Teddies by Laura Lynn

Tag a Long Sneak Preview

2011-10-23T14:06:00.002-05:00

Hi all! Well, I've been busy at my new job which I really enjoy - and I've also been getting ready for the upcoming Christmas Treasures Online Bear Show produced by Teddies Worldwide. It starts Nov 18th but will have a preview available Nov 4th.

In the meantime, I have just finished this little Tag a Long and I thought I'd post him here till I find time to list him on my website. He has been adopted!

Still Creating Bears!

2011-10-06T08:17:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I thought I'd mention that it may take me a little longer to answer your emails and update the website when bears are adopted and I apologize in advance for that! I've decided to take an outside job doing something totally different - tech support.

I am still making bears!! You couldn't stop me from doing that unless you broke my arms LOL! I'd also like to thank you ALL for allowing me to do what I love... creating bears!

Sneak Preview on 2 Mini Bears

2011-09-08T16:32:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to give you a sneak preview of my latest 2 bears before I get them on my website. Felix is a 2 toned light chocolate brown and very dark brown panda. Chilly is a white polar bear with blue footpads, a blue nose and blue bow. They are each 5" tall and created out of mohair. Both are fully jointed and can stand up by themselves. Thank you for your interest in my "fur kids"!

Acorn - a New Panda for Fall

2011-09-01T14:48:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I'd like to give you this sneak preview of Acorn. He's a 9 1/2" One of a Kind mohair panda bear. He was created out of soft wavy white kid mohair and rust colored mohair with a dark backing. He has black glass eyes, a brown hand stitched nose and 2 ultrasuede footpads. Acorn wears a ribbon ruff of rusty orange with black stripes round his neck and has an acorn shaped bell.

You can learn more about him on the Bears for Adoption page: http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/bearsforadoption.html

Shelby - New Bear!

2011-08-29T14:04:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! First I'd like to say that I hope you are all safe! I know some have been affected by Hurricane Irene these last few days :(

Shelby has just been born in the studio. She's a 14" 2 color luxury faux fur bear - and One of a Kind. You can learn more about her on the Bears for Adoption page: http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/bearsforadoption.html

Thank you for stopping by!

Now Available - Memory Bears from YOUR Fur!

2011-07-28T17:07:00.002-05:00

14 inch recycled mink bear, a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

I am happy to announce that I am now offering to create that special Heirloom Memory Bear created from your fur coat, stole or collar. For more information visit my site here: Now Available - Memory Bears from Your Fur!

Current mohair bear in progress

2011-07-28T09:50:00.001-05:00

Current mohair bear in progress.... :), a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

I just wanted to share with you the colors I'm working with! I've hand dyed all 3 colors of mohair and am working on putting them all together in one bear. Oh my gosh it's so nice to SIT and sew again!

Mini Fairy Bear

2011-07-23T13:16:00.002-05:00

Mini Blue fairy bear - 5", a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

Hi Everyone! I hope your weekend is starting out well. I just wanted to share a snapshot of my latest bear - a custom order for someone right here in Lexington! Her name is Gypsy and she's all of 5" tall and created out of blue mohair. She's a one of a kind!

It's Almost Show Time!

2011-07-15T10:40:00.000-05:00

Less than 4 1/2 hours till the opening of the Teddies Worldwide Online Show (Bears on Parade). I'm really looking forward to it! It will be a nice break in my day of paperwork. Today is an all paperwork day... both personal and business. Most times the business paperwork must be completed in order to do the personal paperwork... ugh! Oh well, I am very grateful that I have the paperwork to do because that means my bears are finding new homes ♥

New Mini Butterfly Bear

2011-07-14T13:00:00.002-05:00

Baby Boo butterfly bear, a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

Finally, a new mini bear has been born! Baby Boo is a baby butterfly bear and currently available in my Artfire Shop for adoption. http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=3580642

Don't forget that I will also have a selection of mini bears and Pocket Bears in the online show: Bears on Parade: http://www.TeddiesWorldWide.com starting Friday July 15th at 4pm New York Time!

Now to do the laundry... ugh. I'd rather be making bears!! ;)

Just some Ramblings.....

2011-07-12T12:18:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to stop by and write a little, but really didn't have anything specific to say. I thought I'd share a photo of my Aunt and I taken last March when I took a spur of the moment road trip to visit her down in Florida. Yes, she looks young - cause she is! All of my aunts are not that much older than I am. And yes, she could pass as my sister! I look more like her than I do my Mom. In fact, you couldn't tell our baby pictures apart :)

I know I owe a few of you some emails and I apologize. I am trying to catch up on that right after this post ;) My back had been bothering me a LOT more than usual these last 2 weeks and on Saturday night - when even muscle relaxers and hydrocodone didn't stop the pain, I knew I had to get to the ER. (THANK you to my friend Jeanna!!!! - who drove me and stayed with me!)

3 pain shots later and still in pain... I had the thought to ask for an anti-inflammatory shot. That did the trick! This has been going on for so very long (since Jan) that I desperately wanted an MRI done right away. They kept telling me to have my pc do it, but my dear friend Jeanna stood up for me and they did it for me during that ER visit. A badly herniated disc. We'll see what treatment program to go with next week. For now, being VERY careful and taking RX anti-inflammatories.

Today is a HOT and humid one here in the Kentucky Bluegrass! In fact, it will be that way all this week. Thank goodness for a brand new air conditioner!! (Thanks again Jeanna!!!) It's a good day to stay inside and finally work on that mini bear for the website.

Don't forget about the Bears on Parade show starting Friday at 4pm New York Time - visitwww.teddiesworldwide.com to see previews and vote for your favorite bear. If you liked my preview bear - he is the orange and yellow clown bear holding balloons.....

Coming to my Website soon!

2011-07-02T16:26:00.003-05:00

Happy 4th of July weekend! A huge thank you to all who are serving, have served or have loved ones serving our country!!!!
I am just about finished with a custom order I've been working on, and already have plans for the next creation to come out of the studio. He or she will be one of my 5" mini mohair bears... after that I'll finish up getting ready for the big online show :)

Stay tuned!

My Preview Bear for the Upcoming Bears on Parade Teddies Worldwide Show

2011-07-02T04:43:00.004-05:00

Candy Clown, a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

I can now show my preview bear for the upcoming online show - Teddy Bears on Parade. He is a One of a Kind miniature mohair clown bear and will be available for adoption during the show between July 15 - July 17 : www.teddiesworldwide.com

I just love Lexington!

2011-06-30T13:08:00.003-05:00

Park near our home, a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

Just a little ways from our home (Sequoya and myself) is a quiet little park. There is a little stream down below there that is fed by an underground spring. It is so peaceful in here listening to the birds. I enjoy taking Sequoya here when she needs to go out, and I'd like a short break from sewing (or the dreaded paperwork!)

There's a small bridge made from railroad ties so you can cross the stream. Sequoya and I did cross, and there was a little clearing. There was a sort of path leading away somewhere, but as I was in sandals and I know there are snakes back here, Sequoya and I contented ourselves with just enjoying this nice quiet area!

A HUGE Thank You!

2011-06-29T06:11:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned lately how much I appreciate you all? I am so very blessed to be able to create bears for a living. Especially now, when I am having some health issues, and could not look for work even if I wanted to.

I've been having back trouble on an off (mostly on) for the past 6 months. I do have a wonderful chiropractor and it is now finally on the mend, after he had to drill into me just how limited I am physically. I just kept re-injuring myself whenever i felt the tiniest bit better.

I get such joy out of creating my bears - and I have you all to thank for that :) I've had some friends ask me just how am I able to work on bears when I can't sit? How in the world do I sew? Well, what can I say? I'm addicted to bear making so where there's a will, there's a way LOL! I have large totes on top of 2 work areas. I had my step dad put my sewing machine on one of those totes (yes, I'm sewing standing up) and I use the other tote for the rest of the bear making process.

I just want to say again... thank you for allowing me to do what I love!

HUGE bear hugz,
Laura Lynn

New Panda!

2011-06-29T06:09:00.002-05:00

Hello all!

I couldn't wait to show you a couple of photos of my latest creation - Carmella. She's a 10" panda bear created out of wonderfully soft luxury faux fur. I don't have her on the website yet, but she is currently available for adoption in my Artfire Shop.

5 New Pocket Bears

2011-06-17T17:24:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I've just finished taking photos of the 5 Pocket Bears that have just been born. I'm running out for the evening, so I have listed them in my Artfire Shop for now. http://www.artfire.com/users/TeddiesbyLauraLynn They are currently available for adoption. Have a great weekend and thank you for your interest in my fur kids!!

Bear hugz,
Laura Lynn

2011-06-11T11:01:00.003-05:00

Road Trip to Cincinnati!

2011-06-11T11:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a special treat - my friend Tami Eveslage (and incredible bear artist!) and I got together at her house for socialization and bear making!

Tami and I have known each other online for many years. We'd see each other at the show in Schaumburg, IL. She did more shows that the Schaumburg one, but it was often the only show I did as I lived nearby. But with me living in Chicago and her in Cincinnati, OH, it was a little too far to go for an afternoon! Now that I'm living in Lexington, KY though - it's a piece of cake!

I had such a wonderful time! It's always so much fun to visit other teddy bear artists and see their studios - and talk and talk and talk!!!! I loved looking at her bear collecting... and her mohair! ;) As a hobby Tami also makes dolls which are incredible!

I'm looking forward to doing this again!

This Week's Bears in Progress

2011-06-06T08:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a photo of last night's work -- I was working till 11pm (I was on a roll LOL!) Here are several Pocket Bears, a 10" fluffy Panda bear, and a mini bear all ready to be born!

Georgia - Mini Alpaca Bunny on eBay

2011-06-01T14:23:00.000-05:00

Happy June!! Summer is definitely here in Lexington, Kentucky! In celebration of the beginning on June, I've decided to list Georgia (miniature alpaca bunny) on eBay with a starting bid of $49.95 or a Buy it Now of $95. It's a 1 day auction and can be found here: http://cgi.ebay.com/OOAK-Artist-Mini-Alpaca-Bunny-TEDDIES-LAURA-LYNN-/260794231498?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb88c2aca#ht_4852wt_1135

Stay cool!

The 2 Latest Bears

2011-05-31T10:49:00.002-05:00

Pebbles 10 inch Mohair Clown Bear, a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

I hope you had a lovely weekend! I wanted to share photos of my 2 latest bears with you. They have both already been adopted, but I'm working on the next "fur kids" to be born!

Pebbles is my first clown bear and is 10 inches tall. Sushi is one of my mini mohair panda bears at 5 inches tall.

What would you like to see come soon? (Pebbles was a teddy bear suggestion!)

Displaying your Bears

2011-05-24T12:51:00.001-05:00

Bear wall, a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

I love changing my teddy bear displays around! This wall is in the "dining nook" of my Lexington apartment. I love being able to easily change the look or feel of the area by just changing the display,. Do you have photos of your teddy bear displays?

Right now I"m working on 3 bears... no... not "THE" Three Bears LOL! I'm working on another custom order bear, a miniature panda and my first clown bear.

I hope to have them done and photos ready soon!

14 inch recycled mink bear

2011-05-11T11:02:00.002-05:00

14 inch recycled mink bear, a photo by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist on Flickr.

Never say never I guess LOL! I swore I'd never make a real fur bear as it was too "hard". Well, last year a lovely lady purchased one of my patterns on my other site (FreeTeddyBearPatterns.NET) She wanted to make 3 bears for her step children out of their mother's mink coat.

Eventually she contacted me and said it was beyond her and would I please finish them? I couldn't say no. I've now finished 2 of the bears and am starting on the 3rd bear today. Here's a photo of that first bear

Find Us on Facebook!

2011-04-21T11:40:00.001-05:00

Are you on Facebook? Seems like practically everyone is... even my Mom and Step Mom! I've been on Facebook for quite a while now, but I'm always finding new things I can do. One of those new things is to set up a storefront!

If you are a "fan" of Teddies by Laura Lynn on Facebook, you will automatically get a discount (of at least 10%) on bears bought from my Facebook shop (before they go to my website). Just click the "like" button below!

New Bear & Bunnies - Sneak Previews!

2011-04-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm sorry I didn't get to post preview photos of the bears for the New Hampshire show. I had a great show and have only a few "kids" who came home with me. Monty is the top bear and is 14" tall. Georgia is a small 5" mini bunny rabbit and Violet is one of my Pocket Bunnies.

They will be up on my website later, but their "Sneak Previews" can be seen in my Facebook Storefront here (and are available for immediate adoption)

It's been a while I know!

2011-04-03T18:12:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything - on my blog or on my website! I have been working on bears -- some custom orders and also working on bears for a show coming up - The New England Teddy Bear Gathering (show on Saturday April 16th)

Back in the last week of 2010, I had injured my back by driving too much and lifting too much. I had ended up in the Emergency Room 3 times in one week! I had not been able to sit for over 2 months -- I'd save any "sitting time" for when I had to drive. Well, now I'm happy to report that I am finally able to "sit"! (and stay LOL!) I had not realized how much not being able to sit affected my bear making.

Stay tuned... I hope to have some show preview photos up before the show. I hope you all have a great week!

See my bears in the Online Blooming Bears Show next weekend!

2011-03-05T16:21:00.001-06:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I wanted to let you know that I will be participating in the online international "Blooming Bears Show" next weekend (March 12 & 13)!

The virtual doors open at 8am (New York time) on Sat, March 12th www.TeddiesWorldWide.com

Here is a "Sneak Preview" of one of my bears named Carmello

Thank you for your interest in my "fur kids" & I hope to "see" you there!

Laura Lynn

www.TeddiesbyLauraLynn.com

www.FreeTeddyBearPatterns.NET

New Mini Bear!

2011-01-29T16:26:00.001-06:00

Please meet the newest bear

Keiko

Japanese for "Adored One"

Just in time for Valentine's Day

Keiko is currently available from my website

http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/bearsforadoption.html

Now Creating from Lexington, KY!

2010-11-23T10:17:00.000-06:00

I'm finally getting settled in here and thought I would share. I have relocated from Chicago (where I've lived my entire life) to Lexington, KY.

I just love it down here, and everyone is so friendly! I am now very close to my Mom which is a huge plus! Although they do get snow down here, and nasty ice storms, they don't get nearly as much snow as Chicago and winter does not last as long either - yay! I've been told that it's mandatory to become a UK Wildcats fan LOL!

It has been a little crazy here with working on the Chicagoland show, packing, moving, working on the Teddies Worldwide online show, and unpacking. I've just about got my studio the way I want it to me (for now LOL!) and am looking forward to really getting back to creating bears! Stay tuned!

Online Teddy Bear Show going on now

2010-11-20T10:02:00.001-06:00

I am so sorry I had forgotten to let you all know about an awesome online event going on right now (Sat, Nov 20th and Sun 21st) It's the Teddies World Wide Holiday Bear Show. There are bears from over 70 artists around the world all together in one place for immediate adoption.

I have 6 bears in the show as well as several Christmas ornaments. Here's a little preview of Noel - a sweet mini pink angel bear Noel.
*Note: Noel is still available for adoption. You can find her here on Bearpile:http://www.bearpile.com/detail.cgi?id=287&item=40985

Bear Show Sneak Preview

2010-10-21T08:47:00.001-05:00

Don't fall over now, but I actually found time to finish and photograph my 5 large (14") bears for the show this weekend!

All bears are available on a first come basis when the doors open at the show this Saturday. However, if you see a bear that you like and are not able to attend, drop me an email. If that bear is still available after the show, then I will contact you first before putting him up on the website.

If still available after the show, the adoption fee for most these bears is $165 including US shipping. (add $10 for shipping out of the US) Happy is an open mouth bear, and his adoption fee will be $180.

I hope you enjoy the preview!
Hugs,

Benji

Pudge

Amethyst

Magic

Happy

Laura Lynn

Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show THIS Weekend!

2010-10-18T09:36:00.000-05:00

I know how close the show is because I'm having dreams about it now LOL! If all goes well, I hope to have a sneak preview of the show bears here on my blog. Stay tuned! If you are in the Chicago area, I hope you can meet the bears in person - www.ChicagolandTeddyBearShow.com

Saturday Oct 23 - 9:30 - 3

Embassy Suites Hotel

1939 North Meacham Road

Schaumburg, IL 60173

Admission: $8 for adults/ 12 & under free

Jack - a Sneak Preview

2010-09-21T14:17:00.002-05:00

Don't fall over now, I've already got another bear and another post! Please meet Jack - an 11" mohair panda bear all set for fall. This is a sneak preview of Jack as he is not yet on my website, but he IS available for immediate adoption! If you would like to adopt Jack, you can find him in my Artfire Shop here: http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=1894426

New Mini Bear

2010-09-20T11:56:00.003-05:00

My gosh, I seem to have neglected my blog!!! I'm so sorry. I HAVE been making teddies!! I've just finished one and have her listed on my website: http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/bearsforadoption.html

Her name is Tessa and she's created from the softest alpaca fabric.

It has been a very busy summer! We had spent almost every weekend at a local Renaissance Faire. It was fun, but I'm glad to be able to put all my attention back on my bears now.

Our Basset "puppy" Stella is quite grown up now... including being fully house broken - horray!! She is quite a sweetie and can get away with most anything wtih those big brown eyes.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing Tessa and I hope to post again soon!

My Websites are NOT gone!

2010-07-22T10:57:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let you all know that for some reason, Yahoo hosted websites are not showing up for many Comcast customers.

My websites are hosted by Yahoo and so appear to be gone - but they are not.

Yahoo is aware of the problem and is working on it. This also means I can't access my email either :( I'll post when things appear to be back to normal!

Well that was fast! Seems things are back!!

Isn't She Cute??????

2010-05-27T07:57:00.003-05:00

Isn't this 11 day old Basset Hound puppy simply adorable???? We wanted to adopt her so badly. She is from the same breeder that we got Stella from (our 6 month old Basset Hound).

After much serious discussion though, we decided that 5 dogs are enough. Stella is now 6 months old and I'm finally getting back to "normal" and getting bears made!

I finished this group of Pocket Bears earlier this week. These guys have already been adopted. I'm sorry I forgot to post here on my blog! I was a bit distracted while we were trying to decide whether or not to get that cute puppy.

In case I don't post before next Monday - have a great Memorial Day weekend! I want to thank ALL of our veterans and active service people for all they do for our country!

Back from the Bear Show!

2010-04-20T20:48:00.004-05:00

I am back from the teddy bear show in New Hampshire and boy am I tired! I had a GREAT time! I only brought back 3 bears and hope to get them listed on my website on Wednesday. (2 - 14" bears: the polar and grey & black bear and the 10" class prototype)

If you'd like to see more show photos and a couple of videos of the show, hop over to my Facebook page and take a look right here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teddies-by-Laura-Lynns-Teddy-Bears/190754508657?v=wall

My Girls.....

2010-03-31T11:48:00.002-05:00

I think I've mentioned it before.... we have 5 wonderful dogs :) And yes, I work full time from home on the bears. Besides the fact that I am easily distracted... (HA! an understatement!) having 5 dogs can sometimes make it hard to concentrate on getting work done.

Yesterday afternoon was one of those times that it was hard. I had been out running errands and when I came back I let all of the Girls outside in the back yard.

Evidently Pandora bumped into Cleopatra as they ran out the door. They are both whippets... Pandora is around 5 - Cleopatra is our oldest at 10 (and boss dog). Cleo hates to be bumped into and let Pandora know it. Well, Pandora was tired of taking "crap" from Cleopatra.... and so... 5 minutes later a trip to the vet was necessary :(.

Pandora did not get a scratch on her - but Cleo needed attention. Cleo is ok and wasn't even crying - and Cleopatra is a wimp when it comes to pain. But I saw 3 deep punctures on the back of her neck, a cut on her face and back. So off to the vet we go to get them cleaned up and get some antibiotics...sigh....

All is well now. Cleo takes pills once a day and I have to put a warm compress on the back of her neck with some medicine 3 times a day. I get a little woozy when I do that. I can't wait till those close up! (there's a good reason I did not become a veterinarian!)

Cleo did not need stitches, although one could have been closed with one stitch. But the doc wanted to keep them open so that if an infection did start, it would be able to drain easily (eeewww!!!) I thought I'd spare you and not post of photo LOL!! It looks much worse now than when it happened since they shaved around the wounds.

Right now Pandora, Athena (our other whippet) and puppy Stella are sleeping quietly in their crates so I can try to get some work done. Cleopatra is no bother, so she gets to stay out with me. Sequoya our Chihuahua is sleeping soundly inside my sweat jacket (aka the joey pouch). She's much quieter in there than if I put her in her crate!

Now I'm off across the street to take care of Lucy - our neighbor's Scottish terrier - then back to cutting out bears for the show!

New England Teddy Bear Gathering - April 17 & 18

2010-03-30T08:27:00.002-05:00

My gosh the month has almost flown by again! I know you haven't seen many bears from me lately. I've been getting ready for the New England Teddy Bear Gathering! It's going to be a wonderful show in New Hampshire. I'll be teaching a workshop on Saturday (the 17th) and the show is on Sunday the 18th. There are still some seats left in the workshop if you are interested :)

Hopefully I'll be able to take some photos of the bears I'll be bringing to the show. At the moment, however, I have lots of them drawn out or cut out... but not many finished. I'd better stop getting more bears "ready to cut out" and finish the ones I have LOL!

Right now I'm trying to finish a lovely lavender bear for the challenge. Daphne Blau (the promoter and my friend) has sent a pattern to the artists who want to participate. We are all making bears from the same pattern. It's going to be so much fun to see how they all turn out!

Do you ever walk into a room....

2010-03-12T10:14:00.004-06:00

and then forget why you went in there? How about the computer? I have gotten online a half a dozen times this morning with the intent to post about the new mini bunny I finished.... but forgot why I came here (online) and went off in a dozen different directions!

SO.... this time I tried to keep my blinders on and go straight to my blog...well, almost straight here. But at least I didn't forget why I came here before leaving!

I'd like you to meet Daisy... my newest miniature bunny and a new design as well. She's currently looking for her new love in my Artfire Shop (and no, you do not need to sign up to adopt her there!)

I've got another Pocket Bear who is finished and will have photos soon.. and I'm trying out a new design for teddy bear pins. We'll see if I remember to come here when I have them ready!

The New Puppy ;)

2010-03-01T09:50:00.002-06:00

I just love our Basset Hound puppy Stella (we got her the Sunday before Christmas) but boy I obviously had forgotten how much work puppies are!

We got our first puppy (Cleo our whippet) 10 years ago. Athena (another whippet) we got 9 years ago. Both of them were almost 3 months old when they came to us. The 3 dogs since then (Isis, Pandora - both whippets and our Chihuahua Sequoia) all came to us as adults.

So you can see... it's been a while since puppies LOL! That and we got Stella at around 7 weeks old instead of 11 or 12 weeks old ;)

I have a show and workshop to get ready for in New Hampshire this April. So.... what can I say.. all the Girls are in "their room" till this afternoon today... and we'll probably be doing it that way for most of the weekdays if I'm to get everything done in time LOL!!

7 New Bears on Site!

2010-02-26T13:53:00.003-06:00

Last night I completed 7 new Pocket Bears for the website. I wanted to do a web update with more than one or two bears for a change ha ha! A few have been adopted already, but there are still some looking for new homes. Here's a photo of one of them....
www.TeddiesbyLauraLynn.com

I was going to work on a mini bear I had started a bit ago... but then switched gears and am working on a green and white bear that will be 9 or 10 inches tall :) Stay tuned!

Smore a Miniature Mohair Bear

2010-02-02T20:55:00.002-06:00

I have finished a new mini bear this week. He was made out of 3 colors of mohair - white (like marshmallows), graham cracker tan, and chocolate brown. He is a One of a Kind bear and available from my Website.

Teddy Bear Magazine Poll

2010-02-01T13:20:00.004-06:00

I would love to hear from you again!! Do you get one or both of the 2 US Teddy Bear Magazines? If you have 10 seconds, I'd love to know. I have set up a quick poll here: US Bear Magazine Poll

Thanks so much for taking the time!

Sneak Preview of Sweet Rose - a 5" Mini Bear

2010-01-22T17:10:00.005-06:00

I'm trying something new today with my Sneak Previews - video! I'd like you to meet Sweet Rose below. She's a 5" fully jointed mini bear looking for her new home. She was created out of a soft pale pink alpaca, (she looks brighter in the video.. she's a very pale pastel pink). Her nose is pale pink outlined with a darker pink. She has white ultrasuede footpads, is fully jointed and yes, she can stand up all by herself!
Sweet Rose has been adopted.

So Much Has Gone On!!!

2010-01-07T09:06:00.003-06:00

Oh my goodness, I had no idea how long it has been since I've posted anything!! I think I'll write backwards in time... ;)

Yesterday I finished that mint chocolate chip panda bear. He's 14" tall and I've named him Pistachio. He's currently available for adoption on my website: www.TeddiesbyLauraLynn.com

If you subscribe to Teddy Bear Review, you may see a familiar bear on the cover. Sweetheart was created last year as a pattern that I was going to have available for sale. TBR emailed to ask if I had any patterns they could include in their February issue, so I sent them Sweetheart. They later decided to use her for their cover as well!

As some of you know, we lost our whippet Isis last summer to heart disease. We knew it was coming for a couple of years, but it was hard none the less. We still had 4 dogs, so you'd think that would be enough. But her loss left such a big hole in our hearts.... that Christmas week we got a new puppy!

Nope, this does not look like either a Whippet or Chihuahua puppy... she's a Basset Hound! Hubby grew up with a Basset, and circumstances brought us to a wonderful local breeder. Her name is Stella and she's such a cutie (slightly biased opinion here!) Needless to say, she is taking up a bit of my time, but we are working out a work/play schedule ;)

Here's a video of her playing with our Chihuahua Sequoya

Teddy Bear Shows!! I still need to update my website, but I will be exhibiting at 2 shows this year. I'll be in New Hampshire in April and Chicago in October.

New England Teddy Bear Gathering - April 17 & 18th (Workshops Sat, Show Sun.) www.TeddyBearGathering.com
I will also be teaching a bear making workshop at this event. I'll post a photo of the sample bear as soon as he's done!

Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show - October 22 & 23 - Schaumburg, IL (Workshops & Dessert Reception on Fri, Show on Sat) www.ChicagolandTeddyBearShow.com

What to Work on Next????

2009-11-18T11:02:00.002-06:00

Well, today I'm working on more teddy bear ornaments, but I've got so many ideas in my head that I don't know what I want to work on next! So many bears are living in my imagination right now...There's a sweet mini white bear, a new puppy, an angel, a wonderful large (14" for me is large ;) ) Mint Chocolate Chip Panda Bear, a new teddy bear elf pattern to design to offer on my patterns site (along with a free teddy bear ornament pattern)... and so many more!

I guess you'll just have to see who fights their way to the front of my imagination ;)

Souvenier Bears from Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show

2009-11-17T19:40:00.004-06:00

Finally got around to photographing the few remaining souvenir bears from the Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show. If you were not able to make it, you can still adopt a souvenir bear! They were made by both Daphne & myself. You can choose which one you want too ;) They are available here: http://www.artfire.com/users/teddiesbylauralynn

Teddy Bear Ornaments in the Making!

2009-11-17T10:38:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving! I have started on some teddy bear ornaments and hope to have them ready this week. I did have some ready earlier, but they were adopted right after I put them on my website :)

The rest of the ornaments will follow a similar theme... a bear in knit stocking, sweater or cap. Here are photos of the first ones...

Sneak Preview... Lil Nutmeg

2009-11-07T16:10:00.002-06:00

My gosh, the weather in Chicago this weekend is just fabulous! It's sunny and in the 70's. I've still been playing catch up... working on bears that got neglected while preparing for the show and after show paperwork. I've not been online lately so I can try to catch up!

I had to pop on so give a sneak preview of Lil' Nutmeg though :) He should be about 5" tall when he's all done. He's made from yummy soft premium faux fur and will be fully jointed. Hopefully will have him all ready for pictures tomorrow!

New Bears... FINALLY!!

2009-11-04T12:12:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone!

Once more I appear to have fallen of the earth ;) But I'm here... really! The Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show as a huge success! You can see photos of it on our Facebook Fan page here ... and you don't need to be a member of Facebook to see the photos.

I finally have 2 new bears looking for homes! Please meet Blitzen and Vixen - 2 Half Pint Christmas Elf bears! They can be found on my website's Bears for Adoption page here.

Now... back to my studio and more mohair ;)

What I've been up to....

2009-10-09T09:31:00.003-05:00

I had noticed... well, DAPHNE had noticed, that I was having some bad emotional side effects from my latest blood pressure medication... AGAIN! That's the 7th one gosh darn it!

It happens slowly so I don't notice right away. But my doctor said I could go a month without - I wanted to wait till after the big show before taking any more B/P medication - and boy does it feel nice to feel "normal" again. Well, normal for me LOL! This has been going on for a year - it's very tiring.

The show is in just 2 1/2 weeks! Yep, I'm still working on those souvenir bears, also my own bears for the show. We've got the buffet centerpieces worked out & the favors worked out. I wrote up the press release yesterday and Daphne tweaked it for me. (She's an AWESOME writer!) Now I just need to write up my cover letter and send them out!

I was working on getting a list of addresses of editors of newspapers and radio stations, when my darned email program had me re-log in again - ARGH! I lost all of them... and need to find them all over again today. Ah well....

Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show Souvenir Teddy Bear

2009-10-06T10:46:00.002-05:00

Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show Souvenir Teddy Bear
Originally uploaded by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist

I know you haven't heard from me very often.... but that should end soon! the Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show is coming up so fast now! Daphne and I started working on putting this show together so long ago -- July of last year. Now it's almost here!

There are a lot of things yet to be done. One of those projects is to finish these little guys ;) There will be some like this, and some with black tips.

He is the FREE souvenir bear for the first 25 collectors to sign up for the Harvest Buffet on Saturday night. We'll also have a silent auction during the dinner to benefit the Good Bears of the World.

The teddy bear show itself is on Saturday, October 24th - in Schaumburg, IL (a Chicago suburb) We'll have over 45 international artists! For more info - www.ChicagolandTeddyBearShow.com

Yushi, my latest Panda

2009-09-23T22:06:00.001-05:00

I finished one Pocket Panda (avail in my Artfire shop till I finish the rest and do a website update!) http://bit.ly/1wMbe5

Working on New Bears

2009-09-22T18:16:00.004-05:00

Although I loved the Renaissance Faire, I LOVE having my weekends back!! I'm working really hard on 5 more bears. They are all Pocket Bears - 1 Panda and 4 fall colored bears. I hope to have them finished soon. The little guy up there has already found a new home, but I always like to post photos with my blog posts ;)

I hope you'll see a post soon entitled "5 New Bears!"

Einstein - a New Mini Bear!

2009-09-19T15:29:00.003-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to Einstein, my latest miniature mohair bear. Einstein is one of a kind, standing at 3.75" tall. Yes, he's fully jointed and can stand by himself! Einstein is not on my website yet, but he is available in my Artfire Shop!

I want to hear about your bear collection!

2009-09-17T08:09:00.005-05:00

I am a collector as well as an artist, and I LOVE to hear about other people's bear collections! Also, although I do have a "Suggestion Box" on my website, it can sometimes take "forever" before suggested bears come into being...often due to fur inventory.

So I thought it would be fun to do a series of fast & easy surveys. Here's the first one of the series....What Size Bears do you Collect?

New Panda Born - Pumpkin Spice!

2009-09-11T16:11:00.004-05:00

A new 8" panda has been born today. I thought for sure he was a girl, but nooooo, it's a boy! Never trust those ultrasounds LOL!! Please welcome Pumpkin Spice!

Pumpkin Spice is an 8" panda looking for a new home. In an effort to spend less time working on my website (and more time working on bears) I am not updating the website every time a bear is born. He IS available from my Artfire shop here if you don't want to wait for the website update ;)

It took a bit longer to finish Pumpkin Spice today that I anticipated... my thoughts have been with all those who lost loved ones 8 years ago today. :(

Remembering 9-11

2009-09-11T11:33:00.002-05:00

Summer's Gone - now Back to Work!

2009-09-09T08:55:00.002-05:00

Myself, Hubby and Katie - a good "Faire Friend"!

I am dreadfully behind on emails and I am so sorry! I'm hoping to catch up on everything this week.

Hubby and I spend many weekends of the summer at the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Wisconsin. We can't go on vacation with so many dogs (it would cost us more per night for them than for us LOL!) and the Faire is within easy driving distance for us - so that is our "vacation" during the summer.

We have a wonderful time and dress up too (as you can see), see shows, and SHOP! We go so often that we've made some very nice friends! Some friends we are able to see even during the "off season", and others we only get to see during Faire - but it's always fun when the season comes around and we get to see everyone again!

The only problem is that the weekends are when I get my house chores done... that means I have to do them during the week instead - which means less time for my bears. (hubby's been home a lot too this summer!)

Last weekend was closing weekend for the Bristol Ren. Faire. Now I'm trying to get everything in order - kind of like how it's like when you come home from vacation! I really enjoyed the Faire, but I'm ready to "come back" from vacation and get back to work! There's a bear show to work on too ;)

New Bears - Espresso & Pop Tart

2009-08-27T13:02:00.004-05:00

2 new bears have been born! Espresso is a fluffy 6" mini bear with his own Espresso cup. Pop Tart is a 2 tone 11" bear. Hubby said he reminded him of a Chocolate Fudge Frosted Pop Tart :)

You can see the "new kids" on the Bears for Adoption page: http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/bearsforadoption.html

Farewell to a Wonderful Friend....

2009-08-23T09:54:00.003-05:00

It was finally time for Isis to go home. It wasn't unexpected, but we are sad because we miss her. She had almost 2 1/2 years of stolen time. We are SO glad we had that opportunity to spoil her extra rotten. She was such a crazy whippet :)

She went the best way possible... playing outside with her sisters. She just had a heart attack while she was playing in the sunshine. She actually had RACED out the door to play ;) She had been feeling her old self and enjoying life. It was the best possible way for her to go. I wasn't home... but my daughter was :) I'm so glad Isis had family with her at the end and wasn't alone.

We'll miss you - you crazy whippet ;)

Current Bear in Progress

2009-08-19T08:27:00.005-05:00

Although I have a couple more Half Pint bears to work on, I felt the urge to work on one of my medium sized bears. Here's a preview of what I'm working on... I can't wait till he's finished! He'll be between 10" - 11" tall. I just love the soft wavy white fur on his chest!

I wish I could let you know when he'll be finished, but I have a little trouble with determining how long a bear will take me to create.

Part of the reason for this "trouble" is my furry family... our 5 dogs. They are awesome! If you remember, one of our Girls, Isis, has congestive heart failure, but is doing well on meds. She's given us a couple of scares in the last 4-6 weeks and had a couple of visits to the "dogtor" (Thanks Tobi for that word, love it!) But with some more medication adjustments she is doing well again!

I'll let you know when this new bruin has been born!

Nugget - a Half Pint Bear Sneak Peek

2009-08-14T19:32:00.003-05:00

Nugget was finished today as well! Nugget is almost 8" tall - one of my Half Pint Bears. He's waiting to have his photo session, but is still available now. He's waiting in my Artfire Shop here - http://bit.ly/68Cm8 until I do a website update.

Hope you all have a nice weekend!

Sneak Preview!

2009-08-14T10:56:00.002-05:00

I've just finished up one of my Pocket Bears named Lil' Abe. So named because of the teddy punched penny he wears around his neck. I wanted to name him Penny, but he just wasn't a girl bear! So Lil Abe it is!

If you are interested in adopting Lil Abe before his official photo session and website debut, you can find him in my Artfire Shop. I've decided to use my Artfire Shop as a place to give you Sneak Peeks of my bears before they've had their official portrait sessions. You do NOT need to sign up for membership in order to adopt!

I'm hoping to finish up a Half Pint bear today before I send out the New Bears announcement :)

New Bear Sneak Preview - ADOPTED!

2009-07-22T13:42:00.005-05:00

Yes, I'm still working on special orders, but the website has not had any new bears for a month... so I decided to create 2 new little guys for the site.

I'm happy to introduce Lil' Snickers to you! He was created out of yummy imported faux fur and is just a bit over 6" tall. He is not free standing, and sits at 4.75". His adoption fee is $85 with FREE shipping worldwide. w/in the US he will be insured. Outside of the US he will travel via first class mail - no insurance. If you'd like him to be insured - Canada will be an extra $15 and the rest of the world will be an extra $20

I am still working on my other lil bear, so will not be doing a website update today. Lil' Snickers has been ADOPTED, thank you!

Finally time for Bear Work!

2009-07-17T12:30:00.002-05:00

It's almost 1pm and I'm finally finished with house cleaning! Still have laundry to do, but I can do that while I'm working on bears! I like to try to get all this stuff done by Friday cause I never know what hubby may have planned for the weekend :) The weather this weekend is stupendous!

Now onto making a Strudel!!! This one's for you Darla ;) Hope you all have a great weekend!

My Work Table - Custom Built Just for Me!

2009-07-13T06:59:00.006-05:00

There's a new blog by a fellow teddy bear artist called Studio Shots - Tuesday. It's a cool blog showing other artists' studios. I love peeking into others' studios! This week the theme is "what have you customized for your studio"

My work table was designed by myself and built for me by my husband. Yes, I do know how lucky I am!

Although I am tall (5.10") , my height is all in my legs. My body is actually short. When I try to work at a standard desk, I am always holding my arms, thus my shoulders - up a bit. After a while this gets very tiring, so I designed my work table to be a bit shorter than a standard desk. It is SO comfortable to work at!

I was asked once why I didn't just get an adjustable chair and raise it up. (a much easier solution!) The reason for this is that then my feet would not be flat on the floor. Feet flat is very important for back health!

My work table was created from solid red oak. The drawers and door were hand crafted from a lovely wood called Paduk. If you'd like to see a larger version of the photos (and be able to read the notes!) just click on the picture :)

2 More Strudels Available to Order!

2009-07-08T14:24:00.003-05:00

I was happy to discover that I was able to get a little more of that yummy fur that Strudel is created from, so I was able to extend his edition by 4. 2 of those have already been spoken for, so there are 2 left available to order.

I'm really enjoying my new studio space! One of the unexpected pluses is that I can watch the hummingbirds visit our window mounted feeder all day long! Those little guys just amaze me ;)

Who's been keeping me busy... Isis!

2009-07-05T09:24:00.002-05:00

Yep, that's my sweet Isis girl... asleep in a basket :) We had been noticing her slowing down over the past several months. (she has congestive heart failure) and lately she had been having some IBS problems. But then a couple of weeks ago she stopped eating or drinking. I wouldn't force her to eat, but I knew water was vital so I'd squirt water onto her tongue many times a day.

As you can see in her photo, she can't "not eat" for very long! Besides which, that is usually the sign that they are ready to "go home". We wanted to give her every chance though... and took her to our fabulous vets - Dundee Animal Hospital. We assumed we would be given the worst news....

But our Isis girl, she is stubborn with a capital S! She always has been, and it has certainly come in handy during her illness :) After Xrays of her heart and blood tests to test her organs, (as she is on some fairly strong meds) it appears she was dehydrated. She did start this on the hottest, most humid day of the year... poor thing! (even in the a/c)

The doctor gave her some fluids under the skin - which is tricky with heart patients... so she gave her 1/2 the normal amount. Also some meds for her upset tummy - which actually works on the brain, not the stomach.. cool. And help for her IBS.

The next day she was feeling better... not totally, but eating and drinking! After a few more days I called the doctor back and told her she felt a bit better, but still had problems with the IBS even on the meds. After a 15 minute phone consult, she had me just zip into the hospital real quick to see one of the techs for another dose of fluids, and some more stuff for the IBS. (probiotics) She also decided to go ahead and cut her digoxin in half. That med is the only one that she is on that would cause the IBS.

Boy did we see a difference within a day! Now our sweet Isis girl is behaving like she was 6 months ago! Full of piss and vinegar, trying to playfully beat up her favorite "sister" Athena :) This is certainly a dog with 9 lives!

Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-04T09:45:00.001-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted. It's been a little crazy around here - mostly due to our sweet Isis. She's doing well now :) Off and running again, but not before I say.....

Sneak Peek! Petal - Mini Mohair Butterfly Bear

2009-06-18T12:15:00.003-05:00

Petal is my latest mini butterfly bear! You can read more about her on her page here.

Major Studio Overhaul!

2009-06-11T20:41:00.006-05:00

I had a lovely weekend in New Hampshire with my awesome friend, Daphne Blau. We had a great time and loved that we were able to "play" all weekend.... this time our visit was not at the same time as a teddy bear show! I'll have a few photos later....

Sometimes the bears just aren't getting made -- it's kind of like writer's block for teddy bear artists. I think it's been going around the teddy bear world lately after hearing from many of my artist friends. This time, I decided I HAD to move my studio!!!!

My studio had been in a 3rd bedroom that I shared with our combined office and our Girls' crates. It could feel kind of cramped sometimes.

Although it does have 2 windows, it really does not get morning light and it can be hard to make myself "go to work" in a dark room (yes, I have lights... but I crave daylight!)

Also, having 5 dogs can be a little crazy sometimes. They are usually fairly mellow, but sometimes they go thru times when they need to pester Mom for one thing or another... one right after the other! Since their crates are IN my studio, I can't just put them to bed for a bit and close the door LOL! Pandora tends to be destructive if she's locked into a room without a person, so she must go into a crate (which she loves by the way :) (Yes, I do see the irony of her personality and her name LOL!!)

Before I left for New Hampshire, I brought up the idea of my moving my studio into the living room (front room, parlor) with DH. We really only used the living room as a place to display my bears and store a book case full of books.

Since my always helpful daughter was home on Wednesday, we just set ourselves to the task of swapping out and moving furniture! Today I was happy to have almost everything in place -- and took photos. I always love seeing where people create!

This first photo is coming from the open kitchen/eat in kitchen to the front door. (We don't use the front door because of the dogs) The next photo is what you would see if you looked to the right, then the left, and then walked into the front room... aka my studio. Please don't mind the tons and tons of nose prints on the window... or the rest of the dirt! That is a project for another day. And yes, I know I need a valance for the top of those vertical blinds... now that I'm actually using this room, I will actually get around to that soon :) Feel free to click on the photos if you'd like to see larger versions of them.

Sharing Photos of Custom Ordered Bears

2009-05-27T21:11:00.003-05:00

Hi again! Don't fall over, I'm sure it shocking to see me post so often all of a sudden LOL! Today was a better day. The meds are better today and my Girls are too :) No sick dogs for the last 3 days (knock on wood!)

I thought I'd share a couple of photos of 2 little cuties I made for a special friend - please meet Smudge and Lil' Strudel. I'll let you figure out who is who ;)

Medication side effects... Yuck!

2009-05-27T08:58:00.003-05:00

Argh! I am so frustrated! My doc told me a little less than a year ago that it's time for me to go on blood pressure medication. I wasn't surprised, both Mom and Dad have high blood pressure. What I AM surprised about is how hard it would be to find a medication that would work for me.

Actually, all 3 I have tried have lowered my bp, but they've had side effects that I just couldn't live with. The first one gave me pain in my hip which would hinder my walking - NOT good. The 2nd one made me very depressed, and now the 3rd one appears to make me feel like I've got a really bad case of PMS... ALL the time!

Right now I'm experimenting to check for sure if that feeling is actually from the medication or not. I think it probably is. After a few weeks when I started it I started feeling that way, but not nearly as badly as I've felt the last month or so. It's really made me feel awful and has had a negative effect on how much I can work.

So... just how many types of blood pressure medication ARE there? LOL! If all else fails, I'll go back to the one that caused hip pain - I can deal with that easier than the 2 other side effects LOL!!!

Piper a Pocket Bear ADOPTED

2009-05-26T22:37:00.009-05:00

Although I've been busy working on some custom orders, I do like to fit in a bear for the website here and there. I'd like to introduce you to Piper - a 6" Pocket Bear. Piper is one of a kind and cannot be duplicated.

If you'd like to adopt Piper, his adoption fee is $65 plus travel charges. It's late tonight, so I'm posting him here for now. Piper will be added to the website on Wednesday if he's still looking for a new home.

Piper has been ADOPTED

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-24T10:13:00.003-05:00

It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,

It is
the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag,

To All Who Are Serving and Who Have Served,
THANK YOU!!!

You are what Memorial Day is About!

I Need to Work on my Patience!

2009-05-22T08:32:00.003-05:00

Yep, I'm still trying to get those bear orders done. It's been a long 6-7 weeks. That's when the food issues started with our Dogs. Right now I think everyone is OK - but earlier this week Athena started having issues again, then she got better (thank you Kayopectate!) and yesterday Isis was having major tummy issues. Isis is so underweight that she can't afford to not eat :(

But this morning it appears that everyone is doing OK. I'm going to give Isis several smaller meals instead of 2 big meals and I'm leaving Athena on the 1/2 old food 1/2 new food for a while. Athena got sick cause I tried to rush the food switch... again. (You'd think I'd learn!) Last week Isis had a rash, and the cream the doc gave her made her sick to her tummy. I stopped using the cream, and started giving her smaller meals so her tummy could handle it. This week Isis got sick cause I tried to rush giving her full sized meals.

Patience IS a virtue ;)

Back from Moms!

2009-05-18T08:31:00.002-05:00

Sequoya sees her first cow

I've actually been back for a week, but it always seems to take a while to get back in the swing of things. Sequoya and I had a lovely time visiting with my Mom and my Step Dad in Kentucky. We didn't "do" anything, but just enjoyed visiting.

When I got back, Isis was having food issues again, so we are back to square one. Athena, however was doing well with the food switch over -- so it makes working with Isis a lot easier.

Today after running out to the Pet Market, I'm back to working on Strudel orders! Thank you to everyone who ordered one. They are all spoken for until I can see if I can order more of that yummy fur.

Truffles - formerly known as Ringo - on Ebay!

2009-05-07T11:04:00.004-05:00

I decided to list the prototype bear for my Ringo pattern on eBay. This teddy told me his name was all wrong and demanded a chocolately sounding name! And so, we have Truffle!

Truffle is listed on eBay for a 1 day auction only - starting at $75 and with a Buy it Now of $90.

If you would like to find Truffle's auction listing, you can find him on my Bears for Adoption Page.

Today I am getting ready to go play with my Mom this weekend :) Yep, I'm leaving the hubby and kid (a 20 year old kid anyways) at home with 4 of our dogs so I can play :)

Boy it takes a lot to get ready though! Need to get to the grocery store not only for munchies for the road, but also to pick up a few things for hubby to prepare for HIS mom this Mother's Day!

Right now I'm about to start cooking... dog food - packaging it all up individually to make it easy, Sorting out all the meds to make it simple for them to administer to the Girls... etc. I'll be glad to hit the road tomorrow!

Happy Mother's Day in advance to all you Mom's out there!

Strudel - New Bear, Taking Orders

2009-05-04T12:07:00.006-05:00

Strudel is a 14" faux fur bear. I just love his fur! It's so different from what I usually use (mohair)

I had just placed Strudel on my website but he was adopted before I even finished his listing! I decided to go ahead and take orders for bears like him if you are interested.

At the moment I am limiting the number of orders of Strudel to 4. I currently have enough fur to make 4 and want to be sure I can obtain more of his fur before taking orders for any more. It's hard to know what fur and mohair we can get lately. We can always obtain fur and mohair, but not always the specific colors and styles that we want.

2 Years Since Isis' Accident!

2009-04-28T08:50:00.003-05:00

I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, but one of our whippet dogs - Isis, had an accident 2 years ago that left her paralyzed and then the steroids to treat that almost killed her because she had a heart condition that we didn't know about.

The vet gave her days, weeks, maybe a couple of months to live. 2 years later, she's still going strong!! Last weekend was the 2 year anniversary of her accident. We just LOVE this little Girl and treasure each and every day we get to have with her. I posted more about her on our Whippets' Blog.

A Cold Rainy Day... good to stay in BED!

2009-04-28T07:16:00.002-05:00

Ugh, it's cold and rainy today -- but that cold front should push these rain clouds away. It's just a good day to stay in bed. I'd love to go back... hubby got us up earlier than usual as he had to be at work early.

I wish I could stay inside all day and work on one of my custom orders! But I do have a couple of errands that need doing.. I should get those done right away so I can stay inside the rest of the day! Well, with the exception of taking all 5 dogs outside for their breaks. And they do NOT like rain!

New Bear & Pattern

2009-04-27T21:57:00.003-05:00

He's finally done! This is Ringo. I've had him designed and drawn out onto the mohair for quite a while, but had not gotten around to finishing him till now.

Ringo is the prototype for a new pattern that I have available for sale on my Patterns Site.

Ringo the finished bear is also looking for a new home. He can be found on the Bears for Adoption page of my site. He may go to eBay on Tuesday...I'm not sure yet.

I've got some more new bear ideas floating around in my mind, but right now I need to take care of some custom order bears :)

New Mini Bear on Website

2009-04-21T21:27:00.001-05:00

It's late tonight, but I wanted to get Blossom, my new Mini Butterfly Bear up on my website :)

She's a wee 3.75" tall and made from German mohair. You can learn more about her on my website - www.TeddiesbyLauraLynn.com

Hopefully I'll have a little more energy to post tomorrow :)

I think Spring is Here to Stay in Chicago!

2009-04-17T21:16:00.002-05:00

We're supposed to get one more great day on Saturday - sunny and 70's - but more importantly I don't think we'll get any more snow LOL!

This week I was able to finish up 2 custom bears for my doctor and have started on another custom order bear - but I hope to have another bear for the website sometime next week.

One other little project I finished was to make a quick blog/website about the eBook reader I got myself for my birthday last month. I had some friends and relatives ask me about it - because like me, they had only heard of the Kindle and didn't know there were other choices. I thought I'd just make up a website to explain how it works and where to get books for it. http://ebookwise.blogspot.com/

Update to the "Fishy Email"

2009-04-15T15:08:00.001-05:00

One of my bear artist friends did some further research on the Lakeshore Ministries manner and found some very disturbing news which further justifies our bad feelings about these people.

I've edited yesterday's post with the additional information. Keep away from these people and keep them away from kids!!

We're posting this so everyone we know will be aware of these scam artists. I say we because several of us worked on this and are now spreading the word.

Sorry these last 2 days have been downer of posts... but it's important to know.

What a Great Book on Sewing Artists Studios!!

2009-04-11T10:11:00.004-05:00

I love taking peeks into other artists' studios. I just love it when they post photos on their blogs or in Flickr. Those photos always give me ideas. I love my studio.. but I think of it as a constant work in progress ;)

I was searching around on Amazon for back issues of the Stampington Magazine - Where Women Create and found this awesome book - Dream Sewing Spaces: Design and Organization for Spaces Large & Small.

I am fortunate enough to have a room dedicated to my studio. Well, studio & office. The computer desk takes up one entire wall - and both my hubby and I have to share that. We each have our own laptops, but the bill paying stuff has to go somewhere!

This book covers ideas for entire rooms... large or small and also has ideas for (taken from the table of contents) The Guest Room as a Sewing Room, The Laundry Room, Office/Sewing Room (hey, that's for me!), From Dining Room to Sewing Room/Office, When All You Have is a Closet, Nooks & Crannies.

I can't wait to order my copy!!!!

Recurring Dreams....

2009-04-09T07:43:00.002-05:00

Do you ever have recurring dreams? I used to have two.

One was that a plane crashed in our back yard.

The other was that a "mean" dog that looked like our dog ran into our house and started a fight with our dog.

I don't have either of those dreams anymore, but I do still have a recurring dream. That is that I am setting up at a bear show and I realize that I have forgotten to bring my BEARS! The dreams are always a little different... different shows, different cities - but always it's me forgetting my bears LOL!

Actually I have a check list for when I'm getting ready to go to a show - and you can be sure that the BEARS on are on the list! In fact, they are at the top of the list LOL!

Finally... a day with no place to go! (and new Tag a Longs on my site!)

2009-04-08T08:43:00.003-05:00

I was very surprised with myself! I managed to list these Teddy Tag-a-Longs on my website today before 9am LOL!

I've got some special order bears I've been working on, but have been able to fit these little guys in here and there.

Today I am thrilled that I have no place to go!! That means that hopefully I can have a marathon bear making day! As I mentioned, I have some special order bears that I'd really like to finish for their new owners :)

Yesterday was spent out at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Schaumburg, IL. Yep, the same place where Daphne Blau and myself are hosting the Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show this October 24th.

Yes, I know - the show is still 6 months away! There are still a lot of details to take care of and it is much easier to take care of a few at a time over time - than to try to do them ALL in October!

This hotel is just beautiful! It is going to be a lovely setting for this premier teddy bear event! Let me share just a couple of photos of the hotel...and now, I'd better get to making those bears!

Look what I found on eBay!

2009-04-07T15:36:00.006-05:00

I found this cute plaque to go on top of my new Bear Case! I was just surfing for "signs" in the Bear category on eBay ;)

Do you see that adorable little bunny to the right? That is from my very good friend Daphne Blau! I just love him :)

And I've started something new... I'm "Tweeting" on Twitter now! If you check out the section in the upper right hand corner there you can see "What I'm up to Today."

Cadbury-n-Egg - ADOPTED!

2009-04-03T17:08:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited to finally have this little guy done! (or hatched??) I found this ceramic egg 2 years ago and keep meaning to get this set done in time for Easter (yes it does have the top half)

This is a One of a Kind set and cannot be duplicated - I've used up the last of his mohair and cannot find the eggs anymore.

Cadbury is a wee mini 4" mohair bunny. He was created from 2 colors of mohair: golden mohair and golden mohair tipped with chocolate brown.

Sorry, Cadbury has been adopted!

You can see more photos of him here on Flickr.

My Bearthday Present!

2009-04-02T10:03:00.006-05:00

Look what my hubby made me for my birthday!! I call it a "bear case" cause it will never be used to hold books LOL!

It's solid oak with a natural finish to bring out the beauty of the natural color of the wood. If you want to see a larger version, just click on the picture.

I had been wanting a case in this spot for a while. I walk by here all the time and I love to look at my furry friends as I walk by.

The other "gift" I got (OK so I got it for myself LOL!) was an ebook. It's an electronic device to read ebooks. I LOVE this thing! This is why I won't be needing shelves for books anymore LOL!

I had first heard about this on Amazon with their Kindle. I started poking around and found that there are several different kinds of ereaders. Not all books will work on all ereaders - there are several different formats of ebooks - and the different ereaders read different formats (lovely.. NOT!) But I do love my ebook! I got the one at Filament Books with their monthly book club. This ereader is not as lightweight as the Kindle, but it certainly is sturdy! I still may get that Kindle one day though... Amazon DOES have the largest selection of ebooks in once place ;)

Harold an "Olde Friends" bear - ADOPTED!

2009-03-19T17:32:00.004-05:00

Horace
Originally uploaded by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist

Harold is part of the Olde Friends Collection. He was created from 2 slightly different hues of gold/tan mohair and hand distressed. He is 11" tall, 8" sitting and is designed to sit. Harold has no pawpads.

He will be listed on eBay in the next day or so at $49.95 to start with a Buy it Now of $95. He IS available for immediate adoption before his listing right from here for $95 plus travel charges, just drop me an email or leave a comment!

Slowly crawling back online....

2009-02-21T11:01:00.002-06:00

I'm sorry I've been gone for so long! I caught another cold and then was experiencing some bad side effects to blood pressure medication.

Yeah, I'm just over 40 now and I need B/P meds - crud! I've started on a 3rd type today so we'll see how it goes. It usually takes 2-3 weeks for the side effects to show up with me.

I've been really good and I do NOT look up what the possible side effects can be before I experience any. I wait to see if I notice any differences and then look it up ;)

As for bears ;) I'm hoping to get one listed on eBay today and 4 little Teddy Tag a Longs (teddy key chains) on my website.

Sorry for the delay.....

2009-02-07T17:50:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the delay everyone. The little Patchwork Pocket Bear is done and I'm working on a few new little guys. I had hoped to finish them on Friday... but I came down with a bug. I hope you'll "bear" with me ;)

Unfortunately I won't be able to do a formal portrait of Sweetheart. The good news is that is because she's on her way home to Canada! I did get a snap of her with some daylight though. I'll post just for fun when I download it from my camera.

New Bear Preview - Sweetheart!.. ADOPTED!!

2009-02-05T20:22:00.004-06:00

Please meet my latest bear Sweetheart! This is just a snapshot taken with a flash, her formal "portrait" will be taken on Friday and it will show her pretty colors much better than this snapshot.

Sweetheart is an antique pink and white panda just in time for Valentine's Day. Both colors of mohair have gold strands woven through out. She has 4 pawpads made from soft miniature bear fabric.

She wears a simple antique white lace collar with pink hearts round her neck.

Sweetheart is 10" tall standing (yes, she can stand by herself!), 7 1/2" sitting. She is fully jointed with bolts and locknuts. She's been filled with lots of hugs, and also fiberfil, glass pellets and steel shot and plastic pellets in her tummy.

Her adoption fee will be $115 plus travel charges and yes, she IS available before she hits the website.

Sorry, Sweetheart has been adopted!

Patchwork Pocket Bear Preview

2009-02-05T09:07:00.002-06:00

I finished this little guy's face last night. I'm hoping he and the new pink and white bear will be ready to go on the website before the end of the week. Thankfully myback - sciatica feels good when I'm in my chair in the studio!!!!!!

Also I had forgotten to mention... have you seen that cute logo for Top 100 Bear blogs to the right there? That was set up by my friend and artist Paula Carter! Thank you Paula for helping to spread the word about Artist Teddy Bears!

The beginning of my next bear ;)

2009-02-04T08:01:00.002-06:00

Well, it's February... so pink and white (both with gold strands) seems appropriate for my next bear! Hopefully you will see the bear this week! However, I did something to my back - or more specifically my sciatica yesterday so we'll see.....