Miniatura

Five Valley Bears is the creation of sisters Ginnie Ebbrell and Nickie Wilshaw, but it’s not just about bears! The sisters will make rabbits, elephants, meercats – in fact, any sort of cute animal that their customers want – or what Nickie and Ginnie feel inspired to make.

Everything is hand-made by them – which means exactly that. They design and make their own patterns, and then the bears are made in the traditional manner with fully jointed limbs and everything hand stitched – nothing is machine stitched. Nickie also crochets while Ginnie makes the knitted outfits.

“We started Five Valley Bears as a hobby back in 1995,” said Ginnie. “I went on a trip to America to see family and Nickie asked me to bring back some material as she wanted to make some miniature bears. So, it all started from there, just as a hobby. But it really took off and turned into a big hobby!”

The sisters live just a few miles from one another in the Cotswolds, and are in contact with one another every day, discussing what to make next and coming up with new ideas. “We see each other all the time,” said Ginnie. “We’re on the phone every day – and we just bounce off each other.” The pair also enjoy sharing their knowledge and skills, and regularly run classes and workshops.

Nickie and Ginnie now exhibit only at the Miniatura Shows, but they are always happy to hear from customers and will gladly make whatever the customer wants.