M'wahahah !

Of course it's Halloween tonight - a "celebration" I usually like to pretend I'm entirely ignorant of. Call me an old Gradgrind , but I'm of the generation who innocently bobbed for apples , and ..... that was it .
Now I know that Halloween has a wonderful all-embracing festival atmosphere in other parts of the world , and parents and children enter in to the spirit of its carnival-like magic equally , but in the UK the Halloween vehicle ( a hearse maybe ?) has the firm hand of card companies and supermarkets driving it . I'm afraid "humbug" syndrome alights my brow every year at this time , in a way it still never does in the (at times) cash-cow , jingle-till-ringing , Christmas period .

Uggghhh ; not another toddler-sized tub of lurid green "flumps" littering Tesco's aisles , or a stack of stinky plastic "costumes" (come on mothers - where's your ingenuity ???) representing enough demonic man-made material to toxically pollute the oceans for a few more millennia !
Yes , I get in the obligatory Swizzels Matlowe sweeties for those kids who knock on the door - how do they get round so many streets with that huge bin bag full of loot .. each ? Well , I don't want my milk crate messing with do I ?
Goodness only knows how distressing it all is for the elderly and infirm . Especially when the teenage Hoodies turn up on the doorstep .

Just for once , I'd like to answer the door with a convincing mask on of the lady above ! I think it would make Halloween more interesting !! M'wahahahaha .... oh , whatever .....

T.T.F.N Ruth x
(A detail I sketched from : "Medusa" by Anthony Frederick Sandys, in the "Pre-Raphaelite Women Book" by Jan Marsh )

A Tuesday WooHoo !

Please forgive my squeakiness , but I had the very best of news yesterday ; I have received nominations in the categories : "Single Miniature Bear" , and "Group of Miniature Bears" in the British Bear artist Awards !!!

I was so surprised to hear from Teddy Bear Club International , who co-host the awards , as I had all those little anxious hopes tucked away at the back of my mind for at least another week to go yet . It is just so thrilling to be nominated at all but I'm chuffed beyond belief to receive 2 ! :0) Oh , I sincerely hope I don't sound all Fat-headed ? Honestly , I'm just .... really amazed !

Here are the little nominees :- "Lily" ; who is 2.5" tall sitting , wearing her lace collar with Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearl trim , and the Group piece ; "Golden Celebration" - a 3" Mr and Mrs in 2 shades of Vintage Long Pile upholstery velvet , posed in a golden rose with a teeny 1.6" Cupid looking on .




Of course the inspiration for the Group bears was my parents' Golden Wedding - I set about re-creating a beautiful David Austen English rose which is called Golden Celebration . Each of the bears has a golden accent somewhere ; on the nose , or eyes . The little "Mr." carries a bouquet of gold roses for his little lady . The lace for her frilled collar was a totally lucky find in Norfolk ; antique , hand made and a natural "old gold" pale shade . They were so difficult to photograph though ! Thanks (as always) to my "other-half-with-the-camera" !



I need to make arrangements to get the bears , and myself , to Hove for the Final Judging on the 23rd November , at the Hove Bear Fair . In the meantime , all of the nominees will be appearing in the very next issue of Teddy Bear Club International , which is due out in a couple of weeks .

It's supposed to be bitterly cold this week - but I shall have warm , happy thoughts to beat the chill !

Ta Ta For Now ,
Ruth x