Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Hehe! I do like to read minds!  Actually Lisa brought up the subject and we had
lots of requests for information about all kinds of dyes so this fit right in!
Ruth Johnson
Editor, Bears&Buds®
8440 County Road B
Amherst, WI  54406
(715) 824-2020
editor@bearsandbuds.com
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bearprayers/

I don't know if Lisa Bunting Thoms posted anything about the new article
she did for Bears&Buds about tea and coffee dyeing/staining to achieve an aged appearance for your creations, but in case she did not, here is the link to the article which also includes a photo gallery:
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/webzine/TeaStaining.asp

Ruth Johnson
Editor, Bears&Buds®
8440 County Road B
Amherst, WI 54406
(715) 824-2020
editor@bearsandbuds.com
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bearprayers/

I don't know if Lisa Bunting Thoms posted anything about the new article
she did for Bears&Buds about tea and coffee dyeing/staining to achieve an aged appearance for your creations, but in case she did not, here is the link to the article which also includes a photo gallery:
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/webzine/TeaStaining.asp

Ruth Johnson
Editor, Bears&Buds®
8440 County Road B
Amherst, WI 54406
(715) 824-2020
editor@bearsandbuds.com
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bearprayers/

Hi everybody,
St. Paddy's day only comes once a year so we
gathered together a great new batch of collectible
teddies and other animals on display decked out
in themed or green fabric/fur and accessories. 
Click on the link to enjoy
the glory of green:
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/webzine/WearingOGreen.asp
Ruth Johnson
Editor, Bears&Buds®
8440 County Road B
Amherst, WI  54406
(715) 824-2020
editor@bearsandbuds.com
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bearprayers/

I have been following several threads on taking photos for magazine
submission and just wanted to offer a page of tips I just published
on Bears&Buds of my tips from 30+ (oops, I guess that dates me), years of publishing experience: http://www.bearsandbuds.com/webzine/PhotoTips.asp.  The Photo Tips page also has links to the stories that Shelli Heinemann and
Bobbie Ripperger did for us, too.  Plus, there are directions for a very affortable
light tent that costs less than $10 and is one of the best I have ever seen.  Every
artist who has used it has improved their photos by about 100%. 

Ruth Johnson
Editor, Bears&Buds®
8440 County Road B
Amherst, WI  54406
(715) 824-2020
editor@bearsandbuds.com
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/

It will take everyone working hard to make it happen.
I guess there was an article in the Teddy Bear Scene
that was a long, hard look at the Teddy Bear World
and suggestions on what had to be done.  The British
artists have been discussing it on their Yahoo group,
britishbears and are committed to doing whatever they
can to turn things around, as are other groups like
britishbears and Teddy Talk. 

We are seeing indications of change in sales being
reported by our members and hits on our site so
we hope there is revived interest on the way.

Hello Everyone!

In appreciation of all of those of you who have
visited our site, www.bearsandbuds.com, (happy
to say we continue to average 157,000+ hits
per week!), this past year, we created a FREE
printable calendar,
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/happenings/happenings.asp,
featuring our favorite photos (including one from your favorite
advisor, Shelli H), one for each month!

Click on the photos at the bottom of the calendar
to get to the next month's photo!

Plus, in celebration of our Professional Members,
we salute their achievements in 2005, by providing
a three-page review:
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/webzine/TOTMA.asp
of their prestigious honors, awards and nominations
garnered throughout 2005! 

We hereby declare 2006 to be the...
Year of the Teddy Bear (and their friends)!

Ruth Johnson
Editor, Bears&Buds®
Amherst, WI (715) 824-2020
editor@bearsandbuds.com
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/

Many of you voted in the latest Bears&Buds Tri-Topic Challenge
(http://www.bearsandbuds.com/webzine/Autumnal.asp)
and what a vote it was! This turned out to be a very popular
competition!

The competition, in the end, came down to two cats and a croc!

That's right, Karen Lyons, KJ Lyons Design, won First Place with her "Halloween Cat" (#25)!

Mary Wimberley,  Mary's Secret Garden, garnered Second Place
for Chrystella Peacock Smythe (#47) and Laura Unrau, Bear-All,
was awarded Third Place for Whutta Croc (#13)!

Congratulation to all three winners as well, all the  artist participants
and the voters!

We do invite you all to vote in our current Christmas Challenge
with 107 entries! It will be very hard for you to pick a favorite
but I am confident you all can do it! Here is the link to the pages:
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/webzine/Chr … llenge.asp

Thank you to all and a beary Merry Christmas to you!

Ruth Johnson
Editor, Bears&Buds®
editor@bearsandbuds.com
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/

Here is what I posted on several of the Yahoo Groups
regarding this situation.  As an update, one of the
offenders has been removed from EBay but many
more are popping up behind that one:
------------------------------------------------------
It has come to our attention at Bears&Buds,
that a series of what is believed to be fraudulent
auctions, recently posted on on eBay where sellers
are copying auction notices from authentic teddy
bear artists, who have items currently up for auction,
and offering these items for sale EVEN THOUGH
THE ORIGINAL ARTIST HAS NOT SOLD IT TO THEM
AND THE ORIGINAL ARTIST'S AUCTION HAS NOT
EVEN ENDED!

The alleged fraudulent auctions are usually one-day
auctions and can include up to "straight lifts from
current legitimate auctions.  They often offer up
to 60 original artists' and manufacturers' teddy
bears (primarily Steiff).

The teddy bear artist world is reporting these alleged
fraudulent activities to eBay as quickly as they are
found, but we ask everyone to be vigilant and remember
the old adage about if it looks too good to be true, it
may not be.

Please inspect each auction carefully and if you suspect
illegal activities, report it to eBay or contact any of the
artists whose works are pictured, and ask them if they
have sold a bear to the seller whom you suspect.

One clue to watch for in determining the legitimacy of
any given auction is to check for the type of payment
requested.  It appears that most of these alleged
fraudulent auctions are only accepting payment via   
Western Union money transfers or money transfers
which is a direct transfer from your bank to theirs!
Ebay recommends to NEVER never use instant cash 
transfer services.   
   
Or, if you do not know how to contact any of the
artists in question, feel free to send me an email
and I will forward it to them as I have most artists'
email addresses.

This same type of fraudulent activity is taking place
amongst other collectible such as dolls, so please
be aware and examine all auctions carefully.

Please pass this message onto whatever groups
to which you belong or collector friends you may
have.  We thank you for your consideration and
am sorry that such a notice must be posted.
-----------------------------------------------------
Beverley Mackenzie suggested artists perhaps
run some wording across their photos since the
offenders copy the listing completely.

If it was me, I would put the words, "Sold exclusively
by (insert your eBay ID).  ANY other ID is fradulent
and should be reported to EBay", diagonally across
the photo but not so I would wreck the face.  I would
also mention those same words in the text. 

They might be able to take it out of the text IF they
read it but they can't take it off the photo.
-----------------------------------------------------
Ruth Johnson
Editor, Bears&Buds®
Amherst, WI (715) 824-2020
editor@bearsandbuds.com
http://www.bearsandbuds.com/