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Helena Bears-a-Bruin!
Macclesfield, UK
Posts: 1,291

rascal.jpgI finished this little chap this afternoon! I've called him Rascal and he's a commission. My first racoon, too! I loved making him, and have a feeling he might have a brother or sister going on eBay sometime :whistle:.

The photo quality isn't great because I'm just too impatient to share him (it's dark outside so I took it under the flourescent light).

Hope you like him!

Sandi.S. Posts: 1,277

Like him? Love him!  bear_wub He is a little darling! And, I think he should definitely have a little brother or sis.

Dilu Posts: 8,574

bear_wub bear_wub bear_wub

Do you have racoons where you live?  We have them cuz we are in the forest....they never ever ever travell alone....They are big family guys!  so yes, you do see more racoons in your future! 

Too too cute.....

Racoons can be nasty, but usually its the old moms that are that way, usually they are just doing what is in their Racoon natures, mischief and eating.

I think you captured Racoon Nature perfectly

Congrats!

bear_tongue

Helena Bears-a-Bruin!
Macclesfield, UK
Posts: 1,291

Dilu, we don't have racoons here but we do badgers and they sound fairly similar in terms of temperament. One badger took up residence in the back of my dad's garden, much to his annoyance because it kept digging the lawn up looking for worms! Dad called the experts in to find out how to get rid of his unwanted guest but was told that badgers are protected in the UK so legally there wasn't much he could do about it. They suggested feeding it, so that it wouldn't need to dig the lawn so much, which dad did (very reluctantly!!!). And it worked  :lol:. Happy badger, happy dad. He still has his 'pet' badger and it's a great talking point (I keep threatening to organise a neighbourhood 'badger watch' :D).

Glad you like Rascal - thankyou both for your comments!

shantell Apple Dumpling Designs
Willamette Valley Oregon
Posts: 3,128

Adorable...and yes raccoons are sneaky little creatures.   We have a family of them here...they like to play peek-a-boo in the windows with us.  As much as we try to bring the kitty food indoors early either the raccoons beat us to it or the skunks.

AWWWWWW...country living!!!

kbonsall Kim-Bee Bears
Pennsylvania
Posts: 5,645

He is absolutly adorable!  You are a wonder with the minis!

Dilu Posts: 8,574

My favorite moment with Raccoons and Skunks was when I had the front door open one night and there on either side of the cat food bowl was a skunk and a racoon.  Eating together.when one would move one way the other would dance the other.  It was great!

Ny son who was 8 and I sat on the floor and watched till they ambled off in opposite directions. 

Yep...there is something to be said for country living....


bear_tongue

Shelli SHELLI MAKES
Chico, California
Posts: 9,939
Website

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

Beautiful!  And that's saying a lot, because I hate raccoons!  They used to sneak in my dog door, in my old house, and scare the bejeebers out of me in the middle of the night, making high-pitched cackling sounds, eating the cat food, and leaving little pawprints on the kitchen counter.  They are lumbering, swaying, demons.  But this one makes me remember... Hey, they're really cute, too.  Great work!

WildThyme Wild Thyme Originals
Hudson, Ohio
Posts: 3,115

Cute Racoon! I happen to love the little guys.... they are all over the place in Ohio.  My parents actually used to feed whole entire families of them... I know you aren't supposed to do that, but they DID!  "Ours" were really tame... they were actually scared of our meek little cat!  We had a couple of Mom with itty bitty babies that were so tame they would eat dog food right out of my Dad's hand.  Now don't anybody go trying that!  Truly, you aren't supposed to feed racoons unless you are willing to feed them FOREVER! They do get to be really tame, and then they can't fend for themselves in the wild....  bear_cry  Plus, sometimes there are rabies outbreaks!!!

Helena... yours reminds me of those sweet little baby ones!  You MUST make more!

Beary truly ours,
Kim Basta
Wild thyme Originals

SueAnn Past Time Bears
Double Oak, Texas
Posts: 21,706

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

VERY, VERY awesome raccoon, Helena . . . you are such a TALENT!!  Yep, I think the little beasts are really cute and we also had one come through the cat door to feast on the cat food buffet in the "pet room" (enclosed patio).  After having possums let themselves in, too, I started putting out food for all the little woodland creatures we have in our backyard.  Yes - love that country living!!
Outstanding creation, Helena!!

Eileen Baird'sBears
Toronto
Posts: 3,873

bear_flower Wow, Helena!

He's beautiful. Cute and rascally all at once. I love him . . . you must make more!  :pray:

I'm a great lover of raccoons, even though we do mortal combat over the garbage every week, and every year in early summer they keep the dogs barking all night with their territorial bickering.

We see moms and kits and the occasional huge male crossing streets and lawns in the early mornings, and often peering in at us at the window. They seem to have lost interest in that lately, though. I guess The Baird Show must be in reruns.

I am longing to foster raccoon babies, but we're currently gridlocked, and Hubs says no. He first encountered the beasts on a dark street, eyes gleaming,  when he was fresh off the boat from Scotland. Scared him half silly--he'd never seen a raccoon before.

Eileen

Shelli SHELLI MAKES
Chico, California
Posts: 9,939
Website

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

Yes, Eileen!  Eyes gleaming!  Just standing there, so confident and hairy and overfed on junky garbage-y morsels, swaying to and fro, utterly possessed by some evil force.

You people are nutso, thinking those things are cute.  They scare the crap out of me.  Adn that's saying a lot, because we have a ball python I handle regularly, and I actually used to ASK FOR shots, when I was a child.  Fear of the typical bug/snake/needle kind of stuff is not my thing.

I once awoke, having fallen asleep on my sofa, to a raccoon staring balefully at me from a distance of about three feet.  He looked like Jody the Pig from Amityville Horror; his eyes were on fire, and he knew I was nearing coronary collapse, I swear it! 

Another night, the raccoons had a party in my backyard.  I heard strange laughter and giggling sounds, like tiny children playing after midnight, and out my French doors could see an entire colony of the critters, splashing in our kiddie pool -- the ones my kids used as toddlers! -- dragging toys across the deck, rolling all over one another on the lawn.   If it wasn't a scene right out of Dante's INFERNO, it might have been cute.  As it was, I felt invaded by the spawn of Satan, disguised as charming little furballs.  But I knew better!

Yeah, they're cute, but they are huge vectors for disease.  I know it sounds odd for a teddy bear making, animal lover like me, but just... ick.  Raccoons (the real, live thing; not some cute image or representation of them) = shudders.  Brrr!

melissa Honeythorpe Bears
Wellington, New Zealand
Posts: 1,789
Website

Helena

That is so cute!  I am sure the person who commissioned him is going to be over the moon!

Delartful Bears Delartful Bears
Australia
Posts: 3,518

Oh Helena, he is so very special, you must be over the moon!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE HIM!!!!!
Danni

SueAnn Past Time Bears
Double Oak, Texas
Posts: 21,706

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

You're a hoot, Shelli!!  bear_laugh  bear_laugh  bear_laugh  bear_laugh

shantell Apple Dumpling Designs
Willamette Valley Oregon
Posts: 3,128

Shelli...I think you're nutso.  I am terrified of snakes.  We (and I say that with grinding teeth) let my oldest have a ball python about 4 years ago.  It was an escape artist...who routinely came up missing from his so called "escape proof tank"...every time he got out he got meaner and meaner.  He would strike at the glass everytime you walked by him.  We did everything the snake handler told us to do with him...feeding him in a separate tank, handling him constantly (well I didn't), etc.  He even bit Taylor once...thank God it was on the flat of his palm and only brazed the skin...didn't actually latch on...because I would have found great pleasure in chopping off his demon head.  I hated that thing...it finally got out the last time and we never found the devil incarnate.

You my friend...are way braver of a mom than I.

Dilu Posts: 8,574

So Shelli, are you telling me that racoons have their own level of hell?  Speaking of Dante.....you are a funny one.....but I can't wrap the pea brain around that one.....fleas, flies, cockroaches......but wittle bittle racoons???? bear_cry bear_cry

a sad Dilu

PS they know you hate them and that's why they do these things to you.....you do know that don't you?

They have a mischievous side to them  dear Shelli....so if you really don't like that you need to be nice to them.....

Auntie Temple always gave them peanutbutter and jelly sandwhich cut on diagonal without crusts.  Every day at 4 pm.  Of course she was from the old world.  bear_original  She never had any problems with racoons.



as long as she fed them


every afternoon




right at 4pm




before she had her tea.....





mischievous?





:twisted:





oh dear
bear_tongue

kathytaylor Ruby Mountain Bears
Northern Nevada, USA
Posts: 1,467

Very cute, I really like him. Rascal that's a fitting.  :lol:

Breathe deep, Shelli, sound like you are getting a little worked up there.

we don't have raccoons here, lots of Skunk and tons of Badgers no raccoons.

After hearing Shelli, kind of glad of that.

Kathy

Shelli SHELLI MAKES
Chico, California
Posts: 9,939
Website

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

PS they know you hate them and that's why they do these things to you.....you do know that don't you?

Dilu, now, I will never sleep again.  Thank you.

bear_innocent bear_grin bear_tongue bear_grin

Helena Bears-a-Bruin!
Macclesfield, UK
Posts: 1,291

LOL, I've had such fun reading this thread! Thanks for all your kind comments about little Rascal. I can't wait to get started on a sibling for him!

Shelli, you raised the biggest smile on my face and, as Dilu says, how can you hate such cute 'wittle bittle racoons'?! OK, so I don't have the firsthand experience that you do, but... 'satan's spawn'?!  bear_laugh bear_laugh bear_laugh They have such sweet little faces, endearing and so very cute. Or perhaps the bandit stripes give away their true nature....  :P

This discussion reminds of the grey squirrels we have here in the UK. They are common and considered vermin, causing damage to property and generally running amok in some places. But they have such huge (and cheeky) personalities that it's hard not to love them.

Thanks again everyone!

Eileen Baird'sBears
Toronto
Posts: 3,873

:D

Auntie Temple always gave them peanutbutter and jelly sandwhich cut on diagonal without crusts.

:D

Better get going on those sandwiches, Shelli!!

Raccoons do have a way of peering at you with rather unnerving concentration. I think it's because they don't see very well. What also freaked out my Hubs was the way they walk, backside up and frontside down, as if they're sneaking up on you!!

Eileen

Amanda Pandy Potter Bears
Staffordshire, UK
Posts: 1,864

I love the look you have captured. I can't wait to see some more.

Jellybelly Bears Jellybelly Bears
Australia
Posts: 4,066

Helena he is so so adorable.  I can see why you were impatient to take a photo!
I love racoons. and all the little badgers and moles and things.  We have such different wildlife here that I wish we had chipmunks and things like that in our trees bear_original  Wind in the willows and all those storied..oh to be in england or a nice cool place like that where everything is green all year! 
Your little Rascal is so sweet (i just looked again  bear_tongue ) so cute.  you talented lady you!!  :angel:
Hugs sarah

psichick78 Flying Fur Studios
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 3,073

Helena, What a talent you are!!! Such a great idea, and you made it so well.
I'm also with you on the squirrels!! We have many here and I love them! Soo cute and I don't care what anyone says

Heather

bearlyart Canna Bear Paint
NY
Posts: 749

Helena, Rascal is just gorgeous and such a character!   I don't mind raccoons or squirrels or whatever, though my dog LOVES squirrels on a whole other level.  Her current record is:

Dog - 1, Squirrels - 0
Dog - 1, Chipmunks - 0
Dog - 0, Bunnies - 2

This leads me to believe that the fastest thing in the backyard are the bunnies.  Definitely the bunnies
:D

Cheers,
Kelly

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