Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I hate shopping...with a passion. There once was  a time when I loved it and went shopping at the drop of a hat...but now I loath and detest it...I  don't know why I hate it so much.
I don't mind strolling round little shops in the Cotswolds ...but big city shopping....aaaaaaaagh!!

I do love bear-making...and talking....which I can't do right now coz I still have laryngitis...and singing...but ...let's say I'd never get a recording contract!!

nothing like a fine whine.....

Actually everyone at my house thinks it's wonderful for me not to be able to speak....a bit of light relief!! The annoying thing is I can't tell the dog to get down from the chair when she barks at the postman...she's having a ball!!

Jenny

I like wired ribbon...and I go for spots and checks...along with plains. I tend to buy about 1or 2 metres at a time of each of about 3 complementary ribbons. Say brown and cream check, a polka dot in the same colours and a plain brown. Then all the bears I make in that 'colour-way' get the same ribbon...which tends to unify that bunch of bears. I don't then end up with a stack of ribbon I have gone off and won't use. I get it from VV Rouleaux in London ...they do mail order. There are some great ribbon websites but you need to buy lots... www.jkmribbons.com has lots to choose from....as do www.mjtrim.com

I like the wired coz it can be 'arranged' better than the other type....

Here's my pet peeve...people who stand so close behind you in a queue (we have lots of those here in England) ...so close in fact that you can feel their hot breath on your neck...and every time you move up ...so do they. I even try not moving up on purpose so that there is a 6 foot gap in front of me till the next person queuing and still they stand so close their toes are touching my heels. Makes me want to turn round and shout..'Back off...you smelly, pathetic creep!!!!' but of course, here in the UK we're much too polite for anything like that.

I just tread on their toes instead.

I have laryngitis ...and can't speak..I can still type though!!

I try to use the largest disc possible...but sometimes I do use a slightly larger disc inside the body...for the legs only...and then only slightly larger. I do find it helps with 'splaying'. I don't seem to get flat areas...but then I'm talking millimetres bigger...not inches.

I glue all my joints in the limbs and stuff and assemble them, close the openings. I did put an insert in the foot once for a standing bear..then used glass beads and very firm stuffing...he did stand very well.

Jenny

Shelli...I have no idea...the only ones I've ever seen here are the brown hardboard ones which have a rough side and a smooth side...I 've seen card-board looking pinkish ones for miniature bears...but I've never used them..

Well, if she's your first you are a bloomin' marvel if ever there was one!!! (There again I have some real fur I have yet to try...there's another story)

She's fab!!

Jenny

Er...I don't know about those Matilda..I always seem to end up with ones with a rough side...are they hard-board?

Jenny

You will all think I am pathetic but I send them individually. Because I don't know any other way. So I plough through the whole mailing list that way...and I have quite a long list now.

I did have a thing come through on the back of Incredimail blurb which was a mailing list type of thing which I meant to do but never got round to it...now I don't know what it was or where to find it.  It sent birthday things and stuff automatically..

Shelli...I stencilled them onto the background...then used the blur tool to make'em less obvious. I shoot at f11 or f16 wchich means the backgound is still in focus...but any bigger aperture means that parts of the bear may not be.

I only did it very quickly yesterday morning but I know it could be photoshopped to look like this ...but I ain't that good at it...

In fact the one on my website...has been more photoshopped ...it looks better
Jenny

Now this is a sweet clown...I am not a clown person (though some would disagree with that statement...I do have a red nose right now) but I could live with this one. Did you design the face?

I didn't think you could upload 2 photos simultaneously....we are probably about to be told otherwise!!

I have piles of the stuff...but now I have a new rule...I don't buy any more of one fabric than I can make two 15" bears from...because I am sick of having loads of stuff that I now don't like anymore and ending up putting it on eBay.

Congratulations, SueAnn...to you and your husband...it's an achievement these days!!

I have Photoshop...I'm not too good at it though....my son is and so is my daughters partner..so every time they come round to the house it's the law that they have to show me how to do one thing. That way I can build up my knowledge slowly...and I don't forget it. I am getting better all the time...but I won't be winning any prizes for my 'photoshopping'..

Have fun !!!

Jenny

Nice one Paula....I should also be at that fair...but the way things are going I may have zippo bears for sale!! Especially if I keep playing about on this here computer...

Jenny

You are such a clever seamstress, I'm impressed!!

Deb, I wish I could say yes...but I'd be a liar. It's a wonderful old bit of 1930s lace that I bought from a lovely lady who was sadly closing her business down. She had loads fo ends of lines of bits she's had forever...from the 30's 40's and later. I was cheeky and bought a huge bag full for £20...it was a bargain!!

I'm not usually that lucky!!

Here's my first Christmas bear....even though my next fair is in November I usually do a yule-tide theme. Little Star is one of the few bears I am taking. I am afraid my stand will look very 'bare' instead of 'bear'....(sorry)

What a sweet bear

My pattern pieces fit well...but sometimes if i am over generous with the seam I have to do a bit of easing...I couldn't be doing with a pattern that was a pain every time I made it up.

I'm glad I'm not the only one...I was told a while ago, (ah  I remembered who told me ...it was Bill from BearBits...)that it stops the joint going loose and it made perfect sense!

I am afraid I do it the slow way...I hand trim the seams and everything else with my scissors. I don't like clippers...never have. In the end it's personal preference I guess.

I think they'd take some getting used to...and you have to be careful with the pile...ie not to cut it...but I'm sure you could use them...would they trim the seam allowance pile away ? You'd still have to do that with scissors I guess

I do give people a bit of time when it comes to holding a bear...I usually give them 30 minutes...not enough time to go off the boil. If someone comes in the meantime  it's not long to wait. It's a bit of good-will and 9 times out of 10 they do come back.

What I don't like doing is leaving sold bears on the stand..because usually they are the very ones that everyone then wants to buy. I also won't allow pre-show reservations...because that can backfire too. ..and it's not fair on people who travelled to the fair to turn up and find the  bear they wanted has been nabbed by someone before the show started.

I wouldn't bother too much on sparse mohair.. but on the medium and  denser piles I always do. As far as 'glide' goes on the joints I do the opposite of making a smoother surface..I put the rough surface of the disc next to the fur. That way it holds the joint firmer...I can't remember who told me to do that but it works for me.

Jenny