Blog Hopping

One of my favorite quiet time diversions is blog hopping.
I have an ever growing list of favorite blogs that I visit regularly, many having their own favorite blogs list.
I’ll go to one of my favorite blogs, read it, then pick a blog from their fav’s list and hop over there. Read that one, pick a blog from their fav’s list and hop hop hopping I go. The combinations are endless and I rarely take the same route twice.
I’ve gotten lost and lost the path to some, so now I make sure to leave myself a breadcrumb trail, by using the Follow feature. Some don’t offer it and I wish they would. It’s the easiest way to bookmark a blog.
I usually do my blog hopping late at night, my quiet time. And I’ve found some fabulous blogs.
Some are simply beyond gorgeous, with pictures and artwork that’s all pastelly frilly lacey and purely positively all girlie. Love ‘em!
Some are into primitives and antiques, another love of mine, and are equally beautifully over-flowingly eye-catchingly full of pizzazz.
While others have pretties embellishing them, but their main attraction is the words, and what they have to say. Words that are exquisitely strung together. Instead of eye candy they offer mind candy. Profound or imaginative, or both, they will set your psyche soaring.
If you’d like to take one of these journeys, mind you they’re very addicting, you could start with one of my Blogs I love to Visit, listed at lower right somewhere. Try different pathways, as I do regularly. And be sure to leave breadcrumbs!
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Wee Whisper Winkle

Please meet Wee Whisper Winkle!

Wee Whisper Winkle is my prototype. He’s 8 inches in height, wee for me, and was made from a vintage faux fur coat, my favorite material to work with. I’m recycling! He’s fully jointed, has large glass eyes and an embroidered nose. He has tiny ears, which is totally different than my usual Dumbo sized ears. These are itty-bitty and way far back on his head.

Wee Whisper Winkle was made from the new pattern I’ve been fussing over. Just couldn’t get the head right or the all-around proportions. I finally hit upon something that I must say I’m happy with. (He's most definitely an anime wannabe.) I can now play around with it. There are so many variations on a theme bouncing around in my head. I’m all psyched, this’ll be fun!

His photo shoot wasn’t easy, with eyes so widely apart, but I managed to get a few okay shots. I took these at home, it was all rainy and icky out today.
I hope you like him!

I’ve cut out my second ted from this pattern and will try to grunge it up a bit. But that’s a tough one for me, I’m too much of a neat and tidy freak. Need to change my thinking, that includes embroidering a messy nose. Can I even. Time will tell.
I hope you’re having a good week. We’re over the hump, the weekend is in sight!
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Sunshine knock knock knocking…

It’s hard to believe February is here already. Where did January go? Oh well, at least we’re that much closer to spring.


Soon our camellias will be popping out in brilliant color. It‘s a large somewhat overgrown tree that produces an overabundance of flowers. It's just gorgeous in full bloom.

The sun knocked on our window yesterday, asking if I could come out and play. I said yes, of course. I grabbed my camera, put on my mukluks and danced out the door.
It was late afternoon, my favorite time of day, especially for pix taking. I did notice late afternoon is coming later, with each passing day. Hooray, spring is really on its way!

Cows, horses, deer and who knows what graze in this pasture.

Yesterday only one lone horse was to be seen.

It was nice to be outside, in the sunshine, as the rains returned today.
I’ve just finished my wannabe anime prototype. There’s a mouthful. I’m very happy with how this little guy turned out. I revamped the pattern several times. He’s quite different than my usual bears, and only 8 inches in height. That’s small, for me. Hopefully I’ll get to take some pix of him later today.
..It’s like 4 in the morning right now. I keep ridiculous hours.
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Clarissa

Kindly meet Clarissa!

Clarissa is 12 inches in height and was made from a dreamy, super soft, super-dense, vintage fur coat. Her paw and foot pads are a soft leather, also from a vintage coat. She is a dream to cuddle with!

Not really sure what I was doing, I trimmed her face bit by bit. I also did some needle sculpting. I gave her large eyes, for that darling wide-eyed look, and embroidered her nose with pearl cotton. I’m very pleased with little Clarissa, if that’s okay to say!



It took me longer than usual to finish her, as I’ve been distracted with this mini-obsession of designing an anime teddy. I finally have a complete pattern drawn and cut out and I’m anxious to see it in fur. Hopefully tomorrow.
It may not qualify as a true anime bear, as it’s kinda my interpretation of, and a bit larger than, the norm. I’m anxious to see how my little misfit anime comes out.

The sun decided to show itself, a few days ago, so I quick grabbed my camera and drove up toward Mt St Helens. The late afternoon sun was casting a brilliant orange-yellow on the landscape. It was a gorgeous afternoon!
I posted some of the photos I took to my other blog. If you click on Pretty Pix it should take you there.

I’m yearning for more sunny day photo ops, but they’re few and far between up here. At least the days are getting longer, spring will soon be here.
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Fashion Mis-Statements

While at my studio today, which is in our tiny downtown district, I had unexpected company.
I was, once again, rearranging the place. It seems to help my thought processes process. I’ve been fussing over a new teddy bear design and dragging furniture around seems to help.
Anyway, a good friend stopped by to say hello. The place was an utter disaster, but we managed to clear some space and we sat and chatted a while. It was a lovely, unexpected respite.
She went on her way and I went back to my furniture moving. As I passed a mirror, and caught sight of myself, I gasped. I was a mess!
I was wearing funky old stirrup stretch pants, a purple sweatshirt with a clashing screaming multi-colored oversized jacket, a wool scarf that matched nothing and slippers on my feet. In addition to this incredible fashion statement, my hair was a fuzzy-wuzzy fright. Sans make-up. Gad!
But really truly, it made me smile.

Next month I’ll be turning a very large number. I fretted over this very large number since my last birthday. I know, the alternative isn’t a good one, but that doesn’t help much.
As I close in on this dreadful number I find I’m beginning to accept the inevitable. Perhaps it’s because to my new-found mind set…
I’m going to embrace the aging hippie lifestyle!
I’m pretty much already there, but I’ll dive in deeper. Why not! I’ll continue my quest for outlandish out of style, but comfortable, second-hand clothes. I’ll rejoice in being healthy and happy, smiling inwardly as well as out, being at peace with myself. And I’m letting my hair grow, so I can let my hair down! I think that all qualifies.
So, bring on the cake! ...Squeezing on all 60 candles!!!
Happy Hippie Hugs,
Laura ♥

Thoughts and Ravings

Knowledge is power. I agree whole-heartedly.

However...
Knowledge is also a party pooper.
When I first started collecting teddy bears the cute factor reigned supreme. Sweet, cute and cuddly were my only objectives.
I didn’t look at workmanship to see if teddy’s seams were straight or if his eyes were level or his nose was embroidered on neat and tidy. I knew nothing of design or the intricacies of face sculpture. I saw, I loved, I bought. Ah, the utter bliss.
I still fall instantly in love, no matter how a teddy is made, if it captures my heart. And so many so often do.
However…
I must confess I now find myself inspecting even, gasp, critiquing teddy bears. I can’t help it. I know too much!
It’s not a bad thing, all this know-how (but of course not total or even close to total or even semi-close to close to total know-how) bouncing around in my head, it's just different. I still love collecting bears, and I really love making them. I am forever hooked. But I do sometimes miss the mystique and that giddy girlish excitement of finding and seeing just cute, soft, and cuddly.

I nearly have my in-the-works teddy finished. He just needs a bit of a facelift. I know, I’m really slow. But I got sidetracked with trying to design an anime, of sorts . I did some test heads, I’m still not there. I see this design in my head, now if I could just transfer it to paper… Oh well, I love to challenge myself.

Here’s a sneak peek at my fluff monster.

Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Confessions of a Scissor Nut...

Okay, I confess, I love scissors! I have more scissors than I know what to do with. I have multiples of embroidery scissors, medium scissors, large scissors, heavy duty large scissors, even little stork scissors. Well, you get the point!
So what do I do? Yup, I buy more scissors.
But these are really really cool! And as you may have already guessed, in multiples.

I read about these Fiskar 5 inch spring loaded snips somewhere, but for the life of me, I can't remember where. They sounded like they might be kind to my aging fingers, so I bought a pair...and they're great! I can cut fur and not wear my fingers out.
I then bought a larger pair, but thought I might not find a need for such hunky springy scissors. Yesterday I used them to cut up a leather suede coat and wow, cut it like butter. No achy breaky fingers!
I bought a second pair of the 5 inchers today, one pair for my studio and one pair for home. They're too good not to have handy. I just took a quick pic of them, unopened, so I could show you what all the excitement was about.
Oh, I bought them at Michaels.



I'm trying my hand at making an anime bear. I put a head together today, using scrap fur, but I see it needs tweaking. So tomorrow I'll have another go at it. I also have a teddy nearly ready, but my mind wandered off and so did I. And it continues to wander with the what ifs...
No wonder I can't sleep at night. How to quiet those little gray cells. Any suggestions?
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Me at my mom's sewing machine

many moons ago..

More of the Mountain

About 15 miles farther up Spirit Lake Hwy, the road to Mt St Helens, is Hoffstadt Bluff, where there are wonderful views of the mountain and the Toutle River, in the valley below. The first photo is a somewhat compressed view of Mt St Helens. The clouds were in constant motion over the mountain, ever changing its mood.

This is a broad view of the mountain in the distance and valley below. The Toutle River was pristine prior to the eruption, in 1980. The huge mud flows that swept down left a large swath of devastation, annihilating the river. Thirty years later it's still trying to recover.

This is some logging equipment that was destroyed in the eruption. There's still quite a bit of it around.

I love photographing trees, and sketching them, especially during the winter months.

We didn't go any farther up, as the snowline wasn't far from us. We weren't prepared for snow and our days are quite short this time of year. Best to play it safe.

Sunday the clouds and rain were back, but that's okay. Just giving us a day of sunshine and a glimpse of the mountain was glorious!
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

A Saturday Afternoon Drive

The skies were a hazy blue and the sun was doing its best to shine through (around here that's a real treat) so Bill and I decided to go for a little drive this afternoon, into the foothills of the Cascade Range.

The road to Mount St. Helens originates here in Castle Rock, and goes straight east.

We stopped at the Visitor Center, which is just 5 miles up the road. It's next to a small shallow lake that's abundant with wildlife. This time of year, however, it's pretty quiet. There's a wonderful walking trail around, and even across, part of the lake. These pix were taken along that walk. The mountain was even showing!

We drove a little farther up toward the mountain, stopping at various viewpoints and just enjoying the day. It was revitalizing!

I took more pix, which I'll post in a few days.

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Happy Hugs,

Laura ♥

Sir Edward Thomas

Kindly meet Edward Thomas. Excuse me, Sir Edward Thomas, as he’s insisted on being called.
He’s a little guy, for me, only about 8 inches in height. He’s made from a really funky faux fur coat I found at a garage sale last summer. The short dark brown fur swirls in every direction. Really cool fur, but not easy to capture in photos.

I was playing around with design, again. I always do the head first. After attaching the eyes and embroidering on the nose (I don’t add the ears until the bear is complete) I found myself looking into the eyes of ET!
Gadzooks! Not what I was going for at all. Somewhat flustered I was ready to, well I won’t say for fear Edward will hear, but you-know-what. Then I realized he deserved to be finished, no matter what he wound up looking like.
After putting him all together, with ears firmly attached, I sighed a sigh of relief. He looked like a bear after all. Perhaps a bit different, but a bear nonetheless.
I thought Edward Thomas was a befitting name. He not only agrees, he loves it! He says it’s very debonair. (I won’t tell him what his initials stand for.)

We’re having lots of rain, but that’s normal for the Pacific Northwest this time of year. Sometimes we don’t see the sun for weeks. Indoor activities are a must to stay sane. And lots of light, natural or not. I have lamps scattered around my studio and turn them all on. I have overheads but they’re too bright, too sterile. Totally lacking in cozy ambiance.

I’m working on a long furred teddy. This fur is really gorgeous. It's a lovely mingle of browns. It too is from a coat, but this one I bought off eBay. Just couldn’t resist!

Oh, and I’ve made my New Year’s resolution. I’m going to reconnect with the kid in me. Seems I’ve been neglecting her lately, going to remedy that forthwith!
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 2010. Wow.

Ringing in a new year is always so exciting. We reflect, we hope, we set new goals. Fresh and new, a clean slate. It's revitalizing.

This past year has been good to me, I've been good to me. I decided to follow my dream full time. I closed my antiques store and turned the space into a teddy bear studio. I'm learning and growing and feeling good inside.

And shy me got ever so brave and joined in, forming new friendships, friendships that will last a lifetime. I feel blessed to have such wonderful friends.
Friends that are gifted talented artists, who are generous, kind and caring in their willingness to help and give encouragement to a newbie, like myself.
Thank you, I love you all!

Speaking of teddy bears, I finished the teddy I've been working on. His name is Edward Thomas, but he's yet to have his photo shoot. The skies have been so gray there hasn't been enough natural light, which I love using. Hopefully we'll get a weather reprieve, so I can snap some quick pix. Edward Thomas is, I'll be generous and just say...different. Hopefully I'll get to take his pic tomorrow.

Happy New Year, dear friends...

May you prosper, may you find happiness and fulfillment

and may all your dreams come to be, in 2010!
Happy Hugs, Laura ♥

Rufus Joins the Hug

I hope you had a wonderfully joyous Christmas. It seems to take forever getting here, then is gone in a flash ..According to the starry eyed, full of wonder child that dwells in all of us.
Bill and I had a great Christmas. It’s just the two of us, but we always manage to have fun. We’re into toys, so toys we bought each other. You’re never too old for toys! Bill cooked up a wonderful dinner, with all the trimmings (I don‘t cook!). It was outstanding. A super day, all around.


Festivities slowed my teddy bear making down a bit, but I did manage to finish one, just in time for him to enjoy his first Christmas.
His name is Rufus and he’s quite the character. He loves to play and romp, he melded with the hug right off.
Rufus is about 12 inches tall and his fur is so so soft, he’s a pleasure to hold.

I’m working on a new teddy. Changed the pattern a bit. I’m using some really funky fur from a coat I bought over the summer. Different, sums it up nicely.
I hope you have a safe and happy New Year.
May 2010 bring you all the very best!
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Christmas is

Christmas is
for children
of every age and mind.

Christmas is
trinkets and baubles
and wide eyed surprise.

Christmas is
magic
hopes and dreams.

Christmas is
all possible things.

Christmas is
giving and sharing
and caring.

Christmas is
love.

Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Merry Christmas!

May the wonderment of Christmas embrace you
And may all your Christmas dreams come true.


Wishing all my cherished friends
A Very Merry Christmas and
A Safe and Happy New Year!

Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Cornelius Says Hi!

I’ve been happily sewing away.

Please meet my newest hug, Cornelius.

Cornelius is 12 inches tall and sewn from a new pattern I concocted. I love experimenting.

The fur is from a coat I bought over the summer. I seem to have collected quite a few, most of them coming from garage and estate sales. I love the hunt!



Cornelius had his photo shoot this afternoon. He too insisted on the funky chair.
Even the wagon wound up on the chair. He was content, so I was happy.


Getting to my studio was a real challenge. We’ve had some extremely cold weather. We haven’t been above freezing in days. Last night temps dropped to 6 degrees. Way unusual for our normally temperate climate. On top of that, we had snow.

A few days ago a narrow band of snow showers came through, which we happened to be in the middle of. Enough snow fell to cover everything, from tree limbs to roadways. The snow melted a wee bit, then everything froze. Our roads are covered in a layer of icy snow. We live on a hill, on a country road, making driving treacherous. I won’t be venturing out again until we thaw, which hopefully will be in a few days.

I brought some fur and a few supplies home with me, so I’m set for the duration. I tweaked the new pattern a bit and have started a newbie.

It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas!
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Humphrey

Kindly meet Humphrey, the newest addition to our ever growing teddy bear hug-menagerie.

Humphrey is made from a vintage faux mink fur coat. I love working with these vintage coats. The fur backing is slightly stiffened so they’re easy to work with and they don’t need to be lined. Humphrey is 12 inches tall, fully jointed, with premium glass eyes and a pearl cotton embroidered nose. His little paw and foot pads are a soft leather suede. I covered his foot pads with lace, which he thinks is too girly.

Humphrey fell in love with this wildly painted chair that’s in my studio and insisted his photo shoot take place there. What could I do but oblige. And I must admit, I too love this chair.

When we got home Humphrey ran into the living room, jumped up on a chair where Wendell, Eldwin, Hobbs, and Lacey were sitting and wiggled his way in, nice and comfy like. And being happy friendly teddy bears, they welcomed him with open arms.

I am permanently passionately hooked on teddy bears!
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Teddy Bear Picnic

A dear friend just emailed me the Teddy Bear Picnic song.

This was a delightful surprise, as I’ve never known the complete lyrics.
Thank you, Elyse!

Teddy Bear Picnic

If you go down in the woods today

You're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down in the woods today

You'd better go in disguise.

For every bear that ever there was

Will gather there for certain, because

Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

Every teddy bear who's been good

Is sure of a treat today.

There's lots of marvelous things to eat

And wonderful games to play.

Beneath the trees where nobody sees

They'll hide and seek as long as they please

That's the way the teddy bears have their picnic.

Picnic time for teddy bears

The little teddy bears are having a lovely time today

Watch them, catch them unawares

And see them picnic on their holiday.

See them gaily dance about

They love to play and shout

They never have any cares.

At six o'clock their mummies and daddies

Will take them home to bed,

Because they're tired little teddy bears.

If you go down in the woods today

You'd better not go alone.

It's lovely down in the woods today

But safer to stay at home.

For every bear that ever there was

Will gather there for certain, because

Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Wild Weather...Fun Trip!

That was a fun mini-vacation!
The weather was wild. Storm after storm rolled in. The ocean churned and heaved with huge waves and high tides. I don’t think we’ve ever seen it so furious.

We arrived under cloudy but calm skies. We were starting to think the storms were called off. Phooey. But all that changed in the middle of the first night.



The winds whipped and howled as a storm suddenly struck, the rain came down in sideways sheets. The storm lasted through most of the next day, with wind gusts of 80mph. Sand dunes were being rearranged. It was magnificent!



Roads flooded making many impassable, so it was a stay at the hotel day. We had a picnic in our room, I did a little teddy bear making while Bill read and computed on his laptop. We also both watched the storm’s magnificent performance. It was a very relaxing day.




The storm drifted off late in the day, only to be followed by another in quick succession. But this storm, though strong, was short lived. By next morning skies and seas were calm, once again. The water had even receded from the roadways, so we were able to go out and play.
We bundled up (it was cold and still windy) and headed for one of our favorite beaches to do one of our favorite things, beachcombing. And, oh happy day, we had it all to ourselves.






We walked, poked around, and watched the waves roll in. And I happily took tons of pictures.






It was a super duper wonderful day! The sun even peaked out from behind the clouds to occasionally say a quick hello.







That night, yup, another storm blew in. It was supposed to be nasty but petered out some before coming to shore. We spent the next day scenic view hopping along the coast, which is always fun.

This was my kind of vacation! I loved every minute of it…
But it’s so good to be home…
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Over the River and Through the Woods

Bill and I are headed to the Oregon Coast tomorrow for a mini-vacation. We love it out there, especially this time of year, when we have it much to ourselves.



It’s a lovely back roads trip, usually taking under 2 hours. Occasionally it’s taken much longer, when we’ve run into snow and ice in the coastal mountain range. White knuckle time and not for me, or my tummy.

But they say there’s no chance of that, as the current storm is more tropical in nature, rolling in from Hawaii. It’s bringing lots of warm rain and high winds, with 70 mph wind gusts predicted at the coast.

So why on earth are we going?
We love the coast in stormy weather. The ocean is gorgeously wild with huge swells, white caps and enormous waves that come crashing to shore.



We stay at a resort that’s right on the beach, top floor, high and dry. We’re the adventurous type, so we also wander out for a closer look. But we always stay off the beaches, as sneaker waves have been known to take beachcombers permanently out to sea.

I’ve packed my camera, so I’ll share the adventure with you! (These pix are from our last trip.)
I’ve also packed some teddy bear makings, just in case the weather gets too wild for outings.
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Lacey

Please meet Lacey...

my new little tomboy.

Lacey may look all dainty in her ribbons and bows, but looks can be deceiving. She’s already off rough-housing with the hug. There goes all her fancies, and her sparkling white fur.

Oh well...

She’s happy and that’s all that matters.

Lacey is a dreamy soft faux fur and has pale pink suede leather inner ears, paw and foot pads.
She stands about 12 inches tall, has black German glass eyes and an embroidered pretty pink, pearl cotton nose and mouth. Lacey’s from a new pattern of mine and she was really fun to make.

I’ve started a new teddy, from a newly drawn pattern. I like to experiment! I’m making it from a very dense, vintage faux fur coat that has lovely beige to light brown colorations. I’m anxious to have this little one looking back at me, as it’s a very different head shape...for me.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Do something fun!
Happy Hugs,
Laura ♥

Come Take a Ride with Me to My Studio!

It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I looked out this morning and saw the sun was shining. Wow. Take some pix, I thought. So I grabbed my camera, as I headed out the door and down to my studio. Around here you do when the doings good. Not a half hour later raindrops were once again falling.

So come along with me on my short but lovely drive to my studio!

We’ve just turned out of our driveway and we’re heading down our little country road.

We’re at the bottom of the hill we live on. (My Escort's yellow hood is showing.)

We’re on the road at bottom of hill, heading toward town.

We’re on the same road, closer to town.

We’re sightseeing. This is the fairgrounds for Castle Rock.

Now we’re crossing the Cowlitz River

The Cowlitz River.

We’re on the same road which takes us right into town. We'll be making a left up there, then another quick left.

We’re now on Castle Rock’s one and only main street. My studio is in the greenish storefront on the far left of intersection.

We’re there, in just three minutes!
I hope you enjoyed the ride. It’s short but I always enjoy it.

I just finished a teddy. Her name is Lacey and she’ll be debuting tomorrow!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

PS: Scroll down 2 posts to get a glimpse of inside my studio.

I love rain!

Call me crazy, but I love rain!
Its sight, sound, smells, all mesmerize me.

And I love weather watching. I’m always looking for signs of change, like when the winds shift warning us a storm is on the horizon, then watching the storm as it rumbles through. And this time of year, with the rainy season upon us, there’s lots to observe in the skies above.

The rainy season in the Pacific Northwest is November through April. The forecast usually goes like this: Rain turning to showers turning to rain. Sometimes, but not often, snow will be thrown into the equation. We do get a glimpse of the sun occasionally, just to remind us it’s up there, somewhere.

And occasionally, Mother Nature gets a wee bit rambunctious and it floods. (This was taken last winter.) We live on a hill, so we’re high and dry. But we can turn into an island. Being the adventurous type, when power challenged and hill bound I take it in stride. It’s all how a situation is perceived. Since Mother Nature will have her way no matter what, might as well accept it, even try to enjoy it.





And all that rain makes for glorious springs!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

My New Studio

I finally finished fussing with my store turned studio and have happily settled in to creating teddy bears.
And I finally took some pix! Here’s a little tour of my studio.

This is my main work area. The layout is basically the same as before, except expanded.

My sewing machine is adjacent to my L-shaped work space.

This is a little seating area. I can sit with blankey over my legs and hand sew, or read, or fall asleep.☺

This is the back room, where I store my fur and whatnots, and have a second sewing machine set up.

I am so enjoying my teddy bear making sanctuary. It’s like heaven on Earth!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Master Marty

Please meet Marty, my new little boy.

Marty was born yesterday, after he said enough to my fussing with his fur. So I put the trimming scissors down, found him some girlish frou-frou neckwear (his words), then sat him down for a long and tedious (yup, his words again) photo shoot.

Marty got first dibs on a revamped early pattern of mine. He is 11 inches in height and made from a vintage faux fur coat. He is fully jointed, has a pearl cotton nose and mouth, and black German glass eyes. His paw pads and inner ears are a soft leather suede. I needle and scissor sculpted his little face, which tested his patience greatly.

Marty had to push and shove a bit, but he finally found his very own cozy little spot in our living room, with all our happy hug about him.

I’m having way too much fun!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Stuff Stuff Stuff

My teddy-to-be, patiently waiting for his ears to be sewn on (right now they’re just pinned on) and to get his final trimming and primping.

He would have been finished days ago but I decided to try to clear out more of my collectible-antiquey stuff from my store turned studio.

No, you’re not experiencing déjà-vu. I have done this before. And before that. But I still had so much stuff. So I moved all my bins of fur and whatnots out of my back room and put everything I wanted to part with back there. Then I called a good friend who has a shop like mine and offered it all to her for a price she couldn’t refuse.

And it’s all gone! I now have only the things I really want to keep to decorate my studio with. All my storage shelves are empty! Hurray!
Well, they were. I went down today and moved all my bins back. But I have so much more storage space now, I’m not tripping over things anymore.

While the gal was boxing up all her goodies (she wouldn’t let me help as she has a system) I sat and sketched out a few designs. I made some test teddy bear heads using paper towels, scotch tape, and staples. One looked real intriguing so I made a permanent pattern. It’s just the head and gusset, I have an existing body pattern that should work well with it.
Tomorrow I’ll pick out the fur. Sometimes the fur dictates the bear-to-be, sometimes it’s the other way around, like now.
I’m eager to make this newbie. My excitement level is high!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Serendipity at Work

I stuff my teddys with the help of a wooden spoon (handle end) and/or a chopstick (both ends). But before stuffing and after I turn I use them to push out and form the individual bear parts, from inside, along the seams. Gingerly, I might add. I’m always concerned I might jab too forcefully and poke a hole in my newly sewn seams.

I’ve been looking around for a tool that would be gentler, something with a nice soft tip. I thought of a pencil with a big eraser on the end. That might do. But the erasers just aren’t big enough.
Well, hit me with an eraser, I found the perfect tool! Actually it’s a makeshift tool, but a tool nonetheless.

Over the summer I bought boxes and bags full of sewing goodies, at garage sales. Many items were very useful right off, others I had absolutely no use for, and some I simply couldn’t identify. But I rarely throw anything away, unless it’s pure junk. I stick all the useless or unknown use of stuff in a drawer at my studio. Actually several drawers.


A few days ago I was rummaging around and found an unopened packet of two knitting needle rubber tips. I don’t knit, so I don’t know what these are used for. Nevertheless, I kept them. When I rediscovered them, that little light above my head lit up brightly. Ah-ha, I said.
I grabbed a chopstick, pounded one of the rubber tippy jobs on the pointy end, and made a turning all the little parts out/inside smoothing tool. It doesn’t look like much, but it sure works! It may, however, need a new name.

I usually make 10 to 12 inch bears, so this little gadget works perfectly. The rubber tip, being I had to pound it on, stays on.

Serendipity at its finest!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Introducing .. Eldwin

Hello! Happy Thursday. Or is it Friday? I'm lost in time again.

Kindly meet Eldwin, my newest teddy creation. Eldwin was made from a luxuriously soft, thick, long faux fur. I seem to be in love with long fur.
Eldwin is 13 inches tall, when standing. He has a black pearl cotton nose, premium black glass eyes and is fully cotter-pin jointed. He was really fun to make and, as always, I’m still learning and stretching.
Eldwin is residing in our very merry teddy bear living room.

There’s a huge fabric store in Portland that sells to-die-for faux furs. Their selection is mind boggling and every so often I go down and splurge. My kind of fun!

I’m loving my studio! It’s gotten me super motivated. I’m down there every week day. It's just minutes from home. And I promise, pix will come. (I'm still moving things around a bit.)

I’ve stopped fretting over style. You were right, it’ll just come, and be. Thank you all for your kind, encouraging words!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Finding My Style

I made bears about 20 years ago, but never really took it very far. When I re-entered the wonderful world of teddy, about 2 years ago, I wasn’t sure where it would take me this time around. Would I make a few and say, that’s nice, then put away my sewing machine for another 20 years? Only time would tell.
Well, it turned out time wasn’t needed, as I fell head over heels in love with bearmaking, and that love continues to grow.

I’ve made around 40 bears. Not really that many as I had to divide my work time between bearmaking and my antique store. Since closing my shop I can now happily spend lots more time on teddy making.
And teddy learning. Looking at my bearmaking progression I can see I’m slowly improving, but I also know I have a long way to go. And during this journey I hope to find my style, a look that will define my bears.

Most artists have their own certain style that they’ve perfected through the years. So I wonder, how do I find my style and will I ever find it?
My bear artist friends say to give it time, give it a chance. That one’s style doesn’t evolve overnight.
And they’re right. I know, eventually, I’ll find my defining look. Or it’ll find me. But I confess to being a wee bit impatient.
Note to myself: Slow down and enjoy the journey.
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Listen

Listen
to your child within
Remember
where she has been.
Hear
her inward cries
Answer
all her whys.
Wipe
away all her sorrow
Give
her hope for tomorrow.
Listen
to your child within
Free
her spirit to let love in.

Hugs,
Laura ♥

A Photo Shoot of a Photo Shoot

While I was intently prepping and photographing Hobbs, Bill was photographing me, photographing Hobbs. Unbeknownst to me, I might add. I had on my house grubbies, with unkempt hair, unkempt me! Anyway, I thought I’d share them with you, as Hobbs requested.

The above photo is Hobbs waiting patiently for the shoot to begin. He’s quite the gentleman.

Then came all the mom fussing, fiddling, and photoing.

The last one is of a not so happy Hobbs. Poor thing thought I’d abandoned him. I just left him alone for a moment, but he said it seemed like hours. I apologized.

Hobbs is now happily residing with all the hug, in our somewhat overcrowded living room. But Bill and I don’t mind. After all, they are family.

Hugs,
Laura ♥
..and the gang

Summer's Last Hurrah

Just a little eye candy of the last vestiges of summer.
I took this pic while wandering through our local woods. No Photoshop magic, it just somehow came out this way. Haven't a clue what I did.




I hope your week is going well. I've been busy making a teddy. I'm also still fussing with my studio. But it's so much fun!

Happy Tibbar-Tibbar Day!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Hobbs

Kindly meet Hobbs, my newest teddy creation. Hobbs is made from a dense, dreamy soft, faux fur and has leather suede paws and foot pads. He’s about 13 inches in height, fully jointed, with German glass eyes and a pearl cotton nose.
Hobbs was a challenge, with all that long unruly fur. But also fun. I’m still learning and this teddy taught me a lot. Little light bulbs kept going off in my head.

I’m on to my next bundle of fur. It’s good to be back bear making. I’m pretty much done arranging and rearranging my studio. It was more work than I expected, but totally worth it.
I was going to sell my display case, then decided against it. Bill and I moved it to the front of the shop, where it looks so much better. It’s incredibly heavy but we managed to inch it along. I filled it with teddy bears and teddy bear trinkets. The bears were all gifts from Bill, some dating back 28 years to when we first met. They’re my very special hug. Yup, pix will be taken!
My bears? They’re home where we both can enjoy them. Pretty soon, however, there won’t be any more room for any more bears. It’ll be them or us!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

My Studio ..Scene One, Act Two

I’ve been fussing with my new studio, ex-store, for days and days. I’m almost there, wherever there is. Actually, I’ve thought that three or four times already. I dragged Bill down this afternoon for his input. He’s great at visualizing and, as usual, came to the rescue. Me, I just drag the furniture around and around until I’m tired.
The place is slowly looking more like a studio and less like a store. That was the hardest hurdle for me, seeing my store as something else. I have a six foot display case that I was going to keep. But it screams store no matter where I put it, and it’s not easily moved. So it’s going bye-bye. Then maybe I’ll stop seeing a store and really start seeing a studio.

Between these bursts of furniture moving I’ve been working on a teddy. It’s pretty much done, just doing some final tweaking. Here’s a sneak peek.
And I’m all excited about a new teddy design idea. Three in the morning and my brain is buzzing with pattern plans and studio organizing. Sleep is overrated.

Pictures will be taken, I promise. When the dust settles, which hopefully will be soon.
But but if I moved that there, and that over there, then I can move that there..
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Oh I wish..

Oh I wish I were a cuddly teddy bear
that is what I truly wanna be
Cause if I were a cuddly teddy bear
everyone would be in love with me!

Hugs,

Laura ♥

My Teddy Bear Studio ..Finally!

My ball of fluff is still a ball of fluff. It’s sitting on the back of my sofa with all its other unfinished parts and pieces. I promised the untidy pile that I will very shortly transform it into a teddy.
So why is teddy not yet a teddy? Because I’ve been at my antiques store every day this past week, as well as today.
Transforming it into a bona-fide teddy bear studio!

I have retired from the crazy world of antiques. Crazy is putting it mildly. It’s a very cut throat business and I’m simply not a cut throat kinda gal. I did enjoy all my regular customers and I’ll miss them and the many chats we had.
Basically, I'm your typical hermit. I work best when I’m alone, listening to my music. And that's also when I’m most creative.
I had a bit of a sale and, for now, keeping the rest. I buy what I like. For me it was a better approach than trying to second guess customers. So, I love my inventory!
I rearranged things, making a more warm and cozy atmosphere. My store has finally been transformed into my teddy bear studio. I'll take better pix soon, but for now here's a sneak peek.

I may someday go back into the antiques business, one never knows what the future holds. I’m a strong believer in never saying never!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

A Teddy to Be ..Maybe

So, what do you think so far?
I’m attempting to make a teddy out of some wonderful long fur I have. It’s white with golden brown tips and very dense. I haven’t worked with fur this long in a while.
The head is the hard part. It starts out as a confusing ball of fluff that I slowly trim and sculpt. But where to start this process always eludes me.
After staring at my fluff ball for a while I kinda decided to just dive in. I have plenty of this fur, so I can experiment some. I found the seams and trimmed a small amount off the muzzle and needle sculpted just a bit to shape the nose. This hopefully will give me a feel for what this teddy wants to look like. The green tipped straight pins are temporary and roughly placed eyes. The blue pin is under the nose to be, where the seams meet.
And that’s as far as I’ve gotten.
Tomorrow I’ll put in temporary black glass stick-pin eyes, and embroider the nose. When the nose is complete I’ll set in permanent eyes and trim and sculpt some more. Or maybe vice-versa. I trim slowly, so I don’t get carried away and cut too much. Which I'm really good at. I don’t want to trim down to the backing, I like a short length of fur to remain on the muzzle.
I love long furry teddy bears, even if I’m still not sure how to make them.
But I’m learning.
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Kaleidoscope of Hope

Seek out happiness
love and light
peace and fulfillment
truth and insight.

Search for answers
to questions unclear
of distant truths
that are so near.

Welcome tomorrow
and all it will bring
the wonders of life
on golden wing.

Hugs,
Laura ♥

Toast

Kindly meet Toast. The little teddy with the big nose. It’s not my fault!
I was engrossed in a really good movie while embroidering Toast’s nose. Before I knew it I’d made a Godzilla sized nose. And an awful shaped Godzilla sized nose. Oh dear. (Now you’re probably wondering what Godzilla’s nose looked like. Me too!)
The little fellow was nearly toast (hence his name), as I couldn’t stand looking at that nose. But the rest of him was so cute I decided to try to salvage him and his nose. So I nipped at it from both ends (don’t tell anyone) and squished it here and there. His nose is still sadly misshapen but a wee bit smaller.
Toast is about 10 inches tall when standing, that is if he could stand, which he can’t. His legs bend at the knees. I seem to be fond of the bent leg look. I guess it's the baby bear thing and I love baby anythings.

My shop is done and so is my back. Seems I put too much strain on an already messed up back. Bad Laura. Oh well. It’ll calm down soon and I’ll be back at it. Then I’ll take some pix. Funny, all that work and it really looks very much the same. Well, almost. My work space doubled in size and that was my main goal.

Happy September! Oh I love September! Our weather is usually gorgeous here in the Pacific Northwest. It’s truly our best month of the year!
Hugs,
Laura ♥

Butterfly of Dreams

Butterfly of dreams
find me tonight
sprinkle your stardust
so to sleep I might.

Bring me peace
of mind so frail
imbedded still
in yesterday’s tale.

You are hope
and you are sorrow
your wings caress
until the morrow.

Butterfly of dreams
weave me to sleep
mystic and magic
of wonders you keep.

Hugs,
Laura ♥

Oh Me Oh Myo...

Well, I'm at it again. Don't ask me why...

but I'm revamping my store. Again.

It was near perfect, it just needed a tweak.

Well, one tweak led to another, and now my store is upside down and backwards.

I decided to increase my studio/work space and move the store stuff forward.

But in order to move this I first need to move that. And so it goes..

I have a delightful friend who also owns a kooky store like mine. So when I get the urge to purge, I call her. She doesn't get to garage sale as much as I do, so I just pass along some of my treasures to her. It's a win-win. She gets new goodies for her store and I get to clear out some of my overflowing stock. I buy too much! But it's so much fun!

I'll take some pix when it looks like a store again, and not a disaster zone.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Hugs,

Laura ♥

Happy Dance Time!

Bill and I are doing the happy dance tonight.

We just paid off our house!

We're free and clear. And it feels so good!

Hugs,

Laura ♥

Believe

When we dream
what do we seek to find?
When we imagine
are our dreams entwined?

Can we believe in
what we cannot see?
Can we allow in
all that can be?

Deep within
the answers lie.
They can be found
if we just try.

Hugs,
Laura ♥

Yikes!

There’s a King Kong sized hornet somewhere in my laundry room!
He looked really angry and I’m sure he was preparing to dive bomb me, so I ran out of the room, screaming.
My dryer was buzzing, my clothes were dry, so I had to get brave and go on the defense. With EpiPen close at hand, I grabbed the fly swatter and can of bug spray, put on my overcoat, with hood up, and slowly walked back in.
I was only gone seconds, but he’d disappeared out of sight, no doubt lurking somewhere, waiting to attack.
I looked everywhere, gingerly patting here and there with my trusty fly swatter. Like the Green Hornet himself, this guy just vanished.
Good grief!
I bunched up the nice clean laundry, which I usually fold in the laundry room, and made a mad dash for the door. I have clothes in the washer that need to go in the dryer, but that ain’t happening!
I know he’s in there, somewhere. Waiting. I think. I really hope he didn’t somehow leave with me. Maybe he did.
I think I’ll be leaving this coat on for a while longer, hot as it is.
Good grief!
Hugs,
Laura

A Teddy Bear

A teddy bear is a faithful friend
You can pick him up at either end
His fur is the color of breakfast toast
And he's always there when you need him most.
Anonymous


Hugs,
Laura

Facebook

I joined Facebook a few months ago. Sis was on it, Bill had just joined, so I decided to follow. I had just a handful of friends, as Facebook left me clueless. I didn’t understand what it was or how it worked. I’m still a bit in the dark.

Over the weekend I was asked to be someone’s friend. It was a fellow teddy bear artist. I was touched, and I happily accepted. I noticed they had over 300 friends. Wow. I hadn’t done much Facebook browsing, well I couldn’t without first being invited in. Anyhow, I was astonished. Then I became really intrigued.

So I decided to jump right in, with both feet. I sent friend requests to some wonderful teddy bear artists I know, or know of and admire greatly. And I’m happy to say they've accepted me into the teddy bear Facebook fold.

I still don’t quite know how it all works, like what and where those hearts and flowers come from or where some of my comments go (some seem to vanish into thin air). But I’ll no doubt slowly figure some of it out.

Speaking of teddys, my teddy in the making is coming out a bit wonky. There’s a neck thief among us! My pattern has a neck, I cut out the head with neck extensions, but someone in the middle of the night…stole my teddy's neck! Maybe Wendy Darling will find it and stitch it back on. That would be nice.

Hugs,
Laura