A Knock on the Head!

Unfortunately, I had an accident in the garden two weeks ago that left me with a head injury and concussion.  I am gradually improving, but have been told it may be several weeks before I get back to full health.  In the meantime, Mike suggested I try occupying myself with something crafty, but undemanding.  I have wanted to create an album or journal of my bearmaking for ages, but I never got around to it.

I picked up a sketchbook and have decorated the cover over the past few days.  I created some embellishments in polymer clay.  I used papers, lace, sequins, ribbon and buttons from my stash and used a Lucy Atwell stamp that I hand coloured and aged. All good fun!

Now I can start adding some photos of my creations!

Before I took the hit on my head, I had just finished little Minty.  He has been sitting patiently waiting to have his photo taken.

He is a happy little chap...about 9 inches tall...I think.  He stands nicely unaided.

His head and paws are hand sculpted and painted by myself.  He has glass eyes.

 

I have started sculpting again in the last couple of days, but I can't do much before my head starts to ache, so it is slow progress!

A Girly Bear

OK, so most of my bears are boy bears.  Time for a girly bear!  I have been enjoying myself playing around with paper clay, and thought it might be fun to make a closed eyes bear.  Camille is the result.  I often feel I have little control over how a bear turns out.  They seem to have a will of their own.  I thought it might be different, working in clay...but no, the bear decides its own look!

She has a blond mohair body, an armature and 4 nut and bolt joints.  Her head and paws have been hand sculpted by myself, gessoed, painted and sealed. Her outfit is made from silver panne velvet, ribbons, lace and an oystershell button.  She stands beautifully on her own and is one of a kind. She will be coming to Hugglets with me next month.

First Bear of 2014

Kristian is an 8 inch bear cub...my first of 2014.  His name means 'new beginning', so very apt for the start of the year.  I hand sculpted his head and paws using paper clay. They were then gessoed, painted and sealed.  He has glass eyes.  His body is made from a butterscotch coloured, short dense mohair.  He has a sachet od stainless steel balls in his tummy.  He cannot stand unaided.

Belated Happy New Year to all!