Tutorial for Simple Tear Bears.

First you will need the following materials

1 - 2 shades of thick handmade paper(I buy this on Ebay normally as most stores do not stock it), Glue stick, water pen or paint brush with water, stylus or other such tool(I use a all purpose tool from CM, brown ink (Chalk ink works best but you could just use chalk too), white and black gel pens. Optional are Craft Scratcher from Tim Holtz(Tonic Studios) and Paw print mini punch.

Step 1- using a pencil or just the stylus draw and impress the shapes to use for the bear. You can create a template for this if needed and trace it. I just draw various circles on the back of the paper.

Step 2 - Using a water pen(or paintbrush with water) trace around each circle or shape one at a time.

Stop 3 - Tear out the shapes. (once you get used to the technique you can eliminate the water brush step and just tear out your desired pieces but when first starting the water brush helps you tear the piece)

Step 4 - Optional- Using craft scratcher and working from the middle of shape to outside work the paper to a fur texture. Be sure that your pieces are dry before doing this or too much with come off. You can also accomplish this look with a wire brush or stiff tooth brush.

Step 5 - Using Paw print mini punch punch out 3 pieces from black(you will only use the center paw part). These will be placed on the bear as shown. You may also just cut the shapes from paper freehand or using and oval punch can work too. I normally do freehand to get the exact shape I want.

Step 6 - Using a cotton swab or even your finger apply the ink or chalk to the edges of the pieces you tore out. this will give your bear a bit of definition.

Step 7 - Using a stick glue attach all the bear parts. Please note- tape will not work it will just pull the paper apart. Stick/paste glue works the best on this type of paper.

After all the pieces are on glue on the eyes and nose. Moving the eyes further apart and positioning the nose turned or further down will create different effects. Play with your eyes and nose positioning until you have the desired look and attitude for your bear. then glue in place with the glue stick.

Finally add the details using the gel pens. I add the whites of the eyes and the highlights in white then the lashes, brows and mouth in black. Freckles are cute to add too. A bit of pink ink or chalk can be added to the cheeks to finish the look. This bear is called a peek-a-boo because it hangs over a piece of card or other detail. You can create full length bears and add clothes and such. You can also create other animals using the same technique. For a sampling of some of the paper animals I have some you can visit my previous posting here. If you have any questions or need help with a pattern please email me at scrapbookcafe2@yahoo.com.

Thanks for joining us today and have a wonderful day. Angela