The fair is approaching!

Hello guys,

With only a week to go until my next fair, I have been busy sewing away (and nearly going blind by a flying needle from my sewing machine!) to make sure I have enough gorgeous creations to sell. I now have 14 bears to sell - my latest being created and born within the last hour! His name is Little Blue and he is a 11.5 inch bunny made from a fabulous blue splodgy mohair - I love him! He has a very appealing face! Here he is pictured below:

I have just had a huge photoshoot of my bears - you can see details on my facebook page - but here is also a group shot of the 14 bears I am taking to Minstead. Enjoy!!

I will keep you updated on how the fair goes - I will then be starting on some special Christmas bears for my fair at Brighton racecourse in December :)

xxx

Luna - for Halloween!

Hello everyone,

Just a quick update! I have finished two bears this weekend. The first is a special commission bear that I made for someone's girlfriends birthday. She is named Blossom and is made from a white faux fur material and is accessorised in pink! She is lovely - went to her new home today and she will be sorely missed!

This morning, I finished a new bear which will be making her debut at the Minstead bear fair on the 23rd October. She is fabulous - a 14 inch bunny made in white and black mohair with a jaunty hat (bought from Hugglets) a beautiful ribbon (courtesy of my good friend Oonagh of Oonagh's Original Bears) and a scar on her tummy (fitting for halloween - I may add another on her arm). I do hope you like her, she is certainly a little stunner!

xxx

Poppet!

Good Morning to you all,

Just a quick post before I go into school. I created Poppet a couple of days ago...and he is a little sweetie!!! Poppet is a nine inch bear with a cheeky-chap look to him. He is made in a wonderful golden mohair and comes with a little ribbon around his neck which looks like a bow tie. He really is a little Poppet! Poppet is available for adoption, please contact me through my website for more details: www.keli-b-bears.com

Thank you =D
xxx

Chocolate Pudding

Today a new bear was born...and his name is Chocolate Pudding!

Chocolate Pudding is a delicious bear! He stands at around 16.5 inches tall and is just glorious to look at! I have given him a pretty bow and a necklace with a chocolate cake on it! I do hope you like him, he is very handsome!

Chocolate Pudding has been reserved so he will be going to his new mummy soon :) Strawberry Dream and Lyla have also been reserved and will be going to live in their new homes in October :)

Thank you to everyone for your continued support!

xxx

Hugglets is coming!

On the 11th September 2012, the Hugglets bear fair will be taking place in London. I know that a lot of people would like to say hello, so I have posted a piccie of the bag I will be using on the day - it is a bag with a long strap that crosses over the body and its very noticeable so if you see it come say hi!!!

I will also be wearing a big badge with my name on it (Kelly Louise Barfoot) and a piccie of a bear :) Please do say hello if you see me and the people I will be there with!!!
xxx

Red Bear

Hi everyone,

This is possibly my last bear during the holidays - I have another two bears made up and almost there but I may not have time to finish them until next weekend (poor things!)

This is red bear (unamed so far). She is around 11.5 inches high, stands by herself and has huuuge feeties :) She is made in a red curly mohair and a white sparse mohair on her head and body. She really is gorgeous, I absolutely adore her face and her eyes!! She is stuffed with plolyester filling and some rubber pellets in her arms and tum.

She is available for adoption once I come up with a name, but feel free to contact me for more information on my website... www.keli-b-bears.com

Thank you!
Kelly

xxx

Being crafty...

Well...apart from making bears, I have recently dabbled in a couple of other crafts recently!

Here is the first one I did - patching working a little pillow for Lyla bear. It was a little difficult but I got there in the end and she is very very happy :)

Secondly, my mum bought me some knitting needles and wool and taught me how to knit yesterday! She did teach me when I was a lot younger but I couldn't remember so she taught me again and now there is no stopping me! Raindrop now has a cute little blanket with three dinky buttons sewn on. I have also made a bow for a bears hair with a little heart button set in the centre :)

xxx

Getting ready for the new school year...

I now have a week and a half before I am back at school. I went in today to sort my classroom.

Anyway, now that I am going back into school (45 minute drive so I wouldn't go in unless I NEEDED to), I can now enlarge some of my patterns! My bunny pattern needs some work, Im going to tweak the legs and feet and bum, as well as the ears and then I want to enlarge it slightly to make a bigger black halloween bun. Then I will be enlarging another pattern I have got ready to create a big brown bear looking more traditional than my usual colourful ones - both will be saved for the Minstead fair.

I currently have a red and white bear on the go. Poor thing has been half sewn up for well over a week now, I am hoping to get her sewn up in the morning and start stuffing and closing up the limbs.

That is all for now, I will post a piccie up of my latest bear when ready :)

Thank you!
Kelly
xxx

Far too long!

Three months since I posted on here....where has the time gone?!

It is getting to the end of August now - I have been busy making lots and lots of bears for the Minstead bear fair on the 23rd of October. It is the summer holidays so I have had plenty of time to stock up and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Piccies can be seen on my website www.keli-b-bears.com - in the bears for sale section and the fairs section.

The bear fair in Stratford on the 12th June was a success! I was very excited about it and seeing as it was my first bear, the experience was phenomenal! I sold two bears on the day and had lots of fantastic feedback so I am already looking forwards to future fairs and the creations I make.

I have just sent off my advertisement for the Teddy Bear Times. It will appear in the next issue so please look out for it :)

Just a quick one for today, so I will update again very soon.
xxx

Big Update!

Hello!

Gosh it has been ages since I posted on here! I have been so busy with school and bear making!

I will be exhibiting at the Stratford Bear Artist Event in June of this year (I am exciiiiited!!). So I have been busy creating some fluffies to take with me :)

I am taking Edward whom I created a long time ago (he is still with me, I love him to bits!). I will also be taking Monty, Raindrop and Lya as well as some more that currently aren't alive yet :)

I created my first plush bear a few weeks ago - it was VERY difficult and I imagine I wont be working with plush too often but I do love the outcome. He is called Monty and is a very handsome chap:

Next comes Raindrop - an adorable little bunny! He was made in mohair - a grey one that I don't particularly like. I love the fur but the backing is atrocious to work with! Still, he turned out beautifully, he just needs a pendant to finish him off:



Finally, I would like to introduce you to Lyla. I am REALLY pleased with her, I cannot tell you how excited I am (only finished her 10 minutes ago so still hyped up a little!). She was created using a lovely white mohair tipped with stripy purple. All three of these bears will be at the Stratford Bear Artist Event:

I will also be exhibiting at two more fairs later this year - Minstead in October and Brighton in December. A very exciting first year for me and my bear making!

xxx

Chantilly

Hello,

I have definately been busy these last few days. My quickest bear yet - 3 days although most of the work was done on the second day.

This is Chantilly, a cute pink mohair bear standing at 11.5 inches (she ACTUALLY stands as well!!) She has lovely large, squidgy feet and a big tummy to match. She has a lace ribbon and button next to her ear and a jingling bell around her neck. She is currently for sale at £64.99 - p+p is £6 in the UK, worldwide delivery will vary.

If you like Chantilly and want to see more details, please visit my website:
http://www.keli-b-bears.com/
Thank you for looking! xxx

Yellow Bun

I would like to introduce you to my latest creation - a yellow bunny. Yellow bunny doesn't have a name yet as the owner is going to name her - but she is happy waiting =D

Yellow bunny has been created from the same mohair as lemon drizzle. She is around 11 inches tall and comes with her tush tag and tag around her neck. She has some fantastic bent arms and long ears giving her that bunny 'feel'. I have needle and scissor sculpted her face to create some cheeks and her eyes have been ringed in black to make them stand out.

She possibly has a new owner already but I will pop her in the gallery section on my website. http://www.keli-b-bears.com/.

Kelly
xxx

Charlie Bear Gathering and other things...

Hello!

A lot has happened since my last post, so I thought I would take the time to tell you about it :)

On the 9th April 2011, myself and a good friend - Alison Wise of Bearlypink bears - hosted the Charlie Bear gathering in Trentham Gardens. And what a success! Over 40 of us met up to alk about all things bears taking part in a lovely buffet lunch and a fabulous charity raffle. The food went down a treat and the raffle was just amazing! With 22 prizes, there was something for all including bears, a bear making kit, £50 voucher for the bear shop...there was so much choice! In the end we raised a whopping £332! I came away with a knitted peter rabbit bunny and a wendy woo bear. The highlight of the day? Charlie and Will from Charlie Bears making a surprise appearance, it was just lovely!!!

After the raffle, people started filtering over to the bear shop and we tidied up the room before going over there ourselves. I picked up a charlie 2011 bear and two kaycee bears. The day was tiring but definately worth it. The money we raised is going towards the WSPA charity for bears.

This weekend just gone, I attended another exciting event - a kaycee bear signing down in Swanage, Dorset. I drove down very early in the morning and arrived in Swanage at around 9 o clock (after going on a terrifying journey on a ferry!!!!) The signing was wonderful - Corfe bears was packed and the shop itself is just stunning. So stunning in fact that I am planning a mini break there in a couple of months time! It was nice to finally meet the people at Corfe and I got my Corfe bunny the special signing bear. I also was very very naughty and purchased a kaycee mohair - Lucky LE 30 who was made especially for the signing.

The Easter holidays are going incredibly fast. I have managed to create a bunny who I will pop up on here in my next post. I have started a plush bear altho I cant do much more until I buy more eyes and joints. I have just designed and marked out a pink bear as well, so that may be done by the end of the holidays!!

Kelly
xxx

Freedom - A Special Raffle Bear

Hi everyone,

I have just completed a beautiful little bear. Her name is Freedom and has been made and named for a special event and charity. Next weekend on the 9th April I am co-hosting a Charlie Bear gathering in Trentham and we have organised a raffle. We have at least 10 prizes but it could be up to 15 - most of them being gorgeous bears! Freedom is one of them and represents the charity we are helping - the WSPA.

The WSPA do some wonderful things for real bears. The editor of the Teddy Bear Times Magazine - Dawn James - is going on their official bear trek this year and the money we raise will go to her fund. She will be walking miles and miles to a bear sanctuary to visit some bears that have been saved from salvery and abuse. If we can raise a little bit of money to help out these bears then it is all worth while :)

Here is Freedom. She is a 9inch mohair bear stuffed with poly-filling and some glass beads. I have made her very floppy and delicate to reflect the state of real bears in suffering - but her name represents the freedom that some bears have been given. I hope you like her, I am really pleased with her :)

Kelly

xxx

Cherry Blossom

Hello everyone,

I am pleased to introduce you to my latest creation - a cute little bunny called Cherry Blossom. She is 11 inches tall from top to toe and comes in an Easter themed basket with some cute little chicks!!!

She has been created from pink mohair and pink ultrasuede on her inner ears, foot pads and paw pads. Inside, she is stuffed with polyester filling and glass beads in her arms and legs. She is further weighted with some steel shot in her tummy. Around her neck she has a purple ribbon complete with five easter themed buttons and a little bow on her ear finished her off perfectly :)

I have just had a call from my mum. I sent a picture to her earlier of Cherry Blossom and she loves her so Cherry Blossom is now sold! I will be making a grey bunny similar to Cherry Blossom, so if you liked her, then watch this space :)
Thanks so much!
Kelly
xxx

Lemon Drizzle

Hello,

The month of March is going very quickly! I have now been teaching my new class for two weeks! It is still strange to be teaching on my own, I still sort of feel like a student, but sometimes I feel like I am the class teacher and it is fab :).

I finished my latest bear yesterday - Lemon Drizzle. He has had three photo shoots now as I have entered him into an online award! I don't mind if he doesn't get anywhere, it is the experience that counts and I look forwards to getting some feedback eventually. He is made from a beigy-yellow mohair and is stuffed with heavy polyester filling and some glass beads in his arms and legs. I had him without ears for at least four days, I adored him! He looked like a little Yeti, but at some point, he had to be able to hear properly. Im so pleased with his overall look, he is a  little sweetie.

This is an amazing week for me, as Lemon Drizzle is sold! He is my first sale and is going to a fab home to a lady I met last week. I visited my mum today and she asked if he was for sale as she wanted him. She was so sad when I said he was sold, so she has asked me to make her a black bear in the same style.

In other news, I have just started to cut out the fur for my next challenge....a bunny! I designed it earlier, I have had the design in my head for a while but wanted to finish Lemon Drizzle first. The fur is pink, and she will be an easter bunny, sitting in a little basket :)

Here are some piccies of Lemon Drizzle from the last couple of days, I hope you enjoy him and feel free to leave a comment :)
xxx

Hugglets and a Very Special Launch!

Hello fellow bear fans,

As Spring is dawning on us, I hope that you are all well and enjoying the amount of bear related events that are going on. I am suffering from my yearly early hayfever but it isn't putting me off bears!

Hugglets was a fantastic day out! Standing in the queue, fairly near the front, we were an hour early and although it was very cold, the wait was worth it. As the door opened, we scrambled inside, gave in our tickets and ran downstairs like a herd of wild animals and descended upon Kelsey's stall in the basement. What a site! Some beautiful bears, both mohair and plush which literally flew off of her stall! After much deliberation, I chose a gorgeous pink mohair bear called coconut ice, here is her picture:

She is wonderful and as you can see, her foot is signed by Kelsey :)

Onwards we went, from stall to stall admiring the talent that swept through the four halls. It was then time for me to pounce on the bear making materials and I chose some lovely material and bear making bits and bobs for a good price including a large bag of stuffing which became my santa sack. After we had dinner, we had another walk around all of the stalls where I picked up some more mohair and chose a beautiful little Jac-q-lyn bear pictured here:

Her name is Tip Top and she is from the Urchin range.

The day then ended and we traipsed back to the car with big smiles on our faces! So Hugglets was a huge success and I am already saving up for September!

Today is a very special day as it is the launch of the new Kaycee Bear collection. The launch is being held at Magpies Gifts down in Devon with two special mohair signing bears and the chance to purchase some of the new collection. Due to Magpies being a 5 hour drive away, I was unable to make it, so instead drove with a friend to One More Bear in Trentham to see some of the new bears and bunnies! I love going to Trentham as it is a beautiful place to spend the day shopping. Once in the shop I chose a new kaycee bear - Cherry pie:

I also purchased a charlie bear bunny - Caitlin who has poseable ears, she is just fantastic! Along with the new bears, Kelsey has given us the chance to purchase limited edition prints of the limited edition bears. So you can buy the number that corresponds to your numbered bear. At Trentham today, I pre ordered Lucy Locket and her print and put Harvey on layaway also with his print :) I cannot wait to get them!

In bear making news I am still working on my small bear. I haven't had time this week with my new job but hope to spend a couple of hours on him/her tomorrow. I already have a name though - Lemon Drizzle!!!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog, keep an eye out for my next bear!
xxx

Designing

Today I finished designing a new pattern for a bear. The bears that I have made so far have ranged from 13 inches-15 inches and after realising this, I decided to challenge myself. So I have designed a smaller bear...and blimey - it is small! Not in the minbi-bear category at all, I imagine he/she will be around 10 inches from head to tippy toes but it will still be an interesting bear to create.

Now that I have finished designing I can get on with making the bear...oh wait, no I cant...I don't have any fur :(. However, I am not at a loss as Hugglets is fast approach (T-3 days!) and I intend to spend all of my saved money on furs, joints, eyes, filling etc. to last me at least a month. With this bear being quite small, I expect to use a smaller amount of material as well, so I may have some money left over for a small bear :)

3 days is a long time when you are itching to make a bear. So if I have the time, I will start to design my next idea so it is ready when I need it - an easter bunny. I had no idea on how to start designing a bunny, so I have been studying various bear bunnies, patterns and pictures of real bunnies to get an idea of the shape of the head. I have ideas on the rest of the bunny as well (long, big feet and short little arms, how sweet!) so it is just a case of trying to get my ideas down on paper (took me about 20 attempts to draw a leg out last night!!!)

My eyes are getting tired, I will leave my blogging for another day - probably Sunday after Hugglets although I officially start my new job on Monday so I may need an early night!!
Kelly
xxx

Edward

Hello all,

This is my new bear Edward :) Edward is a very handsome and regal chap. He is made from two types of mohair including a swirly beige and a chocolate brown. His nose is hand emrboidered and his eyes are black glass complete with white eye felting and a black outline giving him that adorable 'who, me?' look. He is sporting a ribbon made from yellow and green giving him a somewhat spring/easter theme to his overall look. He is a very proud and handsome bear and would love a forever home.

He is up on bearpile, the link is to the left of my blog so please feel free to take a look. Here are some piccies of him :)

Kelly
xxx

Bearpile!

Hello all,

I have finally jumped straight in the deep end and become a member of bearpile, so Romeo is on there for sale :)

http://www.bearpile.com/detail.cgi?id=1521&item=42646

I have just ordered some more mohair for my next bear.

Looking forwards to tomorrow night, Charlie bears are on QVC at midnight and I will hopefully be up watching the show. I will miss all other shows on Monday as I start my new job and then going out for V-day - but it saves me a bit of money I guess ;)

Kelly
xxx

Making the head

As promised, I am posting some pictures of how I created Romeo's head. Please note, the techniques will differ from artist to artist :)

 After sewing, the head needs to be firmly stuffed. And I mean firmly stuffed or the nose caves in (this happened to me once, poor bear is still unfinished :( )

 Here is the opening of the head at the bottom. I have stuffed it but left a little room for the joint.

 To close up the head, I use strong sailors twine. I stitch around the opening before I put the joint in.

 As you can see, the joint is in. I then pull very very firmly on the twine to close the seam (its hurts sometimes).

 After pulling on the twine, I use a sailors know where you simply tie the twine together twice and snip off the loose tails.

 After this, i position the ears using some pinms and use a measuring tape to ensure that they are in the right place. I use a long needle and a curved needle to sew the ears on using ladder stitch.

 Now here comes the tricky bit! I do an underlayer for the nose (it is a tad scruffy as you can see) and then create the mouth again using pins so I can experiment with the placement and expression.

 After creating the mouth, I spend time on the top layer of the nose, using the backing of the mohair to help create straight lines.

When the nose is complete, I use more pins to position the eyes. I then take the eye, use more whipping twine and attach the eyes using a long needle and brutal force! Only joking, just some force lol!!!With this bear, I used eye whites to create a cute but sad look and just put them on before attaching the eyes. And there you have it, Romeo's head was completed. It was then the simple case of jointing the head to the body, stuffing and closing up the back seam. He had a tidy up and his accessories were added and he was complete :)

Hope this gives you a little idea of how I create the heads. Sometimes, I leave the ears til last, I just wanted a change this time lol!

Kelly

xxx