another awesome Giveaway!

Cloudbearies are having a great giveaway! look at this lovely Bear...

Head on over for your chance to win! 

http://www.cloudbearies.com/

Clothing Trouble...

My big bear is done.

I say done. he's not done at all. The Nightmare begins.

Now he needs clothes...and a wig....and some boots....

I have some some versions of these clothes before but on a much smaller bear. New bear is refusing to co-operate and I have realised that a bear with a hump is not an easy bear to make clothes for....

Still, it's a personal project so I can take my time with no pressure.....

I'll share some photos of him as is soon.

TTFN!

Awesome Giveaway!

The Lovely Linda Benson is giving away a stunning Polar Bear! 

 

http://bensonbears.blogspot.com/2011/06/best-laid-plans.html

Head on Over for your chance to win!! 

Swap Bear

I thought I'd share my very British Swap Bear with you all, as he's on his travels, I haven't posted him anywhere else as I want his new Mum to have a  Suprise when he turns up.

I've fancied trying some more traditional style bears for a change and I thought this would be a good oppertunity.

He's made from South african Mohair/Vicose mix and is a pattern from a Japanese Book.

I love those books, you get a ton of patterns for relatively little money (i think they cost me around £30 but have loads of patterns in each)

I haven't named him, that will be for his new Mum to decide, He's gone to live in the USA.

I am very proud of his nose! I think it's the neatest I've ever managed.

In other news, I stuffed Big Bears head last night. Not only did it hurt but I also snapped my stuffing stick - guess I was really going for it!!! My Cotter key is a good subsititute for now. 

I also think I may need more stuffing! 

TTFN x

Big Bear Pains!

Hi everyone!

I know it's been a while but I really must try harder!!

On the bear front, I've made a few including this year's Summer Swop bear. More on him some other time.

What is really on my mind at the moment is Big Bears! I am in the process of making a 20" bear for myself from a Book Pattern (i'll include details when bear is done). I am almost there, I've got a leg and the ears to go.

I have to say, I am finding the whole experience akward and painful. As I still handsew 100% of my bears, the big pieces really hurt to hold as you are stitching them and my hands are hurting so much I often need to stop. This is made worse by all the Chainmaille I've started again so my hands are super busy.

I have been warned that he will hurt to stuff as well....

Bring it on Bear! 

Random Crafting Urges

I know the answer, with almost certainty as most creative people are alike.

But does anyone else suffer from Random crafting urges?

The bears have taken a little backseat right now and I have been working on a massive super complex cross stitch right now - I find them theraputic in an almost mindless way. look at the chart, do a few stitches, change colour, off you go. Nothing I like better than to 'watch' a movie or a show whilst stitching away.

I have stitched for a fair few years now, easily over 10 although I am very prone to starting something and not finishing it through sheer boredom - or another random crafting urge hitting me square in the face. This whole thing not helped by the fact I like super complex cross stitch - cos it just looks so much cooler when it's done.

This is what I'm working on right now. Simple huh? I've done about 1/6 in a couple of months. I do love Tigers.
I might put up progress reports so you can watch it grow. My living room is all creams and browns so it should look lovely when done.

Anyway! I was stitching along most days (in between bears) quite happily. Then one day I read a trade magazine at work.

For those of you who don't know, I work in a Jewellers. Not a fancy bespoke designer one I admit, it's a High Street Jewellers. Not the best know but we have around 126 branches in England and Wales.

No-one else reads those magazines I don't think, but I love to keep up with what is cool in the jewellery world.

I came across a lovely bracelet, which consisted of a half persian chain used as a charm bracelet. It was seriously nice.

Now half persian is a Chainmail pattern. For a while now, people have been making jewellery using jump rings in Chainmaill patterns. You will hear it referred to as Chain Maille when used in this manner.

I stumbled across it really when I found a kit one day. I have done a couple of patterns, Byzantine and Kings Helm.It is really simple and straight forward once you have learned the pattern of the rings; and working with jewellery I am very used to opening and closing jump rings. Fiddly but you get a really cool effect when it's done.

So I have decided I need to learn half persian to make a bracelet just like the one I saw. As stunning as it was, I have't got £375 when I can spend £4 on some rings instead!

Rings arrived this morning much to my Fiances amusement. He sees me with a package and says, what have you got? and just gave me a real funny look when I said a pile of jump rings.....lol.

So yet again, my crafting as been derailed by a random urge/inspiration.

Still, Never a Dull Moment, is it??

Food for Thought: Teddy Bear Natural History.

A very good friend of mine shared an artist website that she came across which I find  fascinating -

http://www.stephaniemetz.com/portfolioTeddyNaturalHistory.html

Stephanie makes a statement about our desire to shape our world using the Teddy Bear as an example. The resulting needlefelted pieces look as if they are indeed copying something real - she also does more biological work.

I would share this with the Teddy Community at large on TT; But I get the feeling that it may provoke strong reactions in some people.

A little statement about our constant need to mess with the world around us.

Hope you enjoy,

Love Julia xxx