Profile....

Hi my name is Jacqui Hall. I have lived in a few different areas in South Australia . I have been married 30 years. I have 4 grown up wonderful children and their partners and 5 gorgeous granddaughters and one on the way, due in 2008. When I originally got this web site up and running I was living at Goolwa. Every time I go to update this web-site my situation changed. To cut a long story short, we are now travelling and working around Australia in a Bus. So Please go to the Bus Travels Page to find out more. This page will tell you where I am in case you would like to do a workshop or just catch up with me and talk Teddy Bears.

Why? Moonbeam Bears, because most bears get finished late at night, and the moon is out. I have been in the textile industry for 27 years, as a dressmaker and pattern designer. I also became a qualified Dressmaking teacher, where I taught at T.A.F.E. colleges and had my own private small sewing school. As Dressmaking became my career, I was looking for a hobby. I have tried various crafts. Folk Art, Porcelain Dolls, Quilting, Silk Painting etc. I wanted a hobby that I could take with me when I travel. My friend Bonita suggested that I make a Teddy Bear, I just laughed and said, fur is a horrible thing to sew, plus I hate hand sewing. I remember when I was young I went for a job interview in a toy factory making fluffy toys. It was awful. Then years later I started another job making Australian animals out of real skins. That was awful too. So from then on I just refused to sew fur of any kind. Bonita kept trying to talk me into making a Bear. Eventually I gave in . Being a perfectionist, which drives my family mad, I found a local craft shop, which had Bear making classes on a Saturday. I started going to classes. The first Bear I started to make was called H.G. and he was made out of acrylic. In between time, I started going through my Doll and Bear Magazines. I kept coming across this gorgeous Bear called Kalamazoo ; he was too expensive for me to buy. Not reading the add properly, till weeks later, I realized that Bear Mania was at Hahndorf in South Australia, about an hours drive from where I lived at the time. I also noticed the word workshops; I phoned and enquired about what workshops were available. Sandra-Kay of Bear Mania was going to a show the following weekend, near where I lived. We met at the show and I booked into a workshop to make my own Kalamazoo . Sandra-Kay said it was an advanced class, had I made any bears? I said yes, naughty me. I thought well I have been a Dressmaker for 27 years and I had started H.G. at the craft shop classes, even though I hadn't finished him yet. Sandra-Kay realized when the workshop started that I hadn't made Bears before, but I got through the workshop O.K. and we laugh about that now.

I finished my first Bear Kalamazoo on 27/3/02. Then I finished H.G. a week later.

From then on I was addicted! I have done workshops with Sandra-Kay and workshops with Linda Benson and Kympatti. I entered Kalamazoo in the Doll and Teddy Show in August 2002 with another bear called Sachka, which is Sandra-Kay's design too. To my surprise, Kalamazoo won the Rosette for best in 18”-24” Bears Category Novice Section, and Sachka got First Ribbon. All the Bears I have entered in shows since then, have won either a Rosette for best in a certain category or High Firsts or a First. In November 2003 I entered my First Own Designed Bear called Ben. He Won the Rosette Best in Category 18-24” Open 1 Original Pattern. I was very surprised. In 2004, I entered my 2 nd Designed Bear in the Historic Hahndorf Doll and Bear Extravaganza. He was called Bradburry and he Won the Rosette Best in Category 18-24” in Open 2. I was very excited, but that now means when I enter shows I am now in the professional section.

  I love being an Arctophilia.

I will continue doing workshops with other great Bear Artists, as there is always something new to learn, or great new products to try out. I will also keep Designing and Making New Bears, but my True Passion is Teaching Bear Making, passing on the knowledge that I have acquired from other bear artists, and my own bear making techniques. Its great seeing the student's faces when they finish creating a new friend, especially when they thought they wouldn't be able to make a nice bear and it turns out great. The Students, who have entered their Bears in shows, have won Rosette's, High Firsts in the categories they were in. They were very surprised and happy. I enjoy creating other Arctophilias.

I do get a bit sad when one of my Bears is adopted at first, but I know they are going to a good home, who will cherish them like I do.

  I hope they bring you as much joy and laughter as they do me.

Thank-you for visiting!

Bear Hugs

Jacqui Hall