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.
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!
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!!! 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.
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!!!
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 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!
