Teddy Cinco – Part 1

June 21, 2021 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

Yorkshire.Teddy.Rescue

Text & Photo by Ann La Mar.

We Urso Majors follow Tinkers amazing teddy bear page. She helps all poor bears who have been abandoned and broken by lovingly mending them and helping them find happy new homes. All proceeds made rehoming the bears goes to Asthma UK.

A few weeks ago Tinker announced a competition, it said

‘’enter the pretty knitty teddy bear competition. Knitted or crocheted teddy bears’’.

This was our competition entry.

“Hello teddy bear friends, I am Fluffle telling the story and Typo my little brother working the big computer (See our picture).We would like to enter our beary special brother Cinco into the knitted/crochet bear competition. One day during lockdown a box arrived from the supermarket with our weekly honey. It had on it a picture of this cute little bear but in the box was just wool and instructions.

We watched and waited as our mum started to work with the wool and funny sticks, this bear began to appear and disappear and appear and disappear, 5 times this happened, (along with some naughty words) until finally we saw a bear, hence when we were telling Auntie Miki in Spain he became our Cinco.

Cinco now complete and looks nothing like the bear on the box, lives ‘on the commode’ with many brothers and sisters in Auntie Miki’s bedroom. We thought this was hilarious when she first said it, one of those things lost in translation! We embrace diversity in our family and our Cinco is loved so much by us all.

Find out what happened later!

The Magic World Of Charlie Bears

April 14, 2021 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

Text & Illustrations by Miki de Goodaboom

Very happy to be featured in the actual issue of the English/American Magazine

“Teddy Bear Times And Friends”,

with my illustrated article about the world renowned Charlie Bears.

I attach here the first page of my article. If you are interested in reading the whole article, and much more wonderful Teddy bear stories, you can purchase the magazine, printed or digital.

The printed version is available in WH Smith Stores in the UK.

The digital version can be ordered online at

https://www.teddybeartimes.com/

Prints of my Teddy Bear paintings are available at “The Wonder World Of Truffle McFurry”

See also the series of my “Inspirational Teddies”.

Sweet As Honey

March 7, 2021March 7, 2021 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

Text by Truffle McFurry, Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom

Today is the feast of all grand-mothers in France! I have a wonderful grand-mother, she is my Mom’s mother. She is a very very old woman, 95 year old says my Mom, so she has got lots of grand-children. But I am the one who spends lots of time with her, my mom and me we love her very much and often come to visit her, to care for her, and to have fun with her.

Today I decided to make her a lovely gift. She had said, she had never had a gift at Grand-Mother’s day. Well, it was about time! We ordered a wonderful Cristal bear holding a honey pot and with a bee on its paw, one of those Swarovski creatures, that she loves and collects. Then my Mom bought a beautiful cardboard bag with lots of silver butterflies flying on it, and we put the bear into the bag.

At breakfast I arrived with the bag in my arms. It was almost bigger than me! My Grand-Ma was so happy! But the funny thing is that she thought the bag was the gift, and she didn’t even look inside!

But when we told her, she made such big eyes, and she cried of joy as she saw the little bear!

Miki painted the bear for me and my blog, but apologies a bit:

“It is not easy to paint that Swarovski Cristal!”

she says. Well, it is difficult to write too, I hope I did not make a spelling mistake!

(Prints and articles of all sorts are available. Click on the painting to go to Miki de Goodaboom’s shop online)

Benjamin’s Birthday Party

February 24, 2021February 24, 2021 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

Text & Photos by Ann La Mar

My Yarm bears sort of live in secret being rotated from the top of a chest of drawers to the drawers in the bed…. and other hiding places so no one except me actually knows how many there are!

Benjamin is celebrating a very big birthday this year so Honey our bear cook wanted to have a little party for him. Auntie Miki sent a picture of some Teddy bear cupcakes so she decided to try and make them. Honey worked her magic in the kitchen and very soon the little cupcakes were baked and transformed into little teddy bears.

Honey invited Benjamin and a few of his closest friends to the party. He was so happy that Honey had made Teddy bear cakes especially for him, they even had candles 1 for every decade he has been with me. After the party and eating the cakes they all went for an afternoon nap.

Guess who did the washing up?

Valentine’s Bears

February 13, 2021February 13, 2021 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

Text & Photo by Miki de Goodaboom

I live in Spain. Here is Teddy Bear culture, unfortunately, not developed at all. You can find some in the toy shops, of course, but even there, they are rather rare. In the meanwhile, due to the increasing number of English tourists and residents, you can see sometimes Teddy Bears appearing in charity shops.

And yet: in the town where I am right now, Benidorm, I have seen the most beautiful Teddy Bear setting ever! To compensate the economic effects and the sadness of Covid, the town hall has organised a context among shops, bars, hotels, etc, for the best Valentine decoration, under the motto “Benidorm Te Espera” (Benidorm is waiting for you). Even closed businesses can participate… what most of them are these days!

Each participant receives 500 euros, and the first 3 winners will win a nice amount too. 3000 businesses have subscribed, with the result that thousands and thousands of red hearts and love words are beating all around Benidorm. I have to say: you like Valentines or not, this is beautifully uplifting the mood.

I could not believe my eyes as I saw that cafe – Cafeteria Uliana, Avda Mediterraneo- decoration. At the 4 coloured tables by the window are sitting big Teddy bears, little ones too, all having coffee, tea, cava even, with all kind of yummy pastries, all served in beautiful dishes. It really looks like a cafe exclusively fir Teddy Bears, and the bears seem to have such fun and enjoying it so much!

Sip Sip Hooray!

February 1, 2021 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

Text & Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by Ann La Mar)

My newest piece of the Series “Inspirational Teddies”, about those Teddy bears who always have some wise words to share with us.

This one, called “Honey”, is not saying anything though, too busy enjoying her break from cooking and a glass of red wine. The wise words stay on the bottle label: “Sip Sip Hooray”In these tough times, a glass of good red wine is certainly food for the soul. It is for me anyway… perhaps because I am French?

Cheers Honey!

(Prints and articles of all sorts are available. Click on the painting to go to Miki de Goodaboom’s shop online)

Bad Hair Day

August 4, 2020August 4, 2020 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

Text by Kev Le Chat, Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom

Arthur Bear was a very particular bear. Everything had to be just so. He was very proud indeed of his green velvet waistcoat with its bright shiny buttons that he polished every morning. He was proud of his trousers and used a ruler to ensure that the turn ups on each were equal and perfect.

And his beautiful white shirt with starched collar completed his ensemble. He admired himself in the mirror.

‘Yes, Arthur’ he thought. ‘You are very particular and look particularly smart today!’

He chuckled at his own little joke.

But then, he looked again. Goodness gracious! He’d forgotten his tie! His beautiful pink tie!

He spent at least thirty minutes looking for it.

Eventually, out of ideas, he shouted to Molly Bear in the bathroom.

‘Where’s my tie?’ He grumbled, irritably.

‘No idea’ came Molly’s reply.

For her part, Molly was in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to stop giggling.

She’d washed her hair and it hadn’t gone well. She had accidentally used the laundry detergent instead of shampoo and it had ended up looking like an explosion in a mattress factory. Molly was resourceful though. She’d sneaked into Arthur’s wardrobe and borrowed his lovely pink silk tie.

She managed to fight the hair into place so you’d never guess she had a problem and finished it off with a lovely big pink bow on the top of her head.

Eventually she emerged from the bathroom.

Grumpy Arthur, minus tie, suddenly softened as he saw Molly on the landing.

‘You look lovely my dear’ he said, beaming.

‘I love the new bow! You’ve changed your style!’

‘Oh, ‘ said Molly, trying hard not to laugh

‘Bad hair day’

Arthur shook his head, thinking how pretty she looked and reminded himself he must look for that tie when he got home from work.

(Prints of all sorts are available. Click on the painting to go to Miki de Goodaboom’s shop online)

The Woman

June 4, 2020June 4, 2020 / Miki de Goodaboom / 2 Comments

Text by Teddy Truffy McFurry, Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom

Today I want to show you our new Teddy ‘The Woman”. My Mom got her from my Dad for her birthday, together with her husband, “The Man”. Together they are “The Man and The Woman”. I start with “The Woman” today, because she is quite an old Lady, and old Ladies, says my Mom, still like to be treated like ladies, and to come first.

They are part of the “Inspirational Teddies” club, all these Teddies in the house who tell us lots of deep truths.

My Mom says it is important to have them, because so many people are telling lies and one does not always knows.

But The Woman, she always knows what is happening!

(Prints of all sorts are available. Click on the painting to go to Miki de Goodaboom’s shop online)

If We Can Put A Man On The Moon

May 22, 2020 / Miki de Goodaboom / 3 Comments

Text by Kev Le Chat, Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom

Doris was upset.

Very upset.

Her husband had taken her favourite parasol , turned it upside-down
And used it as a planter for his petunias.

Now the summer had come, and she’d been looking for it. He’d panicked and
Washed it out and emptied it, and it was now an unattractive soggy mess.

Fed up with men, Doris decided to go on strike.
Every day for a week, she went and stood outside the local co-op with this sign around around her neck.
It was a bit boring, but better than having to talk to her idiot husband.

(Prints of all sorts are available. Click on the painting to go to Miki de Goodaboom’s shop online)

When The Going Gets Tough…

May 5, 2020 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

Text and Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom

Now, we have today a very proud bear in our family!

It is that little beautiful bear woman, from the “Inspirational Teddies” club, going shopping, and wearing around her neck that slate on which is written

“When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping!”

Well, she is proud and a really inspirational Teddy because yesterday, somebody in America decided to buy a mask against the Coronavirus, with the painting of her on it!

(Mask available online, press on the image above)

Somebody on the other side of the big pound will go around wearing that mask and show it to everybody… if that is not a reason to be proud!!!

She is a bit scared to become a celebrity now because she is a bit shy. But I assured her that America is very far away and nobody here in Spain will recognise her… that is, if they don’t buy her mask here too!!!