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Im still waiting for my Bear creations. i go to the newsagent just about every day to see if its in! but when it is in I will look forward to checking the info out.
I would LOOOVE the idea of teddy making full time. Every spare minute I can get out of my spare time ( Im a fulltime art teacher by day and mother/wife by night im making beears. My school hoildays -It would be nothing for me to sit and sew 12-14 hrs of the day. I love doing that and hate going to work -its taking tiime away from my teddies...
Anne-marie
Yep I'm the same I use a arger jint for my legs and head and smaller jionts for my arms. i did hear other ways of deciding what jiont to use. If you want a girl bear then use a smaller sized jiont so that you get more shapely leg or arm. If a boy a larger jiont so its more slim lined. I havnt tried this I just try to use a jiont that fits the shoulder/hip as close as possible.
anne-marie
Thankyou Debbie!! Yes this does make sence I wil give it a go tonight. And thanks Crissy thats a great idea using the op shop bears. This would be a great way to try new sculpting techniques to see how they work without hurting that precious moair fabric! :clap: :clap:
anne-marie
thanks to everyone who expressed thier thoughts on this matter. I do factor in my time though probably a little under and materials cost to come up with the prices I ask and I feel I should keep them within a price that is average for others. And i too agree with some of the posts that I am early in my "bear career" and should not expect ( and do not expect) to get the prices that experienced bear makers have worked their butts off to get to that stage. I use a database to work out my pricing which factors in many of things suggested in other posts in the library maybe not as much per hour though. So thanks again to everyones thoughts.
anne-marie
Thanks to everyone. I did try the link and it did work. I do make my mouths exactly the same way however i want it much much deeper and I just cant do it without getting a small hole at the bottom of each stitch up. I use black artificial sinew and i come down a fair distance down the upside down y to try to pull it up further but this still isnt working. I make my muzzel stuffed pretty hard with wool so thought maybe others dont pack it so hard? then would that not affect the nose if its softer? I guess i might as well give up..Sigh.. some times you just cant get that picture or idea out of your head and its sooo frustrating..
anne-marie
An interesting comment was made to me the other day so I though t I would throw it out to see what the bear community thinks. The comment was that if your bears are to cheap ( to me an $85 - $150 bear is not cheap!) but anyway, if they are selling at what is considered to be cheap then collectors wont buy them cause they think they arnt getting something special even if its an OOAk or hand dyed or has its own special mark it just doesnt matter. And I have to say I have had this experience where at one show I had some bears at a lower price and decided at the next show to put it up about an extra $50 cause i felt I really was ripping myself off and if it didnt sell then - oh well - and then I sold it! So what do others think about this. Should you put your bears at higher prices to attract bigger collectors or try to keep your bears at a resonable price so that the average Joe could maybe fall in love and buy it?'
Anne-Marie 
I'm hoping some of the very talented artists out there can help me with mouth sculpting. I can get a slight definition in the mouth and septum area however I want some real definition. Do you make it softer in the muzzel area so you can pull the stitches n further or is it realy really sculpted? Please help?:(
anne-marie
Hi Lisa.
I think you should have added... like to change them depending on the bears personality! Cause thats what i do. If the bear calls for them to be low i make them low, if it needs to be 10 -2 then thats what I do.. The bear has to talk to me first!LOL
anne-marie
I have a daughter Jemma which means jewel however if i was to have another (which isnt likely at this late stage!) she would be Xanthia. I just love the way it flowers on the toungue...
Good luck 
anne-marie
she's very cute sarah-jane and I love the colour! 
:clap: :clap:
Thanks for your posts guys. I know my score range was from 95 -98 out of hundred. And they handed out ribbons that said highly commended or commended to other bears so perhaps these were like second place ect. I think the organisers should make this a little clearer even if they mention it on the critique sheet, if they dont recognise it officially as a win in the section through photo mentions ect. Any way next one I get Ill make sure I ask....... 
Hi everyone. I wonder what the ribbons and rosettes mean when you enter a competition. I have entered abour 4 competitions and in each competition I have one a blue rosette yet I dont know what this means? No one has ever told me. I know I didnt win Bear of Show and when they give credit to winners of sections I dont seem to be on the lists.... And yet my bears are usually the only one in that section with a rosette or sharing it with 1 other bear so what does it mean. I dont what to seem conceted or down play anyone elses bear with a ribbon or rosette I just want to know what it stands for? If they put a ribbon or rosette on bears willy nilly does that defeat the purpose of aiming for a rosettte or ribbon. If it means you won that section should that not be said? I just dont understand.... Please help....
Anne-marie
yeh Judy she designs really well, but she needs to make one for a family members bday and she said she just wants to get a ready made pattern as she is a perfectionst and wants someone else to work it out, as she doesnt have much time to make it.
anne-marie
Thanks for your help I will give it a try.
Hi, Is there any one out there that knows how i can get hold of a good tiger pattern. My friend really needs one. She is an advanced bear maker so it doesnt matter if its difficult.
thanks
anne-marie
sure i'd love to link with you too if thats possible? Ill send you a small banner in a couple of days as Im really busy with family at the moment with long weekend and all.But i'll add you very shortly. Thanks.
Anne-Marie
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www.candybears.net
yes please. i would love to swap links with you Kelly.
thanks
anne-marie
Awesome tips everyone!! I have to try that artificial sinew, what is it called exactly (brand name) and where can I get it....I am having a really hard time with my eyes lately staying secure after inserting them into sculpted sockets and a firmly stuffed head, I am currently using upholstery thread from coats and clarke.
I coul not live withut my artificail sinew. It is also great for pulling those seams in tight. I just love the feel of it pulling tight and it very rarely breaks so I can get them nice and tight. I use the inew for my eyes ect as well. Great stuff!!
I sew by hand mostly too and always the head gusset, foot and paw pads. i use the machine for the bigger peices. I havnt put my work up for aution as i dont know how it works yet. I use a nose template of leaather glued down first before satin stitching.
mkae sure you pull out the fur betwen the seams with a needle or awl befor e you turn the pieces the right side out. This revents the naster peieces of fir the stick up out of your seams which are always in an obvious spot like the curve of the top ot the foot or down the middle of the bears chest.
annemarie
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I can help you a bit with the needle sculpting of the face. I come infrom under the chin as close to the joint as possible and take a small stitch. I then put my needle back through this spot up to where my eye is to be placed just off one side of the seam. depending on the size of the bear i take a stitch about 2 -3mm across the seam and out at the opposite eye on the other side of the seam. I then go back across this eyes seam and back out to the first eyes spot. Holding the eye area to support it i then pull the area in. I then repeat this till i am happy with the depth of mussel between the two eyes. The important thing is to push and support as you are pulling it tight. When i happy I then come back out to the spot under the chin, do another small stitch then insert the needle back into the spot and out somewhere else where I pull the ends till i feel the stitch lose itself into the fabric, then cut the ends off. If I want my eyes to be deeper back, i take the ending stitch as described but then come out at the back of the head near the joint, take another very small stitch. i then go back in and up to my eye. take a small stitch across in the same spot as before then back to the back of the head. Holding firm to the eye socket area i pull firm. take another stitch and go up to the other eye and repeat the process, then end off as described previously.
If you go back in the same hole as the very small stitch when you pull it into the fabric it shouldn't be noticeable. It shouldn't matter if you pluck a mussel or not as the stitches you made are hidden behind your eye.
As far as the foot pads are concerned i haven't mastered it enough to be happy with my results however I definitely don't get what you described. I don't think you should need to go in and out as many times as you described.
I hope this helps. 
anne-marie
Hi , Im a newbee but anyway...I would love to see a grey day! Its Autumn here and very hot!! we so desperatly need rain the drought here in Australia is devistating us all!
anne-marie :redface:
