Spring Cleaning and All That Is New...

Spring is a time for newness, for change, for cleansing the soul as well as the home and it's a time to reflect on things that are important and to put things that are not so important on that perverbial "back burner" until another time.

I know a lot of us bloggers take a moment to apologize to our beautiful followers for not keeping an updated blog. And I know that a lot of followers decide that it's time to move on and I completely understand. I hope that anyone who has decided to stick it out with my blog will understand that there are so many other things I need to do and concentrate on right now and that both of my blogs have been put on that "back burner" until I can find the proper time to make them what they should be.

Okay, I do apologize and I do plan to be back "full time" posting and updating my blogs very soon.

Now, what have I been up to you ask? Well, slowly working on bears...I keep thinking I have to give it up but like my sweet hubby says, "you know you can't give it up...it's in you to keep going" and I agree. I might want to give it up and you've all told me that you've felt the same way on occasion and that I shouldn't give up...let's just say I'm going to "prioritize" a wee bit for a little while.

You see, aside from the fact that it's spring and I want to get my house in order as most of us do at this time of the year, my baby girl is about to become a new mother for the very first time! And with that came a trip to her house way up North to help her get ready, to throw her a baby shower and to spend some quality time getting to know her all over again. It's been over a year since I last saw her and when I arrived at her house to see her for the first time with this beautiful belly, it was a glorious momma/grandmotherly kind of feeling! I can't describe it any other way. For the entire visit with her, my eyes constantly welled up and I had hoped that while I was there, her little girl would make her way into the world so that I could be a part of it. Unfortunately, it didn't happen for me and I had to come home. She's been told over and over that she will deliver early even having to endure shots of steroids to strengthen her little girl's lungs and several impromptu hospital visits in case she came too early. I suppose it's a good thing that I report, to you, that our little granddaughter, Paisley, is still warm and snug inside Momma's tummy and with her due date being March 22nd...she could be here any time now...perhaps even on my birthday on Friday! Grandma would love that so very much! What a wonderful birthday gift that would be:)

Anyway, as you can see, my mind has been elsewhere not to mention the fact that I, along with everyone else it seems, suffered from the most horrible sinus infection and cold known to mankind during all of that time...okay, I exaggerated...only a little bit though. It was a bad one...I don't get colds often and that one was a doozey!

So, with all of that being said, I, again, apologize for not updating as often as I should have. I may not be back for a little while again as that baby could come any day now and then my mind will most definately be elsewhere. I do appreciate your visits and wonderful comments! They make me smile and inspire me:) And they keep me going!

Now, one more thing I want to mention! A few months ago, I had the privilege of making a sale to a wonderful lady who has since become a very dear friend. Usually, when I make friends online and I have a lot of them...they're so very far away and the chances of ever getting to meet any of them in person are very slim. This time...not so...she's only an hour and a half away from me and we're meeting up at the end of the month and I am tickled pink and so is she! Karyn, also a bear maker as well as a doll maker, and I have so much in common it's crazy and we're enjoying talking bear talk and getting to know each other so meeting up at the end of the month will be the "icing on the cake" for both of us! And to top it off even more...we're going to do her first ever bear trade! I'm so excited I can hardly wait! My new little friend "Sunshine" is a beautiful new bear made by Karyn last week and I can't wait to meet him as well. Karyn chose two of my tiny primitive bears which I'm going to continue to work on after this post!

To get to know Karyn and her work, yourself, you can find her amazing bears and dolls in her ETSY SHOP! She and her husband are both artistic in so many ways as well as musically gifted! They're a lovely couple and Darren and I look forward to meeting them both!

Here is a photo of my soon-to-be new bear friend "Sunshine"! Thanks Karyn!

Next time I post, I will have some happy news! I'm thrilled to be able to share it with you! Thanks for stopping by and Happy Spring!
Hugs,
Michelle

Lovely Memories...

In keeping with the Valentine's Day theme, I thought I'd share a special treasure I found on one of my "hunting" trips recently.



We came across this fabulous little "Autograph" book and at first, I thought that it would be like any other old "scrap" book I sometimes find...empty! Perhaps the former owners had nothing to say or nothing to "keep" that would be treasured by future generations? Perhaps they didn't want to record their special memories?

Fortunately, this time, I was wrong! When I picked it up and opened the the tiny cover, I was pleased to find lovely notes or "autographs" written to the owner of the book, Walter on every single page! Walter appears to have been a very popular young man in his teens or perhaps early 20's in the 1930's.

The 1930's were undoubtedly an important time in history. The Great Depression was in full force with World War II breaking out at the end of the decade. During that time, the average family had to struggle to survive at a time when jobs were scarce and money was hard to come by. Luckily, something that was free was friendship, faith and love and this book is a great homage to a time when people relied on that faith and friendship to carry them through such tumultuous times.

It seems to me that Walter had a "nifty" personality and was adored by many friends but especially young women! Here are two sweet examples:





I especially love the beautiful handwriting. It was done at a time when handwritten notes and letters meant something...they conveyed so much emotion, love, friendship, hardship...there was definately more thought put into everything folks wrote down on paper. In this case, our friend Walter had left a terrific mark on those that wrote in his special book. I wonder if he beamed brightly with a smile on his face from ear to ear after reading each and every one of the "autographs" he collected over what seems like a good decade or more.



Imagine my surprise and the huge smile that appeared on my face when I came across these outrageous drawings done especially for Walter...drawings made by two young ladies from the time...



Look at that kitchy hair style!!! To draw it was a feat in itself...imagine having to style your hair that way every single day!



Ahhhh...young love...the pencil still allowing us to see this romantic moment! I wonder if young Mabel had a special place in her heart for our dear Walter?



A real treasure indeed...till the very end...



Dearest Walter...thank you.

New Bears!

Wow...I know what you're thinking! I think that you're thinking that "Michelle must be off her rocker"!!! Another post so soon? Well, yes, another post so soon but only because I would like to introduce you all to my newest designs!

Just a few short months ago I had nearly decided that my bearmaking career should come to an end. I've thought that many times before. Not an easy thing to try to talk myself into but I had lost that creative instinct, once again, that I needed so badly to carry on...it was gone! It's funny, though...once I begin to tell myself that the time has come to end my career, I suddenly wake up in the middle of the night with a flicker of an idea...a spark of creativity...could it be that I'm not ready to end it? Could it be that deep down inside of my soul, there are more and more tinier souls just waiting to come out? I think it's not the right time to quit. Not just yet.

And so, with that being said, here are some new little souls...with a few new little details...I think I'm going to stick it out for a bit longer...what do you think?


"Captain Theodore B. Blythe" is ready for an adventure! He's made of chocolate velveteen, stuffed with uphosltery stuffing and fully jointed. I made him his telescope from polymer clay and his paper hat from a piece of vintage newspaper (1960's)...way too fun! You can see more photos of him off to the right in my side bar!


"Steve" is made from vintage gold velveteen (used to be drapes...you know the ones...the dreaded 1970's gold drape? Ewwww), he's stuffed with upholstery stuffing and fully jointed. He's got his own Jack in the box which I created from polymer clay!




And sweet little "Mary Ellen"! She's made of the vintage gold velveteen, stuffed firmly with uphosltery stuffing and fully jointed! I made her a yummy lollipop from polymer clay!


Little "Mary Ellen" is now in my Etsy shop...for more details you can visit her HERE!

Now, "Captain Blythe" and "Steve" have both sold and will be on their way soon to live with Debbie! Thanks Debbie!

Over the course of the last few days, I've been working on another Teddy Bear Restoration! Erin sent me her sweet childhood friend to have a few repairs made and to see if there was any hope at all in restoring him back to some of his original look! Here's what he looked like when he arrived! Oh my....





I added a bit more stuffing to bulk him up and then repaired three large holes in his body...two on his head and one on his tummy. I then spent two days gently brushing him out with my bear brush, removing as many "mats" and "pills" as I could and gave him back his tongue! I noticed he had a wee staple where a tongue should have been so I contacted Erin and she was able to send me an old photograph of herself with her bear when he was new. I couldn't see his face very well but I gathered he had a red felt tongue. I cleaned his plastic nose up and viola! He's ready to go home! What do you think?





Several bears found a new home this week! You can see them pictured to your right in my sidebar! I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue to make my teddy bears and also to continue to make someone smile!
Thanks for your lovely comments and until next time...enjoy whatever it is you're doing for as long as you can...it's not time to quit just yet!;)

Hugs,
Michelle