My journey of bear making started in late 2009. I had always wanted to try my hand at crafting a bear since I was a young child, but with little to no sewing knowledge, I put it off for many years. One day I decided to bite the bullet and went to a local craft store which was running classes. A lovely lady named Val taught me the basics of bear making and drove my love for the craft into overdrive. I hadn't even finished my first bear and I was already looking for furs to make a second.
I've been fortunate enough to learn tips and techniques from some of the best bear artists in the industry which has helped tremendously in my journey to create my own bears.
I started designing and making my own bears in May 2011, with my very first creations being Cuggles and his companion octopus, Squish.
And the rest, as they say, is history...
I use the finest quality alpaca and mohair I can get my hands on and, to a lesser extent, Sassy and Cashmere fabrics for my smaller creations and my "squishified" critters. I have also dabbled with super soft acrylics.
I live in the leafy suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia with my two beautiful children and my wonderful, supportive partner.