It’s twice the fun as family members Jane and Jared Monroe roll up their sleeves and create.

Bears and bunnies: The two breeds seem to go together like a hand in a glove or, more fittingly, a paw in a mitten. These two cuddly critters have long adorned cutely decorated bedrooms and friendly, folksy living rooms. When it comes to excelling at bears and hares, two names stand out in the field: C. Riffenberg Bear Co. and Jare Hares & Bears.

Laure Weltsch has mined her memories and her many journeys to create charming critters.

How do you remember what you remember? Why is it that we can recollect a summer’s day lazing in the grass, back in 1979, but we can’t recall what we ate for breakfast last Wednesday? What is it about incidents from our childhood that suddenly make them pop up and feel real and tangible and alive?

The Dufeus are forging a path as a creative and innovative design duo. Stephanie Finnegan chats with the pair about how looking backward has helped them to strive ahead.

Americans have always been infatuated with canines: We’ve been gaga for Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin and Benji. Knowing this national affection for pups and pooches, it makes perfect sense that the artistic team behind Dufeu-Bears is getting a lot of feedback.

Passionate artist Sarah Medina makes her livelihood by making believe.

As the late Christopher Reeve said, “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” Australian teddy bear artist Sarah Medina chooses hope, even in the face of chronic health problems that leave the young woman housebound much of the time. After becoming ill with autoimmune problems at 17, Sarah turned to crafts to keep herself occupied while she was home.