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I'd like to introduce my one of a kind artist bears which are completely designed and handsewn by me, Melisa Nichols.
Making bears is something that I have enjoyed, along with a variety of other art forms, for many years (starting in 1994). However, I discovered ebay as a market place for them in 2006 and things haven't been the same since! It's inspired me to go from making basic teddy bears to the extremely detailed work of a One Of A Kind Artist Bear!
I live in a remote part of British Columbia in Canada with my husband and three children. What with homeschooling my kids, things can be crazy... but that's all part of the fun!
All my bears are completely handsewn and are my own design. I start each bear by drawing out a quick sketch of what I'm aiming for and cutting the pieces accordingly. I don't work from a real pattern, but change and adapt my creations as I go. I also add loads of detail, so you always end up with a very unique bear! I endeavor to use high quality mohair, synthetic fur (usually new, sometimes recycled from a vintage coat) and real furs (always recycled) in my bears. I sometimes use cotter pin and disc joints in all five (sometimes six) joints along with wire in the arms to make for many cute poses, but lately I've been creating mainly full-armatured realistic animals. They are all filled with pellets & polyfil.
I put hours into picking the right materials, handstitching and jointing the bear, thread and scissor sculpting, as well as shading their faces, paws and footpads with acid free, lightfast, waterproof, fade proof, non-bleeding pigment color brush felts or with hand painting. I also spend many hours creating the teeth and claws that go into most of my recent soft sculptures... this is a very fiddly and time consuming job, but I really love how these details add to the finished piece!
Some of my bears have needle felted details which involves hundreds & hundreds of tiny pokes into wool roving. It takes countless hours to finish a creation with needle felting, but it's worth it for the totally unique expressions that result!
All my bears are created in a smoke-free environment. I am constantly learning & experimenting so you never know what you'll see the next time you visit! I plan on continuing to work hard at making these as heirloom quality bears that will bring years of smiles.
One of these days I'll have time to get a good picture taken of me... but for now, this'll have to do!
I hope you enjoy visiting my website!
