Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Hi Terry
What a wonderful bear and you have done an amazing job on his sculpted face!! This fur would also make a to die for puppy dog!!!!
Hugs
Gail ( Ontario )

For those of you wanting to make a tree topper teddy bear you can go to www.bearycheap.com and Kympatti bears has a pattern and kit for a really cute one on their site
Hugs
Gail

Hi Nanc
What a beautiful baby!!! Your daughter and I share the same blood type- not many of us in the world with this type. So glad to hear that everything has worked out for the best. Do your best to get to Schaumburg- I want to meet you in person!!!!
Hugs
Gail

Great topic ladies and filled with very useful information. 101 bears by Nancy Tillberg has I believe a section on eye sculpting although the instuctions given here are very good. Thanks Shelli and Judi
Hugs
Gail

Hi Judy
Are you using hand painted eyes, doll eyes or taxidermy eyes in this bear?
Hugs
Gail

Recently when I tried to forward  several fraudulent e-mails on different occasions to spoof@ebay.com I get the message that it is undeliverable. Has this happened to anyone else and what can I do about it?
Hugs
Gail

Dear Nanc
My thought and prayers are with you and your family. So glad to hear all is going reasonably well and will continue to do so
Hugs
Gail

Hi Deb
You can buy the book directly from Nancy and she will autograph it for you as well
Hugs
Gail

Fantastic Sue Ann- I'm in awe!!!!
Hugs
Gail

Hi Lynn and Dilu
See you in the needle felting class with Judi
Hugs
Gail

Thank you ladies
Hugs
Gail

Here is my bear for the Bears 4 Charity auction. He is made from ( as are all the bears for this event ) Nancy Tillberg's antique bear pattern. He is made from antique brown sparse curly matted mohair. He has hand painted amber coloured eyes with black eyelids, an embroidered nose which has been varnished and mohair paw pads which have the mohair removed from half of the pad and then claws added. He is wearing and antique infant collar
Hugs
Gail

The 2" is my favourite as well and would like to try it  for dogs
Hugs
Gail

How do you get the painted eyes so that they don't  look as if the bear has been startled or shell schocked???
Hugs
Gail

Hi Catherine
I believe someone else mentioned that you use a mixture of half bleach and half vinegar to rust the metal and then you apply a lacquer over that once the article has dried. This mixture is quite strong so caution is advised and do it in a well ventillated area preferably outside
Hugs
Gail

Hi Everyone
I have taken Nancy's online design course and it is well worth the money. All of her bear designs start from basic shapes which makes the design process very easy
Hugs
Gail

Hi Shantell
You may want to consider taking Nancy Tillberg's online class on Extreme Sculpting or her book 101 Bears which also has a section on sculpting in it
Hugs
Gail
the url for the classes is www.northcountryteddybears.com

Hi Clare,
It sounds like the timing is off on your bobbin so I would take it back along with a sample of the fabric that you are sewing on. Also make sure you have threaded the bobbin case correctly in the direction indicated
Hugs
Gail

Hi Donna
I tried everything under the sun including javex to tarnish the new bells to no avail. Someone did mention burying them in the ground and leaving them over the Winter. I finally went out and bought some that were already rusty and old looking
Hugs
Gail

Hi Shari
I live in Ontario and I can tell you that even in the big cities like Toronto the numbers attending shows are down as well as the collectors unless you have a following. I took a year off from the shows and will give it another try this Fall. Try listing your bears on Nancy Tillberg's site ( a Canadian from Thunder Bay ) as it is totally free. Even if you don't sell you will keep your name in front of the viewers. It is very discouraging when you don't sell and then you start second guessing yourself. I may not sell very many bears at shows but it is pretty cheap advertising and since the bulk of my business is commission work for customers who want bears from their old fur coats I do pick up after show sales this way.
Nancy's site is www.northcountryteddybears.com
All the best to you and don't give up- not very many bear artists actually make a living from making bears
Hugs
Gail
www.bearwithme.ca

Hi Shelli
Most of my business comes from commission work for fur bears . As a result I finally purchased an industrial sewing machine and what a difference. I found that sewing them using my regular machine was just too hard on that machine and it was hard to go through all of those layers. If this is something you want to get into then consider a sewing machine just for fur bears although you can also use it for other fabrics as well. If you wanted to use your stuffing tool you could wrap the end of it so the point doesn't mark your foot fabric or heaven forbid go through it!!!!
Hugs
Gail

Hi Shelli
What an absolutely awesome bear!!! The only thing that could have made him better would have been if he had been made out of chocolate but then I would have to eat him!!! Some day I hope to get to that show
Hugs
Gail

Hi Sue Ann
Sorry but I also vote for both the double jointed neck and the toes. You want this bear to look more like the realistic bear and not a teddy bear who thinks he is realistic!!!! Both features add to the value of the bear so figure in your time and charge accordingly. The more of them you do the faster you will become at doing both of these techniques
Hugs
Gail

Hi Everyone
Another place to look for real fur are the thrift shops, antique shops, Salvation army stores , second hand stores and sometimes even an add in your local newspapre will elicit fur coats for you. This way you can see what you are getting
Hugs
Gail

Hi Everyone
Another way to keep the nose off the tray is to put a long doll needle through the loop and rest the ends of the needle on two glass pyrex fruit nappies or simliar items that are oven proof. Works for me!!!!
Hugs
Gail