According to The Most Important Events and Discoveries Russian Digest 15th of February 1903 was the day when the first Teddy Bear, the way we all know it, was sold. The date is quite debatable because different countries celebrate it on different days. 27th of October is Teddy Bear's birthday in the United States, United Kingdom and Scandinavia. They celebrate it on 19th of November in Russia. I am glad to know that because it is my birthday as well hehehehe Two countries, the United States and Germany still compete for the right to be considered the country of Teddy's origin. The cuddly children’s toy was invented almost simultaneously in the United States and Germany but the United States undoubtedly gave it its name. In November 1902 Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, was hunting in Mississippi. The President failed to make a kill so his hosts caught and tethered a bear, presenting it to the President as a sitting target. Naturally the President refused, uttering the immortal words, ‘Spare the bear! I will not shoot a tethered animal.’ Clifford Berryman drew a cartoon of the scene, which was published in the Washington Post.That same month Brooklyn shopkeepers Morris and Rose Michtom made a soft bear toy, which they named ‘Teddy’s Bear’ and displayed in their window with a copy of the cartoon. America went bear mad almost overnight, the Michtoms went on to make their fortune with the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company and President Roosevelt had found a highly effective political mascot.
Meanwhile, across the ocean in Germany, Richard Steiff was working for his aunt, Margarete Steiff, a disabled German seamstress with a soft toy factory in Giengen. Richard, a former art student, often visited the Stuttgart Zoo to sketch animals, particularly the bear cubs. In 1902, the same year the Michtoms made "Teddy's Bear," the Steiff firm made a prototype of a toy bear based on Richard's designs.
Though both the Michtoms and Steiff were working on bears at the same time, certainly neither knew, at a time of poor transatlantic communication, about the other's creation. Besides, the Michtoms' bear resembled the wide-eyed cub in the Berryman cartoon, while the Steiff bear, with its humped back and long snout, looked more like a real bear cub.
A few months later, in March 1903, at the Leipzig Toy Fair, Steiff introduced its first bear—Baer 55PB. The European buyers showed little interest, but an American toy buyer, who was aware of the growing interest in "Teddy's bears" in the States, ordered 3000. In America, people were beginning to get teddy bear fever, and Steiff was in the right place at the right time.
That is when Teddy-Bear-mania has started. A lot of cartoons, fairy-tales and songs about this famous bear were created since then. American historian Charles Panati, author of "Extraordinary origins of ordinary things", believed that the invention of a teddy bear was the starting point for technological progress. Originally teddy bears were made from fur and expensive fabrics. But the massive demand made manufacturers reduce the cost of raw materials. Therefore already in 1903 manufacturers started using plush fabric for bear skins, before used mainly for furniture upholstery. That prompted to develop special materials designed exclusively on children.
In 1930, after the timers have become relatively cheap, bears became the first large-scale mechanical toys. After the emergence of cheap electric batteries in 1950, the first toy, in which they were used, were also teddy bears. In addition, the teddy bear was the first "talking" toy, which you can bathe (sample appeared in 1956).
It's been over a hundred years as our love affair with teddy bear shows no signs of abating. We don't really care where and when it was made first, sometimes we don't know why we love them so much. But a teddy bear, being kept through years and generations, is a favourite toy in many families. In Russia teddy bears are loved too and tenderly called mishka. Every kid knows the poem about plush mishka. We have our family mishka as well, cherished for years. Although it was born in China hehehe and looks a little worn out, it is still loved. So let me introduce Amelia.
It will be one of my projects for the nearest future. Renovate Amelia! :)
Happy Birthday Teddy Bear, Mishka and the bearest hugs to all who loves them :)))
...transform into a summer bag. Voila! I wish it were that simple )))
The backside.
The front side.
Problem solved. Now all settled for the trip.
Happy holidays!!!
A nice font and a poem make it complete.
Late Easter cards. Elements on the cards below are cut out of paper, so using paper of two colours makes great effects. Red and golden.
Red, green and 3D stickers
Bunnies :)) Never bad for Easter. Purple, blue, violet and 3D stickers.
A complicated bunny :) You can just guess how much time it takes to cut it all out, but the result is worth it. I used a cardboard with double side effect, brown from outside, black from inside, a yellow one and 3D sticker
Happy Easter! Even though it is a little late :)
So, iris folding. This technique is originated in Holland. Colour coordinated strips of folded paper are taped into place over a pattern, creating a spiralling design that resembles the iris of an eye or camera. Now it is common to use lightweight papers including those used for origami to create iris folding designs. That is what I found in internet about it. I decided to use my old beauty catalogs for it since paper is quite lightweight there. Besides a wide choice of shades of different colours is in offer. And you know I am a maniac of reusing :))
Patterns are easy to find in internet so all you have to do is cut and tape :) I was so involved into it that it did not take much time besides I was quite curious about the result. That is how it looked from behind. Not that fancy?
Here is the front side. Quite impressive. Exactly what I wanted to get. Nice colour and shade transitions. Besides it smells good as well since pages of the catalog were scented :)
The greeting card itself is not finished. That is just a piece of it. Stay tuned and I'll show it soon:)
Now speaking seriously. Well, a little more serious ))) The idea to start making sculptures (hard to call them toys) using something that is out of use have grown in my head long time ago. But I was always finding excuses not to do it. 'It is not that easy, I don't have stuff for it, I can spoil it all' - I was telling to myself. The best way to end it all up is to try. It either works or not. So I just dived into it and here he is. I am satisfied with the result and it gave me more of a confidence and inspiration to keep doing things alike. The next one is already in progress.
Maybe someone will find it clumsy but it is my first baby so I love it the way it is. Well, it seems he needs eyes but it is never too late to make some little corrections )))
I find this view from behind very cute. Can't fail but smiling.
So all I used was kitchenware, some screws and a lot of desire to make it right.
Peace )))
It is good that in many countries it is easy to bring plastic bottles to recycling collectors. In our country it is not that common, yet hopefully. So I try to reuse them. And they make really nice gift boxes. I wrapped one of them in a plastic net that used to be a part of a bouquet.
This net is a part of a pack of some sport equipment. Covered with silver acrylic paint it makes a nice gift card decoration.
You have already met this cutie in the center. And now you know it is made of a sock, not an old one though ))) Those on the right are to be repurposed yet.
My latest creation. It is repurposed as well. But this little thing deserves a longer story . So until the next time.
Have yourself at least one repurposing day and maybe some things in the world will change to better.
And here are some greeting cards I made on Valentine's but could not show before because they were not delivered yet. Some elements are made in pinhole art technique.
And one of my favourites, pop-up ))
I like textures. The photo doesn't show well but those are velvet hearts.
A special card for a special person :) Cross-stitching and a pinhole ornament around the heart. Pinhole technique works really good for decorations.
Never too late to say "I love you" to beloved ones :)
It will be one of my projects for the nearest future. Renovate Amelia! :)