Woodend

Yes....we are on the move again! After a very busy couple of weeks travelling for the Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair, we are eagerly awaiting the return of our stock to pack it all up again for the the Woodend Teddy Bear Show this coming Sunday October 28th. We hope to see you there!

On the road again......

Pictured above: our stand at the Sydney Fair.

It has been a busy year of travelling this year as we have visited a few shows. We have already been to the Sydney and Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fairs this year and are about to head off to Brisbane. We will once again be teaming up with Melissa Kemp from the Art of Teddy Bears and will be joined also by Lisa Dopking from Megelles. 

We have been so busy preparing a very enticing range of bears and kits to bring along the show.  Almost 100kg of stock has been couriered to Brisbane by us (Bear Essence) along with another 100kg from the Art of Teddy Bears. Lisa Dopking has some gorgeous things packed and ready to go. I hope we have enough space to fit it all in!
We hope to see you at the show beginning at 9am on Wednesday 17th October until Sunday 21st October at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre, Southbank. http://www.craftfair.com.au/wp/Brisbane2012/

The Resurrection of Lilli-Mae...

Back in the late nineties, when I started designing my own bears - my second ever design, was a beautiful "old gal" which I named Lilli-Mae.  She was made from a gorgeous dusty mauve long pile sparse mohair and for something a little different, I gave her painted and embroidered foot and paw pads.

It was around Christmas time when a lady walked into the shop and fell in love with her -- she said she just had to have her!!!  I let my sweet Lilli-Mae go home with that lady,  thinking that it would not be difficult for me to make her again over the Christmas break.  Well who was I kidding -- at least ten Christmases came and went and there was no sign of a second Lilli-Mae from me!!!

Now for the past six months, Kim has really been on my case to re-create Lilli-Mae again -- and I am very proud to say that "I finally did it".   I think the reason why it has taken me so long is because I really hate doing the same thing twice -- and so I kept putting it off!!!   This time round I chose a pale pink curly mohair and even took the pads with me to Thailand to embroider as they take the longest amount of time... but something I really enjoyed doing!!!

 Lilli-Mae also has a hand painted little bag to match her pads... somewhere where she can stash that little lace hanky of hers, and of course her lippy...

a gorgeous beaded necklace adorns her neck...

 and she wears the most stunning flower for a headpiece...

Instead of an embroidered nose, this Lilli-Mae has a nose made from  glittery pink sculpey...

Put it all together and you get the most gorgeous "old gal" -- 17 inches tall!!!

Kits are available for Lilli-Mae in both the original dusty mauve colour and also the new pink version.  We are also offering a Lilli-Mae Club which meets once a month for a whole day of fun and Lilli-Maeing...
We will start with painting the fabric to create her paws -- then you will have a month to complete the embroidery before coming back to start work on the bear herself.  This will be a work at your own pace NO STRESS class to be enjoyed as your "once a month" treat to yourself...
Please check our website for all the details...