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My name is Melani. I live in North Carolina. I’m normally a dog lover, but currently live w/ a cat named Willa. I began as a doll collector, but knew that I didn’t have the talent it requires to sculpt my own doll. A friend suggested I try making a bear. (I learned to sew when I was much younger.). My first bear was made using a pattern from a Jennifer Laing book and synthetic fur. He ended up looking more like a weird monkey.
I have a strong academic background & tend to gather resources & go whole hog into an area of interest. I must have read every book I could get my hands on back in the early to mid ‘90’s. I moved on to taking workshops whenever I could. I was fortunate to be able to study under Ted Menten, Beverly Port, Martha DeRaimo Burch, & Bev White among others. I sold a few bears through shops before life stepped in and I had to get a ‘real’ job.
Several years ago, hoping to refresh my skills, I enrolled in Ebear University (which has since closed), but wasn’t able to devote as much time as I would have liked. However, I did begin to purchase mohair when I could find bargains on ebay and etsy. I have now retired and hope to supplement my retirement income by making & selling bears & other critters from the stash of mohair & alpaca I have accumulated over the years.
I made a bear over the holidays and look forward to learning more and getting back into the swing of things. I’m not aware of any in-person workshops and am grateful for this opportunity to network & learn from others.
