Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Daphne..you are so right...today I feel violated and it's left a nasty taste in my mouth...but it isn't worth the time or the effort.

I left her a negative feedback and discovered when I checked it there was another negative right next to mine...so I am not the only one she upset this week...she has had 3 new negatives just this week!!

Next time I shall check the feedback before I bid!!

Thanks everyone!!

I have used the Ebay facility to get feedback retracted...I guess they look at the circmustances first before deciding. But I knew she would do this!
I really do think that upheld complaints should be dealt with differently, she should have the opportunity to defend her actions but not to hit back in this way when I have genuinely got a complaint

You may remember my problem with an item I bought, which when it turned up the colour looked nothing like in the  photos or the description. I got awarded a refund by Paypal who upheld my complaint....now the woman has left me negative feedback.

I am disgruntled because it's a bit like if I buy an item from a shop and it turns out to be not what is described, (it's illegal to sell something that is wrongly described)..and the shop then takes it upon themselves to slander and libel me and damage my reputation because they don't accept my right to complain. This is a serious problem with ebay as this 'feedback' thing is always the mechanism for vindictive people to use this as a means of venting their anger at being 'found out'. I do think that if a complaint has been upheld by Paypal and ebay, negative feedback aimed at the complainer on the part of the wrongdoer should not be allowed.

I wrote to ebay fearing this would happen and all I got was a stock response from someone who had clearly not even read my email....so that was a waste of time

This has now damaged my feedback through simply complaining about a fraudster.

Buyer beware!!!!!!

I do it the first way...i.e remove the seam allowance then add it again after I enlarged the pattern. I do it this way because once I did a very large bear...and it ended up looking extremely hideous, with a monstrous head as I forgot to take into account that doubling the size of the pattern doubles the seam allowance...hence the monster bear head.

When I reduce the pattern size I did discover (in my experience...not necessarily everyones) that as my bears have relatively short snouts that reduction causes the snout to be too short so it's worth considering the proportions when enlarging and reducing as your pattern may work as a 14" bear but not be so successful as a 10". Like I tend to use the same head on my 14 inchers as I do on my 17 inchers...because while the body gets taller the head doesn't necessarily need to be bigger. Especially with my baby face bears ...otherwise you get...'monster baby'.....aaaaaaaargh!!

I have to say that I totally agree...I look at the bears regularly but often make a mental note to comment then time runs out on me....

But without a doubt the work is always superb.

what a sweet little cub!!

She's lovely....very pretty girl!! What a nice Christmas your friend's going to have!!

Wow...I can't get my head round this needle-felting ...it looks too difficult to me, like knitting and stuff ...both bear and bauble are superb

Love him....i love the pyjama look!!...and the tree!!!

He's just lovely!!

She has 19 negative feedbacks in 12 months...My son says I should have known better ....and yes I should....you live and learn!!!

The cheeky so and so has now sent me the invoice again..asking for payment...despite the fact that I paid within a few minutes of the auction finishing a  couple of weeks ago and Paypal have refunded me the money because they upheld my complaint....

I guess she'll now give me negative feedback citing me as a non-payer...but rest assured if I ever bid on any of your auctions... I do pay..

Sometimes I think ebay is very risky....

Thanks Amanda...What I decided to do is that I emailed her and told her that I am prepared to post the item back for the same amount that she charged me (total rip-off!!!) and if I haven't heard from her in 7 days with her decision about returning it I am going to donate it to a charity shop....I think that is fair enough. I don't want it...but I don't think I should be expected to pay to return it to her...

Advice sought !!!

I bought an item (fur coat) from ebay..and when it arrived it was not even vaguely like the colour depicted in the photographs or described in the sellers description. It was described as blonde...and was clearly plain brown.
When I approached the seller she was unhelpful and claimed she hadn't misrepresented the item and that I should have read her 'smallprint' which states she doesn't do refunds. I offered to pay the return postage if she would refund me but I got a categorical 'no'

I took it up with Ebay and Paypal and my complaint has been upheld and they have refunded my money....what do I do with the coat now? Do I  send it back..I don't want it....and as she was so unhelpful I don't feel like I want to pay to send it back to her....

What's the form on this sort of thing...does she have to pay the return postage? I have scoured eBay and can't find any info....

Jenny

Needless to say,Nina,  my thoughts go out to you, too...

Jenny

Don't you thing that a bit of make believe for children is a good thing. There will be plenty of time for harsh reality when they are older....mine believed in Santa right up to the end of primary school..(if I can remember that long ago)...but I think allowing them that fantasy lets them open up their minds and emerge as creative, imaginative adults.

I think children aren't children for long enough these days...what with mobile phones and computer games....whatever happened to the good old the Teddy Bear!!! LOL!!!!

To add to the list of recipes:

4oz pudding rice
1 3/4 pints milk (full fat) (this is the slimming version!!!)
2-3oz caster sugar
1/2 oz butter
pinch salt
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

Butter  a 3 pint pie dish
wash rice well
put rice in dish with milk and stand for 30 mins or so
stir in salt and sugar
sprinkle with flakes of butter and nutmeg
bake at gas mark 1/2 or 250f  ( lowest temp poss really..makes it really creamy) for 4-5 hours...the slower the better. I don't stir mine..

Oh and it's got to be served with a blob of home-made jam in the middle...or a drizzle of golden syrup...I did say this is the slimming version..

I totally sympathise , Shelli...I remember when Lucie and Oliver came in from school one day ( probably then aged the same as your 2) and Lucie said to me...
' There isn't any such thing as Father Christmas is there...it's your Mum and Dad that bring the presents isn't it?" and this in front of Oliver who is 2 years younger and still believed.

I really had to think on my feet....so I said...'Oh yes there is such a thing as Father Christmas but the thing is, he only comes to people who believe in him...' She didn't quite know what to do then!!

It's terrible when the time comes to burst the bubble...and I loved it when they believed....

My parents used to send us off to bed early on Christmas eve...and we were told not to get up or open our eyes or else our presents would fly back up the chimney...I remember trying desperately not to open my eyes...my sister used to say she could hear sleigh bells!!

I miss having children around at Christmas....but now we have our two Grand-babies for Santa to visit.

I like to read 'A Christmas Carol' on Christmas eve....that and have one or two too many glasses of sherry!!

If I had time I'd go to Stratford-upon-Avon  to see their Christmas production...we went to see Alice in Wonderland...and they did The Wind In the Willows....not exactly panto...but they make it very seasonal.... I dunno what they're doing this year

Alas there's just no time.....like the white rabbit said.....'I'm late......I'm late'.....

Oh, last year we did go to a Christmas Music concert at the Symphony hall in Birmingham...that was good...Walking in the Air ..and all that kinda stuff

For as long as I can remember I have done what Paula does...have driven around to find a tree 2 or 3 days before Christmas (that  is part of the fun!!) ...then spent an evening putting it up!!

This year we have a very naughty kitten who climbs everything so we decided that we are having an artificial one...because last time we had a kitten and a real tree she fetched nearly every needle off it by 12th night. Lovely mess!!!

So with 2 new little babies in the family I decided to get on with it early this year..and have fiddled around today, making it look pretty instead of getting on with my bears. I have never had a tree up this early and I feel a bit silly. My sister, who lives next door, has hers up though so that's 2 of us early birds at least!!!

I have finished the sitting room and plan to 'do' the dining room at the weekend...

Danni...I wouldn't be too sure yet...I would reply by saying that you feel sure she will be able to clear the debt in 7 days...and be nice, this time.
But.......if no money shows up within 7 days...send her a small claims demand via the courts (it's very cheap here..I wouldn't know about Australia but I'd guess you'd have the same thing in place)....that usually does the trick.

My husband has a roofing business so we often get this kind of thing...a letter from the court threatening action which will affect their credit rating usually works...that, or the threat that we might take their roof back!!!

Good luck!!

Jenny

I started making teddy bears in September 2002 and I did my first fair the following May.

I absolutely agree that it isn't how long you've been doing something that matters...it's how good you are at doing it. Doing something for years doesn't necessarily make you good at it or buy you a natural talent....Some people can just 'do it' almost from day one....maybe becuase needlwork is their thing anyway...or they have an artistic bent. Me, well I was a total dunce in the needlework class at school...but the need to strive to make bears made me learn how to do it. I'm still learning.

If you are getting good feedback from people that's all that counts...

Yes , Yacht or boat suppliers or Chandlery...In the rope section usually. I get mine from Seamark Nunn here in the UK but you'll get it cheaper locally....I get number 2 which I believe is the finest...I also have no 4 which is a bit thicker and great for sewing up the neck after the joint goes in. The knots really hold too.

I'd shop around because the price can vary.

I don't do a huge amount of needle sculpting. But I use whipping twine, the very thinnest one, from a yacht chandlers. For these reasons, one it's incredibly strong and you can pull extremely hard on it, two, as it's designed for knots ( and I use it to tie in the eyes) the knots won't slip when you tighten it and three it doesn't cut into your fingers when you pull on it, unlike upholstery thread which is a killer.

It does come in various colours including black and white...which are all I bother with as you can't see the tiny sculpting stitches any way. I use upholstery thread for stitching up openings, ears and stuff.

It tastes like clementines and mulled wine...

Dear Santa...Please can you arrange for the Teddy Bear making fairies to come to my house when I'm asleep and cut out , sew and stuff the bears I drew up yesterday. Then could you please make my bum smaller and my face less wrinkly.....

But if you can't manage any of those things I'll just settle for a new pair of slippers and some bubbly stuff for in the bath.