Just finished a commission, my very first dog! This lovely little Lhasa Apso goes off to his new home today! So please meet Fudge, made from a super 80mm creamy plush with English glass eyes and six way jointed (her tail is jointed too in case you are wondering where the six comes from) I hand coloured the creamy fur to give the greys, browns and beiges of the owner's dog and she really has come out beautifully
I was so pleased to have this challenge to design and make something I never had before. I do like her! Have you got a challenge for me to make for you? please let me know!
#teddybear #teddybeardog #handmadetoys #meetthemaker #ooak #custombear #bearmaking #teddybeartimesandfriends
This is Robin Hood! As you would probably or rather hopefully have guessed. My gorgeous Robin Hood was an Award Winning Bear back in 2018, so an early bear and one which gave me encouragement to continue on with making bears and trying to sell them.
He is made from a nice brown mohair and stands some 15ā tall. I added weights to him which was the first time I had done that which was an interesting exercise as I recall numerous of these little steel discs went across the room as I tipped the container too enthusiastically. I made him with a small magnet in the palms of his hands and then when I made the bow, I put the corresponding magnet into the bow binding about midway along its length ā where he would hold the bow and slip the arrow into place to send it winging its way to the badmen! Naturally the clothing had to be of āLincoln Greenā and appropriately fitted to his body with leather straps. His trousers were cross-gartered with leather straps too. His arrows were fun to make. Naturally I didnāt add a point to them! They were made from pieces of thin dowel used in pianos and I cut the tops to hold goose feathers which I inserted with a bit of glue to hod them in place. I made the quiver from more leather, slung it across his shoulders and there you have a suitably gloomy or lugubrious looking Robin Hood! I still like his gaze! What do you think? #ted #teddybear #ooak #handmade #robinhood #meetthemakers #teddybeartimesandfriends
It is only a very few weeks until the Milton Keynes Handmade & Vintage Show in Central MK, 6th & 7th September in fact and Iām really looking forward to seeing everyone again. I have some new bears and look who will be on show for the very first time! This is Chi Chi, made from the very softest plush (which was the very devil to work with as it shed all the time) Chi Chi is a larger bear standing 14.5ā 36.5cm tall, fully five way jointed of course and softly stuffed, perfect for a cuddle! Named of course after the giant panda who lived in London Zoo between 1958 and 1972, who I bet was not as soft and cuddly as this one! Do you like Chi Chi?
Memories on a Monday!
Another memory for you to see. This cute little bear was designed in 2019 especially for a piece I wrote for the 'Teddy's Kreativ' which is a the German magazine for teddy bear collectors - arctophiles we like to be called! He is a made from a sage green 12mm mohair which is sparkly laid over a brown backing which gives him this lovely slightly ancient look. He stood about 10" 25cm tall and of course was fully five way jointed and I managed to get the mohair so it looked as though it flowed into a little fringe for him. I thought he looked totally cool when I made him, and actually I still do think so. He went down very well in Germany and the German speaking regions because of course the magazine is in German . Lovely little bear. I am enjoying going back through my creations for Memories on a Monday, I hope you are enjoying them too. Let me know if there is a favourite you would like to see a photo of again, or if you have one of my bears, I can post its photo up for you!š #TeddyBearLove #teddybear #handmadetoys #meetthemaker #custombear #nostalgia #BearMaking #MeetTheMaker #HandmadeToys #memories #memorybearkeepsake
Lets do Memories on a Monday again! This bear is one from very early in my career in bear making, that is from 2018. I made him for the British Bear Artist Awards, and was delighted to win an award for him! It is of course, and Iām sure you will have guessed ! Jonny Bearstow !
The material is a lovely kid mohair in a gorgeous ginger wavy weave. I had to hunt high and low to get a cricket bat in the correct size for him, in the end having to create, glue and paint a ābits and piecesā one. The red cricket ball is actually a HUGE marble! The outfit I of course made myself and knitted the jumper in two-ply wool reducing the knitting pattern of a manās cricket jumper proportionately and the embroidered Three Lions on the front, if you look closely, are not exact, merely a suggestion of the Three Lions motif.
Hope you like him! Someone out there has him now and I am sure they are really enjoying him!
#teddybear #meetthemaker #JonnyBairstow #makersgonnamake #handmadetoys #cricket
Gift Ideas - it is difficult to find the perfect gift for an occasion, particularly if you want one that isn't going to be replicated by other guests at the event. I am often asked for bears for birthdays and christenings but I think my favourite creation was for a 40th Wedding Anniversary. The lady wanted to surprise her husband who did indeed love bears. She brought me her wedding dress and also her husband's wedding suit which they had kept for approaching 40 years! I was asked to make a lady bear and a gentleman bear and dress them in the wedding clothes, the only provisio was that I was to ensure there was enough material of the wedding dress remaining to make a christening gown! It was and exciting challenge! I was able to replicate the wedding dress for the lady bear by using some of the beautiful lace on the sleeves of the dress and some of the ruffle of the dress for the ruffle of the bear's dress. His suit trouser legs gave jacket and trouser for the bear and his tie could be cut down to make a tie for Mr Bear! I was very pleased with the result of the clothes and the bears were made from a most gorgeous 20mm golden kid mohair (one of the first cuts of hair from the animal so wonderfully soft feel)
What do you think of the bears ā drop me a comment!
#giftideas #giftidea #personalisedbear #thoughtfulgifts #weddinganniversaryā¤ļø
I only create 'One of a Kind' bears in Nessa Bears, because I want them to be unique and also because I really don't think I could replicate a bear exactly because that is what being hand made is about, every stitch is placed separately so I can't guarantee the same result! So unlike some sellers, I can't say 'that item sells really well, lets have lots of those' but sometimes a bear zooms off the shelf before its had time to get to the website. This happened with Billy, the multi coloured bear below, he was finished on the Thursday, went on the show stall on the Saturday morning and was sold so, so quickly! The lovely new owner of Billy also commissioned another bear from me in the same style, Les who is here too. These two bears now sit side by side reminder her of beloved relatives, Les represents someone who loved gardening and is made from a moss green mohair, with a little round belly to further represent the loved one!
I love creating commissions and I do not charge extra for these special little bears. The cost is the same as I charge for my bears on the website or at a show, it all depends on the material and the size of bear, so do please think about a bear that you would really like and I would love to make it for you! Billy and Les send their love! #teddybear #teddy
Can you believe it is nine years since I started to make and sell Nessa Bears? I can't. it seems incredible. I have had such an exciting time over those years, especially entering my bears into UK and European competitions and actually getting somewhere with them! I thought you may like to see one of the first bears I was awarded a prize for - a trip down memory lane for me !
This is Baron Sagacious, he is made from an 17mm light sage sparce string mohair and stands 18" / 46cm tall. He is a nicely shaped bear with a proper hooked back and rounded rear.
I have changed my patterns through the years - actually I am always changing them! But I keep to a certain style of bear close to the traditional shape and pattern. We have such wonderful fabrics to work with that no bear is ever really the same!
What do you think of Sagacious? I would quite like to see him again, I wonder where he is? If anyone knows or can send a picture of him in his current home, I would love it. Now I have some inkling of how a breeder feels when they remember their puppies/kittens!
