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Hi Jenny !
I know what you mean. I never feel like I have enough bears....and struggle at the last minute to just make "one more"...well maybe just "two more"
Sometimes the ladies near me have a "bear in progress" at the show, but I am never calm enough at the shows to actually do any sewing!
I have a show this Saturday so production time is done. 8 bears it is.
Lately, I have been going through all my supplies (25+ year accumulation) and put together grab bags. Those were very popular at the last show. They take up some space and also it helps to clean up my cluttered work room :thumbsup:
The grab bags consist of a theme like "holiday" accessories for dolls or bears, and will contain small wreaths, ribbons, buttons, jingle bells, mini candy canes, mini snow men....things like that. Sometimes it is just a small collection of lace pieces.
In the days leading up to the show now I will stay connected by making sure everyone is brushed and beautiful and getting names, price tags, sales bags, tissue paper, everything all ready to go.
It's a mad dash Saturday morning because I cannot do advance set up Friday night.
I love doing shows. I wish I could go to some of the larger ones you all talk about.
Take care :rose:
Lee Ann
Hi
I agree with you. The site contenct does seem to have changed dramatically. I truly enjoy the cute animal pictures each day and log on specifically to view them. Because I do this during lunch break at work, I dont actually "log on" to the site so I probably appear to be a guest.
I became a bit reluctant to post pics of my new creations after posting a picture and within one week seeing an exact copy right down to the materials used, and animal created ( not a bear ). I am aware of another premier artist on this site who you dont see much of anymore, whose work appears to be closely mirrored right down to animal concept and accessories. I read on her blog about a cease and desist order she was pursuing.
It is a shame because that is what I enjoy the most. Ooohing and Aaahing over other artist creations with deepest appreciation because I know how difficult this art is. That is part of the fun of doing shows too. I do see more posts from new artists asking "how to" and it seems they are usually just referred to the archive which I found to be extremely helpful when I first joined. But, didn't there use to be a group of artists who wanted to mentor new ones? Maybe it is the new posters who will help revitalize the site.
And, maybe some have stopped posting because the bear business is in a bit of a decline....due to the economy.
I hope things will rebound for all of us soon.
Take care
Lee Ann
Wow, she is really sweet. I love the color and shading of paws, the eyes really draw you in.
Excellent !
Regards,
Lee Ann 
Thank you both ! Very good tips
I also like to have the nap come forward down over the eyes sometimes but it makes the back of them look like they have "bed head" :crackup:
Hello everyone ! Hope your summer is going well.
When working with mohair, say you have a large piece and on the "right" and "left" edge it is bare, no mohair...this is called the selvidge? I think :redface:
So with the mohair placed in this orientation, would the "nap" of the fur always run towards you? ( or 'away' from you if turned completely around )
I usually run my hand over the fur and it is usually quite clear that in one certain direction, the fur is "smoothed" rather than roughed up.
However, a couple time now....my teddy forehead ends up with a "cowlick" appearance :crackup: The fur leans to the right.
Can't figure how this is happening. I lay my pattern pieces and draw them all before any cutting is done, so I know it is not a shift in the pattern piece.
Secondly, is there a way to tame unruly mohair....maybe it was folded for a long time....resulting in the bend the wrong direction?
Any tips will be greatly appreciated
Regards,
Lee Ann
Bear is almost done....I will post a pic soon
Adorable Melisa ! Love her 
It is so wonderful that you take inspiration from creatures you love in real life. I bet those puppies are cute as can be.
Best of luck with your auction
Lee Ann
Lovely fur ! makes me want to cuddle with her
Very nice kitty
Thank you everyone for your very kind comments.
Beautiful ! Love her
Hello everyone !
Thank you for stopping by to take a look at Ashley. She is made of lovely, incredibly soft, white cross mink. She is small baby at just over 6 inches long.
She is on ebay now.
Take care
Lee Ann
In addition to money, sending actual teddy bears, would be awesome. Many of those children living in the shelters now have lost all of their toys.
If there were a collection point near the US West coast, perhaps they could go out with the next load of supplies being co-ordinated by our military?
Doesn't have to be artist bears. Just bunches and bunches of the ones we see in the stores ??
Hello everyone
I think alot of us on TT are animal lovers....so I thought I would share this true story as a reminder that pet proofing our homes is as important as "child" proofing... 
When we arrive home each day after work, there is normally a trio of kitties waiting at the door, to gently "guide" us to the kitchen where we may prepare their dinner :crackup:
Yesterday, when I got home, only one kitty was around and was following me with great caution. There was a shopping bag upside down in the living room, a bit torn. I thought immediately my hubby had thrown it down after an upset....but he said "No, I left it so you could see....it looks like they really had fun playing today". He went on to explain he had found papers strewn about in his office, all over the floor, rugs pushed up against the wall, and kitties' water dish had been upset/spilled.
I went on about my chores, but realized after about an hour I still had not seen the "two girls". ????? We started looking around...(all their usual hiding places) and could not find them anywhere.
Eventually, we found little Sophie lying on her side, motionless, next to the couch ( the room had been dark up to that point so we did not see her earlier ). She had the curved handle of the shopping bag stuck around her tummy along with about 4 inches torn from the rest of the bag.
This could get really long, but I think you have figured it out already. She had been playing in the empty shopping bag on the table in the office, tried to jump out "through" the handle, and got stuck with her hind portion still in the bag.
I feel so sad about the trauma she must have felt. She must have cried alot too, because our other "brave" kitty, did not come out of hiding for yet another several hours.
I imagine her "bouncing" through the house trying to "run away" from her captor and finally giving up, waiting for us to get home ??? My husband ripped the remaining paper and lifted the handle off her and scooped her up. She was purring so loudly.....and was not hurt at all. However, she spent the remainder of last night in my lap, licking every inch of her...and then collapsed to sleep with a heavy sigh.
From now on, I will not leave those bags around or anything with small space that they could get stuck in while playing. That and rubber bands, which for some reason she likes to eat. 
Take care everyone, and hug your kitty
Lee Ann
Tammy - Paddy is wonderful The face is so precious and he looks soooooo soft
Lee Ann
adorable !
Hi again
Two things ~~
1) ALOT of people go to Estate Sales, garage sales, and storage unit auctions and snap up bunches of items to sell on ebay, not knowing a thing about what they are selling. I am always a bit skeptical of claims that they took any further effort to have items "evaluated" by experts.
The fur I got was SO bad, I couldn't handle it without it "slipping" apart at the seams. I did not allow it to stay in my home more than the 10 minutes it took to determine it was rotten.
I have worked with some absolutely lovely vintage fur and it does have a particular scent. The smell of the item I bought was much worse than a wet dog, more like....rotten flesh. It had been stored in a damp environment, and I showed evidence to the seller in a photo - a RUST stain on the lining in the shape of a metal hanger !
2) Bless their hearts ~ cigarette smokers will never realize there is a "smell" about them. I visited my brother for a week (heavy smoker). When I got home, I opened my suitcase and my entire home smelled like cigarettes. I opened up one of my eye shadow packets, and even cig smoke smell came out of that. It permeates everything !
Thanks for the tip about reading the info section about sellers. I too have been one to rely totally on the feedback. Now I know to investigate a bit more.
And I am thankful I have also had some good experiences with eBay sellers.
Best regards
Lee Ann
I am glad you were able to solve this with the help of Ebay. I had a similar experience. I bought a mink cape in "like new condition" that smelled like a wet dog when I opened the Plastic bag it was shipped in. Yes, a plastic bag dropped into some kids toy box with open sides.
When I took it out to inspect it, it started falling apart at the seams.
I sent pictures to the seller and explained I could not use it and she ended up calling me every rude name in the book and said "I see you are just going to make bears with it anyway and I think you just can't use it because of the smell".
Ummm.....yes...EXACTLY!
She kept promising a full refund and said to send the item back. Lo and behold I saw the item RELISTED on ebay before I even had a chance to ship it back.
I ended up including that comment in my claim to Ebay, that the seller was relisting an item not in her possession. I had to wait for a month or two, but I did receive a full refund.
I am glad this situation worked out for you.
Best Regards
Lee Ann
These are really, really cute !!! Especially having a "bunch" of them all together. Such cutie faces
Kind Regards
Lee Ann
So adorable and so tiny.. Love him
I have caught "the bug" also...working on minis now, becoming acquainted with Sassy fabrics and have tried various ones. The smallest I can go is 2.75" and I feel all thumbs :crackup:
Kind Regards
Lee Ann
Maybe it's that "lack of perfection", the slightly crooked smile, or floppy ear that make artist bears so endearing.
I take being a "professional" as meaning you can consistently create a bear of good quality that has your signature look. They will always be slightly different, but as a professional, your work is recognizable?
I do know that I am still learning and picking up tips that make construction easier....and I wish I hadn't sold some of those early creations.... :redface: But then again, the collector saw something that appealed to them.
Lee Ann
