Bears and More Bears

It's crazy!  I have 7 bears sitting on shelves in my living room, 3 more critters in various states of assembly in my studio, and 3 in Scotland waiting to be introduced to the world at the end of June.  All these bears and I can't show you any photos!  

At least I feel like I can't show them.  I suppose I might be able to give you some sneak peeks as the days get closer to the Teddy Bear Artist Invitational (TBAI) in August.  I've always thought that I wasn't supposed to show my bears before they were available, but I'm truly not sure.  Could it be okay?  Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse because I'm just ITCHING to show you all of the sweeties I've made.

But I can show you some photos that I've found inspirational while I've been making all of these bears.  Little Faith always makes me smile.  I read about her, Lily, Hope, and all of the bears at the North American Bear Center in Ely, Minnesota every morning.  It's part of my routine--I've even gotten my girls into it!  How can you resist that face?!

And my dear little Chester, a vintage Chiltern, has inspired me to make a quasi-vintage style bear--the first in over a year. 

I should be able to finish the little quai-vintage guy in the next day or two. He's looking pretty cute, I must say, AND I found a neat old toy typewriter for him to play with, too!  I'll try to get a photo of him for you soon.  And if I chicken out on that, at least I can show you a picture of his toy typewriter.

Warmly,

Cheryl