Mocha - a new little cutie!

To while away the hours while in hospital recently, I started hand-sewing this little fellow and have just put the finishing touches to him - introducing Mocha.

He's made from a luscious and dense grey/brown alpaca with a while alpaca muzzle & tummy, and sitting measures cm.   I've airbrushed his paw pads, and hand-painted his starburst eyes in shades of grey/blue.

He'll be available from my new website (www.nikkelbears.com) within the next couple of days, so make sure you drop by to check him out.

Downtime

I've been in hospital recently for the removal of an enlarged thyroid, and more disconcerting ... a small cancer within my thyroid.

A 2 hour operation ended up a marathon 5.5 hrs!  My surgeon reckons I gave her arm and shoulder muscles a real workout!

Anyway, good news.  Whole thyroid and all cancer has been removed, and I'm sporting a rather neat looking scar at the base of my neck which I'm told should fade over time.  And best of all - I have a skinnier neck!   Still have to undergo some radiation therapy (just to be sure) and then it's all plain sailing for me!

After 2 weeks off work, it was back to reality yesterday - you know the normal office stuff ... phones constantly ringing, the never-ending pile of filing to be done, emails by the truckload etc. etc. etc.  I think I prefer the peace & quiet of being at home listening to the wild birds flying overhead and in the gum trees and the odd dog barking.

I think I might ease myself back into this fulltime work thing & leave the office early for a few days yet.  

Sneak Peak!

At long last!  Here's a sneak peak at my 3 bears for the upcoming Black & White Ball in June.  

And of course, me being the 'expert' in photography had to do the Photoshop online tuition before I could even work out how to put a photo collage together!

Hope you like what you see!  Make sure you make a note of the dates: 1st - 7th June 2009.  Just go to www.teddybearsandcritters.com

Weekend Sleepover!

Hi everyone!

I've been a bit remiss lately with my blog - I've been very busy getting 3 bears ready for the Teddy Bears & Critters Black & White Ball. Will give you a bit of a sneak peak soon so stay tuned!

We had a wonderful weekend - our precious granddaughter Mikaela came over for a sleep-over at Nanny and Poppy's while Mum & Dad enjoyed a well-earned night out with friends. The little poppet helped me tidy up 'the bear room' and sort out my ribbons, and then Poppy showed her how to play cards on the computer ... well, she clicked the mouse on the card he chose actually!

She's so full of personality, as you can see from this photo.

Bears, Bears & More Bears!!!!

Sorry everyone - it has been so long since I've updated my blog. I'm feeling rather guilty!

So much has been happening - I'm currently finishing off 3 bears which will be for sale at the upcoming BLACK & WHITE BALL - our online June show via the Teddy Bears and Critters website (http://www.teddybearsandcritters.com/).

The show will run from 1st to 7th June 2009, so make sure you mark these dates in your diaries and click the above link or this button for more details.

I hope you can join us for the Ball - it's going to be an awesome show, attended by lots of very talented Australian & New Zealand bear artists - hope to see you there!

Beautiful Sunset

Thought I'd share this photo with you all - it was taken (by me if you can believe it!) last week at our local boat ramp while we watched the sun set after dinner. Perfection! You can never underestimate the wonder and enjoyment you get from nature. I never get sick of living here in the beautiful Shoalhaven.

Sydney Teddy Bear Fair 2009

Hi everyone! I've just returned home from trading at the 2009 Sydney Teddy Bear Fair.

What a wonderful day! Lots of traders, lots of collectors and great atmosphere - well done to Mel Kemp (Happy Little Souls) for organising a fabulous show!

I caught up with lots of existing friends, and also met new teddy friends - the fabulously talented Linda Benson (Benson Bears), Peta Smart (Wazza Bears), Raewyn Todd (Woodbury Park Bears), Lyn Parker (Parker Bears), Lorraine Almond (Almond Bears), Susan Leigh (Bearleigh Bears) and Merrilyn Pursell (Bearwildered Bears), just to name a few!

Am extremely tired as I type this (I should be in bed, as it's back to work tomorrow) It's been a very hectic weekend (Saturday afternoon/night was spent at A Day on the Green - an open air concert by Australian icons of music (Ross Wilson, Kasey Chambers and Jimmy Barnes) in leafy Bowral in the Southern Highlands of NSW) A late finish (10.45pm) saw us arrive home at midnight and I still had to do laminated hang-tags for my show bears! Off to bed at 1.30am, and up at 4.30am (what the????) to head off to Sydney, a 2 1/2 hour drive from home!

Apologies for not posting photos of my show bears earlier - I guess better late than never.