Another newbie

[purple_ivy]

Hello Everyone,
My name is Samantha and I've just joined up. Thought it would be nice to connect with other teddy bear enthusiasts and makers :]

I've been making bears on and off since 2000. I was 12 when I made my first from a kitset by D'Lyell Bears (it was the Rosie pattern). I don't know how many I've made so far, under ten, I think. They make great gifts!

I hope to start designing my own bears in the near-future. I'd love to make safety bears for children :]

See you all around the forum!

[Judi Russell]

Hi Samantha, welcome to the forum and you are our first New Zealander so an extra welcome.:6087: You will be able to chat to some of the best Bear makers in the UK and they are all very generous with advice and help, so don't be afraid to ask. We look forward to hearing about NZ bearmakers and what goes on in the southern hemisphere:6086: Judi

[shebob bears]

Hi Samantha, And a warm welcome from me as well. New Zealand is a place I have always wanted to visit. Which part are you from? I agree with Judi, everyone on this forum is just so friendly and helpful, and I know we are all looking forward to seeing photos of your bears.
Best wishes,
Sheila x :6013:

[Ruth]

Hi Samantha , :6034: :6034: This is a great place to chat about what we all like best .... bears !! :6086: Glad you found us ,
Ruth

[Bears of Bath]

Hi Samantha,
Welcome to the forum :) Hope you'll enjoy it here, everyone is so friendly and it's a great place to chat. Look forward to seeing some of your bears.

[monalisa1987]

Hi Samantha, welcome to the forum! I hope that you have fun on the forum!
Its great to have someone with us who is from the other side of the world! Is there alot of oppotunities for bear lovers over there? Are there many bear fairs and shopes and stuff??
xxx

[purple_ivy]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! :)

Sheila, I'm from the Auckland region in the North Island, but have been living in the Gisborne/Poverty Bay area of the North Island for the last 6 years :) If you like wine and pay a visit to Gisborne! Haha.

Simone, I know of one company, Bear Essentials, that does classes, plus there are various people around the country who teach. I know there was recently a doll and bear fair weekend in Auckland which I JUST missed as I was there on the last day but busy elsewhere.
Bear Essentials is a good online store for bear supplies and has some collectors bears. As for physical stores and things, I know of a couple but I'm sure there are more I have yet to disover.
The best place for me to get acrylic fur is from a huge craft and fabric chainstore called Spotlight. They used to have a great supply of plastic saftey joints, eyes, patterns and accesories, but seem to have downsized their beary things considerably :(

Thanks again!

[Susan P]

Hi,
Just thought Id say hello too. Im pretty new here myself and Im still finding my way around the forum.

Susan

[monalisa1987]

That sounds good! Do you collect teddies yourself or do you just make them??
ANd can you get alot of manufactered teddies over in New Zealand or do you order them from the internet if you want them!!

[sefton bears]

Hi Samantha, I'm new here too but it looks a great place to hang out :)

[shelly]

Hi Samantha
I hope you enjoy the forum!
Best wishes
Shelly:6086:

[purple_ivy]

Thanks again for all the welcomes :)

That sounds good! Do you collect teddies yourself or do you just make them??
ANd can you get alot of manufactered teddies over in New Zealand or do you order them from the internet if you want them!!

At the moment I just make them, but I would love to get some collectors bears eventually :)

By manufactured do you just mean your run-of-the mill child-safe teddy? If so, there are loads of manufactured teddies and other stuffed animals here. I'm not sure how readily available collectors bears are though. I've seen most online but that's because I haven't really looked in shops yet.

[monalisa1987]

Hi Samantha! How are you? By manufactured I mean collectable ones like Steiff, Merrythought, Hermann, Boyds and Russ. Handmade (in most cases) but made by a huge company, I wondered if you had teddy shops that sold them or if you just have to go online for them?

[purple_ivy]

Hi Samantha! How are you? By manufactured I mean collectable ones like Steiff, Merrythought, Hermann, Boyds and Russ. Handmade (in most cases) but made by a huge company, I wondered if you had teddy shops that sold them or if you just have to go online for them?

Hi Simone, I'm well, thank you :) How are you?
Sorry for the confusion, I'm a bit green when it comes to teddy collecting terminology.
I think there is one shop that may sell some but I'm not exactly sure about that, or if there are any others.
I imagine most people would get them online.
What's the variety like where you are?

[shelly]

HI AND WELCOME TO THE FORUM . I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT

SHELLY:6086: :6087:



Ooops just realised I've welcomes you twice!!!

[purple_ivy]

HI AND WELCOME TO THE FORUM . I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT

SHELLY:6086: :6087:



Ooops just realised I've welcomes you twice!!!

Hi Shelly!
Hehe, no worries :)
I love your rabbits, by the way. They're just gorgeous! How long have you been making them?

[shelly]

Hi Samantha,

I'm glad you like my rabbits. I started making them about last October, so It will be coming up to about a year soon.

Best wishes
Shelly:6086:

[purple_ivy]

Hi Samantha,

I'm glad you like my rabbits. I started making them about last October, so It will be coming up to about a year soon.

Best wishes
Shelly:6086:

Really? You're so good at it! I thought it would be much longer than that. Did you make bears or other animals before you started with rabbits?

Hope you don't mind all the questions :6045:

[shelly]

I'm afraid I'm a rabbit lover through and through! :6086: I did make a bear on a course once and a small one from a kit but I really only wanted to make rabbits.

I am in the process of making a bear just so that I can enter a competiton but it will have a rabbit with it LOL.

I can see I'm going to have to find ingenious ways of getting my rabbits into teddy bear bear competitons. My bears will probably look like rabbits with teddy ears!!


Shelly.:6086:

[purple_ivy]

Well you certainly have talent!

That teddy and rabbit combo sound gorgeous :D

[Vicky Allum]

Hello Samantha

Just wanted to say hello and welcome!