Bears & Beaches

I finally managed to cut out a new bear. He is my attempt at something different....no ,not a wolf or anything that different. As you can see he is missing a snout , and that is the "different" part. I hope to try some needle felting on this guy. Mind, you he may never get introduced to the world if things don't go as planned :) At least it will stretch my skills if nothing else !

Now, I don't mean to bore you with more beach pictures, but I just love the ocean. My son and I spontaneously jumped in the car tonight hoping to find a rainbow. The sky was ominous and I LOVE chasing rainbows, but this is where we ended up. No rainbows were found , but the waves were awesome(for here) and we watched the surfers enjoying the playground nature had provided. We could have stayed there all night enjoying God's breathtaking creation. It was a great mom/son unplanned quiet time together too. What a great way to end a rainy day.

Don't they look like aliens that were dropped in the water with those wet suits on LOL.


Thanks for peeking in -I hope you enjoy the photos !

Howling at the Moon

That is what I feel like I should be doing when I look at this picture . I took it from my deck last night. It was so haunting , yet beautiful at the same time.

Now, off to decide what bear to make next. I really feel the need to try something new and different. Maybe I should make a wolf ........We'll just have to see what happens!

4 hours @ Emergency

What a crazy day ! My daughter called in tears from school this afternoon . She hurt her arm during an outdoor Gym class . I jumped in the van and was there to get her in 1.2 seconds I'm sure. It had started to swell and she said she heard it crack when she fell......not a good sign. So , off we went to the closest hospital where we waited for 2 hours. A paramedic, whom I know, was on duty and happened to be walking by the waiting area so he took a look at her arm. He figured it was broken ,told us it would be a long wait as they were short staffed 3 people , and sent us to the Children's hopital across the harbour for hopefully a shorter wait.

On our way we got caught in traffic due to an accident on the bridge. When we arrived at the 2nd hospital thick smoke started POURING out around the tires of the van , and fluid dripped underneath! We left it there and went inside. After xrays, the intern said her arm wasn't broken. A doctor returned awhile later and said , yes it was buckled and needed casting.

4 hours of waiting in 2 hospitals and my daughter now has a cast for 3 weeks, can't go camping with her friend this weekend, probably can't take part in her dance recital or band concert. She is a bit upset but not in pain really. Thank goodness. She's a real trooper ! I think she is actually excited to show everyone her arm. Oh, and the van is at the repair shop $$$

Not a day we want to repeat anytime soon. But, all is well and bones heal !! Oh,and I see Tundra will have a new home soon ....yippeeeeeeee

Meet Tundra

I am thrilled with the way this polar cub came together. I hope you like him too. He is 8.5" made from Ivory Cross mink with black hairs throughout. He has a magnetic paw to hold his fishy. He will be on Ebay May 15th-18 until 10:15pm. Click the link to the right to see his auction.

Finishing Touches

This polar bear is almost ready to make his debut. I just need to add some airbrush shading to the pawpads, add accessories (where are those fish ?), and take some photos outside tomorrow. I am quite excited to show you the final result all posed and looking cute.

I don't make ivory/polar bears often so I hope you like him. This photo really doesn't do the poor bear justice at all ! Just wait until tomorrow. I'm thinking this guy may go on Ebay ....but I'm not sure yet.

What's that smell ?

Apoxy sculpt..... I really hate the smell. It almost makes me gag . It reminds me of rotten fish or stinky socks. It is great stuff though !

I am just in the process of making some bear noses and thought I'd share. I am almost finished that bear that was a near disaster the other day. In the end I think it will turn out nicer than what I had planned with that grey fur. So, maybe it was a good thing to have the fur rip.

Back to noses......


I use two mediums:
1)polymer clay like Fimo or Sculpy (which you need to bake at 265C for 25-30min.
2)unbreakable 2 part apoxy sculpt (Which air drys in about 3-4 hours or 24 hours to totally cure. This stuff can be drilled and sanded without breaking.

I also add a wire loop in my noses to allow them to be securely sewn onto the bears face.




1) For the Fimo/Sculpy just kneed to soften and insert the wire , then shape the nose. Finger marks can be removed with a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol. Bake as directed above.

2) For the Apoxy mix equal parts of A and B together. It may be sticky so let it sit for an hour. Then add the wire and shape. Let it air dry . The apoxy I bought is a natural color so I add paint when I mix the parts together. It is messy, but I had no luck painting the finished noses. The paint chipped off, although many people tell me it shouldn't.

Hopefully I can add a nose to my bear tomorrow so he can stop and smell the roses.

EEEEKKKK !

I just spent the last 2 hours working on a 2 tone mink bear. Things were going well, until I got to the grey fur parts. The fur seemed o.k. until I tried to turn the pieces right side out.

LOOK.....the pelts literally tore apart like paper. That has only happened a couple of times. I didn't think the fur was weak; it wasn't dry or crinkly at all. I am not a happy camper , but better that it happened now then when I was closing seams. So , now those parts and that coat go in the trash. What a shame , it is a beautiful fur. Off to find another mink to use for the limbs. I guess that is o.k. though as I have to wait for an order of bear joints to arrive before I can finish this bear anyway.

Maybe I'll just start on something completely different tomorrow....sigh.