White Forest Blog

Our Blog Has Moved

White Forest — 2009-02-28T09:44:15-08:00

Our blog has moved to:
http://www.whiteforestbears.blogspot.com/

Duyi the....Pandaphant!

White Forest — 2009-02-26T07:47:26-08:00

Meet Duyi...

Duyi is a pandaphant (an elephant in a panda style) that we created for a new collector in the UK. Jack and I were talking about making a pandaphant, because I love pandas so much. A few days later we received an email from this collector requesting one! So we were so excited to create it for him. You could call it a coincidence, but I think it was fate! lol!

Our collector named him Duyi because it means "extraordinary one" and I think that name fits him just perfectly!

I'm slow this morning, so I should get my daily dose of coffee so I can recharge and get to work. We have to ship a few bears and I better get a few things from the grocery store or we'll have nothing to eat!

Spring Has Sprung....Well Hopefully!

White Forest — 2009-02-24T08:06:53-08:00

The sun is out, the birds are singing, the backyard is almost dry again....It feels like Spring has arrived. I hope it lasts as I've had enough of the rain.

We have a special bear available this week on ebay named Lucky! He's perfect for the upcoming St. Patty's day holiday. St. Patrick's day is one of my favorite holidays....What could be better than green beer and leprechauns?

You can see Lucky here:
LUCKY'S EBAY PAGE

Jack and I are both in "new design" mode. My studio is such a disaster! I have new projects, custom orders, bears to sew, bears to stuff....it's chaos. But I love it this way. Jack is just as busy as I am, but somehow his studio looks so neat and tidy....maybe I should go work in his studio. I could have it looking like mine in no time at all!

Speaking of custom orders, this is a mini black bear that we created for a new collector in Ohio. His name is Sean and he's super adorable.

Time to get back to my tornado stricken studio and get some stuffing finished. If you don't hear from me for awhile please send in the National Guard as I've probably gotten lost in a pile of mohair, muslin, and stuffing!

Cabin Fever!

White Forest — 2009-02-16T07:41:21-08:00

I officially have.....CABIN FEVER!

It is STILL raining. It has been raining for so long that I have forgotten the last time we were able to take the dog for a walk. Jack and I have been planning on going to Old Town Temecula to walk around, snoop in the antique stores, and have lunch at this wonderful little outdoor restaurant/bar that has the best burgers....when the rain stops.

The good thing about being stuck indoors is that we have been working on a lot of new projects!

This is Rory, a custom bear that is on his way to Ohio. He is a big guy at 20" tall! He has hand-dyed hunter green fur, and all four of his paw pads are needle felted wool.

We have a really cute new elephant on ebay this week. His name is Bailey and he is made from Schulte mohair that I hand-dyed a pretty blue color. This fur is a little longer than the fur I used for our first elephant, and I think it turned out really fantastic.

You can see Bailey's ebay auction page here:
BAILEY'S AUCTION PAGE

Time for some coffee!
Hugs,
Erin

RE: Chi the Panda

Paula — 2009-02-11T03:05:01-08:00

Beautiful work and a lovely blog!

Chi the Panda

White Forest — 2009-02-09T09:03:14-08:00

This is our latest panda Chi. We finished him up yesterday, and I think he turned out fantastic. He is made from extra long black and white mohair, and he has the brightest blue eyes.

It's STILL raining. It has been raining since last Thursday, and we are all ready for the sun to come out. It's raining so hard that the dog doesn't even want to go outside. lol. On the bright side, the forecast says that it should stop by tomorrow. I sure hope so because our backyard is looking like a lake!

Today is a busy bear day - Time to get to work!
Hugs,
Erin

A Rainy Friday

White Forest — 2009-02-06T07:09:01-08:00

Well our warm sunny weather has left us for now. It rained so hard last night that it woke me up several times. We usually walk Ozzie by 6 AM, but he was out of luck today as it is just downpouring. It's suppose to be dark and dreary all weekend. I don't mind too much as it will keep me indoors and help me get caught up on some sewing and stuffing! lol.

We have a quick 3 day auction running right now for Stitch, a 5" mini panda bear. I love this little guy as he has such a cute expression and I'm always partial to panda bears.

Some exciting news! Our black bear NIgel is featured in the current Spring 2009 issue of Teddy Bear and Friends magazine! One of our collectors in Ohio gave me a heads up that he was in the issue, and I was on pins and needles waiting for my issue to arrive. I'm always so excited to see our bears in print! lol.

I'm off to have my coffee and then get to work!
Hugs,
Erin

Monday, Monday, Monday

White Forest — 2009-02-02T20:04:51-08:00

Happy Monday and what a busy day it has been! Today we spent most of the day finishing up painting the dining room (which I think we are going to make a sitting room). We painted the trim and around the windows, and it really looks nice. We chose the color "Khaki" and I think it was a really good choice. Now I feel like just putting my feet up for a while. Painting is a lot of work! lol

Tomorrow will be a busy bearmaking day. Jack has been working on a beautiful large green bear for a collector in Ohio. I'm really excited to see him finished as this is the first time we have felted the paws on our large 18" style bear, and I know it's going to look fantastic. I'm working on a few custom order bears that I need to stuff, and I also have several custom elephants to get traced and cut out.

We have a new bear available on our website. He is made from the extra long fur that I love so much. His name is Hugh, and he is a 12" tall solid black bear with fabulous detailing. He is really quite stunning. Jack created a colorful tag for him which really stands out against his black mohair.

You can see more photos of Hugh here. Have a wonderful rest of the day. I'm off to relax for a bit.

Hugs,
Erin

New Design!

White Forest — 2009-01-25T19:37:05-08:00

I've been wanting to create an elephant for a REALLY, REALLY long time. I've tooled around with many different designs, and went through endless pieces of mohair. I knew what I wanted, I just couldn't get that image in the "fur" so to speak. So I did what I should have done a long time ago....I asked Jack for help! Jack designed the head, which ended up being EXACTLY what I envisioned in my head.

This is Ellie, a 5" white elephant:

Jack did so many extra special things with her such as her little nose detailing at the end of her trunk:

I made her from dense white Schulte mohair, and her inner ears are ultrasuede. This is the first time I have used ultrasuede, and I really like it. Not only is it super soft, but it moves really nicely too.

You can see a lot more photos of Ellie on her ebay listing page here:
Ellie's Ebay Listing

I'm off to cut out a black bear before I go to bed!
Hugs,
Erin

A Little Dab

White Forest — 2009-01-19T07:58:48-08:00

This is Dab, our latest mini bear that we have on ebay this week. He is made from light butter yellow plush. We normally work with mohair for the bears, but I wanted to try some different fabrics for the mini's. Working with plush is interesting as it really gives the creations a whole different look. This particular plush is super soft and dense, and I love the buttery color. You can see more about Dab here.

We have been working on some new designs this past weekend, and I'm really excited to get them finished. Jack is working on a panda made with long cream and white mohair. It's looking so cute and I can't wait until he's done with it.

Time to get to sewing!
Hugs,
Erin

A New Year and a New Mini!

White Forest — 2009-01-12T18:23:09-08:00

I always love the beginning of the year. Everything seems fresh and new, and it always feels like a new chapter is beginning. 2009 marks our 4th year, and I was just browsing our Gallery page looking at how much our bears have evolved over time. Each bear from our earliest to our latest has their own special meaning to me, and I can't wait to see what fun and exciting designs 2009 will bring!

This is our latest miniature bear Trace. He stands 5" tall, and is made from hand-dyed Schulte mohair. Jack gave him such a sweet face, and he has really pretty light golden brown eyes.

We're having a dose of summer weather right now, which we are just loving. It is so nice to be able to have the windows open again. That is until Ozzie starts barking at the neighbors, birds, cars, and anything else that moves or makes noise outside. lol.

Time to get back to stuffing!
Hugs,
Erin

New Rainbow Panda Bear

White Forest — 2008-12-31T09:32:04-08:00

This is Marc, our latest custom bear that will be shipping off to France. He is a 12" rainbow panda bear, which I think turned out just beautiful.

He is sitting in our glass case right now waiting to be on his way to his new home, and everytime I walk by I have to stop and admire him. I told Jack that I would like a rainbow panda for myself! lol.

Yesterday we all went to Ontario Mills, which is a huge mall/outlet center in Ontario, CA. We did a lot of walking and shopping, and it was a really nice day.

My mother brought me some leftover fleece that has dog bones on it, and red pleather that she had leftover from making some dog coats for my sister's dogs. I think I'm going to make Ozzie a doggie bed with it, so I'm on the hunt for just the right foam or fill to put inside.

Speaking of Ozzie, my mother got him this huge bone the other day. Can you tell that he loves it?

I can't believe that this is the last day of 2008! This year has just flown by. We're looking forward to another fun and exciting year with all of our collectors, family, and friends!

Off to the fabric store!
Hugs,
Erin

New Mini's and Holiday Fun!

White Forest — 2008-12-26T19:04:06-08:00

Happy Holidays! We had a wonderful Christmas yesterday. My parents are visiting, and we had a great day. Mom and I made a turkey dinner, and we're getting ready to have leftovers for dinner tonight. Yum!

Jack and I have a really sweet new mini available named Flake. He turned out so adorable, and I just love his expression. He is just a wee 5" tall. I think Jack does an incredible job on the tiny details on our miniature bears. You can see more pics of him on our available page.

We also finished the multi-colored mini that I've mentioned before. She turned out just wonderful, and the collector decided to call her Angel, which I think is such a beautiful name, and so fitting for this time of year.

Time for Christmas leftovers!
Hugs,
Erin

Snow! Snow! Snow!

White Forest — 2008-12-20T09:00:09-08:00

This is what our city looks like right now here in Southern California. The mountain tops all around us are covered with snow, and the last few mornings we have woke up to frost and freezing temps. Even the lower elevations are getting quite a bit of snow this year. (Thanks to Eric Madrid for the use of his photos.) This is our first winter in this area, and I'm hoping that not EVERY winter is this cold! lol.

We have a wonderful new panda available on our website named Georgia. She is made from peach and white mohair, and I think her name fits her perfectly. She is such a pretty bear, and peach is one of my favorite colors. You can see more pics of her on our available page.

Time to get back to sewing and keeping warm!
Hugs,
Erin

Crumb the Mini Bear

White Forest — 2008-12-15T09:15:41-08:00

I know it's not even Christmas yet, but I'm completely ready for SPRING! Southern California is in the middle of a winter storm today, and it's raining cats and dogs outside. Ozzie wasn't able take his morning walk, so we have a very restless dog today. It's suppose to continue through Wednesday. By that time we may need an ark for the backyard.

We have a really cute new mini bear on ebay this week. His name is Crumb, and he is just 5" tall. I love his bright blue eyes and adorable expression.

You can see his ebay listing here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320325342427

I should go get a bear cut out this morning (I'm making a mini from the blue/green/purple middle piece of fur in the post below). This week I'm working on a large custom bear, a few mini bears, a long haired panda, and hopefully I'll get around to working on finishing up painting the living and dining rooms. Jack is working on several different bears, so he's a busy bee also!

Have a great day!

Hugs,

Erin

Rainbow Fur

White Forest — 2008-12-08T12:29:59-08:00

I finished dying some rainbow fur this weekend, and I thought I'd post a pic for you all to see. A collector has requested a custom mini bear, so I emailed this pic to her this morning so she could choose one for her bear. She chose the fur on the right, which is combination of pink, green, blue, and purple. I think all 3 furs turned out really pretty.

It's COLD here today. In fact it may be in the 30's tonight. Brrr! But Thursday it is suppose to be in the 80's. We have been having strange weather! This is perfect crock pot weather - so I put a pork roast in the crock pot this morning. Yum!

Hugs,

Erin

Dash the Mini Bear

White Forest — 2008-12-07T20:08:47-08:00

Jack and I finished a new miniature bear today. He is our second mini bear, and he was really fun to create. His name is Dash, and he is made from dense black mohair.

Dash is on ebay this week, and you can see him here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320323678279

I dyed several pieces of fur today for custom orders, so my hands look like an easter egg. I know I should wear gloves, but I find it too difficult to work with the mohair wearing them. It usually wears off in a few days though.

Last week Jack and I started painting our dining and living rooms. We chose sort of a taupe color for the living room and Khaki for the dining room. The first coat looks really great, and I'm looking forward to finishing it. It's so nice to paint over all the stark white walls!

Hugs,

Erin

White Forest — 2008-11-07T09:12:07-08:00

White Forest — 2008-10-21T16:30:39-07:00

Jack and I just finished a new bear named Autumn, who is currently available here on our website. She is a bent-leg design, which I think is so neat, and I love the overall look of her. She is perfect for the Fall season, and is one of my favorites.

We have named our new Puppy! Jack and I decided to call him Ozzie (or "Oz" for short), which was suggested to us by our good friend Lisa Rosenbaum of Oz Matilda Bear Co.

We received so many great suggestions and emails about Ozzie, which was just so wonderful. I am so glad that we got a "pound puppie" more and more every day. I wish I could adopt all of them!

Time to get some dinner started.

Hugs,

Erin

RE: No Sewing for Me This Morning!

Melanie — 2008-10-21T16:00:19-07:00

Awe, poor baby. I have 2 Maine Coons myself. They are such odd cats.. but sooo loveable. Hope your baby is on on the mend soon.

Hugs,

Melanie

We Adopted a Puppy!

White Forest — 2008-10-17T16:23:43-07:00

Yesterday we adopted a puppy from our local animal shelter! He is five months old, and tons of fun! We think he is an Anatolian Shepherd mix perhaps. We figure he is at least 70 lbs already, and we have no idea how big he will get. We haven't decided on a name yet, and are open to any suggestions!

I'm so glad that we adopted a dog from our local shelter. They had so many beautiful dogs looking for homes, and I wish I could have taken all of them home.

I call this his "school photo":

He runs around playing, and then just falls over and starts snoring:

Hugs,

Erin

Autumn Bears

White Forest — 2008-10-13T09:48:07-07:00

This is our latest bear Gordy, a little 9" bear that is just perfect for the fall season. I hand-dyed his fur using a blend of different shades of orange and cream. He will be leaving us for his new home in the UK shortly.

One of our collectors called him "autumnally squashy", which I thought was so cute. Try to say that out loud. It's a real tongue twister!

Yesterday we also finished up a custom order panda bear. I'm waiting to hear back from the collector to find out what she would like to name her. She's a real sweetie, and I just love her to pieces. She's made from antique brown and cream mohair.

Time to get some work done. Jack is painting eyes, and I dyed a bunch of fur over the weekend, so I have a lot of cutting and sewing to do.

We have the kitchen just about painted. We didn't really care for the color once we put it on the wall, so Jack sponge painted over it with a darker color and it really looks neat. I'll take a pic one of these days when we're finished. My kitchen is a total disaster area right now with all the paint cans and things. But at least I have a good excuse to not cook dinner! ha!

Hugs,

Erin

Is It Really October Already?

White Forest — 2008-10-06T15:09:36-07:00

I love this time of year because Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It's the perfect excuse to eat lots of chocolate and goodies, and I love to toast pumpkin seeds. But I am having a hard time with the fact that the Christmas trees are up along side the Halloween decorations at the stores already.

This will be our first Halloween at the new house, and I hope that we have a lot of trick-or-treaters! I told Jack that we should dress up the cats, but I don't think that idea is going over very well. (Nuhny is feeling much better by the way - and thank you for all of your kind get well wishes).

Jack is about to take photos of a custom panda bear, and I'm working on stuffing a few new bears. It's suppose to heat up again tomorrow into the 90's, so we are taking advantage of the cooler weather today and getting as much accomplished as possible.

We finished a new little black bear yesterday named Joey, and he will be heading to his new home in Kentucky shortly. He's a cutie!

Hugs,

Erin

Azul

White Forest — 2008-09-29T10:35:21-07:00

This is Azul, the blue bear that I mentioned yesterday. He is currently availalble here. His fur is navy blue, and slightly curly. Jack gave him wonderful needle felted wool paw pads, and I think the blue hues he used to shade him look awesome. Azul has green eyes with yellow accents, which I thought was really nice against the navy blue mohair.

The weather report says we might get some rain today, which would be wonderful. However there is not a cloud in the sky right now.

I think Nuhny is feeling much better today. His paw is looking better, and he seems more chipper. However he still has to wear the e-collar for another 9 days at least I think. Last night was the first night wearing the e-collar, and none of us got much sleep. He was yelling and bumping the collar into everything, poor guy.

Time to order some mohair and get some sewing done!

Hugs,

Erin

No Sewing for Me This Morning!

White Forest — 2008-09-28T09:21:18-07:00

Isn't this just the most pathetic photo?

Our Maine Coon cat Nuhny has a wound on his front paw pad, and the poor thing has to wear one of those horrid e-collars to prevent him from licking his paw. He had a bandage on it until sometime during the night when the bandage fell off. Now that he took the bandage off he has to wear the e-collar, which he is REALLY UPSET about. He's been thrashing around and yelling all morning, until he finally fell asleep sprawled out across my sewing table. I had every intention of sewing this morning, but as you can see it's just not possible with this poor guy passed out on my workspace. (He is on several different medications to heal his paw that make him drowsy, so he will probably be out quite a while.)

Nuhny is a diabetic, which we control with his diet. He use to be very overweight, but when he was weighed at the vet on Friday he is down to only 13 pounds! So he has lost well over 12 pounds or more! The typical Maine Coon should weight between 11 - 15 pounds, so he's right in range. Yippie!

I suppose I could do some housework since I am not going to be sewing for a while. Jack is working on a navy blue bear that looks really awesome. He gave him blue felted paw pads and his shading is really fantastic. Hopefully we'll get him up on our website later this evening.

Hugs,

Erin

Collector Photo

White Forest — 2008-09-23T09:47:16-07:00

There is nothing better than chatting with our collectors....except for maybe collector photos!

Yesterday one of our wonderful collectors in Russia sent me this cute photo of two of her White Forest Bears, Lenny and Ridley:

In her email she simply stated "I think they become friends)))) " which I thought was so lovely.

White Forest — 2008-08-25T10:57:25-07:00

It's amazing that August is almost over. I keep hearing about how some stores are already putting out their Christmas decorations! Can you believe it?

We have a new bear available, that I think is so pretty and bright. She reminds me of salt water taffy pieces, hence her name "Taffy". You can see more photos of her here.

Jack just finished assembling some bears for me, so I better get to stuffing.

Hugs,

Erin

Finn the Panda

White Forest — 2008-08-19T09:02:28-07:00

This is Finn, our newest panda:

I love that he is so bright and different. His shading is beautiful, and his green eyes really stand out nicely. You can see more photos of him on our available page.

Today I'm waiting for a fur order to arrive from my favorite supplier. I'm such a mohair addict that I get super excited when I have an order coming. lol.

Hugs,

Erin

Nigel

White Forest — 2008-08-17T20:59:56-07:00

In my last post I mentioned the black bear that Jack was working on...

Here he is!

This is Nigel, a 12" black bear that has really bright eyes and wonderful needle felted wool paw pads. I love how Jack shades our black bears. Black is a bit difficult to highlight, but he always seems to use the perfect colors to really turn them into striking pieces. Nigel found a home quickly and will be on his way to a New York collector shortly, where he will be joining another White Forest Bear.

Jack is also working on a custom order black bear for a terrific collector in the UK. It's a different style, and I know it is going to be just as fantastic.

Tomorrow look for a red and white panda bear!

Hugs,

Erin

PS: I have finally decide on a color for my new studio. As of right now I'm going with yellowish/creamish colors and an accent color that I haven't decided on yet. I'm getting closer! lol.

Latest Custom Order

White Forest — 2008-08-15T10:16:43-07:00

Happy Friday!

This is Jeremy, our latest custom order bear that we created for one of our favorite collectors in Ohio. I used really curly grey mohair, which I really like. I'm going to see if I can get more of that style fur so that I can dye my own colors.

We have been spotted in the newest editon of Teddy Bear and Friends Magazine. Our colorful bear Rainbow appears in the issue, and I can't wait to see it. We always seem to get the issue several days after the east coast and midwest start receiving it, so I'm anxious to get my copy.

It is going to be a great weekend here. Jack and I are working on some custom bears as well as retail orders. We are also finishing up a wondeful black bear that is Jeremy's style and also has felted feet, which will go on our website.

Have a great day!

Hugs,

Erin

Linus

White Forest — 2008-08-10T18:04:06-07:00

Hi There!

It is so wonderful to be back at work creating again after the move. We have had a really productive weekend, and we have just listed a new bear on ebay named Linus. Linus is 12" tall, and I made him from really long mohair that looks fantastic on his new body style. Jack gave him such a cute face, and I love the photos he took of him. Especially the pics he took on one of my favorite wooden boxes.

You can see his listing here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320285379761

It seems to be cooling off some - time to go open the windows!

Hugs,

Erin

Happy August

White Forest — 2008-08-04T14:42:14-07:00

August is here and it is a scorcher here in Southern California. Jack and I are really enjoying our new location, and we are back in our studios working on retail orders, custom orders, and some fantastic new pieces for our website and ebay.

I'm trying to decide on what color to paint my new studio space, and I just can't decide. At first I wanted a pale yellow, then green, and yesterday I was thinking pink...I can't decide. I might have to just throw a dart to pick. My studio has a lovely window seat, where the cats love to hang out. When I finally decide on a color and paint I'll post a photo.

I have a red bear sitting next to me that is waiting to be stuffed. Time to get back to work.

Hugs,

Erin

Exciting News!

White Forest — 2008-07-27T08:37:08-07:00

Wow! What an extremely busy few weeks Jack and I have had! We have relocated, and we are just about finished setting up our new studios. We now reside in Menifee, which is about an hour north of San Diego. I'm really loving it here as there is a lot more wide open space, and we can even hear roosters in the morning off in the distance.

We will be debuting some new bears soon, and I'll get back to updating my blog regularly.

Here is where our new studios will be:

Have a great day!

Hugs,

Erin

Ridley & Sunshine

White Forest — 2008-07-13T07:24:59-07:00

Good Morning! It's shaping up to be another beautiful day here. I think I'll take advantage of the nice weather this afternoon and spend some time outside.

We have 2 new bears available on our available page.

Ridley, who has the cutest look on his face:

Ridley is 12" tall and he is made from white mohair that has a black and white backing. It is really neat fur, and it really gives him a unique look, along with his adorable expression.

Sunshine is an 11" bear that I have just fallen in love with. I hand-dyed his mohair a bright yellow, and he sure has a sunny personality!

Enjoy your day!

Hugs,

Erin

Our Newest Custom Bear

White Forest — 2008-07-07T18:22:23-07:00

Hi There!

Jack and I have been extra busy and I don't know where the time is going!

We just finished up a really adorable bear named Charley, who you can find on our available page. He is made from long and soft kid mohair, which I love to work with. He has such an adorable look to him. He just yells "hug me" I think. lol.

I also wanted to share a gorgeous new custom bear that will be heading to one of our wonderful Australian collectors shortly. He is a blend of a bear we created in 2006 named Liam, and our new larger style bear. He was really fun to create, and I think he turned out just wonderful.

Hugs,

Erin

Lin the Panda

White Forest — 2008-06-30T08:23:13-07:00

Happy Monday!

It doesn't seem like Monday to me because the weekend went so fast. Plus even the cats were lazy about getting up this morning, when the both of them are usually trying to wake me up long before my alarm goes off at 5:10 AM.

We listed a wonderful new panda bear on ebay last night named Lin. Here he is:

I think I've gone panda crazy once again. I tend to do this sometimes. I get in a total panda mood and make quite a few at once. lol.

Time to get to work! Have a good day everyone!

Hugs,

Erin

Meet Chou--Chou

White Forest — 2008-06-28T08:33:27-07:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I would post photos of a new custom bear that we just finished...and here she is!

We made this bear for a wonderful new collector in New York state. She stands 18" tall and is made from long antique brown and stone mohair. The collector has named her Chou--Chou. I think the name fits her perfectly!

Today I think I'll work on some sewing, and run a few errands. Jack is working on a large custom bear that is really turning out fantastic.

Hugs,

Erin

TGIF!

White Forest — 2008-06-27T09:42:18-07:00

Happy Friday!

Can you believe that the 4th of July is just around the corner? Time sure flies when we are have so much fun creating bears! Jack is getting ready to photograph a custom order panda that he just finished, so we will get photos of her posted a bit later. She turned out totally fabulous!

This is my favorite photo of my Grandmother, taken when she was 18 years old. Everytime I look at this photo I'm reminded of how much fun she was. She was so creative and always trying new things. I have a small version of this photo on my dresser, but I would like to get a larger one printed up.

Recently my dad discovered more old family photos, that he is digitizing, and I can't wait to see them!

Hugs,

Erin

Summer Is Here!

White Forest — 2008-06-22T18:58:09-07:00

Summer sure has made quite an entrance here this year! We have had triple digit temperatures here in Southern California for several days, and the forecast calls for more of the same until Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm ready for some cooler weather, and fast!

This is Roland, our newest panda that we listed on ebay today. He's a big 18", and has beautiful fur. I'm partial to pandas! I love to make them, collect them, and visit them at the zoo! Roland is made from Honey Tan and Cream mohair, one of my favorite combinations!

Hugs,

Erin

White Forest — 2008-05-26T19:03:29-07:00

Happy Memorial Day!

Usually here in San Diego the beach is packed on this holiday weekend, but this year it's quite chilly and we have had some rain.

This is our new bear Sterling, who is currently on ebay. His fur is so unique. It is off-white with a black and grey backing, and Jack used grey tones with a little light blue to shade him. His green eyes really stand out!

Hazelnut

White Forest — 2008-05-24T06:57:14-07:00

This adorable bear will be going to a collector in Australia. He is a goldenrod and chocolate panda named Hazelnut. I think his name fits him perfectly!

It is a holiday weekend here in the States, but it's a busy weekend for Jack and I. I finished sewing the 2 big custom bears, and today I'll work on stuffing them. Jack is working on a new ebay bear, which will be really nice.

Hugs,

Erin

Foto Friday!

White Forest — 2008-05-23T08:19:08-07:00

My dad and I have been doing genealogy (family history) research for many years. He has scanned countless photos and documents, which are so interesting too look at and read.

This is my fathers side of the family, taken around 1906 in West Virginia, and it is one of my favorites.

We're having a really busy week this week. I'm working on a few large custom order bears today, and Jack is finishing up a panda bear. We finished a 12" bear named Trixie last night, who turned out really cute.

Here she is:

Time to get to work. Happy Friday Everyone!

Hugs,

Erin

Meet Noah

White Forest — 2008-05-19T09:24:12-07:00

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

This is Noah, an 18" black bear who is currently on ebay.

I think he is so beautiful. I love his long thick black mohair and his bright green eyes.

Time to run to the post office!

Hugs,

Erin

Postcards

White Forest — 2008-05-18T08:24:25-07:00

I'm always on the hunt for vintage and antique toys and bears. I love to go to estate sales and auctions in search of something unusual and unique. I also love to search for old postcards that have a teddy bear theme. This postcard is one of my favorites:

Isn't it adorable? Antique postcards look great framed, and are fun to collect!

Time to get some dolls and bears cut out. I'm caught up on stuffing for the moment, and Jack is finishing up a new bear to list on ebay later today.

Hugs,

Erin

PS: Our collector in Scotland decided to name their custom yellow bear MacTavish. How cute!

Sunshine for your Thursday...

White Forest — 2008-05-15T08:24:57-07:00

Jack and I finished this cute 9" custom order last night. I'm not sure of the name yet as we are waiting to hear back from the collector who lives in Scotland. I think he/she turned out really cute. I dyed the fur pale yellow, and we gave him/her oversized blue eyes.

This morning I'm cutting out some mohair, so once again the vacuum is going to get a workout. At least it's lighter color fur this time. It blends into the carpet better! lol

Hugs,

Erin

Melon

White Forest — 2008-05-14T16:57:26-07:00

This is Melon, our newest bear that we've added to our available page. I think his name suits him perfectly. I dyed his fur a light green, and Jack detailed him with pinks and greens, and gave him some freckles which I love.

We are suppose to have a heatwave through Tuesday, so I was trying to get as much stuffing done earlier today as possible before it got too hot. Working with long mohair is much more enjoyable when it is not 100 degrees! lol.

Hugs,

Erin

Lionel Is Now on Ebay

White Forest — 2008-05-12T05:47:18-07:00

This is our newest bear Lionel. He is a big 18" tall, and is one of my favorites. Everything about him turned out so beautiful. He is made from 2"+ long honey tan mohair that is nice and thick.

Time for some coffee so that I can wake up. The cats were trying to wake us up about 2 hours before the alarm went off, so I'll need some extra coffee today.

Hugs,

Erin

Daisy is Finished

White Forest — 2008-05-10T15:03:31-07:00

Our newest bear Daisy has just finished her photos, and is now on our available page. I love to make these multi-colored bears, as I enjoying dying their fur, and it's always an experiment in regards to how the fur will turn out. I used light shades of yellows, pinks, and greens.

Hugs,

Erin

The Kings of the White Forest

White Forest — 2008-05-10T14:56:21-07:00

In our mailing list emails I'm often mentioning our two cats, who totally rule our home. I figured it was about time that I added some pics of them so you can all see who I'm talking about.

Nuhny (left) is a 10 year old Maine Coon, and Whittus (right) is an almost 12 year old Abby. This is their favorite place to lay in the afternoon.

Here are a few other pics that Jack took:

Candy

White Forest — 2008-05-09T15:11:43-07:00

Jack is finished with the photos of Candy, and she's been listed on our available page. I like this standing photo of her. It shows off her nice shape.

Erin

Mohair Madness and Happy Friday!

White Forest — 2008-05-09T12:43:44-07:00

Phew! This week is flying by!

I've been working on 3 new bears this week. All 3 are our new bigger style, and they have longer fur than I typically use. One is a panda, one is white with a black backing, and the third is solid black. My vacuum is sure getting a workout this week! I have one more to finish sewing, and then it's on to stuffing. I'll try and get a pic posted when I get a little further along.

Jack is taking photos of a new bear right now...She's pink and super cute. She should be up on the site this afternoon.

Happy Friday!

Hugs,

Erin

Frost the Bear

Erin — 2008-05-04T20:50:51-07:00

This is Frost, our newest bear. I knew he was going to be wonderful as soon as I finished stuffing him. I love this body style, and the fur works really well with it. I'm also really happy with how his fur turned out after I dyed it. Dying fur is a total experimentation sometimes, especially with my kwirky way of doing things. I also think that his name suits him perfectly!

Frost sold shortly after we made him available, and I'm glad to say that he will be residing with a new collector right here in San Diego.

A Few Custom Bears

Erin — 2008-05-04T16:22:04-07:00

Jack and I recently finished these custom bears. They were both fun to make, and totally different from each other.

Meet Laddy and Lewellyn:

Laddy is a 12" bear made from antique brown mohair, and Lewellyn is a cute 9" panda made from white and hand-dyed violet mohair. I love his little felted paw pads!