New Article in Teddy Bear and Friends

Hello Everyone!

Seraphim Bears has been once again blessed to have been included in a lovely article in Teddy Bear and Friends. The Article is titled "The Delicate Art of Soft Sculpture" and was written quite some time ago by Elaine Looney. I am simply thrilled to have been included in yet another article and thoroughly enjoyed reading about my fellow artists also in this article: Jutta Michels, Karen Lyons and Cindy Malchoff.

I am writing this post today to correct a few things for my readers and collectors as there seems to have been a few misunderstandings and mis-translations in my part of the article... I wouldn't want anyone thinking I had told fibs in the past so here it goes:

I do not use plush fabric! I have but I have only done so once in the time I have been creating so I don't really feel that is a fabric that should be listed and certainly not listed as my soul fabric used. I am not sure but I feel the cotton and leather must have come from the way I create my paw pads. In actuality I use high quality mohair, alpaca or viscose for my creating and have done so from the beginning!

I am a hard working gal who lifts 40lb buckets of wine all day long every day... and when I get some free time I spend that working on the design and creation of my bears! I am not lucky enough to be a stay at home gal who can show up to our family business whenever I have time. For me it is the other way around even though my bears are 100% a love and dedication that gets worked on each day... it is done in the evenings after a long hard days work! The article states:

When she is done and she has nothing else to do, Seraphim helps run the family winery.

Boy, we all had a good howl about this today at the family brew on premise! Wouldn't that be nice... if I could just come in when I had a minute to spare! Hahahahaha what a hoot!

Anyway, my bears are my passion and my love but they do have to come second to my family whom I love most of all!

And lastly: my website address is not www.seraphimsattic.com and no matter how many times I try to explain that if you type this in it will not come to me they keep printing it that way! When you type in my correct address www.micheleseraphim.com you will reach me and yes in the address portion it will change to seraphimsattic but if you type that in you will not reach me... one day I will have to sit down with someone and try to figure this out!

All in all I am absolutely thilled and thought the article fun and interesting! It took a long time for this article to make it to publication... about a year so it is no wonder with our lives all so busy that things do sometimes get mixed up.

Some of you may remember me talking about my award winning ELVIS quilt that hung in Graceland? Well, when this all happened there was an article in the Toronto and local papers reaching as far as Edmonton and Calgary about this quilt and how I had KNITTED it! Yes... you are reading that correctly! The person who wrote the article thought that Knitting and Quilting were somehow interchangeable words! Hahahha
I received so many emails about how in the world I was able to knit this blanket with such detail. Hahahahahaha! It was a struggle to explain to everyone that I did not knit it but had in fact quilted it!

Anyway, my point is, we are all human and mistakes happen but I must at least do my part to try to clear them up as I don't want anyone thinking that I get to work on my bears all day long while my family slaves away at work and then I just come and go as I please... I just cannot stop laughing at the thought of that!

Just call me Cinderella and you will have a better idea of how my day really is! And I have a loving family who works just as hard right along side of me too!

My bears are my much needed escape and my relaxation at home in the evenings! Speaking of which... I better get into that studio of mine and get to some of that creating!

BIG BEAR HUGS to sweet Elaine Looney! Thank you for such a wonderful article and I cannot wait to read more in the new joined Teddy Bear Review and Teddy Bear and Friends magazine combined! We're off to a great start!

Be back soon with WHAT'S ON THE ARTIST TABLE... a blog post I hope to incorporate to let you all know what I am working on at the moment!

TOBY Industry's Choice Winner - Toodle Pip

I hope you were all able to join in the fun with my card announcement!

I wanted to share a picture of the my winning bear for the TOBY Industry's Choice awards:

I would like you to meet Toodle Pip

Seraphim Bears has wonderful NEWS!!!

Seraphim Bears has something very special to share with you...

SIMPLY CLICK THE LINK BELOW...

What's the NEWS at Seraphim Bears

THANK YOU so very much!

It's time!!! Place your votes...

Hello Everyone

It's that time again! Placing your votes for your favourite bear in this years URSA Awards is as easy as one, two, three...

Simply visit this link and you will be taken to Bears and Buds Magazine.
In the side bar you will see an image that says "Bears And Buds URSA Awards, VOTE NOW, Round 1" it looks like this...

 

Bears and Buds Magazine

(Just click the words below the image above to visit the Bears and Bud's site.)

Click the image and you will be taken to the first page of the voting.

Simply follow the instructions and place your votes for your favourite bear or bud.

It was so much fun entering the contest this year and I hope you can take a minute to participate in choosing your perfect bear or bud. You are what make this contest so special and the bears and buds this year are absolutely fabulous so it won't be an easy task... but I'm sure you can do it! Hahaha

This year Seraphim Bears was happy to enter four bears into the URSA contest. I won't spoil the fun ... you'll have to head on over to see what bears were entered!

Enjoy your time looking at all the fabulous bears that have been created by all the bear artists and THANK YOU to Valerie Rogers for once again putting on a wonderfully exciting and challenging  contest!

TIME TO VOTE FOR YOUR PEOPLES CHOICE TOBY BEAR 2011 ~ BETHANY

It's TIME TO VOTE for BETHANY for the PEOPLES CHOICE TOBY AWARDS!

As you know Bethany already won her first TOBY Industries Choice awards and now we need you the collectors to help us win the TOBY PEOPLES CHOICE!

Under category: LARGE ARTIST BEAR DRESSED ~ BETHANY, Michele Seraphim, Seraphim Bears. Thank you all for your votes! I am so happy to say that we will be attending the awards ceremony this year in Binghamton NY too! Your votes are truly appreciated!

Here is your LINK to VOTE FOR BETHANY! THANK YOU!  and many other beautiful artist bears! Please place your votes in each category and keep the teddy bears happy!

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!

So Happy for Bethany!

Just a very short note to say that sweet Bethany has now found her forever home! Thank you to whom ever adopted her... that's the hard part for me in sending my bears away to the Silly Bears store... I don't know who got to take her home...

But still, I am soooo happy for Bethany!

I'm working hard here making bears for the up and coming February Tampa bear show, the Bears in Bloom online show in March and my Toronto Bear show in April and don't get me wrong... I am loving every minute of it. With all the creative juices flowing and deadlines pending I have still found time to add a new design change into the mix. I have created a new design for my paw pads and will soon have a photo to show you. I completed the first of the new design today and I have to say that I am really happy with them and I hope you too will like them. They take a lot of time to do and many, many steps but I think it's worth it for the end result!

What a tease right? Sorry... but I wanted to share the news. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long to see the new look!

Have a wonderful and creative day!

WOOHOO! A TOBY for my Bethany!

I am sooooo excited I can "bearly" think... I can barely type!

My friend and colleague Cheryl Hutchison over at Bingle Bears sent me an email to congratulate me on my Industries Choice Award WIN for my bear BETHANY! Cheryl was indeed the one to break the news to me as I have been at work all day with no computer access! I came home and thought I would check my mail once again to see if the announcements had been made as to the winners of the 2011 TOBY awards! And there tucked neatly away amongst a ton of emails was a small email with a title of CONGRATULATIONS from Cheryl!

Even upon seeing this email in my mailbox and prior to opening it I had no idea! I opened it up and slowly began to read the short email that said "I just read the list of winners and I see you won for you bear Bethany! Congratulations!" Yup... that's how I found out and I have to tell you... this will be a moment never forgotten here at Seraphim Bears! Our first TOBY and to have the news broken to me by a friend! Woohoo!

Can I tell you that when I received the email I had to read it twice, three times, no maybe four before I could believe that my Bethany had placed!
Cheryl has also won a TOBY in her category so pop on over to visit her and say congratulations to her bear Livvy!


WOW! This was my first time competing in the TOBY competition and I can barely keep it together here! Now that Bethany has been nominated for this very prestigious award in her category of - Large Artist Bear Dressed, I would like to once again mention that she is available for adoption through Silly Bears.

Thank you thank you ... Oh I miss her so! I hope she will find her forever home soon!

URSA Winners Package arrived TODAY!

I recieved my package today in the mail from Valerie at Bears and Buds Magzine for the URSA awards win with my "Stevie" bear! What a WONDERFUL package of goodies! Thank you again to all of you who voted and thank you to Valerie for putting on such a fun and challenging contest!

As you can see.... the chocolate did not make it to the photo without being opened! Heheheee



It's getting close now! Place your last vote!

Hello Everyone:

The time is drawing to an end for the voting. We only have till September 10th to get our votes in and then we will find out in October what placement we have each received! So here are the links once again so you can place your vote for your VERY FAVOURITE bear to win BEST IN SHOW!

It's hard to believe that it's almost fall already but I can tell you that the production this summer at Seraphim Bears Studio has been fabulous! I am wrapping up all the loose ends now for the bear hug created for the Teddy Bears On Vacation show this November and am on to the christmas online show that I will be hosting. I am really excited to be able to have a few bears ready for on line adoption for those of you who will be unable to travel to Canada for the show.

I am also now starting to get things ready for Christmas gifts for my family. I am usually way further ahead than this when it comes to those things but with the bear show I have not even begun my family items. I have some lovely ideas however and will post the photos directly after the holidays as I know that some of my family is looking on this blog to see if they can get a sneek peek prior to the Santa's visit! You Naughty little pixes!

Anyway, time to run now and get to work but here are all the links once again to PLACE YOUR VOTE!

Thank you to all my voters! WE PLACED!!!!!!

Here is the YouTube video link so you can see all the bears that have placed in thier categories. NOW ITS TIME TO PLACE YOUR VOTE FOR YOUR BEST IN SHOW ALL ROUND FAVORITE BEAR!

Your choice Seraphim bear is STEVIE

If you like STEVIE best of all the entries just click her button and place your vote! You have till SEPTEMBER 10th to make your final vote and help STEVIE become the Bell of the Ball!

Here's the link to Bears and Buds Magazine

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR FINAL VOTE!

This link will take you to the table of contents page.

Scan down until you see the URSA AWARDS symbol

It says:

VOTE- PICK THE WINNER FOR THE URSA MAJOR AWARDS

Just click that

Click "Let the voting begin"

 and you will be on the finalist page.

Go to the bottom and see the symbol again beside it click "VOTE NOW - for your favorite ONE bear of all the finalists"

WE know we won something : either 1st place, second place, or third place and want to thank EVERYONE for your support and love.

So .... if you LOVE STEVIE... you can help make her the URSA MAJOR queen

all it takes is a click of the button!

BIG BIG HUGS from STEVIE and Myself! You have warmed our hearts

 and in the words of Sally Fields

"You like us! You really like us!"

And we want to send our love back to all of you!

Thank you

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!!! WE PLACED! TIME TO VOTE ONE LAST TIME!

Thank you to all my voters! WE PLACED!!!!!!

Here is the YouTube video link so you can see all the bears that have placed in thier categories. NOW ITS TIME TO PLACE YOUR VOTE FOR YOUR BEST IN SHOW ALL ROUND FAVORITE BEAR!

Your choice Seraphim bear is STEVIE

If you like STEVIE best of all the entries just click her button and place your vote! You have till SEPTEMBER 10th to make your final vote and help STEVIE become the Bell of the Ball!

Here's the link to Bears and Buds Magazine

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR FINAL VOTE!

This link will take you to the table of contents page.

Scan down until you see the URSA AWARDS symbol

It says:

VOTE- PICK THE WINNER FOR THE URSA MAJOR AWARDS

Just click that

Click "Let the voting begin"

 and you will be on the finalist page.

Go to the bottom and see the symbol again beside it click "VOTE NOW - for your favorite ONE bear of all the finalists"

WE know we won something : either 1st place, second place, or third place and want to thank EVERYONE for your support and love.

So .... if you LOVE STEVIE... you can help make her the URSA MAJOR queen

all it takes is a click of the button!

BIG BIG HUGS from STEVIE and Myself! You have warmed our hearts

 and in the words of Sally Fields

"You like us! You really like us!"

And we want to send our love back to all of you!

Thank you

THANK YOU!

Teddy Bear and Friends, Free Giveaways and Updates Galore

Hello Everyone:

Just a quick note to say that things are heatin' up here at Seraphim Studios. With only a mere 3 months till the Teddy Bears on Vacation show I am starting to do the final touches on the new hug of bears that will be attending the show with me. I also started three new ones last night, and a few have a friend and come as a set. I also have a new little friend to offer you all that is a bear bud and a nice pocket size to fit in your quilted tea cups.... did I say quilted tea cup! If you saw the Alice set of bears you will have seen the new quilted tea cups and I will also be offering those at the coming show!

There are bags and certificates to make, table layouts to plan, stuffing tags to tack onto each bear, ATC's to be made and little final checks to be done but all in all it is going well. I think the show is going to be a great experience and I feel ready. I have counted yesterday and once the bears that I have just started are completed I will have 23 bears ready for the November show. I also hope to have enough bears to offer a small online Christmas show for all my online followers.... how very exciting indeed!

I also have some more good news: We got pulblished in the "Most Wanted" section of the Fall 2010 edition of Teddy Bear and Friends magazine! You have seen these two bears here before and Dot has already been adopted but Stevie will attend the show this holiday season.

So I really thought I would post some photos of the new hug but I think I will not and will keep them as a surprise for you all this coming season.

I will however let you know that I will be participating in a FREE giveaway of one of my bears through Bears and Buds magazine online starting in September and ending October 31st - Halloween ooooooooo! I LOVE the little bear that will be up for your FREE adoption and hope you will also. I will post all the links when the time comes.

Heres a hint: The giveaway bear is based on the touching and fabulous award winning film "UP".

Have a wonderful day and I will be back soon!

REMINDER!

Hello Everyone!

Only a couple more days to post your vote for the URSA Awards. Here is the link:

Vote here for your favorite bears!

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER... everyone can vote!!! The poles close on July 30th so if you have not already... please visit and cast your Votes!

Have fun and I will be back soon with photos of what's been happening here at Seraphim Studios! Lots of new bears are on the way! Sooooo sweet and all sizes!

Sneak Peek URSA entries

Hello everyone:

Just wanted to give you a sneak peek of my latest set of bears that I am entering into the URSA awards this month.

I think it is pretty obvious but I know what they are. Can you tell? How many? What size? 

The deadline is June 21st so we're almost there and then I will post a link so you can all go and vote for your favourites!

I am working to get another bear done for the awards also but we shall see if TIME is on my side, I don't want to be too late... (Hint for the above)... hehehehehe