Photo Gallery 2

These are the full photos from the quick portrait pics:)

Just A Few Of My Finds

These are wood finials I found on my trip to the flea market before my last show. Now what will I do with these? Well believe it or not they will become hats once a hole is drilled to pass ribbon through! A real crowning glory.
The trunk is about3 by 4 inches so you can see the bottles are at largest 2 inches and the rest maybe 1 and1/2 inches. The ribbon in the other trunk is silk. Just some of my finds on my way to the Tampa show. I got up early just so I could attend the Stamp and Scrapbook Expo for two hours before driving to Tampa. It was well worth it!

Quick Portrait Pics

A new section with just partial portraits that hopefully make you want to see more:)

Tampa show 2009

The Tampa Show By Bright Star Productions this past Sunday was well attended. Saw a lot of my collectors and met new people. To all the former Bearly Spring and ABC show people who came, it was fun to see you again.
We had a great breakfast with the early bird collectors and there was a line waiting to get in at the regular time.
I was able to get some neat mohair from Dale of Bear Street. Always like to see the mohair in person when I can.
Photo is of my table at the show. Come join us next year.

Week Before a Show

This past week has been spent getting ready for the Bright Star Tampa Bear Show being held Sunday, February 22nd. Yet there is no work done. Oh, I have been working but it goes like this.Sewing body parts, painting boxes, oops that design won't work, ummm start over. Wait stop, the old sofa bed is dead, guys we need to move that one out of the work room and move in the sofa from the bedroom. So stop what I m working on ,clean stuff out and move that in, only takes a day. Rearrange, wait how did all this stuff fit in here before?! Well Cindy will have to sleep on the sofa bed in the living room after the show, with the Christmas tree I bought on sale off the display floor so it has no box to break it down into so it can be put up and who has time to look for a box so it is still in the living room where I plopped it.
My friends haven't seen me in weeks so I take off another day to go to the farmer's market and flea market.Find very little at the flea market but the vegetables are great and Keith(hubby) makes a great spaghetti sauce with the different peppers. Come on, I do not cook when I get ready for a show. I bought a new lasagna pan and when my son saw it he peeked in the workroom, me covered in excelsior and fabric and wanted to know when I was making lasagna. He got' the' look and said "I mean later, when later", and off he went.
So I keep working on two pieces that have to go out and get part of the piece for the show done, get part of a piece done that has a photo deadline and begin to see progress. But it is Friday, and I have not packed the bears or my clothes and have three pieces to finish today. This weekend is antique extravaganza at Rennigers in Mt. Dora and I will miss it, ugh! Tomorrow starts a huge scrapbook and stamp fair in Maitland. Why do all the fun things I love to do happen when I
have a show?!
What a week, See you in Tampa:) Me and the bears

This Valentines Day

This Valentines day give love to somebody very important, yourself. Don't wait for someone else to show you the love you deserve, it's not about getting flowers or candy, but remembering you are worth that and more. You are especially worthy of your own confidence in yourself and your abilities. Be the first to look at yourself and say I am beautiful and mean it. Because we are, just as we are, not after you lose weight or fix your nose or anything else.
This Valentines day give yourself a hug and permission to be happy, to be joyful and complete within. And if it makes you happy, pass some along to someone else. Unconditional love, as they are.

This is my bear hug to all of you. Happy Valentines Day.

Photo 1 details

Early owl is from an old illustration and poem of the same name. Bad Boys is 2nd in the Story Teller series, available from The Toy Shoppe in Richmond, Va. And the Bigger bear is a one of, so named because I made a smaller version who is named Little Bear.

Photo Gallery 1

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Early Owl, with Blackbird








Bad Boys (Adventures of Pinocchio)









Bigger Bear

Me and Viking

I was going to title this 'Bow down,bow down', a reference to 'The Princess Bride', but decided some people might think I really revered my new sewing machine, not true, close:) but not true. Well I went to buy the machine and a new owner's class had just started so there I was learning how to use the machine for free before purchase! But the one I went to purchase wasn't in stock( no it wasn't a bait and switch) so I asked about the next model up and got a great deal on it.
Read the book on it when I got home and the instructor really had covered just about everything .I can start using it right away and feel comfortable because I am already familiar with the machine.This makes me very happy. Its not an industrial model or top of the line, but it fits my needs. It will be my little workhorse that gets the job done. And that means less time threading and holding the spool of thread on and more time making the bears! That's me at home, happy to work.

Sewing Machines

It's Friday and can't believe most of the week has been playing catch up. Yesterday was spent at Jo Ann Etc. fabric store getting material for one of the story teller books, the Wrinkly Knees, A Ragged book. Then spent the evening designing patterns.But when I'm not sewing it feels like i got nothing done.
But I am excited because There is a new sewing machine in my future(this weekend.) yay me! It will be a Viking, haven't had a new machine in about 16 years, and mine does not like how hard it has to work.The spool of thread always rises up in the air as I sew up off it's holder and then the thread comes out of the needle, it's sad.But the new one is a self threader and the thread holder is on it's side instead of up and down, I am gleeful just thinking of it.
How much easier and faster will work be when I'm not constantly slowing down to let the thread fall back down or rethreading the needle one more time. Joy.
Well off to more errands and back here to work at home.

IDEX Stores, Collectors and Artists 2009

How did the show go and how was the attendance? It was slower than last year but stores were there buying but they were looking for things they haven't seen that is'nt like what they have bought before, so artists check what you are doing, are you still making the same bear you did two years ago and passing it off as new.Remember we want to give collectors a reason to come back to us and to the stores, let's generate some excitement this year and fun.We all need that.
And collectors came to the show from all over to buy bears, how great is that. I am happy because they liked my show special:) and you will be able to get my bears at The Toy Shoppe in Richmond,Va. (who will be carrying the Story Teller Series), and Pretty Things(Milton, Fl.), and Village Bears(Sarasota,Fl.).
So if you are a collector please visit these shops when you are in their towns.
Other bear artist that were presenting their new work were Sue McKay from Canada, Jane Woodard, Sharon Lederer, Bev White, Annette Rauch and Marion Finhold both from Germany,Janet Wilson to name a few. Here's Sharon's Ping, Marion,s Hugo Buttenhain and Annette's Chiara or babys breath.
And now i have to get to work on orders so the bears and I are working...at home.

What Happened At IDEX 2009

Good Morning! I am back from IDEX and actually awake this morning. And I watched the game last night. So around noon will I be asleep?! OK so here's the scoop on the show. Bear artists I am a little disappointed that there were less of us present than last year. We have to be there to keep the stores that are looking to buy bears there. The cost is less than Toy Fair and normally the weather is great. And we take great care of the bear artist who attend. On Saturday a group went to Logan's Roadhouse for dinner, which was great fun for Annette Rauch's daughter because you get to throw peanut shells on the floor! That's Annette and her husband York, Marion Finhold, Sharon Lederer, me Terry and Susan Quinlan and my husband Keith. So, come to IDEX, go to dinner! Meet new artists.
So you missed being first to know who got a TOBY nomination.Like Pam Kinser for Jackson or Donna Griffin for Pansy and Rosebud, The Panda Sisters or Amelia Dana for Oracle Jones or Wanda Carson for Bennie and Judi Paul for Do You Hear What I hear? And receiving her industry award at the show was Carol Thompson of Thymeless Treasures for Minnie and Mooch.
That photo is above.