Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

When I was a teenager-lo those many, many, many years ago, I lived in Rome, during vacations, with my folks, and went to boarding school the rest of the time.

I remember, (believe it or not long term memory is the last to go,) ....I remember well the first time I saw the Sistine Chapel ceiling.  I recognized the greatness of Michelangelo's achievements.  I was in awe of his marble Moses.

Fast forward about 150 years- I recognize in you ladies same type greatness in your achievements.  Yes different medium, yes, "its just a teddy bear" but I looked at all your websites this evening.  Granted a teddy has a head, a body, some arms, some legs....how different could you make it?  But each one of you has a style all her own.  Each one of you has created your own niche in the bear world, by working at perfecting your style.

Each one of you wants to sell your bears....you would like to make a living selling your art

AND YET

And yet you have generously, graciously, willingly shared your secrets, your tips, your hard earned expertise to allow us neophytes to learn and grow at our own craft.

Some of you may not recognize what a remarkable thing this willingness is.  In many artistic venues such sharing would not be the norm, it would be the singularly remarkable artist who was willing to share.

I just wanted to share these observations with you.  You're helping the rest of us so that everyone can have the satisfaction and fun of growing in this medium is kind as well as unique.

Such websites....oh my!

Thanks Ladies

Dilu

Aww Gee Laure;

Loved your site, appreciated the chocolate colored background.....very restful on old eyes....and your babies....so sweet, so nice.

If I were the kind of gal to get discouraged, and figure there was no hope, your site would do it. 

BUT....I'm not; instead you guys just inspire me to work harder and learn more.

Thank you, all you little inspirations in Teddyland

Dilu

Now I guess I'll go cruising to everyone else's sites

Oh well

I found a web site with leather cording in different colors as well as different types polymer clay.  One FIMO that gets cooked and one that is air dry.  So I thought I would play around with those while waiting to find out what the reccomended clay was. 

I really only want noses for real fur bears- besides it will be fun making them and I can't find noses big enough for the biggish bears. But I like to use different color floss when I do when of my fun colored bears.I know what you mean Shelli,

Oh Laura, it is so easy to get confused, I live in that state all the time.....

Oh, it only SAYS the backwoods of Oregon, it really is the state of Confusion.

Thank you ladies

Dilu

HELP!!!

I 'Goggeled' polymer clays and there are so many to choose from.  I can't find the post where ( I think Shelli) spoke about what she uses for noses. 

Please please, whoever was telling us about this, please post again.  I'm sorry-  next time I will copy/print so that I do not loose the info

Dilu

I 'Goggeled' leather cording and found 4-5 web sites that carry it in many differant colors, including the black and various shades of brown-not expensive either

Dilu

Absolutely! I am about to spend hours looking for the POST that discusses the type of polymer clay that I think Shelli uses for noses-
It could take hours

Why oh Why didn't I print it up when I had it.....

Please repeat the good stuff

Dilu

Cool Shelli-  I will do a web search.  Sometimes it is difficult not being around a real store.

Dilu

Oh Kim, you gotta-  It really changes everything.  I just kinda held the little fella and studied him and then started paining.  I could have done more.  So as soon as his big brother is done I'll try again.

Try it....you'l like it!

Dilu

Laure,

Chocolate and a glass of wine in the spa, and take a deep breath.  I can't help you but I sure do feel for you.  I had no idea it was so complicated.

more chocolate, more wine

yep-  feel better already

Dilu

Its not easy being green ( with envy ) But I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU !

Soak it all in, and have a wonderful time!

Dilu
Ah Daphne.....love your use of a wonderful Bible verse.....

WOW my head is spinning...great ideas, thank you one and all;  do yu have a particular palce you go for leather cording, or do you make your own?  Tell me we can buy it please.

Dilu

I'll go first;

I made a 3 incher and plucked out most of the face hair so that I could do some shading.  Wow, it isn't has scary or hard as I thought- and it makes A HUGE DIFFERANCE.  Thank you everyone- if you hadn't told us what and how you do it and then shared pictures I might never have had the fun of learning this new technique. 

Too cool..

Now I need to make a slightly bigger guy and try it again

Dilu

Shelli  thank you-I've been wondering the same thing.

Teddies=nearly instant gratification

Dilu

Yeah Judi!!!!!  Thank You Thank You

What we have on this site is the Louvre of teddies!
Remember you are putting the pictures up to inspire us therefore it more than fits in with the website purpose....ah who cares; keep them coming all of you!

Dilu

Hey did you guys add spell check just for me?  Mostly my problem is this .....patch.  I tried it  the spell check and had to have it skip almost every word it pulled up-  it wanted "daddies" for teddies....I mean, get real!

Judi,

Just pulled your bear up so my own honey could look at it.  Believe me; everything about this guy is understated, so when he said

"Hmmm That's very nice"  he was really saying, 'WOW!  You need to learn that, WOW she's a real artist.'

Well he's right

OK so maybe I was a little manipulative, I want to get a SHAVER
so I showed him hou you are able to artistically sculpt with it.

just laying the ground work...

Dilu

Great Ideas one and all  thank you thank you thank you....

Dilu

Ok, maybe I'm ready to try this face sculpting business

Do you folks know of any good books to help me get started!  My guys look like toys next to Sheeli's and Judi's and.....

So I need to know How-Did-She-Do-It?

Thanks

Dilu

Donna, I know how you feel

But if I could have an unqualified success, only one year in to bearing,I just know you can do something absolutely fabulous

I would def. line it with muslin.  I lightly glued my muslin pieces to the pelt pieces.  I kept the seams glue free because I wanted to pull the muslin just a titch-maybe 1/32 tighter than the real fur.  I wanted the stuffing process to push against the muslin and not the pelts themselves, yet not be too loose so that the pelt hung too loosely or looked like the bear had been on a starvation diet.  It worked. 

Also I took everything off the fur, the lining, the interlining, and the blacklining ( when I could get it off.) I did this so that I could examine the pelt seams and test each one for strength.  This way I could lay out the patterns on the areas I had confidence in. 

I know Winney tends to hand sew, but I machined all the pieces except the actual muzzel.  I used a leather needle and 2.5 cm stitch width. The pelt had a soft supple feal to the leather.  When the pelt is stiffer, like the sable ones I am working on I use a 3cm stitch.

To sew the ears on I used a modified ladder stitch and went across and then back so the the rungs of the ladder stitch alternated into the empty space from the first trip across.  Did that make any sense at all?

Also I used the really big paper clips to hold the pieces together while sewing, slipping it off when you get to it.  The paperclips  were great!  The big paperclips helped hold the real fur hairs in so that there wasn't a probelm with stiching the fur into the seam. 

Because the first bear was mink I used one of the quilting blue water erasable pins to out line the pattern pieces.  ( you know the one I mean) I used the white pencils on the sable but this was still hard to see.

Because of my lack of experience I sort of cheated.  I designed a face muzzle that I could make out of matching suede.  It was considerably less harrowing than trying to do a mink muzzle, I didn't / don't have any idea what I am doing there.  Will practice.
The sable bears will have a sable muzzles.  But I will practice on the scraps.  YIKES!  The shaving will still be a scary experience.

I know you can do it.

Show a picture when you finish

Judi your bear is fantastic.  Wow!  Took my breath away!
And I am ordering that book today...bet it could have helped on my first one.

Dilu

Oh what warm beautiful people on this web.  Judi your real babies are just precious- beautiful!
Thank you all for your sharing and generosity.  You are simply wonderful folks, each and every one!
And Happy Mom's day to you all.

Dilu

Amen Winney-He always provides what we need, when we need.  Thank you for sharing your story.  Inspiring- ( I teared up)

Dilu

Glad for you to use it.

Sometimes I have used it and been accused of not understanding pain. either physical or emotional or spiritual.  Pain is pain.  We don't get out of this world without a hefty dose.  But, Suffering is optional.

I keep telling myself this when something hurts, it really helps me to work through whatever is going on at the time.

"Course, nothing helps like a teddy face winking out at you from some corner of the room.

Dilu

Have you ladies tried the elastisized gloves that have the fingers  free-I use them, to hold my hand "together "and it really helps the achey breaky joints.  It also seems to help keep the inflammation down.  I also use a melted wax machine-its good but to be effective it takes up too much teddy time.
Once you get used to the glove you forget you have it on.
Here's hoping everyone's hands feel better soon.

Dilu

All my life I have hand washed wool and cashmere sweaters and added a dab of hair conditioner to the rinse water and mushed it throught the sweater.

(Believe it or not I still have some wool sweaters from High School that I can wear again.)

This doesn't seem to have harmed my good sweaters, so when I took up bearing, I decided to do this to all the mohair as soon as it comes in the door.  Unless it is white which means I am going to color and then condition. 

It occurs to me now, with all the experts here, that maybe there is something I should know about this, or that it isn't a good idea?  The fur is really soft and because of the conditioner and  I think it is easier to turn as well.

Any thoughts, ideas, no no's?

Dilu

Wow....what happened to the board?  The letters are huge!  This old eye can actually read without stressing.  Hmmm

Dilu

Nope after writing the above message  and sending it, it all came back normal.  Oh well

Oh you spring chickens, Laura and Judi!!!  Three cheers for Dale coming up with the picture.  It's all coming back to me. ....

Daphne, you and Judi through the way you live, express  what can be done even with a slight disability. 

Dale, good for you.  Loosing weight like that can be difficult.  I admire your determination. 

Look how each of you have touched all the lives of the folks on this web site.  No life is insignifigant, and every live has value to add to our world.  It really is a wonderful life.

I am so glad you are healthy and here!

Remember, Suffering is Optional

Dilu