On my work bench

Sooooo instead of spending this past weekend finishing up my preview bear for the August 18th online BearHugs4U show, thanks to the recent unpleasant changes at Photobucket, I was busy revamping my website. After being free for the past decade, they are now charging $399/year to host pics that you want to show on your own site. (Yeah, I don't think so!)


I've got most of the pages fixed, but still need to address photos on the 140+ pages that detail the citizens and their stories. On the bright side, it will give me a chance to see all the citizens again. Wonder if I can remember where they all live now.


 Sorry for the inconvenience, folks.

Here the bear I mentioned above.  The show's theme is Fun in the Sun and this little gal will be dressed for her bike ride.  

Awww how lovely!

Look who is on her way to her new home from the 1st day of the Special Event at Cobblestone Creations! There's still time to be part of the fun.

Join here.

Time to Celebrate

It seems we have once again made another journey around the sun and it is time to mark another birthday for me this month. And what better way to celebrate than to have an exclusive offer for my followers?

This sale will run for one week only, ending at 8pm eastern on July 12th.

I hope you can all pop on over and take a peek.

Click Here to Visit the Sale  

 

Online show TODAY!

You are kindly invited to the
Online Show at http://bearhugs4u.com/ starting
TODAY, JULY 7th at 12 noon eastern.
Maren is one of the new items I will have available then.

You will find me right in the middle of top row of the show page.

Hampshire Teddy Bear Fair May 17th

Will you be in the UK this weekend?

Stop by to see Jacques!
Sunday May 17th
 

My pirate bear, Jacques Bontemps, 

is competing in the 

International Teddy Bear Artist Awards 

during the Hampshire Teddy Bear Fair.  

He will be available for purchase 

after the competition ~ with 

no shipping or other fees to pay!

New items available

Online Show Ends
Monday, May 11th 7pm eastern

I can now show you all the items 
I have in this weekend's show:

To access my page at the show, scroll to 

near the bottom of the main show page

and click on Beary Blue.

SEVEN new items available today

Online Show Today at 11am eastern!

Bright Star Promotions' Spring Stars Show begins today at 11am eastern and will run through Monday, May 11th at 7pm.  Per show rules I can only show you 1 of the new items I have in this show.

http://www.bright-star-promotions.com/OnlineShow/SPRING-STARS-May-2015-Teddy-Bear-Show.htm

4 inch Beary Blue will bring her Maine inspired basket of faux blueberry muffins.  This time all my offerings are minis.

Artists are arranged in reverse alphabetical order 

on the show home page, so look for me somewhere 

near the middle/bottom of the page. 

Hope you can join us!

New items available!

I have three items in an auction event running this weekend on Artist Bears International.
All have LOW starting bids and No Reserves.

Hope you like them!

 

Emmeline 3 inch potbelly mouse: 

http://artistbearsinternational.com/en/auction-event-/1211-emmeline.html
 

Dusty 3 inch tall puppy:  

http://artistbearsinternational.com/en/auction-event-/1210-dusty.html

 
Posey 2.5 inch mouse in demitasse teacup: 

http://artistbearsinternational.com/en/auction-event-/1212-posey.html

New puppy now available

There is the new puppy available on my website.

$99 + shipping

Puppies!

About a month ago, one of my lovely collectors asked if I would try my hand at making a white Maltese type dog and a gray kitten for her Little Darling Dolls. It has taken many trips back to the drawing board, a few moments of despair, but overall many more giggles than tears during the process. Ok, I have to admit there were actually a few belly laughs at some of my first attempts.
 

Here is the result. (I decided to first work with this brown fur to master the puppy shape before moving onto a long-haired Maltese.)
 

This little puppy is made of faux fur, measures 3 inches from nose to tail and has string jointed legs. She's got two red bows in her ears and an ultrasuede collar with a non-working buckle and a tiny bell. Hope you like her!
 

This one has already found a home (thanks, Anne!) but there will be others coming. I am open to requests for specific colors. $99 + shipping.
 

Now to figure out kittens . . .

Online Show at eBearShow.com

Little Darling, a sweet potbelly mouse is 
one of the new items I have available in 
the online show running from 

Thursday, Feb 19th at midnight (eastern) 

until 

Monday, Feb 23rd at midnight.

http://www.ebearshow.com/

I also have two new citizen mice,  a new 7 inch bunny, 

Mother Goose Mouse and a few other goodies.

Hope you can pop in!

Online Shows, Voting and PandAmonium

New Show Starts Today!

Friday Feb 6th 11 am until
Monday Feb 9th 7pm (eastern)

I hope you can join us for this show at Bright Star Promotions.  Along with Sophie (below) two new citizen mice and a happy new potbelly mouse will be available from me during the show.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

eBearShow Show

Friday Feb 20th 12 am until
Sunday Feb 22th 12 am (eastern)

This show is run out of Sydney Australia, so the times are a bit odd for those of us in the USA.  Yes, it will start and end at midnight here.  Little Darling is my preview for this show. 

VOTING for favorites among the previews begins tomorrow Feb 6th at midnight and I would appreciate your support.  So please pop on over before Feb 15th and cast your votes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PandAmonium at ABI

Running now until Feb 20th

Artist Bears International is holding its first monthly collector appreciation event right now.  You could win this necklace!

To be eligible just visit the Artist Bears International site here: http://artistbearsinternational.com/en/41-january-2015 and comment on any or all of the lovely bears shown. The more you comment and share, the more chances you have to win. To comment, click on the bear's photo and scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the comment box.  No purchase necessary!

"We have implemented a program where we encourage all of our social media followers and our large list of email subscribers to visit the site to comment and share their comments via Facebook on listings made that month. The more comments made, the more chances to win. A drawing will take place for those who commented and a little give away gift will be sent to them. This year, our theme is PandAmonium - (Meaning: [pand ahˈmōnēəm ] NOUN: uproarious fun with Panda Bears). The gifts are panda themed jewelry and accessories.

The January give away is a really sweet Betsey Johnson Panda theme necklace with an enameled bamboo shoot and heart shaped faux jewel dangle with the bejeweled, adorable Panda as the centerpiece. It is a multi strand necklace. Stylish and perfect for bear lovers.

The listings for January 2015 are here: January 2015. Make as many comments as you like on as many creations, share on your FB page and show our artists some love and appreciation for their lovely work. Hug it Forward!

Thank you again for being a part of ARTIST BEARS INTERNATIONAL. "

Did you see?

Look who I see in the 

Holiday Roundup in the latest 

edition of Teddy Bear and Friends? 

It's my Harvey on his rocking horse!

 

 

New items available

The Bright Stars Fall 2014 show is now open.
 

The show will run through
Monday, September 8th at 7 pm eastern.

Along with Babycakes (pictured above) 

I have several new pieces available.

To access my sale page, just click on 

Babycakes from the main show page. 

You need to scroll down quite a bit to find me 

as this show has the artists listed 

by reverse alphabetical order.

I am, as always, offering layaway.  

Just email me if you are interested.

Do you recognize . . .

Mr. Cobblestone and I visited 

another landmark in Maine

just south of our home. 

Do you recognize this lighthouse?

Marshall Point

Yep ~  Run Forrest, Run!

Latest Commission

I was thrilled to be able to create this 

darling wee mouse that was commissioned 

for a collector's granddaughter 

who plays a grand piano.  

It is a 1:12 scale piece and will be a birthday gift.

The Premiere eBearShow is now open!

The very first show at eBearShow.com is open now through

 Sunday, August 17th at 2 am eastern.

Along with Antonia on her carousel pony 

I have several new pieces available.  

Here's a tiny peek for you.

 

During the show I am, as always, offering layaway.  

Just email me if you are interested.

Pemaquid

Since we moved to Maine a little over two years ago, 

we are slowly exploring our new neighborhood.  

Last weekend we took a drive south to 

Pemaquid Point, which is just a little over a 

half hour away from our home.  

I must say it is one of the most 

beautiful spots I have ever seen.

The day was summery, but not too humid, 

with abundant sunshine.  The colors of the 

water and sky were so blue 

it almost hurt your eyes.

The islands off in Penobscot Bay were visible, as 

were many crisp white sails and crashing waves. 

We, of course, have plans to revisit in the Fall and Winter 

when the swell of tourists have gone.  

I can see it already ~ sitting on those rocks 

with Mr. Cobblestone under an ominous 

Autumn sky listening to the waves for hours.

The stash

As many of you know, or may have gleaned from your reading here, I am blessed with an exquisitely wonderful husband in Mr. Cobblestone.  He takes an interest in my doings (even helps out from time to time with certain heavy lifting aspects,  ie: power tool required projects, of my little business) and reads this blog regularly.  

So let me start this post by letting you know, my darling sweetheart, that this particular entry will hold no interest for you and there is no need for you to read any further.
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Is he gone?  

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Ok, now that it's just us, I can tell you this post should really be titled "Confessions of a Fabric-holic".   Since we now live in a beautiful but remote area on the coast of Maine, trips into The Big City always include a stop at the craft and fabric stores to pick up things I need.  Yes, need.

After the last trip this past weekend, as I was in my studio unpacking my latest haul, I broke down and took the time to straighten out my bins of cottons.  

These specimens have been collected over the past decade or two and I am really quite pleased to say that among all of these bins, I found only 3 duplicates! 

As I said, I sorted the cottons, but I must confess that these 8 bins fill only 2/3 of one shelf in my studio ~ and there are, in total, 8 such shelves.  *gasp*

Along with cottons, there are bins for (and yes, labeled) knits, plush, flannel, silky, sparklie, felt, interfacing, floral, wild patterns, dupioni silk, poly, crepes, sheer, fluffy, moleskin, suede, ribbons (pink, red, neutral, yellow, orange, green, holiday, blue, purple and tulle), rayon, leather, suiting, faux, x-long pile cashmere, sassy long pile, medium cashmere, trims (in all colors previously mentioned), lace (ditto), wool roving and  xs threads.

So what can we take away from all this?  Well, for one thing, I need more brown toned cottons.  See half empty upper right bin in photo.

Redressed!

Recently I was commissioned to redress a 

family of dollhouse dolls.  

Here is the before picture.

And here is the after.

The customer is quite pleased with how 

they turned out and the dolls will now 

fit into the decor of her lovely Victorian dollhouse. 

If she sends photos of them in the house, 

I will gladly share them here.