Summertime definitely means more outdoor activities, but for some folks (like me) it means more chances to travel to historic mansions, Victorian estates, and the curio shops that surround these beckoning landmarks. Yes, it’s true that the summer means more sun, more warmth, and more excuses to exit your front door and soak in some much-needed, naturally occurring Vitamin D.
This week, my daughter is attending her middle-school dance. She’s in seventh grade, and it’s a big deal. Even though they are not wearing gowns or tuxes—this isn’t a prom, after all—she definitely wanted to look nice. So she spent a day in search of an “elegant creation.” How interesting that teddy bear artist Vicky Lougher creates her well-heeled (and sometimes undressed) critters under the banner of Elegant Creations. The array of well-garbed bears run the gamut from a “Wicked” witch, who could be belting out “Defying Gravity,” to a dapper husband-and-wife pair of newlyweds. Her characters are supernatural and theatrical, sure to cast a spell on collectors.
Originally published in Teddy Bear & Friends November 2016
Candace “Candi” Taylor is the ebullient creator of a marvelous menagerie of bears, owls, squirrels, chipmunks, and all other manner of four-footed critters. Residing in a small enclave in Oregon, Taylor describes her hometown as “living out in the wild.” The animal aficionado couldn’t ask for a better home base and creative outlet: “We moved here in 1978 and built our own home (meaning my husband did all the work) finishing over many years. We have lots of wildlife — deer, elk, cougars, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, and bears. It makes life interesting.”