Kaycee Bear Dragons Taking the World by Storm!

We have heard through the grapevine that the popularity of Kelsey Cunningham's dragons (owner of Kaycee Bears) are being highly sought after by collectors.

As hopefully you might know, Kaycee Bears and critters are designed by Kelsey in the UK and entirely created in the UK.  That is certainly refreshing news these days.

Rumour has it that Hamleys (a huge toy store that can easily be compared to FAO Swartz in the US) put out 5 of these adorable plush dragons at night and all were gone by 2 pm the next day.

Beacon's Glow Collectibles will be getting in three of these very collectible dragons in the next 6-8 weeks.  We are so excited to be getting this opportunity as in the past, Kelsey's dragons had already sold out in the UK before we got to see them here in the US.

The names of these cuties are Grifter (a greenish-brown dragon), Fire Storm (a red and yellow dragon), and Cloud Dancer (a very pretty mauve colored dragon).

If you might be interested in any of these, please email us at info@beaconsglow,com and we will be sure to reserve one for you.  We expect that they will truly sell out very quickly once we receive them in.

Kaycee Bears - Handmade with Love and Care in England!

Quote of the Day - "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - Francis of Assisi

Introducing "Eyes of Texas" Dolls

Brenda, Owner of Beacon's Glow Collectibles, has been at it again.  Her latest endeavor is creating her "Eyes of Texas" Dolls hand-poured and hand-finished with the world-famous Dianna Effner doll molds.

She finds that she thoroughly enjoys paining the dolls eyes and this is truly what makes them unique and truly a collectible.

Each doll stands approximately 12 inches tall and each wears a hand-sewn sleeveless dress and pair of panties.

Every doll comes with pierced earrings (attached), pair of woven socks, white Mary Jane shoes, and a tiny brown plush teddy bear.  (Can you determine the brand of the teddy bear?)

Brenda will continue to fine tune her sewing skills and proceed with more complicated dresses and outfits for the dolls.

Please stay tuned!

Eyes of Texas Dolls - "It's All In the Eyes"

Quote of the Day - "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time". - Thomas Edison

Another Hats 4 Hope Donation

A shipment of our quarterly goal of 25 preemie baby hats are headed on their way to the Hats 4 Hope organization.  This puts our total number of hand-crocheted hats donated at 125 and counting.  (We plan on donating at least 100 hats per year as a goal).

For those of you who have donated monies during checkout, thank you!  Your money has all gone towards the purchase of yarn to crochet these little hats.

It is great that MSNBC's heartwarming "Making a Difference" series has still kept Suzy's (founder of Hats 4 Hope) news spotlight online.

Thanks again for your continued support!

Kaycee Bears - An Uncertain Future

Happy New Year!

We were extremely pleased to get the opportunity to carry Kaycee Bears in 2014.  These amazing creations are handmade in the UK by founder, Kelsey Cunningham. (And the company is just wonderful to work with).

But we were saddened to hear that Kelsey will most probably be losing sight in one of her eyes.

This might have a profound effect on upcoming 2015 Kaycee Bear introductions.

We will keep you updated as soon as we hear of any updates from Kelsey.  We so hope that Kelsey can recuperate from her condition.

What is Mohair Anyway?

Higher-end collectible teddy bears and friends are primarily made of mohair, but what is it exactly?

• Mohair is shorn from the coats of Angora goats.  These goats were not introduced to the US until 1849.
• The US is one of the two largest producing nations in the world which total two million pounds.
• Most Angora goats are raised in Southwest Texas because of its perfect climate and terrain.
• Mohair is considered an all-season fashion fiber.
• Mohair fabric is:  wrinkle resistant, has a high affinity to absorb dyes, is moisture resistant, and extremely flame retardant.
• Mohair can be hand washed and brushed.
• Angora goats are shorn twice a year and the animals are not harmed when being shorn.

So, the next time you are admiring your mohair teddy bear, please appreciate what an Angora goat has contributed to making your collectible bear amazing!

Quote of the Day - "To unpathed waters, undreamed shores." - William Shakespeare

All About Your Alpaca Teddy Bear

Collectible teddy bears are usually made from either mohair, plush or alpaca.  Alpaca bears are amazingly soft and cuddly and it is usually made clear that they are made from alpaca fleece.

So what exactly is alpaca?

• Alpaca wool is shorn from an Alpaca (which is a long-haired domesticated South American mammal related to the llama).
• Alpaca can be light or heavy in weight, depending on how it is spun (very similar to how wool is spun).
• Alpaca is warmer and softer than sheep's wool.
• The Alpaca animal is a docile creature well-suited for a family pet.
• Alpacas come in 22 natural colors, with more than 300 shades from a true black through brown-black, browns, fawns, white, silver-grey and rose-grey.
• White is the predominant color.
• Alpacas are raised in San Angelo, Texas, which has the perfect climate for these animals.
• San Angelo, Texas, is the largest producer of alpaca in the US.

A teddy bear made from alpaca really stands out because of its incredible softness.  In fact, once an alpaca teddy is picked up, it is hard to put him down because he is so very cuddly.

Quote of the Day - "The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness.  Happiness is the goal of every other goal." - Deepak Chopra

Some Things You Did Not Know About Hildegard Gunzel

Came across this online article taken from a blog by Dear Little Dollies regarding Hildegard Gunzel.  Some interesting facts were found about Hildegard that we were not aware of.

• Hildegard was born in Tauberbishoffsheim, Germany
• She was born in 1945 (right after the end of World War II)
• Attended to German School for Fashion Design in Munchen
• After graduation, she worked as a designer in the fashion and jewelry industry
• In the 1970's she began making dolls as a hobby
• Her first medium used for dolls was Cernit
• Hildegard attended her first "International Toy Fair" in NYC in 1986 and her dolls were an instant sellout
• Her dolls always have wigs made from human hair 

Quote of the Day - "Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration, and inspiration." - Evan Esar