Grand Opening of my 2nd Etsy Shop!

I am very excited to announce the opening of my second Etsy Shop: ~ Old Soul Bears ~ to Showcase my handmade teddy bears and related vintage treasures. The following items have already been listed. I will be adding additional items throughout the week. Please stop by for a visit.

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A sweet little Jewelry Keep with Millinery and Pearls

An adorable little tin cup and saucer. Perfect for your favorite bear.

A mini Tea Set that would look lovely with your dolls or bears.

Antique Net Lace Shawl for a larger Teddy Bear.



Vintage clothing that looks charming on ol' bears.


Thanks for visiting : )

Earth Day ~ Terra Teddy Bear ~ 2009

I was inspired by Earth Day to finish this little bear in gentle shades of Brown and Green. I have named her Terra. Her vintage sweater is 100% wool. It was gently soaked in tea dye to achieve a soft sage green. Her eyes are old fashioned boot buttons. Her mohair is hand dyed and her necklace is made from Raffia. Her key hopefully holds the secret to a greener, happier planet.

She will bring a vintage lace hanky with her.

Her rose is Vintage Millinery



Ms. Terra will be in my Etsy shop later this week. Thanks for visiting : )

A playful look for Spring!

A playful look ~ floral petals and a pink bow !

It is Spring after all !

I like the pink against the dark blue :0)

The Vintage Millinery is pink and silver and frames her face nicely.

Available now in my Etsy Shop.

A New Banner!

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Thank you Brenda!!! for making me a wonderful banner to use on the Bear Artist Blogs site. I just got back from vacation and was thrilled to have this surprise waiting for me, in an email. How sweet! Thank you Brenda : )

A Valentine's Day Bear

It is February already! I made this little Valentine's Bear from hand dyed mohair. He is a very dark shade of blue . . . . so I decided to call him Midnight Blue. He has antique boot button eyes, a vintage bow and distressed mohair ~ An Old Soul Bear.

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He is ready for Valentine's Day and has a red rose (dried and preserved) for his sweetheart.

A sweet little bear with a heart of gold . . . all ready for Valentine's Day

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A Sentimental Christmas Gift ~ 2008

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This is a lovely photo of Marian Earle . . . taken about 75 years ago. Marian passed away last summer at the age of 96. Her family misses her dearly, especially her daughter Dianne. I was asked to make a Teddy Bear from Marian's Mink Stole, as a special Christmas Gift for Dianne.

Here is a before picture of Marian's Coat

The Bear started to take shape nicely.

I was hoping for a very sweet teddy bear.

I wanted her to be very feminine and pretty. I gave her an Irish Crochet Collar and a silk bow (from the lining of the coat).

I added a purple velvet flower ~ Vintage Millinery and gave her pretty light green eyes.

I sewed the label from within the coat to the back of the silk bow.

Ms. Bear had a quick photo shoot before I mailed her ~ the package arrived on Christmas Eve.

She was certainly a surprise and her arrival was a very emotional moment.



Her new home is on top of Marian's Memory Box in Dianne's bedroom. She is the first thing Dianne see's every morning when she wakes up.



I am happy Teddy made it to her new home for Christmas : )

On my way home ~ 1940's Panda

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This little 1940's Panda is all done and on his way back home today. I added a red plaid ribbon, like the 1940's Cuddle Panda shown in the Teddy Bear Encyclopedia.

He looks lovely in red and is all set to show off his new look. It was great fun restoring him back to his former glory. Thank you Susan, for the opportunity to work on your Dad's childhood teddy. ~ Karen