Chloe' Livingstone runs Little Green Shoot, making beautiful artist bears from leather and suede, in a tiny village hugged by the hills of the Derbyshire countryside.
Chloe is 17 and has been crafting all her short life (she told me she is pretty sure that she was born armed with a sewing needle!) Having started studying textiles in college, Chloe found that she was craving the freedom to 'do her own thing'. In January 2008 Tobias, the first Artist Bear was born, after Chloe had rescued a huge amount of leather and suede from a dismal fate. She says " I couldn't stand such beautiful material going to waste, and the challenge of giving it a new life really appealed to me"
Artist Bears and Friends are Teddies entirely handmade (not a machine stitch in sight!) and are especially made for collectors - they are not toys. Bear Artists work in everything from mohair & felt to wool & plush fabric, The smooth richness of the leather and the tactile nature of the suede makes for an altogether irresistable combination. Little Green Shoot specialise in making traditional bears in earthy browns, golden caramels, charcoals and even pinks! The newest additions to the shop are Mini Moo Artist Friends, with many more on the way.
You can get your hands on one of these sumptious looking bears from Little Green Shoot's Etsy shop, and they can be purchased from the UK and internationally. Look out for the Little Green Shoot website - coming soon!
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