Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Oh Tammy...of course I love all the little goodies and I don't have to share the chocolate either because Twila can't eat them.  HA HA HA HA...they are MINE...ALL MINE.   

The tree is looking great.  I just love doing the ornament swap.  I really missed it last year.

I am beyond thrilled with my ornament.  For some reason I didn't hear the mail person yesterday so they left a note saying I had a package that could be picked up.  I recognized the postal code and felt sick because I thought it was my little Annie & Babette being returned by customs...BUT it was actually an ornament coming FROM Tammy.    Tammy won my Blog Giveaway (Annie & Babette)  YAY for me!!!  I made my housemate open it in the car because I was so excited.  LOL

Here he is!!

Thank you so much Tammy.

I hope the little ornament I sent out some time ago reaches it's destination pretty soon.  If not, my postal lady and I shall be having a little chit chat.   

For the record, I'm jealous...I wanna Fairy Doogle ornament too!!!.      Too too cute, you lucky girl you.

I sent mine off last Monday...he/she had a bit a travel.  I hope he/she doesn't get too hungry on the way. 

Not that I don't have proud Momma Day's a lot but yesterday was an especially good one.  My son's football team won the 5A Football State Championship for the second year in the a row.  My son is a senior so this is a wonderful way to top off his senior year especially since he will be graduating early (mid January) and starting college.  He will walk at the end of the year with his classmate to recieve his diploma but wanted to start college sooner since he's completed his high school requirements.

I blabbed on about it on my blog ( www.appledumplingbears.blogspot.com ) and added links to photos if anyone's interested in indulging a very happy mother.

Hugs,

...You have to pop on over to my blog to find out, silly!!!   

http://appledumplingbears.blogspot.com

You are very welcome!  The follower thing is kind of fun.  I have a big list that I don't even have set up on mine yet (too busy with other stuff) plus, I get sidetracked reading blogs as I check the links to make sure they are working.   :crackup:

You have to use the "minima" format in order for them to work?  As long as you save your original and decide to go back to it then should should be fine.  Have fun!

:redface: oops!  I forgot a word in the link... www.thecutestblogontheblock.com  Try that and you'll get something completely different.   :redface:   :redface:

Thanks too for adding me to your followers list...I added you to you my growing list.   

Edited...Thanks Tammy for correcting my goof.  It must have been Thanksgiving Day overload (ours was yesterday).  It was two days worth for me.  I made pies, turnovers, frosted sugar cookies and then the dinner which of course meant tasting everything as I went to make sure it was turning out okay.   :crackup:  Yep...that was it...I'm blaming the pilgrims.  LOL

Hugs,
Shantell

Did you know you that a blog does not need to have the "follower" feature on their blog to follow it?  You can add any blog  even those not using Blogger such as Typepad, etc. by adding them directly from your dashboard.  Just scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will see a section that says Reading List then Blogs I'm Following and then there are buttons for adding & managing.  You can then chose to make them public or private...meaning they will show up or not show up in your profile as blogs YOU follow.

But...I do have it on my blog with one little follower...poor me!!!    LOL  :crackup:

PS.  If anyone is looking for some really nice backgrounds that are simply to use try www.cutestblogontheblock.com.  Check out my blog for an sample...(shameless attempt to get you to look at my blog    ).

Matilda, our Thanksgiving is this upcoming Thursday 11/27.   My stomach already hurts.  LOL

I started on mine last week but didn't get very far so I'm working on it today.  So far I'm wanting to keep it for myself.         I'll wait and ship it out around December 1st that should be plenty of time for pre-Christmas enjoyment.

Hi Sheryl,

I don't normally make mini bears but for my blog giveaway I wanted a tiny bear to go with the Annie I also created.  The bear is 3" tall...let me tell you, they are just as difficult if not more so then the bigger bears.  There really is no room for error such as the seam allowance...even the tiniest stitch in or out will make a HUGE difference where as a bigger bear you might get by with a small slip and no one would know.  I had to make one limb over again because I literally squeeze it so hard concentrating while I was sewing the seam closed that I shot it clear across the room and still haven't found it.  I think it's under and cabinet.

I enjoyed every frustrating moment of it...too bad my hands are the size of a kindergartner's.   :crackup:   So...what am I making right now...another silly little mini.  I'm determined to conquer.      

Give a go...just go slow and enjoy the process.

Hugs,
Shantell

Thank you everyone!!  I'm just beaming from all the wonderful compliments and responses.  I really had fun with these two.  I have a whole new appreciation for all you mini-makers out there. 

Little Babette has a leg laying around here somewhere because while stuffing the wee thing and closing it's seam (a whole 1/4 inch worth) I some how squeeze just a bit too hard with my thumb and index finger and shot it across the room kind of like a tiddlywink.  I had no idea where it went it happened so fast so I just made another.   :crackup:

Thank you mucho!!

I've added a photo above to my just completed blog giveaway Annie & Babette.  There are also a couple additional photos on my blog for anyone interested.   

Thanks girls...

I spent yesterday (Monday) with my daughter and I'm pooped.  Her apartments is in an older complex in a really nice setting.   One of the managers lives just one apartment over and up from her so that's nice for her since she's not into the "partying" scene (not that she doesn't go out with friends  ) especially at home where she likes things to be quiet and homey.  She making it look so cute.   We had fun just picking up a few things...like a TV stand, end tables all of which had to be put together.  Washing dishes, glass, silverware and putting it away...just general organization...she saved it all for me to help her with.   We rehung (her boyfriend helped her but she didn't like it) pictures and hung new shelves, etc.   Just making it homey.

Loads of nesting stuff...fun, fun, fun.

Hi Friends,

As a way of stepping back in the bearmaking world and to celebrate my birthday month, I've decided to do my first Apple Dumpling giveaway.  You can check out my blog http://www.appledumplingbears.blogspot.com for the details.

Happy Happy,
Shantell

Edited to add photo...addtional photos on blog.

Sorry Aleta dear, it is not closer to Portland BUT if her boyfriend (who I just know she'll marry someday) is accepted into the grad school of his choice this summer, she'll be living in Portland next year.  Won't that be convenient!!!   

YES, on lunch in December, just gotta set a date.   

Brenda...I do not feel grown up now.  I'm still a Toys R Us kid...HA HA HA just different kinds of toys now.   :crackup:   My youngest is planning on leaving the nest early.  He's graduating from high school at semester time which is right after Christmas and starting college Winter term...THIS YEAR (well technically speaking 2009).  I'm really just feeling kind of old.  My 44th birthday is around the corner and I swear my mom JUST turned 44.

Hugs,

It is a shame...hopefully the atmosphere here will settle down as it has in the past and those individuals will chose to come back.  I myself have been very quiet as those who have been around awhile have probably noticed.  So darn it don't go startin' trouble when I was just feelin the grove again, ya here me.   :crackup:   (said with love and no finger pointing)

Big hugs,
Shantell

Brenda,

Is is listed as a member if you search for "Dilu," she just not listed at the top as a Help Advisor.  If she was at actually not a member I don't think her message would still be on the board...all exsistance of her would be gone.  I would just give her some time.  I'm sure she'll pop in when she's ready...or if we bombard her we PM's and emails enough that we miss her.   

Shantell

No that's not fair at all!!

I'm confident that my mother would not have been so gracious and another child would not have been wearing my angel costume.      (that after a few "words" would have been spoken mostly on my colorful mothers part...god bless her.)

Can't wait to see pictures of Elizabeth, the Wise Woman.

My beautiful daughter, Erienne, just moved into her first apartment yesterday.  Of course it had it's moments of "near tears" when she had marked herself out until 2:00 p.m. at the salon she works at...they call to tell her she didn't need to come in until 4:00  p.m. because her haircolor & cut rescheduled and then called at 11:30 a.m. when she was knee deep in moving, no shower, etc., to tell her they had booked her a full-set of nails at 1:00 p.m.    She wanted to crawl through the phone and strangle the front desk.  It all worked out...she went in and did her clients nails and her dad & boyfriend moved all her things. 

In the meantime, I went to pick up a "couple things" for her that she needed and ended up with a trunk full.  It was one of those..."oh, she could use this...and this...and that"...and the next thing I knew I had four bags full of stuff from Target.  She got an early birthday present.   :crackup:   I still have a long list of things she needs and then a list of things that I think she should get just because they'll make her place feel more like "home." I haven't seen her new place yet because she moved to the next town over....   and she has to work ALL DAY today until 8:00 p.m. (her feet are going to be killing her) so I'm going over tomorrow to help her out.  I can't wait!!!!

Hugs,
Shantell

I started my collection of artist bears/friends in 2004/05.  I have about 28 bears/friends (mostly bears) ranging from 4 inches to 16 inches...but most of them are in the 6 - 12 inch range which is what I seem to prefer.  I have several favorites...I rotate them around on my nightstand so they don't get jealous.  Right now I have two sneaky little ones I know are raiding my pantry at night (you artists out there know who you are...what did you tell them before sending them my way...huh?)

Now...I've don't throw stones at me but I've actually been considering putting a few of my bears up for adoption as my tastes have changed since I began this adventure and I think these bears deserve a new mom/dad that will love them as much as I did in the beginning and not just them sit in the same place EVERY DAY.  Okay...I'm ducking now but I did say "considering"!!!

Happy Hugs,

Hi Paula,

Did you see this link? http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=3837

I asked this same questions quite some time ago.  Although my intent was for bears of a much smaller scale than yours if I remember correctly there was quite a bit of good information in this discussion.  I actually saved it in my favorites.  I know there are some links to other sites and so forth.  I hope there's something here that will at least get you in the right direction.

Have fun in your research.

Shantell

I've not been feeling well so my neighbor brought me candy with my mail.  (He brings the mail to us every day because our mailboxes are down our 1/2 mile gravel driveway and he thinks it's a waste of gas for both of us to go).    Sweet ol' guy.   The only trick or treaters I get are in the form of four cats...orange, white, black and then a grey/black stripey thing.  I have Halloween all year.  My kids are too old.

Smarty pants!!!   You make this girl look not so clever.  I sold my discs at a discount a long time ago.  I could have been making cutesy ornaments instead.  Hmpf!!!    :crackup:   Who am I kidding.   

Beautiful!  Does your brain ever sleep?

I'm using Peony too!!!  It is rather soft on the eyes (which I need).  I used Polarbear for ages...probably since the first time we talked about it.  Gosh, that seems like FOREVER ago.  Thanks Shel, for bringing it up again, I forgot about it.

PS.  Brenda...Plum Pudding looks kind of burgandyish to me too...stupid computer.  I love purple...not so much burgandy.  Go figure.

Congratulations, my friend.  I'm so excited (and a bit envious..just a teeny eeny weeny tiny bit) for you.  Can't wait to see all the cute little pictures of you and that little bundle of joy.

   :hug:      :hug: