Teddy Tea Party Preview

The preview has begun. There are many wonderful bears...all with a Tea Party theme.
Dolly is my preview bear. She is dressed for the party. You can vote on your favorite until March 22 and there will be a collector's choice awarded to the one that gets the most votes. The show starts March 23 at 4 pm est. I will have 6 bears in the show and there are almost 100 artists participating so there will be lots to look at it. Go to www.teddiesworldwide.com to vote.

Playing with dolls

Since moving a little over a year ago I haven't played with my Blythe doll, Shannon, at all. I had even decided to sell her. I did sell some of her clothes I had made myself and some shoes and accessories that I had purchased. While looking at the pics of beautiful dolls, including Blythes, on Pinterest the interest in making some doll clothes came back. Bill saw me looking at the pics and asked if I had sold my Blythe doll. When I told him I still have her, he said "Good, I know you liked that doll". I didn't realize he felt that way(I figured he thought me silly). So, Shannon will be coming out of her box soon. I'm sure she is tired of being ignored.
I have also dreamed of getting a Lati or similar small bjd doll. Fellow Teddy bear artist, Joanne, purchased an blank hujoo doll and customized it herself. As Lati dolls start at $300 this would be a lot more affordable for me. Not sure I could handle the customizing myself. it involves inserting eyes, making a wig and adding some color to her face. I'm thinking about it....what will Bill say if I get another doll??

First visit to Beach this year

This has been a very mild winter and today the temps were in the upper 80's. We love the beach, it was one of the reasons we moved to Florida. Our favorite beach is the Canaveral National Seashore park, aka Playlinda beach. It's about a 20 minute ride from home. Since it's a National park there is no commercialization. Just beautiful beaches. Since it was our first trip this year, we decided not to stay too long. We managed to get a little pink sunburn anyway. But there is nothing like the sound and smell of the ocean to invigorate you. So we came home, washed off the sand, and got to work. Working on a bear for the Teddies Worldwide Tea Party show.
The preview is just one week away. Stay tuned, because I will need votes for the best tea party attire for my bear.
The photo is of Playlinda beach with Myrna the beach dog photoshopped in. I created her in 2007 and she is a beach loving dog.

Sew, sew, sew

I'm getting excited for the Teddies Worldwide online show. The tea party theme has been fun. Two bears are completed and three more just need finishing touches. I am a little ahead of schedule so yesterday I dyed some mohair to make one more. Also did some dying for a custom order Siamese cat.
The Tea Party show will also feature some Tea Time Treat recipes. Today I experimented with mine and got hubby's seal of approval. They turned out yummy but you will have to wait til the show to find out the recipe.
There are some new listings in my etsy shop and on bear pile. Emmitt the clown, Louise the gardener and Russell, among others, are ready to be adopted.

Tampa Show

It's only a 2 hour drive to Tampa from here but we had to leave at 6am so I had time to set up. The show had good attendance, although I think it was somewhat fewer than last year. Rufus the little terrier and Tootie, one of my little ellies went home with a collector. I had hoped more critters would find new homes but I still consider the show a success. Several well known Teddy bear artists complimented my creations and that made my day. Does that make me pathetic? Hope not.
Now on to the Teddies Worldwide Tea Party show. At least this one is online, so no traveling. Preview release for the show is March 9th.

Happy Birthday Lucy!

Lucy is 17 years old today. I remember the day she was born. I was a Dachshund breeder at the time and it was her mom's first litter. I had already decided if she had a chocolate female I was keeping her. Lucy's mom was a silver dapple and her dad a chocolate. I was kinda into the genetics of color breeding at the time. Even before she opened her eyes Lucy would roll over to get her tummy rubbed. She was registered as "Luscious Godiva" but she was never bred. Lucy was a great hunter in her day. Once a rat decided it was going to set up house in our garage. We tried several things to get rid of it but failed. Once Lucy got the scent of it she was relentless and ended up doing it in. She has always been very demanding and still lets me know when she wants something. Her bed is right next to mine and she will wake me up in the middle of the night so I can cover her up. Although, now mostly blind and deaf, she is still very spry. She likes to stay near me and will bark as if to say "Where are you?" when she can't locate me. She loves to explore the back yard...that nose still works like a charm. So....Happy Birthday to my Lucy and many more!

And the winner is...

Emma in the UK won the drawing for Luv Mi the little Valentine bear. Now it's time to get ready for the Tampa show. Finishing touches, tags, and pricing. Next week it will be time to pack. I have already finished one bear for the Spring Tea Party show at Teddies Worldwide in March. Back to work now...