Berty dreams of being a cowboy!

Look who wants to be a cowboy when he grows up! Liberty is his name but his friends call him Berty. This little bear loves horses and after a day riding out in the meadows he likes to read a good story. In fact really he prefers to have a story read to him, the books can be rather big for him and so it takes a long time to read each page! He is a little bear at only 4.5". He dreams of America, galloping across the plains so I gave him his cute outfit of red and blue with soft gold velvet paw pads, so now he feels a true red, white and blue cowboy! He has his fireworks ready to celebrate the 4th of July!

He is ready for adoption, you can see all his details here on my Bumpkin Bears Website. If you would like to adopt him just send me an email.





We are off to the Highlands of Scotland at the weekend. We are driving with our car and stopping in The Lake District to break up the journey and to visit the home of Beatrix Potter, Hill Top. Click on the Hill Top link to read all about it, we will also visit her gallery nearby with lots of her original drawings, I am so excited! Needless to say I will have heaps of photos to share with you all when we return in a few weeks time. I have also recently joined Twitter where I post little tweets about what I'm getting up to in between blog posts, so feel free to follow me..

When we get back I've got lots of exciting treats and special offers for my Etsy Store. Any orders placed when I'm away will be delivered from July 22nd.

We are having a heat wave here in Belgium at the moment, let's hope we take some of the sun with us to Rainy Scotland :) In the meantime you can click on the tags at the end of my posts to visit places I've seen before. See you all back here soon. Hugs, Catherine x

Shocked

I am so shocked to hear of the passing of Michael Jackson, just can't believe it. I feel so sad for his children. I remember growing up loving his music, singing along to the lyrics, wanting to dance like him (who never tried to do the moonwalk?), with his posters on my walls. His music will live on forever and I hope now that he can truly rest in peace.

Our holiday to Scotland has been delayed by a week, so still here for a week then off we go :) So I'm planning to try and fit in a little bear before I go, maybe a red, white and blue one to celebrate 4th of July. Watch this space! Catherine x

Childhood Memories

I was commissioned to make this bear for a very special girl, it's been such fun to create a bear to the wishes of a child. All her toys have to be happy so Mr Bear got a nice smiling face. I love to think that my bear will be loved and played with and have tea parties and adventures, just as my bears did when I was a child. I made him his outfit and found these cute flower buttons. He will have his own naming ceremony so for now he is Mr Bear :) I remember even having a christening for a little china doll when I was little, my Granny made a beautiful chocolate cake with white icing letters spelling out her name - Elizabeth Ann! Happy memories, just as I wish this bear to bring to this little girl's world.




Busy busy washing and packing ready for our trip. Will pop by again before we leave. Hugs, Catherine and Mr Bear! x

If I can't see you....

you can't see me, thought Miss Molly Hopper as she hid shyly in her favourite tea pot! Eventually I managed to persuade her that you were all very friendly and that she didn't need to be shy at all!





This wee little bunny is brought to life with a lovely tatty Schulte mohair and I gave her a little hand shaded pink nose. She always likes to look her best for tea parties with the bears so I gave her a sweet lacey bow. She was created with a customer's sweet black bunny in mind called Molly Hopper, so she is already hopping her way to her new home where I know she will be very loved.

I have also just finished a special commissioned bear who I have also made some cute dungarees (overalls in the US I think!) for. Photos coming soon :) It's a busy week as I'm packing for a holiday to .... Scotland - yipeeeeeeee. As many of you know my Grandmother's side of the family are Scottish so this is going to be such fun. Hugs, Catherine x

Grandmother always said....

make sure you wash behind your ears! This wee baby bunny certainly remembers to do this! This sweet little bun was having a good old clean and tickle in my garden, I can see them from the kitchen which makes washing up far more interesting!! Do click on these photos for a much better view of his cute face, you can see all his little baby hairs in these photos.

First the Toes!

Then to the left...

Then to the right...


All Clean!

I have also just finished a tiny black bunny, she'll show her face here very soon, once she gets over being shy!! Hugs, Catherine x

Join me in my Garden

It's been such a beautiful day today, I love to sit out in my garden on a warm evening and listen to the bird song and watch the bees buzzing from flower to flower. I have a few pigeons that 'live' in my garden, there one is on my bird bath. I've been sketching lots of new ideas for my illustrations, amazing the inspiration that nature can give. Often if I am having a block and feeling uninspired for my art, I take a walk along the fields or sit on the bench in my garden and then the ideas trickle back into my mind! Do join me in my garden, the sky was beautiful this evening and the flowers glowing in the evening light.



I also took some photos of a baby wild bunny having a good old clean and tickle, I'll share these photos soon. For now, just relax and enjoy. Hugs, Catherine x

Favourite Moments

I've been busy for a while creating this sweet set of Favourite Moments Prints, following the Bumpkin Bears through their year.
I had great fun imagining these and they seem to come alive when they are framed on the wall, such fun to cherish through the changing seasons. They are available as a specially priced set ($10 less than buying individually) from my Etsy Store. Click on the image to see the bears better.


If you would like any of them individually just send me an email. I'd love to know what you think of these and if you have a favourite? What are your favourite moments in the year and what makes them special for you? I love kicking through fallen leaves in the Autumn, cuddling by a warm fire in the winter and watching the beautiful spring blossoms appearing in the Spring....

I'm busy working on a commission bear over here which is keeping me warm as it's dark and pouring with rain and more thunder storms forecast!! See you again soon, Hugs, Catherine x

Come fly with me!

I'm not sure who stole the Summer, if you know could you kindly ask them to return it please! We are having really chilly, windy weather at the moment, but the Bumpkin Bears don't mind!

The wind was whistling around their Tree House so what better weather than to go kite flying. Pa Bear had to hold on to his little boy to make sure he didn't fly away too!

They were having such fun they didn't even see me sketching this moment. You can enjoy this moment too as a sweet
Print which I have just listed in my Etsy Store. Along with this Print you will receive a matching Notecard as a free gift.

If you prefer you can also just buy the Notecard seperately. You will see lots of Notecards in my store, if you would like more than one then just send me an email, the Bears will happily help me print any amount or combination your heart desires :) Don't forget Father's Day is coming up too, do you remember flying kites with your Dad?



Pop back again soon, I've got a really sweet set of seasons prints that are nearly ready for showing you.

A little Angel

I hope you're all having a good week, I'd love you to meet Halo - a very special bear starting his life on the day of the hail storm over our house. He was a little angel keeping us and my cats safe and sound, so I felt he deserved his angelic name, with his pure white coat I can almost see his Halo shining in the sunlight! He has a gentle kindness about him, offering the last honey biscuit to you even though they are his favourite! With his long pile faux fur coat he is a real bundle of fun and will bring you a lifetime of pleasure and a hug whenever you need his comfort.

He is available for adoption from my Bumpkin Bears Website where you can see all his photos and adoption info. **UPDATE, Halo has now been ADOPTED to a lovely home in Wales**




I am also busy working on some new illustrations so pop back soon to see. Beary Hugs, Catherine and Halo xx

Kindness

Thank you to all your kind messages after our hail storm. We have been busy clearing up and getting quotes for the insurance, turns out half of our roof will have to be completely replaced as well as our veranda. It is now clear that our street and the next street on from us are the worst hit, luckily the rest of the village hardly had any damage, it started right at the windmill at the end of our lane (the houses JUST before it had no damage at all!) and charged on to our house!
This photo is of the hail stones that landed that someone in the village froze over night and I saw it on the news!

I have been so touched by the kindess of people. On Friday I was outside clearing up all the broken tiles when the postman came along with a parcel for me! To my delight there was the sweetest little box of sweets with a gorgeous teddy on the front with a sweet teddy notecard from one of my collectors here in Belgium to brighten my day after all the damage we had from the storm (thank you Peter) .

I had this sweet note from Lewis and Bailey , two of my bears that are in their cosy new home.

Since being part of the teddy world I have to say that I have met the nicest people. I just love hearing from people when they have received their adopted bears, it really makes all my efforts worth while when I hear how happy my bears make people. This week I received these kind messages from England and The States, Colbyhas the prettiest cutest face and is so cuddly with his soft coat and sits proudly on my desk beside me.
Lily is wonderful in every way, and I am thrilled to have her here with us. I will take excellent care of her. (Thank you Suzanne and Kathy x).

I've also been given some lovely awards for my blog, thank you Wendy for her Friendship Award and Lyn for the Makes My Heart Smile Award. I'm sorry for not being able to follow the award rules for now, but please know that everyone of you that visit me here make my heart smile and I appreciate all your friendships.

I will have a new Bear to show you next week so pop back soon to take a peek. Have a lovely weekend, Hugs, Catherine x

OH MY!!

What a night! We woke up to a thunderstorm at 3am which soon turned into the most extraordinary hail storm I've ever seen! The hail balls were the size of tennis balls, no joking!! We've had a lot of damage to the house, the plastic all around the edge of our house looks like it's been eaten by giant caterpillars! Our roof has got some damage and our garden looks like a mad man went round with a chain saw, all my lovely plants and flowers :( My cold frame is completely smashed and any pots I had out are all broken. I have never heard noise like it, pretty frightening really. It seems like we were right in the centre of the storm, the next door village didn't have any at all! Most important is that we are ok and my cats are sleeping off a noisy night!
(click on photos to see full size)




I started a new bear yesterday in the most amazing long pile faux fur, this bear is going to be quite a wispy sweet character....
Back to the clear up.... Catherine x

Look who I found in my Vegetable Patch!!

Hattie McRadish is rather partial to radishes, especially in my garden! To try and save my new vegetables I invited this wee bunny in for tea. A little shy at first I encouraged her by showing her the radishes in Peter Rabbit's stories! I don't think Hattie has been to tea very often, if at all, as she seemed to think that the tea cups were far more fun for hiding in than for drinking out of!! Not that I minded, as long as my little guest was happy and who could ever get cross at that little lop eared face! **UPDATE, Hattie has now been ADOPTED to a lovely lady in America**






I hand dyed her Schulte mohair and soft wool felt bunny feet a sweet baby pink. She has a cute little white cottontail that you can see as she hops around through the garden. She is one of a kind and such a precious size at only 4" not including her lop ears if you held them up!! Hop on over to my website to see all Hattie McRadish's adoption info and photos. **Hattie has now been Adopted**

Hattie was inspired by the baby wild bunnies I've got hopping around in my garden that you can see in the previous post, they have been tucking into my radish leaves!! Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Lily and bunnies!

Thanks for all your kind words about my bears in the last post, my special offers continue until May 24th. As promised here are some photos of Lily, a bear I just created for a special commission. I love her Lilac fur and her new Mum chose her name which suits her just perfectly. She will be making her journey to America tomorrow along with little Heather who has also been adopted to a very sweet person in Washington.




I had such fun creating mini Heather that I am busy creating another mini right now! I was inspired by the wild baby bunnies in my garden and so you will soon be seeing a wee Bunny Rabbit in the sweetest pink. I have been dying the mohair this morning for her and it now drying out ready to be sewn.





Hop along soon to see her. Hugs, Catherine x

New Friends & Special Offers

What a busy time it has been in my bear studio! Lots of photos on this post, keep going down to see the Special Offiers!

I've just finished bringing to life two very different bears. Colby is a 17" baby bear cub with THE MOST gorgeous luxurious silky soft faux fur. He has a really unique colour mix. He is a bear that likes to help, especially when it comes to making honey cake, he'll be the first one there with his apron on and spoon ready for mixing! Sitting in your arms with a glass of milk and slice (or two!) of cake would make Colby one very contentend bear. If you would like to share your life with this very special boy then he promises to love you forever and ever! You can see lots more photos of him and all his adoption info on my Bumpkin Bears Website.
** Update - Colby is now ADOPTED**



Heather is a wee miniature bear created from Schulte Mohair which I hand dyed in this precious colour, inspired by the soft lilac haze of colour that the heather creates over the hills of Scotland. She gets up to all sorts of mischief, but with such an innocent little face all you can do is smile when you find her head first in the sugar bowl!! I lovingly hand stiched every tiny stich to bring this Bonny Lass to life. She is one of a kind and such a darling size at only 3.7" from the top of her ears to her tippy toes! All her photos and adoption info are on my Website.

** UPDATE Heather has now been ADOPTED to a special new home **





Now for the even more fun part - SPECIAL OFFERS on all my available Bumpkin Bears from Friday 15th-Sunday 24th May (only Su-Lin the Panda and Hattie the Bunny are still available)-

If you would like to adopt Su-Lin The Panda you can choose from ONE of these special offers -

1. FREE Worldwide Registered Postage
2. One FREE Mounted Print worth $30 from my Etsy Store
- just choose a Print you would like and let me know and I will mount it for you and send it with your bear.
3. One FREE pack of 5 assorted Notecards worth $14 from my Etsy Store

If you would like to adopt Mr Tibbles The Kitten you can choose from ONE of these special offers - ** UPDATE - Mr Tibbles is now ADOPTED**

1. FREE Worldwide Registered Postage
2. 3 FREE Notecards worth $10.50 from my Etsy Store
- just choose 3 Notecards you would like and let me know and I will send them with your bear or kitten.

Stanley
** UPDATE - Stanley is now ADOPTED**



Su-Lin



Mr Tibbles The Kitten
** UPDATE - Mr Tibbles is now ADOPTED **



I hope you've had fun seeing all these friends, they are really excited about meeting you all. (UPDATE - Most of them have now been adopted but there is still a few friends looking for a special home). I have nearly finished a special lilac faux fur commissioned bear, she will be showing her face here shortly! I've also got some photos of another park and castle we visited. So pop by soon, Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Inspirations from the garden

Thanks for all your well wishes for the Hatch Studio and Gallery Opening that my Bumpkin Bears Prints & Cards were part of, it was a great success, you can see all the photos on Bethany's Blog. It's thrilling to be part of this along with so many other talented creative souls. I've been very busy lately working on a commission bear in a gorgeous lilac tipped faux fur as well as starting on a new Bear in a really special stripey faux fur too! As if this was not enough I got inspired by the flowers in my garden and have been hand dying some wool felt for paw pads as well as some mohair (as I type this it is sitting there getting a lovely colour) for a wee mini bear. I am hoping it will be a gorgeous heather plummy colour! I just love hand dying, so exciting to see how it will come out. Last weekend we discovered a new landscaped park that is being brought back to life near Brussels, it was really stunning, with some incredible historical buildings. I hope you enjoy the photos. Pop back soon for lots of bear photos! Hugs, Catherine x

Exciting News

I was contacted a while back by the lovely Bethany Hissong to be part of her new Hatch Studio and Gallery in America. I am thrilled to be part of this exciting new venture and a selection of my Prints and Cards will be available at their Gallery starting with their Opening Show this Saturday, May 2nd.

I've been working on a new pattern design and am looking forward to starting on a new bear tomorrow as well as a special commission bear. So do join us here again soon. Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Mother's Love and Happy Days

It's been a busy but sun filled week here in Belgium. The bluebells are out under my oak tree and the little lambs are still skipping around in the field - they are too cute! I've been doing lots of drawing and working on some commission bears. I'd love you to see my two new Notecards
called Mother's Love and Happy Days. I had such fun creating them and working with the vibrant colours for my Happy Birthday clown bear. I love the gentleness of the Mama Bear with her cub, this would be the sweetest card for Mother's Day or a new mum.

I enjoyed trying out a new little set dressing for my photos of these cards which I hope you'll like. You can see these cards in my Etsy store.






Finally the weekend has arrived, have a great time everyone. Back soon with some exciting news of a venture with an Art Gallery! Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Spring in my garden

Thanks for all your kind words about Stanley bear, he says you are all invited to his Tea Party! Spring has arrived in my garden, with blossom on my plum tree and the wee little lambs are playing around in the field behind our garden. I love to sit on my garden bench and watch them in the early evening - too cute :)
Lots of new plans for cards on the go so watch this space. Enjoy your weekend, Hugs, Catherine x

Stanley and his tea parties!

I hope you all had a lovely Easter, we had lovely Spring sunshine, perfect for walks and relaxing. I've also been busy bringing a new Bear to life so I'd love you all to meet Stanley.



Stanley is an old fashioned boy that takes such delight in tea parties, even better if there are honey sandwiches without the bread!! At the weekends you can find him head first rummaging in boxes in little antique stores, he insists that you can never have too many china tea cups, you never know when you will have more friends to tea! He is proudly wearing an adorable vintage neck trim.

If you would like to have a life time of love and tea parties then Stanley would be a very happy bear to live with you. All his photos and adoption info can be seen on my website.



Here are the last of my photos from France, taken on the coast near Calais - it was such a clear day I could actually see the white cliffs of Dover in England across the sea!! You can click on the images to see the full size, see if you can spot England!





It's such a lovely sunny day here, time to sit outside and do some drawing. Back soon with some Spring images from my garden. Beary Hugs, Catherine and Stanley xx

Cosiness at Easter Time

I'm so glad you've been enjoying the photos of our short trip to France, here are some more of the sweetest interior shop in Lille, of course I found the teddy bear (yup that's me). What a cosy home you could make from all these delights! Some Spring sunshine is forecast for this Easter weekend so looking forward to discovering a new park for an Easter walk, maybe we'll even see some Easter Bunnies! We've got the cutest wee Spring lambs in the field behind our garden, I'll take some photos of them to share with you all next week. Back to my bear making for now. Have a lovely Easter. Catherine x

Follow the sun!

As promised here are some more photos from our trip to France last week, here are some more of Lille with amazing art nouveau shops and bizarre statues for an art festival! There was the sweetest interior design shop which I'll share with you over the next few days.

I've just started drawing out a pattern for a new bear, the mohair I'm going to use is just gorgeous with this amazing swirl in it :) Watch this space! I've also been taking some photos in my garden which I'll share soon. Hugs, Catherine x

Favourite Spring Moment

Two posts in one day! I have just listed this new Print called Favourite Spring Moment in my Etsy store. Bear loves Spring time just as his friends do too! Picking Spring flowers from the meadows for his home is Bear's Favourite Moment of this time of year.



Don't forget that I have still got my Easter Sale going on until April 12th with 25% off my prints.

This Print will also be available as a card soon. I am working on a series of Seasonal Favourite Moment illustrations which will look so sweet as a set. Enjoy :) Catherine xx

Chasing the Sun!

With a good weather forecast last week my fiance and I decided to go and find the sun on the coast in France. A few days filled with relaxing walks, fresh sea air and sunshine :) We first went to the city of Lille, just over the border from Belgium. It's full of amazing architecture and lovely little streets with antique and design shops. There was an art display on the streets of HUGE black statues of baby's like dragons (photos of these coming up soon)!





After Lille we went further to the Coast - Cap Griz Nez and Cap Blanc Nez, beautiful limestone cliffs and golden pristine beaches. I'll share more photos of the shops in Lille and the coast throughout the coming week, so pop back to chase the sun with me :) Today is the Grand National Horse Race, it is a family tradition that we follow this, choosing our favourite horses, so I'm off to decide which is my fave, I can never decide! Beary 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

The Ultimate Blog Party!

I've just joined in with The Ultimate Blog Party being held by 5 Minutes for Mom.  Do go along and join in the fun and there are also some great prizes to win.  If I had the chance I'd like to win the $100 gift certificate to Pedal cars and Retro or Rocking Horse to Love!

Welcome to all the new friends joining me here. I create Artist Bears & Friends as well as a new range of nostalgic Prints and Cards showing the adventures that the Bumpkin Bears get up to in their little village by the woods. If you'd like to be kept up to date with new items then just send me an email to join my mailing list. I love blogging and meeting new people so thanks so much for stopping by and saying hi :)

A new Bumpkin Bears Spring illustrated Print is on it's way soon as well as a new Alpaca bear, in the meantime have a look at my Easter Print Sale in my Etsy store. Have a great weekend and don't forget the cupcakes for the party, here is one of my Prints titled "One Cupcake is never enough"! Oh so true :)



Beary Hugs, Catherine and my Bears x

Happy St Paddy's Day

May the sunshine always brighten your days

and the beauty of Ireland be in your heart.

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone

For those that don't know, my Grandfather (Paddy) was Irish, and my Granny was Scottish! Spring has come to life in my garden with all my daffodils smiling their sunny faces one by one and the little scillas as bright as the bluest sky.





Don't forget to pop by my Easter Sale in my Etsy store. Click on the Etsy images to the left. I've started a new bear in a gorgeous alpaca, so pop back soon to see him. hugs, Catherine x

Cards, Sales and Cupcakes!

It's been a hive of activity here in the world of Bumpkin Bears. The bears and I have been busy creating individual note cards of most of my prints so you can now pick and choose which you would like from my Etsy store.





I was inspired by a gorgeous pastel coloured set of cupcakes I saw in a Country Living magazine and immediately had this image in my mind -

"One cake is never quite enough thought Bear as he rubbed his tummy. He never could resist Cupcakes and thought if he disguised himself with the cherry on his head that the other bears would not notice if he had just one more!"

This print "One Cupcake is never enough" is available in my store or directly from me.



You may have noticed I created a new banner here with The Merry Band of bears announcing our Easter Sale from now until April 12th. We are offering a bear rolling 25% discount off all our Prints. So they hope you have fun exploring.

The daffodils in my garden are flowering, I'll share some photos over the next few days. Thanks for popping by,
Beary Hugs, Catherine and the Bears 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

Mr Tibbles The Mischievous Kitten

Mr Tibbles always seems to be found in the middle of any trouble! He is a mischievous kitten that loves to find the baskets full of wool! There really is nothing better than chasing after them and getting all tangled up in the threads! Looking into his warm amber eyes you know that he has a heart of gold so it never takes long to forgive his mischief!

Mr Tibbles is available for adoption from my website.


My fiance has been away for work all week so I've been working hard in my studio and have nearly finished bringing to life a special commission panda. I've been hand dying some wool felt for her paw pads too. With my Birthday coming on Saturday I'm hoping for a bit of early Spring sunshine to be able to go for a nice walk.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend when it arrives,
Kitty Hugs, Catherine and Mr Tibbles xx

Storytime

"Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin" said Little Bear proudly. After a long day playing out in the woods, the bears loved nothing better than Storytime by the warmth of their fire. Little Bear had so many favourite books he couldn't choose just one, as usual Storytime could take a while!





With all the cold winter weather many of us are having I hope this new Mounted Print will bring some cosiness into your life. It is available from my Etsy store or directly from me, just send me an email.

Busy days here in the world of Bumpkin Bears, working on commissioned pandas and bears. We are also re-doing our bathroom, about half way through so far, can't wait for it to be finished! I hope you all had a lovely Valentines, my wonderful fiance surprised me with the most beautiful framed print from Mandy atBelle and Boo. I mentioned some time back how much I loved this one image especially and he remembered :)



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

Back from the land of snow!

I'm back safe and sound after a lovely trip back to see family and friends in England. I chose the one week when snow seemed to have brought the whole of the UK to a stand still! Salt reserves ran out to grit the roads, schools were closed all week and it stopped some of my family being able to get to us, which was a shame. But it did make for a pretty picture and I was delighted I got to see my little niece that is now a year and 2 months old, a real cutie pie. I made her a soft fleece elephant which I took over with me on the Eurostar train, how funny it must have looked going through the security x-ray machine! She loved her new friend, giving her a cuddle and tried to feed it cookies! I modelled this Ele on one I had as a child that is now on the grubbier side of white after a life time of loving!



I have just listed a new postcard set of my illustration "For The Love of books" in my Etsy store, with 6 sweet postcard sized prints for the price of 5. They would be a lovely way to brighten someone's day with a little note or sweetly framed.




I have a new illustration which I will share over the next day or so (there will be a bunny to see in this one!). Hope you've all been well. I look forward to catching up with you all. Beary 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

Big Hearted Sale!

Hi everyone, with Valentine's Day on the horizon the bears and I wanted to share a bit of love, so this week (until 31st Jan) we have got a Sale of nearly 50% off my artist bears, Rufaro and Milly. UPDATE - Both bears are now adopted.

If you would like to open your heart and bring either bear into your home then just send me an email.


Rufaro (ADOPTED)

Milly (ADOPTED)

I have also just launched a new set of 5 cards and red envelopes, from the you are "My Sunshine" illustration. They would make a lovely way of showing the ones you love how much they mean to you. They are available from my Etsy store.




This is rather a short post, more coming up in a few days. Hope you are having a great weekend, Beary Hugs, Catherine xx
**UPDATE Rufaro and Milly are now adopted and will be flying to their new homes soon**

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

My Sunshine.... and ice!

It's been a cold busy week in the world of Bumpkin Bears, with a beautiful sparkling white world. I took lots of photos in a local forest, it was -7c and just like Narnia!

I have just brought a new illustration to life called "My Sunshine" -

As the sun rose over the emerald hills they both set off to surprise each other. Wearing her best bonnet and favourite polka dot shoes she carefully carried her lovingly made heart. He had polished his red welly boots and searched for her favourite wild flower then set off to her home across the meadow. With dreams in their heads of what they would say they nearly bumped into each other! Each bear, so keen to be the first to give their gift they said in harmony "You are my Sunshine...". They often said the same things and finished each other's sentances, something they were teased about, but they never minded. They just loved their friendship.



This would be a precious gift to show how much you care for your friends, children and loved ones.  It is available as a beautiful mounted print in my Etsy store.

Click on these photos to enlarge and loose yourself in this magical world -





Thanks for popping by and leaving your lovely comments, it's such fun to hear from you all. Lots more news on the horizon, so join us again soon. Beary Hugs, Catherine and the Bumpkin Bears x

For the Love of Books

"It was a long walk back from the Woodland Library but they could not decide which books they wanted to read first, so for the love of books they piled them high and set off on their way home. They had to be careful they didn't bump into any trees along the way!"

I just love books and so had great fun imagining these bears with their favourite books! I remember this dilemma as a child at the library, you could only take out a certain amount of books but there were so many I liked! This sweet mounted print is available now in my Etsy store.

It's been a cold week, with some snow and then lots of frost so it's like an ice rink out there! Although this very pretty ice rink tempted me out for a walk yesterday to take some photos and I nearly ended up on my backside more times than I care to mention ;) So I hope you all enjoy these photos, the windmill is just at the end of my lane and no that grand white building is not my house, it's at the entrance to a little wood in the village ( you can click on the photos to enlarge)!





I've got lots more that I am busy creating at the moment, so do join the bears and I back here soon. In the meantime keep warm,
Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Friends Forever

Happy New Year to you all! I hope this year brings you all you dream of and more. The Bumpkin Bears are very excited about all the adventures they are going to get up to and can't wait to share them. To start off the New Year I would love to show you my latest sweet new Print -



"Friends Forever" said Bear to Robin as he let him fly away towards the woods. Last winter on a cold frosty day Bear had found Robin all weak and alone as a baby. He nurtured him with berries and taught him to fly. Letting Robin fly bravely away was a big step for both of them, there was a sadness to their hearts but they had promised that they would be Friends Forever no matter how far apart.

I had such fun creating this illustration and just love the soft nostalgic colours. It is available as a beautifully mounted print in my Etsy store.



I was inspired for this print by the sweet friendly robins that have always visited me in my gardens through my life. I took this photo just the other day in my garden.



I've got lots more exciting Bumpkin Bears treats in store coming up so do pop back soon.
In the meantime wishing you all a wonderful start to 2009. Beary Hugs, Catherine and the Bumpkin Bears xx

Castles and festive joy

I hope you all had a special Christmas day. It was a delight to hear how many enjoyed my short story, many people sharing it with their children and grandchildren, I could not ask for more :) I cooked the traditional turkey with all the trimmings, nice to have a feeling of England when I'm here in Belgium, there is something very comforting about these traditional meals that I have grown up with.

I always love it when my Bumpkin Bears are given as surprise gifts, it is such fun keeping the secret :) This happened this Christmas with the lovely Kim of Victorian Parlor blog her wonderful husband gave her Hamish as a Christmas present - if you scroll down her posts from christmas day you will see some sweet photos of him in his new home with his happy Mum :) It always makes me feel so full of joy to share my love of bears with others.

Boxing Day was really chilly but beautifully bright and sunny, so a walk in our local forest was just the ticket :) In the woodland there is this beautiful castle and a little tea house that used to have an underground tunnel leading from it to the castle for the butler to use to take the tea and cake to the lucky few!! What a life!





I'm a busy bee working on my brand new website design and some sweet new illustrations and mohair bears, so do join the bears and I again soon. Warm Beary Hugs, Catherine and the bears xx

The Day Before Christmas

(scroll down to see the first two chapters of the story)

The Day Before Christmas

As they were nearly through the forest they could see the lights of the village sparkling through the branches when all of a sudden they were startled by a strange screeching noise. Trying to be brave and bear like on the outside, on the inside they were imagining a giant forest monster stomping towards them to eat them for supper! They all just huddled together behind a tree and closed their eyes.

The noise was getting closer and closer when Lewis suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He jumped higher than a bear has ever jumped before! Screaming with his eyes so tightly closed he swore he could never open them again! Suddenly through all their noise they heard Papa Bear's voice, Lewis thought he had come to save them. Forcing one eye slightly open he saw Papa Bear and…. NO monster, just the old red wheelbarrow with a fir tree in it. Mama Bear had always complained of the schreeching wheels!



Once the little bear's hearts had stopped pounding and their legs stopped wobbling enough to stand up they were glad to be on their way home. The surprise didn't seem to matter so much anymore although it was a very beautiful tree Papa had chosen just for them to decorate with some of their berries. The rest of the berries will be for Christmas dinner tomorrow!
Back in the warmth of their home they decorated their tree and sat down by the comforting fire. Mama bear told them a story about the night before Christmas and Santa visiting all the good little bears. That night although they were so tired they just had to wait to see Santa out of their bedroom window.



As they all wished upon the brightest star Lewis was sure that he saw a sparkling light fly by. It was way past their bed time and they clambered up into their beds, "it must have been Santa, it just must have been". Lewis said over and over until his eyes closed as he dreamt of this very special day before Christmas.

THE END

(Copyright of all text and images - Catherine Young)   The whole story is published at Teddybear-news.info

Thank you to everyone that has come along to read my story. The bears are now all happily waiting for Christmas to arrive :)
I've just got back from the supermarket, got the last turkey on the shelves! I'm cooking christmas lunch tomorrow, here in Belgium. I've been taking lots of photos of the wild birds in my garden, including my friendly robin, I'll share them with you all in a few days time. Have a wonderfully Beary Merry Christmas, Catherine, my cats and the bears xxx

and so the Story continues...

The Day Before Christmas

Chapter 2

These little bears were so worried that they would not get their surprise they all just sat in a heap looking very sorry for themselves. Before too long the bunnies, twitching their ears, came out to see what the matter was. Followed on by the rather shy Mr Badger, a family of very sleepy hedgehogs woken by the bump and lots of twittering birds including wee Master Robin.

Lewis explained why they looked so sad and all their friends took pity on them, especially as it was the day before Christmas. New berries were found even before the bears had had a chance to stand up and shake all the snow off their coats. Their wooly hats became baskets as the birds dropped berry after berry into them as they swooped by.

The winter sun started to hide behind the hill, the bears tummies started to rumble and they realized it was time to go home for tea. They ran as fast as they could when waving goodbye, shouting thank you and holding onto all the hats brimming full of berries! How excited they were to get home and see their surprise.

As they were nearly through the forest they could see the lights of the village sparkling through the branches when all of a sudden... (come back on Christmas Eve to read the last Chapter of my story) Warm Beary Hugs, Catherine and the bears xx

Are you sitting comfortably?

.. then I'll begin the first part of my short story which I wrote to go with my illustrations . The main character is Lewis Bear who is available for adoption to a special family. I'm going to share this story with you in 3 parts, the next chapters follow on Monday and Christmas Eve. So get comfy and believe in the magic of Christmas...

The Day Before Christmas

Today was no ordinary day as the sun shone through the winter mist. Lewis appeared at the brow of the hill, shivering as the cold wind whistled through his fur and the snow dripped on his shiny black nose! He did not see the three bears moving out from behind the lone tree. The snowballs came flying towards him before he had time to duck! His brothers were known as a rather mischievous bunch of bears and Lewis, all covered in snow, feared today wasn't going to be any different!

The problem was that they had promised Papa Bear they would be on their best behavior as today was the day before something special called Christmas. Being such young bears they had never heard of this Christmas before but it seemed to be an exciting time in the Village. First thing this morning they were promised a surprise if they were good and gathered lots of red berries getting home before dark. After hearing this they had run all the way across the fields, through the woods and up the hill to the biggest berry bush.

Lewis, being the youngest bear, had been last to get to the top of the hill. It had seemed to take forever to get there but once they had enough berries the bears knew of a much quicker way down! Without a second's thought they were rolling down the hill with the wind in their fur and rather a lot of squashed berries as they landed with a tremendous bump! What a sight they were with red stains all over their fur! What was Papa Bear going to say?

...... (find out what happens next on Monday)

Christmas in a window!

I was so enchanted by the christmas windows in Bruges at the weekend, look at that little chocolate shop squeezed in! it's been such fun to share all our Christmas homes, thanks to everyone that has visited this week. Lots more christmas delights to share soon. (click on photos to enlarge and see all the magic, look at those sweet penguins and delicious goodies in the top photo and the amazing toy shop lower down!)





Warm Beary Hugs, Catherine and the bears xx

A Pretty Little Christmas

The bears and I are joining in a wonderful Pretty Little Christmas party held by Heather over at PrettyPetals. There are the most beautiful homes to enjoy. There is also a wonderful Christmas Tour of Homes over at Boomama so join in the fun .

Here are photos of our tree and the Bumpkin Bears watching on. I made the little felt snowman. I hope you have a relaxing time in my home enjoying the cosiness of this time of year. Over the next days I'll be sharing photos of beautiful christmas window fronts in Bruges. Also coming up soon is my first short story about the bears including my illustrations .









Have yourself a Beary Merry Christmas! Catherine x

Christmas is in the air..

Lewis bear thanks you all for your kind words about him, you made him a very happy bear! Yesterday we took a trip to Bruges here in Belgium, it is a wonderful fairy tale like town full of the oldest buildings and lots of water canals. It was fre-e-e-e-zing cold but a wonderful day. We bought some lovely christmas tree balls, every year I have always bought a new decoration, which makes dressing the Christmas tree always a nice memory trip. There were some beautiful shops, I took so many photos that I'll share all the beautiful festive shop fronts over the next few days with you. You can click on all the photos to see the full size. When we got home in the evening we decorated our tree, photos coming up tomorrow. I have also been very busy writing a short story to go with some of my illustrations which I am going to share bit by bit leading up to Christmas Eve, (it is also going to be published on an online magazine so we are really excited) so keep visiting the bears and I :)







Beary Hugs, Catherine and the Bumpkin Bears x

Lewis - a Christmas Greeting

I am delighted to share Lewis with you, he was a joy to bring to life using his fabulous golden dense mohair, one of the original Steiff types produced by Schulte for this world famous bear making company. He is a bear full of kindness and love and I hand made him a sweet red fleece jacket to keep him warm on snowy days! His name was inspired by Lewis Carroll and a charming Christmas Greeting -

Christmas Greeting
Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

Lady, dear, if Fairies may
For a moment lay aside
Cunning tricks and elfish play,
'Tis at happy Christmas-tide.

We have heard the children say -
Gentle children, whom we love -
Long ago on Christmas Day,
Came a message from above,

Still, as Christmas-tide comes round,
They remember it again -
Echo still the joyful sound
"Peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Yet the hearts must childlike be
Where such heavenly guests abide;
Unto children, in their glee,
All the year is Christmas-tide!

Thus, forgetting tricks and play
For a moment, Lady dear,
We would wish you, if we may,
Merry Christmas, Glad New Year!

You can see all of Lewis's photos and adoption information on my website


Lewis will come to his new home with a free thank you gift of a pack of 5 Bumpkin BearsChristmas Cards. If you would like Lewis or any other Bumpkin Bears, prints or cards to arrive in time to appear in Santa's stocking there is still time if you are quick. The recommended dates for post to arrive in time for Christmas are -

INTERNATIONAL (USA, Australia, etc) - 10th December
EUROPE - 14th December
(but of course I will be sending out all my Bumpkin Bears at later dates too and it is possible they will be with you in time for Christmas, just not guaranteed by the post)

Lewis will be the last Bear to come to life out of my studio before Christmas. There is now lots of work for a brand new website design and lots of new exciting illustrations! If you would like to adopt Lewis or any of my bears looking for a special home for Christmas then just send me an email. We'll be going and choosing our Christmas Tree soon, my favourite part of Christmas, so pop back to see photos of it all decorated :) Beary Hugs, Catherine and Lewis xx

Happy Sinterklaas!

What a busy week it's been in the Bumpkin Bears studio, many of my Christmas card packs have been flying out to their new homes whilst other bear's have been wanting my attention! My new mohair bear is coming along well and I hope to have him ready to show you over the next few days. I've also been sketching a lot of ideas of adventures for my bears in the illustrations and I have one on the way to show you soon which I'm rather excited about.

Today Sinterklaas is celebrated in Belgium and many other countries around the globe. It is not a tradition that I am used to back in England but it is big business here, with children getting as many if not more presents now than at Christmas time. The Sint comes over on a Steam boat from Spain and delivers all his presents with his white horse! Click here to see a photoof him from my post about this last year.

In the meantime I'm delighted to say that I have been mentioned on the Belle and Boo blog, I just love Mandy's work so I felt very excited that she talked about my Bumpkin Bears, thanks Mandy :)


Phoebe, one of my 2 cats has been helping read a recipe this evening! A quiet evening watching Stuart Little on the tele for me and the cats tonight! They might like seeing mice on the tv!! My other cat Ollie is always fascinated when there are animals on the tv, but humans are so not interesting! Pop back over the next few days when I'll have some new delights to show you. Have a great weekend, beary hugs, Catherine x

Christmas Cards are here!

I have just listed Christmas cards in my Etsy store. This is a chance for you to buy a pack of 5 Christmas Cards of my original illustrations - The Best Tree for Christmas, Wish Upon a Star and Snow Circus. They have some festive additions specially for these cards. Wish Upon a Star has got a sweet night sky complete with stars to wish on, it looks like they are waiting for Santa! Each image is printed on gorgeous cream quality textured cards and come with berry red envelopes.

* Each pack will have 1 of each of the above 3 images and then 2 others from this group. If you would prefer to have a 5 pack consisting of just one image then let me know which one*. If you've got any questions just drop the bears and I an email :)




It's looking all festive here as I got some of my decorations out to take photos of the cards. I feel a christmasy bear coming on in my imagination so this will be my next project and I have the most gorgeous old gold mohair that will be just perfect for him. So pop back soon :) Hugs, Catherine and the bears xx

Winning day and Christmas cards!

Well, it's been such fun having this giveaway over the last week, thank you so much to all of you that took the time to pop by and join in with this new exciting launch of my Bumpkin Bears illustrations. This morning Hamish (looking for a special family) was the most excited and having the smallest paws we decided he would be the best bear to pull a name out of our special bowl! So without any more delay THE WINNER IS - Bob.T. Bear!! Yes a bear won the giveaway, you must pop by his blog to find out about all the adventures he gets up to! Hamish hopes you'll be a very happy bear Bob :)




I've had so many enquiries if I will be creating my prints into Christmas cards that I have been a very busy bee this weekend adding some extra special festive touches to my prints to transform them into sweet cards. I bought some gorgeous rich cream cards with a lovely texture and some berry red envelopes for them. Here is a sneak peek of some before I take photos of the printed cards tomorrow and then they'll roll straight into my Etsy store. If you'd like to be amongst the first to hear of new additions to the Bumpkin Bears world then just send the bears and I an email (see mailing list link on the left).




I'll be back tomorrow with more details of my cards :) Hugs, Catherine and the bears xx

Help the bears with a poll!

With December almost knocking at the door the bears had a little chat with me and they thought it would be beary good fun if they could appear on christmas cards so they could get to meet lots of new friends all around the world. So we are having a fun poll (over on left side) to see if you would like these Art Prints as cards? Then the bears and I will get designing and printing if you fancy it :) One day left to join in the giveaway below! I'll announce the winner tomorrow when the bear's have pulled a name :) Happy weekend! Hugs, Catherine and the bears x

It was a cold frosty morning..

It was a cold frosty morning as the snow iced the roof tops. With the birds playing catch through the hedgerows and ladybirds hiding from Jack Frost! The wind whipped around the bunny's ears sending them into a spin! It was quite a morning for Bailey to arrive. Looking out at this sparkly white world his eyes opened wider than has ever been seen on a teddy bear!
In such a rush to go outside and explore this new world he..... Click here to read the rest of Bailey's story and see all his photos. He is available for adoption, see all his info on my website.

We've had some snow over here as you'll have seen from Bailey's story.

It's been very exciting to read all your kind comments about my new range of Bumpkin Bears Art Prints. Keep joining in the giveaway this week in the party post below. Hugs, Catherine and the bears xx

Let the Party begin with a giveaway!

wow, after a long time of dreaming, planning and work my bears and I are thrilled to announce the launch of our Bumpkin Bears illustrations. These drawings bring alive the adventures of a very special group of Bears living in a village deep in the valley.

You can see the first prints in my Etsy store, including some wonderful festive images. Clickhere to see them. To celebrate this Grand Opening (the bear's are getting excited about this!) I am offering Free worldwide postage on all my prints (mounted and unmounted) from today Sunday 23rd until Sunday Nov 30th.

These illustrations are printed on the most beautiful archival artist paper and can either come with or without a mount. You can see the different sections in my Etsy store. If you have any questions just drop me a line. Here is a glimpse of them -


When I grow up.. I want to be a Train Driver (part of the "When I grow up..." series.

Snow Circus

Wish upon a Star

The Best Tree for Christmas

Just as I started to add my first print to my Etsy store it started to snow, what better sight than a sparkly white landscape to get into the festive spirit!

As a thank you to you all for your support and encouragement over the months the bears and I are giving away a Mounted Print "The Best Tree for Christmas" (see image below). To enter just leave me a beary festive comment and I will randomly pick a winner next Sunday 30th 10am GMT.



I have many many more stories in my imagination that I will be bringing to life with pencil (and of course still through my mohair bears) in the future. I hope you will enjoy following along this journey together with my bears. Over the next few days a new Artist bear will be revealing his face here and at my website.

In the meantime have yourself a beary happy day! Hugs, Catherine and the bears xx

Get ready for the Launch Party!

Get your party clothes out and get ready for the Blog launch party for a new exciting venture for the Bumpkin Bears. The Grand Opening will be tomorrow if the bear's behave themselves! I don't think they will get much sleep tonight with all the excitement! They are bursting to tell you all about what you will see but we are keeping the secret just a little longer ;) Look forward to lots of goodies, festive offers and a special Blog GIVEAWAY! So do come along and join in the fun :) Catherine and the Bears xx

Off to Japan they go..

I have been busy creating an order for a company that sell artist bears in the top department stores across Japan, they are the equivalent of Harrods in London, one of the stores is called Mitsukosi. It is a very exciting adventure for my bears and here are the four friends that are on their way to Japan.


Boo-Boo


Charlie Boy


Blossom


Goldie

I will be carrying on bringing to life my new bear this afternoon, his mohair is a beautiful soft tipped fur, he should be a real cutie. Promise I'll share photos the moment he has had a photoshoot! Hugs, Catherine xx

Winning and new adventures

I am over the moon with happiness, jumping up and down with joy that I won a Belle and Boo print in a giveaway that Mandy had on her blog. I have for a long time admired Mandy's beautiful art and she has been a lovely friend to me too. I never dreamt that out of over 100 people my number would get selected by the computer :) YIPEEEEEE. For those that know me I love trees and spent much of my childhood sitting up in them so this print could not be more perfect for me, it is of a sweet girl sat up in a wintery tree. THANK YOU Mandy. Click here to see Mandy's charming beautiful work. Mandy has been a great encouragement to me in my drawing and there is some exciting new adventures for my Bumpkin Bears on the horizon, this time on paper instead of mohair!! Do come back soon to see this new venture. In the meantime you can see my Bears looking for a new family at their website Click here to say hello to them. Thanks for dropping by, Hugs, Catherine xx


Milly looking for a home

Mother Bear Project

I'm glad you all liked Darcy and Elizabeth bears so much, they have happily been adopted by the same new mum so will be staying together. A while back I heard of a charity called Mother Bear Project. They are dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children affected by HIV/AIDS across Africa, by giving them a gift of love in the form of a hand-knit or crocheted bear. These children have often lost all their family and have nothing of their own, a teddy can bring the gift of friendship and comfort to them at a time when they must feel so very alone. Clickhere to go to their website where you can find out all about knitting bears for these very special children. Here's the bear that I knitted for them, he is my first attempt at knitting a toy.
I enjoyed knitting him with the thought of bringing a little sunshine into a child's life. Just look at this wonderful smile.

I could catch the knitting bug! I have also just started on a new mohair bear in a gorgeous cream and brown tipped mohair so check back soon for his appearance! Hugs, Catherine x

May we remember...

..all those brave souls that lost their lives for their country. At this time of year I remember my Great Uncles and Grandfather, Paddy Coote, even more than normal. Although I sadly never got to meet my Grandfather I learnt to know him through the eyes of my Granny. He was a well respected Wing Commander in the RAF, studying alongside and being friends with Douglas Bader, who many of you will know especially those from England. At the end of their training my Grandfather was awarded The Sword of Honour, a great honour to receive as the best cadet throughout the training. It was considered a two horse race between Paddy and Douglas Bader.

Paddy was the kind of man to never show off, despite many sporting and RAF triumphs, including playing Rugby for Ireland and being part of the RAF bobsleigh team at the Olympics in Switzerland. Paddy was a great lover of literature and poetry, something that I have inherited. He dreamt of moving back to Ireland with my Granny, mum and my Aunt, when the war was over to write a book. This day sadly never came as he was shot down in Crete. He would normally not have been in the plane but felt that it was such a difficult mission that he could not ask his men to do something that he was not willing to do himself, so he replaced one man. I have since got to know this lovely gentleman, that wrote a book about the squadron and my Grandfather, he survived WW II because of the bravery of my Grandfather that day.

Every year I like to buy and wear a red poppy sold by the British Legion as a sign of remembrance and pride in my Grandfather. Living in Belgium I have not always been able to find one because they are not easily found here, however this year we were in Antwerp and there was a fabulous Scottish Bag pipe band playing that I love to hear (my Granny was Scottish, so yes I'm Scottish, Irish and British!) and there nearby was the British Legion selling poppies. So I have my poppy here proudly resting. Here is a photo of my Grandfather and Granny looking so happy on their wedding day.



Catherine x

Romance is in the air!

** UPDATE - Darcy and Elizabeth have been adopted together so can stay by each other's side**

Well, romance is in the air in the Bumpkin Bears studio this week! I'd love you to meet two sweet teds called
Darcy and Elizabeth. Inspired by Pride and Prejudice these two had such fun in the bear's fancy dress box
as you'll see from their photos. Neither of them would admit it but they both think each other is really
rather special.

Clickhere to see all their photos and stories. Have fun with these friends. If you would like to adopt either Darcy or Elizabeth just drop me an email.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, Hugs, Catherine, Darcy and Elizabeth xxx

more from the New Forest

As you are waiting patiently to see my two new bears (that are on their way to life!) I thought you'd enjoy a few more snaps from our trip to The New Forest in England. Good luck everyone in the States today on Election Day!
Love, Catherine x

The view from here..

What a difference a day can make, lately I have had a wonderful view from our living room of a field full of marigolds! Not quite a pumpkin field but sure brings lots of colour at this chilly time of year. Right now I can't see a thing, thick fog is filling the air out there. I thought you'd enjoy some photos of the field and a few of the horses around here in the village, I can see the heavy Brabant horse from our living room which I love. I've started a new bear which I have been looking forward to making for a while. His mohair is just such a gorgeous cosy antique brown, I decided that this bear will be such a charmer that he needed a special lady friend so last night I started on a pretty girl in such a sweet pink soft mohair. I'm looking for some vintage accents for these two, so do come back soon :) Happpyyy Hallooooooween for tomorrow :) Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Featured on Teddybear-news.info

Hi everyone, I'm very excited to tell you that my bears and I have been featured on the great website - Teddybear-news.

Take a peek at my profile

Some of you may recognise bears that you have adopted. Rufaro is featured along with his friends and he is available for adoption.


Welcome to anyone that is new to my Bumpkin Bears blog, if you would like to join my mailing list just send me an email. In the meantime pop along to my website to see all the gorgeous bears looking for a new home.

Have a lovely weekend, Beary hugs, Catherine x

A wee Dotty Scotty!

I just finished bringing to life this little 8" fella called Hamish -

He is a wee dotty Scotty! He spends his days with his head in the books reading all about far away Scotland and castles. In the evenings he loves nothing better than a Scottish Highland dance with the other bears, this is a wonderful sight to see them all jigging around!

Hamish is brought to life with a gorgeous hand dyed mohair in faded Scarlet that matches his scottish tartan neck ruff beautifully.
Take a peek at his page to see all his photos and adoption info.





I hope you like him, Hugs, Catherine and Hamish xx

The New Forest and Halloween goodness

It's been a while since I showed my face round here, we took a wonderful trip back to England, staying in The New Forest in Lymington, on the South Coast of England. Warm sunshine every day which was a real treat after the rainy summer we have had. We had a mix of coastal, forest and heathland walks (spotting the New Forest ponies and few donkeys that roam the commons wherever they want) and visiting the prettiest villages. We visited a small village bursting with charm called Beaulieau with the bear shop Bear it in Mind on the high street, you can see a photo of their window with all the beary friends peering out! This shop has been at the heart of some news in England lately due to Bertie Basset (their mascot teddy bear) being banned from Facebook for fears that he could be dangerous!! What is going on in the world, all the dangerous people out there and they ban a wee little innocent Teddy Bear!!

Anyway I hope you all enjoy these first few photos, just look at those gorgeous donkeys having a rest in the village - ooooo I LOVE donkeys! I took lots of photos of all the old buildings and cottages in that area - lots more photos to follow so pop back soon to see them.






In the meantime I have a a Special Halloween Offer on my little miniature bear called Boo with his gorgeous felt pumpkin that he loves to do acrobatics on (he really wants to join the circus!). Take a peek at his page to see his HALF PRICE offer!


I'm busy hand dying some cute little bears this week, so I hope to show them soon.

Have a great Monday, Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Garden Fair

Last weekend we went along to a lifestyle and plant fair at a nearby castle that has just been donated to the province of Antwerp. I do hope this means it will be well maintained and the public can enjoy it. There are SO many incredible castles in Belgium but a large proportion are privately owned, turned into hotels or apartments and hidden away behind tall hedges. So it was a treat to see this. I loved the sculpture of the ducks and there were some bird of prey demos and look at that wee little ferret in the bird handlers bag :) I'll be working on some new bears soon, in the meantime I have been busy packaging some of my bears (Dylan, Baby Jacob and a commission bear) off to their new homes. I always feel a little sad saying good bye to these bears I put so much of myself into bringing them to life, but I know they will bring happiness to their new Mums. Thanks for stopping by. Chat again soon, Hugs, Catherine x

Autumn is calling

I've still been busy this week on a commission bear, a special bear without joints and with sleepy eyelids! Promise to share photos when I can :) In the meantime Autumn is really setting in over here, the house window painting has had to stop with rain every day. But I captured some sunshine in my garden and took some photos of the changing colours, I especially love the chinese lanterns, they grow everywhere but look so special at this time of year :) I also got some pretty shots of some butterflies, there have not been so many around this Summer but with a week of sunshine I enjoyed seeing quite a few especially on the sedums. Have a good weekend when it arrives, Hugs, Catherine x

Horses and castles

It's been a busy week, working on our home and starting a new commission bear. We are painting our outside windows and doors a pretty cream colour, at the moment they are a dark varnished wood, I'll take some photos when it's all finished. In the meantime as promised here are some photos of the eventing we went to last weekend. It was set in the vast grounds of the lovely castle you can see in the photo. I used to have my own horse and went to lots of cross country competitions with him, as well as dressage and show jumping, happy days.

I'm also working on some new bear designs over the coming days so keep checking back :) Hugs, Catherine x

Baby Jacob and his midnight treats..

Hi everyone, finally the sun is shining in Belgium, we went to an eventing competition last weekend to watch, brought back memories of all the times I did the same with my horse. I'll load up some photos soon, so pop back to see. I've also been busy this week bringing to life this sweet Baby bear called Jacob. Sometime back I brought this little vintage baby suit for a future bear and Jacob just seemed to fit it so well he said he wanted to keep it :) Despite being all ready for bed in his outfit he is the kind of bear that likes to stay up past his bed time telling stories with the other bears and reading books under his duvet with a little torch! He has even been known to smuggle some midnight treats into the bear's bedroom, he would get away with this if it wasn't for the sticky honey paw prints on the bed linen in the morning!

Take a peek at all Jacob's photos and adoption info on my website.

Hot off the press!

I'm excited to say that one of my bears, Dylan, has been featured in the current issue of Teddy Bear Club International magazine. It is always thrilling to see one of my bears that I've brought to life in print :) The magazine has just come out and Dylan is over the moon to tell you all that he has found his new mummy that saw him smiling out of the pages. As he really loves going to the beach and making sand castles she has even promised to buy him his own bucket and spade - what more could a bear ask for (so thank you Eliza)! He'll be heading to beautiful Sweden to start the next chapter in his life. (click on the photo for the full view and to see the kind words of Kirste, the editor).

Have a great weekend everyone, Hugs, Catherine x

Boo and his Halloween tricks!

I've had such fun with this wee little guy, his name is Boo and he is only 4.5"! He would so love to join the circus, he says with all the tricks and acrobatics that he can do with his pumpkin he would surely make a wonderful halloween clown. He likes to proudly tell anyone that asks, (or that doesn't even ask) that he grew his pumpkin allllll by himself from seed! Boo and his pumpkin would make a great addition to your Fall Halloween displays and would bring great entertainment to your hug. He measures a tiny 4.5" (11cm) when standing and would fit in the palm of your hand.

Take a peek at all the fun Boo is having on my website.

If you would like to give this little guy a new home just drop me an email, Beary hugs, Catherine and Boo xx

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

Magic still exists...

On our trip to Kent in England we visited Great Dixter, I have always wanted to visit these gardens and beautiful home of Christopher Wright, an amazing inspiring magical plantsman that sadly passed away a few years ago. His head Gardener and right hand man for many years, Fergus Garrett, now continues to inspire and delight anyone that enters the grounds. I took so many photos I'll show you more over the coming days. It truly is the most special place and I hope you get a feel for it with some of these photos..... enjoy x

Milly and her lavender

I don't know where the week has gone, I've been so busy bringing a new bear to life that I've not had time to pop by the blog, thanks for waiting around :)

I'd love you to meet Milly, she is a little sweetheart of a bear with the cutest lavender outfit and precious girlie silk bow and ribbon. She just loves being in the garden and can often be found sat near the lavender watching the bumble bees and smelling the wonderful scent. She is available for adoption and you can see all her adoption information on my website Click here to take a look at all her photos.

I'm glad you have all enjoyed the photos of Sissinghurst gardens, next on my trip was Scotney Castle and Manor, it was with the same family since 1778 and in 1835 architects and a garden designer were commissioned to create the landscape gardens and castle. It really is the most romantic place set deeply in the beautiful rolling hills of the Kent countryside. I hope you enjoy experiencing a bit of it through my photos. (click on them for full screen views)








Next to show will be the fabulous gardens of Great Dixter, so pop back soon. Thanks for leaving comments, it is always lovely to hear from you all :) Catherine x

Sissinghurst castle gardens

Well we took so many photos on our trip to Kent in England that I just don't know how to choose which ones to show! So I've just taken a few for now. I'll start off with our first day which we spent at the fabulous Sissinghurst Gardens, it is the most visited gardens in the UK and the white garden is world renowned in garden design circles. I'll be showing photos of Scotney Castle, Bidgebury Pinetum and Great Dixter gardens next up on my blog posts - see keep checking back :) In the meantime sit back and enjoy these photos :) Click on them to get a full screen photo! Catherine x

flowers, castles and teddy bears!

OH what a great weekend we had back in England. Fabulous sunny days and in amongst the beautiful rolling hills of Kent. We visited THE most beautiful gardens and castles and took hundreds of photos! I am busy sorting them out and will share some with you over the next few days, so get your eyes ready for some colourful flowery delights :)




In the meantime there is a little boy that is trying to say hello next to me! Dylan is wanting to introduce himself to you, he is a sweet old fashioned teddy bear. He takes delight in the simple things in life. For him a perfect day is starting with a bowl of cornflakes with nice cold milk and then taking a stroll with his shiney red bucket and spade down to the beach. His name, Dylan, is of Welsh origin and means "son of the sea", really it couldn't be more appropriate for this little teddy bear. You should see just how happy his face is when he is making one of his grand sand castles, waiting for the sea to rise and fill the moat! His cute little button nose twitches with delight as the sand tickles his paws!

Click here to take a look at all his photos.

He is available for adoption, looking into his eyes you just know that he will be your friend for life. If you would like to give him a new home or join my mailing list just send me an email. Beary Hugs, Catherine and Dylan xx

bunnies and butterflies!

well the rain has stopped for now although it is very grey so I thought I'd brighten the weather at least on my blog with some photos I took of my garden a few weeks back. The cute family of bunnies were in the field behind our garden and this was the first butterfly I saw this year. We are off to England for the weekend to visit some gardens in Kent, the garden of England so I'll have lots of photos to share next week. I have also finished my golden bear, but I will not be announcing him on my website until after the weekend so he's sitting here next to me keeping very quiet!! I promise I'll show you next week :) Hugs, Catherine xx

Drowning carrots and soggy roses!!

What a fabulous summer we are having right now in Belgium!!! Someone has forgotten to send the Sunshine and has sent rain, wind and more rain for weeks now. We just had a huge thunderstorm with torrential rain and I took some snaps out of our living room window, there is my little veg patch drowning under the water and the view of my roses across the fields which you can't even see it's so dark at 4pm in the afternoon!! Please someone send us some sun!

My new bear is coming along, he's going to be a rather traditional ted made of gorgeous soft gold mohair with a different head shape to normal which I hope will give him a sweet look too. Promise to share photos once he has come fully to life :) Hugs, 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

all sorts

It's been a hectic week finishing some orders. Thanks for all your sweet words about Cupcake, he found his new mummy within minutes and he will be joining some other Bumpkin Bears very soon, so there will be quite a party :) It was a good day at the Animal Park last week, my favourites were the koalas where there were some little ones too. There was someone dressed up as a giant koala going round the zoo for the visiting kids but I hadn't seen it, turned around and there he was - I jumped out of my skin much to everyone's amusement! I've got a wee film of the koalas and am learning a new film making package so will try and work out how to publish it here when I get a moment. In the meantime here are some photos, there was also a baby rhino which was so cute, they just look so funny - really prehistoric like you expect a dinosour to be just around the corner!! Yeah, I've got quite an imagination! Enjoy the photos :) Hugs, catherine x

Cupcake!

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

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




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



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



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

wild horses...

I had always dreamed of seeing the wild white horses of the Camargue in France and got to see them on our recent trip to France. I was able to get right up close to a whole family of these horses including the cutest foal ever. The foals are born brown and as they age they turn grey.

Here are some photos for you to enjoy :)
I've nearly finished bringing to life a cute little bear made of the softest faux fur in a sweet creamy colour, I'll show you some photos when he's finished.

Hugs, Catherine x

Captain's new home

Captain found a special new home straight away yesterday. His new mum is a kindered spirit in America with a love of the sea and she has promised she will take him on a trip to the sea, something he has only dreamed of, her bears are planning a beach party for his arrival :) I do love it when I know my bears will be having wonderful new lives. I've been busy today starting to bring to life a few bears, including a cutie with bent legs which should be sweet for sitting on a shelf or pile of books.... watch this space . HUGS, Catherine x

"Aye Aye Captain!"

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


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




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

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

more Provence

here are the other photos I promised of Gordes and the beautiful landscape.....

Pastel colours of the Provence

As promised here are some photos of our trip to Provence in France, sadly the lavender fields were not yet in bloom but there were many fields full of red poppies which was stunning. We stayed in a beautiful bed and breakfast near the city of Avignon with a view out over the Luberon mountains. It was a beautiful old traditional french farmhouse known as a Mas, the couple had fully renovated it from a derelict state into a beautiful home. You can see it here in the photos with it's pretty provence blue shutters, there were so many farmhouses like this across the region, I just loved this look.





Many of the towns, mostly medieval, were built up on hilltops which made wonderful sights driving through the landscape to them. My most favourite of these towns was Gordes, the wind was REALLY strong there though, you should have seen me trying to stand still to take steady photos and film!! There was a gentleman that had found a sheltered spot and was painting the most startling beautiful watercolour of this pretty town up on the hill. (I can't seem to upload these photos, but will try again tomorrow.)

I'll share some more photos of our trip during the week, including the white horses of the Camargue. Thanks for stopping by, hugs Catherine x

I'm Back...

I just got back from our holiday in the Provence in France, the scenery was spectacular, vast mountains, green valleys, red poppy fields (sadly the lavender fields were not flowering yet) and pretty hill top villages. We also went to the Camargue region, it has always been a dream of mine to see the wild white camargue horses and we got to see lots, right up close including the cutest foals - yipeee :)

Once I have downloaded alllll the photos we took I'll show you some here on my blog.
My cats and the bears seem to have all been well behaved, although I suspect there was probably a party or two and some midnight honey feasts!!

I am delighted to say that I have a lovely feature in the current June issue of Teddybear Club International magazine. Henry and Milo are featured with a great write up, if you click on the image below you can read the full size version. Both Milo and Henry have found special new homes.



I'd better dash, lots of washing, unpacking and bear making to start!! Will be back soon with holiday photos. 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

Here's Fuzzy Wuzzy!

Look who appeared out of this wild mohair, it doesn't take much imagination why I called him Fuzzy-Wuzzy!! He is the kind of bear that would much prefer to be out climbing trees and hunting for honey and berries rather than having his photo taken! Everytime I took a photo he kept asking "pleeeease can I go outside to play with my friends"! It didn't take very long for me to fall for his pleading eyes and oh so sweetly polite question!



You see he has made friends with the wild bunnies in my garden and he spends hours hopping along with them. He whispered to me (so that the other bears did not tease him) that he would rather like to be a bunny, but he soon changed his mind when I said bunnies liked carrots and not honey!! He is a really fun bear that will bring a lifetime of delight to your home and heart. You can see lots more photos of him and all his adoption information on my website - Click here to take a look. (UPDATE - FUZZY WUZZY HAS BEEN ADOPTED TO A LOVELY LADY IN THE STATES.)

We had thunder storms and rain last night, I can almost hear the plants in my garden sighing with relief after the heat wave we've been having! I took some photos of the bunny family yesterday, I'll post them soon. In the meantime back to working on a little panda. Hugs, Catherine x

My Special Guest!

Look who came to visit my garden!! This precious little wild baby bunny decided to make an appearance in my garden when I was at the kitchen sink doing the washing up! As you can imagine this was a great distraction and taking photographs was far more interesting than washing dirty dishes ;) So I got my zoom lens and took these shots through the window standing on my tippy toes! I often see the adult bunnies running around in the field behind my garden but this is the first time I was graced with a garden appearance!


Whilst waiting for fabric orders to arrive for my commissions I couldn't resist starting on a new bear from my new mohair stash. After sketching some wild grizzly bears lately I felt inspired to try my own Bumpkin twist of a wild bear. So I'm using this incredible long pile sunkissed blonde mohair - this one's going to be kind of crazy and cute all rolled into one!

It's a public holiday again on Monday here so a nice long weekend again :) The sun is blazing here in Belgium, being the highest temperatures across Europe, yesterday we were even 10c warmer than Spain and Portugal! Just like Summer already!

Enjoy your weekends, Hugs, Catherine x

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?)**

All sorts of everything..

I've been so busy this week. Thanks for all your nice comments about Bramwell, he will be going to meet his new mum in France very soon. I've also just finished a commission of two miniature ponies and their teds for a lovely lady that has her own gorgeous black and white horses which I used as inspiration for these minis! Very tricky creating the pattern for the ponies with all the different black and white pieces but I am happy to say that my customer is really pleased with them so that makes it all worth while :)

It was a public holiday on Thursday and Friday which has been filled with seeing friends, yesterday we went to an international tournament for Ultimate Frisbee in Brugge, there were teams from as far as America and Ireland. I never even knew that these kind of tournaments existed, it was great fun to see and a fantastic atmosphere. There were in total more than 50 teams playing and such good sportsmanship that there is no referee! A friend of ours plays for the Belgian national team.



As promised here are also a few photos from my garden. I've taken lots lately so I'll add more during the week. I was also very sweetly nominated for two blog awards from Tracy of Pink Purl, The Arte Y Pico Award, given for creativity, design, interesting material and good contribution to the blogging community. As if this wasn't enough she also gave me the You Make My Day Award! THANKS so much Tracy, this is a real honour and the first Blog awards I've had :)

Next week will be filled with starting a very special panda for a charity auction, more news on this very soon, as well as starting on some new commissions. So watch this space!




Thanks for stopping by, Hugs, Catherine x

Here's Bramwell

wow, another week has flown by! We've had some beautiful sunny days here and then some rain, so perfect for my plants and veg patch. I planted some radishes 2 days ago and already they are popping their heads out of the ground! I've been very busy this last week with new commision orders and bringing this new chap to life, his name is Bramwell -

He is a cheeky bear with an unusual beary love of pies, he especially loves apple pie and just can't wait to help pick the apples in the garden in the Summertime. He's a real english ted with his old English name, lovely heritage wavey mohair and vintage lace neck trim. I designed this to be removable so you can wash it if he gets any cherry pie on it!! He is a one of a kind 17" Bumpkin Bear and available for adoption from my website. - (UPDATE - Bramwell is ADOPTED.)

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

I've been taking photos of my garden so will be back soon to share some pics. Have a great weekend, Catherine x

Decisions, decisions

sorry it's been a week since I've posted here, don't know where the time has gone! Thanks for all your sweet comments, it really means a lot hearing from you all :) I'm in the process of placing (well trying to place!) an order for a new order of mohairs. When it comes to deciding what to choose I'm hopeless! There is so much choice and it is all sooo lovely, I have so many ideas of bears swimming around in my head it's a job to narrow my choices down. Especially as mohair is an expensive luxurious fabric, I can't get too carried away!! Anyway, I think I'm nearly there and can't wait to get my order to start, mmmm some lovely colours and finishes. There are so many different finishes to mohair from stringy, sparse, semi sparse, straight, curly, wavey, distressed, tipped...... see my dilemmas ;) I tend to prefer the denser mohairs with some wave to them.

Wendster was so very kind with her comments about my bears and how I was an inspiration to her following my bear making dream (my gosh, you made me blush!). She asked me to explain how I create my 3-D creations, well this is my thought process a bit. When I very first started out bear making I bought a couple of really good books about design of bears as well as having lots of books about antique bears. I have spent many many many hours studying the looks of different bears both real and teddy. I do lots of sketching and have beary images always floating in my head (yeah I sound crazy don't I!). I love the kindness and soulfullness you see when you look into the eyes of real bears (not that I have ever been THAT close to look right into their eyes!!). These majestic wild animals have such a tenderness that I try to capture in my bears. I am not of course trying to re-create a realistic bear like some amazing artists do, I just take the essence of character and try to get this in their faces! I was sketching a grizzly bear the other day from a photo I have...

The design part takes practice and more practice, after a good few years of trials and errors (the errors from my early bear making days are in my craft room smiling down at me from a shelf, of course I would never call them errors to their beary faces!). My recent bears have got wider foreheads which I am drawn too from wild bears. As much as I love wild bears I love the sweet innocence and friendship of a teddy bear, so I try to combine both in my Bumpkin Bears.

I'm currently working on a commission for a set of 2 mini bears with their little black and white ponies! I'll try to explain the pony creation process soon.
Hugs, Catherine x

Meet Rufaro, full of Springtime happiness

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

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

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

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

Have a lovely day,Beary Hugs,Catherine and Rufaro

Helping to save money

well, I've just finished my next bear I made with different coloured dyed mohairs, I'll add photos of this chap tomorrow. As well as on my website and mailing list I always list my new bears on a great website called Bearpile. It is run by a fab guy in the States, Dave Stack. He has also just started a wonderful new money saving coupon website. A great way to go shopping online for top brands in a vast array of stores and save money with coupons and promo codes. I'm all for any way of saving money when you can :) Click here to find the coupons and codes on couponsaver.org

I'll be back tomorrow with new bear photos, Hugs, Catherine x

Henry, the King I am!

I brought my latest bear to life yesterday and he found a new Mum at lightening speed, he was rather fun to create...

Henry dreams of castles surrounded by deep moats where dragons sleep and knights defend! He is a one of a kind 15" Bumpkin Bear. He is brought to life with faboulous heritage style English mohairs which I have created into a rather regal ginger coloured outfit set off with a genuine antique lace collar. I have had this lace for many many years and Henry seemed like the perfect bear to wear it.
I called him Henry after King Henry VIII of England due to his love of castles. Henry was King from 1491 to 1547 and according to many paintings he was on the large side so Henry bear has a lovely big beary tummy too!



Onto my next bear today, I wonder which character will appear, I do love seeing how they appear when I am making them. Beary Hugs, Catherine x

Lamykins!

I wonder if any of you got taken in by an April Fool's joke?! Well, I did by BBC TV!! They showed a very small documentary, amazingly filmed (so I thought!) of a colony of penguins they had discovered that FLEW!! Well they got me totally, I excitedly told my fiance about it that evening!! Well the next day I found out it was all done with computer graphics, how convincing can that be!! Silly me (blush blush!).

Cherry Blossom has been adopted by a wonderful new mum in the States and I am busy finishing another chap, trying out a new chubby tummy design so stay tuned!

I just ADORE lambs, growing up I would spend every Easter break with my Granny in the English countryside helping at the next door farm with their lambing season. Despite being quite squemish about blood etc I helped quite a few lambs being born, and any that were rejected I hand raised with the bottle. I loved feeding these little sweeties and always gave each one a name. So you can imagine my delight when I saw that the sheep in the field behind our garden had little lambs, they are too cute as you can see in the photo :)

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives, Hugs, Catherine x

Cherry Blossom

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

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

The simple things in life..

Time seems to have flown this week, can't believe it's Friday already. I've been working on a new smaller bear design and cut the pattern out today in a gorgeous combo of faux furs. I love the soft feel of furs, but oh boy you sure do run the risk of disappearing behind a mountain of fluff when cutting it out!!
I think the colour combo will be rather sweet, think strawberries and chocolate!

Over Easter we went to Ikea, we needed a new office chair and I got some really pretty pink fabric covered storage boxes to help tidy my work space! Our cats thought that the box that had held the chair was just brilliant, I cut out some other holes underneath it to make it even more fun! Isn't it funny how you could spend a fortune on toys but it's the simple cardboard boxes that are just the best!





I have been busy packaging bears this week to send to their new homes, I always get attached to my bears but I feel so much better when I hear how loved they are by their new family. I'll be back soon hopefully with photos of a new bear. Have a great weekend, Catherine x

Dreaming of a White... Easter!

Well, I hope you are all having a nice Easter Break. I bought some chocolate Easter friends for my fiance (I can't eat chocolate right now due to health probs!), I thought they were too cute to eat so I took a quick photo before they disappeared for good!! mmmm Belgian chocolate is too yummy! Yesterday morning was beautifully sunny so I got out in the garden to do some Spring pruning, then last night what did we have .... Snow!!




It had mostly melted away this morning but I got a few photos. The plum blossom seems to have survived, a few years ago we inherited a few smallish Plum trees from an allotment. I wasn't sure they would survive being moved, but last Summer we had juicy plums :) I love watching plants grow, love to take cuttings and grow from seed. I've got some cuttings in my cold frame and some seem to have survived through the winter, so can't wait to see them grow on in the Summer in the garden. Will be starting a new bear next week, so will be back soon. Hugs, Catherine x

Snow and Blossom!

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

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

Softies Easter Parade!

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

click here to visit the Parade

Milo the Dreamer

Well, here is the blue bear I've been talking about -

Milo is a dreamer, he lives with his head in the clouds imagining far away lands full of wonderous sights. If he's not busy day dreaming you will find him with his head in a book, he tells the other bears that these books whisk him away to magical worlds. Milo is a bear with a sweet nievity that sees the brightness in everything around him, a characterisitc that soon rubs off on those around him. He was brought to life with a unique hand dyed soft as clouds mohair, the colour is a handsome powder soft blue as if gently faded with a life time of dreaming. I made his silk ruff around his neck and hand dyed it in soft shades of blues and violets.

He is 15.5" and available for adoption right now from my website - www.bumpkinbears.com - just click on his photo on my site for all his photos and info.

Signing off from a very rainy Belgium! Hugs, Catherine x

Real bears in my living room!

Hi everyone, well my blue bear is nearly finished, I hope to have brought him fully to life today so check back over the next few days :) Inspired by Wendy's comment on my last blog post that she loves real bears I thought I'd share a photo of a large canvas we have on our living room wall. We visited Canada a few years ago and had the most amazing experience of seeing black bears in the wild, including on our last day seeing a mother with her cub. I wrote an article for a teddy magazine about seeing bears in the wild. We had a favourite photo that we took and gave it a sepia tone and slight painterly effect in Photoshop and then had it printed out on a huge canvas. It always reminds me of this wonderful adventure. Has anyone else seen bears in the wild, do share any photos or experiences on your blogs and let me know :) Chat again soon, Catherine x

Feeling blue ..

sorry I've not been around for a week, I was hit with flu, but am starting to feel better now. I had a lovely birthday with my fiance, we went to my favourite garden centre and he bought me the most beautiful flowers. I have been wanting to make a soft blue coloured bear for a while now and decided to dye some mohair yesterday. I love dying, you never quite know how it will turn out and I'm really pleased with this one, just what I wanted :) It is a gorgeously soft mohair too. I started to sew him this morning so he's beginning to come to life, can't wait to meet this chap :) Chat again soon, Catherine x

Easter friends!

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

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

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

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

Life long friends...

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

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


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

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

Introducing Benson P. Hamilton

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


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

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

Doing the happy dance ..

Well I have to send out a big thank you to Tracy of Pink Purl for the most beautiful bracelet. She had also sent some chocolate but because I can't eat that right now with food intolerances she ever so sweetly made some matching earrings! How kind is that! Anyway I got them last week on the day of my Dutch exam (trying to learn it, now at levell 3), I was rather nervous but wearing my new bracelet must have brought me lots of luck! I got my results and certificate yesterday - good job I was sat down when I got my results, I got 89% and an A!!! A's are not usually sent in my direction so I was really happy if not a little shocked! So THANKS brain and thanks Tracy ;-) Click here to check out her blog.



I woke up today to a misty scene out the front of the house and took a quick photo before my cup of tea! Busy day so had better get on, Happy Beary Days, Catherine x

Meet Huckleberry

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

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

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

glowing..

well Spring was in the air today with lots of sunshine so I got out in the garden and took some photos - my first daffodils were unfurling in the warmth and glowing like gold, I do love these moments when the garden starts coming back to life :) I've started a new bear in this gorgeous wavey mohair...so a bit of sewing tonight I think :) Enjoy your weekend Catherine x

Flying high...

I have been doing a lot of drawing lately and just finished this illustration of a little girl on her magic rocking horse! I used a combination of pencil, watercolour and digital colouring. I'd like to get more into illustration so this is one of my first steps...

This morning I finished a commission panda and took his photos, once his new Mum has seen him I'll share him with you all :) I'm also going to be creating a special panda for a special cause which I'll tell you all about soon too..

Lots to do today and the sun is shining finally, so had better get on, but have a good day everyone, Catherine x

birds, birds..

Each year on the same weekend there is a bird counting event when lots of people across Belgium note down how many of each variety of bird they see in their garden. This information is passed onto an organisation called Natuurpunt (Nature Point!) so they can keep track of how the bird populations are reacting in Belgium with changes in weather, loss of habitat etc.


I took a few photos and the sheep in the field behind our garden came to take a peek too!

I've also been doing lots more drawing lately and will share some of my illustrations soon. Catherine x

Warmth of friendship

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

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

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

too close...

for comfort is how I would describe last Sunday night.. My fiance, Marc, was in a serious car crash whilst driving back from a football match with two of his friends. He was late back home so I called his mobile and heard those dreaded words.." there's been an accident, I'm in hospital..." It was entirely not his fault, some idiot for some unknown reason came back onto the motorway out of an EXIT just in front of Marc as he was driving along.. so it was like hitting a wall.. The motorway was closed off and the firemen had to also cut the top off the car to get a friend out of the back seat that had neck pain. BUT thank goodness all three of them are ok, one friend has got a fracture in his neck but is going to be ok with lots of rest, the other has a very sore shoulder. Marc has got badly bruised ribs and a sore back, but luckily nothing is broken, just very painful. It was a very frightening experience especially as the firemen said that they were very lucky to be in such a good solid car with good air bags too otherwise it would have been a very different story... It is the most horrible feeling to know how close I was to losing my lovely man. Catherine x

A taste of things to come ...

After days and days of dark rainy days we had SUNSHINE yesterday! So out I went into my garden to see what was happening and there popping their heads through the fallen oak leaves were my little crocusses! So I straight away started to clear the leaves and there were bluebells, scillas and even the daffodils starting to appear!



It has been such a mild winter this year that I think all the plants think it is already spring! I love it when the plants start to come back to life, my hydrangea has started to bud too.



For the rest I am busy packaging up some of my bears carefully for their journeys to their new homes. Leo has also been adopted and will be living in sunny Spain. Have a great day, Catherine x

off to their new family ..

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

5 things about me ..

I was tagged back in December by Linda and Kim so finally I've got round to adding this list of 5 things that people in cyberspace probably don't know about me -

1. I love donkeys, I used to visit a donkey every day (that I named Dinkey) that was in a field down the country lane where my Granny lived.

2. I love vintage children's books, especially the illustrations.

3. I'm afraid of heights, but had no fear at all going hot air ballooning a few years ago. But I was terrified climbing up Ayers Rock in Australia when I was backpacking round Australia afer graduating from uni!

4. I adore the old fashioned English roses from David Austin.



5. I used to have my own horse called Skelm, which means "Little Rascal" in Afrikaans, funny that this wonderful chap came into my life because I have a love of South Africa, as my Mum grew up there as a child.




so there you go, a few things about me!

Extreme Makeover -Teddy Edition!

When I was visiting a friend in England she showed me this poor little Ted that her new Puppy, Willow, had found and thought would make a great toy!! Little Ted was destined for the bin being filthy and torn to pieces. Well of course I couldn't let that happen and my friend knew that I would be able to help so the rescue mission began! I brought him back with me to Belgium, gave him a nice long hand wash and he came out a different colour without all that mud all over him! I then set about bite hole by bite hole repairing him, restuffing him him with nice fresh filling and finally giving him a new nose and putting a smile back on his face! With a grand new bow he feels like his old self and is ready to face the world again, this time on a shelf where Puppy can't reach him!

Happy New Year!

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

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

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

Cosy cat times!

Well christmas day has come and gone, we had a wonderful day at home with our cats and a yummy roast meal. Here are some photos of our cats - My little girl cat helped me read my Nigella Lawson book for roast potatoes! They also loved their cat nip toys as you can see! Catherine x

Merry Christmas!

well it is Christmas eve eve! We have had the most beautiful frosts here the last few days, so I'll add a photo or two that I took in my garden and our village. I'll also add a photo of a christmas stocking I made for my new niece out of cute fleece and festive teddy fabric. I wish you and your families a truly Merry Christmas. I'd also like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for all your support and encouragement of my Bumpkin Bears over the last year, it really means a lot. Catherine x