In which all is not quite lost ...

I thought my lifeline had been cut yesterday after another horrid day of computer frustration. I feel so cut off from the world at large when my internet connection bombs out on me, leaving me at a loss as to how to reinstate it. It is definitely the bain of my self-employed life when things go wrong. I bumbled my way through setting after setting and after a long, painfully squinty-eyed, shoulder aching day, an expensive and annoying call to AOL's technical support line (whose staff, based overseas, are so very difficult to understand over the telephone) I finally switched everything off at bedtime last night, in a sulk guaranteed to repel all anxiously hopeful smiles from my poor family. I know, shame on me.

'Rodney'

This morning I woke with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of another wasted day fiddling with rotten router settings. I trudged dejectedly to my swivel chair, plonked myself down, sighed heavily, booted up, re-set the miserable thing yet again and .... bingo! Here I am, none the wiser, but here anyway! Hallelujah!

20" Rodney, a centre-seam 'Timeless Ted', pictured on my new wicker chair ... I wouldn't mind a little chillout time in this chair myself right now!

So, after eagerly catching up with my email and forums this morning, I spent the rest of the morning finishing 'Rodney' for the show at Stratford. I now have three 20" bears completed, two more smaller bears in progress and three and a bit weeks to finish the rest. After my disasterous day yesterday, all is not quite lost. Phew!

Don't Dilly Dally on the way

Blue skies, not a cloud as far as the eye could see, I could almost have been in the Med! No such luck though and no, I'm not complaining because instead of posing around the Cap D'Azur, or somewhere equally as glamorous, I chose (as if there were truly such a choice!) to spend the weekend in my garden, pottering.

I'm still not sure what this shrub is, maybe part of the honeysuckle family? I really don't know. The blooms are spectacular, very large, unlike any honeysuckles I've met before. If someone recognises it, I'd love to know the name!

Pottering is one of our traditional English foibles and I can highly recommend it! There's nothing quite as therapeutic as grubbing around in the mud, is there?! I just love potting up those cute little summer perennials, knowing that with a wee bit of tlc, they will soon reward me with with a garden full of happy colours!

I'm so pleased I found this lilac bush tucked behind some shrubs in a pot, abandoned by the previous owners! It's much smaller than the lilac tree I had to leave behind when I moved house last year, but it smells just as sweet, especially in the evening ...

It's beautiful here again today, summer has definitely come early to this south eastern corner of the UK. I'm looking forward to popping out before dinner tonight, while the garden is still warm from the afternoon sunshine, to give my little summer plants a good drink but until then, I must behave and crack on with some bear work! I have bears to post and bears to sew, so there's no time for this bearmaker to be dilly dallying in the sunshine today!

Windows to the soul

Bewitching Green eyes

Tis' said, the eyes are the windows to the soul, so if a teddy bear wants to come to life, I believe he needs special eyes, eyes that pledge loyalty and fun, eyes with a hint of mystery, eyes you are drawn irrisistibly to gaze into! Hopefully the glass eyes I painted yesterday will be perfect for a little teddy bear magic!

Mystic Midnight Blue eyes

Little pots of paint

I haven't done much in the way of airbrushing for a while, so I thought I'd haul out my mini compressor and have a play this afternoon. Airbrushing is a great way to add extra interest to a bear and once you're confident with your equipment, imagination is your only limitation ... or so I'm told!

I'm about to start work with some sage green and pale cream mohair and want some pretty paw pads to complement my mohair. Incidentally, the paw pads are cream UltraSuede, but wool felt would accept the paint just as well, if not better. I didn't have the exact shades of ink/acrylic paint I needed, which meant I had to mix what I did have available until I reached a satisfactory outcome.

Preparation (I've been painting eyes too!)

Suitable paints and inks

It's all in the mix ...

Using a pipette to transfer the mixed paint to my airbrush

First colour application

Second application and finished paw pads

There's no magic formula for airbrushing paw pads in this simple way, it really is just a case of 'point and shoot' until you achieve what you were hoping for. A steady hand helps too! If all goes according to plan, these particular paw pads should soon be featured on a new 18" bear ... watch this space!

As you can see, my airbrushing skills are very basic, so if you would like to see the work of a true master, please spare a moment to visit Judi Paul's blog at http://luxembears.com/Blog/ Judi's airbrush work is amazing!

Balancing act

It was a glorious Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK, three whole days of warm holiday sunshine, time to relax outdoors and even time for a family get together on Saturday evening, when we strolled down to the pub by the river to meet my sister, her family and bouncy 'Bugsy', their lively two year old German Shepherd, in the pub grounds.

Teddy Bear Scene magazine, 'Teddy Bear Artist Event' article

So yesterday, it would be fair to say I went back to work feeling refreshed, but as soon as the 'Teddy Bear Scene' magazine dropped through my letterbox, I couldn't avoid my scheduling issue any longer, the 'Teddy Bear Artist Event' to be held at Stratford Upon Avon on 8th June, is well and truly just around the corner and my work/life balancing act seems to have gone a wee bit awry of late! The show seemed ages away, so I'm no way near prepared for it yet. I read the magazine article and each enthusiastic word about the show reminded me of exactly how much work I have yet to do; everyone sounds so organised already! One eager exhibitor has even managed to complete four gorgeous bears in readinness for the 'Four Seasons Exhibitor's Challenge' which will be held on the day and there's me, still wondering how on earth I'm even going to produce sufficient bears from my bearmaker's hat to fill my table, let alone manage a season too ... and there are only four and a half weeks until show day - gulp! Still, it was nice to see my 'Peregrine' bear featured in the article, even if it was simply to let everyone know this naughty bearmaker hasn't yet managed to produce her TBAE show bears!

Karen's beautiful vintage crochet collar - pre-tea dye!

On a more productive note, I must tell you the red, blue and white buttons arrived from the US this morning and I am delighted because they are absolutely perfect for my patriotic bear. I stitched them in place earlier today and as soon as his little flag arrives, I will be able to photograph him. This is one bear at least who will definitely meet his deadline and what a relief it was to be able to confirm that fact to Sophie, the competition organiser! All I need now is a name ... hmmmn ...

Loretta 20" - Teddy Bear Artist Event show bear, 8th June 2008

Don't get me wrong though, it's not as though I haven't started work for the show, of course I have! I finished this lady bear on Friday and she will be coming with me on the big day. She is called 'Loretta' ... such a pretty name, don't you agree? I have Karen from Cider Antiques to thank for the beautiful vintage crocheted collar, although she may not recognise it at first because I tea-dyed it to blend with Loretta's soft beige mohair. I even found a tiny vintage flower button in a suitable shade to fasten the collar. I'm very happy with this bear, she is completely representative of the type of bear I really love to create and has the sweetest face. Susan at Bear Basics recommended some dark topaz glass eyes and they have worked beautifully to give Loretta a gorgeous doe-eyed expression.

Before I return to my workroom, which of course is where I should be right now (!) I've been meaning to share a few quick recommendations for summer reading... now that I have my glasses and my ol' lady eyes can at last see again (oh the joys of being forty something!) I have taken to reading whenever I can grab the odd half hour of peace and quiet. I've read all these titles recently and thoroughly enjoyed them, so if you fancy a darn good story, guaranteed to hold your interest while you relax in your deckchair amongst the summer blooms, I'm sure one of these will do the trick and hey, we all deserve a little chillout time now and again don't we?! Go on, grab a long, cool drink and indulge yourselves, you know you want to! ;o)

Flying the flag

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find Union Jack buttons! I can find plenty of pin badges, but no proper buttons; isn't that peculiar?! I have surfed the internet until I'm boggle-eyed, but to no avail. Ah well, I'm pleased to say my patriotic bear will still be completed because I have had an artistic rethink and with perseverence, eventually succeeded in finding some suitable vintage buttons from the 1960's/70's. These little cuties are now en route to me, whizzing over from the US - I hope they arrive soon because I'm bursting to finish this bear! I just need to sew on his buttons, give him a little Union Jack flag to wave, take his photographs for the magazine ... oh, and a name! I must remember to come up with a suitable name!

Vintage 1960's/70's buttons

I think I will be taking this bear to the 'Teddy Bear Artist Event' in Stratford Upon Avon on June 8th, so if you can make it to the show, I'd love you to come and see him in person. For the moment though, here's a partial peek, just to whet your appetite!

Brightening a grey day

Leaden skies and heavy rain are washing the colour out of my day, painting it a miserable grey. Luckily I'm about to go to my sewing room to work on a colourful themed competition project I have been invited to participate in by the 'Teddy Bear Scene' magazine, so the weather really doesn't matter to me!

I think this one is probably a honeysuckle ...

I'm working with a blast of red, white and blue mohair to create a patriotic bear. I still need to find some suitable snippets to detail him with, which hopefully I will find somewhere in the World Wide Web today. When my bear is finished, he will be photographed for the magazine to take part in their special competition feature, due to be published in two or three months' time. As I can't share him with you just yet, I'm feeling the urge to brighten this dismal day with a splash of bold colour anyway ... enjoy!

My flaming pink azalea

Tabling my frailties

'Elgar' 21"

I wish I could tell you I enjoyed creating this quirky chap, but if I did, I'd be fibbing! He has been such hard work, a real trial. Now that he's completed, I still can't look at him without seeing all the problems he has caused me, not to mention wishing I'd had enough fabric to make him a slightly larger head ... not quite the catastrophe I feared, but not the dream outcome I had hoped for either!

On arrival, this seemed like a good sized piece of mohair. I was entranced by the richness of colour and the wonderful autumnal leaf pattern, but by the time I had carefully placed each pattern piece to avoid the most worn areas, I realised there wouldn't be a spare inch anywhere and if I didn't want to completely waste my money (this wasn't an insubstantial purchase!) I would have to proceed with utmost caution.

I think this particular mohair must have begun life as a table covering or similar all those years ago, because the backing didn't have the strength of the other antique mohair I worked with previously, which was probably intended for use as upholstery once upon a time. With the exception of Elgar's arms, I found it necessary to line each pattern piece with interfacing to ensure both the fabric's integrity and my sanity.

Once or twice I almost gave up in despair as the closing seams threatened to weaken, but I persevered, making sure I took substantial stitches with my ladder stitch and giving myself sufficient seam allowance for the stitches to hold firm.

Now that Elgar is finished I can at least say I am very satisfied with the placement of the tapestry on his body and I do like his antique boot button eyes, particularly as they are gently pitted and undeniably aged - I think they give him a unique expression quite different from my contemporary bears. I also love the 1960's 'aurora borealis' buttons I've used from my little magpie horde, as they give him an extra special zing. I guess all in all, he's not quite what I was aiming for, but he does have a certain awkward charm and if nothing else, is definitely one of a kind!

Button detailing

With gentle handling I think this unusual bear will see out his days in comfort, but he will need treating with respect, just as an elderly gentleman should be. He will probably stay with me for the forseeable future and who knows, maybe we will become more accustomed to one another eventually! For now though, I'm more than ready to take a short break from my foray into vintage mohair and instead indulge myself in something modern, something completely 'All Bear' and dare I say it, something wholly more predictable!

Bringing the past to life ...

Peregrine 16"

After creating Peregrine from a beautiful piece of antique mohair earlier this year, I couldn't resist purchasing some more wonderful vintage mohair when it was made available to me a few weeks ago. I also had the good fortune to purchase some original German boot button leather eyes! There's something very exciting about making a teddy bear from such venerable material and it really is a privilege to be able to bring it back to life!

Antique mohair with tapestry

I've been working with an amazing piece from my new antique fabric stash this week; it has a beautiful patina and a fabulous tapestry design woven through it. So far, this has been a nail biting exercise because parts of the fabric have been a little too frail for purpose and of course, I wanted to utilise the tapestry design to its fullest potential to create a truly striking big bear, so it was crucial I made certain I didn't waste any of the precious mohair.

Work in progress ...

As I write, I have two arms, two legs and a body ready and later today I will work on the head, no doubt with baited breath! I'm not at all sure I will be offering this bear for sale, but nonetheless, I thought you might enjoy watching him evolve. Please keep your fingers crossed for me, I simply can't afford to have any head catastrophes today!

Original vintage German boot button eyes

Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom 20"

As it's impossible not to enjoy the fabulous display of Cherry Blossom trees currently adorning the English countryside and it really doesn't take much to inspire me when Spring is in the air, I'd like to introduce you to my latest teddy bear design, hot off the press today! This is 'Cherry Blossom', a 20" teddy bear with a pretty twinkle in her eye!

If you would like to know more about 'Cherry Blossom', please pop over to http://www.allbear.co.uk/ where she is now waiting to meet her special someone!

Update: 17.15 ... Cherry Blossom has just found her very special someone and will shortly be taking a plane to live in America! Yay!!!

In a forest, in a wood ...

Do you remember me mentioning a while ago I've been waiting for the bluebells to arrive? I love it when that beautiful blue swathes the woodland floor! So yesterday, when the sun came out briefly, I persuaded Stuart to come walking with me in the woods and of course, I took my camera out to play.

Unfortunately, I was a few days too early for the full canvas of bluebells because they were still a little shy, but once we'd picked our way carefully over tin cans, past rusty supermarket trolleys, burnt out tyres and heaven only knows how many plastic carrier bags, I found all kinds of pretty things to photograph! What a shame some youngsters can't enjoy the woodland without spoiling it.

When my sisters and I were kids, one of our greatest pleasures on a Sunday afternoon was to tramp through the local woods with Dad, eyes peeled for cheeky squirrels, evil witches and of course, all kinds of hungry woodland monsters. We squelched over banks, (the muddier the better) and chased along leafy trails, our pockets full to bursting with pine cones, conkers, acorns ... whatever the season had to share with us. For us, the woods were fantastical storybook settings, feeding young imaginations with colour and excitement.

All these years later, I'm still entranced by the fusty magic of ferns, how they unfurl in dark, damp, secret places and I love the dainty wildflowers taking shelter at the foot of trees, such unpretentious beauty!
 

A child's eye view, courtesy of Photoshop!I don't think there's anything more guaranteed to set life firmly in perspective, than to stand in the heart of woodland, chin lifted to the sky, peering through dense tree trunks and feathery branches, to catch a glimpse of clouds as they skud past way, way, up high.

I came to the conclusion yesterday, that life is about what you want to see; if you choose to look beyond the rubbish, there will always be something beautiful and it's probably right under your nose!

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside ...

Brighton Trio

Fergus and Elijah

Dillon 14"

Fergus 20"

Elijah 16"

Yes, it's time for me to send some of my bears to Sue Pearson's shop in Brighton again! For this group I have worked with Sue's brief to create a trio of 'warm beary coloured bears,' as shop exclusives: http://www.suepearson.co.uk/

20" growler 'Fergus', 16" Elijah and wee 14" Dillon, will be travelling to their new temporary home beside the seaside, early next week.