We started out by making a bear for a friends 40th birthday - not being happy with the pattern I started to play around at designing my own patterns and so one bear turned into another and another... and the rest they say is history! I can be seen at Bear Fairs accompanied by either my husband, Peter, my daughter, Laura or even occasionally my son, Andrew! - we really are a bear loving family.
Highlights of the last few years have been:
2002 I was asked to design bears for Cambrian Bears to mass produce.
2003 I moved into a specially built craft workshop which enabled me to hold courses to teach people how to make bears as well as a place for customers to come and commission bears.
2004 in Nov I was invited by Hankyu Department Store, Osaka, Japan to attend their British Fair. I was lucky as they paid for me to visit the fair for 10 days, so that I could demonstrate making a different bear every day of the fair. 30 Holdingham Bears managed to find new homes in Japan in time for Christmas.
2005 New course, web site ......what will be the highlight of this year? - well it had to be the Lincoln Christmas Market and all the new friends and customers we met there - see you all again next year!
2006 started well with a lot of commissions and lots of new craft & teddy bear shows in the diary. Also a new project - 'The Bear Hub' - friends and myself have decided to form a cooperative type situation and join forces so that we can show our bears at a lot more shows!
2007 As busy as ever! A first will be the workshops to be held in Paris in April - looking at running courses combined with family holidays in France next year. Our first order completed for Hamleys, London - if you are in the area call in and see the largest six jointed bear we have ever made :o) Oct 1st sees the bears moving into a brand new, much bigger workshop!
2008 A good start to the year! an interview on BBC Look North and 2 newspaper articles before the middle of January! Planning some new shows for the 2008 including accepting the invitation we have had to the 'Doll & Teddy Expo 2008' which is being held in Washington DC in August. 2008 also sees the start of our new project - our very own 'English Bear manufacturing company' - our new designs will be in production a little later this year and in the shops after the summer!