Are You A "Toy" Collector???

Have you ever rummaged through a flea market or antiques store looking for that perfect vintage Steiff bear to add to your collection? If you have, you might just be a toy collector. Now before I get my head torn off for calling teddy bears "toys" instead of soft sculpture, let me remind you that the teddies of times past were indeed created as children's play things and were basic compared to today's artistic teddy bear creations. As I have always been a fan of the teddy bear, I am pleased to announce that I am now a forum moderator at a fantastic new website called Toy Collector. The website is set up for collector's of all different types of toys from antiques to modern pieces, from die cast cars, dolls & teddy bears to sailboats, construction sets & toy soldiers. There is a forum to chat with other members, an area for members to post pics and videos of their collections, an events calendar & even a section for member blogs! I moderate the Teddy Bears/Soft Toys section of the forum, with fellow bear fanatic Steiffi and we both hope that you will pay us a visit. We can never have too many members! So without further adieu, I present to you, www.toycollector.com

Bear Hugs,
Jeremy

The Cat's Meow?

So, after struggling for God knows how long to get my first self-designed pattern created, I have finally succeeded! The only problem being, it isn't even a teddy bear pattern! You see, a friend of mine requested an artist version of her real life kitty named Felix, so I put my drawing skills to the test and came up with a design that I am actually quite proud of. It's nothing mind-blowing, but it's a start and that's what counts right? LoL. Anywho, it is a teddy bear style, sitting design with large feet and bent arms and I can't wait to get a rough test kitty sewn up. Let's hope he doesn't turn out looking too hideous, cause I may be heartbroken after all the work I put into it. Pics will be posted on here if (and when) I ever get around to actually making the poor fluffy little kitten!

Take Care,
Jeremy

PS - I hope the weather is nicer where you are. It's been raining cats and dogs off and on for two day now and that doesn't make for a very happy/creative environment...Yuck!

SNEAK PEEK : New Needle-Felted Bear!

Hey Guys & Gals...

So last week when I had some spare time at work (I work midnights) I busted out the needle-felting kit that I had bought almost a year ago and finally worked up the courage to give it a try. About an hour later (and many many painful finger pokes with the "daggers" as I like to call them) I had finished the head of the cute little bear! I am sooo very happy with the way he turned out. As it was my first attempt ever at needle-felting, I was honestly expecting a "Frankenstein's Bear" as the final result, but I think he is actually quite nice to look at! I think I am enjoying the needle felting medium the best as far as methods of soft sculpture go. It allows for more creativity, which is great for me as sometimes I have a hard time translating my ideas into a formed paper pattern. With this method, you just make the shapes to form the creation you have stuck in your head. So without further adieu, I am proud to introduce (well, at least the head of) my newest Newelley.Bears creation "Boysenbeary"! Enjoy the pics and please leave comments if you happen to like what you see...

Thanks

Jeremy

Golden Teddy Award Nominees

Here is a Complete List of Golden Teddy Award Nominees for 2008. Congrats to Everyone Nominated, Everyone's Work This Year Look's Phenomenal!!! Keep an Eye Out For a Future Issue of Teddy Bear Review Magazine for Your Voting Ballot for the Golden Teddy Awards 2008. Good Luck to All of My Teddy Talk Friends!!!


ARTIST's CATEGORY

Undressed, 5 inches & Under

Jack by Samantha Potter, Mary Myrtle Miniatures
Little Eliza by Jennifer Johnson-Bunn, Three O'Clock Bears
Knut with his child comforter by Erika Knirsch, Crunchy Bears
Peek-a-Boo! by Dona Griffin, Donna & the Bears
Whitford by Laraine White
Sleepy Bear Cub "Choco-Ball" by Kumiko & Masaru Nakano, Ma'Sal Creations

Dressed/Accessorized, 5 inches & under

Pollyanna by Ruth Bowman
Rachael by Samantha Potter, Mary Myrtle Miniatures
Marina by Berta Hesern-Minten, ThReAdTeDs
Milo by Tracey Smith
Laura Mae by Judith Scott, Chubby B & Friends
Beppo by Christine Pike, Christine Pike Bears

BEARS – Undressed, over 5 & under 14 inches

Spencer by Christine Pike, Christine Pike Bears
Old Mellow by Lisa Rosenbaum, Oz Matilda Bear Company
Kade by Tammy Wamboldt, Beckoning Bears
Happy by Judi Paul, Luxembears
Byron by Alison McKee, eTeddys
Kaja by Silvia Gilles

BEARS – Dressed/Accessorized, over 5 & under 14 inches

I've Got Mail by Laraine White
Victoria by Christy Firmage, Christy's Bears
Cupid by Isabelle Lee, Bear Studio Inc.
Claire by Donna Griffin, Donna & the Bears
Dixie by Bonnie E Foster, The Kids & Teddy Too
Otis by Karen Salton, Rufnut Teddys

BEARS – Undressed, 14 inches & over

Rapael by Jennifer Johnson-Bunn, Three O'clock Bears
Snickerdoodle by Alison McKee, eTeddys
Sterling by Tami Eveslage, Tami Eveslage Original Teddy Bears & Dolls
Chocolate Thunder by Judi Paul, Luxembears
Travis by Yvonne Andrew
Tok by Sherry Shepardson, Sherr-Bear

BEARS – Dressed/Accessorized, 14 inches & over

Muriel by Kerrie Mouat, Best Dressed Bears
Ice King by Martha Burch, Martha's Bears
Mrs. Nieman & Marcus by Diana Ussery, Diana's Merry Bears
Adela by Eun-Sook Ma, Mina Bear
Baylee by Cathy Lynn Forcino
Slider by Karen Salton, Rufnut Teddys

BEARS – SOFT-SCULPTURE/PLUSH ANIMALS – All other non-bear plush/soft-sculpture animals

Red Panda by Silvia Gilles
Aviva by Ellen Borggreve, Ellen Borggreve Design
Walter by Shelly Allison
Jambi, A Young Organgutan by Jane Martin, Doodlebears
Siberian Girl by Judi Paul, Luxembears
Ava (Chihuahua Puppy) by Krista Griffiths

BEARS – Needle-felted/sculpted animals - All animals, including bears

North Meets South: High Five! by Roberta Kasnick Ripperger, Creative Design Studio
Ginger by Patricia Knight
Charlie by Janine Galante, CTE LTD.
Wind Spirit by Patricia E Bierer, Bierer's Bears

CATEGORY: Tableaux
Snow Princess by Judi Paul, Luxembears
The Scorcer's New Apprentice by Beverly White, Happy Tymes Collectibles
I Love Mammy by Eun-Sook Ma, Mina Bear
Whose Little Baby is so Pretty by ByungHwa Ahn
My Baby by Yuk Oae Park, Baccana Teddy
Just a Quick Catnap by Aiko Kawamoto, AICO Bear

2008 TOBY Industry Choice Award Winners

The 2008 TOBY Industry Choice Award Winner's Were Announced At IDEX Premiere in Orlando Florida at the TOBY Breakfast Event on Saturday Jan. 26th, 2008. The Complete List Can Be Read Below. Congrats To My MANY Teddy Talk Friends Who Were Nominated This Year! Make Sure To Cast Your Votes For The Public's Choice Winners. The Ballot Form Will Be Included With The May/June Issue of Teddy Bear and Friends, Which Will Hit Newsstand's in April.

Miniature Artist Bear, Dressed
Aki Amano, “Autumn”
Mariane Haarink-Getkate, “Ready for the Skating Party”
Maggie Spackman, “Malibu”
Berta Hesen-Minten, “Marina”
Samantha Potter, “John”

Miniature Artist Bear, Undressed
Erika Knirsch, “Knut and His Child Comforter”
Donna Griffin, “Wee Much, Acorn Gatherer”
Kumiko & Masaru Nakano, “Pomo”
Bobbie Ripperger, “North Meets South: High Five”
Samantha Potter, “Laura-Kate”

Small Artist Bear, Dressed
Maria Collin, “Any Requests?”
Karen Brady Hammontree, “Lily & Tattered Bunny”
Bonnie Foster, “Dixie”
Denise Purrington, “Dale”
Kelly Dean, “Edwin”

Small Artist Bear, Undressed
Lisa Rosenbaum, “Old Mellow”
Alison McKee, “Byron”
Judi Paul, “Happy”
Kumiko & Masaru Nakano, “Choco-Ball”
Teri Crews, “Bliss”

Large Artist Bear, Dressed
Martha Burch, “Ice King”
Eun Sook Ma, “Adela”
Ed Spencer, “Frankie & Lion”
Susan Bergan, “Colonel Mayfield”
Donna Butts, “Walking with Opa"

Large Artist Bear, Undressed
Yuk Oae Park, “Hi”
Paula Carter, “Billy Buttons”
Ellen Borggreve, “Marbles”
Ed Spencer, “Gavin”
Jane Monroe, “Punkin Panda”

Artist Vignette
Kelly Dean, “Don Quixote, Sancho & Rosinate”
Deb Canham, “Midnight Journey”
Mikki Klug, “Wanna Play?”
Samantha Potter, “Sleigh Ride”
Judi Paul, “Snow Bear Princess”

Artist “Friends”
Aiko Kawamoto, “Misty”
Marsha Friesen, “Romper”
Jennifer Laing, “Scrat”
Krista Griffiths, “Ava”
Yuk Oae Park, “Sloth with Baby”

Artist Creation, Nontraditional Materials
Mikki Klug, “Toot”
Marge Wiese, “Princess Cali”
Patricia Cabrera, “Bedtime Stories Rabbit Set”
Kim Russell, “Irwin & Croc”
Donna Griffin, “Hamish & Fergus Celebrate the Year of the Pig”

Creative Juices Starting To Flow?

So...I picked up two of my unfinished bears yesterday and started fiddling around with them. A little shading with my prismacolour art markers, some nose wax here and a Sculpey Premo nose there and voila!...I think I have caught the bear making bug again!!! I also replaced the eyes on a rust panda I made a couple years back. She originally had black glass eyes (which I wasn't particularly loving) so I took them off and put rust fabric patches and topaz coloured glass eyes on her and she looks better already! To make things even better, I received my order this afternoon from Disco Joints & Teddies with some more waxed eye cording and some rust, rose and orange/pink/red varigated perle cotton thread. This might just be what I needed to inspire me...

Take Care,
Beary Big Hugs To Everyone!

Jeremy

I'll Never Stop Missing You

Bobbie-Lynne...

A Year's Gone By Since You Went Away,
But My Heart Hurts Like It Happened Just Yesterday.
I'll Always Remember That Tragic Night,
Hearing My Mom Weep As I Turned On My Light.
That Day Our World Changed,
As You Travelled Home Up Above.
Although Time Passes By,
I Just Hope You Know,
You'll Always Be Remembered & Loved...

Rest In Peace Dear Cousin

Jeremy

In Memorium

Bobbie-Lynne O'Connor (Laporte)
July 4 1984-January 20 2007