tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24074611730606621032024-03-20T15:05:51.390-06:00New Avenue CrewNews from the New Avenue Crew studio by Debora Hoffmann, teddy bear artistDebora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-44458582750935987702024-03-09T08:17:00.002-07:002024-03-20T14:59:14.965-06:00An In-Person Bear Show!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tbai.org/dnbconvention.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP6qRdA78ncJmPoWYp0dUS1ImYgoIdHBmfo2jnzB9tQtu9ElWjVqq13YfCcGtW0UlGRnGYenDpWHlxYpLo38lYB5X2e4ZLrKPltuu2-K2F_kIuFuC-vOB2iurtyy2D84H-3mtBI7jUvFKO9MaGSxo60bY-5rBUZ0vcKso8gSyrQYuz7BvLz6BHK8EE-dHd=w308-h400" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">I'm excited to announce that New Avenue Crew and I will be part of the Doll & Teddy Bear Artist Convention May 2-4 in Philadelphia! Take a peek at all the fun things planned like presentations, classes, galleries, meals, awards, and a show and sale. All the details are on <a href="https://www.tbai.org/dnbconvention.html" target="_blank">the convention website</a>. Come join us and be a part of the convention or the show and sale on Saturday. The bears and I would love to see you there!</span></p>Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-17384015813073345592021-05-18T21:45:00.005-06:002021-05-18T21:45:52.037-06:00Two Decades Ago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMDMsiay5A1Ww8DE4Ghyphenhyphen6UZh9-KorWxKwfIQ7JIvyXM6bBTrTyg_StF2hj0P1-4GEgPQhZXzYfRwYij1zaGV_Mg19k7pLqRUoTSnZ6UlWmXmenfO6gXg0WiONHyPqLnTqN0bIOohF-RlV/s1400/Debora+Photographing+Cyrano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="1400" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMDMsiay5A1Ww8DE4Ghyphenhyphen6UZh9-KorWxKwfIQ7JIvyXM6bBTrTyg_StF2hj0P1-4GEgPQhZXzYfRwYij1zaGV_Mg19k7pLqRUoTSnZ6UlWmXmenfO6gXg0WiONHyPqLnTqN0bIOohF-RlV/w400-h355/Debora+Photographing+Cyrano.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wow, these pictures of me and my bear Cyrano were taken 20 years ago! I can't believe it's been that long! I had been making my Crew members for about five years at that point. Cyrano was created from beautiful kid mohair and was named for his ample nose.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIt-XmzFgKU7To9nFVYev7r_l19QmFX37gCWcZICpsJJKJI0HvFdZbw_P25s7f9_zT9WXd3bu2_GXuy6EUTzi1z2wAqzEHeqCQiWmVAMvrIQcVU_05DpxmmCA-DSwOBYi-1xQfI6Hcopn/s862/cyrano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="565" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIt-XmzFgKU7To9nFVYev7r_l19QmFX37gCWcZICpsJJKJI0HvFdZbw_P25s7f9_zT9WXd3bu2_GXuy6EUTzi1z2wAqzEHeqCQiWmVAMvrIQcVU_05DpxmmCA-DSwOBYi-1xQfI6Hcopn/w263-h400/cyrano.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p>The last two weekends, my husband and I went driving in a new neighborhood and came upon a street called Dancing Bear Lane. I just love that name! Wouldn't it be perfect for a bear maker like me? Have you come across any fun street names? Do share!</p>Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-25298960264239133532017-03-03T11:27:00.002-07:002019-05-29T10:06:53.669-06:00Introducing Piccolino!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfG2xxJcoecUrDBZhUxfdUPBYcH33cFEblxHFGC-ykhIX0pxKIz1cbZrqdfbXmwtFBHtAAFa6QbiHlDrjp4YgomDCP_n0b9LjZwd9MnbijZR7RXLjizaqy9donq8BbklPcl7x_OjBpvMa/s1600/PiccolinoDeboraHoffmann3small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfG2xxJcoecUrDBZhUxfdUPBYcH33cFEblxHFGC-ykhIX0pxKIz1cbZrqdfbXmwtFBHtAAFa6QbiHlDrjp4YgomDCP_n0b9LjZwd9MnbijZR7RXLjizaqy9donq8BbklPcl7x_OjBpvMa/s640/PiccolinoDeboraHoffmann3small.jpg" width="491" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I'm delighted to introduce you to <b>Piccolino</b>. <span style="background-color: white;">I created this sweet bear from three of my favorite Schulte mohairs in blond, red, and wedgwood blue. Piccolino stands about 14 and 1/4 inches (36.2 cm) tall.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>UPDATE:</b> Piccolino was adopted during the show!</span></div>
<br />
Piccolino is my preview bear for the upcoming <a href="http://www.teddiesworldwide.com/">Teddies Worldwide online show</a>. You can visit the site now to see all the preview bears and vote for your three favorites. If Piccolino is one of your favorite bears, he would love your vote.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.teddiesworldwide.com/"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqXqLL_KOU39Z6YlSE8GjzcNlqrbjDJeJNpswVPEl8hXEZd2kvyMSLgoXos6LUlDEC3TukZjtVV30E1baS54BPCinmnhCnHMCs5xVywGTYZHS3nAX7LE0iP1IuyvrfHXG2efRm-F2hw7c/s320/TFXlargebanner17sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">New Avenue Crew will have five bears available
for adoption during the online teddy bear show, which will be held on this
website: <a href="http://www.teddiesworldwide.com/">Teddies Worldwide</a>. </span><span style="background-color: white;">The show
starts Friday, March 17, at 12 noon eastern (New York) time, and it runs
through 8 p.m. Sunday, March 19. Because it's all online, you can even shop in
your pajamas if you like!</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I hope you have enjoyed meeting Piccolino!</span></div>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-65972198846142885092017-01-16T11:13:00.001-07:002017-01-16T11:15:11.293-07:00Did you have a good weekend?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Looks like these bears did! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-CIBodKPdrou6E39qI2ILoMRTsL8J_P4tltL4VDxeQoNNmN_9sELLr2KYzHDElj2E9uiBPNy2kvcr4onXJWmM8aPYH3uDEpZvD3MXWbvmzy4p_jbVtxED_WE3R-BoAZIPD5Nbnz1mR62/s1600/Bear+Sanctuary+Prishtina+Kosovo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-CIBodKPdrou6E39qI2ILoMRTsL8J_P4tltL4VDxeQoNNmN_9sELLr2KYzHDElj2E9uiBPNy2kvcr4onXJWmM8aPYH3uDEpZvD3MXWbvmzy4p_jbVtxED_WE3R-BoAZIPD5Nbnz1mR62/s400/Bear+Sanctuary+Prishtina+Kosovo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo credit: Bear Sanctuary, Prishtina, Kosovo<br />
<br />
(As always, you can click on the photo to see it larger. Enjoy!)</div>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-25182357397827955242016-12-19T12:46:00.000-07:002016-12-19T12:46:37.128-07:00This Bear's Got Talent!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ghgg_fukbvU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ghgg_fukbvU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Source: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghgg_fukbvU">YouTube Video</a></div>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-32997721809997059582016-12-14T22:26:00.002-07:002016-12-19T12:48:30.891-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.teddiesworldwide.com/"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyewuhRJHPt5XJtMz0Flf6OVVtYJIXL0nXoo5WgYOVI5tYDO-qgSbbWbElQYV9fHEJLnCIVYuVzxPVsDfc4ikXVBoUgsJ9ZTEyDc3Zac0m8KKnPgRqh1MQwecQZXTvmfJjGXsnWHkw1Wq/s320/TFXlargebanner17sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'm so excited that New Avenue Crew will be participating in the ONLINE </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.teddiesworldwide.com/">Teddies Worldwide</a> Teddy Bear Extravaganza Show March 17-19, 2017.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I've been hard at work on my first two bears for the show, and I love them already! You'll be able to see preview pictures and vote for your favorite bears starting Friday, March 3. Then the show starts on Friday, March 17. I hope you will drop in and visit all the wonderful bears!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I have been part of two Teddies Worldwide shows before in November 2010 and March 2011. You might remember a couple of my bears from those shows. The little brown bear is Mullins, and the large light green and ivory bear is Sprout. They are both adopted.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGqS2opOD6YnNglNyMLpIjDKwYOA6XlF-Ea4Ve8kixxyq831QLKrvtiB5nZi4P3RRMO537wCdHVPYTKsSWakGrwSOAZk-MyWW7GO0eGQHaHwqiAgd18ZpmJDgxiT7gDzEdwiSZi70wCEO/s1600/DeboraHoffmann_MandS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGqS2opOD6YnNglNyMLpIjDKwYOA6XlF-Ea4Ve8kixxyq831QLKrvtiB5nZi4P3RRMO537wCdHVPYTKsSWakGrwSOAZk-MyWW7GO0eGQHaHwqiAgd18ZpmJDgxiT7gDzEdwiSZi70wCEO/s400/DeboraHoffmann_MandS.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-41171300851946965752016-10-24T21:44:00.000-06:002016-10-30T10:49:32.952-06:00Have Stuffing Stick, Will Stuff<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
I am delighted to report, dear reader, that this past weekend, I actually picked up needle and thread and sewed a seam on the head of a little bear! And that's not all! I also picked up a stuffing stick (two, in fact) and stuffed a bear's head with fluff, and then I started stuffing a second bear's head before I had to stop. This is amazing considering that I completed <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/2014/10/on-scrap-heap-challenge.html">my last bear</a> in April 2012, four and a half years ago! I am on a roll! I am so excited to be creating my bears again, 20 years after I first started New Avenue Crew. I've even brought my boxes of mohair and alpaca fur up from the basement and pawed through them, wheels in my head turning! Now to find more time for these dear little bears...</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
<b>Have Stuffing Stick, Will Stuff</b> (first published May 22, 2008*)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 12.16px;">Of course, one also needs a sewn bear part that’s had its seams combed and has been turned right side out. And stuffing, lots of stuffing.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
From my basement travels, I’ve managed to locate a bear (well, a very flat one) who is mostly sewn and has been waiting patiently for a few years (well, many years) to be stuffed and finished. The mohair is a pretty peachy-pinky color, very subtle, which makes me think this will be a girly bear. Now that I’ve decided it’ll be a girl, I’m sure it will be a fight to the finish to have her end up that way. Typically, I don’t know until the bear is finished and looking back at me whether it’s a boy or a girl. I’ve heard other bear makers say the same thing, I’m relieved to say. Trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds! I’ve put a bow around a bear’s neck, thinking it was a boy, only to be pondering about it later, wondering whether I should try that bow on his head…and voila! Yep, she was a girl bear the whole time.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
But back to stuffing. Yes, I must confess that I, Debora Hoffmann, picked up the aforementioned stuffing stick and the head of the rescued flat bear on Monday evening and actually inserted stuffing into the head. Wow! Happy dance!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://newavenuecrew.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/girlybear_5-22-08.jpg" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(153, 102, 51); color: #265e15; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Girly Bear\'s Parts" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-27" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px" src="https://newavenuecrew.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/girlybear_5-22-08.jpg?w=298&h=300" srcset="https://newavenuecrew.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/girlybear_5-22-08.jpg?w=298&h=300 298w, https://newavenuecrew.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/girlybear_5-22-08.jpg?w=596&h=600 596w, https://newavenuecrew.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/girlybear_5-22-08.jpg?w=150&h=150 150w" style="background: url("/wp-content/themes/pub/mistylook/img/shadow.gif") right bottom no-repeat; border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right: none; border-top: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px 10px 10px 4px;" width="397" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
I would love to tell you, dear reader, that I finished stuffing the bear’s head and moved on to another task on this poor bear, but sadly, that is not the case. I had to retire for the evening. But I long to get back to it, to finish up the bear’s head. One of the next tasks will be to sew the footpads onto the feet, and I am not looking forward to it. I need some sort of magnification for my sewing machine–or I need a new pair of eyes. I am finding that not seeing very well makes for more mistakes (I have an art background, not a sewing background), and I detest ripping out the great, tight seams that my machine sews…because, for one, I have to see up close to do it! Sigh.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
Back to stuffing again. There are probably as many ways to work with stuffing as there are bear makers. I tend to pull mine into ropes and then push it in with my stuffing stick, which is shaped like a T (see the picture above). I remember way back when I was first making bears that I made balls of stuffing, but I like the ropes better, though it takes time to make them. The right stuffing can give such a nice, round shape to a bear’s head or body or foot, but it can’t tame a bad hair day. Though I will not be taking a picture that shows this, this formerly flat bear head, which had been waiting patiently in its bag with its other parts, has, um, a bit of a cowlick in a couple of places. Talk about bed head. But I think a little judicious misting and smoothing here and there will help the ol’ girl. Let’s just not mention it to her, shall we?</div>
<br />
*This blog post was first published on May 22, 2008, on my first blog at <a href="http://newavenuecrew.wordpress.com/">http://newavenuecrew.wordpress.com</a>.Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-77824704125271148162016-10-11T16:24:00.001-06:002016-10-11T16:24:20.086-06:00Smiles for My Childhood Bears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Btzo_xIYLQjnyFZF9G-sVYVodC0BvFsvIJeOE3PfP5ywKGrJUV0dXqjLjLOb_N50NGIkzUp43yicAzWVuHLUqrldUfnGCl2o7w3VPgVkHQNsTicWU7Ns0fydb4GkEXYfTXNrp358NT7u/s1600/my+childhood+toys_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Btzo_xIYLQjnyFZF9G-sVYVodC0BvFsvIJeOE3PfP5ywKGrJUV0dXqjLjLOb_N50NGIkzUp43yicAzWVuHLUqrldUfnGCl2o7w3VPgVkHQNsTicWU7Ns0fydb4GkEXYfTXNrp358NT7u/s400/my+childhood+toys_crop.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
When I was a child, I enjoyed playing with an elderly teddy bear, probably from the 1930s. He was a good companion and even played with me in the sandbox. He had lost a lot of his fur, and its color was faded from a dark reddish-brown to a caramel color. The other thing he had lost was his smile. I always thought the tear in the fabric under his nose was his mouth! But there were remnants of the black floss that his mouth was stitched with. I had never seen him smile. Until yesterday.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, I am not sure what got into me, but I decided that I wanted to see my elderly teddy bear smile. So I set to work with black pearl cotton floss, a long doll-making needle, and my magnifier. I stitched in the exact places where the remaining floss pieces were, and was delighted to see my bear smiling back at me for the first time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb29555fFr2vNRa6ReYpsxyOoU0mWe8THFH1rQ-YZw9Mw0yY-mKQc2c48AaLILzJ-Ww0thM9oyLea85xs4Szhos1lgVH-7d2LSdZeLC61UgomPCMjuBJtDTSlDQJCAciQ1SSI2E32gNmgE/s1600/2016_1011_new+smiles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb29555fFr2vNRa6ReYpsxyOoU0mWe8THFH1rQ-YZw9Mw0yY-mKQc2c48AaLILzJ-Ww0thM9oyLea85xs4Szhos1lgVH-7d2LSdZeLC61UgomPCMjuBJtDTSlDQJCAciQ1SSI2E32gNmgE/s400/2016_1011_new+smiles.JPG" width="342" /></a></div>
<br />
I noticed during stitching that the bear's snout is stuffed with excelsior, also known as wood wool. And on close examination of his remaining darker fur, I found that his fur is actually mohair.<br />
<br />
After seeing my elderly bear's smile, I had to give a smile to my little pink childhood bear. I don't remember what her original nose looked like. When I was about 12 or 13 years old, I stitched her black nose in place. I wonder where her original nose went! All this time, she has not had a mouth. But now, she and my elderly bear are both smiling. After all my stitching yesterday, I am feeling motivated to work on my New Avenue Crew bears! Stay tuned, dear reader!Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-76013453481525178122015-08-05T05:00:00.000-06:002015-08-05T05:00:00.700-06:00Down Memory LaneAs much as I like to look forward to new experiences and new relationships, I also enjoy taking a walk down Memory Lane from time to time--sometimes revisiting my own memories, and sometimes discovering lovely parts of a past I have not known. Are you like me?<br />
<br />
Today, a friend of mine shared a photo of a bear I created for her 13 or 14 years ago. I named him Juniper after the juniper bushes that grew in front of our house on New Avenue when I was young. My friend made Juniper some darling overalls to wear.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLn71UdooOvm82ehJHjAVgL20wK1W_I0bGZvs4uZwJSXtXeeTrQ3EEJQiYOYvqMyeIspPrMCFxxpYM9P-HSuL3GPVTWX2pQDzUxjiDzk2rJRRdsf-cK_MymRCKsSVhq4EyviQsUZBqMeT/s1600/Juniper_overalls_2015_0804_Hiromi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLn71UdooOvm82ehJHjAVgL20wK1W_I0bGZvs4uZwJSXtXeeTrQ3EEJQiYOYvqMyeIspPrMCFxxpYM9P-HSuL3GPVTWX2pQDzUxjiDzk2rJRRdsf-cK_MymRCKsSVhq4EyviQsUZBqMeT/s400/Juniper_overalls_2015_0804_Hiromi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Juniper in his snazzy overalls</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Juniper lives with my friend Hiromi Nagataki in Japan. Hiromi is a teddy bear artist and creates darling bears with exquisite clothing; her business is called Teardrops. She made a sailor bear for me named Satsuki. Before I sent Juniper to Japan, I took a picture of him with Satsuki taking tea in the garden.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhDIXxbNegk6FbYcDZ6o_y2fbR5ZCDtQ24ST2BvQfkdelebFEw3vylFyXbLCJ3wYV9YO3s_yMaK_OfTZiBNtYrg5biHlVlZh6nKM7fwgUBcyo6Bsy1uJrP-IiNPRPcc53Yp3VlUXXBLd1/s1600/satnjuntea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhDIXxbNegk6FbYcDZ6o_y2fbR5ZCDtQ24ST2BvQfkdelebFEw3vylFyXbLCJ3wYV9YO3s_yMaK_OfTZiBNtYrg5biHlVlZh6nKM7fwgUBcyo6Bsy1uJrP-IiNPRPcc53Yp3VlUXXBLd1/s400/satnjuntea.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Satsuki (by Hiromi Nagataki) and Juniper (by Debora Hoffmann) taking tea</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I created New Avenue Crew 19 years ago, in 1996. The Crew entered cyberspace (cy<b>bear</b>space?) in about 2000 with a site on the now-defunct Geocities. I thought I would never see my website again, but three years ago, I found it on a site called Reocities and wrote <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/2012/04/once-upon-time.html">a blog post about it</a>. Imagine my surprise when today I stumbled upon my Geocities site in <a href="http://www.geocities.ws/new_avenue/">another place I didn't know it existed</a>! You can visit my website and read all the pages and see all the photos as they appeared in 2008. It is a snapshot in time, a walk down Memory Lane.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoQQKqqhfLf4ARwg6TIv9fCpHRj5iJAy0xzT0qYGgboy_wfZW_amG-xjwcu9GB5LVkCdTQT_Uc_gAn8zmLycA9UOF_Z0BQzPPcvn_TrehrIAe2yzS4xnQ6QYiTE-0vGv1jhFb9FPSmDym/s1600/geocities+site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoQQKqqhfLf4ARwg6TIv9fCpHRj5iJAy0xzT0qYGgboy_wfZW_amG-xjwcu9GB5LVkCdTQT_Uc_gAn8zmLycA9UOF_Z0BQzPPcvn_TrehrIAe2yzS4xnQ6QYiTE-0vGv1jhFb9FPSmDym/s400/geocities+site.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.geocities.ws/new_avenue/">The New Avenue Crew website</a> on Geocities.ws</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-3966813533417876342015-07-10T06:00:00.000-06:002015-07-10T06:00:00.662-06:00Teddy Bear Picnic DayI was surprised earlier this week to find out that today is Teddy Bear Picnic Day. I had no idea! We shouldn't miss an important holiday like Teddy Bear Picnic Day!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhno4XhVbV77TBOZOqVUSNlEVlnJgTAMe7108xwnpFO3Joj0dwq6jJm_L5kxjCSxTPt-Lxv1j2uShGsK4U1Zh0-TskGM8Worl6QVyUsyBSYLm7LUOcS_5TUkKDqPCKQ97DE1ZdKf93EVGCi/s1600/2002_Juniper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhno4XhVbV77TBOZOqVUSNlEVlnJgTAMe7108xwnpFO3Joj0dwq6jJm_L5kxjCSxTPt-Lxv1j2uShGsK4U1Zh0-TskGM8Worl6QVyUsyBSYLm7LUOcS_5TUkKDqPCKQ97DE1ZdKf93EVGCi/s400/2002_Juniper.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juniper enjoying the garden (pretend he's having a picnic)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It has been raining quite a lot here this summer, so there haven't been many opportunities for a picnic, but indoor picnics with teddy bears are allowed, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
Enjoy this new, very important holiday with your teddies!Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-31549416912708938132015-07-07T18:50:00.004-06:002015-07-07T18:50:34.826-06:00A Bear's Favorite: Honey Vanilla Ice Cream<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwxs7a1Asq7xbFP_RtPDVWHOs3PjXSwWOl2LMM5pV-t1Dc34jALqwmJaYZKn2lVoKNxzVToP3WF2zTcJ2pSowZsR1RAXKAHP6ov6MKaQf2O62kAVAfhldJUVQBgqc8ssCbAdQ46nsk2Tx/s1600/bear-in-swimming-pool-animals-show-you-how-to-beat-the-heat-672x372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bear, swimming pool" border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwxs7a1Asq7xbFP_RtPDVWHOs3PjXSwWOl2LMM5pV-t1Dc34jALqwmJaYZKn2lVoKNxzVToP3WF2zTcJ2pSowZsR1RAXKAHP6ov6MKaQf2O62kAVAfhldJUVQBgqc8ssCbAdQ46nsk2Tx/s400/bear-in-swimming-pool-animals-show-you-how-to-beat-the-heat-672x372.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Internet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Every bear knows that there's nothing better than a cool treat on a hot day. And because bears love honey, and we at New Avenue Crew love bears, I thought I would share my favorite cool treat with you.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Honey Vanilla Ice Cream</span></b></div>
<br />
1 quart cream (<i>not</i> ultrapasteurized, preferably from grass-fed cows)<br />
1 vanilla bean (or about 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)<br />
5 egg yolks (preferably from pastured chickens)<br />
1/2 cup raw honey (or high-quality maple syrup)<br />
pinch sea salt<br />
<br />
For the tastiest, most nutritious ice cream, use the best quality cream you can find, preferably from grass-fed cows. Never use ultrapasteurized cream.<br />
<br />
Pour cream into a medium saucepan. Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape out the vanilla bean "seeds" and add them and the vanilla bean pod to the cream in the saucepan. On medium-high heat, bring the cream to a gentle simmer/boil, stirring with a wooden spoon. Watch carefully; when the cream seems to start to foam a bit, it is done. (If you leave it longer, it can foam over the sides. Yes, that happened to me!)<br />
<br />
Take the cream off the heat, cover, and let infuse for 25 to 30 minutes. Then remove the vanilla bean pod. (I save the pod for another batch of ice cream, 30 to 35 minutes.)<br />
<br />
Add egg yolks to a large mixing bowl. Beat egg yolks with a wire whisk. Add honey to egg yolks and whisk to combine. Add a pinch of sea salt.<br />
<br />
When cream is finished infusing, whisk it to break up the top layer, or remove it if you wish. If the cream is still hot, add only a little at a time to the egg yolk mixture, starting with about a tablespoon. Once you have whisked three or four tablespoons of cream into the egg yolk mixture, you can add larger amounts of cream until it is all mixed.<br />
<br />
Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator until completely chilled.<br />
<br />
Process in an ice cream maker (the one I use is below) according to directions, and then add to a chilled container and store in the freezer.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmojDKQXXx4LF7D7vrV4eKOphP8bnjXiH0-iv7I-nun0UEAm1eJ2a-cGwa24QF0G73q6Qhh4DBaT8Da5CvRdkPskQk-Oq4TOaqGB5fYLUUwx_7bFFa1_q_hJ6PsGOvkeXFQbE8RTTHYkm/s1600/Cuisinart+Ice+Cream+Maker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmojDKQXXx4LF7D7vrV4eKOphP8bnjXiH0-iv7I-nun0UEAm1eJ2a-cGwa24QF0G73q6Qhh4DBaT8Da5CvRdkPskQk-Oq4TOaqGB5fYLUUwx_7bFFa1_q_hJ6PsGOvkeXFQbE8RTTHYkm/s320/Cuisinart+Ice+Cream+Maker.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-ICE-30BC-Indulgence-2-Quart-Automatic/dp/B0006ONQOC/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1435896319&sr=1-2&keywords=ice+cream+maker&pebp=1435896327747&perid=0PWV4KXRZKJ71M4WGWPA"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker</span></b></a><br />
Source: Amazon.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-54340201469492615972014-11-05T06:00:00.000-07:002014-11-05T06:00:01.028-07:00(Almost) Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvM6ySbu8SJO0rfzoPPAToIin8uwPnyBwjUwewx-Vb6XzYri1BGZy206330J5gBU3K0BkyNdEXY7DyUVWpuZ1ohzOuyvJbMQ_rmksHue5o78EkGoD9VcL3mPnah_EOp80wZ5yDwiGDaW4_/s1600/a+smart+bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvM6ySbu8SJO0rfzoPPAToIin8uwPnyBwjUwewx-Vb6XzYri1BGZy206330J5gBU3K0BkyNdEXY7DyUVWpuZ1ohzOuyvJbMQ_rmksHue5o78EkGoD9VcL3mPnah_EOp80wZ5yDwiGDaW4_/s1600/a+smart+bear.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
By Jim Lawrence of <a href="http://kootenayreflections.com/">Kootenay Reflections</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(Read the article <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1650773/photo-of-grizzly-bear-photographer-goes-viral/">here</a>.)</div>
<br />
I just love this image. Perhaps this bear has a future as a wildlife photographer!<br />
<br />Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-48582860937065973622014-10-24T06:00:00.000-06:002015-07-02T22:36:56.123-06:00"On the Scrap Heap" ChallengeIn January 2012, Paula Carter of <a href="http://www.allbearbypaula.com/">All Bear by Paula</a> issued a challenge on the <a href="http://masterbearcrafters.ning.com/">Guild of Master Bearcrafters</a>:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"Make a bear using reclaimed materials--no mohair, alpaca, or faux fur allowed!"</b></div>
<br />
Challenge accepted! The gears in my head started turning. I had many different fabrics that were not fur, but I had always wanted to make a bear from denim. So in response to the challenge, I created my first completely furless bear from a worn, well-loved pair of my husband's Levi's blue jeans. Allow me to introduce you to Strauss:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYfhgL4d7lqdLjnpSvm2e_ScvlP_pDNDaMjZx1UhcF4HGGlRx9tKLDmUjRQoReRkXQD5uK5gctilwyZu1An0aplkwHphMWPdVPm-uCGhFQW3QNqi0uDHR4_DKxeD3an8G_6Tb7FVOqBtX/s1600/Strauss_1_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYfhgL4d7lqdLjnpSvm2e_ScvlP_pDNDaMjZx1UhcF4HGGlRx9tKLDmUjRQoReRkXQD5uK5gctilwyZu1An0aplkwHphMWPdVPm-uCGhFQW3QNqi0uDHR4_DKxeD3an8G_6Tb7FVOqBtX/s1600/Strauss_1_crop.jpg" width="370" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Strauss, 12.25 inches tall, a furless Crew member </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
made from my husband's well-loved Levi's jeans</div>
<br />
The name Strauss is taken from the name of the jeans company: Levi Strauss & Co. I gave Strauss a nose, mouth, claws, and paw pads in the color of the stitching on the blue jeans. This sweet hairless bear also features black glass eyes; steel shot and polyester stuffing; and a nose, mouth, and claws embroidered in perle cotton. He wears a label from inside the jeans that says COMFORT (so appropriate for a teddy bear to wear), and his neck ruffle is made from some reclaimed furniture trim.<br />
<br />
Imagine my delight when Paula told us that a print magazine from the United Kingdom called <i>The Teddy Bear Annual</i> wanted to run a feature about our Guild scrap heap challenge. What a thrill it is to see one of my bears in print! Here is Strauss pictured in the pages of the magazine:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKHP6TeOysGhksjkbb6guxQK_J77Tamaj41Wvy54taspz8S1ggP2Y9V4Wf1OsCf3B3cc23g98gPvsPk__ozRhsRjoWYx5YGvOtup4x17H-EdtZ7z6Cz296piJfTGQ8O8_tq-JwsSY8Vjp/s1600/strauss+in+teddy+bear+annual+sept+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKHP6TeOysGhksjkbb6guxQK_J77Tamaj41Wvy54taspz8S1ggP2Y9V4Wf1OsCf3B3cc23g98gPvsPk__ozRhsRjoWYx5YGvOtup4x17H-EdtZ7z6Cz296piJfTGQ8O8_tq-JwsSY8Vjp/s1600/strauss+in+teddy+bear+annual+sept+2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Teddy Bear Annual</i>, Autumn/Winter 2012</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"On the Scrapheap: Recycling with Guild of Master Bearcrafters"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Strauss is pictured on page 44.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0OCAsPEXsPrMrF-dvJkr_tYakISZEpqomicyKWmJRN_U-gVKim-v2aiKnomfZNo3T0WIKWFbzOR_h8hJwRqK4HQZVVZKwh9hjkJG1d-i1EpXTGW0UZvE__zajkHA5tLyu38zvwNBtBv7/s1600/The+Teddy+Bear+Annual+Autumn+Winter+2012_Strauss+included.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0OCAsPEXsPrMrF-dvJkr_tYakISZEpqomicyKWmJRN_U-gVKim-v2aiKnomfZNo3T0WIKWFbzOR_h8hJwRqK4HQZVVZKwh9hjkJG1d-i1EpXTGW0UZvE__zajkHA5tLyu38zvwNBtBv7/s1600/The+Teddy+Bear+Annual+Autumn+Winter+2012_Strauss+included.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The cover of the scrap heap challenge issue of</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/Magazines/Teddy-Bear-Annual/Issue/_is396"><i>The Teddy Bear Annual</i>, Autumn/Winter 2012</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I ordered the issue of <i>The Teddy Bear Annual</i> from the UK and very much enjoyed it when it arrived. It is a very well done publication with lots of interesting features and lovely photographs.<br />
<br />
New Avenue Crew and I have appeared in a few print and online publications, and I am always so delighted to have my creations featured in that way. You can see many of the Crew's appearances on the <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/p/published.html">Published</a> page of this site. (You can also find the navigation buttons to the site's other pages under the photo at the top of the page.)<br />
<br />
P.S. Sweet Strauss has been adopted.Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-65984069317351698612013-04-06T09:30:00.001-06:002013-04-06T09:32:21.125-06:00Vielen Dank! A Feature about the Crew!I am thrilled and honored to be the <a href="http://www.kuscheltiernews.info/news2013/portraet_debora_hoffmann_teddyartist.html">featured international teddy bear artist portrait</a> this month on the <i>Kuscheltier News</i> website! The article is in German, but I have added an English translation below for you. (Speaking of translations, I've also added a translation function in the right-hand sidebar of this site. Hope it helps!)<br />
<br />
<i>Kuscheltier News</i> (which means <i>Soft Animal News</i>) also published a <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/2012/04/wunderbar-feature-article-about-crew.html">full-length article</a> about me and New Avenue Crew in its June 2011 PDF magazine issue. Vielen Dank für beide Artikel (many thanks for both articles)!<br />
<br />
Here is the international teddy bear artist portrait about me and New Avenue Crew. You can click on the pictures to see them larger.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7CJZB7TE3mnb72hjYpw_iWuFQTIPI3jhI9IT5O-m6NPbvnf8xZUn7DU36rS3oyOVbYEvXQMTGOWfYeCuNyitcqbveshLcEmduNp4xHC1ZXXaUAeji8k5L5UwSdtZ3mdrln2oUgjUkPG7/s1600/Kuscheltier+News_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7CJZB7TE3mnb72hjYpw_iWuFQTIPI3jhI9IT5O-m6NPbvnf8xZUn7DU36rS3oyOVbYEvXQMTGOWfYeCuNyitcqbveshLcEmduNp4xHC1ZXXaUAeji8k5L5UwSdtZ3mdrln2oUgjUkPG7/s400/Kuscheltier+News_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5IqATHI2Q7WJeVMzDmcTS5Fe-Xd4dJyfFGAyf1FLjR1_S6di1y4AFl9DEqnmq-rhKknVLNDat4pRit-etatTBGZODyJqj3BSpQKRHv0gIZc4xzhcN9kK7DFfml_6xUiuXcReHCUxkLB6/s1600/Kuscheltier+News_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5IqATHI2Q7WJeVMzDmcTS5Fe-Xd4dJyfFGAyf1FLjR1_S6di1y4AFl9DEqnmq-rhKknVLNDat4pRit-etatTBGZODyJqj3BSpQKRHv0gIZc4xzhcN9kK7DFfml_6xUiuXcReHCUxkLB6/s400/Kuscheltier+News_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0C1U7Ouq4wFRWWO13c9Jn10rKyV06mgWEkhFU38L2nEQIMqijRopHpY5v1TcZiLKRTQapqJnzy1LUq0e_nOdRDH8lSNOIB8F6uitFUVDbv9wTaWSdVwynSU3d1r_U2PvJ_yLgqDlBstf/s1600/Kuscheltier+News_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0C1U7Ouq4wFRWWO13c9Jn10rKyV06mgWEkhFU38L2nEQIMqijRopHpY5v1TcZiLKRTQapqJnzy1LUq0e_nOdRDH8lSNOIB8F6uitFUVDbv9wTaWSdVwynSU3d1r_U2PvJ_yLgqDlBstf/s400/Kuscheltier+News_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
[Translation of the article text by an online translator]<br />
<br />
Debora Hoffmann came into the world near the Pacific coast in Southern California, and she grew up in a house with many antiques. As a child, she played with her mother's toys from the 1940 and '50s, including a big teddy bear that had presumably belonged to one of her uncles. Because her mother sewed many clothes and made various other things by hand, Debora grew up with an interest in creating. To connect her memories of her wonderful childhood with her later work as a teddy bear artist, she chose to name her bears for the street where she had grown up: New Avenue.<br />
<br />
Debora's bears come in various shapes and sizes, depending on which ideas the artist has in her head at the time. Although most of her bears are in the traditional style (with inspiration from the Steiff and Bing teddy bears of the early 20th century), Debora has also designed and created some whimsical bears, some pandas, a few cats, and even a pig. For fur, her favorite to use is mohair, and she uses Ultrasuede for paw pads because she likes that it is so soft. She also puts alpaca, wool felt, and glass or shoe button eyes on the top of her materials list. New Avenue Crew bears should invite hugs and cuddles whether they are big or small. The bears’ appearance should provide the impression to their potential new owners that they could become their best and closest friends if they are chosen for adoption. In the course of being made, most of Debora’s bears turn out to be boys, but girls are also present every now and then.<br />
<br />
As a 13-year-old, Debora had her first experience making teddy bears when she sewed two teddies with movable arms and legs: one from golden-brown felt, and the second from reddish-brown velour. They both originated without a pattern from her own design, and Debora would be glad to still have her first works today, but she did not keep them. Then in the middle of the '90s, she sewed three or four bears from synthetic plush using patterns from a book. At that time, the material's backing was thick and stretched in all directions when stuffed. And also, Debora couldn't achieve the results she wished using these patterns. She was frustrated with her bear making at first, until summer 1996 when she took part in a course taught by Claudia Wagner.<br />
<br />
This took place during a teddy bear convention in Southern California. Every participant got a presewn mohair bear that they needed to finish. Debora says, "I finished this small bear and loved him. And during the work, I discovered my preference for mohair. I went home and began to sketch my first pattern. And in August of the same year, New Avenue Crew was born."<br />
<br />
The artist especially enjoys working on her bears' faces to work out their personalities bit by bit. Although the embroidering of the noses is not easy, it is one of her favorite parts of the work. But the nicest and best part of bear making is the moment at which somebody falls in love with one of her bears and decides to give him a home.<br />
<br />
Though New Avenue Crew bears have come as small as 6 inches (15.24 cm) tall, Debora works mainly in the range of 10 to 14 inches (25.4 to 35.5 cm). With very small bears, her eyes and hands don't seem to cooperate. Debora sews the single parts with the sewing machine, the nose is embroidered by hand, and also the stuffing and the last working steps are done by hand. The artist works on the bears personally, without exception: from the initial idea up to tying the bow around the neck of the finished bear.
<br />
<br />
More about New Avenue Crew on the internet:<br />
<a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/">http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com</a>Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-64667318765391228162013-04-02T18:40:00.000-06:002013-04-02T18:40:00.532-06:00The Crew's Chief Bearcrafter (Me), Then and Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The other day, my husband scanned a slide into his computer and sent me a JPEG of a photo I had never seen before:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl8EW4eqofqDSFFaLN1cLW9zY06FgEWxyg6rk4TO5-jJmfIEhFSUpdUVh1aXUP95Fm-jGfnkAnVMQEtSB-urwNJPbh3pxKsHtFYqNZwg4_5tibRL2RFeND_C78qYQ2h_iFrJy2WtR5Eop/s1600/Debbie_Bears_Window_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl8EW4eqofqDSFFaLN1cLW9zY06FgEWxyg6rk4TO5-jJmfIEhFSUpdUVh1aXUP95Fm-jGfnkAnVMQEtSB-urwNJPbh3pxKsHtFYqNZwg4_5tibRL2RFeND_C78qYQ2h_iFrJy2WtR5Eop/s320/Debbie_Bears_Window_small.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yes, it is a picture of me making a bear! I was thrilled that he had this photo. It was taken way back in 2000 when we were newlyweds. We had a second-floor apartment overlooking the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, California, the town we grew up in. The next picture below is a non-silhouetted version of my bear-making session. You can see Trudi in the foreground. I was working on Gunnison, a black-and-gold bear.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoEuM3i9roBTP8dApU-FuXRRNh1MsWTF_xS5taYjiCqTmyVMSi1ygUPjYKnekdFv6ll4rjug1DLuvgBwLAtKV0NBmqyBk573fgS1kf6shv0FXk5Nxc4zd3bmcunRGRPWlmnZ7hAKyn994/s1600/Our_First_Studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoEuM3i9roBTP8dApU-FuXRRNh1MsWTF_xS5taYjiCqTmyVMSi1ygUPjYKnekdFv6ll4rjug1DLuvgBwLAtKV0NBmqyBk573fgS1kf6shv0FXk5Nxc4zd3bmcunRGRPWlmnZ7hAKyn994/s400/Our_First_Studio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It occurred to me today that this coming weekend marks 12 years since I did my first (and only) major in-person teddy bear show, the three-day Teddy Bear Convention in historic Nevada City, California, in April 2001. Here I am with my table full of bears (and a kitty):</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TyYICynFuNFC57oU_XJCHpK26Mlht51RwZOA3bNEF3k8TVtW0a1uEOM9jqQ8_n-DABYUCI8yTlEgSaZUGuVlPD_8LB9C394J_kuhYFzyJZtjGdBsGwdZ66dfbWbMMAKmqvJVCArKTCfD/s1600/showme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TyYICynFuNFC57oU_XJCHpK26Mlht51RwZOA3bNEF3k8TVtW0a1uEOM9jqQ8_n-DABYUCI8yTlEgSaZUGuVlPD_8LB9C394J_kuhYFzyJZtjGdBsGwdZ66dfbWbMMAKmqvJVCArKTCfD/s320/showme.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had just moved from Southern California to the Seattle area to our new apartment, quite a long drive, and then got back on the road to drive south for the show. I still don't know how I managed to have a whopping 14 bears ready for that show when I struggle to find <i>any</i> time for bear making these days!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I do miss in-person shows, and I also enjoy participating in online shows. I have met so many lovely people in the bear world, both in person and online, particularly on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/newavenuecrew">Facebook</a>, through<a href="http://masterbearcrafters.ning.com/"> the Guild of Master Bearcrafters</a>, and on <a href="http://www.teddy-talk.com/">Teddy Talk</a>. I'm eager to get busy again as New Avenue Crew's chief bearcrafter.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And here is a picture of me two weeks ago. Notice that I have a faux fur collar, even though I haven't been making bears lately. I am drawn to texture. In fact, maybe I should go paw through my stash of mohair again soon...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4GdQ-iBBsysqk1v5FrtL-L_mte5LcLLaroBrraONkKS7djVYfjDGXKK5UtE7RmehTq60K7DGGmH0uotylvcNaEXaV0fHv2iBjIAtU2AyONcbqIyV403zHkCxTcxeCb2_NY8WtSbk6GE4/s1600/me_3-16-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4GdQ-iBBsysqk1v5FrtL-L_mte5LcLLaroBrraONkKS7djVYfjDGXKK5UtE7RmehTq60K7DGGmH0uotylvcNaEXaV0fHv2iBjIAtU2AyONcbqIyV403zHkCxTcxeCb2_NY8WtSbk6GE4/s320/me_3-16-13.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-52113348147373679592013-03-21T08:31:00.000-06:002014-10-17T13:47:56.309-06:00Scavenger Hunt Update--FinallyI finally realized that I never updated the scavenger hunt to tell you what I did to my site! Thank you, dear readers, for leaving comments with your guesses on the scavenger hunt. You all have a keen eye!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhnH825q6jMBiZMuKWFge9pkTLZFkGdbaoKcQpWqGD93VAEFkAwmOn5bEIuU6BAGgkIRLoKp-pkadZJfwpu2ntHaLeid0AVXLLmA4bjohfZthlIFSMMRjLVnZv2Q-k3I-svZnC_sEnQk4/s1600/studio1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhnH825q6jMBiZMuKWFge9pkTLZFkGdbaoKcQpWqGD93VAEFkAwmOn5bEIuU6BAGgkIRLoKp-pkadZJfwpu2ntHaLeid0AVXLLmA4bjohfZthlIFSMMRjLVnZv2Q-k3I-svZnC_sEnQk4/s320/studio1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben and Borealis before they were finished</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After much thought, I changed the background and style of the New Avenue Crew site. I also added more button links at the top, removing some of the things from the sidebar and putting them into their own separate pages. The two new pages are <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/p/album.html">Album</a> and <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/p/links.html">Links</a>.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/p/album.html">Album</a> page is a family album of adopted Crew members. I hope you'll visit and tell me what you think. Do you have a favorite? The <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/p/links.html">Links</a> page contains a listing of blogs by other creative sorts. Even the Guild of Master Bearcrafters now has a <a href="http://masterbearcrafters.blogspot.com/">blog</a>, which I've added to the list. There is so much creativity in the bear world!<br />
<br />
<br />Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-89753600681197267502012-10-09T20:20:00.000-06:002012-10-09T20:20:30.841-06:00Scavenger Hunt: Part III've done it again: I updated the New Avenue Crew blog! Can you tell what I've done this time?Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-27621158023768361892012-10-04T06:30:00.000-06:002012-10-09T19:56:12.914-06:00Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIWhXXfClN8w9YlT8i-kKghkvGJuka6P2cdQ3Q7lBfQQNpHJDSTge9QK0DB5anKeOUd4FfrnPqiU3sQ3GJFBiJ21xh1Wc2ufael_YQVS9mM-Qkl3uRwoTKkIaUyql8shOpbsJnDYHO9O6/s1600/themoviecrew_1989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIWhXXfClN8w9YlT8i-kKghkvGJuka6P2cdQ3Q7lBfQQNpHJDSTge9QK0DB5anKeOUd4FfrnPqiU3sQ3GJFBiJ21xh1Wc2ufael_YQVS9mM-Qkl3uRwoTKkIaUyql8shOpbsJnDYHO9O6/s400/themoviecrew_1989.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Movie crew on New Avenue, 1989*</i></div>
<br />
<br />
In the sage words of my cousin Loren, aka the Groovy Movie Man:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>LIFE</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>is a cereal.</b></div>
<br />
And indeed it is:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cMTObQUvsojzvQYCBaAb7iJ7kYlLMmjDn6LG4T-llk6E-9Op2buHe8TlqgwX2EoB0YgPyKc8JtxHVBNKaJCyayoVGBrNjUY-YTqN1CV7ofl0a-KKDQqop4EF0TDTzJGI6cE6G5iKC2rd/s1600/life_mikey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cMTObQUvsojzvQYCBaAb7iJ7kYlLMmjDn6LG4T-llk6E-9Op2buHe8TlqgwX2EoB0YgPyKc8JtxHVBNKaJCyayoVGBrNjUY-YTqN1CV7ofl0a-KKDQqop4EF0TDTzJGI6cE6G5iKC2rd/s320/life_mikey.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Life cereal box showing "Mikey" from the TV advertisements**</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: crookedhaloblog.com</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
I would like to suggest that, more often than not, this is really the case:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>LIFE</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>is a serial.</b></div>
<br />
In my 44 years, I have found that life is truly a series that happens in multiple parts and sometimes has reruns of the episodes you'd much rather forget.<br />
<br />
Though I love creating my bears, life often interrupts and doesn't allow me to have any time for creativity. I designed my first teddy bear pattern and created New Avenue Crew in August 1996, 16 years ago, but I have had to take many periods of hibernation from bear making, both long and short, because of life's reruns. I recently noticed that the last post here on this blog was posted five months ago!<br />
<br />
I don't know whether life will be settling down anytime soon, but with the cooler fall weather, I am feeling the need to pick up the fur and fluff and get busy creating a little someone. And I'd like to share more with you, like the sweet hairless bear I finished back in the spring. I'm thrilled to say that he's been included in a publication...but I'll save that news for another blog post.<br />
<br />
Happy autumn to you, dear readers! I hope you can pause to enjoy the colorful leaves, cooler air, pumpkin spice yummies, and a little Crew in your life every so often.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*The movie crew, left to right: Dana, Jennifer, Loren, Sid, Debora (me), Cynthia. And yes, most of us are related: siblings and cousins--and one friend.<br />
<br />
**Here's the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgB25WBeBxA">Life cereal TV commercial</a> I remember. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-47058271984519680282012-05-05T13:22:00.003-06:002012-10-05T18:37:12.799-06:00Sharing SaturdayWelcome to the second edition of Sharing Saturday live from the Crew studio! My husband snapped this shot of me working on my most recently completed bear...the bear who has no hair. I will have to tell you about him soon when it's time to find him a new loving home. For now, he is keeping me company here in the studio as I work on a new bear (with hair this time).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQohiwuqrnnbnAsVlT7qblVoRGQXRqbgv0TD69KHVnfFzT_-bObo8iLhbbR3e8g2w4ESDpUuYBnkMkyjHqfyjooGd9o9relt32XcsnCIElwzylZZ8ZvV37GZ5J-_lZ7g2jYB6BcIUrmyC/s1600/at_work_on_strauss_4-12_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQohiwuqrnnbnAsVlT7qblVoRGQXRqbgv0TD69KHVnfFzT_-bObo8iLhbbR3e8g2w4ESDpUuYBnkMkyjHqfyjooGd9o9relt32XcsnCIElwzylZZ8ZvV37GZ5J-_lZ7g2jYB6BcIUrmyC/s400/at_work_on_strauss_4-12_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>Sewing the final seams closed</b></i></div>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-29881530653500751382012-04-24T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-05T18:38:16.530-06:00Once Upon a TimeOnce upon a time (or as my uncle Lyle would say: "Once a-punce a time"), I had a website for New Avenue Crew. I started it on Geocities, and then I made a full-fledged website at my own domain: <strong>Newavenuecrew.com</strong>. Neither site was fancy, but I created them in HTML all by myself.<br />
<br />
After a few years, I found that it was hard to afford the monthly fee for my domain and the web hosting, so I had to let them lapse. Unbeknownst to me, the domain was then quickly snatched and a high price set for anyone who dared try to buy it. (I told the story before, and a little more, on <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/2010/05/in-beginning.html">the first post on this blog</a>.) I was so sad when I discovered I would not be able to get Newavenuecrew.com back, and I still regret it. And then, a couple of years ago, Geocities ceased operation. My sites were gone for good.<br />
<br />
But then I did a search for <em>Debora Hoffmann</em> on Google today,* and I found this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoQQKqqhfLf4ARwg6TIv9fCpHRj5iJAy0xzT0qYGgboy_wfZW_amG-xjwcu9GB5LVkCdTQT_Uc_gAn8zmLycA9UOF_Z0BQzPPcvn_TrehrIAe2yzS4xnQ6QYiTE-0vGv1jhFb9FPSmDym/s1600/geocities+site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoQQKqqhfLf4ARwg6TIv9fCpHRj5iJAy0xzT0qYGgboy_wfZW_amG-xjwcu9GB5LVkCdTQT_Uc_gAn8zmLycA9UOF_Z0BQzPPcvn_TrehrIAe2yzS4xnQ6QYiTE-0vGv1jhFb9FPSmDym/s400/geocities+site.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>New Avenue Crew's Geocities site</strong></em></div>
<br />
It is my old <a href="http://www.reocities.com/new_avenue/">New Avenue Crew Geocities site</a>, recovered by Reocities!<br />
<br />
I had no idea that Reocities was working to recover Geocities sites, but I am thrilled that they are and that I found my site so I can share it with you. It looks like I last worked on the site in 2008. I am unable to make any changes to it now, so it is a marker in New Avenue Crew's history.<br />
<br />
I hope you will visit and enjoy looking around. Please let me know what you think. It was fun for me to take a walk down memory lane and see what my bears and I were doing once a-punce a time.<br />
<br />
<br />
*My search was prompted by my curiosity after reading <a href="http://www.tamieveslage.com/2012/04/measure-of-success-in-modern-world.html">this blog post</a> by Tami Eveslage, an artist whose work (in many media) I admire.Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-42044398114229646992012-04-21T23:46:00.000-06:002012-10-05T18:39:34.454-06:00Sharing Saturday: Wildlife<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-Qyk8pNULwAHwwUbIjS_DdqoBhvxAs7BEHi0aLORq7UuLHncxouug2s1rVM_3jQvGUwHwLc60Ah_iTefY7NnEIzMHH4QTcQQNMlwy1CF_JD-_9AGtmHPfGdtuteKxS1Cebc7rRu7Fysm/s1600/black+bear+cub+with+officer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-Qyk8pNULwAHwwUbIjS_DdqoBhvxAs7BEHi0aLORq7UuLHncxouug2s1rVM_3jQvGUwHwLc60Ah_iTefY7NnEIzMHH4QTcQQNMlwy1CF_JD-_9AGtmHPfGdtuteKxS1Cebc7rRu7Fysm/s400/black+bear+cub+with+officer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>"You're lost? What's your mom's phone number?"</strong></div>
<br />
I just had to share this with you today, dear readers. It surely made me smile. I don't know who took the photo. Perhaps it's from a movie with a trained cub. I just love the bear's posture; he's so cute.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Black-Bears/127248330656314">Black Bears on Facebook</a></span></div>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-65252742132573341252012-04-20T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-05T18:41:06.885-06:00Fun Fur Facts FridayWelcome to Fun Fur Facts Friday! A good way to celebrate Friday here in the Crew studio is to talk some more about fur. Most of the Crew members have it, so they are quite fond of it!<br />
<br />
(Ah. Some of you with a keen eye noticed that I said that <em>most</em> of the Crew members have fur. I created a bear recently who has no fur. I hope to introduce him to you soon.)<br />
<br />
Now where was I? Ah, yes. You would like to hear a fur fact. I have been noticing lately all the different kinds of fur fabrics the bears of today are sporting. Recently, I received a piece of synthetic Belgian plush made by a company called Tyber from a fellow bear artist. It is of very high quality and is very dense and so soft. I look forward to making a small bear from it; I know it will be very different than working with my beloved mohair. So I thought I should tell you about teddy bear fur, since the Crew members and I love it so much.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62D3-8KlEl9M2WJX5wQkc6GscJh62eAx3ZXh735LjTPVfI7b1gt1TdppXnPXTG1sAPDGUMz3a_Vx8S708Xv3J8kYs7iqeo3I2o9Rz8_0ZSY87ssmtVxxugI7Wv1OdeFRnkI-9usIPSkwT/s1600/wideopen7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62D3-8KlEl9M2WJX5wQkc6GscJh62eAx3ZXh735LjTPVfI7b1gt1TdppXnPXTG1sAPDGUMz3a_Vx8S708Xv3J8kYs7iqeo3I2o9Rz8_0ZSY87ssmtVxxugI7Wv1OdeFRnkI-9usIPSkwT/s400/wideopen7.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>Me with some of my fur fabrics, </em></strong><strong><em>mohair and alpaca, </em></strong><strong><em>spread out in my living room</em></strong></div>
<br />
Here are a few of the commonly used fur fabrics of today:<br />
<ul>
<li>Mohair (my favorite!)</li>
<li>Alpaca (my other favorite)</li>
<li>Synthetic plush</li>
<li>Viscose and viscose-mohair blends</li>
<li>Silk and silk-mohair blends</li>
<li>Wool</li>
<li>Rayon</li>
<li>Cotton</li>
<li>Rayon upholstery velvet</li>
</ul>
I have used four of the fur fabrics on the list for my bears: mohair, alpaca, synthetic, and wool. Let me show you some pictures. These are older Crew members from 10 or more years ago!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1f-KgnKT8MjVumbLLTPeHZgiged1aezSDPEQ_7aLvhEwtEQFdctZ6uxL7J34ljFD7qhniODFHe5sGHhoOYCyyW-QlPb7k0GlDx8z0rUwmy8HlHRQutA_rFKCLJn4us0FG5tWfz9MfWi1v/s1600/Liam+and+Trua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1f-KgnKT8MjVumbLLTPeHZgiged1aezSDPEQ_7aLvhEwtEQFdctZ6uxL7J34ljFD7qhniODFHe5sGHhoOYCyyW-QlPb7k0GlDx8z0rUwmy8HlHRQutA_rFKCLJn4us0FG5tWfz9MfWi1v/s320/Liam+and+Trua.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>Liam (1999) and Trua (2000)</strong></em></div>
<br />
The bear on the left in the photo above (Liam) was made from wool fur fabric in 1999. I still have a little piece of it left, but not enough for a full bear. It is not as silky feeling as mohair, but it has an antique feel to it. The bear on the right (Trua) was made from mohair in 2000. I don't have a photo of the bear I made from some silky plush back in 2000 or so, but I do have a photo of the first bear I designed and made with knit-back synthetic (it was hard to work with!):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZ835MQmdY3tcJefGZhDnHHeeRJNr46p4crHhTHU66tbhZLwwouIug1l6xwsinh0gpz7r90h9kuchfVJfZUZja_hbUBYgabVm8lZ-YimTBZ_Mw_IWeZglC0mixfACqd89oAqHmpiX8OjL/s1600/maddie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZ835MQmdY3tcJefGZhDnHHeeRJNr46p4crHhTHU66tbhZLwwouIug1l6xwsinh0gpz7r90h9kuchfVJfZUZja_hbUBYgabVm8lZ-YimTBZ_Mw_IWeZglC0mixfACqd89oAqHmpiX8OjL/s320/maddie.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>Madeleine (1996)</em></strong></div>
<br />
Madeleine still lives with me here at Crew headquarters. She is pictured above on the mantel in my childhood home on New Avenue. I don't like her fur, but it is a lower quality synthetic. There are some very nice ones available today that look nice much longer than this kind. But Maddie is still special to me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBuX-g2vsNKLuFGlE9OlMTeT4xKv6AO3nj2Zmfzg0vLcrfbxBn4x_jR6isTQ-vaZ6EUmmQuvf3lFfjQr_i_3RlP83K0YlmQqPI33wCFnUeT4w-ADsX5eGIOckaa4UcVMoHBiDA3PCQWrX/s1600/longlevi_big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBuX-g2vsNKLuFGlE9OlMTeT4xKv6AO3nj2Zmfzg0vLcrfbxBn4x_jR6isTQ-vaZ6EUmmQuvf3lFfjQr_i_3RlP83K0YlmQqPI33wCFnUeT4w-ADsX5eGIOckaa4UcVMoHBiDA3PCQWrX/s320/longlevi_big.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>Longfellow (2001) and Levi (2002)</em></strong></div>
<br />
Longfellow, the big bear above, is made from alpaca. I loved this alpaca fur; it was a dark chocolate brown with silvery blue flecks in it. Because Longfellow was a large bear, I had to use all of the fur to make him. His little red and blue friend is Levi. Levi's fur is sparse matted mohair in rusty red with a blue backing, and I used some denim from a pair of my husband's old Levi's jeans for his muzzle and paw pads. Though I don't have a picture, I also made him a backpack with the coin pocket and the belt loops from the jeans.<br />
<br />
So why is mohair so popular to make teddy bears from? The very first teddy bears, starting back in 1902, were made from it. Mohair is durable and has a nice sheen, and it lends itself to cuddly bears. Yes, it can be worn away with years of loving, but then that's a badge of honor, being loved.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkITAejlEzsYgo-1hmSiciRE-cyP_LlguCCJtmHcwGWJsaAiA8-tDf2X_5YTfvnaR6YHITQWinD6NvYsVXMkGCZn7q1Rfw0bmXqQf203qBGocwRTkwaau4GSBOLTKm3dwPomefu8UdBhd/s1600/1-pat's+bear_front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkITAejlEzsYgo-1hmSiciRE-cyP_LlguCCJtmHcwGWJsaAiA8-tDf2X_5YTfvnaR6YHITQWinD6NvYsVXMkGCZn7q1Rfw0bmXqQf203qBGocwRTkwaau4GSBOLTKm3dwPomefu8UdBhd/s320/1-pat's+bear_front.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>An antique bear from our family </em></strong><strong><em>whose fur has been mostly loved away</em></strong></div>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-58022078771284428172012-04-10T07:00:00.000-06:002019-11-23T10:39:23.988-07:00Wunderbar! A Feature Article about the Crew!Last June, I was thrilled to have an article about me and New Avenue Crew appear in the German-language digital magazine <em><a href="http://www.kuscheltiernews.info/kuscheltiernews_epaper.html">Kuscheltier News</a></em> (translation: Soft Animal News). Andrea, the editor, was so kind to approach me for an interview. The resulting article made me so happy when I saw it, and I hope many people enjoyed reading it.<br />
<br />
You don't read German? Fear not! I have translated the article into English with the help of an <a href="http://imtranslator.com/">online translator</a> so you can read it, too! (As always, click on the photos to see them larger.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTUUHLNLT5T-FJGKq_0_jUWkyixIFPG5-frCqAzgD2flOLFtUJ2tlHbLYy8tA6lBtDxqb6gQV5lzlc_cffOvwNxMJ2OVN3T1Bi2VJpsHvJ51Y0lq8VXOMEEDTz22tYSWAYbdKbVid65np/s1600/K-N_Page_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTUUHLNLT5T-FJGKq_0_jUWkyixIFPG5-frCqAzgD2flOLFtUJ2tlHbLYy8tA6lBtDxqb6gQV5lzlc_cffOvwNxMJ2OVN3T1Bi2VJpsHvJ51Y0lq8VXOMEEDTz22tYSWAYbdKbVid65np/s320/K-N_Page_01.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Cover featuring Herr Grünhosen</em></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXmNEr8zIViXbUKIJVgmTKm7ir13ZY2p7UXvNzzngND80COYSt5E7Rru-G0QE0uU5e7z8gfNKNmzjdy6cv9kQueUI3W6UETMHGiLUy-Ub-NB5ZZLamuHq1dWwudyOiBMPZETpoxRniaGa/s1600/K-N_Page_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXmNEr8zIViXbUKIJVgmTKm7ir13ZY2p7UXvNzzngND80COYSt5E7Rru-G0QE0uU5e7z8gfNKNmzjdy6cv9kQueUI3W6UETMHGiLUy-Ub-NB5ZZLamuHq1dWwudyOiBMPZETpoxRniaGa/s320/K-N_Page_03.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Table of contents with</em> <em>Herr Grünhosen</em></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk379I6s-J2WluGa6QxwfgqPAP_pdjhKYdGB0NKGfCTbqSNDHp9SiRC0iPqH6aZKTbUfOxV35DV79aY9JgNUHDo9vvRxNuNvQZPoM1u-n81am6I8iOJGFDWB7X1fKfkUGJIJM3yqliHCJ/s1600/K-N_Page_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk379I6s-J2WluGa6QxwfgqPAP_pdjhKYdGB0NKGfCTbqSNDHp9SiRC0iPqH6aZKTbUfOxV35DV79aY9JgNUHDo9vvRxNuNvQZPoM1u-n81am6I8iOJGFDWB7X1fKfkUGJIJM3yqliHCJ/s320/K-N_Page_09.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Beginning of article featuring me with Sebring </em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>and J. Cub in the background on the mantel</em></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdYbo90vijr9ViuN7ddtAHXQAsuPn5AGy12nEVYESLQzQ3bQBpkQ0ZLIo1BhX2YdyYKvWlOGftxaBGb-W5naJy2oDutv_h-OEsqWQE7rrwopSQ5AFxVwxMRRp3bVCZ4M8z5V6HNG87hHu/s1600/K-N_Page_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdYbo90vijr9ViuN7ddtAHXQAsuPn5AGy12nEVYESLQzQ3bQBpkQ0ZLIo1BhX2YdyYKvWlOGftxaBGb-W5naJy2oDutv_h-OEsqWQE7rrwopSQ5AFxVwxMRRp3bVCZ4M8z5V6HNG87hHu/s320/K-N_Page_10.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Sebring and Cinnamon (upper left) </em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>and Herr Grünhosen (lower right)</em></div>
<br />
[Translation of the article text]<br />
<br />
Debora Hoffmann came into the world near the Pacific coast in Southern California, and she grew up in a house with many antiques. As a child, she played with her mother's toys from the 1940 and '50s, including a big teddy bear that had presumably belonged to one of her uncles. Because her mother sewed many clothes and made various other things by hand, Debora grew up with an interest in creating. To connect her memories of her wonderful childhood with her later work as a teddy bear artist, she chose to name her bears for the street where she
had grown up: New Avenue.<br />
<br />
Debora's bears come in various shapes and sizes, depending on which ideas the artist has in her head at the time. Although most of her bears are in the traditional style (with inspiration from the Steiff and Bing teddy bears of the early 20th century), Debora has also designed and created some whimsical bears, some pandas, a few cats, and even a pig. For fur, her favorite to use is mohair, and she uses Ultrasuede for paw pads because she likes that it is so soft. She also puts alpaca, wool felt, and glass or shoe button eyes on the top of her materials list. New Avenue Crew bears should invite hugs and cuddles whether they are big or small. The bears’ appearance should provide the impression to their potential new owners that they could become their best and closest friends if they are chosen for adoption. In the course of being made, most of Debora’s bears turn out to be boys, but girls are also present every now and then.<br />
<br />
As a 13-year-old, Debora had her first experience making teddy bears when she sewed two teddies with movable arms and legs: one from golden-brown felt, and the second from reddish-brown velour. They both originated without a pattern from her own design, and Debora would be glad to still have her first works today, but she did not keep them. Then in the middle of the '90s, she sewed three or four bears from synthetic plush using patterns from a book. At that time, the material's backing was thick and stretched in all directions when stuffed. And also, Debora couldn't achieve the results she wished using these patterns. She was frustrated with her bear making at first, until summer 1996 when she took part in a course taught by Claudia Wagner.<br />
<br />
This took place during a teddy bear convention in Southern California. Every participant got a presewn mohair bear that they needed to finish. Debora says, "I finished this small bear and loved him. And during the work, I discovered my preference for mohair. I went home and began to sketch my first pattern. And in August of the same year, New Avenue Crew was born."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-TVRuk4tCCl0SDsYsVjy2Z1DOyKyGwyoF7k4szN9EGQc40O3bpsGfKTWRbI6zKdLqZoGpmXVQysYvHv2hAO4lCG1FOoOouWfER0xrhtoZMiV7M5UOzvZ9uRbxwI5SaOz7aEOFo90qADf/s1600/K-N_Page_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-TVRuk4tCCl0SDsYsVjy2Z1DOyKyGwyoF7k4szN9EGQc40O3bpsGfKTWRbI6zKdLqZoGpmXVQysYvHv2hAO4lCG1FOoOouWfER0xrhtoZMiV7M5UOzvZ9uRbxwI5SaOz7aEOFo90qADf/s320/K-N_Page_11.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Borealis (lower left), Logan and Ben (upper right), </em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>and Mullins and Sprout (lower right)</em></div>
<br />
Ideas for new bears come to Debora at odd times, for example, in the bathtub or as she tries to fall asleep. That's why she has a notepad and pencil always in reach, and over the course of the years, countless sketches and ideas have been gathered. Only finding the time for making these ideas is difficult. Working full time and being a mother leaves too little time for her bears. Today, she lives with her husband and their adoptive daughters in wonderful Colorado. Unfortunately, no teddy bear shows take place nearby, at most, smaller meetings of teddy bear friends. Only at great distances for Debora is it possible to travel to far-away shows or take part as a seller. Maybe her bears will be seen, instead, at another online show, because the artist enjoys using the advantages of the Internet to present her creations and to be in contact with teddy bear fans. With Facebook and in the various blogs, she has already gotten to know many nice people.<br />
<br />
The artist especially enjoys working on her bears' faces to work out their personalities bit by bit. Although the embroidering of the noses is not easy, it is one of her favorite parts of the work. But the nicest and best part of bear making is the moment at which somebody falls in love with one of her bears and decides to give him a home.<br />
<br />
Though New Avenue Crew bears have come as small as 6 inches (15.24 cm) tall, Debora works mainly in the range of 10 to 14 inches (25.4 to 35.5 cm). With very small bears, her eyes and hands don't seem to cooperate. Debora sews the single parts with the sewing machine, the nose is embroidered by hand, and also the stuffing and the last working steps are done by hand. The artist works on the bears personally, without exception: from the initial idea up to tying the bow around the neck of the finished bear.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikouCXIPlaBEvRpdhtnY82pjY3_-PAyt3mffhrG9uGX-H3lUUhPQbrk9_aWR_GkIwo3C_D5P67lGvFxF2ErDXC3_3mneIfB10XpF3oFHjzgTub0MrwiiLue-8WYFoPgXTOIamEas6g6XI/s1600/K-N_Page_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikouCXIPlaBEvRpdhtnY82pjY3_-PAyt3mffhrG9uGX-H3lUUhPQbrk9_aWR_GkIwo3C_D5P67lGvFxF2ErDXC3_3mneIfB10XpF3oFHjzgTub0MrwiiLue-8WYFoPgXTOIamEas6g6XI/s320/K-N_Page_12.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Malinka and Mullins (top left) </em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>and me with seven Crew members (bottom)</em> </div>
<br />
It is not simple for Debora to name a favorite bear from all her creations, because so many of them have a special place in her heart. Often it is difficult for her to prepare a bear to be sent in the mail. And some of them mean so much to her that she cannot separate from them at all: "Recently, I could not force myself to sell a bear called Sebring that I had made in 2010 because I love him too much (he is now the studio manager). Sebring is one of three bears that I have kept over the course of the years. Except for him, I have kept the first bear I made from my own pattern in 1996 and then one more of my favorite bears from 1997."<br />
<br />
During the next months, Debora would like to create new patterns for her ideas: "For example, a small rabbit is hopping around in my mind, and a plumper, smaller bear is waiting to finally be born. I would also like to play around a little bit with stuffing materials to reach an even more realistic feeling when my bears are held, and I would still like to make a more slouchy, old-style bear, too. I do not know which of these ideas I can realize this year, but I will have joy in trying."<br />
<br />
News about New Avenue Crew on the Internet:<br />
<a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/">http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com</a>Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-85340952497387118152012-04-09T09:55:00.001-06:002012-10-09T20:11:55.647-06:00Scavenger Hunt: Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
Yes, I did make a few updates to my blog recently. You've been so kind to say that you like my blog, but I'm not sure if you were able to find what I changed. That's OK: I'll tell you what I changed!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9u0nWj41Sgc9Qsh8JtT3HD-diOShaEfVd1mnc3RsH22ImUzmXcAi7BbZ3bNMnFZCkYRlHV67kWL-N2jMqiVU8JFHAzMpZuOBEIrgwtacs2NT0YCBhhFWqUkPbUpNxYLUxD3ndnN7COY9/s1600/iloveteddies_interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9u0nWj41Sgc9Qsh8JtT3HD-diOShaEfVd1mnc3RsH22ImUzmXcAi7BbZ3bNMnFZCkYRlHV67kWL-N2jMqiVU8JFHAzMpZuOBEIrgwtacs2NT0YCBhhFWqUkPbUpNxYLUxD3ndnN7COY9/s320/iloveteddies_interview.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.iloveteddies.com/news_page/1302636005.php"><em>Interview with New Avenue Crew on ILoveTeddies.com</em></a></div>
<br />
First, I shortened the names of the page tabs up at the top of the blog under the header banner so I could add a new page. Which page is new? The new page is called <a href="http://newavenuecrew.blogspot.com/p/published.html" target="_blank">Published</a>. I wanted to share with you the magazines (both printed and digital) and websites where New Avenue Crew has appeared. I am so honored that a few magazines have chosen to include me and the Crew. Because two of the articles about the Crew appear in online format, you can read them by clicking on their names.<br />
<br />
The other changes were to the right-hand sidebar. I moved some of the pictures around so you can find the mailing list signup and the following feature faster. I have other ideas, too, but they will have to wait. I am a busy bear maker, though I'm not always busy with bear making!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407461173060662103.post-91340501083102259252012-04-06T20:44:00.002-06:002012-10-09T20:11:36.280-06:00Scavenger HuntOK, not really a scavenger hunt, but I just made a few changes to my blog. Can you tell what I did?Debora Hoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.com6