Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I LOVE her Sue Ann...and although she doesn't match anything in my bedroom...I'd happily redecorate to accomodate her!!

Hi Sam,
Don't be too discouraged! The Melbourne Teddy Event was finished up because the lady who had been running it was just plain burnt out after close to ten years running it. But a lady named Brenda Tranter has stepped forward with heaps of enthusiasm and her first show called The Melbourne Teddy Show is coming up on May the 7th followed by a second show in October. I have some entry forms for the comp if anyone would like one emailed to them.
There is also the big Jupiters show in June and Bears in Brisbane in September followed by The Australian Bear Convention the following week on the Gold Coast.
Lisa Dopking is hosting tha Australian Bear Awards competition which will be judged at Bears In Brisbane and the awards presented the following weekend at the convention. There will be workshops in the week between the two. I understand there will be an award for Australia's Best Bear as well as a similar award for the best International Bear.
The way we can best help the industry shows to survive is to enter the comps, take a table or at least attend the shows. Every little bit helps.
Lisa and her friend Lyn Kilmurray are putting a huge effort into these shows in September so we should all do what we can to support them.
Maybe some of our TT friends here will consider entering the competition??? It's a great way to hear some constructive critisism about your work!

When I did a Jennifer Laing workshop here in Oz last year, she was using Kwik Grip. Worked a treat! I know Judi uses a glue called E6000 or something and thought we couldn't get that in Australia either but saw some at the recent stitches and craft show so do an internet search. Actually...maybe don't...it's probably E2000...or is it E4000...or....

Soooo happy to have you back Millie...we really missed you! :hug:  Did you read all your lovely birthday messages here?
So glad too that your daughter is healed, I have been remembering her in my prayers. :pray:
You have had a really rough time. My suggestion is to just ease back into it as you feel you want to. The website can wait for a while...you have TT and Bid4bears and other sites that can help sell for you.
Your bears are beautiful and I'm sure it will be no time at all and you'll feel you were never away.   :hug:

Thankyou people...you really are the best friends a girl could ask for!

Fran, you asked how I thought up the idea? I live on an Island in Victoria which is a huge holiday destination for international tourists. I had been thinking for a while about a type of bear that is truly Aussie and that would appeal to the many Japanese tourists who search for something unique to take home. An aboriginal bear seemed logical so I started playing with painting the face in the traditional aboriginal style....and succeeded only in making a huge mess!

I was ready to give the idea away as the faces looked more clownlike than aboriginal. A few weeks later I was browsing in one of our local souvenir shops and they had some boomerangs and music sticks and other aboriginal items/artwork...all decorated with dot painting and it dawned on me that even though this type of painting is usually reserved for artwork...there was room for creative licence. So I went home made a few smaller bears and then Bunurong, and I loved how he turned out.
I hope to make  some more at some stage but am working on bears for my show table in May at the moment and Bunurong took heaps of time.

Thanks Matilda..you are quite a drawer huh! Very clever!
The mermaid I wish to do will be sitting on a rock so I want to have the tail kinda resting at the base and the fin part in the air...hard to describe.
I appreciate your help..thank you. You should make yours up! :hug:

Awww you guys! You have all made me positively glow! Thanks so much..I love you all!
And BTW...winner or not...Bunurong is staying with me forever..I lub him too much to let him go.

It's certainly very scary to see all those scenes of devastation...I guess the fact that the area isn't as densely populated as a place like New Orleans has saved many deaths.
The saddest part is that many who lost their homes have also lost there means of income. Last I heard $350,000,000 worth of crops were flattened and 80% of the countries' banana plantations.
Guess our 'nanas' being pricey for the next few years will be a small price to pay when there could have been lives lost.
Thanks to all for your concern about your Aussie friends. :hug:

Will check with the resident computer guru when he arrives home from work.

Thanks you guys...your the best! :hug:  :hug:

Hi "Mum"   Great to have you back...Teddy Talk is not the same without you! Hope you had a nice visit with your sister.
I'm in the same boat with the show...mins only 5 weeks away and I only have one bear! Waiting for school hols to ned this week so I can get stuck into it! When is your first one??

Thankyou all for sending such beautiful messages of support to Sarah.  Things kinda went from bad to worse before they finally started to improve and your messages gave Sarah the extra boost she needed.  :hug: I have included part of an email she sent yesterday.

I've had so many messages from TT friends...so so heartwarming and so blessed to have so many people care - of course I haven't been to group and please if I don't make it back for a bit send my love and thanks and how I feel so blessed...and I hope to be back soon...I miss everyone too much! 

The doggies are on the improve and Sarah is feeling a little better but is still not out of the danger zone yet. These attacks she is having can be fatal if not treated promptly. Please continue to send prayers upward for a speedy recovery,she really needs them. :pray:

Shelli...I have tried to see this several times now...do I actually need to click on download on the icons at the side? I have tried hitting the play button and it goes on to buffer and I have seen an ad play once and that's it. I wanna see!

What a lovely surprise to hop on TT this morning and see your lovely post Denise! Thank you...you are a real sweetie!
I was thrilled to have won my section with Bunurong.   He is quite different to what I normally make and many of the new techniques I used on him were learned from Teddy Talk friends. He has a double neck joint,appliqued and stuffed paw pads, leather cord eyelids, armature and an applied open mouth.
Thank you all for your congrats, they mean a lot to me. :hug:
Lisa...how lovely that you got to meet Denise. It's great fun when we get to meet friends we have made on the internet. Some of my closest girlfriends are ones I first met over the net and when we met in person it was like we had known each other forever.
Lisa, I'm looking forward to meeting you in September at the Australian Bear Convention....make sure you give it a plug here on teddy talk..together with the Australian Bear Awards!

Shantell..I really love both...honestly! And you'll get bored if you only make the one type...diversity sells! And anyway...it's an excuse to buy double the mohair! What better reason could you need?

Thanks guys..I knew I could count on you!  :hug: What  a great bunch of friends you all are! 
Thanks for making the link into an active one Daphne..that sure makes it easier.
Your emails will mean such a lot to Sarah and will really help with her outlook.  Life's pretty dark for her and her family right now.
Sarah is an amazing person...so resilient and brave and so, so sweet. It breaks my heart to see what she has to cope with. Lifes just not fair....  
With a bit of luck and a lot of prayers, hopefully Sarah will be back with us all real soon and churning out those beautiful bears she makes.   :pray:

Hi Friends,
Seeing as though there are some pretty great hugs going around at TT at the moment, I thought I'd ask for some extra big ones for Sarah.
She's having a really rough time at the moment after being recently diagnosed with yet another serious disease, which I understand is a direct result of medications taken for other illnesses.  She is having a rough time whilst getting the doseage of her new medication right and was hospitalised the last few days when she had a couple of bad attacks. She is feeling very down and physically dreadful.
She can't sit for long because she gets the shakes so she can't use the computer. Her sister is also quite ill at the same time, and to top it off,while she was in hospital her two little dogs escaped from their yard into the neigbours and were attacked by two big dogs. So the doggies are stitched and official patients at home for the moment too. Like they needed that like a hole in the head! Sarah's mum must be beside herself with worry.
So if anyone has a minute...I'm sure she would appreciate an encouraging email...she loves all her TT friends so much.   Please be sure to tell her not to reply...she's supposed to be in bed resting!
Her email is
jbbears@ozemail.com.au
I can't work out how to make the email address into a usable link so you'll need to copy and paste into your mail program.
Sorry Jane..that's what I was trying to work out when you saw all the code stuff.
Her user name is Jellybelly Bears
Thanks guys! :hug:

Hi Amy...nice to see you posting again! You disappeared for a while! :hug:

Kerrie, your creations are breathtaking! I have seen quite a few of your bears before and am always amazed by your costuming. I love the Ned bear...I was going to do one last year but couldn't get my head arond making the helmet so I canned the idea. Yours is great!

I like what you've done with the Madame Butterfly dress...that's the kind of look I want to achieve on my mermaid.

Hey Deb...if the things that could kill you were THAT lethal....there would be no Aussies!
I could count the dangerous animals in Oz on one hand...it really is a very safe place to visit...and friendly too!

Thanks you guys...each of you has been helpful already! Anne...I love your little mermaid! And Charlotte..yours is too cute, especially the bikini!
One of the main mental blocks I have is with joining the tail fins to the base of the tail. I can't get my head around whether I should try to make the fins all in one with the tail or make them seperately and attach. I guess I'm thinking if the tail comes down and narrows at the ankle area with the aid of darts...having the tail fins figured in all that mess is about more than my little blonde brain can comprehend! Yep..I'm thinking to make the tail seperatly and laddder stitch it on.
I will be using organza and bits and bobs to embellish the tail for a more wispy look and to cover any seams..it's just the actual design I'm having trouble with.
Every night when I go to bed, I toss it around in my mind...and go off to sleep none the wiser, but with a brain pain!
I love to challenge my designing skills...but this one hurts! Ow!

I guess it's time to get out the paper towel and go dress teddy,

I want to make a bear that is a mermaid....so the body finishes at the belly button area and becomes a tail.
I can't get my head around the tail part...I think I'll need to make the part that joins the tail to the waist using an upside down 'arched' construction with darts at the bottom or similar...but I can work out how to make the tail (fin) part and attach it. Any brilliant ideas?? The bear will be too big to consider needlefelting the tail.
BTW...this is a tricky question...so if no-one replies..I totally understand okay!

Daphne,
I think even if it wasn't for the movie bunnies...the other things alone would be enough to stress you out heaps...but with the buns as well...   Try to take some time out just for you and spend a bit of time relaxing in complete quiet...even do a little bit of meditation...y'know, go to a happy place type of stuff.
Thinking of you and hope it works itself out soon.

Judi,
You put so much of yourself into that report..it was very personal and entertaining to say the very least. You are such a beautiful person and whenever I read your posts, they are always read with a gentle and soothing voice belonging to you in my mind. I've really loved sharing your life stories and all the pics of your farm. I gotta tell you though...I think you should have gone LAST....how is anyone going to top THAT???
Brilliant work, beautiful words, beautiful people.  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Judi,
I am so enjoying this window into your life! Chris and I worked the family dairy farm for 15 years and I milked cows many times too. My favourite part was feeding the calves...so cute! I can't imagine what it must be like farming where it snows. Do you shed your cows through the winter time? Is the number of cows you milk about average for your area? We used to milk 230 and that was fairly standard for a 20 a side herringbone shed in this district, but nowadays people are having to upsize to make a living and milk more that 500 cows in big rotary dairies. UGH!
The only crops we used to do were turnips and we cut silage about six weeks before hay. Do you do sileage too? Stinks!
Loved all the pics and appreciate the work it took to bring us this bit 'o' fun too!