Just working on finishing off some new patterns that will be available exclusively from Gerrys Teddy and Craft Designs soon... the four designs will be on one CD, all ready for you to pop into your computer and print out as you need, or individual paper patterns. I'll also be teaching two days of classes for these guys just before the fabulous Gold Coast show in June... the classes are just about full, so it will be a busy couple of days!

The patterns for Primrose, Peony, Pansy and Poppy will be available soon...

In Print, Rosebud

A little while back I was thrilled to be contacted by the Editor of Teddy Bear Review magazine and asked if I would consider designing a project for their magazine. How could I say no?? It was a little scary knowing not only did I have to design the pattern, do the instructions and the model, but also do the photos..... what a challenge.

Anyhow I made it just under the deadline (yay! hehe) and just last week the magazine has been printed and the final result is out there for all to see:) I am not sure if the subscription copies are out yet but the electronic issue is available (thank you for the heads up Sarah!:) ). Fingers crossed she came out looking well and I missed nothing too major in the instructions! It's amazing how tricky it can be to put everything step by step in writing and photos, regardless of how many times you have done it before. It will be so exciting to see it on paper when my copies of the magazine arrive!

On another note, it feels like Autumn is setting in here finally, things are cooling down, daylight savings ended last weekend and days are getting shorter. Winter is on it's way! Hard to believe we are already in the 4th month of the year!

Well yet again I didn't get the chance to give a preview of the bears I was taking to the Sydney bear fair! The show was great as always, wonderful to catch up with all the Artists and people attending the show. A special treat was meeting a collector visitor from Singapore who I had chatted to on email recently, what a nice surprise that was!

As always Melissa put on a great day, I don't know how she manages to get it done.

I had forgotten how humid it can get in Sydney in Summer... ok I guess it wasn't technically Summer anymore, but it was close enough to it for me!:) So sticky and humid you would have thought you were in the tropics. ONE thing I don't miss about Sydney!

Also big thanks to Valma and her lovely ladies that came to the classes I gave in the couple of days prior to the show. As always lots of fun, and wonderful to see the new little faces coming alive.

So back again and into work, classes at Bear Essence and more booked in for June... after the Gold Coast show... already looking forward to that one!

The bears in the photos have just been listed on Bearpile... hoping to list regularly there during the year.

Back to work for me..

Well I have been working on new pieces for the Sydney Teddy Bear Fair early next month, and a couple of other things that I can't really post pics of at the moment. I rarely have new pieces finished until they are going into the box for the trip to the show, so I don't have any new bears to show you just now...

So I thought I would share these lovely flowers that I just noticed the other day. They are Hoya flowers, I think also called "Wax Flowers". The centres look just like the wax flowers in old Bridal headpieces, and the petals are all velvety. Very unique and lovely- I wish I could get faux ones to trim the bears with!

Hopefully I will get to post some bears before the show.......

I did it again...

Ok, how does so much time disappear inbetween me posting? hehe... I don't know how that happens... Maybe I should make a new year's resolution to post more? Hmmm, I guess if I did even that would be 10 days late hehe.... Christmas has come and gone, and now it's 2010.. I just can't get used to that twenty-ten thing...
Well I haven't done all I planned on so far, but I have done a few new designs, at least two of which will be new patterns ( I am sure you will have figured out that's the ones above) and actually learned some new things with Photoshop, with much Googling and a little help from my friends hehe. Why is it that even the "Photoshop for Dummies" is a bit advanced for me??:)
Anyhow, above are Cookie (the dog) and Rosie... Rosie stands about 14cm (5 1/2") tall and Cookie is quite a bit smaller sitting at 6cm ( 2 1/2") These new little guys will be on the "menu" for the classes at Teddy's Bits in Sydney in the days before the Sydney Teddy Bear fair in early March. Boy that's going to be here before we know it! Working on some more new things for the show, hopefully I will get some teasers up before then.......
I hope the New Year is wonderful for us all....

Finally.......

Well, I don't know how long it's taken me (and I don't want to figure it out! lol) but I finally got round to opening a Bearpile 'shop' today! I have six bears listed at the moment and when I get time I will list a few more. Next up is listing on Etsy, where I will also be offering our patterns and maybe the occaisional kit.
http://www.bearpile.com/artist.cgi?id=1300 should get you to my page if you would like to check the bears out.

I've been busy designing a couple of new patterns, hopefully I will be able to finish them off and photograph them soon. Summer has hit us early with today being the first Total Fire Ban for the season, and it's not technically Summer til the 1st of December.
Saturday I am off to Tooradin to teach another Magnolia class at Bear Essence, which will be another fun day with lots of chat and giggles.. and hopefully some bear making as well!

It feels like January..

Well, the last show of the year is done and I almost feel like it's my "New Year". It's a few months before my next show so I am hoping to start a few new projects and design some new patterns.
The show deadlines are good for getting me focused but make it hard to act on ideas- either new or old- so to not have any looming feels wonderful!
So I've been making a list of things I want to focus on- fingers crossed I can get some things crossed off.
I didn't have any new bear pics as yet but I thought I would post this one instead- one of the most fabulous places I went to when I was away, Versailles- and this view down the Grand Canal. Standing there looking at that view was one of the most breathtaking moments I can remember. Pictures don't do it justice. How wonderful it must have been back in Marie Antoinette's day!