TOBY and TINY BEAR

I have a story to tell you:

As you might know my Bethany bear won the TOBY Industries Choice award this year. Well, my TOBY has arrived and so has my Bethany!

My very sweet mother in law could not stand that my fist TOBY winner was sold to Silly Bears in Scotland and so very secretly she bought her back for me! What an incredible gift! I was truly touched by this beyond words and I am thrilled to have her home with me. So here she is with her TOBY:

Also today I arrived home to receive my wonderful gift from Tiny Bear for the Pay It Forward that Tina was participating in! It may be just coincidence but the little girl that is in the centre of the heart ornament ~ a vintage photo ~ looks just like the REAL Alice! You all know how much I love Alice In Wonderland. It is such a beautiful felted ornament that I have decided to hang it all year round! I am calling it my Alice heart. And the heart is white like the white queen... Oh, I can find Alice in just about anything hahahahha.

Thank you so much to TINA of TINY BEAR!

In the last 10 days 4 Seraphim Bears have been adopted! Sundae, Bianca, Bella May and London have all found their forever homes! I have simply got to get back to my machine as I have a BIG Teddy Bear show coming up in 23 days! Three of these bears were suppose to come with me to the show ... but who am I to stand in the way of LOVE.
 
Big Hugs and Thank you to all my collectors ~ you bring magic to Seraphim Bears!

Spooky Rabbits and Sewin Bears

It was a long but not long enough weekend. I have been sewing bears non-stop to get ready for Silly Bears and my Toronto show coming up in April. I am also preparing a wonderful bear for the Children's Aide Foundation calendar and auction with the theme of Canada and I will be representing a bear of Anne of Green Gables.

I sadly gained weight this week... .6lbs and I am truly not quite sure why but it happens. I was a bit discouraged yesterday but have woken up ready to continue the journey I started.

I am actually writing to tell you about a really fun giveaway that is taking place;

It's over at ARTISTIC HALLOWEEN QUEENS 
So if you love Halloween pop on over cause this giveaway looks like a great one.

I'm really tired and have a really long day ahead so I am going to keep this short for now. I will try to post you some great images of what took place this weekend later... or possibly tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

I like a bear to have a tummy but not a tummy to bear on its maker...

Ahrrr! Jillian and I went head to head again today... after I did a 20 minute shovelling of snow from my backyard. I am pooped.

My skin feels like I just swam in the salt water... all tight and dry. Yuck... better hit the shower but I did not want to get in there until I shared some news with you all...

Bella May found her forever home right after the show closed. I want you all to know that I am HAPPY to do layaway at any time just email me and we will arrange something that works for us both.

The show was absolutely fabulous and I would highly recommend it to all of you.... no wait, what am I saying... there is only room for a few of us so... I take that back. Hahahahaha But really it was a really high class show with fabulous artists and Daphne ran that show like a tight ship! We sailed our way out there and made new shipmate friends.New collectors on the bow looking forward to find new bears to take to their new forever homes! It was fabulous!

I also want to tell you that I purchased two more of Jillian's workout DVD's today: a yoga one (I love yoga. So does my dog... I will try to get photos for you) and a front of the body one and I got a Marisa Tomei workout DVD too! Who knew? But she does have a wicked body, you have to agree.

Okay, again a BIG thank you to all who adopted and all who shared the Enterprise as we sailed into cyber space with all our bears... what is wrong with me? Too much downward dog I think! Hahahaha

Okay I am off to work on bears for the April Teddy Bears On Vacation show in Toronto and then the URSA awards with Valerie Rogers (there's new categories for this competition too!) and my gallery piece for the TBAI show in NY. There is much work to be done.

I do have a bear up for adoption on Ebay and her name is LONDON. She is one of my favourite bears and had been with me for a while but I am ready now to let her find her new forever home.

Here she is:

LONDON on EBAY

What's a Burpie or Burpee?

Abi asked a good question so I thought I would just go ahead and post the answer here for everyone to see.

A berpie or burpee is the exercise that is described in this video:

Jillian Michaels meets Weight Watchers

So last night after a busy Saturday at work I came home and decided to try my Jillian Michaels Fat Burn DVD again. I took a day off after the last attempt to get my guts up to face her again. The good thing is, I am a bit competitive. I say "good thing" because it's what pushes me to ALWAYS do my very best at all that I do... including my bears.

So anyway: I decided that I would attempt this workout again. "ATTEMPT? ATTEMPT? You are not here to phone this one in! You start strong and you finish strong!" I could hear Jillian saying (in my head) There is nothing that bothers Jillian more than someone who starts strong and craps out at the end of the workout.

So I made her a deal... I will promise to finish as strong as I can JILLIAN. That means that I will have to PACE myself through the workout until I get stronger.

So my goal this day was to not stop! That is the best I can do! Maybe on the Burpies... did I mention that currently I HATE BURPIES? Maybe on the burpies I will have to step out and in and not jump but I will NOT STOP. On mountain climbers I might have to do leg lifts and reaches only and not run like a mad woman the entire time. But I WILL NOT STOP. I also promised that if I had extra energy at the end of the workout I would not hold back. I would give it my all on the last sets and yes... I would run like a mad woman. Well... my curtains are closed... I am not going to offend anyone!

I decided that if Jillian were here with me she would agree that this was a GREAT next step.

So that was the goal and that is basically what I did. Okay I had to stop for a second to take a few sips of water here and there but I kept going. Now I don't know that right now I can do this every day ... Jillian wants me to do this every day. She is like that new friend who wants you to be around them all the time but you have other stuff to do... like make bears, feed the babies, feed your husband... etc. But she's right too, you DO have to make time for you. 

It's like the airline Stuarts say, put the oxygen mask on yourself first and then assist the others. 

Okay so the oxygen mask is on and I will attempt this workout as often as possible. That means at least 3 times a week for now and if I am up to it I will scream with Jillian some more!

Did you know that Jillian use to be a big gal?

WOW, If she can do that so can I... right? I AM older than her however so maybe a bit more time will be needed but I am feelin it now. I am getting stronger and my mind is too. I am focused and ready for this. I even declined a birthday dinner for myself. My birthday is still a ways away but I'm planning ahead. My husbands birthday is nearly here and already I have purchased my Smart Ones dessert for that night so while they are eating cake I can still indulge a bit without blowing it!

Now I started this some time ago but fell off the wagon. Then the wagon came around again and this time it had some of my family members on it... my Mum and my cousin. My cousin has lost 17 pounds now and my Mum was jumpin on and off that wagon so I thought I better get back on to get her back on too. So we are all doing our own version of incorporating exercise into our lives but we are all on the new points plus Weight Watchers plan.

I like this plan a lot. I did weight watchers before but this time I joined online and I have a tracker that is a hard copy too.. that works best for me as I do not have access to my computer during the day when I am working.

For inspiration on a daily basis there is the beautiful and talented Jennifer Hudson:

Now that is a before and after baby! I find this very inspirational. I am adopting Jennifer into my sisterhood and using her to help me stay on track!

I also purchased a subscription for my Mum and me to Weight Watchers magazine. It is a FABULOUS magazine even if you are not on WW. I have found some excellent recipes in this magazine and made some to keep my eating exciting. I will be posting those recipes and photos under the CHOW page on this blog. Just go to the top of the blog and click the CHOW button to see the most delicious low fat stuff available.

Now, I have to tell you, I love food and don't like to be hungry. But I am also not a NO FAT gal. I have looked at those packages and cannot even pronounce the ingredients so I alter the recipes to have the same amount of points but I use LOW FAT not no fat. I think it's better so just be aware of that in my recipes.

So ... that's the scoop so far. I have lost 5 pounds to date and my next weigh in is this Monday. I'll come back with word on the progress soon. I think I will see Jillian tonight but maybe not till tomorrow night... I'll have to see how much she is screaming at me by the end of the day today.

Close up of Sundae's little feeties

Debbie Sweren asked to see a closer picture of Sundae's little feet so here it is:

Now I am off to meet with Jillian... ahrrrrr!

FINALLY THE SHOW IS HERE!!!

The Bears In Bloom show is now open for business!

Click Here to go to the Bears In Bloom show

Seraphim Bears has THREE new bears and bear friends for you to choose from:

Please meet SUNDAE

She is my new design!!! FINALLY you get to see her! Her face is fully felted and sculpted and each hair has been hand punched back into the felt one at a time. Her nose is felted and waxed and her eyes are vintage boot button.

She also has the new Seraphim Bears paws that has my initials on the feet: one foot an M and the other an S. Her hands have the O for hugs.

I am so pleased with this new design and I hope that you love her as much as I do!

Please meet Bella May ~ My big bunny

This bunny has HUGE ears and the sweetest face. Her paws are made of the same mohair as the rest of her body but it has been cut back and scissor sculpted. Then embroidery thread has been added to give further definition to her toes. She has green glass eyes and her nose has been trimmed and outlined in embroidery thread. Her inner ear mohair is a soft peach and shorter than the rest of her body.
Bella May's body is made of thick dense mushroom coloured mohair with a dark brown backing. It is really soft. She has been weighted and her legs are loosely cotter pin jointed to add a bit of a hoppy swing to them when you pick her up for that big hug.
All of her flowers have been hand made by me in a Victorian ribbon work. Only the highest quality ribbons have been used, some silk and some synthetic.

Please meet Lemon Drop ~  my mini geisha bear

And I am happy to let you all know that I have also created 6 one of a kind bear themed totes!
These bags are really durable as well as super fashionable!
All the bags are lined and all are made of the highest quality quilting material! There is no seam unfinished and there is a ton of top stitching and double seams. The bags are totally washable and can hold a lot of weight! I have been making them for a few years now and use mine all the time for many things including but not limited to groceries.
The bags roll into a nice small roll and the ties will hold it securely into that roll. I keep one in my purse and several in my car!

I have tried to create them in several styles and colours all with bear themed materials to offer a lot of choices for you!

Hope you enjoy the show!

Have a wonderful day!

I hate Jillian Michaels

Okay, I don't REALLY hate her, as a matter of fact I am sure one day I might even LOVE her but I can tell you, that day is a long time coming.

I purchased two of her workout videos recently thinking... how hard can the Biggest Looser workout be. I mean I am pretty fit. I have a few pounds to loose but I am noting like the contestants on that show so ... how hard could it be?

I have done two of Jillian's workouts in two weeks, one from each DVD. I cannot finish them without stopping. I cannot finish them without stopping many times throughout the DVDs.

The woman is screaming at me... actually she doesn't scream at all in her DVDs but I can see her screaming at me the way she does to the contestants on the biggest looser in my head. And I am really trying!!! "I am trying!" I scream back to her (in my head)! I don't want to be a baby and say I can't do it so I push... PUSH for the body you want; I scream this to myself (in my head). And still I have to stop!

I could not face her after my workout last week until tonight and I thought... okay JILLIAN... I'll show you. I'll just do your other DVD instead! This one was even harder than the first. I was completely beside myself that I could not keep up!

I WANT to LOVE her! I DO! But right now I HATE JILLIAN MICHAELS!

Have you noticed

Hello everyone:

Just thought I better write a little note of interest here on the blog.
Have you noticed the NEW BUTTONS at the top of the blog?

Maybe I should take a little time to explain these to you:

Home of course will bring you right back to my most recent blog post
Hug is simply some photos of my Hug and Home and all who are in it with me... I'll change these up every once in a while for you.
Love is a place where I post my collectors lovely comments about their Seraphim Bears ... Thank you to all of you.
Orphanage is a page where I will post any bears that are currently available for adoption with their links. This page is not posted on my main blog entry so you have to check it yourself frequently or you will not know when a bear has become available... for instance, I currently have two available and will soon have three more as this weekend is the Bears In Bloom online show! FINALLY! I can barely wait.. and the new release of the NEW Seraphim Bear style will be during that show.
I am almost finished my second of this line now... but I am getting off topic.
WhooHoo! is a place where I can share my accomplishments with all of you.
Chow will contain recipes of good and healthy food. I'll be posting there really soon!

I hope you enjoy the new pages and I am so happy to have finally gotten around to telling you about them.

See you really soon with new recipes and new bears! Have a wonderful and creative day!

PS. I'm finally back on my lifestyle change... I'm down 5 pounds!

I'm Paying It Forward 2011

 I follow Tina Jensen over at Tiny Bear and Tina is participating in a wonderful blog project that I decided I simply had to be a part of.

Tina has a beautiful blog, blog posts and lovely bears too. She is participating in a wonderful little blog project called...Pay It Forward 2011! When I read about it, I knew that I just HAD to be part of it. What a wonderful way to share friendship, inspiration and creativity all while "paying it forward."

Here's how it works....

The first five people who comment on this blog post will receive a handmade gift from "moi"....Michele Seraphim.

In return, you must FIRST write a blog post explaining Pay It Forward 2011. Then.... send out a handmade gift to the first 5 visitors who leave a comment. Take your time...you don't need to send them all today or tomorrow.  Gifts from the heart are worth the wait!

This is such a sweet way to make new friends and share the love of things we create with our hearts and hands.

"It's not the size of the gift that matters, but the spirit 

of paying it forward."

Sneak Peak ~ Bears In Bloom

It's almost time ~

For the Spring Bears In Bloom Show!!!

We are FINALLY allowed to show you ONE of our three bears that will be in the show ~ Each of the 75 artists in the show has three bears to offer and you can also go to the site now to see a sneak peak of one of each of their bears that will be up for adoption.

Teddies Worldwide ~ Bears In Bloom Show Sneak Peak

The bear I am showing you today is a mini geisha called Lemon Drop. She wears her handmade obi with tiny hand cut flowers and beading. She is made of a beautiful lemon sparse mohair and had black glass eyes.  Her nose is embroidered and waxed. She is tiny enough to have been born from a blooming flower.

Seraphim Bears will be offering two others and one is of my latest design and both are full size. It's almost time... March 12th & 13th!! I will also have $50 and under treasures for you to enjoy!

And MORE good news:  A possible 3 out of 5 Seraphim Bears were adopted  at the Winter Bear Fest through Silly Bears! We are just waiting for the payments to clear to confirm all and I am not even sure myself which three sold but I will let you know as soon as I know!

I am on pins and needles here in anticipation of the release of the new design! I cannot wait to share her with you, with her hand dyed mohair and felted face... and what about her big footed sister with handmade silk flowers...

It's but a few more days and I just know you're going to LOVE what you see!

Have a wonderful day!