About me
A Lifelong Love for Teddy Bears
My love for teddy bears started before I could even walk. There is a photo of me as a baby, already holding a teddy bear — and in many ways, that bond has never left me. What began as childhood affection slowly grew into a lifelong passion.
From a very young age, I was drawn to making things. When I was not much older than four, I knitted a pair of pale blue knickers for my best friend Beer — the Dutch word for bear. They had dropped stitches here and there, but my fascination with creating for dolls and bears had begun.
A Calling, Stitch by Stitch
After grade school, I studied fashion at the Haute Couture School in Amsterdam, where I learned the tricks of the trade. At just 24 years old, and as the mother of a young son, I opened a shop for children’s and baby clothing.
After 11 wonderful years, I sold the shop. By then, I had three children.
I then devoted more time to my doll-making hobby and began teaching doll sculpting in clay from my home studio. Around that time, doll shows were becoming popular in the Netherlands. Through an American magazine, The Doll Reader, I noticed that dolls were often accompanied by teddy bears. I decided to design a bear of my own, and soon, they became more popular than my dolls.
Timeless, Handcrafted Bears
What I love most about bear making is the way it connects me to the world. Bear shows and conventions have taken me from Russia to Japan, from London to Hong Kong, and introduced me to wonderful people from many cultures. Thanks to these connections, I now have friends across Europe, South Africa, America, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand.
My bears find their way into loving homes mostly through adoption at bear shows, and sometimes via shops. When I take a break from making bears, I enjoy painting them — they are very patient models for my watercolours. In this way, I can pour all my creativity into my bear making.
My teddy bears are timeless. Each one is handmade with care, attention to detail, and stuffed with love. No two are ever the same.
Interested in a teddy bear of your own?
Please feel free to contact me.
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