I've Fallen Off the Face of the Earth!

I've been quiet here on the blog lately, but I haven't really fallen off the face of the earth. I am just working hard on my bears for the upcoming online Teddies Worldwide Blooming Bear Show happening March 12 and 13. Did I mention that it's online? Yes, you can visit in your pajamas, if you like! I would love for you all to visit me here in the New Avenue Crew studio, but since we live in such diverse places around the world, visiting online is the next best thing.

Speaking of visiting online...from all around the world...I love seeing where you all come from. There's a fancy free gadget that will do just that for your own site: Google Analytics. I live here in Colorado, and it's a thrill to see visitors coming from as far away as Brazil, India, and Russia, as well as from here in the States and in Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Israel, Singapore--what fun!

So what am I making? I am not able to show them to you yet, but I can tell you a few things about them. I'm creating three bears with a spring theme for the show. It has been nice to think of spring and its warmer weather, new growth, and lovely pastel colors during these cold winter months. Spring is definitely something to look forward to! Today I'm working on stuffing, and then I hope to start trimming one of the bear's faces so I can start to see him emerge from all that fur. It is always fun (and a little nerve-racking) to work on a bear's face. With a trim here and a stitch there, a face and a personality slowly come to "life."

Here are two of the bears I made for the November online Teddies Worldwide show: Goldenstern and Cinnamon. This is when I had finished cutting them out of the mohair fabric and assembled their parts to get a glimpse of what they would look like when they were all complete. It's fun to watch bears go from flat to fluffy.

New Avenue Crew Is Published

I'm excited that Small Town Living has included an article about me and New Avenue Crew in its online publication! What an honor. And if my memory serves me correctly, this is the first time I've been "published" (I wrote the article myself). I hope you'll read the article and let me know what you think!

Photos of Crew members have appeared in a few teddy bear magazines before, which was such a thrill for me. If you take a peek at the right-hand sidebar, you'll see a small section called Where You May Have Seen New Avenue Crew that lists those appearances as well as the shows I've done, both in-person and online. I would love to meet you all in person, but for now, the World Wide Web will have to do.

Motivation

I must confess that I'm lacking somewhat in the motivation department of late. Maybe it's the colder winter weather. Maybe it's the days that get light so late and dark so early. Maybe it's just me.

Yesterday, I received a nice package from a friend of mine, and inside were all manner of trims and trinkets. Many of them can be adornments for my bears! I know I'll have such fun mixing and matching. Thank you so much, Anna!

So I'm still not completely motivated, but I think I'll turn off this computer and start trimming seams on the bear I finished sewing recently. I'm eager to see what she'll look like. She'll be one of my Crew members for the online Blooming Bear show coming up in March. Can't wait! (OK, I guess there's a little motivation there, after all.)

Good-Bye, 2010...Hello, 2011!

Brrr... It's a cold one out there this last day of 2010! We had our first winter snowstorm yesterday and overnight, and though it's sunny out, it's only 7 degrees (and feels like -8). They even have the freeway closed because it's so icy. My husband and I are very glad we don't need to go anywhere. We and the kids are snug here at home. I've had my morning tea, and soon I'm preparing to go sew some bear parts!

Speaking of bears, I wanted to let you know that New Avenue Crew has been accepted into the next online Teddies Worldwide bear show coming up in March! Be sure to add it to your new calendar.

Though it's winter and Christmas has just passed, I have two springtime bears in the works and a third ready to be started. Pastel colors, new spring growth, and warm breezes are on my mind.

As 2010 ends and 2011 begins, I would like to say thank you to you all for being friends of the Crew. I have enjoyed getting to know many of you over the past year! I hope to present lots of new Crew members to you next year--I have many new ideas written down, drawn out, and dancing in my head. And most of all, I pray God blesses you throughout the coming year and that you thank Him as the giver of all good things.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1:17).

Teddy Bear Tidbit Tuesday: The Passage of Time

Today on this teddy bear tidbit Tuesday, I thought I would share a little time with you, dear reader. Did you know that I started New Avenue Crew way back in August of 1996? That's 14 years ago! How would you like to see my first Crew member? Introducing Madeleine:

Madeleine is made from white and brown variegated plush that I bought from the fabric store. She is the first bear I made from the first pattern I designed, and she stands about 9 inches tall. (A little bit of trivia for you: Maddie was originally going to be a rabbit, but I couldn't resist making a teddy bear. I started my first rabbit pattern this year and hope to complete it early next year!)

Madeleine still lives here in the Crew studio, and she helps me see how far my bears have come in design and finish work. I much prefer to use mohair with its woven cotton backing; Maddie's synthetic fur has a knit backing that tends to stretch when stuffed.

And now take a look at Cinnamon, one of my newest Crew members. Cinnamon is made from my newest pattern in mohair with wool felt paw pads. I don't really see a family resemblance to Maddie, but that's OK. Each Crew member has his or her own special place in my heart.

Speaking of the passage of time, I thought you might enjoy seeing an antique bear in my collection. No, I didn't make him; he was made by the Chiltern company in England in the 1940s or '50s. As you can see, he was well loved (and I love him now). Oh, the stories he would tell if he could!