"Autumn" Teddy Bear

is one of my Special Theme Teddy Bears

that I try to create occasionally 

to offer to ALL of the collectors on my 

General Mailing List

Sorry, Autumn teddy has been adopted

To see all of Autumn's photos

and details ...

Please Click Here

Please Note:

oops ... As I was sending out "Adoption Invitations" to all of the collectors on my General Mailing Lists ... I accidentally deleted one of the pages of my mailing list. My only solution to this problem was to make a new General Mailing List from my address book. So the next time I send out a mass email announcement I will see how many mistakes I've probably made in trying to reconstruct my previous list.

On my work table ...

Currently I am working on some of my Custom Orders ... 

this one is for Bonnie:

created from one of her heirloom mink jackets ... I have more bears to make for her.

To see more photos of these to teddies please click HERE.

 Announcement:

I will have something to offer to everyone soon as I am completing one of my large teddies to offer for adoption to everyone on my General Mailing list. It is a teddy that is named "Autumn" that I created to celebrate the beginning of our new Fall Season.

Mink Raccoons Available ... finally !

Baby Mink Raccoons

Update: all of my Baby Mink Raccoons have been ADOPTED

I have not created one of my Baby Mink Raccoons since 2010 ... so I decided to make several. I've been offering them individually to collectors on my Raccoon Waiting List as I was finishing each one. These are my last two raccoons so I am sending a mass "Adoption Invitation" email to the remaining collectors on my Raccoon Waiting List.

Raccoon #3555 has been ADOPTED

Raccoon #3551 has been ADOPTED

To see more photos and the details of the raccoons please go to:
http://designedbykm.blogspot.com/2013/08/raccoons.html

If you see one that you would like to adopt please email me ASAP because these Baby Mink Raccoons have been finding homes very quickly.

Please vote for my daughter to win a Scholarship ....

Please help my daughter avoid a life-long educational debt by simply voting for her to win this Graduate Scholarship. It is easy. .. just vote here:
http://www.abbviecfscholarship.com/profiles/2013/kellisa-m.html

Thank you!!!

This is my daughter earning her undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Women's Studies .... but she is not finished yet ... now it is on to Grad School to work on her Master's Degree in Social Work... obviously this in not a high paying profession but it is an area when she will be able to help many young people (possibly focusing on disabilities and/or becoming a counselor).

My daughter, Kellisa, is a Graduate student studying Social Work. She already has been awarded a $2,500 AbbVie CF Scholarship based on her impressive academic excellence, extracurricular activities, creativity and ability to serve as a positive role model for the cystic fibrosis (CF) community... but she can win an even larger scholarship with your help.  Now through Monday, September 16, 2013, she will compete against other outstanding students living with CF for public votes to win a larger scholarship for a total award of $21,000 to celebrate the 21^st anniversary of the AbbVie CF Scholarship program (previously known as the CFCareForward Scholarship).

Approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States are living with CF, an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive systems. Today, more than 45 percent of people living with CF are aged 18 or older. In patients with CF, a thick, sticky mucus is produced in certain organs throughout the body, most commonly the lungs and digestive system. The mucus build-up in the lungs can cause difficulty breathing and may lead to life-threatening lung infections. In the digestive system, the thick mucus may prevent proper food digestion.

Place your vote:

·     Online: Visit  www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com and click on “Kellisa M” under Graduate students

·     or her direct link is     http://www.abbviecfscholarship.com/profiles/2013/kellisa-m.html

·     By text: Text VOTE33 to 23000

More information is available on the website at www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com. AbbVie will announce the Thriving Undergraduate and Thriving Graduate Students in October.  

Custom Teddy ... My First Donkey ... and a Teddy "repaired"

On my work table ...

A Custom Teddy Bear:

Photos and details of this Custom Teddy Bear

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Final touches on my first Miniature Donkey (in mink): 

Photos and details of my first Miniature Donkey (in mink)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The adventures of "Kewpie Bear Too" (gray): 

Updated photos and details about this adorable OOAK teddy bear

Two new designs ...

Link to more Miniature Mink Donkey photos

Link to more Giant Mink Moth photos

On my work table ... a donkey!

It's time to get back to sewing!!! I ended up resting my right hand and arm for most of May and June. This was a forced "rest" because of my "Tennis Elbow" apparently from over-using my arm (no, not from playing tennis). Not only did my arm really hurt but I could not grip a needle. Since I only hand sew I had no choice but to ice my arm daily and nurse it back to hurting less, so I could at least pick up a needle again.

I did keep myself busy by working on the photos and page set-up for last weekend's online show. Fortunately I had completed my show inventory early. I also challenged myself to design a pattern of an animal with hooves. I've always wanted to design a Miniature Donkey so when I received a request to create  Miniature Cattle I decided to experiment with a hoofed animal pattern by first trying to make a donkey. 

miniature donkey

miniature cattle

miniature donkey

Designing a new pattern:

Designing a new pattern is very time consuming... especially if it is an animal that I've never made before. Of course, the first step is to research the animal and to start a file with lots of photos for reference. I took years of life drawing classes when I was an art student so that is probably why I also have to study the animal's skeletal and muscular systems. For me it is just a natural part of the process. Then I do some sketches to try to figure out the pattern design.

This is my first attempt at the donkey head. I'm quite pleased with it. Does it look complicated? There are 14 pattern pieces in that head and the ears are jointed. Next is to see if the body that I designed will look good with this head. I'm trying to make detailed notes as I'm figuring out the donkey process ... so I can eventually try to design Miniature Cattle too.

 I also had more time to work in my garden:

My "Herb Bed" : I recycled my daughter's old day bed.
I hand-painted the bed and it's just outside my
kitchen door for easy access when I'm cooking.

I have a small flower garden. These blooms only
last a day ... so I take photos when I see them.