Little Bearries

Do you have a 7/11 near you?

2012-02-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

Do you have a 7/11 near you?

If you do, stop in and see if yours also carries the coolest little mood ring ever!

It changes color more than any other mood ring I've ever had, and there are several types of robot to choose from. I chose the girl robot (who has diamond eyes) but there is also a plain robot and a nerd robot... maybe more, but quite a few of them were already sold out when I found them!!

The dolls have taken over!

2012-01-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

I collect dolls.

This is one of my Azone Pure Neemo dolls, she is an [Ex Cute] Majokko Aika / Little Witch of the Flame, but I call her Sam

Mostly Volks Dollfie Dreams and Azone Pure Neemos (although I now have one Blythe... she creeps everyone out and I love it, and I also have a few Barbie).

I've always wanted to do something "more" with them, other than just have them sit around and look nice, so...

they've started a blog.

A blog where they review toys.

Yes, toys reviewing toys.

If you're so inclined... and like things like chocolates, books, dollies, doll clothes, teddy bears, other stuffed animals, etc etc etc, please stop by and check it out :)

PS, I have been sick lately :(

Even dollies need teddy bears...

2012-01-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

My little doll, Prue, is sick today... she needed a teddy to snuggle with, who better than wee Dash, made by Ginger Brame? (ok... I might be sick too... but she's much cuter than I am, so you get a picture of her XD )

Unexpected Find!

2012-01-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

I was doing a web search for Ginger Brame bears, hoping to find maybe owner pictures or pictures that haven't shown up on her blog or website... when I stumbled across this boy on ebay:

A Ginger Brame bear on ebay?!?! I had to snatch him up immediately! I can't wait for him to get home!
Huzzah for ebay finds!!! His name is Mette and evidently he was made in 2002. He will be my oldest Ginger Brame bear yet... will I have to call him Old Man Mette? Will Dot call him that? Maybe he needs a pair of glasses? :)

Brame's Bear and Button Extravaganza!

2011-12-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

She's done it again! (Aren't I always saying that about Ginger?)

Another lovely giveaway from Ginger Brame!

Stop by her blog to enter, all you need do is leave a comment!

To go to her giveaway, click on the picture of dear little Bouton (the giveaway bear) below!:

Moooore Purses!

2011-12-09T05:06:00.001-08:00

Yes, I've still been sewing away!!! So many adorable little purses to be made!

Here are just a few of what's at my Etsy shop!
I'm working on a prototype for some smaller sized ones too, so that I can have an MDD, YoSD and Blythe/Pullip/Pure Neemo sized purse as well! XD

What HAVE I been up to?!

2011-11-28T07:55:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything, and honestly, I'm not really sure why. I know I began this blog to document my teddy making progress... which is still progressing, slowwwwwwly... but I've also been making other crafts.

Most recently, BJD purses! They are small purses made to fit SD sized dolls, and are pictured here with my Dollfie Dream girls. (if you want to learn more about Dollfie Dream girls, go to www.volksusa.com )

So anyhow, here are the pics of a few purses, they've been turning out really cute!!!
They are all available on my etsy shop :)

If anyone sees one they're interested in, but it's been sold, ask about it! I have more fabric for most of them... so I can probably make another... unless it's the llama purse, that's all there is on that one, folks!

Bingle Bear is squeaking out a giveaway!!!

2011-11-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

With so many other things to finish, and holiday bears to sew, I'm always amazed when popular bear artists have time for giveaways before a huge holiday... but Bingle Bears has done it, a new pattern, and adorable mousie, and one great giveaway!

To enter, please click the picture below and read the rules!

The Dapper Toad Kitty Giveaway

2011-11-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

Alright you bloggers out there, I know many of you are kitty owners, and here's your chance to have a really cute charm made to look like one of your own kitties (heck, even if you don't win the giveaway, it's totally worth it to check these out, they're ADORABLE)

The Dapper Toad is having a giveaway of one custom charm to launch her new line of kitty charms. You can send her pic of your kitty, or if you don't have a kitty, you can send her a pic of any ol' kitty.

Check it out by clicking on the image below!

Click this picture to be taken to the The Dapper Toad's giveaway

A Stuffed Life pauses to give(away) Caution

2011-10-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

Kelly has done it again, and created one of the cutest little critters out there!!!

And she's giving it away!

Caution the Mouse (as seen below, in Kelly's photograph) is part of the giveaway, but if you're wanting to buy one of your own, Boo, is available on Kelly's website here: http://www.blondheart.com/boo.html

Q&A a day: 5 Year Journal

2011-08-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

Off and on I've been hearing about this 5 year journal, and finally, I decided to check it out.

It can be obtained for around the price of $15 with shipping from Amazon, and so far I've been enjoying it. It ranges in questions from "Where do you want to travel next?" to "Where do you think your road is going?"... from the literal to the abstract.

It will be interesting to see how/if my answers change!

Amigurumi by Twistyfishies on Etsy

2011-08-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

Photo by Me

Well, it's time I shared another adorable product I stumbled across on Etsy... Amigurumi robots, buglets and umdrops by Twistyfishies... I saw them randomly, fell in love, and bought some... and have not been disappointed... from the excellent packaging to the adorable product, I can't get enough of these little cuties. :)

Go HERE to check out Twistyfishies etsy shop :)

The umdrops are the newest edition to Twistyfishies adorable menagerie... check them all out, they're adorable AND affordable!

Photo by Me

Nanobot: Photo by Twistyfishies

Umdrop: Photo by Twistyfishies

Modding Dolls

2011-07-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

I recently got my hands on some very stained, sad little doll heads that I thought I would try modding on, since they were already a bit messed up to begin with XD... Here is the first victim, made to look like Kuroneko from an anime called My Little Sister Can't Possibly Be This Cute (or... something like that):

Etsy Treasury stuff... evidently I missed a few

2011-07-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize this, but on Etsy now, on each items page, they tell you if its been in a treasury or not... and because of this, I found out I was in a few treasury lists I didn't even know about!!

Who knew?! XD

Sometimes things just turn out weird...

2011-07-22T06:03:00.001-07:00

Like pictures of your pets:

I am working on some new things, which will be posted... soonish... lol!

Ginger has done it again!

2011-06-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ginger at bearbits is having another lovely giveaway... check it out!

Click the picture to be taken to the giveaway:

New Dollfie Dream Optional Head Face Up

2011-05-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, after selling the first one, I have done another... this girl is also listed on ebay... they're just too much fun to paint! This is a Volks White Skin Dollfie Dream Optional Head HDD-03

Woo Hoo!

2011-05-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Remember my Cavey Easter Bonnet?

Well... IT WON!!!
An excellent way to start a Friday :)

Another Doll Face and a better bear pictures

2011-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Alright... photo dump!

I painted this one for a friend :)

Here are some little bear lumps, although the small one looks like a hamster to me XD

And here's a better pic of Strawberry Bear and a little tan one I made with button joints and a brown sweater bear:

I've made an Easter Boooonnet...

2011-04-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yeah, this was for a competition at www.heycavey.com

I did NOT make the green guy wearing the bonnet, he's a Cavey.. found at the website listed above.

I shouldn't be allowed near clay, LOL.

Yet another weirdo doll that I painted

2011-04-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

This one... is named Myth... he's a Narwhal, LOL.

Don't ask... I have no idea, but I painted him as well.

Another goofy doll face XD

2011-04-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

This is a model called a Dollfie Dream, more like an oversized anime styled Barbie... I did this faceup too... oh yes, it's a doll painting extravaganza!

Painting faces...

2011-04-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Bear making has been put on hold while there is an influx of new dollies!
I have been painting doll faces for friends... here's one that I did of a Puki Puki (smaaaaall... the face is only an inch tall!)

I also did one for another friend that I don't have a picture of yet... and I will be doing two or three more tonight! OYE.

They're fun though :)

Quote...

2011-04-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I agree with the word "regular" but I like the rest of it:

Strawbearry Bear

2011-04-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, so I drew up this new pattern, and oh boy is it going to need some work, lol :)

Here's my new little bear, a Strawbearry, if you will:

Now, I kept the arms and legs from the old pattern, because essentially I wasn't making the bear any taller... what I didn't count on was that I was making his little body a lot fatter... which means the arms just aren't long enough anymore, and the legs could stand to be a little bigger too.

The body... initially... looked silly as heck... but I modified the pattern slightly after I'd cut it out and sewn it... and now it's just the way I wanted it to be!

As for the head... well... yeah, I visualized THAT pattern all wrong... while I do like the head I ended up with... its pretty cute... it was not at ALL what I was seeing in my wee little brain...so it's back to the drawing board on that one too.

I *really* like the cute little printed cotton ear and feet bits... I'm wondering if I should add paw pads too?... I was also thinking of making one with a cotton body and mohair head and limbs... or something like that. I'm not sure... but I may just leave it at ear and paw pads.

This little bear will probably get a new ribbon too... this is just what I had in front of me, and he looked like he wanted *something* to wear.

It's a doll kinda day...

2011-04-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

While I'm still cutting out and putting together my new pattern, let me fill the interlude with dolls.
This is my Volks Irvin in a Dollheart Steampunk outfit... I apologize if you can't stand Super Dollfie!

Drawing on Dresses...

2011-04-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine makes little dresses for dolls... and we thought it might be fun if I sketched on a few of them... so here are the results... pretty simple, but I think they turned out kinda cute:

New bear and better pics of the pink panda

2011-04-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I made this little grey bear (on the left) utilizing some techniques that some very nice and wonderful bear makers passed along... plus a different sewing technique that I think works better and is a lot more secure... and it never ceases to amaze me how one pattern can produce two very different little bears! The little grey guy is stuffed mostly with glass bead because I wanted him to be really squishy, and he has glass eyes, which, for the first time, thanks to a lot of help from my favorite bear makers, I feel are fastened in really securely... I'm stupidly proud of that, lol.

I remember cutting out this bear and thinking "Oh, I won't like him, because this is weird, spikey mohair and he just won't turn out cute," but... I really LOVE the way this mohair both looks and feels as a bear. Never judge a mohair un-beared!

Still plugging away...

2011-03-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am diligently working away at creating new bears... but in the meantime... why don't you all take a gander at Beastlies!

Maulkie is going through a phase... He's been deliberately stamping on ants lately. This isn't really like him; it seems to be some sort of rebellious demonstration of power? In any case, it's freaking out the other Beastlies.

I love these little guys, they all have the cutest expressions... and have their own clever little descriptive bit to go along with them. I purchased this one:

Zaidan is very sensitive to caffeine. We don't normally let Beastlies have any caffeine, but he found a used English Breakfast teabag sitting by the sink last week, and proceeded to try to suck out all the moisture. He was wired for two days.

And he is just the cutest thing. High quality clay work... and just as adorable as the picture!

Here are a few more of my favorites!

Higgins has recently tasted lemonade for the first time, and he's decided it's his favorite thing. Good luck getting him to talk about anything else.

Tiggy is very tense! We can't figure out how to get him to relax... He's just always on high alert. Or he's dead asleep. It's exhausting being wound so tightly.

Go here to check out the website too!
www.beastlies.com

They sell VERY quickly though, so I recommend following her on Facebook if you really want one. She updates it diligently as soon as she posts a new monster.

Pay It Forward 2011

2011-03-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

Pay It Forward 2011!

Here's how it works....

The first five people who comment on this blog post will receive a handmade gift from me.

In return, you must FIRST write a blog post explaining Pay It Forward 2011.
Then.... send out a handmade gift to the first 5 visitors who leave a comment.
Take your time...you don't need to send them all today or tomorrow.

New Logo!

2011-02-25T10:03:00.000-08:00

The paper background is pretty much just for on my header... XD

It works in just straight black too:

Target has holiday cuteness

2011-02-24T13:07:00.000-08:00

I was out at Target the other day and saw they had their Easter stuff out, so I had to check it out... and one of the items was just too cute... a little Bunny salt shaker. They had a Pepper shaker too... but I didn't like that one as much, and you can buy them individually... so I bought this one and figured he could be a glitter shaker XD

For people who sell stuff and have a smart phone...

2011-02-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

It might be worth it to look into getting one of these:

From https://squareup.com/ these little devices scan credit cards and deposit the cash directly into your bank account.

And if you forget the scanner device, that's fine, you can enter the information manually.
The device itself is free.

Pretty cool stuff.

Greedy little bugger...

2011-02-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it's a cat in a basket... yeah... cats do that all the time...

This cat is hording the toys, though. Laying on top of them all so that the other cat can't get at them.

Every now and then he gets up, turns around and fiddles with the toys under him, like a hen turning her eggs... then back he goes. Laying, watching, ever vigilant.

New Bears

2011-02-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, this first bear is made from my own pattern... sorry these aren't the world's best pictures of them... I just snapped a few with my phone.

This one is a little panda. I hand dyed the ears and limbs pink.
I also tried some new techniques on him. He has glass beads in his limbs and belly, and I love the way they make him feel, and how they let him stand. I also tried a new method of making his nose, and I think it turned out really well. It's the best nose I've made yet. I think with a few more practicing tries, I'll have it down.

His joints are all cotter pins.... I got a fancy new cotter pin turner and that has made using cotter pins so much easier. I can't believe I didn't buy one of those right away.

I also bought a stuffing tool that has made things so much easier. Seriously... what was I thinking?

This second bear is made from a pattern I purchased from Gotta Share This by Vivianne ... her Percy pattern, which can be found on her etsy site.

It's a lot cuter than mine is... and it's taught me a lot about how I need to go about refining my own pattern. I also used glass eyes on this bear... which was actually kind of scary!
Time to start refining my own patterns so that they don't look so silly anymore.

Sooo....

2011-02-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

This is kind of a fan-girly post. I apologize... but it must be done.

I LOVE THESE BEARS!

I recently got a fairy bear from Ginger Brame... to add to the two bears I already had that were made by her... and I have to say, the fairy bear is AMAZING.

The wings weren't at all what I expected. I was expecting something delicate and fragile... but they're made from a hardy material (but still look very much like delicate wings) and really well constructed... and they are poseable!!!

All three of my little bears faces are to die for. Adorable, well constructed, perfect little noses and SUCH personality.

The bear on the left (Dot, who you may recognize from http://adventuresofdotdotdot.blogspot.com/ ) has a pudgy little belly full of glass beads that I just love to squish. He has a larger little head and has been cuddled, snuggled and loved probably far more than is healthy for such a lovely little bear.

Didi, the fairy bear in the center, has no problem standing on her own. Her little antenna are wiggly and poseable, and her wings are rimmed with sparkles and poseable as well. Her colors are SO vibrant and her nose is multi-colored. Her wings are also perfectly placed so as not to interfere with her sitting down. (there are much better pictures of her HERE, on bearbits, along with some pretty amusing text to accompany it)

Finally there is little Dash (the little guy on the right). He has a little glass bead filled belly as well... good for squishing... and his brown fur is very durable, making him the perfect traveling companion. His little feet are somewhat flat, making him able to stand and he is just a wee 5 inches tall (Dot is 6 inches, Didi is 7 inches) also making him an awesome travel companion.

Below is a silly little drawing I did of Didi... I always find myself sketching these guys. They're just too cute. (sorry the sketch was photographed with my phone. ACK)

I do still have about a bajillion things in the works... I just have to stop repainting Monster High dolls long enough to get them done. DOH!

You can see more of my repaints here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46766661@N08/sets/72157625769461428/

Sorry!

2011-01-27T06:57:00.001-08:00

An update is coming... but last week monday I got some rather bad medical news and it threw me off!

Things are finally getting back to normal though... but I'm on a diet that is Gluten and Dairy free.

If anyone has any awesome resources for recipes or anything, I'd really appreciate it.

One Inch Drawings...

2011-01-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

I love drawing tiny... or maybe I just love scribbling with my ball point pen... either way, these images are one inch by one inch:

Elf Doodles...

2011-01-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Every year I do a daily doodle in my calendar (usually)... here are two from this week.

Repainting Monster High Dolls...

2011-01-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

So, a friend of mine recently showed me some repainted Monster High dolls and I thought... hmm... looks like fun.
Here are the fruits of my labor, a repainted Frankie Stein:

(When there are two dolls in the picture, the one on the left is the one I repainted, the other is Frankie's original paint job)

A little off topic... but...

2010-12-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a Toy Review blog here:

(click the picture to go to the blog)

So if you're interested, go check it out.

Also, if you notice something I'm missing, please let me know, or if you have something to add... please do!

I have one review up already.

Yesterday a Bear, today... a HAMSTER!

2010-12-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

This little guy is much like yesterday's bear, except about half the size.

Standing roughly 2.5 inches tall, he's ready for you to pick him up and take him home, lol!

Or... accidentally mistake him for a cupcake?! NOOOOO!

Look Ma, no hands!

2010-12-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

This little guy is a beanbag. Oh yes.
He has no hands, he has no feet,
But he has a mouth so he can eat... and get chubbier...

I wanted him to be really antique-like... but I haven't distressed him yet. I've never done that before and the idea of it scares me XD Maybe I'll try it on a lighter one where it might show up more dramatically.
I want to work on making his face a bit more 'antique bear'ish too. It wasn't *quite* what I had in mind.

But overall I like him XD

Whoa... MAGIC BEANS!!!

2010-12-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of my coffee cup from McDonalds this morning.

Read. It. CAREFULLY.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod... *hops around excitedly*

MAGIC BEANS?!

... and they sold them to me for $2... I didn't even need a cow!!!!

(ok... I really do have two new bears in the works, one my own design, one a pattern I bought... which will appear in the near, rather than far future... but this cup totally cracked me up)

A picture from Biltmore... with a bear!

2010-12-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, maybe not what you were thinking, but I had seen this tree there and just had to take a picture... then add my own little woodland friend, lol!

YAY!

2010-12-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

Featured again in someone's Etsy collection...

It always makes me so happy XD

I don't have a tattoo, but...

2010-12-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

If I ever got one, it might be this:

I saw someone with a Totoro tattoo on their finger... so I drew this one on myself... and I have to say.... CUTE! Just not sure I'd want it there forever, lol! It's between my knuckle and my first finger joint on my middle finger XD

Also, the experience brought to mind grade school, where I used to draw on myself all the time. I stopped at some point... but I have to say, I'm not sure why, this was really fun to do, and it keeps making me smile whenever I look at it!

Hey Cavey!

2010-12-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

Well, there are two things I want to post about today!

One is a product I've fallen in love with called Hey Cavey! by Holly at A Little Stranger.
Holly is seriously living my dream life XD

Anyhow, she makes these cute little bean shaped creatures called Cavey (if you check out her A Little Stranger blog, she links to an interview she did explaining where Cavey came from)... but the Cavey also have their own website at www.heycavey.com

You can go there and watch for updates as to when she'll next be selling some. She puts a time clock countdown on the right sidebar so everyone can tell when they'll go live in their time zone (she is in the UK).

Right now there are snowmen Cavey for sale at the Playlounge... or there is a super secret Cupcake Cavey for sale at Candypulse.... just click the picture of it below to go to the site:

Below is my Green Apple Cavey at the Biltmore House... which is the other thing I wanted to mention... if you ever have the chance to go, do! The house is amazing!!

Bat Ornaments!

2010-11-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

I was creating these bat ornaments for Thimbleprim's Studios Gothic Ornament swap... but I'm just not feelin' the Gothic with the green ones (I'm making red ones too)... so I'll be offering these guys up on Etsy, and making some black bats for the swap. Who knows, maybe I'll send a green and red bat along too.

An Amazing Artist!

2010-11-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

Please, if you do nothing else today, go check out the work of Brittney Lee!

Click the following picture to go to her blog:

and here, just to entice you, is a sample of some of her papercraft work...

Website

2010-11-18T07:28:00.001-08:00

Well... I have a placeholder now at least, it's not fancy, but it has working links, LOL!

http://www.littlebearries.com/

... and a more cartoony version of Amie....

2010-11-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I was having fun drawing. Enjoy!
I'll have to clean it up in Photoshop sometime.

Tribute Art to the GREAT Amie Soto Blossom of Soggiebottom

2010-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

To the most entertaining dog online, Amie Soto Blossom... here is a picture of her... I assume she is thinking I'm rather dumb (at least, that's what I'm taking away from that expression, lol!) XD
(ps, I drew this in about 30 seconds... then photoshopped it faster than that... forgive me, Amie... forgive meeeeeeeeee!!!!... and I had to take a photo of the drawing with my cruddy cell phone *weep*)

I'm in an Etsy Treasury! :)

2010-11-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Go HERE to check it out!

One of my mushrooms is featured!

Ornaments!

2010-10-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

I've made some wee snowbear ornaments XD I kinda like their button noses :)

Little Cupcake Giveaway

2010-09-21T11:04:00.001-07:00

Sarah Dickson is having a little cupcake giveaway....

Click the picture to check it out... and while you're there, look around her blog! Her work and her illustrations are adorable!!!!!

Panda in the road...

2010-09-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

I was driving down the street this morning, on a very busy road in town... heading to work and feeling overall just a little groggy... when all of a sudden a panda appeared in the road before me!

I certainly couldn't leave him there... they're endangered, after all... and what kind of monster would that make me.

So, at the intersection of one of the busiest streets in town, I hopped out of my car, snatched up the panda and dove back in to my vehicle, all safely before the light changed!

He's a little worse for wear... but here's the little guy, all safe and sound, roaming about his new home, my desk.

Silkie Sue Giveaway!

2010-09-11T12:37:00.001-07:00

Hop on over by clicking the picture to check it out!

A New Bat... finally!

2010-09-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well, this poor little guy has been cut out and raring to go... oh... since the last time I made a bat. He's so happy to be stretching his batty wings, and not be in pieces in my pattern box!

Say hello to my newest little bat!

Hello!

I vant to eats your fruitses!

THIS MUCH!!!

I vill do tricks for them!

And give hugs!

Yeah, he's a goofy little bugger...

Something I won!

2010-09-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

I won this pup named Jack in a giveaway from Rufnut Teddys and just had to share him, he's got such a cute little face... (and he's taken over Dot's blog... click HERE to find out more)

And now for something completely different...

2010-09-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

After yesterdays disturbing knitting... here is something cute:

Now, the blog I got this from did not credit the photo... so if this is your photo... or you know where it came from... please tell me! I prefer to credit as much as possible!!!

Knitted Homes of Crime

2010-08-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

A very interesting little exhibition... go HERE to see the whole thing... these knit houses were created by Jean Arkell and are made to look like the places where these female killers went mad.

It's gruesome... yes, but I'm very attracted to the combination of medium and concept here... especially considering the time period when knitting and such was still practiced for purpose rather than just pleasure.

Here's a little sample:

Christiana - 20 hours
16 Gloucester Place , Brighton, East Sussex - 1871
Mrs. Beard - 21 1/2 hours
64 Grand Parade, Brighton, East Sussex - 1871

Christiana Edmunds was a 43 year old spinster who lived with her widowed mother. She had become infatuated with a married man, Dr. Beard. In September 1870 she brought a box of chocolates to the Beard's house and insisted that Mrs. Beard eat some over a pot of tea. Christiana had filled these chocolate creams with strychnine. Immediately after eating one Mrs. Beard became severely ill. As a result Dr. Beard accused her of trying to poison his wife. Christiana denied the charge and set about trying to prove that there was a poisoner at large in Brighton. She would pay children to buy chocolate creams from the same sweet shop that she purchased the box of chocolates for Mrs. Beard from. She would inject these with strychnine, then re-wrap them and pay another child to return them. The innocent shop-keeper sold on these poisoned sweets. On 12 June 1871 this activity resulted in the death of 4-year-old Sidney Barker. Christiana even sent poisoned cakes and fruit through the mail, addressing some to herself, to try to emphasise her innocence. She was eventually caught and sentenced to death but when it transpired that she was mentally ill her sentence was commuted and she was sent to Broadmoor. She died there in 1907 aged 79. It later transpired that no less than four members of her immediate family had died as a result of mental illness

New Halloween Header

2010-08-27T07:39:00.001-07:00

If you look at the top of my blog, you'll see my new Halloween header XD I illustrated the bear head myself :) (all that swirly junk behind it are free vectors from online, same with the skulls)... but the bear is all me... woo hoo!

Sorry if it's scarier than you're used to seeing on my blog... but... it's Halloween!!!!

Two Dumb Cats...

2010-08-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, it's that time again, time for little furry faces to make an appearance. What can I say, they were ready for their closeup.

William the Bloody has always been a fan of running water. He hops in the bathtub and sticks his head under the faucet... he watches the toilet flush, he has his own personal kitty drinking fountain for a water bowl... but his latest joy... what thrills him to his little kitty bones... is sitting in the sink and waiting for me to turn it on. Then he watches as he get soaked... then he gets out and plays in the water some more. It's all fine and dandy, until you're stumbling out of bed at 5:30 a.m. and try to brush your teeth... and find this:

The Salacious Crumb has finally decided my boyfriend is ok, and that snuggling with me (even if he's around) can resume. This leads to Crumb getting *very* comfy and then laying in that place for hours on end... and when he does this... well... he's just so cute that people tend to oblige and not move. This ends in a lot of sleeping limbs and muscle cramps for the humans... but somehow, I just don't think he cares.

2nd Star to the Right

2010-08-23T11:52:00.001-07:00

Sorry for my lateness... faeries are pesky things and I'm quite sure one gave me the flu this weekend on purpose! (Or at least spoilt my milk)

It was a fantastic week for a trip to Faerie though... there were shimmering stars:

And walls built from twining vines and bulging pumpkins:

There were delicious Moon Cakes to be eaten under the milky glow of a full moon:

And one disgruntled Faerie Queen, who was not keen on visitors at all...

As we were about to leave though, one mysterious little faerie, veiled in shadows, gave us a token to show how much they loved having us. (Of course we didn't take it... we know better than to receive gifts from Faeries)

Featured in an Etsy Treasury!

2010-08-20T12:49:00.001-07:00

This is actually a pretty cute treasury! Click on the picture to go to it!

Paper Cut Mermaids

2010-08-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have designed a paper silhouette mermaid... a little bear is soon to follow... she's not perfect yet, this is just a rough... her arm moves too... so far I really like her :)

EGADS NOOOOO!!!

2010-08-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Zombies... Zombies NOOOOOOO!!!!!

Goodies!

2010-08-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday I went out in search of something I didn't find... instead... I found all of this!

One of my favorite magazines, ImagineFX has a 4 part special that they're releasing over the next few months, and part 2 is now out!... It's filled with so many helpful photoshop tips that it's very worth the high price... plus it comes with a disk with lessons and free stuff on it!

I also bought the "Where Women Create" magazine, which is full of amazing stuff... just not pictured because someone was looking through it when I snapped the shot XD

Then I found a bunch of sparkly stuff on clearance at Michaels.... and how could I pass that up?!
Random Martha Stewart glitter colors were on clearance... along with floral embellishments that I intend on adding to bears... it was a good day for the glitter obsessed... and not only that, but it was so cheaply clearanced out that it didn't even come close to breaking the bank!

... although now I want more glitter. Dammit.

More bears are in the works... and will be pictured in the next week. :)

Another zombie bear and better pictures!

2010-08-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well... it seems the zombies are coming! Here is my latest little zombie... I'm still debating on whether to give him a lolling tongue or not.His fabric has holes in it... so it looks like he's rotting away! I've needlefelted the stuffing into those holes, so he won't *really* ooze bear guts, but I think it's pretty amusing anyways. :)

And here are some better pictures of the brown bear... who got shorted when I had to use my phone to take pics of him. Poor little guy!

Another Bear...

2010-08-10T09:43:00.001-07:00

Here's another wee fellow with a needle felted muzzle. His nose turned out larger than I'd like... alas... he is still cute... just not as cute as he could be. I really like his colors though... very cute stuff :) Although I think I only have enough fabric to make one more similar to him... on the table now? Another zombie bear :)

Things I have to share...

2010-08-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

So, I am a notorious Etsy surfer... and yesterday I stumbled across this (click the pic to be taken to the etsy shop):
It's only $15!!!! AND SO CUTE!!! I bought one... they're currently out of them in the shop, but I looked through the sales history and the seller has sold several of them, so I'm sure more could be made if any other bear lovers want one!

I just had to share. It was too cute.

Also... giveaway time!
Click the pics to go to the pages to join in!

Zombie Bear!!!

2010-08-05T08:53:00.001-07:00

Here is another of my Needle felted army... there will be one other zombie bear as well... I've had fun with these guys! (there are a lot more normal needle felted bears like the grey one I showed a few posts ago... but with Halloween closing in... I just couldn't resist!!) Oh, and yes, he stands on one foot on his own, lol... he's quite the happy zombie!

Back from New York City!

2010-08-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

I'm back, battered and bruised from being a die-hard tourist... but I'm back XD Here are some of the things I saw while I was there!

Grand Central Station! They were filming something there when we were going through... and some guy kept yelling at everyone to be quiet, and then a bunch of people started walking around really fast... it was pretty comical.

This is the Wish Tree by Yoko Ohno at MoMA (I tied my wish to the tree :) )... the day we went to MoMA they were doing some sort of performance piece where they set up a microphone and encouraged you to come scream into it... when we first heard this, we were in the middle of the Matisse exhibit and wondered if someone was being killed. It was a *REALLY* ANNOYING exhibit (the screaming one, not the Matisse)

Times Square... as busy as you'd expect.

This was at The Metropolitan Museum of Art... it's a Tiffany's Glass window... I could have stood there staring at these all day. Heck, I could have spent several days in the Met alone. It was amazing. If you ever go to NYC, GO TO THE MET!

The Subway! Huzzah! Not bad, as far as public transit goes, the waiting for the train part was the worst, it was ungodly hot in the subway tunnels, but the trains themselves were air conditioned well. Unfortunately we had to wait in the tunnels a lot because they kept having track malfunctions. More so than was usual.

The Subways were also filled with a bunch of wonderful artwork, this is a mosaic found under the Museum of Natural History, in the subway.

The Statue of Liberty!! Last time I went to NYC, I was thwarted seeing her by Ricky Martin, of all people... but this time I did it! I took the Staten Island Ferry and cruised right by... we took it in the evening and it was absolutely beautiful.

Random, awesome plate at the Met, I'm just sorry I was in such a rush that I didn't write down the name of who made it or when it was from... or anything.

Watch out for the naughty bits! You'd think you would cover those when slaying a Gorgon! This is a statue of Perseus with Medusa's head.

Muuuuummy at the Met. Their Egypt wing was AMAZING.Narnia? Mysterious Tunnel in Central Park...

That led to this adorable pond with little boys driving around little remote controlled sailboats! SO CUTE!

More Central Park...

Is this a picture of the almost unseeable Apple Store... or is it a picture showcasing the fact that 4 out of 5 vehicles in NYC are cabs? XD

Close up of the Apple Store, no idea who this guy is, but he did get yelled at by the Apple employees for wandering around too close to the glass.

That's it for this blog... although if you'd like to see a little more of NYC, and of what I ate while I was there, you can head over to Dot's blog @:

http://adventuresofdotdotdot.blogspot.com/

New Bear and out of town!

2010-07-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the army of my other type of bear is underway... but not done yet. Hindered by the joy of a migraine last night :(

BUT! I did finish a little mohair bear today :) Well, kind of, he doesn't have any shading yet... but he will soon, and I'll take another picture when he does.

My camera phone doesn't do mohair bears justice, lol, they always look like they've got some crazy bedhead going on. XD

Also! Tomorrow morning bright and early I am hitting the road for NYC! On the long car ride I hope to get to work on the bear army some more, and then I should have interesting pictures when I get back :)

See ya all next week!!!

Monster High

2010-07-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hmm, I can't decide, do I wish my Highschool had been more like this, or not... or, you know... on second though, maybe my Highschool was like this... just without the monsters looking so cool. XD

I digress.
Mattel has just come out with this new line of doll that is fantastic! The line is called Monster High. Their clothes and accessories are just perfect! I bought all 4 of the individual girls (although admittedly, the vampire girl is not my favorite, my favs are the Frankenstein and Fish girls). Now... the one thing I've been pondering is why they made the guy doll the Gorgon (I haven't bought him yet)... but the best I can figure is that it's because, traditionally, all the girl dolls are generally male monsters (Dracula, Sea Monster, Frankenstein's Monster, Wolfman) so they made the guy an obvious girl monster... I still think it's a bit strange though :)

Anyways, here are the girls:

Lagoona Blue, the fish girl, note her blue skin, and webbed fingers... she also has fins on her arms and legs :) Also, each of these dolls has a different face mold, and they purposely made Lagoona more fishy, with bulgier eyes and a poutier lips and a very flat fishy face. A lot of people don't like her because of this, but I think it makes her all the better.

Clawdeen Wolf, I almost didn't buy this girl... but she was just too cute to leave behind with those little ears and her lovely skin tone. She's just lacking one thing... a tail!

Frankie Stein, a bit greenish skinned, her hair has a purple tinge to it, and her eyes are two different colors... plus she's covered in scars and has little neck bolts... SO CUTE. (yeah, that's probably a strange thing to say)
Draculaura, admittedly, I did not buy the first time around. I'm not that impressed with her painted on fangs, and she's pink skinned and just looks more like a goth-poser girl than an actual vampire (hehe, whatever those look like). When I bought the other three, there had been about 20 of these dolls in the store... when I went back the next day to buy the vamp girl (I knew it would bug me not to have them all) there were only two left. Thankfully one of them was her! So, she's been added to the collection anyways :) I hope they come out with more!

Yeah, it's kind of a silly and childish thing for me to go out and buy, but they were just so well designed... I couldn't help it!

Another New Bear and a Blog Party!

2010-07-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it, I drew up a new bear pattern and made him, all in one day. I also decided to try my hand at needle felting his muzzle and nose... which I almost didn't do because the pattern is really cute without any modifications... but I thought, no, I had better go for it with the needle felting before I lose my nerve... and I LOVE how he has turned out!!! I have got to make more of these!!!
The entire muzzle was actually felted with white wool... and then completely hand colored by me (I loooove shading)

He has button joints for his arms and legs, and a cotter pin joint for his head... I think he needs a bow or something though... I plan on giving him needle felted paw pads, and I think I'm going to order some apoxy sculpt and make him little claws too.

I'm also going to give this pattern a go in mohair too :) ... but I *really* love how it looks this way.

Also! FawnDear is having a Neverland blog party... so click the image to join in the fun!

New Little Bear

2010-07-20T06:43:00.001-07:00

Here's a new little guy I made from some of the mohair I got in the Bear Accessory Swap on Teddy Talk!
I need to make a new bear pattern... this one is ok... but it's not quite where I want to be.
This pattern is just perfect 'hold in your hand' size though XD

I feel like I need to add needle felting, and that I should give his body more mass, and yet at the same time, I like his proportions... thus I'm thinking... new pattern all together :P

Oh boy.

Midsummer Night's Dream

2010-07-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ok... so it's still a work in progress, but thanks to this, I've been at least motivated to start it... but here is an image of my website, as it stands thus far.... yes... I will actually get my website going!!!!

Thank you, Kelly, for the motivation to get started!!!

Rainstorm from England and Raspberries from Australia!

2010-07-16T04:36:00.000-07:00

So, the day before yesterday I was browsing blogs and I took a peek at Michele's blog, Soggibottom where she had posted pictures of a rainstorm. Jokingly, I said she could send the rain this way... with thunder and lightening if possible.
She responded saying she would... and I laughed it off... until yesterday...
Rain, thunder, lightening... enough to knock branches from the trees and cut out the power!
Be careful... when you ask Michele for something... she delivers!!!!

(It was an amazing storm, despite my somewhat boring photos... but I ran back inside when the lightening hit so hard it sounded like a gunshot being fired next to my head!)

Thanks Michele! :)

Now onto the raspberries!
I recently won a blog giveaway at Bearly Sane... and the giveaway was for this awesome book that tells you how to dye things with natural materials... so... as soon as the book arrived I had to try it out! AND IT'S AMAZING! The color is so beautiful!!! Here is a picture of the original (the white) and the dyed with raspberries. I was amazed by the subtlety and variety... it changes when you turn it in the light... just amazing.
Thank you so much for your lovely giveaway Sandi!!!

Giveaway Guessing Game...

2010-07-14T05:32:00.001-07:00

Alright, so I know *nothing* about different types of wools... but I'm playing anyways :) You don't need to guess right to get an entry... a correct guess just gets you more entries... which is good... since I will probably be waaaaay off!

Click the picture to go visit Little Handfuls Mini Bears Giveaway!

Wow!

2010-07-13T13:01:00.003-07:00

I was published in TBR! My grumpy ol' rodent made it into the colorful critters section!
I've never had anything I've sewn published before... so that's kinda cool!

Illustrations

2010-07-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

I drew a dolphin and a goldfinch... for no particular reason XD

Giveaway!

2010-06-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Handcrafted Teddy Bears by Michelle is having a giveaway... I just learned about this site from another bear maker's site who posted about the giveaway, so how could I not share?! I swear I am learning about more and more bear blogs this way!!!

Click the Pic to go to the giveaway!

Mad Tea Party!

2010-06-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

(Sorry it's a day early... but I'll be at a wedding all day tomorrow!!)

Poor Alice... just her and her kitten... such a lonely tea party!

Yet another amazing giveaway!

2010-06-25T04:03:00.000-07:00

I love reading Kelly's blog... and now she's having a fantastic giveaway!

Click the picture, or the link in my sidebar, to go visit the giveaway page and sign yourself up!

(ps, isn't this giveaway button so cute?!?!)

A fantastic artist having a fantastic giveaway!!

2010-06-24T04:44:00.000-07:00

Kim-Anh Nguyen is having a give-away... and even if you don't want to enter, you should go check out her work, it's fun stuff :)

Oh my... where DO I create?

2010-06-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

My computer went in for revamping on Thursday and didn't come back until today... so my post about where I create is late... but better late than never!

Sorry for the pics... they're from my cell phone since my personal camera is still out of commission.

First up on the tour is a vase of antique beads I got from a store that was closing in our Old Town district. This is one of my most precious finds and I can't bring myself to use them in projects!!!

For Christmas my parents got me a spool stand, and my Mom gave me a bunch of antique spools, and my sister gave me a bunch of brand new ones :)

Here is a snippet of the shelves where I keep my fabric, those two hat boxes contain cut out patterns or scraps I can't bear to throw away!

This is the best thing ever, little buckets that hang from a rack... I got it from Ikea (super cheap, 1.99 for the rod, .99 per bucket) and they hold my pens and pencils.

Here is a snippet from my bulletin board, with a saying that is true and photographs I've used for reference on other projects.

Sorry for the lateness and sorry my studio isn't too interesting, but thanks for visiting!!!

A night for secret dreams...

2010-06-01T07:04:00.001-07:00

Kelly over at A Stuffed Life is hosting a MidSummer Night's Blog Party where you release your secret dreams into the world... click on the picture below to find out more and take part!

Also... I started Weight Watchers today. I have my points for the day planned out perfectly, and I will go buy a scale tonight at target.

After my last weigh in at the doctor though, something had to be done. This is just shameful.

Lily of the Valley and many wee robots!

2010-05-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Lily of the Valley is blooming! It's my favorite, favorite, favorite flower! So small, dainty, cute and smelling so amazing!!

Also, I got in more robots. I mentioned one in a previous post, but felt she needed some sisters :)

... wait... why are these robots looking at a map of Mordor...

Monkey!

2010-05-27T04:19:00.000-07:00

I recently entered the Traveling Bear Swap over at Thimbleprims blog, and here is one of the "bears" I got back in the swap.

Actually, it's a million times better than a bear, it's a stuffed version of The Monkey Queen of Switzerland (which is a nickname I accidentally gave myself)... but this little plush is AMAZING!

She came in the red and white box with all the little accessories shown... because a Queen needs to travel with everything she could possibly need :)

Giveaway!

2010-05-19T10:06:00.001-07:00

Cheryl at Bingle Bears is having a giveaway, and boy is it a cutie! Click the image to be taken to the giveaway!

Fireball from Disney

2010-05-18T12:19:00.001-07:00

This weekend I went to something called Acen, which stands for Anime Central and is an Anime convention in Chicago.

As per usual, it was a lot of fun... but this year I found something new there... THIS!

This wee robot stands 4 inches tall and is SO poseable! Her hip pivots, her head tilts, her toes wiggle, her fingers move, her elbows, knees, legs, arms etc... everything moves and is jointed and she's so amazingly poseable!!! I bought her not knowing what she was at all... or even that she's as poseable as she is... and my friend who can read Japanese writing told me she's from an Anime/Disney collaboration called Fireball

I haven't yet watched any of the episodes, but I found some on YouTube and will do that soon... but it doesn't matter how good the show is or isn't... this figure is AMAZING! (I promptly bought the entire set off ebay when I got home!)

Rainy Day Jubilee

2010-05-13T06:31:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Thunderstorms, and rainy days for that matter... and the prospect of a long roadtrip in the rain overjoys me!

I'm about to head off to ACen, a weekend of anime nerdery, and I can't wait!
I'll update on Monday with my weekend adventures :)

Two more awesome giveaways...

2010-05-07T07:22:00.001-07:00

Seriously, Spring is evidently the season of generosity!

Two more neat giveaways!

First, Bearly Sane is giving away what is rumored to be a very awesome book on fabric dying!
Click the Picture to go to the giveaway:

Next, Michelle Palmer, in honor of mothers everywhere, is giving away a beautiful drawing on fabric, click the picture to go:

Another Bear Blogger Giveaway!

2010-05-06T04:29:00.000-07:00

I love when I stumble on a great bear maker through another blog! There's so much out there... and here's yet another thing, another great giveaway!

This one is from The Inner World of Emma's Bears.

You have until June 1st, and you can either follow the blog, or blog about it to be entered!

Just click the picture to be taken to the giveaway!

Good Day to you Sir, I said, GOOD DAY!

2010-05-05T04:24:00.000-07:00

Well, here's a new concept I'm working on. Not quite pleased with the execution of it yet... but say hello to one dapper little whale!

Plus a birdie illustration:

A weekend of Changes...

2010-05-03T04:56:00.000-07:00

First off, I finished the new Harry Dresden book, Changes... and I.WANT.MORE!

Second, I, instead of doing the crafts I had planned, spent the weekend modding the Blythe knockoff I acquired. HOLY CRUD getting her old eyechips out was just about the hardest thing ever... but here are the results:

Remember how she used to look?

Here she is now, I changed her hair, sculpted her lips, repainted her face and changed all her eyechips. *whew* Next up? A New body for her!

Whoa! Cool!!

2010-04-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

Janae over at Pink Dandy Chatter just added me to her Friday Favorites!

Go check it out, the other ocean-inspired stuff is *really* cool!

http://pinkdandychatter.blogspot.com/2010/04/friday-favorites-ocean-life.html

Some neat giveaways from other bloggers...

2010-04-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here are two lovely giveaways!

BearMeToo is having a lovely giveaway for a cute little flower ornament... her bears are so lovely and unique, I've never seen anything like them and I adore their originality!
Click the picture to be taken to the giveaway page:

Silkie Sue is also having a giveaway for a very adorable little bear... I just stumbled across this site today (via desertmountainbear's blog) and can't speak much to what kind of work she does... other than that if the giveaway bear is any indication, it's fantastic and cute work!
Click the picture to go to the giveaway page:

This weekend should be another of productiveness... so keep an eye out next week for more new things! Huzzah!