Mee-Mee - A Beautiful Dreamer

I promise I will share my few London photos soon but there is a little Panda Bear that is wanting to meet you all first! I have just finished bringing Mee-Mee to life. He is a little dreamer, he lives in his very special world filled with blossoms and the sounds of bird song at Spring dawn. He loves to garden so would be a very happy Panda Bear with a small watering can and a packet of seads. I would just warn your other Bears to put their paws over their ears when he first sees the new little shoots starting to appear out of the soil! He does get rather excited, bless him!

You can see all his photos and adoption information on my website.
**UPDATE 10th March, Mee-Mee has now been lovingly ADOPTED**




Right, time to get back to my Easter illustrations, time is a ticking! Bear Hugs, Catherine & Mee-Mee xx

Party Days

Here we are back safely from a weekend trip to England, for my Birthday and a 70th Birthday Party for my Dad. All my Aunts and Uncles, cousins and kids came along so it was lovely to see everyone, especially my adorable 2 year old niece. I managed to finish a little knitted tunic for her about an hour before I left on Friday evening! I loved knitting again, I found it really relaxing. I found the free pattern for the Child's Playtime Top at Lionbrand.com The flower was great fun to create, I used this pattern.


I spent my Birthday in London, going along to the Hugglets Teddy Bear Festival, it was such fun to see so many Bears all in one place and to meet many artists that I had only 'met' through email and forums. Everyone was so friendly and I bought a lovely selection of fresh coloured mohairs for a range of Spring Bears. Can't wait to start working on some new designs, first I need to finish a Panda that I started last week. I'm also busy creating new Spring & Easter illustrations to launch as Prints & Cards. I'm also patiently waiting for some badges and magnets to arrive in the post that I ordered to show my Art. So lots of excitement. I'll share my photos from Hugglets and London over the next few days. See you soon, Hugs, Catherine x

Beauty

After all the snowy scenes I've been sharing I think we are all in need of some flowers and Spring colour! I noticed this morning that the first little buds of my crocuses in the garden are daring to appear! Oh Sweet Spring Time I never thought you would appear! I've started a new panda bear, so better carry on. To keep you going I'm sharing these photos I took of a beautiful bouquet my fiance gave me for Valentine's, I just LOVE ranunculus (except for spelling it!), they are precious how all their petals nestle together. The scent from the cream fuchsias was breath taking.



See you back here soon. Hugs, Catherine x

Jasper and his Rainbows!

With a week of chilly winds and rain I have hibernated indoors bringing to life this new Bumpkin Bear called Jasper. Jasper is a bear that treasures all the sweetest things in life. Even on the greyest of days he finds the rainbows. He will bring a lot of love and joy into your life. He is a perfect bear for hugs being made of a totally gorgeous warm and snuggly Alpaca.

You can see all of Jasper's photos and adoption info from my website. **UPDATE - Jasper has now found a new home**




He wanted to also have his photo taken with his new friends also looking for a special adoptive family, Su-Lin the Pandaand Mr Tibbles the Kitten.



It's been such fun meeting so many new friends through the Ultimage Blog Party. Thanks so much to all of you that joined in the fun, I look forward to chatting lots more x

Still a few weeks left of my Easter Sale with 25% off my Bumpkin Bears Prints over in my Etsy store.

Have a lovely weekend, I'll be back soon with a new illustration. Beary Hugs, Catherine and Jasper xx

Spring peering round the corner!

Thanks for all your birthday wishes. The weatherman was kind enough to send us some Spring sunshine on Saturday and we visited a beautiful arboretum, but I forgot to take my camera - old age is setting in ;) That little bit of sun nudged the crocusses in my garden to wake up, I just love Spring time when colour starts appearing again after a long winter.


Yesterday I finished a commissioned panda, Violet will be whizzing off to her new home in Singapore along with Rufaro, another of my bears.




I'm working on some new illustrations for notecards and prints, so come back soon to see what the bears are getting up to! Beary Hugs, Catherine x

The Merry Band

HOP 2, 3, 4, HOP 2, 3, 4
Sing along with Me,
Like a Very Jolly Bee,
For you Are my Friend
And this is our Band
As we play for every mile.



This is my latest illustration, "The Merry Band" now available as a mounted print directly from me with paypal if you send an email or from my Etsy store
I had such fun creating this with their new friends Bunny and Chick.






I am starting on a commissioned panda today so back to work! Hugs, Catherine x

A Little Bit of Something Very Cute!

I'd love you to meet Su-Lin, a wee little panda cub to have arrived out of my studio just this morning. Her Chinese name means "A little Bit of Something Very Cute", looking into her eyes no other name seemed to suit her so well :) She is made of the prettiest rosey pink and black silky soft faux furs. You can see lots more photos of her and all her adoption information on my website.

She is the only Bumpkin Bear now available for adoption, both Rufaro and Milly found very special loving new homes. I'm getting ready for a trip to England next week, so it's busy busy over here. I hope you are all having a good week,
Beary Hugs, Catherine and Su-Lin xx

Brighten someone's day

Hi everyone, I'm delighted to show you a range of cards that I have created from my Bumpkin Bears illustrations. They are available as a pack of 5 cards with lovely pastel pink and blue envelopes in my Etsy store. I myself love to write letters and send notes to loved ones to let them know I think of them and brighten their days. I always think there is something special about getting letters in the post in this day and age of the ease of email.




I'm busy bringing a panda bear to life behind the scenes and working on some new illustrations too. I'll show you the moment they are ready for their photo shoot! Have a great few days, Beary 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

Little bit of Scotland in Belgium!

Being part Scottish I was brought up with a love of Scotland and as a child loved doing little highland dances so I always enjoy visiting Scottish Days when they pop up here in Belgium. This weekend we went to visit Ooidonk Castle, it is a vast 16th Century castle that is privately owned!! Can you imagine living in a place like that?! There were bag pipe bands, scottish dancers, very handsome shire and Clydesdale horses and sheep herding demonstrations. The last of which took me back to my childhood helping to herd the sheep across the hills on the neighbouring farm to where my Granny lived in Dorset, England. I even got to nearly do it all again when the sheep escaped out the ring and went running for the exit!! In the evening we went to a Horse Show with show jumping, shetland pony racing and police horse demos. It was rather dark for photos but enjoy the rest of the day out through my photos, Catherine x (ps I just finished a commissioned panda bear but as he will be a birthday surprise I'll wait to share photos of him until his mum has received him!)

more magic...

I'm so glad that you've all been enjoying my photos from my trip to England, here are some more from Great Dixter, just over the border from Kent in Sussex. It's been a busy week working towards a new exciting web design for Bumpkin Bears as well as starting on a new commissioned panda. I went for a lovely walk in Belgium last weekend in a nature reserve with wild deer and wild ponies and we got to see a cute red squirrel scampering up the tree before I could get a photo! But I'll share the other photos with you in my next blog post. Happy weekend, Catherine x

YAY, didn't he do well

Lickle Wo-Li Boo Bumpkin did so well at the Pandas Unlimited Silent Auction at the National Zoo in Washington. All together the silent auction raised $3,000 of which he made a great contribution ($280). He will be living with a very sweet lady called Elise that was delighted to win him as she had been looking after him up until the auction so had got rather attached to this little fella. Pandas Unlimited are a wonderful group of people that do so much for fund raising for the pandas at the Zoo, which does very important work for the conservation and future of this precious animal. The event was a great success and all their fund raising this year has come to a staggering $17,000. It was Tai's 3rd birthday, he is just such a gorgeous panda and he got given a lovely birthday treat of a frozen fruit cake which he loves once he got over the fear of a giant 3!! Take a look at all the photos at
www.flickr.com/groups/pandasunlimited/

Thanks for all your best wishes, it was a delight to be able to create a little character for this special event and I plan to bring to life more baby pandas in the near future. In the meantime I'm busy finishing a custom order and then can't wait to work on a bear that I have had in my mind and sketch book for some time... so watch this space :) Hugs, Catherine xx

birds, moles and bears!

I've been really busy creating some custom order bears, we've had a few sunny days so got to take some photos in my garden and I even saw a little mole scuttling across my patio when I was sat on our garden bench!! I have never seen a mole in real life, he was so cute even if he is creating hills all over our lawn! But my garden is for the wildlife, when we arrived here there were no plants, it is now full of mature shrubs and amazingly I have counted 5 bird nests last week in different shrubs, so I guess the birds approve of my hard work :)

I'd also love you to meet Izzy, a sweet little girl that I created specially as a custom order for a lovely customer in the states. I hand dyed her pretty pink kid mohair and she has the cutest soft blue eyes.

I love to hear from my bears new families and I have been delighted to receive lots of photos from Captain's new Mum, Marjie. He is one very happy bear in his new home with all his sea faring buddies, do take a look at the special photo album that she has made over at webshots, just copy and paste this website -
http://community.webshots.com/album/563931651ONjIbA
Here are also a few lovely photos that Marjie sent me.




Bears can bring so much delight and comfort to our lives, it's such a good feelng that I can bring to life bears that give so much joy to people all over the world.

Tomorrow is the Gala Event at the National Zoo in Washington where there will be the silent auction for the benefit panda conservation - my little baby panda Wo-Li Boo will be making his performance so I hope he is a good boy :)

I am starting to work on a new pattern that I have had in my mind for a while now so watch this space :)
Hugs, Catherine x

and his name is ....

WOLONG BOO BUMPKIN, or for short "WO-LI BOO".....

THANK YOU all so much for taking the time to think of the sweetest names for this lickle baby panda, he wanted to let you know just how hard it was to decide. We had so many suggestions here on my blog and on the Pandas Unlimited forum on Flickr. Wo-Li Boo wanted to use all the names but I had to say that it would just take too long to call him in from playtime in the garden!!

In the end, being the kind hearted panda that he is, he wanted to honour all those pandas and staff at the Wolong Panda Reserve in China. Then his middle name was named after Tai Boo, the sweet panda at the National Zoo in Washington whose 3rd bearday it will be at the Gala Evening in July where this little chap will find his new mummy. There were so many lovely names I think I may have to make some more baby pandas to use some of them if anyone is interested :)

Wolong Panda Reserve was only 18 miles from the epicentre of the earthquake in china just over a week ago. The poor pandas were of course terrified, baby pandas had to be rescued over make shift bridges by the wonderful staff there. All the panda buildings are damaged, the babies were moved to the ticket booth! Sadly 5 members of staff lost their lives in the earthquake. Also 3 pandas were missing, one has just returned.They are in major need of medical and food supplies, if anyone wants to donate then Pandas International are the people to go to, http://www.pandasinternational.org/ My thoughts go out to all the thousands of people that have lost their lives and their loved ones left behind.

Here are some photos of the rescue at Wolong, thanks to Y.Heng and China News.





I am busy finishing a pretty pink bear as a commission right now and just starting work on a sweet sailor bear, then getting ready for a week's holiday next week. We are going to Provence in France, so I am hoping that the lavendar fields will be out in flower :) Hugs, Catherine xx

Can you name this little guy?

Well, here he is the little baby bundle of panda joy that I've been bringing to life. He is created to be auctioned at Tai's Bearday Panda Enrichment Fund Gala, July 9th 2008, Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington (available for attendees only).

A while back I was approaced by Elise from the Panda's Unlimited Group on Flickr if I could create a panda to help with their fund raising. Last year they raised more than $12,000 for the Giant Pandas. The National Zoo does amazing work, their scientists’ contribute hugely to saving giant pandas. Their scientists have been working diligently in China since 1996. With the help of funds they assist Chinese colleagues in improving the health and reproductive success of giant pandas in Chinese breeding centers and, of critical importance, working in the field to help save the species in the wild. They visit China 3 to 5 times a year and work alongside the Woolong Panda Centre in China. This centre was right in the heart of the recent earthquake in China, despite the centre being damaged so far all the pandas and staff are safe. Sadly of course there are many in China that have lost their lives and loved ones, my heart goes out to them all. I will bring more news of the pandas at Wolong over the coming days, including some incredible stories of bravery of the staff at the centre to rescue the baby pandas. To learn more about the National Zoo's efforts and to see the panda cam, click here


? is a wee little panda bear cub taking his first steps into the big wide world. He would love his very own name and I am holding a competition here on my blog and at the Pandas Unlimited Group on Flickr.com from now until Tuesday evening(6pm Belgium time). Then together with this little fluff ball we'll decide which name he likes the most. I will then have his naming ceremony here and say who named him.

He is a little unsure and sometimes not too steady on his paws , but it's funny to go rolly polly anyway. He is finding out that it is really rather fun being a panda and he loves to play hide and seek behind the bamboo! He is a cheeky little guy with a heart of gold that loves to be hugged as much as he loves to play.



You can see more photos of him on my website click here


So, what do you reckon? Will you be the one that names him? I can't wait to see all your ideas. Panda Hugs, Catherine xx

more flowers

I'm all excited that a mohair order has arrived, with gorgeous pretty spring colours, inspired by my garden. I have to tell my hands to stay away from it until I have worked on some commissions :) I have started on my new charity panda today and have been able to sew outside with the Spring sunshine. I also did some overdue gardening this morning and before I knew it I was digging out plants and transplanting other ones! I'm trying to germinate some seeds of pretty pink poppies at the moment. I love growing from seeds and cuttings, I get such a buzz when I see them growing.


Right, back to sewing, but as promised here are some more photos from my garden. I also had a special visitor to my garden yesterday evening, photos to follow soon :) Hugs, Catherine x
**(I had an email from a lovely lady from Helsinki, Finland asking to join my mailing list last week but my emails to her can not get through, if you are reading this could you send me an email again, maybe with another email address?)**