I've loved teddy bears for as long as I can recall and still have my first two bears from childhood.  

​

When I began working in the summer of 1976 for DC Thomson & Co. Ltd, a Scottish publishing company, one of my first purchases was a Gabrielle Designs Paddington complete with duffle coat, hat and Dunlop Wellington boots.  

As time went on a few more bear purchases followed but in those days there weren't any dedicated bear shops around like there are now, and of course no internet.

​

It was only when I finally got online I found a whole new world available to the avid bear collector (arctophile).  

At this point my collection of bears (my hug) began to expand, mostly through ebay.

​

Relocating from Scotland to England in 2005 meant leaving behind a 25+ year career as a Graphic Designer. 

This lead to me having spare time to indulge my passions, one of which was searching online, and looking at antique stalls for vintage bears. It was during this period that I discovered the fascinating world of the ‘artist bear’.

​

Delving deeper into the subject, I progressed to buying materials and tools then my first bear was born from a pattern in a book.

 

Having enjoyed the process of making that first bear I was keen to move forward with my craft, I began experimenting with shapes and proportions in order to create bears under my own ‘edenbears’ label.

​

Today my designs are traditional in essence, with some having a contemporary twist. I like to incorporate some ageing techniques to my bears with shading on various features.  Adding a little weight by means of steel shot and / or plastic pellets gives a lovely tactile feel too. 

Most of my bears are made from mohair, however I will also use other fabrics if requested or appropriate. 

The only thing I wouldn’t make bears from are animal pelts. This is mostly because I choose to hand sew and sewing through leather is tough on the fingers!

 

As I enjoy the therapeutic qualities of hand-sewing, every bear I create is 100% hand stitched (twice), regardless of it’s size. Sometimes I will use my machine if clothing is involved, but never for sewing the actual bear. 

I take about a week to make a bear, not including designing the pattern.  Once I have
the bear pieces cut out it takes approximately a week to bring it all together and add finishing touches.  A dressed bear takes a little longer. 

 

Often accessorised, occasionally dressed, most of my bears will have a simple neck decoration from combinations of a collar, bell, key, a bow or a ruff.  I do make any clothing myself which can be a challenge as I've no formal training in clothing design but again I'm learning through trial and error on that front too.

​

Elaine