Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Thank you Veronica for sending me that wonderful story. I have sent you an email.

So sorry, Laura.
I think I can say I know how you feel, as we have had our animals die throughout the years and they are both family and best friends. It's always so hard, but I always try to remember the good memories with that animal and I know I will see them again in Heaven. Yes, I believe pets go to Heaven...although I know people have argued with me about this. But I stand firm about it. God knows how much we love our animals...He's the one who gave them to us to love and take care of.

Sometimes our pets can feel like our furry children.
I'm sending you hugs  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:
and keeping you in my prayers.

hugs,
Eliza

Hello everyone

Before I tell you what happened to me yesterday...I must first tell you what happened to me and my husband 2 years ago..........

Flashback:

We were still living in Tennessee....getting close to time to move to Kansas. We were on a walk in our neighborhood and saw something small and pink writhing on the ground underneath a tree. On closer look....we said what is that thing? Is it a hairless baby rat...looks too big to be a baby mouse. It had a long pink tail. It's eyes weren't open yet so it was blind and hairless...it had visible bruises on it...and one of it's ears was torn halfway off and a couple of its toes had been chewed on....obviously by the local neighborhood cat who was always strutting around the area looking important. Because of the bruises we realized it must have fallen...so we looked up the tree and saw a definite squirrel's nest...and after staring at the shape of this little one's head we realized it's definitely a squirrel baby. We felt so bad for it but didn't know what to do. It certainly didn't look like it was going to live much longer. We debated about going to the store and getting squirrel formula and feeding it from a bottle (I've helped raise some abandoned baby kittens that way years ago)...but we didn't know if we should take this squirrel into our own hands not knowing what to do.  When we got back from our walk we called around to emergency vet hospitals...no one would take him...they would tell us to call this other number....so we would call that number...and they would give us a different number to call. We kept getting the run-around and didn't know how to help this dying baby squirrel on our own. We finally found a wildlife hospital that told us to drop by at "such and such" hour. So we had to wait awhile. We were afraid that cat would come back and finish off the squirrel so we got a small box and filled it with a grassy nest and gently put the baby in it. We had him for a few hours before we could take it to the hospital. In the car on the way I felt like it had stopped breathing. But then it would start up again. We rushed it inside and the woman wrapped a blanket round it and said, "Oh, it's just a little pinky squirrel. When you find them this young they don't have much a chance for survival...plus he's been injured." She took him away and we went home praying for the squirrel to live. My husband called them the next day and the woman told him the squirrel didn't make it. He passed away during the night. We felt just awful. We felt guilty for a long time that we didn't get formula and take care of "Pinky" sooner...and that we didn't take him in person to a vet much sooner and demand that they take care of him. Then weeks later we moved to Kansas. We would go on our walks in Kansas and often talk about Pinky. And I prayed to God aloud on one of our first walks around our neighborhood in Kansas and I said, "God, if there is ever another baby squirrel in need of help please let me find it so we can do the right thing next time. Please give us a second chance cause we feel so guilty about Pinky."

Now nearly two years later we are just six weeks away from moving to Massachusetts. Yesterday while on a walk with my collie I spotted something small and wet huddled underneath a tree. It's ears were back and I thought it was a mouse. I came up to it, and it didn't move but it's ears came up and I saw that it was a fuzzy little baby squirrel! I bent down and slowly put my finger up to it for it to sniff me. It didn't react in fear so I pet it with one finger....and it still wasn't afraid....until my dog noticed it and lunged at it. The poor thing ran a few feet and huddled again underneath a different part of the tree. I immediately ran my collie back to the apartment and then took off by myself to the tree. I knew that God had given me my second chance! I discovered the squirrel and took a look around the tree to make sure it was really abandoned. I found another baby squirrel there...dead with insects crawling over it. My live baby squirrel was huddled close to it. I looked up at the tree and saw a squirrel nest that looked like it was falling apart. I carefully picked up the baby and it shrieked out in fright and wiggled out of my hands. I tried again...petting it first and letting it sniff me. I picked it up....it squeaked a few times and bit me 3 times in a row...but it didn't hurt...didn't draw blood or anything...this little fellow was very weak. And it was soaking wet cause it had rained on the little one. I took the baby into the apartment and tried to keep my collie from harrassing us. The little squirrel immediately climbed up my shoulder and onto my back. I hunched over and took it into the bathroom and shut the door to keep the dog and cat out. I talked to it and pet it while it was riding on my back. Then I realized I needed the phone so I snuck out of the bathroom...at this point my cat's trying to get at me cause she senses something weird is going on. The squirrel is riding around on my shoulder like a parrot and making little clicking noises with its mouth. I grab the phone and head back in the bathroom to call my husband at work. He gets on the phone and I say, "Remember when we vowed that if we ever found another baby squirrel we would help it this time?" He slowly said, "Yessss..." and I said, "Well, I'm in the bathroom right now and I have a little furry friend riding around on my back." Joseph seemed very shocked and nervously laughed. Then I told him the whole story...and he got excited. As I talked to him the squirrel got very sleepy and curled up on my back and started to shut its eyes. I could see everything it was doing cause I was looking at it in the mirror...my back was hunched over the whole time while talking on the phone. It was soooo cute! Then Joseph told me to put it in a small box with ripped up toilet paper as a nest...and he was going to call around for help. I told him that this one was going to live as it was older than Pinky...had fuzzy fur and it's eyes were opened...and it wasn't injured..just weak and hungry. So Joey hung up and started making calls. In the meantime I got the baby settled in a nice box with a nest of toilet paper...I picked off its fleas and got a tick off it too. I spent a few hours taking care of it...and I really got to see its personality. I named it Twitch cause it would jerk around a lot and scratch at its fleas. I got Twitch to take a nap...and I noticed that one of it's eyes was crusting over...poor thing. I fluffed out Twitch's wet fur and got it dry so it would keep warm. The fur on its head was all hard and crusty though. The tail fluffed out and in no time Twitch was looking more like a beautiful baby squirrel.
Joseph came home and told me he found a wildlife place 25 miles away that said they would take Twitch. They told Joey to look under the tree again as there are usually 3-5 babies. So Joey and I went back out to the tree and looked and saw no one else besides the dead baby squirrel. We went inside and cared for Twitch some more...and Joey was immediately attached to baby Twitch as well. Then something inside me said..."Wait...before we leave let's go look under that tree one more time." We went back out and what do you think I saw...another baby squirrel huddled under that tree!!! I picked it up and it wasn't scared at all...it was even friendlier than Twitch! We looked all around that tree again and didn't see anyone else. I immediately named the second squirrel Snitch...(cause I've been reading Harry Potter lately...you know, the Golden Snitch). So there were 3 baby squirrels...1 dead and 2 alive! We introduced Snitch to Twitch in the box and they immediately recognized one another and started cuddling together. They had 2 totally different personalities. Snitch kept trying to suckle my hand and fingers cause it was hungry....then it tried to find a nipple on Twitch. We knew we had to get them to the wildlife place fast. But we knew it was going to be hard to part with them. I had already spent hours with Twitch.
Snitch cuddled up and fell asleep and before we left we took a few pics. Wish we had gotten more with the two awake, but I didn't want to disturb Snitch. Twitch is the one staring at the camera.

It was a fun ride out to the country...especially when Twitch and Snitch woke up and I enjoyed their antics in their little box...and they liked to be petted.
So we gave them to the ladies at the wildlife hospital. I told them the story of how they were found and we filled out paperwork. They told us that they will survive more than likely. I told them they both need to be treated for fleas and that Twitch has one eye that needs drops put in. I asked for their genders. She showed me their genitalia and told me that they are both girls! She yanked them up roughly (in my opinion) and asked if I wanted to keep the box. I kept the box. Then she took them in a back room...and I didn't even get to say goodbye. We snuck in the back room and saw cages and cages of birds...mainly hawks and all kinds of owls staring at us.
I heard the lady tell the other lady that their names are Twitch and Snitch as they were treating them. I approached and asked if I could say goodbye to them. One lady held both of them up roughly in each hand with their little legs dangling. I pet the top of each of their heads with their little eyes staring up at me and I told them goodbye. We asked if we could call in a few days to find out if they survived...and they said "sure but we won't know if they're the ones you brought in or not. We got a hundred of these baby squirrels." They asked if we wanted them back when they are healthier so we could release them in our yard...but as we're moving in a few weeks we told them no. Besides, they'd have a better life out in the country than in our little suburban apartment area.

So as we left I heard the woman tell the other woman, "Put 'em in with the other hundred."

So I've cried of course, missing my babies. And I felt they were handled rather roughly...and I know these ladies are so used to the baby squirrels that they could care less. But to me Twitch and Snitch had definite personalities...and I had so much love for them both.
I know we did the right thing...but sometimes the right thing hurts. But I'm very happy that God answered my prayer and this time sent me two baby squirrels so we could redeem ourselves over the whole "Pinky" incident.

But today I miss them so much. And I've gone looking under that tree many times to make sure there are no others. I turned over the dead one to see what gender it was. It had the identical genitalia so I know it was also a girl. Three girl squirrels!

Anyways, this whole squirrel incident kinda overshadowed my joy about getting my bear in a magazine. All I can think about now are my baby squirrels. And all I have left to remember them by is their empty box. I don't have "empty nest syndrome". I have "empty box syndrome". 

I'll never forget you, Twitch and Snitch.  Good luck in life...and may you turn out to be good mothers someday.

-Eliza

Thank you thank you everyone!
I'm very happy about it! I can't wait to see the other TT'ers in it too! I have to wait to buy the magazine on Thursday on their website cause I don't have a subscription.

Yay!

-Eliza

Thanks everyone! I wouldn't have even known about it had not Maria of Puca Bears emailed me the photo of Milo in the magazine. Maria is the one who adopted Milo!
Here is the original photo I sent to Teddy Bear Scene.

-Eliza

That's right! My mini bear Milo (all tattered and torn) got put in the latest issue of Teddy Bear Scene...in the What's New section! I had been waiting for months and it finally happened!
I'm so happy and thrilled to pieces!

Eliza  :dance:

Thanks Lynette!
Makes sense.

And um...as for the Chanel or Dior handbag...neither.
I carry a Mickey Mouse handbag... :redface:

-Eliza 

Jodi,

I happened to be on ebay late at night the second this Ma'Sal bear arrived with a 1.00 starting bid. I couldn't believe how real and beautiful it was...it actually made me tear up a bit  ...I know I'm silly...so I immediately emailed the artist to let her know my thoughts on how she is truly a gifted artist. She emailed me back and she was very happy and gracious. She seems very sweet. We should invite her to come to TT. 

Her work does get better and better! That's the best bear cub I've ever seen....and I laugh everytime I see that she has included an "anus" in her creations! How very thorough is that! Haha!  :crackup:  That's just too cute!

-Eliza

Thank you Debbie.
Hopefully we'll get through these next six weeks without tornadoes coming through our town! Then we're moving on to Massachusetts. We already have an apartment secured, and we're very excited about the move.

When we moved from Tennessee to Kansas a couple years ago...everyone kept telling us we would have many more tornadoes here than what we were used to just in TN. That one that wiped out that town was like half a mile wide and tore a path a mile and a half long!! There's no way anyone could get out of the path! That's got to be unusual...but I haven't lived here long enough to know...and frankly, I don't want to stay here any longer to find out! In the short time we've been here we've already experienced a tornado and also some really bad high wind storms.

-Eliza

Marlys,

Thank you so much for being concerned. We actually live a couple hundred miles away and so were unaffected...thank God! So scary! It wiped out the whole town! My heart goes out to them. This is just devastating....and it scares me that it could have happened where I live....just another reason why I'm anxious to move out of Kansas next month. This is just the beginning of tornado season! Last year my husband and I were outside walking our dog when a tornado blew in and we had to run half a mile home...collapse on the floor out of breath and see big chunks of our apartment roof tore off from the view of our patio clear glass door. That was scary as hell....cause we had just barely missed getting blown away ourselves...and the air raid sirens were going off everywhere. I'm already on a lot of medication for anxiety! Can't handle tornadoes!

My nerves are on edge now. Hope no more tornadoes show up. I'm scared to death of them.
And my prayers are with all those folks who lost their home and business and their loved ones who were killed. I think the tally so far is 9.    Please everyone remember those people in your prayers.

-Eliza

Many hugs to you!  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:
So sorry to hear of difficult times. I think so many of us here have had our share of difficulties. Please know that we all care about you on this board and wish only the best for you. I for one always mention my teddy talker friends in my prayers....and I know many others on here do the same. May God bless you and take care of you at this time in your life.

your teddy friend,  :hug:
Eliza

Jodi,

I'd love to make the Harry Potter Storytime set with your help!! It looks like great fun! Yes, do put out directions. That would be wonderful! I'm sure many others would like one as well! Just about everyone on TT seems to be a big Harry Potter fan!! I can't wait to show the photo to my husband when he comes home. He's as big a fan as me!

-Eliza

Jodi,

I LOVE your Harry Potter Storytime mouse set!!!
I want it!!! Are you selling it right now?

-Eliza

Oh Man! I'm going to miss the cute animal pics! It's the first thing I look at every day! They always make me smile or laugh.

Have a great vacation!! If you see any cute animals on your trip...take pictures! 

-Eliza

Thanks everyone!

I will have to get some small cut sizes of Helmbold now. I had seen such lovely colors that they have on the bargain pages and I was really wondering if they would be suitable for my miniatures. I like a longer pile on my miniatures than most. 4mm-10mm. I almost never use mini mohair. I like it either a fuzzy 4-5mm for my whimsicals or long and wispy for my traditionals.

I have some fray check that seems to work really well so I guess that won't be a problem. I just want to make sure all the fur will not come out. My first bear ever I used a mohair (from a certain company I will not name) and the fur came out in patches and left me with a bald patchy bear...and this was before I was into distressing my bears!    And no it was not Schulte mohair or Helmbold or Norton. I've never used Helmbold or Norton, but am certainly willing to give it a try! And those prices can't be beat on the smaller cuts. I only need pieces that are at least 9x9. It doesn't even take that much for my whimsicals.

And as for dying...I do dye a lot of my fabrics for more non-traditional colors. But I'm also looking for more natural colors in the right pile length, which I don't have enough selection from where I normally shop. Whenever I try to dye mohair a natural color like brown or black it turns out to have either a reddish or purple shade! That's why I still have to buy colored mohairs from the experts! I want bears that look good and are the intended color I meant them to be!

Um, also I have a question for those of you who are good with math...feel like a dummy ...it's been too long since I converted inches into millimeters. I'm used to picking out fabrics by millimeters and Helmbold is all in inches. Can someone tell me what is the equivalents for 4mm? How about 6 or 7mm? Those are the pile lengths I most typically use.

Thanks a bunch!

-Eliza

Is Helmbold mohair just as good as Schulte mohair?
I was just looking at the small cuts of Helmbold mohair here at Intercal.
I love Schulte mohair which never sheds like other cheap mohairs I used when I first started making bears...and Schulte has such a very thick cotton backing...I almost never have to use fray check.

I'm getting bored with the selection of Schulte mohairs at other sites (since I can only use short pile for my minis...I need some good new colors in small cuts cause that's the only way I can afford to buy mohair. I thought the Helmbold pieces I saw looked pretty....but how do they compare to Schulte? Do you guys like Helmbold? Be honest. And keep in mind that I can only use 4mm-10mm pile for my miniatures.

-Eliza

Daphne,

I hate to hear such sad news. Life can really get you down sometimes....just know that you have lots of teddy bear friends here on TT that are praying for you and your loved ones...and we all truly do care. Hope I can be of more help to you when I move to the Boston area next month. Let me know if there's anything I can do. In the meantime I will pray  :pray:  and send hugs  :hug:  your way.

-Eliza

I already posted in the Teddy Bear & Friends section...but I wanted to say one more time that I'll be praying for you!  :pray:

Take care and know that you are thought of by many teddy bear people here on TT. We're all rooting for your speedy recovery!  :hug:

Much love,
Eliza

Omigosh! Such shocking news!   Katrina is such a sweet gal. I hate to hear that this has happened.  I will be praying for you that you have a quick recovery, Katrina.  :pray:
Please let me know if there's anything I can do...and if I can send you anything. I will be thinking of you. You take care and know that you have a whole lot of teddy friends praying and rooting for you to get better soon.  :hug:

Much love,
Eliza

What a coincidence!!!

Y'all are discussing Harry Potter and a few days ago I decided to re-read the books again to refresh my memory before the last book comes out. My husband and I are huge Harry Potter fans. I started reading them aloud to my husband many many years ago before they were ever popular books....and then I watched them just take off and become movies and parties at bookstores! We attend each Harry Potter Party at Barnes & Noble. They always hire a real magician for entertainment....and the dramatic countdown of the last seconds till midnight is always so exciting! Can't believe it's going to be the last book and our last Potter Party! I'll be sad when it's all over and done with!  Hope Harry doesn't die...but good chance he might. I just hope Draco Malfoy gets what's coming to him once and for all! Oh, and I hope Dudley gets a good kick in the pants as well!

So wonderful to find out that teddy bear artists have so much in common...outside of the teddy bear world! So many of us love Harry Potter....and probably fantasy in general for that matter!

Well I'm going to go toddle off to bed now and continue to read.........Harry Potter!!!!!  :dance:

-Eliza 

Maria!!

So happy for you! Congratulations! Can't wait to see the photos!
Bravo to you! You deserve it! Your bears are just wonderful! 

:clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

-Eliza

Tammy,

Thank you so much for posting your technique and photo! That is the best idea I've seen! I've been wanting to add tush tags to my bears but wasn't ready to dish out all that money to a company who have strict policies on using their own lettering style. Now with your technique I can make my labels the way I want them to look! Thank you thank you for posting this!! Can't wait to give it a try!  :dance:

-Eliza

Oh no! Not a gator fan!!!!!!!!!
My mortal enemy...

Just kidding! 

Go VOLS! 

-Eliza

Thanks Mary Lou! We'll definitely visit the Lower Cape! Sounds beautiful! I can't wait!

And yes, I'd love to hear the "natives" secret spots! Do tell! 

-Eliza

Omigod! My mother-in-law is not my twin soul!!  :crackup:

-Eliza