Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I've just spoken to Mindey, as she couldn't get hold of me yesterday and I am staggered (and thrilled!!)to have found out that I have won two TOBY nominations!!!!!!  I just can't beleieve it!!  My hands are still shaking!!!
I'm using my parents' laptop at the moment, so I'll post some pictures when I get home to use my own laptop!!
Congratulations to all you other nominees!!!  There are some fantastic entries!!!

Edited: Finally got pics ready to post:

This is Moonbeam.

And this is Jessica:

I listen to the Harry Potter audio books.  I have been through them all about 10 times, so know they really really well but I'm still not bored of them.  They are definitely my favourites!
I got The Hobbit audiobook for christmas, but can't stop myself choosing Harry Potter instead of the hobbit whenever I sit down to sew!!

What a shame!
I haven't had a letter yet, so didn't know.
They have obviously been having problems booking the NEC for April, which is the reason why they moved it to the Ricoh Arena last April, and looked at doing it in May this year.  I told them I would support it if they did it in May, but obviously not enough people did.  The weekend they were looking at in May is actually the same weekend as the London Dollshouse Festival at Kensington Town Hall, which is a three day major event, and may 'share' some of its collectors with a fair like Bears and Dolls.   My Mum and I go as collectors, so have booked to go on the Friday ths year, so that we had a day resting between the two fairs.  I really thought that they would go ahead with Bears and Dolls.  Its another show that I have been going to since I was a child, and seeing it disappear, along with Ally Pally, is really sad.
It makes me even more determined to organise a really great fair for UK collectors.  How about April 2008?

I am in love!!!!!  
That is one of the most beautiful bears I think you have ever made - and that is saying something as you know how much I love your bears!!!!
Stunning!!

5 weeks!!??!!  EEk!  I must put the laptop down and get sewing!!!  I've got 15 made ready for Hugglets, but as mine are all under 3 inches, its going to take double that many to fill my table!!!!

:crackup:  :crackup:  Ha ha!!
I'm glad I'm not the only one!!!  Once I've started a bear, it feels like they have started to 'come alive', so I have a bag full of half made bears that I knew weren't going to work, but can't bear to throw away!!!  Luckily I work in miniature so they don't take up much room!!!!!

Hiya!
I really enjoyed looking at your bears.  I thought the pink panda had great proportions and a lovely face.  I thought the dog face was super!  It would be great if you could make him a body!!!
I also really love your tiny bear.  Using a slightly different fabric would make it a lot easier to create such a tiny bear.  It looks like you used felt for him?  I find felt really difficult to use on such a small scale - you did a great job!
I started making bears as a child, so didn't have the money for 'proper' fabrics.  I made my first mohair bear when I was 14, for my GCSE Textiles project!  As it was for school, my parents bought me a piece of mohair, and the results were great!  As part of the school project I actually made the same pattern in a cheap fabric, and in the mohair.  The difference was remarkable!
I can't wait to see what you make next!!
Hugs,
Samantha
x

I love these pictures!!!!

Where do you find them all??

A really lovely bear!  Great character!
Jane you are certainly a lucky lady!!!

:clap: Well said Shelli!!

I really wouldn't worry about the background - I'm sure the judges will be too busy drooling over your amazing creation to even see the background!!!
Mr Sandman is definitely what bear artistry is all about!!!  I am in awe!!

Great dream!!! :crackup:

I often remember by most bizarre dreams - last night I dreamt I had a pet mouse that I took shopping with me around the shops as it didn't have a cage and I was searching for one!!!  It was a weird looking mouse with fangs!! 

Very strange dream!!!!  I don't think I really want to know what it means, and I have no idea where by subconscious found that from????

Wow!!  I can't wait to take a closer look!!

He is beautiful!

He looks great with that little cape.  I love him!! :love:

I can really imagine him against a night sky looking up to the stars.  He is wonderful.

Good luck with the auction!

This is fun!!!!

Some of my pet peeves have to be:

-People who drive right on your bumper, and stay there for the entire journey.

-People who drive too fast.

-People who drive too slow.

-Arrogant drivers/aggressive drivers.

-People who don't pick up their dog's mess - its their dog not mine!

-People who let their muddy dogs run up to you in the street and wipe themselves all over your jeans.

-Smoking areas in restaurants.  Its like having a peeing area in a swimming pool!!!

-Noisy neighbours.

-Nosy neighbours.

-The sleeve length and leg length on most clothes is too short for me.  Jackets and coats are particularly bad at having short arms - so I can only buy my jackets from one shop - and they don't even make clothes in a size 8, so all my clothes are long enough but too baggy!!!!! (ok I admit it - I know I am lucky to be tall and slim - but I can't get clothes that fit!!!)

-When you loose a needle whilst sewing sat on the sofa.  You know you have to find it otherwise someone will stand or sit on it, but you really want to just pick up a new needle and carry on sewing!

-When your husband can't remember having had a conversation only 5miniutes after you finished it!!

-Call centres :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted: I hate them!!!!

-Companies phoning up to try and sell you something.  Why would I want new windows when my house was only built a year ago?????

-People coming to the door trying to sell you something.

And I'm only just getting started!!!! (hope I haven't offended anyone!!!!! )

This is fun!!!!

Great thread- I love all those bears!!  Gemma - I can't beleive you have only been making bears for such a short time - you bears look really professional - so neat and beautifully made.  I'm really impressed!!

My favourite bears that I have made this year are the following:

I like them as I feel they are both quite distinctive.  I particularly like the colours of the panda, and I don't usually add many accessories to my bears, so it was fun to make the cape, hat, sledge and presents for my little christmas bear.

I know exactly how you are feeling!
I have just sat here this evening feeling down after seeing a bear made by someone I know has an interest in my bears, which carries so many of my bears' distinguishing features, that at a glance it appears to be one of mine!  It is so close to a bear that I have posted here recently - and I just find it hurtful.  I know its really difficult for any of us to claim 'rights' over the teddy bear - we did not invent it!!  But when you work very hard for a long time to come up with a 'look' which is distinctly your own, I find it infuriating when others can't be bothered to put the effort into creating their own 'look'.
Its really hard to know what to do in the situation - I wouldn't want to accuse anyone of copying.  I guess we all have to responsible for making sure that we never cross the boundary of being 'influenced' by someone we admire and 'copying' someone we admire.
Its a difficult situation - very frustrating and hurtful.

As a youngster, Beanie babies did a lot for my understanding of the bear market in general.  As a child and teenager I collected loads of beanie babies, at the height of their popularity, and as some were harder to get than others, the thrill of the chase was so exciting!  I even went to beanie fairs looking for the rare pieces!!  I have also always gone to bear fairs, but as a child I couldn't afford the beautiful artist bears that I craved!!  I guess beanies and artist bears cater for two very different groups of people.  I enjoyed collecting the beanies as a youngster, but get to experience that same thrill these days when I adopt an artist bear that I have been looking out for, or has been on my wish list for ages.  I have certainly got a lot of pleasure from collecting beanies in the past.

We had a lovely day.  Hubby and I spent the morning at home, and then went to my parents (only 10 minutes away) for christmas lunch.  It was lovely as my big brother and his fiance were there and my younger brother is home from university for christmas, so it was nice to be all together again.
I got some lovely presents.  I got a ThreadTeds bear which I chose at Hugglets in September.  I got lots of things for my dollshouses, some CDs, some books, socks, a cherished teddy figurine, a beautiful book full of Shirley Hughes stories (my favourites from my childhood) and lots of sweeties and chocolates!!
I also checked into Teddy Talk yesterday evening!!  My hubby laughed and said 'surely no one is on Teddy Talk now!'.  He was wrong!!!!
Hope you all had a peaceful day wherever you were.

Great christmas creations everyone!!  I'm really in the mood now - only one day of work left before a two week break!  Hooray!!
Here is my christmas bear.  Her name is Alice. This little bear is only 7cm sitting.

Oh no!!
I'm so disappointed!  Does anyone know if the miniature fair will continue?  I'll have to ring my Mum and ask her if she received a letter about the miniature fair.
I've been looking into the possibility of organising some sort of event/show/fair which takes into account many of the views that have been expressed here on teddy talk.  This news about ally pally gives me mixed feelings about this - does it mean that another large event/fair/show is unwanted, or does it leave a gap in the market for a new event?  I'd certainly be interested in your thoughts.  As I say, I am only at the very early stages of research and I'm yet to find out how feasiable it is for me to organise such an event.
I'll really miss Ally Pally.  I first went when I was still a child and always looked forward to it each year - what a shame!

Well done for fighting!!  Its seems ridiculous that schools want to stop children being musical!!
When I was at school, I wanted to learn to play the violin.  They could only take four people, but five of us wanted to learn.  They told me I wouldn't be allowed to learn as I was the oldest!!!  I was only 9 for goodness sake!!  Anyway, my parents fought for me and we won!  They decided to teach all five of us, and I was the only one to carry on when we went to senior school when we were 11!  The other four gave up!  I played the violin all through school until I was 18 when I won an award for contributions to music at the school!!  It just seems daft now that I almost didn't get to learn at all.  When I think about what I would have missed out on as I went through the school!
Really encourage your daughter to enjoy music.  It can lead to so many great and fun opportunities as she progresses through school. 
By the way, you can actually buy/hire tiny little violins suitable for young or petite children, so they must also have tiny versions of other instruments available.

I'm going to be a Tiger!
Sounds good to me!!

Congratulations!!!
Can't wait to see some pictures!!!
x

Here's our tree:

We put it up this weekend - much earlier than usual but I just couldn't wait!!  You guys have got me in the christmas mood already this year!

I finally managed to submit my photo today!! 
I've been waiting for some new lights to arrive, to go with my new lighting tent, but they haven't arrived, so I had to try and borrow lights from different family members!!  Oh well!
I haven't had a confirmation email from Mindy yet - I'm hoping the email has arrived ok?  Are you able to let me know Mindy, so that I can stop worrying that I have missed the deadline?  Thanks.
Can't wait to see the final Facebook - its going to be fab!

Well done Yvonne!!

And the article inside the magazine is fab aswell!!  I sat and read it in my lunch break at work today - your bears really make me smile, they are so beautiful.