Did it take you long to learn the
skills involved? Yes it did…I’m still learning to this day. I didn’t start with a kit, like many bear makers do; I have used my own designs right from the start.
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So how did you get from bears be-ing a hobby to where you are now? I was selling them from the start. I have made small felted toys for various fairs years ago, so I had some experience with that. It was making the bears and other creatures that was new.
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Algis Bears and other animals have a very distinctive style. Yes, I think that the creatures I make are very contemporary; they certainly have a different style from the classic bears.
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Have they changed much since you began four years ago? Yes they have. At first I was only sewing them but then I started using different and more inter-esting techniques, like needle felting and sculpting.
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Do you start each design idea with a drawing or do the patterns just come from your head? I usually start with a model of a creature, and then I convert it into a pattern for that creature.
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And where does your inspiration come from? I’d say all of my creatures are inspired by nature.
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What are your favourite materials to use? I use a lot of different materials but the ones I enjoy working with the most would be natural wool and faux furs.
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Do you keep a record of your ideas?
I have some physical folders with photos, patterns and ideas for future creations in, as well as a website where most of my finished works are stored.
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If readers want to see more of your creations, where can they find them? I sell most of them online, in various shows or on Facebook, Bearpile, my own website and this year I’ve started participating in some fairs in Europe.
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You have so many wonderful de-signs…is there one that you are particularly proud of? The creature I’m most proud of would be the first rat I made; that creature marked a change in my style and helped me gain some recognition in the community.
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Oh that’s interesting. Rats aren’t many people’s favourite creature! Have you won any awards for your work? Yes, a couple of my creatures have won awards in an eBear show online.
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Wonderful. Have you kept any of
your own creations? No, I haven’t kept any of the creatures for myself so far.
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What do you hope the future holds? My plan for the future is to improve my works in both the quality and ingenuity. I would really like to start making more realistic creatures in the future.
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That sounds like another change in style for you. It’s good to keep ideas new and exciting. We look forward to seeing how your work develops and
in the meantime, hopefully you will be able to attend more fairs.
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" TEDDY BEAR TIMES & FRIENDS "
MerlettKA
