Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Awww!! Thanks guys!

I used to get them at my local Sears... but they stopped carrying them.  Then Radio Shack... but they kept them behind the counter (cause of the "roach clip" use :lol:).... and then I found a guy on eBay who sells them and even with shipping they are reasonable!  I get the "Small Open Barrel - Jewelry Beading" ones. 

His ebay ID is kjohnson28 - and here's his store:

http://stores.ebay.com/Discount-Merchan … mainQQtZkm

Oh Judi!  That was too funny

LOL!!!!  You guys crack me up!:P:lol:

LOL!!! "well palced whack" LOL!!!  Yup!  When I told my girlfriend (who is new to bear making) how long it takes me to do a nose she was flabbergasted!

Danni... great job on your bear!!

Oh my gosh Dilu!  I'd wack my hubby on the head if it poked my bear's nose with his fingernail.:lol:

Oh Shelli LOL!!!

Not a problem!  I love helping out when I can!  I've learned SO much from these boards it's nice to be able to give back

Here ya go!  This is just the basting with staples direcitons.... Next time I'm doing a leg I'll post how I fine tune the fitting for my foot paw pads...

There's a few photos and instructions... so I put them on a webpage:

http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/hints/sta … aples.html

They are now!

Hi Donna!

Well, thanks to this great message board.. I'll be able to keep my eye out for ya!

Hi Sue Ann!  Thanks so much!  I had some fun this morning   Yes, I used the less expensive version called Photoshop Elements... I got it a few years ago for $70 (compared to the full version of $700!!)  There's still so much I don't use with Photoshop Elements... that I know I would never have time for the full version!

But I do have to say... there's a lot I did not realize this program did until I got a "help" book... by that I mean a book that was NOT the manual!   I bought "A Digital Photographer's Guide to Photoshop Elements" and learned a LOT!  I never understood how to work with layers until I read that.  Maybe there's a book for the program you have?

LOL Sue Ann!!!  You crack me up

{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}}}} 

Hi Shelli!  Haven't forgotten ya!  Plan to get some pics taken tomorrow! 

"Glamorous car show" LOL!!!  It was my daughter's high school's 2nd annual show.  MAN was it cold!

Oh Thanks Shelli!  I didn't read very thoroughly  :rolleyes:....  I'll keep watching for when she DOES go up for adopton  

And Winney!!  I use the gel pens all the time... but for drawing out my patterns!  The pastel ones are great for the dark backings.  I found that the Fray Check does NOT cause the gel pens to bleed.  The fray check caused even my permanent markers to bleed.  I found that Pentel was the best brand.... Never thought to use them on the RIGHT side of the bear!!  May have to do a clown bear coming up???.....

Just be careful about heating the wax over direct heat (I also make candles LOL!)  That wax can flash into a fire in no time.... you can also melt it in that aluminum pan in a shallow pan of water (a make do double boiler)... there would be less chance of a fire...  I don't mean to butt in here... I'm positive Sue Ann has been doing this a long time... but I just felt I should add that safety note since I've heard too many bad stories about heating wax over direct heat from my candle making friends...

One way I used to just slightly soften a small block of beeswax is to hold it over a toaster for a little bit... but be careful here too that the wax does not drip into the toaster!   I've just softened it a little this way... it never got soft enough to drip.  But I tell ya...I'm going to try Sue Ann's method of melting all the way & using a paint brush!

HI Donna,

That is just so cool that you two used to be next door neighbors... and now you are "connected" again!!

I saw that you were at the Schaumburg show last year... are you coming this October?  I live next door to Schaumburg

Oh awesome Shelli!  Can I ask which brand you ended up buying?  (I may have missed a previous post if you already mentioned that :).  Also...I wanted to say that Olive is just a doll!  I tried to look for her at Gallerie Regards in France and I couldn't find YOUR bears?  Am I looking in the wrong place?

And wow!  EVeryone's avatars are looking great!

Oh Shelli you just crack me up!  Just checkin' in real quick before we go take our Trans Am to a local car show.... (and I'll be bringing footpads with me to work on :D)

I'll take photos of my footpads too... and how I work on getting them sized right - promise    (I forgot to say that I still sew my footpads by hand with a backstitch.  I just never could get the same control with a machine for that part.. and the nose of the gusset...)

I actually got the idea for which stapler (staple gun) to use when I was at Hobby Lobby and they stapled my receipts together... I thought "That's the PERFECT stapler to use for basting!"  You can see a photo of it here at Swingline's site:  http://www.swingline.com/products/produ … =S7029950A  I had tried a regular desk type stapler and I just couldn't really SEE where I was putting those staples.  I like to get them pretty close to the edge so that I have plenty of room to sew without  taking a chance of hitting a staple with my sewing machine.

Here's what that stapler remover looks like: http://www.swingline.com/products/produ … p=S7037143  I happen to get mine from Ed... but then I found you could get them at the office supply sotre :cool:

As for skipping the roach clip part.... for me I NEED to use them   Otherwise I end up gripping my pieces too hard with my left hand and then it hurts really bad....

And oh yes... LOVE that movie "Office Space"!!!!

Well, better run and get ready.  Just wanted to check here real quick

Hi Dilu!

Oh wow!  A  middle of a forest??  I'm not laughing at ALL!  I live in the CHicago Suburbs... but the mohair importers are in California   So I'm just like you when the UPS man comes  ~  I can't wait to tear open that box!!!

Hi Shelli!

Well... I still baste the footpads with regular ol' needle and thread.  I have the mid point of the toe and heel marked on the pad and tack those into place to the heel and toe seam first... then, if the footpad is sized just right.. then I can baste the rest of the pad fairly quickly.  When I first started.. sometimes my footpads were too big or too small... but now I've got them sized correctly (thru trial and error)...

But when I baste most of the bear with staples....
After I cut out the pieces, I clip them together with alligator clips (instead of pins).  I then use an office staple gun (I have better control with that than I do with a regular ol' stapler. 

I then sew my bear as usual.  After the pieces are all sewn together... I carefully remove the staples with one of those staple removers that looks like a stick?  I'm sorry I don't know how else to explain it.  I've seen them at Staples Office Supply.  It's a staple remover.. but not the "alligator jaws" type if you know what I mean (that's what we called them as kids)  I usually just use the remover to take out 1 half of the staple and carefully remove the rest by hand. I want to keep track of the staples anyways.    With the head though... I ALWAYS baste the nose part of the gusset by hand and sometimes the whole head if it's a smaller bear..

I"m not quite explaining myself as well as I'd like to...:rolleyes: I'll have to get a picture of what I'm talking about... but probably won't get to until Monday.  But I tell ya, it's saving me TONS of time!

Wow I'm a little late joining in here... and may miss some points that I thought of as I was reading... but here goes

Hello, my name is Laura and I'm addicted to making teddy bears!  Seriously   If I haven't worked on a bear for over a couple of days... I really get grouchy!

Secondly..... I just LOVE these forums as it is the only way to connect every day with other bear people like me .  And as for when the talk gets "OT"... I don't mind myself... I think of everyone on these forums as my friends... and that's just part of getting to know everone

Shelli you made some wonderful statements that were VERY well put!

Judi, I hear ya on the icing!  I get a kind of "high" from bear making that is sometimes a substitute for sweets. I can't eat sugar either... but mine is hypoglycemia... which isn't nearly as involved at diabetes.  Sending warm hugz your way!

My favorite part of bearmaking...hmmm.... depends on time of day and my mood!  If I'm quite awake and full of energy.. I LOVE creating their faces and see them come to life!  I know we use that phrase quite often... but it's SO true!  In the evenings when I'm sitting in the living room with my family.. I love to sew on footpads.  I used to enjoy basting also then.. but now that I do most of that with staples (go ahead, laugh )- the basting goes super fast (except the head and footpads - those I still baste with needle & thread)

And why I collect?  Cause it makes me smile .  Hubby just started collecting diecast 1/50 scale cranes (even more expensive than my bears!) and now he understands why I collect bears

A belated "hello" to Ginger!  I have to add that I also have admired your work for quite some time!!  Beautiful bears AND website :D

As for bears that stand up.... right now I am just filling the feet up to the ankle with glass beads.  As I stuff the foot/leg, I press the foot down on a flat surface to keep the paw relatively flat.  I do not put a cardboard insert in myself. 

Then also... when I am filling the tummy... I am careful about how many bb's I put in there.  I pour some bb's into a nylon "bag" and put it into the empty tummy.  Then I see if he can still balance alright.  I'll add or subtract bb's till he's just right. 

At the moment.. I've only done that on bears 3 3/4" up to 10" tall.  And every once in a while... I just get one that will not stand -- and so put that in his description