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The Original Online Teddy Bear Magazine |
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Venus Crafts UK March - April 2026
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Click on the bee to view this feature article
in a Flip Magazine format. |
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In a quiet corner of Swansea, the second largest city in Wales which is by the sea, tiny faces peer out from shelves and a worktable.
Each one stitched, sculpted and brought to life by hand.
For their creator, Venus Chui, these bears are far more than collectibles. They are symbols of healing, resilience and a long-held dream rediscovered.
Venus moved to the United Kingdom in 2024 after spending the first 50 years
of her life in Hong Kong.
For more than a quarter of a century, she worked as a mental health nurse, caring for patients with complex conditions in demanding hospital settings. It was work she describes as meaningful, but also emotionally taxing.
“The shifts were long and intense,” she recalls. “There were times when I felt overwhelmed and burnt out.”
Searching for balance, Venus first turned to miniatures, small, intricate creations that offered calm through concentration.
But it was in 2002, when she met Gloria Chan, founder of the Hong Kong Teddy Bear Association, that her life took an unexpected creative turn.
Gloria’s bears were expressive, character-filled creations that captivated her attention immediately.
Under her Gloria’s guidance, Venus immersed herself in the art of teddy bear making, learning traditional techniques and developing her own style. What began as a hobby soon became a passion.
“Bear making gave me a peaceful space away from nursing,” she says. “From cutting the fabric to sculpting the face, every step brought joy.”
She became particularly fascinated by needle-sculpting; the delicate shaping of a bear’s features using thread and tension. |
Lady Gloria
Claws
Tomato
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Yellow Raincoat
Cheri
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“Even when using the same pattern, small design choices can completely change the bear’s personality,” she explains. “Each bear becomes truly unique.”
Her dedication soon translated into recognition.
In 2007, she won the 4th Annual Hong Kong Bear Award and in 2011, she was crowned Champion of the Hong Kong Teddy Bear Award with her creations Red, White, Blue and Lady Gloria, a milestone that marked her growth as an artist.
Venus’ work took her beyond Hong Kong. She attended the renowned TEDDYBÄR TOTAL fair in Germany, one of the world’s leading gatherings for teddy bear artists and collectors.
In 2009, she was interviewed by the Student Post of the South China Morning Post and appeared on a local television program, helping introduce,
to a wider audience, the art
of bear making.
But life intervened. As her nursing responsibilities increased, her creative time dwindled. From 2014 to 2024, she set aside her patterns, needles and mohair entirely,
a decade long pause that she says she felt deeply.
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Then came a life-changing decision.
In 2024, Venus resigned from nursing and relocated to Swansea, Wales.
Packed among her belongings were not only clothes and household items, but years
of collected fabrics, tools and her treasured handmade bears.
Once settled in her new home, encouragement came from unexpected places. Friends in the UK admired her creations and urged her to start creating again. Even her husband, once skeptical of her bear making hobby, became one of her strongest supporters.
With a new spark of hope, Venus launched her own small business, Venuscraftsuk, promoting her work on Instagram and Facebook.
Though new to becoming an entrepreneur, she describes the venture as a long-held dream.
“It is challenging,” she admits. “But it is something
I have wanted to try for many years.”
Her return to the international stage has already brought renewed success.
In 2025, she won two, Third Place Awards in the 20th Annual URSA Awards Competition, an international competition recognizing excellence in teddy bear artistry.
The accolades, she says, restored her confidence after years away from the craft.
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Honeybell
Lulu and Lala
Creamy
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Red, White & Blue
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Today, Venus works primarily with wool, mohair and felt, continually experimenting with sculpting techniques to create distinctive expressions.
Each bear is carefully designed to carry warmth and personality, qualities she believes resonate deeply with collectors.
Beyond her sewing table, Venus finds another form of mindfulness by playing a frame drum. The instrument’s deep, grounding sound offers the same sense of centered calm equal to her experiences while stitching.
Looking ahead, she plans to attend the upcoming Hugglets Teddy Bear Festival in London and hopes to return to TEDDYBÄR TOTAL next year to reconnect with the global teddy bear community.
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Brothers
Cherry
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Brothers Three
Olive
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Her ambition stretches further still.
One day, she hopes to open her own studio; a welcoming space where she can teach bear making, with classes designed especially for children, and pass on the joy she has found in bears.
“I’m not sure whether my business will be successful,” she reflects. “But it is an important try in my life.
A chance to grow and follow
a dream.” For Venus Chui, teddy bear making has been more than
a creative outlet. It has been a companion through stress, a bridge across continents, an
d a quiet form of healing.
In Swansea, surrounded by mohair, wool and thread, she is stitching together a new chapter in her life, one small soulful bear at a time.
Contact:
Venus Chui
Venus Crafts UK
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Learn More!
Where is Swansea, Wales?
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