Teddy Bear Artist Michelle of Michelle’s Bears

Posted on | October 10, 2011 | 11 Comments

I’m pleased to introduce one of my online friends as the artisan interview spotlight today. Let me introduce you to Michelle of Michelle’s Bears. She was the first person I thought of when I was setting up my (now defunct) Handmade Teddy Bears and Raggedies. She wrote a great article called Bear Artistry, and I also interviewed her – in a different format – for that blog. I also purchased one of her Handmade Vintage Velvet Rabbits that I’m quite smitten with!

[Photo above: Antique Style Teddy Bears]
    
Tell us about your shop. What kind of items do you offer?
Well, my Etsy shop was started mainly as an outlet to sell my handmade teddy bears, but with my intense love of collecting vintage items, came an overstock of stuff that I needed to weed out and eventually, I began to add little bits and pieces to my shop! So, I guess you can say that my shop is a hodge podge of teddy bears…old and new, vintage dolls and toys and yummy collectibles!

How long have you had an interest in bear making/artistry?
My interest in bear artistry started well over 20 years ago. I started in the late 80′s/early 90′s. I dabbled in sewing dolls for a brief time but when I picked up my first bear magazine, I was shocked to see that there was this incredible world of bearmaking…I mean, I couldn’t believe that teddy bears went well beyond the stuffies you were able to buy in department stores and card shops. I had no idea and wow, was I hooked then! At that time artists like Barbara Beuhl and Brianna Long were big in the industry and it was a much smaller industry compared to what it has become now! I was so totally enthralled in what those woman were doing that I couldn’t help but try my hand at making a teddy bear of my own. [Photo above: Scrappy Bear]

How did you get started? Did you start by experimenting around, or did you take a class and go from there?
I’m basically a self taught artist. As I said, I was intrigued by my first bear magazine…I think it was “Teddy Bear Review” or something like that. It was absolutely shocking that there was an actual market for handmade teddy bears! I remember taking the complimentary pattern from that first bear magazine but wow…being a first timer with using patterns, I couldn’t make heads nor tails of it!

I couldn’t understand the terminology and I can’t tell you how many times I cut a pattern out only to find that I had forgotten to “reverse” certain pieces so I always had limbs that didn’t match and don’t get me started on the gusset!!! I just couldn’t wrap my brain around a gusset for goodness sake!! So, I suppose you could say that I did a lot of experimenting but I remember asking one established bear maker from British Columbia for some help with reading patterns and how to do jointing and so on…I saw her phone number (it was before the computer generation really took off!) in the magazine and I took a chance and called her. Well, let’s just say that she wasn’t the nicest gal around! I think she felt that my asking her for help would somehow take away from her already booming bear making business so I continued on my own until I finally got a computer. With a computer came all kinds of great tips and support from other bear makers including Barbara Beuhl, who was one of my greatest inspirations, and to this day, I credit her for the valuable information I needed to become the bear artist I am today. [Photo above: Vintage Chalkware Teddy Bear]

Are there any particular mediums you like working with?
My favorite medium is vintage velveteen! I love the textures, the great retro colors and what happens to it when I “age” it so that my teddies take on a wonderful old fashioned look! I get a huge thrill out of finding old golden velveteen drapes from the 1970′s…I get some wonderful looks from people when they see stuff like that in my hands…I’m sure they’re wondering what I’d possibly want with something so darn tacky!!! My secret of course!
[Photo above: One of a Kind Recycled Velveteen Bear]

I have to add that I, like all bear artists today, am very partial to mohair! It’s just so forgiving to work with and you can dye it and create your very own colors and the styles…well, there are so many styles of mohair that it’s overwhelming to say the least!

Is there anything you eventually want to get in to and master?
You know, I’m always working on perfecting my bear making skills. I feel as though there is still so much to learn so if there is anything I want to master it’s that for sure.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Spare time? What’s that? Really, I don’t seem to have as much spare time as I think I should but when I do have a few moments, I love to spend time with my husband treasure hunting through thrift stores, yard sales and antique shops. I also love to sit with a cup of tea in my front porch on my old upholstered granny style rocker with my chihuahua in my lap and just take in the breeze blowing in from the big window screen in front of me!

What’s a question you wish I would’ve asked? And please answer that question.
Hmmmm….the question would probably be something like “How many bears do you figure you’ve made to date?” I always love to tell people the answer to that question!

To date? I figure that I’ve probably made well over 500 teddy bears! That’s a lot of fur, thread, stuffing, time and sweet little souls I’d say!

Please include ten fun facts about yourself. (Example, I like black jelly beans; I love “24;” etc).

1. Because you mentioned “24″ my first response to this is that I love Keifer Sutherland…so much that I can tell you every movie he’s ever been in including his very first movie “The Bay Boy”!!!

2. I’m completely nuts over my husband, Darren….I had to say that after the first fun fact!!!

3. I am an avid collector of dolls! I love composition dolls from the early 1900′s and fashion dolls from the 1950′s! [Photo above: Bunny Pin Cushion]
4. Cupcakes rule!

5. I love to collect online friends! My collection is growing more and more everyday!

6. I’m a clean freak! I think you could literally eat off my floors! But don’t!

7. I love to spend time talking on the phone with my granddaughter Cierra!

8. My favorite snack off all time is Miss Vicki’s Salt and Malt Vinegar chips! My mouth just watered!

9. I have a weird obsession with spiders, bats and snakes! I just love them! I have two snakes “Dasher” and “Comet” and we built a bat house this summer! No spiders yet!

10. I love to spend time in my kitchen cooking and baking!

Please list the urls to your website, blog, and/or online shop, social media, etc.

Tbmum’s Etsy Shop
Michelle’s Bears – Teddy Bear Blog
My Inspiration, My Heart blog
Handcrafted Teddy Bears and More by Michelle Facebook fan page

[Photo above: Miniature Mohair Antique Style Bear on Wheels]

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