Hello, I am Marie-Christine Twardy and I am the person who makes all those furry little creations. I have a diploma in biology and I am now working as a team assistant for a children´s magazines publishing house. You want to know how I lost my heart to teddy bears? Well, I never had a teddy bear but some day in 1998...

... I rediscovered my mother´s old bruin in the attic among some other stuffed animals. As no indication of a trademark could be seen, a sort of "detective fever" gripped me. But neither my mother nor my grandparents were able to give me a satisfying answer. For that reason I bought my first book about teddy bears. In this way I finally identified the old teddy as a "Steiff Zotty".

the first part of my collection (including the old Zotty)

Soon my family realized my rising interest in bruins. So I was given more and more bears and books about teddys. Of course, I soon started to buy bruins for myself, too. Meanwhile my collection even includes some famous artist´s teddy bears, for example a Winterbärger from Susanne Winterberg whose work I really appreciate.

At that time I didn´t pay any attention to those few patterns in my books, yet. These ones weren´t proper teddy bears, just for amateurs, I thought.

One day in autumn 1999, I discovered a teddy magazine in a supermarket, which I bought at once. I was completely surprised: there was a huge "teddy bear scene"! And there also were other collectors, there were teddyartists and exhibitions...! I was filled with enthusiasm and at that moment the "teddyfever" really gripped me.

Furthermore this magazine contained two patterns. I liked one of them so much that I determined to order this kit, just to try it. This was "Eisbärli" (by Gabriele Lepahé). And he turned out quite well, didn´t he? So other kits followed.

But then the wish stired to choose the material for the patterns myself. Soon I had bought some pieces of mohair and all the stuff I needed for teddy bear making. My first pattern ("Fab Four") out of a magazine wasn´t just the first pattern without kit, it was also the first one I didn´t make for myself. One of my friends liked my teddy bears so much that she wanted one for her birthday present. I just enlarged it a little bit.

I continued with making bears by using patterns of other artists. "Fussel" (by Susanne Ptak) was one of them. He also found a new home quickly and moved to Anita´s.

While having made these teddys I tried to create patterns on my own, but I threw them away, until I found a guidance in a teddy bear magazine. The first bruin I created completely on my own is called "little spoon". In 2000, he participated in the 7th European Competition of Teddy bear artists. After that "Spekulatius" took part in a competition in Hennef at the "Teddybär Total 2001". He became 41st of 48 competitors.

After all my teddy bears now live in many new homes all around the world - in Germany, France, Swiss, the USA, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain and even Russia. Maybe one of them will soon find a place in your heart, too?