It's hard to bear all the bad news lately. You can't turn on the TV or radio - or check out Facebook - without learning something depressing or scary. In times like this, it's important to take good care of yourself, and surround yourself with loving things. So today's blog has two simple missions - first, to give you a reason to smile and second, to provide a bright spot in your day. Here are a quartet of Steiff friends that are happy to help you with those important goals.
Our first terrific Ted is Penelope. She is one of Steiff's early 1950-era Teddy baby dolls. She stands 22 cm tall and is head jointed. Her unjointed body is made from tan fabric while the tips of her feet and hands are made from brown mohair. Penelope is clearly a fashion plate with her adorable light blue Peter-Pan style blouse, seersucker apron, and blue velvet pants. And this girl loves bling, as you can see from her pendant (which is actually an earring Steiffgal found, but don't tell her!) and her UFDC pocket pin. Steiffgal found Penelope at a doll show in 2016, and they've been close friends ever since. Penelope has accompanied Steiffgal to dreadful things like dentist and doctor visits and the like, and is always a great source of comfort - and conversation.
Here we have Maisy, who's as fresh as a daisy! She is a Steiff Teddy baby bear with really unusual velvety-cloth paw pads. Given this out-of-the-ordinary fabric, she probably dates from just before or just after WWII. Maisy is about 25 cm tall, fully jointed, and made from long and shaggy light maize colored mohair. Her nose and claw stitching is very light brown in color. Like Penelope, she's quite the girly-girl. She loves her pretty denim frock (which was made by Steiff) and is quite proud of her fantastic charm necklace, which features a bunch of playful beaded friends. Steiffgal found Maisy on eBay, and was immediately smitten by her great coloring and eternally optimistic personality. As soon as Maisy jointed the hug, she caught the eye of Charles, a 40 cm white Steiff Teddy baby from around 1930. It's easy to see why. They've been the happy couple ever since.
Our next sweet treat is Candy, who is 28 cm tall, fully jointed, and made from chocolate brown artificial silk plush. Candy was made around 1948 or so. She has very interesting linen paw pads on her hands and feet. She looks a little grumpy, but that's ok if you are a supermodel like she is, and she doesn't want to distract attention away from her totally terrific Teddy bear slippers. These quality kicks are made from brown mohair, have felt soles, and are decorated with brown and tan embroidery; even the bears' ears are dimensional. This slippers were a surprise gift from a friend, so they are even more special! Isn't it interesting how great footwear can make the whole day better? Steiffgal purchased Candy at auction; she wasn't planning on bidding on her, but you know how that goes.
And last but not least is this zany Zooby bear. This little joker is 28 cm and was made in the mid-1960s. He is head and arm jointed. His pointy claws are made from white felt. He is self-standing; the soles of his feet are made from a brown leather-like material; the tops are made from dark brown mohair. From a historical perspective, Zooby’s design is based somewhat on Steiff’s pre-war Zirkus-Baer or Circus Bear, a 32 cm standing bear produced from 1935 through 1939. Zooby likes wearing a felt clown hat, for obvious reasons. You can't help but notice his goofy facial expression, like he's just told a bad joke and is waiting for your hysterical response. Just the thought of that can't help but make you smile, right?
Steiffgal hopes these four cheerful cubs have brought a little humor, levity, and play to your day.
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