A black and white memory

 

A BLACK AND WHITE MEMORY

There is something so appealing about a panda bear don't you think?! I don't make many each year, but as a teddy bear maker, I always enjoy putting my own vision to the panda theme...

The panda bear is a member of the bear family and is called 'Da Xiong Mao' in China, meaning Giant Bear Cat. Giant Pandas mainly live in large bamboo forests in mountain areas of southwest China’s Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. The mountains are about 1200-3500 metres above sea level and covered with dense bamboo forest, which is the giant panda’s food.

One little panda bear cub called Chi-Chi, was caught in the wild in 1955 and taken to Beijin Zoo in China. She subsequently travelled from China to Russia, where she failed to mate successfully so was moved to Frankfurt Zoo, prior to being loaned to several further European Zoos. Poor Chi-Chi was shunted from pillar to post and even sold to a US zoo in Illinois (but refused entry to the US as a result of a trade embargo)... Chi-Chi eventually arrived in England and in 1958, was purchased by London Zoo for the princely sum of £12,000. There had been several pandas at London Zoo since the late 1930's, but sadly earlier panda bears had only lived short lives in captivity, so it was hoped Chi-Chi might be successfully mated to produce cubs.

Chi-Chi the panda cub was playful and cute and quickly became a much loved attraction at London Zoo, drawing visitors and media coverage from far and wide. I recall the thrill of visiting her with my parents at London Zoo's Mapin Terraces, in the mid 1960's.

As pandas were worringly rare in the wild and generally lived short lives in captivity, attempts were made to breed from Chi-Chi. It is believed they were unsuccessful because she had been raised by humans and simply didn't know how to respond to a male of her own species. Nevertheless, Chi-Chi became the inspiration behind the original 'World Wildlife Foundation' logo (a poster I proudly displayed on my bedroom wall as a young girl!) and the symbol of international wildlife conservation and hope for the future.

At age eleven years, Chi-Chi sadly died in captivity in 1972 and was mourned by the nation. Her body was preserved after her death and is now exhibited in London's Natural History Museum. It is worth noting, that in the wild, panda bears are known to live for twenty to thirty years.

The first toy panda bear toy was designed by Richard Steiff in 1938, in recognition of the first giant panda bear arriving in America, in 1937. Thanks to Chi-Chi and the other London Zoo pandas, panda bear toys became popular gifts for young children in the UK from the 1960's and were produced by British manufacturers such as Chiltern, Deans and Merrythought.  Like many other children, I was given a panda bear toy as a baby in the early 60's and have an old black and white a photograph of me, snuggled with my panda bear, as a baby. I can only assume that this gift, together with the visit to see Chi-Chi at London Zoo as a little girl, stayed with me and continues to inspire my own panda bear designs!

Sadly the panda bear, considered a national treasure in China, still has 'vulnerable' status in the wild today, a status upgraded from 'endangered' only recently. There are currently only 1,864 wild pandas recorded in existence, but thankfully, due to the work of the WWF to prevent further human encroachment onto their natural habitats, together with the recognition of the importance of the panda by the Chinese Government, numbers of these beautiful bamboo eating creatures are slowly increasing; although it should be stated that they still remain scattered, vulnerable and in need of awareness to further protect their habitat.  

After being taken from the wild as a cub, poor Chi-Chi lived out her life behind bars, at the beck and call of mankind. It is a sad tale witnessed through the eyes of an adult, yet through the eyes of a child I admit, it was a magical experience to be able to visit her in the UK.

If you would like to read more about the panda bear and support the work of the World Wildlife Foundation, please follow this link...

https://support.wwf.org.uk/adopt-a-panda 

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!

:-)

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

Panda in progress

Since making my recent shop exclusive panda bear, I've been dying to create a lovely big brown and cream panda ( I love that colour combo!) especially for my website.

I can't remember how long ago it was that I last made a large panda; quite a while, that much I do know.

By close of bear making today, I had my panda stitched, including proper inset mohair eye patches.  Now he/she is ready to stuff, so that will be tomorrow's task.  

Please pop back soon if you would like to know how this panda bear turns out!

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!

In Black and White

I was toppled by a 'flu bug in December, so unfortunately there was nothing for it but to delay my order for the 'One More Bear' shop until the New Year. 

Now I have four of the five shop exclusive bears in varying stages of un-made-ness in my workroom, waiting patiently to be brought to life over the coming days.  While I set to work on them, here's a quick snap of the 14" panda bear I managed to complete before Christmas, waiting hopefully for his teddy bear pals to join him on the journey to Stoke-on-Trent later this month.

I still need to give this bear a name and find four more names for his pals, so will have to put my thinking cap on ... unless of course, you have any suggestions?!

A tasty seasonal inspiration!

Every year, my daughter and I love to start our Christmas with a couple of  thick slices of moist Italian panettone slathered in butter, with marmalade on the side and a glass of fresh orange juice to sip ... this has become a bit of a family tradition over the years.

14" Panettone

So, inspired by our favourite Christmas breakfast, my first seasonal bear of 2014 is a chubby little panda bear named 'Panettone' ... I hope he helps ease you gently into the festive spirit!

Panettone is now available to share your festive celebration.  

Please visit my website for full details: 

www.allbearbypaula.com

Bon Fortune

Just popping in to show you my latest panda bear before I head for the kitchen to prepare our evening meal.  I think I mentioned this bear in an earlier blog post - he's destined for France and was a special commission for a collector.  Well, at last he's finished - a little later than planned, but better late than never!
 

20" 'Fortune'

Thank you so much for your patience Patricia; your new panda bear will be joining you in France in the next few days and I hope he brings you all the good fortune his name promises!

Peony Panda and a little promotion 'Downunder'!

17" Peony Panda

Peony Panda will be coming to the Hugglets show with me on Sunday. She's 17" of rose pink and cream, girly panda bear. After a long day's work yesterday, I finally finished her just before dinner last night. I'm hoping to have at least one more show bear for the big day, maybe two, but I must admit, I'm running pretty tight for time now. By the way, if you would like to see a full preview of all my completed show bears, please pop over to www.allbear.co.uk where they are now featured.

'Australian Bear Creations' magazine

Somehow this week, I also need to find time to create some advertising copy. After receiving my first subscription issue of the 'Australian Bear Creations' magazine last week, I have taken the plunge by booking advertising space for a few forthcoming issues. The 'Bear Creations' magazine has a very pleasing appeal, reminding me in some ways of the original UK 'Teddy Bear Times' magazine. It certainly reads as though the editorial staff have a passion for teddy bear art and understand what it is they are talking about. I very much enjoyed the read and found myself thinking, 'why not advertise your bears here Paula?' Well, you know me, no sooner thunk than done! This should prove a great opportunity for introducing my bears properly 'Downunder,' so as you can probably imagine, I'm quite excited about the prospect!

If you would like to find out more about the Australian Bear Creations magazine, please visit ...

http://www.woodlandspublishing.com.au/abc/

Delphinium, a panda bear challenge

One of the beauties of the internet is that by some mysterious technological magic way beyond the limits of my comprehension, bear makers have now been provided with a gateway to connect. Working away from the nine to five world as self-employed artisans can be extremely isolating wherever your work is based, but since the arrival of the internet, thankfully things have changed! These days lasting friendships evolve internationally at the simple tap of a keyboard, as bear artists come together to promote the teddy bear as art. As in our 'real' world, meeting places have formed online to accommodate groups of artists - a bit like the internet equivalent of the coffee house, famed throughout history for providing meeting places for intellectuals and artists alike. Nowadays, we make our own coffee in our favourite mugs to sip thoughtfully at our desks (often with a side order of cake or chocolate!) while we log on to meet our colleagues and friends, in bear related forums contrived to welcome those with an interest in bear crafting, from all four corners of the globe.

Teddy Talk forum

'Teddy Talk' is one such international meeting place. A highly successful forum with a membership of over 1600, it is chock full of freely shared bear crafting information, new works, support and fun. If you would like to visit Teddy Talk to join in the chat, please pop along by clicking the link above.

'Delphinium', the result of my TT forum 'pandamania' challenge!

I am currently in the process of hosting a bear-making challenge on Teddy Talk. My project is designed to encourage other bear artists, both novice and more experienced, to engage in the process of creating new works, by offering an inspirational focus to share. This particular challenge is for panda bears and after several weeks, I am delighted to say we have achieved a most edifying gallery of panda bears, truly diverse in design. If you happen to visit Teddy Talk, please take a moment to visit the 'Challenge Gallery' at the top of the page, to see the fruits of our inspiration.

17" Delphinium, will make her debut at the Teddies 2008 show in London

As I initiated the challenge, it is only fair that I 'walk the walk,' as well as 'talk the talk', so this week I have created 17" 'Delphinium', a rather whimsical, not to mention colourful, panda bear, as my contribution to the TT 'Pandamania' Challenge. Delphinium will be making her debut at the 'Teddies 2008' show in London with me on September 14th.

British Bears on the Net, community forum

If you are interested in bear craft and would like to share time with like-minded people online, you are very welcome to pour yourself a mug of coffee and join in the fun on Teddy Talk. Alternatively, if you have a particular interest in the Great British teddy bear and would feel more at home in a cosy, friendly UK meeting place, please check out the British Bears on the Net link above and stop by our virtual 'Coffee Shop' to say hello - you are assured of a warm reception, we'd love to hear from you!

That's the way ("aha, aha") I like it

'Willow' 20"

This is 'Willow' ... do you remember the unfinished chocolate panda bear pictured on my worktable just before the Hugglets show? Well, three heads later, here she is, complete at last. I don't usually have issues with my heads, usually they come together first time, so I just couldn't work out what the problem was with my lovely panda, then the penny dropped, I'd been trying to make a boy and she just wasn't! Once I'd worked that out, it was plain sailing and yesterday, I spent a very pleasant day bringing her to life.

'Willow' won't make it as far as my website I'm afraid, because she has been snapped up already and will be flying off to meet her new owner across the Atlantic in America, on Monday.

Next week I'm going to work on a couple of bears for the website because (as has been pointed out by several collectors this week - thanks everyone!) it really is in dire need of some new bears. I don't know quite what direction I shall take yet, but I do have some beautiful fabrics to play with, in particular a wonderful silk/mohair blend, which is powder soft and newly imported to the UK from Germany, in exclusive colours. I purchased a couple of very pretty shades of this gorgeous Schulte fur at the Winter Bearfest show and I'm really looking forward to working with them. That's definitely the beauty of being self-employed, I get to create what I want, when I want, how I want, with no one to tell me otherwise and that's the way, ("aha, aha") I like it!

'Willow profile'

Day Job.

Yes, I am still working hard at my 'day job' despite the baby knitting - I promise! Just to prove the point, here are my two newest bears.

'Posy Panda' 17"

'Posy Panda' was created in defiance of the dismal dark grey days we've been having in Kent lately. I really needed a burst of colour and so a little 'pink sunshine' panda cub really perked me up. Posy was snapped up straightaway and will be taking up residence in the States very soon. My other bear 'Humble', is hot off the press. He only had his ears stitched on last night! The rain finally stopped this morning, so I dashed out to the garden to take his photos about an hour ago.

'Humble' 19"

I will be cutting out my next design this afternoon and then it will be back to my armchair to finish knitting the sleeves of my lilac baby cardigan for little Erin Rose, when I settle down to watch Corrie this evening.

I wonder if those of you living outside the UK have heard of Coronation Street, our favourite soap? It was first launched on our screens in 1960, three years before I was born and it has been a British instituation ever since. I remember watching it on a black and white television set with my mother when I was a little girl and I'm sure my own daughter will remember growing up with it in years to come too!

If you are curious to know more about dear old Corrie, this link should help enlighten you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_Street

Black and white chic

It's been a while since I last made a panda bear, so when I was asked to make one in time for Christmas recently, I jumped at the chance. This is 'Coco', a 15" panda cub, finished yesterday. I couldn't resist naming her in tribute to Coco Chanel and her fabulously stylish black and white haute couture. My little panda wears a simple sparkly flower necklace which looks perfect against her dense black mohair.

Making this little panda has set me thinking about another panda cub, but this time I want to work with very subtle colours ... peach and white should make a pretty Christmas panda, don't you think? Well, we'll see! I'll let you know how things progress in a day or two ...