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“Angela” by Penny French and “Beauregard” by Mary Ann Wills
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Teddy Bear and Friends Magazine: This is our favorite magazine and it is devoted to the wonderful universe of teddy bears. If you’re interested in obtaining a FREE SAMPLE COPY of Teddy Bear and Friends, visit www.teddybearandfriends.com, click on the “subscribe” page, and enter the code MYSTRL to request your sample copy today. (Or call 1-800-437-5828 and mention the code.) There’s no risk – if you decide it’s not for you, just write cancel across the invoice and owe nothing.
“Johnny J.” by Barbara Burke and “Janosh” by Jane Humme
Darlene Allen: Darlene is one of the sweetest people we know and her Raspbeary Bears are a delight.
Website: www.raspbearybears.com
Dolores Austin: Dolores was the profiled bear artist in The False-Hearted Teddy and we recently added her whimsical “Holly Beary” to our collection.
Website: www.BearMaker.com
Pat Berkowitch: We love her Babcock Bears. You will, too.
Website: www.babcockbears.com
Martha Burch: We own several of Martha’s bears, including the exquisite “Ice King,” which was named as a finalist for a 2008 Teddy Bear of the Year (TOBY) Award. Look for Martha as the profiled bear artist in the fifth “Bear Collector’s” mystery.
Website: www.marthasbears.com
Barbara Burke: Barbara was the profiled artist in The Crafty Teddy and her bears are on display in our library.
Email: Bbwuvncuddles@aol.com
Sherri Creamer: Sherri specializes in making sweet teddy bears from recycled fur.
Website: www.aliveagainbears.com
Victoria Dewbre: We own several of Victoria’s creations and love them.
Email: vcdewbre@aol.com
Penny French: Profiled in the upcoming The Clockwork Teddy, Penny is one of our favorite bear artists and our home is filled with her creations, including a gorgeous Celtic Santa Claus.
Email: davidfrench@kcnet.org
Donna Griffin: In 2007, Donna’s cute Detective Inspector bear won a “Golden Teddy” award. That bear is now on permanent display at the Mechanicsburg (PA) Mystery Bookshop. Some of Donna’s bears are on permanent display in our home, too.
Website: www.donnaandthebears.com
Serieta Harrell: The very first artisan bear we ever bought was beautiful pink girl by the name of “Parfait,” and made by Serieta.
Email: Sershabears@aol.com
Jane Humme: Jane Humme lives in the Netherlands, but usually comes to the US in December for the holiday event at My Friends and Me (see below). Her bears are absolutely exquisite.
Pam Kisner: We own more of Pam’s mohair bears than I should admit and they are on display in our home throughout the year.
Email: wvbearmaker@aol.com
Cindy Malchoff: Cindy specializes in some of the most amazing plush birds we’ve ever seen.
Website: www.myappletree.com
Pat & Tom Murphy: Murphy Bears created one of our favorite springtime stuffed animals: a cute pink bunny with a basket full of Easter eggs strapped to his back.
Website: www.murphybears.com
Donna Nielsen: Donna’s line of bears is known as “Cookies Critters,” and they are delightful.
Website: www.cookiescritters.com
Diana Lee Palumbo: One of our favorite fall-Halloween teddy bears is “Boo,” made by Diana.
Website: www.timelessbears.com
Mary Ann Wills: Mary Ann is almost a neighbor. She lives just a little north of us on the other side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You will love her bears.
Email: teddybearswexp@aol.com
My Friends and Me: This is the premier teddy bear shop in the Washington DC metro region. Located in a restored old log cabin, the store features an incredible collection of artist and manufactured bears.
Location: 118 South Street, SE, Leesburg, VA 20175
Telephone: (703) 777-8222
Website: www.myfriendsandme.com
Bearly-A-Memory: Located in the charming Blue Ridge Mountain town of Galax (pronounced GAY-lax), in Southern Virginia, this shop features an incredible array of Steiff and R. John Wright Bears.
Location: 122 South Main Street, Galax, VA 24333
Telephone: (276) 238-0555
Website: www.bearlyamemory.com
Bearly Believable: A six-foot-tall teddy bear stands guard in front of this Shenandoah Valley shop near Winchester. Inside, you’ll find a wonderful collection of Boyds Bears and other delightful stuffed animals. They also sell autographed copies of my books.
Location: Fredericktowne Crossing Shopping Center, 218 Elizabeth Drive,
Stephens City, VA 22655
Telephone: (540) 868-1138
The Toy Shoppe: Packed with an amazing array of Steiff Bears, limited edition stuffed animals, and artisan teddies, the Toy Shoppe is your ursine headquarters.
Location: 11632 Busy Street, Richmond, VA 23113
Telephone: (804) 379-7995
Website: www.thetoyshoppe.com
The Rocking Horse Gallery: Located in quaint and beautiful historic Fredericksburg, the Rocking Horse Gallery features a marvelous selection of artist and manufactured bears and dolls.
Location: 803 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Telephone: (540) 371-1894
Boyds Bear Country: With its four floors of fun and fur, the world’s most humongous teddy bear store is located just south of Gettysburg, PA. You can spend hours wandering the barn, and we frequently have.
Location: 75 Cunningham Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Telephone: (866) 367-8338
Website: www.Boydsbearcountry.com
Santa Barbara, CA: Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum: As far as we’re concerned, this is the premier teddy bear museum in North America. Susan and Terry Quinlan have assembled a staggering assortment of gorgeous and award-winning artisan bears.
Website: www.quinlanmuseum.com
Binghamton, NY: Teddy Bear Artist Invitational (TBAI): This is an annual, mid-August, three-day event and the proceeds are used to benefit the city’s Ross Park Zoo. You want to know how great this show is? The last time we went, we took our SUV to ensure we had enough room to bring home all our bears.
Website: www.tbai.org
Hunt Valley, MD: Merry Beary Teddy Bear Show: This wonderful event takes place every year in November and attracts artists from all over North America and even some from Europe. We haven’t missed a Merry Beary show yet.
Website: www.teddybearsonvacation.com
Timonium, MD: One of the signs that spring is on the way is the Timonium Teddy Bear show. Located just north of Baltimore, this event is attended by some of the best bear artists in the country.
Email: Robinsnestgifts@hotmail.com
Clarion, Iowa: Teddy Bear Reunion in the Heartland—2010: It has been described as the biggest teddy bear show in the world. Every five years, ten to fifteen thousand bear artists, collectors, and fans gather in this small farm town four days of ursine ecstasy. The next show is in 2010 and I’ve been invited to be one of the featured speakers. Any guesses as to how many teddy bears we will bring home?
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