Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Hi all,

I bought 3 PAL-Format VHS cassettes from Australian Public Service TV a awhile back (10 years?) to play for my Dad as it was one of his favorite comedies on our PBS stations, Mother & Son the mom who was beginning into dementia yet refused to accept it and her family - especially son, Jeffrey, (if I remember correctly) in dealing with this with humor. It was filmed in the 70s I believe, or 80s? but it's classic humor. If you've dealt with parents, as we have, it helps to see the humor in these situations. While they are not funny in themselves, it dies remind you to 'Keep it Light and keep your sense of humor!"

I also had to purchase a License/Certificate to allow a company here to transcribe the tapes to our US requirements. They returned the originals to us: DH has finally purchased a new 46" TV with all of the bells & whistles, and of course everything is DVD and beyond now, so I'm letting go the 100+ VHS tapes I have had since our first grandie came along 23 years ago, mostly Disney & that ilk, to our library.

But what to do with the 3 PAL tapes? Is there a Mother & Son fan out there who would like them for the cost of postage? I'm pretty sure they'll fit into the least expensive box, around $5 I think. (Does the Brit PAL operate on the same system as the Aus one? I don't know....)

Contact me off-list if you're interested <rkr4cds@att.net> - if I write back you'll know that you've got them, otherwise assume that they're gone.

THX!

Well, Shannon, if you're the one who always comes up with the most off-beat, non-middle-of-the-road cases - - then this may just work in your favor!
You may just be the one to set new records in beating this and living a comparatively normal Life (though none of our lives are really 'normal'!!)

Best of Healthy days in between to you!

As a Cosmetologist (Hairdresser) since 1960 I can tell you this - NEVER BRUSH your hair or any hair when it's wet, Use only a wide-toothed comb and if it's tangled or snarled, work as gently as you can from the ends up toward the scalp or base.
Nothing will split the ends or strand faster than to have it being pulled in different directions while it's wet and stretchy! Only removing the split (cutting it off) will keep it from continuing up the strand once it's begun.

I have one DIL with waist-length hair: no amount of reasoning with her will convince her to stop flipping her (highlighted blonde) hair to the front from side to side, back and forth, over both shoulders after shampooing and attacking it with her (metal-tined) brush, in the middle of the strands to remove the snarls, because "that's the best way to get out her snarls and she's been doing it that way for over 50 years and it hasn't hurt it yet!"
But in the next breath she'll say how bad a condition her hair is in and what new conditioner would I recommend she try for her split ends?? She's the quintessential 'Blonde'.....

Now most mohair and alpaca will never be gotten as wet as it is in the processing plant. We toured Schulte, at least the first floor - and seen the huge wet piles of balled up rolls of fiber, after weaving but prior to dyeing and finishing. Nothing that we do is EVER going to be as brutal as they do in the manufacturing, with heat/steam/pressure/etc.
But we do apply steam to redirect the nap sometimes, and dampness to clean the pile.

So I would recommend getting a metal comb from a pet supply shop (check that the teeth tips are all nicely rounded and not sharp or jagged) and when any moisture is ever applied to your fabric lengths or teddies, use only the comb on the fibers.

Cool/cold water shouldn't have too much impact on the specialty finishes, but any amount of warmth (warm or hot water or a steamer or steam iron) may lose the effect of all of the swirly loveliness in those expensive fabrics!
You're better off beginning with cool water in a wrung-out cloth or sponge and a wide-toothed as your first choice to touch your fabric or teddy.

What is the white piece that is flexing so rapidly right now, right at the juncture of the overhang and the lip of the floor. Sometmes the right tip almost comes in to touch the lower left point; I imagine it matches respiration but I cannot figure out how or whose collar part this is.....

http://www.bear.org/livecams/lily-hope-cam.html

Thx for the link SueAnn! I was thinking I'd just miss out on it...
Right now it's just a spinning dial but I'll try mid-afternoon. And on Sat?

I certainly don't want to ruffle feather or step on any toes here, but feel that I must insert this here: as an artist and pattern designer many of us are finding that Picassa is one of the sites that has caused many of our patterns to be posted illegally by others who have obtained them in one way or another (purchased or shared..) and are actually depriving the designers of further sales by giving away the same patterns that—at the same time—are being offered by the designers.

It would be different if what gets posted were retired patterns, but sadly it's not - and they are sometimes full magazines-worth of patterns.

While this looks like a good deal to the receiver, think of how this affects those who have taken the trouble to design this pattern - it's not just the $12 or $20 but all of their attendant fees for education/experience and the suppliers they've kept in business along the way while they produce their patterns.
I've too often been in the company of artists and collectors alike who are bemoaning the fact that magazines (and by association - our beloved TB shows - - are becoming so slim nowadays - the current TBR is only 42 pages and is as thin as a comic book) that they no longer subscribe - and it all becomes a vicious cycle/circle.

Picassa was set up originally to host picture Albums for those who didn't have websites - to post their work, to show the kids off to grandparents, for any informal setting like this. Unfortunately it is many times used for  something much more devious.

In Picassa's Rules & Guidelines (I've forgotten which numbers) there are strict rules against posting Copyright work (they've covered themselves with this Disclaimer...) and a legal © exists from the moment that an idea is put into tangible form, whether it's ever officially Registered or not, and there are provisions made for having one's own (stolen) work removed from the offending albums, but it's a tedious job of doing it: first searching for them page-by-page, album-by-album out of the (hundreds of?) thousands of Albums, then filling out a form for every single page.

Please think about sharing links to patterns and check first with the Copyright holder on their conditions for posting.
Most do contain some wording about sharing/storing/posting. Thank you!

Best description online - http://www.craftdesigns4you.com/stop.htm

UPDATE - and I had forgotten this - I've never used it because I design my own, but other members reminded me -
We do have a section called Free Patterns.
Donated by our TT members, many of the small/mini patts can be reduced down to a 2.5" size on any copier. There are some old links which a reno longer valid but still some cute teddies there!

And of course, our old friend Google! In just a few minutes I located quite a few sources by just typing in Free Miniature Teddy Bear Patterns.
Many of the designers have specified - For Personal Use Only - or whatever they've chosen to present with their patt.
There are loads of sources online for tiny teddies!!!

http://www.freepatterns.com/?source=001FRP
http://www.iloveteddies.com/documents/document_735.php

http://www.webcrawler.com/webcrawler300 … Kgod-RKgoA

http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/free-patterns/

http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=30016

http://www.bearycheap.com/free%20patterns/patterns.html

Awww, THX! You got it!!
All I saw was a gentle grooming/licking being done by a barely shadowy head near the back of the den all midday. And now I can see why the lip of that den looks different every day! The minders must re-pack and renew it every night....

Now here's a thread I'm really ready for! This past Oct I gave my DH two items of extreme Good News to him, which he's wanted for quite a while
- that I was ready for him to start looking for some place in the warmer (than IL) areas of AZ or NM, and
- that we could start looking for our last dog.

BUT - there were modifiers on the dog...
- non-shedding,
- not needing continual grooming visits,
- low bark impulse,
- small (because we'll have it until we're in our early 80s and need a size that won't knock us over or pull us off our feet no matter how well we train it [Cesar Milan agrees on this point]and can fit into our small-ish home now  or eventual apt and can travel with us more easily...),
- restricted to certain areas in the house (meaning not allowed on the white rug I inherited from my folks - at my age I've earned the right to have a white rug!)

So for all of the above reasons and more, I've been researching all of the small dogs: we both grew up with Cockers and with our kids have had mixed breeds and lastly a Black & Silver Min-Schnauzer, which I clipped.
But I'm not as agile as I was and want only brushing, a short hair would be preferable, though a Yorkie or Maltese coat feels nicer.
All of my family is fighting me on this -  BUT - I'M the one that statistics say will most likely out-live DH and I'm the one who will have the dog for the next 12 - 15 years: shouldn't I be the one to make my own choice??

Especially as DH is actually taking reception of his first 40"+ something TV and all the doo-dad gadgets (Playstation something and Blueray something else - an Amazon special with no tax and free shipping... ) tomorrow.. for a 15' sq living room?????
And I'm perfectly OK with that and encouraged him.

So - - after much back and forth cross-referencing - good vs bad (this one doesn't tend to bark but it sheds, that one doesn't shed but it's too big..) a Boston Terrier is the breed I'd settled on about 10 days ago, as the one having most of the features I'm looking for. (Not yet discussed with DH - I'm letting his New Toy get installed and the exposure to the pleasure of it all soak in for a week or two and then I'll bring up the topic of my research)

So I'm going to be watching this thread - DAILY - for updates!
And I'll be writing to you privately, Pat, if I may?

 
I'm not on FB - but I took a quick look just now - 4PM CST - and Lily was just in the act of flipping her head/face right out of the den - eyes open and rested it on the edge of the opening.
I was so surprised I couldn't even get a screen capture going fast enough.. She stayed there a few seconds, sniffed and tucked her head back down inside again.

Timing is everything!

7 Dittos! I've winnowed my Yahoo lists down to just several dozen and am subbed to numerous other forums: most are turned off due to lack of time - but TT is right up there on my Bookmark Bar so I can get here in one click!

Thanks you to all for your quick responses when I need one, your friendly, courteous, discreet, tactful help, your humor and always always - a warm sense of Coming Home!

Here's to a Brand NEW YEAR, filled with more of the same!

The unexpected bad weather (and snow in unexpected and unusual locations) across all of Europe has really snarled travel and mail delivery - hope for miracles!
I'm sorry for all who were hoping for visiting family and friends in far away places being part of their holiday festivities this year.... Be Safe!

It looks like all Single Crochet Sts to me - from the few small glimpses they show - that's the strongest structural st, aside from Slip St.
Joanne, you never cease to amaze me; thank goodness you and your big heart are placed exactly where you are - on the side of the city which needs you the most!

One Crocheted Lion of Trio Completed

Artist Shauna Richardson has completed one lion of her trio of huge
crocheted lions slated for unveiling at the opening of the 2012
Olympics in Great Britain. Richardson's project, called The Lionheart
Installation, was one of 12 chosen from over 2,000 entries.
Independent panels of artists and producers selected the 12 projects
to receive commissions, one for each of the nine English regions and
the nations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
All 12 commissions will take part in the opening of the 2012 Olympic
Games and Paralympic Games

http://www.shoppingblog.com/blog/1015103

There is a very short 1-minute video, (it may take a bit of time to
load) at the end of which shows a sketch proposing the layout of the 3
lions; this one shown will be displayed on the far right.

I wonder how long this one took to create, as she finished this in
August and has less than 2 years to finish the other 2??

The too-brief flashes of close-up-viewing of her st direction for
shaping are fascinating: I'd love to see her work in person!
I'd also like to know what's supporting the work (inside.)

- - - -
A friend emailed this to me (Thx, T!)

The lion structures are sculpted out of polystyrene and set around steel
skeletons. Using her one colour-one stitch freestyle technique, Shauna will
then crochet the three skins tracing muscular contours as she goes.

It is estimated that this process will take her around two years to
complete. Through the sensational use of a traditional skill, Shauna wishes
to highlight crochet as a valid contemporary medium, hoping to educate and
inspire a new generation of practitioners.

- - - -

I've always felt that we must continue to teach the young ones to hold the knitting needles, crochet hooks and tatting shuttles, right along with their electronic gadgets, if these skills are to continue!

That's one thing I forgot - fingers that won't close into a fist. For me it's middle fingers. Aging isn't for sissies, but it beats the alternative!
Any time you want to give it a go - let me know and I'm there!!!!

No way!!
I ruined my finger joints on these minis; they're all knobbly and huge now - and arthritic. Needle felting is so kind to them...I was about to give up bear-making altogether about 9 years ago when I made the switch, and I'm very happy with the change. All fabric was sold and given away.
Take care, miniaturists, squeezing and releasing the fabrics and needles a million times a week?/month? while stitching & turning & stuffing will eventually catch up with you......

For the second time I've had the chance to revisit one of my teddies from more than 15 years ago. The first time was in 2008 at the Sauder Village Ohio show, where Leann Busser (cannot remember her new surname..) was wearing my Cubblet a tiny seated realistic polar bear, which she said then that she would be wearing to shows - he was SOO wonderfully worn and aged looking, as she'd made a little harness for him to sit in and wore him as a pendant. His pix are somewhere in my computer an I'll find them when I have time to sort!

But last week in Tucson Mary Ann Neicz (sp?) brought one of my fabric polar bears from the mid- to late 90s:Polar Reclining, made with the Malden Mills' long pile.
He looked as brand-new and fresh as the day he left my hands - Mary Ann must have glass display cases.
It was modeled after the middle bear of 3 in that popular photo image of The Lazy Boys of Summer by Robert ________ - cannot remember the photographer's surname. I even have the image as the background on my business checking acct!

But I was trying to do realism in miniature in the 90s but found that it was too difficult to do it, as 3" - 4" just doesn't allow you to get in as much detail and curves and darting in as you need for shaping. That's why needle felting is so much more adaptable.

I took a few fast images in between teaching - not exactly studio lighting and quality, but better than nothing as I don't have any images of my fabric work from my early years. Digital cameras are so great, however did we do w/o them???
So - here is my 4" 'Polar Reclining'.

Good luck that you've wished for!
I've been away for over a year and I know it will be like A newbie- starting over again, too- - - -

Midge podge has also turned from clear to translucent (milky white in spots) when the weather turned humid. I never used it again, though I might now with wax over it! Thx, Joanne!

Aleta, I so agree with you!

Aleta - SO good to see your name appear again!

I've been visiting TT rarely in the past 6 months, as I went back on the show circuit after an 8 year absence. And that is a whole new world - and not one I'm enjoying due to the thing that took me away in 2002 - aging and health. I'm with SueAnn and many of the old-timers like Pat Fairbanks and Virginia Jasmer who have been wondering in recent years how long we can keep this up as we near or cross over that 70 year mark...

And now that the internet has changed the way sales are made there is no going back. The newer exhibitors don't understand how it was for the pioneers (of the 80s & 90s) who weren't present with those of us who cut our teeth on the show calendar before the web - they don't understand how it was to have to build up stock for a whole show, and not just sew one bear, offer it online, sell it, make another, sell it, etc....
There was also a Good News/Bad News part of the show method however: you either had $$ in your pocket and had to get sewing like mad for the next show - or you had bears left over as base stock for the next show on your calendar!

But you have hit-the-nail-on-the-head; it's the absence that has been your biggest disfavor. Collectors have changed (come & gone) more rapidly than ever in the past and even a 6 month period sees a different group of people viewing our creative work. So staying in the pool catches the crossover ppl - coming back presents you as a newbie.

Of course, they are also newbies, and for that reason they are even worse at `Sticker Shock' - as you may price your work at approximately where your skills, talent and experience lead you up to - - and they will not understand why a 'new' [to them] Seller will be asking such high prices for their work, not knowing that you have some History under your belt, but they don't have the experienced eyes yet to recognize that.

I too have been offline for a year while I've been selling at shows. I'm going to focus on writing for the next year or so and selling from my blogs. I have only one real customer (addressed in another thread long ago) which is not a good thing because other bidders know that they will always be trumped. I don't know any other ways to encourage people to purchase the work if it doesn't interest them enough to bid. But I like my work well enough that they can all stay home with me!

I look forward to reading you often online and I hope your life has smooooothed out!

hggzzz
Bobbie

Thx Darren, for that added bit. Yes, I'll add the link for my eBay Feedback - it helps to show that one is dependable!

Anytime during the last 2 weeks on Nov is great for me, after the Signing at Mostly Bears, but Alison's involved there too, and I'm thinking that she too won't have time before that's over either I'll bet!
There's Thanksgiving in there, plus I have one quick Road Trip to do.
We leave on 2 Dec - so you 3 should pick the time/day/place when you can all co-ordinate and I'll be there - and not wait in the vestibule an hour!!
Are there any other Phoenix-area TTers??

That's what I thought, Karen. Thx, and to Joanne, too, but the reason they became 'No longer available' is because they were sold before the auctions ended - for cash to friends.
The latest sale was due to end today, as I still have Brian's bid listed in eSnipe, as wouldn't have closed for another half hour yet:

Its posted status has been changed since last night when it read Waiting To Bid and now reads Cancelled...

But last week Brian wrote to ask if he could start it up first before purchasing: he had established contact with both sellers when both auctions began. Brian wrote back and asked "What happened? I was ready to bid at the end."

And this second Seller actually wrote back yesterday to say that he sold it outright to a friend on Sat for cash. Outside of eBay.
Brian wasn't going to pursue it - - (it's early in the season yet and there're lots of other snowblowers for sale) but we're proud to say this young man's been on the straight-&-narrow for about 5 years and as this happened just a week after the first time, he was miffed enough (after I told him that the Sellers are not allowed to end them early after selling them outright for cash) that he
decided to write the Seller back and tell him that he's in the wrong and that he may be a Power Seller (thousand $ motors, $8,000 truck, etc, expensive power tools...)  but he 'could' be reported for this.....
So Brian does have him admitting it in print.

That is exactly what I needed to know! I always come here first - you guys are the Best!!

Of all places, I found the step-by-step instructions on how to navigate through building a site on Blogspot on the Family History Blogspot. Lisa Louise Cooke tell every single jit & jot but she was building genealogy sites, not sales ones and I didn't find that bit. THX Katy for quoting them exactly, and Laura, Joanne, Sue, Tami, Brenda & Daphne for your input.

Laura, I'm with you in not wanting to make contact until after I've seen the price - just like in any other marketplace. If you have to make contact first, it leads some sellers into putting you on their mailing list or other ways on dunning you with further contact; you just would rather know their price range going into that initial contact.

I will certainly look in on all of your sites later - just stealing these few minutes on my break as computer time but I'm working flat out for Schaumburg (this weekend!!)and an AZ show & workshop and I hope we can meet again, Joanne, after the 14th of Nov (I'll contact the others.)

It's exciting to have the new Blogspot venture to look forward to!

For those of you who have a blog with Blogspot, can you answer a question for me?
I've been searching through their FAQs and cannot find an answer to this: I have 2 Blogspot titles reserved which I intend to activate in Dec. One will be geared more toward showing my current products for sale.

I see many blogs which do this but I cannot find any that post the prices - - and here's my question: is it against the policies to list actual prices on Blogspot next to the goods? I don't want to get in trouble before I even begin - - - - -
TIA!

Can anyone refresh my memory? I am remembering that it is a MAJOR No-No for a Seller to post an auction and then stop the auction early because they sell the item privately to a friend before the auction ends.

Does anyone else remember this as a policy that can get a Seller into problems with eBay?
This has happened twice in the last 2 weeks to my son, who is a newbie to eBay buying, and it's on a big ticket item - snow blowers (well, I think that when it's around $300+ - that's a big ticket!!)

He's thinking that it's just his bad luck or just because he's new to this market, but I think that this is not right at all and that these Sellers are in the wrong and should be reported. Anyone else know anything about this?

This is the same thing that my DH and I have been researching for several years - off & on. The problems inherent in Emma & my work is that the wool fiber holds air (bubbles) trapped within the surface and deeper within the object and it's a matter of evacuating these to make the object (in my case - a bear or a seal, etc...) look totally natural under'water'.

We recently bought several products at Dick Blick's which they recommended from all of their different products available after explaining what we planned on doing, but haven't yet tried them, as the pressure of 2 shows and 2 workshops are looming too quickly. But after we get back home early in Dec I intend to try them out and I'll report back then, Sorry Emma that I wont have an answer before then. Yes, I have used liquids pourable products from a railroad/modeling shop to make birdbaths - that should work and I've even colored it, but I've never sunk a fibrous object into it...yet.

Don makes wood boxes and he poured a 1/2" layer into the top of one to cover red maple leaves. Those were fine but they had no air spaces around them as they're solid objects.