Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I did a combination thing here. The first image was uploaded from the regular window, NOT the Quick Post. But nothing shows up in this typing panel so one never knows if it's uploaded until after it appears on the list.

The 2nd one is from the Img Upload button over and up there in that NE direction]

Sabine here's where I was making my mistake:

Instead of reading below the url and Clicking Here to post, I was copying and pasting the link as shown. Different results!

Now for my second part:

I hope this makes sense - as I'm now totally confused; this has also now become a Photoshop discussion now, with Jodi's comments on her 400 pixel images.

As you can see, in the original first image above, the pixel width is 300 but it's 357.5 kb, way larger than the 250 maximum allowed per image.

In the second image, when I did another  Screen Capture of the original image plus its Image size setting panel, (in which the height & width proportions changed) I was able to increase the pixels (and visual width) to 385 AND keep it under 250 kb. I don't understand the theory of what's happening in Photoshop.

Any comments on this? Thx to all for straightening me out on uploading!!!

Oh, and in the Editing phase that I'm in (to add the text after I saw if the pix would upload) I note that it says a max of 10 images. One more question by someone answered.

I think the size of your bears would make the choice easier to make.

I used to sell glass bead and industrial-slumped sand (clean, rounded edges, etc) in a variety of sizes. These were most helpful for minis, as most of the supplies like shot, plastic & glass beading and others are fine if your work is 6 - 8" and larger. Totally impractical for minis as the create bumps like hives!

I sold my supplies in a 'syrup jug', plastic bottles with a funnel spot that exactly held one lb of sand. As the glass was a bit heavier, the volume for 1 lb didn't quite fill the jug. I was pleasantly surprised after starting with Luann's stainless steel, that 1 lb filled the jug to only about 2/3 full! It was heavier by 1/3 than the supplies I had carried before that.

They are very fine grains so they easily slide in anywhere, especially through very short seam openings, but give a lot of heft for the amount inserted.

If you make anything up to 6 inchers, do give Luann's a try!

perhaps it says in the tech section.

If it's there I couldn't find it, as I couldn't even find the guidelines for How To Upload. Too stressed to concentrate this week...

I'll try this again - THX for responding Jodi - your bright images are what I'm after. I think we wrote a few weeks ago about the color saturation. The color really Pops!

Terrie, do you use denim for your backdrops? I finally got several shades and love them.

This image is ever so much nicer than the one posted on the E Baer list, though it might be the same one in just a thumbnail. I looked at all of the classes last night, after Nancy (VERY PATIENTLY) has been explaining to me how to work the classes there (I'm taking Judi's Airbrushing.) Apparently, I've been drooling over the class lists and was using an old bookmark.

Also, could you tell me the pixel size and other settings for that image? That's what I was refering to in another thread, about multiple images in one post and being large images. TIA!

Beatrix Potter - Peter Rabbit's Mum! - an independent woman if ever there was one.
I like Renee Zellweger & for the most part I was aware of her as an actress but the story was eloquently and whimsical in bringing out both Beatrix's practicality and her sense of whimsey. It helps to have read the biographies on her in the past, as the story touched on so many aspects of her personality and life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter
She died in 1943, when I was almost a year old and as I said she & my DD share a Bday, though 101 years apart.

As a knitter all of my life, I was most interested to read of her sheep breeding; how unusual it was for a woman to attend the markets with all men. That wasn't in the movie; there's no way that they could fit even a fifth of her interesting life into a movie so I'll not add any more - suffice to say that tears rolled down my cheeks at several points.
It's a good old-fashioned movie!

Funny, what with the things that occupy kids' lives today: there were two girls behind us, perhaps 10 and 13. The older girl had no clue who she was and continuously asked the younger girl what was happeneing, what had been refered to by inference. Ppl knowing about her needed no explanations. What a shame that these simple lessons aren't being imparted.

Don't I sound like Ms Wisdom today! My head's killing me so I'll move on...

Yikes! That cost about $19.95 per 'book' when I tried it 15 years ago. Has it come down since then? Are you near a library? Does the library belong to a shared community lending system?

And Daphne, can you give me/us some background? When I joined a year ago, you were well into your sewing progect. For us newer members can you tell us (again) how you were contacted about the Mimzies and how the whole deal worked in negotiating? TY!

Sizing: We're allowed 250 mb for each image. After setting the res at 72, I bring them up just as close to 250 as I can.

I rarely 'Crop' for an inch measurement unless I need a photo for comp work.

Some ppl's pix appear huge on my screen at least 3/4 of the window width; mine are never that big....

Right Kim, I've used that, but it just opens up an enlarged image over a darkened screen. I did that in the NFing forum today for shaping firm bodies.
How do Judi & Jodi & Shelli do it with several full sized images next to each other inside one post?

Perhaps I should've started by asking which window you're using to post your replies: the Quick Post or the Post A Reply option? And does that make a difference? I'm going to try to see what you're seeing after I hear your abswer.

Quy very nice wrote back a few months ago, anf it was fine til I got to the instruction to click Save after uploading the first image.
To my best recollection, using either the ImgUpload button up there on the right, or the
Upload photo(s) from your computer
Choose File
from down below this window, I never did come across a choice to Save.

It's a pain to open a new Post window (nor patience here) for every picture, and using multiple windows/replies to do it looks like a selfish use of space.

I've tried everything and still cannot do it...

Anyone willing to take me on, in 'Bobbie 101'? I usually print out all instructions like this and follow them word for word until they become ingrained, then I never deviate.

Forgot to add that a lot of ppl are buying 'core' wool that is a meat- or dual-purpose breed.
It's used by retailers to describe a generic type of fiber, often breed unknown to them as middleman, but not usually unknown to the small flock owner/breeder.
It definitely needles quickly and gives a slightly false sense of having a very firm base to build the rest of your 2- and 3-D work upon.
Squeezing will never lie!

Totally agree on clever & color - You get so much motion/movement in very small ares!

In all of those words, halfbreed is the only one applying to the actual breed. Does your producer know what breed crosses were used to breed this line?
Does it come completely finished - clean, dyed, etc?
Length of fiber? Just curious about this one as it's more difficult or takes longer to work a 5 - 6" fiber into a mini than it does a 3 - 4" one.

Threading & knotting off

Shape

Welcome to our *Passion* Dorothy!!! 
I cannot even go there today - webmaster - too much to do rather than be frustrated....
If you've noted any of my posts about this previously, you'll know how anxious I am to finally get the reins in my own hands (one of the things he's dragging his heels about, I'm sure) I'll be uploading images and text on all pages!!!

You asked about jointing; is this a miniature or larger than 6"? Under six inches I use a doubled heavy duty upholstery thread (Conso, Mastex, etc) just like a regular mini.

My work is all posed in specific emotion- or expressed-idea postures so they are all static postured. I create many body parts separately and either leave some fiber unneedled at the point of joining or use a bit of fiber between parts to act as the *glue* between finished parts.

This does bring up a point I'd like to add about needing to be VERY firmly needled.
If you've used the thread jointing for minis before, you're familiar with how much how much the body will squish together as you draw the threads tightly together. This effect is exxagerated in NFing, especially in the more softly needled style of working. In this type I'd consider using static work rather than true jointing.

I purchase many pieces on eBay that represent - or rather, don't represent - what it is claimed to be. I have one 4" dog, the skin coat began to separate from the underbody in shipping (mailed in a flat business envelope, no less!!). The hind legs can be pulled out from the body about 3". That's terrible craftsmanship in my mind.

But even though this was advertised as firmly felted, the creator could not have helped but realize as she sewed the legs on, that if she pulled the threads together tightly enough to avoid this happening, the body would squish in to about 1/2" wide..... So she chose to allow the legs to just meet the body at the shoulders and haunches. Bad..

Here's the shape that I would needle the body of a 'bear' to be, to accomodate the limbs not looking like a cowboy-just-out-of-the-saddle.

There's a formula to decide if work is softly, medium or very firmly needled:

More than 50% loss in width or length when squeezed between your fingers/hands: soft.
Less that 25% loss: medium firmness.
Less than 5%: very firmly needled

Sometimes a particular sheep breed's fiber will camouflage this effect, giving the *appearance* of firm but it's really the springiness of the particular breed.
*Downs* breeds have this characteristic; they're generally raised as a meat breed or a dual-purpose breed, in which the fiber is more of the carpet-type of fiber rather than for clothing.
An honest evaluation by squeezing is more accurate.

File uploaded: http://www.teddy-talk.com/upload3/57a2.jpg

File uploaded: http://www.teddy-talk.com/upload3/2644.jpg

We love questions like this - keep 'em coming!

You sure can, though the slipperiness of mohair may take a bit more needling time than other fibers. The sheen of it will also be lost. The fiber length would preclude miniatures.
No address? Or do you already have your needles?

I couldn't get anything on the adult site to open but a few icons and the instrumental music in the background.
So I went to the kids' site to watch the trailer.
I've got enough problems and don't need the computer shutting down; too many open Apps that I'm working on.
If I'd read those posts before going to the site, I'd prob not have looked.

Emma & Noah must be currently popular names; we know 3 families that have 2 kids with those 2 names!

OUCH!!!

I've done that myself before I had proper tripods   :o(

In one of the images there's an extra multiple plug. All three cords plug into one heavy extention cord qdown under the table.
I set a chair over that cord between the table and the wall to remind myself not to walk that way round.

...or sometimes they're missing altogether! Hence this third post.

Well as you can see I still haven't mastered uploading multiple images in a single post...

I bought 2 of those lights that Daphne pointed out on eBay. They arrived after this session so they're not in the pix.

I use the wrong side of Denim fabric (wonderful shades!) for my backdrops.

Ott light overhead and two lamps on each side. These will move towards the back of the subject and the 2 new ones will be in these positions. I'll vary the heigths to highlight different parts.

The new little Cascio is just smaller than a deck of cards; here it's on the tripod our large Olympus digi uses, just to signify its place in the whole scheme. I've found this one works better to be hand-held though.

I've got everything set up in easy reach - grooming tools, all of the bears I want to take in that session, all props.

The 5 bears here took about 20 minutes and I had about 60 exposures made. It was done on the dining room table at night so everything looks a little harsh, but the images to the side over there on the left are the results of this shoot.

Right! We gotta get Everyone involved!! How else will they appreciate us??!! LOL

So... we got to you, right?
GREAT!!
As Wendy says, go back to the beginning of the NFing Forum and most everything's already here!

I'd recommend that you get a nice medium fiber to start with, like the Romney from Wilde & Bros in Philadelphia. It works a treat for Beginners as well as those w/more experience.

They also sell on eBay (urls to follow) with very fast shipping in great colors. It's the same as their site but in 4 oz and larger batches. Send me your snail and I'll drop a few needles into the post tomorrow for you! This deserves Celebrating!

http://www.wildeyarns.com/dyed_carded_wool.htm
http://www.wildeyarns.com/history_of_wilde_yarns.htm
http://stores.ebay.com/Wilde-Yarns_W0QQ … esstQQtZkm

I have several small flock breeders that I buy directly from here in the States. All have wonderful fibers, but finer (in microns/size/thickness) than Romney. Best start with an easy one!

We talked about this last Fall, as I remember asking if I should keep my hundreds of complete bear templates or pitch them (Jared advised SAVE) as I don't work with fabric anymore.

I didn't reuse them in 10 years and that number doesn't count the tweakings.

I kept entirely separate lines for kits and my retail work, as I do now in NFing.

(Going back to) OOAK means once with that pattern to me.

I'll let me grandkids take them to the dumpster (but I sure could use the space now!)

Just watched Mimsey's (sp?) trailer and I can hardly wait! I'm gonna tell EVERYONE that I know the artist!!!

Can hardly wait to see the Credits!

I've got 4 books going now, 3 paper and 1 CD from the Library. But for another sweet movie, we saw Miss Potter last weekend. Having been in her home, I wanted to see how they camouflaged the Gift Shop!! (with a hill). She would've been 101 years older than our DD, to the day.