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Michelle Helen

What a happy ending Tami. Cooper has a nice loving home and a brother to play with. Bless his little heart. He cleaned up nicely! Cute as a button!  :hug:  bear_wub

Michelle Helen

Excellent new!!  :clap:  :clap:

Michelle Helen

Dear Catherine: your creations are adorable.   bear_wub  If you don't mind me asking, do you heat set the watercolor on the fabric. Do you have to pre-treat the fabric with something before using the watercolor pencil?

Michelle Helen

Good job Sophie! So do tell, what are you going to write about? What kind of articles are they looking for?

Michelle Helen

Awww....poor little Pepper. My cat had the same symptoms. Come to find out he ate a craft ribbon. But the vet wondered if he got into any of prescription medication (did one fall on the floor?). It was very upsetting time seeing our little guy so sick. So I vote for getting Pepper to the vet. Being a little dog, dehydration can come very quickly.  :hug:

Michelle Helen

I always end up going to the store to buy new items because I can't find them in my disorganized craft closet. I really need to tidy mine up too!

Michelle Helen

Good luck Sophie: Let us know how the interview went.  :hug:

Michelle Helen

awww...I love puppies! Very cute!!  So you are an auntie for the little darlings....:love:  bear_wub

Michelle Helen

Congratulations Eva! Now for goodness sakes, post the pictures of the bears! We want to see them!  :clap:  :clap:

Michelle Helen

The dog whiperer (Cesar Milan) has a book out on behavior training for dogs. His shows are wonderful. He can work miracles with any dog issue out there. Here is his book:


http://www.amazon.com/Cesars-Way-Everyd … 939&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/How-Raise-Perfect … 939&sr=1-1

Michelle Helen

Gladys your teddy is adorable! He has the "old" and "distressed" look.  :clap:

Michelle Helen

Joanne: Thank you so much for the tip.   :hug:  I would never have thought of that. So tell me this, the picture above, when you pull the thread, the mohair tufts are naturally folded in half. Correct? If so, you just take a felting needle and kind of poke it in to lock with the stuffing in the head. Is that how it’s done? Oh one more thing, what size felting needle do you use to root the tufts?

Michelle Helen

Hello Teddy Bear Friends: Can anybody tell me their technique to insert tufts of long fur in the head of a bear? I just want a small tuft on each side of the ear. Any tips?

Michelle Helen

I took a class many years ago from an artist who did distress, old looking bears. I can't find my notes but here is what I remember:

1) Peril Grey acrylic paint makes the bear look dingy.
2) hold the bear as a child would. Where your hands cover the bear, pluck out the fur (ouchy!). This would be around the belly, arms and legs.
3) Under stuff the bear in the belly section. This makes it slump over.
4) I think she said she used, fabric paints, dyes, stencil, inks and wood stains to achieve the old look of the bear. I remember rubbing one or all of these things on my bear and it looks great especially on the pads. No fading or rubbing off on my clothes. It looks just as old as it did 10 years ago.  I'd post a picture of him but it is placed high up on a shelf that took a special ladder to get my things up there.
5) It has excelsior for the stuffing. It may have some pollyfill too...
6) She did not recommend running over the fur with a car or rubbing dirt on it. She did not want to pass on a "dirty" bear to her customers. The effects were achieved by the items listed above.

I wish I could remember the artist name.... Hope this helps.

Michelle Helen

Just darling! I bet Cooper and Tiffany will be best buddies in quick order.  bear_wub  bear_wub

Michelle Helen

Poor little thing. It is hard for humans or animals to diet when they love food. It really does show that people have no business keeping exotic animals for pets. So many things can go wrong when they are not fully informed of the correct lifestyle, diet and health of these glorious animals. It is good she is in good hands now even though she is not eating what she wants, she will feel better in the long run.

Michelle Helen

How very sad. It breaks my heart.  bear_sad  bear_sad  bear_sad  Poor Sarah. Bless her little heart. :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Michelle Helen

awww...what a happy ending for Maxine.  bear_wub  bear_wub

Michelle Helen

Dear Louise: it is very hard to see your children grow up and leave the nest. When my parents drove me to Florida State University and left me, my mom said my dad cried all the way home. Cheer up; he looks to be a smart young man who is going on to make his own life. You did a good job raising him. And please thank him for serving our country and defending our freedom for me.

Michelle Helen

Beth wrote: I get to Labor on Labor day. I have to work.

Me too Beth. I'm working....

Michelle Helen

Emma Wrote: I definitely agree, I really should start writing ideas down, I always forget the good ones!

I have all kinds of ideas too. I remember reading some where about a person starting an “idea board". She see's pictures or writes down ideas and tacks them up on the board. Well she saw a beautiful living room in on of the design magazines thinking she would love a living room like that. She tacked it up in a corner of the board. Over the years other things covered up her little picture. Several years later she decorated her living room forgetting her inspiration picture. When she was going through the board, she found she had decorated her room just like the picture she found years earlier. Now from somebody in my field (I'm in the Mental Health field), that is interesting. For the unconscious really does work for us to accomplish things we long forgot.  So it may be work starting an "idea board". I have been thinking about starting one for years, but like Sue Ann I procrastinate....and procrastinate....and procrastinate....I can't help it...:rolleyes:

Michelle Helen

Tami wrote: How could someone have a fur baby for 5 years then turn their back on him????

You know Tami, a coworker of mine adopted two cats (sisters) and she said the owner gave them up because they lost their house and could not afford to keep them. I think with this economy, many have to give up their pets to the shelters (thank God it's a shelter and not the streets).  Though if were me, I would figure out a way to keep my little furies with me. In fact nothing would possess me to give them up.  I'd go without a lot of things to keep them. Who knows what Coopers owners are going through? At least Cooper will have a loving home....

Michelle Helen

Dear Tami: what a wonderful thing you are doing to adopt a dog who needs a home. I know he will be the luckiest dog to be with your family. He is such a cutie pie. The world needs more people like you in it.  :hug:

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