When I first started making my teddy bears about ten years ago, I often heard, “Oh..collectible teddy bears — like Steiff bears?”
This is a Steiff Teddy Bear!
I had never heard of them so I Googled 'em! So cute, and such an inspiring and interesting company history!
I had been told that each Steiff bear is branded with a metal logoed button on their ear, and that I should do the same on my bears. This was interesting to me, but I felt that a button on my bears’ ears would distract from the beauty of their faces. and besides, that had apparently already been done..
I decided that I would take advantage of the shape of the leather toes I make for each bear. I contacted Accessoires Magiques, a small casting company located in Montreal, specializing in the custom creation of metal tags.
I worked with Pat to design this antique brushed brass oval toe that I could sew onto the bears’ paws. Pat went above and beyond to customize them for me, even creating a slight bend in them to fit the curvature of the paw. I love them! Now all my bears, including my faux fur teddy bears have one of these brass elle tags on the middle toe of their left foot (or on rare occasions when I accidently put it on their right foot!)