Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Can't wait, I just ordered some great new mohair, now to come up with something spectacular to enter LOL
Brenda, I agree sometimes you do just have to close your eyes and hand over the card 
. They do have beautiful stuff that much I will say but still way out of my price range lol.
hugs
Well Jenny if she wants to go to Disco joints, I have no problem taking her. It is run out of their house but they do let people come in and shop. I agree it's nice to see the mohair you are buying. If there is something you are interested in and there is no picture then by all means feel free to ask them for a picture. Since it's family run and a small operation they do not have the large websites and it's also not full time both Chris and Karen work outside the home so difficult I'm sure to maintain a full website with everything they have.
But again I am more than willing to meet up with your cousin and go out with her.
Hugs
Yes I forgot about uxbearies Brenda, I just can't afford them LOL. They have beautiful Schulte fabric but expensive.
Actually disco Joints is only about 30 minutes from Guelph, their website is http://www.discojoints.on.ca/ they are great people to deal and you will get the best prices on mohair (sorry Intercal) but for us no one can touch their prices. As for fairs the only real Teddy Bear show left is the one in Toronto and it is only going to be once a yr now I do believe and that is in Nov. We live fairly close to Guelph Jenny, if they want to email us we can help them out with getting them started and answering some of their questions or showing them some basic Techniques. My email is littlebearguy@hotmail.com .
Hugs
Shane
I think the merge will be a good thing, fingers crossed. I hope that Jones publishing keeps the quality of TB&F and not the quality of TBR. Hopefully there will be more about artist bears instead of manufactured bears (Steiff and R John Wright and companies like that). I think the artist bears have taken a knocking from the magazines in recent yrs and would be nice to see artist bears back in the forefront in the magazines again. Perhaps advertising prices will come down a bit (but I doubt it). We will have to wait and see, it was just a matter of time before this happened as there was no way the economy could support two magazines without quality suffering. Again fingers crossed 
Adorable 
US Bears,
Yes I realize you were only posting it for the academic purpose, I wasn't meaning that you were endorsing it as one that someone should buy 
. I was just mentioning our experience with having one. I also have an industrial sewing machine and although it will sew through anything they are similar to the fur machine in that it has two gears stop and super fast. There is a trick in working with them and running the large peddle, you have to use both feet, it scares the daylights out of me and I don't like using it. I am sure with some practice it would be ok, great for sewing garments but with sewing bears and having so many twist and turns it's not practical for us to use it for that. So I will likely sell it in the near future.
hugs
Shane
Us Bears
There's also a company called "Bonis" which makes sewing machines specifically for sewing fur. They look a lot different than most people imagine when they think "sewing machine" but they are the best machines for sewing fur or plush material.
We have one of these machines for sewing fur (real fur) I can say they are extremely difficult and dangerous to work with and we don't use ours. They do not sew like a normal machine at all and they do not stitch like a regular sewing machine either. They are used in the fur industry and ours is about 50 yrs old and solid and all metal gears and workings. TO much of a pain to work with. I would not recommend them to anyone.
Have several Janome machines here , like them all. They are pretty good work horses and never a complaint. I think Joanne is right though singers are really good too and we can get them here at Walmart for I think a hundred dollars or maybe just a bit more. You can also get the brother at Walmart as well for under a hundred I do believe. No harm is trying them and if they don't do what you want then you take them back.
hugs
Shane
I agree Bobbie, why have rules if they themselves are not gonna follow them. If I remember correctly a few yrs ago Judi Paul mentioned that she had two bears selected by the judges in one category and they realized their mistake and had to choose between the two and then remove the other one. This of course happened prior to the nominations, but Mindy mentioned it to Judi when she called her to tell her about her nomination .
You are correct Bobbie I noticed that as well when I first saw the list, rule 8 clearly states that you cannot be nominated more than once in the same category. I don't understand why this is happening. Again it has nothing to do with the artist it's the judging itself.
8. You may submit as many entries as you wish in each category, but only one entry from any one artist or manufacturer can
be nominated in any one category. (A) An artist may receive nominations for both an individual entry and a collaboration
within the same category. (B) Per rule 3, each teddy bear and/or ―friend‖ can only be entered once.
Karen I think I have seen one boy bear from you, the rest are just sweet adorable little girls. Most of mine turn out to be boys, but once in awhile a girl shows up.
Hugs
Shane
Well done everyone, big congrats.
I remember buying some when I was in Texas as they had flavours we could not get here in Canada at the time. I bought about 300 packs and the silly clerk at the grocery store had to scan each packet separate, it was a real pain in the butt. Although the mango koolaid made great fabric. It is inexpensive and a lot of fun to play with.
very sweet, it's always great to try something new and I love the colour of the mohair.
big hugs
Shane
Looks good Ed, and I think your just starting so not out of control yet no matter what anyone says
Yeah I just saw the post on the TOBY's extention wish I had known earlier, I gave up working on my piece when I realized there was no way I could get it done by the due date. Of course I likely won't make the GT one either they normally only give about three days notice for their closing 
Absolutely beautiful, I love the pattern and the face. Well done love this little bunny.
big hugs
Shane
Yes I remember them being very late last yr Tami and then taking a very very long time to get the judging done. I believe the TOBY deadline was Dec 31st. I never seem to get my act together to get into the TOBYs lol, and I always say maybe next yr.
Hugs
Shane
I am glad that you like him Ed, he was my first attempt at this new style, my version of an antique looking bear. I still had to give him a clay nose and a big smile. He has no paw pads which is something new for me as well. He needed something to finish him off and I did not have time to do something so luckily enough he wound up with a beautiful had knit hat that suits him so well.
hugs
Shane
I have been to the Teddy Bear Review website and I see nothing regarding the applications for the Golden Teddy for 2012. Just wondering if I'm blind or is it that they have not updated their site with the information again? 
hugs
Shane
In the furrier business they use a lining type of fabric in making the coats. It is sticky on one side similar to duct tape but the non sticky side is a different material. This does not arm the leather and they have used this process in making coats for many many yrs, the bear should be lined for durability and the bear will last longer. As for the inside face, it is made from another fabric, mohair or alpaca or even cashmere. You could needle felt it but you would have to still make an inset out of another fabric in order to needle felt into it as you can't needle felt into the fur or leather as it will not work.
Hope this helps
Shane
UPS Brenda and they get stung everytime. Seems if it is over 200.00 they get stung. I don't think it's huge amounts, one bear was around 350.00 and she was pretty mad at us about the duty but I told her there was nothing we could do about it as that was out of our control.
