Sophisticats

I finished this little cat before company came for Thanksgiving. Her name is Duchess and she is just 7" tall to the tip of her ears. I didn't have anything in mind except making a small cat when I cut her out. Her personality emerged all on it's own and I knew she was royalty. Now I am thinking of doing a series called Sophisticats. My mind it running with it, thinking of all the different colors of cats. Maybe a black and white one next. Bill thinks Duchess looks like a rat, but to me, she is definately a regal cat.
We had a nice visit from my neice and her family. She has two great kids, Nick(10) and Katie(8). I don't think we have had children in the house since we moved here. Katie loved my critter room. She even took a dip in our pool despite the fact the water was very cold. Now that Thanksgiving is over Christmas preparations are in full swing! I also have 2 shows shortly after the new year-time to get in gear.
My Christmas Carolers that were in Teddy Bear & Friends will be on Bid 4 Bears starting this afternoon. I will put a link on my sidebar after the auction starts.

Snow Fairy

This week my pretty pink Snow Fairy is on Bid 4 Bears. The really neat retro looking pink snowflake print was the inspiration for her. I'm sooo tickled with the way she turned out I don't think I'll mind if she doesn't sell. Her crown and wand are made with tinsel pipe cleaners. I think the "aluminum look" adds to the retro feel. The snowflake on the end of her wand came from the scrapbooking aisle at Target. It is the first time I have used "glitz" in needle felting. It wasn't easy-it's like working with very fine tinsel but I'm pleased with the iridescent effect of her nose.This mohair is one of my favorites-I wish it came in more colors. I have dyed the white several colors and have always been pleased with the results. Now it's back to sewing!

Has Santa Come Yet?

Christy has been waiting patiently for Santa. She is so sleepy but is hoping to see him when he brings the presents. She is wearing a pretty red flannel nightgown and holding her well loved Teddy. She is on Bid 4 Bears this week.
I remember not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve and sneaking down the stairs to see if Santa had been to my house yet. I have wonderful memories of childhood Christmas's. Today I looked at all the Christmas stuff in the stores and felt the spirit building. I love this time of year. And yes, I already have the Christmas music playing!

Halloween is over..Ready for Christmas??

I'm getting there. Most of my Christmas critters were finished by September. "Here we come a caroling" appears in the latest issue of Teddy Bear & Friends. There is a feature depicting Christmas Carols represented by artist bears. The dog appeared in the magazine without his top hat because the editor didn't see it in the box when they were sent to the magazine for photos. I kinda think his hat is the finishing touch. The set will be for sale on my website later today.



Patti is minty sweet. Look for her on Bid 4 Bears this afternoon. She is made with sparse mohair that has been dyed with cherry Kool aid. The mint print fabric I used to make her dress is actually what inspired me.
Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? I'm getting there!

New little dogs

I finished 2 more little dogs this week. They are both made with a tan mohair. I added a white muzzle to one. Actually, Koko's body was originally made for O'la, the Chiuhuahua. I sewed and jointed the body then made the head. It was obvious that the body was too big for the little Chihuahua head. So I made a smaller body pattern, then cut out the big head for Koko. He is up for auction on Bid 4 Bears this week. I haven't decided what to do with O'la yet. I might put her in my etsy shop next week. Stay tuned.

Lemonade Bears Benefit

Yes, it's that time of year again! This is the third year I have participated in the Lemonade Bear Benefit. The auction will take place on Bid 4 Bears September 19th to the 21st. Over 25 International Bear Artists are taking part. All proceeds go to Alex's Lemonade Stand to fight childhood cancer.
This year I have made "Honey and her cat, Lemon" for the auction. Honey is wearing a citrus print dress. Lemon is made with Kool Aid dyed mohair.
To see the list of other participants and a sneak peek at other creations click here.

Artist Bears & Friends Etsy Team

It is now official! We have an Etsy team of 34 Teddy Bear Artists. One of our goals is to get an Etsy category for Artist Bears. The Art Doll makers are also working towards a separate category. Since Artist Bears are considered collectible and are not made for children we are kind of in limbo on Etsy-not belonging in any category. Hopefully, this will soon be resolved. We will be planning some promotions in the near future. Stay tuned. If you are an Artist with an Etsy shop and interested in joining contact shelley@ursaminorminiatures.com .
In other news.....I have won the Bid 4 Bears Survivor Challenge. I will be listing lots of bears and critters for sale there. Keep an eye on the right column of my blog for my current auction.

Check out Zazzle

In case you didn't notice I added a Zazzle panel to the left column. It's a site where you can upload photos and graphics to make products. So far I have just made cards using photos of my critters. If something you list sells you get a percentage of the sale. They have a lot of neat products.
I have also been working the Bid 4 Bears survivor challenge. Trying to list enough items to keep up. Keep an eye on the right column-I will try to make sure it's has some of my current listings.
Now, I have to go finish cleaning the bedroom - we're getting new flooring in there tomorrow-YEAAAA!

Survivor Challenge on Bid 4 Bears

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.

Thank you from Lemonade Bears Benefit

I received a wonderful little package yesterday! For the last couple of years I have participated in the Lemonade Bears Benefit Auction, hosted on Bid 4 Bears. The charity is Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which is fighting childhood cancer. Click here to learn more. Teddy Bear artists make a bear or critter to be auctioned. The package was a thank you for donating. It had some lemon candy, gourmet lemonade mix, and a beautiful engraved heart trinket box. To tell the truth, a thank you card would have been more than enough, so that more could go to the charity. To find out more about this years auction, which takes place Sept 19-21, click here
I will be posting photos of my creation for the auction in early Sept.

Bernadette Buttons gets a face lift.

I finished Bernadette over a month ago but I was never happy with her face. I felt like her nose was too big and her eyes too far apart. So she got a face lift, which actually consisted of a whole new head! Don't you wish you could do that sometimes? Get a whole head transplant? Maybe you know somebody else that could really use one.
I'm glad I worked on her because I am much happier with her face now. I haven't decided if I am going to put her on Bid4bears, on my website, or in my etsy shop. Maybe all three! I did add a new page to my site with some new bears for sale. One of them is Sally by the Seashore pictured in my summer header. You can get there from here

Teekee is ready for a luau

Just finished this little cutie last night. I took her photos today and put her on Bid 4 Bears tonight. I'm really pleased with the way she turned out. You wouldn't believe my inspiration though - that glass. Well, it's really plastic but I saw it and thought wouldn't a little tropical theme bear look cute sitting in it. The hardest thing to find was the little paper umbrella. I found a pack of those at good ol Walmart. Now I have 9 leftover paper umbrellas. I like Teekee's size too - 6".
I'm working on another summer theme bear. She's all done but I can't decide on her accessories. I might put together a new header for my blog using her.
Would you believe it's time to start thinking about Christmas?? The magazines want submissions for their Christmas issues by July and early August. Falalala la la la!!!!

Pixie the Puglet & Oscar the Dachshund

I had meant to post several days ago but there have just been too many things going on. We closed on the new business on Wednesday April 30. We are now official. There are still things to do and I have a long list for tomorrow.
Maisy, the little bear in my header, is on her way to Australia. I sold her through my etsy shop. I finished 2 more little dogs and haven't decided if I'm going to put them in my etsy or try to auction them on Bid 4 Bears. The Artist Power campaign on Bid 4 Bears is winding down but I did very well. I'm hoping it continues to be a good auction venue.
I guess I'll decide this week where Pixie and Oscar will make an appearance.

Been Busy...

Despite my head feeling like it is going to split open I've gotten a lot accomplished this week. I think the pollen count is very high and my sinuses are throbbing. I have spent part of the week on paperwork for our new business but I have had some time for sewing. I finished another little dog and cut out 2 more. I have also partially finished a little dog that isn't turning out like I wanted so he might get set aside for awhile. I have an idea churning in my head for another bear but it's not ready to leave my head yet.
Rowdy did not sell on Bid 4 Bears so he is going in my Etsy shop. I did list Natalie Nitey Nite and Mimi a Kitty Kibbles kitten on Bid 4 Bears. Visit Natalie here and Mimi here.
I hope to get some sewing done tomorrow(hopefully my head won't hurt) and then Monday is beach day. We are trying to get in some beach time before we really get into this business I have been hinting about.

Gone to the dogs

I actually finished 3 little dogs this week. The first one is a black and white terrier mutt named Oreo. This little guy has kinda short legs because I made him from scraps and I couldn't fit longer legs in. The second dog is a tricolor Jack Russell named Rowdy. His auction started tonight on Bid 4 Bears. Rowdy is 5" tall and comes with his bed and soccer ball. My bears have been selling well on Bid 4 Bears so I thought this week I would try a little dog. You can see him here. The third dog is for a swap so his/her identity will remain secret. I have 2 more dogs cut out and hopefully will finish them this week. Bill & I are in the process of buying a business(more on that later) so I'm not sure how much time I will have to sew.

I also finished 2 cats this week - but that's another post.

Finished Grey Kitty

This is the other fur I dyed grey a little over a week ago. I have named her Pearl because the Rit dye I used is called Pearl Grey. She is 6 1/2" tall and has needle felted cheeks and nose. I dyed some core wool a shade of grey so I would have 2 differant shades. I hope to get her in my etsy shop before the end of the week.

Last night I cut out another cat in a wild shade of pink and 3 little dogs. One of the little dogs will be for a mini swap. I might try a couple on Bid 4 Bears when they are done.

I am approaching my 100th post and I am trying to think of something special. It has taken me a long time to get here since I don't post everyday but it is still reason to celebrate.

Maisy on Bid 4 Bears

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.

2 Auctions on Bid 4 Bears

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.

Bid 4 Bears Artist Power Campaign

Bid 4 Bears is an auction website specifically for Teddy Bears, other critters and dolls. The Bid 4 Bears Artist Power Campaign starts Sunday March 9. There are over 25 artists signed up. The idea is power in numbers. Artists have committed a bear or critter every week or every other week. They will tell everyone on their mailing lists. The idea is the generate a lot of traffic. Bid 4 Bears is a wonderful alternative to ebay. A lot of sellers are very unhappy with ebay because of changes they are making. It would be great to get collectors coming to Bid 4 Bears instead. Visit Bid 4 Bears

Ho Ho Oh Bearz Online Show

The online show is fast approaching. I have been working on photos and auction templates all day. The showroom opens Nov 21 and selling begins on Nov 23 at Bid4bears . I am also going to list several pieces as regular auctions on Bid4bears.

The web design class I am currently taking at ebearz university is coming in handy and I think I am getting the hang of html.

So, make sure you visit(and perhaps buy) the Ho Ho Oh Bearz Online Show! There will be a lot of great bears and critters.