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I'm rather tickled to have found a very smart looking article about my bears in a German online magazine called 'Teddykunstler(innen) International' ... I'd almost forgotten about the request to publish my work a while back. Anyway, if any of you read German, you might enjoy a peek at this mag ... this is the link:
http://www.kuscheltiernews.info/news200 … lbear.html
I, on the other hand, can only count to ten in German, tell someone I am hungry and request a beer ... ho hum!!! 
puca bearsHey Paula
its a really nice article - congratulations!!!!!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
I have to sheepishly admit, that altho' I live here, my command of the language leaves a lot to be desired. I can understand and read pretty well, but i find it really difficult to string sentences together. Having lived all over Europe I can get by in several languages - but German was the one too many!!!!!!!!
huggies
Maria
Waggle BearsCongratulations, Paula. I have no idea what it says, but those beautiful bears say all that's necessary.
Hi Paula,
The bears look great, that is all that I can understand. 
Well done to you, any promoting is an advantage to yourself, even if you don't understand a word of it. :doh:
Congratulations! :clap: :clap:
Love Kayx. 
LuxembearsCOOL Paula. :dance: Sorry I can't read it but I am sure it says lovely things about you.
DENBY BEARS Hey Paula what a great article, it seems to be quite long, and I am sure thay had nothing but nice things to say about you and the wonderfule bears. Each one was better than the next, so I would say the bears say it all.
q.D.paToOtieSCongrats Paula! I'll have hubby read it to me when he gets home!
Past Time BearsWell, the article says that Paula is one gorgeous lady and that all her bears are magnificent! That's how I interpreted it.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Well done, Paula! :clap:
And I think you have the German language essentials covered!!
Hugs,
Chrisx
The first paragraph talks about how your parents bought you a great big ted , bigger than you (Chiltern)
when you were a small child ..... and I think that these have remained your inspiration ...
I didn't get out the dictionary , so like Maria , single words jump out . Actually I'm embarrassed that my O lev' german
is so .......rusted :crackup:
I have to get the tea now so that's all you get - one paragraph !!! 
Lovely article anyway Paula !
Mini Hugs , Ruth 
My Teddy TalesCongrats!!!! Paula Your work is in one word " PERFECT" I love your bears!! Louise
Newcastle, OntarioHi Paula,
What a lovely article. I tried translating it on Babel Fish, and the jist of the story is there, but the Enlish is stilted and quite hilarious. Try it, if you have a chance. www.Babelfish.com
hugs,
Brenda
Thanks for taking a look - and for your kind words! It's so funny to see myself in another language!
Brenda, I must do a Babelfish on it ... I've used it before and the ohsoliteral translations always give me a good chuckle!!!
I've hunted through my files and have found the interview questions that were sent to me and my answers for this article ... so if you are curious and like me, linguistically challenged, this is what I sent the mag originally ...
Now, ich habe hunger, ein, zwei, drei and ein bier bitte!!!!
Questions:
- Please describe your bears with your own words.
When I was a toddler, my parents bought me a large teddy bear (who, at the time, was almost as big as I was!) from the English manufacturer 'Chiltern'. This special bear gave me a wonderful sense of security for many years to come and for that reason, I have always been drawn to bears of significant proportion. My own designs stay true to this concept; they are substantial teddy bears with their roots based in traditional English teddy bear design, yet with a contemporary flavour - I like to think of them as modern classics.
- When did you start making bears and what was the occasion?
Initially, as an adult, I indulged my fascination in the early Chiltern Hugmee teddy bear, by hunting out books to discover more of their history. One thing led to another and before long, I had stumbled across a specialist collector's magazine, which of course told me all about artist bears and how to find them. I visited a London show and was so excited to find such that artistically designed bears of every shape, size and much character were being created today! I came away from that show clutching a bear-making kit and from that day to this, approximately fifteen years later, I have continued to create my own bears.
- Do you recollect the first teddy that you made yourself?
The first bear I ever made was from a child's toy making kit. I hand sewed him from start to finish and when he was complete, named him 'Orange Blob Bear'. He wasn't very handsome, my son loved him though!
- How do you get ideas or inspiration for new bears?
I am constantly thinking of new ideas for my bears, I take inspiration from almost everywhere. Poetry, stories, places I love, food, unusual names, elements of nature, beautiful fabrics ... there is always something to inspire me! I also love to research antique bears and that will often lead me into an idea for new work.
- What do like most when making bears?
I really enjoy the whole process of making bears; there's something entirely satisfying about creating personality from raw materials. However, I think it's important to stress that for me, making bears isn't just about bear craft. It is about the process of design, creation, promotion and administration. As I sell my work to achieve an income, the art of running my own business is every bit as important to me as the craft of creating my bear designs and that involves being a 'Jack of all Trades'. As well as my crafting skills, I also rely heavily on my computer skills, marketing techniques, administrative ability and so forth!
- Do you have a personal great dream regarding the bear making?
My goals are quite simple. I would love to continue to be able to create beautiful bears of quality, for collectors to enjoy. It is important to me to continue to be part of the movement promoting bear art, working hard to bring it to an even broader audience.
and especially regarding England
- Please tell us something about the place where you live. What's your place of birth?
England is my home and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. These days I live just outside the county town of Maidstone in Kent, but I was born in Hampshire, near the sea and have always loved the British coastline; it can be rugged, dramatic and yet always so beautiful. I also love the hustle and bustle of our Capital city, London, which is about an hour and a half's drive from my home. London is such a fascinating place, with wonderful architecture, fabulous museums and of course, the bright lights of the West End!
- Is there a teddy bear scene in England (regular fairs, competitions, magazines ...)?
England was the birthplace of several important teddy bear making manufacturers throughout the past century: Chiltern, Chad Valley, Merrythought, Deans, to name but a few. These days there is a thriving teddy bear scene in the UK and we have many dedicated bear artists bringing exciting new designs to the industry. Specialist collectors shows take place throughout the country but my favourite UK shows are held in Kensington Town Hall in February and September. Both shows are run by www.hugglets.com and they showcase an amazing array of talent, both from the UK and overseas. Definitely a must for any collector's calendar! We also have two important UK monthly publications, the 'Teddy Bear Scene' magazine and 'The Teddy Bear Club International' magazine. Both magazines work extremely hard to support bear art and each sponsors an annual competition, designed to promote the status of the teddy bear as art.
- Do you think that your bears are influenced by your place of residence/country or would they look the same if you lived elsewhere?
I think the fact that I am British has played an important part in the way I approach my bear making. I love the early English bears, (particularly those manufactured by Chiltern from the 1920's/1950's) and have always been hugely inspired by my country's bear making heritage.
puca bearsMe again - that's pretty much what the article said - so they have stuck very closely to your text.................now you won't have to bother with Babel fish, unless you want a good laugh!
Have you ever tried translating through several languages and then back to the original - Chinese Whispers have NOTHING on it!!!!!!!!!
huggies
Maria
TinyBearCongratulations Paula
What a great article.
:clap: :clap: :clap:
Delartful BearsCongratulations Paula!!! What a fantastic article! Congratulations, much deserved :clap: :dance:
Danni
Matilda Huggington-bearehttp://www.kuscheltiernews.info/news200 … r_eng.html
this link should put it into english for you Paula.
The english link was on the bottom of the page.
GREAT article by the way!
Wendy :dance:
CONGRATULATIONS Paula! :clap: :clap: :clap:
Here is the link to read the article in English: http://www.kuscheltiernews.info/news200 … r_eng.html
On the German page, all you have to do is scroll down to the very bottom of the page and click on the link to get the article in English. Because I am German and was able to read the full article in German I got to the end of the article where I found the link to the English version.
Happy reading !
Hugs,
Marion 
Dolls N DreamsCongrats, that is wonderful, can't read German but what wonderful eye candy!!!
Here is the link to the English version of the article again: http://www.kuscheltiernews.info/news200 … r_eng.html
Hugs,
Marion
