Tuesday, March 30, 2010

"Taffy"





It's amazing how you meet people and what a delight some of them turn out to be. Such was the case with a lady I met at the Houston Quilt Show. After we had returned home from the show, I got an e-mail from her asking if I would be interested in some fabric she had purchased for some bear projects. She realized that she wouldn't get to it, and rather than hang on to it, like I would have, she offered it to me. She refused payment of any kind, so I offered to make her a bear in exchange. Done deal.
The box of fabrics arrived, and I immediately could "see" all kinds of bears being made from it. I wanted to make something for her that she would enjoy. Not knowing her preference of style, or if she kept a mish-mash house like I do, or had a very formal lifestyle, I decided to make something that would hopefully fit in any decor.

This is the end result - Taffy - a cream colored bear, with subtle, light colored foot and paw pads, and a matching neck bow.
I packed him up, sent him off, and hoped for the best. At least, if she didn't like it when it arrived, I would be able to find out what changes she would like for a replacement. She was totally delighted with the bear, and sent me the nicest e-mail about it.
This is what bear-making is all about. Then again, who doesn't love bears!



Monday, March 29, 2010

Back to Blogging


Getting the hang of the blogging thing really takes getting used to. I've learned that some people are very casual about it, and others are very dedicated. I've decided that in order to keep it interesting, for both myself and others, it's got to be something that is done on a fairly routine basis. I, myself, tend not to keep going back and checking on blogs that I generally enjoy if nothing new is posted for a long period of time.


In light of that, I thought I'd start sharing some of the photos of some of my bears, both past and present. Hopefully, I'll see comments about what people like and dislike. I'm also thinking that it will help me keep coming up with ideas and staying focused on doing what I truly enjoy - making bears.

My first photo is of a bear I call "Nuthead". My husband actually calls it that, because of the large acorn top that I used as a hat. His uncle, whom I love dearly, is always coming up with nifty finds, and knows how much I enjoy them. When he showed me these large acorns, I knew immediately what I would use them for. The end result was even better than I had hoped.

His uncle was quite pleased with the use of the acorn tops as well, and I'm pleased to be able to show you them as a hat on one of my favorite bears.