Usually if you’re one of 10 children in a family, you don’t appear in the spotlight much. But over the years, Ellen Kislingbury has found plenty of ways to shine.

Ellen and her identical twin sister, Emily, learned to dance as teenagers, studying jazz, ballet, and tap, and quickly found work in the entertainment industry, where their waist-long auburn hair, blue eyes, petite figures, and cute smiles caught the public’s attention. In third grade, they were “little princesses” in the Rose Parade in Pasadena. They were featured in a 1973 Doublemint gum commercial, worked on a top magician’s television show, danced for the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards, and appeared alongside Carol Burnett in “Once Upon a Mattress.”

From television shows to bear shows, Ellen still draws a crowd with her talent. This time around, her handmade bears and dogs get most of the attention, and she doesn’t seem to mind. “I was in show biz until I was 25. My sister and I loved being in the spotlight and had amazing experiences. Now, I’m letting my bears take center stage.

“When I was performing, the audience was able to enjoy my talent for an hour or so. Typically, we didn’t meet any audience members, especially if it was a television show. At a bear show, I am able to display my talent and the ‘audience’ can take a piece of it home with them to enjoy for a lifetime. I enjoy meeting collectors and helping to make them smile,” she says.

Ellen and Emily lived together until they were 30 and often shared the same hobbies, from dancing and running to knitting and collecting dolls. In 1991, they were in a knitting group that met once a month. Over the years, the members added to their hobbies and some began making teddy bears and bringing them to meetings. “I thought I could do it better … until I took my first class,” Ellen admits with a laugh. “My life has not been the same since! It was just the beginning of a career that I had no idea even existed!”

Ellen kept taking classes, designed her own patterns, and then started exhibiting at local shows. She became a full-time bear maker in 1998, giving up the lease on the salon where she and her sister were hairstylists and manicurists.

As a hairstylist, Ellen used her creativity and fearlessness to create great haircuts. “I knew how to use scissors … I was not afraid to use them. You can’t be afraid … and realize, sometimes you make mistakes.” She follows that same mantra when designing bears.

“Usually my patterns are experiments. I’m not trained in drafting or pattern making. But you just gotta try it to see if it’s going to work.”

As Ellen’s bear-making style developed, she constantly sought new ways to improve and change the look of her bears. “I attended a class with Australian artist Jennifer Laing and learned how to sculpt paws and airbrush my bears. It gave me the confidence to take my creations to an entirely different level,” she says. “My style has changed over the years because of my desire to improve my techniques. I do all of the work myself, from the initial design to the final accessory placed on the bear. I prefer to use only mohair but will use a high-quality synthetic to achieve a certain effect.”

Ellen’s bears are traditional yet whimsical. Her open-mouth bears have especially happy faces. “I’ve been told that they give you a warm, fuzzy feeling when you look at them … that’s what I was trying to achieve,” says Ellen with a smile.

In addition to bears, Ellen makes dogs. “My first dog was designed for a 2006 Teddy Bear Artist Invitational gallery piece. I created mohair versions of the claymation classic characters Wallace and Grommit (a man and his dog). Denis Shaw gave me some advice, and through trial and error, I also made a Dalmatian for a friend. I enjoyed making them so much that I keep creating more.” Ellen’s bears range from 11 to 17 inches, and her dogs are about 7 inches long and 9 inches high.

Recently, Ellen began working on dolls. She makes them of cloth with hand-painted faces; they are about 8 inches tall. “It’s nice to do something different now and then to spark my creativity. For me, it’s about surprising collectors … and occasionally, myself,” she says.

Collectors aren’t the only ones noticing Ellen’s creative approach and craftsmanship. She has received many accolades for her designs. In 1997 she was nominated for the Golden Teddy and the TOBY Awards. In 2001, she won a TOBY Industry’s Choice Award for Joaquin. She is featured in Linda Mullins’ book about teddy bear artists, “Tribute to Teddy Bear Artists, Series 3,” and in Steven Cronk’s book, “The World’s Most Lovable Teddy Bears.”

Ellen and her husband, Roger, live in Pasadena, Calif. Their children are grown, and now they share a home with Greta, their aging doberman pincher, and a fat tabby cat named Rocco. Ellen has a son, James (21), and two step-daughters, Anne (35) and Amy (33). She shares her twin experiences with her 4-year-old twin grandchildren.

A suburb of Los Angeles, Pasadena is a city brimming with cultural history, art museums, and “lots of inspiration,” according to Ellen. They live in a Victorian home built in 1887 that Roger has been renovating and remodeling since 1971. The house is filled with Victorian furniture. “We both love that time period and enjoy every part of this home,” says Ellen.
Ellen’s office is a bedroom with pocket doors opening to a sitting room area. She has a big table to work on and lots of light from large windows. An antique doll crib sits next to her sewing machine, and as she finishes each bear, she rests him gently into the bed until he travels with her to a show or is adopted.
“It has been a very interesting journey into the world of teddy bears, with rarely a dull moment,” says Ellen. “I look forward to what this unique world will bring in the future.” TB

You can find Ellen’s bears at the following stores: Apelan (Los Angeles, Calif.); Dollsville Dolls & Bearsville Bears (Palm Springs, Calif.); Teddies of Mt. Holly (Mt. Holly, N.J.); Tony’s Collectibles (Danville, Calif.); The Toy Shoppe (Richmond, Va.); and Village Bears (Sarasota, Fla.). Meet Ellen at these shows: Teddy Bears on Vacation, Hunt Valley, Md.(Nov. 2); IDEX, Orlando, Fla. (Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, 2009); Dolls4All, San Diego (Jan. 2009); Teddy Bear Reunion in the Heartland, Iowa (June 2010). Represented by the Bear Scout at various shows around the country.