When they were young, Rikey Austin's three sons listened to her stories about teddy bears and their adventures. Her characters include Cobby, who fell overboard during a boat trip around the bay, and Mary-Jane, who was so busy with shells, buckets, and flags that she didn't notice the tide coming in. Part of Russ-Berrie's Alice's Bear Shop Collection, Cobby is an adorably soft 15� tan bear wearing blue denim overalls. Cobby is also available in a miniature, 6� version. His pal and fellow Alice's Bear Shop cohort, Mary-Jane, is a fuzzy, 14.5� light tan bear wearing a plaid dress and matching bow. Cobby and Mary-Jane's creator, Rikey Austin, lives with her family in Lyme Regis, England, a coastal town that served as the backdrop for the movie The French Lieutenant's Woman and gives her bear tales a hint of salt and sea. Although she has tried her hand at sewing, Rikey confessed, "I'm much safer with a paint brush." Fortunately, her best friend, Jo Farmer, has the sewing skills to bring Rikey's sketches to life. From Rikey's sketches, Jo created patterns and crafted the first handmade bears. "Jo is a real artist," said Rikey. "She said it couldn't be done, and then she did it!" After initial meetings with Chris Robinson, President of Russ's International Division, Rikey and Jo met with members of the Russ design team. "We were very unprofessional," Rikey said. "We giggled at big meetings and cried when we first saw the bears on display. At the moment, I don't think we can believe that this isn't a dream. I keep thinking I'll wake up any moment." In addition to Cobby and Mary-Jane, Alice's Bear Shop includes five other Russ bears created by Rikey Austin.