About the Artist
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Welcome to Raspbeary Hollow
After a move to Massachusetts and the birth of a second son, Drew, in 1984, I began to
look for a creative outlet that I could accomplish between the interruptions of 2 small
children.
About that time, the teddy bear craze was beginning in the US. I combined my rusty sewing
skills with that aforementioned love of animals and started making teddy bears from a few
of the commercial patterns then available. About 5 patterns in, I had started to develop my
own style and my first original design, Noah, was born. That was just a few weeks before
our daughter, Caitlin, was also born in September 1985. A local shop owner was supportive
and in a very short time, the Raspbearies company came into being. Whew!
Somehow, I managed to develop a few more patterns and decided to plunge into the show
circuit at the Amherst Teddy Bear Rally in 1987. I sold my whole inventory in less than 3
hours: months of work! There were many more shows to come, many more designs and
bears. Additionally, I enjoyed the uproarious camaraderie of a wonderful group of fellow
teddy bear artists known as the Teddy Bear Artists of New England. Cheers, Ladies!
For the last 20+ years, I've been lucky enough to do something I love and weave it around
the lives of a very busy family. Along the way, I even entered a national magazine contest
with a pair of bears skating.....and won (see below). And I have met some of the most
wonderful and interesting people in the form of collectors, other artists and those who
cannot believe I make teddy bears for a living!
is a funny gift. Not only does it erupt in many forms, but it rarely
remains stifled for long. Like many teddy bear artists, I arrived at the
craft by a very circuitous route.
Having learned to sew from my grandmothers and a couple of aunts, I
honed my skills on Barbie and Betsy McCall doll clothes, an arkfull of
stuffed animals, clothing for myself and gifts for family. Then in
college, I shifted quickly through veterinary medicine, zoology (animals,
you see) and finally graduated as a medical technologist. Pretty far
from sewing!
During a 12 year career in the lab, I managed to get married to Pat and
have our son Sean. When the need to be creative again struck, I found
a calligraphy class and started a small side business doing original
pieces, including family trees.
remains stifled for long. Like many teddy bear artists, I arrived at the
craft by a very circuitous route.
Having learned to sew from my grandmothers and a couple of aunts, I
honed my skills on Barbie and Betsy McCall doll clothes, an arkfull of
stuffed animals, clothing for myself and gifts for family. Then in
college, I shifted quickly through veterinary medicine, zoology (animals,
you see) and finally graduated as a medical technologist. Pretty far
from sewing!
During a 12 year career in the lab, I managed to get married to Pat and
have our son Sean. When the need to be creative again struck, I found
a calligraphy class and started a small side business doing original
pieces, including family trees.
| In 1991, we built a house on a pond in a wooded hollow with a workshop in which to make teddy bears. You won't find Raspbeary Hollow on any map, but it is full of wild animals, 2 cats and a lot of teddy bears - now |
| Fall 2007 A very dry pond! |
| December 2007 Let it SNOW! |
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the photo
| Evolution of a Logo Recognize the bears in this photo? Hint: see the home page! That is the first Cody that I made (he lives now with Joe & Jeanine Lamothe) with Nicholas in front and they are sitting on my coffee table.....Cody is a BIG guy. I made a line drawing of Cody and 'magically' fitted it together with another, replacing Nicholas with a line drawing of a little Tundra (see Archive) done by April Whitcomb Gustaphson for me and....voilá....a logo! PS...Cody is still available by special order, but Nicholas is a closed edition |
| Cody and Nicholas |
1995 Golden Teddy Award
| The Skating Lesson Nicolai and Mischa |
| June 2008 Frogs & Liilypads |
Probably more than you want to know!
| © 2007-2010 Vicki Stephan Updated April 2010 |
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| April 2010 Geese & Ducks |