The Old Post Office Bears
Artist Bears Designed by Dawn Jellis-Jones
About Me
Hello and thank you for dropping by.
Hello My name is Dawn Jellis-Jones and I live in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom with my husband and our four boys! We live in a beautiful fourteenth century thatched cottage in a small rural village. Our cottage was once the home and workplace to Flora Thompson the author of Larkrise to Candelford. The cottage lends itself so well to making old style bears.
I have been making bears for over 20 years and many of my bears have found homes all over the world. I make vintage and antique style miniature bears using traditional components i.e. Shulte Mohair, Glass Eyes, Cotton Paws and always weight them with fine Steel Shot. Each bear is dressed in antique or vintage fabrics and quite often accessorized with antique purses and brooches. Currently I exhibit at a number of fairs here in the UK. Details of which can be found on my website www.theoldpostoffiebears.com
I am also very proud to say I have won various awards over the years for my bears both here in the UK and abroad.
We Live in a remote village in Buckinghamshire in a lovely thatched cottage called 'The Old Post office' Hence the name The Old Post Office Bears. We have been in the process of renovating it for five years now!!The romantic side of me likes to think the cottage chose us and we did not choose it! It has a garden filled with weeping willows, a beautiful pond, and the air is filled with bird song. We have two cats Claude and Tubbs and seven chickens, called Kushina, Flora, Hetty, Tallulah, Bluebell, Blackberry and Helen. They potter about in the garden to their hearts content all day.
Since I was a young child, I have always loved anything old, which I think was a seed placed by my grandfather when he showed me an old sepia photograph of my great great grandmother. It lead me to collect all sorts of antiques and old interesting items. You will quite often catch me trawling car boots and charity shops, leaving no stone unturned. I also have a love of anything miniature and of course a love of the arts, including music and drama. I spent three years studying Drama and Theatre Studies but sadly now seem to lack the confidence of youth! All this I think has played a part in where I am today, creating artist bears.
I have been making bears for a number of years now and owe my love and talent for sewing to my grandmother who was a talented dress designer and seamstress. She would spend many patient hours teaching me to sew and knit when I was a small child, although I never could get the hang of knitting! I would always be sewing and creating clothes for my dolls and teddies. Aah I hear you say!
I take inspiration from all the old and antique bears who so often capture your heart. You know, the ones with the 'take me home faces' you just cant resist. The bears are all designed and created by myself. All my miniatures bears are hand stitched and can take up to 15 hours depending on their accessories and each one is made from traditional components i.e. shulte or fine quality german mohair, cotter pin joints, wool felt paws, perle waxed noses and I just love to fill my miniatures with steel shot to give them a lovely weight.
And finally if you have reached this last paragraph without falling asleep, congratulations and I do hope you enjoy looking at my site and the bears.
xxx