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.

Love Is In The Air...

Ahhhh...love! Love, love, love!

I love that I have a beautiful family who loves me. I love that I have so many wonderful friends...new and old. I love that I have had the awesome priviledge of being "mother" to some amazing animal babies throughout my life and I love that I've been given the chance to enjoy creating...bears, dolls and wonderful food in my kitchen. Everything I love so much sustains my soul and keeps me on my toes. Gotta love that!

Yes, love is in the air...afterall, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I adore this time of the year. It's the one time where you can send out love in the form of flowers chocolates, baking, cards, hearts, candy and of course teddy bears...just to show you care!

Spread the love!

Here's some love for you! Thanks for visiting!

Have a beautiful day!

Love Michelle:)

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