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I listed 3 bears on Bid4bears so far....with much lower prices than I normally sell for and none of them sold.....then I relisted them on ebay and they didn't sell there either. So I really can't blame Bid4bears. Apparently no one really wanted those bears I made. I will continue to try on Bid4bears as well as list regularly on ebay.
-Eliza
Oh it's really simple Connie! You need not have to take a class.
All you have to do is place the bear in your driveway and run over it a few times with your car. Voila! Distressed teddy!
Haha! Just kidding! :crackup:
I love distressing my bears and am always coming up with creative ways to give them that special old look. How wonderful that there is now a class to teach techniques! I'm sure you will have fun taking the class! Although I can't say the same for the poor teddy bear victim! Haha! :crackup:
-Eliza
Jodi
I am constantly amazed by your creativity! You have a wonderful imagination and make such fabulous creations! Great job! 
-Eliza
Hey Teresa!
Awesome! Another teddy talker who will be nearby! I'd love to hang out!
And yes, we are very happy to escape Kansas!! :crackup:
No offense to any Kansans on this board. 
-Eliza
Thanks Louise!! Another teddy artist in MA! How many more live in Massachusetts I'm now wondering!
If you live in Massachusetts let me know! And post the good/bad about living there! I'm very curious!
-Eliza 
Thank you Ellen for the nice welcome!! You must have posted just seconds before me! WOW! We really will be neighbors! That's awesome!
Now I know a few teddy artists in MA! We'll have to all meet up someday!!
-Eliza
Oh that's sounds so wonderful, you guys! I didn't realize that the mountains were so close! I'm very partial to mountains as I used to live in the Southern Appalachain area of TN!
Living in the south we never had any big winters. Our first winter here in Kansas we had 7-8 inches at one time and that just blew our minds! This past winter here was very mild...hardly any snow but we got ice quite a few times. So it sounds like winter will be the real thing in MA. I'm not used to being cold! I will however be thrilled with the milder summers. Southern summers are always in the 90s and last year in Kansas we had temps as high as 107 degrees! I looked at weather charts for average temps in MA and it said that summers are normally in the 80s. I hope that's right!
We will be moving in mid June. Not that many weeks away!
You guys have got me scared about the driving though! 
Um, I'm a very nervous driver as it is.... since I was in a really bad wreck a few years back. I'm sure I'll be getting Joseph to do most of the driving whenever we visit Boston! Maybe we'll do the cab thing! I've only been in a cab one time in my life!
Thanks Daphne for the places of interest to visit! Sounds like a lot of fun!
And Kim do they really turn left on red? Is the driving worse than in Nashville? Everyone always says Nashvillians are the worst drivers in the country. Um, probably true to some extent! 
And um, no I can't say that I'm a Yankees fan! But I got nothing against them! Actually, the only sports I watch are football and basketball....and I only root for TN Titans, UT VOLS, and Kansas Jayhawks basketball. So I guess it just depends where I live...perhaps I'll become a Yankees fan after all!
When Joseph interviewed there he said the accent is sooooo different from us! I can't wait to hear how people talk there! And I can't wait to experience the different seasons! And I'm curious as to what trees/flowers grow there and what kinds of wild animals live there. All that was interesting enough to us when we moved from TN to KS! I read that there is actually whale watching on the coast there. WOW! I've never even seen a whale!
Hooray! I can't wait to move!! :dance:
-Eliza
Hello everyone!
Just wanted to share my exciting news...which is we're finally getting the heck out of Kansas and moving to Massachusetts! After 12 years of additional schooling my husband has finally gotten his first job! Awww! Haha!
Joseph is a chemist. He did graduate school at the University of Tennessee (TN is where we grew up) and then a 2 year post-doc here at The University of Kansas. Now us southerners are heading up northeast to New England and we're just thrilled to pieces!
We'll be close to the Boston area...and we've never even been there...Joseph only did a quick interview but didn't get to look around the area. So we'll have lots of fun exploring. I've already secured an apartment for us in a little town called Burlington...hmm, kinda similar to Burlison isn't it?
One thing we can't believe is the high cost of living! My dad told me that Boston and surrounding area is the 2nd highest cost of living in America! And boy is he right! For a one bedroom apartment we have to pay $1340 a month as opposed to the one bedroom apartment we have right now in Kansas which is only $581 a month. That's just crazy! And that was one of the cheaper places I found on rent.com. Yikes! And it costs $75 a month for our dog to live with us and $35 a month for our cat to live with us! I've never heard of such outrageous prices!
Aside from the high costs I think Boston area is going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait to see the ocean! I've only seen it a few times in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Since I know nothing about Massachusetts (on account of being a small town southern gal) can anyone share anything about it? Anyone here live there? Anyone visited? What's it like? How are the winters there? etc. etc.
Any information I can find out would be much appreciated!
-Eliza 
Oh, I love this bear!! Beautiful color!! I'd love to have one like this someday! You do such fabulous bears!
-Eliza
Debbie,
What part of Kansas do you live in? I'm over here in Lawrence, Kansas!
-Eliza
Yes, I was told he'd be in this issue. 
I wonder what happened.
He's a little blue tattered miniature. He holds an "I'm Special" sign in his paw.
-Eliza
I know it came out today...and I want to know if my bear Milo got put in the magazine like they said. I just ordered it, but it will take a long time to arrive to me here in America.
Can someone please let me know if Milo is in there?
-Eliza
Omigosh! I must be really slow cause I do miniatures and they take anywhere from 14-20 hours to complete. I do put a lot of detail into them and distress them and usually sew a hat for them or something like that. I completely handsew my bears...no sewing machine. I read in a teddy bear making book recently that making miniatures is easy and fast and only takes a day to make one! I totally disagree with that. My miniatures can be quite difficult to make and since I put so much detail into each one it takes a long time. If I'm lucky I have it finished within 2 full days of working. But my daily schedule is not just sewing all day. I have daily household chores, got to cook supper each evening, give attention to my pets, take the collie for 3 walks a day...etc, etc.
If I could totally devote the whole day to sewing I might have them done faster.
And here I am on Teddy Talk wasting time.
-Eliza
I have a camera I really love. I actually was able to purchase it with saved up bear money!
In the beginning of my teddy career I borrowed a digital camera from a friend to take my pictures and the macro function sucked. All my shots were blurry, and it's amazing to me that I was ever able to sell my first bears with their crappy photos.
I saved up and bought an Olympus SP-320 7.1 megapixel digital camera. It has two macro function modes--regular and super macro. I use super macro mode for all my shots. Nice crisp sharp photos---as long as I keep my hand steady. I'm really happy with my camera and I had bought it off of ebay for a great deal from some people who sell tons of these cameras at all times on ebay.
Take a look at my avatar photos and some auction photos. Keep in mind that all my bears are tiny miniatures. Most are 3.5" and even smaller than that since they are in sitting position for the camera. My camera really lets me get in close to these little guys.
Also, just so you know...all I have to do to get my photos is put the camera on auto mode, turn off the flash, turn on super macro mode and start taking photos! Keep in mind all my photos are taken outdoors.
I highly recommend this particular camera. I just love it. If you have any other questions about it just email me.
-Eliza
I just did my first $1.00 bid with no reserve. I was scared to death actually because it was such a cutie and took me around 20 hours to complete. Normally my bears on average sell for $65.00 on ebay. This one was fought over and went for $51.00, which is close but not close enough. I depend on my bear money to help pay our bills. This is my only job and so I need it to sell at what I'm used to or higher. But I do think it was good advertising. I had a lot of people take notice of it. And it ended up going to a person who bought a large teddy from me a year ago when I had first started! I don't even do large teddies any more!
My husband wasn't too happy with me doing a $1.00 bid either! You see, he's begun to count on my bear money as part of our household income as we're always struggling with our financial situation.
He was however very surprised that it went for so much. He told me he thought it was going to go for $5.00!
I don't think I will ever do another $1.00 bid/no reserve. At least at this time. It's just too much of a risk for me.
-Eliza
Good Lord! Some of y'all have made a ton of bears!
I'm at the grand total of 39. :redface: Okay, so I'm a newbie at this. It's only been a wee bit over a year since I started! And only since January have I been able to make them at a regular basis--full time. Before, I had a hard time affording the mohair. Now my bears kinda fund themselves.
-Eliza
Omigosh!
She's such a pretty girl. I'm surprised she would even want to do that!
However, I think it's one of those fast phases. I can't imagine she'll leave it in for long because girls that age want boys to think they're attractive...and I don't think most boys (even at that age) will find that bull ring attractive. She's just doing it for shock value right now. I imagine within weeks/months she will be tired of it and take it out.
Here's a hug for you :hug:
I can't yet relate cause I'm only just now 28 and childless, but I do feel for you. I'd be furious if my future daughter did that...especially at only 14!
Wow...I thought my generation was wild. This younger generation has gotten crazier and crazier! I never rebelled in that way but I had friends that did similar kind of things...only no bull rings!
So sorry to hear this...but trust me...it's just a phase for a short period of time. She'll soon grow out of this.
-Eliza
Hi Aleta!
I actually visited your website early today to check out your new spring line! They are all so beautiful and I wanted them all!
Then I couldn't resist poring over your gallery of 70 something bears! I just love staring at the faces of your bears! They have such lovely expressive faces! They look so real too!
Someday, someday, someday I will have to save up for one. I just wish "someday" was today! 
-Eliza
Your creations are just too cute and so unique! You have a wondeful style all your own! And I am just in love with your work! 
-Eliza
Way to go, Daphne! :clap:
You look lovely and relaxed!
I'm sure you did fine with the interview.
I loved seeing all those bears in the cabinet.
It reminds me I need to get my hands on some artist bears myself!
I look forward to your Utube video. Very cool.
-Eliza
Daphne,
I can totally relate to just wearing jeans and t-shirts all the time. And I too am painfully shy so I can *ust imagine what you're going through...but like everyone else says you'll open up more as the camera keeps rolling then they'll edit it down to the very best footage they got of you. So basically they will show "the best" of you. You know what I mean! So`you shouldn't worry too much, and gosh, you should be so proud of yourself! Doing an interview...that is so exciting and wonderful...and also a great way for the public to be more aware of teddy bear artists and artist bears...and bunnies...and Mimzy's! My husband is taking me to see The Last Mimzy this weekend and I'm so excited that I will get to see your rabbits on the big screen! It's really awesome and I'm so happy for you that you got to have this wonderful once in a lifetime opportunity. Way to go, Girl!
Good luck with the interview and wear what's comfortable to you!
-Eliza
Teresa,
Your bears are not weird!! They are adorable and I wish I could afford to buy one! I love your style so much!
They are unique and colorful and so sweet!
-Eliza
I make sure my minis are heavy. I put lots of steel shot in the majority of them, probably more than most people would. I have had compliments on their heavy weight. To me it makes them feel more real. And it helps keep them stable while sitting without falling over, and also some of them I can get to stand with steel shot in just the right places. Miniatures should definitely be weighted in my opinion. Bigger bears...it's just preference. I love the weight in big bears too, but sometimes would want something soft and cuddly for bedtime.
-Eliza
