Facelifts

This is Dandy BEFORE his facelift!


And this is Dandy AFTER his facelift!


Although I have been making teddy bears for a number of years, I have never taken the time to really learn how to create detail in my teddies. I've always been so excited about seeing who I am creating, that I can hardly wait to get done. The results, unfortunately, are that I end up creating someone with a face, well perhaps a little less than desirable.... Sorry.

Right before Christmas a customer was browsing through my bears and picked out Sunset. He said, "I really like this bear, his fur, etc., but I don't like the face." End of story. Sunset went back on the shelf.

Through my friends at Teddy Talk, I learned of a great book called "101 Bears to Make" by Nancy Tillberg. I ordered the book through Amazon.com., and it is the most amazing book I have ever read to date on the creation of bears.

So, a few days ago, I took three bears off the shelf who had less than desirable facial expressions (sorry bears)... and gave them all facelifts using some of the techniques I'm learning by reading this book.

Here are the before and after pictures.

This is Emily BEFORE her facelift.


This is Emily AFTER her facelift!!

This is Sunset BEFORE his facelift.

This is Sunset AFTER his facelift!!


Let me know what you think.

Thanks!!! Vicki and the "new" bears

Oh, and if you are interested in adopting any one of these revised "cuties" they should be up on bearpile shortly.

The Business Plan

Today I wrote a business plan.

I started my business and opened a teddy bear shop in 1988. I didn’t know how to run a business and I didn’t even really know how to make quality bears. I was, however, so excited about teddy bears I could hardly stand it. So I just started making teddy bears, opened a shop, put the bears on the shelves, and they sold, one at a time; and not always as quickly as I would have liked.

One of my shop bears and me sitting in the sun sewing a bear.

I won’t tell you I wasn’t scared to death. I was. Some days I would just cry behind the teddy bear display in my shop.

I learned that you can cry without smearing your makeup. If you stand up and lean forward, the tears simply drop to the floor.

More shop teddies

I did end that little venture a year later. I got a “real” job and worked enough years to finally retire, while at the same time trying to run my teddy bear business out of my home with no viable plan other than to make and sell teddy bears.

I was able to retire from the “real” job a couple of years ago; with every good intention of finally making a go of this teddy bear business.

I have managed to make and sell some teddy bears over the past couple of years since I retired, but most days I don’t know if I’m coming or going. I waste time. I find myself doing everything BUT making teddy bears. Then I get mad at myself for not doing what I love (making teddies) and when I finally do allow myself time in the teddy bear room, I don’t know where to begin, I get overwhelmed and then go clean something…

Today I made a decision: Make A Plan. Write A Plan. Read a book on how Dummies can operate a business. And so I did. I read the book, I wrote the plan, I made a list of to do’s and now I’m so excited I can hardly stand it (again!).

There’s something about belonging to this teddy bear world that just won’t let you go. I have finally surrendered and it is time for me to give it all I’ve got. I don’t want to say to myself someday, “oh well, I did the best I could” unless I really did the best I could.

I’m excited and I’m off to make my teddy bear dreams come true.

Uncle Art and "Art"; shop favorites

Thanks for joining me and stay tuned for more!