Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
LOL!! LOL!!! LOL!!! That's GREAT!
Thank you soo much, everyone! Your compliments have me over the moon!!! My friend told me (when she went over there with the family) that Samuel (the son) likes to pick up one of my paintbrushes and 'pretend he's painting all that stuff on the walls'! How cute!!! That's the sort of thing that just makes me smile... All of your comments are surely appreciated! I hope I get to do more work in their home!!! Secretly, I'm DYING to show you all a pic of this home, but don't want to be brazen enough to post it... Maybe I'm being silly?
Hey Wendy, that isn't a bad idea! I'd have to figure out what's the best kind of material to print it out on, that would hold up and not become ruined easily... Great suggestion! hee hee
Yes, once they settle down they are wonderfully calm dogs... I am certain that your little girl will bring you several years of pure joy! She looks like a little angel anyway... hee hee hee 
Yes, Frodo knocked our TV OFF of the dresser and broke it. He was just tearing around the house like a nut and slammed right into it! He went running into our bedroom, I heard this HUGE CRASH! and he came skidding back out! LOL
Yep, he was a boy, and yep.... 1 1/2... no typo there. I read after being so frustrated with that whole potty thing, that they can take much longer to potty train than typical. 
I never tried the bell thing, though! Maybe that will work for you! Also, yes, I read that the girls are a bit more 'relaxed' and they 'get their brains sooner' so maybe everything will be all right! You know Berners get their brains in the mail, right? Usually by about 2 years of age, they get them in the mail... 
Also, BEWARE the FRAP-ing Which I can't remember the exact definition right off, but will get back with you.. Frantic - something... Basically, when they are BIG puppies, they will suddenly explode in a burst of energy, tearing around (the inside of your house) and enjoying every moment of it! hee hee hee Frodo did that one time and knocked our TV off of my husband's dresser.... BEWARE the FRAP-ing!!! LOL They don't mean it, they are just big goofballs and SOOOO sweet!!!! And again, you have a girl, so maybe she'll be more lady-like and not resort to that mayhem.... 
I can see why you won 3 TOBY awards!!! They are ALL just fantastic!! I LOVE them all!
Hi all! I thought I'd share a few progress pics of the Star Wars Mural; it seemed like there were a few of you who wanted to see! 
Still some work to be done, but it's coming along!
This is the Left hand side of the playroom in relation to the entryway:
This is the Right hand side:
This is the far wall, or the 'cockpit':
The Death Star will also be in the window on the right side, closest to the cockpit, and there will be more ships, etc. flying around...
Awww, looook, she's already chewing up all of your stuff.... I'm just kidding, our BMD was REALLY good about not chewing up our things in the house!
Hi Brenda! We used to have a Bernese Mountain Dog! He was so sweet... WONDERFUL dogs; they need plenty of excercise! I thought I was the queen of potty training dogs until I had a BMD... Frodo didn't potty train until he was 1 1/2!! Your little girl is such a sweet baby; makes me miss Frodo!!
You all are SO wonderful; thank you SOO much!! I am blushing over here! All of your compliments have just made my day!!
Malanie Jayne, if I ever happen to come visit in the UK, I would be thrilled to paint one in your kitchen!!
The owners are apparently visiting the house right now (it's still being built) and they haven't seen it yet.... I am SO nervous to hear of their reaction! My neighbor/friend and her sister (the one who gave them my name) are there with them to see the progress on my Star Wars mural....
Hi all, I am still working on the Star Wars playroom mural, but wanted to show you an itty bitty one that they asked me to do in her library. I took a few progress pics... This little guy is peeking out from his mouse hole behind her french door, making sure the coast is clear...
Kimberly W.
Actually, maybe TT COULD be an awesome place to actually sell bears! Edie, I hear ya... I wonder if maybe they set up something would it help? I mean, I know that you already can 'buy from TT' to some extent, but if they could set something up that is similar in style to eBay, they could target those collectors that just really like the auction style set up.
One big thing about eBay and why it is so popular is that people are creatures of habit. eBay has become the norm and what's 'comfortable'. No one, collectors OR creators, want to stray from what we know has the results we are used to. One of the reasons I've always stuck with eBay is the same reason I 'stick with Wal-Mart'... it has everything I need and I know where everything is.... does that make sense? SO, if an auction style site could be set up that really has a similar feel and layout to eBay (without copyright infringement), I think that could do it. Ijust think about what goes through my head when I go to a new site, etc. "Okay, now where IS everything?? How do I do (this) or (that)??"
I hope I'm making sense! lol 
Hi Gail! I set up my auction pages with Dreamweaver. It's software that lets you type up and create pages totally simply, and add pictures and such, and automatically converts it to HTML format for your auction. I got it from my sister's now ex-boyfriend, so I'm not sure how much it costs... But I LOVE it.
Considering the fact that eBay doesn't even have a customer support phone number (where you can actually speak to a human being) for their general users... BUT they have a phone number for their power sellers!... Tells me that they don't so much care about us little guys. Perhaps we should petition still... And remind eBay that we ALL helped build eBay, big or little. If everyone who was unhappy left eBay, they'd have a small handful of power sellers, who would soon leave as well because the market would have died. Just a thought!
Jenny, I couldn't have said it any better! I bought something recently (a book for my sister) and paid immediately. In the special notes I asked that it please be sent to her and not me. Well, I got their automated 'Thank you for purchasing and we will leave you good feedback when we recieve good feedback'. WHAT? So was I to either lie about bad service or fear that they would unfairly retaliate? I think eBay should make it where if a buyer doesn't leave feedback for many items, then their buying and selling is supsended somewhat until they leave it? I'm not saying this to be mean, just to remind them that they need to give the feedback, you know? By the way, the seller that I bought the book from apparently never read the special notes, because they shipped the book to me.
As for PayPal no longer holding my money once I reach the 100 milestone.... I have to sell 70 more bears before I can clear this? Soooo, sometime in about two years I can expect to get my funds straight away.... 
Oh yeah, and Clare... One of my dear friends and Teddy artists had a buyer who kept on retracting their bids! Well, that looks bad on her, and she couldn't do anything about it! Artists walk a fine line between trying to protect themselves, and make their collectors happy! And yes, eBay does little to make it a good place for sellers.
What we need is a new, good site for marketing and selling our bears. I have an ETSY account, and they are VERY reasonable, but will the collectors follow? That's the only thing that I fear...
Oh my gosh, now THAT'S CUTE!
Oh my gosh, Kathy... Wonderful you! Hannah's beautiful! What a sign from God that you should happen to come along and save her... :hug:
YES! Now, don't get me wrong, I am all about keeping eBay safe for buyers! BUT, it's unfair to those of us who really do our part to offer the best service possible! It boils down to this... eBay doesn't want to do the extra work of targeting the 'bad sellers'... So instead we are punished.
One other teddy bear artist (and friend) besides me has experienced this same thing... And when this is our livelihood, it hurts!
WOW... no checks or MO's...... Hmmm, that leaves..... PAYPAL! Which is owned by.... EBAY! Something smells rotten....
Kimberly W.
How about this? eBay has set a new policy with PayPal that they are HOLDING my payment received. It will be released when I 1. receive positive feeback OR 2. 3 days after a CONFIRMED delivery AND no dispute OR 3. 21 days after auction end with no dispute. This is 'suposed to protect the buyer from inaccurately described items or items not shipped'. That's all fine and dandy, BUT doesn't PayPal already offer buyer protection? and also, I feel like it's a lazy way of handling the issue. How about target those with less than stellar feedback, or complaints of not shipping etc. instead of punishing us artists who WORK HARD to keep our feedback score up AND keep eBay in good standing???
Did you all know that eBay DOES NOT (a PayPal supervisor told me this) have a general customer support number?? BUT, they DO have a number ONLY for their power sellers! And HOW long has eBay been in business with no customer support phone number? Sounds like another bit of laziness on eBay's part. Gosh, and I thought eBay made enough off of us to provide us with customer support!
I did call PayPal and complain, and they told me, "Sorry, it's eBay's new policy..." and repeated to me when I can receive my payment. Thanks, already read and heard that 10 times!
Kimberly W.
WOW! Congrats, Jeannie! She is tooooo CUTE! Oh yeah, my sister tried to take my big pink crocheted bear you made me... she said she loved her... I told her 'NO WAY!!' She said that that bear just made her feel happy inside, and I told her I knew, it makes me feel the same way, so sorry!!! I almost had to put up a fight, Jeannie!
Okay Christine.... those two little bears are ADORABLE.
Oh my GOSH! This little horse made me GIGGLE!!! He's is just plain adorable and fantastic. How unbelievably CUTE is that??
Still smiling!
Kimberly W.
LOL!
WOW, I think I'd have soiled my britches 'round about the first photo.... lol They ARE wonderful though, and I have to admit I'd LOVE to visit!!!! It'd be a dream come true!
Some of your responses had me cracking up, literally!! LOL So funny and clever! ha ha!
Kimberly W.
