blog award

For my first nominee I am passing on the award to Daphne Blau of Back Road Bears
for her work in keeping the bear show alive in Maine and now in Illinois!

My second nominee is Lisa Bunting Thoms of QDPatooties
because I always enjoy her blog...she just makes me smile!

I have received an award!!!

Kelly of Blondheart Bears has given me an award!! I am so humbled by what she said in her blog! Here's the link to
"Works of Heart blog award"
I guess I should read my comments more often... Jenny from Jennylovesbenny Bears has passed her award onto me! I feel doubly honored.... and now,
I am going to pass this award onto two others....

Paz

Yes... you've seen Paz before, but he is home from the NewYear's party and has changed! I have given him my latest and smallest little clutch ball. This one is 40% of the original. I found a scrap of navy printed velveteen in my stash... left over from a skort I made my daughter on 1973 ! Plus some mini bear upholstery velvet ... the kind with the white grid.
I've posted him on BearPile...

I made the ball in between phone calls... I worked a shift at our PBS tv station's pledge drive yesterday. I've been volunteering at KCPT since we moved to Kansas City in 1983. Really.. we both have been volunteering there and when the kids were teens, they did too! Guess we believe in Public Televion.

Tampa Bear show

Valerie, Bright Star Promotions, just reminded me to tell you all about the Tampa show coming up on Sunday February 22nd. It will be in the Westshore Hotel, 1200 N Westshore Blvd, Tampa, FL.

We'll be there! There's an early bird affair and a full day of bear collecting. Lots of artists are planning on showing their bears...there's a waiting list for those who didn't sign up early enough! Tickets for the early bird affair must be bought by the Wednesday before the show!

Hours: early bird 9.30 am regular 10.30am

Here a link to Bright Star Promotions for additional info!

I'm working hard on bears to bring.... if you've seen a bear you like and will be coming to the Tampa show, please let me know so I'll be sure to bring it. I don't have lots of car space !

All dressed up...

A friend, Nancy Hauk of Manor, TX. does a wonderful job making dresses from vintage hankies. I found several at an "antique" market and sent them off to her. They came today and I just had to put one on a little bear. So here is Avery... all dressed for Valentine's Day! See all the fantastic smocking that Nancy does at the neckline?
Avery is up on BearPile.

Nancy also made a really tiny dress from a hankie with little bears all over it... but it will take a very small bear. I will have to work on that! I think I can see myself sitting ocean side in Florida sewing tiny little bears.... hm.

Vintage Pattern Clutch Ball

I have been playing around with a pattern from my Mother-in-Law ( via my sister-in-law). My mother-in-law used to make her grandchildren full sized versions. The balls are easy to grasp and soft and the kids loved them. Funnily enough I am seeing versions of this ball in antique malls and on-line primitives blogs!
So... who needs one of these? My bears of course. I shrank the pattern 70% for my first try.... see Marli on BearPile . Then I shrank it 50% and here it is! Its about 3" in diameter and made from minibear fabric... white gridded upholstery fabric. I stuff mine a little more firmly than my my mother-in-law did.
Next one will be 60% but not a ball... I'll post it when it's done.

I've had LOADS of people ask for the pattern without including a way of sending it to them!!
Please include your email address!

Laurel's needle felted trees

My daughter had seen "trees" on etsy and wondered if I could make something similar...I said "sure" but secretly wondered how I would replicate " a stone inside for weight".
Away I went... remembering that I had seen felters encase soap with wool roving and decided I could do something similar with small river rocks... flat on the bottom and nicely smooth. I wanted flat to help the "tree" stay upright. They are 3 to 5" tall and the smallest is a tan color, the middle a dark red and the tallest a very dark brown. Laurel has them at her at-home-work desk!
So, even if they aren't bears or a bear friend... I like them and they forced me to try something different!

Corrie

Had another go at needle felting a closed mouth muzzle.... Corrie is up in my etsy.com shop I dyed the wool roving to match the mohair backing and felt like a chemist mixing colors: pink,orange and brown. I'm pleased with the final color! Since Corrie is such an unusual color I used the reverse as the paw pad fabric.

Photography challenge

Just a quickie...more bears next time.. I didn't think it was going to be difficult to take a picture a day, but it is. It's easy to take pictures of bears for posting or of the grandchildren when they visit, but remembering to "just take a picture" and post it on the other blog is a challenge in itself!

Robin... new bear with thumbs!

I just finished Robin... he's a #1 for this pattern. His thumbs are a little hard to see but help him hold his lollipop. He must have eaten lots though. just look at that tummy!
Robin is up on BearPile. ( Saturday) Robin is LEAVING... he sits all nicely tucked into his Priority Mail box awaiting our carrier. He's headed for Garland, Texas !

new bears... new challenges...

I received a wonderful new camera for Christmas from my husband!!! And there is a photography challenge going around... take at least one photo a day and post it. So I've accepted the challenge. I'll be posting the pictures on my other blog ( on their own page)... if you want to look. Click on the address : Bettina's personal blog.
Today's picture was of Harper, one of my newest bears. He's on Bearpile too.

2009 ... here we come

Paz is starting out the New Year!