Happy Birthday Stuart xxx

It will be this bloke's birthday tomorrow and as I know he likes to keeps tabs on me by taking a sneaky peek at my blog from time to time, this post is especially for him.  

He looks rather contemplative in the pic above, which is rare.  More usually you'll find him laughing and joking, making silly faces, speaking in daft voices, or 'Dad dancing' in the lounge to entertain my daughter.  He likes a beer, is obsessed with dreadful football (has held a season ticket at Gillingham since he was seven years old, need I say more?!) and is never happier than when he's pottering about in our garden, or out yomping in the great wide yonder ... (mind you,  if you ask him, he'll always tell you he was even happier when the Gills went to Wembley; so it's best not to ask, or you'll get all the gory details ... and I do mean ALL the gory details, yawn!)

He's argumentative, stubborn, irritatingly organised, snores AND hogs the duvet, but on the plus side he's rarely grumpy and is always the first to say sorry, even when he's not really in the wrong .... (ahem!)

He'll tell you he drives me nuts with a grin on his face and I know he has no intention of ever changing his neanderthal ways, but for all that he's a great bathroom scrubber and my friend through thick and thin, so as fiance's go, he'll do for me.

Anyway, as I said, it will be the ol' devil's birthday tomorrow, so this is me, giving him a chuckle, making him blush a little and wishing him the happiest of birthdays.

With all my love to you always Stuart,

Happy Birthday you ol' arse,

From me xxx

Wormshill Wanderings

Stuart and I were invited to stretch our legs in Wormshill with Fiona, her Simon and Bugsy yesterday.  I heard the words 'Ringlestone Arms' in the invite and thought a gentle stroll to the pub would be a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon ... silly me!

Striding out, with me bringing up the rear ... as you might expect!

With Simon at the helm, I should have guessed it was never going to be a girly totter!  By the time the pub came into sight, those muddy Wormshill hills had taken their toll and I was gasping ... I really should get out walking more often!

My little point 'n shoot camera gave me a handy excuse to stop and take a breather every so often - it's a beautiful rural farming area, as you can see.

Bugsy, Simon, Fo and Stuart

When we eventually arrived back, Simon had cake and coffee (beer for the boys!) on hand to revive us and Bugsy promptly fell asleep in front of their roaring log fire. We'd had loads of fun chatting and laughing out in the fresh air and after all the exercise, I slept like an absolute log last night ... Stuart however, didn't wait that long, he conked out on the couch not long after we arrived home!

Thanks heaps you two, we loved our Pink Welly Sunday in Wormshill ... (and I'm grateful I lived to tell the tale!) xxx

One bearmaker's trash is another bearmaker's treasure!

Like many bear artists, I have a stash of mohair waiting to inspire me.  Occasionally though, I look through my mohair pile and wonder whether some of it will ever become a bear - perhaps the colours bore me, or the pile fails to fire my creative mojo, or the pieces have been used too often before.  Those offending pieces of mohair gradually filter their way to the bottom of my stash and over a period of time, are forgotten ...

So when I heard about a new Facebook group called 'Art/Craft/Bear Making Supplies for Sale or Swap' set up by a fellow bear artist, it set me thinking! 

With tape measure and digicam to hand, I delved deep into my storage boxes and hauled out a good few pieces of fabric which were never likely to see the light of day again.

I'm delighted to say, that with a little effort on my part, a great DIY idea on Clare Davis-Tedd's part and the enthusiastic support of other Facebook teddy bear artist friends, my discarded pieces of mohair raised a very welcome £300 and can now look forward to being put to far better use by other bear makers around the world!

A note to self ...

You may remember when I moved into my new workroom at the start of last year, I bought a memo board ...

Back then I was more interested in which fabric to use for covering the cork pin board and how to make it look as pretty as possible, but when my sister Tina drove up from Hampshire to visit this weekend, she nipped upstairs to take a look at my new workroom and commented on my memo board, making me realise my pristine board had evolved somewhat during the months it has been hanging!

It's so much more than a pretty wall hanger now ... now it tells stories! 

There's a lovely thank you picture from my young niece, a pair of felt paw pads cut for a teddy who decided otherwise, little scented polka dot sacks given to me by Stuart's mum, photographs of my favourite rose blooms from 2010 and also one of a beautiful Camelia bloom - the camelia was a gift from my Dad many years ago and came with me from my old house when I moved ... I worried it might not survive transplantation, but it thrived and was heavily laden with the most gorgeous blooms last Spring.  There are also practice pieces of knitting, held by sweet little butterfly pegs given to me by my daughter.  On a more businesslike note, I've pinned reminders to order new wool felt for bear paws and cute bow ties in assorted colours hang, waiting to adorn new teddy bears.  There's a precious photograph of me with my kids, taken many years ago on a very windy visit to Brighton pier and my burgundy rosette congratulating me on my first ever Golden Teddy Award nomination.  The pegs beneath hold several lengths of  gorgeous hand dyed silk cord made by a lady in America and sitting under the memo board is the teddy bear tin given to me by my sister Fiona after a holiday; it contained Cornish fudge years ago, but now holds emboidery thread for new teddy bear noses ... oh and beside the tin sits one of my favourite china pigs collected years ago.

So, as you see, my memo board turned into a story board - it wasn't planned, it simply evolved in its own sweet way, which coincidentally, is pretty much the story of my entire life!

Showing Off ...

To show, or not to show, that is the question ...

20" Benedict

'The Winter Bearfest' in London is only a matter of weeks away and it's always so hard to know what to do for the best ... I mean, should I hide my new bears away and only reveal them on the big day, or should I just have fun making as many bears as I can until the big day, sharing them as and when they come to life?  I love to show off my bears and always struggle to keep them under wraps, so this time, I've decided to take option two, make the bears, enjoy making the bears, show the bears and ... worry about how many will be available for sale at the show, nearer to show time!

So, introducing 'Benedict', my very first clown bear of 2012!  He's a brand new design from top to toe. I wanted to create a very traditional clown bear with a slightly longer snout than my usual bears and I'm really pleased with him.  If he doesn't find a new home sooner, I'll be happy to introduce you to him in person at the Hugglets' show!

13th January update:

I am delighted to say Benedict has been adopted and will soon be living in Singapore!

A Dad's Eye View

Today would have been Dad's 76th birthday, so we'd better begin his celebrations with a duck ...

One of the first things to put a smile on my face soon after Dad left our mortal coil, was his collection of duck photographs - I wonder if he ever realised exactly how many ducks had posed for him over the years?  It seems he could never resist pointing his lens towards an obliging duck!

'Brighton Pier'

I remember him telling me about this photograph of Brighton Pier.  He took the photo on a trip with my sister Tina and her partner Ian and was utterly thrilled to have captured the gulls swooping dramatically over the pier at twilight.  He was absolutely frozen too, as apparently it was a bitterly cold day!

'The Red Arrows'

And when he snapped the 'Red Arrows' in formation, I received an excited call ... Dad derived much pleasure from his camera and was always eager to share his photographic triumphs.

'Buckingham Palace'

Dad loved playing the tourist in London and knew the City like the back of his hand.  When I was a little girl, I remember being taken to see the 'Changing of the Guard' at Buckingham Palace, so it was lovely to hear the excitement in his voice when he called to tell me about his recent visit to London with two of his Granddaughters ... almost forty years after our visit.  Dad was feeling all of his seventy-plus years with two lively girls to manage, but nonetheless, had an absolute blast sharing his favourite sights with them.

'Butterfly'

Whenever possible, Dad would be working in his garden.  Being outdoors was his passion and if something interesting caught his eye, he would of course reach for his camera ...

'Foxgloves'

He was so delighted with his border display of foxgloves in 2010, out came the camera to capture them in all their magnificent glory, closely followed by a phone call to describe to me in great detail, exactly how wonderful they were!

Dad, on the receiving end of Tina's camera lens!

I could, of course, share many more photographs and 'Dad' memories with you, but my abiding and most comforting thought about 2010, the year he died, is that he had enjoyed so many aspects of his life throughout that year ... family, friends, completing his building extension, his various hobbies, visits, the great outdoors, Winter, Spring, Summer and a beautiful early Autumn.  There is no doubt in my mind, Dad always made the most of his opportunities and relished living his life to the full.

Happy Birthday to you Dad xxx

An optimistic outlook ...

Here we are, five days into the new year and I am happy to be able to share my first bear of 2012 with you.  After many years of boy bears welcoming another fresh year of bear-making, this year the balance has shifted and my first bear of 2012 is a girl!

'Pollyanna'

I loved reading 'Pollyanna' by Eleanor H. Porter when I was a young girl and think that with her eternal optimism, she is the perfect namesake for my first bear of this New Year!

Tune out time

Despite a festive whirl of visits, parties and preparations, I was able to make time for quiet snuggling in an armchair with my trusty knitting needles, during the tinsel and sparkle season. I'm happy to say, my Kim Hargreaves scarf project provided much needed 'Paula time' during the Christmas madness ... clacking and counting makes it pretty easy to tune the rest of the world out!

My finished scarf

This week I started work on my first bear of 2012, a lovely new alpaca bear who will be ready to share with you shortly; but in the meantime, I must just tell you the sad tale of two naughty little kittens who thought the gorgeous Frank Webster bear below would be fun to play with - now poor ted needs new felt paws, hence the temporary plastic bag bandage on his foot.  He is waiting patiently on my comfy chair until I can find time to repair him.  This teddy bear is a very special patient, because he belongs to my grown up son.

'Anthony' created by Frank Webster

Those cute little kitties were in the doghouse after their antics, I can tell you!  Poor ol' bear ... (he looks so cute modelling my scarf!)

Books: 'Knitted lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush and 'Rowan Lace'

I recently bought a couple of lovely books about knitting lace, so I think my next knitting project will be a fine lace something or other ... but given the skinny yarn and needles required, it will probably be quite a while until I have anything of substance to show you!

The Glad Game

Oh dear, I'm such a party pooper!  It's an undeniable fact of life that me and New Year's Eve don't sit well with one another, so in classic Paula fashion, I was in bed by ten and fast asleep as the clock struck midnight on Saturday. 

It's the 2nd of January and I have decided to begin my New Year today.  Yesterday was wet and gloomy, completely unbefitting the start of New Year, but today the sun is shining boldly and the sky is clear blue ... a far better start to my shiny New Year!

Some of my 2011 teddy bear designs

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for 2011, it was remiss of me to have overlooked the good stuff.  Last year may not have had me laughing in the aisles, but it did reward me with the love and loyalty of those closest to me, a raft of success with my teddy bear designs and another year's solid portfolio of work under my belt.  Also, the 'Guild of Master Bearcrafters' went from strength to strength, my bears found new homes despite the challenging economic climate and I learned that even when life does its utmost to stop us in our tracks, somehow we still manage to cope. 

See, what happens when I put my Pollyanna head on? Suddenly the world becomes a brighter place!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year xxx

Spit Spot!

So, it will be New Year's Eve on Saturday and then thankfully, I can wave 2011 goodbye.  I'm not usually so lacking in enthusiasm for any entire year, but this past year has been a battle too far as far as I'm concerned ... 2011, I freely confess you have sapped me!  At last it's time to let you fade away so I can look forward to the brighter days of a shiny New Year.

My website has now been de-Christmassed in preparation for 2012! 

www.allbear.co.uk

First things first though, I need a little 'spit spot' to help me tidy Christmas away and ready myself for a fresh start ... so off with the tinsel and sparkle, this bearmaker intends to get organised!

Beach Belles!

After a lovely, busy family Christmas, filled with all things tinsel and sparkle, fresh air and a salty breeze were the order of Boxing Day. Despite being weighed down with Christmas stodge, we took off to Whitstable for a brisk promenade - as far away as possible from the faintest hint of a post-Christmas sale!

'Beach Belles on Boxing Day'

'Anyone seen Edna, Bert and Fred?'

Greedy Gulls!

Cobwebs duly blown away, we returned home yawning heavily, just in time for some tasty bubble 'n' squeak, a glass of wine, the soaps on TV and a much needed early night.

This Christmas lark is exhausting!

Psst, an angelic PS!

Well, you didn't think I'd welcome Christmas without a secret Christmas bear to share did you?! This sweet little angel flew my way after the 'Christmas Treasures' show and has been waiting quietly in the wings for our clock to tick 'Christmas' ever since.

My Christmas Angel, created by Jane Mogford of Pipkins Bears

Like so many other people who have lost loved ones, Christmas is a bittersweet time for me now Dad is no longer here to share it.  I know he would have been the first to chuckle and tell us all he could never behave himself long enough to be awarded angel status ... but this little angel bear and I both know, sometimes it doesn't hurt to have a little faith.

Thinking of you Dad, at Christmas and always xxx

'Tis the Season!

Christmas, you can come and get me now.  My tree is dressed and I'm as ready as I'll ever be, so let's roll out mince pies a-plenty,  raise goblets brimming with amber nectar to loved ones lost, sprinkle fairy dust with a smile and welcome your 'Season of Goodwill' into our home!

It's time to close the door to my workroom and turn my thoughts to nearest and dearest, so dear blog readers, thank you for sharing this bear maker's ups and downs during 2011; I look forward to writing again in 2012. 

In the meantime, warmest Christmas wishes to you all xxx

We Three Bears of Apple Pie House are!

'We Three Bears' of Apple Pie House are! 

At last I can share my latest shop exclusive collection with you and prove I haven't been resting on my laurels of late.

 'We Three Bears' shop exclusive collection
'Dooley', 'Hartley' and Egbert (13" to 19")

I met Graeme, the owner of Apple Pie House at the Hugglets' shows in London.  Having seen him in action during the shows, I deduced that not only is he a very nice man, he is also one of life's natural sales people and a hardworker toboot ... often when I was flagging during a show, lurking behind my stand with a coffee, he'd be knee deep in eager collectors, chatting as if his life depended on it!  So, when I was invited to create bears for Graeme's lovely shop, I was of course, happy to oblige.  Selling is not something that has ever come naturally to me, so putting some of my bears into Graeme's safe hands for adoption, suits me perfectly!  And as if to prove a point, 'Egbert' (the red and gold clown bear) sold as soon as the 'We Three Bears' collection was launched on the Apple Pie House website last night ...  way to go Graeme!

If you would like to find out more about my latest shop collection, please visit Apple Pie House ... thank you!

Winding Down ...

With less than two weeks until Christmas, I am happy/relieved to say, my entire collection of 2011 bears has now been sold.  The only creation I have yet to rehome is an ellie, but truth be told, I confess to making little effort to rehome this cutie, because he makes me smile and I'm rather fond of him myself!

'Forget-me-not'

Today I'm feeling all 'beared out', so I'm going to tidy up a few admin bits and pieces and then settle down with my knitting project and a steaming hot cup of coffee.  I'm clacking away at a lovely snuggly scarf from a pattern by knitwear designer Kim Hargreaves knitted on chunky bamboo needles (8mm) in gloriously soft Rowan 'Cocoon' yarn ...

So, while the rest of the world embraces the festive frenzy, I'm content to wind down quietly with my knitting for a few more days first. 

All tinsel and sparkle madness will be duly postponed until next weekend!

Buttons and Bow-ties!

I'm sure it must seem as though bear production in the All Bear workroom has all but ceased as Christmas approaches, but that isn't the case ... truly!  I have been working on three lovely bears for the Apple Pie House shop in Gloucester.  I should have all three bears ready to show you in the next couple of days, but in the meantime, here's a hint of what's in store for the biggest bear!

Vintage buttons and bow-ties!

Once my shop order is safely on its way, I'm hoping to find time to create one or two more bears for 'Santa's Sack' on my website ... I have the softest, prettiest piece of tipped alpaca, absolutely crying out to be turned into a teddy bear!

Sherry and sparkles!

I was busy making Christmas cards, calendars and a porfolio of my 2011 designs last week.  Thankfully, most of the prep work is now complete and I can spend this week working on my last few pre-Christmas bears, before allowing my focus to shift towards trees, baubles, twinkly lights and hopefully the occasional mince pie ... (washed down with a sherry, or two!)

Speaking of sherry, I confess to suffering a teensy weensy sherry induced headache on Saturday evening - well, how else should two sisters share an evening to mark the arrival of yet another 'forty something' birthday?!  Sherry, coffee and walnut cake, a natter, an open log fire ... perfect!
Happiest of birthdays to you Fo xxx

And yesterday, it was finally time to face up to the impending festive season.  Stuart and I escorted his excited six-year old grandson to watch a sparkly, lively and extremely rowdy production of  'Aladdin'.  As always, Panto worked its fairy dust magic, leaving our little guest wide-eyed with wonderment.  Luckily for us, wide-eyed wonderment is pretty tiring, so he fell fast asleep on the journey home ... result!

So that's another week flown past too quickly!  I do hope the next couple take things a wee bit slower ... I'm really not ready for Christmas quite yet!

This Sceptered Isle

I know much of the world is in a right royal fug and wherever you live, disgruntled folk will no doubt complain about weather, economics, Government, neighbours - even the numbers of potholes in local roads!  Yes, you name it and I'm sure someone will be moaning about it.  

'Victor' 2008

But I'm an old fashioned girl and have never been touched by the 'grass is greener' lure of the great wide beyond.  I'll pack my flip-flops, hop on a plane and dip my toe in warmer waters once a year with the best of 'em, but despite potholes a-plenty in my tiny corner of the world, a depressing economic climate and weather so unpredictable you might be wearing t-shirts one minute and raincoats the next, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

'Jack' 2010

I love our beautiful British countryside, the hustle and bustle of historic towns and cities, the freedom to wander up hill and down dale ... yes, I confess, I even love the mystery of our English weather!  (After all, whatever would we talk about if the sun always shone?)

'George' 2011

So, on this sunny November day, here in the 'Garden of England',  I would like to introduce you to three special patriotic bears ...
Victor, Jack and George.

And a rather lovely poem ...

This Sceptered Isle

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,

This other Eden, demi-paradise,

This fortress built by Nature for herself

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world,

This precious stone set in the silver sea,

Which serves it in the office of a wall,

Or as a moat defensive to a house,

Against the envy of less happier lands,

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England

From Richard II, Act 2 (Shakespeare)

Finding the key ...

I may have said before ... this year seems to be flying past, with me clinging to its coat tails in a rather undignified fashion.  I don't remember losing an entire year before - usually my years are punctuated with family fun and well defined seasons.  There has of course been an element of both, but in truth my head has been pretty much on auto-drive this year.  Much of it I am sure, is to do with losing Dad just over a year ago ... as you can imagine, such a profound event swallows you whole for far longer than you could ever imagine and leaves you wondering where you parked your sense of self ...

Christmas will be with us in less than five short weeks and with or without the key to said sense of self, it really is the one time of year which is categorically impossible to drift through in oblivion ...  even this woolly headed bear maker can't fail to notice the arrival of twinkle and sparkle heralding the impending festivities!

So this week, I have taken my festive bull by the horns and decked the All Bear website in preparation.  Inspired by that small token, who knows, next week I may even feel the urge to begin some Christmas shopping!

Ready, steady, go!

I'm sat here, way past my bedtime, sipping a warming glass of brandy as I wait hopefully for adoption notifications to arrive from the 'Christmas Treasures' show.  Yes, after weeks of anticipation and preparation, the online show has at last started ... I'm delighted to report my little 'Angel' bear found a new home in the first few minutes and will be flying Stateside for her Christmas!

My 'Christmas Treasures' collection
(Angel is the little pink bear in the middle of the group.)

I experienced a brief flash of panic at the start of the show when for some unknown reason, the show website wouldn't allow me to change little Angel's status from 'for sale' to 'adopted', but fortunately that was soon ironed out.  Now, after the initial flurry of anticipation, I confess, this particular bear maker is beginning to wilt ... the five hour time difference between the show host in New York and my swivel chair in England, is definitely starting to make its presence felt and already I'm yawning between each sip of my amber nectar!

If you would like to find out more about my 'Christmas Treasures', please visit the show by clicking the link below -  I would love to find new homes for my special show treasures in time for the forthcoming festive season! 

The 'Christmas Treasures' show will remain open until Sunday, so there's still plenty of time for you to peruse each of the lovely festive teddy bear offerings!

VISIT THE CHRISTMAS TREASURES SHOW

Christmas Treasures!

Together with many other international bear artists, I have created several special seasonal bears for the Teddies Worldwide 'Christmas Treasures' show, which will be held online between 18th and 20th November 2011. This is a fun, festive online webshow ... I do hope you will join us!

 

Visit the Christmas Treasures Web Page

I'm really looking forward to this weekend and hope you will visit the 'Christmas Treasures' show to share our festive fun!

Dusty Rose

I made this lovely plummy pink bear a few weeks ago and since then she has been sat on my workroom shelf waiting patiently while I busy myself with other, more demanding projects.  It doesn't seem at all fair that she has been overlooked, so this week I am offering her for adoption and as Christmas is on the way and many bear collectors are gazing longingly at bears they can no longer afford in these tougher economic times, I've allowed myself to be a teensy bit carefree and sent her to Ebay with a starting price at almost a hundred pounds less than she would usually retail for.  Once in a while it feels pretty good to do something a little less than businesslike - don't worry, I won't be making a habit of such madness, let's just have some fun while I'm feeling generous!

'Dusty Rose'

If you would like to join in the fun this week, please click the link below to visit Dusty's auction page:

Visit Dusty's Ebay Auction Page

The Eleventh Hour

I first learned this poem at high school and dizzy headed teenager as I was, it struck a chord.  These days I'm mum to two adult children, an onlooker watching fall the tears of soldiers' mothers on my tv, while they weep for lost sons and daughters, sacrificed fighting overseas ... in the here and now.

It is Armistice Day today and at the eleventh hour, of respect, we will fall silent, 

... lest we forget.

The Soldier

Written by Rupert Brooke in 1914

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England's, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

Remember, Remember ...

Huntley & Palmer biscuit tins from Christmasses past, packed full of assorted fireworks.  Hats, scarves, gloves, toes snug in wellies, sparklers ... our names momentarily glowing in the air.  Orange flames licking towards a starry night sky.  A saggy, baggy, newspaper guy dressed in Dad's old trousers, flakes of grey ash twirling on a November breeze.  Dad bent double at the bottom of the garden reaching for reluctant touch papers ... rockets blasting unpredictably from milk bottles sunk into flower beds, Catherine wheels flaring on fence posts, Roman candles fizzling ... girlish squeals, eyes bright. 

As kids we loved Guy Fawkes night. 

Stuart and I wrapped up warmly on Saturday, then stepped out into the night  with my kids and Stuart's grandson, for a clomp down the road to watch Allington's community firework display.  We stopped at Humphrey's fish 'n chip shop along the way to warm ourselves with tasty battered sausages and fresh-cooked chips, then joined the local crowds in celebrating Guy Fawkes' night in traditional style.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent

To blow up King and Parli'ment.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

I know we're experiencing challenging economic times globally, but sharing tradition binds families together and for me, that's what Guy Fawkes Night is truly all about.

If you would like to learn more about Guy Fawkes, please visit the link below:

Guy Fawkes