It's official!

Hooray! I can share my good news with you today and I am so thrilled! As Aleta said, this really is a bright shiny moment for me and I am completely buzzing with excitement!

Do you remember me agonising over whether or not to enter the prestigious TOBY Award programme for 2008, in an earlier blog post? (Please pop back and read my October 2007 blog entry if you missed it.) Well, I am delighted to tell you that plain brown envelope flew over the Atlantic to work some real magic and today I have received official confirmation that dear 'Billy Buttons' has won a ...

... ta dah (insert fanfare please!) ...

'TOBY Industry's Choice Award'!

What a fabulous start to my year! I have been completely in awe of the TOBY entries for many a long year; the competition is mighty fierce and totally international - very daunting! After taking the plunge to enter my own work last year unsuccessfully, I honestly didn't think I'd stand a hope ... which just goes to show, there is always hope!

So, now you know my news, please excuse me while I float around on Cloud Nine for a few days!

Patience ...

Ooooh, I have such exciting news to share! Not just yet though ... I'll tell you very soon, I promise! Bear with me!

Clowning around

If you have ever taken a moment to plough through my earlier blog entries, you will know by now that I have a bit of a 'thing' for clown bears. I think it's because the possibilities for design are absolutely endless and so much fun for a designer; I can play with contemporary concepts, or work my creative thoughts all the way through the spectrum towards the more classical designs. I think 'Pedrolino' definitely falls in the latter category, paying tribute as he does, to the romantic French white-faced clown.

2008 Pedrolino 13"

It is always so easy for me to find inspiration for new clown bears, because I really enjoy designing them. I've hunted through my files to find a picture of my very first white-faced clown design to share with you - I created 28" 'Pazazz' especially for the 'British Bear Artist Awards' in 1999 and as you can see, even though they are both white-faced, Pazazz is very different in style and size from 13" Pedrolino. (In case you were wondering, 'Pazazz' achieved second place in his category. It was such a proud day for me! He was subsequently purchased by the Hong Kong Toy Museum. I wonder if he is still on display?!)

1999 Pazazz 28"

By the way, I discovered Pedrolino's gorgeous little buttons whilst browsing Ebay. Aren't they beautiful?! I love finding vintage trims to finish my bears and these really were a great find. They are 1930's glass buttons ... so dainty! The perfect finishing touch for my handsome little clown.

NB: It has just dawned on me that I'm having a lilac week, what with my new clown bear and my little cardigan ... maybe it's a sign that Spring is just around the next corner! I do hope so!

Cousins and cardigans

Now I can show you the finished baby cardigan! I'm pleased to say my little keepsake elephant, hand knitted cardigan and a few other teeny weeny pretties, were well received when my daughter and I visited my sister, her husband and their children, at the weekend.

My new niece is absolutely beautiful and it was so lovely to have my very first cuddle with her. Sis looked the picture of health and happinness, and her gorgeous older daughter, Erin's big sister, was delighted to tell me how pleased she was that her new baby didn't turn out to be, heaven forbid, a boy!

Getting aquainted!

Oldest and youngest cousins - quarter of a century lies between them!

Hello Auntie Paula!

I do hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into our family album ... don't worry, I'll stop cooing and will resume normal bear making service a little later this week! (Although I must confess, I now have a pretty pink cardigan on my knitting needles to finish too!)

Down sizing.

I was beginning to wonder if I would be able to take pics of my latest design today; it's been pouring hard, yet again! Dark, grey days are so depressing aren't they? I do hope Spring isn't too far away, I'm longing for the first Spring flowers to show! Anyway, as I was about to say, fortunately the rain gave up briefly about half an hour ago, just long enough for me to nip out and photograph little Philbert.

Philbert 13"

I mentioned a while ago I wanted to work on some smaller designs and at 13", Philbert is quite little by my gargantuan standards! I'm hoping to create even smaller designs eventually, but first things first, I need to get comfortable with these little fellas gradually, rather than suddenly plunging my sizing down from 20 inches plus, to under ten inches! It's important to me that whatever size of bear I make, it doesn't compromise the 'ALL BEAR' identity.

I'm so used to making big bears after creating them for such a long time, that I wanted to make sure I had adapted my bear-making techniques sufficiently, so the small bears look as beautifully made and as well proportioned as their much larger counterparts. As well as exploring an entirely different range of fabrics than I usually use to ensure correct pile lengths and density, this project has meant reconsidering the sizing of component parts too .. joints, eyes etc.

It has also been necessary for me to change from using my usual sturdy stuffing tool, to using a far smaller doll maker's stuffing tool instead, so that the bears feel perfectly stuffed (I found the ideal tool for this at http://www.joggles.com/ one of my favourite online stores! It's a 'Barbara Willis' stuffing stick and I must say, it works brilliantly). When it came to stitching my nose and closing seams, I found it worked most successfully if I used finer embroidery and extra-strong threads, than I would normally use.


Compared to the art of making big bears, there certainly seem to be many subtle changes necessary when making smaller bears. I am certain that the smaller the bear, the more things there are to be considered in the making and design processes and although I can't ever see me getting as small as miniature, I would love to eventually create a successful little bear of about eight inches ... I think it's time I challenged myself!

So, to summarise, this is 'Philbert' and at 13", I think he's a lovely size. I am very pleased with how this new design has turned out and I am looking forward to developing it further. Mind you, I won't be giving up on my big bears, oh no! I love them way too much for that!

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

New Arrival!

I have a some lovely news to share! I was made an Auntie again on Saturday! My youngest sister safely gave birth to a healthy little girl and so after a dash to Hobbycraft, I have been able at last, to begin my baby knitting.

Naturally, I didn't want to start knitting until I knew what flavour the baby was and my sister didn't want to spoil her surprise by finding out early, so it's been a guessing game for quite some time!

I selected some delicate lilac 4ply and some pretty double knit in white with a little sparkly thread running through ... oh and the buttons! They are so cute too! Dainty lilac flower buttons and for the white cardigan, little pink buttons with bumble bees in the centre! Such fun!

I haven't met my new niece yet, but I'm hoping to very soon; in the meantime, I must get back to work so that I can spend some time knitting in my armchair this evening, so that I have the cardigans ready for my visit. There's something very special about hand knitting to welcome a new baby into the family, don't you think?

72 years young.

Celebrating our Dad's 70th birthday in 2006

It's our Dad's birthday today, he's 72 years young. Dad is the least likely 72 year old I've ever met and although I know he's frustrated that he can't climb Mount Everest at least twice a day (!) it's still impossible to think of him as 'getting on a bit'. He doesn't even have grey hair for goodness sake!

So, here's to you Dad, sending many happy returns and much love on your special day. I hope you enjoy the 'Showdown' CD; it's one of my absolute favourites, guaranteed to get you jigging ... just the way you've always liked it! xxx

A bit of a yarn.

Nine days into 2008 and only now can I announce my first new design! It's not exactly the conscientious 'back to work' attitude I had hoped for, but given my recent sewing machine crisis and the fitting of my new gas fire this week (hallelujah!) I suppose it's not too bad of me really ... ish.

'Bobble' my first new bear of 2008!

I don't usually choose to play around with themes, but something started ticking quietly away in my grey matter once I decided I'd like to work with wool fabric, rather than my usual mohair. When the overall fabric choice has been decided upon, I felt drawn to using wool felt for this little bear's paws, it just seemed to complement his wool coat so well and then, as I came to finish him, it seemed only natural to knit a simple scarf ... and thus 'Bobble' came to life.

And the background to this design? Well, after spotting a beautiful, if somewhat grubby, vintage woollen teddy bear on an auction internet site, I started to think about the wool fabric I had tucked away in my stash and felt the urge to celebrate wool as a bear makers' fabric choice once more; after all, where would we all be without wool? I found myself scouring the internet for information about the history of wool and the craft of knitting and for me, as both a bear maker and a knitter, it was fascinating stuff ... Wickipedia in particular was great for background reading ... if you are interested, please take a moment to visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_knitting , if nothing else, it will give you an idea of the lengths bear designers sometimes take to research the background to their designs.

I would also recommend http://www.bourtonbears.com/ This is a terrific source of historical teddy bear information. I have found the Bourton guys extremely informative when I've been researching in the past and so I popped over to see what they could tell me about early bears made from wool:

"During the years of World War 2, few bears were manufactured as factories were used to produce uniforms, blankets and other items needed in the war. When the war finished, materials were short and this gave us a period of interesting bears. As manufacturers started up again they used anything they could to get teddy bears back into production. Bears were made out of Sheepskin, cotton plush and even woollen blankets left over from the war were used. Bears were also produced dressed to save on using large amounts of plush."

Useful information indeed!
As I mentioned, I have occasionally come across elderly sheepskin teddy bears for sale on the secondary market and I think they hold great appeal. More humble perhaps than their vintage mohair counterparts, they are most endearing, inherently honest teddy bears.

On a broader note, I do think it's a shame our traditional crafting skills are so overlooked in today's schools. After all, in the absence of instruction, how will these wonderful skills continue to be handed down from generation to generation and how will our crafting heritage be appreciated and respected in the future? It also concerns me how are our children will be able to appreciate the beauty of handmade items when they aren't encouraged towards making them in their formative years? I'll get down from my soapbox now, but it's food for thought, don't you think?

Brrrr - knit one, purl one ...

It's cold here in Kent today. We don't have the forecasted snow yet, but with a sharp chill in the air and heavy grey skies, it feels as though it may be on its way. Brrrr!

I'm still waiting for the arrival of my new sewing machine, so rather than chop into any mohair, I thought I'd treat myself to an afternoon of knitting instead. After hunting through my stash last night, I've started work on this gorgeous multi coloured yarn, the shades are lovely and it feels so soft, it's the perfect craft for this cold January day!

I think it's just right for a simple teddy bear scarf in stocking stitch and with luck, I might even squeeze a matching hat from the three balls I've found. I really like the idea of making little ear holes in the hat ... we'll see! No, I don't have a bear ready to wear this knitting, but never mind, it's so pretty and snuggly, it will no doubt inspire me to create the perfect bear especially for it!

The sorry tale of Miss Claus and the sad demise of one faithful Pfaff!

Imagine the scene, it's Christmas Eve and little Miss Claus, with only an hour to spare before her big night out, decides to adjust the fitting of her little red number using my faithful Pfaff sewing machine.

'Miss S. Claus 2007'

Mummy Claus (me!) is dutifully visiting family, so can't give helpful advice and in the giddy whirl of tinsel topped Christmas preparations, thinks no more of it.

In true Time Machine fashion, we now switch to the day before yesterday ... with the festivites over for another year, Mummy Claus can now be found back in her workroom, like the good little bear maker she is. She decides to sew up her latest teddy bear design, using her trusty sewing machine. She threads it, flicks the lightbulb switch and firmly presses the foot pedal ... Calamity! The machine jams more solidly than fast drying cement. Upon further close examination a tell tale thread in festive red (!) is exposed and the maternal finger of accusation points squarely at Miss Claus (Oh She of the daft penguin slippers), who is out celebrating the New Year in tried and tested fashion.

A nail bitingly frustrating two days pass before Mummy Claus manages to locate her son and begs him shamelessly to don his 'surgical whites'. He agrees readily (never one to cope well with womanly whining) and spends several painful hours shaking his head meaningfully, whilst attempting to breath life back into the desperately defunct Pfaff. One exhausted toolbox hopelessly bursting with surgical instruments later, Mummy Claus is firmly told she should face facts, the Pfaff's condition may well be terminal.

Doctor A. Carter

So, the prognosis being what it is, I've been forced (!) to order a shiny new Pfaff sewing machine so that I can work on my new bears this week.

What a start to my New Year!

Ouch!

First footings ...

I thought you might enjoy this picture ... at just five months old, Puddle Kitten absolutely loved her first Christmas morn! You'll have to look carefully to spot her, she's the little black monster diving deep into the wrapping paper!

The feet? Oh, they belong to my son and daughter ... needless to say my daughter is the one wearing the daft Penguin slipper socks!

And this picture is just to prove I'm not back in my workroom yet. Okay, I know it's a cheat to be working on the living room rug instead, but I have plans for a New Year project and I can't wait to get started on them! Yesterday I sourced some very exciting vintage fabric which is now on its way to me. So I'm working on some smaller designs in the hope they will be suitable for the fabric when it arrives ... watch this space for further developments!

I am really looking forward to bringing you more special teddy bears direct from the All Bear workroom in 2008 and in the meantime, on this last day of 2007, I wish you all a safe and happy New Year's Eve, wherever you are x

For the sake of auld lang syne ...

After the traditional festive family hustle and bustle, the time has come for Christmas to slip into memory and for us to look towards the New Year. At the moment, the biggest event on my family's horizon is the imminent arrival of my youngest sister's baby, so we are waiting with baited breath for that all important call to tell us things are underway. What a wonderful symbol of hope for the start of our New Year!

Naturally, such a special event requires a special keepsake for the new baby, so just before Christmas Eve I tucked myself away in my sewing room for an afternoon and set to work creating a little woollen elephant with a tale to tell ...

Ellie Elephant 1960's

After many years living in my previous house, I finally plucked up the courage to sell and move to a new place in February of 2007. Just before Christmas, I decided to delve through the trunks I had moved from my last loft, to my new loft, so that I could decorate in readinness for our first Christmas in our new home.

Everything was hickledy pickledy and I wasn't sure which trunk to search through first, so I heaved boxes aside and unclicked the first trunk I came across. There was no Christmas sparkle inside, but tucked carefully away within layers of old tablecloths, I found one of my childhood toys ...'Ellie the Elephant' had been made for me by my uncle when I was nought but a wee baby, way back in the early 1960's.

A train line ran across the back of Gran's garden and my mother's youngest brother had quite literally taken his life in his hands one day, by playing on the track. By some miracle he survived when the train inevitably rattled over him. He spent a long time in hospital and when he was sufficiently healed to work on his co-ordination, he was given the materials to make a 7" elephant ... my little Ellie.

Ellie was one of my much loved softies and over the years, her felt eyes and floppy ears were completely loved away, but I've never quite been able to bring myself to part with her. Which leads me to part two of my tale! As soon as I saw my worn out little elephant, I knew exactly what the perfect keepsake for the new baby would be!

Ellie Elephant 2007

I had the ideal piece of wool fabric tucked away in the bottom of my fabric box and using my memory to help me, created new ears, lined with beige velvet. Rather than the felt eyes of my original elephant, I used tiny glass eyes, because this little elephant is to be given as a keepsake, rather than a toy and I prefer the look of the traditional glass eyes; my fumblings with felt looked way too clumsy, even for a softie!

To achieve the simple look of this design was a little more tricky than I initially anticipated - we live and learn don't we?! Despite my teddy bear designing skills, I confess it took me several attempts to work out the body gusset pattern so that my wee elephant could sit comfortably, maintaining the body shape of the 1960's original.

This project has been a welcome distraction from the bears for me and I am delighted with the result, which I think holds all the naive charm of the original. When I was a child it wasn't unusual for special gifts to be handmade and now, several decades later, I am delighted to be able to continue this tradition for my sister and her new baby!

And for those of you who aren't familiar with 'Auld Lang Syne' by Robert Burns, here is the English translation ...

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!

And surely I’ll buy mine!

And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes and picked the daisies fine;

But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,

from morning sun till dine (dinner time)

But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!

And give us a hand o’ thine!

And we’ll take a right good-will draught,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Here's to a peaceful and prosperous New Year for us all ... Cheers!

... and finally.

On this chilly December afternoon, I would like to share my '... and finally' bear with you. With only a few days until Christmas, I think it's time now to quietly close my workroom door for 2007 and hang up my stuffing tool until the New Year.

'Phineas Bear' seems a fitting bear to end the year with. He is a bear whose design pays respect to his fabulous 1930's forebears, yet introduces a thoroughly modern twinkle. Definitely the ideal bear with which to celebrate the old and welcome the new!

Before I am swept along with the festive tide, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have shared my dream this year. Without your enthusiasm, I really couldn't make a success of my work, so please accept my heartfelt thanks and deepest appreciation x

Happy Christmas everyone!

Pouting and pining ...

What a nightmare day! I was suppposed to have a new gas fire fitted today, but when the fitters arrived they decided they couldn't do the job, so I have been frozen all morning (no heating because the gas had to be turned off) and I still don't have a new fire. Such is life! On a slightly more positive note, they did manage to install the new hob and oven before they shrugged their shoulders and left, so at least I should be able to cook our Christmas turkey without cursing too much. I inherited the old oven when I moved in earlier this year and it's strange attitude towards temperature control has driven me barmy ever since.

Don't you just hate it when things don't go to plan? I'm feeling pretty grouchy right now (can you tell?!) Today has been such a waste of a day and it's put me behind with the bear I'm working on, which is guaranteed to make me grumpy. Grrrrr!

To elimate my grrrrrr, I've taken a deep breath, turned the heating back on and made myself a mug of hot chocolate. I think I'm starting to thaw a little now! My daughter decorated our Christmas tree yesterday evening and the smell of pine is wafting right through the house; it's very therapeutic! I think before I start work on my sewing, I'm going to take my mug of chocolate, snuggle in an armchair and just inhale a little Christmas tree magic for a few minutes ... *sighs*

Oh, I almost forgot! The Blog Land taggers nabbed me! Jenny Johnson of Three O'Clock Bears (please pop over to her blog ... I've just listed it in my blog links .. you'll love her work!) has invited me to play, so I have to reveal five little known facts about myself before I go ... okay, let me think ... I'll keep them bear related ...

1. Lovely Frank Webster (Charnwood Bears) once told me, many years ago, to pay careful attention to my noses ... excellent advice and one of the keys to my bear making progression!

2. Dear Sue Schoen of Bocs Teganau fame (sadly no longer making bears) once accidentally threw a large glass of red wine over my cream trouser suit at an awards event, I made the mistake of trying to wash the wine out and promptly shrank my trousers. A week later a parcel arrived at my house - inside was an adorable little bear made by Sue, aptly named 'Oops, sorry I shrank your trousers!'

3. Years ago, Pam Howells (designer for the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company) made a fabulous 'Chiltern Memory' for me, to add to my collection of vintage Chiltern bears. These days he watches over the proceedings in the All Bear workroom from the top of on the cupboard.
 

4. The first bear I was bought as an adult was called 'Sebastian' a handsome black limited edition teddy bear, created by the 'Little Folk' company, based in Devon. I found Sebastian in a magical little shop in Saint Ives, whilst on holiday in Cornwall with my family about fifteen years ago. These days Sebastian stands proudly next to Pam's 'Barty', my Chiltern Memory, making sure I work hard!

5. If I had to choose a completely new style of bear to work on as a challenge, I'd have to try either a little bear, or an old looking, shabby kind of bear (or even a little shabby looking bear!) I don't feel confident with either of those styles and would love to conquer them one day!

Right, time to think about who to tag next ... !

Once Upon a Design ...

Paula and 'Big Ted' 1964

With only a few more days to spare before the All Bear workshop closes it's doors for 2007, I'm so pleased I have managed to completed Cognac! I even put off a shopping trip today so that I could take advantage of the clear, dry day to photograph this bear as soon as he was finished. Photographing bears outdoors at this time of year is very frustrating and fraught with hindrances, rain and low sunshine, being the worst them!

'Cognac' designed by Paula, December 2008

It's such a treat to work with this straight dense pile Schulte mohair, it really is beautiful. The quality of this fabric is second to none and is absolutely perfect for this style of bear. My design leans towards the style of early English bears, stout gentle bears with wise faces; Cognac's hand painted eyes are my only concession to a little contemporary sparkle!

1930's/1940's English Chiltern Hugmees 'Bobby Bear'

and 'Baby Bear'

I love the early English bears, particularly those made by the Chiltern Toy Company. My own childhood bear was a Chiltern and of course, I still have him. I also now own several other wonderful examples of this manufacturer's work and for me, these old fellas surpass all other bears.

1930's English Chiltern Hugmee 'Samson'

Chiltern bears are reknowned for the quality of their mohair which truly can stand the test of time and I love the mystique of their apparent simplicity of design, which in reality, disguises a complicated truth: to achieve such wisdom of expression and bearing over time, the design relies on perfectly balanced posture created not only by the original pattern design, but also as a result of a wonderful blend of fabric choice, proportion and critically, of stuffing materials, used in harmony with classic bear making techniques.

1930's/40's English Chiltern Hugmee 'Biggest Bear'

The Chiltern Hugmee range is for me, the ultimate in teddy bear design. Those overly large heads, resting heavily on stout bodies, are just so endearing ... surpassing modern day contrivances, I think they say absolutely everything a bear needs to say about comfort, security and dependability.

1930's English Chiltern Hugmees 'Rochester' and 'Stockport'

Whilst we bear 'artists' as we like to call ourselves, strive for the next great discovery in design, tweaking and embellishing our work along the way, I think we could take a lesson from the golden oldies because in my humble opinion, they really understood exactly what bear design should be all about!

Family Fun

Christmas came early for our family yesterday with a grand gathering of the clan. Three of my sisters, their 'other halves' and an assortment of grandchildren ranging in age from six (nearly seven!) through to twenty two, descended on Mum's house to squeeze into sofas, share mince pies, guzzle drinks, munch on nibbles and do what we all do best ... natter!

'Auntie Paula'
A peek into our gathering of the clan 2007

Mum's house was like Santa's grotto, twinkling with festivity and challenging the National Grid's manful attempt to maintain the country's electricity supply, which must be groaning under the weight of seasonal sparkle right now!
Christmas Pazazz!

Christmas card creating

Official 2008 'All Bear' Christmas Card

There's so much to do at this time of year isn't there? One of the festive tasks I've been working on lately is designing the official 'All Bear' Christmas card. Thank heavens for online printing facilities!

www.vistaprint.co.uk is a very useful site for creating cards and stationery of all descriptions. Those of you who collect my bears, or have visited me at shows over the past couple of years, will probably have hangtags and postcards I have created using this facility.

This year I have selected a wonderful photograph of 'Gorgeous George' and with a helping hand from Vistaprint, have personalised my official 'All Bear' Christmas card. I'm delighted with the results and will be posting the cards very soon!

Gran's pud

It's official! My Christmas preparations are well and truly underway. Yes, I know it's only December 4th, but even so, I am determined to introduce a little festive sparkle to my world! For me, Christmas is all about warmth and family and this year especially, I want our first Christmas in our new home to hug us all tightly together.

My office/dining Christmas tree

This weekend has been the perfect time to hunt out my fairy lights, purchase a tiny tree for my workroom, hide away gifts in preparation for wrapping and for the twenty fourth year in a row, mix my Gran's Christmas pudding recipe! Next weekend I plan to hunt down a real pine tree for the living room and decorate that room too!

The All Bear workroom's teeny tiny Christmas tree! Yes, it really is purple and pink!

On Saturday, I spent a lovely day shopping for Christmas presents with my mother and my daughter. A triple generational Christmas gift hunt! We shopped 'til we dropped, Fay and I squirted perfume samples until we couldn't remember which was which and then took Mum to our favourite shops. We spent ages choosing goodies in 'The Pier', a shop bursting with beautiful bits n' bobs and as my youngest sister has a new baby arriving in the New Year, we also had the perfect excuse to visit baby departments and coo over teeny tiny baby clothes.

When our tiddler arrives, there will be almost a quarter of a century between the oldest and youngest grandchildren in our family, Fay, my daughter, being the oldest. In the New Year there will be ten grandchildren in all! The big question is, will Laura have a boy or a girl? To-date we only have one boy in the family, my son Anthony, so the family is in a guessing game spin!

Later this week as many of us as possible (I have four sisters!) will wend our way to Mum's for a mince pie evening. Mum has been busy setting up her Christmas lights in readinness for her grandchildren and this year, has even added a nodding reindeer to her grotto! With family spread far and wide these days, this is an important time for us all.
Gran's Christmas pud

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I've mixed my Christmas pudding, steamed it for the required eight hours and it is now ready for a further three hours steaming on Christmas morning. The recipe for this pud has been handed down through my family and even now I can clearly remember the wonderful spicey aroma wafting through my parent's house on Christmas morning when I was child. I've always used this receipe for my own family Christmasses, with a slight adaption so that Fay, who is diabetic, can enjoy it with us. If you would you like to share our Christmas pudding, here is our receipe ... enjoy!

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Cooking time: 6-8 hours

Preparation: 45 minutes

Utensils: One 2 pint basin. Saucepan. Steamer. Foil or greaseproof paper.

Ingredients:

4 oz flour (use wholemeal for diabetic option)

2 oz breadcrumbs (use wholemeal for diabetic option)

1 level teaspoon mixed spice

1 level teaspoon cinnamon

1 level teaspoon nutmeg

4 oz shredded suet (use vegetable suet for diabetic option)

40z brown sugar (20z for diabetic option)

4 oz grated apple

1 small grated carrot

4 oz crystallised peel (no peel for diabetic option)

2 eggs

4 oz currants

4 oz sultanas

8 oz raisins

2 oz chopped prunes or dried apricots

4 oz chopped blanched almonds

grated rind 1/2 lemon

1 tsp black treacle (don't use for diabetic option)

1/4 pint guinness (or stout/beer/milk if preferred)

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together.

2. Leave overnight.

3. Stir again.

4. Put into greased 2 pint basin.

5. Cover with foil or greaseproof paper. Grease inside of paper to keep pudding dry.

6. Steam for 6-8 hours.

7. Remove wet covers as soon as pudding is cooked.

8. Put on dry greased covers and re-steam for 2/3 hours on Christmas morning.

To Serve:

Turn pudding out of bowl, bring to table, slosh a spoonful of brandy over and for dramatic effect, flambe! (Carefully!)

Serve with brandy butter made by creaming 4oz butter, 6oz icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of brandy. (Not recommended for diabetics!)

Or, (my personal favourite!) serve with clotted cream.

Or, serve with double cream, ice-cream, brandy or cointreau flavoured cream ... oh yum ... let your imagination and your tastebuds go wild!

'Angelica'

Finally, I would like to share my latest 'Santa's Sack' bear with you. She is pictured sitting on my dining room table, did you spot her? 'Angelica' is the little peach panda cub I was thinking about in an earlier posting ... I hope you like her!

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 ...

Pin-up boy

My 'phone didn't stop ringing yesterday. It's odd, but since the introduction of email there are some weeks I can go from one end of the week to the other without so much as a single telephone call and then there are days when I might as well be attached to the 'phone by a piece of elastic! It's as though people suddenly feel a need to share real conversation, just in case, heaven forbid, the internet steals away the personal touch completely!

Two of the calls I received yesterday were from UK magazine advertising departments asking me if I would like to advertise with them ... I wonder if the new year is a tough time for raking in advertising revenue by any chance?! However, I did give the possibility of advertising some serious thought and decided it wouldn't hurt to have my bases covered over the next couple of months, so promptly accepted the opportunity to book my usual small ad in Teddy Bear Scene magazine and the offer of a full page 'Pawtrait' in Teddy Bear Club International's gallery pages. I'm quite excited about the full page pin-up as you can imagine!

'Pawtrait Gallery' Teddy Bear Club International Gallery January 2008 issue

I spent ages choosing photos for both ads this morning and selected two beautiful pics of 'Gorgeous George' taken by Tina at our last photo shoot. Perfect pin-up material! I then settled down with a mug of coffee to battle the mysteries of 'Photoshop' so that I could create the smaller ad all by myself. It's a bit like learning a new language and every time I leave the programme, I think I've learned a tiny bit more through sheer frustrated determination but I'm far from confident with this software and could really do with some proper lessons to put it to more effective use; that way perhaps it wouldn't always take me quite so long to produce everything!

'Pawprints' ad Teddy Bear Scene magazine February 2008 issue

Anyhow, battling aside, I'm relieved to tell you I have finished the graphic work and this morning emailed the relevant files through to the magazines' advertising departments. All I have to do now is sit back and wait for publication! How exciting!

If you would like to purchase either of these specialist magazines, my full page ad will be published in the January issue of Teddy Bear Club International (on sale December 17th) and my little 'pawprints' ad will be found in the February issue of Teddy Bear Scene magazine, which will be on sale in January 2008. Both magazines can usually be found in WH Smiths, or alternatively can be purchased online by visiting the publishers' websites ... www.teddybearscene.co.uk and www.teddybeartimes.com

Noel, Noel!

My goodness, no sooner did I pop 'Noel' in Santa's Sack, than he found his special someone and announced he was moving to France. Oooh la la, this must rate as the fastest ALL BEAR adoption yet!

Still, I did promise to share the outcome of that fabulous piece of Schulte mohair with you as soon as I had finished working on it and a promise is a promise, so here it is, in all its glory. I hope you like it! I used the green twinkly eyes too ... they suit him well, don't you think? By the way, that super velvet bow tie is a genuine vintage find from the 1970's ... very Starksy and Hutch! Suave, sophisticated, it is the perfect dressing for Noel!

Changing the subject somewhat, I must ask, do you ever get frustrated with your computer? I certainly did today! I couldn't for the life of me work out why the text on my screen had shrunk to such a miniscule size, my poor ol' lady eyes could no longer read it. I fiddled with this setting and that and eventually had to shamefacedly ask for help. Luckily for me, several helpful folk soon rushed to my aid and helped me reinstate my text size.

And the moral of the story is? Well, the moral of this story is: 'don't let your kitten press buttons on the keyboard while you are trying to work'! Puddle is such a helpful soul and by lazily reaching out a black furry paw to press the 'control' button while I was trying to scroll, she successfully reduced my text sizing to almost invisible! Kitties eh?!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that ...

The weather has been miserable so far this week, so it has been no hardship to tuck myself away in my workroom. Yesterday I had a 'bits n' pieces' kind of day, painting glass eyes, cutting out that fabulous piece of Schulte mohair I told you about and playing around with some beaded snowflakes. I took some pics too, which gave me the opportunity to try out the macro setting on my new camera (see glass eye pics) ... I was really pleased with the outcome.

Painting glass eyes for the bears is a great way of bringing their expression to life. It really personalises them. It's a very relaxing job too. Mind you, it's not too good for the nails! This bear-maker's hands will never be ladylike and today, just to prove the point, I have the most unflattering black enamelled fingernails.

After the success of my bronze, blue and silvery eyes, I've been dying to paint some green eyes. Finding the perfect shade hasn't been easy, but eventually I came across what I needed, did a little colour blending and hey presto, this is the result. Pretty eh? I can't wait to put them to use!

The Christmas beadwork book I bought last week has been calling to me ever since. The pictures in it are pure eye candy and I've been absolutely itching to make something beaded and pretty, so yesterday started to work on some snowflakes. I may use them to decorate my Christmas tree, or even as an accessory for a Santa's Sack bear, but as is always the case, I need a few more beads to really get going with this project. Needless to say, one thing has led to another and now I'm waiting for the delivery of those 'few more beads'. I have a feeling this bead compulsion could take hold!

I remember taking a class in Indian beadwork when I was at school (many, many moons ago) and I think that must have been what gave me a taste to relearn a few beading skills. I love the idea of using beadwork for embroidered embellishments and accessories for example, so who knows, maybe I'll even treat myself to a little beading loom to play with soon!

Before I fill my favourite mug with steaming hot coffee and take it up to my workroom, I must just show you the beautiful swirly, Schulte mohair I was telling you about. This picture really doesn't do the dense, silky soft pile sufficient justice, but it does at least give a taste of what's to come! Since taking this picture, I've marked out my pattern, cut it out, trimmed each of the individual pieces and started sewing ... I'm planning a 23" ish bear from this fabric and today, I'm going to begin work on his head ... I'll be back with photos to show you as soon he is completed and the rain has stopped!

Brandysnap!

Yesterday I promised I'd share my latest 'Santa's Sack' bear cub with you, so here he is! This is 'Brandysnap', one of my new 18" bears, but this time with a growler. I have used a wonderful mohair for this bear, the colours are absolutely fabulous; the shades range randomly from palest peach through to rich cinnamon. Warm velvet paws in a complementary shade of cinnamon work perfectly with this mohair and I've used the same soft velvet for his inner ears, which are a little bigger than usual and I think they really suit him.

I didn't want to over clutter this bear because the mohair really needs to speak for itself, so I have kept his overall design traditional, utilising plain black glass eyes and a neatly hand embroidered black nose. Do you recognise the ribbon? Yes, it's in the picture I posted yesterday, one of my festive findings from my local haberdashery! It's a beautiful shade of burnt orange and it is embossed with glittery holly leaves ... just perfect for my Brandysnap bear!

Next week I'm going to start work on the fabulous piece of Schulte mohair I told you about, it's definitely time I made another big bear! I have a panda cub to make for a collector too, so all in all, I think I can look forward to a most enjoyable week's bear creating!