Meet our June Artist: Jane Lynne Martin of Doodlebears. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? I started making bears in 1999 after going into my local library and buying two teddy bear magazines. When I looked through the magazines I found each one had a free teddy bear pattern inside and, feeling inspired, I set about making the bears. I was so pleased with myself at the time, but looking back now I can see just how poor they really were - I still have them today to remind me of how much my skills have improved. After making several more bears I felt brave enough to attempt my own design, trying to create the bears my imagination had dreamt up. It's been a huge learning curve, but I enjoy it so much that I haven't stopped since! Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. There are so many different styles of bears, and over the years I have tried my hand at most of them, from the wild and wacky, to the elegantly poised traditional, from the small (3 ½ inch) to the big and cuddly (27 inch). More recently however, I returned to my first love – the traditional bear, tending to favour a bear sized around 14 inches. Over the past few years I have started to incorporate needle-felting into my bear-making, and as I have grown more confident in it, I decided to start making primates, particularly chimps and orangutans. Needle-felting allows me to sculpt the features in a way that reflects the primate's expressive faces, and I have had great success with them so far, winning the Reader's Choice Award, furry friend category, in both 2006 and 2007, as well as the Editor's Choice Award in 2007. I am currently nominated for a Golden Teddy Award with my orangutan, Jambi. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I currently live in Buckinghamshire in the UK, although I lived in the Greater London area for some years. Where I live now is roughly twenty five miles from my place of birth. What inspires you? I get a lot of my inspiration from the wonderful expressions on the faces of my two beautiful dogs. I also love primates and so in the last few years I have made quite a few chimpanzees and orangutans. I visit Monkey World in Dorset, UK as often as possible: Monkey World is an amazing sanctuary for rescued primates from all over the world and a cause I wholeheartedly support. Every visit fills me with inspiration: I thoroughly enjoy watching the animals, photographing them and making numerous sketches, and using the experience to plan my next creation. What is your favorite part of bear making? I think many bear artists would agree that the most exciting part of bear-making is the moment when you can finally look into the completed face of whatever little chap you've just finished making. Seeing the expression always comes as a bit of a surprise – I'm never entirely sure who will be looking back at me, and I always find myself saying hello. Luckily my wonderful family are used to me and my eccentric ways! How did you choose your business name? The name Doodlebears came from two sources. Firstly, I had nicknamed my youngest son Doodles several years ago, and secondly, my bears (and primates) tend to start their live as a doodled drawing. It just seemed right that they should be called Doodlebears! Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? I've always been a 'crafty' sort of person – I like to try my hand at anything creative and over the years have tried many things, from knitting to pottery. As a child I loved drawing and painting, and sold my first painting when I was twelve years old. My grandmother taught me to knit when I was three years old, and it's a skill I treasure – I've been able to knit clothing not only for myself and my family, but now my bears. I love to work on my computer, and especially love graphic design. I spend many hours each week designing greeting cards, many of which I post to my friends on an online teddy-bear forum. I Love Teddies Note: Jane is the Celebration Ambassador on Teddy Talk (www.teddy-talk.com). Do you have any pets and/or children? I have five children, three boys and two girls. They're all adults now, but the youngest three are still living at home with me and my husband. I also have two gorgeous Cavalier King Charles spaniels, who I absolutely adore. What are you most proud of? Within the bear-world I am most proud of the awards I have won. I was shocked to receive a nomination for the Reader's Choice Award in 2002 after making bears for such a short period of time, but my proudest moments have to be winning the Reader's Choice Award in both 2006 and 2007 (in the furry friends category) and winning the Editor's Choice Award, also in 2007. I have recently been nominated for a Golden Teddy with my orangutan, Jambi, the results of which have yet to be announced. Where do you sell your bears? I sell through various outlets – my website, bear fairs and eBay. My favourite of these are the bear fairs, where I have the opportunity to meet fellow bear-lovers and indulge in talk of my favourite subject. It really does feel like a privilege to be able to spend a day surrounded by such creative people and such wonderful creations. Doodlebears Doodlebears www.doodlebears.co.uk Doodlebears on Teddy-Bears.org

Meet our April/May Artist: Sue Ann Holcomb of Past Time Bears. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? I began making bears in 1997 because of a need for comfort during a particularly dark and stressful time in my life. I never had teddies or any other stuffed animals when I was growing up, so didn’t realize their therapeutic value until I made that fortunate discovery by way of a department store bear. After trying my hand at making bears using commercial patterns, I decided it would be even more fun and meaningful if I could design them myself. Also, I had found out that there were actually two bear shows almost right in my backyard - well, 25 miles away in Dallas. With that knowledge, I got serious about creating my own patterns. Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. My bears are fairly traditional with humps on their backs, waxed noses, and, usually, long arms. One characteristic that is not historically correct, however, is that they all have bangs . . . even the more realistic all-fours designs come with bangs. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I was born in Abilene, located on the central west plains of Texas, aka, “Big Country“. I grew up and went to school in nearby Anson - not quite a desert region, but most of our sparse vegetation was scrubby mesquite trees. When I married, my husband Paul was in the Air Force, so we spent several years living in different parts of the US. When he was discharged, we came back to Texas and settled in the Dallas area. Both of us spent our childhoods amid dust storms and tumbleweeds, so when we chose our permanent home, it was on a heavily wooded acre in a rural community called Double Oak. Even though we are only about 20 minutes from a metropolitan airport, there is a peaceful, serene, and quiet ambience to the area. I love nature and couldn’t ask for better working conditions. My sewing machine sits in front of a huge window that looks out on our back woods. I do get distracted from time to time by what goes on outside that window, however, as we have a variety of birds and animals that provide constant entertainment. What inspires you? You know, I don’t really have a clue as to where the ideas come from. I do know that lots of nights when I should be asleep, my mind is pretty busy designing the next creation. It’s possible that a particular look on one of my pets’ faces or the characteristics of my wooded environment somehow creep into my subconscious and decide to come alive at bedtime. Whatever the source, I hope the ideas keep coming. What is your favorite part of bear making? Oh, by far the most exciting part of making bears is seeing the expression on that face come alive. I always finish the head first so that the bear can watch the rest of him/her self being created. How did you choose your business name? I wanted a name that suggested something old and treasured since I had decided to pattern my designs after the very early bears. I played around with using words like vintage, heirloom, antique, traditional, and heritage, but couldn’t come up with anything I liked. I finally decided on “past time” because bear making had become my past time after retiring from my career, and it was a reference to an older era of time. Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? Oh yes . . . way too many! There’s just not enough time in my day to be able to participate actively in all my other interests which include photography, playing the piano, altered art, painting, gardening - and on and on. Do you have any pets and/or children? All of the above. I have two grown daughters who are extremely smart and talented (nope, I’m NOT biased) and six four-legged kids (not so smart and talented). Four cats, two dogs. What are you most proud of? I have been honored through the years with several Golden Teddy nominations, winning one Golden Teddy Award, several TOBY Industry’s Choice Awards, a commission from The Franklin Mint for “Holly the Holiday Bear“, and have been selected as the designer for the Theodore Society’s 2005 Membership bear. Also, my bear “Dallas” was chosen as the grand prize winner of Steiff’s 2004 design contest. I am very grateful to the teddy bear industry and collectors for their confidence in my skills as a bear artist. Where do you sell your bears? Most of my sales come from teddy bear shows, although I’m taking a break this year from participating in them to take care of some important personal matters. I also sell from my website (www.pasttimebears.com) and a retail store, The Toy Shoppe, has carried some of my creations. Thank you to “Teddy-Bears.org” for giving me the opportunity to share some of my life as a bear artist - it’s been a pleasure. Past Time Bears Past Time Bears www.pasttimebears.com Past Time Bears on Teddy-Bears.org

Meet our March Artist: Judi Paul of Luxembears. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? At a very young age I had a passion for art. I started to draw and paint. My favorite subject were animals of every kind…especially lions, tigers, bears and dolphins. At around age 7 I learned to knit and sew my own animals…many of them my own designs. I made my very first jointed fur bear in Jan of 1999. It was about 6 inches tall and I sold it for $35.00. I learned about bear making by buying a mohair bear kit. Soon after that I decide that I would like to design my own bears as I wanted to be original and had some ideas to try out. Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. The best way to describe my work, I think, is “whimsically realistic”. But this does not apply to all my designs. I love very expressive faces. I want my bear to “speak” to the public through their faces and body language. I love details…lots and lots of details. I like multi-dimensional eyes, sculpted noses, claws, armature, paw details, double jointed necks, and airbrushed accents. Some have open mouths, teeth and tongues. I especially love to do very firm needle-felted muzzles and paw details. I also love big cats. I have made lions, tigers, a white tiger, and snow leopard. I plan on making many more of these in various designs and body positions. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I have lived in five states: California, Indiana, Michigan, and currently in Luxemburg Wisconsin. I am originally form Derbyshire England and immigrated with my family to the US in 1965 when I was only seven months old. I live on a dairy farm with my husband and three children ages 16, 10, and 5. What inspires you? So many things inspire me. Life in general, first of all. The beauty of nature, being in the fresh air of living in the country; the view from my workshop window….nothing but acres of farm land and a large red oak tree which I often use for photographing my bears in. Being at peace within myself which leaves me open for inspiration to find me. And it does. All the time. I am never with out ideas…in fact, I wish I had more hours of the day to work on the ideas I would like to create. What is your favorite part of bear making? I love hand sewing. All my bears are sewn by hand, even the large ones. I enjoy needle felting because I can sculpt and watch the expressions emerge. Airbrushing is also a favorite of mine. This is like decorating a yummy cake and where the creation truly comes to life. I enjoy sharing my creations with buyers but some bears I find hard to part with, as I know that no two of my creations are ever gong to be the same. They are like children….you can have many children, all of whom come from the same source, yet each one is very different form the others. How did you choose your business name? My business name started out “Teddy Bear Picnic” because I love the song of the same name. Then one day I was driving into the village of Luxemburg, where I live, and I looked at the hand painted sign with the village name and it hit me…”Luxembears”…I live in Luxemburg, I make bears that really are a luxury item….it just felt right. So there it is. My business became “Luxmbears”. Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? Beside bear art I love to Ballroom Dance with my husband. In fact that is how we met. We dance every week. I love to do airbrushed painting, many on denim jackets. Wood burning bears on boxes and plaques, drawing with pencil and ink, and painting. Do you have any pets and/or children? Three children. Two girls and a boy, 16, 10, and my boy is 5. They are a constant source of joy and entertainment…they make me laugh…a lot. We have a malti-poo ,Mandi, and a cat named Shamu. We also have a barn and filed full of Registered Holstein Cattle…not to mention ever changing numbers of barn cats. What are you most proud of? I would have to say that I am most proud of my entire family. They all have been and continue to be extremely supportive and proud of my art. I am proud of the fact that I have even been able to have children. I have type one insulin dependent diabetes and was diagnose at age 12. It’s a full time job just manage my health. I take multiple daily injects and finger pokes to test blood sugars. I stay in shape and do well but it is not easy at all. I am proud to have had the front cover of Teddy Bear Review magazine Feb 2007 issue. That will always be an honor. I feel very blessed that I am able to be a stay at home mom ( I quit my nursing job) and pursue my art. I also have to say that I am very pleased to have won awards [I Love Teddies Note: Judi has received many awards, including TOBYs and Golden Teddys] and nominations for her work] for my bears and other animals. Winning awards does not make me a better artist but it is a wonderful feeling to have some of my work recognized and acknowledged. Truly truly and humble honor. Where do you sell your bears? My bears find homes through the auction sites, Ebay and Bid 4 Bears. The Toy Shoppe in Richmond, Virginia also carries my work. I also try to have bears listed on my website from time to time. I have steered always from doing custom orders due to the time constraints. I have a full and busy life with my family and I have lots of bears and other animals that I want to work on. Custom orders tend to inhibit creativity. So many bears….so little time. LOL Luxembears Luxembears www.luxembears.com Luxembears on Teddy-Bears.org

Meet our February Artist: Daphne Blau Bears. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? I began making bears in late 2000 after attending my first handmade teddy bear show. I used Jennifer Laing patterns for the first few months but because I get bored quickly and don't like to make what someone else has already done, I began 'tweaking' the pattern here and there and learned the effects each tweak had on the finished bear. It wasn't long before I was sitting down with a blank piece of paper and creating my own bears. Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. Hmmm.... a few years ago I would have told you they were all pretty traditional bears as the industry standard goes. Then they began to be more contemporary..... colorful, big noses and feet and the bears as a whole were bigger... I moved up to the 14-20 inch size where I'd stuck with the 10-12 inch size the first couple of years. Now with a new year I've been experimenting with smaller bears.... well, 7 inches is small in my book! And not just bears now. I've created an elephant and a lion thus far which was fun. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I was born and raised in New Hampshire, lived in Massachusetts for a while then came back to New Hampshire. I'm a mountain girl.... love the views, ever changing foliage and landscape and all the wildlife. What inspires you? My two dogs... wheaten terriers... many say my bears have their faces. Also just digging through my mohair stash, my quilting fabric stash or even a drawer full of accessories can inspire visions of bears made with those goodies! What is your favorite part of bear making? Hmm... well, I can honestly say that the only parts I've never griped about are tracing and cutting. The sewing, trying to get the ears, eyes and nose right, the limbs jointed on in the right place, stuffing w/o lumps.... it can all be trying at one time or another. Thus my favorite part is tying on the bow or accessories and meeting my newest completed bear! Don't get me wrong, I do find the whole process to be exciting - I wouldn't be doing it otherwise! How did you choose your business name? I lived on an old back road in the mountains.. still do but on a different road in a different town, different mountains... anyway.. the name of the road we lived on was Bear Hill Road. Back Road Bears just sort of came to me and seemed most fitting. Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? Needlefelting, punch needle embroidery, quilting, gardening, antiquing and eating chocolate. :o) Well, I'd rather call that a hobby than an addiction, wouldn't you??!! Do you have any pets and/or children? As mentioned, we have two wheaten terriers. Don't need kids with those two around! They are needy, time consuming and costly all on their own! Course, they won't be able to take care of me when I'm old or inherit my bears when I die but they keep my blood pressure down and keep me company, laughing and loved... who could ask for more? What are you most proud of? Professionally speaking: the teddy bear shows I produce here in New England. I organized my first show 3 years ago in Maine. I'd been attending bear shows for a number of years and making note of things I liked and disliked, knowing one day I wanted to put together my own show. When the opportunity presented itself I seized the moment and jumped in head first, wanting to offer a show that would make the artists happy and feel appreciated and collectors excited. It's harder than it sounds but feedback says I accomplished that my first time out! The right setting is important to me... something unique... bright and cheerful. And quality in craftsmanship and variety is important too - annual shows can get stale. The biggest challenge most any promoter faces is getting people in the door. It's harder today than it was 5-10 years ago. (I won't get into the whys - economy and the internet have a great deal to do with it though.) Now promoters must think outside the box and introduce new people to the industry. We can't count on current collectors always supporting us, we always have to work at attracting new folks. The saying "Build it and they will come" may apply to baseball stadiums but not teddy bear shows. So, as a new promoter I am learning what works, what doesn't and just how costly advertising is (more incentive to think outside the box!). Artists and collectors alike have commented on the quality of my shows and the fact that they are growing in artist and collector participation each year says a lot. This year I have artists traveling from Canada and the other side of the US to participate. That means a lot to me that they'd go the extra mile, literally, for one of my shows! I produce two shows a year now - The New England Spring Teddy Bear Show in NH and The Maine Teddy Bear & Soft-Sculpture Show in ME. To learn more about my shows, read reviews and see photos or get an application please visit www.backroadevents.net Where do you sell your bears? I sell my bears mainly at teddy bear shows. I also sell from my site and by word of mouth. Once in a blue moon I'll put a bear on eBay but I really don't have time to make enough bears to spread myself out that much. I have all I can do to keep up with orders! Due to tendon problems in my hands I can't sew as much as I'd like to which limits my productivity somewhat. If my orthopedic surgeon had it his way I wouldn't be making bears at all. This way I figure he has job security! Producing shows and being a mohair supplier ( www.backroadbears.com/supplyshop.htm ) as well as teaching workshops take up quite a bit of time also. I Love Teddies Note: Daphne did not mention this in her interview, but she made the bunny in the movie “The Last Mimzy,” which came out in theaters in 2007. Tonner Doll made some versions of Mimzy. Contact Daphne for more information. Back Road Bears Back Road Bears www.backroadbears.com Back Road Bears on Teddy-Bears.org Back Road Events www.backroadevents.net Back Road Events Upcoming Shows for 2008: March 29 - New England Spring Teddy Bear Show July 26 - Maine Teddy Bear & Soft-Sculpture Show

Meet our January Artist: Carolyn Green of Draffin Bears. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? The birth of our daughter Victoria in 1989 and son Marcel in 1991 inspired me to start making bears for my children. I wanted to give both of them something special. Looking at the mass produced bears available, I felt that these lacked the life and personality of a handmade bear. I decided to make my own bears, and thus in 1992, Draffin Bears was born. Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. Draffin Bears are of a traditional style and follow an old fashioned theme, as of yesteryear. Typically the bears are dressed as gentleman or ladies. They are made from the finest mohair or sometimes alpaca and their clothes are fashioned from the finest quality cloth and sometimes I will accessorize them with rare and antique items and beautiful hats adorned with flowers. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I live in New Zealand on a small Island called Waiheke, located about 18 miles off the coast of the North Island. It is a beautiful subtropical Island with about 8,000 full time residents. I grew up in a small town called Dannevirke, where many Danish people immigrated to and was a great place to live and grow up and go to school there. What inspires you? I have always admired the beautiful vintage bears that have been around for over 100 years in some cases and they still look beautiful albeit a little loved and worn. I think that they have inspired me to give my creations an old fashioned theme. What is your favorite part of bear making? I particularly enjoy the stage when the bears eyes are sewn in and they look back at you and seem to come alive. How did you choose your business name? I chose Draffin Bears as that is my maiden name and my married name was Green, but that really did not sound right. Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? I used to make porcelain dolls and still have a collection in a cabinet and I used to make some of my clothes from about the age of 15. I also love to embroider, knit, do hardanger and cross stitch and have just recently finished a cross stitch of two bears enjoying afternoon tea. Do you have any children and/or pets? We have a daughter Victoria 18 and son Marcel 16 - teenagers! An interesting stage of life! They are both beautiful and most of the time are a lot of fun. We have a giant Schnauzer named Heidi and a sealpoint Persian cat called Louis. What are you most proud of? I have donated 5 bears to the Waiheke Homecare Hospice and a big Sailor bear called George to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation for the Bentley Glamour Gala. I enjoy hearing from collectors when they have adopted a bear and have made many friends this way. I made my Mother a Scottish bear Hamish and he had a little Scotch terrier to accompany him and she really loves them and has them sitting on their bed. Where do you sell your bears? I sell my bears from my web-site www.draffinbears.com and lately I have had a market which is held the last Sunday of the month at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in the ballroom. It has been a lot of fun and I have met some really lovely people and sold some of my bears there. Draffin Bears Draffin Bears www.draffinbears.com Draffin Bears on Teddy-Bears.org

Meet our December Artist: Tami Lahey of Dolls N Dreams. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? I started designing teddy bears close to two years ago after viewing the wonderful Artist Bears on Ebay. I was hooked. I also found a wonderful place to visit on the internet called Teddy Talk, met some wonderful artists and learned the ropes of designing my very own teddy bear pattern. I also purchased many how to books. I'm still on Teddy Talk today and was recently given the title of "Cute Animal Ambassador". Being the animal lover I am, I post a cute animal photo on the board each day for all to see. Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. I have been designing fairy dolls for over ten years, and wanted to bring my fantasy theme to the teddy bear. Although it was a lot of work, it was also a lot of fun developing my own unique pattern. The name I decided on was Fairy Doogles. Each one seems to have their own mischievous personality and have curly toe boots, antennas & fairy features. I also developed a pattern for a Mermaid/bear called "Cuddletails" and a series called Woodland Wabbits. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I’m originally from Odessa, Texas, and recently moved to Aurora, Colorado. Although it is very pretty here, this southern girl still can't get use to the snow & cold weather! What inspires you? My love of fairies inspired the Fairy Doogles, and my favorite book is called Fairy Art by Iain Zaczek. This book explores the magical world of nineteenth and twentieth-century fairy paintings. The book is beautifully illustrated and gives one a glimpse into the realms of myth and fantasy. I am a huge animal lover and was recently inspired by my adorable Westie, Tiffani, to design a new Doogle Dog. I named the Doogle Dog Tiffy as well. What is your favorite part of bear making? I receive the sweetest emails about my creations. The most enjoyable part of creating a bear is knowing someone else will love him as much as I do. Teddy bear people are the most wonderful people in the world. How did you choose your business name? I have had my business name of Dolls N Dreams for over ten years now. I always wanted to design creations that one may envision in a dream, and I created many fantasy dolls from dreams I have. Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? I love interior decorating, painting, needlepoint, and another passion I have is baking. Love the sweets! Keeping my website www.dollsndreams.com, my myspace page and a blog updated takes a lot of time. Teaching myself html way back so it has really come in handy. Do you have any children and/or pets? My husband Tom & I have an adorable 5-year-old Westie named Tiffani and she is the 'CPO' of Dolls N Dreams (Chief Puppy Officer). She also has her own website, www.dollsndreams.com/tiffani.html She is our joy! What are you most proud of? I was thrilled to have one of my Fairy Doogles win a TOBY Industry Choice Award this year. That was a living dream for me. The award was proudly displayed among my Barbie Bazaar Crystal Awards I have won over the years. I keep them all in a lighted cabinet. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or uncreative, they always give me inspiration. Where do you sell your bears? I sell my bears from my website and on Ebay Auctions. I'm proud to say I have over 1600 positive feedback rating on ebay. I'm also a member of a wonderful group called Bear Artist Online, which usually has two online shows a year. If you would like to join my email update group and be notified when new creations are listed, please send me an email. Dolls N Dreams Dolls N Dreams www.dollsndreams.com dollsndreams@msn.com Dolls N Dreams

Meet our November Artist: Lynette Kennedy of Fred-I-Bear. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! 1. When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? Teddy bears came into my life 10 years ago. Although each teddy bear has the basic components, it is great fun to try variations and this is where you have fun designing your style. Somehow, as a child, teddy bears did not feature in my life, thou I still have my doll that I played with for many hours. 2. Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. Most of my bears tend to be traditional styled and recently I have included needle felting features. I prefer working with mohair although I have also been experimenting with Japanese Silk which I sell in my shop. 3. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I am South African been born in South Africa, I live just outside Johannesburg in the province of Gauteng which was formerly the Transvaal. We live inland where gold was originally mined and is still mined today. 4. What inspires you? Mostly the mohair fabric, quilting and patchwork fabric. I enjoy Country crafts quilting fabric; many ideas have been born from this. 5. What is your favorite part of bear making? I tend to have good bear eye days and bad bear eye days, then it could be the ears, so when I have achieved what I want it is the finishing off , as then I can "play".It always delights me how a flower, hat or ruffle can change the bear's look. 6. How did you choose your business name? My grand father and a very good friend are/were the "Fred's" in my life that were special people. If I had known that my hobby would turn into a business I would have chosen "Quirky Bears" as Quirk is my maiden name. To supply the South African market with bear making supplies and accessories I have opened a shop which I have called "Fredi's Workbasket" 7. Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? I have recently taken up ballroom dancing lessons as dancing is something that I love and have always wanted to do the right way. Pottering in my garden and being able to pick the flowers I have grown gives me much pleasure. Reading and a bit of gym help to keep me out of mischief. 8. Do you have any children and/or pets? My two children are married and I am a proud grandmother of a 16 month old grandson. My husband will tell you that first on my list is my grandson, my daughter and son, my dogs, my bears, and somewhere at the bottom of the list he might feature. My dogs control my life. They try stealing my bears when I am not looking, and they wake me up in the middle of the night when they think they hear a mouse in the kitchen; however, I would never part with one of them. All my dogs are strays so they need that little extra bit of love. 9. What are you most proud of? In my family, it is to see what independent successful people my children have become. Myself- from being insecure and having to overcome many obstacles I have today become a successful business person. With my bears, it is the joy of seeing something that I have made bring a smile to a collector's face when they take one home. 10. Where do you sell your bears? I attend various shows in England, Europe,Japan, Korea and Taiwan, here my bears are sold at the exhibitions . Other teddy bears shops around the world have sold my bears and with the world opening up with the internet, I have started to build a good customer base via this outlet. Fred-I-Bear Fred-I-Bear www.fred-i-bear.co.za Fred-I-Bear on Teddy-Bears.org

Meet our October Artist: Laura Lynn Matthews of Teddies by Laura Lynn. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! 1. When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? I started making bears after I had been collecting artist bears for a few years. I was reading the newest brochure on classes for continuing education at the high school and there was a class on how to make a fully jointed mohair teddy bear. I knew I had to take it. I was instantly hooked! I later discovered that one of my favorite local artists gave classes too. I took several classes from her including how to make my own designs. Although she has now retired... we still keep in touch! 2. Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. I would say that I am more well known for my contemporary bears with cute, slightly "doggy looking" faces. They all seem to have bangs, like me too LOL! I have recently started a new series too... "The Olde Friends Collection". These bears are more like the ones I made in the beginning... new bears designed to look like old bears - well loved. I'm also in the process of designing some cats and dogs too! I can't wait till these are ready! 3. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I live in the Chicago suburbs, and have lived here my entire life. We just recently moved into a more country area of the Chicago area, though, and I just love it! We have a horse stable at the end of our quiet street, our neighbor farms sheep, another has chickens.... We call it "5 minutes into the country" 4. What inspires you? Sometimes the mohair will inspire me to make a certain type of bear. Other times a prop - found in a shop or even on eBay - can inspire another bear. I find inspiration all around me. Ideas come to me faster than I can make them. Many ideas come from my dogs, past and present. I'm a huge animal lover! I also love to browse thru doll magazines, country magazines and window shop. 5. What is your favorite part of bear making? Completing the face is the best part... I just love seeing that face peering up at me! That's when they seem to "come alive"! My other favorite part of bear making is cutting out the pieces and sewing them together. I find it very relaxing. 6. How did you choose your business name? I was at my desk answering a call at my old job, and doodling... I ended up drawing two capital letter "L's" intertwined with each other. (my first and middle initial) It thought it would be a great logo for me, so I decided on "Teddies by Laura Lynn". One of these days I need to get the logo done LOL!!! 7. Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? I don't know if these count as "besides bear making"... but I have 2 websites that I work on in my "spare time". One is: www.TeddyBearCollecting.com . The goal of this website is to educate the general public about the existence of artist bears and hopefully bring new collectors into the hobby! I feel that bringing new collectors into the hobby is important for both the bear artist AND the collector. It's fairly obvious why new collectors to the hobby is important to the bear artist - buy why is it important to the collector? The answer is this: With more collectors to buy the bears - bear artists can continue to make their creations. If artists start to have a harder time selling their work... they eventually have to find a different way to pay the bills. Many have ended up getting "regular" jobs. I know I have many artists on my wish list whose bears I want. I can't buy them all at once, I have to wait and do it a little at a time. Unfortunately, already there are some artists whose work I cannot add to my collection as they have had to quit bear making as a source of income in order to find steady work. So it is important to the collector that new collectors come into the hobby of collecting artist bears... to be sure there are plenty of artist bears to choose from in the future! My other website is: www.FreeTeddyBearPatterns.NET ; I started this site so that I would be able to have some fun designing teddy bear patterns... sometimes outside of my regular "look". I decided to share them with everyone on this site for free - and you can sell the bears you make from these patterns too if you wish! Just mention on the tag that the pattern came from www.FreeTeddyBearPatterns.NET ; There are sponsors on the Free Patterns site. Without them, the site would not be possible. If you were planning on purchasing an item anyway, if you buy it from these links it helps to support this site. I don't have a lot of time for many other hobbies... but I enjoy reading - especially mysteries! I love photography and candle making too. It can be really hard to try to fit everything in that I want to do. 8. Do you have any pets? Next to my daughter they are my pride and joy! We have 4 whippet dogs. They are like greyhounds, but 1/2 their size. Our Girls (they are all girls) are all on the smaller side of the scale - just 25 pounds and wonderful! 9. What are you most proud of? I am so VERY pleased that my creations have brought smiles and happiness to other people. For me, that is the BEST part of my job and my proudest moment. The first time one of my collectors told me that.. she happened to tell me this at a low time for me... when I was wondering what in the world am I doing? I realized that what I do DOES make a difference - that I can put a smile on another person's face and heart with what I do. 10. Where do you sell your bears? I started selling my bears on eBay and continue to do so. After a couple of years on eBay I decided to learn how to build my own website. Now, most of my bears are sold from my site. I started selling at a couple shows in the last few years too and absolutely love it! I have 2 mailing lists... one is an email list to receive emails when new bears are available for adoption. Send me an email if you'd like to be added or just sign up on my site. I have another list - a regular mailing list for those without regular internet access. I'm hoping to start having quarterly "Mailing List" shows for my collectors who don't use the internet, but need a bear fix in between shows :) Teddies by Laura Lynn Teddies by Laura Lynn www.teddiesbylauralynn.com Free Teddy Bear Patterns www.FreeTeddyBearPatterns.NET Teddy Bear Collecting teddybearcollecting.teddiesbylauralynn.com Teddies by Laura Lynn on Teddy-Bears.Org

Meet our September Artist: Catherine Young of Bumpkin Bears. Each month, we'll bring you an interview with someone in the bear world. Enjoy! When did you start making bears and what inspired you to design your own? On a cold Christmasy day in 2001 I visited my first Bear Fair. I had always had a love of bears growing up but little did I know what a world would be opened up to me with this simple outing! I was bought a teddy making kit as a present and then started to find out about Artist Bears and loved the idea of designing my very own bears. After lots of trial and error I started to design my own range of bears under the name of Bumpkin Bears. Since starting to design my Bumpkin Bears they have found new homes across the world as far and wide as Australia, Japan, USA and across Europe. I have been very fortunate to have my bears featured many times in Bear Collector's magazines, a selection of which you can see in the Media section on my website. I am constantly striving to design and bring alive the most endearing characterful bears that I can. Describe your style of bears and/or animals you make. Bumpkin Bears capture the spirit of childhood, twinkling soulful eyes of friendship and those ever important open arms for cuddles! I create bears, bunnies and even a recent skunk in both mohairs and luxurious faux furs. I aim for each bear to have his own soulful cute character that can be a friend for life. My bears range from miniatures right up to 17. They are always one of a kind. Where do you live and where are you originally from? I live in a rural village outside the city of Antwerp in Belgium. I am British (and Scottish and Irish!) and have lived in England all my life until five years ago when I moved to Belgium with my Belgian fiancé along with my two cats. What inspires you? I have a vivid imagination and am inspired by so much around me especially nature and the appealing faces of animals. I love old children's classics like Winnie The Pooh, Black Beauty and Beatrix Potter books. Although I generally make larger bears I have recently been inspired to make a series of nursery rhyme miniature bears which have been very well received and have been a fun challenge. There is something very special about the companionship a bear provides and I like to bring to life bears full of soul and character that can be loved forever. I also make bears on commission and these are even more special when they are in memory of loved ones. What is your favorite part of bear making? I love the moment when I create the face of the bear and see the character appearing, I never cease to get a buzz from this. How did you choose your business name? Bumpkin bears come from my childhood where idyllic days were spent out of doors at my Granny's home in the heart of the English countryside. My Granny nicknamed me a Country Bumpkin and this still holds true today with my love of the outdoors, hence the name of my Bumpkin Bears! Do you have any other hobbies besides bear making? I love gardening and am trying to fit in time amongst bear making for a postal course on garden design. I often put photos of my garden and trips on my blog which you can find via my website. I studied art and design and photography at university so I love anything creative including drawing so my hands are always busy. Do you have any pets? I've got two tabby cats and I used to have my own horse in England. What are you most proud of? I always get a wonderful sense of pride when I hear how much my bears are loved by their new parents. I was also thrilled to be a nominee in the Teddy Bear Scene magazine Reader's Choice Awards last year with a bear called Dougal. This was the first competition I had entered my bears into. Where do you sell your bears? I show all my bears on my website and have a mailing list. Everytime I bring a new bear to life I send out an email, a lot of my bears are sold immediately to customers around the world this way. I also list my bears on the Bear Pile website and occasionally Ebay. If anyone wants to join my mailing list they can send me an email. Bumpkin Bears Bumpkin Bears www.bumpkinbears.com catherine@bumpkinbears.com Bumpkin Bears on Teddy-Bears.Org

Apple Dumpling Bears, Critters Creations, Dusty Attic Bears, Real Deal Bears , Seamore Collectibles, Terries Bears, TinyBear

Hairy Hugs, Chantal Bears - Original Creations, Knoevelkes, Patricia Tagg

We have fixed some of the image uploading problems users were experiencing. This problem occurred when upload type .gif images.

Jenny Loves Benny, Coco Bears, Chiffonnelle, SARAH'S BEARS OF CAMBRIDGE

Nothing, unless you are of course Old Time Teddies & Furry Friends by Marjoleine Diemel, the designer of award winning, hand made teddy bears and "doggies". follow the link and fnd out more about her.

Do not forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

Teddy-Bears.Org welcomes 2 Teddy Bear Artists new to our site, Knit with Love and East Bench Bears. Do not forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

Teddy-Bears.Org welcomes our new Teddy Bear Artist Reves d ours (Dreams of Bears) and do not forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

Teddy-Bears.Org welcomes our new Teddy Bear Artist Bearly Sane and do not forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

We would like to welcome and congradulate Charmisa Bears for being our first new Teddy Bear Artist added to Teddy-Bears.Org for 2006! Click here to visit Charmisa Bears's artist profile.

Teddy-Bears.Org welcomes our new Teddy Bear Artist Elfin Bears And do not forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

Well, there was hurricane Wilma and then..... But we are actively adding new artists to the site now. Stay tuned.

Teddy-Bears.Org welcomes our new Teddy Bear Artist.

Three Oclock Bears By Jenny Johnson

And don't forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

Teddy-Bears.Org welcomes our new Teddy Bear Artist.

Bumpkin Bears by Catherine Young

And don't forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

Teddy-Bears.Org welcomes our new Teddy Bear Artist.

Teddies by Laura Lynn

And don't forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

Teddy-Bears.Org has 5 new artists to share with you. From around the world: Australia, Singapore and the United States! An interesting bunch for this news update! Follow the below links and have a look at some great bears!

Carson Creations

Miniature Vintage Mink Teddy Bears by Kathy Myers

Rufnut Teddy's

Bearybead by Poey Yin Theng

Wild Thyme Originals by Kim Basta



And don't forget, if you know of an artist who should be featured on Teddy-Bears.Org, please visit our contact page page and let us know!

The answer is simple: Estelle's Canal Bears. Estelle contacted me about a week ago regarding teddy-bears.org. After reading her bio and swapping emails, I had the opportunity to learn a little bit about her and became interested in her Teddy Bear Studio.

Where is her studio you ask? On a Canal Cruiser currently docked on the Rochdale Canal. While cruising the British Inland Waterways (all 3200 km worth), she is also designing Teddy Bears in her travels. Talk about working on holiday!

She gets her inspiration for her bear names from places along the canal. Her bears originated in the New Forest, where she sold at craft fairs, Hayloft Gallery and the Redhouse Museum in Christchurch Dorset. She is also an active member of CADarts and designs all of her own bear patterns so no two bears are ever alike. Her bears are made of synthetic furs and often come with their own toys or furniture. Her bears are generally for the adult collector. Each bear comes with a Yorkshire Passport and Birth Certificate.

But don't go looking for her at Rochdale Canal; her boat was undergoing maintenance for 6 months, but it is now complete. Off again! Estelle has access to the internet and keeps in contact with her collectors through email. Since her boat is not an ocean vessel, there is always a place for her to send bears to collectors.

You can view Estelle's Canal Bears Bio at Teddy-Bears.Org

Did you know Teddy-Bears.Org news is a blog? That is right, you can subscribe to our news section with your favorite blog news reading program and find out when new artists are added and all the happenings in the Teddy Bear World!

So subscribe today or add this page to your bookmarks!

Welcome everybody, we have 4 new Teddy Bear Artists to share with you! Check out their fantastic creations by following the links below.

Estelle's Canal Bears
Bears by Beesley
Bear with me Enterprises
Mutz's Tootsz Bears by Amy Thonrton

New Teddy Bear Artists for Sept 6, 2005

Bambridge Bears
K P Bears
La Grange Bears
Taralee Teds

We want to welcome a new Teddy Bear Artist from New Zealand, Draffin Bears

We welcome our new artist to the system:
Bear Paws by Roxanne. Her bio page can be found at Bear Paws by Roxanne

We wanted to take this oppurtunity to welcome three new artists to Teddy-Bears.Org

Beary Loveable Bears by Karyn Ford
Bettina Groh - The Glass Dragon
Di Nic's Bears by Karen DiNicola

We welcome our new artist to Teddy-Bear.Org, Ellen Sotos. She has been making teddy bears for over 20 years and has a wide variety of Teddy Bears from mini's to fashion ladies. Come see her bio page at Ellen Sotos.

Teddy-Bears.Org has completed the development of the Teddy Bear Artist Bio site. This portion of our web site allows artists to create their own Bio pages which includes contact information and pictures. In the near future, all artists will have the ability to upload new releases.

The news section of our site will include local news, industry news and release information from artists. Artists will have the capability to post directly to the blog from their artist page.