Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Aleta is right in my opinion - a nice ribbon that you can display with your winning bear means a lot more than a cash prize, or gift that you may or may not want/use! A trophy of some sort is fine too but probably a lot more expensive and really doesn't mean any more than the ribbon and the ribbon would likely display better with the bear and take less room.
Bear hugs, Edie

Well, now I'm even more unsure what size to order - checked some of my shirts and I have two that are "Gildan Active Wear - Ultra Cotton" - one is a size large and one a size medium and they are both EXACTLY the same size except for length!!!! The large is a few years old and the medium is new (from my high school reunion that I just attended). The medium is longer as these type of shirts seem to shrink mainly in the length when washed - think I'll have to throw the new one in the wash and see if it shrinks in the width too or if they have changed the sizing of their shirts. I sure hope there are still some shirts left by the time I get this figured out!!! 

Bear hugs, Edie
P.S. Thanks ladies, for modeling the shirts - great to see what they look like on!

Big congratulations, Judi, on your first Toby!!!!  :clap:  You really deserved it! I thought the entries this year were really outstanding, so congratulations to all the industry choice winners as well. Great work!
Bear hugs, Edie

Oh, do I WISH I could be going to Idex!!! Good luck to all the Toby nominees!
Take care of yourself, Shelli - of course you want to take something like that seriously! and of course we ARE all pulling for you even if you are such an independant-don't-need-any-help-kind-of-a-person! 
Bear hugs, Edie

I agree with everyone else, Chrissi, it just takes time and getting your name out there by whatever means you can. I used to send in photos to magazines often, and enter contests which really puts you in the limelight - especially if you win lol! I also managed to get write ups in a number of magazines and that really gets you noticed. Doing shows or being on ebay regularily also gives you good exposure. - so really all of the things you mentioned! However - that still does not guarantee you sales - just makes it more likely that people will recognize your bears and hopefully will eventually be reflected in sales. Donating bears to charity bear auctions is another good way to get noticed.

I think when new trends come along a lot of artists will try doing similar things - I think most artists like to experiment and try new ideas - but they are not necessarily copying but incorporating into their own designs and still doing their own thing and more because it is something they are interested in and not because they think it is a hot seller. People have to make what appeals to them - for instance if you really don't like anime bears, if you tried to make them just because you figured they were "hot" you likely wouldn't be very successful and your bears would look like copies of someone elses as it isn't coming from inside you. Or if you really disliked distressed old looking bears and tried to do that, you would again miss the essence of it because you wouldn't "feel" what you were trying to do. Not sure if I am explaining what I mean here or not??? Besides trends come and go and you really have to do what you like and what works for you - but always keep striving to improve and create new designs and do the best work that you can.

I have a cute story that in a way was the defining moment for me to realize that I had started to create a "name" for myself (at least in Canada at the time - perhaps not til later on the world wide scene!) About 14 years ago, when I had been making bears for about 5 years, I did my first real bear show - the 1st Bear Fair in Calgary, Alberta - with celebrity artists from the States and artists from across Canada in attendance. I felt like a real greenhorn but was SOOO excited to be doing a bear show and meeting all these people that I had only read  about in the magazines. Well the first night they had an auction of bears made by the artists in attendance with the money going to charity and I had 3 bears in the auction and was a bit worried about whether anyone would bid on them. My name is Edie (pronounced eedee) and everytime the auctioneer got to one of my bears he would read out the info about it and say it was from Bears by EDDY (as in the boys name Eddy) and the WHOLE room would shout back it's EDIE not EDDY - I just couldn't believe it that they all seemed to know who I was and cared enough to correct the auctioneer! It certainly was an incredible experience for me and one I will never forget!
P. S. all 3 of my bears did really well for the charity and I was thrilled that one of the top artists in Canada at the time was the top bidder on one of my little offerings!

Bear hugs, Edie

Jenn wrote

Oh good for you Jenn! I am also a collector as well as a maker (although I mostly collect vintage bears now) and both are equally fun! You will certainly be able to find any help you need with your bear making here on TT - sure wish I had access to something like this with all the information and supportive people when I first started - and really appreciate having it now!
Bear hugs, Edie

Kim wrote

I don't doubt you are right, Kim! In fact I just bought some really neat vintage fabric last week when I was in town at a second hand shop - really nice stuff and not previously used, but fabric lengths. It is kind of like the vintage long pile with the grid backing but softer and not as "hairy" looking. It is off white so am going to experiment and see if it will take dye and then I can really have fun with it.
Sometimes all it takes is a new piece of fabric to get me all excited about bear making again and full of new ideas!
Bear hugs, Edie

Kim wrote

Kim, I can't believe I forgot to say how nice you are to do this!!! I appreciate that so much and am honoured that you like my bears! Forgive me for not saying so in the last post!
Bear hugs, Edie

Thanks Dilu and Kim - you really made me laugh with your literal interpretation and visual image of "everyone and his dog having enough of my bears"!!! My daughter's cat used to run off with the wee bears I was working on whenever my back was turned so I can sure relate, Dilu!

Dilu said

Great advice Dilu - I've just been thinking the same thing - I'm not a quitter so maybe I just need to go in a new direction and try some more creative things that I think about from time to time and then just never get around to doing. I can't imagine not making bears so maybe rather than trying to get lots done to keep a steady inventory on ebay I'll spend some time trying new ideas. Besides it'll take me another 20 years of sewing to get through all my fabric - so I can't quit - although I imagine I could find someone to take it off my hands - right, Kim???

Shantell said

Hopefully everyone is right, Shantelle, that it is just the summer season and things will pick up again for you soon. Great idea to build up a nice collection - then when things start to pick up again you'll be all ready for it!  :lol:

Thanks Jenn - that brightens my day - and is a good reminder for us too that there are new collectors coming along all the time who might want one of our bears someday! I am also very greatful to several collectors who buy from me regularily (even though they have a lot of my bears now!) - so I really have no reason to let a slump on ebay get to me!
Bear hugs, Edie

I didn't, Dilu - it is very similar to using mohair, same backing even, just the "fur" part has a different feel - not as silky as mohair. It's not like you are using a real sheepskin with the leather attached or anything! 
Bear hugs, Edie
P.S. thanks Dilu and Kim for the nice comments on my bears!

Oh Shantell, that is too bad - how disappointing for you! Where we live I can only get dial up so often get booted off the internet, or can't get on, so I have learned to bid early on anything I really want. Even then I have frequently forgotten to go back and check on things (or gotten the end time mixed up) and ended up losing out over it - so frustrating, so I can totally sympathize with you!
Bear hugs , Edie

Well, I've had my last THREE bears not sell on ebay and have been feeling a bit discouraged again - felt that things were looking up until this, with a number of new bidders on  my bears and the last one before these three did very well. I thought I had developed quite a good following on ebay in the  4 years that I have been selling there, but suddenly it seems I'm getting very few bids from my previous customers. The one thing I find with ebay is that you just never know what is going to happen - just when you think you have it figured out you get thrown for a loop! I keep experimenting with different methods  - low starts/ no reserve, high starts/no reserve, low starts/reserve, high starts/reserve, BIN, and have yet to figure what is best! Sometimes I think I should just start them all at $1 with no reserve and then at least they would sell - LOL! - and likely I'd be making someone pretty happy! 
I guess about all we can do is just keep plugging away and keep our chins up through all the ups and downs!
Bear hugs, Edie
P.S. - I've been selling bears for almost 20 years now so maybe my problem is every one and his dog already has enough of my bears! 

I have no idea if you can still buy it or not, Sheri - check with Edinbourgh and see if they still carry it - I don't have a recent catalogue.
Bear hugs, Edie

I tracked down photos of a couple of the wool fur bears that I made years ago - didn't have digital photos back then and my scanner is on the fritz so I had to resort to taking digital shots of the photos so they aren't the best but I'll put them on anyway. The gold one, "Higgins", is about 15" and "Frosty, the Snowbear" is 81/2".

I found the wool fur very easy to work with - much like mohair and a lot easier than the alpaca as it is so thick - the backing on the wool was the same as mohair and the pile thickness about the same too.

Bear hugs, Edie

Sending lots of prayers, hugs, and good wishes your way Nancy - and lots of strength to cope with whatever you are dealing with. :pray:  :hug:
Bear hugs, Edie

I've used the wool fur in the past - so long ago I can't even remember which bear - lol - but I really liked it too. I've still got lots of it but don't even know what colors either - maybe I'll have to dig it out and make some bigger bears again for a change! I got mine from Edinburgh too - I seem to remember it being a discount item and therefore much cheaper than mohair. I didn't try distressing it but that would be fun to do for sure.
Bear hugs, Edie

Great words to live by for sure, Judi! Success is not something we achieve and keep forever it is an ongoing struggle just like life!

It is hard not to compare ourselves to others in the bear world - I am always happy to see someone doing very well in the bear business and getting fantastic prices for their bears and would never begrudge them that, but at the same time there is always a little tiny voice inside saying "why can't I get prices like that for my bears - what's wrong with them - or what am I doing wrong - etc. etc. Then I will get a note from someone saying they LOVE my bears but just can't afford to buy one and I'm ready to just give them away to someone who will really appreciate them, or a bear goes really low on ebay and I am feeling a bit down about it and then I get a note from the buyer about how thrilled they are to have finally been able to get one of my bears and again the money means NOTHING! I don't think success has anything to do with money, or selling the most bears, or anything like that - I think success is doing our best and striving for improvement and hopefully leaving our little corner of the world better than we found it - enriching others and ourselves along the path of this thing called "life".

Bear hugs, Edie

I Sooo agree too! Wish I had time to comment on all the wonderful bears posted here and in the showcase but then there wouldn't be time to make any bears - lol! I try to put in the odd comment now and again and feel badly when so many get left out but it is strictly a time constraint - as I am sure it is with everyone! Just know that many of us are looking at and admiring your bears even if we don't have time to actually post and say so!!!!
Bear hugs, Edie

Hi Heather,
I think this is something that you will just have to decide for yourself - there is no easy answer. Now a days people do have a choice - back when I got married it was unheard of to not take your husband's name. I really would have liked to keep mine as it was so simple - "Bond" and I switched to "Barlishen" which I have to spell for everyone, but as I said it just wasn't done at the time. My husband's name is James so he could have become "James Bond" - that would have been so much better - except his dad would have disowned him!!! 
Good luck on your wedding and choosing your name!
Bear hugs, Edie

That really is beautiful, Charlotte! We all need to think a bit more about what we do with our time and appreciate the time others give us!

Bear hugs, Edie

My number one comfort food is a soft boiled egg in a little wooden egg cup - my Mom always used to make me soft boiled eggs when I was recouperating after being sick and I guess it brings back lots of memories and makes me feel safe and special!
Popcorn - if I am home by myself at night (which always makes me nervous!) I make a huge bowl of popcorn and eat it while watching TV or reading - usually in bed!
Chocolate - especially Lindt truffles but I don't often have them on hand as any time I do I eat them all 

Bear hugs, Edie

Debora said:

Debora, I bet the mohair you are using is actually upholstery mohair from years ago - I've got some and it sounds just like what you are using and I also found it really hard to work with but it did make up into a nice bear when I was done. The backing is thicker and stiffer, and frayed more, than the mohair we use now, and that was what made it more difficult to sew. I'm sure your bear will be adorable!

Bear hugs, Edie

Kassie, I love your new gallery photo but I don't think you should have changed your avatar - I really liked you blended in with the bears (and hiding under your hat!)
Bear hugs, Edie

Glad to hear the surgery went well, Sheila and that you are recouperating. Hey, the bears were only for if you got bored and couldn't get downstairs to your computer - you certainly shouldn't feel pressured to work while you are healing!
Bear hugs, Edie

Shoes! I love them and they have to be good quality as I hate sore feet! Merrells for hiking, sandals, and casual shoes, and I also like other name brands for dressy or just fun shoes - but I always buy them on sale and at places like Winners, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Famous Footwear so I really don't spend a lot and I wear them forever - still have shoes that I bought more than 20 years ago!
I also agree with the high thread count cotton sheets - wouldn't consider any other kind! and cotton for clothes (also linen as I don't mind wrinkes if it is casual clothes).

Bear hugs, Edie