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Wagga WaggaTo all of those ladies/men out there like me just starting out - you see all the wonderful creations on this site and want to do them so badly!! How long does it take? I mean you obviously have other jobs/children/commitments in your lives - where do you find the time to perfect your craft? I am so proud that I can make a bear but that is all it is.... nothing special. I want to create something I can be proud of, something that has heart and soul in it like your bears do. Can you please tell me how to juggle life, work, children and your creative energy into something wonderful???
Pandy Potter BearsWhen you find out Leanne let us know! 
Is any bear special? I suppose its always a matter of opinion. Do your best, keep at it and things can come together. Don't be afraid to ASK for advice, I get so much off everyone on here. We can only get better as we learn, hopefully not worse. :hug:
LuxembearsI feel like evey bear is special in thier own way. It has taken me a temendous amount of time and energy to get where I am now...and I am still learning all the time. The closer I get to the top, the more I realise that there is no "top". I strive to never platuea but to always have the energy to keep climbing because I don't know what may lie behind the next "rock". Enjoy the journey..I think that is what it is really all about.
Newcastle, Ontario"What Judi said"! I've been making bears for over 10 years now and still feel I have a long way to go. A few pieces I have made have been close to my "ideal" piece, but they come few and far between. I think if we were satisfied with every bear or animal we made, then what would be strive for? Creativity is something that must stay in motion or it becomes stale. So just try and make each bear to the best of your ability and the moment it's finished, you will find something about it that you wish you had done differently. This will spur you onto making the next bear even better and the cycle continues to make improvements. Good luck.
Hugs,
Brenda
I left a 20 year old well paid job in the bank after making bears for eight weeks and have done it full time ever since.When I look back I scare myself.I was desperate to be a stay at home mum once I became a separated parent(I prefer to call myself that to single as I started off double if you catch my drift)and jumped at the chance.I did my first show after making only six bears!!!t was in the hilton hotel glasgow and I sold almost everybody.I laugh when I think about all those little mutants!!!If you are not planning to go full time for a while you can just enjoy the experience of getting better and better.Put aside plenty time for designing.I was guilty of making something quite nice and thinking it was better than it was and churning out more.I wish I had time to improve more.Like Brenda I feel at the start of it and I have been making bears full time for ten years now.I am blessed with many regular customers but still strive to get nearer my ideal.I often find being a mum,being the only person to do the d.i.y and garden and all the animals to care for gets in the way!!!
Diane xxx
I am so proud that I can make a bear but that is all it is.... nothing special.
I disagree with this, Leanne. I think being able to make a bear is special. Not everyone can do it, including me. 
But I do understand that you have a desire to be better at your art and that's great.
I started with blinkers on and rose tinted spectacles. I made a bear from a pattern in September 2002....I worked on my own design after going on a 2 day course (very good it was too)...and booked my first fair the following May. I took 11 bears, sold 7 and had callers for the others when I got home...I thought I'd cracked it.
Then I learned to look at my bears with a critical eye...to see them as others may see them. From then on it's been an enjoyable and scenic uphill climb...I am nowhere near the top....but I worry about getting to the top...because where is there to go from there...either back down again....stay put and bat off the competition with one hand while clinging on with the other...or keep evolving...( which is what I want to do) but evolving means that you still have part of the journey to go. I see it as an endless one.
I love seeing the improvement in my work...and how long it takes is academic to me now..I like taking my time these days. Maybe it's age creeping up!!!
Wagga WaggaThanks for the advice - I need to see the bigger picture I guess. I should be proud of what I can create and look to the future. 
Chowlea Bears..I am nowhere near the top
Excuse me - but I beg to differ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sandra :redface:
I have been making and selling bears for 18 years but it seems like I just started yesterday. Every bear that I make is a new adventure...and not one of my bears has ever been perfect. I see every imperfection which inspires me to make the next bear and then the next. And with every bear I make I am still learning something new. It's endless (thank, God!) because I love what I do. What is that saying?...Do what you love, and success will follow. It worked for me. Of course, the other thing I say (almost daily) is "I'm poor but happy" because it's hard to make a living as a Teddy Bear artist.
~Kathy
LuxembearsKathy, you inspired me 6 years ago when was first starting out. I learned bear making with real fur and your little minkies inspired me so much. I don't work as much anymore with real fur as I am hooked on mohair and needle felting at the moment.
I think yoru bears are perfect...if anyone had not seen Kathy's bears you should check them out. They are amazing!
Posts: 8,574Awww :hug: :hug: FairyBear :hug:
Wanting to run before we can walk is what keeps us going, striving, learning, fine tuning and tweaking.
Its a good thing.
My teachers used to tell my mom that I wasn't willing to share the sandbox unless everyone was willing to participate in some building project I had going...I would get in trouble for using my own color ideas rather than following instructions,
hmmm this was seen as a bad thing.
I say run with scissors if it opens up the creativity in your heart. But, if you cut yourself, ouch, take the responsibility.
Not every glorious idea comes out right....but Fairybear that is just fine. Because everything you try teaches you something, and every thing you learn is a stepping stone to better and more glorious works of art.
And by coming here, well you just cut your personal learning curve in half because of the wealth of experience that is available to you here, just for the price of asking a question.
Now isn't that exciting?!
gollygoodhugs
dilu
Wagga Wagga:hug: You are so right D :hug: :hug: :hug: i Lu. I have cut my learning in half. I am going to run with scissors. I am sure it will be wonderful - however, be ready with bandaids
Wagga WaggaKathy, do what you love..... that is the best advice I have ever heard.
Baird'sBears
Absolutely!
I jumped in feet-first with real fur and my own untested pattern, determined to try the most advanced techniques I'd heard of, and I still have a drawerful of mutilated parts to prove it.
But WOW did I learn a lot. I wouldn't part with my first little FrankenBear for anything. He's an amazing achievement, considering how little I knew, and too much of a horror to sell, at least to anyone who knows what an Artist Bear ought to look like!
Every bear is a huge challenge for a relative beginner like me, esp since I can't work at it fulltime, and since I haven't yet used the same pattern pieces twice. I hope I figure out a way to speed up one of these days (as Renae so wisely says, neglecting the housework really helps), but I've decided to stop stressing over selling and give myself a bit more time to learn, experiment, and build up an inventory.
Eileen
