Hi...My name is Christine Welsh and I have been making bears now since April 1999 (Can it really be that long? My... that is a scary thought!!)

These days I concentrate more on the pattern development side of bear making and obtain great satisfaction from helping others with making their own "Nioka Bear".

I make very few collectable bears these days, though when I do, all bears are my own design and all are crafted from quality fabrics, mainly Schulte mohair. I use quality eyes, threads and accessories throughout. All my bears are jointed (Unless otherwise stated) and also have an embroidered nose. I use a combination of stuffing types such as Orlon Flock, Ginned cotton and polyfill, depending on which 'part' of the bear I am filling and for different effect.

All my bears come with a signed Certificate of Authenticity which includes a photo of the bear and is laminated to last a lifetime. All bears are adorned with a genuine Australian Gemstone to remind them of home.

Please note that they are collectables and as such are not suitable for use as a child's play toy due to the small parts used.

Bear making has led me to 'meet' many wonderful new friends and now I have the pride of knowing that many of my bears live in exotic places I can only dream about visiting someday. My bears live in places like the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, France, Belgium, Africa, Japan, New Zealand and of course Australia too! (Oh and I dare say there are other places which have slipped my mind right now!)

HUGS,
Christine