Bear Essentials & Silver Bear Centre

We have ordered the whole range of 2010 Charlie Bears which will come in from end of February. We also ordered the new 2011 range and we are looking forward to receive the new 2011 Isabelle Collection.

If you are looking for a specific bear here are some of the names.

Aidan, Ava, Ballantyne, Bently, Bruce, Caitlin, Caleb, Charlie 2011, Chrissie, Cody, Cotton Sox, Dolce, Ellie, George, Grant, Hamish, Kit, Kitty, Kojac, Lita, Malcom, Merlin, Michael, Molly, Naomi, Olly, Parker, Parkin, Philip, Phoenix, Polly, Puddifoot, Quentin, Riley, Ronnie, Seth, Shades, Shreddie, Taomi, Tess, Thumper, Tony, Torquil, Tracy, Trevor, Trixie, William IV, Xena, Yvette, Zak

As soon as the bears come in we will add them to our online shop.

Yes we have got a winner! We are delighted for Cavan Kids to adopt Freezy for Christmas and he will meet up with his old friend Leo. It is the entry who got the most public votes and this was their story:

teddy bear picnic

Every year we visit Anke at Bear Essentials! All of the Kavan Kids Montessori children visit and get to do lots of interesting things. This year we noticed a sad bear on the kitchen work top. Anke explained that Leo the Bear had been sent to South Africa to someone who had returned him. Leo was then left in the rain on Ankes door step and Ankes dogs ripped open his parcel and dragged him around. Leo did not want to go back to South Africa nor stay at Ankes. Anke asked Kavan Kids Montessori would we adopt Leo! We were all delighted! Leo now sits on a shelf in the Montessori looking after all the children here. He has come on Teddy Bear Picnics and has had a new Graduation Gown made to attend our Graduation. He sat proudly on the stage with all the children. Leo is now a happy Bear and is very much loved…..

CONGATULATION Cavan Kids Montessori!!!

Thanks to anyone who took part and we like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and hopefully there will be a little bear under your Christmas tree.

Yes it is the time of the year again and Christmas is not far ahead of us. Even so the Irish summer days are still warm, the nights are creeping in a bit earlier every day.
A lot of us have different reasons why to think about Christmas already and not always in a warm, cosy, enjoyable way.  In challenging times, financial cuts or even job loss, the thought of Christmas especially Christmas Gifts might not be a joyful one. We worry about the money and that expenses have to be spread over several months.

But a gift to someone special could be prepared in a lot of different ways and should not be a struggle. If money is tied why not think about making a present yourself. Art & crafts is not just for the experienced, anyone can have a go at it. It could provide some enjoyment for you as a maker as well as for the receiver view Gingerbread House Making>>>
We here at Bear Essentials are specialised in teddy bear making and have launched this year our first “Little Rascal” craft kit so you can make your mohair teddy bear at home. To view our Bear Craft Kits click here>>> and it doesn’t have to be expensive.
Christmas also is the time for teddy bears and to make it easier for you to choose a teddy bear here are a view guidelines.
Think about whom is the teddy bear for? Do you want to give him to a baby, a child, a teenager or an adult?
Give it a thought why you are giving a teddy bear. Teddy bear are for comfort, company, reassurance, a teddy bear should make us smile, feel better and of course remind us of the person who gave him to us. But teddy bears are also a keepsake, a memento a token of something very special.
If you buy a teddy bear for a new born baby it has to be baby safe. Last year we launched Bobo Bear, and Bobo “My First Teddy” a bear made from 100% cotton, washable and huggable at the same time.
But a teddy for a baby doesn’t always have to come as a shape of a traditional teddy bear. Comforters made of cotton cloth with a bear head or animal head are ideal for babies needs to hold, to suck and to be reassured.

If you decide you want to give a teddy as a keepsake you have to know what fabrics can stand the test of times. Plush fabrics can last for several years depending of the quality but they might not see the arrival of the next generation. But even if they do they are not easily been repaired. The best results of restoring very old teddy bears we have her at our Teddy Bear Hospital is with Mohair teddy bears. Mohair teddy bears can last for a century as you probably know from watching bears at the Antique Road Show. Our own unique one-off teddy bears are all made of mohair for the simple reason to give pleasure for years to come.
For whatever reason you want to buy a teddy bear this Christmas it will be a pleasure for us to help you choose the right one and remember – any teddy bear can be customised ( a little bow, an Irish jumper, a little heart, embroidered initials/names……) to make him only one of its kind and irreplaceable.

“What if,” a Steiff designer wondered, “it was possible to tie-dye mohair, the way you tie-dye a t-shirt? What effect would you achieve?” For the answer, look no further than Limpy, another of Steiff’s designer Teddy bears in the 2010 collection. Steiff Schulte artisans very eagerly accepted the challenge of creating this entirely new type of mohair coloring. The result is another first for Steiff. The tone on tone effect is an ever-changing, swirling mix of brown and blond tones. It makes no two Teddy bears exactly alike! But the mohair isn’t the only unique aspect of this unusual Teddy bear. He’s a completely new face in the Steiff assortment. He has a cream-colored mohair complexion accented by apricot and black airbrushing. His nose is lightly waxed. The insides of his ears are sewn with a longer pile cream mohair to accent his face. The edges of his paw pads are very lightly airbrushed to add extra dimension. With his broad smile and sparkling eyes, he’s a very contented Teddy bear – just waiting to bring some happiness to your collection – and your home. Buy here>>>

Last month we got a phone call from Garret Daly from www.mixedbagmedia.com with the request of doing a “sound check” on Bear Essentials. At that time I told Garret that we might not be the right people he is looking for because most of our teddy bears are not great for talking or making noises at all. But it did not put him off and he arrived this week. The recording was based on different sounds for a radio programme “Soundscapes of Ireland” starting in May on RTE Lyric FM featuring two businesses from each County.

Elisabeth, Anke & Garret had lots of fun during recording.

Fintan the teddy impressed with his musical talent - a voice box inside him

We like to invite you to preview some of the 2010 limited edition Steiff Teddy Bears.

This is Reinhard – the Schulte Patchwork Teddy

For more than a century, the famous fabric mill Schulte has provided Steiff with superior quality mohair, alpaca, and fine woven fabrics for their Teddy bears and animals. After a long and productive relationship, the two companies have now joined forces. Steiff  purchased this legendary fabric mill – now known as “Steiff Schulte.” To celebrate this partnership, Steiff created a special Teddy bear that pays tribute to the creativity and innovation of both companies. It’s a first-of-its-kind patchwork bear that displays a small sampling of the thousands of fabrics that Schulte is able to create. Made from 11 swatches of mohair and alpaca (dense, sparse, new, distressed, straight, curly), each piece of fabric harmonizes beautifully to create an exceptionally appealing Teddy bear with real character. To commemorate this milestone event in the history of the Steiff company  you can  add Reinhard, the Schulte Patchwork Teddy bear to your collection. On available >>>

This is Limpy – like Reinhard another first Steiff creation.

“What if,” a Steiff designer wondered, “it was possible to tie-dye mohair, the way you tie-dye a t-shirt? What effect would you achieve?” For the answer, look no further than Limpy, another of Steiff’s designer Teddy bears in the 2010 collection. Steiff Schulte artisans very eagerly accepted the challenge of creating this entirely new type of mohair coloring. The result is another first for Steiff. The tone on tone effect is an ever-changing, swirling mix of brown and blond tones. It makes no two Teddy bears exactly alike! But the mohair isn’t the only unique aspect of this unusual Teddy bear. He’s a completely new face in the Steiff assortment. He has a cream-colored mohair complexion accented by apricot and black airbrushing. His nose is lightly waxed. The insides of his ears are sewn with a longer pile cream mohair to accent his face. The edges of his paw pads are very lightly airbrushed to add extra dimension. With his broad smile and sparkling eyes, he’s a very contented Teddy bear – just waiting to bring some happiness to your collection – and your home. One available>>>

Teddy Bears come in all shapes and sizes. It doesn’t really count how they look like to me. What matters is how they appear to you or what they signify for you. It has something to do with feelings, either the situation you were in when you bought the bear (if you felt happy or sad) or the significance of the relationship to the person who gave the teddy to you (a boyfriend, child, parent, grandparent….).

Isn’t that why we love this special teddy bear so much?
From bears who visit our teddy bear hospital we know how much they mean to their owners. They have been part of their life for some time. They have been going on a journey with them through good and not so good times and some of them desperately need a bit of a facelift to carry on.
Some have been loved, some have been neglected some been insured by a dog but they all have a momentous relationship with their owner.

This is one of the reasons why so many people buy real mohair teddy bears nowadays. We have seen on shows like the Antique Road Show how much a famous old Steiff teddy bear could be worth. If we want to give a present to someone we usually like to make that present last a long time. Mohair teddy bears, made from the hair of the Angora goat are so durable they can last not just one generation but many.

I wish I still had a teddy bear from my mum or dad.
We like to encourage you to get out your favorite teddy bear and think what he means to you.
May be you like to share your story with us, we are looking forward to hear from you.

The teddy bear- charming, loyal and cuddly- is probably one of the most enduring treasures of childhood. First produced in 1902 in Germany by Steiff, he (the bear) was designed as the boy’s alternative to the doll. “Friend Petz” was accepted because of his loving and sincere characteristics.
Almost at the same time a teddy bear was created in America and gained popularity there as well.
The teddy bear was named after “Teddy”- Theodore Roosevelt who was the 26th President of the United States.

The Comforting Teddy Bear

Various professionals depend upon the ability of the teddy bear to lend an air of warmth and security to an intimidating situation.
Doctors rely upon teddies for explaining, reassuring or comforting children; deaf children can often be reached by sign language when it is conveyed through a teddy bear.
Many parents can recall using the teddy bear to help their small children overcome a seemingly unsolvable problem for instants a temper tantrum.
I used a teddy, with my unrecognisable voice, to speak to my daughter who woke up at night screaming. Teddy’s talking made her listening & laugh and she quite happily went back to sleep.

The power of the teddy bear to comfort often lasts  beyond childhood and is reflected in the mascot or talisman that  goes everywhere with his owner, providing moral support during examination or rallies athletes’ to higher level of play.
Quiet often we give a teddy bear as a first gift to someone we have fallen in love with.

The Relationship

The relationship between teddy bears and their owners is reciprocal; people take care of their bears but feel that their bears take care of them. The bond between owner and bear begins when the teddy was first received and lasts through all ups and downs of their owner’s life. Those teddy bears are often been passed on to children, grandchildren or close friends.
Well loved and  far travelled teddy bears end up with us at Bear Essentials Teddy Bear Hospital to be restored and t be fit to last another life time. Some bears are over 50 years old. Some are almost beyond repair but still with a bit of new material and with keeping some of his old, charming features they all get a new lease of life.

The Collector Teddy Bear

Collectors recognize the classic teddy bear by its well-defined features, unique personality and quality of construction.
Bears made from antique plush or mohair with high grade felt, velvet or suede paws are among the most valued. Jointed legs, arms and head are also important.
Black boot-button eyes are hallmarks of the classic teddy bear as well as the embroidered black nose & mouth.
The stuffing should be also of high quality pellets, superfine wood wool, sheep wool or kapok (a natural material from a kapok tree).
Some bears have been given voices through the installation of a growling mechanism.

Who would have thought that the craze for teddy bears would be as popular today or even more fashionable as it was over 100 years ago?

Nowadays you not only have the choice to purchase a teddy bear from a companies or shop but be fortunate to pick up your own personalized teddy bear by a private Bear Artist. This bear might be completed as a small limited edition or even a one-off limited edition that is just looking for you.

All of Anke’s teddy bears are one off limited editions, but some belong to special collections who are similar in design for example “Lakeland Bears” or “Little Rascals”.

To all our readers we like you to bear in mind that each teddy bear takes on his own identity from the artist who created him and who trusts that the bear be valued for his unique design, the quality of materials and its potential to becoming a lifetime friend for its owner.

Gulliver the travel ted found lots of Easter eggs at Bear Essentials Easter school.

He also met a puppy that turned up here at Easter.
Today I took him to St.Patrick’s Boys National School to meet the class I am working with.

When I cam home today Gulliver the travel Ted was sitting on our kitchen table. He brought a few things with him.
Besides his passport which showed that he had stayed in South Africa in October he had little things from the places he had been and a notebook with travel information.
So I took him with me to work at Bear Essentials. First thing we did was to apply for a polar bear adoption at WWF/World Wildlife Fund for St.Patrick’s Boys National School in Balliamore. The boys are collecting money to adopt a bear for a year as part of our Craft in the Classroom project.
On Saturday Gulliver took part in a Family workshop. They all made different soft toys. Here are two of the kids with their creations. You can see Gulliver   sitting on the table. The children were also writing Easter greeting cards for Gulliver.

After Easter he is going to visit the boys at their school.