About Me
A littlebit about me…
Expressive, curious, impatient, energetic, honest and creative are characteristics for the constellation Aries and judging by these descriptions I definitely belong to the Aries sign.
A bit about my background: after finishing the gymnasium, I graduated from the Amsterdam School of Haute Couture. There I learned how to design, draw, make patterns, do ‘moulage’ (draping very thin cotton around a body), and to make hats from wool felt. Shops for fabrics were (and remained) an addiction for me. Touching, crinkling, scraping and smelling; my fingers, eyes and nostrils decide what the best material is.
Although the two-year training was mainly focused on fashion, it was the path that led me to my love for teddy bear making at a later stage. In fact I have never stopped expressing myself visually and have mastered many artistic disciplines since. Sculpting, painting, bookbinding, soft furnishing, home decoration and flower arranging; they are all my objects of interest. I ran a shop in baby clothing for more than eleven years in the centre of Haarlem, nearby Amsterdam, and did my best in raising my three kids at the same time 🙂 . When the shop was sold, I finally got more time for my hobbies and for years I sculpted dolls from self-hardening clay. A few years later I experimented with mohair and my first teddy bear was born. At that time teddy bear making was pioneering in the Netherlands and many pupils have asked me the tricks of the bear-making trade since.
I owe a lot to teddy bears. They have opened many doors for me, because, as a real Aries, I am always curious to attend a show in another country. Indeed this bear-making hobby has brought me to the most beautiful spots in the world. I certainly hope to meet you one day in one of those lovely places. Â
Till then, cheerio,
Anna Koetse
The Netherlands