Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I want to work for that company too, how nice!  Not sure what to call her though, sorry!

I grew up all over the world, but we did live for 10 years in the same town as the big West Midlands Teddy Bear Fair in Telford.  When we first lived there it was annual, then it became bi-anual, which was even worse for the wallet!  As a family we've always been bear lovers, and mostly artist bear collectors.  I remember seeing fur and things on sale, but as I kid I couldn't really fathom how it would become a bear (and besides I did so many activities I didn't have time to work it out)

Just before my second last year of uni I was working in East Kilbride for the summer and saw signs for a bear and doll fair (which they only ran once as far as I can tell).  I went along and was rather disappointed to find it was only 6 stalls, but there was one there called Bear Bottoms from Durham.  I decided now was the time to sieze the day and bought a pattern and materials there and then.  I then promptly did nothing with it for the next 2 years as I got sidetracked running marathons, rowing and going to uni.  Can't remember what made me pick up the pattern again and have a go, but having made 2 bears from that pattern I branched out and bought a number more, including kits, and made about one, or sometimes two, a year from then on.  I've only recently ended up starting to design and sell my own, and that was entirely by accident!

aww, hadn't seen the first one, but when I went back and looked i was so glad he survived for another round evern if some heartless, Careless Bear broke his heart 

Aww, looks like they're having fun

love the scene, and lol at the story behind it.  Your avatar bear is cool too

Aww, he's lovely, love his wee tail

Congrats to you too!

That is a seriously bad skin day 

This is Maisey, the second of the bears i made for my friend's kids.  This kid is the Emo, and I thought this fur was just perfect!  Maisey has a lovely layered tutu that isn't so easy to see here, but the top layer is black net with silver spider webs all over, layered over net that matches her fur.  As she's a teenager I just had to have her lounging around     

Maisey is made of helmbold sparse string mohair, her limbs are firmly stuffed, but her tummy is full of plastic pellets to help her lounge

Meet Blue.  He's the first of 4 bears I made for a friend of mine's kids for Christmas.  They each had to go with their personality/likes, and this one was for 'the boy'.  I hope he likes him, there were a few men I was away with this weekend when I was handing him over that wanted to kidnap him 

He's made from Helmbold sparse string mohair, is firmly stuffed, and can actually stand too, although I didn't get a photo of that  :doh:   He stands approximately 8 inches tall

Hey Julia, if your bears weren't up to standard, they'd not have put you forward for a nomination, good luck to all of you 

Like how you used the buttons and everything here

Very sweet, like the wee leaf

ROFL, love the stories that go with them

Aww, cute, love his expression

Go dad!  I like her coverings/rug thingummies too

Well done 

Wow, 3 nominations, congrats!  They're all cute, but I love the santa's postal service

Congrats to all, can't wait to see the results, good luck!

Yay, got mine, now to get to work!

Oh, and I don't want to be awkward but I forgot to put on my info that I'm allergic to wool, so whilst I'd love to see a little needlefelted bear or one wearing a woolly jumper, I'm afraid it wouldn't love me 

Hee hee, I foresee a very wet lens in that photographer's future  :crackup:

Awww, I love him, and the story that goes with him

Well I think he's lovely, well done!

I'm lucky in that my parents are great bear collectors, and they have loved even my early recreations from patterns (the first pattern I love the bears that it produced, and they were identical, and bear like, but bore no resemblance to the photo on the pattern front  ) however I was still sewing up the seams of the 4 bears I was making for my friend last Thursday when I was away for a photography weekend with a huge bunch of friends, and I got trapped for half an hour by a guy who insisted on telling me that while he liked the bears and he really appreciated all the hard work and craftmanship, that as a real man he didn't do small furry toys and he'd never buy one and on, and on, and on...

aww, love his eyes

how cute.  I made my first sit down one a few days ago, they're lots of fun