Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Jenn,
I so hope that Grant your landlord improves soon my thoughts are with him and his wife Flora
:hug: Anne

Judi,
Just wanted to say sorry about Tigger having been too ill to continue on.  I am sure that your sensitivity will help your children cope with the loss of their little friend.  I do hope that the pain lessens for you all soon :hug:  :hug: Anne

Hi Suzanne,
I have only done this type of bear arm with pads a couple of times I used a tear drop with the pointy end cut off to give a straight edge - but the arm should have a straight edge like the outer of a normal arm with the paw end halved - if that make sense - to create a straight edge when the paw pad is to be inserted - I saw it illustrated in one of my tedy books but not sure which - if you get stuck let me know and I can find it and scan it.  However I am pretty sure that soon you will have many much better explanations than mine.
For my miniatures I actually use down turned paws with no paw pads
:hug:
Anne

Bronwen - Pearl is lovely   - I love her fishy friend too - very clever idea   :clap:
I like sheer fabric too but find it fiddley to work with unless I am gathering it
Thanks for sharing Pearls picture :hug:
Anne

I got an airbrush kit - but could not get the hang of it so gave it up
I got marvie markers - but used them so rarely they dried up 
I got fabric pens and tried to brush of the color when it turned out to heavy - I wrote of those feet
I now use Karisma artist pencils - I recently discovered that if I wet the end I can vary the colour   - but should I be setting the color somehow - does anyone know??
Oh yes and I bought myself a set of oil paints about a month ago and will be trying them at some point in the future using the excellent tips posted in TT
Hope you find what you are looking for :hug:  :hug:
Anne

Oooh Sophie - I am soo soo dim - I thought these translation engines were okay - oh dear how wrong can anyone be - I can see by your example that they are amusing at very best .
I have used them in the past - I thought I was soo clever to have found one - oh you must think I am a silly old mouton qui perdu sa tete - or did I just say something very silly ??
I will look forward to reading your site as well as seeing the lovely bear pictures  - did I mention before I love the baby bears like your avatar :clap:  :clap:
:hug:  :redface: Anne

Hi Sophie,
Lovely well organised site - well done you - great work :dance:  :dance:
:hug:
anne

Hi Winney - her clam shell is a wicker display piece  I got from a florist suppliers - crochet /knitting definitely not my strong point - it took me nine months to do a pair of bootees for my son's birth and he was too big for them when I finished  I am ever so glad you like Madison. 
Bronwen I would love to see your merbear please if you have a picture - thanks for liking Madison
:hug:
Anne

Merry Christmas Julia  
Hope you and your famiy have a lovely time :dance:  :dance:
:hug:  :hug:
Anne

I have quickly scanned through this post - I am sure I agree with everyone
I think a swap board for bear related items would work wonderfully well
Wehn my kids were young they used to love to watch a program on tv called the Mulit coloured swap shop where people swapped all sorts of things - There was a big board and people  said what they had and sometimes what they were looking for as a swap sometimes they said anything in a particular vein eg - Dukes of Hazzard Car will swap for any starwars figure - you know things like that - anyway I think it is a terrific idea. :dance:  :dance:
Maybe I am giving away my age knowing that programme    does anyone else remember it??
I look forward to further TT additions each development is tremdously exciting - even my work colleagues think this is a great international community - this is cos I talk about what a wonderful place TT is and what terrific people are on it  
:hug:  :hug:
Anne

Hi Dilu,
The little golly and bear are soo cute  :clap:  :clap: - terrific 
:hug:
Anne

Jenn,
You are a wonderful kind hearted person  :hug:  try not to let this upset you - I know your bears will be as lovely as you - I believe what has already been said too - a true artist/collector would never ever do anything so nasty.  :hug:  :hug:
Anne

I think so many of you are soo talented  :clap:  :clap:  and you must have had a bear artist just waiting to be released inside of you :dance:  :dance:
I have been making bears since about 1999 - let me count that is six years - selling for less time - you should have seen my first bears - yuck!!
I do have to tell you that one thing I do know is I have learned so much more since joining this forum than I knew before  :clap:  :clap:
and that is including digesting multiple bear books  -
I want to experiment and grow   
- and I hesitate to admit it cos you will all think I am egotistical - I would give anything to be 'placed' in a competition - someday  Because I am getting too mature now to win anything else - miss world - nope not been a miss for such a long time - Nobel Prize - nope ain't clever enuf Olympics - nope not unless a prize for being best nag
Sorry I could go on but I also now realise with the help of all of you in this forum that I should not take it personally that I cannot be a winner - I am improving now and some day who knows I might get famous yet.
One last thing so you don't think I am materialistic - I actually do not want fortune particularly - just fame :redface:  :redface:
:hug:  :hug:
Anne

ilu - I always use invisible thread doubled (for teeny bears) I use either smokey or black or clear dependant on the colour of fabric - when it starts that looping stretching trick then I kinda feed it over my finger when stitching which sort of keeps it taut - some times I get little loops which have not pulled clear through which agrrevates me but - I have tried other thread on teenies and I just do notlike it at all 
What kind of silk are you using?
I can only think of polyester/cotten thread or polyester or thick upholstery thread btw the best thread I have found is german in origin but haven't a clue what the maker name is
Hugs
Anne

Aaaw Dilu,
he is so much fun  :dance:  :dance: - a lovely little guy so cute :clap:  :clap:  -
he looks as if he is having great fun on his fur rug  
:hug:
Anne
PS Kim if you are ther - do you use invisible thread for this type of fabric or upholstery velvets - I do not find it rips at all - Sassy fabric is incredibly easy to turn - i have found some toher when you 'grab' to turn cast fur/pile
:hug:

Jane - what a wonderful party 
You are such a welcoming and fun hostess  
One tiny little question - who was I with again??
Sorry but the eyesight is not as good as it once was never mind the memory  
Curious :hug: Anne

Hi Danni ,
I just had a look at Bearwitched - (had to just loved that programme )
But now I love your webzine even more than that - well done for such excellent organisation  :clap:  :clap: and layout  :clap:  :clap: and content    - also to your contributors     - really good articles etc
I hope this is the start of a very very long life for this wonderful venture :dance:  :dance:  :dance:
:hug:
Anne

Danni,
Thank you so much glad you like the little guy 
Dilu - Oh and I thought it was only me who got immersed in things - sometimes it is only when I develope a headache through lack of eating that I remember to eat - or I can even find myself working tilll 3.00 am in the morning just to finish something- nice to know I am not alone :hug:
Heather - I have lots of colours of wool so who knows what will come out next
Eileen - I do look forward to seeing your little piggy - or will that be three??
Louise - you are too kind :hug:
Karen - thank you for you kind words
Penny - Happy New year too - I will see what I can do a little later in January - maybe a ..............no I will wait and see waht climbs out of the wool
:hug:  :hug:
Anne

Hi Jenn -    :bday:    :bday:    :bday:  :bday:  :cake:  :bday:  :cake:  :bday:  :cake:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:
Happy birthday  :hug:
:hug: Anne

This is a great topic ladies and very interesting to see the different comments - so I will plunge in - I have been making bears since about 1999 - in 2000 I tried my first show - there are few in Scotland and as I work full time traveling to England where there are more shows could not be afforded either time or money wise - so for the first three years it was two shows the first year and then three shows the next then three shows - then back to two till last year.The shows were great I enjoyed the displaying of the bears, talking to bear makers and collectors - but the attendance at the shows began to reduce so much so that the organisers of the shows I mainly did were unable to continue organising them.I felt this is such a shame but can understand it was almost like a viscious circle - less people came - less bears sold - less artists attended - less people came etc 
I have sold to two shops in the past however one of them the chap wanted me to make lots of tiny bears - similar to one he had bought but tiny bears I can only do occassionally as my hand play up in winter :o( 
So now I have had my bear site for about a year and a half - I have sold some bears from it thought generally be special order for a similar bear to one created.  Ebay I have done for just a little shorter time - I think I probably start bears cheap(ish) but honestly I never know what to start a bear at - I have a very haphazard way of pricing (please do not shout at me!!)
But I have been getting my costs + a little profit Like Penny said - though realistically my bears are really little compared to many artists - so I have actually been really pleased that my bears have been adopted - and I just love them to travel to different places in the world 
Having watched ebay and artist bears on it I think there is no real predicatability about bears in general - (except perhaps really great bears by famous artists) - although having said that I have seen some unusual buyer behaviour on ebay and I have come to the conclusion that part of it is having two people who really want a bear (or any othe item for that matter) and that they are willing to bid high for what they want.  Starting cheap on ebay I think is a great risk although I have seen it succeed with bears -I think it comes down to being in the right place at the right time - hmmm no conclusion at all really!!
I would like to say that when I become a lottery winner I will be out there snapping up as many bears as I can - however that may be a big wait    I will continue to window shop in the meantime
hope I haven't bored you all it seems a bit of a ramble !!
:hug:  :hug:
Anne

Kim :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  I will love    him/her - I just know it  :dance:  :dance:
Must go now and sleep - lots of hard work to do tomorro
Take Care  :hug:  :hug:
Anne

Ladies you are so kind  :hug:  :hug:
Sue Ann - might be a little while for the next - I am now going to try and find some answers to questions   :doh:
Patsy - thank you very much 
Kim - - well lets see pleeese  I am delighted you think well of little spot
Dilu - you are soo sweet - I only stuck my finger three times - the first time I swore and then was a bit more careful - cos it hurt    What is next - well now I have to finish a bear so I can add needle felt bits to it - but tomorrow I have to clean the house etc as it is new years eve - (oh just n case you think I am really a slob I do clean more than once a year  just I have to make sure it is good that night so it has a better chance of never getting out of hand for the next year)
Thanks Judi - there are as you say so many unknowns - including by the way the absolutely strange and vacant looks I got from many shop -book and art - assistants today when I went on a search for a book ( I am soo impatient I thought maybe I might find one locally - huh fat chance - Glasgow has not heard of needle felting yet - infact british publishers do not seem to have heard of it   )
Marie - thank you  I look forward to seeing your cats
:hug:  :hug:
Anne

Hi Shantell,
I think maybe coloured acetate of a similar thickness might be of use - I have used it before as I had some laying around from some previous projects and found it better for my eyes
Here are a couple of links to show what I mean - the first is incase you area bit of a bargain hunter like me - the second a standard supplier

Acetate offcuts
http://www.grafixplastics.com/offcuts.asp

coloured acetate sheets
http://www.yourartsncrafts.com/grafix.html

Hope you find what you are looking for 
:hug: Anne

Hi all you experts out there 
I got my needle felting beginners kit yesterday - and I immediately thought - YES - I will make a bear - but unfortunately no bear was there 
Instead I got Spot - without the aid of tutorial or safety net - here he is - go on he will I hope give you all a little giggle - but for better or worse he is definitely my first attempt at needle felting - perhaps my last (I even had the cheek to try and use wiring in his legs and tail )

I will run away now and come back later to hear what you think 
:hug:
Anne

Wow!!
He is soo soo cute  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:
Lovely little bear    
:hug: Anne