Teds 'n Such

New Bunny: Briar

2012-01-31T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I'm not working very quickly because I'm trying to balance work and the bears, but I'm trying to keep working as much as I can. I am trying to prepare for my first show of the year, which will be in Tampa, FL on Sunday, February 19th. Here is one of the pieces that I just finished. His name is Briar and he is an 8" rabbit made from an off-white alpaca. He has light topaz colored glass eyes with cream ultrasuede eyelids that have been hand shaded. He also has cream ultrasuede inner ears and feet that have also been shaded. He has a hand-stitched nose of pink perle cotton and his mouth and whiskers are made of a black perle cotton. He is fully jointed and stuffed with a mixture of polyester fiber and steel shot. He is available now for $80.

Thanks for taking the time to check him out!

Hugs,
TCD

BearBits Blog Giveaway (drawing on Jan 21)

2012-01-18T20:24:00.001-08:00

Hello!
Go to the bearbits blog and enter for Ginger's lovely giveaway of Bouton (pictured below). Enter quickly, as the deadline is on Jan 21st.

TCD

For the first time in many, many weeks... a new bear!

2012-01-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
A couple nights ago I finished this little guy and I just snapped some photos so that I could share him with you. I am proud to introduce my first new bear of 2012, Vinnie. Vinnie is a 9" baby bear made out of a hand tie-dyed alpaca using a grape/wine colored dye. His colors range from richer grape tones to lighter pinks. Vinnie has German black glass eyes and a hand-stitched nose of perle cotton. He has eggplant colored ultrasuede paw/foot pads and eyelids (his eyelids have been hand shaded and his paws/feet have soft-sculpted fingers and toes). Vinnie is fully jointed for poseability. Vinnie's name was chosen because in French and Italian the names for wine are Vin and Vino, respectively. Vinnie is available now for $90.
I hope you like this new little bear! Zac and I are working on a new project together which involves him making paper mache eggs... Hopefully I'll be able to show you some progress on this new project soon!

Hugs,
TCD

First post of the new year!

2012-01-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
The holidays are over now and I hope everyone's season was great! I was able to go home for a few days for Christmas to see my family and Zac and I went away to Disney World for New Year's! We've been back in Chicago for a few days and I just started back at school today. I never seem to get any teddy bear work done at this time of year with all of the traveling and get-togethers, but now is the time I get re-motivated.

I'm working on a new baby bear out of a hand dyed grape wine tie-dyed alpaca (I didn't actually use wine, that's just what the color of dye was called). I'm going to try to get him finished in the next day or two and then I'll share him with you! :)

Hugs,
TCD

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,
I've been quiet on here lately. I am still around, but I always find myself super busy this time of year and never have enough time to do anything bear related. I am on winter break now, and I did manage to get some work done on a new little bear, so maybe I'll be able to share her with you soon!

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Holidays! Enjoy this time of year and enjoy the people around you! I'm looking forward to going to see my family this weekend, and Zac and I are taking a trip to Orlando, FL over New Year's, so we're going to have a fun (and crazy) next two weeks. (Watch for pictures, especially if we're friends on Facebook. We will certainly upload our adventure.)

Thank you all for following my blog and for supporting me!

Hugs,
TCD

Special Thanksgiving Week Sale On My Website!

2011-11-19T22:02:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,
I have never done this before, but I decided to do a little sale on my website. It's a great time to start holiday shopping, whether it's for you or someone else, you can receive up to 20% off all of the available bears on my website right now. The sale is up now and will run for the next week, ending on Sunday, November 27th. Take advantage of these special prices for the holidays, as I don't usually mark down my pieces. I would like to find homes for these pieces so that I will be able to continue creating new pieces. If you're interested in any adopting any bears from my site, please e-mail me at tyler@tedsnsuch.com with your location and I will calculate your total with shipping.

Hugs,
TCD

Meet Peter!

2011-11-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

So, I just posted about another giveaway and realized that my blog has turned into giveaway central and thought that I should share an actual Teds 'n Such bear! Here is my newest bear, Peter.

Peter is a 12" traditional-style bear made of a golden distressed mohair. He has black glass eyes, a black handstitched nose of perle cotton, and golden ultrasuede paws and feet. He is stuffed with a mixture of polyester fiber and steel shot for weight. Peter is fully jointed and he has been hand shaded on his paws, feet, and around his eyes. Peter is currently available for $110 + S/H.

Enjoy! And watch for more bears coming soon :)

TCD

Yet another giveaway!

2011-11-15T16:33:00.001-08:00

Hello!
I have stumbled upon a giveaway for a fabulous baby dragon. Enter soon! The drawing is just two weeks away. Click here to see how to enter.

P.S. I will post a new bear soon! I'm not going to just post giveaways on here :)

Hugs,
TCD

Another Fantastic Giveaway!

2011-11-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

Hello!
My wonderful friend Cheryl Hutchinson is doing a giveaway on her blog for this fantastic little mouse and coffee cup. There are four ways to enter, so click here and go check it out!

Hugs,
TCD

New Rainbow Bear!

2011-11-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hello!

In my last post I mentioned that I was working on a new rainbow bear... and he's now finished just in time for me to take him to the show tomorrow. This is Raylin.

Raylin is a 14" bear made out a hand painted rainbow mohair in 7 different colors. He has black glass eyes with ultrasuede eyelids that have been hand shaded. His nose was hand-stitched out of a black perle cotton. Raylin has off-white ultrasuede toes that have been soft-sculpted and hand shaded. He is fully jointed and stuffed with a mixture of polyfil and steel shot for weight. I will have Raylin with me tomorrow at my last show of the year in Ann Arbor, MI.

I hope to see some of you at the show tomorrow!

Hugs,

TCD

Final Show of the Year!

2011-11-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hello!
This weekend I will be traveling to Ann Arbor, MI for my final show of the year! This is a great show every year that I've been going to for a long time. This show is being put on by Bright Star Promotions and will be open to the public from 9:30 - 3:00. Click here for a sneak preview of the artists that will be at the show and for information about the location of the show.

Below are a couple of new pieces that I will have with me at the show.

I have also been dyeing more fabric and I will have a brand new rainbow bear at the show. I used to make these bears with hand-dyed rainbow colors 6 - 7 years ago, but I ran out of the dyes to make the bears. I just recently found some online, ordered it, and dyed the fur. He's not done yet, but I'm planning to finish him before the show. You'll want to check him out :)

Hugs,
TCD

Christmas Bear Blog Giveaway (from Esther Lee)

2011-10-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I have just come across another blog giveaway. This one is themed for the holidays. You can enter by posting a link to her giveaway on your own blog and submitting a comment on her blog to show that you have done so. Go to http://estherbears.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-1st-blog-give-away.html to see more pictures of her bear!

Take the time to enter! Today I was notified that I am the lucky winner of Kelly Dauterman's little mouse that I recently posted about. :)

Hugs,
TCD

Adorable Mouse Blog Giveaway

2011-10-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to share this blog giveaway with you in the spirit of Halloween. This little mouse is being given away on Kelly Dauterman's Blondheart blog. If you're interested, enter quickly. The drawing will be on October 25th. Click here for more information.

Good luck!
TCD

For Real!

2011-10-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hello!
Here is the project that I have been working on... A 'realistic'-style bear. Please let me know what you think about him.

Wallace is a brand new, one of a kind design from Teds 'n Such!

Wallace is a 14" tall realistic-style bear. He is made out of a wonderful, dense tan plush with rusty brown tips/guard hairs. Wallace has German black glass eyes with leather eyelids that have been hand shaded. He also has leather paws and feet with soft-sculpted claws/toes that have been hand shaded. Wallace's nose has been needle felted out of black wool and has been sealed with a clear coat for protection and to give it a shiny, wet look. Wallace has hand-made black polymer clay claws on his paws and feet. Wallace has been stuffed with a combination of polyester fiber and steel shot. He is fully jointed for poseability. Wallace is currently available for $205.

Hugs,
TCD

A new project

2011-10-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hello!
All has been quiet for a while...

...because I am working on a new project. Something that I've never done before, but was inspired to do so by another artist's beautiful work. It's a bear, but more realistic than what I've done before.

I'll share him with you soon!

Tyler

Funny Find

2011-09-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Terrie Stong of Good Bears of the World was at the show in Kansas City this weekend and she decided to bring along this picture of me. Terrie is one of the first people I talked to when I was getting into the bear world and teddy bear shows and I met her at my first bear show which took place in Toledo, OH. This picture is of me next to my table at my first show. You can see a couple of my bears off to the right and I made the dragon that I am holding. I was probably about 15 at the time, so nearly 11 years ago. Wow, how time flies! (And changes your appearance... haha).

Hugs,
TCD

Off To Kansas City - Auction Piece

2011-09-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
It has been a while since I've posted. I haven't had as much time to work on bears lately because the school year has started and I've been giving a lot of time to my job, but I am heading away this weekend to the annual Kansas City Jubilee! The show is tomorrow, September 24th from 10AM - 4PM. Please visit http://www.teddybearjubilee.com for more information!

This year's theme is the magic of teddy bears. There is a banquet and charity auction for Good Bears of the World tonight and I made a special piece to go with the theme just for the auction. Let me introduce to you 'Houdini's Hat Trick':

The bunny's name is Dash (which was Houdini's brother's name). Dash is an 8" bunny made out of an ivory alpaca. He has light topaz colored eyes with tan ultrasuede eyelids, feet, and inner ears. His nose and whiskers are made of a brown perle cotton. He is fully jointed and wears a dark grey herringbone printed vest with a silver button. He is sitting in a black felt top hat. He comes with the white magician's glove which is pulling him from the hat and there is also a magician's wand handmade of clay with bead accents on the tip (not pictured).

I hope to see you this weekend!

TCD

Baby panda - Xiao-Ping

2011-09-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I would like to share with you my new little baby panda. His name is Xiao-Ping, meaning small peace. He is a 9" panda bear made of black and white alpaca. He has black glass eyes with white ultrasuede eyelids that have been hand shaded and he has a black hand-stitched nose. His paws and feet are made of black ultrasuede with soft-sculpted fingers/toes made of white perle cotton. Xiao-Ping has a soft-sculpted and shaded belly button. He is currently available for $95.

Hugs,
TCD

A new friend joins the Teds 'n Such family!

2011-08-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
I have been working on some new pieces since I got back from TBAI and I've been looking ahead to my next show. In September I will be going to Kansas City, MO for the Teddy Bear Jubilee. This year's theme is "The Magic of Teddy Bears" and every year I make a piece for the Good Bears of the World charity auction. For this year, I decided to design a new rabbit for the auction who is going to be accessorized to go with the theme. I really liked how he turned out, so I actually made a second rabbit. I would like to share that rabbit with you today.

This is Rupert. He is an 8" rabbit made from an ivory colored alpaca. He has light topaz colored eyes with tan ultrasuede eyelids that have been hand shaded. He also has tan ultrasuede feet. Rupert is fully jointed with cotterpin joints and he has a hand-stitched nose of perle cotton with perle cotton whiskers. He is stuffed with a mixture of polyester fiber and steel shot. Rupert has a hand-made vest in a brown houndstooth print with a brown wooden button and he can stand on his own due to the large size of his feet. Rupert is currently available for $85.

Please feel free to leave me a comment to let me know what you think!

Thanks,
TCD

TBAI - Show Review

2011-08-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
We have just arrived back home in Chicago after being away for a week. Zac and I took a road trip over to NY state for TBAI this year. Along the way, we made several stops, including Niagara Falls and we had a great time!

I wanted to share with you some pictures of my table from the show. We had a large variety with us this year. I had 28 different pieces that I made, plus several pieces of hand-dyed mohair available, along with new Teds 'n Such mouse pads, coffee mugs, and notebooks. Zachary has also been making jewelry, so we had several of his necklaces available.

We got to meet many new people and make new friends this year! Everyone that we met was friendly and it all just added up to a great weekend. We were at the show starting on Thursday night for the Gala. Then we went on a tour of a Victorian home and art museum in Binghamton during the day on Friday. Friday night was a reception where our gallery pieces were shown for the first time to the public, which was followed by a wonderful 5 course banquet. On Saturday was the show, where I'm happy to say that several of my pieces found new homes! Thank you to all of you who adopted a bear from me this weekend! When the show was over, there was a picnic at the Binghamton Zoo, but we weren't able to make it. We had to begin our drive back home. We're very sorry if we missed you at the picnic! We had originally planned to go, but had to rearrange our plans to accommodate for a 7 hour drive last night. This morning we drove the rest of the way back to Chicago and now we're home.

One more thing I would like to share with you: I met my friend Cheryl Hutchinson of Bingle Bears last year at TBAI. I was able to adopt one of her bears when I attended the Reunion in the Heartland convention in Clarion, IA last summer and quickly started talking to her online. This year, Cheryl was an exhibitor this year at the show. It was her very first time bringing her bears to a show. She makes wonderful bears and I was able to adopt one of them this weekend! Below is a picture of my new bear, Jeremy with his little teddy made by her daughter, Corrine, sitting with the bear I adopted last summer, Maxwell. You should check her out by following her blog: http://www.binglebears.com
Hugs,
TCD

And we're off!

2011-08-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

TBAI starts this Thursday and Zac and I are on our way to New York. We are taking a road trip this year and will be stopping for a couple days to go to New York City! Before we go, I wanted to give you all a preview of some of my new pieces that I will have at the show.

This is a picture of Thallo. This is the full fall-themed bear, which I previewed recently.

You can see more pictures of Thallo, along with a lot of other new creations on my website: http://www.tedsnsuch.com.

For more information on the show, head over to http://www.tbai.org

TCD

The Brand New tedsnsuch.com!

2011-08-02T21:10:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I wanted to share with you my brand new website! My husband, Zac, spent the last few days working his tail off the create a brand new site with a great new look! It's a whole Adobe flash-based website with great features and a new shopping cart and checkout which leads you directly to PayPal. He also started a portfolio with a collection of past work which is sure to expand as we get more photos of my older pieces. Please take a moment to check it out and let us know what you think!

http://www.tedsnsuch.com

(Watch for another update later in the week with a preview of what I'll have at TBAI!)

Hugs,
TCD

Working Away...

2011-07-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I've been busy working on new creations for TBAI (which is now just 2 weeks away) and I decided to start playing with dyes again this week. I dyed several different pieces, one of which is a golden/orange marbled alpaca. It inspired me to make a fall themed bear and I just finished him last night. I'm not going to share the whole piece yet, just his accessories. I found some great brown and gold ribbons, fall flowers, and a beautiful pendant with a little bird on it. I put it all together, and this is how it came out:

Keep watching for more previews as the show gets closer! If you would like some information about TBAI, just click here to read about this year's show.

TCD

Coming to Columbus!

2011-07-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I am getting ready to head to Columbus, OH this weekend for the 24th Annual teddy bear show, which is being put on by Bright Star Promotions. The show is this Sunday, July 24th from 10:00am - 3:00pm at the Concourse Inn by the airport. Click here for more details and to see a preview of the teddy bear artists that will be at the show!

I would like to give you a little preview of what I've been working on. Below are pictures of two pieces that I'll have with me at the show. The first is a new open-mouth dragon design. I haven't made a dragon in over a year, and I'm happy with how he turned out! The other item pictured is one of my new little monsters. They are fun little cuddly friends!I hope you are able to make it to the show! Below is a coupon for $1 off admission. Just print it off and bring it to the show!

Hugs,
TCD

Bears on Parade - Thank You (and onto my next show!)

2011-07-17T13:37:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all of you that visited the online show this weekend! I think the show was a success for everyone involved. I'm glad to say that a couple of my pieces found new homes!

While the show's been going on, I've been busy working on some more new pieces. I have another show one week from today in Columbus, OH. I've been going to this show for a long time (since I was in high school) and it never seems to disappoint. There is always a wonderful group of collectors and friends that I get to see! CLICK HERE to read more about the show and look for a preview and admission coupon later in the week!

Orion is available now for $155 plus S/H. You can adopt him by e-mailing me at tyler@tedsnsuch.com or you can see him in person next weekend in Columbus, OH!

Hugs!
TCD

Bears on Parade: Show Opens Today!

2011-07-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Today is the day that the Bears on Parade online show opens! The website will be available beginning today at 4PM EDT (which is less than an hour from now) and the show will be open until 4PM on Sunday, July 17th. I hope that you've enjoyed my previews of the pieces that I have available. When the show opens, you will be able to see all of the pieces that these accessories go with!

Go to the show page and check it all out: http://www.teddiesworldwide.com

Hugs,
TCD

Bears on Parade: 7 Days of Previews, Day 7

2011-07-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of previews before the show opens! Today's preview is a wonderful, sparkly tiara!

Reminder: The Bears on Parade show opens tomorrow, Friday, July 15th, at 4:00PM EDT. Go to http://www.teddiesworldwide.com to see the preview bears and be there tomorrow to see all of the fantastic pieces made specially for the show!

TCD

Bears on Parade: 7 Days of Previews, Day 6

2011-07-13T17:59:00.001-07:00

The show is just two days away! I'm getting very excited for you all to see the pieces that I've created. Today's preview is a fun and beautiful black and gold mask.

TCD

Bears on Parade: 7 Days of Previews, Day 4/5

2011-07-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

It seems that I missed a day in my set of previews, so I guess it's 2X Tuesday!

These two previews come from the same piece. I hope you enjoy them!

There are just a few days left before the show opens up! You can still go to the website and vote for your favorite bear in each category. Check it out at http://www.teddiesworldwide.com

TCD

Bears on Parade: 7 Days of Previews, Day 3

2011-07-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

The show is getting closer... and I've got another preview for you!

What on Earth is that, you might ask? A red nose of course. A bright red nose. What could I have put a red nose on? Take a guess, then find out on Friday when the show opens! :)

Remember to vote for your favorite preview bear at http://www.teddiesworldwide.com

TCD

Bears on Parade: 7 Days of Previews, Day 2

2011-07-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Again!
Yesterday you got a peek at a star relating to one of my pieces for the Bears on Parade online show that opens on Friday, July 15th. Today, I have a patriotic pin that is adorning one of the teddies. Enjoy the teaser, and be sure to keep an eye on the http://www.teddiesworldwide.com website!

Hugs,
TCD

Bears on Parade: 7 Days of Previews

2011-07-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hello!
We are now just one week away from the online show and I am proud to say that I have seven brand new pieces ready for the show! Since we have 7 days before the show and I have 7 pieces, I thought that I'd give you a little sneak peek at something relating to each piece every day leading up to the show. I cannot actually show you the pieces until the day the show opens, but you'll see some part/accessory of each piece. Here's your first preview:

And remember to visit the http://www.teddiesworldwide.com website to see all of the preview bears and vote for your favorite!

TCD

Bears on Parade: Preview Bear Rory

2011-07-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I'm very proud to introduce to you, Rory! Rory is one of the bears that will be available starting two weeks from today for the Teddies Worldwide Bears on Parade online show!

Please follow this link to learn more about the show, see the other preview bears, and vote for your favorite in the collector's choice award! (and please feel free to comment on Rory here on my blog).
Rory is a 7" baby bear practicing to become a drummer in the Teds' n Such marching band. He is made out of a medium brown mohair with brown ultrasuede paws and feet. He has German black glass eyes with ultrasuede eyelids, a black hand-stitched nose of perle cotton, and soft-sculpted fingers and toes. Rory is fully jointed and he comes with a set of drumsticks and a 1960's Ohio Art Co. tin drum decorated with images of bears playing various instruments

Bear Hugs!
TCD

Bears on Parade: Preview Opens Tomorrow!

2011-06-30T08:12:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Tomorrow, Friday, July 1st at 4PM EDT the preview page for the Bears on Parade online show will open. Here you will be able to see one preview piece from each of the 75 artists participating, including my preview piece which goes with my last post. I will also post a picture of my preview bear here on my blog tomorrow with a link to the preview page.

For more information about the show, please follow the link below:
http://www.teddiesworldwide.com/

First Preview

2011-06-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I've been slowly working and brainstorming my pieces for the upcoming online show. I have one bear finished and another one almost done (I'd say that I've done about 3/4 of the work on him). So that still leaves me with 3 1/4 bears left to complete! I better get busy!

I wanted to take a moment to share this piece with you. I can't actually show you any of the bears for the show until the actual show date, but I thought I'd give you a preview of an accessory that I purchased to go with one of my pieces. It is a vintage (1960's) tin toy drum with little bears on the side playing different musical instruments. I thought it was perfect to fit in with the parade theme!

More previews to come!

Hugs,
TCD

Bears on Parade

2011-06-12T17:08:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone,
In a little over a month, I'll be participating in an online show produced by Back Roads Events/Teddies Worldwide with the theme of 'Bears on Parade'. I've been so busy with school that I just haven't had the time to work on bears; however, school is nearly over and I've started planning the bears that I'm going to be making exclusively for the show. I have some ideas relating to the theme, but I thought I'd ask you, my collectors and fans, what do you want to see from me? What can you think of relating to a parade theme that I could possibly recreate? I'm open to your ideas and suggestions. Feel free to comment on this post, and watch my blog for updates with new bears and more details about the online show!

Hugs,
Tyler

Coming soon to a city near you!

2011-05-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
I know I've been quiet on here lately. I've been so busy with work that I haven't had much time to sew lately. My school does two week arts integrated units and we just had our performance on Friday. We did a big show combining simple machines and the county fair. My class did a choreographed dance relating to the wheel and axle. I'm so proud of all of their hard work and we had many compliments from parents and teachers on how well we did! :)

Now that we have completed our unit, I will have time to get back to the fur, which is perfect timing because I have a show next weekend! I will be traveling down to Indianapolis, IN for a wonderful gallery show by Bright Star Promotions. It would be great if you could join me and the other artists. The show runs from 10 - 3 and it's located at the Holiday Inn North (by the Pyramids). Click here to check out who will be at the show and for more details.

I will post a preview with a couple of my newer pieces in the days to come!

Have a great day and enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day weekend!
TCD

Doll & Toy Show

2011-05-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I am going to be at the Kane County Fairgrounds this Sunday for a Doll and Toy show (this is out in St. Charles, IL). This is the first time I'm doing this show. It seems to be a popular show and it looks like there will be a lot of exhibitors. I haven't taken my bears to a non-bear show for many years. It would be great if you could make it out. I have new bears and sock monkeys that I will be taking. I will also be debuting my brand new little monsters this weekend. These are little monster friends made of cuddly fleece with button eyes. They're made in silly shapes and fun colors. I'll share them here on my blog soon. For more information on the show, check out their website: http://www.chicagotoyshow.com/

TCD

FLASHBACK! Eleanor the Elephant

2011-04-23T18:44:00.001-07:00

Hello!
I've been digging through some old pictures of my creations. I've been making bears for 12 years and I've made many different types of bears and other animals. I've decided to share some of them with you every now and then (I'll try to do it once a week). First up is Eleanor. Eleanor was my first elephant design ever. She's made of a great gray and purple tie-dyed mohair with a bow of a similar color. She's special because she made it into an issue of Teddy Bear and Friends, which caused me to develop a couple more of her by special order. (This original Eleanor was a special piece for my grandmother, who collects elephants.)

Have a nice weekend! (And Happy Easter to those who celebrate!)
TCD

Monkeying Around... and Website Update!

2011-04-21T21:49:00.001-07:00

Hello!
As promised, I've been working on some new pieces this week! I went to Indiana for a few days of my spring break and went sock shopping, so included in this update are my two newest sock monkeys! I was in search of bright, patterned, and fun socks and I think I found them! Please meet Cici and Pauly:
Along with being a busy (sewing) bee this week, I've also taken the time to make a (long overdue) update to my website. You can now see EVERY item that I currently have available, so it's like being able to walk right into my studio and view my work. I have also updated my list of shows for this year, so you can see where I will be next. Please head on over there to check it out. You'll see several bears featured on my blog along with a couple never before seen bears (look for Dominic, Faunus, and Koemi to name a few).

Click Here For The Teds 'n Such Website

As always, comments are warmly welcomed!

TCD

Rohan on Bear Pile

2011-04-16T08:12:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I've just listed my little unicorn Rohan on Bear Pile. Rohan is a 7.5" unicorn made out of an off-white mohair. He has a white plush mane and tail. His eyes are a gorgeous blue and he has cream ultrasuede eyelids on the top and bottom of the eyes. His magnificent 3" long horn was hand sculpted from clay and painted and sealed in a gold color. He is fully (5-way) jointed and he is stuffed with silky polyester fiber and steel shot for weight. Click here to see his listing.

Hugs,
TCD

So Proud!

2011-04-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I just received the newest issue of Teddy Bear Review in the mail today. They did a feature on male teddy bear artists called 'Fellowship of the Fur' and guess who was included? Me! :) This is the first time I've ever been featured in an article in a teddy bear magazine and it's so exciting! I have three pictures in the article. There is one of a fairy bear named Jordan, a green plush bear named Orrin, and I am pictured with Riley (see below). Check it out! It's a neat article and I couldn't be happier :)

In other news... I'm back on Bear Pile and I've just listed Riley this evening. Click here to check his listing out! Update: Riley has been adopted.

Have a great evening/weekend!
TCD

Cutting away and a new show!

2011-04-12T17:36:00.001-07:00

Hello!
I would first like to thank everyone who made it to the Schaumburg show on Sunday. It was a good show for me and several of my pieces found new homes and many were to new collectors! Now that the show is over, what do I do? Look to the next one! My next bear show isn't until the beginning of June, but I'm already trying to plan and work for it now. I've already been cutting and have the fur flying! Next week is my Spring Break from school, so I'm trying to get a few things ready to be worked on and completed next week! I'll start sharing them as I finish them!

In other news, I'm excited to announce that I will be participating the 'Bears on Parade' online show. The show doesn't start until July 15th, but I will be creating at least 5 new pieces to go with the show, so I'm going to need to start planning them out in the near future! At least one of them should go with the parade theme... What should I make? We'll see what I come up with.

Take care,
TCD

Bears, Monkeys, Koalas, Elephants... It's a Zoo!

2011-04-07T19:29:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I will be traveling to Schaumburg, IL for the Windy City Spring Fling show put on by Bright Star Promotions this Sunday. This is now the only all teddy bear show in the area and it would be great if you could make it to the show! The show is from 10 - 3 and is located at the Schaumburg Radisson. Click here to see a preview of the show and for the address and more information.

Below is a preview of some of my newest creations that I'll have at the show.

On the top left is Eldora the elephant. To her right is my second sock monkey, Kiki. Below her is my brand new koala design named Yuca. To his left is a new bear named Brendan and in the middle peeking through is one of my baby bears named Kalin (who was posted previously).

Hugs,
TCD

Guess what I'm working on next...MONKEYS!

2011-03-24T18:08:00.001-07:00

The beginning of a new design.... Sock Monkeys!

I decided to try out a sock monkey this weekend. I made one a couple of years ago from a pattern and thought it was cute, but haven't given them much thought since. Zachary's been trying to get me to make them for him because he thinks sock monkeys are cute and I like them, so I finally decided to give it a go. So, above is the materials I bought from Michael's on Thursday. I didn't have a pattern for my creation, just a crazy thought in my head and I think I'm going to keep it that way. I just cut freely into the sock to make the pieces, sewed those pieces and put him all together. This free cutting will allow for individuality in each piece that I make. I think he turned out quite fun, although he is a bit crazy with the eyes. Here is my first sock monkey, Yalo.

Hugs!
TCD

New Baby Bear!

2011-03-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I haven't taken the time to do an official photo shoot lately, but I wanted to share this picture I took on my phone of my newest baby bear. His name is Kalin. He is 7" tall and made of a hand-dyed, marbled purple mohair. He has violet ultrasuede paws, feet and eyelids. He has German black glass eyes, a hand-stitched nose of black perle cotton, and sculpted fingers and toes. Kalin is fully jointed and he has a little belly button that's been hand shaded. (Kalin is available now for $70)

Have a happy weekend!
TCD

Two Brand New Designs!

2011-03-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,
I've been busy lately with school work. For some reason, I always procrastinate when it comes to grading papers. It's probably because I want to do other things like making bears, but last week I had to sit down and grade, grade, grade to catch up. However, I had a long weekend and I was able to sit down and come up with two totally brand new designs and I would like your feedback!

In my last post I gave a hint to a secret project that I'm working on for my TBAI gallery piece. I have made the teddy bear that will soon become said gallery piece. He is much slimmer than my typical bears and I made his snout thinner as well. Here he is:

I also created a new baby design and this little guy's name is Dalton. He has a fat, four piece body with shortened limbs, a shorter, more round muzzle, and a cute belly button. Here is Dalton:

Please let me know what you think of the new designs! Do you like one more than the other? Is there anything specific that you like/don't like?

Have a great week!
TCD

Secret Project...

2011-02-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!
My trip to Tampa was quick, but fun. I did get to relax by the pool near my grandma's on Saturday afternoon and the show was pretty good for me on Sunday. Overall it was a good trip and it was nice to get away from the cold. Unfortunately, I came back to snow, but I just have to keep in mind that Spring is officially just a month away.

Anyway, I am going to be working on a new project. I am going to start on my gallery piece for the 2011 TBAI. This year, we have the opportunity to submit our pieces to be included in a preview article for Teddy Bear and Friends and the deadline is coming up in March, so I want to make sure that I can participate in that. This year's theme for TBAI is going to be Treasures of the World and I can't give you any specific details on what I'm doing yet, but here's an idea...

I'll try to keep you updated on its progress.

Have a happy week!
TCD

Venturing out of the cold...

2011-02-12T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I will be emerging from the cold, windy city next weekend for Teds 'n Such's first show of the year! My mom and I will be flying down to Tampa, FL to participate in Bright Star Promotions' 600th show! From what I hear, the Tampa show is fabulous and there will be 40+ artists (including myself) coming out for the day. This is my first time traveling to Florida for a show and I'm very excited. If you live in the area, hopefully you can make it! The show is taking place on Sunday, February 20th from 10:00am - 3:00pm. Click here to see the list of artists coming and for more information. You can even get tickets for early bird shopping off of the site!

Right now I have 13 1/2 + 1/2 bears for the show... What are the two halves for? Unfinished bears that I am hoping to have completed by next weekend. I am working on a fun new panda with this really interesting green marbled wool felt used on his eyelids, toes, and paws. He should be done this week. I also have another bear that I started back in the fall and I've decided to change him up a little bit. Hopefully I can find the time to finish them and get to 15 bears before the show!

I will be doing a little photo shoot with all of the bears that I currently have available this week. I am trying to get into a feature article in a teddy bear magazine about male teddy bear artists and I need to get some photos to submit. This also means that I have some (hopefully) quality shots to share with you before I head down to Tampa, so look out for a show preview this week!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
TCD

New Bears!

2011-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I have been quite quiet around here lately. It's not that I'm not working on bears, it's because I just haven't had a chance to take pictures. My first problem was that I had misplaced my camera. I had even started a search for a new camera when I finally found my old one. Then we had the awful blizzard here (see last post) and I just haven't been able to get these pictures going. I did take some snapshots today and they give you an idea of what I've been working on. I purposefully took them at angles and close-ups because I have yet to break out the airbrush and do the finishing details on a couple of them. I love to hear feedback, so please feel free to comment and let me know what you think.

On the left is Riley, named by one of you! (Thanks for the suggestion!) On the top right is a yet-to-be-named fairy bear. Below that one is a new anime bear and on the bottom right is my version of a 'traditional' bear (but he's still in a non-traditional color!)

Warm wishes from a cold, and again snowy, Chicago!
TCD

SNOW! The Chicago blizzard of 2011

2011-02-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!
I just thought I'd share some fun/crazy pictures of our blizzard here that hit Tuesday night and continued through Wednesday.

I guess the snow was so bad that they couldn't use normal plows...?

I tried to squeeze into my car to start it and ended up covered in snow.

We took our dogs for a walk and the snow was piled higher than our 60 lb. dog!

We had a little time off too. It's the first time Chicago Public Schools has canceled since 1999. I took advantage of the time and worked on some new bears. I got one completed and one is on the way. I'm hoping to take some pictures this weekend and share!

Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog!
Tyler

Sneak preview... and a request for help.

2011-01-17T20:16:00.001-08:00

Working full time as a teacher takes up a lot of my time. I love my job working with children. It just seems as though I spend a lot of time planning for school lessons, activities, and grading (the end of the quarter is quickly approaching). So, when I can work on bears it just seems to take a long time. I embroider a nose one night, then sew footpads another, and eventually it all comes together. Well, I've been working on this guy for over a week now and he's almost complete. I'm really liking how he has turned out, so I wanted to share with you his face. I'm hoping that tomorrow night I will be able to put him together. He still has some finishing touches left, such as soft-sculpting claws/toes on his paws and feet and shading with the airbrush. I'll post the finished product as soon as he's ready! In the mean time, I could use some help in naming him. Do you have any suggestions?

Have a happy week!
TCD

Here it is... the elusive unicorn!

2011-01-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

I received the unicorn horn in the mail yesterday and I promptly finished this new design! I am proud to present the first ever Teds 'n Such unicorn, Rohan.

Rohan is a 7.5" unicorn made out of an off-white mohair. He has a white plush mane and tail. His eyes are a gorgeous blue and he has cream ultrasuede eyelids on the top and bottom of the eyes. His magnificent 3" long horn was hand sculpted from clay and painted and sealed in a gold color. He is fully (5-way) jointed and he is stuffed with silky polyester fiber and steel shot for weight.

Rohan is currently available. Please contact me for information.

Please let me know what you think of him!

Best Wishes,
Tyler

Unicorn update...

2011-01-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I mentioned wanting to make a unicorn. Well, I have started working on him/her. I drew out a pattern and have cut everything out. I've prepared the pieces for sewing and I've gone on to complete the head... except for one important detail. The horn. It wouldn't be a unicorn without a horn. My initial thought was to make my own horn for him/her, so I started looking around on Etsy to get ideas. After some searching, I decided that it's best to purchase a horn and I found an excellent vendor on Etsy who has actually custom-made a horn for me for this project! Below is a picture of some unicorn horn earrings that she made. The one she made for me is going to be similar, but without the earring part :)

I think that I'll have the unicorn ready later this week. I'll be sure to post pictures when he/she is finished!

Best Wishes,
Tyler

IDEAS!

2010-12-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!
I hope that you are all having a happy holiday season! I'm on break right now from school which is giving me a few days to just sit and brainstorm to come up with some new ideas. I have many different things that I'm thinking about, but I should have some new pieces coming out soon. The first thing that I'm thinking about is... a UNICORN! :)

I found this cool picture online. I'm using it for inspiration; however, the final piece will probably look nothing like this. :)

Be on the lookout for this new member of Teds 'n Such coming soon!

Hugs,
Tyler

Carey the Cat!

2010-11-19T14:28:00.001-08:00

I have been focusing a lot more on bears lately than anything else, so I thought it was time for me to take a break from the teddies and make some different animals. I recently finished a new elephant and cat. The elephant (Ellery) sold at a show in Ann Arbor, MI, but I have the cat (Carey) available now! :)

Carey is an 8.5" fat cat made from a gray and white striped plush. He has green glass cat eyes with black ultrasuede eyelids and a black hand embroidered nose of perle cotton. He is stuffed with the finest polyester fibers and steel shot. He is fully (5-way) jointed for poseability. Carey is available now for $80. Contact me for details.

New Bear Orrin... and giveaway update!

2010-11-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
I have a new bear that I'd like to share with you. His name is Orrin and he's a 12 inch teddy bear made out of a super soft taupe french plush with green tips. He has painted yellow and brown eyes with tan ultrasuede eyelids. He has a handstitched nose of brown perle cotton and he is fully (5-way) jointed. He has soft-sculpted ultrasuede toes that have been hand shaded along with shading around his eyes. Orrin is available now for $135.

Today is a day of second chances when it comes to my blog giveaway. I'm sad to say that one of my winners never responded to my messages, so I have decided to draw for a new winner. The new winner will be contacted today and I hope to post the list of winners soon! Thank you all again for entering and for your continued support!

Hugs,
Tyler

The winners have been drawn...

2010-10-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hello! I have drawn the winners for my blog/facebook giveaway. The winners will be contacted soon and I will announce the list after I hear back from the winners!

Thank you all so much for following my blog and joining my Facebook group! I appreciate your support.

Hugs,
Tyler

Last Chance To Enter Giveaway!

2010-10-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

**This week is your last chance to enter my blog/Facebook giveaway! Follow the directions below to be entered into the drawing. I will be drawing the winners this Saturday, October 30th.**

Become a follower on our blog or join our group on Facebook and immediately be placed in a drawing for one of our latest designs. By joining both you will receive TWO FREE ENTRIES! Earn a bonus entry by advertising our giveaway on your blog. (E-mail us at tyler@tedsnsuch.com with a link to your blog to earn your bonus entry.)

1. Preston is a 10" bear made out of a golden mohair with rusty brown tips. He has black glass eyes with wool felt eyelids and a hand-stitched brown nose. Preston's paws and foot pads have been done in a reverse trapunto style with raised paws and toes. Preston has airbrushing around his paws/feet, around his eyes and his nose. Preston comes with a collar made of wooden beads and rustic bells.

2. The “Squishy” of your choice (in stock). We will send you a picture of all our available “Squishies” and you will get to hand pick your new adopted friend.

3. A 15% off coupon for any online or upcoming show purchase.

If you are interested in joining our e-mail list or traditional mailing list, please e-mail us at tyler@tedsnsuch.com with your name and information.

Finally a new bear!

2010-10-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hello!
It took me a little over two weeks to piece this bear together between doing work for school and my own school work for college, but here he is! His name is Azure because of the beautiful blue and purple that appears in his fur.

Azure is a 14" bear made out of a beautiful purple french plush with blue tips. He has black glass eyes and a hand-stitched black nose. Azure's toes have been soft sculpted out of a blue wool felt. He is fully jointed with disk/cotterpin joints and stuffed with polyester fiber and steel shot. Azure has been adopted.

Blog Giveaway! (Enter for your chance to win one of three prizes!)

2010-10-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

Teds ‘n Such wants to make you a “Groupie”. Become a follower on our blog or join our group on Facebook and immediately be placed in a drawing for one of our latest designs. By joining both you will receive TWO FREE ENTRIES! Earn a bonus entry by advertising our giveaway on your blog. (E-mail us at tyler@tedsnsuch.com with a link to your blog to earn your bonus entry.)

2. The “Squishy” of your choice (in stock). We will send you a picture of all our available “Squishies” and you will get to hand pick your new adopted friend.

3. A 15% off coupon for any online or upcoming show purchase.

Drawing will take place on Saturday, October 30th.

We look forward to hearing from you!!!!

If you are interested in joining our e-mail list or traditional mailing list, please e-mail us at tyler@tedsnsuch.com with your name and information.

P.S. Don’t be shy. We love feedback on all our online accounts. Tell us what you love, what you want to see, and how many times you smiled while browsing through our friends.

Golly Gee!

2010-09-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I have some new creations available and I am very excited to be able to present them to you! First up is Rupert. Rupert is a 9.5" teddy bear made out of a brown schulte mohair. He has black glass eyes, dark brown wool felt paws and foot pads, and a hand-stitched nose made of black perle cotton. Rupert is fully jointed with disk/cotterpin joints and he is firmly stuffed with polyester fiber and steel shot for weight. Rupert is available for $85.

Now, for something brand new to the Teds 'n Such family! I have made many teddy bears and all other kinds of animals including dragons, dogs, cats and elephants, but I have never before made anything resembling a human figure. While I was out in New York at TBAI a few weeks ago, I was challenged to make a doll or a golly. I wasn't sure how I felt about this, but I decided that it might be fun to do something different. So, here they are! I have created two gollies named Toby and Owen. I love them both and hope that you will love them as well! My gollies are available for $50 each.

Something new (but old)!

2010-08-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Time is quickly running out and the new school year will be starting soon. I am teaching at a school in Chicago which is considered to be on 'Regular' track in Chicago. This track has students beginning on the day after Labor Day. So in this short amount of time, I am trying to make some new designs before the craziness of the school year begins.

For quite some time, I have been considering the possibility of designing an antique/traditional style bear. As most of you know, my creations are not traditional. I tend to lean toward whimsical, contemporary and anime designs, but I have finally taken the plunge and designed a new, old style bear! I created a pattern with a slimmer muzzle in the head piece to look more like the teddies of the past, and he has a four piece body, which makes him hefty (and cute, in my opinion).

Here is my new design Franklin:
Franklin is a 12" teddy bear made out of a honey tan swirly and distressed mohair. He has black glass eyes, medium brown wool felt paws and foot pads, and a hand-stitched nose made of black perle cotton. Franklin is fully jointed with disk/cotterpin joints and he is firmly stuffed with polyester fiber and steel shot for weight. Franklin is available now for $110.

Please let me know what you think of this new design. I would love to hear feedback of any kind! :)

Tyler

Become a Teds 'n Such Groupie! (And you could win Preston!)

2010-08-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

Do you want to be a “Groupie?” In today’s technological world there are many ways to support a cause, shop online, or just simply follow one of your favorite artists and their work. Well my friends, you’re in luck. Teds ‘n Such now how the ability for you to do all three and here’s how:

1. Support a Cause- Periodically throughout the year, Teds ‘n Such will be holding promotions in conjunction with an opportunity for your purchase to impact various charities. Not only will you be receiving a hand-crafted artist creation, but you will also be supporting those in need through your purchase.

2. Teds ‘n Such is regularly updating its website and blog with adoptable bears and friends. By visiting the site you may place an order directly or contact Tyler about visiting a piece during an upcoming show. Don’t see what you want??? Teds ‘n Such has created one of a kind pieces, specialty dyed mohair, and custom orders for everything from weddings to Tiffany & Co.

3. To keep in touch with our collectors and fans, Teds ‘n Such is making a commitment to maintain an up-to-date website (www.tedsnsuch.com), blog (http://tedsnsuch.blogspot.com/), and Facebook (search Teds ‘n Such). Become our friend/follower and receive new and exciting discounts, updates, and unbeatable offers!

With all that said, let’s get to the good stuff. Teds ‘n Such wants to make you a “Groupie”. Become a follower on our blog or join our group on Facebook and immediately be placed in a raffle for one of our latest designs. By joining both you will receive TWO FREE ENTRIES! To better your chances we will be selling raffle tickets for $1 a piece, $5 for 6, or $20 for 25. By purchasing raffle tickets, you will be supporting a great cause. 50% of the money raised from the sale of raffle tickets will be donated to Good Bears of the World, "a non-profit organization that provides teddies to children of all ages where love, solace and comfort can make a difference."

2. The “Squishy” of your choice (in stock). We will send you a picture of all our available “Squishies” and you will get to hand pick your new adopted friend.

3. A 15% off coupon for any online or upcoming show purchase.

Drawing will take place on Saturday, October 23rd.

We look forward to hearing from you!!!!

Keep an eye out on September 1st for your next big chance to be a groupie!

P.S. Don’t be shy. We love feedback on all our online accounts. Tell us what you love, what you want to see, and how many times you smiled while browsing through our friends.

Website Update and New Creations!

2010-08-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I have just finished updating my website. I have reworked the design to be similar to the design of this blog and I have included several new creations. I have a brand new style available. Each of these bears has eyelids and reverse trapunto paws and feet. All of my new bears have also been accented with shading using the airbrush that I purchased at the end of June. Please check out the website and let me know what you think. Below is a preview of the new style that I have available!

Damien

Henry

Hui Ying

Coming Soon...

2010-08-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I am preparing to go to TBAI in Binghamton, NY for the first time! I have several new bears that I'll have with me and I'm very excited. The show is next weekend on Saturday, August 14th. For more information, visit the TBAI website.

The theme for the show this year is Children's Classics and I the story that I chose for my gallery piece is the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I cannot show you all the whole piece, but I wanted to give you an idea of what it will look like!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope to see you at the show next weekend. :)

Tyler

New Teaching Job (and upcoming show)

2010-07-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, in June I was displaced from my teaching position because of a drop in enrollment at my school. Since then I have been looking and applying for positions in Chicago and I am happy to say that I will be working at Walt Disney Magnet School on Chicago's north side. This school of excellence provides an arts and technology integrated curriculum to a diverse population of Chicago students. I am going to now be working with 6th grade students beginning in September!

In other news... I have been working on some new things for my upcoming show. I will be traveling to Columbus, OH this next weekend. The show is on Sunday, July 25th from 10:00 - 3:00 at the Concourse Inn (4300 International Gateway). This is a great show and I hope to see you there!

Please check back soon for a peek at the new pieces I will have at the show!

4th of July!

2010-07-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Independence Day! During the day, Zac and I took my niece Larissa, who was visiting this weekend, to the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Nature Museum. The zoo added a beautiful nature boardwalk around a pond with a bunch of local wildlife. We stopped at the new pavilion and snapped a photo.

It was a great day and we had a ton of fun! Later on in the evening we took a trip down to the beach to watch the fireworks. This is the first time since moving up here that we've gone out to see the fireworks and it was great!

Enjoy your week! I hope to get some work done on a new bear and I will share him/her when I'm done.

Summer in Chicago... and Adama the Bear!

2010-07-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hello!
It's been quite some time since I have posted on here and I am going to make an attempt to post more often. Today, I would like to share a couple of things with you. First off, I have successfully completed my first year as a teacher in Chicago Public Schools! This year I was working in a year-round school and our school year ended on Wednesday, June 30th. This year I worked with 8th grade students teaching mathematics and writing. I am so happy with the work I did this year, but I am also happy to have a little time off. Here is a picture of Zac and I out last weekend. We are standing in front of Buckingham Fountain in Chicago. We attended the Taste of Chicago and had tons of fun (and ate too much food!)

The second thing is that I have been trying out some new techniques and I have a brand new design to present. His name is Adama. Adama is a 14" teddy bear made out of a brown Schulte mohair. Adama has green glass eyes with wool felt eyelids that have been hand shaded and he has a hand-stitched nose made out of a brown perle cotton. Adama's paws and foot pads have been done in trapunto style with separate raised paws and fingers/toes that been airbrushed with dark brown shading. He also has airbrushing around his eyes and nose. Adama has a collar made out of raffia and various ribbons in animal prints and he comes with a magical wooden staff with a pendant and beading.

Adama, along with two more of my creations, Winston the Dog and Poseidon the Bear, are up for voting in the annual URSA awards presented by the Bears and Buds online magazine. Please take a moment to see all of the lovely nominees and place your vote in the competition!

http://cyberdendesigns.com/URSA-2010/Category1.htm

Gwyn the Spring Fairy

2010-03-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce Gwyn. Gwyn is a 10" fairy bear made of a tan swirly mohair. She has black glass eyes, a handstitched brown nose, and soft-sculpted toes that have been handshaded. She is fully jointed and stuffed with a mixture of polyester fiber and steel shot. Gwyn has green and blue wings and green antenna. Gwyn is available for $95.

St. Louis Teddy Bear Show - And... Introducing Poseidon

2010-03-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! This Saturday I will be going to St. Louis, MO for a Teddy Bear Artist Gallery Show. The show runs from 10 - 3 and it will be located at the Holiday Inn Viking Convention Center at 10709 Watson Rd. Click here to see the list of artists participating and click here for $1 off admission to the show.

At the show, I will be debuting this new design Poseidon. Poseidon is a 12" teddy bear made of a hand-dyed mohair in sea green and teal blue. He has black glass eyes, a hand-stitched nose in purple and teal, and soft-sculpted toes. He is fully jointed and stuffed with a mixture of polyester fiber and steel shot. Poseidon comes with a 'sea box'. The box is painted in sea blue with blue and pearl glitter. The box is filled and covered with sand, seashells and seaweed. Poseidon also has a trident made of seashells and glass beads.

Rylan

2009-11-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

Rylan is an 8" teddy bear made of a white mohair with a black backing. He has blue glass eyes that were hand-painted with glitter and purple paint. He has a hand-stitched nose in a silvery gray color and he is fully jointed. Rylan is stuffed with the finest polyester and bamboo fibers and steel shot. He is currently available for $75.

Frankie!

2009-11-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

Frankie is a 9.5" panda made of lime green and black mohair. He has black glass eyes and a hand-stitched nose that has been striped in black and purple. He is fully jointed and he is stuffed with silky polyester fiber and steel shot. He comes with a Buddha charm necklace. He is available now for $95.

Winston the Dog

2009-11-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

I would like to introduce to you Winston the Dog. He is a 9.5" dog made out of a brown/gold/white Japanese mohair. He has black glass eyes, a hand-stitched black nose, hand-sculpted mouth and he is fully jointed. Winston is stuffed with the finest polyester fibers and steel shot for weight. Winston is available now for $90.

Wesley!

2009-11-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

Wesley is a 9" teddy bear made out of a super soft Belgian plush that is off-white with dark blue tips. He has black glass eyes, a hand-stitched black nose, and he is fully jointed. He is stuffed with a silky polyester fiberfil and steel shot. Wesley has soft-sculpted toes. He is available now for $95.

Introducing... Peter

2009-11-01T17:06:00.000-08:00

Peter is a 12" teddy bear made out of a straight peach mohair. He has black glass eyes, a hand-stitched brown nose, and he is fully jointed. He is stuffed with silky polyester fiberfil and steel shot. He is wearing a white and brown vest. Peter has soft-sculpted toes and foot pads. Peter is available now for $125.

Kuroi the Anime Bear

2009-10-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Kuroi is a 6.5" Anime style teddy bear made from a blue and white mohair with a black backing. He has black glass eyes and a black needle felted nose. He is stuffed with the finest polyester fibers and steel shot. He is fully (5-way) jointed for poseability. Kuroi's name means denim, which his coloring reminded me of. He is available now for $50.

Introducing... Buster!

2009-10-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hello! The first new bear that I am going to introduce is Buster. Buster is a 9.5" bear made of a dark blue kid mohair. He has black glass eyes, a hand-stitched nose with yellow and orange striping, and he is fully jointed. He is stuffed with silky polyester fiberfil and steel shot. He is currently available for $95.

New Bears Coming Soon!

2009-10-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I have been working on some new creations and I will be posting them in the next few days. To give you a little preview, here is Eli the blue elephant. He is currently available for $70. E-mail me if you are interested :)

Hugs,
Tyler

Bright Star Teddy Bear Show in Schaumburg

2009-10-10T21:08:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I will be in Schaumburg, IL tomorrow for a teddy bear show. It is taking place at the Schaumburg Marriott Hotel from 9:30AM - 3:00PM. I have been working on some new creations and I hope that you can make it!

Click here for the list of artists

Hugs,
Tyler

Kansas City Teddy Bear Jubilee

2009-10-01T20:35:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone! It's been a while since I posted on here. My summer was busy with teaching and getting my education. I have had some time to work on some new pieces and I will be in Kansas City this weekend at the Teddy Bear Jubilee. Please come visit, it would be great to see you!

For more information, visit the site at: http://www.teddybearjubilee.com

Above is the auction piece that I have made. The auction takes place on Friday at 7:00 pm.

New Adventure in my Life!

2009-06-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

After working for 8 months at BigMachines, a company specializing in streamlined sales software, I have decided to leave and seek out a new venture. Earlier this year I looked into and applied to the Chicago Teaching Fellows program. This program is an alternative certification program designed to help qualified individuals become classroom teachers in Chicago Public Schools. About 2,000 people applied and I was one of just 120 that was accepted into this year's cohort.

I am very excited to begin my certification process. My program begins on Monday, June 8th and this summer's sessions for me will run through August 8th. At that point I will have my Provisional/Temporary Certificate, so I can begin teaching this fall. Then, during my first year of teaching I will continue taking classes 1 - 2 nights per week and next August I will have my official full time teaching certificate. It's a great program and a great opportunity for me to pursue a career that I've always been interested in. Wish me luck!

Hugs,
Tyler

Hanna the Pug

2009-05-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I wanted to share with you Hanna the Pug. Hanna was made as a special commission for Joy in Fort Wayne, IN. Hanna is a 7" pug made out of an off-white alpaca. She has an entirely needle-felted face out of black and white wool. She also has needle felted toes. Hanna has black glass eyes, she's stuffed with silky polyester fiber and steel BBs, and she is fully (5-way) jointed. Thanks for having a look!

Teds 'n Such Featured on ArtsyBeat.com

2009-05-07T08:54:00.001-07:00

I am honored to be featured this week on ArtsyBeat.com. Follow the link below to read the article.

http://www.artsybeat.com/artisan-spotlight-tyler-crain-of-tedsn-such/
http://www.artsybeat.com

Take Care!
Tyler Crain

Henry the Pig

2009-05-03T15:19:00.001-07:00

Introducing... Henry the Pig! This is the first pig that I have ever created. He was done as a special project for my mom, Cindy, for Mother's Day. (I know I'm a week early, but I gave him to her already.) Henry is a 7" pig make out of a short, sparse pink mohair. He has needle felted eyelids, cheeks and a snout. These were all made of a darker pink wool. He is fully jointed and stuffed with silky polyester fiber and steel shot. He also has a little curly wired tail. :)

I love Spring! Introducing Zada the Spring Fairy

2009-04-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I just love Spring. It finally begins to warm up outside and the beautiful flowers begin to bloom. The season inspired me to create a Spring Fairy. Let me introduce to you Zada. Zada is a one of a kind 12" fairy bear made of an off-white curly kid mohair. She has black glass eyes, a hand embroidered nose in purple and green, and wool felt feet with soft sculpted toes. She is stuffed with a silky soft polyester fiber and steel shot for weight. She is fully (5-way) jointed with cotterpin joints. Her wings are hand made out of flowers, greenery and purple and green beadery. Her necklace is hand made out of glass beads. Zada has glitter accents around her eyes, on her nose and on her feet. She is available now. E-mail me for more information: tyler@tedsnsuch.com

Spring Schaumburg Teddy Bear Show!

2009-04-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I will be at the Spring Schaumburg Teddy Bear Show this weekend in Schaumburg, IL. It will be taking place on Sunday, April 26th. Early Bird Admission begins at 9:30AM and requires early registration. Click here to register.

General Admission is from 10:30AM until 4:00PM. The link below will take you to a page for $1 off general admission!: $1 Off General Admission

To see the list of wonderful artists click on the following link: Show Preview

I will have many new creations at the show. I hope you can make it!

Hugs!
Tyler

Malu the Monkey

2009-03-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

I have just completed my new anime monkey design. His name is Malu and he is 9.5" tall. He is made of a straight brown mohair with a needle felted face and belly (including a belly button). He has premium German black glass eyes, he is stuffed with a mixture of silky polyester fibers and steel shot, and he is fully (5-way) jointed. Malu has a wired tail and he comes with his favorite food, a banana. He is available now for
$135 plus S/H.

Iolana the Dragon!

2009-03-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

Iolana (ee oh LAH nah) is a 9.5" tall dragon made of a hand-dyed purple and lavendar tie-dyed mohair. She has black glass eyes, she is fully jointed with cotter pin joints and she is stuffed with the finest polyester fiber and steel shot. Her chest, spikes, tail and foot pads are made of an off-white wool felt. Her chest was soft sculpted and shaded in yellow. She has needle felted eyelids and toes in yellow. She has wired yellow wings with orange shading. Iolana has been adopted.

Introducing... Trey!

2009-03-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

Trey is an 8" teddy bear made from a green mohair with a yellow back. He has black glass eyes and a two tone green hand embroidered nose of perle cotton. He is stuffed with the finest polyester fibers and steel shot and he is fully (5-way) jointed for poseability. Trey is available now for $75 plus S/H.

Tyson the Tiger!

2009-02-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

I would like to introduce my very first tiger, Tyson! Tyson is a one of a kind, 8.5" anime-style tiger. He is made out of an orange 1960's vintage upholstery velvet with thick white plush on his chest and the sides of his face. He has a needle felted nose, mouth, eyelids, paws and feet. The needle felting was done using orange, black and white wool. His striping is all hand done using copic pens. He is fully (5-way) jointed using cotterpin/hardboard disk joints and he has a wired tail. Tyson has been adopted.

Max the Golden Retriever

2009-02-17T18:25:00.000-08:00

Max is a one of a kind golden retriever puppy. He is 11" tall and is made out of a golden brown swirly Schulte mohair. He has premium German black glass eyes and a black hand stitched perle cotton nose and mouth. Max is fully jointed with cotterpin/hardboard disk joints and he is stuffed with a mixture of premium polyester fiber and steel shot. Included with Max is his favorite tennis ball. Max is available now for $100 plus shipping/handling.

Coming Soon...

2009-01-27T08:24:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone!
I know it's been about a month and a half since I updated my blog, so I wanted to let you all know that I have been working on some new creations and I hope to get them finished soon. Check back for a new update this weekend!

Hugs!
Tyler

Let it snow...

2008-12-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone! We had our first snow fall with accumulation on Sunday evening/Monday morning. It's the kick off to my first cold Chicago winter, but it gives me an excuse to stay inside and work on my creations! Speaking of my creations, I am currently working on something new... I will hopefully be debuting my first tiger by the end of the week! Check back for pictures and more information.

(The photograph was pulled from a Chicago Tribune article from December 2nd, 2008)

Zi Yu Chen

2008-11-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! I am very excited to introduce to you my newest creation, Zi Yu Chen. Zi Yu Chen is a one of a kind, 19" panda bear made of two lovely, hand-dyed mohairs in violet and orange. The special dyeing process has created an interesting marbled effect on the mohair, displaying several shades of orange and violet. Zi Yu Chen's nose was hand embroidered with three different colors (brown, orange and violet) making a nice striped effect. He has premium German black glass eyes, violet ultrasuede soft-sculpted toes, and he is fully (5-way) jointed with locknut/bolt joints. He is stuffed with a mixture of super soft polyester fibers and steel shot for weight.

(His name translates into Purple and Orange)

Zi Yu Chen is available now for $205 plus shipping and handling.

Ann Arbor Teddy Bear Show!

2008-11-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

This weekend is the 21st Annual Ann Arbor Teddy Bear Show. It is located at 3050 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor, MI. The general show hours are 10:30 - 4:00 this Sunday, November 16th.

I have been working on some new creations and I've been doing a lot of hand dyeing, which has helped me achieve some really unique fabrics and color combinations. I hope you can join us at the show this weekend!

To see who will be there, check out this link to the sneak preview page:
http://www.bright-star-promotions.com/SneakPreviews/AnnArborSneakPreview08.htm

(Pictured above is Blossom the bunny who is all bundled up for winter)

Introducing... Benny!

2008-11-07T16:19:00.001-08:00

Benny is an 8" teddy bear made from a blue mohair with a white back. He has black glass eyes and a blue and white hand embroidered nose of perle cotton. He is stuffed with the finest polyester fibers and steel shot. He is fully (5-way) jointed for poseability.

He is available now for $75 plus shipping.

Click here to see his listing on Bear Pile.

Sam, the proud patriot teddy

2008-11-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

Let me present to you Sam. Sam is a one of a kind creation by me, Tyler Crain, of Teds 'n Such. Sam is a proud patriot of the United States. Sam is a 12" tall teddy bear made of a beautiful red/navy/golden hand dyed mohair. He has hand painted navy premium German eyes with sparkling glitter accents, dark brown needle felted eyelids, a hand-stitched nose of perle cotton, and golden brown wool felt foot pads with soft-sculpted toes. He is stuffed with a silky soft polyester fiberfil and steel shot for a more realistic feel. Sam is fully jointed with cotterpin joints and hard board disks.

Sam comes with a hand made hat with stars and stripes and a tea dyed American flag to match his vintage Americana coloring.

Click Here to see his eBay auction!

Celebrating My Birthday... and the Fall Schaumburg Show!

2008-10-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

My birthday was on October 13th and last weekend we went out for a day of fun in the city. Zac and I, along with his brother and his brother's girlfriend, went to the Brookfield Zoo, located just outside of Chicago. It is an excellent zoo and it was a ton of fun! We were there until about 6:00, so when we left, we decided to go to dinner at Dave and Buster's. For those of you who have never been to one, it is somewhat like a Chuck E. Cheese for adults. They have much better food and lots of fun games that you can play! You can play for tickets and try to get enough to get some prizes. I really enjoyed myself, and it's not too far from where we live, so we may go back soon!

This weekend was the Fall Schaumburg Teddy Bear Show. Valerie Rogers of Bright Star Promotions put on a great show and we all had a lot of fun catching up with our artist friends along with seeing some of our favorite collectors. She is going to be continuing with a show in April. Check out her website for more details.

Below are some photographs of some bears that I had at the show with me.
(L to R: Chief Lightfeather, Jin Kai, Topsy Kretts)

Introducing... Neil

2008-10-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Let me introduce to you, Neil. He is a wise old bear filled with knowledge and intriguing stories. He could definitely entertain you for hours!

Neil is an 11" bear made of a beautiful gray mohair. He has black German glass eyes and a hand stitched nose. He is fully jointed with cotterpin joints and he is stuffed with the finest polyester fibers and steel shot.

Click here for more information.