What Inspires You?

[Melanie Jayne]

What Inspires You?

Before I begin I must apologise for not being around much, but I do have heaps of stuff going on here, so please forgive me.

Anyway I am always interested in how people found their way into bear making and I thought that this would be an interesting subject to share…………. So as a bear artist/maker what originally inspired you to start making bears? Did you know about collectable bears beforehand, did you collect bears or did you simply stumble across bear making accidentally like me?

From the initial steps into bear making what continually inspires you to create the bears that you do and why do you make the particular style of bear that you do?

lots of love
MJ

[Jenny]

Well I was actually looking for something to do....I actually considered showing dogs before I found bearmaking!!!

I hadn't any clue about the bear world...in fact I didn't even own a bear...but my niece was collecting bears (pandas) and my sister was the one who started to check out various websites and bear shops. It was when I went tagging along. looking bored, wondering what on earth she could see in these things and horror of horrors spend vast sums on them that I decided to have a go at making one for my niece...don't ask me why...I just did. I wasn't particularly inspired...but I am the kind person who just does things. But when I went to a fair I was completely hooked...I loved it and that inspired me..the atmosphere...the bears...the buzz

I still haven't made my niece a bear!!!

[Andrel13]

hmm well I've always had bears around me what can I say I'm a bear addict don't have many artists bears well apart from my own but you get the picture. i had made bears before but the main thing that got me into them was my mums old bear poor little thing he was in a right sorry state he is a fully jointed bear but his joints(they were metal joints:6044:) were cutting though the fabric and he had been dropped in the bath when my mum had one of her sleeping fits when she was younger so they had rushed solid, talk about a mess so I decided to do surgery took me 3 weeks of careful sewing and buying new joints etc to make him look better I was reading everything I could about caring for mohair as that's what I think it is, in the end I sponged cleaned the fur and I must admit I was nervous as hell but it came out looking really good, the other shock was that he was not filled with the stuffing like we would use but scrap bits of mohair they were really yucky so I decided to restuff him but while I was fixing him I got to see how the bear was made and the shapes etc and that's what really got me inspired after that I got everything I could on making bears and of I went

[Lorna Evett]

I got into making bears because I went to a car boot and picked up a steiff bear for 50p it was lovely. I then went to a teddy and toy fair and found more bears made by different people, the bears were lovely and I felt I could make one. I always have sewn, patchwork, clothing, embroidery, all that kind of thing fascinates me. So did an internet search about 4 years ago and found a lady in Settle who did classes.

Spent a fantastic weekend making a bear, I loved it, and the other bear artists were so friendly and kind. I went home and made a prototype out of synthetic fur, thought it worked and then made three more.

I had another weekend of lessons in settle, I took my bears along to show them, they went down quite well, even if they didnt i would have caried on. I loved making the bears, and have gone on to make loads. Quite happy to keep them but have sold some.

Had one or two commisons which I hope will stand me in good stead, but I carry on making them and taking them into work and sometimes they take someones fancy. They are never the same which I think is fascinating even if you follow the same pattern, and they all have their own characters which is lovely. I do not dress my bears, i like them as they come.

I sit in my conservatory and have them sat around me, I find it quite comforting.

Lorna:)

[Vicky Allum]

I have to say when I first started making bears it was the artist bears in the magazines that inspired me, now I look mostly at pictures of antique bears. I don't own any old bears so I have to make do with photos:6022: , as many as I can find, from all different angles. My latest favourite was a baldy antique hot water bottle Steiff who was listed on ebay. I like the baldies as you can get a good idea of what they look like without their fur!

[Angela]

Well, when I gave up my job as Management-Secretary/Assistant for a "consultant firm" (headhunters ;) ) I looked for something to do (after 3 months of being just lazy :D ).
I always liked painting and needlework and after a few pictures, which are all hanging around the house and all empty spaces were filled I tried a teddy bear and -honestly- he looked like something "not from this world". So I thought to myself that could be done better and this is how it started. Since 2005 I am self-employed and I am so happy having had the chance to choose the best job on this world: Bearmaker :)

[davistedds]

So many things inspire me - old things usually (like me!!) and the fabric...oooh the fabric, just looking and feeling the fabric.......am I weird?!!:p :D :D :D

[Lorna Evett]

I love to feel the fabric, that is why i would rather go to fairs or shops to buy my fabric, my husband groans when we go to these fairs because I get really excited by the fabric and like to rub my face in it. Trouble is i want to buy all of it.

The other problem is that I am allergic to most of it, but i reckon that by continuing to sew the bears I will become unallergic.

Well even if I dont, it will not stop me, but i do hoover up the bits all the time which i reckon helps.

I get a bit giddy about buying eyes too, and sometimes the eyes come first then I decide on the fabric.

Still steeling myself to try airbrushing though.

Lorna:6034:

[Jenny]

I get insprired by accessories and pictures..even names in films...for instance I watched the film Showboat and promptly made a rabbit called 'Cotton-Blossom'...funny that fabric doesn't inspire me really...usually I get the inspiration then go searching for the fabric!!!

Lorna, I'm booked on to a hands on airbrushing course in May...I'll let you know how it goes..I did a beary on-line one but just can't 'get' these courses...I know they are well put together...maybe I'm old fashioned but I'd rather be shown how to do things and be able to ask questions there and then...otherwise I'd rather have a book.

[Lorna Evett]

Hi Jenny

Me too, i work better with being told what to do and being able to ask questions, I do not work well with trying to learn on line, I think my eyes get too tired. I like hands on, being there, watching, much easier. Let me know how it goes, I have seen some lovely stuff done.

L:6034:

[shelly]

I'm inspired every time I look into the eyes of my little bunny ......

:6086:

[Suzanne]

Hello, I am always inspired by other artists. Ive only been making teddies for one year but I am constantly inspired by the individuality. It is brilliant to know that, however you make a bear, no-one else has probably ever made one the same. Your own ideas are what makes you an artiste, like Van Gogh.

Just think about that when you are thinking about starting your next bear. Individuality, is priceless.
Sue. Hull.

What Inspires You?

Before I begin I must apologise for not being around much, but I do have heaps of stuff going on here, so please forgive me.

Anyway I am always interested in how people found their way into bear making and I thought that this would be an interesting subject to share…………. So as a bear artist/maker what originally inspired you to start making bears? Did you know about collectable bears beforehand, did you collect bears or did you simply stumble across bear making accidentally like me?

From the initial steps into bear making what continually inspires you to create the bears that you do and why do you make the particular style of bear that you do?

lots of love
MJ

[Bears of Bath]

I was originally inspired by my mum. When I was growing up the house was always full of soft hand-knitted toys as she used to make them to raise money for the disabled club my Dad helped to run. I think some of that must have rubbed off on me.
I grew up always drawing and painting and from an early age wanted to be an artist. Went to college and did my degree in Graphic Design (wrong choice) I should have studied textiles. Since leaving I have found my way at long last and started to work with fabric. I love to make my own, usually painting or felting, inspired by whats around me. A few years ago I made a collection of hand-knitted mohair jumpers which were 'Paintings in wool' inspired by the countryside (We were living up in the Welsh mountains at the time). When I got back to Bath I started making bears, (about a year ago). The bears came from earlier drawings I did when I was a college. Since then it has become a partnership with my husband Paul and we have began to create a Teddy Bear world online with stories and illustrations, it's fantastic fun. Wish I'd started it years ago!:)