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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Hi Jen, I tell you, I have had a bear design swimming around in my head for so long, I would actually faint if I could ever make it exactly like I see in my head 
Maybe we never achieve it , because if we did we would quit making bears, I could just see it now, you see the bear in your head, you create a pattern as if God is guiding your hand, you get finished, a light shines down from the heavens on the bear while symphony music starts playing. After all that anything else would seem like a let down :crackup:
I am excited about the challenge too, I found some really cool tapestry material.
:hug:
Jodi
They look like a husband and wife :crackup:
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They look WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!
:hug:
Jodi
I'm curious, can everyone around the world use paypal? I am thinking it might be wise anymore to say I will only accept paypal.
When I owned my toy store, I was told I had to get the persons drivers Licenses ID number on checks or they were basically not worth anything and charge cards I just needed to get approval thru the credit card company. I would be sick to have this happen to me , I am sending you a great big :hug: I am really hoping this is all a mistake and this person will be a stand up person. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
:hug:
Jodi
“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.”
I thought this quote was perfect for this event.
I wanted to thank you all for encouraging me and giving me so many ideas and I want to hug all of you willing to help by making a bear. You are the reason I am so proud to be part of this industry.
I am so glad we got approval. I have contacted several magazines and some have showed interest, I will keep everyone informed on where it will be covered . Also Chrissi and I are working on a press packet for everyone who has agreed to be involved, so you can contact newspapers in your area, so to get some hometown interest in the bear you will be auctioning off. A lot of you are doing this because you have experienced this or you have known someone who has had to deal with breast cancer, this event is about giving everyone a chance to work for a cure.
Chrissi has agreed to help me, in getting this all organized and she has been amazing!!!!!
Next I am going to work out how we are going to handle the bears that are not from the US artists. Right now we have around 40 artists and I would love to have more by the time this event rolls around.
You all need to give yourselves a pat on the back, with us all pulling together, I think this will be a wonderful event.
:hug:
Jodi
I never knew it happened so fast, they are amazing!!!!
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Jodi
We'll miss you!!!!!!
But I understand , I have done one show and I thought I was going to pull my hair out trying to get ready for it, I just wish I could go and see all your amazing work in person!!!!
:hug:
Jodi
I'll do a 4th of July bear and a tapestry bear, both things sound really fun to do, so do we want to combine them and have it be artists choice or have two seperate things?
:hug:
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
It was down for me too, I tried listing a bear and couldn't get on. I'll have to check today and see if it's up.
I love CR crafts at http://www.crscraft.com/, they are not completely great for bear stuff, here at intercal is better, but they do have things intercal doesn't for other crafting things.
How about a patriotic bear, since july 4th is coming up?
Hugs
Jodi
Daphne, you were so meant to be a Mom, what you wrote is truly wonderful and right on target. Before I had my oldest I found out I had an ovarian tumor and I may not ever have children, we looked into adoption from other countries but my husbands father is a very unkind person and is just an out and out bigot, my husband was not completely into it because how his family woulfd be, and I felt that would be unfair to bring a child into that situation. Well by some miracle at 28 I got pregnant and it has been as you described. Then 10 yrs later we were blessed again with our youngest, he has a degree of autism, he has been a very big challenge, but oh such a joy. Every one of his successes are so much more wonderful. I really thought I would never have kids and I cherish every day, even the bad ones. They are both caring, loving people and I am so lucky to have them.
I get very upset and I too am mouthy when I see kids being abused, kids are hard work, why on earth would someone keep having kids if they don't enjoy them. One time I was waiting in line at a store, without my kids, and the couple behind me was screaming at their kid and kept hitting her and saying things like, "You wait until I get you out into the car" well I waited for them to get done I followed them to the parking lot, wrote down their license number and walked up very calmly and said "Hi I just wanted you to know I took your car plate number and I watched you abuse your daughter in that store, and at some point , and you will never know when , I am going to turn this info over to the childrens welfare dept and report what I have seen, you better hope it's not on a day you abuse your child because you will get your butt thrown in jail. So if I was you I would find a better way to parent your child." they stood and looked dumb founded. I would never do this when I have my kids with me, I always report it to a manager, you never know what someone would do.
Daphne Good for you on reporting that women, too many people don't want to get involved.
The one thing I would love to do,( but I am horrible in english), is be a children's author. I have a story that has been in my head for years, but I am so bad at grammer it would be awful if I ever tried to sit down and write it. The closest I will ever get is doing my Storytime thing on ebay.
Ginny, what a sad thing to have happened, I always wonder why animals go into the road when there is so much safe area around, I sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with them and they know this is a way to end the suffering. I had a dog that was very ill and very old and NEVER got in the road, he was a very street wise dog, but we found out he had heart worm and one day he got out of the fence and got hit. It was so hard to think that , that was the way it ended for him but I guess the suffering was maybe too much for him. I think you are smart not to tell your daughter during the trip, if there was something she could do then I would have let her know, but it will not change anything, to let her enjoy her trip. You're a great mom for thinking of her happiness.
Hugs
Jodi
Magda I thought you would enjoy this letter to the editor that was in my paper today.
On May 29, I experienced something that has never happened to me before. I was at Wal-Mart on McGalliard with my significant other, our son, my sister-in-law and her new baby. We were at the checkout line when a young woman came up to us and asked us if she could pay for our groceries. We were speechless and really did not know what to say. We asked what the catch was. and she explained she was being nice. She walked up and paid $136 and some change for our items. She handed us the receipt and walked away. We knew her name because it was on the receipt, Danielle Wright.
Danielle started "pay it forward" that day. We went to lunch and bought the two people behind us lunch. They in return, told us that they would buy someone's lunch tomorrow. When we got home we told our two older boys what had happened and that the stranger had actually bought them two shirts. The boys went next door and mowed the neighbors yard. We talked to the neighbor later and told him why we did it and he thanked us because his mower was broken. He was in the process of fixing the mower and told us that he was going to mow his neighbors, yard the next day while they were on their honeymoon.
If someone presents you with a Random Act of Kindness, thank them and pass it on. This was an experience that we will never forget.
Wasn't that such an uplifting letter.
:hug:
Jodi
I really do think that there are other ways to mother without having children, I firmly and completely believe pets fill our lives and we can love them too. My dad is at a loss since my mom passed away in November and he is so lonely it is painful to watch, he loves animals so much I kept trying to convince him to get a dog. I would not know what to do without my Chihuahua, she makes me smile every single day.
You can mother your spouse, friends, nieces and nephews or even the neighbors kids. When I was growing up we had an older couple who were our neighbors and they were wonderful, they did not have children of their own but they were loved by everyone in the neighborhood , they passed away within a year of each other. They had people at their house all the time and I don't think biology played a part in them loving or being loved.
What I don't understand is how some women that should not have kids have them and others that should have kids, don't.
I was in a checkout line this past weekend and there was a lady screaming at her very small child sitting in the cart, she had 2 others too, but she kept yelling " I said, shut up!!!!" "would you just shut up" then she got right in his face and said "I said shut the f*ck up" because he kept crying, he looked to be about 14 months. My heart broke for those kids. I went the manager to ask him to speak to her but before I could get one she was out the door. My question is, if she is willing to talk to her kids in public like that, what must she do in private.
I am sorry I know I got off the thread topic but it just makes me so mad to see kids treated this way. My sister in law that just found out she had breast cancer always wanted kids but was never able to, she is a WONDERFUL aunt to all her nieces and nephews, she would have been an amazing mother.
Jodi, I found this article that is very interesting:
Women Happier Than Men After Divorce, Study Shows
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By Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent - The Independent
04 July 2005
Women are far more likely than men to come out of divorce feeling liberated, relieved and happy, a study has shown.
Rather than feeling devastated at the end of their marriage, women are more likely to see the split as a fresh start but their former husbands remain stressed and unhappy even years after they receive their decree absolute.
Men are twice as likely as women to feel suicidal about their divorce, the survey of more than 3,000 people for the Yorkshire Building Society found.
More than 150,000 couples divorce every year in Britain, and two out of three marriages fail. The people in the survey were divided into two groups, those who had divorced in the past two years and those who had been divorced longer.
More than half (53 per cent) of the women who had divorced in the past two years said they were relieved, compared to only 46 per cent of the men. Four out of 10 women said they felt liberated, but only a third of men eperienced the similar emotion.
Men had double the level of suicidal feelings, with 7 per cent saying they had considered taking their own lives. Former husbands were also far more likely than former wives to experience feelings of sadness, confusion and betrayal.
More than half the men (56 per cent) said they felt sad at the failure of their union but only 45 per cent of women felt that way.
Even years after divorce, men were still more likely than women to feel unhappy, with 41 per cent of long-time divorced males saying they felt sad compared to a third of their female counterparts. A quarter of the longer-term ex-husbands retained a sense of betrayal, but 80 per cent of women felt no such emotion.
Six out of 10 women spent more time with their friends and family, but men were twice as likely to have casual sex, call an old flame or join a dating agency.
Rachel Court, head of mortgages at the Yorkshire Building Society, said: "The differences are startling. Women simply appear to be stronger than men through a break-up and after." The building society is offering a "Fresh Start" mortgage tailored to people coming out of a messy break-up or divorce.
Women are far more likely than men to come out of divorce feeling liberated, relieved and happy, a study has shown.
Rather than feeling devastated at the end of their marriage, women are more likely to see the split as a fresh start but their former husbands remain stressed and unhappy even years after they receive their decree absolute.
Men are twice as likely as women to feel suicidal about their divorce, the survey of more than 3,000 people for the Yorkshire Building Society found.
More than 150,000 couples divorce every year in Britain, and two out of three marriages fail. The people in the survey were divided into two groups, those who had divorced in the past two years and those who had been divorced longer.
More than half (53 per cent) of the women who had divorced in the past two years said they were relieved, compared to only 46 per cent of the men. Four out of 10 women said they felt liberated, but only a third of men eperienced the similar emotion.
Men had double the level of suicidal feelings, with 7 per cent saying they had considered taking their own lives. Former husbands were also far more likely than former wives to experience feelings of sadness, confusion and betrayal.
More than half the men (56 per cent) said they felt sad at the failure of their union but only 45 per cent of women felt that way.
Even years after divorce, men were still more likely than women to feel unhappy, with 41 per cent of long-time divorced males saying they felt sad compared to a third of their female counterparts. A quarter of the longer-term ex-husbands retained a sense of betrayal, but 80 per cent of women felt no such emotion.
Six out of 10 women spent more time with their friends and family, but men were twice as likely to have casual sex, call an old flame or join a dating agency.
Rachel Court, head of mortgages at the Yorkshire Building Society, said: "The differences are startling. Women simply appear to be stronger than men through a break-up and after." The building society is offering a "Fresh Start" mortgage tailored to people coming out of a messy break-up or divorce.
Jodi you are one of the sweetest people I have ever met and I know God has a wonderful plan for you. Please stay strong and if you need anything let me know.
Hugs
Jodi
Richy you sound a lot like me , I wanted to be a vet for sooooo long, but I got the chance to help a vet and when I saw a dog being put to sleep, I lost it. I knew that noble profession was not for me.
I could never figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up, mainly because I still haven't done that yet :crackup:
Shelli, I am like you, I always knew I wanted to be a Mom and that is the job I do love the most.
This is such a great thread I love reading everyones interests.
:hug:
Jodi
Getting ready for the "Bear Hugs for Hope" campaign, I am so excited to get this going!!!!!
Had my sister from florida here for the last 3 days, so I have had a great day too!!!!
We miss your posting
:hug:
Jodi
Peta I am soooooo happy for you!!!!!!
That baby is adorable 
:hug:
Jodi
Richey, I agree completely we need to promote this for men as well.
So mark your calendar, "Bear Hugs for Hope" is going to happen. :dance:
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Cheryl, I am having the experience that you went thru, they want me to pin down an amount, which I cannot do. I have had the worst time trying to get them to answer my phone calls, I had one lady that never returned my calls, so I called their corp. offices and got another lady and I explained what I was doing and planning , I explained how expensive these bears go for and she got all excited and said she would talk to me on tuesday, but she didn't see this as a problem getting approval. She asked for me to give a ball park figure on what I could promise in donation, which I told her I couldn't do, well that's the last I heard from her.
The sad thing is how many people get so frustrated with this process and give up. But I refuse to give up, too many wonderful women and their families are having their lives torn apart by this disease. So, I love the hospice idea, I will check ebay to see if there is another organization that would be interested in this.
Sarahjane what a truely wonderful collector you have, please let her know that it is her and all of those willing to be involved in this, are the ones that make me so proud to be part of the teddy bear community. Women like that make the world a better place.
Hugs
Jodi
