Friendly Challenge!

Well, Charlotte and I read the other week about a few bear artists who completed a bear in one day from start to finish and as we cannot seem to manage more than 2 bears per week each we began to discuss how they might manage this. Charlotte is not an early riser and whilst she is home from contracts usually crawls down the stairs between 9.00 - 10.00 am. I hinted that the fast bear artists may probably get up at dawn and sew until midnight and that Charlotte would not ever be able to get up in time to complete a bear in one day.

Anyway, being girls that love a challenge she said she would prove that she could get up early AND complete a bear in one day. I work in an internet office in the afternoons for 4 hours and said to Charlotte “ok, if you could do that then I bet I could, if I pushed myself, make one bear in a day AND go to the office in the afternoon as I was usually out of bed at 7.00 am. We agreed to do this on the Friday and were allowed to get our materials ready the day before.

Friday morning arrived and I jumped out of bed and was cutting out at 7.00 am, not expecting to see Charlotte until 10.00 am but to my surprise at 7.30 am she padded down the stairs, had a quick breakfast and started to cut out her bear. We were both doing miniatures and hand sewing away. I had to stop and go to the office and we hadn’t gotten further than a couple of limbs sewn up, but these little bears need such small stitching and we are both always striving for perfection in our bear making. Anyway we were enjoying our friendly challenge and had a few laughs pinching each other’s pieces, hiding each other’s thread etc. We decided we wouldn’t go to bed until they were finished.

I came home from the office and Charlotte was way in front of me but still not at stuffing stage, I had a quick tea and was back to work. We were still sewing at 11.00 pm and as Charlotte had gotten up at least 2 hours earlier than she normally did she was yawning! My fingers were aching by that time and my eyes were also closing and as we did not want to spoil these little bears that were looking stunning already we agreed that we had failed our challenge and reluctantly put them down and went to bed. We are in awe of the people that can manage to make a bear in one day.

Anyway the next day we did manage to finish them and so glad we did not stay up and spoil them, we are so pleased with the result. Kiyoshi the panda (my little one) and Cloud (Charlotte’s little one) made their debut on Ebay Sunday night.

Fun of the Fair

I had a great day at the Pudsey bear fair on Saturday. Some bears went to new homes and my knitted bear wear seemed popular again. There was a steady stream of people coming through for most of the day. The best part is getting to meet all these lovely people and chatting. I also really enjoyed chatting to all the other artists, some I had met before at other fairs and also met some artists that I hadn’t met before, there are such a lot of talented people out there.

I was lucky that I had a couple of helpers on the day, my Mum wanted a day out so she came along and my daughter, Charlotte is home for a while and came along too bringing a few of her miniature bears to sit on the table. This enabled me to leave somebody on the table whilst I went shopping, another highlight of the day. I fell in love with lots of bears but this little one from Lynne of Flossy Bears really stole my heart on the day so she came home with me. I also bought new mohair and other supplies to keep me going for a while.

The table next to me had Rita Harwood of Woodland Teddies and she was demonstrating needle felting. I had heard of this craft and seen some wonderful bears made from this but some of the stories I had heard about the sharp needles and punctured arteries had put me off looking into it further so I had not seen it done until I saw Rita demonstrating. It was fascinating so we bought one of her kits. I haven’t yet got around to having a go but Charlotte has been in a needle felting frenzy since Saturday, I haven’t seen her face much since, she has been huddled over a piece of sponge, pricking, pricking, pricking, first she made a ball, then a bear’s head, then a flower for one of her mini bears that she had just finished (picture here on the blog) and is now in the process of a full bear and she hasn’t pricked her finger or punctured any arteries yet. I am surprised at how quickly she has got into it. I am seriously planning to have a go really soon.

The next Pudsey fair is March but I am booked for a local craft fair next month to try and promote artist bears and I am so looking forward to it.

Going to get my hands into my new supplies now and cut out some bears.

Warm wishes

Pauline

Lemonade Bears Benefit

21st September - 23rd September on Bid4Bears- Raising Money for Childhood Cancer




























This year I am participating in this very worthy charity auction, the Lemonade Bears Benefit Lots of artists will be donating a beautiful bear each towards the appeal. The auction will run for 3 days from the 21st -23rd September and all proceeds will go straight to the appeal funds.

Here is Kai-Shi who is going to be my donation for the Lemonade Bears Benefit. Please pop along to Bid4Bears on the 21st -23rd to have a look at the auctions as there will be some great bears there.

Warm wishes

Pauline

Scruff Bear

In one of my earlier posts "One Of Those Weeks" a little bear went wrong! I cast all his pieces aside and tried to forget about him. But I had some very helpful comments from Vee,Aleta and Laura Lynn to not throw him away, to finish him and either put a butterfly on his foot (where the hole was) or to make him into a tatty ted.

I felt guilty about him in the plastic bag in the cupboard and could not get on with anything else for thinking about him and his feelings, so last week I got out the pieces again and finished a little tatty ted called Scruff. Here he is and I have to say I adore him, will keep him and cherish him (thank you Aleta, Vee and Laura Lynn) and my mind is now free of guilt and ready to get on with new bears to sell!

Bear Clothes for Fair

Just preparing for a bear fair which is next week and finished a few cardigans ready for all the bears to try on. Most of my stand will have bears that are on my web site hoping for new Mums and Dads but part of the stand will also have bear wear.

I am looking forward to a lovely day, meeting all the other artists and their bears and browsing around the suppliers for new mohair, glass eyes etc.


















Then after the fair I am must try and work on some new designs that are in my head waiting to get out.

One Of Those Weeks!

Well at the beginning of the week I had a great idea for a miniature bear and eagerly cut out my pieces, the mohair was a little thick for this size of bear. I usually use my turning forceps for miniature bears but could I find them amongst the messy drawers? No I didn't have a chance so rather than tidy up my drawers just then,I picked up one of my stuffing sticks, this would do for now... bad idea.... I carefully turned the little head, the arms , the tummy, first leg and then lo and behold, when I was turning the second leg - my last piece....

Oh no!!! The stick went through the foot pad and made a hole, can you see the picture with the stick through there. So this little bear sadly wont materialise now and has been put away in the drawer, with the mess (oh I don't throw anything much away, that's why my drawers are such a mess). Thankfully this (holes) does not happen often and I decide to spend the rest of the morning cleaning out the drawers, hurray found my forceps, pity it is too late for little brown bear! Never mind, we do have to learn from our mistakes!!

I have another idea and cut out a black bear, start to sew and whilst sewing have a better idea, so I put away black bear for now and cut out a pink bear, with great idea in my head start to sew enthusiastically. Half way through pink bear I get another idea, run to get more mohair out and cut out a panda. Now I have too many bears cut out and wonder which one to finish first, I walk from room to room thinking and then remember I have 4 little bear waistcoats that I knitted ready for my next bear fair on 9th June, but not sewn up and stuffed into a bag somewhere, and also there was the little bear dress that I finished which also needed sewing up to go with another idea I have for a bear. I decide to abandon the bears for a couple of days whilst my head clears and sew up the waistcoats and dress..... my mind will be clearer if I can finish a few things off.

Here are the finished waistcoats and dress!!
















Now back to the bears with nice tidy drawers and two empty bags, I decide to pick up the panda and am hoping to finish him at the end of the week!

Warm wishes
Pauline

Last Week's Work

Last week I designed a new dungaree set for bears for a customer for a 5" bear. These are the first two prototypes. When I start a new design I begin with a biggish one just to get the design. This was the darker one for a 9" bear. The cream one was second for a 6" bear and the 3rd - well that one has gone off to one happy customer for her 5" bear to wear. These two will go onto my web site at some point soon or to a bear fair with me.

I have only done 3 bear fairs so far and it amuses me to find that my stand sometimes becomes like Marks and Spencer fitting room for bears as people come along with bears from different stands to try on all the different clothes. It is difficult to have enough different sizes though to please every bear.



I love to knit or crochet late at night when I am too tired to work on bears but not tired enough to go to bed, I can sit with my knitting and watch television as I don't have to look which is good when I want to give my eyes a break and I am still creating something at the same time. I just hate getting so tired that I have to give in and go to bed as I feel it a waste of hours when I am asleep. It is amazing how many outfits I accumulate though in that bit of time.

I am constantly searching out new fine yarns for these little outfits. I like to make them from fine Pure Merino or Bottany Wool, maybe sometimes Silk or fine cotton or quality mix. Mohair bears are such a luxury it seems a shame to put them into anything less.

Oh well thats all for today, I am loving this blogging but back to work and cooking the dinner - just a thought, wouldn't it be good if we could just take a pill instead of cooking, eating and washing up, there would be even more time to craft ..... maybe not, food is so good and so comforting, would be a waste!!

Warm wishes
Pauline