Nikkel Bears

2012 TOBY Awards Announced!!!

2012-01-17T22:32:00.001+11:00

Wow! I am speechless!!Tonight my good friends Susan Leigh @ Bearleigh Bears and Wendy Walker of ME Bears were congratulating me via Facebook on winning a TOBY Industry Choice Award for Captain Aramis Rex.So, as I hadn't heard anything official from the organisers, I just didn't know where they were getting their 'inside' information from.You can imagine my surprise when Wendy sent me the link to the Teddy Bear & Friends facebook page .... and there was my name in print!!!! W-O-W!!!!Here's an updated photo of my little guy - Captain Aramis Rex - a winner of Category 2: Small Bear - Dressed!!!!

Congratulations also to everyone who won awards, but especially to our Aussie contingent: Wendy for winning with her little marionette creation 'Wish upon a Star', Cindy Cherry of CC Bears Australia for her 'Mischief' and my great friend Linda Down of Lombard Bears for her fantastic 'Willopee'

Christmas Wishes!!

2011-12-21T21:00:00.000+11:00

Well as you can see, it's been a while since I posted anything here on my blog. Not from want of intention: purely because I've been very busy creating new bears, both for sale and quite a few custom orders at the tail end of year, and I'd like to introduce you to them all:Cherish: is my latest commision piece. A 9" girlie fairy panda made as a keepsake for a gorgeous 2 year old little girl for Christmas. Like all my bears, Cherish was hand-sewn using the most exquisite long pile mohair in white and contrasted with hand-dyed mohair in a rich watermelon colour (dyed by the wonderful Valma Bolton at Teddy's Bits Her custom English glass eyes are in slate grey, copper and silver with a cheeky bit of sparkle, and on this bear I used my first ever attempt at baked clay noses!!! What do you think? I'm pretty happy with the way she turned out, and I'm loving the flexibility that clay offers you - will be doing a lot more practising on more upcoming bears, so watch out for them!

I also didn't realise that I hadn't introduced you all to Captain Aramis Rex - a swashbuckling fellow who's ready to sail the Seven Seas!!! Another commission piece as a mascot for a dear friend of mine who owns a racing yacht on Sydney Harbour - hence the maritime theme bear!

And last but not least, there's Lulu: a flamboyant, French floozie, flirty kind of girl measuring 14". Her fuschia coloured satin top hat has been hand crafted by me, and decorated with lots of flounces, pearls and other pieces of whimsical jewellery!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish you - my friends, family, wonderful collectors and blog followers a joyous and peaceful festive season with your loved ones - Nikkel Bears will have new bears on offer in the New Year so I'll be back here again soon!Take care,Hugs, Marg xx

Introducing ... Allegra!

2011-11-11T21:46:00.005+11:00

A month or so ago, I was asked by a wonderful collector of mine if I would make her a custom bear - 'just pink' were my only instructions!

Pink being pink, lends itself to all things girlie, so of course ideas of a pink princess immediately came to mind.

And here's the result - Allegra: a 14" two-tone bear hand-sewn from the softest, baby pink alpaca with a contrasting muzzle and chest in white alpaca. Like all of my bears, Allegra's English glass eyes were customised for this project - handpainted in sparkling deep blue sapphire & silver to accentuate her fur colouring, with dramatic sweeping eyelashes!

I adorned Allegra with fabulous jewels fit for a royal princess, from her sparkling diamante tiara and faux pearl and diamante pendant to her pom-pom fur collar.

I received an amazing email from my collector telling me how much she adores Allegra, so I'm very happy to know that another of my bears has found a beautiful home!

2011 URSA Awards!!!

2011-10-12T19:55:00.006+11:00

Happy Dance - Happy Dance !!!!!

I am thrilled to find out that my little bear Toto has won an Honourable Mention in the 2011 URSA Awards!!!!

What a complete and unexpected surprise!!! I have emailed Toto's new mum and she's just as thrilled as I am - yay!!!!!!

To see all the winners for the year's competition, please click here www.bearsandbuds.com

Thanks so much to all of you who voted for my bears this year - it really means a lot to me and I appreciate your fabulous support!

African Theme Birthday Bear!

2011-09-28T20:22:00.007+10:00

I'd like you all to meet KOFI - my latest bear who I made exclusively for my darling nephew Troy's 1st birthday!

As soon as I saw this mohair, it screamed 'Africa' to me!!! It's pretty amazing - from the rich chocolate backing to the natural taupe-coloured whispy ratinee finish I knew it would be lovely to work with ... and it was! Troy also has relatives living in South Africa, so it seemed right to design an African themed bear - even the African meaning of his name Kofi is 'born on Friday'.

I've tried to keep everything in neutral tones, except for Kofi's eyes, which are of course my custom hand-painted English glass eyes, painted in crystal shades of slate grey and brown with a hint of sparkle.

In my travels I also found THE most amazing ribbon (which was added to my ribbon 'stash' for future use!) - a variagated wire ribbon in copper and bronze tones. His little birthday cap in black silk and lined with leopard print fabric has been adorned with copper coloured hearts and topped with a bronze jewel.

And as a footnote: I'm happy to say that Troy loved him!!! (and so did my sister!!)

PS: You'll be glad to know that KOFI was put away safely after this photo was taken!!!

At Last - A New Bear!!!!

2011-09-09T21:36:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone!

Can't believe it's been so long since my last post - I've been so busy with bears, and my blog has unfortunately has suffered 'big time'.

I'd like you all to meet Aztec - he's made from the most amazing woolly Shulte mohair in a rich caramel colour - this fabric is very dense and brushes up really nicely. And very cuddly too I might add!!!

Aztec's custom starburst style English glass eyes have been handpainted in deep emerald and black with a hint of sparkle to give him a whimsical, cheeky look!

He wears a hand-crafted tri-colour wired ribbon ruff - the colours in this ribbon are to be seen to be believed! I'm sure I don't really do it justice in the photos - gorgeous and rich copper, gold and bronze metallic - just wonderful, and it compliments his bejewelled pendant nicely.

Hope you like him - if you would like to purchase Aztec, or just get some more info or photos, he's now available on Bear Pile here http://www.bearpile.com/item/47459

Meet Banjo !!!

2011-07-31T20:48:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone - the last few weeks have been quite hectic in my bear studio, as I've been completing some custom orders and a couple of celebration bears for family and friends.

I managed to squeeze in a little time to make this happy little guy - meet Banjo! An 8" brown & white panda make from the most luxurious long-pile mohair in a deep, delicious chocolate brown and stark white, and of course, my usual custom hand painted glass eyes - I painted Banjos eyes in the colours of deep, liquid aquamarine pools to really contrast against his fur!

I also hand-crafted his little cap from gold satin with matching ribbon ruff around the edge of his cap and around his neck, and decorated with swirly, sparkly paint and twinkling diamantes - he's just a sparkling little panda!

I'm happy to say that Banjo has already been adopted!

Meet Cody - A Keepsake Bear!!!

2011-07-24T21:12:00.005+10:00

Here's Cody: a 14" bundle of fluff I designed and made exclusively for very dear friends who welcomed their beautiful little daughter Ella Grace into the world last week!

Cody is hand-sewn from wonderfully soft beige and white alpaca (my favourite to work with) with white ultra-suede dry-brushed trapunto style paw pads and of course, custom hand-painted eyes in sapphire blue & violet shades.

Do you like her little porcelain teddy? My husband's aunty (who is a dab hand at teaching and creating porcelain dolls) made this little cutie and I couldn't resist adding it to Cody's pink dummy around her neck.

We drove up to Sydney to visit little Miss Ella Grace on Saturday - her proud parents loved this keepsake bear, but I'm sure not quite as much as we loved Ella!!! She's just gorgeous!!!

It's that URSA AWARDS time again!!!

2011-07-11T20:18:00.008+10:00

How quickly does time fly? I can't believe one year has gone by since the last URSA Awards - and here they are again!!!!

I'm so pleased to let you all know that I have four nominations in the first round of voting this year:

Do you remember little Toto? She's now happily living in the USA, and to vote for her you'll find her in Category 3 (Medium Bare Bears/Buds 6-11").

And here's Kaluah, made from the most amazing, thick pile alpaca I've ever used - gorgeous! He's in Category 5 (Large Bare Bear/Bud 12-24").

Thirdly, in the Costumed Category (Category 12) is Honey, my sexiliscious playboy bunny-girl bear.

And last, but not least is my first ever critter - a squirrel called Nutbush (Animal Kingdom - Category 14) - he's my interpretation of Beatrix Potter's character Squirrel Nutkins, and a very distinguished fellow!

I hope you can drop by and cast your vote - wow! I think it's very difficult to choose - there are so many wonderful creations made by creative bear artists from around the globe (16 countries represented I believe).

Here's the link straight to the URSA AWARDS page http://www.bearsandbuds.com/URSA-2011/URSAAwardsbyPopularVote2011BearsandBudsTeddyBearMagazine.asp

Thank you ever so much for your support.

Hugs,
Marg xoxox

Isabelle's 1st Ever Birthday!!!

2011-07-07T20:49:00.010+10:00

Wow! I can't believe that my baby granddaughter Isabelle has just turned 1 year old!!

Happy birthday my precious!!!

And we had such fun, with party hats, cake and lots of yummy finger food that my daughter Kel had prepared. Of course older sister Mikaela had to help Isabelle open her pressies - just because that's what older 3 year old sisters do!!!!

As a keepsake, I made Isabelle this beautiful 14" bear I called Cupcake - hope you like her!!!

Look Who's having a Giveaway!!!!

2011-07-01T20:19:00.003+10:00

My wonderful friend Linda Benson is having a giveaway over at her blog - all you need to do is click on this link www.bensonbears.blogspot.com and add your suggestion to name her newest creation.

Don't you think he's fantastic???? Linda's drawing the winner next Wednesday (6th July) so hurry and get your suggestions in!!!!

Brand New Bear!!!

2011-06-28T20:36:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone! Phew! I've been so, so busy I haven't actually had much time to spend on my beloved bear making - I've been flat out at work preparing for the dreaded annual stocktake (aarrggghh) and am currently studying a Diploma of Logistics so have had plenty of assignments to keep me busy instead!

Anyway, I finally got around to putting the finishing touches to my newest panda - introducing little Chin Chin.

He's made from gorgeous dense pile alpaca and can stand (assisted) at 8", although I've really designed him to sit (measures 6"). His eyes, like all of my bears, are hand-painted in sparkling blue and green shades, and he wears an authentic jade and gold Chinese symbol around his neck, which I actually got during our trip to Thailand!

Chin Chin is available on Bear Pile - see www.bearpile.com for more information!

The Show is Open!!!!

2011-06-01T21:39:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone - what a fantastic day! Well actually, the weather in my part of the world is pretty lousy: dark clouds, heavy rain and cold - hope the weather is better where you are.

I'm so glad to announce that the 3rd annual ACD (Australian Creative Design) Awards Show has now begun!

There are so many lovely entries this year - our theme was Beatrix Potter, and you'll see how talented and imaginative everyone has been!

Please do try and find the time to drop by www.bearartistsonline.com and follow the show links.

Oh, and don't forget - you still have time to vote in the People's Choice competition. The winner is announced on Saturday 4th June, so hurry and get your votes in!

My entry this year is NUTBUSH, a modern take on Beatrix's Squirrel Nutkin! Hope you like him. We had to challenge ourselves with this show - Nutbush certainly challenged me - a totally different pattern and facial features than what I have been used to with my bears, plus leather claws (which I've never done before - a big thank you to my friend Linda Benson of Benson Bears for showing me how it's done!)

Back to the Land of Oz

2011-05-03T21:54:00.022+10:00

Well, where does the time go??? I didn't realise it had been so long since I let you know what I've been up to lately, so I'm feeling a little guilty!!!

We've actually just returned from a 3 week hiatus in Phuket, Thailand - very different weather to what we've come home to! Every day was a sunny, hot & humid 32-36 degrees celsius - the perfect weather for lazing at the beach and swimming, as you can see.

Our holiday started with the annual Phuket Bike Week celebration - hundreds of bike enthusiasts gather at Patong Beach from all over Asia and in fact the world for a 3-day festival of competition, demonstrations, live music, food and drink. Many wonderful and strange bikes on display - some people certainly have vivid imaginations!!!

We found a lovely place to eat our breakfast every day at the top of a steep hill overlooking the whole of Patong Beach - always a cool breeze wafting through and below us a vista of thick tropical gardens and the brilliant blue Andaman sea.

Our holiday also co-incided with Songkran Festival (Thai New Year) - what a wonderfully wet and fun experience! Everyone (including locals and tourists) arm themselves with squirt guns, buckets or any container for that matter to throw or spray water at unsuspecting oncomers!!! The locals also are adept at sneaky baby powder attacks on wet passers by, and the whole day and night is a riot of laughter and fun!!

Here's a Thai version of BBQ! A deep pot placed on hot coals and filled with water: you cook yourself - veges, meat and seafood simmer in a flavoured broth, while you place your meat or seafood on the top to BBQ through the vents! I have never seen this before, and I've got to say, we enjoyed it immensely.

Like all other holidays, ours ended much too quickly - this week it's back to cool weather, miserable skies and W-O-R-K!!!

The Countdown Begins ......

2011-03-08T22:45:00.007+11:00

My life is crazy at the moment!!! And there's only 4 sleeps to go!!!

My bears and I are in the middle of a whirlwind of online and face-to-face shows and it's about to get even busier!!!

This coming weekend - 12-13 March I have 3 bears available in the BLOOMING BEARS online show. I can't wait for you to see them!

Here's a little sneak peak at Pandora!

I hope you can join us at the show - it's going to be massive: there are 75 world-class artists participating. Choosing a fantastic bear or critter is going to be very, very hard!!! I'm really looking forward to having a cuppa and sitting down to check out all the lovely entries.

Here's the link to the show: www.teddiesworldwide.com - hope you get a chance to check out all of the beary eye candy!!!

Sydney Teddy Bear Fair 2011

2011-03-01T21:28:00.004+11:00

Goodness! March already!!! Where is the year going??

What a busy year so far it has been for me - lots of bear making and shows!

This weekend (Sunday 6th March) I'll be trading at the Sydney Teddy Bear Fair at Sydney's Olympic Park, Homebush Bay. There'll be new Nikkel Bears making their debut at the show, and I'm hoping to catch up with some of my wonderful collectors and bear artists friends ... we don't often get to see each other 'in person' so it's a lovely opportunity to see everyone's new bears and have a chat!

If you're in the Sydney area this weekend, be sure to drop by and say 'hi' - here's the link for more information on the venue and transportation/parking in Olympic Park http://sydneyteddybearfair.homestead.com/

A Walk Through my Neighbourhood

2011-02-23T21:30:00.006+11:00

Now that summer is on the wane here in Australia, we've had some pretty crazy weather as most of you have heard on the news around the world.

In my little part of the world, we've had a mix of extraordinarily dry, hot days hitting 45 degrees celsius, and where the air burns your throat when you breathe in right through to steamy, humid and stormy afternoons and nights, followed by cool, overcast and showery days where a light jumper or cardigan is called for.

Last weekend was one of those steamy, stormy afternoons - our plans for a takeaway Chinese picnic overlooking the river turned into trying to juggle our food on plates while sitting in the car with all the windows up and the air conditioner on just so we didn't fog up the windows!!! Ha! Ha! So funny!

Once the rain cleared, we were left with brilliant skies as the sun set on another wonderful day ... we took a walk around the foreshore and I took these pictures which I thought I might share with you ... hope you enjoy a snapshot of my little world!!!

Big Adventure for 2 Nikkel Bears!!!

2011-02-15T21:19:00.004+11:00

Hi everyone!

What a busy, busy weekend I've just had. As you know, I had 3 bears showcased in the TBACA 'Be My Valentine' online show. What great fun we all eventually had! I suspect gremlins invaded our 'live' online chatroom on Friday night which meant although the show was open and collectors could email artists and sales were made, none of us artists could 'talk' to each other via the chat room until Saturday night ... it gave us a sense of being there, but not being there (if that makes sense at all!!!)

Anyway, it was great to catch up with all of the Aussie and international member artists who took part in the show - some of which I've actually never met but feel like I've known for a long time (we're only a 'click' away) and others who I'm fortunate enough to see at various 'in the fur' shows closer to home. To all of you girls - thanks for a very entertaining weekend and to Sandi - huge thanks for a wonderful show, yet again!

Here's my two bears which have now started their big adventure to meet their new mums, both jetting their way off to the USA. Can't wait for them to arrive!!!

Kaluah - 14" of luscious, cuddly alpaca (don't you just love his cute toesies!!!!)

and Electra - beautiful and vibrant angel bear made with the loveliest curly mohair.

For me though, it's back to bears! This time madly getting new bears ready for the Sydney Teddy Bear Fair on 6th March and Teddies Worldwide 'Blooming Bear Show', another online show 12th-13th March. Phew! Who's got time for a normal job???

Be My Valentine Show - Sneak Peek!!!

2011-02-06T13:14:00.011+11:00

WOW! Can you believe it - there's only 5 sleeps left until the 'Be My Valentine' online show!!! The countdown is well and truly on!

I'm pleased to say I've got 3 bears available at the show - here's a teensy sneak peek to whet your appetite! I can't wait for you all to see them: as those of you who follow my blog will know, I've been working on a brand-new design and am really happy to say that a couple of my bears at the show will be the new design!

I'm getting really excited ... I just love these online shows and Sandi Smith does a fantastic job behind the scenes putting it all together many months ahead. There are going to be so many fabulous bears and critters from many talented artists worldwide: I can't wait to see them all!

Hope you can find time to pop into the show sometime during the next weekend - just click on this link: www.teddybearsandcritters.com

Australia Day Celebration 2011!!!

2011-01-26T21:36:00.006+11:00

What a lovely time we've had celebrating our country's national day!

Russ and I went along to see Jimmy Barnes (lead singer in 80's Australian iconic band - Cold Chisel) who played at our local Entertainment Centre last night.

Fantastic concert - very loud, very rock and roll and very Australian!!!! We have seen him perform at A Day on the Green outdoor venue concerts before, and even though the years have passed, he still can crank out a great song (especially our favourites: Khe San, Driving Wheels & Working Class Man)! We thoroughly enjoyed it, and were pleasantly surprised to see that the 'oldies' in the audience like us outnumbered the younger crowd. And boy, can we still ROCK!!!

A very hot and humid Australia Day today: started off for us with a coffee down at the local river boat ramp with Zac (our dog) and then down to the beach where it was a tiny bit cooler and Zac could have a run in the waves.

A lovely end to a lovely day saw us back at the beach this afternoon for a cool swim before a refreshing southerly popped up to cool things off.

Tomorrow, it's back to normal which means back to work for both of us, while I'm also cutting out and trimming mohair for new bears!

Postal Delays to USA

2011-01-20T20:54:00.003+11:00

I've just experienced an anxious wait for Oreo to arrive in the US recently.

A normal 1 week transit time for Express Post turned into a v-e-r-y, v-e-r-y slow 2 weeks with absolutely no updates on the Australia Post tracking website, which by the way is normally very good.

Luckily for me, my wonderful collector had the patience of Job, although I think she was also starting to get a bit concerned at the time delay. Apparently the US mail is currently in high-security and all mail is being screened before going through the normal customs and distribution channels. They say this is supposed to only add around 48 hours to the mailing time, but I'm not sure where they got that figure from (probably the promotional department he! he!)

Anyway, all ended well: Oreo arrived safe and sound after his epic adventure and is now enjoying all the attention from his new mum!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2010-12-31T23:42:00.003+11:00

Well, where has the time gone? A whole year has passed, and our neighbourhood, friends and family are gathering to ring in 2011 with fireworks, music and laughter - a fantastic combination for a good night!!!

I'm gearing up for a busy 2011 - have some custom orders to fulfil and then the first show for Nikkel Bears will be the 'Be My Valentine' online show organised by the wonderful Sandi Smith at Teddy Bears & Critters Australasia - I'll post the link here closer to the show in February.

After that show, I'm thrilled to announce that Nikkel Bears has been selected to participate in the Teddys Worldwide online 'Blooming Bear Show' in March 2011.

I've just signed up also for the 2011 Australian Creative Design Awards and online show in June 2011 - plenty to keep me busy, don't you think???

I'll put some more detailed information on each of the shows as they approach, but in the meantime - here's to a fantastic 2011 - I hope all of your dreams and wishes come true!!! Thanks so much for your support in 2010 - it means a lot to me!

Last Bear for 2010!!!

2010-12-21T21:10:00.003+11:00

What a busy, busy month December has been!!! I've had quite a few commission orders to complete, as well as little Jingle (my TBACA swap bear for Susan Leigh who you met last post).

And so, here is my last bear for the year - the lovely HOPE, a 14" bear made from the most exquisite honey-coloured silky mohair, with matching trapunto style paws which I have airbrushed. Don't you just love her Christmas bauble? I'm really happy with the way this bear turned out - and hope her new mum loves her.

I'd also like to take this opportunity of wishing you, my followers, a joyful, relaxing (!!!) and peaceful festive season - don't eat or drink too much: or if you have to, then have fun doing it!!!

Until we meet again in 2011 .....

Here's Jingle! Just in time for Xmas!!

2010-11-30T21:39:00.003+11:00

Here's someone I'd love you all to meet!

Introducing Jingle, a little guy (measures 6" sitting) who I made exclusively for Susan Leigh of Bearleigh Bears in the TBACA Christmas Swap!

Jingle is made from a wonderful, luxurious long pile mohair in the softest honey colour with matching ultrasuede trapunto paws and eyelids. His grey/blue custom hand-painted glass eyes compliment his colouring, and his cheeky grin means he's up to mischief already: and Santa hasn't even arrived!!!

It was a lot of fun making this little one, especially since he's one of my newest designs. The hard part was keeping the surprise until Susan I both received our parcels in the mail. Mine arrived today - a fantastic little bear called Santa's Little Helper and I absolutely adore him! Thanks Susan xoxox

You can find Susan's website here www.bearleighbears.com

Where does the time go???

2010-11-17T20:36:00.006+11:00

Hi everyone! Well, my goodness! I didn't realise that I had neglected my blog for sooooo long!

We've just returned from 3 fabulous weeks in Phuket, Thailand - the weather was humid and warm (as always) - every day reaching around 29-32 degrees celsius.

This is taken from the lookout at Cape Promthrep (the most southern tip of Phuket island)

We had a couple of friends tag along with us this time, so found ourselves on the tourist trail again doing a few day trips here and there.

Here's a picture of me with a very, very large Bengal tiger at the Phuket zoo - I can't believe they grow so B-I-G!!!

And how about this for riding an elephant bareback!!!! Was I scared??? You bet I was, especially when the mahoot got it to rear up on it's hind legs (it's a long way down!!!)

No trip to Phuket is complete without a night out at the fabulous Fantasea stage show with all of it's culture, music, costumes, laser lights, acrobats and of course - the animals (including 17 elephants on stage at once!!!)

And a sea-kayaking trip at Phang-nga Bay in the north of the island (James Bond Island in the background - features in the movie Goldfinger).

Alas, like all good holidays it's over too soon, so it's back to the land of reality for us this week ... back to work and back to bears!!!

Winner!!!! 2010 URSA Awards!!!!

2010-10-02T11:17:00.007+10:00

Wow! I'm just so thrilled - I can't begin to tell you how much!!!

My panda Wang Chung has just been announced as a 1ST PLACE WINNER in this year's prestigious URSA Awards, sponsored by Bears & Buds online magazine!!!

As you all know, I've only been making bears for a couple of years now, and to achieve this award at this level is a dream come true .... I'm happy dancing all around the room right now!!!!

A big, big thank you to all of you who voted for me - my wonderful collectors, and my beautiful family and friends! It means the world to me, and I'll treasure this moment forever!

Wild & Windy Weekend!

2010-09-05T21:39:00.007+10:00

WOW! What an adventurous weekend we've just had!!!

We experienced a pretty fierce wind storm all Saturday night and all day Sunday around Sydney and the South Coast of NSW where I live. Plenty of trees down and damage to many people's property so the SES Rescue and the electricity people have been extremely busy!!

We lost power early this morning, and it has only just come back on so a cup of tea is in order!!! We were lucky not to have any damage, but my neighbour's full size trampolene became airborne in the wind and flew over the side fence from the back into the front yard!!!! No-one was injured which was very lucky!

I took these photos this morning off Penguin Head - you can see how fierce the wind is off the waves - the spray in the background is actually spray over the ocean - glad I wasn't out there in a boat!!!

New Bears Finished!!!

2010-09-01T21:33:00.007+10:00

Well, it's taken me a few weeks, but I finally put the finishing touches to the 3 bears I was working on. One little girl was a custom order - I'm happy to say her new mum was thrilled with her and says she will treasure her forever - my heart sings when my customers love the bears I make for them!

Anyway, there's still 2 available and here they are:

Introducing OREO - a very soft and cuddly 14" panda which I've hand sewn from beige and a rich dark chocolate brown alpaca, with beige airbrushed ultrasuede paws in trapunto style. I've also hand-painted his custom German glass eyes which are set in the same beige ultrasuede as his pads. He wears a hand-knitted collar with contrasting custom bead trim.

This little one is 12" TOPAZ, a very charming and cheeky fellow who has been hand sewn from a wonderful tri-coloured string Shulte mohair in brown/blonde tones. His paws are also done in trapunto style from a copper-coloured ultrasuede and shaded with oil paints. Topaz also has custom hand-painted German glass eyes in sparkling emerald shades to complement his hand-crafted ribbon ruff.

Hope you like them - both OREO and TOPAZ are now available from my website and Bear Pile!

Now ... back to sewing: I'm currently working on a brand-new design which I'll be posting here in the next week so keep an eye out for that!

Until then, take care everyone!

Almost There .... New Bears!

2010-08-19T20:16:00.003+10:00

Hi everyone!

I've been quite busy lately working on a few new bears, some are custom pieces and others will be available on my website and through Bear Pile over the next week - keep an eye out for them!

Just as a teaser, here's a little sneaky peek:

Hope you like them so far!

I've actually got some exciting news to share with you all: I've been also working on a brand new design which I'm hoping to launch here in the coming weeks - very thrilling for me, as this bear is so very different from anything I've made before ... can't wait for you all to see!!!

URSA Awards - I'm a Finalist!!!!

2010-08-09T21:10:00.005+10:00

OMG!!! I'm beside myself with excitement, and am jumping out of my skin just about!!!!

My panda Wang Chung has just been announced as a second round finalist in this year's URSA Awards - how very exciting!!!!!

And here's where it gets interesting - the three entries from each category with the highest number of votes go through to the second round: except (drumroll ......) none of us know whether we've won first, second or third place!!!!

Second round voting is now open - all you've got to do is vote for just ONE entry - and the entry with the highest amount of votes (including first round scores) wins the URSA MAJOR award for 2010!!!

Just click on this link and follow the prompts http://www.bearsandbuds.com/URSA-2010/URSAAwards2010Finalist-VoteNowuntilSept102010BearsandBudsTeddyBearMagazine.asp

Wow! I'm just thrilled and honoured to reach this stage - the standard of entries from around the globe was amazing - there are certainly some wonderful, talented soft sculpture artists worldwide.

Voting is open from 8th August until 10th September 2010. Winners and placegetters from all categories will be announced in the October edition of the Bears & Buds online magazine.

A big, big thankyou to everyone who voted for me in Round 1 - your support means a lot to me.

2010 TBAAF Awards - Winners Announced!!!!

2010-07-20T20:52:00.005+10:00

Boy, what a fantastic surprise!

My angel bear Aurora has won 2nd place in her category Fantasy Bear/Animal in the 2010 TBAAF Awards (Teddy Bear Artists and Friends)!!!!

A big thanks to Lanie & Darren who put an enormous amount of work into this site and setting up these awards, and to everyone who took the time to vote - there were over 600 single entries, and some very wonderful pieces from very talented soft-sculpture artists worldwide!!!

Here's the link to the TBAAF website if you want to check out all of the winners!!!
http://www.teddy-bear-artists-and-friends.com/thetbaafawardwinningartists2010.htm

New Baby Granddaughter!

2010-07-05T21:16:00.007+10:00

What an absolutely fabulous weekend we've just had ... our second precious little (!!!) granddaughter was born in the wee small hours of Saturday morning - presenting Miss Isabelle Grace!

Such a cuddly bundle of love, this little miss decided to 'stay indoors' a while longer than she should have, and was born at a whopping 10lb!!! Ouch!

Elder sister Mikaela (at 2.5 years old) has already given her the 'once over' inspection at the hospital (such a laugh) and thoroughly enjoyed her first cuddle.

Mum, baby (and Dad) are all doing well - my daughter Kel and Isabelle came home today. Kel says she's so glad to be home - nothing like your own bed!

Welcome to our family little one!

URSA Awards - Time to Vote!!!!

2010-07-01T20:08:00.009+10:00

Hi everyone! Well, it's the URSA AWARDS time again (how quickly does time pass by?? I can't believe it's been 12 months already!!!) Seems the older we get, the quicker time passes by ..... (but I'm not making any more comments on THAT here!!!)

Hope you can drop by to place your vote - there are stacks of awesome entries from some very talented artists worldwide, and I'm very proud to say that I have 3 bears in this years awards:

ODIE - CATEGORY 4 (Medium Outfitted Bears)

WANG CHUNG - CATEGORY 10 (Large Outfitted Bears)

and last but not least ...

The serene AURORA - CATEGORY 15(Far Out - Fairies, Angels, Mystical)

Here's the link to check them all out - http://www.bearsandbuds.com/URSA-2010/VotingBeginsinURSAAwards2010CompetitionbyBearsandBudsMagazine.asp

Good luck to all of the entrants - there's some really tough competition out there, and I'm honoured to be in such esteemed and talented company.

Thanks for dropping by .....

Odie's off to the USA!

2010-06-14T12:37:00.004+10:00

Hi everyone - it's been another busy week here in the land of Nikkel Bears: more new bears in progress and more to cut out .... it's all happening!!!

Here's little Odie, one of my latest creations who is now just about to jet off to the USA to live with his new mum!

As with all of my bears, he's completely hand-sewn with custom hand-painted German glass starburst eyes in a pale icicle blue, and has a matching hand-crafted birthday hat and collar in the same shimmery ice-blue shades.

Wonder what's in the box????

WOW! TWO nominations in the 2010 ABC Awards!!!

2010-06-09T21:46:00.004+10:00

Imagine my surprise, arriving home after a very stressful and long day travelling to read my emails and find out that not one, but two of my creations had been nominated for the 2010 Australian Bear Creations Awards!!!

How very exciting - these wonderful international awards are sponsored annually by the Australian Bear Creations magazine.

Congratulations to all of the other nominees - it's a real honour for me to be in such esteemed and talented bear artist company.

Here are my two nominees:

Bosco B Bear - Category 4 (small bear - undressed)

and La de Dah - Category 3 (small bear - dressed)

Aurora's off to a New Home!

2010-06-07T21:28:00.001+10:00

What a wonderful week we've had! The Fantasy Ball online show run through the Teddy Bears & Critters Australasia website (www.teddybearsandcritters.com) was a complete success with some fantastic creations available for adoption.

I'm really pleased to say that one of my latest creations - Aurora (Angel of the Dawn) found her new mum through the show - a keepsake for her small daughter.

Hand-sewn from luxurious white alpaca (my favourite fur!) with hand-sewn trapunto paws and custom hand-painted gorgeous big sparkly deep azure eyes, Aurora has a serene look which is simply, well .... angelic! I hope you like her too!

I am always really honoured when a new Nikkel Bears collector appreciates the time, effort and attention to detail I put into my bears - I absolutely love making them for you!

Fantasy Ball - Vote for your Favourite!!!

2010-05-31T19:59:00.002+10:00

Click on this link to vote for your favourite bear/critter in the Fantasy Ball - People's Choice competition!

www.teddybearsandcritters.com

I've just voted - who will you pick????

Central Coast Charity Doll & Bear Show

2010-05-30T22:22:00.005+10:00

What a weekend I've had!

After heading out on Saturday morning, I arrived at my sister's house on the Central Coast of NSW (a 4 hour drive for me from home)with what seemed like a car full of bears and bear bits and pieces ready for the Central Coast Charity Doll & Bear Show at Wyong Racecourse on Sunday.

First things first though - a great family reunion - it was our Mum's 80th birthday and my other long-lost sister had arrived home from overseas (she works for the UK based Saga Cruise line) so it was a wonderful family get-together. We enjoyed a fantastic lamb roast (no Tom Cruise though!!!), a few laughs and great company!

Sunday morning arrived soon enough, and it was over to the racecourse early to set up my table - I'm pleased to say a few new bears made their debut ... I hope you like them!

This is Odie, a cheeky little chap who can't wait to open his birthday present!

This is Paddy Melon, a very thoughtful bear made from the most wonderful mint-coloured hand-dyed curly mohair:

And last, but not least - introducing Indie made from the most divine honey-coloured silky long-pile mohair and keeping out the winter chills with his hand-knitted multi-coloured scarf.

They'll be appearing shortly on my website as well, but in the meantime, don't forget that the FANTASY BALL online show starts tomorrow (31st May) at www.teddybearsandcritters.com (just follow the prompts to the Fantasy Ball) - hope to see you there (I have an entry in the People's Choice competition so am very excited about that - make sure you place your vote!)

Till next time ....

New Family Member!

2010-05-12T21:39:00.007+10:00

OMG! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything here - time gets away from you while you're not looking, doesn't it?

Well, since I last posted, I've got so much to tell you: we were away for 3 weeks in Phuket, Thailand (as you know from my previous post) - the apartment is FANTASTIC! We had sooooo much fun just chilling out in our own place - no crowds, yay!!! And shopping for a few more pieces of furniture such as day bed, balcony setting etc. was a lot of fun too! I promise I'll post some pictures of the 'finished unit' in a later post.

Anyway - to my CURRENT exciting news! We have a new puppy! His name is Zac (short of Anzac ... seeing how we adopted him on Australia's Anzac Day). He's a full blood Australian Kelpie all the way from a farm near Cootamundra (in the south-west of NSW)and he's a little beauty! His mum and dad are farm working dogs, and already we're getting plenty of running exercise as this little guy tries to 'round us up' in the back yard. We can't stop laughing - he's brought us so much joy in such a very short time!

This is our first trip to the beach last Sunday (Mother's Day in Australia) - lots of games, and running around!

Being a farm boy, he's not at all sure about those waves though! Got bowled over in the surf and came up covered in sand!

And after all that running around silly, the little guy just plopped down in the sand for a snooze!

Looking forward to taking lots more photos - if only he would be still enough!!!!

Talk again soon!

More Apartment Photos!

2010-03-23T22:20:00.008+11:00

Hi everyone!

Well, as promised here a a few new pictures of the apartment. We are so thrilled with how it's come along and can't wait to get over to Thailand to 'move in' officially!!!

Here's the view over Patong Beach from our balcony - priceless!!!

How cool is this outdoor shower area?

From the entry doorway:

Underneath car park & garden area:

Outside of building from street:

LAMB Bears!!!

2010-03-08T22:02:00.011+11:00

Well, what a week! I have been absolutely run off my feet trying to get bears ready for the Sydney Teddy Bear Fair which was held yesterday at Sydney Olympic Park.

We had a wonderful show - not as many traders this year: and plenty of collectors and visitors milling around all day. Most artists and traders and great sales (I just about sold out which was a fantastic feeling!)

Especially for the show I designed a range of 4 bears which were inspired by the Gwen Stefani album Love, Angel, Music, Baby - hope you like them!

Keeping the music album thing going, I also designed this bloke - Melon Collie: inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins album from some years back - Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness.

Profile - Bears & Buds Online Magazine!!!!

2010-03-01T18:54:00.009+11:00

W-O-W-!!!

What an absolute thrill for me to be featured again in another bear magazine so soon - this time in the American online magazine Bears & Buds (the lovely people who organise the annual URSA awards).

My bear Fancy has centre stage on the front cover of their March 5th birthday celebration edition - and I can't begin to tell you how exciting that is for me - it's like a dream come true! And all in such a short space of time!!!!

Hope you can log on to the website to take a peek ... http://www.bearsandbuds.com/March-2010/NikkelBearsMarch2010BearsandBuds.asp

More New Bears!!!

2010-02-18T22:06:00.005+11:00

Now that we've recovered from nearly being washed away at the Rob Thomas concert last weekend (see previous post), I've been madly working on some new bears, but thought I'd introduce you to these 3 guys who made their debut at the Teddy Bears and Critters 'Be My Valentine' online show last weekend.

Alas, their new mums didn't find them there, but they'll be appearing on my website fairly shortly, but I thought I would like to introduce you to them first: Sunday Rose, Otis and Cozzie (the lazy one who's lying down!)

Actually, Cozzie is the largest bear I've made to date - all hand-stitched at a whopping 19" from head to toe! What a marathon that was! I'm actually working on a couple of small 8" bears for the upcoming Sydney Teddy Bear Fair in March - a very big change from such a large bear.

Hope you like them - keep an eye out for them on the website this week!

Woodstock Revisited!!!

2010-02-15T12:47:00.008+11:00

As those of you who follow this blog will know, I am a big fan of Matchbox 20 and Rob Thomas.

Yesterday was the open-air Day on the Green concert starring Rob Thomas at Centennial Vineyards at Bowral in the southern highlands of New South Wales - a beautiful and leafy part of our state.

I had waited 7 months for this concert date to roll around, having bought our tickets back in July last year, so you can imagine how much we were looking forward to laying back under the shade of the huge gum trees on our picnic blankets, glass of wine in hand and snacking on home-cooked mini quiches, mini-pies, chicken wings and several kinds of cheese & crackers and enjoying the concert as the sun went down.

WHAT! No sun??? Umm, I think someone forgot to tell the weatherman that this concert was on yesterday - we woke up to bleak and dreary wet skies (again!) but thought to ourselves 'well this will be different' and off we headed with a group of friends to have a big wet adventure.

Boy! That's exactly what we got too! They say a picture tells a thousand words, so I don't really need to add much - these pics speak for themselves!

I'm glad to say that we had an absolute ball yesterday, rain and all. The concert went ahead despite the weather, and both Rob Thomas and Vanessa Amorossi were fantastic.

A New Bear

2010-02-08T21:47:00.004+11:00

Well, these hands haven't idle the last few weeks!

I've been keeping very busy with a bunch of shows coming up, but have squeezed in a new bear ... introducing Monte Carlo ... a soft and cuddly bundle of teddy love in a fantastic new tri-coloured long pile mohair I just bought especially for this bear.

Hope you like his trapunto paws ... they were a new challenge for me, as I hadn't done trapunto on mohair pads before (only on ultrasuede previously) and it was a different style of toe, but I really enjoyed making them, and will probably make a few more bears with paddy paws just like this. I think I like them so much as they remind me of the fur between our late Monty's toes (aaahh, beautiful memories ...)

Profile - Australian Bear Creations Magazine!!!!

2010-02-03T21:28:00.005+11:00

W-O-W !!!! I'm thrilled to bits - my copy of Australian Bear Creations (Vol 15-6) arrived today and there I am .... IN PRINT!!!

To have a profile published has been a dream of mine in my very short bear-making career - a very big THANKYOU to the Editor of the magazine Sandra Wigzell who absolutely made my day when she invited me to send in my profile for this edition. What a fantastic opportunity for promoting Nikkel Bears.

I'm on cloud nine at the moment ... feeling like I've won the lottery!

I'm Back!!!

2010-01-28T17:31:00.004+11:00

Yay! I'm back!

Since the loss of Monty a few weeks ago, and with so much else going on in my life, I have found it difficult to keep up with everything, and just lost my inspiration in all things in life there for a while.

But I'm back and feeling more refreshed now all of my hassles are behind me, so here's to a BIG 2010.

To kickstart off the year, I'm attending the 'BE MY VALENTINE' online show on 13-14 February .... oooooh not long to go now!!!! How very exciting!!!

Here's a little sneak peek of what to expect from Nikkel Bears studio - hope you like!!!!

RIP my beautiful boy .....

2010-01-13T22:03:00.008+11:00

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this blog entry ... soooo many things happening all at once (isn't it always the way). All in one week, I had my mum in hospital with a suspected stroke which meant a 8-hour round trip to the hospital for me, a deadline looming for the upcoming Be My Valentine online show (more about that in a future post) and having to make the monumental and emotional decision to let our dear old Alaskan Malamute go to rest after 11 wonderful years together.

Monty will always be a treasured part of our family - larger than life weighing in at a whopping 65kgs in his prime, he had a wonderful temperament, although stubborn at times (a typical trait of Malamutes I'm told).

Who would have thought that this little slip of a thing (no bigger than the cat!)

... would grow,

... and grow ... into such a beautiful boy

Monty loved the water, and living near the beach we would take him for walks - he'd dunk his whole head under the water and looked for all money like he was 'sniffing around' in the rock pools. He also loved to eat! Russ would always catch him some slimy mackeral or Australian salmon which we would freeze, and Monty would love to munch on them like iceblocks!!!

We're already missing him dreadfully - although the girls at Pets at Peace took care of everything for us and returned Monty's ashes to us this week, so we're going to lay him to rest at home with us in a beautiful shady spot in our small tropical garden.

Goodbye for now my darling boy ... and thanks for the beautiful memories.

Christmas Wishes

2009-12-22T22:37:00.003+11:00

I would like to wish you all a safe and happy festive season with your loved ones - thanks to all of you who supported me during 2009.

Nikkel Bears is already gearing up for a big 2010 - first in the 'Be My Valentine' online show on the Teddy Bears & Critters Australasia website on February 14 and the Sydney Teddy Bear Fair on March 7 at Sydney Olympic Park. I'll post details of each closer to the dates, but I'm sure the dates will come quickly and be on us before we know it!

I don't have much time off work over the festive season (no rest for the wicked!) but will spent any spare time enjoying my family's company, lazy sunny, summer days at the beach, and of course, finishing off my bears for the shows!

Merry Christmas everyone!

TBACA Christmas Bear Swap!

2009-12-21T22:04:00.005+11:00

Introducing .... Bon Bon.

A little bear with lots of character made especially for Linda Down of Lombard Bears (www.lombardbears.com.au) as part of the Teddy Bears & Critters Australasia Christmas Bear Swap for 2009.

Bon Bon is a well-travelled little bloke - he started life as a beautiful lavender piece of hand-dyed and tipped wavy mohair in my suitcase when we recently holidayed in Thailand, and soon developed into his own unique personality. His eyes were handpainted in shades of blue to complement his fur, and I accessorised him with his own elephant locket which I purchased while in Thailand, and red Christmas bow (in keeping with the spirit of Christmas).

He has now travelled all the way back to Sydney with us, and then over to Western Australia where Linda lives - I'm so glad she loves him, just as I do.

As promised - Thailand holiday photos!

2009-11-25T21:55:00.014+11:00

What a sensational holiday Russ and I have just had ... 2.5 weeks in Phuket, Thailand just laying back and soaking up the sun - just what the doctor ordered after a difficult year health wise.

... this year I was lucky enough to leave Russ in Phuket with the boys (our local Thai friends) and travel to Khon-Kaen in the north-east of Thailand with my wonderful Thai girlfriend Tum to meet her family. What a rare opportunity to 'hang with the locals' with not another tourist in sight!

Night markets where baby elephants stroll down the centre of the road (with their mahouts) seeking out anyone with a choice morsel for them to munch on ... OK, so I'm a sucker for a cute baby!

A long 3.5 hour drive further north to the township of Nong-Khai on the Mekong River opposite Laos for some market shopping and sightseeing - a great mix of Thai, Chinese and Laotian influences ....

An equally long 4 hour drive south-west to Si-Saket (near Ubon Ratchathani with the Cambodian border not too much further on) - well worth it though for the Loy Krathong full moon festival .... check out the sun coming up (very eerie through the morning mist)

Back to Patong Beach, Phuket to join up again with the boys (yes, they missed us!) and where Russ and I went apartment hunting, and found our ideal 'home away from home' tucked up on a cool, quiet road overlooking the bussling Patong Beach, yet only 1.4kms from the beach. Still under construction and due to be finished in January 2010 ... you can see why we're keen to get back and move in!

Mittagong Doll & Bear Show 2009 - Photos!

2009-11-15T19:56:00.015+11:00

Well, we're back from our holiday in Phuket, Thailand (last Thursday afternoon, so will update my blog with photos etc. once I've sorted through them) still a bit tired, and not really looking forward to going back to work tomorrow!!!

Enjoyed a wonderful show today in picturesque Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, organised by Sandra Wigzell (Editor of Australian Bear Creations magazine). Three of my bears found new mums today which was a big thrill for me (and them of course!)

A busy day meant only time enough for a few snaps however.

Here's my stand:

Lorraine Almond of Almond Bears:

Linda Benson of Benson Bears:

Raewyn Todd of Woodbury Park Bears:

Susan Leigh of Bearleigh Bears:

and what's left of Lyn Parker's stand (Parker Bears) - who almost sold out!

All in all a lovely day catching up with friends, and a beautiful drive home through the bushland in the gorgeous Southern Highlands district and Kangaroo Valley.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-23T22:41:00.006+11:00

Happy Halloween to you all!

Ok, I'm getting in a bit early, but as I won't be around for the next few weeks I thought I'd post to my blog early (we're off to Thailand for a bit of R&R and sunshine .... something that's been sorely lacking in our part of the world lately!)

To celebrate, I have a new bear which will be available shortly - introducing Bailey: a mischievous bundle of cheek who is ready to celebrate Halloween. Already decked out ready to 'trick or treat' his way into your heart. I'll be posting him for sale on my website once I get back, so keep an eye out for him if he tickles your fancy.

It's late here now ... I'd better go pack those suitcases!

Life Lesson ... Update

2009-10-13T20:39:00.004+11:00

Just a quick update on the new Marbles Mark II ... she (not he as was her predecessor)has fitted in quite nicely ... has a lovely temperament and tolerates a lot of handling and carrying around by her new mummy as you can see!

My daughter Kel called me today absolutely distraught. Seems like our granddaughter Mikael's little bunny rabbit Marbles had been bitten by a spider and died just as Kel got him to the vet!

My youngest daughter Nikki had only just bought Marbles a couple of weeks ago for Mikaela's 2nd birthday next Tuesday, so it was a real shock to all of us.

Anyway, think it will all end well. As Mikaela was asking where Marbles was, the little family held a funeral for him this afternoon so Mikaela understood (well, sort of ...) that Marbles got sick and went to heaven.

And, as all happy endings go, Aunty Nikki came to the rescue ... a visit to the pet store, and a new Marbles Mark II was delivered safe and sound to his new home, and into Mikaela's heart.

All is good with the world again .... aaahhhh

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

2009-10-05T16:56:00.005+11:00

Two days out from my pre-booked climb, and the nice warm spring weather we had been enjoying suddenly gave way to miserable, bleak and cold rainy days - great! Not the sort of weather I'd been hoping for, but I guess you have to live with the cards you've been dealt, so off up to Sydney we drove.

Thanks to our GPS lovingly nicknamed Lucy Loo, parking was found in amongst the skyscrapers in the middle of the Sydney CBD, and it was only a short walk through The Rocks down to the southern pylon of the bridge where we checked in.

A 30 minute brief and change into our climbing overalls, jackets, headsets and trusty safety harness saw us set off out into the inclement weather. It took us about an hour and a half to reach the summit and not even the weather could ruin the breathtaking 360 degree view of Sydney Harbour and surrounds. It was absolutely fantastic, and Pete our guide was amazing, explaining iconic landmarks and how the fireworks are set up on the top of the bridge for New Years Eve.

Here's us at the summit with a view of the Opera House and the city skyline behind:

By the time we had started heading across to the western side of the bridge and hour descent, the heavens opened up again, but it didn't dampen our spirits at all. We madly waved at the passengers on the P&O 'Pacific Dawn' as it moved gracefully underneath us on its way to exotic holiday places and the captain gave three long bursts on the funnels as she passed underneath. Awesome!

The descent went all too quickly and by the time we reached the bottom of the western arch, darkness had fallen and the city lights twinkled through the rain. Pete, of course was still telling us stories about the building of the bridge and stats (like how many stairs we had just climbed - 1339!!!!)

A fantastic experience, and one I would recommend highly to everyone!

Mikaela's first stay in hospital

2009-09-28T23:05:00.004+10:00

My gorgeous little granddaughter Mikaela has just been diagnosed with pneumonia and has been hospitalised for a few days.

After suffering what seemed to be a slight cold the last couple of days, she just suddenly developed a nasty cough and listlessness. However, the wonderful staff at Shoalhaven Hospital soon took care of the necessary blood tests and x-rays, and a drip was set up to ensure Mikaela was hydrated quickly.

Today she has been sitting up and taking a few bites out of her Vegemite sandwiches and a few sips of juice and water.

Of course no visit to a hospital to visit your grandchild is complete without the obligatory gift bag, and off I went with a few crayons, a book for drawing in, and a new fairy doll. Just the ticket to a speedy recovery, as you can see from these photos!

Beyonce Concert - Awesome!

2009-09-20T21:53:00.008+10:00

I drove up to Sydney on Friday afternoon with my two daughters to see Beyonce in concert, as a treat for their birthdays next month. We left the boys at home for a girlie's night out, and kicked off our night with an afternoon of retail therapy (always good for the soul, not necessarily the purse!)

What an amazing experience - I have been to a few big-name concerts before, but nothing like this! This woman has the most fantastic voice live, from the gutsy and raw sound of hip-hop right through to the angelic 'Ave Maria'. The show itself was something you just HAVE to experience if you ever get the chance!

Sydney's Acer Arena was packed to capacity, and the light show and big band sound was sensational. Her moving tribute to Michael Jackson and his music, followed by an on-stage appearance by a young chemotherapy patient brought the house to tears.

These pictures really don't do justice to such a fantastic and talented entertainer, but I hope you enjoy them!

Spring has Arrived!

2009-09-17T19:51:00.008+10:00

Well, the weather's warming up nicely. My beautiful bush orchids have started flowering and I couldn't resist a few pics, as well as my azalea.

We had a few surprise visitors in our backyard this past weekend - a new family of magpies have started visiting, and their youngest seems to have taken a shine to our place ... no fear this one ... he just marches up and feeds out of our hands - we just got to watch that beak!!!!

Also spotted meandering over the grass was this blue-tongued lizard, an Australian native. How great to have our own resident bluey!

Spring Challenge Online Show

2009-08-31T21:46:00.010+10:00

Ooooh ... how exciting! Only one more sleep until the Spring Challenge show!

I can't wait for spring - winter is always way too long for my liking (I'm a summer girl at heart). I always know when the warmer weather is just around the corner - my jasmine flowers and the divine scent wafts through my studio window. My miniature bush orchids also start budding and the first couple have just flowered. Will try to get some pictures to post here on the weekend, as they are just gorgeous and ever so tiny.

Anyways, thought I'd post a couple of pictures of my entry in the Spring Challenge - introducing La de Dah ... a gorgeous little girl who's all ready in her fancy attire for the Spring Racing Carnival - a spectacular annual event on the Melbourne and Sydney horse racing calendars, culminating in the 'race that stops a nation' ... The Melbourne Cup.

To see all the entrants in the Spring Challenge show, please visit www.teddybearsandcritters.com and follow the Spring Challenge link

New Bears!

2009-08-30T21:38:00.007+10:00

In case you're wondering, these hands haven't been idle. At long last, I have completed a new small hug of bears!

I've had a lot on my plate in the last few months, with a lot of people off sick at work and being hospitalised myself a couple of times, which hasn't left a lot of time to spend being creative!

All are available on my website which, by the way, I have now learned to update MYSELF (woo-hoo ... see there are miracles!). You'll find the link in the right-hand panel of this blog.

They are also available through the Teddy Bears and Critters website (www.teddybearsandcritters.com and click on Available Bears)

This is the demure Lillie Mae:

Here's the very tough (not really!) Bosco B Bear:

Super-cool dude 'Mambo'

... and not forgetting, little Mint Julep:

Hope you like them as much as I do.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb!

2009-08-27T16:31:00.006+10:00

OMG! I am so very excited ....

I received a gift voucher from Russ and the girls for my 50th last December to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and I've just booked it for the long weekend in October .... a Twilight climb, starting at 3.45pm - duration 3.5 hours! What!!! I better start going back to the gym to get fit!!!

There's around 1050 stairs to climb, but I'm sure the view will be worth it, and I'm sooo looking forward to it! We'll get the best of both worlds - a brilliant Sydney Harbour sunset and of course, the famous harbour lights at night on the climb back down.

Newcastle Doll & Bear Show - More Photos!

2009-08-25T23:04:00.013+10:00

Have just returned from trading at the Newcastle Doll & Bear Show last weekend. What a fantastic day! I met so many interesting people - in fact one elderly gentleman was telling me about his sister who had a storage shed they had cleaned out and found 'lots of Steiff bears in boxes' - what a find! I don't think he realised the value of what they discovered!

I also met the indomitable Mary Hickey, who has one of Australia's largest bear collections - a true arctophile!!! And such a marvelous wit and humour - I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation ... my clown bear Bongo even made his way with Mary off to his new home!

Of course, remembering that this was also a doll show, I took this photo of one of the prizewinning entries - this doll artist certainly is an inspiration - just look at what her imagination has created! Superb, and very whimsical!

Didn't get much opportunity to whiz around and take many photos, but here's a few more (my table plus some other competition entries - yes, even bears!)

Hottest Tickets in Town!!!!!

2009-08-05T14:19:00.004+10:00

... and I have them!!!!

Yay! Russ and I are off to see the gorgeous Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20) on his Cradlesong '10 tour in February when he performs at Bowral's beautiful Centennial Vineyards on Valentine's Day next year.

Can't wait ... am seriously counting the sleeps already!!!

It's the small things that count ....

2009-07-19T18:00:00.003+10:00

We've just enjoyed the best weekend ever ... no big plans, just a fabulous family weekend at home. Of course, there was the usual housework and washing to be done, and we had our almost 2 year old granddaughter Mikaela stay over while Mum & Dad enjoyed a dinner out with friends last night before coming back to our place for the night.

Dad went off to work and Poppy 'played' out in his boat while us girls got stuck into our crafty things - me with my bears and my 2 daughters putting together another scrapbook page. Mikaela was kept busy with her new toy clothes line and cooker, and we spent the morning blowing bubbles outside.

It's the small things in life that mean the most.

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-17T21:14:00.005+10:00

I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz - there's really no place like home!

After spending 4 days in hospital last weekend undergoing radiation, I've never been so glad to be home. Although I had a room with a view over the escarpment overlooking Wollongong and the beach it was very lonely. My only visitors were the nurses to bring my food. Worst of all, THERE WAS NO INTERNET and no phone and the TV didn't work. Lucky I took my mobile phone so was able to call Russ and the girls while I was incarcerated!

This is the view from my window: as you can see I had a bird's eye view of the helicopter landing pad. Such a busy place - 4 helicopters landing with patients in one day!

Looking on the bright side however .... I read the novel I took from cover to cover, watched all the DVD's on my laptop that I brought and sewed up 4 new bears ready for the TBACA Spring Challenge!!!

Off the Air

2009-07-09T20:30:00.002+10:00

Well, it finally had to happen. The day has come for me to undergo my radiation therapy tomorrow. Not sure what to expect, except that I know I'll be living in a lead-lined room in hospital for 3 days.

On a positive note, this treatment should eliminate any straggler thyroid cells which have been trying to re-establish themselves, and that of course, will greatly reduce the risk of any carcinomas returning - now that's gotta be good news in anyone's language!

Even better, I've cut out and started airbrushing a number of new bears - including a couple of new designs so will have plenty of time to sew to my hearts content! I'm also taking along the new Robin Hobb novel I bought today and my laptop (I'm hopeful there's an internet connection in THE ROOM). Think that should be enough to keep me busy!

2009 URSA AWARDS!!!!

2009-07-01T20:52:00.006+10:00

I'm so excited! I have two bears in the 2009 URSA Awards - little Mocha, who you have seen here on my blog and Sleepy Time Joe, a really sleepy guy I made earlier this year, and who now lives with his new mum.

I can't believe the high standard of entries - I am very honoured to be considered among such esteemed and wonderfully talented artists.

I'm hoping you can drop by the Bears & Buds website to have a look, and cast your vote. My bears and I appreciate all of your votes. Thankyou so much.

http://www.bearsandbuds.com/URSA2009

My Lin Hui

2009-06-10T21:21:00.002+10:00

Introducing LIN HUI - my own version of Chiang Mai's famous new mother!

This little sweetie is fresh from the TBACA Black & White Ball - handstitched from dense pile alpaca with meticulously handpainted starburst eyes in shades of brown, she's now available from my website - hope you can drop by and have a peek!

It's a Girl!!!!

2009-06-03T21:46:00.000+10:00

Is she or isn’t she? She was! Lin Hui, the Chiang Mai Zoo’s female panda, (on loan from China with her mate since 2003), who recently received artificial insemination when it became evident that her mate, Xuang Xuang, wasn’t interested, delighted everyone when she gave birth to a baby panda last Wednesday!

We saw Lin Hui in the purpose-built panda enclosure in the Chiang Mai Zoo during our visit to Thailand in 2007 - this is fantastic news considering there are now only estimated to be 3000 pandas left in the wild.

Congratulations to the keepers and veterinarians at Chiang Mai Zoo, and especially to Lin Hui!

Mocha - a new little cutie!

2009-05-28T19:26:00.000+10:00

To while away the hours while in hospital recently, I started hand-sewing this little fellow and have just put the finishing touches to him - introducing Mocha.

He's made from a luscious and dense grey/brown alpaca with a while alpaca muzzle & tummy, and sitting measures cm. I've airbrushed his paw pads, and hand-painted his starburst eyes in shades of grey/blue.

He'll be available from my new website (www.nikkelbears.com) within the next couple of days, so make sure you drop by to check him out.

Downtime

2009-05-26T20:53:00.000+10:00

I've been in hospital recently for the removal of an enlarged thyroid, and more disconcerting ... a small cancer within my thyroid.

A 2 hour operation ended up a marathon 5.5 hrs! My surgeon reckons I gave her arm and shoulder muscles a real workout!

Anyway, good news. Whole thyroid and all cancer has been removed, and I'm sporting a rather neat looking scar at the base of my neck which I'm told should fade over time. And best of all - I have a skinnier neck! Still have to undergo some radiation therapy (just to be sure) and then it's all plain sailing for me!

After 2 weeks off work, it was back to reality yesterday - you know the normal office stuff ... phones constantly ringing, the never-ending pile of filing to be done, emails by the truckload etc. etc. etc. I think I prefer the peace & quiet of being at home listening to the wild birds flying overhead and in the gum trees and the odd dog barking.

I think I might ease myself back into this fulltime work thing & leave the office early for a few days yet.

Sneak Peak!

2009-05-07T21:02:00.000+10:00

At long last! Here's a sneak peak at my 3 bears for the upcoming Black & White Ball in June.

And of course, me being the 'expert' in photography had to do the Photoshop online tuition before I could even work out how to put a photo collage together!

Hope you like what you see! Make sure you make a note of the dates: 1st - 7th June 2009. Just go to www.teddybearsandcritters.com

Weekend Sleepover!

2009-05-04T21:28:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone!

I've been a bit remiss lately with my blog - I've been very busy getting 3 bears ready for the Teddy Bears & Critters Black & White Ball. Will give you a bit of a sneak peak soon so stay tuned!

We had a wonderful weekend - our precious granddaughter Mikaela came over for a sleep-over at Nanny and Poppy's while Mum & Dad enjoyed a well-earned night out with friends. The little poppet helped me tidy up 'the bear room' and sort out my ribbons, and then Poppy showed her how to play cards on the computer ... well, she clicked the mouse on the card he chose actually!

She's so full of personality, as you can see from this photo.

Bears, Bears & More Bears!!!!

2009-04-21T20:41:00.000+10:00

Sorry everyone - it has been so long since I've updated my blog. I'm feeling rather guilty!

So much has been happening - I'm currently finishing off 3 bears which will be for sale at the upcoming BLACK & WHITE BALL - our online June show via the Teddy Bears and Critters website (http://www.teddybearsandcritters.com/).

The show will run from 1st to 7th June 2009, so make sure you mark these dates in your diaries and click the above link or this button for more details.

I hope you can join us for the Ball - it's going to be an awesome show, attended by lots of very talented Australian & New Zealand bear artists - hope to see you there!

Beautiful Sunset

2009-03-25T22:08:00.000+11:00

Thought I'd share this photo with you all - it was taken (by me if you can believe it!) last week at our local boat ramp while we watched the sun set after dinner. Perfection! You can never underestimate the wonder and enjoyment you get from nature. I never get sick of living here in the beautiful Shoalhaven.

Sydney Teddy Bear Fair 2009

2009-03-22T21:06:00.000+11:00

Hi everyone! I've just returned home from trading at the 2009 Sydney Teddy Bear Fair.

What a wonderful day! Lots of traders, lots of collectors and great atmosphere - well done to Mel Kemp (Happy Little Souls) for organising a fabulous show!

I caught up with lots of existing friends, and also met new teddy friends - the fabulously talented Linda Benson (Benson Bears), Peta Smart (Wazza Bears), Raewyn Todd (Woodbury Park Bears), Lyn Parker (Parker Bears), Lorraine Almond (Almond Bears), Susan Leigh (Bearleigh Bears) and Merrilyn Pursell (Bearwildered Bears), just to name a few!

Am extremely tired as I type this (I should be in bed, as it's back to work tomorrow) It's been a very hectic weekend (Saturday afternoon/night was spent at A Day on the Green - an open air concert by Australian icons of music (Ross Wilson, Kasey Chambers and Jimmy Barnes) in leafy Bowral in the Southern Highlands of NSW) A late finish (10.45pm) saw us arrive home at midnight and I still had to do laminated hang-tags for my show bears! Off to bed at 1.30am, and up at 4.30am (what the????) to head off to Sydney, a 2 1/2 hour drive from home!

Apologies for not posting photos of my show bears earlier - I guess better late than never.

New Design!

2009-02-25T08:39:00.000+11:00

I'm currently on 2 weeks annual leave from my day job (as an Office Manager in a chemical manufacturing plant) and have spent most of my days working on new bears to be ready in time for the Sydney Teddy Bear Fair next month (http://www.sydneyteddybearfair.com/)

Yesterday, on a whim, I gloriously threw myself into the design of yet another new bear for most of the day and will start cutting out today! Can't wait to see this little treasure unveil herself (yes! I've already decided she's a girlie bear!) Stay tuned for pictures once she's finished.

Hey, I could get very used to doing this bear stuff all day, every day! (day jobs however, keep the bills paid so looks like it's 'back to the grind' for me next Monday - doh!)

New Banner - Thank You Mel!

2009-02-23T10:45:00.000+11:00

A big, big thankyou to Melissa Kemp of Happy Little Souls (http://happylittlesouls.homestead.com/) who set up my new banner - many thanks Mel!

Being a complete novice at software such as Adobe Photoshop, I was at a complete loss as to how to set up a banner - my daughter and I fiddled with it for a few hours, but couldn't get the size right to upload. I think there's a message there for me to stick to my day job and bear making!!!!

I'm a Finalist!!!

2009-02-08T20:41:00.001+11:00

This is my latest bear BONGO which I entered in the 2009 People's Choice Competition of the Sydney Teddy Bear Fair. I'm thrilled to say that I'm a finalist in my Category - Section 4: Dressed or Fantasy Bear.

This is a completely new design for me, and also quite a large bear (well, for me anyway) - he sits at 24cm. I've been used to making much smaller bears - most of my previous bears have been 6" or 9" standing.

As this is a People's Choice voting competition, I would appreciate all the votes I can get - if you would like to see the competition entries (and hopefully vote for me), here's the link: www.sydneyteddybearfair.com and just follow the prompts.

First EVER blog!

2009-02-03T21:58:00.000+11:00

Welcome to my first ever blog!

I'm very new at this stuff, so please be patient while I'm learning.

I've been making bears since 2007, so am still relative new and learning fast. After making ready-made kits and patterns from other bear artists, I'm now designing my own bears which are all hand-sewn with love. I hand-paint each my bears eyes to give them an individual one-of-a-kind look.

hope you like my bears - I'll post a few pics shortly.