Featured Artist:
Marion Fraile of Bearkidz®
1. How did you get started into making miniature bears? Were you a
collector of teddies, or anything else? What was the starting point? Why and
when?
I have to say that I have been an avid collector of bears and dolls for many
years. I collect mainly old Steiff bears/animals as well as antique dolls.
Sometimes I look back on my first “treasures” and have a chuckle because of how
my tastes and knowledge have changed over the years of collecting.
My “bear making career” started out making “normal” bears from mohair fabric.
Since I also love crocheting, it came naturally to me to combine both: bear
making and crocheting. This was now almost 8 years ago.
I remembered, that when my girls were little, I used to either crochet or knit
their stuffed animals which then were well loved and cherished by my daughters.
At that time the yarn selection was not as exciting as today. None of the
wonderful fuzzy eyelash yarns that are my favorites today were available at the
time so there were not as many exciting colors and textures.
2. Was it difficult getting started? Did you design your own patterns or use
other bear artists designs? Do you design your own patterns now? Why did you
decide on your preferred medium?
I wouldn’t say it was difficult to get started. It just developed on its own.
My first bears started out as tiny bears from “regular” thread, made to give to
relatives and friends as gifts.
Then I found all the wonderful fuzzy eyelash yarns that opened a new world of
possibilities to create the most unique “fur”. From there my style changed
continuously and at one point someone asked me why I wasn’t selling my bears. It
had never really occurred to me that someone would pay money for something that
I just loved doing and gave away.
I put my first bear on Ebay and it went to Germany. I will never forget my
excitement.
One time I went to a local doll and bear show to help a friend of mine who is an
antique doll dealer. First thing I saw when I got into the show room was a
complementary copy of the magazine Teddy Bear and Friends which was lying on all
the tables. Exactly in this magazine my first “published” bear was shown in the
section “Bruin’s n’ Buddies”. Word at the show got around that a picture of one
of my bears was in the magazine. People asked if I had some bears with me, my
friend made some room on her table and before I knew it I had sold all of my
bears.
Some of these first customers of mine became collectors and are still buying
bears on a regular basis from me for years now.
3. Why did you decide to make miniature bears rather than larger bears?
I make two sizes, small bears mostly ranging from 7 to 12 inches as well as
bears up to 17 inches. In the larger size bears I can combine my love for bears
and dolls.
4. Do you make a variety of different styles? Are they One-Of-A-Kind, Limited
Editions or part of a Series? Do you name them, give them birth certificates,
etc? Are they fantasy, whimsy or 'realistic'?
Each bear is one is one-of-a-kind.
All of my bears are either babies or toddlers which I am fascinated by in “real
life”.
Once a baby bear is “born” and it looks at me I can see if it is a boy or a
girl. It will also tell me its name which will be shown on its Bearkidz ID hang
tag together with the year of making and my signature.
5. Do you dress your bears or give accessories, companions, accents, etc?
While my bears are not “Play-Bears”, I love to dress them and pose them for
pictures. Once the baby bear has its name, I look for items such as clothing or
playthings that will really bring out the character of the little one. It’s fun
to figure out who they are and then dress them accordingly. I have a ton of fun
scouting antique shows and toy stores to find little things that my bears can
wear or play with. Most of my bears come with some accessories but each of them
will usually bring a custom crocheted outfit, designed and hand made by me.
6. Do you concentrate solely on one bear at a time or have several being made
at different stages of completion? Do you do everything yourself or have
assistance?
I have to wait until it feels “right” to make another bear and until I find the
material I like working with.
However, once I start on a bear I work until I finish the bear.
It is important to me to do all work myself. Most of my bears are dressed at
least in one piece that I make by hand. Sometimes, to support a special
character, I also add either a vintage piece of clothing or a toy that is not
made by me.
7. Is there one bear above all others that is your favorite, and if so, why?
I always have one favorite bear: it is the one I made last.
8. Have you been influenced by any bear artist in particular? Any one you
admire?
There are some bear artists whose bears I love more than others. However, I
would say I am not influenced by any other bear maker but my love for dolls. My
bears are like soft and cuddly dolls.
9. What does bear making mean to you? Is it a job or a passion?
Making bears started out as a passion, a past time, something to do. It has come
to the point though where most of my daily activities are somehow centered
around making my bears so I guess you could say that it is the best of both
worlds and that I am passionate about my job as a bear maker.
10. How would you describe your bears to other people? What are their special
characteristics that set them apart from others on the market? Do they make
people smile? Are they little friends you trust and can tell your troubles to?
etc. What are your feelings about your bears?
I love each one of my bears and I am never sad if a bear doesn’t find a new
mommy. Each bear of mine is welcome in my house and some I just don’t want to
sell.
As said before, my love for dolls (especially baby dolls) shows in my bears.
They are recognizable by their proportions as babies and toddlers and also their
facial features show “baby features”. The characteristics of my bears I would
describe as: innocent, cuddly and friendly.
I get the most wonderful letters from some of my bear’s new mommies which make
me very happy.
11. Do you sell your bears? Where and how do you sell....fairs, shows,
internet, private commissions, mail order? How can people contact you if they
want one of your bears?
I sell many bears at local doll and bear shows. Some collectors buy their bears
regularly at these shows.
Other Bears, mostly the larger ones, I sell/adopt directly from my website. I
can say, many of my bear’s adoptive mommies get one “sibling” or two in addition
to their first bearkidz® bear.
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