Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I'm with you on this one  - NO music pullleeasse !!  Not only does it slow the page downloading but I find it's the equivalent of listening to really reaally bad elevator muzak and makes my ears curl !!   

Oh no Ginger - you've created another monster in me!  Just when I thought I didn't have the time for one more distraction in my life, you made me go and look and now I'm hooked !!  I've been meaning to visit Etsy for ages but resisted the temptation - but look what I've been missing out on ! 

Ok gotta go waste some hours checking out all this good stuff 

What a cute pair !  Well done, they have both turned out brilliantly.  I think you should enter them as a pair - they seem to come to life together in that cute pose. Best of luck in the comp !

Thankfully this has never happened to me....but what I don't get is why they want to access your ebay account in the first place.  What are they going to do with it once they have access???  Call me dumb but I can't see how it can benefit the spoofer in any way - so why??

Hi everyone

Would anyone be interested in being my swap partner?  I love Teddy Bear Club International magazine but it is almost impossible to buy here in Australia....so I thought there may be someone out there interested in regularly swapping TBCI for current editions of Australian Bear Creations mag (or any other aussie mag you may desire). 

Please contact me if you're interested.

Hugs

Hi Ellen, I haven't tried this but in her book, Enchanting Miniatures, Debbie Kesling talks of making your tags from shrink plastic.  They look great but I don't know if this stuff is still around - I know it was popular when I was a kid in the 80's but I haven't seen it around since.  Recently I bought some clear round 'puffy' stickers that have a hole punched in the top from a scrapbooking supplier which I thought I could use with a miniaturised version of my logo printed on paper and sandwiched between two of these...I haven't tried it yet but I think it would work.

Great idea Sandi !   count me in

I'm struggling with exactly the same Amanda !!  Hence I now have exactly 15 bears in various stages of incomplete covering my dining room table.  Some put aside because they looked too much like what I've always done....some because they're just downright fugly... and some because I'm not so sure about yet.   You know the U2 song.... and I still haven't found what I'm looking for.... that's my theme song!  But I've resolved, this weekend, I'm pulling my head in and I'm going to stop trying to outdo myself and will remain focussed and calm until my little bears are born.  I will NOT look at my 'inspiration' scrapbooks or TT looking for even more inspiration/ideas.....  I will see the job to the end (I'm a great starter - terrible finisher) .... I will stop comparing my bears to others  !!   Hopefully, with all this resolve, focus and calm I will end up with my ideal bear (just in time to change my mind again lol).

BTW you don't need to change a thing with your little cuties.... they're the best !

Good luck

Go for it Michelle !!  I used to run a cloth doll club and we sponsored Patti to come to Australia to teach a class.  She is the most delightful, fun and giving lady.  We all walked away from the day with wonderful, colourful creations and even the beginners created the tiniest fingers and amazing faces with ease.  Worth every minute!!

I'm definitely all for this one ..... petrol prices have just got way out of hand !!!  and only we aussies could name a day 'stick it up their ass day' lol...still giggling

Does anyone ever get bored with their own style??  I've been wanting to make a more whimsical/comical style bear for ages but I keep coming up with the same look.  In fact, I want to totally reinvent my style.  What do you all think about changing styles?  Do you think this would be risky for a fairly new business - making my bears unrecognisable?

Congrats Karen !!  What an amazing achievement!  All the very best of luck  :clap:

I struggled with the same thing for a few months last year and found the more I tried to force motivation the worse it became and the more pressure I felt.  So I just gave up and went with the flow.  It's amazing the ideas that came to me from the most unlikely places and then once I started on one of those ideas there was no stopping me and now I've gone off in the opposite direction....starting so many projects I can't keep up with myself.  So I guess the key is to r-e-l-a-x

Hi Therese

I used to use Parisian Essence back when I made cloth dolls.  It works beautifully, however it is a lot stronger than a tea dye so I would start by just dipping in the mixture and taking straight out and rinsing in tepid water a few times.  This way you can build up the intensity slowly.  Be careful too as it can tend to attach itself more in some areas and leave darker streaks and you don't want to  end up with a bad fake tan job !

Thanks for your input everyone.  I too, have the same thoughts, insecurities and addiction to checking my listings as everyone else so it sounds like we are all cut from the same cloth  I have re-listed Daisy Belle and will see how she goes, fully understanding that it is a slow time of year.

Hi everyone

Well, Daisy Belle didn't sell last week on ebay and I wondered what everyone's thoughts are on re-listing on ebay straight away (is that desparate?) or should I wait a while?  It seems a meagre question but I would like to hear everyone's views.  Personally I'm tempted to just re-list her straight away (hate unfinished business) but I'm a Libran and decisions don't come easy lol

Hugs
Michelle

Thanks for all the great tips everyone...looks like I'm off to the hardware store  yeehah 

The latest issue is Vol 13 No 2.  It just came out a few days ago (I think)

That is 'hole' in the centre NOT 'whole' ...  I do know how to spell lol ... how embarrassing  :redface:

I always seem to be running out of joints or never have the size I need (RIGHT NOW !!) being the impatient person that I am and hate waiting for orders to be delivered, does anyone know if there is a tool available that you can use to make your own joints?

I sometimes make my own mini joints using a standard hole punch so I'd like to imagine there is such a tool out there that could punch out all sorts of sizes and pierce a whole in the centre too ??

Hi anne marie

In the latest Aust Bear Creations there is a pattern for a bear (by Sandra Wigzell sp?) with a defined mouth and cheeks which may give you some ideas on how to construct.  I haven't looked at it closely but it appears to have several pieces for the muzzle which forms some shape.  Hope that helps!

I think names are important and one of my bears sold because of his name (the collector was looking for a bear as a gift for his nephew, and my bear happened to have the same name).

I keep a list of names that appeal to me and add to it as names pop into my head.  Sometimes I use the name as inspiration or somtimes the bear I'm making just 'looks' like a particular name.

I think names are important and one of my bears sold because of his name (the collector was looking for a bear as a gift for his nephew, and my bear happened to have the same name).

I keep a list of names that appeal to me and add to it as names pop into my head.  Sometimes I use the name as inspiration or somtimes the bear I'm making just 'looks' like a particular name.

Thanks Karen, I didn't even think to look in Borders !  Next time I'll know where to go.

Ps.... I absolutely adore your bears !!  I practically drool over them every time I visit Kim's shop 

Fantastic ! Thanks Denise.... I've sent you an email