabulous pinks and reds, demanding the eye of any passerby.

This week, the most spectacular sign that winter has now passed, has to be the breathtakingly beautiful magnolia trees, their branches dramatic with glamorous pink and white blooms, inviting us all to enjoy the show as they reach for the sky. Definitely the Belles of our Spring Ball, for a few more days at least, until wind and rain sweep back in to claim them... but never mind, it will soon be the turn of our magical Bluebells, currently waiting patiently in the wings to take centre stage!

It is such a lovely time of year and for this teddy bear maker, the 'Spring Ball' is always an inspiration!

A trio of teddy bears

 

A TRIO OF TEDDY BEARS

This trio of lovely traditional teddy bears will be wending their way to 'The Bear Shop' in Norwich next week!

If you would like to know more about shop exclusives Alfie, Archie and Arnie, please pop along to https://www.bearshops.co.uk/

Springtime Pals

 

SPRINGTIME PALS

After creating Hyacinth Bunny and Bluebell Ellie-Bear earlier this month, I decided to make a teddy bear pal for them and Buttercup Bear came into being ... then I kept looking at the trio and thinking knitted jackets in appropriate colours might be a lovely detail to bring them together as a collection ... then last week, my poor dog Betty hurt her leg on a walk so I couldn't work upstairs in my workroom (bear with me, this does all make sense in the end ...!) as the vet forbade Betty from using stairs until after surgery (Betty always sleeps by my workroom door as I work). I took the opportunity to move my new collection of bears downstairs to keep Bets company and to cut a long and rather painful story short, knitted them sweet little jackets, with Betty sleeping peacefully at my feet.

I sometimes find that bears (and their friends) need a little time to let me know exactly how they would like to present themselves. The design process isn't always clear at the start of a new project and this sweet group of friends had clear ideas about how they wanted to look. I love the soft pastels they chose for Spring; they are so pretty!

As for my sweet Betty, she continues to put on a brave face whilst waiting to see the orthopaedic specialist. She loves to run and play, so this has been a worrying time, but I am sure that with expert care and plenty of love, she will soon be on the road to recovery.

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!

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!

Autumn, season of mists and .. pandas?

I'm not sure why, but it has been a good few years since I last made any pandas, so this Autumn, I have tried to rectify that situation with a handful of these rather striking teddy bears!

First there was Bamboo, a beautiful gentle panda bear created in soft shades of brown and cream.

After Bamboo, I then received a special request from a collector for a pink and chocolate brown panda ... which turned out to be a truly delicious colour combination and was named 'Luna' by her delighted new owner.

As I watched leaves turning orange, red and gold on my recent daily walks with the dogs, I couldn't resist one more panda before Winter sets in and I had the perfect coppery coloured mohair waiting in my workroom! My latest panda is called 'Conkers' and for me, he is a celebration of Autumn, a season I love. He is a stunning teddy bear currently looking for his special someone and now available to purchase from my website ...

www.allbearbypaula.com

Autumn, may well be the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, but it also seems to be the perfect season for pandas!

:-)

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!

:-)

Tweedy Teds

I find it's good to take a break from mohair to experiment with different fabrics now and again. This week, I have been having heaps of fun creating cloth bears from Harris Tweed. I absolutely love this beautiful hand woven, pure wool fabric, which is produced in the Scottish Isles.

This special Tweed is available in an unending array of fabulous colours and patterns, is strong enough to withstand the rigours of bear-making and produces wonderfully characterful, traditional bears, with a twist!

I daresay I'll introduce a few smaller bears along the way, but to start with, I've been making larger bears ... Thistle measures 21" and Lullaby 20". I was so thrilled when both bears sold within moments of making their appearance on my website!

I have several other gorgeous pieces of this fabulous fabric in my workroom and another couple of tweedy teds in the pipeline, so if you missed this pair of tweedy bears, please pop back again soon!

A perfect couple

Celeste and Albert looked so perfect sat together on my bookcase, I decided to photograph them together. The pics came out really well and now I am considering whether to feature them on new teddy bear hang tags.

It has been a while since I ordered new tags, so I think now is a good time to update. It's always fun to freshen things up and Spring time is the perfect time for such things!

And on the subject of Spring, at last it seems to have arrived here in Kent, in the nick of time for Easter. Last week we were battling sub-zero temperatures, snow and icy blasts from the East for the second time this year and today, the snow has melted, the sun is shining, daffs are blooming everywhere and thankfully, my woolly hats and scarves are back in the drawer where they belong!

:-)

PS. Celeste has been adopted but if you are looking for a big, beautiful, traditional boy, Albert would be delighted to hear from you! 

Full details can be found on my website:

www.allbearbypaula.com

Available teddy bears

January is always a tough month for teddy bear adoptions as Christmas takes its toll on us all, so, I have decided to sweeten the price of my two available teddy bears this week with a little 'Winter Sale', in the hope it may help them find their way to caring new owners soon. 

www.allbearbypaula.com

16" Lonnie

21" Albert

Also, as it's my birthday tomorrow, it couldn't be a better time to be a tiny bit frivolous!

;-)

Gute Reise Doodle!

Between dog training sessions, a fun-filled day with my grandson and a hair appointment this week, I have been working on this little chap.

10.5" Doodle has been adopted!

It has been a while since I made any small teddy bears, so I thought it would be fun to make a couple for my website. 'Doodle' is only ten and that all important 'half' inches tall and as you can see, turned out cute as a button! He hopped into the shopping cart soon after settling onto my website, so my apologies if you missed him.

The other little bear I have in-progress, is the same mohair but even smaller (about eight inches) ... that is if I can remind my fingers and thumbs to how to work neatly on such a weeny one! All going well, that wee teddy bear will be ready for viewing on my website later next week. In the meantime, I am delighted to tell you, dear Doodle will be up-sticks-ing to live with fellow 'All Bears' in Germany. 

Gute Reise Doodle!

:-)

Time to smell the roses..

I have been knocked sideways by a nasty tummy bug for a few days, so not much of anything to report this week I'm afraid, as it's been rather a wobbly one.  The weather has been beautiful though, so once the worst passed, I parked myself in the garden among my roses, to gather strength and take my mind off the churning within. Urgh.

I'm back on form today though and eager to tackle the jobs left undone while I was indisposed.  First up this afternoon will be a beautiful pink mohair bear I began work on last week.  She is definitely in need of a rose related name - must put my thinking cap on. I also have a magnificent commission bear to work on requiring some handmade buttons, which should be fun (buttons made by me by the way. I've never made clay buttons before, so more news of that project soon!) Oh and if you are interested, I have a couple of simply gorgeous pieces of kid mohair in line for traditional teddies. I know I am going to love creating all these bears, the fabrics for them are a complete joy.

I've probably mentioned this before, but roses are my favourite plants in the garden, I absolutely love them and they never fail to inspire my creativity ... they are such a tonic!

:-)

A Copper Carpet

Not quite sure how I managed to find time to finish him this week, but somehow, between dog training, walkies and Grandson time, it happened!

16" Copper

So this is 'Copper', a rather lovely 16" mohair teddy.  As soon as I spotted his gorgeous mohair, I couldn't resist ordering it because it put me in mind of our favourite Autumn walks in the woods ... the leaves are golden, crunchy and carpeting the ground here right now, it's absolutely beautiful.

While I had my studio set up, I also took new photographs of 'Malteser' - dark brown bears are so tricky to photograph, but I think I prefer these pics of him to the ones I first took ... especially the one of him with Copper, it's so cute!

Malteser and Copper

20" Malteser 

Both of these lovely teddy bears are now available to adopt from my website:

www.allbearbypaula.com

Update: Copper has been adopted!

The Gift

I called my finished panda bear 'Li Wu', which I am told means 'The Gift' ... so appropriate for a teddy!

Li Wu quickly found a lovely new home with one of my regular collectors, so I know he will be well cared for and made a welcome member of their 'All Bear' hug.

Loyal collectors are very special to me; it always gives me pleasure to place a new bear with someone I know has enjoyed my bears over time and who continues to support my work by returning time and time again, to adopt my new bears. 

So, a moment to give my heartfelt thanks to those of you who invite my bears into your homes around the world ... you make my creative world turn and for that I am and always will be, very, very, grateful xxx

Four teds and a panda..

These teddy bears will be winging their way to Tracy's lovely 'One More Bear' shop in Trentham Village, Stoke-on-Trent (UK) early next week ...

Introducing, Tian Tian the panda bear, Giorgio the big curly fellow on the left in a knitted neckerchief, Giovanni the brown chap wearing a snuggly scarf and little Gruff and his pal Guthrie, also wearing hand knits.  They range in size from 8.5" to 18".

These bears will be appearing soon at:

www.onemorebear.co.uk

Wishing them every success in their search for caring owners!

Slow off the blocks

2015 has been slow to fire up my creativity; usually I'm pretty quick off the blocks, but this year there seem to have been a hundred and one other tasks, not least of which is my Tax Return, stealing time away from my new year's bear-making schedule!

14" Lumi

That said, I've been trying hard to make bears between other commitments and have at last finished a lovely wispy bear, created from softly tipped mohair.  As it's Winter here in the UK, I have called him 'Lumi', meaning 'snow'... not that any has fallen here in Kent yet, but I suppose there is still time!

8.5" Tucker

I popped Tucker on my website right before Christmas, but unfortunately didn't have time to photograph him in my studio and had to make do with a quick snap instead.  Hopefully this clearer photograph will help find him a nice new owner soon.

14" Tian Tian is a shop exclusive

One of the reasons I have been slow to add new bears to my website is that I have also been working on the shop order promised to 'One More Bear' before Christmas ... I didn't manage to complete the order in time because the rotten 'flu bowled me over!  This mohair panda bear is part of that order and so is little 'Guthrie' the alpaca bear in the pic below ...

8.5" Guthrie is a shop exclusive

With any luck, I should have three other shop exclusive bears ready to join them in the next week or so and I have also promised to create a special birthday bear for a collector by the end of this month ...

Once my decks are clear of January's catch up, I intend to take full advantage of my 'no Hugglets show' freedom in February and give myself permission to work on the bears waiting patiently in my head!

Onward Paula!

We three bears!

We're heading to 'The Bear Shop' in Norwich this week and we're so excited about the special Christmas 'Open Day' being held next Sunday!

My name is Dustin and I am the second bear in a special shop edition of just four, created especially for The Bear Shop.  I am an impressive 19" tall and as you can see, rather a handsome chap! 

PS, I have a growler in my tummy ... Grrrrr!!!!

My name is Ned and I'm a bit smaller than Dustin at just 16".  I think it's fair to say I am a nice middle sized bear, a fine traditional fellow at that.  I'm not part of any edition ... I'm just me, all by myself.

Don't forget me! I'm called Rufus and I'm one of a kind too!  I am 16" too, so middle sized I guess, just like Ned.  I've been told I will bring colour to your Christmas and cheer to your New Year ... sounds good to me!

We'd love you to visit The Bear Shop in Norwich on Sunday 30th November; please come along and give us a cuddle!  The shop owner Robert is definitely feeling the Christmas spirit already ... he's gifted you some very special vouchers to use in his shop that day!

Full details can be found on the link below:

The Bear Shop Christmas Open Day

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!