Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I found this needle felting forum:
http://feltingforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2314

Lots of great tips/tutorials on needle felting (and even better....there are lots of pics for those of us who doesn't get it unless we see it  )

First of all, congrats on your beautiful little puppy - she is adorable   

No, I don't think its normal for a puppy to have 16-20 accidents a day! I would take her to the vet if I were you - to me it sounds as if she is having an infection in her urinary system.

I have had dogs all my life (at present we have 4) and so I have potty trained a LOT!  :crackup: I have never used news papers or pee pads inside for my puppies - it takes them longer to learn that potty is outside if you allow them to do their "things" inside. Now that Dakota has the pee pad, you could move the pee pad closer to the door every day until the pee pad is outside.

Potty training usually takes a couple of weeks but some dogs learn faster than others - and some breeds are not so fast learners! My Bichon Frisé took several months (she is such a lazy little princess!  )  but the others learned in just a few weeks...so have patience, Dakota will get it eventually.

I always go outside with my dogs and wait for them to finish - I always have a treat or 2 with me and praise them a lot and give them a treat as soon as they are done doing their "thing". Treats are essential whenever you want to teach a puppy (or a grown up dog for that matter) tricks. Most dogs can be bribed  They love the treats and the praise; "if Mummy is happy, I'm happy...so I'll do the trick for her" - or something like that 

A puppy needs to go outside when 1) she wakes up after a nap, 2) when she has eaten, 3) when she has been playing.

Good luck with Dakota - she is a beautiful dog 

Hi Jossan,

Your bears are cute  I love the small pink rabbit 

Noses are a pain to do.    For me the best way to do noses is "Monica's way": http://monicasattictreasures.com.au/on% … rials.html

She has great tutorials - I'm not sure if it will help your pointy-nose-problem but the way Monica does noses works for me.

I can't blame you for wanting to keep him - he is a truly amazing bear and a beautiful example of your fantastic airbrushing and felting skills   

It is wonderful though that little Happy is going to a museum. Just think of all the smiles Happy will bring to those who visit the museum.  Lucky Japanese museum guests - I would love to see one of your bears in "the fur" 

Congratulations on your new family member, Judi - Jolene is so beautiful (always loved sheep)   

My sister-in-law and her husband breed sheep (not the same breed as yours but wool is wool I guess.... ) I use the wool for stuffing my bears. I machine wash the wool - usually 2-3 times (it STINKS when it is being washed!!) - and in the last wash I use my own "recipe" for detergent that takes that last smell out of the wool. Its the lanoline in the wool that makes it smell but you can easily get rid of the smell if you wash it a couple of times and use 2/3 of perfume free fabric softener and 1/3 vinegar. I use a duvet cover to wash the wool in and let it dry outside laying flat on a table. I don't know if the wool on Jolene is any different from the wool I use but I don't card it - I just pull little pieces of the wool from each other and keep pulling little pieces until I get "fluffy" wool pieces .... hope I'm making sense! 

Good luck with Jolene 

Thank you so much for all the great advice, Judi  :hug: I really appreciate it  I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner to thank you but my daughter's cat got hit by a car on Saturday and I haven't been at the computer (the cat is getting better now and will most likely survive  :dance: )

The price is app. 375 USD for the whole set - including the compressor. The seller mentioned that he has upgraded the compressor. This one should be better than the one that usually comes with the set.

This airbrush gun can make very, very fine and narrow lines as well as broad airbrushing. I guess that is what I want to be able to make fine details as well as more broad airbrushing.

I know that the key to successful airbrushing is practice, practice, practice.  I think I will practice first on paper - just to get to learn how to work the airbrush - and later on practise on cheap toy store bears. But first of all I will take your ebearz-class on airbrushing. I think I need someone to take me through the airbrushing techniques step by step.

Thanks again...I think I will give it a little more thought on whether to buy this set or not. It IS a dual action system so maybe I should start out with a single action airbrush.

Thank you for your replies and tips  Yes, I know I will have to practise ... a LOT - probably for the next 20 years    - but the "real" airbrushing looks so fantastic and you can do shadings that I can't make with my copic markers so I have decided to buy an airbrushing set. I just don't know what to look for. I know they come both cheaper and more expensive than the one I have set my eyes on but the specs might as well have been in Chinese because I have no idea what it all means   

I make copies of the pattern first so that I have all the pattern pieces I need (for example 4 arm pieces, 4 leg pieces etc.) and then I laminate the copies. After laminating them, I cut out the pattern pieces and use an awl to make the joint holes. If you laminate your pattern you can use it over and over again.  When I am done with the pattern, I keep the pattern for future use in large plastic zipper bags and write the name of the bear on the zipper bag - or glue a photo of the bear to the bag. That way I can always easily find my pattern.

I'm just dying to buy an airbrushing set instead of my copic markers...they work fine but an airbrushing set with compressor etc. would take airbrushing to a whole new level (providing I ever get the hang of it...!  :crackup: )

I found a set on a Danish auction site - but I have absolutely no idea what to look for! Please...could any of you ladies who are masters of airbrushing please help me decide whether or not this is a good buy?  :pray: Its new and unused and the seller has 100% positive feedback. The text is in Danish but the specs listed is more or less understandable for you (I think).

The compressor is a AS18a with "push automatic" (?) and a dual action airbrush gun; Stenco M180/HC (identical to Iwata CMC plus) (anyone know these brands) .... are they any good?)

The airgun has a MAC valve (Micro Air Controller) and is - according to the seller - the best you can buy and is used by professional airbrush artists.

The specs are (mind you, I have absolutely no idea what this means so my translation is very direct):

Compressor:
Work air 25 l/m (liter/meter?)
Work pressure from 1.7 bar
Max pressure 4 bar
Noise level - from 1 meter distance: 24db (shouldn't make a lot of noise)
Manometer
Water separator
Pressure regulator
Air particle separator
Weight 4.6 kilo

Air gun:
Nozzle (?) 0.26
Roundpattern type
Top mounted cup
Cup contains 7ml/cc
Mac valve

You should be able to make extremely fine lines as well as lock the air- and paint settings etc.

Its a "buy now" auction and the price is 1695 DKK (= app. USD 375 incl. shipping)

The link to the auction is this: http://www.qxl.dk/Article538963902/Bygg … /P/0/1/0/1

What do you think? Is this a good buy?

I would love to hear your comments  :pray:  Thanks

I remember seeing a great thread about mouth sculpting before...and I found it (hope you are able to open it):
http://teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=2907

If you can't open it from the link, try searching for a topic called "mouths" - author is Shantell - last post is April 12, 2006.

As you can see, Shelli did a great tutorial with pics. Pics always clarify things! 

I rarely do crochet (or knit either) - I'm not good at it  ... but when I do, I usually follow instructions I find on the Internet. I found a few - hopefully - useful links here:

Basic crochet instructions: http://www.learntoknit.com/instructions_cr.php3

Abbreviations: http://www.learntoknit.com/abbreviations.php3

So... "RND 1: 6 SC in 2nd CH FROM HOOK" is Round 1: 6 single crochet in 2ndc chain from hook. Usually, I find that when you have made 1-2 rows you start to see the pattern and the rest is then quite simple.

Good luck 

She is really cute and has a sweet face I'm sure her new mom will love her. Did you manage to find a cup for her?

I agree with Sheryl  Kranbearys classes are worth the money. You get lots of information - and access to a forum with a teacher and other students to help if you have any questions.

Good luck with it - and welcome to TT, Anne 

Your new house looks absolutely wonderful, Sophie  And how great for you that you now have your own working space. Thanks for sharing with us, can't wait to see more  :hug:

Great news!!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap: Tillykke Tina  :hug: I hope you will have a great time - and don't worry about your English - bear language is universal    I'm sure you will do fine and make great sales.   

Beautiful bear 

How about this: http://www.bearycheap.com/ezimerchant/prod1012.htm - its not exactly the same but I do think its very similar to your bear. Its not as reddish as the picture shows. I made a bear once using this fabric and its much more brown (from light to very dark brown) and I loved the fur.

I'm glad the last photo is there - No. 3 photo looks as if the dog is 5 seconds from eating the baby  :crackup:  :crackup:

And finally, as you can see Danish bear fairs are lots of fun! 

Thanks to Tina and Birgitte for letting me take pictures of their beautiful bears - it was fun meeting both of you and seeing your bears in the fur    :hug:

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As you may know from my previous post there is a bear fair this weekend (actually its a craft show & a bear show). I went there yesterday and saw all the beautiful bears from Birgitte (Pijangi Bears) and Tina (Tiny-Bears). It was loads of fun to say hi to Birgitte and Tina .... and I spent way too much money on bear stuff!!  :redface:  There were other bear exhibitors there but I only took photos of Birgitte and Tina's bears (didn't have more time before the fair closed). As you can see their bears are just beautiful and they both made sales 

Hi everyone,

Finally we get to go to a bear fair this coming weekend  :dance:  :dance: We don't have that many in Denmark so its BIIIIG when we do   

Birgitte (Pijangi Bears) and Tina (Tiny-Bears) are both going to be there and I promised Birgitte that I would bring my camera and take pics of their displays.

I'm there as a guest....can't wait until Saturday to see all that eye candy...and maybe bring home a FQ or 2 of mohair.....      :crackup:

Wish them both luck  - Denmark is not "bear country" but hopefully they will both make great sales.

If you feel uncomfortable with your business name or it can be misunderstood, I would change it. I don't have a business name (or a business!  ) but if I were to choose a business name, I wouldn't choose one like "moonbears". What if you at some point get tired of making moonbears and find that your bears are going in a different direction from moonbears to traditional bears, gollies etc?

Business names and website names - in my opinion - should be easy to remember and spell. Why not go with Malone Bears or Malone Bears & Critters? It might not be that catchy, but its easy to remember. 

I'm sure this little one will find his new mum very fast  He is adorable  How big is he? He looks very small.

She is wonderful  Its so amazing that you are able to crochet a bear like that.   
I understand why you want to keep her - I would hang on to her too if she was mine