Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

    I can't believe it!!  Who would be more deserving?!?!  Still, she did get enough to cover her book costs, and at least that's something.  I'm so glad she's felt love from every corner of the world.  I know I found I could sometimes vote for her twice a day     and it was worth it to keep trying for her.  She's such an inspiration for so many, it really makes my own kidney troubles pale in comparison. 

I agree, I'll be ready and at the mark for her next year    :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Oooh, what a gorgeous Rottie    I really do have a soft spot for the pups.  LOL, almost said for the 'large breeds' and then as I thought through...well, just about any pup to play with is beautiful.  Hmmm...comes from being born in the Year of the Dog I suppose. 

It is suprising how many bear artists, there is some 'essense' about them that does get captured in their bears.  I can't quite put a finger on it, but I can see it in almost every bear made.  Whether its our pups, or something about our kids, or our own facial features, there's just something there that gets put into the bear.  And I consider it an honor that the collectors can relate to that 

Sorry if I've skipped other's points to reply (late night), but I've had a friend over this week and she was doing a Furry suit....a concept totally new to me where people dress up as animals.  She had some new, very expensive faux fur.  Now I work with real fur, so we were trying to help each other out with techniques.  It came up as a blending of what I do with real fur, and what she naturally will do with mohair, or other textiles.  To say the techniques were night n day  :crackup:   But they were her ears, so I completely left them alone!!   

I admit it, I grabbed the one ear and was instantly stretching it gently this way and that to find the natural nap.  I find with many synthetics, there's at least one direction if not two or three where it reeeeeaaaaaly stretches, and I was trying to see if we needed to line her piece prior to production.  My poor friend was practically holding her breath...."that's very expensive" she started.  I assured her I wasn't about to harm her fabric, was only curious as to the nap, and lay of the stretch. 

I'm highly impressed with the quality and I know there is similar out there.  I naturally work with real fur because my hands have an allergy to synthetics and even mohair, but this was most impressive!

I feel with the higher end synthentics, you'll be facing the same daunting task of educating, educating, educating the public and the buyers.  This is not some cheapo crafting fur, nor is the same category as the manufactured furs.  This is prime, and right up there with the mohairs in quality 

:bday:  :cake:  :clap:   Congratulations on your new granddaughter!!!!!   :clap:  :dance:  :hug:  :dance:  :clap:

LOL...my mother will never let me live down how long I was overdue     She swears I was 10 months, not 9.  I keep telling her, she and the doctor had their count wrong.   

Enjoy your gorgeous brand new granddaughter    :hug:

GUND!!!  Gotta Getta     I just love their floppy bodies, they're so easy to pose ~ and HUG!!!!  Ages ago I had their Honey Bear.  She was lost over time and after some tracking on Ebay, I managed to get a mint condition replica, but it wasn't my Honey Bear, so I haven't tried to replace any childhood bears since. 

I do have their Millenium Bear, Bubbles, though.  He's brought me so much joy over the years.     I think their squishy/huggable bodies had a huge influence on me when I created my first larger, huggable, squishable bear pattern.   

:photo:   Cool!!!  Thanks for sharing so many beautiful pics!!!!  :photo:   Especially love the parting shot of Riley 

Our trees keep acting like its going to be an early winter     Our Catalpas have already come and gone, but our temps haven't been cold enough throughout October.  I can remember in the 80s being a kid, and by mid Oct, we'd already have the frosts!  This warm weather for autumn just isn't on. 

Mind you, Galahad my oldtimer is already in his sheet at nights     He says its plenty cool enough, thanks!   

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:   Ahhhhh, the joys of puppyhood!     He knows eventually you'll give in, quit being so 'boring' and will take him for a walk or play ball     

What a handsome boy, and I'm another who thinks Ozzie really suits him.  He'll get used to the new name, I'm sure, especially if you don't use his old name around him for quite some time.   :clap:  Congratulations on your new boy!!!  :clap:

:clap:   Too cool!!! Mimsy should certainly be stretching beyond the borogroves   

Nothing more fun than hugging a BIG dog that wants to pretend to be a lap dog 

:crackup:  :crackup: Daphne and Lady Bren ~ you've both brought laughter to my morning    :hug:

:crackup:   Teething time already?? 

   Good gravy, they're all models!!!      What a gorgeous family you have!!!!  :clap: 

  Awwwhhhhh..... 

  Awwwhhh, such a sweet picture of Hannah with the babies     

    Awwwhhhhh, Tami that one's ultra sweet!!!!   

:clap:  :clap:   Congratulations to everyone splashed across the pages of the mags!! It must be such a thrill to see your bears in there!!!  :clap:  :clap:  :dance:

Ooooh, what gorgeous colours, and the porkie is absolutely adorable!!!     What a birthday treat  :bday:  :cake:

:crackup:   Yep, I began to notice my bears and my own proportions were beginning to look a little too chubby       

And I can certainly see the influence in some artists' bears with the dogs they own 

:crackup:  :crackup:   If I manage to make it to 92, I sincerely doubt I'll remember morals like this lovely lady!  Wishing her a speedy recovery wherever she is 

  Awwhhh, look at that little waif!!!       Jane, she's most certainly worth every single extra penny!!!  What a dollbaby     LOL, reminds me of the Wars and the little ones toddling off their trains all bewildered being sent from London to the countryside for safety.   

Oooh, I love that rolling sewing cabinet!!!    Hubby and I have recently had to become organized to keep up with our homebusiness, and have found rolling shelving to be fantastic    It helps us utilize verticle space which is all so important. 

In my younger years, I used to handsew in the same room as hubby, but the mess from trimming real fur...well, it IS a bigtime mess!!!  I could never do the sewing machine.  For one thing, my sewing machine's possessed  :twisted:   It thinks my bear should look one way, me, another.  Not only can we not agree, it eats holes in my real fur     So I handsew only.

I can completely understand about not being able to share the same room, though. Maybe with a few ideas from here, you'll have found what might suit you and your personality/sewing needs the best. 

I do have the rolling plastic stackabins for my patterns, needles, threads, finishing touches, etc, but I also found for organizing, a simple cheapo laundry basket that pops outwards (supposedly it folds in on itself as well).  I've used it to corral my bags of stuffing, and its worked like a charm!  Out of all the organizing I needed to do, the stuffing for me was somehow out of control til I found that lightweight dirty laundry bag.  Sometimes its just that one thing, like the screen, that works like a charm and helps to hide things and make it all tidy, homey and ready for company 

  I would have peed my pants having to play 24 songs in front of people at that age!!!  I think both of your children are beautiful, and such wonderful characters to go through all of this just to raise money for a charity.  You've every right to be proud of them!!!!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:   Bravo!!!!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

:clap:  :clap:   How wonderful!!  Great to have some of your stuff back (here's hoping the boogers get caught!  )  And even better for the teddy bear orders  :clap:  :clap:   That will help you heal some of your hurt faster 

Awwwhh, she's adorable!!!         And I love the name Jager, very unique, and she'll stand out a mile  :clap:

I love how your ensemble now matches her  :crackup:   Intentional??  Or did you pick a black lab to suit your wardrobe?     Only teasing, I can tell you've chosen her with tre love     Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to recoup  :hug:   Keep your chest warm, and stay away from the night air  :hug:   You need to get well to keep up with the newest member of your family 

Awwwwhhhhh!!!  Someone loves being a Mommy kitty       

Waaaayyyy cuter!      Our possums get  a bit smelly as they get older because they tend to scavenge carcasses.  Do your possums smell?