Today would have been Edward Gorey's Birthday

Here is an excerpt from the abecedary, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, by Edward Gorey

DISCLAIMER: The bears in Teddy Forest were not involved in assaulting Basil.
Weekly Bear #5 to follow soon.

Happy 92nd Birthday to Rupert Bear!

Here in Teddy Forest, we wish to wish Rupert Bear a very happy 92nd birthday! May he endure in the hearts of children everywhere and continue to evolve with the times. Below are some excerpts from Rupert Annuals in the Teddy Forest Library. Rupert Bear is a registered trademark of Express Newspapers and Edgemont Publishing.

Rupert, on your birthday we hope you have a lovely party...


Alfred Bestall illustration from Rupert Annual 1956



Opening page from Rupert Annual 1954

And we wish you...



1952 Annual, painted by Alfred Bestall

We also wish Vicky, Twinkle, and everyone else at Lovejoy Bears a wonderful first birthday!!

So, a hearty "Happy Birthday" to Rupert and Lovejoy Bears!

Vintage Children's Books- Old Bear Stories by Jane Hissey

Blaugh. I am super sick right now and had to take the day off work, which sucks, because I love my job. Plus, my poor sister and Dad have come down with it too. Here are some things to cheer myself up:


Little Bear and Hoot from Hoot, by Jane Hissey

 The bears in Teddy Forest find Jane Hissey's realistic drawings of teddy bears and other vintage animals very charming! I find myself looking to these books sometimes when I want to sew or needlefelt a new animal.


Bramwell Brown from Hoot, by Jane Hissey.
It is my goal to one day make a miniature Bramwell Brown from corduroy for Teddy Forest, but I haven't designed a pattern yet.



Little Bear from Hoot, by Jane Hissey



I picked up Hoot at a charity sale at the local library. So, support a library this week :) Happy reading!

Rupert and the Frogsong- An anthem for happier times ahead

I haven't been around Teddy Forest lately, mainly because my real life has been difficult lately. My darling rabbit of ten years passed away, and then I launched into 12 hour shifts at work for the past fortnight and a bit. So, here is a little something that always lifts the spirits:

Rupert and the Frogsong! This wonderful short music video, brought to us by Paul McCartney and Geoff Dunbar, based on the characters by Mary Tourtel and Alfred Bestall, is a little slice of happiness. Click below and enjoy!

Rupert and the Frog Chorus, by Alfred Bestall, 1958 Rupert Annual

Vintage Children's Books- Molly Brett

from The Adventures of Plush and Tatty by Molly Brett, published by the Medici Society

What were your favourite books as a child? The Teddy Forest Library is beginning to amass a rather lovely collection of beautifully illustrated children's books. I find them quite inspiring when making bears and other crafts. Here are some pages from a recent thrift shop find, The Adventures of Plush and Tatty, by Molly Brett. I highly recommend googling Molly Brett's whimsical and charming illustrations.

Tatty has a boating mishap from The Adventures of Plush and Tatty by Molly Brett

disaster strikes the cookout from The Adventures of Plush and Tatty by Molly Brett

from The Adventures of Plush and Tatty by Molly Brett

What do you take inspiration from?