Fine fiber artist Isabella Hoffmann has always had an eye for beauty and detail, and whether she is designing and creating charming and unique collectible mohair teddy bears, innovating new felting and embellishment techniques, or simply meeting long-time collectors at shows, she does it with excitement, appreciation, and passion. She has dabbled in ceramics, oil painting, rosemaling, gardening, cross-stitching, knitting, crocheting, and sewing and quilting for as long as she can remember.

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Isabella began making mohair teddy bears in 1992 out of curiosity, and turned it

into her full time profession through Bearly Collectibles by 1995. Her award-winning

designs and pieces have been adopted by thousands of people around the world,

and are even on permanent display in a couple museums in Europe. She has been a

featured artist numerous times in magazines and shows, and has designed for

Clements Toy Company in Germany. She currently offers most of her Bella Bear

designs through online bear shows, though she visits a couple live shows annually,

and is available for special orders. Please contact Isabella for more information. 

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Isabella's artistic endeavors aren't limited to collectible mohair bears. For a time,

she experimented with 3-D wool felting and sculpting, and it was under her

tutelage that a number of her students received prestigious awards for their

pieces. Isabella loved the art but found it time consuming, and by coincidence,

discovered the incredibly versatile art of machine needle felting when a friend

invited her to her shop to try a new machine that had just arrived.  Isabella has

since developed her own, unique machine needle felting designs, patterns and

processes for embellishment, resulting in stunning and engaging pieces and

accessible methods for new to advanced crafters. She has published 3 machine

felting pattern books as Willow Nook Machine Felting Designs, which are available

for purchase at Amazon.com, and in her online shop. 

 

Her videos on YouTube have collected over 200,000 views, and she's also been featured on PBS Television with the popular show

"Sewing with Nancy". 

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Isabella is currently relocating to Fort Myers, FL, with her husband, Merlin the cat, two 100lb. puppies (Eleanor and Teddy "Paw"sevelt), and has 8 grandchildren to keep her busy.