Created for Happiness

by Pam North

	Fluffy and adorable, the soulful expressions capture the heart immediately. Her creations demand to be scooped up, gently hugged, and adopted at once. They are all products of the skillful artistry of Lena Volkova, of Teddy Kingdom, who designs mostly bears, but also has bunnies, dogs, and cats represented in her magical menagerie. Each fuzzy critter has a delightful personality of its own.
	Russian-born Lena Volkova came from Moscow to the United States in 2001. She had been a professional classical pianist there for twenty-five years, and also had taken classes in sewing designer clothes and knitting, both good background experience for the endeavor she would choose a little later in her life. In 1998, a friend had introduced her to an American man, whom she later married and accompanied upon his return to the U.S. Now an American citizen, a little of her Russian background still sometimes finds its way into her bear making, such as the name Danila for one of her bears, and its accompanying canister decorated in Slavic-inspired designs.
	Almost eleven years ago a health issue left her very depressed, and to alleviate this she turned to making bears. In the summer of 2003, she had met Michelle Lamb, a Colorado bear maker, and had been inspired by the craft. Lena admired the imagination and creativity that was evident in artist bears, and it inspired her to draw on her own talent and vision. Michelle shared enough of her expertise to get Lena started, and it wasn't long before Lena was developing her own unique style, patterns, and special techniques. The first bear she put at auction on eBay in 2004 sold immediately, and Lena knew that she had found her niche. She attends one or two teddy bear shows annually, with about twelve to fifteen bears to sell, and she also merchandises them through her website.”I love to create,” she comments, and it has given her great satisfaction to develop her ideas.       
	 There is more to her craft, however - a higher purpose has evolved. Lena explains, “I received a letter, which made me affirm in my own experience, that my bear making can have a magic power to bring comfort to a person who needs it most.” The letter was from someone who was depressed to the point of being suicidal, and when most in despair, she would go to Lena's website, read about her bears, and “look at all their tender little faces, imagining they were telling me to just hang in there a little while longer.” The person credited Lena's bears with the fact that she “was still around and feeling much better.” Lena says that she has kept that letter as a reminder, and she says that ”while I can't change the world, I continue to try to make someone in it feel better. Since then, I work under the premise, “Make just one someone happy, and you will be happy, too.”
	Lena chooses high-quality, luxurious mohair and synthetic fabrics for her animals, even hand-dyeing some for special effects. Glass eyes and special techniques breathe life into the winsome faces, along with skillfully embroidered noses and mouths. Stitched wool felt paw pads complete the bodies, and a special treatment of the neck joint allows for more movement of the head. Imaginative details and accessories uniquely stylize her concepts and provide exactly the right touches to make each creature one-of-a-kind and special. She works mostly in the 7-inch to 26-inch size range, and often chooses specific themes for her animals, such as holidays, or months of the year. Sometimes a special fabric drives the creation of a unique animal. She welcomes incorporating new ideas into her creations, but whatever whim strikes her fancy, she always strives for the highest quality in her work. 
	Lena has received several accolades for her creation: a 2009  Golden Teddy Award for Andre; a 2009 TED Worldwide 2nd Place Award for Josephine; and a 2011 Golden Teddy Award for Agnes.
	The foothills west of Denver, Colorado is now where Lena has made her home, and the beautiful rugged terrain there makes her feel a strong connection to the earth, which evidences itself in her garden where she grows tomatoes and other vegetables, and a variety of herbs. She loves seeing all the wildlife that dwell in the Rocky Mountains, and contemplates which species she may use for a new animal creation in the future. Lena has become a successful and established artist in her own right, and her originality and imaginative inventiveness surely will find even more dimension in the future.  

Contact Information:
Lena Volkova
Teddy Kingdom
lena@TeddyKingdom.com 
www.TeddyKingdom.com