Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Hi Guys,
I have a question for the Americans on TT:

Have any of you used the USPS Registered Mail service recently, and have you had any problems with it??

I am bouncing off the ceiling with anxiety at the moment because I have just purchased a very expensive (unbelieveably expensive!!) antique doll from a dealer, and I am having it shipped from Kansas to a dear friend in New York.  He sent it last Saturday, Priority mail, Registered, but all I ever when I type in the tracking number is that it was accepted at his local office in Manhatten, KS... after that, nothing - and this is supposed to be a two - three day service!!!

I tried calling USPS but their stupid system kept cutting out on me.  In the end I got to speak to someone, who said that the Registered service isn't trackable until it reaches its destination.  How can this be???  How can the most valuable items send through the mail NOT be trackable?????

Anyway, sorry for venting here - I am desperately hoping for some reassurance... anybody?? 
Christinex

Hi Paula,
I don't really like to stitch hats to heads - ouch!!    The little mini clowns' hats are just perched over one ear, but they seem to stay in place all right.  On bigger bears I sometimes use shirring elastic, or just make to hat so that it fits over one ear.  if I am taking a bear with a hat on to a show, I might just pin it to the head at the back, in case an unwary collector accidentally knocks it off.

Love all these clows - keep them coming!!!!!! :clap:
Hugs,
Chrisx

OK... I have added Raphael and Widget to the gallery.

Raphael is my latest vintage-style mini and I am really pleased with the way he turned out.  He is 5 1/2 inches.
Widget is one of my modern-style clowns and has wire armature in his front paws - definitely a bit of a poser!

I'm sneaking Scootles in here as well, although I haven't added him to the gallery - I could fill a whole page with clowns, big and small, but I mustn't be greedy!!

Love the hat, paula - it is the first thing I noticed!!  Gorgeous bear
Hugs,
Chrisx

Thanks, guys!!!

I have now updated my website and my new contact details are on the front page.  I have also added more mini pics to the Bear market page - taken in our own back garden this afternoon, yaaay!!  I have posted details in the Marketplace section.

Shane and Steve - I haven't even LOOKED at the mohair for my gallery bear yet!!
Big hugs to all of you,
Chrisx

Hello everyone,
Just to let you know that I have FINALLY moved into my new home!!!! :dance:   After months of living out of packing crates in a rented house, we are starting a new life in Downham Market, Norfolk.  I shall be posting pictures on my blog in the next few days - but, more importantly, I want to celebrate this momentous piece of news with a minis update on my website!

I shall be putting up some new designs over the weekend - so watch this space!

Hugs,
Chrisx

Hi Vicki,
I will be going - not as an exhibitor, but because I am one of the judges for the BBAAs this year!

This show has got smaller than it was in previous years.  However, with the demise of Ally Pally and no NEC shows this year, it may benefit from a higher attendance in collectors.  You may know that it was taken over by a new show organiser a couple of years ago and they are making some gradual changes.

Personally, I love the venue - its handy for hotels, transport, and shopping in Brighton!
Hugs,
Christine

Oh Ellen, I'm so sorry you missed all the fun... and the little blue guy was the first of my bears to get adopted!

Laurie - well spotted; actually, the big bear, 'Georgie' is one of the biggest bears I have ever made, at 22 inches.

Thanks, you guys, for the lovely comments - Marsha and I are considering making things a little bigger for next year, with maybe five artists represented.

I will let you know the lineup as soon as we have made a decision
Hugs to all,
Christinex

The three of us before the rush started!!:

More pictures:

Hi guys,
I'm posting the pictures here as I think more people will get to see them.
These are pictures Marsha took at the beginning of the day (good job she did as there was hardly anything left by 3.00 o'clock!!).  Myself, Vicky, and Art had a fantastic day - almost all the bear found new homes, which is an amazing achievement as we had around 65 bears between us!!  :clap:

I can't wait for next year!!

Veronica - she's stunning!!!

I have a question for all you ladies who make dolls as well as bears - is it my imagination, or is there a HUGE difference in the retail price of dolls and bears??  When I was at Schaumburg last month I was next to a lady who was selling the sweetest little felt dolls, which were quite detailed and must have taken her several hours to make each one - and they were priced at $25 each!

Having made dolls (on and off) for years, I know that they tend to take rather more time to make than a bear - and it's jolly difficult to make a good-looking doll - so why do I see them being sold so cheaply?  I wouldn't dream of selling a bear that took me three days to make for $125, but that's the sort of price I see commonly attached to the most beautiful and imaginative dolls.  It makes me want to weep for the artist!!  Is it just that the general public have not been 'educated' into accepting cloth dolls as works of art, in the way that they have come to understand about artist bears?  Those of you who are able to sell your dolls for a price that recognises your amazing talents - how do you do it?  It is a question of getting recognised, winning a few competitions, getting your work in magazines and galleries, etc??

Hugs to all you talented doll/bear/soft sculpture artists out there
Christine

Hi Shel,
I'm not sure, really... different exhibitors will have different experiences.  We have lost several major UK shows in the past year, so Hugglets is the only hot ticket in town, which makes for a lot of dedicated and enthusiastic collectors.  The weather doesn't affect footfall (us Brits like weather! ) as most collectors travel in by train because it is so central and parking in London is a nightmare.  September might be more expensive for you to fly as it falls on the first weekend of the month so is still just within British school vacation time, but the price of a stand is the same for both shows. 
Hugs,
Chris

For Shelli and anyone else thinking of exhibiting;
Hugglets is held twice a year, in February and in September (both great months for reasonable airfares!!).  It is handily located in the centre of London, at Kensington Town Hall and there is a tube (subway) station right across the road, so you don't need to hire a car.  It is one of THE best artist bear shows around - anywhere - and draws exhibitors from all over the world.  If you are interested, I suggest you contact Irene or Glenn Jackman asap because it gets booked up quickly and there is a waiting list.  Their e-mail is: info@hugglets.co.uk
Website: www.hugglets.co.uk
Tell them you saw details on Teddy Talk!!  
Bear hugs,
Chris

Get your hankies out, ladies...
Ok, when I first started making bears about fifteen years ago, I HAD to make it pay because I had just had a long spell in hospital having a knee replacement and my boss had made me redundant the day I returned to work, which was nice!!  Facing unemployment and permanent disability concentrated my mind, somewhat!
My husband's consultancy business had collapsed, partly due to the fact that he was having to drive 60 miles a day to visit me in hospital, but mostly due to the '90s recession.  So he decided to go back to college and retrain as a journalist.  I am proud to say the the bears kept us in those first difficult years and paid for the deposit on our house.  Now he earns a decent wage (thank goodness!) and I don't have to work quite so hard.  But I still pay my share of the bills and manage to put something away in savings each month.  Like Ellen, I could probably earn more doing something else, but I am not prepared to sacrifice my freedom and autonomy.  I know I am lucky to be in the position I am in now - but it took a long hard road to get here and I don't take it for granted!
I agree with Paula that it's very, very difficult to make a good living from bears these days and you have to work extremely hard and be prepared to live like a pauper until you get established.  And probably even then too!

Hi Eliza,
Well, I have been making bears for 15 years and FINALLy got to keep one!    Actually, I gave up waiting for hubby to buy me one so I made myself a bear for Christmas last year.  He is already working hard and has been to two talks I have given this month on the history of artist bears (I speak to branches of the Townswomen's Guild and the Women's Institute). 

On the book publishing thing - have you tried www.lulu.com?  It's a great way to get your own work published!
Hugs,
Christine

Hmmnn...  I'm not sure - unless you got all the bidders' permission first.  I do make all my auctions private - I didn't used to until the occasion I sold a bear and then a scammer pretending to be me began offering second chance offers to all the unsuccessful bidders - fortunately they checked with me first and no one lost any money, but I've made my auctions private ever since and my collectors seem happier with that.

Regards,
Christine

This is a fascinating subject and something I have been concerned about for some time.  I know we are all stepping delicately around the issue, but there DOES seem to be something odd going on with artist bears on Ebay that I don't see in any other category.  By which I mean that some items do seem to sell for eye-popping amounts that are far in excess of where the rest of the market seems to be.  And several times, I have seen those same bears come back onto Ebay some months or even a year later and they make a fraction of what they originally sold for.  I am not suggesting that shill bidding has been employed in all these case, but I really don't understand how a bear can be worth $1000 today and only $100 tomorrow... I personally view Ebay as a necessary marketing tool and one that can't be ignored, but I am very very wary of it!

Best wishes,
Christine

Wow!!!!  How could your customer NOT be pleased????  She is fabulous!!
I have a siamese girl and you have captured that haughty and mischievous look they have to perfection

Hugs,
Christine

As a matter of interest... how long did it take you to make her??

For years I used a board across two adjustable trestles - you can buy them really cheaply in Ikea.  Now I have treated myself to a (second-hand) Hermann Miller Aeron chair, which is as good as all the hype says and has reduced my bouts of migraine to a couple a month instead of at least one a week!!  They are pricey, but there are also cheaper versions on the market - so you might want to check out chairs as well as adjusting your work station.  I honestly can't praise this chair enough - I wish I had bought it years ago!!
Best wishes,
Christine

Hi There,
Ellen is absolutely right.  This lady had a problem before because she bought something from the USA, which is outside the EU (obviously, haha!).  However, you are in the UK and she is in Italy, so there shouldn't be any likelihood that she would get hit with customs duty as you are both within the EU.  From her e-mail she is keen on your bears so I would do my best to reassure her and cultivate her business    You can declare the full value of anything you send her (and insure it too) without worrying that she might have to pay duty at her end.  I wish more of my collectors were in the EU - it would make life so much more straightforward!!
Good luck with this sale - it should be fine and you may have a collector for life!!
Hugs,
Christine

Hi there,
I'm surprised you say that.  In the UK Liquitex is advertised as a high quality artist acrylic - pricewise it costs as much, if not more, that Winsor & Newton and Daler Rowney.  Mind you, there is more than one quality, I think - the 'System 3' range is the cheaper, 'student' range.  But I quite like their artist range and find the pigment level quite good.  The Winsor & Newton artist range is also very good and quite pigment heavy - it might be easier for you to find in France, Sophie?
At the end of the day, I think you just have to try a few different makes and see which suits you best...  I even use some of the really cheap craft acrylic paints, especially if I just need black or white to blend with.

I will have to see if I can get hold of  these Golden acrylics - I've heard of them, but not seen them in Europe
Hugs,
Christine

Thank you so much you guys!!  Your feedback means so much t me!!
Hugs,
Chris

AAAArgh!!!!  Samantha - how do you have time to make bears AND photograph them before Hugglets???  
Your bears are adorable - its probably just as well that we got a preview here as I expect they will all be gone by the time I get around to your stand!!
Hugs,
Christine

Actually, you DO have them in the States - they are just breaking into the US market and are mainly focused in the CA area, I think.  Taking a deep breath here, but... how is selling live turtles different to selling live crabs and lobsters?  Which also happens in the UK and Europe (I can't speak for the US because I don't know).  I personally wouldn't eat a turtle - and I wouldn't want to make friends with a crab or lobster before I ate it, either! - but I guess Tesco is having to bow to local cultural traditions to gain a toehold in the Chinese market.  I haven't seen anything about this in the English press yet - which are pretty down on the big supermarkets, so wouldn't pass up an opportunity for knocking them - but, assuming it is true, this is the murky game you have to play to break into new areas, I suppose.  It's not pretty, but it's a fact of life, sadly.

Regards,
Christine

Hi Ellen,
I'm working on it!!! 
Hugs,
Chris

Hi Ellen,
Well, your lovely creatures keep finding new homes instead of waiting for Hugglets - you will have to persuade one or two to be patient and stick around or you will have nothing to put on your table    Will you be across the aisle from me again?

Thanks, guys, for all the lovely comments and feedback!!
Hugs,
Chris