Some people seem born to create. Such is the case with Wendy Walker

of M.E. Bears.

"I think I was always meant to create bears. When I was very young,

I always had scissors in my hands; cutting anything I could, which sometimes, inappropriately, meant my best friend's hair and the lounge room curtains."

This native of Queensland, Australia, first began her craft in bear making in 1994.

"Originally, I worked with any material I could lay my hands on from fur coats to synthetic fur which I would get from a craft store," Wendy remarked.

"I promptly decided that miniatures were going to be my forte and I started to work on my initial designs."

One day, Wendy came across a craft magazine and realized that she could actually purchase fabrics just for bear making.

"This was a massive turning point for me. The short pile mohair and mini bear fabrics were so easy to sew."

Inspiration and encouragement from

a fellow artist gave Wendy the push she needed to continue. She eventually created a web site, blog and even a Facebook page dedicated to her business.

Although she doesn't do live shows currently, she will occasionally sell a creation on auction sites too.

Carson

Prudence

Riley

"Making my bears and critters is such a huge pleasure. I get excited when

I see their new little faces looking back at me. My creations have traveled all over the world to live in their new homes and when they are adopted, I feel like a part of me has gone with them."

Wendy's particular favorites are the three and five inch creations. "I can take the pieces to sew while at the doctor or hairdresser's or anywhere, which is great because I just cannot sit down and do nothing!"

All her bears are completely hand-stitched and are fully jointed, even the tiny 1/12 scale bears. She is currently fond of using a faux fur called French Tissavel which mimics real fur. And of course, all the bears are made with a loving hand.

"I feel so blessed to have so many followers who took the time to vote for me in all of these awards." Which makes it totally worthwhile when she spends painstaking hours working out special designs, such as a miniature bear with eyes and mouth that can open and close. "I am really proud that the many hours of designing has paid off."

Wendy Walker

M. E. Bears

Member since October 2012

Dudley

Engibear

Keelan

Marko

Red

Discover more about Queensland, Australia

Click on the map >>>