Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Sandi: Those are the cutest pictures! Animals are good for the soul. When I did direct patient care, I would send some of my patients to the animal shelters to adopt a pet. Remarkably, many stayed out of the hospital and got better...Studies show animals are good for depression, high blood pressure (it drops with animals around), the elderly...Oh I could go on and on....The kitty is what your sister needs....

Michelle

Heather: Wow! That was really something!!!! So beautiful....Thank you for posting this.

Michelle

Want to feel better? The answer is laughing. My dad sent me this e-mail on church bulletin with misprints. Some are  very funny. Enjoy:

Subject: More Church Bulletins

Church Bulletins: Thank God for the church ladies who type them. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:
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The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
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The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."
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Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

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Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
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The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
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Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.
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Don't let worry kill you off -- let the Church help.
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Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
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For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
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Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
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The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."
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Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
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A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
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At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?"
Come early and listen to our choir practice.
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Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
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Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
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Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
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The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
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Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
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The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
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This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
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Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.
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The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
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Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
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The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement! Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
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Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church.
Please use large double door at the side entrance.
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The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours"

Hello Teddy Bear Friends: I just love to see what hobbies people have. I share a love for cooking like Duli. Yes the TV Food network is my all time favorite station to watch. I collect cookbooks and recipes. I have no shame. If I am in a resteraunt and like what I am eating, I will ask the chef for the recipe. I often get it too!! So anybody need a recipe for something, I probably have it. If I can't get the recipe, I can figure it out by experimenting.

Oh yes, I enter the Pillsbury Bake Off contests too. Love to develop new recipes....Though, I never do get a call from them... but I don't care, It's loads of fun...

Another passion is collecting vintage costume jewlery. The gaudier the better. And I always wear vintage pieces everyday to work.  So often, I am in a business suit and have the most delicious, gaudy looking bauble plastered to my lapel. I think it adds fun to one's life.

Michelle

Hello Claudia: Sorry you and your husband are going through a rough patch. Take care now...ulcers are very treatable by the way...It is hard going many times a week to the doctor. But to get well it has to happen...

Michelle

Shantell: Don't foget to stomp around like King Kong for a while...Than put your chin to your chest, narrow your eyes, hands on your hips and go tackel that other eye girl........

Michelle

Oh Sonya....How sad you must be over those darling puppies. It is not your fault. Nature has it's way and there was not a thing you could do about it. You did the best you could. Stop beating yourself up....many bear hugs to you....

Michelle

Oh Tami, thank you for this delicious technique!!

Michelle

Shari: I was looking in e-bay this morning and did a search for "mink teddy bears".  As I was looking, I sometimes click on the feedback button to see the artist other bears. If you click on the number it sometimes has the pictures. That is where I found one fabulous bear with a nose the artist said "using marbling technique". I don't remember which bear it was but there are not many under this category. Whoever made the bear did a fabulous job with the nose. It was so cute I turned to our friends in Teddy Talk to see if anybody knows how to do this technique.

Kim: thank you for suggesting the mixing of clays...that very well may be the trick....Something to experiment with...

Michelle

Hello Teddy Bear Friends: I was looking at bears on ebay and came across a discription "hand sculpted nose using a marbling technique". The nose did look like marble and was cute. So my question to anybody who knows, how is that done?

Michelle

Thank you Eileen. Yes it is a trial and error isn't it? I'm so slow in sewing my bears (mainly because I work full time up to 10-12 hrs a day). But, on the weekend I work and work on my bears and have a ball. I just love this but wish with all my heart to make a bear that is my own and is different and fresh...

I, like you, can't see a three dementional bear....I wonder though if there is a computer program out there that if you scan a picture in, can it give a three dementional profile? Well, I should edit that sentence, ....something that the cost is reasonable? Anybody know?

Michelle

p.s. I still am in Florida visiting my parents. Perhaps Nancy has called already.  If not, as you say I know she will get back as soon as she can. I know when you have other responsibilities it is hard... I'll know more once I get back to Minnesota

Eileen: Yes I called about Nancy number on her web site re: her  design class a few days ago. But I forgot, I was flying to Florida to visit my parents.  So I don't know if she called back or not.   I have no idea how to do a class on the computer. So I called Nancy  to get more information about how that would work. I am looking at all the advice people have given. In reviewing all  the responses, I have a lot of ideas such as editing existing patterns to make different shapes. I like of drawing and sketching than taking the body pieces to get an idea of how it would look.... I love the idea of collecting picture for inspiration. Maybe putting up the "idea board" would be a nice thing. It is all about designing what is in my minds eye. for years I have always wanted to do that. I have a great spring board from all your advice. All of you have been wonderful about sharing ideas. I will get a design from all of this wonderful advice and take a picture to show you.  next I will have to figure out how to get the picture in here for posting .

I have spent several days trying to post a picture of my bear but it keeps telling me it is too big!! I'll keep trying....I'm not very savvy with the computer yet but I read from others they were in my shoes too...

Michelle

o.k. Daphne: tomorrow is a big day for you and your dad. You are on the right track staying  positive. Know you can't control the outcome of the tests but you can be there for him. Bring something fun to do...bear making comes to mind....best of luck and I hope all works out....

Michelle

Jodi: Loved the lessons on making the mini bear. I love the way you did the joints. I think I can do that!!! This was very gracious of you to put this together. I am sure, that there are many of us out there that picked up on many helpful hints...

Michelle

Daphne: How do you cope? Well, there comes a time when you have to let go Daphne. All the things that are worrying you are things you can't control. What a horrible place to be when you can't control the very things that worry you. Life is not easy...Your mom, dad, friends husband....name one that you have control over? None. You DO have control over "YOU". You Do have control how you resond to situations. You DO have control over your choices in your life. 

People make choices in life that may not be wise but you can't control that Daphne....You can't....Say it three time ("I can't control other peoples choices or situations in thier live's")....Say it three more times....say it everytime you start to worry....

Be supportive though, but know that by drowing in your sorrow and grief it is paralyzing and you can help anybody, not even yourself.

I hope the best for you Daphne

Michelle

Tracy: If you are still looking for a name and since you said he is a "lover" why not call him "Lovey"? Because he sounds like he is your "Lovey Dove".

Michelle

Shelli: Shelli, Thank you for the ideas. As sad as it sounds, I try to design a pattern but I really don't know what it will look like until I sew it. Funny really, because I have no clue as to what I'm doing. That is why I posed the question because I truely would love to make a pattern that is in my minds eye. Your ideas plus others who responded helped me think outside the box. That is why I am so happy I found Teddy Talk because this is a wonder place to explore and find new ideas to do just that--think outside the box.

Shelli and everybody.... thank you again for the warm welcome and helpful hints....

Michelle

Tracy: Good for you, rescuing a kitty. When I was a teenager I found an abandoned cat by the tennis court. I brought him home and named him "meow". Not sure my father would approve of adopting a kitty, mother put him in the garage until we could bring up the kitty issue. The next morning, mother comes into my room paniced saying "that cat keeps meowing and your father is in the living room wondering where that noise coming form. Well the cat was out of the bag (so to speak) and I went into the garage and brought the cat into the living room. Well the rest of the story goes, my dad fell in love with "meow" and loved him until the day he passed away. Meow turned out to be his cat.

Michelle

Eileen: what a clever bug (or should I say "bear" in our world) you are...modeling clay and paper towels.. Thank you for the tip..

Michelle

September 11th is a day we shall never forget. Sad, sad day.....

Sue Ann: The bear you made is so fitting and touching...

Michelle

Jared: Love, love, love the bunnies....Thank you for your advise and the warm welcome. I also enjoyed your teddy bear memory. So sweet....

All of you, Jodi, Kim, Sandra, Eileen and Gail, another big thank you for you ideas on design.

Gail: I did call Nancy Tillberg and left a message re: her on line design class. I'm not the greatest with computers.  I don't understand how to do a class on line. So I called and left a message to ask how that would work.

So in closeing, I'll borrow from Jared and his lovely, delightful Bunnies:

"Big Bunny Hugs" to all of you

Hello Daphane:

Sometimes life is yucky…really, really yucky. You may be feeling like you are carrying all your troubles alone. You probably are taking care of so many things and others that you wonder who is taking care of you. Am I right?

Well from all the responses  I am reading, you are not alone. You have your teddy bear friends right with you reaching out to help you off load those troubles.

I don't know you, I am new to Teddy Talk, but I can see in my minds eye a fellow human being is suffering and 43 people immediately came to support you. So no matter whath the world is dishing out with you, it looks to me, like you have friends ready to shoulder the tough times with you...

So I hope you feel better, eat some chocolate (studies show it is really very good for you). Dry your tears, take a deep breath and march forward when you feel you are ready.

Bear Hugs

Michelle

That is so sweet.....loved the stroy. Here is a vivid memory of my beloved teddy bear:

I was about four or five years old. My parents and I lived in Charleston South Carolina and were driving to Florida to visit my Grandpa. About 10 hours into the trip I woke up looking for my teddy bear. No teddy bear….looking, looking, looking, tears, more tears,,, crying, really crying….screaming, screaming and crying…..car had to be pulled over to the side of the road....parents are frantic at this point…..cursory trunk search yielded nothing…more screaming and crying “I WANT MY TEDDY BEAR”.  Suit case after suit case being search..”I WANT MY TEDDY BEAR. YOU FORGOT TEDDY BEAR.”. More screaming (parents this time). Finally mother found teddy bear wrapped in her mink coat. We all got back into the car, me clutching my teddy bear, wiping my tear stained face on her little head. I was fine. Mom and dad still traumatized to this day, speaking often that frightful moment in time, forty-one years later.

Hello Teddy Bear Friends:  What a nice surprise. I  come home from work and find several responses to my questions. And what a nice welcome too….Thanks you.

Jodi and Kim: Great ideas about using existing patterns and changing the shapes of the pieces to make a different bear. Or looking at books to get ideas on features.

Sandra: I have not found the library yet but I will be on the hunt. I bet it is a treasure of information. Thank you for the suggestion.

Eileen: I hope you post a picture of “hamlet bear”.  Are the archives the same as the library on Teddy Talk?

Gail: On-line classes? Hmmmmm…I never thought about that! How does it work? Do you follow a workbook and e-mail questions to the teacher? I will look at Nancy’s Tilburg’s website. Thank you for sending it to me.

Jodi asked about pictures of my bears. Once I can figure it out, I will get them up. In the mean time happy bear making. And again thank you for the warm welcome.

Bear Hugs
Michelle

Hello teddy bear friends: I am new to Teddy Talk. I am not a professional bear artist, I sew bears for a hobby. I've been doing this for 10 years.  I am thrilled to find this forum, to make friends,  learn, share information and techniques. This is so exciting to finally talk to folks about bears....I'm tickled pink actually...

I do have a question(s) about designing bears: What makes a "great" design? How do you begin to tackle a design (steps please)? Where do you start? Where do you find inspiration? What makes a great bear (or rabbit, mouse.....grape for that matter)?

Thank you

Michelle

p.s - Kidding about the grape. I have no desire to design or sew a grape.

Motto I live by: "Life's too short, eat dessert first".