Inside My Studio

Ripples--Thanksgiving Day Thoughts

2011-11-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

When I was very young, my grandma taught me to pray at bedtime. The prayer began with "Now I lay me down to sleep" and ended with " God bless Mommy and Daddy, and Eddie, and Aaron, and Elliot, and...." The "God Blesses" were always my favorite part. I would start by asking for blessing on my family, my parents, my brothers, my grandparents, my aunts, uncles, and cousins, (I have a lot) and then I would just think "all of my family, and all of my friends, and all of their families and friends, and all of my friends' families and friends, and all of their families and friends, and all of their families and friends... " I would drift peacefully off to sleep imagining an ever expanding circle of blessings, like ripples that surround a single drop of water on a pond.

At the beginning of this month, I planned to countdown to Thanksgiving on Facebook by listing one at a time things for which I am thankful. I got as far as day one, and became too busy to visit Facebook much. However, I didn't stop thinking about my blessings. While I am blessed in so many ways--I have plenty to eat, warm clothes to wear, a home, a rewarding career---what I am most thankful for is the people God has placed in my life. I think first of my husband, Sean, and my sons, Alex and Brendan. Then I think of my parents, my siblings, Sean's parents, his siblings, our siblings' spouses, their children, my cousins, their spouses and families, my friends, my students, the teachers I teach with, my fellow artists, the collectors who enjoy my bears, and on it goes until I am reminded again of a pond with it's ripples. This time, I don't imagine just one drop of water, but many drops, with many intersecting ripples which create a beautiful pattern across the whole pond.

So, I am thankful for you! Whether you are a ripple close to my center, or whether our ripples intersect somewhere out in the pond, you are a blessing to me, and for that, I am thankful!

Busy

2011-11-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy making bears for my last two shows this year that I didn't even get to photograph some of them before they found new homes!

I did want to share some of the ones I had at my recent shows though...All of these have found homes.

Stocking Bear Ornament

Nathan

Dickens (A Christmas Karl)

Cashmere

Harold

Pippa

Polly

Christmas Treasures!

2011-11-17T11:59:00.001-08:00

The Christmas Treasures online Teddy Beas show at http://www.teddiesworldwide/ starts tomorrow at 4:00 EST! Visit the preview which is open now, if you have not already, to vote for your favorite preview bears, and see who will be there!

Here is my preview bear Pippa!

Commissions

2011-10-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of each year, for the past few years, as I've attempted to map out a direction for my bears and dolls, to create a "business plan" of sorts, I have struggled with the question of whether or not to take commissions. I know of quite a few Teddy Bear artists who, for various reasons, choose not to. I am always tempted take that route myself. In fact, at the beginning of this year, I had even decided I would not take orders, but a few sweetly persistant collectors changed my mind! For me, while there is something I find very satisfying about making a special bear for an individual, I always have a struggle with time. No matter how I try to fit special orders in and around my shop and show commitments, and making work available from my website (as well as my other career as an elementary school art teacher), there is always a point in the year when I find myself overcommitted and dreadfully behind. I am there again now. I have several bears for my shop nearly completed, a state they have exisited in for a couple of weeks owing to the fact that I stole a bit of time for two Halloween bears who were positively begging to be made from some delicious orange, black, gold curly mohair I had in my stash, and who will be available here on my website later today. I also have two holiday shows looming large on the horizon! *Sigh* Artists are not general known for their business sense. Although I do know a few lucky talented and organized people, I am not one of them. I have been fortunate in one respect though; my dear collectors have been enormously patient with me, and for this I am very grateful. And so, here are a couple of commissions I have finally finished for my Dear and Patient Collectors!!!

First meet Pascal and His Puppet. Linda enjoyed seeing the puppet pairings I have been doing, but preferred a panda as the puppeteer!

Next please greet a petite polar bear called Tundra for Kelly.

I will be listing the two Halloween friends below on my available page this afternoon, and then heading to my studio (and camping out there for the next month!!!) to finish shop bears and work on some festive friends for my two Christmas themed November shows! I am fortunate in another way too. Even when I find myself a bit stressed out, I know I am lucky to have a job that I love! (I have two jobs that I love actually--because I love teaching as well!)

Eddie the Aviator

2011-09-16T17:24:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I decide to make a bear, creating it's persona, and sometimes the bear tells me who it is going to be.

I made a parade themed bear I called Franklin for the Teddy Bear's on Parade Show back in July. I was quite pleased with the bear--he was made from one of my favorite big bear designs with a fur color I hadn't used before. In keeping with the parade theme, I made him into a drummer with a band uniform. He was the only bear who didn't find a home during the show. No matter, I thought. I'll just save him for my next show. He waited patiently in my studio.

On a trip to Hobby Lobby, I found an sweet little wooden airplane in the decor section. A few years ago, I had made a bear with a sailor collar and gave him a little sailboat to hold, so I thought I'd make an aviator bear to hold this little airplane. When I got home, I set the plane next to Franklin and immediately decided he needed a change of attire! I bought a child's bomber jacket on ebay, and not only was the color a perfect complement to Franklin's beige and taupe tones, it was a perfect fit.

This was the point when "Franklin" spoke up. "My name is not Franklin," he said, "I am Eddie the Aviator!"

Not only did he let me know who he was, but he also told me very clearly (although not by using actual words-Teddy Bears rarely do) whose bear he is! Every time I looked at him, I just knew he was my Dad's bear. ( My Dad was in the Air Force) So I called up my Dad, and described Eddie to him, and he was very excited. He came over for dinner tonight, and I gave him his bear. I am happy to say, Dad loves Eddie.

Portrait Techniques of the Masters

2011-09-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

I am so exited! My mom and I have enrolled in an oil painting class through the Art Academy of Cincinnati (their community college program). The class, called "Portrait Techniques of the Masters" is taught by Carin Hebenstreit at Essex Studios.

I haven't painted with oils since high school, but I love the technique we are learning and by the end of the first class, I was feeling more confident with the medium as well as somewhat pleased with the results of my efforts and Carin's instruction. We started with a canvas covered with burnt umber mixed evenly with white, and then used those two colors to paint the face values in. Fun stuff!

I thought the photos I took looked a bit lighter and more muted than my actual painting, so I clicked "auto levels" in photoshop and this (below) is what I got...now it's darker than it is in reality, but it looks good--maybe I should intensify the values in my painting? Learning from the old masters and new technology!

I am still working on bear orders, as well as a couple of Hallween bears for my website, then the Hunt Valley Teddy Bear Show and Christmas Treasures online shows are right around the corner, and school has started for myself and my sons, so I'm busy, busy, busy! But it's a happy kind of busy not a stressful kind, and that fall smell is in the air and life is GOOD! Oh, yeah!

I Love Teddy

2011-08-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

After two years, I have finally finished the third installment in my series of bear and doll sets for Teddies of Mt. Holly. This all started with an idea I had way back in 2002, on the 100th Birthday of the Teddy Bear. I wanted to create a bear which played on the Teddy Bear's namesake, Theodore Roosevelt. I pictured a realistic baby bear cuddling a "Teddy" doll. The bear I could make, but I wondered how to make a doll which looked like Theodore Roosevelt. I thought I might make a rag doll and paint the face. But the project stayed in my sketch book and in my head for a few years. In the meantime, I had taken a doll sculpting class with Jack Johnston and while my first doll was quite pitiful, it ignited the spark of a new passion. So when I came across the idea in my sketchbook in 2005 I knew I could sculpt the Teddy doll. And I made this fellow and sold him on ebay.

This set from 2005 is called "I Love My Teddy"

Then a few years after that I was asked to create a similar series of bears for the shop Teddies of Mt. Holly. The bears are larger than the one above and they are all made with the same basic design, but I've chosen different fabrics and finishes for each one. Making the doll is a bit more involved that doing my bears as each one is hand sculpted so each one is slightly different.

This one from 2008 is called "Theodore Loves His Teddy"

In 2009, I made "Clifford Loves His Teddy"

And here is my latest in the series "Roosevelt Loves His Teddy"

He has a reversable vest.

Because I wanted to do a white bear this time, I decided to use patriotic colors for the set. The costuming for the bear and doll in this set was inspired by this illustration of the "Roosevelt Bears" by Seymour Eaton.

The doll is always called Teddy, but I tried to give the bears different, but related names each time. It is a bit of a challenge as I'm running out of variations of the 26 President's name! Clifford is named after the political cartoonist Clifford Berryman who's images forever tied the name of the President with a cuddly bear.

I will be making two more sets for this series so if you are interested visit Teddies of Mt. Holly.

Bears On Parade online show is now open!

2011-07-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Bears On Parade online Teddy Bear show is now open! Here are the bears I've created especially for this show!

Tiny Little Floppies; Louis, Larry, and Laurel

Shilo

Miguel and His Puppet

Franklin

Visit the show at http://www.teddiesworldwide.com/ for a better look at these cuties as well as hundreds more bears by artists from all over the world!

The Preview is Open!!!

2011-07-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

The preview for the Bears on Parade online show at Teddies Worldwide is now open!!!

Here is my parade themed preview bear, Franklin.

He will be available when the online show starts along with a few more of my bears as well as bears from 75 artists worldwide! Visit the preview now for a wonderful collection of parade themed Teddy Bears and vote for your favorites in two catagories. (You vote by clicking on the artist's name. You may click on the photos to see the images larger.)

Then be sure to come back to Teddies Worldwide for the show July 15-17 2011!

Something Old, Something New

2011-05-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

I have finished a couple of bears for a Guild of Master Bear Crafters' challenge called "Something Old, Something New". This was the challenge as set by Paula Carter, the guild's creator:

THE CHALLENGE ...

1. Classic/vintage style bear makers:
Create a bear in contemporary style, using at least one of the following additional contemporary elements in your design, ie., extra neck joint, trapunto paws, claws, doll's eyes, eyelids, eyelashes, airbrush shading, open mouth, teeth, alternative nose treatment etc.

2. Contemporary bear makers:
Design a traditional or vintage style bear using traditional materials and methods of construction. In the case of vintage design work, utilise distressing techniques, ie., staining, shading, shaving, patching, embroidery etc., to 'age' your bear.

I first decided that since I make mostly contemporary bears I would try a vintage looking bear. I have done this before, but I had this very sparse lovely blue fur, and I thought this time I would try to take the "aging" of the bear farther than before. The biggest challenge was the nose. I really wanted to make a nose with stitches missing like they had been worn away with kisses over the years. I tried three times and was just not pleased with the result. I finally stitched a full nose as usual, but waxed it to make it look like worn leather. I think it works for him. I also used a razor to "wear" bald patches in his fur and I think this worked out too. If I do another vintage- look fellow, I will be sure to have felt on hand for the paws because ultraseude isn't perfect for a vintage bear--there was no synthetic seude "back then"!

Here is Little Blue.

After reading some of the other artists challenge bear ideas, I thought I'd have a go at a new contemporary bear design, too. I wanted to try the double neck joint. I have tried it once or twice, but have never been thrilled with the result. This time I am pretty happy. Even though I do far more contemporary styled bears than vintage ones this proved to be the most challenging of the two.

The purpose of the double neck joint is, as I see it, to create a bear which can be posed sweetly on all fours as well as seated. The neck allows the bear to look in all directions. Adding the extra wedge shaped piece at the neck changes the proportions more than one might think, and I found it challenging to keep all the pattern pieces in proportion.

My fabric piece didn't leave much room for error, but I did end up having to make the back legs larger.

I finished with him and I am overall quite pleased with him. I took many pictures. Say Hello to Knuti! (Named for the sweet cub from the Berlin Zoo who enchanted so many in his short life.)

Both Knuti and Little Blue will be available at the My Friends and Me signing event May 28 in Leesburg, VA. Please visit my "Shows" link above for more information.

THE END!

You know it's time to clean up your studio when...

2011-05-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

...you lose your 11 year old son in it!!!

Let me explain. I know I am one of the lucky artists who have a dedicated space in my home for my creating, and the best part of having that space is having a place for my stuff (you can read about that in my very first post on this blog, if you'd like). However, just because I have a place for my stuff doesn't mean I always put my stuff away. I love looking at the beautiful organized studios in magazines like "Studios", or "Where Women Create", and sometimes I think I could show my self-designed studio proudly among them. But other times... not so much! When I am working hard, I am a slob. I take out boxes to get something, and just leave them on the floor or a chair. I have a nice handy basket for my oft-used tools, but they don't seem to make it back in to the basket. My work table is always littered with bear parts, mohair scraps, bits of thread, sketches, and lists of things which I must do today as long as I can find the list.

The floor of the studio is usually not much better. It certainly wasn't the evening I "lost" my son!

It happened like this: Brendan had been playing outside with his friends until dark. When I called him in, it was about 9:15. He asked me if he could take the cat to bed. I was surprised he wanted to go to bed so early on a weekend, but he said he was really tired. I told him it was too early to close Missy in for the night and that I would bring her to him when I went to bed. Then I joined my husband in our basement family room for some TV time. Our older son Alex came home from his friend's house around 10:00, and was getting ready to go to bed himself at 11:00pm when he asked Sean and I, "Who is Brendan spending the night with?"

"He's not spending the night with anyone, " I answered.

"Then, where is he?" Alex asked.

"Upstairs, in his room. He went to bed early."

"He's not upstairs."

"Yes he is."

"No, he's not. I climbed his ladder and looked." (Brendan has a loft bed)

I decided to go upstairs and check for myself. I climbed the ladder and pulled back the cover. Alex was right! Brendan wasn't there! I looked in Alex's bedroom, both in his bed and on the floor on the other side of the bed. Then I checked our bed, and next the couch on the screen porch. With each empty "bed" my heart beat faster. Where was he? Did he go back outside? I called his name a couple of times. I opened the front door and looked out at our dark empty street. By this time Alex and Sean had come up from the basement and were putting on their shoes to go knock on the neighbors' doors. I ran back downstairs to get my shoes from my studio where I'd left them--and there was Brendan, cocooned in a white blanket, curled up on the floor next to the cat, sound asleep! A staircase with a half wall on both sides divides our finished basement into two, with my studio on one side and the family room on the other. All three of us had run up those stairs without noticing a body lying there in the middle of my studio floor! Why? Because there is always stuff lying about on my studio floor!!!

Note to self: Keep your studio clean, Tami, or you might lose something important!

Golden Teddy Nominees!

2011-04-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that two of my Teddy Bears have been nominated for Golden Teddy Awards this year! Karl and Romeo are both in the "large undressed bear" catagory.

Karl

Romeo

I hope you will look for them among the nominees in the August issue of Teddy Bear Review and that you will cast your vote for your favorite bears!

Who can stay inside on a day like this?

2011-04-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

The sun was out, the air was fresh and warm, and the daffodils and hyacinths were in bloom.

Missy was enjoying her favorite perch in the screen porch,

and Gabe lounged in the yard.

There was no way I could stay inside my windowless basement studio and sew today! It's a good thing some work is portable. I brought this fellow outside to joint and finish him and then photographed him among the blooms.

Hope your day was a lovely as mine!

In Full Bloom!

2011-03-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

The Blooming Bear Show, is in full bloom now. This online Teddy Bear show started at 8:ooam EST and will continue until 9:00pm EST tomorrow. Follow the link to the right of this post to visit 75 artists for all over the world.
Here are some spring creations which are still available on my page at the show.

Remember that alpaca fur I dyed green? Here's Puck!

And for something completely different, here are the Easter Chicks!

Happy Spring!

Blooming Bears Preview!

2011-03-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy bear maker and I am happy to say I have four bears ready and three tiny surprises for the Blooming Bear online Teddy bear show coming up next weekend. I can't show you all of them now, but I can show you my preview bear Aiden. Here he is!

If you follow the link to the right of this blog post you can have a sneak peek at one bear from each of the 75 worldwide artists exhibiting! Be sure to mark your calendars and come back next weekend to see all of the show bears!

Show and Tell

2011-02-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

This past week I had two pretty things I was just dying to show here on my blog. The first thing you can see now!!! I have a lovely new blogger background and header custom designed for me by Shelli Heinemann of Potbelly Design! I am so pleased with it. Shelli is delightful to work with, and her prices are quite reasonable.

I'm afraid I still can't show the second one. It is a bear I have designed for the upcoming Blooming Bear online show and sale All of the show bears are to be debuted for the first time at the show. You can get a sneak peek at my bear as well as one preview bear from each of the other artists starting March 1st. Until then I can only tell you two things; first he is a natural style bear, and secondly, I LOVE him! I want to keep him! Don't worry, though, I won't be selfish, but usually that's a sign that a bear will be well received by collectors as well.

After creating the natural style bear I got a crazy idea to dye some alpaca green!

Perhaps, I'm just longing for some spring color in the brown and gray Ohio landscape.

It should make an interesting bear. The color makes me think of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street! I'm doing some pallet planning here.

This bear won't be shown in his finished form until the Blooming Bear Show. Stay tuned.

Pink Hearts and Chocolate

2011-02-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! I always seem to be a bit late to the party when it comes to creating seasonally inspired Teddy Bears, but I think that my newest bear will be a welcome addition anytime of year. I hope you think so too.

Earlier this week, I went down to my studio with every intention of working on three big bears which I have in progress right now for the Bloomin Bears Online Show March 12th and 13th. Then my eyes happened to fall on a stack of pawpad fabrics (ultrasuede and wool felt) I had ordered which were waiting to be put away. The pink and brown pieces lying side by side caught my attention, and my ever distractable mind took a detour!

"OOOH, pretty... cherry cordial ice cream! yum!... pink hearts and chocolate--Valentine's Day! I must make a Valentine's Day Bear!" This speedy little train of thought took only a second to go through my head, and before I knew what I was doing, I was pushing aside my other projects, clearing the table for a big piece of pink alpaca fur!

So here is my scrumptious little Valentine-inspired cutie, Hugo.

He is available directly from me. Please click on the "available" tab above for more photos and information!

"Can't complain, but sometimes I still do"

2011-01-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is a line from Joe Walsh's song "Life's Been Good". I always crank up the volume when I hear it on the radio because, starting when I first heard it as a child, I've always felt it was kind of a theme song for me. No, not that I'm a rich, drunken, and drugged out rock star, but just that life truly is good! And I've always liked that line in particular, because even in a life as blessed as mine, sometimes a bunch of insignificant challenges can stack up and make me feel sorry for myself. That's how I feel right now. The little things are bringing me down. Caution: whining ahead!

The first dozen or so "little things" which are bringing me down are all over my face--pimples!!! For the last two months, an acne outbreak has invaded my face. I can't figure out what is causing it, or how to make it go away. It's like I'm a teenager again, only without the slender, petite body which I so did not appreciate when it was mine! I've never had a perfectly clear complexion, always having one or two spots to dot with Clearasil at night and concealer during the day, but this outbreak surpasses even those of my teenage years.I know it's vain, but I get depressed every time I catch my reflection in a mirror lately.

Two more little things which are bothering me lay on my studio table downstairs. They are two failed attempts at making a miniature Hogwarts robe for one of my ball-jointed dolls. Having just finished four bears which I'd been working on since the beginning of the month, I decided to indulge in some recreational sewing. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and had decided to make my newest BJD a complete Hogwarts school uniform. I made a cute grey sweater from a pair of socks and I was excited to start the robe. The first one I made was too small to fit nicely over the sweater, so I tried again. This time it was going well. The test fit proved it would go over the sweater and I sewed the lining in by hand. I was so pleased at my neat and tiny backstitch, but also marveled at how long it took me to handsew something so small. Then I realized I'd sewn the lining in backwards! Neat and tiny stitches are not so easy to remove.

The final little thing which has me whining, is the fact that I must go to work both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Teachers aren't supposed to work weekends! The Catholic school where I teach art is having an open house after church on Sunday and I have to be present for it. I need to go in on Saturday to prepare.

I know I have a good life, and I really can't complain--but sometimes I still do!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-25T17:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!! The year is still new until at least March, I think.

We have had much more snow here in Ohio than we normally have in December and early January and if you are a child or a dog, it is the perfect weather to play outside.

If you are me, however, it is the perfect weather to hibernate inside with your bears. Brrrr! Look at that snow!

I have finally finished the first four bears of 2011!

Technically two of these are 2010 designs, and all three still need their accessories, but they've all had their first hugs and their "birthmarks" read 2011. The two pandas are limited editions destined for My Friends and Me, and polar bear will be be my next installment in the "Theodore Loves His Teddy" series for Teddies of Mt. Holly. I am still working on his Teddy Roosevelt doll.

The fourth bear is called Paxton. He is a special commission for a collector who wanted a bear inspired by her dog. She didn't want a dog portrait, but a bear like her dog Baxter. It was a fun challenge, and I am pleased with the result, I am waiting to hear if my collector is too!

I tried to upload the picture of Baxter for comparison, but I guess blogger doesn't like the format.

I'm working on the TR doll, one more collector order, and then I'll be making bears for the Bloomin Bears" online show March 12 and 13. Be sure to click the link to the right to get more information about this exciting show.

Roses for Christmas

2010-12-27T12:19:00.000-08:00

About two or three years ago, I bought this cream colored pitcher from a friend who sells Longaberger products. I had no plans for it really, since we don't use pitchers; I just really liked it. When I got home, I just put it in the center of the kitchen table, not knowing what else to do with it. That weekend, my sweet husband came home from the grocery store (yes, I know I'm lucky he does the grocery shoppping) with a big bouquet of flowers for me! "They are to put in your vase," he explained.

Ever since then, I get fresh flowers every one or two weeks! Sometimes, on special occasions, I get roses, like these lovely red and white ones for Christmas!

Roses may fade, but receiving flowers from your sweetheart never gets old!!!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-12-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite Christmas activities are decorating the house and wrapping presents! I love the soft warm light in the living room when we replace lamp light with many tiny Christmas tree lights. When the whole room is decorated and lit, there is a cozy feeling which I miss terribly when it comes time to take it all down.

I love the way our big mirror reflects the lights making it look like we have two trees!

I love my tree and all of the decorations. I don't have one of those wonderful, coordinated designer trees, because I have too many special ornaments which are all different. I use the red balls and the glass icicles to tie it all together. I think it works.

Here is a sweet pair of twiggy looking reindeer votive holders which my Mom gave to my sons. I love them!

And I love to wrap presents! (My husband thinks I'm crazy on this one.) No "brown paper packages tied up with string" here. I love to decorate the packages with ribbon and floral picks. This year, on the kids' packages, I decided a puppy would be more appreciated than a poinsettia with the younger crowd. It still looks quite nice, and I finally had an excuse to buy an armful of these cute stuffed puppies I'd seen near the Hobby Lobby check out counter all year!

I am finished decorating, but I still have more wrapping to go. I'm looking forward to it!

Christmas is Knocking...Let It In!

2010-12-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas came knocking early this year, too early I thought, and I couldn't close the door fast enough! It was two days before Halloween, and I was sitting in my studio putting the finishing touches on my costume for my brother's party. As I added little plastic spiders to my "Black Widow" veil, I decided some music would be nice and turned on my radio. "Just hear those sleigh bells jinglin' ring ting tinglin'-" came singing out, and I groaned "NOOOO!" I nearly knocked over my Diet Coke trying to quickly shut it off.

"Why are they doing this again?" I thought as I pouted in silence. By "they" I mean my favorite Christian radio station. Last year they played only holiday music from the beginning of November until Christmas Day. Apparently, this year they were beginning in October! A couple of days later my answer came in the form of an email from the radio station (having been a supporter, I'm on their list). They explained that their mission is to reach as many people as possible with the message of God's love, and that when they play the Christmas music they gain many more listeners. Fair enough, I thought grumpily, but I don't have to listen to it.

It is not that I am a Scrooge or Grinch. I love Christmas, but I want it to be special. With stores putting their Christmas things out before the Halloween stuff is even taken down, with companies stuffing my mailbox daily with catalogs and sales ads, beginning nearly as soon as school starts, it seems to lose some of it's warmth.

Christmas came knocking again, the weekend of the Teddy Bear show in Hunt Valley. This time I opened the door a little... While the show was two weeks before Thanksgiving, it had a Christmas theme. Yes, Teddy Bear makers are as keen as other retailers to take advantage of the season where giving often equals spending. But the festive costumes, colorful lighted table dispays, and of course the Teddy Bears themselves had everyone smiling and feeling the warmth, including me. I couldn't help it. I really do love Christmas. On our drive back to Ohio, we even listened to some Christmas songs on the radio. The first one was Josh Groben's rendition of "O Holy Night". Sean had reached for the seek button to change the station, and, having heard my earlier grumblings about Christmas music in November, raised his eyebrows when I stayed his hand. "This one is OK, I guess," I told him. The scene repeated itself with a couple more songs. Mary's Boy Child-- "Oh this is one I never get to hear!" Mary Did You Know?--"But this is a good one."

At the third knocking, I opened the door wide. Shortly after the Teddy Bear show, a friend and fellow Teddy Bear artist posted the following on Facebook, "Merry Christmas! Just practicing." Her post was met with much grumbling, mirroring my attitude of just a few weeks before-too soon! Then Daphne posted "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" and I laughed out loud, not at Daphne-at myself! It was the kind of laugh you let out when you see that the answer to something you've been puzzling over has been staring you right in the face all along! A laugh of realization, a laugh of recognition. I recognized Christmas again for what it really means, a celebration of Jesus' birth, of His life, of His love, and ultimately His sacrifice for us! I recognized it, and let it in with heart and arms open, embracing it warmly, realizing it is never to early to celebrate God's love! Of course, deep down I knew it all along-I can tell by which Christmas songs I let in early, but I guess sometimes I need a reminder.

Enjoy this song which is much more than "OK I guess", it is one of my favorites!
And Merry Christmas!

Hunt Valley Bear Show

2010-11-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

I had hoped that I would be able to post a preview of bears I had made for the Hunt Valley Teddy Bear Show, but as usual I was sewing until after midnight the night before we left!!

I was finishing up S'more, one of my panda clown style bears which was a special order for a collector attending the show. Here he is as a "Bob" (I call this stage Bob because of that groaner of a kid's joke: "What do you call a bear (man) with no arms and no legs who swims in the ocean?) S'more did have arms and legs at this point, but they were not yet attached!

Here are some of the other show bears lined up and waiting for accessories.

So instead of a preview, I have for you a review!!! The show was wonderful! The holiday theme had everyone in a festive mood, and I was so impressed with all of the wonderful holiday themed displays and costumes. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the winning table display designed by Marilyn Waggner and her husband. It was a miniature room complete with furniture, a cozy braided rug, and a real stone fireplace!!! I loved these costumes as well.

My own table display was fairly simple, but my handsome assistant, and of course the bears themselves were nice to look at!

Collectors lined up outside, before the show opened, hoping to get a first peek at the work of their favorite artists. The collectors visited cheerily and shopped enthusiastically! I know I was not the only artist who found new homes for all her bears.

As ususal, one of the nicest things about the show was a chance to reconnect with my favorite Teddy Bear people--artists and collectors. My table neighbor was Michelle Lamb. It was lovely to see her again. Here she is with her amazing bears and her lovely daughter.

It was a great time all in all and I look forward to next year!

ARSED! (A random sketch every day)

2010-10-13T07:15:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Chloe, a young artist from England, has invited me to participate in a challenge she calls ARSED! I have heard the term "arse" before but not "arsed" and so I had to look it up. Good ol' Google! Though a clear definition could not be found, apparently it is often used like bothered, as in "I can't be arsed to do that now." Which is how I seemed to have viewed drawing for a while now, being busy with my family, teaching, and bear making. But really, I love to draw, I just didn't because I felt I had no time. In Chloe's challenge, ARSED stands for A Random Sketch Every Day. What a simple but wonderful idea. Like exercise, I must make time for the things that are important to me-and the things I enjoy.

And so, I am drawing again! I have a small 6 X 8 spiral drawing pad, and for the last few days I have tried to spend at least 30 minutes drawing each day. Yesterday, I spent an hour and a half, to make up for missing one day. I do love to draw and I hope I can keep it up every day while continuing to make my bears, and teach, and oh yeah, exercise!

I posted the first two drawings in the previous post. Here are some more recent efforts:

My favorite-

Another Halloween themed drawing-

A very loose sketch of a sad little girl-

I wasn't overly thrilled with this one, so I couldn't be arsed to finish her! LOL
I may change my mind and come back to her another day though. Poor sad little thing.

Taking Some Time to Draw...

2010-10-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

Taking It Outside!

2010-09-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

I know my blog is called Inside My Studio, but the weather today was so pleasant I decided to take my studio outside!

This new design I am working on was inspired by some wonderful scruffy, sparse, short mohair which demanded a vintage looking bear. I wanted them to have a classic well loved look, but still have that "Tami bear" look. I quite like them, and I hope my collectors at The Hunt Valley Show will too!

Missy was watching me out of the screen porch window, crying to be let out.

I decided to let her out, and thought I might get some nice photos. As Missy is an indoor cat, she was far too interested in exploring the great outdoors to bother to pose for me!

I mostly got shots of her looking this way...

and that (she was very gifted at turning away just as I snapped the shot),

and many of her tail end!

I did get one shot I really liked of Missy in my sons' clubhouse.

We have had such a dry summmer that many people are predicting a rather colorless fall. There are already a lot of trees which have dropped brown leaves, but one maple tree in our yard was dressed for the season!

Yes, I did actually get some work done. What a lovely day!

Finishing Things

2010-09-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

No matter how much I tell myself that I could work more efficiently if I focus my attention on one thing at a time, I always seem to have several projects going at one time. I guess maybe it works better that way for me. I really can only focus on one of them in any given moment, but I might work on a doll one day, and a bear the next. I usually have several bears in progress at once, so it seems to take longer to finish one, but then after the drought, I end up with a few finished bears in a matter of days!

Here is Edward Bear #2/3 made for a collector's order:

Here is Christmas Edward, a special version of Edward available from My Friends and Me next month:

And here is Karl and his yet to be named friend, my first two bears for the Handmade Treasures Teddy Bear Show in Hunt Valley, MD, November 13, 2010. Technically these fellows aren't finished as I still need to make accessories and photograph them properly, but they are finished enough to have been given their first hugs!

Then there are the really long term projects. In February, I started to sculpt a ball-jointed doll. The first part seemed to go relatively quickly--getting the body and head sculpted, but making joints was new to me and took quite a bit of trial and error.

I have also had some great practice sculpting hands for this girl as I have sculpted three pairs to get the appropriate size!

I still have some details to work out before she is cast in resin, of course, but with a bit of imagination you can picture her as whole!

After I work on these epic projects though, sometimes I need the satisfaction of making something fast! I made this pincushion(inspired by this blog and this one) for myself in just a couple of hours!

It feels good to finish things!

Back to School Blues

2010-08-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Do you remember how, when you were a kid, as you enjoyed those last glorious days of summer, your nights would be peppered with those weird anxiety filled back-to-school dreams? You know the ones. You show up to school hours late, you don't remember your locker combination, you can't find any of your books, or the classroom you are supposed to be in, and worst of all, you forgot to wear your pants!!!

As a teacher, I will periodically still have dreams like that, only it's my lesson plans I cannot find, and I have no students, or else, I have students, but they are expecting me to teach a subject I haven't prepared for, like calculus.

This year the dream came right on time, on the night of August 1st, which is the turning point where summer, at first seemingly endless, dwindles down to just a number of days. I dreamed that I showed up the first day of school, and my classroom was completely transformed--but not in a good way. It had been carpeted! (I am an art teacher and the thought of keeping carpet clean in an art room horrified me.) The windows had all been bricked in so my beautiful natural light was gone, horrible old cabinets with chipping paint replaced the new one I'd been given at the end of last year, all of my art supplies were gone, I hadn't even written any lesson plans, and, worst of all, I had no pants!!!

I decided to ease my anxiety and make a trip up to school. I could make a little list of the things I needed to do, maybe put up my bulletin board stuff, or even get started on my lesson plans for the first week. I figured this year I'd have a little more to do than usual. At the end of the school year last year, all of the teachers were told that the furniture would be moved out so that the floors could be refinished. We were instructed to make a detailed map of our floor plan and tape it to our chalkboards so that everything could be put back afterwards. Of course, I made a beautifully detailed, neatly labeled map. Even so, I anticipated there might be a few things I'd have to reorganize when I got back.

When I got to school, my anxiety was not eased, but heightened. I felt like I'd walked into a nightmare! The furniture was moved back in, but placed randomly through out the room.

I am not sure all of my furniture was there, but I did spot several cabinets and carts which do not belong in my classroom.

The contents of the cabinets, which I had carefully organized at the end of last year were stacked haphazardly on tables and placed in a nook at the back of the room which I had worked hard to clear.

The new tall wood cabinet which I was so pleased to receive just at the end of last year has a huge crack in the door. The floor, which was supposedly cleaned (the reason for destroying my room in the first place), had a huge water/rust mark on it. The windows were not bricked in at least. The old ones had been replaced with shiny new ones, but I found it hard to enjoy this improvement in all the mess. I wandered the labyrinth of my classroom, mouth agape, head shaking slowly, and then decided to just go home. When I met the maintenance man in the parking lot, he explained the water/rust stain. The roof over my classroom had been leaking, "water just pouring in". The furniture can't be arranged yet because the floor will need to done again after the roof can be fixed, hopefully next week. Hopefully? School starts in less than 3 weeks! When can I get in to do my bulletin boards, seating charts, and lesson plans? Sigh! I feel like crying, but I guess I should look on the bright side; at least I have my pants!!!

Bear Show Buzz

2010-06-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here thinking about the Teddy Bear Artist Signing event I just attended at My Friends and Me, and wondering if any other Teddy Bear lovers get a “bear show buzz”. I do. I call it a buzz because it is a warm, giddy, happy feeling, and I can’t stop smiling, even as I sit here by myself with just the memory of it.

See how happy I am?

What is it about such an event that leaves me basking in happiness for days afterward? It is a combination of lovely atmosphere, beautiful Teddy Bears, and friendly people. The signing event on June 18th at My Friends and Me in Leesburg, Virginia had all of these in abundance. Maria Balser, the shop’s owner, has been planning events such as this one twice a year since she opened her lovely shop 25 years ago.

Maria and her husband Milton.

The shop’s unique setting in a historic log cabin is just the beginning of the warm welcoming atmosphere of the show. Its interior is arranged with a comfortable couch and armchairs around a floor to ceiling stone fireplace, inviting artists and collectors to sit and chat about bears or other happy things. For the event, Maria had a table beautifully set with all manner of tasty finger foods, as well as lemonade and tea.

Yum!

Then there are the bears. Arranged on the mantle piece and hearth, peeking out of glass cabinets and vintage china hutches, riding in old fashioned prams and wagons, and even sitting on the couches beckoning you to sit and join them, are beautiful Teddy Bears from artists all over the world. I could have spent hours just looking at them all. For the show, Maria spotlighted the work of four artists and I was very pleased to be counted among them. Bill and Jean Ashburner from England work as team to create beautiful, natural looking bears whose details and jointing system makes them seem almost alive. Rosalie Frischman from Wisconsin was there as well. Many of her exquisite bears (and dogs and bunnies) were dressed in wonderful handmade dresses, sailor costumes, or dungarees, and each was accessorized like an illustration in an antique storybook. I brought along a grouping of my cuddly, happy bears and was pleased that they all found homes.

Look! It's "my friends and me"!

As much as I love Teddy Bears, I love people even more, and Teddy Bear people are some of the nicest people I’ve met! Maria, her husband Milton, Bill, Jean, Rosalie, the lovely ladies who helped with the show, and all of the collectors were wonderful. Maria warmly greeted guests at the door like dear friends. I don’t doubt that many of them who have been attending the events for years have become just that. Then she took them around to personally introduce them to all the attending artists. It was nice for artists and collectors to have a chance to mingle and talk about those furry friends who brought us all together!

Me, Rosalie Frischman, Bill and Jean Ashburner.

Vacation!

2010-06-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

My family doesn't take vacation often enough (who thinks they do, I wonder...)but we like to pack as much fun as we can into one when we go! We just returned from a lovely trip which included staying at a house in Virginia Beach right on the beach, attending a wonderful Teddy Bear Artist Event in Leesburg VA at My Friends and Me, visiting Washington DC, and finally stopping to see my brother Aaron and his wife in Athens, Ohio on our way home. It was beautiful, exciting, relaxing, fun, but of course we are glad to be home.

Here are some of my photos from Virginia Beach.

My Beach Boys

Our Beach House

My beach house "Bear Room"

It has a window with an ocean view!

And here is my first bear finished at a beach house! (He is Ruben #2)

A silly souvenir photo from the Aquarium!

Sleepy boys watching the sunrise on our last day at the beach, after a night of hunting sandfiddler crabs by flashlight!

My Friends and Me

2010-06-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

I feel very priviledged to be a guest artist for the signing event to be held next weekend at My Friends and Me in Leesburg, VA. Maria Balsar, the shop's owner, has promoted my work since 2000, and I am excited to be meeting her for the first time. Other artists who will be in attendance at the event are Rosalie Frischman, and Bill and Jean Ashburner, and the shop is full of many lovely bears. If you live nearby, please make sure to come and see us!

My sons made a video preview of the bears I will have available. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!

All right, you've caught me...playing dolls again!

2010-04-14T11:18:00.002-07:00

I've been working more on my ball jointed doll off an on since I started her in February, and I was thinking she was close to being ready to cast in resin. I have finally got her hands and feet finished, and have finished her knee joints enough for a test stringing. While I was loving her before this, now I am not so sure about her. I felt I was getting closer, but she seems a "little off" in so many ways now I realize I'm not even close to being ready to mold and cast. I have so much left to do!

*I still need to make elbow joints since she doesn't have any at all yet.

*I need to improve both the knee and hip joints aesthetically and functionally. She currently doesn't stand. Her knees will not straighten completely, and I need to make some sort of catch inside the hip to lock them when she stands. I am also considering doing that little sideways channel for the elastic in the hip ball which Volks has used on some dolls so she can do that cute child like sitting position.

*I need to work on the neck/head joint because she doesn't have the range of motion I'd like.

* I need to recheck proportion, because I think her lower legs may be to short, and her hands and feet look too big so they may need to be resculpted. The feet may just be too wide. In my frustration yesterday, I as calling her my Hobbit Girl! I've nothing against Hobbits of course, I rather like them, but that's not what I was going for here.

*I need to add a few more details to the sculpt, working on her eyes and adding subtle indication of nipples to her chest. I will be leaving her pelivis piece plain (many BJDs are anatomically correct, because I think she could be finished as a boy or a girl. In fact, I am giving this sculpt the unisex name of Alex, because my Mom thinks she looks like my son.

*I need to make a headcap attachment mechanism of some kind.

* Finally there is all the smoothing for casting to be done. I try to smooth as I go, but there is still more to be done.

More pictures of this doll in progress can be found in the BJD sculpting Project set on my flickr.

Missy has to find her way into the post! Alex is lurking in the background too!

Only after all of this can I begin to work on making the molds and casting her in resin. As much as I have learned about resin casting so far, I know this will be a big adventure in trial and error, but I am looking forward to it because I can't wait to see her (him) in natural flesh tones with a painted face!

And speaking of painted faces, I have just finished my very first face-up commissions! These two Rosen Lied dolls decided to take the long way home from Rosen Lied in Korea to their home in Australia. They made a stop here in Milford, Ohio to be painted by me!

More pictures of these cuties and my own BJDs can be found on my flickr, too.

I've been working on bears too and hope to have the three I am working on ready to post soon. Stay tuned!

Happy Easter, Happy Spring--Happy Everything!

2010-04-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

The bears and I would like to wish everyone a blessed Easter!

This is Pip. (I was listening to the audio book of Great Expectations while working on him so I borrowed the name!)He has been commissioned by a collector in the UK. I'm currently waiting for her appoval of him so I can send him home.

These next two fellows are destined for the special event I will be attending at My Friends and Me in Leesburg, VA in June, and they are shop exclusives. I was so pleased with Pablo, the panda clown I made last month, that I wanted to try a few more with the same design, only different color combinations. They will have hats for the show.

This is Ruben.

And this is Raffi.

I will continue to post preview pictures of the bears for the event. Other artists who will be in attendance include Rosalie Frischman and Jean and Bill Ashburner. Visit www.myfriendsandme.com for more information.

Just Because...

2010-02-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

...they are so cute!!!

They are staring down at me next to their empty food bowl at the bottom of the stairs wondering if it's time to eat yet!

I wish the camera flash didn't do that to their eyes. I have to have the flash on or Cinder looks like a cat shaped ink blot on the photo!

A Tiny Bit of Inspiration

2010-02-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may have noticed that I have started a collection of tiny ball jointed dolls or BJDs. (On the BJD forums, dolls 30cm or less are called "tiny" since BJDs come as large as 70cm.) I purchased my first in October of 2008, and last year added four more to my collection, including this adorable doll which my husband Sean bought me for Christmas.

(Natasha is playing Goldilicks with Slightly's bear and two bears I have made for a friend.)

These posable resin dolls are no ordinary collectible; they are yet another opportunity to exercise my creative muscle! They can be purchased undressed, unpainted, and bald for dressing, painting, and "wigging", like a blank canvas to create a little personality from my own imagination. These little cuties have inspired me in other ways, too.

First, they have inspired me to revisit the world of miniature bear making. In my early years of bear crafting, I wanted to try everything, so I made a handful of miniature bears. As my skills grew, so did my bears, and I find that I enjoy making large armfuls of bear the most. But my little dolls needed bears didn't they? So I got some upholstry velvet, and had another go.

Here is the result!

Chloe and her Teddy

Slightly and her Bear

To give an idea of the size of these little ones as compared to my typical work, here they are posed with my Paddington!

I have also been inspired to try my hand at sculpting my own tiny BJD! This is a big project, and I'll be working on it a little at a time, while I continue to make my bears, so expect periodic updates. Here is what I have so far.

A drawing to serve as a map for the proportion, a cute torso, and an alien head!

A cute baby face.(Where did it go? In my next pictures she looks so different!)

Here the head has been sculpted and hollowed out, and I've started to work on the legs. The legs and torso will be cut into pieces for the jointing, but I thought sculpting them as a whole would help me get the anatomy more accurate.

The final thing that these tiny dolls have inspired me to do will remain a secret for now. The scope of the project is greater than anything I have yet created, but if it comes together as well as I can see it in my mind, it will combine all of my creative passions!

Hello!!!!

2010-02-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in ages, but I've still been making Teddy Bears. I am slowly but surely getting caught up with my orders. Last year, there were always about ten. As soon as I finish a couple, I'd receive a few more orders. Due to challenges outside of my bear business, my work time was diminished greatly, and many collectors waited a long time for their bears. This made me sad, but my collectors have been wonderfully patient, and I am so thankful for this.

Currently, I am working on a pair of bears for a pair of sisters in the UK. One of the bears is finished. One sister collects Teddy Bears and has three of mine already. She has commisioned this special clown bear as a gift for her sister.

Here is Pablo. He is approximately 20" from his ears to his toes, and made of dense alpaca. He is based on a smaller bear I designed a little while ago whose pictures is in my blog header. I hope his new Mum will love him.

He has a little cone hat, and collar made of fabric, ribbon and decorative trim.

This is a nice shot, but what is that gray shadow in the background?

MISSY!!!!

Chloe's New Halloween Dress

2009-10-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

I got a new outfit for my Ball Jointed Doll, Chloe. The outfit was made by Spampy Stuff. Chloe is a Custom House Ange Ai Gaby. Her wig is from Kemper and her face-up was done by me.

Bad News-Good News

2009-10-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

I made a tough decision a couple of weeks ago. I was scheduled to do two shows this year: the Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show, and The Hunt Valley Maryland Handmade Treasures Teddy Bear Show, and I was really looking forward to both of them. I had taken some orders for delivery at the Hunt Valley Show, and was very much looking forward to being able to attend the Golden Teddy Awards Ceremony for the first time. At the Chicagoland Show, I was looking forward to teaching my first Teddy Bear workshop as well as the other fun events scheduled there. I was looking forward to them, but also feeling very stressed. Since my dad's surgery in July and the start of school I have had almost no bear making time. With all that my dad was going through (see post below), and with the orders I already have, there was just not going to be enough time to make enough bears for a table at one show, let alone two. I decided I must cancel my show tables. Shows are my favorite way to sell my bears because I truly love connecting with my collectors as well as other artists, and I will really miss everyone.

There is some good news too, though. First, this week, my dad finally seems to have turned a corner with his healing, and it is such a relief to all of my family. (Thanks for all the prayers and positive thoughts.) Second, those who have ordered bears will still get them in the next couple of weeks, but they will have to be shipped. Also, I will still be teaching the Trick or Treat Teddy workshop at the Chicagoland Show, I just won't have a sales table. (There are still two spaces left in this workshop. Follow the link to the right if you are interested in joining us!)

And the final bit of good news is that I have been able to finish five bears which have been waiting patiently for weeks in pieces for me to return to my studio!

(Click on any of the pictures to see them larger.)

First, come the twins. These are a pair of my Traveling Bears. Both are made for lovely patient collectors who ordered them a while back so they will be traveling home soon!

Next, is Bogart. He is a big hugger who measures 21 inches from his ears to his toes and sits about 15 inches high. He is made from curly mohair, and features my signature appliqued and trapunto sculpted paw pads and sweet open mouthed smile. He is available for $575. Please email me if you are interested. SOLD

Also available is is this sweet panda, Carmella. She measures 17” from her ears to her toes and sits about 11” high. The characteristic panda patches around her glass eyes are airbrushed for a sweet soulful look. Her irresistible, open-mouthed smile is created with careful scissor and needle sculpting, and hand-painted details. This little cutie has a roly poly chubby body made of two types of mohair. The white kid mohair is so soft and dense it is perfect for the scissor sculpting I have done on her snout. The tan mohair on her upper body arms and legs complements the white nicely. She is available for $515. Email me if you are interested. SOLD

Finally, we have Scruffy. Scruffy is a mischievous fellow who has been a challenge to his "mom" from the start! I had to stitch his nose twice and his ears four times. And he insists on waving his left paw in all the photos instead of curving it gently downward as my pattern dictates. Never have I had a bear so cantankerous! Even so, when I finally finished him, and added his checkered bow, his sweet smile melted my heart. Scruffy is made of dense kid mohair and he stands 17" tall, and sits at 12". Scruffy is available for $515 as well. If you are interested in adopting this naughty little fellow please email me. SOLD

Since my bear making time is limited, and I have orders to fill, these three will be the last bears available directly from me this year. (Teddies of Mt. Holly, and My Friends and Me may have some of my work available still.)

Thank you to all my collectors and artist friends for your support this year.

Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

2009-09-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of rain, in both a figurative and literal way. When my Dad had his cancer surgery (mentioned in the post below)on July 24, my family members and I all thought that getting the cancer out was the biggest of our worries. However, Dad's road to recovery has been long and hard and has included many complications from the harmless but irritating case of the hiccups which lasted four days after his surgery, to serious life threatening complications such as kidney failure, blood clots, bleeding, and aneurysms. The last two of these occurred at the beginning of this week. The stress of the worry, of seeing my dad's apartment looking like a crime scene, trips to the hospital, sitting in the surgical waiting rooms, as well as attending my husband's grandmother's funeral, and just trying to accomplish the tasks of regular life have left me feeling physically and emotionally drained.

It has also been raining--that wet sort of rain which comes from clouds--this week as well. Ironically, this rain has been healing. When I walked out of the school building where I teach on Thursday, I was much too tired to run to my car as I would on any other rainy day. I walked slowly. And when I felt the light rain on my head, I turned my face upward and stretched out my arms to offer more of my skin up to it's healing touch. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply the smell of the wet earth.

When I got to my car, a fond recollection came to my mind. It was a long forgotten memory about my grandpa. I was about five years old, and my brother and I were visiting my grandparents when they lived in Florida. Eddie, Grandpa and I were looking out the window as the rain filled up the street. We saw a jogger.
Grandpa grumbled(his speech always sounded like a grumble)"Joggin' in the rain, joggin' in the rain, see that crazy man, joggin' in the rain?" Eddie and I nodded. Then grandpa gave us a strange look. "Do you want to go joggin' in the rain?" he asked us. We said we did, and grandma dressed us in our bathing suits and sneakers and grandpa put a sleevess undershirt and a pair of shorts (I'm sure it was the only time I had ever seen him wear shorts!) and we went joggin' in the rain! I'm sure I had not thought of that since the day it happened 35 years ago, but the memory was healing too since mostly I remember my father's father as mean and angry.

I went to the hospital again to see my dad that evening, and when I returned home it was still raining, so I asked my husband to join me for a walk in the rain. He was surprised, but said afterward that it was quite pleasant.

Then Friday night, although I have felt exhausted all week, I was having trouble sleeping. It was still raining and I convinced my husband that we should spread sleeping bags out on the floor of our screen porch and "camp out" there for the night. The rhythm of the rain on the roof, the patter of it on the tree leaves and the smell of it in the air was like calming music, and medicine for my soul. And, while a few hours later we opted for our soft bed in leu of the porch's concrete floor, I was relaxed enough to sleep restfully until morning after that.

Rain can mean storms, floods and disasters, but it is also healing, renewing, cleansing, life-giving--thank God for the rain.

Roller Coaster Summer (Stop the World- I Wanna Get Off!)

2009-07-27T12:02:00.001-07:00

My sons and I have been making a trip to Kings Island, the local amusement park, nearly once a week this summer. We purchased season passes since we were not planning any trips. Both Alex and Brendan are big enough now to ride on all of the coasters, and they really enjoy them. It is fun for me to see them experiencing this, but to me the rides seem a lot rougher than they used to be. (Am I getting old?)
The stand out ride of the park this summer though, is the new Diamondback roller coaster. It is an incredibly fun and surprisingly smooth ride. It also has an absolutely terrifying first hill. You plummet 215 feet, at a 74 degree angle, going 80 miles per hour!

It has been a couple of weeks since we were at King's Island, but I really feel like I have been on a roller coaster all summer long (and even before that really). I know the roller-coaster-as-a-metaphor-for-life is rather cliche', but it really seems to fit. The ups and downs of this summer have got me feeling both exhilarated and exhausted, delirious and depressed. It has been a really good summer for the most part, as there have been more joys than challenges, and the difficulties have turned around (or they will really soon), but at the moment, I feel like I am perpetually reliving that first hill on the Diamondback-- flying through summer at break-neck speed, holding on for dear life!

Here is a taste of my ride...(For a taste of King's Island's Diamondback click here.)

In the spring, my dad was diagnosed with sarcoma and finished the first phase of his treatment (radiation) just before the summer began.

The summer started with me finding out that I had been nominated for two Golden Teddy Awards! I also started to get caught up with my Teddy bear orders.
These are my nominees.

Visits to King's Island with the boys (once we took my nephew) are always fun. I also took the boys to their first rock concert at King's Island. Spirit Song is a Christian music festival and we all loved it. Here's my nephew Nolan with my sons in the background.

Alex was in a play! Bugsy Malone Jr. Here he is as "Snake Eyes". He did a great job.

Alex had an extreme reaction to poison ivy. This picture was taken before it got "really bad"!

I've been taking a figurative sculpture class at the Art Academy of Cincinnati with my mom. I love that art is a passion we share. It was my first time sculpting from a model.

I gave Brendan's room an "extreme make-over" and had a garage sale(which I won't be doing again--whew what a lot of work!)

Alex got sick with a fever of 104.5 (one of his periodic fever episodes) this past Friday when I took my dad in for his surgery to get the cancer out. Alex is better now, and Dad's surgery went well (looks like they got it all), but his recovery will be long.

There are only three weeks until school starts and I will be teaching again. The weeks will be full, caring for Dad, a visit from my brother Aaron, finishing Teddy Bears, getting my classroom ready, and making time to take the kids to King's Island at least one more time like I promised. I guess there's nothing to do but hold on tight and try to enjoy the ride!

Edited to add another bump in the ride--Brendan broke his arm! Last week! When I was distracted by Dad's pending surgery, then Alex's fever, Brendan had a fall on his bike. But as he is such a tough little guy when it comes to pain, we didn't take him to the doctor until I noticed it was still a bit out of shape. We're off to the orthopedic doctor today.

Photoshop

2009-07-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

I have just started an online Photoshop class at Dollstreet. I have taken a class on Photoshop before, but it was an intense two day class and we learned so much in such a short time that it really didn't stick with me. I have also played around with Photoshop on my own a little, and was very pleased to come up with the temporary opening page for my website's new location and my banner ad for 100 Best Bear Artist Blogs. But somehow the information still is not filed in my memory. (Which is why my temporary opening page is still there!) Each time I try to do something again, I find myself staring at the screen thinking, how did I do that?

So, I am trying again.

In the first part of the class we explored the Photoshop environment and played with some filters. I had done this before, but it is always kind of fun, although not particularly useful for my business needs at the moment.

Here is a favorite photo of my favorite bear and doll, Figaro and His Puppet.

Here is the same photo skrinkwrapped!!! Actually the filter is called "plastic wrap", and I found the effect quite amusing! If you click on the picture to view it larger, you will see that they do indeed look like they are covered tightly in plastic wrap and pressed to a cardboard backing!

Here is one I rather liked called "poster edges".I particularly liked the way the lines accentuated the swirly texture of Figaro's fur and makes his puppet look antiqued. You may need to enlarge it to see what I mean.

Finally, I used a photograph of my Little Floppies and the filter called "rough pastels" to create these images. I love the texture of these in their large format. As smaller images they just look a little blurry, but larger, they really do look like "rough pastels".

There is a lot more to do, and by the end of the class I should have designed a new business card. I hope it will "stick" this time!

A Bear for Brendan

2009-06-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

It's always exciting to get a package with new fur in it-and even more so, I have found recently, when the package comes with free mohair! Intercal, one of the main suppliers where I purchase the special fabrics for my bears, has had coupons on their site forever, and periodically they offer "double coupons". But for some reason, it is only in the last year that I have even taken note of them. I usually know what I need and "get in, get it, and get out". I'm sure if it was a physical store where I could go and see and touch all that delicious fur, I would not be so focused a shopper. It is a website though so it's not as easy to just browse.

When I opened my package and found these two lovely pieces of mohair were my "feebies" I was thrilled.

My son Brendan was impressed too. "Can I have them since they were free?" he asked. (He made a lovely bear last year and has been wanting to make another.)

"No, I need to make bears for my show," I replied.

"Well can you at least make me a bear with them?"

"Maybe," I told him. Then I asked, "Do you mean two bears, or one bear with both furs?"

"One with both," he said, and then he proceeded to describe a bear with mostly the orange, with a golden tummy and snout. Brendan has always been one of the greatest fans of my Teddy Bears. He loves them all and very often asks when he sadly watches me pack and ship the bears off to their new homes, "Will you make one like that for me someday?" My reply is usually the same. Maybe. In reality, I have made Brendan only one bear--the one I made for him when he was a newborn. But I don't say maybe to tease him. I really do want to make bears for him, but there are always shows and orders on the horizon, now is no different, and well...it never seems to happen.

"Yes, I'll make your bear," I suddenly decided. "I can design a new pattern for my show, and I can give you the prototype." I felt like this was a great idea. A prototype is not something I usually do, but this way I would not really have to stop working on show bears...the design would be for the show! Brendan liked the idea too, and he loves his little bear! He is naming him Peanut.

I think I'd have called him Marmalade because of his coloring, but Brendan has his reasons for the name he picked as well.

Next up, more big polar bears and something small and pink! Keep watching!

A Spot of Bears

2009-06-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

After a very long dry spell, here's a little Teddy shower! School is out and I can redirect my creative energies from teaching art to making art! Here is the result!

First up is my second installment in the "Theodore Loves His Teddy" series which is exclusively available at Teddies of Mt. Holly in New Jersey. The bear is a 23" black bear cub made from extra dense alpaca, with his hand sculpted Teddy doll. I'm calling this one "Clifford Loves His Teddy" after Clifford Berryman the cartoonist who began the association between Teddy Roosevelt and the bear with his drawings. I'm rather fond of this guy so I took a few pictures...

Next, continuing with the theme of the dear Teddy Bear's namesake, but on a subsantially smaller scale is Li'l TR. I have been wanting to create a new small bear design for a little while so he was really fun. He was made as a gift.

The third bear I have to share is Jade. She is also an exclusive design (in this size) for Teddies of Mt. Holly.

And finally, here's Pippen! He's a large and lovely (if you don't mind my saying) summertime polar bear who's sporting a nautical style collar recalling seaside holidays. This bear is exclusively available from My Friends and Me in Leesburg. VA

I do hope to have some new bears available from my website soon, but if you'd like to get your paws on one of my first four bears of 2009, please contact these lovely shops!
Teddies of Mt. Holly
My Friends and Me

Awards??!!! Thank You!!!

2009-06-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to all of you who read and enjoy my blog and my bears even when I have been away from Teddy Bear making, and blogging. I came to my blog to finally post some new work, and found that three of my Teddy Bear making/loving peers have chosen me for blog awards. Vicki, of Baggaley Bears and Donna, of Donna and the Bears chose my blog chose my blog as the recipient of this award

and Jennifer of For the Love of a Teddy Bear chose my blog for the

Please visit Vicki's blog. Vicki makes wonderfully detailed tiny Teddy Bears which are sure to make any heart smile! The intricacy of them fools the eyes into thinking they are much larger bears in the photographs. I have occasionally made tiny bears with varying degrees of success, and I am so impressed with artists who make miniature bears with such lovely expression and craftsmanship!

Please visit Donna's blog. Donna is an award winning Teddy Bear artist who is also a lovely person! I had the pleasure of sharing a table with Donna at the 2005 TOBY Awards ceremony where we were both honored with a TOBY Award--very exciting. I got see her again last year at the Handmade Treasures Holiday Show and Sale in Hunt Valley, MD where I was lucky enough to adopt one of her sweet Teddies. He makes me think of Donna and that makes my heart smile!

Please visit Jennifer's blog . Jennifer's blog is a Lovely Blog indeed full of wonderful photos of the many things she creates and collects. Dolls and Teddy Bears make regular appearances of course as well as beautiful decorative items, sweets, and even her cat Max! (To my cats: Cats make great blog material, don't they Missy and Cinder!)

Next, I am supposed to pass the award along to ten deserving blogs...which I will do as soon as I get my kids fed! More later!

I Wish I Was a Teddy Bear

2009-04-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

I came across the lyrics to this song on a forum and thought,"That has got to be the saddest Teddy Bear poem I have ever read!" Then, I noticed it was credited to Waylon Jennings, so, as always, I consulted my friend Google on the matter. I found out that the song, whose title is "The Teddy Bear Song", was written in 1969 by Don Earl and recorded several times by country singers including Barbara Fairchild, and Tanya Tucker as well as Waylon Jennings. Upon hearing the lyrics sung with the musical accompaniment, I was smitten! It is still sad, but very, very sweet. I was inspired to create my own music video for the song using photos of my Teddy Bear creations. I chose to use the Waylon Jennings recording of it because I like it best. I hope you enjoy this, my first ever music video!

I wish I had button eyes and a red felt nose
Shaggy cotton skin and just one set of clothes
Sittin' on a shelf in a local department store
With no dreams to dream and nothin' to be sorry for

I wish I was a teddy bear
Not livin' or lovin' nor goin' nowhere
I wish I was a teddy bear
And I wish that I never had fallen in love with you

I wish I had a wooden heart and a sawdust mind
Then your mem'ry wouldn't come around hurtin' all the time
With a sewed-on smile and a painted twinkle in my eye
And I never would have ever had to learn how to cry

I wish I had a string you could pull to make me say
What you want to hear from me to make you stay
Then I'd know every time I spoke the words were right
And none would know the mess I made of my life

I wish I was a teddy bear
Not livin' or lovin' nor goin' nowhere
I wish I was a teddy bear
And I wish that I never had fallen in love with you

Misha, the Little Bear

2009-04-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

Like many Teddy Bear artists, I collect bears as well as making them. The same thing is true about dolls. And the latest edition to my bear collection is actually a doll!

This is Misha, the Little Bear. He is a Fairyland ball-jointed doll. I bought this doll to wear this little costume, which I bought because it reminds me of the one I made for my sons when they were toddlers. (You may see the costume on my nephew in this post.)

I chose black and white for these photos for a change of pace.

I am completely obsessed with these dolls. I really enjoyed painting his little face. I can't wait to finish a sculpt of my own.

Catching up...cleaning up...growing up.

2009-03-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

I am slowly catching up with my orders, having several things in progress as usual. A new Teddy Roosevelt set for Teddies of Mt Holly is in progress(the bear and the doll) as are a couple of bunnies!

At the moment my studio is a shambles though! For hubby's 40th birthday we redecorated our basement family room and bought a big screen TV. Guess where we moved all the old furniture and the kids toys and stuff--my studio of course! The furniture is now out, but my floor and tables littered with bins and boxes of the kids things that we haven't decided what to do with yet. Today's project is to get it all put away so I can get back to the fun stuff.

Lastly, I thought I'd post a new picture of my studio cat, Missy, to share how much she has grown up! (and to add some visual interest to this post) She is a year old and we love her so much. Cinder has learned to love her too. He lets her lick his ears and head.

And to give Cinder equal time... here is a picture of him engaged in his favorite pastime-- snuggling with my husband, Sean. AAAAW Cute! If Sean sits down, Cinder is in his lap!

G'night!

Sharing the Love!

2009-03-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my nieces visited my studio on a "field trip" along with their American Heritage Girls group. The girls were great listeners and they asked good questions. I was thrilled to have the audience (Twist my arm--make me talk about bears!)
Here are the girls, my nieces are in the center back row and the far right in the front row.

Playful Panda~Bears Repeating

2009-03-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here is an alpaca panda I have finished for an order. This cuddly little fellow is an older design, and he is the final bear of this design. I made a limited edition of seven in mohair and three in alpaca and I've finally completed them all. He is Mei Sheng. I was inspired to design him when my son brought home a Scholastic News magazine from school with a darling baby panda on the cover.

I love the playful posing this body style allows.

Don't cry Mei Sheng! There will be more pandas, but no more just like you!

A Little Behind...

2009-02-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

*Sigh* I'm feeling a little behind. Actually, I'm feeling a LOT behind, but the "little behind" was definitely a cuter picture!

I have not posted here since Christmas, but it is not just my blogging that I have fallen behind with, it's everything! I have never been a good juggler of tasks, and I often find it challenging to balance my life, choosing instead to channel my energies in only one or two directions at a time. And yet there are always so many things I want to, and need to do at any given time. When I keep up with the housekeeping, I fall behind with my bears, and when I am focused on my creative endeavors, household responsibilities get ignored. When I get my excercise in, I sacrifice getting the sleep I need. When I focus on my teaching career, I find I spend less time enjoying my sons and husband, and when I focus on family, I can't do as much planning at home for my classes. Things always seem to swing one way then the other. But right now, somehow, I have managed to fall behind with everything. I mean absolutely everything! I don't know how I got to this, and I'm not sure how to get back on track. I'm feeling frustrated with myself, depressed,and overwhelmed. *Sigh* I'm feeling a little behind.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

Food Exchange

2008-12-12T12:45:00.000-08:00

I hate cooking. There. I've said it, and I feel better for it! I know so many creative people who relish the opportunity to provide a tasty and nourishing meal for their families, and see cooking as yet another creative outlet. I don't. I should, but I don't. To me, cooking is a chore. It is something which must be done, and which takes time away from things I would rather be doing, like sculpting, sewing, drawing, reading, playing with the kids, or cleaning. Yes, I would rather clean than cook. Not that I am particularly fond of cleaning either, but you have to clean up after you cook, so I'd rather get straight to the cleaning and be done with it.

So, since I don't like to cook, I've joined a food exchange group. How much sense does that make?! At first glance that doesn't make much sense at all. The way the food exchange works is once a month each member (there are five families) makes five of the same dish. It needs to be something that will freeze well. Then we get together and everyone takes home five different meals to put in their freezer. So on the big cooking day, (which was today) I stress out. First, I stress out about what recipe to choose, wondering what everyone will like. Then, I stress about the grocery bill, when I shop for ingredients for a meal for four families of four, and one family of six. Then I stress out as I trash my tiny kitchen and dirty all biggest cooking pots I own.

But then the reward comes! My son Brendan arrives home from school and says, "What's that good, good, good, good smell?" (That's a direct quote!) Ha ha, it's called cooking, Brendan. Good moms do it all the time! And the rewards will continue through the rest of the month as we pull ready made meals out of the freezer so even on our busiest days we can have a nice home-cooked meal. Another reward is that we get to try new foods! Even though I was feeling the stress earlier today, now I feel like I have accomplished something. Now I'd better go clean my kitchen, so I can go downstairs to my studio and sew the night away. I don't have to stop to make dinner--I only need to stop to eat it!

Meet Avi

2008-12-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Avi is a special order panda. I was very pleased with him and my collector is thrilled to pieces with him, which means the world to me.

Chloe's New Dress

2008-11-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

Chloe is modeling a new dress I purchased for her from Den of Angels member Spampy. She makes adorable and very reasonably priced clothes for tiny BJDs.
I was going to make all of her clothes myself, but who could say no to this adorable dress and tights. I did make her a tiny bear this past weekend though! It is the smallest bear I have made in a LONG time. I also made another tiny bear this weekend for Chloe's Secret Santa partner...Shhh! Don't tell!

Dream Studio

2008-11-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

This is the studio I have always wanted!!!

No, I don't mean one that is a great big mess. But one where my loved ones can join me working on their own creative persuits!

Alex is sewing the body for a Leonardo Da Vinci pop-up puppet...

And Brendan is drawing a family crest.

And no doubt Missy's creative endeavor involves dreaming up new ways to annoy Cinder (our other kitty)

I guess in my true dream studio, we would all have table space to work and big windows would drench us in natural light...Oh, and it would be clean... But any studio is a very nice place to work with such wonderful company!

Hunt Valley Teddy Bear Show

2008-11-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

On November 2, I went to the Handmade Treasures Teddy Bear Show and Sale in Hunt Valley Maryland. The Christmas theme made this a wonderful show with a very festive atmosphere. It is put on by Teddy Bears on Vacation.I enjoyed meeting artists and collectors like I always do, and I sold all of my bears!
I was sick the week before the show and, as usual, I was making bears right up until the moment I left (actually I even sewed on the drive up)so I didn't get to create a preview here on my blog like I had hoped. But here is a REview in pictures!

First, here are a few close-ups I took while planning my table display.

I enjoyed making these traditional Teddies with a brand new pattern.

These Beatrix Potter inspired bunnies were among the first things to "hop" off my table.

The Little Drummer Boy was published in the December issue of Teddy Bear and Friends magazine.

Polar Santa

My Dad was my assistant. He was great! He drove the whole way so I could finish the tiny bear for Polar Santa's toy bag, and he carried all the boxes. Everyone loved Dad's "costume"! Ha, Ha! My dad always looks like Santa!

Many of the artists did wear Chrsitmas themed costumes (I would have, but I was too busy getting bears finished!) Here is something you don't see every day...Christmas pirates!

Mystery author, John Lamb, and his wife Joyce dressed as Sugar Plums! John wanted to make it clear that while he was a Sugar Plum, he was not a fairy!!!

I was pleased to meet, in person, Jamie, a lovely collector who discovered my work on ebay. She adopted Little Drummer Boy.

All of my bears found homes but I didn't go home empty handed. I adopted this little darling from artist Donna Griffin! I was so happy to see Donna again. We met in 2005 at the TOBY Awards where we both won a TOBY Public's Choice Award! Donna has gone on to win a few more!

All in all it was a great show.

Halloween Cuties

2008-11-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

I am a little behind in posting, so I will be making two posts today. I just had to include these photos of Halloween. Isn't this the cutest little bear ever? This is my nephew and Godson, Nolan wearing a costume I made when Alex was a baby.

And these big boys are my babies--no longer babies of course. Somehow, it seems like forever ago and yesterday at once that they wore the little Teddy Bear suit. I have no pictures to post of them in it, though, since it was before I went digital. Anyway, here are my sons in their Halloween attire!

Happy Halloween, Chloe!

2008-10-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

I have given my BJD, Chloe, a face up! It's not perfect, but I think she looks sweet. The biggest challenge was the eyelashes, but making the mouth look defined without looking like lipstick was a challenge too.

Chloe shows off the Kitty on the Halloween dress I made her.

So many of my dolls are posed holding a Teddy Bear. (No surprise there!) Chloe has fallen for this one made by Terri Effan.

My BJD is Here!

2008-10-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Meet Chloe. Isn't she sweet?

I had to start with that photograph because it is my favorite, but I suppose I should back up a bit. I have been reading the BJD forums and I noticed it is customary to document the arrival of a new BJD with a "box opening" photo shoot. Since this is my first ball-jointed doll, I decided to participate in this custom so here goes:

The box arrives.

(I've also noticed on the forums that it is also customary for the family pet to inspect the box and make sure all paperwork is in order. Missy seemed to instinctively know this was her job, and she went right to work as soon as I put the box down.)

Hello

Is all this stuff for me?

Cinder had to get into the photos too. (How come I can't get a good shot of just him when I want to?)

I like my dress.

Could you make my ears smaller, please? I think they are too big for me.

That's all for now. I'll take more pictures when I get her face done (which may be a little while)
For those waiting to see bears on this blog, you will soon!

Ball-Jointed Doll Artists Retreat!

2008-10-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my retreat and it was great! It was a great learning experience, it was fun, and even exhausting. We sculpted a head, created the molds for it, and cast it in just three days. We also had a wonderful airbrush painting demonstration. I was very busy but I did manage to snap a few pictures. So here they are!

This is what I came home with--my original sculpt and the casted head. We used ball barings for eyes so the original looks quite creepy. I had wanted to sculpt a girl, but my head decided to be a boy! We only had four hours or so to sculpt the head, so I thought it came out pretty good considering.

Making the clay bed for the molding process...

Making the mold box...

Our classroom. (The lovely and talented Lori Metcalf, seated in front, was my roommate for the weekend! Thanks for everything, Lori!)

Our wonderful sculpting instructor, NIADA artist, Pat Lilich talks with Lori.

This is Donn Kinney of Bishonen House, our mold making instructor.

Here are two of Donn's amazing dolls...

And some alternate face plates for them.

I met so many wonderful (and talented) people, I really wish I were better at remembering names.

On the left is Yia Putman. She sat right in front of me and was a delight to talk to.

Lori and I pose with Yia's doll.

Sarah, AKA Batchix, with her incredible Machina dolls.

One person's trash is another person's treasure! The mohair scraps I brought were a hit with the dollmakers.

One tiny doll gets a new look from an unused mohair Teddy ear!

And look who I found at the BJD Artists' Retreat! Famous fellow Teddy Bear Artist, Art Rogers of Chatham Village Bears!

Saturday evening there was a Steampunk Ball and I took some pictures there too, but I'll have to post them later. I want to spend some time in my studio today...the bears are calling!

Playing With Dolls

2008-09-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

I used to say, "I don't collect dolls, I just have a few that I really like." But recently, I counted my dolls, and I think it is safe to say that a grown woman with 25+ dolls, is a doll collector! My recent doll obsession, (besides sculpting them) is BJDs or Ball Jointed Dolls. I mentioned in my last post that next weekend I will be attending a BJD Artist Workshop and Retreat. I could not be more excited about that! I am also looking forward to the arrival of my very first purchased BJD. Modern ball-jointed dolls are a unique collectible in that they are completely customizable. They are hand cast resin, and are often made in Asia (which is why they are sometimes called Asian BJDs). A collector chooses the sculpt, the hairstyle and color, eye color, clothing, and the face-up (how the face is painted). Many collectors will even do the face-up themselves. The other thing that makes BJDs so wonderful is, of course, the jointing. They have ball joints at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and sometimes at the waist too, making them able to pose in very lifelike ways. As soon as I saw them, I knew I wanted to add one to my collection (yes, to my doll collection) But which one? There are so many choices of companies and sculpts-- and that is even before you begin to think about customizing!
I finally decided on Ange Ai Gaby from Custom House in Korea. I love her sweet face and small size. I also knew I wanted a child doll. Here is the picture of Gaby from their website.

When my little doll arrives home, she will look very little like that photo. She will be bald, naked, and unpainted. She will also have some random eye color which the company chose (which could even be purple--not my taste) But she won't be like that for long! I have purchased a wig and some eyes for her, and have the materials necessary for giving her a "face up". I also purchased some clothing patterns and an adorable pair of tiny leather shoes.

I have been very busy making bears for orders, and I have a show coming up soon, but today, I gave myself permission to "play with dolls". I think my doll will be arriving near the middle of next month, so I made a Halloween themed dress/outfit for her. The shoes I got have a cute black cat face on them and I fell in love with them, so I based the outfit design on the little cat face. I made a drawing of how I wanted it to look. I purchase a Bitty Bethany Pattern because the measurements seemed similar to Ange Ai, and made some simple alterations.I think the outfit turned out too cute! I hope it will fit her. The jumper is black velveteen and I made the Kitty applique from very thin leather to match the kitty on her shoes.

This will be her Halloween outfit, since I hope to display her with my Halloween bears and other decorations. I will have to make other outfits for other occassions.
I'll be sure to post her pictures when she comes!
Now back to Teddy Bears!

I'm Still Here!

2008-09-24T05:56:00.001-07:00

I've been working on so many things at once that I have not been posting much, but I am still here and still making bears (and some bunnies, and some knitted scarves). Also, our power was out for a while due to the huge winds the hurricane sent us. In Ohio!!? Remember the post where I was contemplating whether or not I'd give up electricity before giving up making bears? I had a chance to try it out! What do you think I did during the power outage? I worked on bear on the screen porch and in the candle light until my eyes couldn't take it anymore!

I am also very much looking forward to next weekend for a chance to get away and emerse myself in sculpting dolls and surround myself with passionate and talented doll artists at the BJD Artists Workshop Retreat!!! The forum for the retreat has asked for a photo, and I didn't have a recent one I liked (I have lots of cute ones from 2-3 years ago before I gained 20lbs!) So I asked my son, Alex to take one. He took a few, and then told me to hold one of my bears. Wouldn't you know that the photo of me with a bear was the one with the most natural smile!
Here I am with The Little Drummer Boy, made for Teddy Bear and Friends magazine's Christmas feature.

I'll bring my camera to the retreat so I can post some pictures here. It sounds liek we are going to be very busy though so I do hope I remember to use it!

Where Has the Summer Gone?

2008-08-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

This has to have been the fastest summer I can remember! I'm sure I said that last year too, but this year was even faster. I don't know where the summer went, but I started back at my teaching job last week. It is wonderful to see the students again and my mind is full of ideas for lessons and projects.
I have not been posting on here very much, not because I have not been making bears, but because it has been a beary good and busy summer with lots of custom orders and one fun show. But the highlight of my summer, and certainly one of the biggest highlights of my Teddy career so far, came in the mail about a week ago. I hope I don't sound too cheesy when I say it is a dream come true , but I have been wishing for this for a long time.Please check out pages 28-31 in the latest Teddy Bear and Friends magazine.

Sauder Village Doll and Teddy Bear Show

2008-08-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the Sauder Village Doll and Teddy Bear Show! It was a delightful show. Most of the exhibitors were doll and/or Teddy Bear dealers, but there were a couple of original doll artists present and seven Teddy Bear artists. The collectors were wonderful, as usual, and five of my pieces (two bunnies and three bears) found new homes. Another bear found his new home as soon as I got back from the show.
It was also delightful to meet (in person--I know Bobbie from Teddy Talk) artists Bobbie Ripperger, Berta Hesen-Mensen, and to see Jacquie Pollitt and Marilyn Wagner again. We also enjoyed seeing Beth and Ben Savino of the Toy Store again.
As usual, I was so busy chatting with table visitors to think much of my camera, but I did remember to get a couple of shots of my table, and my handsome assistant.
This is most of my table. I couldn't stand back far enough to get it all in at once.

The Traveling Bear got cut off, but here he is.

Here is a closer look at Jax, Doodle, Flopsy, and Peter.

A closer look at my more traditional Teddy Bears...The Little Floppies, Pincushion, and Simon.

And last, but certainly not least, my handsome assistant Sean(AKA husband, best friend, soulmate, etc.) He was a great help, and of course I love his company. He is not able to come along often so it was a real treat.A treat for me, I mean!

As is always the case with traveling to shows, I was ready to be home at the end. But shows always leave me looking forward to the next one too! I'll let you know when that will be. For now I need to change gears a bit, and get ready to start teaching school again.

Teddy Bears or Diet Coke

2008-07-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

The icemaker in our freezer broke this weekend which led me to actually make use of a cute Teddy Bear ice cube tray I purchased on an impulse at some point in the past. As I was plunking the little frozen Teddy Bears into my glass, my son Alex remarked. "Two of your favorite things enjoyed together, Teddy Bears, and Diet Coke!"
This comment led to the following amusing exchange.

Alex: Which would your rather give up,Teddy Bears or Diet Coke?

Me: Diet Coke. (No hesitation.Diet Coke is not really good for you, but Teddy Bears are!)

Alex: Would you rather give up, Teddy Bears or TV?

Me: (again without hesitaion) TV!

Alex: Teddy Bears or the Internet?

Me: (With a little hesitation this time, I do enjoy the internet) I'd give up the Internet.

Alex: Teddy Bears or electricity?

Me: (No response.)

Alex: Mom?

Me: I'm thinking!

And I'm still thinking! And laughing at myself for contemplating a question which should be a "no- brainer". Electricity sure does make life easier, but a life without Teddy Bears is hard for me to imagine! Anyone else out there as crazy as me that you might consider giving up electricity before giving up making, collecting,or hugging Teddy Bears?

Jax

2008-07-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Before I post about my latest bear, I wanted to say that Missy seems to be back to her normal bouncy little self, following me around, chasing Cinder, and purring loudly when she's held. Thanks for the prayers and well wishes!

I have finished the bear inspired by the loopy green and purple trim. This is Jax.

Jax's coloring was inspired by the fabric trim, but the clown bear idea came from Paula Carter's Teddy Talk "Send in the Clowns Challenge" last summer. There were many beautiful entries (I made a panda clown that I was quite pleased with) but Paula herself made several fabulous clown bears which had incorporated clothing like this. I thought, "What a wonderful way to use up pieces of mohair which were too small for a large bear, but to long and thick for a smaller bear." (It's also a nice way to use up yards and yards of white mohair you have special ordered with out making all white bears.) I had asked Paula if she would mind if I used the idea, and she said, go for it. So, a year later, here he is--Jax--a clown bear Tami-style. Be sure to visit Paula's blog (You'll find link to the right.) if you'd like to see more wonderful clown bears.

Studio Cat

2008-07-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Since we got Missy in April, she is always right there with me when I am working; curled up in my lap, intently watching me cut out mohair parts, chasing bits of stuffing, stealing the show in bear photographs, or sleeping in her little bed lined in Teddy Fur. In case you couldn't tell by how often she appears in this blog, I love having her near me. Cinder, our big boy is wonderful as well but at 17lbs he's not much of a lap cat!

But danger lurks in a Teddy Studio for a curious kitten! I knew that kittens, like baby humans, put anything in their mouths, so I was sure to be extra careful about putting my things away after working. My studio is an open room that the cats must pass through to the unfinished part of the basement where their litter box is.

Apparently, I was not careful enough! When we took Missy to the vet yesterday because she would not eat and was throwing up, we thought it might be complications from her spaying surgery last week. But the vet took some x-rays and said "linear foreign body". Linear foreign body? I questioned. "Like thread, string, or ribbon" he answered. Oh no!It's my fault my kitty is sick. Where else but my studio would she get into thread, string, or ribbon?

He said that string or similar would not show up on the X-ray, only evidence of it in the form of little air bubbles in the intestine. Missy has special high nutrient food and medicine for nausia and for helping the foreign body pass and thankfully she does seem to be improving (no more vomiting, and she wants to eat and the photo above was taken today), because if she doesn't, it would mean "exploratory surgery". Please say a prayer for Missy so she won't need surgery and check your own studio or home for pet dangers.

Traveling Bear

2008-07-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

The first bear I made this year, back in January, was sort of a treat for myself. (I collect Teddies, too!)I was enjoying listening to A Bear Called Paddington on CD with my son, and we decided to make our very own versions of Paddington. Brendan did a great job with his Paddington, his first Teddy Bear, and I was delighted with the way mine turned out, too. It turns out so were some of my collectors--a few have asked for one of their own. Paddington is a licenced character and, as such, getting permission to make him to sell would require me to change my design to fit with the popular image of Paddington. Rather than change my bear, I have changed the name. Meet the Traveling Bear. This is the second bear made with this design, since the first is staying with me.(*smile*)This near-life sized (23")cub is made of dense brown alpaca with airbrush accents. He is five way jointed and his arms contain wire armature for additional posing. Special features include appliqued-trapunto sculpted pawpads and a needle sculpted face. His eyes are glass.

Like Paddington, he is an orphan who loves traveling, geography, and keeps a scrapbook of his adventures.

His little tag reads "Please Take Me With You", and his suitcase is covered with maps.

Also like Paddington, it will be up to his new adoptive family to find him the perfect name, and to take him on many adventure to fill his scrapbook and fill his suitcase with souvenirs.

As much as I was trying NOT to get Missy in the photos, I had to post this one!!!

How cute is that little pose?! It's like she's thinking, "Tami, all you want to do is photograph bears--Look, I can be adorable too!"

Mohair to Dye for!!

2008-07-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

I spent last night dying some deliciously dense white Schulte mohair, both straight and curly. I had fallen in love with both of these extra dense white mohair qualities and found that Edinburgh Imports was not carrying them any more, unless I wanted to do a special order and get five yards---so of course I did! I have such fun dying mohair, but I make such a mess of my kitchen in the process. No worries though, because it all cleans up.

Here is the result.

The purple and green colors are inspired by this bit of loopy trim I purchased at Hobby Lobby, and the red and blue are for a patriotic bear (I know I'm late for the Fourth of July holiday, but, hey, I can still be patriotic!)I used Rit dyes, Scarlet by itself for the red, Denim Blue and Royal Blue mixed for the blue. The purple and green colors were mixed by adding a little of this and that to Kelly Green and Purple. Color wheel knowledge comes in handy when dying fur. Did you know that if you wish to tone down the brightness or intensity of a color you can just add a little of it's color wheel opposite? Fun stuff!!

Now off to make some bears with those lovely furs!

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

Actually, it's the day after Independence Day since it is so late. Happy anyway!

I thought I'd share a picture of my July decorating. My good friend, Marie is absolutely the best at creating themed displays with her bears. She has a different theme for each month of the year. I think she would find mine acceptable, though.

I thought it was cute. The only bear in the display that was made by me is on the top shelf on the left. Spencer doesn't seem to fit my current style for two reasons. First, I made him 13 years ago and second, I used a pattern I found in a Teddy magazine, not one of my own designs. He holds a special place in my heart because he was my classroom bear when I was teaching first grade. He has borrowed a sweater from one of Alex's Teddy Bears from Build a Bear Workshop. Joining him on the top shelf are Raggedy Ann and a patriotic Beanie Baby which was a gift from my brother. The next shelf has Cindy Anschutz's Gulliver,a Deb Canham bear in an Uncle Sam hat and a Cottage Collectibles Mary Holstad bear which I bought in Key West.

I finally finished the Little Floppies!!! After some air brush issues were resolved, they were completed! They are an open edition, but I give them new names each time beacuse of the different colors of fur and slight differences in airbrush markings. It seems to take forever when I work on several bears at once like this but I just love to see the Little Floppies in a group like that. I also wanted the collectors who have been waiting for these guys to have a choice.
Here they are!

Checking in!!!

2008-06-23T09:17:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm back. I'm going to have to try again with the "unplugged" week. It was a busy week since my husband and I were in his brother's wedding and I didn't really completely unplug--I am addicted to the internet! However, I did succeed in getting a lot more bear time in, but instead of having a couple of finished bears to show, I now have eight bears in various stages. I guess I'm still having focus issues, but at least I have focused on making bears for my show!

Six of the in progress bears are Little Floppies in an array of colors.

As you can see, my new "Production Supervisor" keeps a close eye on my work!

I also spent part of the week working on a project with Brendan. He has written a book about me and my bears! He really wrote the text with only a little editing from me, and he designed the pages. He's a good little writer and I have saved so many of his school assignments because he liked to write about family members. I had taken a lot of photos of a bear in progress for a presentation I was doing last year and he used those to create this book on Shutterfly. He's so excited that we can have it printed and we plan to donate copies to both his school library and mine.
Here it is:

Click here to view this photo book.

I've got to get back to work, so I have something finished to share!

It's Summertime!!!

2008-06-13T04:58:00.000-07:00

Well, school is finally out for both myself and the boys, and we are so ready. They are ready for a break, and I am ready to switch gears from teaching to bears and dolls so I have something to take to the Sauder Village show in six weeks!!
I have not been as productive as I had wanted to be during this, my first week out of school, but the boys are in full out summer mode--sleep overs,swimming, and major squirt gun battles in the yard!

I have had some studio time, but I still am finding myself distracted...

Isn't she growing fast? Actually though, even though she's always right there with me (she's on my lap asleep as I type this) I can't blame Missy for my distraction. I can't even say it is my sons keeping me from being productive. They have been keeping themselves quite busy so far. No. THIS is my distraction. THIS--being here in this chair, looking at this screen!!! I think that the internet is a wonderful place for an artist to read, learn, search, and be inspired. I love looking at all kinds of different arts and crafts on here. I love reading doll and bear artists blogs, and connecting to artsy folks in forums, but there are dolls and bears in my head waiting to be made and there is a show coming up!!! So as of right now, I'm declaring myself "unplugged" for a week! I will not surf.I will check my email only once per day, and limit my time doing it. I have a couple of bears in the works right now, and I am hoping that by the time I post here again next Friday, I'll have those two and one more finished for you to see. (hope I can do this)
See you in a week!

Mickey and Missy

2008-05-23T17:39:00.001-07:00

Wow,I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post! Things are getting busy at school (both the school where I teach and the school my sons attend) with the year winding down.

I have had some creative time though, working on special orders still and playing a little at doll sculpting when I have a chance. I've also been a tiny bit distracted.
Let me intruduce my tiny distraction.

This is Missy.

This is Missy in the dollhouse (or Bear house)

Missy is a delightful little distraction who came to me from one of my students. Even though she is still quite small she's already twice the size she was when I brought her home, and her little body is taking on the proportions of a cat. And when ever this miniature cat walks by me I cannot resist scooping her up for a snuggle. If she is tired, she will reward me with a rumbling purr, and sometimes fall asleep in my arms or lap. If she is "busy" she will let me pet her for a little while then wriggle away to chase her toy mouse, a water bottle lid, or her "big brother" Cinder. The whole family adores her. Well,not all of us "adore" her, I guess. Cinder, our older male cat, simply tollerates her. She wants so badly to play with him and he'd rather just lay around.

Missy loves to be where the action is even when the action is simply setting up a photograph of my latest bear. Do you see the gray bur on the right side of this photo?

What was that? Oh, there she is!

The bear is Mickey, a special order for a collector who collects only black and tan bears. I am so pleased with the way he turned out, but black bears are such a challenge to photograph--even without a tiny gray kitten streaking in and out of the photo tent! Mickey got his name because, before I airbrushed him, he reminded me of a certain famous mouse!

I think this outdoor shot of him is a little better. What do you think?

My head is filled with project ideas (as always) and summer is on it's way, so watch this space for more updates.

By the way, if you are interested in seeing my work in person, please visit me in Archbold, Ohio in August for the Sauder Village Doll and Teddy Bear Show and Sale Hope to see you there!

A Mouse in a Box

2008-03-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a story for you, dear Blog Readers:

Once there was a mouse trapped inside a cardboard box. She wanted to get out, so she chewed a bit here and a bit there, trying to make a hole in the box, and made small holes all over the box until she finally chewed one big enough to get out!
Once there was another mouse trapped in a box. This mouse wanted to get out so she chewed and chewed in the same spot, and in no time at all she had made a hole large enough to get out of the box. The End

Of course it is pretty easy to see the lesson in the story, but try as I might to change my ways, I am the first little mouse! It would probably be more time efficient to begin one project, and only work on that one project until I had it finished. But I always end up working on several things at once!

Here are some things I have been working on--and even a couple that are finished!!!

A Sailboat Make Over
You may recall Edward Bear, the young sailor from an earlier post this month. He was going to have a sailor-boy doll, but he asked me instead to give him a little sailboat to play with. I found three lovely sailboats at Hobby Lobby, but I wanted the colors to match Edward's collar. So, I took the boat apart and painted the sails and the hull.

A Ball-Jointed Doll Head
When I was planning to make a doll for Edward Bear, I started to sculpt this head. But she didn't want to be a sailor boy. She came out cute, but she wants a posable ball-jointed body! (She will have to be patient, because I am still working on bears for orders and shops!)

Little Floppies
Yes, I am doing more of these cuties! Some for orders some for shops!

Two V.I.P.s (Very Important Pandas, that is.)
I have had a number of special commissions from collectors recently and two were one of a kind pandas. One bear was sent to his new home before I had a chance to photograph him, but Raphael had a chance to pose. He will meet his new mom on Monday.

I had better get back to work on all my projects!

"Life is Drawing Without an Eraser"

2008-03-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

"Life is Drawing Without an Eraser"
I just read that quote in an email I received today, and I love it! When it comes to my artwork, I like realism and precision. I can spend hours trimming a Teddy Bear snout to get the shape just right, and if I don't bake a polymer clay sculpt right away, I could tweak it forever. But for some reason, I also love to draw with a pen. For me, the fact that I know I can't go back and erase somehow frees my inhibitions. It takes away that "it-has-to-be-perfect" pressure. If I know I can't erase, then what is there is there. My pen and ink sketches always have a much more energetic quality about them, and even though they are not perfect, I love them. I suppose life is like that too. It is good to have a plan, but sometimes when we let go of our plans and preconceived notions, great things happen. One example is my job search last summer. I had planned to get a full time teaching job at my sons' school. It was the only place I had applied because I was sure I would be teaching there this school year. It is close, there were four openings which I was qualified for, and the pay was great! It was the "perfect" job for me. I was devastated when I didn't even get an interview. I had not planned to look at private schools because the pay is always significantly less, but I had to check out other options when the positions I wanted were filled. When I saw the opening for the art teacher at St. Bernadette School online, my heart literally started to race, and I knew this was going to be my job. I would get to teach art, my passion, even though I am still short a few credit hours for certification in art. (a public school district like the one my sons attend cannot be that flexible.) It is a part time job which is wonderful because I still have plenty of time to do my own artwork. It is not perfect. I wish it were closer to home, and I think we all would like to be paid more for our time and experience, but it really doesn't matter because, like a lively sketch that flows from my pen when I let myself go, I absolutely love it!

Edward Bear--What's in a Name?

2008-03-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

This is Edward Bear. He is going to hold a little boy doll in a sailor suit. I was going to make a bear to hold a Goldilocks doll, but as I began to cut his pieces I began to picture a bear with a light blue sailor collar holding a little boy doll with a sailor suit. The gold color of the fur made me think of Pooh and Christopher Robin and I thought this pair could be reminiscent of them. Later, as I took the last stitches in the bear, I began to think (as I often do at that point in bear making)"What will I name him?"
My train of thought went something like this. "He's going to wear a sailor collar so what is a good sailor name...Dad was a sailor...Hey today is February 25, dad's birthday and the bear's birthday too!...and my brother in law Chris's birthday as well--the doll could be Christopher! Edward Bear and Christopher for my father and my brother-in-law who share this bear's birthday! Those names are perfect because they also are reminiscent of Christopher Robin and Pooh since Pooh was once called Edward Bear! Serendipity!
Now. I had better get busy and make his doll!

Look, Mom! No Hands!

2008-02-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

Or arms even for that matter! Help!

Here is a bear that I am working on. He will have a doll to hold like "Theodore Loves His Teddy" so I have made wire armatures for his arms. I use electrical cable, duct tape, and quilt batting. I bend the paw into shape, then wrap it with duct tape. I cut away the plastic coating on the end and clip all but two of the wires flush with the plastic. I used the remaining wires to wrap around the joint bolt. The armature is wrapped with quilt batting that is secured with strong thread.

The bear is finished now and his arms will help him hold on tight to his little doll. In the mean time though, he wants to hold hands with Paddington!

I'll post progress on his doll next.

"And I Really Want a Pet Pig!"

2008-02-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

I am excited to say that my Teddy Bear Sterling has been nominated for a 2008 Golden Teddy Award. This award is sponsored by the Teddy Bear Review Magazine and my bear will appear in the magazine along with the other nominees and the subscribers will vote on their favorites. It is very exciting. There is an awards ceremony in Washington DC and I would love to attend. This is my fourth Golden Teddy nomination and I have never been to the ceremony (although I did win once.)
I heard a while back, but I received my official notification and my ribbon in the mail today and I got excited all over again! As I read through the material I said aloud, "Oh, I really want to go to Washington DC."
To which my eight year old son Brendan replied, "And I really want a pet pig!"
I cracked up thinking he was trying to be funny. Then I looked at his earnest little smile, and he said, "I really do. They are cute, and smart, and funny. Can I have one?"
Not as cute and smart and funny as you are, Brendan! Aren't kids the best?

Theodore Loves His Teddy!

2008-02-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have finished my bear and doll combination piece, but I wanted to show just one more in progress photo. My sister in law does not like to see the stage in my bear making in which body part are complete, but not attached to each other. She says it creeps her out-like I'm some sort of sicko who has torn apart a Teddy Bear! I supposed she might be even more creeped out by HUMAN parts scattered about the studio...Sorry, Beth!

Anyway, here are some photographs of the finished pair!

"Theodore Loves His Teddy!"

And here is one with just Teddy.

I hope the Toy Shoppe likes them!!!

More Teddy Pics

2008-02-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

I've finished sculpting the head and here are some pictures of it before it is baked. It still looks more like Robin Williams as TR, but I am pleased and I can't wait to finish him!

I'm Sculpting Again!!!!

2008-02-06T10:24:00.001-08:00

Whoo hooo! I love to sculpt faces!

The Toy Shoppe saw my "I Love My Teddy" piece in the Teddy Bear and Friends magazine and asked me to create some doll and bear combo pieces for them.

"I Love My Teddy"

They definitely wanted a piece with Teddy Roosevelt, so that is what I am working on. Fun, fun, fun! I love to scupt children most of all, but Teddy is a blast too. He has the perfect caracature face. Just look at this photo.

It is also fun to work on a cartoon-like style. I am exaggerating his features and I have sculpted his moustache rather than applying mohair because he is meant to look like a Teddy Roosevelt doll, not the actual person. The moustache is a funny part because, both this time and the last time I sculpted Teddy, I worked a long time thinking my sculpt looked nothing like him, but when I added the bushy moustache--bam!--Instant Teddy Roosevelt!

He needs a lot of work still but I'm pleased with the start. I can see looking at this photograph that I need to make the nose narrower at the nostrils. He reminds me of Robin Williams playing TR in "Night at The Museum"(Great movie, BTW.)
Sitting and watching my progress is the bear who is meant to hold this Teddy doll.

He is made with my new body pattern and an open mouth.

Photoplay!

2008-01-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

OK. I learned that with a cloning tool in Photoshop, I can get rid of the seam in the background of this picture. (See the post below for the original photo.) Pretty cool, right?
Brendan's Paddington

I also learned that if I just play around in Photoshop like a little girl with her hands in fingerpaint, I can do this! Really cool, right? Well, OK, I'm not ready to do my own web design yet, but it was fun and I kinda like it!

Enlightening Experience

2008-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Well, after years of taking all of my Teddy Bear pictures outside, and freezing my fingers off (and other body parts, too)in weather like we are having today, I bought a light tent studio. I still really like the look of the pictures I take outside--the bears look good in their natural habitat--but magazines and stores require pictures with "plain, uncluttered backgrounds". It will also be nice not to have to depend on the weather to cooperate when I need to photograph a bear.

I have taken some photographs with my new light tent, and of course I will have to experiment to find out how to best use it, but I do think it will work out.

This is how the studio is set up. My camera tripod is, of course, empty because I had to take it off to take THIS picture!

Here is a photo of Brendan's Paddington now fully outfitted with his hat and coat. (He did a beautiful job with the clothes, too, didn't he?) This photo is one of the best I took, because the bear is smaller and less of the light tent shows. If I had aimed my camera a bit more carefully none of the tent seams would have shown.I'm learning!

I also learned that I don't care for the black background--not the one that came with it anyway, the folds show,(I know, I know,I could iron it, but who wants to do that very time?) and it washes out the bear.

The white background shows the folds a bit too, but not nearly as much as the black, but I think the bear's color looks great with the white. The other backgrounds included are bright red and bright blue, and they are shiny. I am thinking that I will use the included backgrounds as templates to cut the blue felt and the tan vinyl that I've used before to fit in the tent. Neither of those are wrinkly at all. This photo could be cropped better as well.

Here is one more.I was thinking that photo editing software could adjust the backgrounds, too. For example, I think could use the cloning tool to wipe out that seam area behind Paddington's ear in this one, but I'd rather not have to fool with that too much.

Anyway, this was an enlightening experience!

Paddington's Progress

2008-01-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

I finished Paddington! I've finished the bear himself, that is. He still needs his coat and hat, and I have plans for more items from the stories to put into his suitcase (Scrapbook, jar of marmalade, picture of Aunt Lucy, centavos, etc.). I found his suitcase at Michael's.It might be a little big for him to carry, but I wanted to display him sitting on it most of the time. So far,I have made him a scrapbook, but it doesn't have anything in it yet. The Paddington Bears will be sort of an ongoing project for Brendan and me, but I have to set it aside for now, as I've got lots of bear orders to work on (and dolls too)! Yay!

Here is a picture of him before I used my airbrush. It shows the size comparison to my next largest bear, Figaro.

More poses to enjoy...
(You can click on any picture in my blog to see it bigger.)

More About Paddington

2008-01-02T15:30:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd borrow the title of Michael Bond's second Paddington book for this post as it seemed to fit perfectly. I have been working away on my Paddington and he is getting close to being finished. Brendan had made a suitcase for his bear complete with the intitials P.B. on it. He bought a little wooden hinged box and lined it with black fabric. Then he painted the case black and glued in the letters for the monogram. We found a small jar to put in the suitcase and now we justhave to figure out how to make it look like it has marmalade in it.

Brendan's Paddington:

My Paddington is nearly finished.
I have chosen to make him "life-sized" or at least how I imagine he would be. One of the books says he weighs "nearly 16 pounds" and the drawings show him about the size of a toddler. I hope the Paddington I am making will be recognizable as Paddington even though he will not look like the cartoon illustrations of Paddington. I love the first illustrator's gestural pen and ink illustrations for their lively feel, but it is certainly difficult to duplicate that quality in 3-D. The Paddington I am making is going to look like the picture I get in my mind when I read the stories...
I made some pen and ink sketches mimicking the style of Peggy Fortnum,

And then I drew a sketch of what I see when I read the Paddington stories...(the one on the left). This is how I hope my finished bear will look.

Back to work with me! Or should I say back to play--this bear is for ME!

Paddington!

2007-12-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

Many Christmases ago--nearly thirty, I think--I received a set of paperback books in a slipcase. I can't recall what those books were or even who they were from...So why am I even bringing them up? I bring them up because my brother Aaron also received a set of paperbacks in a slipcase that same Christmas---and his books I loved! I'm not sure if he ever read them, but I read them all, again and again. I loved bears and these books were about a sweet, polite, and doggone funny little bear named Paddington, who was created by Michael Bond.
A couple of years ago, while browsing on ebay, I saw that set of books and had to buy them to share the stories with my kids (and because I am a nostalgic kind of person).
This picture shows the paperbacks in the slipcase, a Paddington made by Boyds which was a Christmas gift from my husband several years ago, and a tiny little clip-on Paddington who lived in my dollhouse when I was a kid.

Paddington also inspired my creative side when I was young. Here is a picture I made based on the cover illustration on the first Paddington book. I remember when I made this picture I didn't like it at all. It was an art class assignment which involved tearing tissue paper and gluing it to create the picture. We were not allowed to use scissors and I was frustrated with the picture since I was actually pretty good at drawing--especially bears--but I could not get the realistic look I wanted with the torn tissue. My mother, an artist who tends to favor abstract art loved it and has saved it all these years.

I recently checked out some Paddington books on CD from our library to listen to while I sew, and naturally began to envision how I would make my own version of Paddinton. My son Brendan was listening too. He asked where my Paddington books where and when I gave them to him he read straight through the first one. Then he came to me and said, "Mom, can you help me make my own Paddington?" Ha! No one has to twist my arm for that!

I just happened to have a Paddington pattern I had purchased from ebay (for nostalgic reasons too). I didn't know if I would actually use it or not, but I bought it because, during my childhood Paddington obsession, my mom had purchased the exact same pattern for me. (I'm not sure if I ever made him, but I do recall making his duffle coat for a stuffed bunny I had.) I thought it would be a perfect beginner bear for Brendan. The date on the pattern is 1977.

So on Christmas Eve, Brendan began to make his Paddington bear from a remnant of fleece I had purchased for him. We worked a bit on Christmas day too and finished Paddington.

I helped with the pinning and Brendan did all of the cutting and sewing (both hand and machine sewing) except for the gusset and the foot pads which I sewed for him. He placed the safety eyes and nose,stuffed the bear well, and closed the stuffing holes with a ladder stitch.

Brendan is very proud of his bear and I am very proud of him!

I'll have more to post on this topic as I do plan to design my own Paddington and Brendan has plans for a coat, hat and even a suitcase for his bear.

A New Bear---well sort of!

2007-12-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

I finally finished this fellow for a special collector in Wisconsin. He had seen Santa's Little Helper and Jingles at the show in Schaumburg, but they had already been adopted. I told him I could make something similar but not the same. There are two reasons for that. First, the other set was sold as one-of-a-kind. Second, the reason I described it as one of a kind, is that I knew I had purchased those fabrics some time ago and would not be able to find them again. So he's not really a new design, but he is a new bear! I hope Jeff likes him.

Five Random Things About Me---

2007-12-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged!!! Thank you for tagging me goes to both Ellen Borggreve of
Ellen Borggreve Design and Kim Basta of Wild Thyme Originals. Thank you!!

So if I understand the game right, I am to list five random things about me and then to tag five other bloggers.

Here are my random facts:

1. I am listening to George Winston's December CD and I love it. I always think that musicians possess I kind of magic that I wish I had as well. This piano CD certainly is magical.

2. I have three brothers and no sisters. I do have four lovely sisters-in-law, though including Sean's brothers wife, and soon there will be five!

3. I have known my husband Sean for more than half of my life and I am still totally infatuated with him!

4. I am not 40 yet! (but will be soon!)

5. I do not like the taste of coffee--or even coffee flavored sweets, but I love the smell of it.

I am going to copy the rules of this game here and tag five more bloggers.
Please visit these lovely artists' blogs. I love to pop in on these folks!
Jennifer Stanfield
Laura Matthews
Daphne Blau
Christine Pike
Amy Thornton

HERE ARE THE RULES FOR PLAYING INTERNET TAG:

Share 5 random facts about yourself on your blog
Link to your tagger (that's me!) in your "random fact" post
Include these rules in your post
Tag 5 people by including both their names and links to their blogs in your post
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Snowball Fight!

2007-12-10T05:33:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like quality time with the family during the holidays!

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

A Christmas Gift for You!

2007-12-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

I created this Teddy Bear Ornament pattern to make a special gift for a friend and to use with the 2nd Annual Teddy Talk Christmas Ornament Exchange. I made three of these and enjoyed it so much I thought it would be great to give a gift to ALL of my online Teddy Bear friends. So here is the pattern!It is quite simple, but the directions assume that you have some experience making Teddy Bears or stuffed animals. Merry Christmas, My Friends!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

2007-12-07T15:45:00.000-08:00

I am ususally one of those people that cannot wait for December 1 to arrive so I can start decorating my home for Christmas, but I got a bit of a late start this year. When I started moving the furniture to make room for the tree, I decided I needed to paint my living room before putting up the tree. I watch too many decorating shows on HGTV where a room is transformed from blah to beautiful in a day (and in just the span of an hour on the show!)What I needed to think about was the fact that there are always 5-8 people working on those transformations!
"This room will be easy to paint," I told my husband. "We'll paint the walls today together and I'll do the trim tomorrow." One thing I have learned, but which I somehow always need to be reminded of is that things ALWAYS take longer than you think they will.
It is finished now and the tree is up. I still have more decorating to do, but for now I have to get back to work on my bears!
Here are some decorating photos so far.
Our Tree--haven't located the angel yet!

Teddy Bears are always part of the decor. Figaro poses with two other cream colored bears in the soft glow of the tree lights.

Rebecca, a Hildegard Gunzel doll, and a Christmas present from my husband, helps to put up the decorations.

Back to bears, but more decorations to come!

What's going on?

2007-11-04T14:26:00.001-08:00

Again, quite a length of time has past since my last post. But not for lack of things to write about! I've been very busy!

I had the most wonderful summer and I had wanted to post about my vacation, but now as my fingers and toes feel the chill of the house in the late fall, it doesn't seem appropriate.

I have had a wonderful start to my first year as an art teacher. The students are great as are my fellow teachers. Some days, when I am cleaning the classroom at the end of a creative and satisfying day, a ripple of excitement runs through me as I think "I'm the art teacher." Of course, my years as a regular classroom teahcer were rewarding, too, but the delight I feel in sharing my greatest passion is unsurpassable. I also enjoy having all the different age groups.

In addition to teaching, I had been working on bears and dolls for the ABC Productions show in Schaumburg. It was a lot of fun as usual and it went very well.
Here is my table at the start of the show.

Here are a few individual shots of some of the pieces.
Here is Agatha:

Here is Pumpkinhead:

Here is Jingles:

Here is Santa's Little Helper:

Goldilocks and Baby Bear

2007-07-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

I have finished my latest doll and bear set!I love them!Of course, I always find things in my work which I can improve upon for next time, but still, I am very pleased with the way this one turned out.

Here are a few more in progress photos before I show the ones of the finished piece.

I made an under-dress with some eyelet fabric and I altered a pair of doll tights it fit her. They are ribbed so the seams in the back really do not show,and I'm glad of that. I cut the bottoms off and tucked them into the tops of her shoes with a thin bead of glue. I learned this little trick from Jack Johnston. In this photo her mohair wig is only resting on her head. It is much easier to keep the hairstyle nice if you attach the hair after the cloths are on.

Goldie has her red velveteen jumper on and she's wondering if she can please have some hair now. Baby bear looks lovingly on--he thinks she's beautiful the way she is! The clothing is sewn on because this is an art doll and she's not mean't to be dressed and undressed.

Here is the finished set. I'm calling it "Friends Forever (Goldilocks and Baby Bear)"

This one is my favorite shot.

Goldie close up.

Baby Bear's head shot.

That's all for now. I only have four more work days until The Sauder Village Doll and Teddy Bear show so I'd better get off of the computer and get busy sewing more bears~!

Progress Report

2007-07-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have worked a bit more on my doll and wanted to add the new photos. I don't have a close up of the painted face because my camera has flipped out on me. I have to get out my manual and check the settings...

Sculpting hands is very challenging for me and I spent most of yesterday afternoon sculpting one hand only to burn it up in the oven! I forgot to reset the temperature after supper!!!(EEEEK! Goth Baby Doll, anyone?)

Here is Goldilocks with her new hands and a painted face.

Next, I will wrap the arm wires in batting and make cotton fabric tubes to cover them. Her shoulder plate will be attached after the arms are on. The wig will be attached after the clothing is done. Stay tuned...

Changing Direction

2007-07-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

In Susanna Oroyanne's book Designing the Doll, she describes dollmaking as a series of problem solving activities. When the artist comes up with the idea, he or she then has to ask questions about how to achieve each element of the design, and how to bring those elements together as a whole. I love making a plan and having it come to fruition just the way I imagined it. When I made the Christopher Robin and Pooh piece I had a very clear picture of what I wanted to do (probably because the image is straight from the illustrations of E.H. Shepard). I knew just how I wanted them to appear--like they were stepping right out of the book.
I was thrilled when this piece turned out as I had imagined. (Visit my website for a picture.)

While it is a delight to have something turn just as you plan, it is also a thrill to follow the path that a work will lead you on, if you let go and let it. The piece I am working on is taking me down such a path. I love Halloween and I had a clear picture in my mind of a child witch doll. She is a cute child doll with a slightly somber look, curly red hair, witchy clothing, and she is seated with legs crossed and dangling. She is holding a primative looking stuffed black cat. And she will have to be born later because as soon as I sculpted the head, I realized I was not making her! I sculpted a child with a little smile. Her mouth is slightly open as if she has something to say. (I wonder what it is?)

I tried to think of a new plan, but only got as far as "just a little girl with a doll or something". I went ahead and sculpted her legs,and ordered two mohair wigs from Dollsamore.com because I couldn't decide between the red hair with braids or the long wavy blond. This picture shows the leg armature I made from wire,foil and white floral tape.

Here are the sculpted painted legs on the cloth body. I sculpted the shoes, too.

I also continued to work on my Teddy Bears for an upcoming show. I made a bear with a needle felted face and paws. I have felted bears, felted a doll face, and made bears out of mohair of course, but I had never done a felted face bear and I wanted to try. I felted his little pawpads too. I was playing with different proportions than my typical work so I loved him right away because he was so different with his felted face and tiny hands and feet! I often carry a new bear around the house with me when I fall for one like that,and this little guy followed me.(He's looking on even now as I type this!)

Well, yesterday the wigs came and as I worked on the doll's body and tried on the wigs (or rather the doll did), I saw the little bear watching. Then I had a thought!!! I know who this doll is! I'm making Goldilocks and Baby Bear!! Yes,I know, it's a common theme, but my Goldilocks and Baby Bear will be friends!! Arent they perfect for each other?

I had this little bench in my studio. I think I will make her hold his paw...

I can't wait to see where the rest of this goes!

UFOs and WIPs

2007-07-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

It seems like since the rise of the internet more and more people write in initials. We see things like TTFN (ta-ta for now),FYI (for your information), LOL (laugh out loud), BTW (by the way), and even WWJD (what would Jesus do?) more and more each day. It took me a while to get used to this, and I still sometimes have to ask my email correspondants things like, "What the heck is ROFLMAO?!" (BTW--it stands for "rolling-on-the-floor-laughing-my-a**-off)

Anyway, in my doll artist guild, I discovered another that I liked really well. I like it so much because it's clever and it refers to something I have a lot of--- UFOs! It stands for unfinished objects! I always have several projects going at once so there are always UFOs invading my house. Sometimes these UFOs get put into boxes because I have decided to move on to something else, but often I move from one to the other for several weeks until they are finished. That's always really cool because when they all are finished around the same time, I feel like I have done a lot really fast even though that's not what actually happened. I think I'm coming up on one of these times soon here--I hope so anyway!

I was recently reading another blog and I came across a term I like even better, WIP, which stands for work in progress. I have decided that this is a better term. "Unfinished" has a negative connotation because it sort of implies a perpetual state of incompleteness, as if it will never be finished. I suppose I have some pieces like that, but more often than not things do get finished at some point! Work in progress is much more postive! I do have several UFOs, sitting around in boxes, but here are a few WIPs I've been working on lately:

The Bearhouse

Here is a dollhouse, or rather a bearhouse my son and I have been working on:

Can you see the little bears in the windows? I made these for Alex and Brendan a few years ago.

It's "under roof" as the builders in my neighborhood would say. The bears have already moved in. We just have to finish shingling and make some furniture.

Little Floppies

I've made more of my Little Floppy Bears for the Sauder Village Doll and Teddy Bear Show (See the Latest News section of my website for more information.)

No longer UFO's--the finished Floppies!

Clown Bear

Here is a clown bear I am working on for a challenge on Teddy Talk. You can see he is nearly complete.

Doll Sculpt

And finally, here is a doll I just started sculpting in polymer clay today. Her head is finished and baked and I am working on the breastplate.

Well, that's about it... I'll post as I finish things.
TTFN!!!

Graduate School, Teddy Bears and More

2007-05-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a while. Gee, I'd better dust off the cobwebs and find some room to write here! I enjoy writing, and I had really wanted to keep this spot up to date regarding my creative activities. It's not that I haven't been creative, I've just been too busy to stop and make note of it. I started graduate school in January. I renewed my K-8 teaching certification and hope to add Visual Arts certification to it. It was a fun and busy semester. I always enjoy school. I took a drawing class (Drawing II--the continuation of a class I took during my undergraduate study in 1990!!!) I enjoyed this class not only for the drawing, but mostly for the energy that comes from being surrounded by creative people. I loved how different the drawings all were even though we would start with the same subject matter and materials. Here is one of my drawings. We took a photograph of someone and made a skewed grid to warp the face. I warped my son Alex. He thought this was pretty cool.

Since I was renewing my teaching certification, I also had a chance to be creative with a bulletin board assignment.

I did manage to squeeze in some bear making time in order to participate in the Bid 4 Bears Artist Campaign. One of the bears I created for this, Honeypaws, became the star of my very first PowerPoint Presentation The Art of the Teddy Bear. This was an assignment for a class as well. The presentation tells a bit of art history, and describes the process I go through to create my Teddy Bears. I presented the Slideshow to a Mother Daughter Banquet with a Teddy Bear Picnic theme.

Here is Honeypaws. He is living in England now.

What makes me feel like an artist?

2007-03-15T13:39:00.001-07:00

I belong to an online chat group of Teddy Bear Artists/Makers where this question was posed. "What makes you feel like an artist?" Being the reflective type of person I am (and I suppose most artists are), I enjoyed pondering this. Certainly as an artist, it is rewarding to be able to sell my creations, but that's not it. That is not what makes me feel like an artist. I do think that it helps the general public perceive me as an artist though. When I tell folks I am an artist who makes Teddy Bears usually get a puzzled "oh..." in response. If curiosity makes them ask more, and they ask about what the bears sell for, I get an almost reverent "Oh!" in response then, (or else they look at me like I have six heads!)

Anyway, what makes me feel like an artist is the creating. It is the starting with a blank piece of paper and filling it with images from my head (or even ones I observe), the taking of a shapeless ball of wool and poking it with a needle until the bear in my minds eye emerges, the sculpting a block of clay into a little face no one has ever seen before, and of course the turning of mohair yardage into the "cuddle-able" visions from my head.

And when I think of the term "successful artist", I differentiate it from financial success. (In fact it bothers me that our society in general views successful people as wealthy people. There are certainly a lot of other ways to be successful in one's life.) I feel like whenever I succeed in creating something that makes me happy, or moves other people in some way, or communicates a feeling I wanted to express, then I am a successful artist.

I have always felt this way. As a child, I loved to draw all the time, and often other children, teachers, relatives etc. would ask "Are you going to be an artist when you grow up?" To which I would reply, "I am an artist already." Not that I possessed any special skills or talents at the time,or because my artwork had any value to anyone other than myself, but because I was creating, and that's what artists do.

I read a quote recently and I plan to post it in my classroom when I am teaching art.

"Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain one when he(she) grows up!" (Picasso)

A Place for My Stuff!

2007-03-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

People are often surprised at all the things I can make, I make Teddy Bears, dolls, scrapbooks, watercolor paintings, and more, but what I am the best at, is making a mess! At least I used to be. (Who am I kidding? I still am, I just know how to clean it up now!) My workroom would become so “unbearably” messy that even I couldn’t stand it anymore, and I’d try to clean it up. It always seemed an impossible task. The room was a nice size to work in, but there was no place to put anything away. I kept boxes on top of and under my work table, mohair in both of my children’s closets, and stuffing in the basement.
“I just need a place for my stuff.” I kept telling my husband. Well now I have one! We turned this small space into an office for my husband and moved my studio downstairs. Here are before and after pictures of my workroom!
Before: Scary, isn't it?

After: That's better!

A lot better!