Oh no

So...it has come to time to go from 39 over to 40 years old. Feeling happy about it? NO! Want to go back to the comfort of being 39? Yes please! Starting to be depressed about taking the step over to 40? Hmm...not yet. (Isn´t it men that usually get depressed about that?)
Well honestly...it isn´t that bad really ( I hope). I don´t feel old and they say that you are only as old as you feel!
I have a wonderful husband that has given me a wonderful present. And I have a wonderful family and lots of friends that have celebrathed the day with me. What more can I ask for?!
I am a happy person that just has to get used to being 40. Hopefully it won´t take that long... :D.
Wishing you a wondeful day too!

Hugs
Ann-Marie

Back to normal soon

The days are just flying by for me. If I am not at work I am doing my bears and then there are so much to do with the kids and family. At least the children are going back to school on Monday so it will proberbly go back to normal again after that.
It is still SO cold here, I think today it will be -11 outside! And that is cold for where I live! I better stay inside today...


Well, I have now finished all the bears that is going to be on the Valetine Show in February. I think that I will put together the sneak peak next week so pop back here if you want to have a look...
Then I am working on all the bears that are going to travel with me to London soon as well. So you can see that I am busy bee.
I have been think that it is time that I have a blog give away too sometime. But I am not sure at the moment when so you will have to wait on that I am afraid.
So long for now!

Hugs
Ann-Marie

I have been crafting

I hope you had a nice New Years Eve! I stayed at home with some friends and the year started with a cold for me... Well it isn´t so bad and I will proberbly be feeling a bit better soon.
In a past post I told you about something that I had been doing between my bears. I was doing it as I love crafting in different ways and I wanted a scarf for my self. Especially now when it is -10 C in the south of Sweden where I live......
I didn´t take the picture with me as I didn´t think that you wanted to see such a red nose. ;0)


It is really nice and warm and I love the colours in it.


I have my birthday coming up really soon and we were supposed to go away somewhere as I am turning 40. I do´t feel that old( is it old?) but my husband jokes saying that he soon has to turn me in for 2 20 year old instead. Well HE thinks it is funny anyway.
But it is not the time of the year to be travelling so we have to put that off for the spring or summer instead. Something to look forward to.
Have a nice day!

Hugs
Ann-Marie

I wish you....

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas like me! We had a white Christmas that was really lovely, now there isn´t so much snow left but still very cold....bbrrhhh.
I have been busy doing my bears and something a bit different from my bears.... It is something I did for my self and I was very happy with the out some of it. But you have to wait a bit before I can show it to you as the camera needs some new batteries.


In the meantime I would like to wish you a Happy New Year and all the best for the year that is to come!

Hugs
Ann-Marie

I wish you...

All A Very Merry Christmas!

And A Wonderful New Year!


I want to thank everybody that has visit my blog during the year of 2009. All that have adopted a bear (or two!), left a comment, emailed me ect. You all mean a lot to me and I am very greatful for the succes I have had of this year. I am really looking forward to 2010 and I am working hard at the moment for the shows that are coming up early next year.
So from me to you: I wish you a healty wonderful year with lots of nice things happening!

Loads of hugs
Ann-Marie

A Christmas Poem

Toy Escape


Late Christmas Eve, when all was still,
And the room was dark as night,
The Christmas tree lit magically;
It was a fantastic sight!


Then from around the tree trunk came,
A strange and funny sound,
As gifts began to unwrap themselves,
And toys jumped out all around.


The music box began to play,
And in a crazy trance,
The candy canes jumped off the tree
To do a silly dance.


The big stuffed bear leaped to his feet,
To see what he could see;
He rode a shiny, bright red bike
Around the Christmas tree.


The new toy kitchen started to cook,
And before you could blink an eye,
The oven door opened, and from inside
Came a tiny pizza pie.


A squirt gun squirted everything;
It knew what it was for;
By the time that it was emptied out,
A big puddle lay on the floor.


A beautiful doll with golden hair
Was searching for a friend;
A toy soldier marched up and took her hand;
They were a perfect blend.


In the bedroom were a boy and girl,
Asleep in Christmas dreams;
The soldier saluted; the doll gave a kiss;
At least that's the way it seems.


Now everything began to tire;
The toys went back in place;
But when mother woke in the morning,
You should have seen her face.


The tree was fine; the gifts were there,
Yet mother gave a roar;
She looked at her wet shoes and yelled,
"What's this puddle on my floor?"


Hugs
Ann-Marie

A new little boy....

I have created my last bear for 2009. His name is Alfons and he is really cute with his hat. It is all made by me....


I hope you like him and if you want to read more about him....just visit my website.

Hugs
Ann-Marie

Happydance and a gift for me...

I am so HAPPY to tell you that Miss Ellie Red Hood got the 2nd place in the British Bear Artist Awards 2009!!!


I didn´t think that she would do so well so it was a really nice surprise.


If you are going to the Hugglets Show in London in February, she will be there to show off herself as I will get her back then.

There was a parcel for me today in the post and lucky me it was a Christmas ornament from Linda Benson (Benson Bears).


This is a picture that Linda took before sending it to me.
It has been traveling all the way from Tasmania!
It is the smallest bear I have seen and I am really amazed that she can make bears so small!!!!
She has done a wonderful work and I am so lucky to have it. It is hanging on the best place on the Christmas tree. Thank you so much Linda!!!
Well I am of out to shovel some snow as it snowed all last night. Sigh..
Have a nice day!

Hugs
Ann-Marie

Lucia and ginger bread biscuits

The Lucia looked beautiful as ever and it was wonderful to hear the choir sing. We have ( me and the children) been baking some ginger bread biscuits this afternoon. They are so nice and the whole house smells of Christmas now....
Here is a recipe that I have found on the net if you would like to try and bake them.

Ingredients

10–12 decilitre of flour
1/2 tablespoon of bicarbonate
250 gram of butter
1/2 decilitre of cream
3 decilitre of sugar
1 1/2 decilitre of syrup
1 egg
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of ginger
1 teaspoon of grinded clove

This is what you do
1. Mix half of the flour with the bicarbonate in a bowl-
2. Put pat of butter into the bowl and mash it together with a fork to a grainy dough.
3. Whip the cream and knead it into the dough.
4. Mix together the rest of the ingredients into the bowl.
5. Knead the dough with the rest of the flower (save some for the baking)
6. Place the dough inside a plastic film and place it inside the fridge until the next day.
7. The day after you take half the dough and knead the dough soft together with some flower.
8. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until its 3–5 millimetre thick.
9. Use gingerbread moulds to shape the gingerbread biscuits. If you don’t have gingerbread moulds you can use a glass that is turned upside down and that way make round biscuits. Not as fun as a heart, an elk or a Moomintroll but it works.
10. Place the biscuits on a buttered baking tray.
11. Put the baking tray in the oven at 175–200 degrees Celsius for about 5–7 minutes. Take them out while they are still yellow and soft. Enjoy them with a big glass of cold milk… the once you don’t give away, that is…


Have a nice Sunday!

Hugs
Ann-Marie

3:e Avent and....

Sssshhh....here she comes.....Lucia



She wakes up early on the 13th of December. This is the day when she is going to be the Lucia and she will dress up in a special white dress with a red lace around her waist.
She puts on the crown of candels and begins her round to sing to a lot of people. Behind her the girls and boys starts to walk slowly after her. They too have white dresses but without the crown. They sing with her about Christmas and this is the beginning of the beautiful holiday.

Many years ago there was a believe that this was a very dangerous night with a lot of supernatural forces out. You used to believe that the animals could talk during the Lucia night. Because of this a lot of people stayed in and were too afraid to go out.

It is so nice to hear and see the Lucia and this is something that is special to Sweden. Even if it is Lucia today we can´t forget to light the 3rd candle.


I hope you will all have a wonderful Sunday. Myself I am off to see the Lucia and listen to her voice singing about Christmas.

Many Hugs
Ann-Marie