A flying start to 2011!!!!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!  I have just seen the list of winners for the 2011 TOBY Industry's Choice Awards and you could have knocked me down with a feather when I read my name on the list!!!!!!

Lonesome, a 2011 TOBY INDUSTRY'S CHOICE AWARD WINNER!

After much procrastination in the final weeks of November last year, I finally decided to participate and chose to enter one of my 'Careworn Collection' designs because this style of bear represented a new direction for me during 2010.  I also decided to try the 'small bear/undressed' category and hey presto, much to my surprise and delight 'Lonesome' has scooped a nomination!  

It's been such a difficult few months, so this recognition has really helped to give my spirits a boost and for that, I am very, very grateful.

Hey Dad, this one's for you x

An empty room.

I began my working year by spring cleaning my workroom ('ship shape and Bristol fashion' as my Dad would have said) and now it's tidy and ready for the new year's crop of bears.  It has been an ideal bear crafting workspace for the past four years since we bought the house, but with so many materials to store, lately I've been feeling the squeeze.

My workroom, ship shape and Bristol fashion for the new year

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my lovely son left home just after Christmas.  It's a mystery to me how he grew so fast, from a cheeky boy in bunny slippers, to an independent home-owning adult.  To be honest, I'm completely torn between devastation and pride at the moment; but in the spirit of accepting my true role as 'mum', with all the pain and pleasure that brings, I have of course, given him my blessing, support, love and encouragement and in return have been left with his gratitude, love and ... an empty bedroom.

... a room which, in practical terms, happens to have more floor space than my workroom, a large double window and a roomy fitted cupboard - lending it the potential to become the perfect bear maker's space.  So, rather than indulge my sense of loss, I plan to claim this room as my own and over the coming weeks, with Stuart's help, to create a brighter and more spacious haven of creativity for myself.

So, it's time for this bear maker to create her new space and to enjoy a sense of accomplishment in the fact that her grown-up son is now creating his own space out in the big wide world, too!

My boy in his bunny slipper days!

Good luck in your new home Ants,
with much love from your Muva xxx     

The Guild of Master Bearcrafters enters 2011 with a buzz!

The day I discovered  how to create my own social networking site was a real revelation to me and I certainly didn't foresee that eighteen months later, I would be running 'The Guild of Master Bearcrafters' with a creative membership of well over four hundred talented bear makers from all over the world!

http://www.masterbearcrafters.ning.com/

Building the Guild has taken a considerable amount of commitment, but I've loved every minute of it and think it has been very worthwhile to create a site where working bear artists can meet professionally to discuss bear crafting issues with peers and display new creations.  Our membership is far flung, from the UK, to USA, to Australia, Germany, Russia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, France, Israel, Lithuania ... and way beyond, in fact right around the globe!  It has been an education to me to learn teddy bears are so popular, on so many distant continents!  And on a personal note, running the Guild has offered me an invaluable opportunity to broaden my understanding of teddy bear design and make friends with many wonderful bearcrafters.

The Guild hosts a special showcase slideshow each week, featuring members' designs, so please pop in from time to time, to see what bear artists around the world are creating, especially for you!  As you can see below, our Guild members are off to a flying start in 2011 ... these are a few of the brand new designs they have created for the New Year!

First new bear of 2011!

It's such a satisfying feeling to have completed my first new bear of 2011!  I decided to begin this new year with a bear I feel represents classic 'All Bear'.  He's substantial, has gloriously dense fur and of course, growls!

20" Ambrose, my first bear of 2011!

I don't yet know in which direction 2011 will lead me and my bears, but I am happy that Ambrose is a positive first step into the New Year ...

Foward Focus.

I need to think about January's work schedule today.  It's hard to fathom how the first five days of 2011 managed to slip past without me so much as entering first gear.  In fairness though, I've had a chaotic few weeks, first my son's knee reconstruction and convalescence after a serious football accident, then Christmas, then summoning strength to help move Ants into his first new home a week ago ... no wonder the 'flu whacked me! 

Anthony, making his way in the world!

It's very quiet at home without Anthony and it will take me a while to adjust to him not being around every day, but I'm confident he's ready for his independence and as his mum, I take pride in that.  I guess, like all mums of adult children, there's no choice but to accept the time has come for me to find my way and allow him to find his ... I just wish the past twenty five years hadn't flown by quite so quickly!  Anyway, no point wallowing, it's not as if he's moved to the ends of the earth and I'm sure we will make more of the time we do spend together in future; besides which, I'll be popping in to his new house for a cuppa at the weekend!  (Can you hear this mum giving herself a firm talking to here?!  Hmmn, I thought so!)

1986, precious cuddles with my baby boy

I have my first show of 2011 booked for the end of February, so preparation for that should keep me occupied in the coming weeks.  I think I'll start work on the show bears very soon, but first, I have my Silly Bears shop order to complete and I am also determined to finish the lovely ginger bear waiting patiently in my work basket, so he can make his way to my website.

All Bear - 2010 portfolio cover

My 2010 portfolio of work

I was delighted to receive my 2010 portfolio in the post yesterday, particularly as this is the first book I've completed from photographs using my studio set-up.  It looks very professional, if I do say so myself!  My intention is to display the portfolio on my stand at the 'Winter Bearfest' show in Kensington, so visitors will be able to flick through and see what my work is all about.

These books are useful promotional tools at shows, but I also like to have them sat on my workroom bookshelf for reference, not to mention simply to enjoy reflecting on my past works  ... after all, we all need a little reminder of our achievements now and again!

New Year, New Direction?

2010, a review ...

2011 whimpered its way into my life, or perhaps it would be fairer of me to tell you I whimpered my way into 2011.  Not for me a giddy head full of fireworks and champagne to herald our New Year, instead a heady brew of 'flu remedies pooped my poorly party spirit.

Contemporary style 2009

Looking back at the bears I created during 2010, I can see a significant change in style from earlier years when more often than not, my bears were showy characters, full of  rowdy humour.  It seems these days, just like their designer, my bears no longer crave a need to draw attention, preferring instead to mature gracefully.

 Careworn vintage style 2010

With the exception of my vintage style 'Careworn Collection' created at the start of 2010 and carefully distressed for aged appearance, many of my 2010 bears eventually became a little removed from the reproduction vintage style I began the year determined to master, but even so, they absorbed a sprinkling of nostalgic appeal ... resulting in a gentle teddy style I came to enjoy very much.

Gentle classic style 2010

This year I have been asked to create a small shop collection for launch at http://www.sillybears.co.uk/ in February and funnily enough, my brief is to design bears 'typical of All Bear' ... which begs the question after so many years and so many subtle developments in style, what exactly is 'typical' of my work?!  One common denominator has always been the size of my designs, so it is very unlikely my 2011 bears will be truly tiny, but beyond size, I wonder which design ingredients unify my bears and whether in 2011 I should work to keep those 'All Bear' ingredients in the mix, or instead throw caution to the wind and change direction entirely?

Contemporary classic style 2010

Knowing me and the way I prefer to work, there will be no outrageous plan to sweep clean in 2011, just simple teddy evolution, as usual ... if and when the mood takes me!

Christmas memories ...

Christmas with my family came and went in what now seems the bat of an eye.  I loved spending those precious few festive days with my family, but now the time has come for life to roll forward towards a New Year.  Before I let Christmas 2010 slip away though, I'd like to take this opportunity to preserve a few happy memories here...

Christmas Eve ...

My son, Christmas Morn!

Daisy's first Christmas

Cheers!  Our Christmas Day lunch

Boxing Day walk in Mote Park ...

Fay modelling her Christmas woollies

Hungry birds on a frozen lake!

Mote Park, beautiful in the wintery sunshine

Me and Stuart walking off our Christmas pud!

Fay and Stuart chuckling ...

Sunset over the frozen lake

There are only a few days until the clocks strike midnight to welcome in 2011.  Like many of you, I will say goodbye to 2010 with my heart full of both happy and sad memories - but let's not dwell on the past, let's wave it goodbye and step boldly forward into the new year ... after all, our future awaits us.

A bear is for life, not just for Christmas!

We drove through a blizzard to reach the supermarket on Saturday and everything looked so beautiful in the snow, but the downside of the snow is that it causes havoc in the UK because we aren't properly prepared for it; our airports have closed, our trains can't cope with the icy conditions and horror of horrors, many of our delivery companies can no longer guarantee parcels will arrive in time for Santa's big night out! 

13" 'Clara'

My last bear of 2010 is a pretty little girl called 'Clara' and she would make a super Christmas present for any bear collector, but sadly with the weather meddling the way it is, I would need to whistle up a magician to ensure she could sit under your Christmas tree in time for the grand present opening on Christmas morn! 

I have popped Clara on my website in the hope she finds someone special to love her, whether she arrives with them this week, or a few days late for the Christmas celebrations ... after all, a bear is for life, not just for Christmas!

Secret Santa!

Can you keep a secret?!  I have a little treasure to share with you today, she travelled all the way from Singapore to boost my battered Christmas spirit ... 

These three little friends were made by Rita Diesing of Ridibears

Little Bine arrived yesterday and snuck under my Christmas tree as quietly as a little mouse to squeeze between her two new friends.  No-one else knows she's there yet ... only me!

Buttons in Santa's Sack!

I'm supposed to be tackling some Christmas shopping today, so I'd better get my skates on, but before I launch myself towards the festive frenzy, I want to take a moment to introduce 'Buttons', the first of the three bears I told you about yesterday ...

'Buttons' is now available from www.allbear.co.uk

Isn't he a sweetie?!  I finished him last night and must admit, I wouldn't mind finding him under my own tree on Christmas morning!  

Dear old Buttons will soon be hopping into Santa's Sack, so if you are still searching for your special 2010 Christmas bear, please pop along to www.allbear.co.uk to find out all about him!

Update: I am delighted to say, Buttons has been adopted in time to spend Christmas with his new owner!

Stuffing.

I've been mulling over advertising this week. I haven't done anything about it yet though, but think I probably ought to as I am aware mine has been woefully inadequate during 2010.  In the current economic climate it's tricky to judge where best to allocate precious bear business funds and I'm sure I'm not the only bear maker with a tendency to allow advertising to slide down the 'to-do' list in favour of purchasing lovely fabrics!  I think there comes a point when a well placed advertisement is definitely useful to remind collectors a bear artist is still alive, kicking and creating beautiful bears .. maybe I should turn this mull into a New Year's resolution?

Mango Chutney & Morwyn, pictured in Teddy Bear Times magazine!

It is of course, always a bonus to have bears published, so this month I am extremely grateful to Dawn, editor of Teddy Bear Times magazine, for including three of my bears in the Christmas issue of Teddy Bear Times magazine.  If you would like to order a copy, or even sign up for a subscription, please visit www.teddybeartimes.com for further details.

2010 Christmas issue of Teddy Bear Times magazine

With only a couple of weeks until the Christmas festivities take over, I freely confess a need to wind down and take a much needed break.  After my rollercoaster 2010, I feel as though the stuffing has been knocked out of me and I'm craving a little relaxed time with my family; perhaps then I will find strength enough to make a postive start to the New Year ...

But enough of that, first I have three teddy bears in my work basket, waiting for me to stop waffling on and stuff them before Christmas!

Perfect peace.

Miraculously the rain crashed down clearing heavy snow and ice from the Kent roads, in perfect time for our Sunday afternoon drive into the heart of the countryside. Despite the melt, many fields were still dusted with snow, glistening in the winter sunlight ...

We arrived at the vineyard prepared for the cold and also for muddy fields, Fiona wearing trendy leopard print wellies, me muffled in a cheerful orange and pink striped scarf and bright pink boots.  Squelching past row upon row of vines, our laughter rang out as we tried to decide which would bear luscious grapes for a fine red wine harvest next year and as we did, it became clear to us, we were in the perfect place, on the perfect day ...

As the sun dipped in a final glorious blaze, we stood shoulder to shoulder with our sisters and a little later, with tears and smiles we walked away, content our Dad was at peace, at last.

Wellies, woollies and waterproofs!

Since my previous post, the wintry conditions haven't improved; in fact Kent is now officially a Winter Wonderland.  I think the best thing to do in times like this is batten down the hatches, make a nice hot cuppa and admire the view through the window, but we had no milk or bread yesterday, so I had to concede a need to bundle myself into wellies, woollies and waterproofs and brave the snow if I wanted some lunch!

My clomp to the supermarket was breathtakingly cold, yet undeniably beautiful ... isn't it amazing how a thick covering of snow turns even the most ordinary of scenes into a picture postcard?!

By the time I arrived back on my front porch, I looked like an abominable snowman and couldn't wait to peel off my snowy layers to make a hot drink.  Needless to say, I didn't venture out again, instead I snuggled into my armchair my feet toasty in furry slipper boots, to finish little Nicholas's winter cardigan.

16" Nicholas

This afternoon I'm going to tuck myself up in the warmth of my workroom ... I feel a pink bear coming on and this snowy weather is perfect for bear making!

The weather outside is frightful ...

My heart sank when I heard the predictions for snow throughout the UK this week, which is most unlike me.  Last year the heavy snow and our fleeting picture postcard world had me reaching for my welly boots and camera ...

But not this year.  This year I'm staring out the window praying for the fastest thaw known to man, because I made a special promise to my Dad before he left. By hook or by crook, I must travel in the next few days, because some things in life and death are more important than the weather.

So today I'm cosying up in my armchair to finish knitting this bear's woolly pully, but I'll be keeping one eye on that window, willing the sun to shine and the snow to melt away ...

Hustle and bustle ...

Hmmn, I'm thinking this blog makeover will take some getting used to.  The header seems enormous, but if I make it any smaller it doesn't centre properly ... I spent ages yesterday trying to resolve that particular conundrum, hunting for answers and cut 'n pasting CSS script into a Blogger thingummy over and over again, to no avail.  Sometimes computers are entirely frustrating, don't you think?!

Speaking of which, I probably spend way too many precious hours sat at my computer, but without them I swear I'd go stir crazy.  It's hard to remember how I ever coped without the World Wide Wide at my fingertips.  One thing's for sure, I spent far more time traipsing round shops back then, which meant fresh air, exercise, faces, hustle, bustle and so many more pairs of lovely shoes ...

High Street, Maidstone, on a very cold November afternoon

These days I do all I can to avoid said town; after all, in this age of internet shopping, who needs it?  But when I ponder beyond the end of my oh-so-convenient, time-saving keyboard, I reach the conclusion it's all a bit sad,  I mean, how many times do we wander dejectedly round our home town, only to complain about a rash of tatty fronted, budget shops dominating the High Street?  I for one, plead guilty to the crime of preferring to purchase online from my favourite websites ... yes, I am that lazy shopper responsible for the demise of the High Street. 

On the rare occasion I am forced to venture into town, I store up every concievable town-based task, to delay the prospect of having to return for as long as possible.  I hate queueing, grumpy shop assistants, loutish youths smokin' and cussin', chewing gum on pavements, having my ankles rammed by unwieldy pushchairs, fighting for parking spaces, tiny overheated changing rooms ... the town shopping experience is no joy for this 'Mrs Meldrew'.

But sometimes, despite everything, I miss it.  There's no rhyme or practical reason for this, I just occasionally crave a little hustle and bustle, the choking taste of diesel, the glitz and glitter window displays, that special smell of bookshops, the myriad of faces ...

So maybe today, I will resist the WWW's wonderful world of websites and take myself into town for the real interactive deal instead; after all, Christmas is a-coming and just this once the computer can't compete with a town dressed in tinsel!

Cosying up!

Niklaus, Rudi and Spruce are ready to travel to their new owners, so today, I'm waiting in for the courier to arrive.  I have a new bear in pieces on my workroom table - he is all sewn up, has his head stuffed and won't take long to finish, but I might save him until tomorrow because today I fancy cosying up in my armchair for a spot of knitting instead.  

Working on the little jacket above rekindled my passion for knitting last week; there's something very comforting about the art of knitting, especially at this time of year when it's so chilly outdoors.  In the absence of any teeny tiny babies to dress, I'm sure I can soon conjure up some lovely new teddy bears to model my winter woollies!

Christmas is a-coming!

Following on from yesterday's post, I am happy to report after my efforts to update my website, two of my bears were adopted; little Rudi and Spruce were quickly snapped up and will be spending their Christmas in England, so as you can imagine, I couldn't be more delighted today!

Rudi - adopted

Spruce - adopted



I quite liked the tartan backdrop I used for the show, but I do think it was worth taking new photographs to showcase these bears a little more effectively ... let's hope the work I did yesterday helps Puddin' and Frankie to find special new homes in time for Christmas too!

Puddin'

Frankie

I came to the conclusion there is no point hiding from the fact Christmas is a-coming, so yesterday I took the bull by the horns and gave my website a festive makeover.  If you would like to take a peek, please pop along to www.allbear.co.uk  I have also opened 'Santa's Sack' on the website in preparation for my Christmas bears - hopefully these small steps will tempt a little festive cheer from this bearmaker!

This is the Christmas webpage graphic I created; it features 'Robin Red', a dear little traditional bear I made for Christmas 2009.  He lives in Singapore now ...

www.allbear.co.uk

I have also used 'Robin Red's' picture on my 2010 'All Bear' Christmas cards.  I received them from the printer's a couple of weeks ago and am very pleased with the result.

2010 Official All Bear Christmas Card

Overall, yesterday was a very busy day!  Besides setting up my studio for bear photographs and overhauling my website, I also made a Christmas bear mosaic for my home page, featuring some of my Christmas bears past and present ...

Festive All Bears past and present

Another task this week was to tackle my entry for the 2011 TOBY Industry's Choice Awards in time for the December deadline.  I didn't have any success in this competition in 2010, but as they say, you've got to be in it to win it!  So, I've put my 2011 entry together and will be nipping down to the Post Office to send it to the US later today - fingers crossed eh?!

2011 TOBY Industry's Choice entry

I can't pretend I feel entirely festive yet, but it is only November, so there's still hope for me!

A rethink.

The Teddies Worldwide Show came and went over the weekend.  I'm happy to say Niklaus found a new home at the show and will be flying off to Singapore this week, but sadly the show didn't manage to secure new homes for Puddin', Spruce, Rudi or Frankie, so now I must work hard to remedy things by finding caring new owners for each of these lovely bears in time for Christmas ...

16" Frankie

18" Spruce

13" Rudi

20" Puddin'

I'm going to pop them onto my website at http://www.allbear.co.uk/ later today, but first I think I'll take their photographs again, this time on a plain background; I think that tartan cloth is perhaps a little too distracting!

Wish them luck!