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Wow....good for you Richy! Just get going on them....perhaps send a note to whomever... telling them it might not be quite as soon as they would like..but u will give it your best shot! Hahahha
Maybe somebody could help stitch up a bit on a body or two for you..it will still be all yours in the face and other areas..but take a bit of the actual stitching off your hands.... dunno..just a suggestions....
You can use anything you like Andrea. The only real criteria is that they be 2 1/2" X 3 1/2" the size of playing cards. But... can be fabric...art paper ...water colour paper...card stock..sky is the limit really...
check out this fellow doll maker's site and surf around a bit..she does a lot of altered art and paper stuff as well as dolls... write to her if you want she is always more than happy to help out.
http://www.artdolls.info/cat_paper_altered_art.html
Also...just type in ATC and you will get hundreds of sites to see...as well as go to ebay and see them for sale or trade... (ATC's were originally supposed to be used as advertising by artists and only for trade..but that seems to have changed a bit) also check out the ACEO's which stands for Art Card Editions and Originals... which are definitely for sale.
Another card yesterday.....thanks to Debra Travers.....
This was indeed a lot of fun...
Aleta.... have you tried some moving and packing companies? They have all sizes and shapes of boxes..usually they are flat and must be folded out so easily stored... not sure on cost.. but perhaps an option.
Chrissi....I was not saying anything about anyone charging for the extras...please don't put a different spin on my post...
I was merely noting that it seemd strange to read one and then the other.... that in one topic people were wondering how to do more for their customers.... and on the other hand... others were talking about charging extras for handling.....
It was just an observation more than anything else.... food for thought if you get my drift....
This seems weird.... another topic is trying to give extras and gifts to customers in order to make them feel special ..using extra fancy papers and wrapping and tissue..etc... and striving to have them as repeat customers...... while this one seems to want to charge extra for shipping.... I don't think you can have it both ways.
I figure the shipping and "handling" (whatever that is) are covered in whatever amount the bear sells for ...even more so on ebay as the customer does pay for shipping on top of the price of the bear. That should be enough to cover shipping and handling... For me it is sometimes cheaper to ship to the U.S. than it is to elsewhere in Canada. I charge a flat shipping rate that covers the highest U.S price and some are a bit less...... so I lose a bit on the Canadian customers...but... it almost breaks even after a few. I have to drive to get groceries and do banking and errands.... I am not charging anybody for a drive to the postoffice if I am already going in that direction anyway....
Honeypothollow
I wonder when it gets reallllyyy hot in the summertime if chocolates would still be a good idea?.... might want to switch to hard candy then.......
Don't want any melting onto your bears fluff!
Awww....sorry.... don't have any noses at all Krista. Darn it... but mabye somebody will have one for you...sure hope so. Don't you have a little shop in Victoria that has bear stuff anymore?.. maybe a nose or two? I seem to remember ordering eyes from Victoria one time. I know they have a great doll club group there...!
What about Dear Bears Marketplace in Richmond? are they still around?
What is it that you ordered Krista? ... is it something that any of us might have hanging around? ... happy to send you some if I have any of whatever it is..
yep.... and therein lies a whole new topic! lol
Not lame at all Jennifer....
most "collectors" are usually just that... they often collect all sorts of things, and even if they don't....they may love a bit of jewellery. Besides, if they don't really care for it or don't want to keep it for themselves..they can always use it as a gift for someone else. They will still appreciate, and likely be completely surprised and amazed by any little "extra" you send them.
Can't say I have ever had any problems with it....and I stitch very close to the edge. I run a micro-bead of it along the very edge.. it really doesn't go anywhere and there is not enough of it to make it difficult to stitch through......
Always partial to the mini's...love the little guy!
Gemma..... perhaps you could try snipping off a bit more of the seam allowance?...stitch closer to the edge?.... and if you are concerned about it fraying use some fray check or a bit of watered down glue. Make sure you push the nose right out when you turn the head... really work it inside there to press all the seams flat or smooth them out a lot.... ...but also be a bit careful dong it as you don't want to poke a hole!! Yikes!! Also.. do you pluck out all of the fur on the inside as well on the outside on the space where you want to embroider ? ..that helps make it less bulky plus none of it there to work its way through the stitches. Let me see.. what else? ..oh, for sure use your thimble or a pair of pliers to push the needle through and also to pull it out the other side...I use needle nose..or even my haemostat if it is not ultra tough to pull out....that is about it.....oh, and I also have a little round piece of rubber that I routinely use to hold onto my needle if it is just a bit tough to push through the fabric
Hahahhaha....yep..... you know that was written by a Canuck! Yesterday it was -21C here....I was shoveling the new snow after it has been snowing off and on for 3 days... we had 10 inches...I know because I measured...
Today it is up to +5C already....good thing I did shovel..we could have flooding by luncheime...but, we know this and have to be prepared for flooding by making sure the 10 inches is cleared from any low lying areas... ..and yes, the part about it being the law to shovel?....it is all true; it is a city bylaw. It costs $150 if you don't have it shoveled within 48 hours and the city decides to do drive by and do it for you. My neighbour told me... and he isn't lying.... he had to pay it for not bothering to shovel his snow...
Look, I made you all a snow angel !! I don't remember getting so much snow in my boots or down my pants doing them when we were kids.... Hope the neighbours didn't see lying on the lawn flapping my arms and legs and wondering if I was in trouble... because if they did they don't care about me at all...nobody even stopped to see if I needed help.
Jenny ....... I think it is time for you to take a good rest.
Sometimes our bodies..or Mother Nature.....or both.... give us a warning to make us take some down time....... please take note of what your body is trying to tell you. There will be other Hugglets....
Ditto Jodi
I was out shoveling 6 new inches of snow when the mailman brought another card! Thank you Janet... did you have to trudge through plenty of snow yourself just to mail it?
Wow..... it is definitely impressive isn't it? congratulations!!
Awwww......what a cute little face Patty.....won't take long for her to be snapped up. It's the look.... please love me???????? who could resist......
Three more today for me!! thanks to Cheryl..Bruinwerks... Patty Barone at Swan Lake Bears and Deborah Burnham... all of them hand made, one with the cutest little bear stickers, one with surprise confetti... hahahhahahhaha .... I was picking up by hand; don't want those to go in the vacuum cleaner, I may be able to use those! (the doll maker in me for sure..or the packrat...we never toss anything!). What fun it was mailing out the cards...and now it is just as much of a hoot getting some in the mailbox each day. I love this!
Here is my Mingus in his early stages... doing nasty things to a jester 
Hi Richy
I make dolls and maybe some of the doll info could help. Check out this site...or perhaps type in belly button for bears and see what you get... Personally I don't think the belly button in the photo is great... but, perhaps you can adjust a tiny piece of mohair to make one that you like. When I did mine on a doll...I did not have it puckered as this person recommends.. ... just sort of folded under some corners of a small piece of fabric and then ran the needle though the backside of the material holding some corners together.. I was using some doe suede... so it does have some creases, but sort of made it a bit more...erm...tidy looking, if you get my drift.
Uhm..... WOW!! for a "newbie" you are going great guns.
What a great set of eyes and his expression is amazing. Maybe I can see what you are saying about the nose ....it is a tiny bit off...... but really!!...with a bit of practice... you will be making some absolutely unbelievable bears!
How did you make his little toesies if I may ask?
Debbie, if you get to Canada make sure it is in the winter time if you want to see some snow... we have almost 6 months of great golfing weather the rest of our year.... we only have snow in the winter. (just a minute....let me re-phrase that... we usually only have snow in the winter...but a friend had her wedding in August hoping for the world's best weather and woke on her day to find a winter wonderland...a freak storm blew through.) So, plan B was quickly put into motion as the garden was trashed. Much to some people's surprise we also have air conditioners... we get nice hot summers and it is tough to spend much time near a stove without the air...I love to cook so love my A/C..
