Childhood Memories"When I was a little girl of 5 or 6 I made little dolls of paper and clay. I put them in tiny paper boats and set them in the rushing streams of water at the side of the road that ran towards the drains with the melting snow on my walk home from school. Then I chased after the families who were caught in the sudden storm. It was up to me to rescue them before they went over the falls (down the drain grates). I rescued every one of my families, the first 3 dimensional figures I ever made. In Grade 8 on Friday afternoons we were driven on the bus out of the country into the big school where we took home economics and made crafts. I made a frog of fabric and beans and sewed eyes on him. He was my first stuffed animal. I could hardly wait until those Friday afternoons. I thought of nothing else..."
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About Me and the Bears
To get an idea of the size of my bears, here is Claudia with little Buttercup sitting on her knee~ Claudia is 10.5 inches tall and Buttercup is a dainty 4.5 inches tall!
*********************** When I first starting making bears they looked like the bear on the left. That's Sophie, owned by my mom! I had no idea what jointed patterns were, what mohair was, an airbrush, glass eyes, anything! I learned what I know by myself, getting a bit wiser as I've come along. I was so disappointed by the results that I gave up after a year or so and took a 3 year hiatus. When I discovered a free jointed bear pattern and mohair on the web, I picked it up again and have never looked back! Now I design my own patterns and am able to make any style of artist bear, even miniatures and real fur bears! The bear on the right is Lovey, a recent bear!
****************** Me and a couple of friends!
Here's my husband Aaron and myself at the Teddy Bear's on Vacation Christmas Show in Toronto November, 2007! We had so much fun! I hope we can go back next year!:
Here's a sample of my own personal collection. There is a Pat Murphy bear, a Jill Kenny bear, a Deb Beardsley bear, a Lorraine Chien bear and one of my own bears! Oh, is that a little stuffed bird in the front there? No! That's my trained budgie, Pepper McNoodle! That's where you've been, you rascal! I love that little guy!
My Favourite Chihuahua: Minnie! My name is Pearl Hamilton. I have been lucky enough to discover the exciting world of teddy bears. I fell so deeply in love with these special friends that I had to learn to make them for myself! As each little face appeared from bits of fabric and fur and fluff, I grew more hooked on my new 'hobby'. After a few years my passion has developed into a profession. I make my own patterns and have developed my own distinctive 'look'. I am a blessed person to earn money doing what I love!!!! Each of my bears is made of top of the line mohair, german glass eyes and other quality 'bear parts'! I sew a genuine freshwater pearl into the paw of each of my bears so you know you're getting a Pearl's bear! I have been making bears almost since I saw my first teddy bear magazine! Being a creative person, I have always loved to draw and sew and knit and quilt and everything! But when I saw those artist bears my heart was lost! That's what I wanted to create!!!! My first bears were quite the funny little fellows! My husband still teases me about them! My mom still owns a few of them and loves them dearly, thank goodness for mothers! While my bear making was just starting I was so busy! I was working and raising two young boys and two young step-boys the same age! Sometimes it was sheer pandemonium and like a lot of women, I had to put my own wants and needs on the back burner! Now my children are getting older. The oldest one was 21 this year and the big cubs are not interested in hanging out with their old den mother too much anymore! Naturally, with this new time I've been able to increase my bear making and am having the time of my life! I'm refining patterns, trying new fabrics, dying mohair...it's wonderful! Also, over the past year my bears have appeared in Teddy Bear and Friends Magazine and others! LIFE IS GOOD WITH TEDDY BEARS IN IT!!!! A special thanks to the wonderful people who adopt my bears! I'm truly grateful and honoured from the bottom of my heart!
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