Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I get three times the hits on .com as I do on co.uk/I make sure I have bear  ,wee scone ,mohair and vintage in the title.The ooak on .com is the one I use and because I have vintage in the title it shows up to people who collect antique bears too.I get more if I list on featured but it is quite expensive.Swings and round a bouts eh????
Diane xx

Here I am lurking about and saw a subject close to my heart.First let me say to all of you fellow veggies "I love you all and you make me sooo happy!!!!.
I have been a vegetraian for 34 years now during which time I was a competetive power lifter and gave birth to a baby just under ten pounds.I say this to halt the "its not healthy folks".My daughter has never eaten anthing with a face and is an almost six foot 17 year old who has not been to a doctor since primary school.
The moment you stop eating meals that involve the suffering of animals you will see and feel changes.
I love all vegetables and grow most of them myself.I don't like the brown meat substitutes as they taste too much like cow for me.I do like marinated tofu andthe white quorn products.I live mostly on wholewheat pasta and brown rice with curry.I love indian food best.Make sure you do combinations like brown rice with lentils and brown bread as they replace the first class proteins.Avacado pears give your your vitaminb's.Variety is the best way to stay healthy while being a veggie.It is easier to eat properly as you take in much less fat.Meat rots in your stomach for as long as three days but vegetables sail through so you will have happy bowels too(nothing like a happy bowel)The downside is the wind.I could probably power a small generator single handed.Vegeterinas live ten percent longer too statistically.
Think of the gorilla eating his vegetables and being one of the strongest animals out there.I have never missed meat and love my food.
You willbe a true animal lover and not just a pet lover too.
Hugs of encouragement!!!
Diane xxx

Clare I just wanted to say good on you for a lovely post and nice pictures.Your bears look so cute in the garden.
Best of luck with your sales ,you certainly work hard and deserve them.
Diane xxx

TT is getting like having root canal work done!!!I work on bears all day long with just my dogs for company.They are now giving me far more intelligent conversation than this place.
I said last post I was not happy clappy or caring and sharing enough for this place ,now I think I may be just the opposite.I am off to discuss needle felting and mohair stockists with my pond fish.
Diane

Good to hear I am not alone with the heads all around!!!
One story I always remember about my granny is when my papa got a new car.The door was a bit wonky (it was a second hand banger) and I remember him telling my granny to lift it slightly before shutting it.We all watched as she lifted the car clean of the road.Just one side of course.
I used to slam car doors badly.I was on a first date with a guy years ago and slammed it so hard I broke a bit off.Munutes after that I kicked him in the head while puting my leg over the gate.The worst was still to come.After he went home I discovered Hayley had picked up nits (head lice at school) and I had to phone him and ask him to check his head ha ha.We never went out again surprisingly.
Well back to my multi tasking.
Diane xxx
p.s I like the comment about the german boy he he
Scone is pronounced here just like John but some english say scooone!!!

I have a memory of seeing stuff like that mentioned in a fred aldous catalogue.They are helpul if you e-mail them.
http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/
Also crofts mill has some weird fabrics too.
Good luck with that.Is it like when you go to the doctor and ask advice about something your friend has???Is the wig really for you????

Hi my granny is the one who called me wee scone and it is after her pet name I named the bears.I mention this only as my granny and papa used to visit every sunday and since I have decided to be a sunday visitor I feel like my granny.She was nicknamed Samson for her incredible strength.I remember her in her seventies carrying a huge wardrobe across the room with ease.I take after her and have freakinshly strong arms.I took up bodybuilding and made them even bigger haha.
Its nice to see things are lighter here and I won't get a cross face to iron anymore.
I wondered today while working if any of the rest of you have days where you want to make about six diferent bears and can't settle.I am in the proccess of making a bright pink girlie I want to wear a dress I just bought on ebay.I had to stop and design my take on an antique english chad valley bear that I love,now I am in the mood for a big german boy.I wish I was like the bad guy in spider man 2 with all the arms!!!!!
It is offensively hot here so maybe my brain has overheated!!!!
Nice to see you all.Hugs Diane xxx

I just popped in from the isle of Skye!!
Am no very big and am auffie shy!!!
Me again briefly to say please stop thinking about stuff so much.

I am so sorry if I helped provoke any of the heavy posts that I read this morning.I didn't mean to be a drama queen and exit like Marlene Deitreich.I was just brought up to say goodbye properly.
I think it is a great place but I am not happy clappy or caring and sharing enough perhaps to conribute much.I was finding very few threads to join in and those I did I was at odds with.This is by no means a bad thing???.I have had loads of nice messages and plan to pop in at weekends and check it out.I am not meaning to sound like a celebrity gracing you with my presence.Gosh its hard not too sound a real numpty!!!
Nobody offended me or hurt me I just have sooo little time off that I have to spend it carefully.and not feeling like being a nippie sweetie!!!
Thank you for all your good wishes and for saying you would miss me.
As for miss or mr flamingbear  .I think you are hilarious and a real tonic.I don't get the hidden identity bit but perhaps you are Tony Blair or George Bush or even Mrs Clinton .Keep posting and offending its what makes the world go round.
A man on the bus a few months ago let rip at me for talking to the driver.I have to add I was merely answering him and not trying to endanger the passengers.I had to stand up and thank him publicly for the first row I had had in years.It truly made my day.
So get back to your threads about chocolate and lusting over movie stars and how hideous marmite is.I expect to come on on Sunday and see lots of mindless crap and no bickering.
Big slurpy over the top kisses hugs and totally inapropriate behaviour.
Diane xxxxxx

Oh dear how sweet you all are.
What is it you say "touch base "I think.I will pop in and see if you are all behaving fom time to time.haha
Thanks for all your kind words.I am touched !!!
Diane xxx

I will not be around any more as I really must work harder.
Thank you for all the laughs and friendly banter.I don't think I am really the right fit for TT but I have enjoyed meeting you all.
Best wishes for the future and continued success with all your endeavers.
Diane xxxx

I don't know him either but he sounds like a Voltaire fan.I love Voltaire especially Candide.If any of you haven't read him you should give it a go if you like philosophy.
Diane

Yep he was along with....
            Pythagoras,George Bernard Shaw,Einstein,Ab Lincoln,Tolstoy,Gandhi and Mark Twain to name but  few and of course that famous artiste Diane Kennedy ha ha.
This is what Leonardo said

"The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men."
          Leonardo da Vinci, artist and scientist

Sorry if that didn't go down well.I always do stuff for animals asia  at that time of year. and had seen other fund raising stuff on TT.I will bow out gracefully.I was going to do all the work Paula,I know you are busy.
hugs Diane xx

Lets not be picking on each other now naught naughty!!!And lets not disapear up our own bottoms imagining we are Leonardo DaVinci's either(he was a veggie by the way).
Lisa has achieved way more than most of us ever will and has worked her bahookie off to get there.There is also a vast difference between making bears for fun and extra money and for supporting a family.
I have been hurt in the past after giving away too much and others probably have too.This is bound to affect our outlook.
Lets all try and see things from other points of view.
Group hugs
Diane xxxx

It shows in your work dearie!!!!!!

Why don't we all pay five dollars per bear entry and the money goes to animals asia for the moon bears.We could make it a  friendly competiton and get a non TT beary person to Judge just for fun.I will happily supple a wee prize!!!
Just a thought since it is near to Christmas.
Hugs Diane xxx

I think I maybe think differently to some of you.I do think having specific techniques explained blow by blow does affect the end result.I think if an artist sees something extra on a bear by someone else and thinks "I like that and I fancy doing something like that" and then goes off and does their version of it this makes a unique take on an idea but if the exact method is explained that artistic twist is lost.I am sure many of us have produced mutants in the process of trying to master something.This hopefully ends up with a truly unique bear.I don't do any of the specialist eyes and pads and claws etc but if I wanted to, I think I would plod away trying to master it in my own way.I am by no means picking fault with what others do and people asking for help I am just worried that it affects the outcome.It seems a bit like running before you can walk.There have been many posts in the past where people have been dissatisfied with their bears and seem to think adding embelishments and fancy techniques improves them.Maybe it does in some cases but to me you have to go back and improve the basic design of the bear instead.It must be hard for aspiring artists to see some of the wonderful work displayed on TT and wish they could produce the same type of thing but there is no substitute for puting the time in.
I look at some of the bears and they inspire me to work much harder and try to improve.
I have passed on many tips about dyeing fabric and sewing etc and think that just saves time for other artists.
I don't think asking for help is cheating ,I just think learning for yourself makes you a better and happier artist.
Please don't hate me I am a bit like Jim Carrey "I cannot lie".
Hugs Diane xxx

Oh dear,I am very sad for you.16 years is a long time.
Dianexxx

Thanks girls.They both seem to work but I may make  aol the only one.I am too lazy to add anythin fancy to my site.Keeping it updated is hard enough!!!
Diane xxx

I might not be able to join in as I don't do anything fancy anyhow.Ageing is as high tech as I go.I will be interested to watch the results though.
Hugs Diane xxx

Thank you so much for testing my site.I was tearing my hair out yesterday.I tried to cancel it all together a few weeks ago but was tied inot a contract.The webmail that goes with it seldom works and i would not accept m aol.Sometimes I think it would be easier and cheaper to not do i myslef but I have learned the progamme now.
Big hugs and many pats
Diane xxxxxx

Wow Shelli,
you go girl!!!!!I guess your button was well and truly pushed!!!!!I like you even more now.
Hugs Diane xxxx

Thnak everyone.I think I have fixed it at last.It worked fine for years and years and then six months ago they chabged their system and the mail is terrible.I hve been trying to change it to aol and think I have finally done it.The webmail is so labourious to open and slow that I cannot use it.
Thank you all for helping out.
Hugs Diane xxx

You put it so much better than me Paula.I sounded like a nippy sweetie ha ha.
Diane xxx