An important business

It has been a very positive week for All Bear adoptions with Tuppence, Papa Bear and Marshmallow all finding lovely new owners over the past few days.

Papa Bear and little Marshmallow have been adopted in the UK!

Tuppence has been adopted to the good ol' US of A!

Robinson and Tootsie waved their pals off with exceptionally good grace, but were naturally a little envious as they hopped back onto my workroom shelves to wait patiently for their own someone special to invite them home ...

Robinson is still waiting hopefully to be adopted ...

And Tootsie is looking forward to meeting her special someone ...

We have received a great deal of enthusiastic interest for both Robinson and Tuppence, but adopting a new bear is an important business and not to be undertaken lightly, so they understand the need for patience and I have told them there is always the right person for the right teddy bear, but sometimes it takes just a little while longer to find that special person!

If you would like to find out more about either Robinson or Tootsie, please pop over to my new website as they are very eager to meet you!

www.allbearbypaula.com

29/6/14 Update: Tootsie has been adopted!

An advertisement for nostalgia

It has been quite some time since I last advertised in a magazine, so recently I booked a little run of ads in an old favourite of mine, the 'Teddy Bear Times'. I remember the days when I advertised frequently in this popular publication ... the internet sure has changed the shape of marketing over the past fifteen years.

Technology may advance relentlessly, but I still don't think you can beat flicking through a magazine with a nice cuppa and as it's always a thrill to see my work in print, I decided to allow nostalgia to guide me on this occasion.

So my first ad featuring 'Robinson' will appear in the Aug/Sept issue, on sale in July.  If you would like to support our specialist teddy publications by ordering either a print, or digital subscription online, please visit: 

http://www.teddybeartimes.com/magazine.html

Alternatively, you might find this lovely magazine stocked in a branch of WH Smith, on your local High Street.

If you haven't bought a copy for a while, why not treat yourself?!  Let's all do our bit to keep our favourite publications in print!

The Fabulous Four!

I am delighted to tell you that at last, I have uploaded some lovely new bears to my lovely new website!

Tuppence & Tootsie

There are four really rather fabulous teddy bears in all (if Ido say so myself!) the two Summery clown bears in the photo above, a dashing sailor bear and a magnificent alpaca fellow.  I'd love you to see them!

All my latest bears can be found at: 

www.allbearbypaula.com

Thank you so much for visiting!

Making time ..

It's been a bit frantic here of late with the 'Teddies and Friends on Vacation' show fast approaching.  Unfortunately I failed to find a spare moment to take proper studio pics of this pair of shop exclusive bears during my rush to meet the show deadline, so no sooner were their hang tags were fastened, than they were shipped out the door to take up temporary residence at 'The Bear Shop' in Norwich.

19" Finian

19" Barney

Now that my June shop exclusives and show bears are completed, I am planning a little quality time with my knitting needles as I really must finish the baby knits I began work on weeks ago ... preferably in time for my first grandchild's arrival in October!  After such an intensive month of bear-making I am now well ready for a change of creative scenery and will be happily swapping my workroom for the conservatory couch for a few days!

Life goes on ..

Father's Day.

Three and three quarter years on and still not an easy day to get through ... going through the motions as an onlooker rather than as the daughter I was, painting on a cheery smile when deep down, all I truly want to do is tuck myself away somewhere private and sob my heart out, until the day has passed.

But Dad would have been the first to tell me with a twinkle in his eye 'Chin up girl, life goes on' and he would have been absolutely right; so yesterday, my garden was filled with a lively rabble of grandchildren, Stuart's daughter, my daughter - his step-daughter, his parents, brother-in-law and sister ... and of course, my Polly in the thick of it all, having a whale of a time!

Most importantly, Stuart and his Dad shared their Father's Day together.  Just how Father's Day should be.

As for me, I smiled, chatted, took pics, enjoyed the kiddies' games and took a pride in how gentle Polly was with them.  I saved my tears until today, after all, such a huge loss never quite diminishes.  How I miss that lumbering form appearing unexpectedly on my porch step, telling me to 'stick the kettle on PJ' ... and how I miss putting our worlds to right over a steaming hot cuppa. But most of all, like my four sisters, I just miss knowing he's here with us, indomitable, steadfast, strong ... our Dad.

Here, there and everywhere ..

I am making a concerted effort to catch up with some bear-making this week because not only do I have a shop order to complete for 'The Bear Shop' in Norwich, I also have a fun online Summer show looming large on my calendar.

Hopefully I will soon have a new bear to add to my website too ...

Between my bear-making and baby knitting for my new grandchild due in October, not to mention researching how to patchwork quilt, I'm feeling as though I have unfinished projects here, there and everywhere at the moment! 

I really need to bring something to completion as soon as possible, so must get back to work and tackle that pile of teddy bear pieces first!

Fun in the sun

I'm being very British today, a polite post about the weather!

We've had a beautiful few days filled with warm sunshine ... a little too warm for Polly during the day perhaps, but perfect for a peaceful stroll in the evening.  Life really doesn't get much better than walking through woodland with sunshine filtering gently through the trees!

To keep her cool during the day, I confess to buying her ladyship a little paddling pool for the garden ... well, why not eh?!

And as the sun begins to set, we've been enjoying a few games of 'tug' and 'fetch' on the back lawn.  I think it's due to rain tomorrow, but never mind, it really is starting to feel like Summer here in Kent, so I'm sure the sun will be back with us very soon!

Sunday Sundae

Clear blue skies, steamy sunshine and an inviting waft of barbecued sausages rumblin' my tum ... Summer it seems, has arrived in the UK this Sunday!

19" Sundae

So today is the perfect day to introduce my own 'Sundae', a pretty pink and white alpaca teddy with velvet paws, which I've been working on recently.

As you can see, Sundae is a girl with a twinkle in her eye ... her hand painted glass eyes really bring her to life!

Sundae is now available to adopt from my brand new 'All Bear by Paula' website and can be found at: 

www.allbearbypaula.com

Update: Sundae has been adopted.

Memories of May ..

There's nothing quite like the scent of May blossom in hedgerows to evoke memories of my childhood ...

Spring walks in the Kent countryside are so beautiful this month.

The wild flowers are abundant and so delicate!

When I was a little girl my Dad would take me and my sisters out trompin' in the countryside in Spring and we'd return home with fistfuls of  cowslip, buttercups, clover and May to keep in empty milk bottles on the kitchen window sill ... they were happy days.

It's so lovely to walk with Polly at this time of year, breathing in the waft of May and remembering all those years ago.

All Bear by Paula dot com!

I'll admit, there were moments I thought I might have bitten off more than I could chew ... building a new website for my bears has been a steep learning curve!  But the more I thought about it, the more convinced I became it was time to teach myself something new and make a clean sweep to give my bears somewhere comfy, but a little more modern to hang out ...

A brand new website for All Bear!

I am hoping that, combined with the fresh new look, I have also succeeded in retaining a comforting sense of familiarity, so that you feel 'at home' as you browse.

Before I invite you to visit I must remember to mention the change of address! My old website will shortly be deleted, so rather than transfer that address, I decided to create a completely new one ... one I hope gives a more personal touch to my little corner of the World Wide Corner.

'All Bear by Paula' is now open and you are ALL invited to visit.

Please let me know what you think ... I'd love to hear from you!

www.allbearbypaula.com

And just in case you are wondering, I will have a new bear available on my website later next week.  Now this website is completed, I am looking forward to having time to sew again!

Covering all my bases

Having fun snuggled in my armchair each evening, engrossed in baby knitting.

Not yet sure whether my first grandchild will be a boy or a girl, so I plan to cover all bases in the months to come!

New Shop Exclusives

Happy to be able to share my latest collection of shop exclusive 'big 'uns with you.

Front: 18" Sissy

Middle: 19" O'Grady

Back: 22" Shamus

Introducing Sissy, O'Grady and Shamus, three lovely substantial growling teddy bears created from German mohair. This distinguished trio will be taking up temporary residence at the 'Teddy Bear Hollow' shop in Loughborough, next week.

Underground, overground, afloat and back in time!

Some time ago, Stuart mentioned he'd never really 'done the London tourist thing', so I craftily made a mental note to plan a surprise trip to the City one day.

Stuart taking in the London skyline

It was Stuart's 50th birthday earlier this year, so the perfect occasion to tuck tickets in his birthday card and spring my surprise day on him!

Magnificent Big Ben

After catching a train from Ebbsfleet to St Pancras and hopping onto a tube to Leicester Square, we began our day out by taking a lovely stroll along the Embankment in the April sunshine.

Southbank from the Embankment

Then we collected tickets from County Hall for the London Eye and a river cruise along the Thames ...

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Seeing the heart of London from the river was a real treat!  If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend booking a cruise and whatever the weather, sitting outside on the boat armed with a camera - it's a fabulous way to see the Thames and soak up some fascinating London history.

Tower Bridge

Stuart has always wanted to try out the London Eye, so despite my fear of heights I decided we'd give it a try and after queueing for a while, up, up, up, we went!

I think if you look closely you can probably see the terror in my eyes!

Houses of Parliament and Westminster Bridge from the London Eye

The views from the London Eye were well worth trying to overcome my vertigo though, they were absolutely amazing and I think on a clear day you probably really can see forever!

Having seen the Houses of Parliament from the River and 450ft in the air (!) we then took a stroll on foot to see the rest of Westminster ...

It's a truly beautiful area to explore if you enjoy architecture, but all that walking sure works up an appetite!

After a slight hitch when we discovered the tube we needed wasn't working and after a subsequent long hike along The Strand towards Blackfriars Bridge, we finally gave up walking and hailed a black cab to take us on the last leg of our journey to The Tower of London.

Stepping through Edward I's magnificent entrance was just like stepping back through time; as Stuart loves medieval history, naturally no birthday visit to London would have been complete without a visit to 'The Bloody Tower' to inspect gruesome instruments of torture ... it seems boys will always be boys!  I, on the other hand, much preferred to ogle the Crown Jewels - sparkles are far more my thing!

We thoroughly enjoyed being tourists in London, rounding off our day footsore and weary, with a delicious pizza in Villiers Street's 'Fratelli la Bufala' before heading back to St Pancras International to let the train take the strain back home to Kent.

A quick nosey ..

My bear-making has been a bit 'stop/start' lately, but between training and exercising Polly, knitting for my new grandchild and a hundred and one other tasks that seem to claim my time, I have gradually been pulling together three lovely new big bears for the 'Teddy Bear Hollow' shop in Loughborough ... 

I know it's not much of a preview, but until I've photographed each of the bears properly for the shop, this nose is about the most I can share with you.  More pics very soon ... that's a promise!

Priceless!

There are some surprises which come right out of the blue and are absolutely priceless ... 

Anthony and his Hannah

The excitement on my son's face when he gave me his news ... 'I'm gonna be a daddy', was one such surprise!

Time for some baby knitting!

I couldn't be more delighted for Anthony and Hannah and am so thrilled I am going to be a brand new granny in time for Christmas this year!!!!  

Happy, happy, happy!!!!!

Doddington, a birthday treat!

I've had a busy weekend!  First, a lovely, unexpected visit from my son on Saturday which always makes me happy, then yesterday, a surprise birthday gathering with my sisters at beautiful Doddington Place Gardens near Sittingbourne in Kent, to celebrate our 'seventy-something-young' mum.

The five of us, with our mum

As we live spread wide across the South East of England and all have busy lives, gathering together to share a Sunday afternoon is no mean feat, so many thanks to Fiona and her fiance Simon for making this happen.

A variety of granddaughters and a great granddaughter

All in all, we scored one Grandmother, her five daughters, three of her five son-in-laws, five of her ten grandchildren, one great granddaughter, one grandson-in-law and four out of nine of the family dogs for this special get together ... 

not bad going eh?!

Mum's great granddaughter Ella, enjoying the daffodils

Doddington's gardens are absolutely beautiful; I can't begin to imagine how much work must have gone into their creation over many, many years to bring such magic to life.  Walking through the grand formal gardens transports you to a time usually only enjoyed in historical drama and at this time of year, the beds and lawns are bursting with primroses, camelias, daffodils, tulips, blossom trees and so on ... it's really is absolutely enchanting!

The dogs!

Left to right: Marley, Bugsy, Polly and cheeky little Jessie

These are dog friendly gardens, so rather than leave ours at home, we popped them on leads and brought them along to join in the fun.  Thankfully, they didn't disgrace us!

The younger grandchildren delighted in exploring the gardens; playing hide and seek through the trees, racing along woodland paths and spending the afternoon laughing together.

It was a lovely visit and the perfect place to bring us together to wish a 'Happy Birthday' to our mum and also to remind us all of how special it is to be part of a large family.

Below are a few of the many snaps I took of the gardens. 

I hope they capture the tranquility of this perfect 'English Country Garden' ...

There are many hidden treasures to discover in Doddington's gardens (not least of which are the home baked treats in the tea room!) so do visit if you are able ... I don't think you will be disappointed!

Knit one ..

A little raglan sleeved knitting project I've been working on.
I just need to hunt out a few more buttons, then it will be ready for someone to wear ...

I first taught myself to knit when I was expecting my daughter over thirty years ago and after all these years, still love to curl up in an armchair with my knitting needles of an evening ... makes me feel all cosy inside!