Introducing Piccolino!

I'm delighted to introduce you to Piccolino. I created this sweet bear from three of my favorite Schulte mohairs in blond, red, and wedgwood blue. Piccolino stands about 14 and 1/4 inches (36.2 cm) tall.

UPDATE: Piccolino was adopted during the show!

Piccolino is my preview bear for the upcoming Teddies Worldwide online show. You can visit the site now to see all the preview bears and vote for your three favorites. If Piccolino is one of your favorite bears, he would love your vote.

New Avenue Crew will have five bears available for adoption during the online teddy bear show, which will be held on this website: Teddies Worldwide. The show starts Friday, March 17, at 12 noon eastern (New York) time, and it runs through 8 p.m. Sunday, March 19. Because it's all online, you can even shop in your pajamas if you like!

I hope you have enjoyed meeting Piccolino!

Springtime with Kalinka and Malinka

I have been wanting to share the story of sweet springtime sisters Kalinka and Malinka with you. I was inspired to create them by the lively Russian folk song Kalinka,* which is about a garden in bloom. Sometimes I'm inspired by things and people right here in my home. Our daughters are from Ukraine, and their first language is Russian, so the Ukrainian/Russian culture is a good source of inspiration for me.

Kalinka (Калинка in Russian, pronounced ka-LEEN-ka) means little snowball tree blossom. I created Kalinka from beautiful soft ivory kid mohair. She is lovely to hold! Kalinka's sister is named Malinka (Малинка in Russian, pronounced ma-LEEN-ka), which means little raspberry blossom. Raspberry blossoms made me envision a bear in pink, so I created Malinka from pink wavy distressed mohair. She is a sweetie.

*Here is the song Kalinka sung by Nikolai Baskov. I hope you enjoy it!

Only 6 Hours Left in the Blooming Bear Show!

It has been a lovely show so far. There are so many beautiful bears! Two of my Crew members are still available for adoption:

Kalinka

Malinka

These sweet sisters are both 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) tall. They are both so wonderful to hug and carry around. My sister came over yesterday and bonded with them in real life, especially with Kalinka.

To see more about Kalinka and Malinka, pop on over to the Blooming Bear Show at http://www.teddiesworldwide.com/ and look for Debora Hoffmann, New Avenue Crew. See you there!

It's Showtime!

Ladies and gentlemen, the biggest online bear show has started! Click here or on the banner above to visit the website. Be sure to look for Sprout (below) and my name, Debora Hoffmann, New Avenue Crew. There are three spring-themed Crew members available for adoption. Enjoy the show!

It's Almost Showtime!

The Blooming Bear Show starts tomorrow, Saturday, March 12. I am excited to show you the three sweet bears I've been working so hard on! To see my Crew members and the bears by 74 other talented artists from 12 countries, click on the website link. Today, you'll see the preview photos. Tomorrow, the photos or names will be live links to each artist's creations. Look for Sprout (below) and my name, Debora Hoffmann, New Avenue Crew!

Sneak Preview for the Blooming Bear Show

I am so excited to introduce you to cuddly Sprout, a bear with lovely light green and ivory mohair! He is one of the three spring-themed Crew members who I will be offering for adoption during the online Teddies Worldwide Blooming Bear Show coming up March 12 and 13. (To see the other artists' sneak peeks of their bears, visit the show website. How fun to see creations by 75 international artists in one place.)

I've been working hard on creating my bears these last few months, and I can't wait to share them with you during the show. Less than two weeks to go now! I hope you'll visit the Blooming Bear Show--did I mention it's all online?--and maybe you'll even find a cuddly friend or two!

Mullins

I am pleased to introduce Mullins to you!

Mullins was inspired by the smells and tastes of Christmas, but he is a bear who can keep you company all year round. He is named for the mulling spices used in spiced cider or wassail, many of which are also used in gingerbread. His name is also a nod to Linda and Wally Mullins, who did so much to promote our furry friend, the teddy bear, through teddy bear shows and books.

Mullins wears a solid brass "petal" sleigh bell. I love the tone it makes.

Here's a little more about this sweet Crew member:

Approximately 10.5 inches (29 cm) tall

Brown wavy distressed Schulte mohair

Muzzle of cider-colored wavy distressed Schulte mohair

Ultrasuede paw pads with pulled fingers and toes

Embroidered nose, mouth, and claws

Stuffed with polyester stuffing and plastic pellets

Bent legs; designed to sit

Here, Mullins is pictured with brother Goldenstern and sister Cinnamon. I love this photo of the three of them. I hope you have enjoyed meeting Mullins!

Pumphrey the Clown

Happy Teddy Bear Day to everyone! A friend of mine told me it was Teddy Bear Day today, and I thought it was so fitting to introduce you to the newest Crew member today. Please meet Pumphrey the clown, who I've affectionately been calling my "grand experiment":

Why is he a grand experiment? A few posts ago, I shared that I had the crazy notion one day to design a two-piece head pattern instead of the typical three-part head with gusset piece. I also decided I wanted this bear to have a ski-slope profile, so I put pencil to paper and came up with a pattern with darts top and bottom. After I cut the pieces out of mohair and stitched them up and stuffed them, I worked on the face. The head sat in an antique teacup on my desk during the process so I could look at him, and he at me. He looked so funny when he only had pin heads for eyes! When I finished Pumphrey's head and liked it, I designed his body and limbs.

I wanted him to be very different, so here also I didn't do my typical traditional-style bear. Pumphrey has shorter limbs and a longer body, perfect for a clown! He also has a little tail!

Pumphrey is named after my great-great-great uncle (there might be another great in there somewhere), whose middle name was Pumphrey. He and his wife, Imelda, were affectionately known as Aunt Meldie and Uncle Pun. Looking at their portrait and the twinkle in Uncle Pun's eye, I can just imagine how their nicknames fit.

Pumphrey the clown bear is 13 inches (33 centimeters) tall and made from curly matted tan Helmbold mohair and a lovely purple Schulte mohair. He has gold wool felt paw pads and black glass eyes, his nose and mouth are embroidered with pearl cotton, and I've given him light shading on his face. Pumphrey has his very own clown hat with a vintage flower button from the button box of one of my grandmothers or great aunts. He is stuffed with polyester stuffing and plastic pellets and has a wobble head joint for those quirky clown poses.

If you would like Pumphrey to come live with you and keep you entertained, visit the AVAILABLE BEARS page on this site.

I have very much enjoyed creating Pumphrey and having him around the studio. I have been posting updates about him on my Facebook page as I've been making him, and I know I've kept many of you in suspense waiting to see him. I'm glad I'm finally able to share him with you!

I hope you've enjoyed meeting  Pumphrey the clown!


Note: You can click on the photos to see a larger version and more detail.

Borealis

I'm happy to introduce you to the newest Crew member: Borealis.

Though he is white, he is not a polar bear--he is a kermode bear. (See the post below this one for some photos of kermode bears.)

Kermode bears are not albinos; they are a rare white phase of the North American black bear. They are striking!

Borealis is named after the aurora borealis or northern lights that are sometimes visible in the night sky in the kermode bear's home range of western Canada and Alaska.

His multicolored nose reflects the beautiful colors of the aurora borealis.

Borealis stands 8.5 inches (21.59 centimeters) tall, is made from an ivory-toned alpaca, and has black glass eyes. He sports pulled fingers and toes and needle-sculpted pads of Ultrasuede.

He is five-way jointed, has a hand-embroidered nose, and is stuffed with polyester fiber and glass beads for a nice weight. I have carefully added some light shading to enhance his features. Borealis comes with his fish pendant, which is accented with two small stones.

Borealis is available for adoption directly from me for $135 plus shipping. Send me an e-mail if you would like Borealis to come live with you.

Update: Borealis has found a new home! He has been adopted and will be going to live with a very sweet girl in Minnesota.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting Borealis. I've enjoyed creating him and having him around the studio; he looks cute nestled with the bigger bears. He will likely be my last small bear for a while--small bears make my eyes work extra hard!

Logan

I’m so happy to introduce you to a special bear named Logan. Here is his story.

For many years, I had set bear making aside. In 2006, I took a bear to sew at a craft Saturday at church. Elaine, a dear friend, approached me about making a bear for her 5-year-old granddaughter, Logan, who was struggling with aplastic anemia. I enjoyed working on a bear again and completed Geneva (my grandmother’s middle name) in time for Elaine to give her to Logan for her 6th birthday.

Sadly, sweet little Logan lost her battle with her illness in March of 2007. She is now with Jesus and experiencing a life we can only imagine. Geneva was the last bear I completed until this year.

In memory of Logan, I decided to name the first bear I completed after her. And so, Logan the bear was born earlier this year.

Logan the bear wears a photo pendant and a key tied over his heart with blue silk ribbon. The pendant holds a photo of Geneva, Logan’s bear. The key says LIFE to celebrate Logan’s life on earth and in heaven.

And Logan the bear comes with a small wooden frame that holds a copy of a drawing of a bear done by Logan herself.

Logan the bear stands 10.5 inches (26.67 centimeters) tall, is made from a lovely peach-toned Schulte kid mohair with a hint of a blush, and has matching Ultrasuede paw pads. He is five-way jointed, has a hand-embroidered nose in pearl cotton, sports black glass eyes, and is stuffed with polyester fiber and plastic pellets for a good weight. I have carefully added some light shading to enhance his features.

Logan is available for adoption for $185 plus shipping. If you would like Logan to come live with you, send me an e-mail.

Update: Teddy Logan has found a new home! He is being adopted and will be going to live in Virginia.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting Logan the bear. I’ve enjoyed creating him and having him around the studio.

For more of young Logan’s story, be sure to visit her Caring Bridge website: Logan's Race.