Show Time!

Show Time!

It's nearly time for my first show of the year, the Leeds Bear Fair is this Saturday 28th March, I am looking forward to it very much, I love this show, it always has a lovely atmosphere, it is quite local for me which is a huge bonus . Whilst I am excited it has been hectic in the last couple of weeks, I cut all the bears out ages ago but have only just put the finishing touches on them (with less than a week to go!!) and photographed them all. Here are a few pictures and there are some more to look at on the website Valewood Bears .

I have designed this cute little bear with needle felted details just recently and they are becoming quite popular. However, I do love my traditional design, which I make in 3 different sizes and it is nice to have something for everyone so I have quite a mixture to take along on Saturday, together with some lovely new bear outfits for the rail. Hope to see a few of you there, it's great to chat to collectors and other artist too. If not I hope you have time to pay them all a visit on the website.

Hugs
Pauline

A Week of Gremlins

A Week of Gremlins

There is a saying that everything comes in 3s, it's usually true for me, this week though it seems it comes in 7s. It started with the cooker failing, it's funny but it has been working perfectly until this week, we are having a new kitchen in soon and I was thinking of putting the old cooker back in (it's a built in one) as it worked well, but as it is brown it crossed my mind that maybe it would look out of place with all the new silver things that will be going into the new kitchen and just wondered if to invest in a silver one, so I went to have a look at a few in a showroom, the next day my old cooker failed, it is as if it knew I had fallen out with it!!

The next day my fire in the dining room failed, will not light at all so waiting for service men coming out to it. I waited for the 3rd thing to fail and yes it happened. The car's clutch had been playing up a bit for a while, now it refuses to go up even the smallest hill so is booked in for a new one in a couple of days. I thought that would be it and said to hubby "oh well everything comes in 3s".

BUT, the next day, can't believe it, my kettle is leaking, my iron has failed and my hair tongs are flickering, sometimes working and sometimes not, also British Telecom came up the street to do a job for a neighbor and when they went away I noticed my house phone dead. I rang them from my mobile phone and they had to send somebody out to connect us again. It is Friday now and hopefully the gremlins have now gone to spend next week somewhere else, not that I would wish all this on anybody else.

In between the bad bits I did finish this pretty little girl who is on Ebay until Sunday, her name is Lola, just 5 inches, I am feeling like using brighter colours as spring is on the way!

2 New Bunnies

New Bunnies

Yes I know it isn't Easter time yet, but I thought I would just bob these two little bunnies on to say hello!

Both have just been adopted, Lana at the top is 4" small, she has gone to live in Wales and 11" Alice at the bottom who has gone to live in Devon. I love making bunnies, I almost always have one or two on my stands at shows and most of the ones I make are vintage style and nearly always girls dressed in knitted lace dresses. Just cut another two out, hoping to get them finished for my first fair of the year at Leeds on the 28th of this month. I have a few bears finished now for the fair, they are just needing accessories. They may be popping on to say hello very soon. I'm also busy knitting for the fair, I always like to have a rail at the side of my stand with clothes for bears and have quite a few people who come back each time now looking for something new! I find it amusing and cute when people bring the bears along to try things on, its especially funny when boy bears get a dress tried on by his owner. I do have some really pretty dresses but they look awful on typical boy bears. Oh well, I'd best get a few more nice cardigans done and then there are plenty for the boys too. Back to work

Pauline

Demelza's New Life

Demelza's New Life

Working as a Bear Artist gives me tremendous satisfaction as I complete each bear and they are all my favorites once completed until I finish the next one and then that one is my favorite for a while, but I have to admit I have a few all time favorites, who I sometimes wish I had kept for myself. Demelza was one of those bears, who graced the home page of my website for a long time after she had sold. However, what makes it easier to accept Demelza flying from the nest was to know she went to a lovely lady who treasures her as much as I did, in fact she has a much better and interesting life. Lucky Demelza went to live in Germany and has a very busy life with her new Mum Sonja who takes her on holidays and very kindly sends me up-dates and photographs, the last one was a riding holiday where she met the horses and was able to sit and watch her new Mum having lessons, you can just see her sat on the fence above one of the horses there! There is also a picture of her with her new friend who Demelza's Mum also adopted, dosen't she look happy. I am told that there are plans in preparation for a skiing holiday next month and her Mum is on the lookout for a little skiing outfit for Demelza. I do hope I get some pictures, what a lucky little bear.

Pauline

Tagged!!

Tagged!

I was tagged by Ruth of Flutter Bye Bears . I have to say 6 random facts about me and tag 6 other people. Most people I see have been tagged already so I will just write the 6 random facts.

1. I have a driving license but haven't driven a car for about 10 years!.

2. When I was 6 years old I climbed out of the bedroom window to get a toy which I could see in the gutter that must have been dropped there by the children who lived there before us. The roof was slippy with rain and I fell into the garden on a rockery. I was taken to hospital but only had shock, no broken bones - the doctor was amused and said I must have floated down as I was so light and thin.

3. I eat dry bread, I hate butter, margerine, spread or mayo.

4. I have two's, I like things in two's and do things twice.

5. I learned my daughter to read as a baby (she is grown up now). I didn't work so had time and found a book called "Learn Your Baby to Read" that came with flash cards, you started them at 8 month. I didn't believe it would work but amazingly she could read before she could talk and fluently at 2 1/2.

6. When my family buy cereal they try to hide it as I mix it all together in a plastic carton to save space, it infuriates them having to eat a mixture of cornflakes, sugar puffs and rice crispies etc.

Have a nice day
Pauline

A Blog Award

Thank you to Sue of Fenbeary Folk for sending me this award, she is one of my favorite friends in the bear world and her bears are just gorgeous. Pop around to see her Fenland Blog

" The authors say that blogs who receive this award are exceedingly charming . This blog invests in proximity in space , time and relationships . These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends .They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandisement . Our hope is that when the ribbons of these awards are cut , even more friendships will be propagated . Please give your kind attention to these writers !Deliver this award to 8 bloggers who will choose 8 more , and include this cleverly written text in to the body of the award . "

Now the game is for me to send this to 8 other people who I want to have an award.

Number one is

Vee of Bumblebearies, I visit her blog often and enjoy her posts so much, she always makes me leave smiling, and she is a really lovely person. A link to her blog is on my blog list to the right

Number 2 is

Ruth of Flutterbye Bears, she has one of the most interesting blogs I visit and also her bears are super cute. She is also a lovely lady. A link to her blog is on my blog list to the right

Number 3 is

Catherine of Bumpkin Bears, I love to visit her blog to see what she is up to next, such a talented lady. You can also visit her from my blog list on the right

Number 4 is

Ellen Borrgreve, she has such a creative blog and some gorgeous bears to look at. She can be found on my blog list on the right

Number 5 is

All Bear by Paula Carter, I love to visit her blog, very entertaining and she is very inspiring and a lovely person, she creates some wonderful bears too. You can also find her on my blog list on the right

Number 6 is

Bootbutton Bears. I like to visit her blog, besides seeing her gorgeous vintage style bears she gives a brilliant insight into life in Australia. Visit her by clicking on Bootbutton Bears on my blog list.

Number 7 is:

Country Bears, by Clare, a lovely lady who makes wonderful primitive bears and raggedy dolls. Find her also on my blog list to the right.

Number 8 is:

Aleta Sillybears, a very creative, beautiful and entertaining blog and her bears are to die for. Click on Aleta Sillybears on my blog list to visit her.

Happy New Year

A Happy New Year!

Hello and a very happy 2009 to you all. My first bear to start the New Year is Gok, a tatty little panda bear. I had him in progress over the Christmas holiday, we went to the Suffolk area but I didn't get time to sew much. Anyway here he is and has now made it on to Ebay until Sunday evening.


I have just had a nice order of mohair fabric and in my excitement I cut 2 little rabbits out immediately, was in the middle of putting the pieces together and then stopped to cut out again, 2 bears this time. Then I later in the day I had another flash of inspiration which led to me having 2 rabbits and 5 bears cut out!! I normally only work on 2 at a time so it is a little daunting now to see all 7 of them placed in individual plastic bags waiting to be sewn up. So watch this space for some new little faces appearing soon.

Pauline

3rd Prize at BBAAs

A Proud Moment - 3rd Prize for Loretta

I would like to share my special moment. I was so proud on Sunday at Hove that my Loretta came 3rd in the dressed bear category. All the entrants were outstanding creations so I feel especially honored to receive this award.

My other entry Mungo was also a finalist in the miniature section.

I have my thinking cap on for next year now, I think competitions could perhaps become addictive, I just have to find more hours in the day somehow to bring all of the ideas in my head to life!

Pauline

British Bear Artist Awards!!

British Bear Artist Awards!!

Good news for me and the bears!!


I am so happy and proud as I just found out yesterday that I have 2 nominations in the British Bear Artist Awards for my bears - Mungo in category one (miniatures) and Loretta who is in the dressed bear category. The final judging will take place on the 23 November. How exciting!

Pauline