Shining Success Story!

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

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

Teddy Bear Scene magazine issue 128 - April 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

In progress - Erin Rose's pink cardi!

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

Paula Carter aus England

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

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

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

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

Questions:

Please describe your bears with your own words.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- What do like most when making bears?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'

Pride of Place

It came! I've been waiting anxiously for my TOBY Award to arrive since I received notification of winning it in January and at last, I can share it with you! It's very pretty, cut to catch rainbows, so I shall keep it proudly on my workroom window sill, where it can sparkle rainbows and inspire me every day!

British Bear Artist Award 1998 and
TOBY Industry's Choice Award 2008

The other award in the picture also lives on my workroom window sill. It might be ten years since it was awarded to me, but it is still very precious and I am extremely proud of it. Back in 1998 I entered the 'British Bear Artist Awards' with a 32" (yes, I did say 32 inches!) bear called 'Himself' and I was completely shocked, overwhelmed and totally thrilled to win first place in the 'Big Bears' category, competing against some immensely talented, most esteemable bear artists.

My 'BBAA' was a huge honour for me because I had only been making bears for a few years at the time and never for one moment dreamed I would stand a chance of winning what was then, the UK's most prestigious national teddy bear art award. It just goes to show, anything is possible if you truly put your heart and soul into it.

'Himself' 1998 'BRITISH BEAR ARTIST AWARD winner!

Today, I have been planning my competition schedule for 2008. This year I am feeling very positive and encouraged by the achievements reflected through my rainbow trophies, so I am going to take part in several competitions, not necessarily with a view to collecting more trophies, although wouldn't that be lovely (!) but more with a view to participating enthusiastically, shoulder to shoulder with those bear artists who like me, believe competitions help keep our bear world vibrant and inspirational.

Dabbling

I've always made bears who look brand, spankin' new and whilst I've often admired other bear makers' wonderful vintage style bears, have never dabbled in that particular genre myself ... until now! This is 'Walter', a 13" vintage style ted with boot button eyes and a little waxed nose. I've made him a wee bit 'slumpy' with loose joints and slight understuffing and well, as I sit here with him on my desk and ponder him, I think he's beginning to grow on me (metaphorically speaking of course!)

'Walter' profile

The knitted vest I showed you in my earlier post is a tiny bit big for Walter and as his mohair feels so scrummy, I've decided to leave him 'in the bare' and will make a bigger bear especially for the vest, another day. I guess that's just the way things pan out from time to time and there's no point fighting it, you just have to go with the flow!

'Walter' 13" vintage style ted 2008

Sunshine days.

T'was Mothering Sunday here in the UK yesterday and as my poor Mum has been a bit under the weather lately, I popped over to see her in the afternoon, armed with posh chocs, some pretty Spring flowers and a couple of bottles of Lucozade as a 'pick-me-up'. We sat in the conservatory, drinking coffee and eating chocolate biscuits while we nattered about life, the universe and of course, my newest tiddly sized niece, who happened to be visiting with her mummy and big sister. Needless to say, I couldn't resist another Auntie cuddle.

In fact, through the family grapevine, I recently discovered that quite a few of my family pop quietly in to read 'Bearing All' from time to time (I had no idea!) and Mum is one of them, so if you're out there Mum, I hope you're feeling better by the time you read this post!

Of course, as a Mum myself, I too was treated to a burst of sunshine yellow flowers and lovely girlie pamper products. Both my son and daughter gave cards designed to make me smile and as you can see below, my son's card was very apt! It was nice to feel appreciated yesterday, but all in all, I feel pretty lucky all year round because of course, I am Mum to the best kids in the world.

Earlier today, I took a photo of the apple blossom tree which grows right outside my bedroom window; it won't be long before those buds turn into zillions of tiny flowers, filling my window with blossom, pretty as a bridal bouquet! I have a little pot of ornamental daffodils blooming on the patio too ... oooh, I do love Spring flowers and it will be tulip time soon!

This burst of Springtime yellow is tugging at my creativity, so today I'm going to fling open the window in my workroom and invite the sunshine to stream through. Then I'm going to finish this little fellow because it's about time I gave that cute knitted vest a bear to wear!

There are ups and then of course, downs ...

Oh bum! Apologies for the mild cursing, but along with the other members of Bear Artists Online, I received an email from Penny, the BAO website and show organiser, earlier today. Sadly, due to personal pressures, Penny is having to cancel the BAO shows and will also be closing the BAO website at the beginning of May. It's such a shame! Whilst I completely understand and sympathise with Penny's reasons, I am totally gutted that this innovative creation of Penny's will cease to be. If only we could come up with a rescue plan ... any suggestions anyone? *Scratches head and frowns*

Bear Artists Online Spring Bearfest Show cancelled!

On a somewhat more positive note, I was delighted to receive an invitation to participate in the 'Teddy Bear Artists Event of 2008' which will take place in Stratford-Upon-Avon on 8th June and in view of the cancellation of BAO's online Spring show, I will now be able to accept my invitation and exhibit. Samantha, the organiser, has gone to great lengths to create a fresh format for this brand new 'artists only' show and I am very excited to be able to support her work.

Naturally, I do understand that a UK based show added to the All Bear calendar, can't quite make up for a cancelled online show which would have reached many of you across the seas, so please bear with me, while I give the matter some significant pondering to see what I can come up with ... hmmn ...

The Winter Bearfest!

It promised to be a great day on Sunday as we drove to Kensington and for the first time ever, failed to get lost en route ... definitely a good omen! My little SatNav worked dilligently to keep us on track and as we drove along the Embankment, the sun sparkled over the River Thames. Perfect!

All Bear stand before opening

Outside Kensington Town Hall, a queue of eager collectors snaked down to the High Street and beyond, filling exhibitors with a lively sense of anticipation. The 'All Bear' stand had been relocated at my request and this year, my table was positioned in a comfortable, spacious spot in Hall 2, ideal for chatting to everyone - and boy did I chat! After a sense of enforced hibernation throughout the winter months, this show offers we bearmakers the opportunity to catch up with friends in person, rather than through our usual email contact, so just before opening, there is quite a hubbub, as you can imagine! I had a lovely time chatting and it was such fun to share in the excitement of everyone's latest creations as they were gently brushed and carefully positioned.

The doors opened at 11am and by five past the hour, both 'Delilah' and 'Raffles' had been scooped from my table by their new owners - serious collectors don't hang about about shows, they know they need to act fast to secure their special bears! With collectors thronging through the aisles, the hall became very warm, very quickly and bears seemed to be flying here there and everywhere. The atmosphere was most definitely busy and extremely buzzy, just as I'd hoped it would be. By lunchtime, I hadn't had a spare second to draw breath and 'Smartie', 'Peregrine', 'Grigio' and 'White Diamond' had also been whisked away to new kind new homes.

A quick snap across taken across the aisle - I didn't have time for many pics I'm afraid!

I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful people at this show, collectors with an immense passion for bear art. One special lady travelled in all the way from the States and it was only when I accepted her credit card, I realised we had been in email contact for several years and she already owned several of my bears! Another gentleman took the trouble to visit the show to purchase a special bear as a gift for his lovely wife who is currently on the other side of the world. Each bear found their perfect person and it was a true privilege for me to meet those lovely people up close and personal.

Bluebell and Florrie waiting hopefully!

At the close of day, I had just two bears still waiting anxiously to meet their perfect people. Despite being flattered and admired throughout the day, 'Bluebell' and 'Florrie' returned home with me. Not for long though! Neither of their 'special someone's' were able to visit the show on Sunday, but nevertheless, they were waiting hopefully in the wings. Both bears were snapped up straight after the show and will soon be travelling to their new homes.

En route to the mohair supplier!

Now of course, once again I have no bears available and will have to return to work! As you can imagine, I'm pretty tired after all the excitement, travelling, creating and general running around of late, so this afternoon I'm simply going to take out my knitting needles and wool, put on a film and 'chill' for a couple of hours. Tomorrow, after driving little Florrie to the Post Office for her big trip to the States, I will be back in my workroom. Needless to say, I couldn't leave the show on Sunday without a few gorgeous fabrics in my bag, could I?!

Thanks Sis xxx

Tina hard at work, editing my photographs yesterday!

I went to visit my sister Tina yesterday. Now I know that sounds like a simple thing to do, but to understand the full import of that sentence, you would need to know I only passed my driving test three years ago, Tina lives in Hampshire, over two hours' drive and several motorways away and I have never driven that far on my own before! So, as you will now understand, this was a pretty significant challenge for me. The drive itself was fine, (if you discount the slight detour to Gatwick airport - ahem!) and by some very esteem boosting miracle, I arrived safely in time for lunch with a boot full of Winter Bearfest bears, ready for their studio session.

Winter Bearfest 2008

We spent the afternoon coaxing the bears into position and I am delighted to say, Tina has excelled herself as always, with some absolutely beautiful photographs. As a treat, I will share a couple here with you today, starting with 'Peregrine' ... (yes! I did it! I actually worked that amazing piece of antique German mohair into a lovely teddy bear in time for the show. I am so pleased with this bear, it will be hard to let him go!)

Peregrine 16"
Peregrine's vintage jet glitter buttons

Tina even succeeded in making me relax in front of her lens (a very tall order!) so now I have some super promotional pics taken with Raffles, as well as my other gorgeous bear pics and a wonderful group shot which I am looking forward to having printed on canvas to hang in pride of place on my workroom wall.

Once again I am enormously indebted to my sister. It is never easy to put into words just how grateful I am for Tina's generosity, hard work and support, so this is a totally inadquate, yet completely heartfelt ...

Thanks Sis, you're an absolute star. xxx

If you would like to find out more about Tina's work as a professional photographer, please take a moment to visit www.tinaallinghamphotography.co.uk

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

So far, so good - well behaved bears, waiting for their Bearfest!

I'm grabbing a few moments to munch an egg and tomato sandwich and gulp down a mug of strong coffee, so while I do that (please excuse the crumbs!) I thought you might like a peek into my 'pre-show' workroom.

With the show only two and a half days away and a trip to my sister's in Hampshire planned for one of those days, I'm feeling pretty 'eek' at the moment because as always, I was hoping to have 'just one more' bear (or maybe two!) for the big day. I thought I was on track when of course, it all went horribly wrong ...

Problematic Panda!

After a long day's bear making yesterday, I finally gave up working at seven in the evening, one very disillusioned bear maker. The lovely chocolate and white panda bear I had spent so much time working on, had to be discarded because I didn't like his face ... I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just isn't working for this poor chap. If I'd had enough spare white fabric to hand I would have still had enough time to make him a new head, then he would have been able to come to the show, but unfortunately his head fabric is on the other side of the Atlantic! Isn't that always the way when a deadline looms? All is not completely lost though, he will after all, make a beautiful panda bear eventually, but sadly not for Sunday's show.

So to plan B! Do you remember my earlier posting about some vintage fabric I purchased a while ago?

Vintage fabrics

Well, this morning I took a deep breath and made firm eye contact with it. This fabric has been tormenting me because it is about a hundred years old, which makes it very special indeed. The colours are muted yet rich and definitely 'antiquey', so quite tricky to put with other fabrics, also the pile is much shorter than I usually work with. I really wanted to be certain I could do this fabric justice and as there was so little available, I knew my bear design would have to fit the piece perfectly .. there would be no margin for error and no sending for 'extra' supplies!

Plan B!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say, so today I have planned my design, created his head in a complementary modern fabric and set determinedly to work; there's no turning back now! With luck I will have this unique bear ready for the Hugglets show on Sunday. So far, so good ... I'm keeping everything crossed for a successful outcome ... gulp!

My, My, My Delilah!

When it comes to designing teddy bears, there are primarily two schools of thought, the traditional school of thought which dictates a bear should be dignified in design, subtle of colour, respectful of boundaries and then of course, there is the contemporary school of thought ...

Needless to say, I prefer to keep my options entirely open because I can have far more fun that way!

Delilah will be making her furry debut at the Winter Bearfest in Kensington Town Hall next Sunday ... don't forget your shades if you'd like to get up close and personal with this gal, you may well need them!

Bloomin' Liberty

I wasn't sure if these two colours would work together initially, but decided to give them a go anyway and now that she is finished I am so pleased I did because I absolutely love how the dusty grey works with the pale blueberry! I am delighted with her contrasting silk cotton velvet paw pads too ... this peach fabric, ordered in from the States, is so pretty!

'Bluebell' 20" traditional clown bear

I hunted through my hat boxes to trim 'Bluebell' and found a beautiful piece of ribbon left over from a lovely shopping trip to Liberty's of Regent's street many years ago. Isn't it strange how a pretty piece of ribbon can wait for so long for exactly the right bear?

I remember that trip to London so well; the store has an amazing history and the architecture is absolutely stunning. If you would like to learn a little more, please take a moment to visit: http://www.liberty.co.uk/what_s_in_store/the_liberty_story and even better, if you're planning a shopping trip to London, why not treat yourself to a mooch through this precious treasure trove - you'll love it! Oh, and don't forget to use the lift between floors ... it really is very special!

Here in the UK, it won't be long before the bluebells carpet our woodland and I for one, can't wait to ramble through the woods to enjoy them; this is one of my favourite Springtime walks. By the way, if you would like to meet my 'Bluebell', she will be coming with me to the 'Winter Bearfest' show on Sunday 24th February!

Online organisation

Last year Tina, my photographer sister, introduced me to the wonders of online printing services and subsequently I produced two beautiful portfolio books for display at the shows I attend. I was so pleased with the outcome, I have now decided to create a new portfolio of work two or three times each year. This a great way for me to keep tabs on my design progress and it's also very satisfying for me to be able to take a peek at my adopted bears, back through the mists of time.

My latest portfolio arrived in the post yester,day and I'm delighted with it. If you are able to visit the Winter Bearfest in Kensington Town Hall on the 24th February, please do spare a moment to flick through the pages of my new portfolio - I'd love you to see it!

Paula's porfolio 2007/08

As you can imagine, with a show on the horizon, I've not had much spare time to get out and about lately, but needless to say, I've still had to make purchases, so thank heavens for the internet - I rely on it heavily these days! Recently I even managed to have wallpaper samples sent to me, so that I could choose my wallpaper for the living room and then buy it online, simply because I just haven't had time time to visit any DIY stores to hunt for nice wallpaper. We haven't decorated the living room since moving into our new house a year ago, so I am really looking forward to putting our 'stamp' on it and if I want to have the living room decorated over the Easter break as Stuart has promised me, I really need to get the materials organised. After all, I don't want to give him any opportunity to delay work now that he's offered, do I?!

I think I like this one best - pretty eh?

The internet is always invaluable to me for bear making supplies and Susan at Bear Basics has been a great help in this respect; in fact she has just sent me these sample cards of the beautiful new Schulte fabrics which will debut at the show next week ... I couldn't resist putting in an early order for one of these fabulous fabrics, in the hope that I can squeeze enough time to work on 'just one more,' in time for the show. I wonder if you can you guess which I've chosen?

Susan's Schulte sample cards

And for when life quietens down, (if it ever does!) I have purchased an intriguing new book, 'Wire Knits'. I'm keen to give this unusual knitting a try, the dainty wire and bead projects look so pretty.

'Wire Knits' by Heather Kingsley-Heath

I just need to find a few more hours in every day and then with luck, maybe I'll be able to dedicate a few hours to finding out a bit more about this technique ... mind you, I think I'll have to make an appointment to see the optician too, I noticed the author of this book makes reference to health tips for close work in the closing pages and in my case, she definitely has a point!

Note to self: Stop squinting and get that optician's appointment made Paula Jean!

Just enough time ...

... to share this little lady with you. Do you remember I mentioned a few days ago that as well as working on my show bears, I have also been busy creating a special clown bear? Well, here she is at last! This is 'Rosebud', created especially for an overseas collector. Annoyingly, my camera has turned the gold part of her collar more orange than gold and I'm not clever enough to alter the photograph, but aside from my camera's foibles, I'm very happy with this pretty girl.

Rosebud 20" - destination Canada!

The jitter bug

It doesn't seem possible that the 'Winter Bearfest' is only a week and a half away. Wasn't it only five minutes ago I was telling you about my preparations for last year's show?!

The pressure is starting to bite now, that's for sure. I think I should just about manage to have all my bears finished in time, so long as they all behave themselves and don't cause me any last minute troubles while I'm making them ... I just want to be able to exhibit work I'm really proud of and of course, this is always the time when the collywobbles start to set in and I look at what I'm doing and try my hardest not to feel inadequate. There is always such a wealth of talent exhibiting at this show, it can be quite overwhelming - yes, even for an old timer like me!

Anyway, enough of my pre-show jitters! Here are the bears I do have ready to share with you; hopefully with a little good luck and the wind in the right direction, there may be a few more I can add next week.

Florrie 14"

Raffles 23"

White Diamond 22"

Smartie 13"

Grigio 20"

Paws for Applause!

Teddy Bear Scene magazine Issue 127, March 2008

On sale 14th February!

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

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

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

Well done you!

xxx