Back Home.

Well I'm back with batteries recharged and my creative head swimming with ideas. I had a great time with my sister and only wish that I could go and visit more often , but now that I've conquered my fear of long drives then maybe I will!
The journey down there was going well until a trucker drifted into my lane forcing me to swerve, narrowly missing the central reservation and sending my pulse rate off the scale! It was scarey but I just carried on as I had no choice. It hasn't put me off because I think that I reacted to the situation well enough to avoid a collision - I was in control even if the crazy trucker wasn't!
I didn't get any decent pics while I was in Dorset because I kept forgetting to take my camera when we went out, so no photos I'm afraid.
Hope it's a great weekend for everyone x

Dorset Days.

Just a quick one, I'm off to to visit my sister who lives on the beautiful Dorset coast. Can't wait , I always come back with my batteries recharged feeling totally refreshed. The only downside is that I'm driving down there on my own :-( This is a big step for me as I had a car crash a few years ago ( I was driving ) I've been a very cautious driver ever since....................
Wish me luck it, feels like I'm going on an adventure, better go now, gotta check my tyre pressure. Ta ta for now !

Miss Polly.

Hello , thought you might like to meet my latest mini bear. She's 5" small and a mischievous little madam. Don't tell her I told you but she "borrowed" those pearls from her Mother, you'd never know by that innocent expression on her face. Oh Polly what will we do with you!

She's available now from my Etsy shop, and she'd love you to pay her a visit.

Princess Celia.

Ooh I'm having lots of fun making new bears with a feminine edge. I have lots of silks ,trimmings, beads and crystals just begging to be used, so Princess Celia has her very own custom made tiara and necklace to go with her silk satin skirt. Princess Celia , you will be the Belle of the ball!!

Hello again Mabel.

It occured to me that Mabel wasn't showing her true colours in the pic I posted yesterday. The lighting was terrible and Mabel looked blonde when in fact she's really a very soft pink. So here she is again in her finery showing off her pinkness!

Note to self - must get around to reading the camera manual......................
Have a great weekend x

Hello Mabel.

Hello Mabel, you are in a mood, could it have anything to do with the fact that I left you totally bare for a whole 5 months before I reached into my trimmings box and pulled out some tulle, crystals and ribbons just for you ? So now you're dressed in your finery was it worth the wait my dear ?

This poor little madam was languishing in a wip box for way too long ! I'm glad she's finally got an outfit, it was always my intention to make something feminine for this little girlie but I guess I got side tracked with other things and forgot she was there. Well that's one of the things on my to do list ticked off, now on to the other 99 things!!

Mmmm Mohair.

Just a selection of the delicious mohair I'm starting work on next week. I especially love the grey tipped one third from the bottom, the grey is very subtle but it gives a lovely depth to the mohair, I haven't worked with this before and can't wait to get those scissors out!

The one at the bottom is a mohair and rayon mix - lovely and silky, again I haven't worked with this either so I'm champing at the bit again. Steady now girl! All I need to do now is figure out how to squeeze an extra couple of hours into my day.......

Look what I got today!!

My friend at work gave me a lovely surprise today when she gave me a shabby little faded bear! How totally unexpected , in fact it's the second surprise gift I've had this week - my Dad gave me a gorgeous vintage brooch with semi precious stones and it's not even my birthday! I think gifts are all the more wonderful when they are given for no reason in particular, why wait until a birthday or Christmas ? I plan to pass it on and give someone a surprise pressie to brighten their day , why not try it yourself.

My pressie is gonna be for a very special person called Di she's one of the warmest most generous people I know. For my birthday this year she got me a craft book on all sorts of goodies to make from linen, so I think I'll have a stab at making her something from the book. Will let you know how I get on. Have a great weekend, hubby and I have an wedding reception to go to tomorrow night. Can't wait, ta a for now.

Summer 09.

Here are some of the things that I got up to over the summer! These gorgeous bears live in a toy museum in France where I went for a break with my hubby. We stayed with our beautiful friend Joelle in a teeny village near Beziers.

Love this pair!

The landscape in the region is just staggering and the road leading up this mountain was like something out of The Italian Job - hair raising and I'm such an awful passenger since being in a car crash , so I closed my eyes and held onto my seat and was rewarded with this magnificent view at the top. Well worth it, only then I had to go down !!

This is the little hamlet where we stayed, to be honest I didn't take many photos because the blistering heat kept me firmly rooted in the shade most of the time. It was the hottest I've ever experienced in France, the local fire brigade and helicopters where on constant look out and alert in case of forest fires .

This is a beach on the beautiful Dorset coast where we went visiting my sister and her family. I'm so jealous of the lovely weather that those guys get. I live near the Pennines which are synonymous with wind, rain and snow!!

Well the summer went in a flash and now autumn is upon us, time to dig out those woollies again........

It's me again!

Hi, I can't believe it's over a month since my last post! I just want to let you know that I am still around and will be back to blogging again this week. I've had a great summer and hope you have too, will post some pics soon. Ta ta for now.

Sugar Plum Kitty.

Sugar Plum is 5" of cute kitty made from black Schulte
mohair with 100% wool paws and inner ears in lilac. She
has matt black English glass eyes, and a pink sparkly
nose.
I made her some silk roses and a hand dyed ribbon
bow and lilac tutu. I think her whiskers and bendy tail
( it has wire armature) finish her off nicely.
Sugar is gently weighted with steel shot .

I love experimenting with design and have made many
bears and friends in different styles but now that I have
found my groove I'm selling all my earlier bears at a reduced
price. Sugar Plum is OOAK and is just £25.
ginie@hotmail.co.uk email me for details.
Grab yourself a bargain!
Scroll down for details of Belle .

Belle.

The first little bear in the sale, up for grabs at a bargain
price of just £23 with free p+p ginie@hotmail.co.uk email me for details
Belle is just 3.5" and is made from a blonde sassy long
pile, blue English glass eyes, pink lightly waxed nose and
ultra suede paws. She has a hand tinted vintage lace collar
with silk rosette and a teeny silk bow in her hair, oh and
a flower just for you.


Belle is weighted with steel shot and can stand on her own
with a little help from you.

A Bear Sale.

Hello there , it's been another long stretch since my last post. Where does the time go? Every day last week seemed to be taken up with family get togethers , there are so many birthdays for me at this time of year including my own which is next Wednesday when I'll be 44. Again where does the time go , it only seems like a week ago since my last one ???
I have been busy making new patterns and bears and still have about 6 in different stages of completion ( my husband would say that I've been having a bear frenzy ) ha ha. I love utilising the pattern drafting skills that I learned in college and it is this that has driven me to make lots of different bears. I also love trying new techniques and experimenting with different fabrics and sizes of bear but I think at long last I have found the type of bear that I enjoy making the most - small to miniature.
For this reason I am going to have a sale of my early and recent bears to clear the way for my new ones. Watch this space for details.

Another little one.

Just a quick post before I go off to work. It's our wedding anniversery today and hubby and I will be celebrating tonight, so I thought I'd show these pics now as there won't be time tonight. She's not quite finished yet but let me know what you think, she's measures just under 3.75 inches of cuteness ! Have a great day!

Hello.

Oh my poor little neglected blog! I haven't been keeping up with posts this month so if you've been wondering if I'm still around , yes I am ! I have been enjoying the fabulous weather which has now turned back into the usual Northern summer - grey and overcast, oh well it was good while it lasted.....
I've been working on some new designs so I'll have something to show very soon, no pics for today though it's bedtime now and I need my beauty sleep so ta ta for now!

Sadie is here!!

My sister Kyla gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last Saturday !!! She's called Sadie which was my Nana's name and I promise I did try and post the good news twice before but lost my connection to the net because of the thunder storms we've been having here. A new member of the family is a true gift and I love the way it changes the dynamics of the whole clan! The youngest members of the family now seem quite grown up , the Grandparents have a new role to play and the parents are set for the most important job in life!!!

I bought the beautiful flower fairy from my talented friend Chyna who has a studio in the craft centre in Manchester, it's a wall plaque for the nursery and completes a set of three, when I get a chance there will be a special little bear too for Sadie.

Congratulations Kyla and Danny!!!

The Birthday Girl.

It's my little sister's 29th birthday today and we spent the day enjoying afternoon tea and cakes at a local retreat centre/cafe and relaxing in the sun. My Mum is out of hospital now and was able to join us, my other sister is back from her holiday in Canada and America and things are back to normal again . Phew! My Mum is never ill and this health scare has made me appreciate her more than ever, we're a close family and always enjoy getting together. We all had a lovely day and my sister got the bear that she'd been hinting for !

I knew that she liked the mini bears best and she loves pink so I decided on a clown bear with a pink silk ruff. She called him Freddie and was over the moon with him!!

Happy Bithday Sis xx

Unfinished Business.

Do you ever start a project and then start another leaving the first one unfinshed? Well I know I do , but this time I managed to muster up enough will to finish it and the result is Molly Pancake Head. I made a few of these bears at the beginning of the year and really enjoyed doing something slightly different for a change. Molly lay languishing in my sewing box without any legs until today when I found her by accident, anyhow I thought I'd put her in my Etsy shop which has been empty for months now! She's there with her friend Moo if you want to pay her a visit. ( You'll need to scroll down a bit to get to the shop )

Tomorrow I'll have some pics to show you of a birthday bear that I've made for my sister, ta ta for now x

Joey up for adoption!

Things are a little hectic around here at the moment as my Mum is in hospital under going tests for DVT and I've been called upon to take care of my nephew (my younger sister's son ) who she was looking after before she took ill. My sister is on holiday in Canada and has another week left , so it looks like Auntie Gin will be busy next week as well.
My nephew is 10 years old and great company! He also shares my love of bears and has been reading the latest copy of Teddy Bear Times today! He's also been busy designing his own bear for me to make!
Anyway I just managed to grab some time today and put Joey on my new website. The site is in its infancy as are my computer skills so please bear with me, do excuse the pun!
I will be adding more bears over the next week or so , please let me know what you think, it would be great to get some feedback, hop over and take a look-http://ginieleebears.webs.com

The end of the day.

Well it's nearing the end of the day now and I'm only just getting around to updating my blog. It's been a great day though , you know the days when everything runs smoothly and just falls into place - one of those, which is rare for me. I joined an art group today which is something that I've been meaning to do for some time . I'm so glad I did it at last. I have to confess that I'm more confidant with a needle and thread in my hand than a paintbrush !! I'm already thinking of ways to incorporate thread and textiles into the piece!! The art teacher likes to recycle all kinds of things and one of the best ideas is the one where she turns a discarded video into a box canvas by covering it with cloth cut from old sheets! Will show some pics tomorrow of a painting I bought that's done like this.

I also finished sewing a little grey bear today. He's called Cedric and is going to live in Copenhagen, what a lucky boy!

Joey the blue eyed sailor boy.

Meet Joey the cheeky sailor boy. I've been busy the last few days and Joey is just one of the projects I've been working on. He measures 9" and sports a silk sailor collar and hat (worn at the obligatory jaunty angle) . I'm putting him up for adoption on my new website tomorrow!!

So do pop back and take a peek, I'd love to know what you think!!

Lets get busy!

Hi, just letting you know that I'm still here!! Been quite busy with family birthdays and housey stuff but the bear creating is still going on in the background. I'm playing around with a new design and will show the finished bears when I'm done tweaking. It's almost like I can't even stop to catch my breath because I'm so focussed on getting my pattern right. Ooh I love it when I get into a creative whizz , because it feels just like that - a whizz, instead of the creative quagmire that I sometimes find myself wading through when I can't muster up any new ideas and feel unable to make even the most simple decision . So while I'm in this mood I'll crack on !!
Back with pics soon, have a great weekend x

Best Friends Part Two.

Yes I know it's been a long time in between posts but there is so much to distract me at the moment!! The lure of a sunny day is far too tempting for me and I find myself in the outdoors exploring the beautiful country walks nearby, needless to say my plans for the new workroom have been dragged out and I'm eager to get it finished, so please pray for rain then I can get back to completing it!!

These are some of the pics from my walks , the two best friends are my godson and stepson, Shea and Sam , two cuties!!

Best Friends Part One.

I've finally finished my little bear, no name yet but I've got my thinking cap on, I've been really busy lately and don't have time to write much but hope you enjoy the pics x

Back Soon.

Just a quick post to let you know what I have been doing. I haven't yet finished my little pink bear but that's not because I'm the slowest bear maker in the world , it's because I've been painting my work room. I was supposed to be rearranging and reorganising it - not being able to find stuff was driving me mad. So I emptied the room and then decided on impulse to paint over the nauseating yellow with a lovely calming shade of duck egg and white. I'm pleased with the results and can't wait to get started in there, just got to organise my stash now! Pics of the new bear coming soon .

Oh for the love of pink!!

I currently have a thing for pink at the moment!! The long dark winter and sombre colours that I've been wearing are now a thing of the past and I'm surging ahead with new designs all with a frisson of the said pinkness!!

It's amazing how this rosy colour has an effect on my mood, some shades of pink actually make me smile, especially the colour of these teeny legs!!!

April.

Hi all, I've been busy creating a new pattern for my mini bears and April has been made from the first draft. I'm pleased with the way she turned out , just needed to make a few alterations to the pattern .She's made with sassy fabric which I've never tried before. I love it!!

Spring is on it's way now and I'm feeling the benefit of the odd ray of sun by getting out in the garden and preparing the beds for summer flowers and the odd bit of veg. I've got big plans for my garden this summer, I'm ashamed to say it's been neglected for too long and desperately needs some love so I'm off to my local garden centre for some bits and pieces today. Ta ta for now x.

Mini Obsession!!

Hello, sorry it's been a while since my last post, I have been busy I promise you! I've been totally self indulgent and made a bear just for me!! You see I made a very teeny bear a few weeks ago that went along to a local shop with some others on SOR. I didn't expect him to go but he sold straight away , it was only then that I realised how much I really liked this little bear! To make things worse I didn't even get a photo of him. To stop myself from whingeing I've made myself one to keep! He's cute but not quite as cute as the one that got away!

Freddy is my first attempt at using American upholstery fabric , it's a short pile one so my stitches had to be smaller than small but I like the way he turned out. I gave him a wobble head and aged his paw pads to make him old and loved. Hope you like him x.

Daisy Daisy.

Although I've been keeping a low profile on the blog front , life on the bear front has been quite busy , which I suppose explains why I haven't posted for over a week!

I finished one of my bigger bears for a commission and have almost finished a cute pink cat and I've made a new pattern for a 9.5" bear (a new size for me) . The bear I've made from it is called Daisy, with the long winter showing no sign of letting up I felt like making something to remind me of spring !!

I've made her a lovely lemon skirt in silk dupion and she has a petticoat underneath made from antique Broderie Anglaise, vintage pearls , ribbons and daisies give her the spring feel that I'm yearning for! Daisy is made from a lovely golden mohair with wool paws , a wobble head , and weighted with steel shot . Thanks for taking a peek . Hope you like her, I've made a move back to the style of bear that I enjoyed when I first began making bears. Please email if you're interested in more details. ADOPTED.

The Small Hug.

Well look what arrived ! My lovely little bear from Aleta is here! Hooray! What a journey he's had making his way from America all alone only to find himself dumped in my recycle bin! Thanks Postie!!!

He was there overnight because I didn't notice the PARCEL IN GREEN BIN note that had been left. Luckily this was a brand new glass recycling bin so no swigging the dregs from wine bottles for my little bear. There was about 1/2" of rainwater in the bottom of this bin which just goes to show that careful packaging is always wise when sending a bear through the postal system . Aleta had made sure of this and he was dry and none the worse for wear when I unwrapped him! I won this little bear by taking part in a giveaway on Aleta's Silly Bear blog , thank you Aleta I love him!!

The pic shows him with his new moggy pals x