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You did a great job Sophie! 
Your website looks very nice and is easy to navigate. I enjoyed looking at all your sweet bears!
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Those are beautiful. I wish I could find something like that!! they're terrific! Good for you!
Dilu,
I don't have any personal experience either, but my Dad had a problem knee. He was one of those people you had to hogtie to drag him to a doctor. His knee deteriorated to the point that he could barely get around before he finally decided, reluctantly, to have it replaced. He was thrilled. His recovery was very fast, (he was in his 70's at the time) he had little pain during his recovery and in just a few days could get around better than he had in years. He said he wished he had done it years earlier.
Also, when I was working as a nurse, I came across many patients who had had knee surgery. I don't specifically recall any who complained about a bad experience. Most were very glad they'd had it done. Of course, a lot depends on the doctor doing the surgery and the facility where the operation is performed too. Wish I could be more help.
Good luck whatever you decide.
:hug: big hugs,
Hayley and Bronwen, these posts are really very helpful. I've printed out the forms and will study them. Thanks so much for sharing!!
hugs,
Ahhh, Dilu! Lucky girl to get such a nice Christmas surpise. You have a beautiful bear family. 
Kathleen is so lovely, no wonder Cozy is in love with her! and Jeremy is so adorable. Yay for you! :dance:
I'm sorry to hear it was a bad year for you healthwise, though. I'm so glad to hear your doctors have discovered the problem, so now you can focus on solutions and recover. I wish you all the best and a speedy return to full health. :hug:
Sending warm and healing thoughts your way,
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Way to go Judi! It is a gorgeous set and I'm glad it did so well. It certainly deserved to!
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Yes, A very Merry christmas to you Julia! I hope you and your family have a wonderful day!!
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I love all the pics of little beary tails! Thanks for sharing. They're very cute. I've redone my bear's tail and I like it better now. It was too skinny the first time... simply did not look right.
You don't even need a pattern. Just cut two small half circles and you have a tail
.
That's what I did on the second tail and it looks much better. Don't know what I was thinking the first time.
Thanks girls!
I'm also taking a product called Candex that kills off candida yeast infections. Brilliant stuffs, as it mechanically kills off any yeast overgrowths of the intestinal tract. That way my good tummy bacteria can get re established. Here's a link to explain it a bit better http://www.herbswest.net/items/PEL100.shtml I kept trying to go back to my Atkin's diet, and kept having it blighted...just like he said it would be if I'd an overgrowth of this icky stuffs.
This is good to know!! I've used a very low carb diet in the past with great success, but these days when I try it, I wind up not feeling good. Maybe this could be the culprit!? Thanks Deb. I will definitely check into it because I'm firmly in the low carb camp with you and Shelli.
Yess, I've heard all the horror stories about this diet too, but I'm not convinced. Like any diet you should drink lots of water with it and I wind up eating lots more green veggies normal. I usually wind up eating leaner meats too because, for instance, you can only eat so much bacon by itself. Without some toast or something to offset the greasiness, more than a couple slices just isn't that appealing. Besides, for me at least, the eating habits that led to my current tubby state weren't doing my heart or cholesterol any favors either. At least with this diet, my weight will be headed in the right direction and I know that's healthier.
Good luck all. Together we can defeat those nasty Pudgies!
I was just wondering how many of you, if any, put tails on your bears.
I put one on the bear I am working on now and I'm not sure whether I like it. Could be the way I made it. Hmmm...
How do you feel about teddy bears with tails?
Just curious,
I don't know what I can add to all the comments so far. Sherwood is simply outstanding. You put so much thought and effort into your bears, no wonder they are so superb!
Very creative and cool. Your nephw will love him!
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What fun! I've had a great time trying all the new colors.
Thanks Intercal, Quy, Shelli and anyone else who had a hand in this!
Constant and never-ending improvement!
smiles,
Wow! What a whole lot of marvelous bears! You are all so talented.
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I'm very inspired. I've got to get off this computer and go make something.
I don't know if this is a book or a CD but Edinburgh's has something called "Design-a-Bear."
http://www.edinburghimports.com/shoppin … 92364=S030
and here is a link to Rotraud Ilish's website:
http://www.rotraud-ilisch.de/Pages/-book.htm
I don't know if these are what you are looking for.... It would be nice to have a program form making patterns on the computer. I've played around with 'paint' and Printshop but find it's quicker and easier for me just to draw them on paper.
Oh, Jenn, I'm soooo sorry this happened to you. 
I don't know why people have to be so ugly sometimes. Don't let this discourage you from bears, please!! Just remember that even though you run across a thoughtless and unkind person sometimes, they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by the kind, caring people who support you! All these posts are proof of it!
I also agree with everything Donna just said. Very well put!
Big hugs to you Jenn :hug: :hug: :hug:
What a handsome bear and a lucky sister!
I really like that mohair.
Wow, what a great space! Lucky girl!
Skylights would be awesome, flourescent the next best thing.
The best advice I can give is to put in about twice as many outlets as you think you need. I always seem to need one more spot to plug something in.
Don't forget to show us what it looks like when it is done!
She's beautiful Deb! Very sweet and feminine.
Another interesting subject!! I have never laid eyes, let alone hands, on an artist bear in person. There are no bear shows near here and it would be very, very difficult for me to get away to go to one as much as I'd like to. So, being out here in the boonies I have no real 'ruler,' as it were to, to measure the quality of my bears by. Just my own greenhorn opinion. And pictures. Which, as it has been pointed out before, don't hold a candle to holding and touching a real bear.
While it is easy to crtique the construction, the durability, the quality of materials, is it possible to critique the artistry?
Art is a subjective thing and obviously, what appeals to one doesn't appeal to another. I think perhaps judging the art and appeal side of bears might be best left up to the individual collector. I know if there was a 'definitive expert' who told me, "Your bears don't look sad enough. You need to make them look sadder to be appealing." Well, that would just take all the fun out of it for me. I don't want to make sad bears. I think artists should make the sort of bears they like. If they appeal to the artist, they will appeal to someone else too. That's the great thing about diversity. Something for everyone.
Construction, now that is a whole other ballgame. It is helpful for me just to read things like:
For example, you aren't judging whether the bear is firmly or loosley stuffed but whether it's lumpy or smooth, if bolts/cotter pins can be felt, if the toes and fingertips have stuffing in them or can you feel where the ball of stuffing is.
Just having these things brought to my attention will make me think about them when I'm making a bear. Some details may seem to be obvious to good construction but can slip past the attention of a newbie like me who is just concentrating on trying to get that darn bear together, with its head on straight, all its parts even and facing the right direction, and no blood on its fur from pricked fingers!
Critiquing or 'reviewing' (a term I prefer) one's bear should be an educational experience for the artist. Not a session of criticism and attack.
I don't hear any of us claiming to be experts in bear making. There is always something to learn. Something to improve upon. There is always someone with more experience, more knowedge than another too, though. I don't know about you guys but I'm always happy to listen to those more wise than I! It's up to me to take what I can use and leave the rest and try really darn hard not to be too sensitive and emotional to what is said..... I'm one of the sensitive ones so know I'd take everything someone said about my work to heart. But I'd also learn from it all in the end!
Thats one of the reasons I find this forum so wonderful. It is a very valuable thing to be able to learn from those more experienced. Something I sincerely appreciate. I'm so grateful there are so many talented artists here willing to share! :hug:
We do sort of get a critique of our own work here just by learning how meticulously others do their work. Things like trimming fur at the joints and plucking the nose area are things that improve quality of construction but which I wouldn't have thought of on my own.
I think I do fairly good work, just from my own sewing experience and innate obsession with details, but I know there are still many, many things to learn, things I've never thought of, things an experienced bear artist would notice right off and be able to point out to me. A hands-on critique would be great, even if it hurt a little. Its just growing pains!
Short of that, a 'judging form' like Eileen suggested would be tremendously helpful. It would at least show us what to work on.
Great topic Haley! I'll shut up now!
Interesting subject!!
My answer is: Absolutely.
For me, that is the whole purpose of art: to make someone feel something.
We used to visit a local public art gallery and got to see a wide variety of art, most by contemporary artists, some reproductions of the old masters. The pieces I always liked the best were the ones that evoked an emotional response. Some art pieces I might admire or even be in awe of due to their technical perfection, but if they didn't make me feel something I no desire whatsoever to own them.
As far as bears go, the ones I find myself really wishing I could buy are the ones that make me smile or give me that "aaawww, how cute is that" feeling. I think that mostly comes from their expression. a lot of people seem to be drawn to sad, wistful looking bears. Nurturing instinct? I tend to like happy, silly bears. They make me feel happy too. hmmm....
Great topic Nancy and one that deserves a lot of thought!
hugs,
Laura, Sue Ann, Kelly and Kathy, Thanks for sharing your experience.
I know everybody's path is different and pricing is just another one of those things we all have to work out for ourselves, but it helps to have some general guidlines and hearing about how others have done things really helps! Makes me feel less like I'm just floundering blindy along.
I wish I could make it to a show, but I don't see that happening in my future any time soon. Maybe someday...
hugs,
