Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Good Luck!

I am so excited for everyone who won.  I am especially excited for my mom!

I would just make it as a second piece and sew it on.  You could put wire in it.

Daphne -

Good grief!  That nose looks fine to me.  In fact, it looks excellent!

Very Nice.

Yes, yes now you must get back to work break time is over.  The boss will get upset if you take too long a break.

I looked at your blog and my favorite piece is this Saimese kitten.

I hope you don't mind I posted the picture here.

Ok, now I am off to the tread mill...

Congrats!!!!
Your Pet Detective is a wonderful set.
:clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

StarHawk2003 -
Have you ever tried using excelsior/wood wool in your noses?  Give it a try, it is much easier to put your needle through.

You have to be in the mood to do noses.  If you don't feel good then don't do it.  Otherwise you end up re-doing it later.

Congrats to the winners and the nominees!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Do we have an official list somewhere????

Someone is always up to something.
        :o

Amy -
Sorry to hear about your foot.  I am sure you came up with the best jokes/puns.

Yes, that is Gregg's work! I would know that anywhere.
I gave him one of my patterns (or did he buy it?)  I wonder if he ever made it up???.

You can also get pictures of monkeys and study them to see how their heads are shaped.  When I am trying to make a new design that I don't have a solid ideea of how makeit, I go to the internet and hunt down pictures of the animal that I am trying to make.  I get head shots, full body, and pictures from as many possilbe angles and study and use them as my guides.

Well Bobbie -
If you still want to drive out to Polo for walnuts you're welcome to.  The old farmers would come by when we were little and ask if they could have our walnuts.  They would take bucket loads home...  Now I have to rake them up before mowing... yuck!

No, mum and I have just enough time to get our orders out.  We are finishing up our Toy Fair orders now.  Usually we are done with those by the end of April or the middle of May.  More business this year, which is great.  Sometimes we were waiting on supplies and there is nothing we can do about that.  The ones that requested pre-Easter got their orders 1st. 
I have toyed with the idea of adding NF to my work and I do have some ideas of things I want to try, but right now I am busy trying to get caught up and then get ready for EXPO.   Wanna come help?

Ok Judi -
After a little searching I found my answers.  I think some of the brands that you mentioned in another thread about airbrushing are available at Wally World.  I work in the morning, so I will buy some after I get off work and try them sometime this next week.  Now should I raid mum's panty hose drawer or just buy some cheapies out of the bin???  :crackup:
I will post a picture of the bear so everyone can see what happened...  :photo:   Maybe I can save him with the new paints? Nah... I think I better just make a new head or the patches will cover the head of the bear...

Ok so my idea of airbrushing with dye wasn't such a hot one!  It ran when I used steam to set it and before that the dye did rub off.  What a mess! I have to make a new bear head...    I think I will be buying the dyna-flow paints that Tammy was talking about.  Mom uses acrylic craft paints and they work ok, but they do tend to stick to the airbrush.

I will check for other posts on this topic but in the mean time...

Judi -
Are the artist paints that are available at Wal-mart close to what you use?  Are the artist paints better quality?  And do they stick to the airbrush as much?

I am sure that you have answered those same questions tons of times, but thank you in advance.

Bobbi -
I was thinking that the next time I mow grandma's yard, you could come over and teach me about NF while I am mowing the grass.  Multi-tasking is such a wonderful thing.  Well, mum does come with me... so maybe she could mow the grass and you can teach me NF...   :crackup:

Where online are you teaching?
There is so much to learn!  It is a totally new medium to me.  I normally would do this on my own and learn as I go, but I would really like to get the information from someone who knows.  I do have some wool that I got from the "other" mohair place...  and some needles that I picked up at a local quilt shoppe, but I just haven't had the time to work with it.

As Jenny & Penny have said... If the pattern doesn't have a lining or facing, just cut a second bodice and sew them together and turn them right side out.  My mum has encountered this problem with new patterns when making clothing for my niece.  Most patterns don't have linings anymore.  The say to use binding tape and turn it under, which I don't think makes for a nice finish (just my opinion).  I have found that when making clothing for bears it is best just to cut out a second bodice to use for the lining.  Because the pieces are so small it is just easier to handle.  Facing tend to be small on human clothing, they're even smaller on bear clothing and easier to lose.  That is the main reason that I use a second bodice to line clothing.

Ok... I have been trying to find the time to NF in between work, class, and bunnies.
I think might need to take a class in this.  Bobbi, when are you teaching next?

Cool and mildly windy.  Not bad weather.  Compared to our current weather very nice.  I am looking forward to this show.  Now are we going to have a "formal" gathering of TTers?  Like a party Friday or Saturday evening at 7 and invite collectors to come join the fun or will we all just pile in the lobby at 7 and go to dinner somewhere.  Really, we all need to wear TT pins or T shirts.

Did yard work at Grandma's in Villa Park and we could hear the cicadas over both the lawn mower and the chipper.  There were several of her neighbors that had  netting over their plants to protect them.  They eat anything that they can chew.  I had several land on me.  They were all over grandma's patio set and there was a huge pile beneath the pine trees.  I am glad they are there and not out here.

Did the cicadas damage your plants or was it the weather?

Ok here's how I handle the heat... sit right in front of the AC and don't move for the summer!  Seriously, we keep the temp set to ~72F.
I am also a huge fan of ceiling fans, they really do make a difference on the electric/heating/cooling bills.  I don't understand why anyone would rip out a ceiling fan.  I think that most of those designers on those home design programs don't have a clue about the benefits of ceiling fans.  If they ever did that to one of my rooms the ceiling fan would be the first thing to go back into the room.  I don't care if is does interrupt their design theme, my comfort is more important.
I also buy "wind machine" or "wind tunnel" type fans.  They move tons of air yes they cost more to buy to begin with, but the savings later on make up the difference.
I also recommend switching over to CFL bulbs, they use less wattage and are cooler than traditional light bulbs.  They will help to lower your energy bill in two ways.  1. They use less energy.  2. Since they use less energy, they generate less heat.  There are CFL that generate a light similar to soft white lights,  they also have daylight balanced lights.  And no flickering!  I have them in the garage light and the porch light and there seem to be fewer bugs around the porch.  There is still one regular light bulb on the porch and the bugs are more attracted to that light then the other 2.  Go figure.  Maybe the CFL generate a sound the bugs don't like.  Who knows?
H2O is a must!  I keep a bottle of water handy.  I have all kinds of Sam's Choice flavored water in the frig and unflavored water nearby.  Yes, room temp water is the best, cool or cold water can shock the system.  In college, most of the singers carried water bottles and we were always told to drink room temp water.  Don't drink cold water, don't want the vocal cords to go into shock before singing, that would be a very bad thing!

And pray :pray: for cooler weather.  I think a year round temp of 72F would be good, don't you?

I'd just go and buy the tickets...  Tell him you are going to visit a sick aunt...

Seriously, I hope that you will be able to come, you would really enjoy yourself.