The weather was beautiful and the sales were plenty. I purchased several Christmas items to resell at the flea market. A couple of great finds will be on ebay this week. Some little vintage bone china angels and a vintage cardboard church in it's original box. After a little research, I learned the cardboard glittery buildings are called Putz. Not sure why.
The best find was the Hermann Teddy Bear in the photo. When I picked her up I knew she was a good bear but she was wearing a shirt that covered her tags. She came home with me for $1 and I didn't discover she was a Hermann until I got her home. I'm thinking she might stay here awhile.
Well, to prove I have been doing some sewing, here is Xander. I wasn't sure what he was going to be up until his face emerged. He is a brave knight ready to rescue a damsel. He is not listed anywhere yet. I haven't decided if I should save him to take to the Bright Star show in Tampa in February. It seems like a long way off but there will be a lot going on between now and then. Not sure why, but my creativity seems low right now. Maybe too many distractions. It will pick up, soon I hope, but it's not something you can push.
The show is open!! Lots of wonderful creations to look at and purchase. Nudge is available along with Nelson, Jessie Joy, Majik, Candi K, and the Fairy Gift Bear.
Just click on the banner at the top to get to the show.
Here in Florida it still feels like summer. That's not unusual because we could still be in the 80's in November. Sometimes I miss the cool, crisp fall days and changing leaves but I definitely don't miss cold winters. Been kinda goofing off this last week. I read 2 books by one of my favorite authors at the beginning of the week and watched baseball with Bill. He is a big Yankees fan. Yesterday, I started working on the face for my first mohair monkey. It didn't go well so I started over today. My show page is ready for the Fall~La~La show, which starts on Friday the 12th. You can see why Nudge is called "an Elf for all seasons" in the photo. He has a hat for each one.
It's kinda last minute but I will be participating in this online show in under 2 weeks. The show starts Oct 12 at 10am est and continues til the 14th at 8pm. I already had a couple of new bears finished.
Nudge, the elf for all seasons. is my preview bear. There is also one more new creation in the works. Click on the banner to take a peek at the preview page. Lots of wonderful artists participating.
I spent last week trying to get my domain name to point to the new website. Check it out.. www.dogpatchcritters.com
Still needs a couple of tweaks but I'm pretty happy with it.
Trying to get caught up after a 3 day road trip to Georgia. It is normally an eight hour drive from here to north of Atlanta but we managed to get to Atlanta and 5pm on a Friday afternoon.We visited with hubby's sons and grandchildren. It was a nice visit but it really took a lot out of us and a week later I think we have finally recovered.
I listed a number of Teddy bears and critters that are still hanging around here in my etsy shop. Chopper the little spotted anime dog and Gwendolyn are just 2 of the listings. Meanwhile I'm working on a custom order Dachshund.
Bill and I went to garage/yard sales this morning. Besides 2 nice pair of shorts for him at $1 apiece and 3 tops for me at 50 cents apiece, I found this cute Patsy doll. She is just a reproduction but I will have fun making clothes for her.
Just 5 weeks until the Tampa show. I really look forward to this one every year. It is the only all bear live show I take part in. I would definitely do more live shows if there were more within driving distance. When I lived more centrally along the east coast there were at least 6 a year close enough to drive to within a few hours. BUT....doing online shows has advantages. Number one, you reach a worldwide audience. So, I am delighted I will be participating in the Teddies Worldwide Spring Show!! The theme for this show is a Teddy Tea Party. Some of my ideas for this theme are already on paper. Time to get to work. Keep the dates open...March 23 - 25.
Sorry for not posting for a couple of weeks. The days just seem to whiz by. I have one more piece to finish for the Fantasy Ball...just waiting for some felt and wool to arrive. I had a lot of fun dying the fur for this last piece. I tried something a little different this time but you will have to wait and see. Everything for the Ball has to be kept under wraps til the day of the ball. I will post a sneak peek collage when it gets closer.
In trying to disperse the crowding in the critter room I have put several critters in my artfire shop at greatly reduced prices. Some have already found new homes but there are still a few that would love a change of scenery. The three in the photo are still available.
We are having a yard sale tomorrow(more decluttering). Still have to do the sales tax returns for the first quarter but income taxes are done. Hopefully, I will try to post more often but life is busy.
I stopped at a few garage/yard sales on Friday after my regular errands. Usually I look for little knic knacks or doll things I can use with my creations. The last sale I stopped at was more like an estate sale with everything in the home being sold. Apparently someone had collected Teddy bears, as there was a table full. Most were Boyds and there were a few store brands. It's a good thing I decided to dig a little. These two wonderful Steiff bears came home with me for $5 each. They are in wonderful condition. The one with the red, white, and blue bow is called Teddy's Bear and is dated 1998. The other is Delighted and dated 1997. I think they are my best find at a yard sale ever!
I'm really happy with the way this little bear has turned out. I actually started on her several weeks ago. The idea was in my head way before that. My inspiration was actually the fabric used for her skirt. It reminded me a retro Christmas-you know-60's aluminum trees with color wheels. I had the fur, which I think is no longer available in light pink. But there were some supplies needed to complete her that I had to wait on. Her needle felted nose had some irridescent "glitz" added to it. The snowflake on the end of her wand came from the scrapbooking section in Target. Then I needed some irridescent ribbon for her wings. She might get listed on Bid 4 Bears after Halloween but I might have trouble parting with this one.
Another event on the Teddy Bear auction site Bid 4 Bears has me busy listing. The idea is to list as many Teddy and doll related items as you can each week. The one with the lowest number of listings each week is eliminated til there is only one. It lasts until Sept 13th so there should be lots of interesting bears, dolls and other related items to bid on. I have 3 things listed right now and I'm planning on listing Comet tonight. He is a nice size rough coated Jack Russel and I am listing him for a really good price. I will try to keep the links to the auctions on the right hand column current.
Also, Vivian, of Viv out on a whim, is have a blog anniversary give away of the cutest little pincushion. Just click on over and leave a comment. She is going to put the names in a hat and draw one out on Friday the 1st.
Well, I have managed to get some new bears finished. I am working on a few more and a couple of new ideas popped into my head today. I am already thinking 2009, which is unusual for me. Next month is normally a stretch much less next year. I haven't decided if these bears are going in my etsy shop or on Bid 4 Bears. Maybe Bid 4 Bears first and if they don't sell, then my etsy shop.
This first little Panda is Butterfly Kisses. The fur is the longest I have worked with in a while. I love pink and black together.
The other Panda is the newest in my Me N My Best Friend series. Mi Su is the first in the series to have a kitten instead of a puppy. Her Siamese is named Mali.
I am working on this little bear. She is supposed to be singing. I have needle felted a small black circle for her mouth. It looks ok but I can't decide if I should add something more. Bill suggested a sort of smile. I have sketched some choices. I really am on the fence on this one.
Well, it has taken quite a while for me to reach my 100th post as I am not a daily blogger. To mark this occasion I am going to giveaway "Tou Tou" the little pink poodle. She is only 4 1/2" tall and made of pale pink mohair. According to my pet name book Tou Tou is French slang for "doggie". She has amethyst colored glass eyes, a needle felted nose, and some "bling" for a collar.
I consider myself a Teddy Bear Artist but a lot of my focus is on dogs. So I decided it was fitting that a little dog go to a new home in celebration of my 100th post.
Just leave a comment and in a few days I will put the names in a bowl and have my DH pull one out. I would have Lexi or Lucy do it but it might interfere with snack or nap time.
Maisy, the little bear at the top of my blog, is up for auction on Bid 4 Bears. The auction ends tomorrow March 28. Maisy would really love to bring her bouquet to your house. Check out the auction here.
Ok, my first listing in the artist power campaign on Bid 4 Bears is Millicent the Innocent. The look on her face kinda happened by accident and inspired her name. You will have the go to her auction on Bid 4 Bears to see what she is hiding behind her back. 
The second is The Wild Hare just in time for Easter. I had a lot of fun making this guy! He is ready for the parade. Check out his auction here.
