World wide bear hunt...

They've noticed us 'bear people' on the National Post ...woohooo...

For a few weeks now, bear people have been putting bears in their windows to entertain others who walk past.  I've see so many people walking I can't believe they all live on my block.

They must be bored to tears... or having absolutely not one more thing to do in the house.  I decided to do it after one of the girls on a teddy bear group showed her big red bear in a window...half hidden by curtains.

Tigger, Bernie and Floppy were the first three... well, first let me back track a bit...

There was an episode the first few days that Mr. BumbleVee was working from home ... and poor little Bernie thought it was going to be non stop fun having his Daddy home ... he yukked things up a bit too much from too close to the newly organized 'office area'.. and this happened.... (erm.....it had already happened to me a bit earlier)......

So, little Bernie and I had a chat and I encouraged him to find some other pastimes and ..he did.  He wanted to sit on the windowsill and wave at kids....















But, then it got colder and even snowed.... they were bored......... so Bernie hung out with me at the computer and saw a little bear with a party hat.  That did it.  He insisted that we make one for him.
so, we made a cone out of coloured paper and put two 'scrunchies' on the top for a pom pom and taped it to his head.  He was a bit concerned about the tape on his forehead area and thought it might flatten his fur.  I told him that he already has sort of 'flattish' fur, but assured him I would brush up his fur each night when I take them out of the window.

So, he made a little sign and got back on the windowsill...... looking out for people and waving.... even the Dads are waving back at us....

The neighbour across the street joined in... even though she usually thinks I'm a nut job....

Then Elmo and Radcliffe hopped up there too...and, there were plenty of bears on the sill...which is too narrow for their bums, but I balanced them on books..except Radcliffe; he can do the splits.

Then, it got colder ................ and then............................it snowed some more.  They are not happy bears.........

You can check out the article here...

Bear Hunting

Timothy in the tree

Finished and still looking a bit worried even though he has buddies and friends in the tree with him .. there are other little bears... mousies in their walnut shells... a black sheep ... and several little owls and other birds.....

Where I placed him, I can see him from the kitchen ... watching and wondering.....

...in which I show you MY way to fix baldness....

Yep....I did it.  There I was merrily plucking out a few stray hairs and trying to clean up the nose area where I wanted to embroider his nose.   All of a sudden I realized I was looking at the fabric under the fur, not the fur...damn!!@#  Somehow just plucking on a few hairs had already gotten me too deep into it and the fabric was laid bare.   How could I have been so stupid?  I wasn't even in the exact centre of the nose for heaven's sake.  Me and my eyes.  Very frustrating.  Like I mentioned, they have gotten worse, and, even working with my big magnify9ing glass I still did a stupid thing.  Sigh......................so bloody annoying.

I was contemplating tossing the head in the bin.  Or wondering if I could just make a huge nose and cover up most of the mess...or maybe pluck out some on the other side and match up a bare patch and make a bare fabric snout surrounding the actual nose.  None of the those options appealed.

When Mister BumbleVee came home and asked how the bear making was going I told him my tale of woe.  He said, "Can't you just needle felt some fluff back in?"  HUH??@#!  How the heck would he think of that?  And, of course, at first I poo-poo'ed the idea saying it was rayon and it would probably leave big holes in the fabric and I didn't think it possible to get any kind of result..etc...  but, then, I thought about it and did dig out some felting needles and plucked out some of the rayon curly fluff from near a cut edge of the fabric I was using and needled some into the bare patches.  SUCCESS!!  Wow.  that really worked.

He had remembered that I needle felted a nose onto my scratty bunny.. and figured it could be done on any other animal I suppose.  I do remember doing Eddy, but it was lovely mohair and you can needle felt to your heart's content on that and not ruin it.... rayon, I was not so sure about.  But, I'm hear to tell you....it can be done.  It doesn't look quite the same even when I try really hard to find some shiny new long pieces of fluff..and, try not to needle it much .. so the curls stay a bit...but, it covered up the bare patches and looks great.  His whole snout area looks lighter anyway for some reason...probably because I did snip and trim things a bit ..trying for a nicer shape to the snout.

Click on the pics for close ups....the eyes and also the nose are "test eyes" ... things will move or change in size for sure.  And, his nose will be embroidered.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the bald patches .. so you could see how wrecked the poor little guy was.  But, I do have photos of the fixed areas...and, I can't even tell you where they were really.   Somebody looked petty smug when I showed him the result.   There was a big cheesy grin.  He totally expects to get equal billing when we tell anybody I made the little bear head ornament on the tree I'm sure... and, well....he should....

It's weird when you think your guy is not really paying much attention to what you are doing hobby wise...and, then... they remember some reeellly important thing to help out when you totally forget about ever having done it.   Strange that........ he's definitely a keeper.

This is the first bear I made with this rayon fabric.  A wobble jointed bear named Leonard..he has a ladybug on his foot.  I knew it was a bit tricky to work with ...but, I went ahead with him anyway and he turned out fine.  Very cute actually... so I thought I would use it again.  IT gets a bit matted and flattened after handling and honestly, with rayon? ..you cannot, and I mean CANNOT just fluff it up or brush it out...it fuzzes terribly!  So... my advice ... mostly don't use it.  The chin gusset is part of this guy's nose area...it is softest suede as are the paw pads.

This is what I plucked out to use for needle felting into his nose... the edge bits of some of the fluff.  If I tease it out gently...it doesn't fuzz or get dull .. and, then..try to needle it in with a bit of curl in place.  Tricky, but only jabbed myself one time...ouch... those needles are reeeeellllly sharp..  and then, you do have to wait a bit for the bleeding to stop before continuing.

Here is my Scratty Eddy bunny that I made years ago.  The white snout is all needle felted wool with a pink embroidered nose.   It felts easily into lovely mohair like this...but, I wasn't sure about how the rayon would hold together for repeated stabbing ...somehow it did just fine.

head first into the fray......

Now, this is the way to spend an hour working on a little bear.

Some patterns and some bear makers stitch from tip of nose down to the neck area first and then stitch in the head gusset.  Some stitch on the head gusset piece first..I guess it depends upon which you prefer after you have made a couple of bears, or which you learned first or whatever...I totally forget which I learned first or if I just followed directions for patterns and then... forgot about them and did it my way.  I seem to stitch up the nose to neck first a lot of the time.  But, then..it does seem to be a bit of a wrestling match to get the gusset to line up perfectly ...altough, it is tough either way.
Can't say one or the other is easier for me.

I stitched up the second side of the head on this day... which is always a bit of an eye opener.  You more or less have to stitch from the top side of the gusset down to the underneath side of it with each tiny stitch, as compared to the other side...which seems to be from the bottom to top if you get my drift.  It has to be because you are going in the opposite direction, but can't just back-stitch from left to right instead of right to left.  Hmmm...  maybe you could... you know what ?..I've never tried that.  Maybe I could some day.

So.. totally confused?  Okay then...I'll just show you my head so far then...

This is normally just how I work.  A tiny cluttered space with my light, my "stuff" ..oh, and on this perfect day... Mr. BumbleVee poured me a little drink to sip as well.  Perfect.

It was a cold, snowy day and nice and cozy in the house.... a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

It looks a bit cluttered on the actual head as well doesn't it?  With all those alligator clips.... but, that is an easy way to hold the seam edges tightly together without having to grip it with fingers and thumb and make my hands reeeellly sore.   You just remove them as you get stitched right up to each one..or move one and re-organize the next one if a pucker or ruffle shows up... it is an ongoing process to get a head stitched up the way I like it.

As I mentioned in my previous post..the head is actually stitched together now...and I put in some stuffing...but, I will have to load up some new pics ...so you can see that next.  Patience people.... patience.....hahahha... what am I saying?  I have no patience at all myself... ....I want things now and I mean right NOW! .. but here I am expecting everybody else to wait.  BAD me.... bad me.....

But, there was drama with the nose area.... trauma and difficulties ensued...problems were overcome and I am back in the driver's seat...

Off I go now to stitch up an ear ....

and...............next time I tell you the story of how I made the poor little guy's muzzle instantly bald with just a few plucks...

And sew, it begins......

After many years of not making any bears (or dolls either for that matter) ... and sort of letting this blog become a lot more about birds than bears..... I have begun a bear head.  Woohooo... the "Bearister" lives again!

My eyes have gotten a lot worse, but I can still manage to do a bit of stitching.  Alright!  So, Maggi, my bear making buddy, and I, decided on a short project.  Only a head really.

It is a freebie Andrea Brewer design for a Christmas ornament from an ancient bear making magazine.  A bear head with a ruffle.  So, it shouldn't take too long and maybe even a second one could be done before the big day.  I want to put them on the tree...and, it isn't that far off now is it?

I also have a wonky elbow and man, pinching the pieces together with fingers and also gripping my needle in the usual.... " grip of death"... neck and elbow were pretty sore after my first hour working on it.

Somehow, I need to give up worrying about every stitch being perfect and trying so hard to make sure every hair is tucked into the seams, etc... but, it's tough to do when you are totally anal.   Yeh....I know myself well.......

Click on any pic to see even larger...

Anyway... here is the pic of the pattern and also of the head I have begun..

The fur used on the pattern is mini bear fabric and although it looks very furry... that fabric is pretty flat unless photographed right up close.  And, I don't have a colour I like in that fabric anyway right now..so I chose this curly oatmeal coloured rayon instead.  It will be cute I'm sure even though it looks more like an Alpaca or a sheepdog at the moment...





It is now stuffed and ready for nose plucking before I embroider a nose.  She made a clay nose....but, eh...I still like to embroider them...so will do that.

Watch this space as they say...whoever 'they' is......

Snow, snow, ....and ....more snow!!

This is a reeeellly big snow year so far.  See those pots in the picture above in the header? ...here they are now.... who can even tell they are pots anymore?

We are nowhere finished with our snowy months.... good thing my arm is working much better this year....I'm definitely getting my shovelling exercise!  Don't get me wrong ...I do love being out in the pristine white stuff ... it is so lovely and quiet; even the sound of cars passing by is muffled by the fluffy deep stuff we have now.  The problem is, I can't throw it much higher in some areas..so, I've resorted to shovelling it all towards the road.  Forget trying to pile it any higher.... I was even using my sister's technique for piling manure ... sort of flattening the cone at the top of the pile every so often to make the hill wider instead of too narrow ... which is when the balls of you-know-what roll right off with every forkful and end up at your feet again (or...worse yet, on them!...'course, usually you are wearing boots so it's not that big a deal.. ) Luckily my rolling snow balls were just that ...snow.... ..

But, the hills were still getting too steep and too conical... just the perfect sledding hills ...or so the guys thought.... and it wasn't long before several of them got out there even if it is -17C..... wheeeeeee...........
 "Hang on Gingy"....!!  it's pretty steep .... and almost as high as a house!

Not to be left out ....  these two found another sled ....and downnnnnn they went too....

"Let's go again"......

...hellllllppppp!!

Okay guys .... time to come in now...my fingers are getting numb .....

Merry Christmas!

Bernie settled in early on Christmas Eve to see the sparkly tree.... of course, it wasn't sparkly when he first got there and settled in to his favourite viewing spot.  It was still daytime.  I think he was a bit over eager.

Nonetheless, he did get the best seat in the house. And, soon...was rewarded for his patience.

oh, wow...........

ooooh....... yeh...........

uhm, Bernie.............

It's bed time, man......... c'mon............

What I'm doing..

Still working with various techniques we are learning in Karen Ruane's Embroidery, Embellish and Create class....

Funky puffs... sorry, not for eating, Twig... but they do look good enough to do just that don't they?....
They are little circles, drawn up and stuffed.  One just has some French knots on the surface and the other has been cut away, some lace inserted, buttonhole stitch done around the cut area... so many possibilities with these little guys.  They are tiny, ...same size as my Chinese knots...and can be used on the surface of our wrapping cloth, or as trim around an outside edge...well, if a person made many more that is.....two won't exactly cut it as a trim...

I made Rosebud several years ago in a class that was about learning to do bullion stitch.  We each made our bears more or less outside class time..after learning the stitch... but, that's another story...

Let's just say, this class of Karen's that I am now taking is so much more than it was advertised... not at all like other classes I have done in the past.. if you ever decide to take one of her classes, you will be glad you did.  Worth every penny and then some ...and such fun too... especially ours.  It's been great.

The bullion flowers on little Rosebud were my inspiration... but, quite honestly?   I did have to refer to my A ~ Z of Embroidery Stitches to do the first two 'cuz I totally forgot how I did them back then.  I  did the third pretty much without referring to every picture of how to make it happen.. but, they are a bit tricky til you do a few...

My cloth is going to be all whites and off whites...and mostly whites for embroidery threads as well...but, have now decided to add some yellows and a lovely soft green...

Embroidered bullion rose...on the corner of a dainty, almost fragile, fine cotton hanky given to me by my Mom many years ago...I was only about 15... so....it's definitely vintage...hahahhahah....

Today, I'm playing with clay ... and Lin....I will try for legs for Ms. Goosie sometime this week....honest.........

She so busted me on the last post....

WOYWW

....ahhhh...finally I can reveal the rest of the secret to those WOYWWers that stopped by during the "unavailability" days  ..... the secret that Olaf was guarding so zealously several Wednesdays ago.

If you want to know what WOYWW is all about ...check it out sometime over at Julia's .  The list is long and the ATC exchange is about to happen too....excitement all 'round.

So ...anyway...back to the story.  Sorry... longer than most people like to look at or read...but, it is mostly photos anyway.... please scroll on.... and on..... you'll love their little faces, I promise.

The last two little bears have found their forever homes....

This little guy is the only one who stayed in Canada...and he found his way to Dolores...who was one of my 4 Pay It Forward recipients.  (from over 2 years ago if you know the story.. and it is only supposed to be one year..so they were definitely all surprised!)
Now ... she will find some who want to play Pay It Forward and they will do the same and on it goes.... little gifties winging their way around the world.

She has named him Rusty..and blogged about his arrival here.... True Blue Canadian...

He had a lot of fun playing in his papers....

choosing just the right ones.... getting all comfy and making sure he could streeetttchh... right out...all 2 inches of him... if that.......

And, this little girl, all by herself ... found her way to Anne in Scotland... and for some reason I never did a pic of her playing in the papers... but, I got one of her before she was complete....

sorry little girl... almost like showing you nekkid....

your little arms were teeensy....and it was dangerous work..... for me!

Here they are just before getting on planes.... wondering how far they would be flying and how it would all work out.  They were pretty nervous ... but, they got all comfy in their little tissue-for-blankies and off they went...so brave.

Group hug.

Awwww... what fun it was making them and for me...the best part is...my arm/hand/elbow is once again finally able to do some needle felting!  I'm a happy felter!.  It's not perfect..but, if I work at it a bit at a time...I can still make some little guys.  Boy, does that feel great.

Another little bear...

who successfully found his way across the ocean...  and through a mail slot...hahahha.... what fun!  The second  of 4 Pay It Forwards that I've owed for over two years now.

Shashi is a dollmaker and artist who volunteered all that time ago to play the game.  And, now... is offering to Pay It Forward from her blog as well...so if you want to play along...please visit her to let her know.  You will receive a little gift from her and in return pay it forward yourself with another little gift. It is supposed to take place within one year from the original date... but, as you know...I'm late.  But, what fun it is ...seeing little gifts flying all over the world...connecting us all with some love and fun.

This little guy is needle felted from Canadian wool raised and carded right here in Alberta.  It is a warm, natural, white Romney wool.  His little eyes are black onyx beads and his nose embroidered.  I plucked some tufts from a natural white chunk of mohair and needled them into his head along with some softly needled bits of the longer Romney for 'hair' as well as a bit on his body for that fluffy look that I like for my little guys. .... he has a little tie of silk.

Peek a boo.  Is this my paper? I want something comfy to travel in....

Feels reeeelly soft.....

... and I love the colour....yep....it's comfy alright.... this is the one.......

Definitely...this is the one.

WOYWW(T)

Missed it.  The day that is.  Wednesday came and Wednesday went.... just like that! Snap... sooooo ....I added the T in brackets for Thursday...cute hey?  hahaha...oh, alright ...it's no big deal...but I kinda like it and thought I was being pretty humorous.

I haven't done much at all with anything crafty since last week.  All I managed to do is stitch into place a gusset on the head of my guy.

Here is the head with the 'gusset' in place.  That is the part on the top of the head that gives the head some width and some shape.  Different shaped gussets totally change the shape of the finished head.  However, they all look strange to me before they are stuffed.
Doesn't it look like a crocodile shape to you?  It does to me.  Always ...even when I make totally different shapes of gussets.

 Many of the other WOYWW participants will have much more to keep you intrigued.... check them out.... perhaps join in the fun...

Born to be wild....

.... and to ride.....

no, not me... this guy...

He's been months in the making. Just bits and pieces lying about.

For me? ....ooooh.... thanks Maggi......

Hope I can figure it out.

Oh, this is easier than I thought.

Wheeeee ..... ...

Hey..... look Mom ....no hands....!!  .. steering with my feet! ...

Stop it...you'll hurt yourself!

Ow............