Look what has just arrived "hot off the press"...


We are so very proud to bring to you our 7th Volume of Bear Tales!!!  Our brand new year of Bear Tales begins once again with this awesome issue 1...  In it you will find the patterns, photos and instructions for Fifi by Monica Spicer, Flutter by Merilyn Pursell, Mei Li by Karen Alderson, Hopsy by Charmaine McMurdo and Tammy with her baby girl by Heather Harwood.

For those not familiar with it -- Bear Tales is a publication that Bear Essence brings out annually.  We approach different artists over the course of the year, asking them to design something specifically for us to publish in Bear Tales.  All of their designs are exclusive to us for twelve months and are not sold separately.  A yearly subscription costs $60 (including postage within Australia)  Excellent value as over the couse of the year you will receive three separate issues with a total of at least 15 patterns, worth over $300.   We think this is the best one yet! 


We stock complete kits for all of the projects featured in Bear Tales and the details can be found on our website.  Back issues of Volumes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are also available.  

sALe EnDs toMoRRow...


We have been busy busy busy with our SALE this week and the days have just flown by...  This is just a little reminder that it will be ending tomorrow night... So if you haven't already, pop in to take advantage of the great discounts... Phone and internet orders are welcome and will be mailed out as quickly as we receive them...


Hugs
Kim and Josey

CiNNaMon wITh jOseY...


This past Tuesday was the final day of our 5 week Beginners Class.   Five consecutive 3 hour lessons ensured that there was plenty of time not only to complete the bear but also for all the finishing touches -- such as the handpainted cardigan, the head piece and the handmade buttons and brooches.
Everyone did an amazing job -- and they have all been caught - hook, line and sinker by the Bearmaking Bug (except Brenda and Sue of course as they cannot be classified as Beginners but joined in the class just because they loved Cinnamon so much.

This class has been so successful that we will be running it again next term -- keep an eye on our website for all the relevant details.

Happy Birthday to Us!!!

We are celebrating our birthday...

Our 8 year journey from our humble beginnings in Boronia to our beautiful bear haven in Tooradin has been absolutely amazing - the people we have met and the friendships we have formed are very special to us... We realize that if it weren't for you this journey would not have been possible... so we just want to say

Thank you ... Thank you ... Thank you!!!

And as a token of our appreciation, we would like to host a "SALE of SALES"

Starting Friday 16th March, 2012 at 9.30 am and ending Thursday 22nd March we will be offering a huge:

20% OFF all our bearmaking supplies and giftware (excludes 2012 Bear Tales).

50% OFF selected patterns and giftware.

25% OFF Bear Tales Volumes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6

10% OFF our range of artist and Charlie Bears

 

I'm not saying too much -- This time I'm going to let the photos speak for themselves...  These are the results of Kim and the Saturday girls playing around with the sculpey, creating these tempting sweet treats for Spoonful's teacup...
Haven't they done an amazing job...  I'm so jealous as I didn't get a chance to play but my good friends sent a couple of the finished ones my way!!!  Aren't I just a lucky little vegemite...

I have twisted Kim's arm to run a workshop teaching the secrets to these beautiful sweet treats -- and I can tell you now it won't be just cupcakes.  There will be plenty of other petite delights - lemon meringue pies, donuts, vanilla slices, chocolate eclairs and the list goes on.  All this talk is making me hungry!!!   So keep your eye on the "classes" section of our website or our upcoming newsletter which will have all the relevant details for this FUN workshop...

flOWerS aNd buTTerfliEs AnD aLL thINgs nICe...

For about the sixth time since moving to Tooradin, we have run out of room yet AGAIN...  So we've had to rearrange things once more to try and avail ourselves of any unused space that we could put to our advantage...

Everytime this happens, we get ourselves into such a mess!  But it is so well worth it, as in the end we always get a beautiful result.  This time is no different, by shuffling things around we have gained so much more space and the shop looks so inspiring and brand new...  It is such a delight to walk in each morning -- I just love our bear haven!!!

We took a little break on Friday from the more "physical" activities to create this beautiful pink wall full of flowers, butterflies and our handsewn banner.  All this just in time for to celebrate our 8th birthday!!!

I can't see there being a "TAKE SEVEN" as we have just about used every square cm of space available.  The only option would be to make a hole in the wall and extend next door.  Now there's an option!!!  Must have a word to our neighbours...

nELLy aNd sTupS... pRimITivE eLLy and pUg!!!

These two have been a works in progress for a few weeks now but have finally come to life -- Nelly the elli and Stups the pug.  They were designed exclusively for Noble Fabrics, who have very kindly given us permission to stock the patterns in our store.


I was in charge of Nelly and Kim of Stups -- and they have come together perfectly and look wonderful as a duo.  For Nelly I used a German viscose which I aged by washing it thru a towel cycle and then throwing it in the dryer...   Kim chose a German felted mohair for Stups, straight off the rack.  Colour was added to both bubbies using the chalk pastels that we are currently stocking -- although slightly messy they do give a fantastic result...


We are so excited to be able to bring these designs to your from our fellow bear artists  overseas.  Thanks to the internet the world has now become a whole lot smaller and we have a fantastic opportunity to be able to access the world of bears from across the globe...

The kits for these two include the 100% cotton fabric to make their hats and overalls.  The little cherry charm that Nelly is wearing are also in stock, although quite shiny to start off with, I have aged mine with burnt umber oil paint to give it that worn out look.  We also have a selection of rusty pins and charms suitable for Stups...

iT's a cUpcAke kINd oF SuNDay...
Can't wait for SATURDAYS...  Do you wanna know why??  Saturday Bear Circle of course!!!  We always have loads of fun on Saturdays playing with our bears... trying new things... all in the company of great friends!!!
This Saturday Brenda arrived armed with a box of the most delightful macaroons any of us had ever tasted.  They were exquisite!!!  The day started and ended with SWEET treats...
Some of the girls were working on their "Spoonfuls" and deciding on what sort of treasures to include in her teacup... We definitely needed a mini cupcake. .  Exhausting all our options on where to buy one, we started to think, "why not make one instead!!!"  Kim took charge -- starting off with a felt version and then advancing to the upgraded model -- a cupcake made from Sculpey clay.


You should have heard the squeals of delight as each cupcake was finished -- and NOW it has been unanimously decided that next Saturday class will be devoted to making these yummy little treats. LOOK what you've started Kim!!!

Anyways all this talk about Cupcakes leads me to the next topic...   Look what Mr Postie brought us -- five bolts of scrumptious cupcake fabric!!!  We had forgotten that these were coming, as they were ordered  six months ago.  Don't laugh but at the moment we can't actually remember what we ordered these for!!!  I mean the answer will be there, buried deep in our minds, under the mountain of ideas we have stored in there, just waiting to hatch... So in the meantime our thinking caps are on to design some wonderful project which will use these yummy yummy fabrics...  Arent they DELICIOUS -- any ideas anyone???

tHe dAy tO DaY haPpeNinGs...
A big hello to all our beary blog friends and followers... Where is the year disappearing too??  Somebody please SLOW it down a little -- Can you believe that Term 1 is drawing to an end in a few short weeks!!!
I prayed for a "less hectic" year than the last -- BUT so far this has not been the case.  With so much going on in my personal life -- my days at Bear Essence have been few and far between and my time for sewing is virtually non existent.   Still we have to take whatever is thrown at us in good faith and walk the journey one day at a time...  My beautiful daughter-in-law is expecting Baby Number 3 and God willing, I'll become a Nonna again this September -- something I am really looking forward too...    
I have only  JUST managed to finish the bear that I started designing at Christmas time!!!  Seems like eons ago...  My inspiration for this bear was "Mothers Day" and the eternal bond of love we all share with our mums. I have to say that I am totally in love with the way she turned out and have named her, Spoonful.
Spoonful sits nestled inside an oversized teacup surrounded by her most favourite treasures -- a couple of tea-stained doilies, a string of pink pearls from Majorca, an old butterfly ear-ring, a miniature perfume bottle all the way from Paris, a vintage flower, a fairy cupcake and some very unusual handmade crystal and glass teaspoons...  These possessions are all so precious to her, but she will gladly give them to her mum this Mothers Day because she knows just how special "mothers" are!!!

Everyone has been patiently waiting for Spoonful with much anticipation and her arrival has caused such a stir.  There has been a frenzied hunt on for over sized tea cups...  The women have been going crazy but lucky for them Kim was able to track some down and we now have quite a few of them in the shop for anyone who wants a tea cup just like mine!!!

We also have a selection of gorgeous teaspoons and resin cakes, laces and trims to accompany Spoonful...

One of my students is organising a "High Tea Party" for Mothers Day at her house and she is busy making Spoonfuls -- she is going to use them instead of place-cards and her guests (all mums) will be able to take them home at the end!!!  Hows that for enthusiastic!!! 
If you would like to make your very own, patterns and kits are now available through our website or by calling the shop...

Baby Bertha with Adella

Our final Baby Bertha class finished on Tuesday. They are gorgeous!