Ready For The Wedding

For some reason that I am not exactly clear about, Mozzie is feeling extremely excited for the royal wedding.  He even got dressed for it.  I guess these sorts of things can seem like a fairytale to one small bear.  After explaining several times that we weren't invited to it, I had to promise that we will watch it on TV.  He seemed a little disappointed we weren't going, but he recovered quicky and said that Prince William would have probably been jealous of his fancy crown anyway!   o.O

April Showers

For most parts of the country April showers means rain...but not in Colorado!  This morning I took R to the airport where he is off to Vegas for a few days for a work trip, and I snapped these pics when I got back.  It's definitely spring time in tbe Rockies!

I Can't Help Myself!

Every year when I dye Easter eggs the kids get a little touch of temporary color!   What you can't see is that the tip of Jazzy's tail was pink! 

Happy Easter!

I hope you all have a lovely and blessed Easter!

(And I hope it's not snowing where you are, like it is here!)

Taking A Day Off The Hard Way

Since you like pics, I decided to post a pic of the finished Bascom who you saw in an earlier post before he was done.  I forgot to do it after I finished him.

I have been working and working and working...and it's been sort of like the "Gotta make the donuts" guy and the energizer bunny all rolled into one.  R had been gone for three days, and I had been downstairs working on my special piece for the show, and he was due to get home.  So I grabbed some mohair to cut while I was upstairs on the next piece.  Then I thought of a couple more bear related things I wanted to get done and I was running in a circle trying to figure out what to do first.  I realized I was on over drive and terribly stressed and I hadn't had a day off in ages.  So I forced myself to stop and decided that I was going to take Thursday off.  No work at all.

I called and made an appointment for a massage and made a shopping list.  It was hard to not be in bear mode, but I was ready.  You know what they say about the best laid plans...

Yesterday I woke up with cramping and a terrible pain in my side.  I waited for it to pass and it didn't.  So I called and cancelled my massage.  By mid afternoon I told R I was going to call the doctor.  The doctor recommended I go to the ER.  R rushed home to take me.  Poor guy, he has taken me to the ER far too many times over the years.

It's a good thing we went though, I had an intestinal obstruction.  So after a stop at Walgreens to get the required meds, I had a brutal night.  BRUTAL!  In fact the fun is still continuing.

I got my day off, but I wouldn't recommend it as a good method to anyone else!  Hopefully I will feel better later...and when I do, I am just going to go back to work!

~*~ One Eyed Jax ~*~

The rumor is that Jax once belonged to a sea captain. He had a great many adventures until that fateful day when they hit a storm so violent that not even the most accomplished sailor could sail through it unscathed. All hands were lost, save one...Jax miraculously washed ashore but he lost an eye in the process. Only Jax himself knows if it's actually true. If you ask him about it all he does is smile mysteriously.

I have noticed more and more artists are making distressed bears lately.  I love distressed bears and I am happy to see there is an upsurge in popularity.  However it pushes me to go that extra mile...or inch in this case.  He is super distressed, and I sat plucking him for three and a half hours.  My hand looked like a claw last night!

A long time ago I was setting a pair of eyes and one broke.  I finally got to the end of the bag and had that one extra eye left...so I was inspired by it.  The result is Jax.  He is the first bear I have ever made with a button eye, but I like it.  He has a sweet demeanor despite it.

You can visit Jax on my website at http://www.blondheart.com/

(Edit: Jax has been adopted and will be heading to the South of France very soon!)

Post Office Terrors

I have to go to the post office today to mail a couple pieces...and it's tax day!  I am terrified...if I don't make a post in the next three days...send help!

~*~ Raspberry Creme Squirrel ~*~

Raspberry Creme' is my latest piece.  I guess I was in a fruit mood this week!  She is available on my website at http://www.blondheart.com/

Off to work on the next piece!

~*~ Saskatoon ~*~

I thought since you saw his seams in the previous post, I would show you the finished piece.  Yup he was pink...and now he is blue!

(He is going to live in South Africa, how cool is that!)

Inside And Outside

First of all I want to apologize to you, I know I haven't been making my usual "indepth" posts about things and some of you have sent me e-mails wondering why I have stopped.  I will be back to making those posts soon, but for right now I have been working virtually around the clock to get pieces done for this upcoming show in Philly in May, so I just haven't had time.  I keep thinking of topics I want to talk about, but I end up falling into bed in an exhausted heap instead.  Now on to the post...

Sometimes I forget that not every artist does the basics in the same way.  I know that many artists hand sew some of their smaller pieces like I do, and others can sew them on a machine.  Even for those who do it by hand, I really have no idea how they do it.  I have rarely watched other artists work.  But I thought I would show you the "inside" of one of the little 7 inch bears I am working on, it's not something I have ever thought about showing before.  I suddenly thought you might like to see it. 

When I hand sew I don't do it the same way I would if I were sewing with a regular fabric like cotton or something.  I don't take a few running stitches at a time.  Each tiny stitch is done one at a time, pulled through securely and then I move on to the next.  It's a lengthy process, but I like the results.  I am sort of picky about stitches showing.  You can't stop it 100 percent, but I certainly try. 

I have discovered an interesting side effect of hand sewing.  You get into a rhythmic pattern and it's almost like a form of meditation because you achieve something akin to a zen state. 

Now for the "outside" part...I have a sneak peek for you.  I got the box of mohair for the class today.  Isn't it beautiful!  It's this perfect old gold distressed short mohair.  I can't wait to get started making it and taking pictures so you can see what I will be teaching!  Unfortunately it might take a little time since I need R's help.  I can't put the bear together and take the pictures of me putting it together to show you how, since it will require more than 2 hands! 

In the mean time...the pink bear in the first picture and a squirrell are waiting for me to finish them...hi ho hi ho...off to work I go!

A Class Act ~ I Need Some Feedback

What I am about to tell you has absolutely nothing to do with the bear in the picture.  He is the bear I am currently working on...he isn't done, I am still detailing him and of course he needs to be dressed.  But I know you guys like pics so I thought I would take one real fast to add.  Besides you won't get to see him finished anyway since he is going to Philly for the show.

Now on to what I did want to talk about...yesterday I called and ordered a bunch of mohair.  I have had an idea in the back of my mind for about a year now, and I finally got around to figuring out all the details of making it happen.  In the next week to two weeks I am going to make a bear that I intend to teach as a class online.  I have taught quite a few classes at show in the past and they were always so much fun!  But I know that people can't always get to a show to do a class, especially if they live in another country.  This is something you can do in the comfort of your own home at your own pace.

I am going to design a bear pattern specifically for the class, and you will get a kit and online detailed instructions with pictures on how to make it.  It will still be the standard distressed, traditional style that I make.  I just want to do a pattern that is especially for the class.  You will be able to ask questions and we will have some discussion, etc.  I will give you all the details on that when I formally announce it.  There is also going to be a fun surprise too...but you will just have to wait and see.

Now what I need before I start designing is some feedback from you guys.  First of all would you like to take a class like that?  Also what size bear would you want to make if you did?  Do you prefer presewn parts in a kit/for a class or would you rather sew them yourself?  Anything else you might want to suggest would be appreciated.  I will take any and all comments under advisement.

Again, the bear I will teaching is NOT the bear in the pic above! Just wanted to make sure no one thinks it is!

Thanks a lot!  Hugs, K. <3

~*~ Jelly Bean Bunnies ~*~

 I think when you make things that look well loved, it's easy to fall into the idea that the colors should be old looking.  But brightly colored toys get dirty and old too.  While they do fade, they don't always fade that much.

When I was a kid in the 60's you used to could buy pre-filled Easter baskets.  They had candies and they had these big bright jelly bean colored Easter bunnies in them, and the whole thing was wrapped up in colored cellophane.  They cost about 10-12 dollars a piece, which in those days was a lot of money for something like that.  But to the eyes of a very young child they were magic and I always wanted one, however my parents couldn't afford it, so I got a smaller basket with candy.  That was good too though!

I loved the bunnies, they came in blue, purple, pink..and even a rare green or yellow.  I thought about those bunnies the other day, and I wondered what they would look like if they had been kept and played with all these years.  So they were the inspiration for the little set of bunnies I have done!  I did one in each color.  I didn't want to put them in baskets, but I did want a give a nod to their heritage so they have a little basket with Easter grass and a flower pinned to their bows.

They are just a "hare" under 6 inches tall.  Each one has been individually hand dyed, hand stitched and hand distressed of mohair. They have glass eyes and smudged little alpaca tails. They have that perfect amount of squishiness that everyone loves.  They are 110.00 each or if you can't decide and want to adopt all five, I will give you a discount and make an even 500.00.  There is only one of each color.  So when they are gone...they're gone!

They have been added to my website, if you would like to see their individual pictures you can do that at Blondheart.com