Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
DoodlebearsI have just had a long chat with Roy of Oakley Fabrics (LUTON/ BEDFORDSHIRE) and he informed me that he has stopped trading. This is really sad, I have been buying from Oakleys at every show that I have ever attended ever since my very first bear.
I know many of our UK artists here on TT have been customers of Roys and will miss seeing him and his team at the shows. 
Hugs Jane.
Bummer.....even I ordered from them. I saw them at a bear show when I was in England two summers ago...... that is a shame........
yikes, they have been around for some time, suppose they feel its time to put there feet up and relax, or are they going to be doing something else ?
Lynette
Bumpkin Bearsgosh what a shock, I got my very first mohair from oakleys and have ordered lots since then. It was always such a treat to go to their small warehouse, PACKED full of gorgeous mohairs and bears all on the shelves, they are only about 10 minutes away from where I used to live.
Have they stopped right now, as I see no notice on their website?
I hope someone else may take over?
Catherine
x
That is very sad...I feel very guilty now as I only ever bought at fairs lately...having succumbed to buying from abroad.
Very sad indeed....
This is sad news indeed, although perhaps less of a shock than I would have thought. I've known Roy for more than a decade and he has worked hard to serve the bear making community for a very long time as Schulte's main UK distributor. I have enjoyed many a natter with him at shows as we've tried to put the UK bear world to rights. 
From conversations quite some time ago, I know Roy wasn't planning on staying in the bear making business for ever ... he had plans to retire eventually - and who can blame him!
Jenny, like you, I too have changed my suppliers over recent years ... had the range, price and continuity been as favourable in the UK, I would of course have preferred to continue to buy locally and stay loyal as I did for many years, but to progress as a bear maker, it has been necessary to look further afield for interesting and cost effective materials. I don't feel guilty about this and I don't think you should either. We have to keep moving forward and if we don't feel that our local suppliers are offering us the opportunities we need to do so, we have little choice other than to take our business elsewhere.
Delartful BearsGee that is sad news.. they sounded as if they had some great fabrics.
Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that neither of the Aussie suppliers close down!
Danni
well someone now must take over the Schulte agency in the UK- why dont any of you girls over there think about that !!!!
Lynette
It's a great idea Lynette ... but I'm too poor!
DoodlebearsI spoke with Mary from Emmary Bears last night and she has now got a lot more stock and was able to help me out with what I was looking for when I phoned Roy at Oakley Fabrics. Check out Mary's website... www.emmarybears.co.uk
Hugs Jane. 
Jac-Q-LynIts a sad time in the bear world one way or another, what with Merrythought just before Christmas and now Oakley for the New Year(must point out I mean for different reasons). The internet has a lot to answer for, but we have to keep moving with the times.
I have a shop which specialises in Artist Bears and bear making materials, and with my bear artists hat on I understand why artists source their materials from abroad, I have done this in the past myself and will continue to do so as I am always on the look out for something a little different. However with my shopkeepers hat on we decided late last year to offer all serious bear makers 30 days credit to allow them to make the bear and hopefully sell it before they have to pay their invoice. I do not want this to sound like an advertisement, but just for me to say that we are trying in our own small way to rectify this problem within the UK and have taken heed of other Artists thoughts and comments and hopefully let this be a step in the right direction however small it might be. This little step has proven very popular considering we have not advertised this as yet, however we do not want anyone to overspend, but just cut their cloth accordingly (excuse the pun). We would have not done this normally but felt the bear world within the UK does need a boost and every little helps.
If it had not been for Oakley Fabrics making Schulte available in the UK our eyes would not have been opened and our creative juices allowed to flow. I hope he has a Happy Retirement, which I am sure we all feel he deserves. 
Does anyone know if Roy has actually officially ceased trading? The reason I ask is that I've just noticed the Oakley Fabrics website is still online, but there's no message for customers to say when the warehouse is closing. In fact, it's still advertising opening hours and 2007 schedule - the site was updated early January 2007.
I'm surprised that Roy doesn't seem to have made an official announcement to his regular customers in this respect, either on the website, by mail or email. Maybe one of the mags is likely to run an announcement?
DoodlebearsHi Paula, from what Roy said to me he has ceased trading selling mohair etc. I believe that he will be selling at Hugglets next month selling off the artist bears which he used on his stands to show how the patterns looked made up and how the mohair looked when used, this came to me not from Roy but from a friend of his.
I for one will miss buying from Oakleys as I have used them as my main supplier since I first started making bears.
Hugs Jane.
