Half Term Catchup! Has Spring Sprung?

Half term holiday, so the chance to catch up with things, including photographing some of the latest Teddybuys bears and hares.

Camille

I'd like to introduce Camille.   She is made from a beautiful, soft blush coloured Schulte alpaca with an ivory alpaca muzzle.  She has been designed to sit.  She is about 14 inches sitting and 19 inches stretched out.  Her paw pads are made from a soft, dark brown leather.  Her nose has been hand-moulded.  She is stuffed with Bouncifill and plastic beads for extra weight.  Her eyes are black English glass, with white and black felt eye rims.  She is finished with a silver satin ribbon.  She has 6 joints, including a double-neck joint tfor lots of posing possibilities.  She is one of a kind.  Her adoption fee is £150 plus postage.

Manuka

Manuka is a 15 inch bear made from a lovely rich brown Schulte alpaca with a fawn alpaca muzzle.  He is designed to sit and has paw pads made from black leather.  He has 6 joints including a double-neck joint and is softly stuffed with polyfill and plastic beads for a good cuddle.  His face has been needle-sculpted and his eyes are English glass with white and black felt eye rims.  His adoption fee is £130 plus postage.

I'm not sure that Spring is here in Kent yet.  It still feels very cold and we have had a lot of very dull days lately...but nevertheless I am determined to get into 'Spring mode'.

Peaches
I thought Herbert, my grey hare looked rather lonely, so made him a companion, the lovely Peaches.  She is made from the same lovely Schulte alpaca as Camille and she also has 6 joints, including a double-neck joint.  Like Herbert, she looks great standing or sitting.  She is about 20 inches standing (to the tips of her ears), so is quite substantial.  She has pretty silver and white satin ribbons around her neck.  Her adoption fee is £120 plus postage.

I managed to get into the garden to take a couple of photos of the first signs of Spring.  We are told it will get warmer in a couple of days!!!  Hurrah!

Singer Featherweight

I decided a while back that I didn't want to be without a sewing machine, while my Bernina was away for a service each year, so I bought an old Singer Featherweight as a back-up machine.  How addicted to bear-making am I that I don't want to be without a machine for a week??  Anyway, I am absolutely delighted with it.  It came back from being serviced last week and it runs like a dream.  I love it.  I have a feeling that the Bernina is going to be relegated to back up machine.

What's next?
My father is very keen on Meerkats, so my next project is to try making one.  Wish me luck!

New Black Bear Cub

I'm pleased to introduce Bramble, my latest black bear cub.  He is made from the last piece of a lovely Schulte alpaca that I have.  It is a very dark brown, almost black tip with a dark reddish brown undercoat.  It is difficult to describe, but very natural looking.  He is designed to stand or sit, with six joints including a double-neck joint.  He feet and paws are sculpted, brown leather.  His eyes are English glass eyes with a felt backing.  His face is needle and scissor-sculpted and shaded.  He is stuffed with polyfill and plastic pellets.  His nose has been hand-moulded from epoxy clay.  He is a greedy, little cub with rather a large tummy.  He is looking for a new home.  He is £130 plus postage.

Let's Get Real!

I've been spending a bit of time trying to design a bear that is more realistic than my usual bears.  I have been picking up and putting down this prototype brown bear for the past couple of months. He has 6 joints including a double-neck joint and wire in each leg for additional posability.  His glass eyes have come from a taxidermist.  I tried a different foot design this time, but think I prefer my usual foot pattern.  He has a hand moulded nose and claws.  I can see several aspects that I might tweak in my next attempt to improve this design.  Poor chap hasn't a name at present!

Wee Bear from Linda Benson has arrived!

Wee Bear has just arrived with the postman this morning.  I am absolutely thrilled with him!  He was Linda's giveaway prize last month.  I don't know how she could bear to part with him...but I'm so glad she did!  He arrived in a lovely miniature round hatbox.  He is made from a beautiful rich brown alpaca and the amount of work in him is unbelievable!  Each little paw has been sculpted and they all have claws.  His back paws are about the size of the top of a pencil.  His little face has the same expression Hope had as a new born cub...just adorable.  He even has Linda's trademark leather nose and a little hump.  Sorry my photography cannot do this little fellow justice, but he will be loved forever!  He is stunning!  Thank you so much, Linda!

Hugs

Sue

Something a bit different - a hare

I thought I might try broadening out into creating some other types of animal occasionally this year.  It is really important to me that they pass the cuddle test. They needn't be too realistic...I want teddy charm and comfort, but alongside that...enough realism for people to recognise what kind of creature I've made.

My first effort of 2011 is Herbert the hare.  He is a rather large hare - 19 inches to the top of his ears and he is not really designed for speed.  He has the usual large tum I prefer on my bears.  He is made from  lovely, dense, soft alpaca in dove grey and ivory.  He has 6 joints, including a double-neck joint, wired ears, whiskers, black glass eyes and the pads on his large feet are grey ultrasuede.  He is stuffed with polyfill and plastic pellets.  Please click on the photos to see a larger version of the picture.  Like all my creations, he is a collector item, not suitable for children.  He is available for adoption for £130 including tracked, insured postage worldwide.

Happy New Year 2011

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year and many thanks for your support in 2010.  The bear in the image is Angus.

Hugs
Sue

We have a mouse in the house!

Below are photos of Gilbert, a naughty 15 inch mouse.  He has been pulling baubles from the Christmas tree and nibbling on the Quality Street.  This is obvious... just looking at that fat tummy!  He is made from two shades of lovely Schulte mohair in blonde and ginger.  He has six joints, including a double-neck joint, cashmere paws and pads, glass eyes with felt eye whites and a hand-moulded nose made by myself using epoxy clay.  He has whiskers and a long tail.  I have knitted him a scarf and bobble hat using hand spun banana silk in lovely shades of brown and gold as he looked to be feeling the cold.  He has been carefully stuffed and weighted so that he stands beautifully.

He is looking for a new home.  His adoption fee is £140 including tracked, insured shipping worldwide and Special Delivery in the UK.