Birthday Treats

It was my Birthday on Monday and I had a lovely day, going for a rather foggy walk where we came across this beautiful castle.

I was spoilt with a lovely custom rubber stamp created from one of my illustrations I had drawn especially. I can now use it to add some character filling in the address to the parcels I send out to my lovely customers around the world! I got a chocolate brown ink pad which looks like chocolate, rather perfect coming from Belgium :)

I also got some gorgeous Baker's Twine from this Etsy shop which I'm using to wrap my orders, here is one all ready to send out.


I have just finished this little Bear for a lady in America, she has commissioned it for her little baby granddaughter, so I made her with all the special safety eyes and joints, made of the prettiest peachy Alpaca, delicate floral paw pads and I knitted a little cardigan, just hiding a little felt heart with the girl's initials embroidered on it.



Next week I start on another commission Bear and hope to have a new embroidery pattern all ready to share. I'm also working on some fun spring like Easter Party Invitations, great for Easter Egg Hunts, so many items being created, so do hop back soon. Hugs, Catherine x

Cherie

Please let me introduce you to Cherie :) She was commissioned by a lovely lady in Singapore. I am running around very busy trying to work on so many different projects at the moment that I will let Cherie's photos do the talking for today!



There will be a boy Bear on the way soon to be available on my website. I hope you're all having a lovely week, see you back here soon, Hugs, Catherine xx

Popcorn & Hedgehogs!

Now that's a title you don't see everyday!! Popcorn was my latest commission Bear flying his way to Sweden for a new life!



I have been hibernating creating a new Bumpkin friend that has been asking me oh so kindly to be created! Who am I to refuse such a cute little fellow! I ADORE hedgehogs, do you? Come back very soon to make a new friend!

Let's go Ice Skating!

I hope you all had a magical Christmas Day. My fiance, the cats and I had a lovely relaxing Christmas at home this year. As you can see Phoebe helped me out reading Nigella's cook book! Most of our snow here was washed away by rain. The sun came out on Boxing Day so we went for a lovely walk in a local forest, all the paths were like ice rinks still! I'm back busy with my bear making, in the middle of a commission Bear which will be finished this week. I promise to share photos when he is brought to life! In the meantime enjoy this frosty world! HUGS, Catherine x

Nestled in a sea of White!

We had snow blizzards arrive on Thursday with lots more yesterday. So after trying to clear our drive way and making our paths walkable (they were like an ice rink this morning!) we are staying in the warm! I'm busy cutting out a new commission bear that has just been requested, this little one will be a gorgeous soft gold and white Bear. Tomorrow I'll be going to the shops by foot hoping to find all I need for our Christmas meal, I think I need to borrow a donkey to carry bags! I received some lovely photos of my Bears in their new home in the snow which I'll share soon. In the meantime here are some snowy photos from our village before we got the snow blizzards! I wanted to invite the horse in for Tea! Snowy hugs Catherine x

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Yesterday morning I had a lovely time meeting Peter, a collector that came to meet his special commission Bear that I have been making for him. Crosby was brought to life with a fabulous Schulte kid mohair, all swirly and with fabulous different colours of Christmas silver and chocolate! He was a big Bear to bring to life, a real treat to create. My all time favourite Christmas Song is Bing Crosby's "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas", and when this Bear was sat looking at me all finished, the name Crosby just seemed to suit him. We could even have a White Christmas, with our first winter Frost today.




As a Thank You Christmas present I knitted this little teddy tree ornament from a free pattern from Little Cotton Rabbits.


It's always nice to chat will fellow Bear enthusiasts and Winston was made a very happy Bear by being taken home with Peter and Crosby, all snuggled up in a lovely warm fleece! They sure are going to be very loved Bears in a wonderfully fun home. I can just imagine the mischief they will get up to, with their other Bumpkin Bears brothers already well settled into their home.

I am busy working on a super cute Bunny illustration, if you love Christmas craft projects, then you must pop back soon! So excited! Hugs, Catherine xx

Childhood Memories

I was commissioned to make this bear for a very special girl, it's been such fun to create a bear to the wishes of a child. All her toys have to be happy so Mr Bear got a nice smiling face. I love to think that my bear will be loved and played with and have tea parties and adventures, just as my bears did when I was a child. I made him his outfit and found these cute flower buttons. He will have his own naming ceremony so for now he is Mr Bear :) I remember even having a christening for a little china doll when I was little, my Granny made a beautiful chocolate cake with white icing letters spelling out her name - Elizabeth Ann! Happy memories, just as I wish this bear to bring to this little girl's world.




Busy busy washing and packing ready for our trip. Will pop by again before we leave. Hugs, Catherine and Mr Bear! x

If I can't see you....

you can't see me, thought Miss Molly Hopper as she hid shyly in her favourite tea pot! Eventually I managed to persuade her that you were all very friendly and that she didn't need to be shy at all!





This wee little bunny is brought to life with a lovely tatty Schulte mohair and I gave her a little hand shaded pink nose. She always likes to look her best for tea parties with the bears so I gave her a sweet lacey bow. She was created with a customer's sweet black bunny in mind called Molly Hopper, so she is already hopping her way to her new home where I know she will be very loved.

I have also just finished a special commissioned bear who I have also made some cute dungarees (overalls in the US I think!) for. Photos coming soon :) It's a busy week as I'm packing for a holiday to .... Scotland - yipeeeeeeee. As many of you know my Grandmother's side of the family are Scottish so this is going to be such fun. Hugs, Catherine x

Favourite Moments

I've been busy for a while creating this sweet set of Favourite Moments Prints, following the Bumpkin Bears through their year.
I had great fun imagining these and they seem to come alive when they are framed on the wall, such fun to cherish through the changing seasons. They are available as a specially priced set ($10 less than buying individually) from my Etsy Store. Click on the image to see the bears better.


If you would like any of them individually just send me an email. I'd love to know what you think of these and if you have a favourite? What are your favourite moments in the year and what makes them special for you? I love kicking through fallen leaves in the Autumn, cuddling by a warm fire in the winter and watching the beautiful spring blossoms appearing in the Spring....

I'm busy working on a commission bear over here which is keeping me warm as it's dark and pouring with rain and more thunder storms forecast!! See you again soon, Hugs, Catherine x

Garden Fair

Last weekend we went along to a lifestyle and plant fair at a nearby castle that has just been donated to the province of Antwerp. I do hope this means it will be well maintained and the public can enjoy it. There are SO many incredible castles in Belgium but a large proportion are privately owned, turned into hotels or apartments and hidden away behind tall hedges. So it was a treat to see this. I loved the sculpture of the ducks and there were some bird of prey demos and look at that wee little ferret in the bird handlers bag :) I'll be working on some new bears soon, in the meantime I have been busy packaging some of my bears (Dylan, Baby Jacob and a commission bear) off to their new homes. I always feel a little sad saying good bye to these bears I put so much of myself into bringing them to life, but I know they will bring happiness to their new Mums. Thanks for stopping by. Chat again soon, Hugs, Catherine x

Autumn is calling

I've still been busy this week on a commission bear, a special bear without joints and with sleepy eyelids! Promise to share photos when I can :) In the meantime Autumn is really setting in over here, the house window painting has had to stop with rain every day. But I captured some sunshine in my garden and took some photos of the changing colours, I especially love the chinese lanterns, they grow everywhere but look so special at this time of year :) I also got some pretty shots of some butterflies, there have not been so many around this Summer but with a week of sunshine I enjoyed seeing quite a few especially on the sedums. Have a good weekend when it arrives, Hugs, Catherine x

Special new friends

Hi everyone, I have been busy bringing special commissioned bears to life the last few weeks. I'd love you to meet Rafferty, a sweet panda bear with the cutest pink needle felted tootsies and hand made ribbon ruff. He has just arrived with his new Mum and she says she is in love with him, so what more can a panda bear ask for :)



Then I created a wee little girlie called Penny, she is made of the most glorious dense Schulte mohair and only comes in at 8.5" tall! I have made mini bears less than 4" but never this size. I am relieved to say that her new mum was delighted with her photos and is now waiting patiently for her to arrive in the post in Wales, UK.



Last week was pretty eventful, 2 houses down from us caught fire last Thursday, it was awful to see it going up in smoke. We tried to help before the fire engines came but by the time they arrived it was just too late to save it. Saddest part is that their 2 cats did not get out, as I have 2 cats myself I just couldn't bare this thought. Then we came back to our house and I found a leak in the loft and our boiler was dripping water out of all sides and parts! THANK GOODNESS I saw this before any damage was caused, just a big bill for a new boiler! Then the next day went to the dentist for a broken tooth but that is all ok now. Then Saturday the lawn mower broke...... but in the scheme of things compared to that poor family losing everything in their home I can't complain about all these things.

Thanks for stopping by here and for all your comments, it's such fun to hear from you all, here's too a calmer week! Hugs, Catherine x