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Friday, January 29, 2010

A new Rose has bloomed

Hello everyone:

Last night my husband and I received our welcome package in the mail to tell us more about our little girl that we are now sponsoring from Uganda. Her name is Rose and she is a little girl of only 5yrs. She has the same birthday as my husband. It was such an incredible exprience already to see her little face and read more about her! We are very much looking forward to being a part of her dreams and hopes.

Today I worked some more on the new bear and she is coming a long wonderfully. I can tell you that she is a nice lilac colour and her aging has gone just perfectly. Her nose will soon be attached and her little hat and then it will be photo shoot time!

As for the Valentines bear that is now complete and photos taken, she will be up for adoption very shortly. I would like to have her up directly after the "Bear for Haiti ~ HOPE" adoption has finished. By the way, HOPE is doing very well so far... together we WILL be helping Haiti ~ Thank you all! It is bringing such joy to my heart to know that this little bear is bridging the gap and will soon have not only offered the adoptee the joy of owning her but also and most importantly helping people of Haiti in this despirate time! I couldn't be more proud of all of you for reaching out to help.

Have a wonderful evening.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Hope For Haiti

Hello Everyone:

I am just placing this little post to remind everyone that tonight at 10pm Eastern Standard my little bear HOPE will be up for adoption on ebay and 100% of the proceeds will be going to the Clinton Bush fund for Haiti! There is no reserve and a VERY low start price. Together WE can make a difference!

Here's the link as promised:
CLICK HERE FOR HOPE

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Lena Smaga of Lost Bears ~ Giveaway

Hello everyone:

Just thought I would leave you all a little message to say that Lena of Lost Bears is having a sweet little giveaway for Valentines day. Pop on over to her blog by linking from my "Tickled Me Pink List" in the right column. Check it out!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Cuddling up with Hope


Hello everyone

Well, what a day! So all the work I did yesterday on sorting and saving all my photos... 3 out of 13 discs contain information and all the rest either will not open or have nothing on them. There must have been something wrong with the discs! Can you imagine. I lost everything!... I plan to plead with a computer wiz tomorrow in hopes she can somehow find my images as I lost ALL of my bear photos! ALL OF THEM!!!

Lets move on though shall we... before I cry!

Okay so my Haiti bear is ready and will be up for adoption on Wednesday of this week at around 10pm Eastern standard time. There is no reserve set on this bear and she has a VERY low start price! 100% of her proceeds will go to the Clinton Bush Fund for aid to Haiti! This is a double great opportunity for you to own a beautiful bear as well as make a big difference in the lives of so many that desperately need us!

She will be up for sale on ebay as a 7 day auction and I will post her link on Wednesday night right here on the blog!

I am going to sign off now as it has been a long day with too many frustrations... time for a bath in hopes that my little bear will bring hope to so many in need. With focus on that I can not possibly worry about lost photos!

Thanks for listening and I hope you win this pretty little girl... she will surely have you falling in love as soon as she offers you that big bear hug!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

A Bear For Haiti

Hello Everyone:

I have been working to get my photos all cleared out of my computer and organized onto discs. It's a job I like to get done at least once a year and will be trying my best to keep it in order this year and not let it pile up. It took hours and hours to get finished today but finally it is done.

My photo class has started and I completed my first photo shoot of my new bear that will be up for auction by February and the photos turned out very lovely! I think finally I will be able to reflect the beauty of the bear through a photo.

In that I have also rephotographed another bear that I had up for auction for a while but the photos were not doing her justice. Now that I have a few beautiful images of her I will be relisting her by this weekend and 100% of the proceeds from her adoption will be going to the Red Cross for Haiti! I hope you will all take a moment to visit the auction and maybe even adopt this pretty bear.

My last note for tonight is this... I have yet another bear in the works and she will be the first in a new series of bears that I intend to continue making. I made her hat from scratch yesterday and my husband hand sculpted her nose so it fits just right. I use Apoxy Sculpt for the noses as Sculpy and Fimo dry out within a few short years and tend to crack and break. The Apoxy Sculpt is something used by the taxidermy folks and will out last me. Anyway, that is all the hinting I can offer today but I will try my best to get some serious progression on the Haiti bear so she is up and ready for adoption ASAP!

Have a wonderful evening and I shall return as soon as I get all that needs doing done!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Photos and MeGaPIxells

Tonight was my first photography class... it was fun! However most of my class are professional photographers which I am not. It was a lot of mega pixels and lenses numbers which I am not altogether new to but definitely not where they are. I got a few good laughs and everyone was super wonderful to me so I am really looking forward to next class. They all thought it quite wonderful the my subjects would be teddy bears and not people as this is a portrait class. I brought my latest gal into class so they were the very first to see her and she was loved by all. I have to have 15 photos for next weeks class so I will be shotting her soon and trying my hand at this without any real critique yet on lighting. I want to hold off on posting images until I get her lit just right as she honestly is one of my favourite bears I have made.... what a tease right? I'm sorry but you'll just have to wait... you know how it is... I want it to be just right for her coming out!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Worth the wait

Well, I had a minute or two today to get the bow created for the little girl that I hope will soon be completed. Her nose is done and on, sculpted out of Epoxy and hand painted to match her perfectly. So it will not be long before she will be up for adoption.

I start my photography course tomorrow and hope to photograph her first once I know a bit more about why my photos are currently leaving my viewers begging for a better view.I cannot wait for you to meet her!

I also got another head stuffed and yet another is now ready for the fun part, designing the face. Hang in there everyone... I hope you will agree that it was worth the wait.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

A one day weekend

Hi Everyone:

Sorry I missed yesterday. For those of you who are following this blog you might have noticed my little Pug has hurt his eye. Well yesterday the eye that we thought was now better started to flare up again. I took him into our vet this time and we found that he has somehow scratched the cornea of this eye and this has caused a cornea ulcer. Poor little guy. So now I have a different antibiotic cream that I need to place in the eye three times a day.

For those of you who are not familiar with Pugs, they are prone to eye issues and it is even rare for them to reach the ends of their lives with both eyes. I am bound and determined to make sure my little man remains the way he was born, with two beautiful bulging brown eyes. I also had to work yesterday. So needless to say this always stresses me out. I hate to see my babies in pain and so will put everything aside just to remain a constant comfort to them. My little Pug and I watched a movie together in the dark as the eye is very sensitive to light at the moment also. Well... I watched and he cuddled and thankfully slept.

So now we have 7 days of treatment and then back in to the vet to make sure he has healed up perfectly. If not it will be surgery and I am praying that this will not be the case. Today he seemed to be doing better although the eye is still really red and watery. I did however have some time to work on my bears and my quilts which so desperately need to be completed. One of my little bears is almost finished. I am now putting the finishing touches on her.... now you know it's a girl.... and she is cute cute cute! I am just making her little head accessory and then I will hopefully be ready for a wonderful photo shoot.

Did I tell you all that I am taking a photography class starting next week. I am really looking forward to it and hope you will see a big improvement in my photos so I can better relate to you how beautiful the bear cubs are! Both my parents were photographers at some point in their life and even though I have some background through them... there is still so much more to learn.

I hope to have images up soon and another bear up for adoption!

Have a super wonderful evening and I am going off to find my little man now and see if he wants some company.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Help For Haiti - reputable links copied directly from our local news station

The following is a list of reputable aid organizations currently seeking cash donations for relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Donations can be made at the web pages or by calling the appropriate phone numbers.
OneXOne (Rogers/Fido customers)
Text “HELP” or “Donate” to 1291. Reply to confirmation request with 'yes.'  You will receive a thank you message that confirms the donation and $5 will be added to your next Wireless invoice.

Rogers will forward 100 per cent of the SMS revenues to OneXOne. In addition, Rogers Communications and the Rogers family will donate $250,000 in funds and goods to Partners In Health: Haiti and other relief organizations in the country.
Canadian Red Cross
Toll free: 1-800-418-1111
cbm Canada
Toll-free: 1-800-567-2264
Humanitarian Coalition (CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Quebec, Save the Children Canada)
Jericho Place (Pam Seatle's story, January 14)
Plan Canada
Salvation Army
1-800-725-2769
Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility customers can make
$5 donations by texting "HAITI" to 45678.
Donations can be mailed to Army Territorial Headquarters, Canada and Bermuda, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto, Ontario M4H 1P4.
Donations can also be dropped off at local Salvation Army units. Specify "Haiti Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund"
Unicef Canada
United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto
416-631-5705
World Vision Canada
Toll-free: 1-800-268-5528

Calls for donations are also prevalent on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook.
To avoid scams and ensure your donations are of maximum value, visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade website.
Call Foreign Affairs:1-800-387-3124

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Finally a night for me and my bears

Finally I have a night to work on my bears. I got to the gym early and that means I got home early and now I am posting early so I am very happy and looking forward to cuddling up with my bears and getting some progress done. Here is just a sneak peak of whats to come!



Three little bear cubs on the way!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Rushing

HI everyone: Just got an email tonight to ask me to meet a deadline... YIKES! I have a lot to get together and so for now I have to run but just wanted to say that I hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow and sweet dreams tonight.

Monday, January 11, 2010

NEW QUILT BLOG ~ A MAD QUILT-PARTY

Hi everyone


One more thing that I forgot to mention...


I started a NEW quilting blog for any of you out there who like to quilt or know any quilters... or just want to know more more more about me.


It's www.amadquiltparty.blogspot.com

A New Beginning

Today was a good day and a surprising one. I barely got any sleep last night. After all that organizing my back was so sore that I just could not get comfortable... it happens sometimes. So needless to say when I woke up this morning, thankful for the couple hours sleep I did get, the first thing to pop into my mind was all the wine I had to lift and make as soon as I got into work today. It is our "Limited Edition" time of the year and so not only do I have the daily wines to make but also all the extra orders for the Limited Edition wine. For a brief moment I just wanted to cry. Then I remembered how very blessed I am. I have a family whom I love and they love me, I have a job which so many now have lost, I own my house and the list goes on. I made a choice to have a happy day no matter what I was feeling like physically. If we all lived like we were dieing would we have more GOOD days?

I was inspired yesterday by Joanne of Dessert Moon bears. She was blogging about her re-jointing and her aching hands and joints. It was very comforting to me to hear that I was not the only one who doesn't get it right the first time around. I was not happy to hear of her pain and do have a suggestion.... Joanne I know you'll be reading this tonight or tomorrow so hang in there and I will post the photo with name in a minute for the very VERY helpful gloves! But as I was saying Joanne inspired me to get on with it! I have three bears that I needed to re-joint that were also already stuffed, steel shot and all. So today I worked hard at work, I smiled and laughed with my customers and my family and I ripped out stuffing and undid joints. I got two bears un-stuffed and one re-jointed and one head that I had made that I did not like un-picked so I can rework it! It was good to take the first step to making things the way I want them to be.



This little man had an arm readjustment today and thought his arms are now attached in a pleasant way... he is in need of his stuffin'.

Now about those gloves... I have hand pain on occasion as I do a lot of heavy lifting as well as a lot of hand sewing with my bears and quilting so my hands get overused. I found these wonderful gloves and though they are not inexpensive, they seem to work for me, my husband and my Mother-in-law so who knows, maybe they will help you too. I like them because they don't have fingers and that means I can wear them and still work



These gloves are called Thermoskin and can be found at medical stores like Shoppers Drug Mart. We have a special Shoppers that is a home care centre but its all part of the same company.

I hope they are helpful for you and that you can find them.

Okay, gotta go as it is Pizza night tonight. My husband makes them and there are no other pizzas as good as his. I can smell the sweet yummy scent and my tummy is rumblin~

Till tomorrow
Ta ta
may you always be able to choose to have a good day!


Sunday, January 10, 2010

So Tired ~

Hi Everyone:

So it has been a very productive day today but also a very long one and once again there was no bear making... but I must be close now... close to that sweet sweet time where I can sit and enjoy my peaceful moments with my furry little bears! Ahh, the thought of that time even makes me smile!

Okay so today I spent 11 hours cleaning, sorting, organizing and labelling everything in my little studio room in our basement. It is a job that is long over due and seeing as how I use that room to take the photos of my bears and my photography course is starting on the 19th so I needed to get this HUGE project done. I am exhausted but I am also thrilled to finally have it all completed!

Oh man, do any of you watch Extreme Makeover? I am already crying AGAIN and it has been on for 5 minutes! I love this show! I am aways so happy to see the families that have worked so hard, have felt loss and still continue to give, give, give... it is solely what I wish for the world. I wish we could all work together to make this world a better place. I wish I would never pick up the newspaper or turn on the news and read the horrible things that seem to be written about every single day. I know, I can here some of you now, "what a dreamer" right? But I really do believe we can make a change and make a difference in each others lives. Ah ... I'm rambling... see what happens when you write when you're to tired to stop your thoughts.

Here's a couple photos of the new clean organized studio!



I even hung a hang tag off my baskets and put a label on them too!

 

Love these new colourful bins! You can keep current projects sorted in them and carry one or two or whatever you need into a different area of the house to work on it! It is nice to have some colour in the studio. I don't have colour on the walls as it effects light and as an artist I need to see that I am working on and with for its true self without the colour of a particular environment influencing anything.

 

And lastly here is my very favourite shelf in the house

 

1st is for tradition and family, second is to remember my grandma Mary, third is the freedom to be you and individual in all your creativity and last but definitely not least is the love I have for my husband whose always got my back!

have a wonderful day tomorrow everyone... I'm off to soak in a hot tub... with bubbles!




Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Queen is with the Queen

I have not posted a bear in a while... this one is not for sale but was the start of my new design. Her name is Queen Bolete named after the mushroom of the same name as she is a nice mushroom colour. She is made from a beautiful thick mohair and has nice leather eyelids. Her face is both needle and scissor sculpted and she contains a growler which is something my grandmother Mary used in all her bears. I made this gal for my Mum who is the Queen Mum of the Red Hat Society in her chapter.


I made her a pretty Victorian Ribbon work broach with some nice Japanese glass beads that can be moved and worn wherever she wants. I was really happy with this large bear of 16"!



I am working on three new bears at the moment so I will try to have a picture of one soon who will hopefully also be ready for adoption!

Creatively Yours

The Butcher The Better

Yay!!! My Little man is feeling much better today! His eye is a bit winkey but mostly open and back to normal! I thought I should post a nice photo so you can see how handsome he is normally!




Friday, January 8, 2010

Happy Birthday Elvis!!!

It's hard to believe but Elvis would have been turning 75 today! So Happy Birthday to the man who loved his teddy bears!

My Butcher hurt his eye

Well, I got home today with good intentions of heading to the gym and then making a wonderful post on here with images of new fabrics I picked out for my new block of the month quilt for my guild and some images or at least some words about how great my bears are coming along...

Instead I sit here with a finally sleeping pug on my lap who seems to have injured his eye while I was at work today. Pugs are prone to this sort of thing and you will often see one eyed pugs however we are very careful and have been luck so far. I am always prepared for this sort of thing or at least I try to be and have on hand an antibiotic in a gel form that you put right directly onto the eye. I did this immediately of course ... which stings! Then I picked him up and on my lap he stays. I have to guard the eye of him rubbing it etc and tonight Daddy is not home yet to help so ... here I am, pug snoring gently on my lap causing me to have very very little hand movement. I think he will be okay but I worry... he's my baby. I'll be back as soon as I can be.



Daddy's home.... here's a shot! Poor little man!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Happy Ukrainian Christmas


Happy Ukrainian Christmas!!! Today is the day that the Ukrainian culture celebrates Christmas and a lovely day for my mother in law and our grandma. So I thought I would share with you my the recipe for my husbands favourite Ukrainian cookie! It is a lovely cookie covered in snowy icing sugar mimicking the snowy hills and fields outside and bringing them into our warm homes and tables... beware however, these are NOT low fat and taste REALLY great. It's easy to eat a ton of them.

Ukrainian Khrustyky


Servings: 18 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oil for deep-fat frying
Confectioners' sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks, cream and vanilla extract. Beat in sugar.

Combine flour and salt; stir into the egg mixture just until smooth (dough will be soft). Divided into four portions.

You may put in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour to firm up more for easier rolling.

On a well-floured surface, roll out one portion to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 1 1/2-inch strips; cut strips diagonally into three pieces. Cut a 1 1/2-inch slit lengthwise into the center of each piece; pull one end of strip through slit to make a loop. Cover shaped pieces while rolling out and cutting the remaining dough.

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat 2-3 inches of oil to 375 degrees F. Fry pastries, a few at a time, until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar while warm.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen pastries

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Pumpkin






Well I am back as promised with the new photo of our very generous gift. A very dear friend who is now retiring for good and is a wood worker gave my husband and I a wooden box that is over 100 years old. It was made by his father for his father's uncle and let me tell you, it is just beautiful. The key was lost some time ago to open the top but with some gentle hands my mother in law was able to release the lock without any damage to the box. The treasures that were in the box were just amazing also for both my husband and myself. I hope you will enjoy it's beauty as much as we are! Thank you Bob for such a beautiful and cherished gift!

Pumpkin, also enjoyed the box!!! If you are interested in Pumpkin this bear is still available for adoption on my website at www.micheleseraphim.com! I am thrilled to finally have some lovely shots of Pumpkin that really show his personality!

Have a wonderful evening everyone, I'm off to my quilt guild now so will have more stories tomorrow!
Today I hope I can get two posts on here as I missed yesterday... I meant to write and then forgot. I woke up this morning remembering that I never did make it back to this computer. Anyway, here I am with another idea for this little blog. I am sure there are many of us that are in the New Year rut with bills and some with weight issues. So, although I cannot help with the bills ... however I do have some ideas for a free give away this year both here or on my website and on Bears and Buds online bear mag site (which I have already been accepted for and will be giving away a free bear to a lucky winner in August of this year) but I do have GREAT recipes that are easy to prepare, delicious and healthy with our waists in mind.

Apple Carrot Salad

One green apple cut into smallish cubes
1 cup carrots in thin slices (Julienne style)
1 green pepper cubed small or small slices
1 cup no fat Miracle whip or similar dressing
2 tbs cider vinegar
1 tbs Splenda or sugar substitute of your choice

Mix the veggies and fruit in a bowl big enough to toss the dressing onto them. Mix the Dressing, cider vinegar and sugar substitute together and pour over ALL over your veg and fruit mix! Toss it up and eat to your hearts content. This salad is a weight watchers recipe and you can eat the entire thing for 0 points!!! I add it as 1 just because I still cannot believe it but ... It is delicious!!! Bon Apatite!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Sort and Organize

Hi Everyone

So the plan tonight was to sort and organize my sewing area. It is coming along but slowly. It is good to get back into the routine and there is nothing like starting out with a nice organized area to work in.

I also spent some time trying to figure out how to add some side bars and lists to my blog of other blogs I like etc. Blogging is an art all on it's own as I have found out the hard way throughout last year... I am sorry to say I did not have much luck. I will continue to try and hopefully will soon have a more interesting layout with links to blogs that I love to read so you can check them out too. If anyone is listening out there and has some advice... here I am, ready and willing to learn!

I am reading a great book right now called "The Lovely Bones". Some of you may know it as the movie is being released soon but I have to tell you it is a very emotional book. It says on the cover not to start it if you cannot finish it so that gives me hope for a happier ending than the beginning.

I also got back to the gym today and now have the shaky muscles that follow a long break of working out. I did well over the holidays but you know, it is just not the holidays if you don't indulge and I feel that is A-okay. Enjoying life by eating chocolate or whatever you vise is important... so is getting back on track... but it was FUN while it lasted.

Now I have to get off this computer and get back to my organizing so that I can get back to my bears! Oh and speaking of that, did I mention that I will soon be starting a photography course? I want to take better shots of my bears and thought it might be a nice way to start the New Year... so hopefully you will soon see some really pretty, more artistic shots of the bears in the near future! Stay tuned and have a wonderful evening!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Last Chistmas Celebration of the Year






Today was a really snowy day and we had our last Christmas which called for travelling approximately 2 hours north. The wind was wild and the snow gusts wicked but we managed to arrive on time and in one piece. It was a lovely visit with my father, step mother, grandmother and aunt, their two dogs, our two dogs, their cat and my aunts cat... how much more fun can one ask for. We had a beautiful turkey dinner with all the fixins and even better conversation and company.

I feel that if we are not careful, we allow the business of life to get in the way of the really important things like family and friends. This year my New Years resolution, well, one of them, is to do more with my family. They are all over the place and that is what has kept this from happening up until this point. The distance it takes to travel to them all takes a lot of time... but I have a plan. We can meet half way at times and see a movie or just simply have a tea/ coffee. We can meet for an hour and not a whole day and walk through the zoo to take photos of each other doing fun things like hugging and laughing. It's my plan so I hope I can get everyone else involved also... I'll have pictures if it all comes to be. Today was the first of many trips this year and it was glorious!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

It's Winter and I LOVE It

Well, I woke up this morning with a fresh snow fall once again and they say we have a storm on the way tomorrow... GOOD! It's winter and I love it. Okay, I am not a huge fan of the cold however the beauty of winter is untouchable and I love the fact that it settles us. We get things done in winter that need to be attended to in our homes. I have started my winter organization and hope I will have a newly cleaned and organized house soon.

Today however I am off to work... I have a bear mid-stuffed so I will bring her along with me in hopes of getting that completed and bring a movie to pop into my laptop to entertain me while I work. If we are not busy I like to be prepared to do what I love best... bears. I am looking forward to seeing this one completed as I feel I am getting close now to the image I am hoping to create with the new design but only time will tell.

Breakfast was wonderful yesterday however it turned out my husband made it for me and not the other way around as I had planned. I suppose I should go now and eat also, something light and healthy would be nice but left overs are more likely! Have a wonderful day today! Bear Hugs to you and yours!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year 2010

Happy New Year Everyone! Can you believe it? 2010! Wow. The first thing I did this year was slept in a little. As I opened the curtains in my little kitchen window I saw a beautiful fluffy snowfall just beginning to blanket the icy mess created by last nights rain and warmer weather. Even the earth seems to be starting fresh today. I then put my little Italian greyhounds coat on and called my sweet pug to go outside for the first time this year! It is glorious outside, fresh and crisp with new hopes for a new year filling the air.

One of my goals this year is to try to become a better blogger. I am really new to this with only a few posts last year under my belt but after ending last year with the new release Julie and Julia that I received for Christmas from my husband I think I have a better idea of what to do. I just hope I can keep it up and keep you all entertained if there is anyone still reading that is.

Another goal concerns my bears and a whole new look. I had posted a picture but removed it this morning as I decided it is best to wait until I reach a final look. I am still working and struggling a bit to create what I envision in my head. I think I was getting off track which as an artist is sometimes really easy to do. I have many ideas and sometimes they all want to come out at once or sometimes I try to put myself in a box or category instead of just letting it all happen which as an artist is really really confining and cagey. This is where I run into trouble. So I tore things up, tore things out, and got back on track. There are things I really liked about where I was with the new design and things I did not.

For instance, I like vintage however I also like coloured eyes and eyelids and sometimes I like paw pads in felt whereas other times I like just a simple felt paw. I tend to lean away from clothing my bears as I spend a lot of time on my body structure. I feel the body posture is so important to the message the bear is giving and so clothes hide that. There may be exceptions however but I feel I will just try to go with the flow and see what happens. I also don't want to put myself under pressure with the rules of a certain style eg. vintage must be plucked and worn and contemporary must remain in tact... no rules! I just want to create bears that I LOVE and think are beautiful and hopefully you will also.

This is my second serious year that I will be creating so I am new to the bear world and that is fun and exciting as I think my horizons are all open with full view of any future I may choose. So I am settling in, moving more slowly and also more critically and making the moves more accurately. I may not release as many bears as I once thought I might for this year but I can say with confidence that when I do put a bear up for adoption it will be one that I LOVE.

Focus on my blog will just simply be my journey this year; Listing details of what I am doing and where I am at and hopefully throwing in a photo or two here and there. I will try to be more personal with my journey and less technical as I once thought I would be with this blog. I want to share with you the emotion of moving through this world as an artist so you can FEEL the development of my bears. Becoming Michele Seraphim the bear artist is one of the best things I have ever done. I love every minute of it even when things don't quite turn out as I had hoped and I want to spend a year developing in that direction. Maybe there will be some of you out there who will take that journey with me, who knows.

I work full time by day helping run a family business of a brew on premise where people can come and make their own wine and beer and in that I am very lucky as I sometimes have time to work on my bears there. I have two dogs and two Siamese cats and a wonderfully talented husband whom I love with all my heart. I live in a small town in Canada and we do not have nor will we have any children. My four legged children are what I was blessed with in this life and they are my blessings. I love to cook and read and I have two other creative loves, quilting and I have created a line of organic environmentally safe room sprays that I have been selling for over four years now with great success. It is in the evenings when magic is in the air that I really create and work on my bear development and on the weekends that I have off (this is my favourite time).

Now, it is time to start a new year with new eyes and new ideas so here I go.... down the rabbit hole to enter the fascinating world of Seraphim Bears............................................................but first I want to make a nice breakfast in bed for the man of my dreams! Yipppppeeee!