Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

YEAhhhhhh !!! ((((((((((((((((((GROUP HUGS FOR EVERYONE INCLUDING KELLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HUG ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) !!!!

Whew! ...Wow, things happen so fast..all this while I was away yesterday.....I just read the whole post.. I am amazed at how fast something can turn into being a  major disagreement which really as was said... should only be an ... opinion.

With all the different types of ARTIST  bears being created now days...many are a far cry from the mohair Stieff.

Shelli mentioned the darling thread bears....no mohair fabric  here, errr maybe sometimes....but then some are half & half.

How about Anime, certainly out of wack shapes there... . that shoots the average accceptable  bear proportion scale all to heck.

Needle felted snozzes....face parts...ears...wheres the mohair fabric? You say; It may also be underneath???...isn't that odd?

What is in your bears mouth ? teeth ??? What on earth, how did you do that , are they cloth ? Fimo !!! What's that ?   and are they sewen in ? What do you mean yes and no?

I can't figure out what you did to the feet pads...can you please explain what those toe bumps are made out of? Are these real claws? Don't you know it is sick to steal claws from road kill ?

This bear makes creaking noises...I don't remember hearing Steiff bears make that lind of noise.

Glass nose ??? Why did you use  glass nose, can't you embroider ?

Hey...I usually see artist dolls that have  beautifully tinted colored cloth faces...now we have Artists bears with mohair tinted faces too. Yes!

Wow...wonder how Lulu gets that leather to stay on the face...I am sure its not just sewen, its a secret I hear...so unusual, what a great artist.Are you sure this will be acceptable at a bear show.You say she can't make them fast enough to sell?

That artist guy, whatever his name is...you know the one who invented the " quizzy" joint..( the face can go in circles) ...then he went onto make totally weird bear animals from wild colors, many with wings with wire inside  and called them  TeriBears or something..I don't really think he will be able to sell those...do you? They are just so far removed from the Ted Bear..too weird.

I know of  a bear artist that is starting to do half  pressed molded bear faces...you know she sizes them with glue to make them stiff then uses acrylic paint to paint aboriginal faces on them and she glues toenails onto their feet... she needlefelts wild hair onto the head ..oh my gosh she uses so many  different materials how can anyone keep up with what should be correct or not correct  for making artist bears?

Did you hear that last year on Ebay  one of her SYNTHETIC oil tinted bears went for $ 16000. !!! And that wasn't the first time either...Her stuff always sells for so high. Why ??...That's easy to answer, because her bears are so ARTISTICALLY DONE  , she creates works of ART that is DIFFERENT THAN THE NORM ...whether she uses recycled, synthetic or mohair ... IT'S HOW SHE USES IT and THE UNTRADITIONAL MATERIALS  to get what she is striving for...in fact, now this is only my opinion but...

I believe the very definition of any kind of  artist is to use anything and everything  he/she wants at their disposal to get the effect for the statement they went to make in with their ART. Most artists are very conceancious about using the best materials and want their art to last as long as time will let it ....and   if it gets some wild feed back well...then, they will remember you... HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! Winney

Realistic bears have small eyes....I make untraditional baers from my own imaginatation,, they tend to look like baby cubs.

...so If I make a 10" bear the eyes are size 10 and placed low and wider like Judi says .... If my bear is 12" or 14" I usually use a size 12 eyes. If  he is 16 " then I may use a 14 eye...

and it really depends on the  age /style of the bear but since my bears are " babies " of sorts I  go with a larger eye for effect and even add a lid... it gets larger. For making an antique bear I go with smaller eyes.....and shoe button  is real nice..... Winney

I think word of mouth is the best advice especially for taking bear pictures.... Winney

I have in the past , when I was younger done my hair blond...lasted for 3 days...did not look good on me at all... maybe it was because I could only get to the gold stage..yuck!
Then I dyed it Sparkling Sherry ( Clariol) that looked good ,but too red so I went with dark auburn..terriffic...but after awhile I changed it back to the original dark brown...more natural and less trouble and less damage to the hair.
You can get use to anything.

My aunt , a dark browner like me.cut her hair really short ( boy short) and  bleached her hair for years almost white ( platinun), her style was a brushed up the  back to the top of the head ( duck butt)  and in the front  swooped up and waved  to one side...looked great on her! She did it because she said it took very little time to do...in  the morning, She also had her eyebrows tatooed which I would never do as later they turn bluish...Winney

My hair  has turned  a dark gray and  streaks of silver is mixed now with dark brown  on the ends I  had dyed , its growing out .I started out as a very dark brown with reddish highlights as my mom is red head...I have 2 red headed sons.

OK... I am 65, hairdresser told me to keep going a lighter shade of brown  then  to go to blonde eventually , dark hair is harsh looking on older people...
Hmmm, I am just so use to the dark brown..I kept dying it for years  ... guess it's how we see our own image that we like to keep it ...always? ANd my hair is long and straight now...too much  to deal with so I put it up onmy head.

I have been ill for so many months  that I did not have the energy to do my hair, dye, cut or perm...so this is a real awaking  for sure ! I am thinking of going a lighter brown with frosted streaks, shorter hair and a body perm....wouldn't that be a change. Will I freak out when I first look into the mirror?

I'd buy  mohair and supplies !!! ...because before you got this " free" money you  already were planning on getting married in Vagas and going to Mexico...so you had to pay for this anyway....

Hey, I listen the George Nory on Coast to Coast radio...and there is a gal that comes on  to advertise Las Vegas ..and right now some of the hotels are giving away FREE night packages... just for coming there ! Quite the savings...it has always been said that  Vegs dosn't make its money on hotels...it makes it billions on gambling !
So if you can control that you can have a nice vacation there for mot too much money...its the air fare that will get you....

OK...I'd do Mohair like I said but...you could  say spilt the difference. I like the idea of buying more than $200 then you get some free mohair ....Winney

Very creative and different..neat card !...Winney

Yes..Jenny he is a doll !...LOl on the doggies...that goes with them...lol...Winney

That's where I got my bear clipping experience...from cutting my 3 boys hair ( yrs. ago) and 2 dogs... plus I still have one dog to clip ( and a balding husband )...over the years I learned by making mistakes...poor boys ..the dogs don't care ...Lol ...hubby is actually the hardest to cut...you have to figure out how you can clip and make it look like more hair...lol....Winney

Yum !...Winney

Yes Jane..you are the cat's meow...love your wit and sharing your talent especially for us..we all love the special cards that you took time to create...makes our day brighter...laughter and fun with friends couldn't get any better than this...    :hug: Winney

I love wool felt..it gives around the pad curves better than ultrsuede and it has a soft look to it.. I also like the way it works on my very tall  20" bears ....when I fill the feet with plastic or zinc  coated daisy shot...in this case I line the feet with muslin for strength....Winney

That's good news....please tell us what clay is the hardest or the least breakable ?....Winney

Jenny...I just visited your site and your bears are so cute and huggable...I just love your doggies...what a bunch of darlings ..how ever do you get anything done.?.Id be playing with them all the time...lol

That bunny is to die for...where is your squirrll?  I wanted to see him . He is so special.... Winney

So sorry Penny about  your kitty...you will miss her but you will see her again...animals are  very specially created ....the one who created them knows..everything will live again...Hugs, Winney

Great tips here...I have a geay angora sweater I got at the 2nd hand store..I was going to pull it apart with softner in the water.. then  knit a small bear out of it. Hmmm, may try this now..why do the work knitting it allover again ?
May try both..sounds real fun.........Winney

Love em, love em, love eem.... Winney

This good news for the glues..Shari..your glue does say it is for " fabric". Most glues for fabric are really made up of acrylics ...which do not rot...as it is basically....PLASTIC.

In  Lining the faux fur with glued on muslin will hold the muslin on ..then when you stitch the part up the stitching takes over. so you don't need much glue...only to just TACK the muslin on....

I use a roll up office glue to tack my muslin parts onto real fur skins...mainly because it is easy to use, works,is clean... and it isn't WET. You must never wet real skins on the front or the back . For faux furs I use  dots of fabric glue like Alieens Tacky Glue right from the bottle...little dots here and there..it easy and works and its OK for fabric.......Winney

They are all so cute..and magical...Winney

Great Bobbie! Sounds like I need to try that...yes, I use to make those spagatti strap dresses in the 50's and 60's   that's when I was real skinny ..lOL... We use to turn them with a " bodkin", long thin wire... Winney

Ha, Ha, ha, ha ....Eileen your too funny ...Hey way above me..your brave and thats good for boredom ...also you just might create something really desirable..you wont know unless you try...

Why not fix him up after he is born ?
Lets see ...what can I come up with.... like add some  wild orange hair to his head , give him some green eyes..and a wood beaded necklace, give him a indian type sarong scrappy little thing , a loin cloth ...and give him a spear with scrawney chicken feathers poking out at the top...(confession. I once tore apart one of those bright colored dusters to make me a hair piece for a saloon girl costume.) !  It might be a good idea when you get into one of these moods that you continue to do so you can finish it...like drink some wine , he, he...just get wild with it...lol   Winney

Very nicely said by all....I love checking in here every day ( several times) to see the new tips and questions that maybe I can help someone with a solution..
I really do appriciate being able to chat with other bear makers as I am sort of shut in a lot due to my  health problems..
There is always something to learn too. a new way and old way and often there is more than one way to do something.....creating fine bears and Gollies for collectors is an art and we get so much stimulation here that we are just " buzzing" to try something new...how wonderful...
And I must say I love Intercal...thank you so much for providing us a way to communicate on a daily basis and for all the beautiful furs that are offered...and I won't forget the other stuff too ! Anything new coming down the pike for bear makers to use ...I think Intercal will have it !.... Winney

HOw do you erase some old cookie tools?I mean how can you tell which ones a part ?..Winney

You can cut and stuff felt the same way you do mohair...except felt will stretch to some degree. The molded face technique is used for dolls a lot and it is " sized " with some sort of glue  by the doll maker first...

I havn't done it but you can probably find something on line like at Crafty Cottage or Sisters and Daughters doll sites or go to your local library ...Winney

There is nothing wrong with him at all....I think hes a doll !...Winney