Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Oooh my, that avatar is soo pretty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, my Mum was trying for 6 years before she became pregnant with my brother.  Guess what?  7 months after my brother was born, she became pregnant with twins! My sister and I LOL. 

So never give up hope!
Danni

I do the same as the girls here, just so I don't make the same bear twice... LOL (Oh and I keep a record of what the bear cost me to make and what I sold it for)

Thanks Laura for giving Rita the address.  I did mean to link it!

Hope it helps some!
Danni

I hand sew everything - large and smaller bears.  Perhaps that's because I've never mastered the sewing machine??? I find it relaxing to hand sew anyhow, so I  no complain!

Hi Daph,

I don't use a Template, I use a program and have sort of made my own template.  If you go to Robshelp.com you can make your own one pretty easily.  Took me a wee while to work out how it works, but now I love it!

If you want something that looks similar to your webpage - I'd use Robs Help because it works very well.

Hope this helps also.
Danni

Ooh Rita, I know i'm a little slow, but I just wanted to chime and say great job! He really is great! Now, listen to what the girls are saying, and get some confidence!!!!

Blame it on all your bootiful blonde hair Hayley!

Hrm he looks adorable, but like the others :mad::mad: More photos... please!

Ahh so the pens are made by Gelly Roll. Oh if they were in Australia, theyd be way out of my price range!!!!

The Wiggles are great!  I love them.  They have been around for so long.  I think Australians just love them in general.  When they do the Christmas Carols section for the kids, all the adults get into the music and dance much more than the kids LOL  I think they are an excuse for adults to act like children again!!!

I think they are fantastic, I know they aren't some people's taste, but personally I think they are great!

Yeah, I do basically the same.  Teddies aren't as fragile as dolls, so that's a great thing!!!    I just wrap my bubs in bubble wrap, double the wrap over the eyes because they are glass. Put tthe bear into the box, and fill the box up with paper, so the bear can't move in the box.

Okay, gee naughty me - I've been told :mad:

Anyhow, I'll be good.. Well, at least I'll try to LOL

What are Microns? Sounds like a computer term to me...

Hi Shelli,

There's really only Australian Bear Creations, and Doll and Bear Creations.  I think they are good magazines for people wanting to make bears from other people's patterns.  NOt much good for anything else.  They have a lot of bear artists advertising in them - but I have also heard you don't get much response from advertising in them.

I just wish we were to put out a magazine similar to the TB&F or the English Mags which are more aimed at the collector.  Which showcases all the wonderful artists ... Oh I can dream!

Okay, so we're talking about gorgeous Aussies. This is my perfect man.  He is an actor called Aaron Jefferies.  He plays Alex in an aussie show called McLeod's Daughters.  I have heard it's airing in the states along with heaps of other countries.  It's a chick show about a farming property run by females.  Anyhow, here's a photo of him

Not the best, but it was all I could find this morning on the internet to show you.  Hrmm who else do I like?  Ohhh Hugh Jackman - he is also a GORGEOUS guy!

Danni

I know about TB&F (I missed the last issue because my stoopid newsagency only got one in, and that one was ordered GRRR)
What's TBR Shelli?

Laure, I've been meaning to write to let you know how great your article is on Donna Hinkelman on Bears and Buds.  I look forward to reading the article on you.  But are you really only a rising star? I thought you'd been doing this for years!?!?

Yeah, he makes me exhausted just watching all that enthusiasm....  He's a bit of an idiot though LOL

Oh Hot Mammas... that's soooo  American LOL

Ummm Ocka Aussies are ......... Ummm.... how do I put this into words? I guess people who use all the aussie terms or  the ryhming slang that aussies sometimes use.  They have the really strong aussie accent.  Oh think Steve Irwin... he's kinda ocka... LOL

I'm with you Daphne, I love my test eyes. I couldn't live without them!

Sounds as bad as teenage girls Laure!

Ooh the ocka aussies use that term, but being younger, I don't really, but I thought I'd mention it, just to use another aussie term.  Sheilas are just females... I guess it could be used in a good or bad way, but I was using it in a good way, of course!

Oh good question.  I do the sculpting, then eyes, then nose, then ears

I just had to jump in here and reply to Winney's comments about people's allergies.

Since I've been sick, I have become VERY sensitive to smells.  My soap, shampoo and deoderant are fine because I had been using it for a long time and before I got sick. But other smells can really make me feel sick and terrible.  Even things that sound natural that you mentioned Winney.  So, I'd be a bit careful before using them.

Sometimes I wish women would be a little more thoughtful with the perfume they use. Some just load it up and you can smell it a mile off.  I've had to move tables in restuarants due to highly perfumed ladies. I sometimes wonder what other smell they're covering up   Anyhow, I just thought I'd jump in....

Hi Louise,

It's terribly difficult, I know.  I had no idea what to price my bears at also.  I sell for way cheaper on eBay than what my price is on my webpage. I figure with auctions if I can sell more by selling cheaper, I am happy - I can continue to afford to make bears, and I don't need a lot of room (which I don't have!)   Plus, hopefully my eBay price will rise once I've been selling there for awhile (only been selling on eBay for about a month)

My webpage price is somewhere in the middle of what other artists charge.  I have seen bears in the 6" size starting from $50 US up to $250.  I think my work is nice, I put a lot of time into the sculpting, so I charge around the $90 US mark.  The Australian dollar at the moment is around the Canadian. 

I hope in the end you're happy with what you can get.  Don't undersell your work, or you'll never be happy!

I am starting to find I'm a sucker for tradition.  When I started my very first bear, I had no hand sewing experience.  So, I figured that the body peice would the easiest piece to sew, and wouldn't matter if I went a little wonky.  Then, I went on to the the arms - the next less hard thing, then the feet then foot pads, and then the ears.  FInally the head, becuase that's the most scary part. I still work that way.  After all the sewing is done, I then stuff the head, sculpt, set eyes, stitch nose, sew ears on.  Then I close up the head, attach that onto a saggy body, joint the legs, attach saggy arms to body then do the same for the arms.  Then I stuff arms, legs and finally head, and close up.

That's the short (long) of it!
Danni

Ooh thanks everyone for the wonderful replies.  You Sheilas are wonderful!