Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Shows?  Shudder!  My biggest nightmare.   All that expense to set up a table and then a lottery to see if they sell or not - gulp!  As Chris mentioned, our shows here in the UK have been a bit of a concern lately.  That aside, I used to do about half a dozen shows a year, but I'm ruthless now and if I don't enjoy one, I drop it.

So far this year, I've only done two shows, both big ones ... one went brilliantly and the other was a long, long drive for no apparent reason.  So, I didn't have any more shows booked for the entire year until I relented last week and booked an old favourite of mine for later this year and it happens to take place fifteen minutes up the road from my home.   Lazy eh?

I made a couple of bears from commerically available patterns years ago and was quicky bitten by the bug.  Those patterns just didn't 'do it' for me though, so I started to fiddle around with bits of card, a pencil and a large eraser (!) and gradually found my way into design.  Here I am more than ten years on still fiddling! 

The first bear I ever made was of course, a blob.  I laboured over him for days, stitching purely by hand (ouch) and praying for miracles.  Sadly the miracles never materialised, but 'Orange Blob Bear' did ...

No, he's not an original Paula Carter design! I purchased him in 'pre-cut' kit form from the local toyshop!

Below is one of my first ever completely all my own work bona fide designs ... meet 'Pomeroy' ... I wonder where he is now?

Hi Louise, I just played around in the 'Fireworks' programme I use for my photo editing.  It's easy peasy to make one in there!

Sleep tight Laure - I've just had my lunch!  Isn't the internet amazing?

Well I live and learn!!!

I'm sure he'll do just fine!!

Laure what a nightmare!  I can't be of much help technically speaking, but I can imagine how frustrated you must feel.  I do hope things come good soon for you. 

I'm fortunate enough to own my site.  I pay a hosting company each month to keep it advertising for me and I do all the updates and editing myself on a daily basis using 'Dreamweaver'.  I'd love to have the time to spend to learn to do more fancy things with it, but the bears won't allow it!

Good luck with getting yourself back on air so to speak!  Will look forward to a trip to your new shiny, all your very own, website soon!!

Hi Rita,

I have all components listed on the reverse of my hangtags.  I think there may well be a legal requirement to do this in the UK - I'm not sure though; I may be thinking of bears labelled CE (suitable for children) only.  The British Toymakers' Guild is a great source of advice for such things - www.toymakersguild.co.uk 

Also, a phone call to your local Trading Standards office should clarify things for you.  They are usually really helpful.

I think, if in doubt, add the details.  It certainly doesn't hurt to be as helpful as possible!

One thing I have found, is that to have the components listed, certainly puts international customers' minds at rest when their bears have to go through customs.

Don't you folk have haberdashers?  My goodness, what is the world coming to!

As a dedicated embroiderer of traditional noses, I shall wait for the answer with baited breath!  I'm assuming a wire is baked into the clay?

Hi Mel!!!!!!!

Fancy finding you here! :)

I've made musical bears before (long time ago) and popped into my local C&H Fabrics store (I'm not sure if there's one in Orpington or not, but there will be a haberdashers I'm sure) to buy some of those little brass coloured rivet things (not really rivets, can't think of the proper name for them!) which you bash together so that they seal on both sides of the fabric.  They make a neat finish - you can pierce the hole through the middle and the key fits through beautifully (cord would too). 

I hope that makes sense, mind you, I've just reread it and I'm starting to have my doubts!  Either way, I'm sure the assistants in the haberdasher's will know what I mean if you ask them for help. :D

Good luck!

My bears usually take between 10/12 hours to complete.  Fortunately, I rarely costume them, because that would be time-consuming and nibble hard at the profit margin!

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!  Lovely to meet you all.

Thank you too Shelli for the plug - very much appreciated!! ;)

Seems like this place is buzzing already and I'm delighted to see that Chris Pike here in good ol' Blighty, has been signed up as a help advisor.  Good luck Chris!

What a great opportunity for the bear-making community!  Wishing you all every success and thanking you for the invitation to participate. :)

www.allbear.co.uk