Hey, I'm a bearmaker not an accountant!

Silly me turned a blind eye to my Tax Return until the very last minute (as usual!) then had to put my show bears on hold to plough through my paperwork right at the last minute to meet Friday's filing deadline on time.  I know these things need doing, but oh how I hate filling in my Tax Return ... I'm a bearmaker, not a flippin' accountant!  

Anyway, now that nasty job is done and dusted, it's time for me to get back to work on my show bears.  I already have a couple ready for the Winter Bearfest: the one in the picture above is called 'Crumpet' and the one below has yet to be named.  I think they make a really cute pair ... I hope you like them too.

I will take formal studio photographs on my posh camera when I have a few more bears finished, but in the meantime, thought you might enjoy seeing the bears exactly as I see them, after I have stitched the final stitch and they are sitting looking back at me from my workroom desk.

Besides show bears, I have several other projects to complete in February, not least of which will be a special limited edition of four splendid big bears for The Bear Shop's forthcoming catalogue.  I selected the fabric for these bears this morning and let me tell you, it is absolutely gorgeous - I am so looking forward to making them and it is a great compliment to have been invited to do so.

First things first though, today I have a sweet dark brown bear to work on for a lady in France and I need to paint a pair of twinkly eyes for him.  So that's enough blogging for now - back to work Paula!

Perspective

The 2014 TOBY Industry's Choice Award winners have just been announced and I am looking forward to seeing the winning creations and sharing them on the Guild of Master Bearcrafters, but as far as my decision not to take part in the competition this year goes, I am completely content.  

'Perspective'

The ancient megalith at Kits Coty

With my 51st birthday only a couple of weeks away, I'd like to think I've now earned the right to put life into perspective, keep safe a little time to smell the roses and above all, focus on what really matters to me creatively and personally, rather than keep frantically pounding the great bear industry hamster wheel.

So, that means a big 'yes' to making new bears, a big 'yes' to continuing to write and a big fat 'NO!' to worrying about the small stuff - except perhaps my tax return, which I desperately need to make time to file before the 31st January deadline!!!!

A Bearmaker's Stride

As certain years have drawn to a close, I have pondered whether my bear making was all it should have been during that year ... last year was definitely one of those years.  Illness and a bouncy new puppy knocked a significant hole in my work schedule, causing me to miss shows and deadlines in 2013.  Naturally, Polly pup became my first priority once I'd recovered from a bout of ill heath earlier in the year, so bear-making hours were of necessity limited, as my focus shifted from bear design to obedience training.

I am happy to say, the months of dog training have been a huge benefit to us, helping Polly to become the polite, gentle and friendly girl I hoped for.  Our training has been very beneficial and Polly enjoys it so much we intend to continue indefinitely; but hopefully, now that her 'manic puppy phase' has passed, life will become more settled, allowing me to take up the reins of my bear business once more.

That said, 2013 wasn't a total wipeout for All Bear.  I like to put together a calendar and portfolio of my work at the end of each year to remind me of what I achieved and although undoubtedly, there were a few less bears emerging from my workroom last year, if I flick through my portfolio I am relieved (and quite surprised!) to see that somehow, I still managed to create a solid body of work during the year and even collected an 'Excellence in Bear Artistry' award!

Thankfully my 2014 calendar is now filling with scribbles for new commissions and show commitments, so the coming year already looks reasonably positive as far as my bears are concerned and with any luck, I may even find a little spare time for some 'Prim Dolly Doodling'. 

As I have said before, at the start of each New Year I like to try to learn a new skill by perhaps taking a course, or teaching myself something interesting.  I must admit, I thought 2013 had slipped by without me managing to do this, but in hindsight, I was thinking 'craft' and overlooked my dog training, which was of course, a totally fresh challenge with much to learn. 

After twenty years in the bear industry, I admit I was ready for a fresh challenge and dare I say, am quite proud of myself for tackling something so alien to me.  Joining a dog training group has been way outside my comfort zone and working with other dog owners in the great outdoors, after the comfort of my cosy workroom, certainly hasn't been an easy transition ... but it has been immensely rewarding and I am sure it has been beneficial to my health too!

By the way, the 'Winter Bearfest' in Kensington is looming and I am booked in to exhibit. One way or another, it's time for me to get organised and start work on my show bears. I am looking forward to getting back into my bear crafting stride!

If you would like to visit this superb display of teddy bear artistry in London on the 23rd February, please visit www.hugglets.co.uk for full details.  

I'll see you there!

TOBY or not TOBY, that is the question!

As the 2014 TOBY Industry Choice Award deadline loomed large at the end of last year, I found myself questioning whether I really wanted to enter and was quite surprised to hear my inner bear crafting competitor asking for a rest ...

So, I have decided to give myself leave to step back from this prestigious competition in 2014, rather than putting myself through my competition paces yet again. I must say, after almost twenty years of competitive peaks and troughs, allowing myself to become a bystander is a very welcome sensation!

I dare say I will be tempted to take part in one or two other competitions during the coming year, but for now I'm stepping down and looking forward to simply enjoying this competition from a distance.  

Good luck to everyone who is taking part this year!

Let's get to the good stuff!

There will be no 2013 retrospective from this bearmaker, instead a tidy workroom, pink 'n fluffy bear in progress, a show on the horizon, orders to fulfill, fabrics to purchase, interview questions to answer, a new calendar to create ... as you can probably tell, I'm not in the mood for dwelling on what has passed, so let's get to the good stuff and stride forward into 2014 instead!

Cuppa on my desk, daytime telly burbling, slippers on ... yep, after the Christmas break I reckon it's about time to rev up my creative motor and start work on my first bear of 2014!

Happy New Year everyone!!!!

All I want for Christmas ...

We pulled up our drawbridge to celebrate a cosy family Christmas in time honoured tradition with gifts, turkey and of course, plenty of laughter.

And Polly enjoyed her very first Christmas with us!

She plonked herself right in the middle of the floor with my kids to open her pressies from Santa ... 

... and was delighted to find a rather large orange octopus with her name on it!

Stuart's grandson was thrilled with his football shirt and I have a feeling, will be wearing it day in and day out, for some time to come.

Stuart was especially delighted with his 'fart shooting Minion', a cheeky gift from my son and his girlfriend. I, however, was less than delighted with this particular present, as I appear to be its designated target!!!!

This year, we walked off a superb Christmas lunch (thanks Stuart!) with a muddy tromp through the local woods and pear orchard with Polly ...

... and were treated to a spectacular Christmas Day sunset as we headed home!

After the crazy dash to prepare, Christmas Day is always over in the blink of an eye but for me, this year was special because it was my first Christmas with Polly and my kids were home to share it with us  ... which was all I truly wanted for Christmas!  

So thanks you lot and much love to you all xxx

Deck the tree with ..

The countdown has started and as we all know, this is the one deadline no-one can afford to miss.  Whether we are ready or not, Christmas is only six  short days away ...  

As my children are now adult, it's been a while since the bright-eyed excitement of Christmas truly gripped me but I'm happy to admit, it is always lovely to have a real fir tree, bedecked in fully cluttered finery, parked in a cosy corner of our lounge.  This year my daughter undertook decorating honours, introducing her unique 'Fay' flair with the addition of several multi-coloured glass robots ...

I guess it doesn't hurt to embrace a hint of modernity in our traditional celebrations!

And I concede, the robots do look cheerful hanging cheekily from the branches!  Mind you, there is a somewhat irreconcilable conflict with my oh-so traditional angel perched a-top the tree, which will no doubt please my son hugely when he visits as he dislikes this tree topper with a vengeance and usually hides her at the first available opportunity.

The Christmas spirit even touched rather unexpectedly on Stuart's boss this year ... he's probably the last person I would expect to send me a gorgeous festive floral token, but it just goes to show there is often more to Christmas than meets the eye ..

My two youngest sisters with Dad on tree decorating day, back in the mid 1970's.

When me and my four sisters were kids, Christmas was a big deal in our house and dressing the tree with Dad heralded the start of our family festivities.  Dad would always bring home a huge real fir and once he'd dressed it with fairy lights, me, Fiona, Tina, Lynda and Laura, would go to town adorning it with the gorgeous concave glittery glass baubles our parents had collected from Woolies over the years (these days similar baubles are sadly relegated to second-hand listings on Ebay!) and of course as much tinsel and 'lametta' as those feathery branches could hold, the more garish the better!

It hadn't dawned on me that my heavily bedecked Christmas tree is to this day, a reflection of our childhood tree, but having found the photo of Dad decorating the tree with my two youngest sisters back in the mid 1970's, I don't think there can be much doubt about it ... give or take the odd robot or two.

Incidentally, I think my Dad would have approved of his granddaughter's festive robots, don't you?!

Wishing my 'Bearing All' readers a warm and peaceful Christmas, full of happy memories.  

Merry Christmas everyone xxx

Last Orders Please!

It's time for me to call 'last orders' as I will be hanging up my stuffing stick from Friday onward, to spend Christmas with my family. 

 So, if you are still hoping to adopt a bear from me this side of Christmas, the bears below are currently available and can be with you by Christmas Eve (if you live in the UK - if you are overseas, they will still be very happy to fly to you, but will probably arrive a little late for the festivities!)

Jolly is an 8" Tiddler clown.

Mohair with black glass eyes and felt paws.

£135

Little Nick is an 8" Tiddler in vintage style.

Mohair with black glass eyes and felt paws.

£135

Gentle Star is a 15" modern classic.

Dense ivory mohair with black glass eyes and UltraSuede paws.

£185

Merry is a 20" centre seam bear in traditional style.

Pale gold mohair with black glass eyes and UltraSuede paws.

NOW SOLD!

And as a seasonal gesture of thanks, I am happy to offer
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING 

if you order either on or before Friday 20th December 2013!

Surprise, surprise!

Just as I was planning to take a rest from competition, the TBAAF Awards have been announced and two of my entries have scooped first place in their respective categories ... such a lovely surprise to start my day with!

'Jubilee' won the 'Jubilee Memories' category ...

... and 'April Annie' won her 'Sunday Best' category.

Thank you so much to everyone who voted, you've made my day!!!!

Christmas is coming ..

As Christmas scoops us all towards the usual festive frenzy, my poor Polly
is wondering what on earth happened to her world ...

Mum, why is there a tree in our lounge?

Hmph!

Never mind Polly, Christmas will soon be over and normality will resume

in a week or so ... I promise!

Santa's Sack is now open!

The brighter side of missing Sunday's Brighton show is that I have been able to fill 'Santa's Sack' with the Christmassy, wintery bears who couldn't make their debut in Brighton ... they are now available to travel to collectors across the world!

My 2013 Christmas Collection

Big Balthazar (back) has been adopted, but little Jolly and Wee Nick (8") are both currently available to share in your Christmas fun!

20" Merry, a beautiful traditional centre-seam teddy bear, is also hoping to share Christmas with you!

And 15" Star promises to share peace and harmony throughout your festive season!

  I plan to add a couple more special bears before Christmas too, so I hope you can pop back soon!

Please visit my website www.allbear.co.uk to meet these lovely seasonal bears ... they are all eager to hop onto Santa's sleigh to spend Christmas with you!

Best laid plans ...

My best laid plans have been scuppered today.  It has been a tiring few weeks, then I was hit with a throbbing tooth and sinus infection in the middle of the night a couple of nights ago and much as I hoped it would ease, this morning I had to face facts, smiling and chatting are out of the question today, so there was nothing for it but to make my apologies and bow out of the Brighton show. I feel so bad for letting everyone down.  My sincerest apologies to you if you were hoping to meet my Christmas bears at the show.

22" Balthazar

Now the bears will miss their big day out, which is such a pity, so I have decided to offer them for immediate adoption from 'Santa's Sack' on my website this week ... 

Big 'ol Balthazar is my first offering.  He is an impressive 22" fellow, with vintage boot button eyes, guaranteed to make a statement under any Christmas tree and throughout the new year ahead!  If you would like to find him in your Christmas stocking, please visit my website at:

www.allbear.co.uk

Balthazar is happy to hop onto Santa's sleigh straightaway, to travel to you, wherever you are!

Update: Balthazar has now been adopted ... please visit my website to see which other bears are currently available for adoption, thank you!

Please Santa!

A pre-Christmas show looming, teddy bears to make, dog training/walking/cleaning, plus general household duties and a head which insists on entering wake up mode at 4am every morning this week, have this bearmaker worn to a frazzle today ...

So time for a well-earned cuppa before heading back up to my workroom to stuff my latest 'big 'un'.  I wonder, does anyone think I might get away with setting the Christmas dash aside this year, so I can sleep through December instead?!

Hmmn, thought not!  Better make that coffee good 'n strong Paula huh?!  

I have at last squeezed time to spruce up my website ready for Christmas and will be introducing the first of my new Christmas bears from next week.  If you would like to check out the festive makeover, please pop along to www.allbear.co.uk

I think if anyone asks me what I'd like for Christmas this year (besides a snuggly snow-proof dog walking jacket, please Santa!) I might put in a request for 'time to read a book,' because after fifty years of frantic family festivities, I reckon it would make a welcome change to claim a little corner of Christmas to actually relax in.  Not a hope eh?  Ah well, a girl can dream!

Happiest of days to Fo ..

This little girl celebrated a birthday yesterday ...

Her name is Fiona and I am proud to say, she is my sister.

With our Dad, me (left), Tina (centre) and Fiona (right)

We're all grown up now, with grown up children of our own and last year, Fiona was made proud granny to little Ella, the first baby of a new generation for our family.

Time has flown past in the blink of an eye and we've shared so much over the years ... sometimes significant, sometimes just plain silly!  Not only are we sisters, we are also friends and for that, I am and always will be, so very grateful.

Happiest of days and years to you Fo, you deserve the best.

Much love, Paula xxx

Chasing squirrels ..

With Christmas only four weeks away, 'what's happening in the All Bear workroom?' I hear you ask ...  well, with only a week and a half until my Christmas show, I'm running way behind as usual.  I do have three lovely teddy bears under my belt for the new Brighton show, but with only a week and a half to go, this is definitely not as many as I would prefer by this stage!  Hopefully with a fair wind to blow a team of elves in my direction and a generous sprinkling of fairy dust to help us, there should be at least half a dozen brand new teddy bears to sit with my Christmas tree by the end of next week ... (and if I buy a tin of wrapped chocolates to share with visitors, that should also help fill a little more space on the stand!)

This is a quick peek into my workroom this morning ...

The shelf spaces are at last starting to fill ...

The knitted neck warmers I made last week are being worn ...

There are teddy bear pieces piled on my desk waiting to receive some of that magic fairy dust ...

And the reason for my oh-so-slow show progress is parked here on the carpet, hoping I'll put down my bear-making very soon to take her out chasing squirrels in the woods again!

Polly may have slowed down teddy bear production but I don't begrudge her a single bear ... my beautiful girl has been very time consuming since her arrival back in May, but in return, she has brought me so much joy each and every day!