Julie Bellomo, Teddy Den Bears   

A Soft Charm

by Pam North

Julie Bellomo is no newcomer to the world of teddy bear creation. “I started my bear-making roughly 30 years ago,” she explained. “Raising my daughter happily diverted my attention for several years, and I also had a career in the tech field, retiring a few years ago from Hewlett Packard. Since then, I have had the luxury of being able to devote more time to my hobby and I have thoroughly enjoyed that.”
“I  always had a creative, artistic nature growing up. When I came across a bear making pattern, I knew I had to try it, and my first project was a faux-fur bear.  Although I was quite pleased with it then, when I think about it now, I really have to laugh - it barely resembled a bear at all! To my surprise, however, a friend purchased it for $25. With every new bear, I always tried to improve each one, and slowly but surely that is what happened. I've been working with mohair for over 20 years, and absolutely love it. Each creation has its own unique personality and character, even if I make the same pattern with the same mohair. One of my favorite things is the anticipation of finishing that little face, which truly is when the little bear is born.”
“Another satisfaction I receive is sharing my cubs. I have been selling my bears only for a few months; until this point, I usually gave them as gifts to family members or friends. When I first posted some bears for sale on-line, I received several emails from friends sharing pictures of bears I had given them years ago. Their emails were sent so soon after my posting that I knew they hadn’t dug their bears out of closets or boxes, so their bears had been a part of their daily lives and their hearts all these years!”
Bellomo loves working with mohair, but recently started creating with vintage furs - mainly mink. “I was asked to create three little bears from a friend's grandmother’s mink stole. I loved this challenge, as I had only made one mink bear prior to this. As I was prepping the fur for the project, three pennies fell from inside the lining of the stole, probably from a hole in one of the pockets. I almost felt like the girls’ grandma was there guiding me through the project -  three pennies for three bears for three granddaughters. My husband drilled holes in the pennies, and I hung each on a leather cord to make necklaces for the bears. In addition to the mohair and mink bears, I have made a little cream-colored bear out of silk. I had no idea silk could look like fur! This little bear is a sweet little female cub, and I am drawn to her unique feel.”
Bellomo shared her thoughts on bear-making, “As I continue with this hobby that has become such a part of my life and such a part of who I am, I hope to always be creative. There are so many things I'd like to learn, and I love sharing my bears with friends and family.”

Contact Information: 
Email:  juliebellomo@gmail.com
TeddyDenBears on Etsy.com