Hi, I’m Helen,

Welcome to Bare Cub Designs — a quiet corner of a creative world.

I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember. As a teenager I tried every craft I could get my hands on — sewing, painting, knitting, quilting — but nothing hooked me the way bear making did.
In my early twenties, I stitched my first bear… and everything changed. Something clicked. Something felt just right.

Bears quickly took over my creative world, and Bare Cub Designs was born. Inspired by my love of real fur, dense alpaca, emerged those signature fluffy cheeks.
Those cheeks became my trademark. I scissor‑sculpt every one of them by hand, and even after all these years, it’s still my favorite part of the process.

As my bears found homes around the world, makers began asking how I achieved certain details — especially my sculpting techniques. Explaining it through email was impossible, so I wrote a book, created magazines, and eventually built step‑by‑step guides to share my process.

Teaching became a joy. But living in Perth, Western Australia meant travelling over 3,000 km to attend a show and run a workshop. Inspiration struck again and I created my first video course — a way for anyone, anywhere, to learn bear making at their own pace.

Then life shifted.

I continued working in the corporate world, and when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, the bears had to take a back seat. Treatment, fatigue, and recovery left me creatively empty. I knew I was a maker at heart, yet I didn’t have the energy to live in alignment with that truth anymore.
It was a painful kind of disconnect — knowing who you are, but just not quiet being able to reach her anymore. I felt lost. It took a toll.

Slowly, gently, I found my way. - this recovery was the real work.

I made the changes I needed to return to myself, my creativity, and the quiet joy of slow stitching. I rebranded, re‑energised.

I rebuilt Bare Cub Designs with a softer, deeper purpose:
to help others return to themselves through making.

Today, I’m creating more content, more bears, more guidance — and more space for makers to slow down, stop scrolling, and stitch something meaningful.

Bear making is the perfect craft for all season of life: portable, calming, no setup, and possible in five‑minute pockets. And at the end of it all, you have a beautiful bear to bring you and the world much needed joy.

I’ll continue creating my mink cubs, and I’m adding miniature and heritage collections for collectors.

I’m inspired to create a place where we can focus on ourselves, in a busy world. Take a moment or two to slow down. Reconnect with and be the best versions of ourselves. I’ll be here encouraging you all the way. Providing the how and the why, you just need to bring the when. No rush, no pressure, just an invitation. I’ll provide the mindful making meditations, providing the bridge between busy to mindful. Are you ready for a change inward?