Way back in 1996 I developed a disability which meant I could no longer use my hands` very well. My Physio suggested that I take up sewing to keep my hands nimble, my response "Noooooo thats for girls" well she kept on at me and sure enough I went along to our local haberdashery shop and purchased a Teddy bear kit. I set to work and created something that did not resemble a bear but looked just like a thing from out of space!! The family laughed and took me as a joke to my first bear show where I became a teddy adict!!! I remained making bears as therapy until in 2005 I won the British Bear Artist Awards and turned my hobby into a buisness.
I call my buisness Westie Bears as Westie was my nickname at school (as it is to my two young sons). My creations have won many awards such as:
2005 British Bear Artist Awards
2007 West Sussex County Times Buisness Awards
2008 The Bronze winner of the Barclay Trading Places Awards
But the bigest prize of all is when someone falls in love with my creations.
My bears are all miniature in size with the average size of 3" and are all one of a kind and have the Westie Bear trade mark of a handmade bumble bee on them.
I write a regular article for Teddy Bear Times "Diary of a Bear Artist