Aurora's off to a New Home!

What a wonderful week we've had! The Fantasy Ball online show run through the Teddy Bears & Critters Australasia website (www.teddybearsandcritters.com) was a complete success with some fantastic creations available for adoption.

I'm really pleased to say that one of my latest creations - Aurora (Angel of the Dawn) found her new mum through the show - a keepsake for her small daughter.



Hand-sewn from luxurious white alpaca (my favourite fur!) with hand-sewn trapunto paws and custom hand-painted gorgeous big sparkly deep azure eyes, Aurora has a serene look which is simply, well .... angelic! I hope you like her too!



I am always really honoured when a new Nikkel Bears collector appreciates the time, effort and attention to detail I put into my bears - I absolutely love making them for you!

Fantasy Ball - Vote for your Favourite!!!

Click on this link to vote for your favourite bear/critter in the Fantasy Ball - People's Choice competition!

www.teddybearsandcritters.com

I've just voted - who will you pick????

Central Coast Charity Doll & Bear Show

What a weekend I've had!

After heading out on Saturday morning, I arrived at my sister's house on the Central Coast of NSW (a 4 hour drive for me from home)with what seemed like a car full of bears and bear bits and pieces ready for the Central Coast Charity Doll & Bear Show at Wyong Racecourse on Sunday.

First things first though - a great family reunion - it was our Mum's 80th birthday and my other long-lost sister had arrived home from overseas (she works for the UK based Saga Cruise line) so it was a wonderful family get-together. We enjoyed a fantastic lamb roast (no Tom Cruise though!!!), a few laughs and great company!

Sunday morning arrived soon enough, and it was over to the racecourse early to set up my table - I'm pleased to say a few new bears made their debut ... I hope you like them!

This is Odie, a cheeky little chap who can't wait to open his birthday present!


This is Paddy Melon, a very thoughtful bear made from the most wonderful mint-coloured hand-dyed curly mohair:


And last, but not least - introducing Indie made from the most divine honey-coloured silky long-pile mohair and keeping out the winter chills with his hand-knitted multi-coloured scarf.


They'll be appearing shortly on my website as well, but in the meantime, don't forget that the FANTASY BALL online show starts tomorrow (31st May) at www.teddybearsandcritters.com (just follow the prompts to the Fantasy Ball) - hope to see you there (I have an entry in the People's Choice competition so am very excited about that - make sure you place your vote!)

Till next time ....

New Family Member!

OMG! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything here - time gets away from you while you're not looking, doesn't it?

Well, since I last posted, I've got so much to tell you: we were away for 3 weeks in Phuket, Thailand (as you know from my previous post) - the apartment is FANTASTIC! We had sooooo much fun just chilling out in our own place - no crowds, yay!!! And shopping for a few more pieces of furniture such as day bed, balcony setting etc. was a lot of fun too! I promise I'll post some pictures of the 'finished unit' in a later post.

Anyway - to my CURRENT exciting news! We have a new puppy! His name is Zac (short of Anzac ... seeing how we adopted him on Australia's Anzac Day). He's a full blood Australian Kelpie all the way from a farm near Cootamundra (in the south-west of NSW)and he's a little beauty! His mum and dad are farm working dogs, and already we're getting plenty of running exercise as this little guy tries to 'round us up' in the back yard. We can't stop laughing - he's brought us so much joy in such a very short time!



This is our first trip to the beach last Sunday (Mother's Day in Australia) - lots of games, and running around!



Being a farm boy, he's not at all sure about those waves though! Got bowled over in the surf and came up covered in sand!



And after all that running around silly, the little guy just plopped down in the sand for a snooze!





Looking forward to taking lots more photos - if only he would be still enough!!!!

Talk again soon!

More Apartment Photos!

Hi everyone!

Well, as promised here a a few new pictures of the apartment. We are so thrilled with how it's come along and can't wait to get over to Thailand to 'move in' officially!!!

Here's the view over Patong Beach from our balcony - priceless!!!


How cool is this outdoor shower area?


From the entry doorway:


Underneath car park & garden area:


Outside of building from street:

LAMB Bears!!!

Well, what a week! I have been absolutely run off my feet trying to get bears ready for the Sydney Teddy Bear Fair which was held yesterday at Sydney Olympic Park.

We had a wonderful show - not as many traders this year: and plenty of collectors and visitors milling around all day. Most artists and traders and great sales (I just about sold out which was a fantastic feeling!)

Especially for the show I designed a range of 4 bears which were inspired by the Gwen Stefani album Love, Angel, Music, Baby - hope you like them!









Keeping the music album thing going, I also designed this bloke - Melon Collie: inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins album from some years back - Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness.

Profile - Bears & Buds Online Magazine!!!!

W-O-W-!!!

What an absolute thrill for me to be featured again in another bear magazine so soon - this time in the American online magazine Bears & Buds (the lovely people who organise the annual URSA awards).

My bear Fancy has centre stage on the front cover of their March 5th birthday celebration edition - and I can't begin to tell you how exciting that is for me - it's like a dream come true! And all in such a short space of time!!!!

Hope you can log on to the website to take a peek ... http://www.bearsandbuds.com/March-2010/NikkelBearsMarch2010BearsandBuds.asp