Welcome to my gallery of original, miniature mohair, alpaca, plush, re-cycled fur, crocheted and wearable bears as well as my bead knitted pouches and eclectic line of jewelry, lovingly designed and handcrafted by Shelley K. Bossert, a teddy bear artist living and working in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

My teddy bears are displayed at shows perched on, hiding in and occasionally buried under vintage hats, shoes, jewelry, beaded evening bags and/or antique china and crystal.  I just love glitz so I haunt flea markets and garage sales hunting for that perfect, over-the-top, sparkly to adorn my bears or their "dress-up" show setting.

You are invited to take a close-up look at my best artistic efforts.  If you like what you see and are interested in offering one of the Ursa Minor Miniatures family members a new home, please contact me for availability.

Emily Opal, Amethyst and Emerald

This tiny teddy measures 3.5" short, sports black Australian opal tears and heart.  She was crafted from a recycled ermine coat accented with suede paw pads and inner ears.  She is fully jointed, weighted with steel shot for a heavy-in-you-hand life-like feel and has an embroidered nose with hand blown glass eyes from Germany. 

For the last four years, I have been teaching classes at A Better Bead & Crafts in Brevard.  My teddy bears  are for sale there and I teach classes in teddy bear making.  I also teach jewelry making at the shop.  In addition, I design and make one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that are sold in the shop and on the shop's web site.  I have decided to add my jewelry designs to my web site.  Here are some samples of my more recent work.  To see a complete selection of my currently available pieces, click here.

Classes are offered in 2 hour sessions, half and whole day blocks.  This schedule makes it convenient for people who live within easy driving distance to schedule weekly classes.  It also allows people who do not live close by to visit for a week-end and attend 4, 8, 12 and even 16 hour work shops with me.

If you are interested in any facet of teddy bear making from crocheted bears, aka thread bears and preparing an old fur coat for making teddy bears to bead knitting, please contact Alethea Gaston at her shop.  Contact information is as follows:

A Better Bead and Crafts

304 West Main Street

Brevard, North Carolina 28712

(828) 884-5920

www.abetterbead.com

alethea@abetterbead.com

Look what I won. 

Not bad for an old broad who spends her time hidden away in the NC mountains making teddy bears all day.

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