Sharing the Love...

Hello Dear Friends!

These past few weeks have been busy days for me but not busy enough to produce a large amount of teddy bears I'm afraid! I had high hopes of creating a few new bears for the coming holiday season which seems to be sneaking up on me a bit faster than I expected. I tried. I really did. And I'm not done trying. I do have some wonderful ideas in mind but that's where they are for now...in my mind...waiting.

I did, however muster up enough creative strength to, bring to life, three new teddies over the past few days. I'm pleased to say that two of them are already spoken for...I hope still spoken for...fingers are crossed:) And the other is waiting to be listed in my Etsy shop!

Meet "Floyd" and "Eli"...two new "primitive" style bears made with vintage velvets and stuffed firmly with a great mixture of excelsior and upholstery stuffing! Both bears have string jointed limbs and have antique boot button eyes!

"Dolly" was made with creamy plush. Her face is a sweet vintage dolly head! Over the years, I've managed to collect a few vintage dolly heads and faces including clowns, bunnies and pixies! Who knows...perhaps they'll all end up wearing a bear costume? Could happen! Dolly will be listed in my Etsy shop soon!

Over the next few weeks I'll be concentrating on new things. Hubby and I are taking a much need trip away to do a little soul searching and to "recharge our batteries". It's been a rough week for him as he lost his closest friend to a heart attack this past weekend so this trip is very important to him. We're not going far...just away.

I'm also going to "expand my horizons" and take on a couple of new projects for Christmas gifts! I'm a little worried as I'm not all that knowledgeable in sewing when it goes beyond teddies but I am hoping that my efforts will be rewarded with two special gifts for my two special girls for Christmas! Wish me luck!



In the meantime, I'd like to share some love with you by introducing you to some of my favorite blogs and Etsy shops. These ladies are all very special to me. They keep me grounded and connected. I adore each and every one of them and hope that you'll visit them and enjoy their work as much as I do!

Tracy from "Tracy's Toys and Other Stuff" has a unique blog! She's an avid vintage toy collector and really knows her stuff! I love to go and visit her blog to find out about her latest treasures and to take the occasional trip down "memory lane" with her! She's also a huge and very knowledgeable antique bear collector so you can imagine that she and I have a great time discussing our collections! I've even had the opportunity to restore a few of her beloved teddies and to take part in a trade with her every so often. We've both come away with some great items!!! Take a moment to head over and visit her blog...you won't be sorry! I promise you!

Time for me to get back to reality! Have a great week everyone! See you when I get back!

Hugs,

Michelle

Happy September!

Oh my...has the summer passed us already? Can you believe it? Here it is September and just around the corner, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas! It really seems like I just enjoyed spring!



Today, I announced another Giveaway but not here! Sorry! This time I thought I'd post a Free Giveaway on my Facebook Fan Page so I would like to invite you over to enter for your chance to win one of my handcrafted vintage style Riding Bears along with some extra goodies!

This bear is approximately 4 1/2 inches by 4 inches and was created using a gorgeous vintage plum velveteen fabric which has been further "aged" for a very well worn look and feel! He is stuffed firmly with a mixture of vintage excelsior and uphosltery stuffing, his head is cotterpin jointed and he's got beautiful tiny German glass eyes.

The prize also includes a REPRODUCTION of a vintage photo from 1963 of a sweet little boy and his beloved toys...a gorgeous teddy which looks like it could be a beautiful old Steiff bear and a whimsical little giraffe who perhaps feels a wee bit left out being on the floor for the photo! On the back of the original photo which I own, there is some writing but it looks like it may be in German so I can't tell you what it says but I am including a copy of that with the photo I reproduced for you!

The winner of the draw will also recieve a vintage basic reading story book called "Little Bear" dated 1969.

For more details on how to enter the Free draw...head over to my

Facebook Fan Page! All you have to do is LIKE me...then you're in! Any problems just leave me a comment here and we'll fix it!

In the meantime, more bears are in the works! I'm hoping to have at least two themed teddies complete in time for Halloween and at least three bears completed in time for the Holidays! Wish me luck and have a happy September...thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Michelle

Happy Autumn All!

Well, it's officially autumn and here, in my little corner of Canada, the leaves are turning from summer green to gorgeous shades of yellow, brown and orange. I don't think there can be a more beautiful color combination than that! The morning air is crisp, the days are shorter and fun family holidays are just around the corner. For me, it's been a busy September! Along with creating bears and dealing with life, in general, I was honoured to restore a teddy bear for a sweet little boy! "Bear" was in pretty rough shape when he arrived with his friend "New Bear" who is what "Old Bear" used to look like! "New Bear" proved to be a great source of support to his friend! Poor "Old Bear" had been loved so much that he had lost pretty much all of his "coat", his ears and most importantly his "dignity"! Naked bears do not make happy bears! So, I repaired what I could, made him some brand new ears and I did some necessary "fur" transplants to ensure that he would be able to be around to enjoy a lifelong loving relationship with his boy Dawson!
What fun we had! Good luck to you "Old Bear!

Today, I am drawing a lucky name from a basket of enteries for my free Facebook Fan Page Giveaway! The winner will receive one of my handmade vintage style teddy bears, a vintage preschool book and a "reproduction" of a beautiful vintage photograph of a young German boy and his best friends!

It's been so much fun meeting new followers! I love doing giveaways! It's always a blast to let someone know that they've won something...it not only brightens their day but it brightens mine as well! Once the name is drawn and announced on my Facebook Page, I will head over here to post again for all to see! And thanks to all who entered! This past month was a productive month for me in the way of teddy bears! Between the "end of the season" yard work and my family, I managed to somehow churn out several new bears! Here are just a few of them!

With Halloween sneeking up on me, I created two teddies to help celebrate the season! "Li'l Punkin'" is made using my own antique style pattern which I reduced. I hand dyed the sparse mohair a cheery bright orange using none other than orange Koolaid! He is approximately 8 1/2 inches and fully cotterpin jointed! He's got teensy tiny black glass bead eyes and beige felt paws. He's stuffed with a healthy mixture of polyfill, vintage excelsior and upholstery stuffing. For more photos and information, please check out his listing in my Etsy Shop!


NOTE: Seems "Li'l Punkin's" photo ha been deleted...for now, you can see him on my sidebar to the right! Sorry about that!

"Bitsy and Boo" were fun to create! I knew that once little "Boo" was done, he definately needed a little friend so "Bitsy" was created to fill that void! Little "Boo was made from the same orange mohair as "Li'l Punkin'" and black rayon plush. He's completely jointed and stuffed firmly with a healthy mixture of vintage excelsior and upholstery stuffing! Little Boo is wearing a ruffled collar made from orange and black vintage seam binding ribbon and has two charming antique boot buttons on his chest. Wee "Bitsy" spider is made from black FIMO clay, wire and plastic eyes! She's as adorable as can be and not so frightening as you will see! She is removeable from Boo's head! She is approximately 3 1/2 inches from toe to toe to toe to toe to toe to toe to toe to toe!

For more information on "Bitsy and Boo" check out their Etsy Listing!



"Fern" and "Evie" were absolutetly delightful to work on! Evie was made from a recycled plush coat in a shade of blushing pink! She's since found her forever home and Fern will be joining her shortly as the same collector fell in love with her as well!


"Kokanee" is one of my latest teddies! He's going to be listed in my Etsy shop shortly but I thought I'd share him here before I do that! He's already made his debut on Facebook! He's a larger bear made from gorgeous creamy yellow plush. He's fully jointed and stuffed with polyfill and glass sand for a beautiful weighty feel!



And finally, "Maynard"...Oh Maynard! Maynard made his debut on my Facebook Fan Page to rave reviews and within three days, sold to a beautiful collector in Russia!

He'll be on his way shortly...I wish him well! Maynard is my newest design. He was made using two gorgeous rich shades of gold and brown vintage velvet, his limbs are string jointed and he's firmly stuffed with vintage excelsior and uphosltery stuffing! He's going to see his new home in Russia through two different antique boot buttons!

At this very moment, here are approximately 6 bears waiting for me on my work table! More similar to little Maynard and some new bears which should be ready for the holidays! I'm also going to take part in another Christmas swap with four of the dearest ladies you can ever hope to meet in a lifetime! I'll be sure to share the results of that exchange right here closer to the holidays! Stay tuned and have a great Autumn everyone! Hugs, Michelle

Summertime Chaos...

We all know that busy, chaotic days can take the wind right out of our sails sometimes and summertime is no exception! I can't say that I've been partaking in some major summertime fun (oh how I wish I could say that!) but I can honestly say that this particular summer has proven to be a busy one for me none-the-less!



With the still fresh news of a new grandbaby on the way (and the unexpected scare of a miscarriage), the usual "kid" antics, a very busy work schedule for my hubby and my visiting mom (who patiently sits by and watches it all unfold with a look of amusement at times!)life can take it's toll! I've been trying to accept these challenges with as much grace as possible but at the end of the day, grace goes out the window and a with a few moments of curse words, tears and a few shouts into my pillow, I push forward hoping that the next day will be a little less brutal and perhaps a wee bit more relaxing and fun. A girl can wish can't she?



In the midst of all the chaos, I've managed to finish a few bears and I'm pleased to say that three of them made their way into the heart of a beautiful collector!




..."Bartholemew"



...and "Picadilly"



Thanks, Deb...they're going to love living with you in your "HUG"!



When chaos strikes like it has lately, one of the things that brings me so much comfort is collecting! I love to collect, as you all know...this past weekend, I was fortunate enough to simply walk across the street to an Estate sale where I scored something I've been wanting for years! From my front porch, before the sale started, I was shocked to see the lady hang two dresses from a ledge on their front porch. Now, my eyesight is not the best for the most part but my first thought was that they were 1950's cocktail dresses...two of them...one pink one and one red one! I'm a lover of all things from the 1950's and to own a sweet cocktail dress from the era was a dream of mine for a very long time. Imagine having to sit and wait for the sale to begin, knowing that all I had to do was walk quickly over and claim those dresses before anyone else could get their hands on them...I had three hours to wait! THREE HOURS! And then there was the thought that the "early birds" would arrive and someone would grab MY dresses before I could get safely across the road!!!



I waited...heart pounding, palms sweating. I waited and waited. Time stood so still for those three loooong hours. Then...suddenly, it was time...10 minutes before their start time, crowds of dealers and collectors began to show up. I'm not the early bird type but let me tell you, those dresses were going to be mine! I grabbed my money, slipped my feet into my thongs and flew out the door! Once safely across the street, I slipped quietly and quickly passed several people milling around the stairs to the front porch...I don't think anyone saw me...I was stelthy...like a ninja!

I walked over to the two dresses...took note...THEY WERE 1950's COCKTAIL DRESSES and the sweetest dresses I ever saw! I calmly put my hand on both of them realizing that I couldn't reach high enough to take them down so I stood there. Waiting. Hoping the lady who was running the show would come by. I waited. One lady walked up and made a comment about the dresses saying she's never seen dresses like those at a yard sale! I nodded my head in agreement but never took my hands off them. I even went so far as to say that I was waiting for the owner to come by and help me with them. My palms were still sweating when the next person made a comment. I'm thinkin' "move along" "someone help me"...and then suddenly, over walked the owner with a smile on her face! She said to me "you're from across the road"! She introduced herself and asked if I was alright. I said "yep"..."just want these dresses"! She called her husband over and asked him to help out...he did and laid both dresses across my outstretched arms...I had hoped he didn't see the "tears" of joy in my eyes. The next thing was to find out how much they wanted for them? $5.00 each!

After a bit more "shopping" and some other great finds, I started off back across the street, all hunched over, dodging traffic as I went along with tufts of pink and red taffita trailing along in the breeze behind me!

It was a good day!


Hope you have a good day too!

Hugs,

Michelle

Organization...

I've come to realize that nothing is worth doing if you don't begin in an organized fashion! I also realize, now, that I'm probably the most unorganized gal around! I try...really I do! I visit blogs that give me some terrific ideas and I hoard magazines that are valuable havens of organizing information! So, here I sit...wondering why my house is so unorganized at the best of times. Well, I suppose I can blame it on "life".



Today, I decided to organize some things.



My vintage sewing supplies! They were all over the house; displayed here and there and now...they're together where they belong! I think that it just showcases these beautiful pieces of needlecrafting history in a better way!

Next on the agenda...my pantry! It's a large pantry and it has some great shelving but there are times when I feel overwhelmed by it. I don't want to store food items as it's open to the kitchen...nobody wants to see that! So,

I've turned it into a sort of display room for all of the other vintage items that I've simply got no room for in the rest of the house! Large tins, several Pyrex bowls, casserole dishes, etc., vintage toasters, sifters, egg beaters, dust pans as well as all of the kitchen gadgets I just HAD to have that I only use every so often and a shelf, FINALLY a shelf, for my cookbook collection!

My thread supply! I bought this clear plastic display case at a yard sale and decided it would be a great way to organize and showcase the beautiful vintage threads I use for making my teddy bears! Sitting on my sewing table next to a bright window makes the colors pop even more!


Today, I managed to do a bit more organizing than what you see here but I think you get the point!



When I organize my kitchen, I want to cook and bake. When I organize my collections, they make me want to stand and admire them and when I organize my sewing room, I want to create. Nothing moves my creativity along like a well organzied sewing room.



With that being said, it's time to go and get my creative juices flowing again!

In the meantime, if you've not met him yet through my Facebook Fan Page or visited him in my Etsy Shop
, here are some photos of my latest bear, "Raphael"!



Raphael is made of red and cream plush! Sometimes I find plush a littl intimidating to work with but he was so fun to make and I hope that he will be able to find a new home very soon!


Here's to organization! And creativity!

Have a great week!

Hugs,

Michelle

What Happened to July?

As I write this, I'm stunned! July just whizzed by so quickly and to think I hardly accomplished a thing!



Well, not true. I did have the opportunity to create two more bears and maybe, just maybe if I work hard enough, one more bear might be able to become a reality by the end of the month...4 days away! Eeeek!



Today, I listed "Nigel" in my Etsy shop! He's one of my "Antique Style" bears made from gold and ruby red mohair, is fully jointed with his head being wobble jointed and he's stuffed firmly with a mixture of excelsior and upholstery stuffing!



Please say hello to "Nigel"!

There are still some great deals to be had in my Etsy shop from Free Shipping on all of my handmade teddy bears until the end of July (I may extend that!) to reduced prices on select items! I hope you can take a moment to hop over and check them out!



One of the reasons I have been sort of MIA lately is that I've been madly working in the gardens and cleaning and organizing my home before my mother comes for a visit in a week or so! I'm excited as it's been a long time since she's been here and with her recent diagnosis of the early stages of Alzheimer's...every second I can spend with her is precious.


Also, I recently found out that my beautiful daughter, Brandi and her boyfriend are expecting a baby in early 2012!


I'm thrilled at the prospect of welcoming another grandchild into my heart! As you know, my granddaughter, Cierra is truly the light of my life! Even though I don't get to see her as often as I would like to, her amazing mommy, Nancy keeps me updated daily with a never ending supply of incredible photos!


Thanks for visiting! Have a great day!

Hugs!

Michelle

"A Little Hug"!

Hey everyone!

A HUG is defined as "to hold fast...to press tightly in ones arms"OR if you're a real bear lover like I know you are...A HUG can also be defined as "a group of teddy bears" and a HUG can be a small one or a large one...however, "the more the merrier" I always say!!

I've finally finished my latest bear set...this one is sort of an "instant gratification" kind of set! You get three bears in one and you instantly have a little HUG of bears which is wonderful if you don't have a HUG of your own already!

Here's a peek...for more photos, hop over to my Etsy Shop to get a better look!

The sun is shining, the latest bout of snow is almost gone and spring is in the air once again....yea...right! You're not falling for that one again hey?

I'm happy to say that I have a few more bears already nearly complete and some new projects on the horizon. Without these bears and you, my dear friends, what would I do? Thanks for checking in when you can. It means a lot to me! It really does.

Have a good one!
Hugs,
Michelle

New Bears!

Wow...seems like time just flies by when you're having so much fun and I've been having lots of fun with my latest creations!



I do, however, feel like I'm neglecting this blog so let me just assure you that I value it and, you, my followers so very much so please, please "bear" with me!



Now...let me introduce, to you, "William" and my latest "Bear on Wheels"! Both are now for sale in my Etsy Shop! You can click on the additional photos to the right to visit their Etsy Listings!



"William"~A little bear with very "Royal" dreams indeed!


This "Bear On Wheels" is ready to take you on an adventure!

I also wanted to let you all know that I am going to announce something very special in the next week or so...I hope you'll come back and join me! Hint? Well, let's just say it's high time for a new G I V E A W A Y!!!!

How's that for a hint?



Hugs all around!

Michelle

Quick Note!

Hello Dear Friends!



This is a quick one today! Springtime has officially sprung and I have so many things on the go! I wish I could say I was working madly on new bears but I've not been able to find the time lately as the house and the yard have both been calling my name! I must admit, it's a lot of work but it's been so fun organizing and cleaning. I've had the windows open and the fresh air swirling around in here! Awww...spring...I love it!



I know you know what I mean!



Anyway, I do want to tell you all that I am going to announce a new blog giveaway, hopefully, next week! I have some great ideas and of course, as with all of my giveaways, they will include a teddy AND a lovely vintage item...but I'm not going to spoil the surprise just yet! I hope you'll stay tuned!



This morning I decided to finally list a few bundles of plush fur in my Etsy shop! The spring cleaning frenzy I've been on also included my huge stash of bear making supplies! I've listed some great pieces so check them out...you can look over to the right at some of the bundles I am offering and for a better look just click on a pic!



In the meantime, here are a couple of photos of two new china cabinets we've just added to the collection! Yes, we have a "collection" of china cabinets....11 in total now! I can hear you all cringing as I write that!

Keep in mind though, a small house does not necessarily equal space but with silly collections full of dolls, teddy bears and so on all over the place, we needed them badly!



The first is a very large and very tall white one piece country style cabinet...a very heavy cabinet I might add! I love it so much...distressed white with a baby pink interior! Just perfect for dolls, quilts, bits and pieces of china, vintage cases, vintage books, etc.



The second one is my hubby's favorite. It reminds him of a special piece his grandmother had. We're both happy to have a place of honour to display our vintage teddy bears!

I wish you all a lovely start to the month of May and happy spring!

Hugs,

Michelle