Cupcake!

Well after many hours here is the latest little bear to come to life from my studio -

Cupcake is a precious little soul whose character is as soft as his fur. Being a little shy he doesn't talk that loudly so if you think you hear a little whisper it is probably Cupcake trying to say hello and most likely "I love you", he likes to tell me and the bears this each and every day along with a hug!




He is available for adoption from my website where you can see lots more photos and all his adoption info. If you would like to give him a new home just send me an email. - UPDATE - CUPCAKE HAS BEEN ADOPTED.



His little white insets on his face where inspired by my cat Ollie :)



Have a great weekend, (I'll be going to an animal park on Sunday so should have some photos to share next week).
Beary Hugs, Catherine and Cupcake xx

"Aye Aye Captain!"

After visiting the coast in France I felt inspired to create a sailor boy, so here he is all brought to life. His name is Captain and he has a sweet navy blue mohair outfit and vintage scarf.


He has always wanted to be a sailor and loves to tell the other bears all about his adventures on the high seas. However if truth be known the nearest he has been to water is the pond in his garden! As he sits there looking at his reflection in the water he watches the leaves floating by and imagines that they are vast gallion ships with big billowing sails. There he is up on deck behind the big wooden wheel with the wind in his fur and the other bears answer "aye aye Captain" to his commands!




You can see lots more photos of him on my website as well as all his adoption information. Take a look to see how you can make his dreams come true.
Click here to take a look.

If you'd like to make him a part of your family then just drop me an email. Right, better get started on a couple of commissions. HUGS, Catherine and Captain xx

Meet Rufaro, full of Springtime happiness

Well as promised here is my latest Bumpkin Bear - Rufaro -

He is a happy bear that loves Spring with it's clear blue skies and soft sunshine, you can see this in his colours. He is brought to life with faboulous heritage style English mohairs which I hand dyed in soft blue and gentle old beige gold which gives a really sweet 'patchwork' look.

He loves to sit underneath the blossom trees smiling as the little petals gently fall in the breeze. Springtime brings such a renewed hope and joy of new beginnings with it that I named this sweet bear Rufaro which means Happiness and Elation.

Click here to visit him and all his photos on my website, just click on his photo in the bear gallery.

Have a lovely day,Beary Hugs,Catherine and Rufaro

Cherry Blossom

I have just taken photos of my latest bear and sent out all the details to my mailing list first. Her name is Cherry Blossom and she is a wee little Bumpkin Bear at only 13". She is a peaceful bear and was brought to life to celebrate the beauty of the Cherry Blossom festivals and with them the coming of Spring. She is created with luxurious rich brown and pale pink tipped faux furs. She has adorable pink facial features and chubby cheeks with little pink button nose and a Bumpkin soulful expression. Her colours make me think of the delicate tones of the cherry blossoms against their branches. Cherry Blossom just adores the company of her family around her and would be the sweetest companion for a lifetime of love. She is available for adoption from my website, where you can see lots more photos - www.bumpkinbears.com -.

I have found all sorts of details about the significance of the Cherry Blossom in China and Japan, I'll write a bit about it over the next few days here. Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Snow and Blossom!

I noticed yesterday that the white blossom has started to appear on my plum trees and then today we've got SNOW! It's going to be a very soggy cold Easter weekend so not much fun for the Easter bunny to go and hide all the eggs! I've got a wild bunny that visits my garden, I'll try to get a photo of him to post soon. It's been a busy week, Milo my blue bear will be heading off to his new Mummy in the States, wonderful that he will also be joining some other Bumpkin Bears, a Bumpkin reunion!

I want to wish you all a really Happy Easter, I found this hilarious photo of a bunny and thought I'd add a few extras in photoshop! Chat again soon, Easter Hugs, Catherine x

Softies Easter Parade!

Do pop along to Lisa's Softies Easter Parade, you can vote for your favourites in the different sections - My little ted and Chick set (Sprite and Chirpie) are in the Hot Chicks part of the parade - do pop along for all sorts of Eastery wonders :)

click here to visit the Parade

Easter friends!

With Spring arriving I felt inspired to create a little miniature set of easter friends so here's Sprite and Chirpie!

Sprite bear measures a tiny 3.5" and Chirpie is only 1.5"! Chirpie chick is needlefelted.

Sprite loves to go on adventures into the wild, otherwise known as the garden! Chirpie and Sprite are such close friends, that where one goes the other is never far behind! With Spring arriving you can often catch a glimpse of them riding along underneath the daffodils!

They are available from my website - take a peek - www.bumpkinbears.com
I'll be back to write more in the week, it was my birthday on Thursday so I'll add some photos soon. Hugs, Catherine

Life long friends...

Whilst I was in blog land over the weekend I came across Jayne's wonderful site, Country Cottage Chic Click here to see her blog. She has a Teddy Challenge at the moment for people to share photos of their childhood ted or toy. My childhood teddy is called Billy, I can still remember when my Aunty gave him to me when I was little, must have been about 5 I should think. She won him in a raffle, he was all fluffy and with a pale yellow ribbon round his neck - he looks a little different nowadays! He went everywhere with me and I slept with him every night, he even came on adventures like a holiday to South Africa with my Granny where she used to live.

My other special toy was a cloth horse called Blue Boy (I've always been crazy about horses) that stayed at Granny's so he was there to greet me everytime I stayed. I have a sweet photo of my Mum as a child with Blue Boy, so he's had quite a life!


I've taken a photo of these two friends along with Willem, my Mum's chad valley bear (in the jumper) that she was given for her 21st b.day. They all keep an eye on me in my craft room :) I took a photo of them on my piano, you can also see my lovely horse statue that I inherited from Granny.

I spent yesterday needle felting a little easter friend to go with a mini bear I'm making, so watch this space :) Catherine x

Introducing Benson P. Hamilton

I just heard today that one of my latest commissions arrived at his new home in the states so I can now share this special panda with you. I'd like you to meet Benson P. Hamilton, He was created as a brother to Sim-Sam, who you can see in the photoshoot! Sim-Sam is looking for a special new Mummy Click here to see him.


Benson is a loving soul with a strength of character which helped him when meeting his new Mum's cats for the first time! His name Benson shows his English roots, with P standing for Panda and Hamilton meaning Beautiful mountain, which has a rather nice chinese feel to it. Benson is 17" and brought to life with wonderful heirloom style mohair and with sweet needlefelted toes.

If you would like to commission that special bear for yourself or a loved one then just drop me an email. I'm always happy to chat :-)

Meet Huckleberry

Hi everyone, my fiance is recovering well after his accident, just a fair bit of pain from the broken ribs. I've just finished this lovely new bear called Huckleberry. I have been working hard on a new older bear shaped design and I just adore his heirloom style mohair - really tricky colour to photograph though, he is a lovely greyish brown colour, very unusual. He has a lifetime of adventures that he loves to talk about, so you and your family could have many happy evenings all snuggled up together listening to his tales!

He is available for adoption from my website - www.bumpkinbears.com.

We had a buzzard in our garden this week, so I'll share a photo or two next week!
In the meantime enjoy your Sunday. Happy Beary Hugs, Catherine and Huckleberry xx

Warmth of friendship

Thank you so much to everyone sending kind words of support. Marc is doing ok, he has broken one of the bones around the front of his ribs, so just rest is the order of the day. You've all been so sweet. Talking of sweet I just heard that I won THE most gorgeous bracelet from Tracy of Pink Purl, such a lovely surprise :) Tracy is the kindest soul and makes such fabulous jewellery, Click here to check out her blog.

Inspired by all the kindess of friends this week for myself and Marc I have hand knitted a sweet outfit for Georgie bear to keep him warm and hand made a felt button with the words WARMTH embroidered. The warmth of friendship surrounds us and hugs us just as a teddy does. Georgie is available on my website.

I have also been taking photos of the birds in my garden this weekend, so will add some photos over the next few days. Thanks again everyone, Catherine x

off to their new family ..

It's been a busy time finishing some commissions. I'd love you to meet Jack, this white bear was a special order for a lovely lady in America, he'll be heading off to his new home with his friend Nicolas that had to get in on the photoshoot! It's always lovely when my Bumpkin Bears go together to the same new family! My next project is a special order for a panda that I am working on... watch this space! Catherine x

Happy New Year!

well I'm a bit late, but I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! It's been all go here, back in my studio working on a commission bear and a panda. Leo, my bear that was nominated back in December in the British Bear Artist Awards has now returned to my arms. He is now available for adoption and is so excited to find a special new home all of his own.(UPDATE - LEO IS NOW ADOPTED)

Go to- www.bumpkinbears.com - to see all his photos and my other bears.

I'm in a bit of a rush today, but I'll be back during the week to show you a little teddy restoration story! Catherine x

Busy times..

Well, it was quite a weekend, I became an Aunty for the first time! My sister in law and brother had a lovely little baby girl.

I have also finished my very first ever red Bumpkin Bear. Nicolas is a one of a kind 16.5" fella with a warm heart and fun loving festive spirit. He was adopted within minutes of being placed on my website and is a very happy boy knowing that he has a special new Mum in America.

Right now I'm busy doing homework for my Dutch evening class that I'm following. It is funny after a few years of living here in Belgium that my brain thinks in Dutch sometimes and I even find myself talking Dutch to English speaking people by mistake!! Much to my embarrasment I do not even always realise until I see their puzzled faces :) I also have a few commission bears to design so had better carry on. Take care everyone, Catherine x

Georgie - all ready for the snow!

It's been great to hear from so many of you lately. As you can see I've been a busy bee in my Bumpkin Bears studio and here is my latest bear brought to life. Georgie is the softest bear you could hope to meet, he is a real Country Bumpkin loving to be outdoors. He is so excited about seeing his first snow this Christmas that he is all ready in his warm outfit! He is designed with the cutest cinnamon coloured all in one outfit with ivory white trims and adorable white furry boots.

You can see lots more photos and all his adoption information at WWW.BUMPKINBEARS.COM


I've been trying out a new home made light tent for taking photos of my bears and it seems to be working quite well so far, my cats can't quite work out what it all is though!

Next bear is going to be my very first red Bumpkin Bear now I'm getting into the Christmas spirit - watch this space :) Catherine x

Dolly - a sweetheart for Christmas

I've been busy hand dying some mohair lately and have brought to life this sweet bear called Dolly with a mixture of peachy pinky caramel shades! She was very tricky to photograph to get the colours just right. She can't wait for her first Christmas with a new family so if you'd like to give her a loving home contact me. Click here to see all her photos and adoption information, just click on her little photo.

Meet Winky-Wonky!

Hi everyone, I've been a busy bee or should I say busy bear this week bringing to life this new character. I'd love you to meet Winky-Wonky a panda with a wonky set of markings! All the other pandas tease him that he is not a REAL panda, making him rather sad until ... you can read his whole story on my website-

http://www.bumpkinbears.com/en/v3/bears/wonky.php

He is available for adoption to a loving home, just send me an email if you would like to adopt him or would like to join my mailing list.