While I wasn't looking.

Wow!  I've been away much too long.  Looks like Blogger has changed a few things while I wasn't looking!  Time to clear away the cobwebs on this blog!!

What the heck have I been doing since March?  Working, working, working and having a new little wee grandson steal my heart!!  Yeppers, Miss Macey has a little brother, little Mister Tyler Warren, born June 7th.  We are so blessed!!  And you thought my hands were full with Miss Macey, Monticello Antique Marketplace, and The Silly Bear!  Add a grandson and a new part-time job working with an Estate Sale company.  Oh, but think of all the goodies I'll find to share with you!

 Miss Macey is now 3 years old!

Sweet baby boy, Tyler Warren.

 Newer Bears:  The Nurse and Sailor have been adopted.  Little Grey is available in my Etsy shop.

The back garden patio.  A place for sipping and dreaming.

Warmest bear hugs, Aleta

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I can hardly believe it's already March 17th. Who pushed the accelerator anyway? Thought I'd take a minute to share with you my two newest listings. Baxter is the sweet little bear up there. He's visiting Etsy. And, the sweet little chick down there is visiting Ebay for a three day auction!

Trying to get things moving along before I take some time to play "shuffle the spaces in our home" as we get ready for the arrival of our grandson in June. My studio will most likely be moving to the largest bedroom with a walk in closet!! That room has been the guestroom, which has gone mostly unused and it just seems silly to waste the space when we need it for daily life.

I'm going to try my very best to post pictures of the transition because I know how much all of you like pictures! I do too!!

Warmest bear hugs, Aleta

Red W. Blue

A quick little post......Red W. Blue has just been listed on Etsy. http:etsy.com/shop/aletabreese Been crazy busy with Easter goodies for Monticello but I did make time to finish this, the last red mohair bear for me. I'm moving back to traditional colors and more traditional bears with only a scattering of the "odd duck" here and there.

Oh, and I'll have some bears with dolls similar to my 2007 TOBY winning bear. (Pictured over there to the left.) The dolls will be handsculpted by me and nestle in antique trunks and include clothes and other assorted goodies that might be found in antique doll trunks!! Doesn't that sound delightful?!! I have one in the works right now. :)

Warmest bear hugs, Aleta

Learning Etsy and listing on Ebay again soon!

As you can see, I'm having fun playing with the clay! These two sweeties will join Miss Amelia Ruffleflounce on Etsy or on Ebay sometime this weekend.

It's a huge learning curve getting to know Etsy and learning all over again how to list on Ebay. With so many changes in my life over these past few years, my collector base for bears has dwindled as I've gone from one thing to another feeling so unsettled. As such, the traffic to my website now is....ummm.....rather spotty. ;)

One thing is for sure, it's time to start from scratch. Etsy is a great place for me to encompass all the artistic avenues under one umbrella because I don't want to give anything up. I just have to figure out a way to blend it all together in a way that makes sense. Over time it will all work out. I'm looking forward to the challenge and hope you will follow along.

Warmest bear hugs, Aleta

Full circle with new work.

Miss Amelia Ruffleflounce

One of a kind, Miss Amelia is handsculpted and handpainted with an aged fine crackle then sealed with a matte finish. Her eyes are antique shoe buttons. She has a cotton body and is weighted to sit like a proper bunny.

A piece of early 1900's christening gown was used for her bodice. The faded robin's egg blue jacket is trimmed with antique lace, a porcelain bird button, crinkly ribbon trim and a sweet little crochet dangly thingie.

Look at all those yummy yummy layers of loveliness! Four layers of vintage and antique textiles were made into knickers, slips and a skirt. Oh and those sweet little wool felt shoes with the ribbon rosettes!! So charming, right?

And last, but certainly not least, Miss Amelia wears a simple snip of white silk ribbon around her lovely ears.

Miss Amelia Ruffleflounce is available for $265.00 (US) plus postage on Etsy. Please send along a note if you are interested or visit Etsy.

A little background: Long before mohair there was clay. Many of you don't know I designed figurines and dolls for Enesco, a giftware company, years and years ago. Back then I used Fimo or Sculpey to sculpt samples that would be reproduced for production. Just recently, I found the joy of working with Paperclay! Unlike the aforementioned products, Paperclay is a medium that requires me to get the lead out and just design already! There's not much mucking about with this stuff because it starts to set up fairly quickly. What I really, really love about this medium is the ability to make truly one of a kind pieces. This stuff has a mind of it's own in the drying process so each piece is absolutely one of a kind just in the sculpt. Add the fact that each piece is then handpainted and aged, and that each doll is dressed in antique and vintage finery.....well, you get the idea.

Thank you so very much for peeking in! I'd love it if you have a moment to leave a comment. Good, bad or indifferent. It's how, we as artists, grow. Keep in mind though, for bad comments, you get the evil eye and the bird of paradise will poo in your pansy patch. *wink*

Warmest bear hugs, Aleta

Moving along at warp speed!

Our sweet, sweet Miss Macey. She's almost three years old. Crazy!! She's doing great! I love this picture of her. It makes me think all she needs is ruby slippers. :)

Part of the reason for my absence is that I continue to be busy trying to keep up with Monticello Antique Marketplace as well as creating new designs for my collectors.

This brings me back to a time well before this blog was started. It actually takes me all the way back before mohair bears. At a time I was sculpting figurines for Enesco! Life has come full circle. I've returned to my love of sculpting to see if there is any interest. Only this time I'm sculpting with paperclay instead of Fimo or Sculpey. I'm having a grand time with the paperclay even though I have to work MUCH faster with it. A little sneak peek can be seen in the photo above and to the right. Dollies!! I'll be posting larger pictures soon.

Warmest bear hugs, Aleta