Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Ouch ! That's sort of expensive for the ole horse hair...I have a son that is a pro. horse trainer ..you think he would send me some ??? I have asked several times.My neice just sold all her horses... Winney

Rita !...Cute...he has got an endearing expression....I don't have any mice left over to show beside I need to revamp that pattern ...yet another project to work on...Winney

Judi, I am so glad you shared your story with us...and perhaps it was waiting for this time...good friends you can trust with your heart....but I am sure you will be able to share it also with others in the future , maybe not of this group but  where ever your life takes you .....whenever you r spirit feels down please contact several or one of us so we can lift you up with love...Hugs, Winney

Yeah !!! The more the merrier...more bear friends ! So now it's maybe 6 .... OK, we have Show & Tell ..can you gals come up with any more ideas of anything else to include to make this first "honey meeting "really special for us all...hey, and especially for the new bear people ?  A simple game...a grab bag surprise to pass around...a small gift or  something you wanna trade/swap for anything bear like...a free pattern....do you lijke these ideas ? Winney

Judi...Try and call the TV station about that vidio. Tell them you are a relative and so desire to get a copy of it. I am sure you will  be able to track it down .
You know ,I was thinking about how the teddy bear is such a symbol of love and is part on many charity causes. I remember years ago when I lived in a very small town here in Oregon our police Dept. needed to raise funds to add a " soft room" onto their dept. for traumatized children... I worked for a Rehab. Center for the Disabaled and taught a teddy work shop to the clients  there... Myself and a handfull of people volunteered and set up a booth for the local fair day in a grocery parking lot...where we had a teddy coloring contest for the kids,adults could purchase bears to donate to the soft room , we raffeled off several really nice teddy bears, I was surprised at how much the people responded but they overwhelmed us all... The dept. did build their softroom . We were only a small part of the donations but it turned out so well...

Why I am bringing this up is..I came from a family police background..my first husband was an officer, .even peace officers need help sometimes...they have such stressful jobs . I know larger depts. have counseling ,etc.
When my brother in law of the L A P D got polio  , he had 6 kids, he of course got sick, disability pay, insurance etc... but it was really their church that pulled them thru over the long haul...over many months.
I don't know if there is, but it would be nice if a dept. had a " soft room "( for lack of a better word ) funds  raised by officers ....for officers families that go thru specially hard times . ..Just a thought, HUgs, Winney

Judi...Words cannot even describe the kind of grief that you and your family has been thru, my heart goes out to you , I am so sorry that happened.
It is true that each time you tell your story you give a small part of your grief away, it in itself is healing. Makes a person wonder if any good at all can come from such trauma...but  my prayer is that every time you do share this story that it turns peoples hearts towards you and their own families and that they experience such a sensitivity, awareness and a huge amount of  compassion  towards those who need our love and understanding .

LIfe can become so complex , many of us do not know when in our own families who is going thru what at any given time and life can change things so fast., We are all vulnerable and cannot control traumatic things happening...all we can do is love our families...  Families are so precious .
That little bear does look like your nephew and seems to carry his boyish " essence" ...he is a doll, I'd keep him, he means so much to you. May the Lord minister to your heart every day Judi as you heal...Lots of Fuzzy Hugs,....Winney

Oh Rita...I do dream a lot of all kinds of neat ideas to make up...more than I have time for in this lifetime but you know, If I'd get well and get on the ball I could make many of them come to life !  Gotta do those rats tho ! Winney

Oh Goodie...I looked in the phone book, nothing for Cave Junction. Good Dilu that you can pick a place.
Do any of you have a friend to bring that is interested in teddies ? I have one friend I am teaching I can invite her if she wants to or can come....
I think I will need a plug to plug my COPD thing into...for a treatment, got any ideas ?

Hmmm...... What should I bring for Show & Tell? Gotta think this over , I have so many works in progress...yikes!
I better get to work on the bears...yeahhh ! Oh this is gonna be great fun for  us....Winney

OK,,I found  the town of Cave Junction on the map. Looks OK to me and is close to us all ... I tried to find a place like a restraunt ? I found only one LOL,,you gals will have to take over here because you know the area better than I do...anywhere would be fine with me as long as we can be comfortable and chat and it has a bathroom ..LOL.Winney

Idon't know what's in Cave Junction...will have to look it up and see, get back to you here... Winney

What a riot of an idea...yes, its Clear Jel or Extender ... that's what it us to be called. ? ...wouldn't that make some wacko hairstyles with ?
I bought some thickish fur from an artists at a show a long time ago...it feels wooly to me, it has faint broad stripes in browns...Hmmmm. a mystery fiber, even she didn't know what it was..of course I just had to buy it anyway, can't stand a mystery you know...I knew this was a type of fiber that one day " may" be perfect for that certain critter...Then again I may take the sheers to it or the hot water, he,  he..
Ohnooooooo...here come the rats !..... Winney         ( Still need to find some horse hair)

What fun ! I'd love to take a class from her...Call the male bear" Burtus " or " Bruno".....Winney

Hi Rita...Yes...a neat site for lots of the shorter furand its in the US !  Oh, and she wrote me back .

I am looking for some fur that well..looks kinda ratty....for RATS ! He, he...I have had these guys in my head for a few years..gotta make them. Actually, I have a piece of flattish fur looks like it may be Alpaca , mouse brown color...I got it from a trade. Trades are fun...I

I use to make tiny 5" mice out of cheap felt , I did not know about wool felt at the time.... dressed them to the "nines"...will be doing those little guys again after I revise the pattern.... I thought I may want the fur to look all wacked out for a truly gutterly scruffy look...so I may go with that matted fur only I don't want it curly..anyone got any suggestions ?

                                                             Tha mad rat maker...Winney

He, he...that's different too..... this is such a great idea having a " honey bear meeting" for our area. I have asked around here for several years and there's nothing, it's all up north or way south of us. OK, you gals pick a place and we will all see if we can converge at once..Yippie !!!! ....Winney

Oh Donna that would be great... thank's so much, no hurry, just whenever you get to it...Hugsssss, Winney

Hi Laura I have just been roaming around your web site...your bears crack me up ! I love Boink and Doink and Adora..is a jewel, forgot the other ones names but they are all  so delightful...it make me feel your creativness flowing as ....fun , fun, fun. What fun !

I love those Japanese style bears, they are getting ahold of me  because I love character bears and dolls,  the 20"s & 30" seem to  jump out at me. The more I see of the Japanese style  bears the more I like them..whimsical and funny. You do have a good way with the words when it comes to describing your bears.....Winney

Oh Laura , that is an exciting idea ! I have wished for a teddy group around here for a long time...gotta have some teddy buddies to hang out wit...this board and the other one has been very wonderful for ted friends ...such a support group ..isn't it great to have others to bounce off of and get inspired with ?

I sure appreciate your prayers,,,I have been in realllly in trouble of late  with this COPD...Dilu wrote me and that has really helped me alot....now, I don't feel so all alone...got all you guys...

I plan on going to the Lincoln show as I do every year and its our fun time at the coast too...but that's later in the year. What's as close as a soul mate ?...why, its a bear soul friend...... Hugs to you all, ....Winney

Thank's Judi ...That answers a lot of questions for me about using acrylics on bears...Winney

HI Donna, I checked the Ted & Friends web site, I am surprised, they do not advertise back issues for sale.
I have pretty much all the issues that go wayyyy back, durn.
A blue ted ..eh ? With white eyebrows ! That's different.....

Yes, that would work Donna, can you e-mail me the instructions and photo? I will try to get a copy of that isssue later...guess I will have to contact Ted & Friends, see if they have one laying around.....Winney

There is a mini crochet bear in the Jan/ Feb. 2004 issue of Teddy Bear and Friends ..I think I may be missing that issue? I can't seem to find it around here....  Can someone tell me what picture was on the cover page of that issue ? I want to make a few of these from grandaughters and family.....Winney

Hi  Rita ! I just saw your cute koala bear you made that is up for sale .

You said he is made from " long pile cashmere " from Intercal. I keep looking for that fur but do not see it listed.???

                                                                                   ...............Winney

Great toon Shelli, he, he....my daughter in law vacumes everyday too but she is a bit of a fussy housekeeper..Winney

Yes, do I ever have bears to make., wish I could get back to it. All this stuff keeps happening to me stalling off getting my web site up and everything...boo, hoo....

Oh I don't mind you telling me about that health issue, I wish someone would have warned  me and educated me
what to expect and do in case of an emergency with this COPD. I just learned I have it  last Jan. I think .
I drink lots of water but I really got into trouble 2 days ago.... Dilu could you please e-mail me , I really need to ask some questions about it, maybe you can help me ?.....Winney

Shelli ....... Thank's for the link..there is so much out there for the crafter,it's hard to keep up with it all.
With the memory scrapbooking being so popular many of those items can be utilized for us when doing those tag and packaging and personalizing projects. I just bought a big package of card stock at half price at Michael's I plan to use for tags. I  can't get out of that store without buying something I just HAVE to have.....Winney

I wasn't too sure if I described that well enough for the readers, anyone have any questions ?

Another thing I found out that helps to get that linning out faster is instead of picking each thread out with a seam ripper ,I lay the stole on the patio table outside flat ( fur down ) then I carefully rip open a small section to get started

Lay your open scissor blade flat but UP against the cloth / stitching line ( not the fur )  hold the stole a little taunt and slide that blade against the stitches ...you can really seperate that linening a lot faster.

Sometimes it works and sometimes the fur garment is stitched together in such a way that you can't do this easily, like everything else that has its variables ............Winney