Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I don't think it has been a year and a half since I have been gone, but it has been that long since I decided to try my hand at making beads to sell - instead of bears.  I have actually been making the beads for 2 1/2 yrs now.

Thanks for all your wonderful comments on my beads everyone.
Also, it looks like the mohair is now all spoken for.   I'm sorry if you missed out.

Ok Brenda - remember you asked for it - LOL.  I am really lax at taking pictures of my beads, but here are a few.
As you can see, I sort of have an ocean theme to most of my beads.

Thanks Eddie, It is a lot of fun - at least until you burn yourself - LOL.  Actually it wasn't so funny when I did - 2nd degree burns on two fingers.
I miss the teddy shows that we had, they sure were a lot of fun.  Now I sell beads at markets in the summer, and shows in the fall.
Bye for now,
Jane

Wow, a lot of new names on here now - and so many fantastic creations.  As some of you know I took a sabatical from making bears about a year and a half ago.  Well I have decided that I'm not going back to bears - I am having way too much fun making glass beads.  I have been selling my glassy creations for a while now, and have just been accepted into a huge art show here on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada, that is held on the August 1st long weekend.  I am going to try and post a couple of pictures of my beads - if I can remember how!

Anyway, I have decided to sell all my mohair, and will let it go for a fantastic price.  I have to make a list up of what I have left, and will let you know what there is.  It will probably be going for around $10 - $12 US per fat quarter.

If anyone is interested in this mohair, please send me an email, and I will email you the list, as I don't want to list it on here. Thx.

As I make patterns and sell them, I will give you my take on this sometimes "touchy" subject.  I figure if I am selling a pattern, then although I still own the rights to the original pattern, I don't have a lot of right to tell a customer that they can't sell the bears made from that pattern.  What I do appreciate however, is that when someone who makes bears from my patterns and sells the bears gives me credit, either on the swing tag on the bear, or in some other noticeable manner.  The one thing that I DO NOT appreciate is when the purchaser of the pattern copies the pattern and either gives or sells that pattern - that is  copyright fraud.
So there you have my 3 cents worth (inflation).
So if you purchase my patterns, please feel free to sell as many bears as you can make from that pattern - just don't sell the pattern itself.
Thanks

I never fill in those surveys - even if they appear genuine, 'cause you just never know!

OK - Shelli asked me to post a couple of pictures of my beads.  I have a really hard time photographing my beads.  I need to get a camera with a macro lens, not just a macro setting, but that is very expensive.  So please excuse the bad pics.
Chantilly
The pic came out in the wrong place - the bead is a 1" focal and is called Chantilly.
The hearts are a couple I did recently, and they now "reside" in England.
The black with pink flowers are a set that unfortunately didn't sell on Ebay.

That's it for now!

Well, I guess it is no surprise to a lot of you, cconsidering my absence from TT of late.  I have decided to take a sabbatical until the end of the year.  I want to pursue my lampworking (making glass beads).  Both bearmaking and lampworking are very demanding passtimes, and I have tried to fit them both in, but it is not working.  I figure I will give myself to the end of the year, and then will have to make a decision as to which direction I am going to go.  I have signed up for 4 Christmas Craft fairs with my beads, so that will give me an indication as to whether it will work or not.
I am selling my stash of mohair and supplies to help pay for the glass and supplies needed to make beads.  If I decide to go back to bears, I can always buy some more.  Maybe not some of the collectible pieces I had, but that is OK.
Keep an eye on my ebay auctions for great deals on supplies over the next couple of weeks - my studio is a MESS!!
Thanks to you all  :hug:

Holy Moly - You have done it again Judy - just incredible!!  I am always blown away by your incredible talent and vision.
:clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Looks like a realy great magazine Shelli - I would imagine that we in Canada can't get it either.

I have a couple of felted wool pin coushions, and noted the other day that some of the less frequently used pins and needles were getting slightly marked - I presume it is a prelude to rusting.

Wow, thanks so much for letting us all "see" the show - especially people, like myself, that don't get to shows anymore.  It was great to see all those lovely bears - and what bears - they were all just fantastic!!!  It's a good thing that I am not a collector, or I would be stone broke ordering bears.
Well done Jane  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Wow, I had no idea this was going on - thanks for all the great information everyone!

Goodness, gracious, great ----- of fire!  It just keeps on going - congratulations to all of you!  The bears and critters that you entered are fantastic - I sure wouldn't want to be one of the judges, it would be impossible choosing, they are all so great!  Well done everyone! :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Wow - that is great news - another super duper well deserving aritst!!  You go girls!

That's fantastic news Krista - I can't think of a more deserving artist - well done!! :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Jenny, I really like your response - I wish I had thought of that when I was going to shows.  It was always a very hard thing to turn them down, and I didn't like to lose a sale.  However, you are right that the collectors should have first crack at them.

My dream studio - one that is clean and tidy (dream on)!

For some reason, it is taking me longer, and longer to make each bear.  I am seriously thinking of stopping the airbrushing on my bears - it just takes so long to get everything set up and then to clean up again.  I'm also very easily distracted these days!
I used to be able to make three, dressed 15" bears in one week - not I am lucky if I can get one done in 3 weeks!

Nope - mine don't look anything like my mohair bears - mind you, I have only made about 3 needlefelted ones.  However I like that they don't look similar.
Now someone else may disagree with me, and say that they look like my mohair bears, but I don't think so.

Best looking naked fireman I have ever seen - and before your minds get in the gutter, he is the only naked fireman I have ever seen!!

My worst present was given to me by my ex-husband (note the ex!).  It was a set of metal pots and pans.  When he could see how "pleased" I was, he said that they weren't what he had taken to be wrapped, and the wrappers must have mixed up the parcels - Yeah, not likely!

My present husband and I just go out together and choose something each - works much better.  Besides we are at the age where there isn't really much that we need.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

That's a riot!

Ditto what Shelli and Tammy said about the contests.