Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Joanne thank you so much for replying to my question. I did not see your reply sooner as I get lost here a lot and freak out about where I've ended up so I just get out of the forum and re-load it again lol. Thanks so much for your reply, I can now see why Hope meant to so much to all of you and I hope that none of you will give up in trying to save these bears. Another member also sent me a link to the site and I saw photos of Hope, she was beautiful indeed.

I do have to say I honestly, with all my heart, believe that hunting feeling like a necessity for humans is coming to an end. We are out-growing this, however slow and prolonged it may feel to on-lookers, the Human race as a whole is going a good direction not a bad one. I hope everyone tries to remember this when things like this happen to make you feel down. Hope brought such happiness and inspiration to so many lives, don't forget what she taught you all and remember that there are more bears in need of help too.

I'd also like to say approaching hunters with some understanding, empathy and if you can't manage empathy than sympathy, is a good thing to practice. The hunter who killed Hope sounds to me like a good and honest hunter who did not mean to shoot Hope and who does not do so for sport but for the quality of meat etc. It may be hard to hear, but at least she was not left to waste like so many heartless hunters do. From what information you have been given I hope you all try to visualize that Hope left this life painlessly and with thanks given to her by the hunter who took her life. Hope taught you all so much....

Oh really? I'm so sorry I didn't see it! Awww I'm sorry. I get lost so often here and really easily, I try to keep up but it's hard as I'm not really a computer girl lol. I'll try to find it.... might get lost again but we'll see.

Thanks so much Becky for letting me know about it, I can't believe I missed it!

Sorry to tell you this but I work in a puppet shop on weekends that also has lots of Russ brand and I recently learned that Russ has gone bankrupt and what is left in shops on shelves and floating about the internet is all of their products that are left. If you're after one of their discontinued bears you'd be best looking online as Russ is very soon to be nothing more than a non-existent brand. Hopefully you find the bear you're after somewhere, hopefully it was a Gund bear and not a Russ as that is more likely to help you find him.

Wish there was a photo but best of luck to you and how nice you're helping you're friend

I'd also like to add Dawn that I don't believe any living thing deserves to have it's life taken by another. Everything has a right to a life. I just know it is impossible to change my father's outlook on hunting. I have tried to change him before and I now know I'm never going to change him.
I actually think that animals will one day become only friends and everyone will be vegetarian. That is my belief, not just my hope. It may sound corny but that is my belief.

I have never told my father about my "pet" fox - because I know if I did he'd be straight over to my house setting traps etc. That thought alone makes me wish I could change his beliefs but I know I can't.

Just letting you know, Dawn, I don't agree with hunting at all either but it certainly HAD it's place at one time in human's history. We're still in the process of outgrowing it I believe.

Hi Dawn! Firstly thank you so much for answering me about Hope, I wanted to know what you were all talking to me about. Secondly, I most certainly did not mean that foxes, rabbits and ducks are "not important." Not at all! What I meant was it is one thing to shoot a duck for example, and totally another for someone to be comfortable killing a bear. My father is hunter, and he kills foxes, rabbits and ducks mostly. The difference is when he kills rabbits and ducks, he brings them home and mostly we eat them - and the skin is also used to help train his hunting dogs what to hunt and what not to hunt.
Also I'd like to add I actually have a "pet" fox (he's actually not a "pet" as such but he visits me by coming through the cat flap in the door, and will come and sit with me on the couch. He's wild, but when he was a kit - baby - he just started visiting me through the cat flap and started sitting with me while I was sewing bears. He's one of my best friends and he's most certainly isn't unimportant just because he's a fox). I make a lot of foxes with my bears as I just love them. Also when dad happens to kill a mother rabbit or mother fox, completely by accident as he would never  do this intentionally, he brings home the baby foxes or rabbits and I keep them and look after them. I usually let them go free again however sometimes they have to remain pets. We never kill just because it's "fun." I know for my dad it is not about "fun" it just seems to be a part of him, his upbringing, and he always does the right thing. He never kills an animal he doesn't intend to use for food etc. It's not just sport.

It is awful with the bears though. It is wrong. They are not for eating or for sport, they are endangered and they deserve a life like EVERY OTHER LIVING THING.

I don't know what you're all talking about because no one has explained to me who Hope is but I'm very sad that  the bear called Hope has been killed. Killing bears is wrong. They're not like foxes, rabbits and ducks, they're endangered and they're such special creatures in which there are not lots of.

Very sad and I'm sending big hugs to you all who have obviously been following Hope for some time.

I'm so glad we have until Feb as I have about 17 custom orders piled up to work through and I think I'm going to be working on them for quite some time, but I'd love to enter this challenge so if I get time I will try and make something for it.... maybe it will be a dragon or something so it doesn't have to look like a bear lol.

I hope I get the time to enter something..... I recently entered a comp on another forum and since then my bears have really taken off. Trouble is, no one wants to buy the bears I already have for sale - they all want custom made ones and I can only do so much, around 1 bear a week so I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the minute but will try to make something for the challenge! If I don't get it in on time for the challenge I want to give it a go anyway, just for myself as I really want to it's something that is important to me. Can't wait to see everyone's creations!

He's GORGEOUS!!!! Love him to bits

Can someone explain this post to me? I am worried now too but have no idea what you're talking about.... could someone explain?

Your house sounds a lot like my house LOL I have lots of dolls too and LOOOOVVVEEE antique dolls, gorgeous! And needless to say lots of bears too (by lots I mean LOTS) I love your bears though and would really love to have a houseful lol. You should feel priveleged (no matter how man times I spelled it it didn't look right lol)  there's  so many people out there who'd love to have one or more of your bears and don't have one (like me) and you have a whole house-full! Lucky you

Thanks for the info there carlylebearco! Will try and find her

Awwww how sweet!!! And Becky I think it may be a lion cub

Awwww don't slow down your creativity! Keep creating I'm sure they'll be adopted soon as they're just so gorgeous and have so much personality. What I meant was your house must be a super special place right now because of all the bears, you should be grateful you get to spend so much time with them getting to know them before they're adopted. I'm sure you'll have some adoptions soon

Again this dragon is just beautiful Well done Andrea I just adore him

He's so fantastic and great job on your very first 5" bear! Well done  :clap:

Very gorgeous and great leaves I agree What a sweet bear

How gorgeous You have a lot of bears on bear pile right now I'm sure your house much be looking gorgeous with all those bears Best of luck on his adoption

My mum has fallen in love with her lol, she's a gorgeous creation well done Kim

Something I've learnt with ears - ALWAYS sew the back of the ear on first or you get weird shapes happening

Gorgeous and I see he found a home very quickly! Congrats

He's gorgeous Kathy ~ I loved him straight away he's so unusual and unique! Figured by the time I got your email it was probably too late and it sounds like I was correct lol. He's gorgeous.

I love him! Your bears are so different and unusual, really fantastic work

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:

Not sad! Not sad at all ~ bears are some of the most happiness-bring creations around so, not sad, happy! My mum and I make our bears together and we both form GJOYful Bears ~ and the both of us often are told we need to get out more lol. If you are happy that's the main thing ~ lots of people who "get out more" aren't happy so if you are happy making your bears that's fantastic!!!

And your witchy bears are gorgeous!!!

The slideshows you create are addictive Paula ~ I sit there and watch them for hours when I am meant to be sewing! And even worse they FORCE me (yes it's all your fault :crackup:)  to adopt more bears when I should have bought more mohair!!! Great slideshow well done  :clap: