Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Thank you Shelli!

I am going to have to do just that - get on Seller Sourcebook.  Boo hoo.  My web program is so nice and easy and I already know it, but Cyndee's hubby said I can't really transfer some of the language properly to ebay, so it will be sloppy.  OH NOOOO I can't have that.  So, I do just what  you said.  I'm crying uncle  :crackup:

Hugs,
Cathy

Thank you Alison,

Let me know when you hear from her.  Hey Joanne, do you have any active listings right now?  Maybe I should have a look at Sourcebook.  I signed up but if I don't have to use it, I'd rather now   

Hey Tammy,

I did the same thing with my test page, only I copied and pasted.  It worked great - all the photos were there, etc.  BUT, it started at the very top of the page.  Wierd, huh?  Like I said, I think I'm missing one key thing here to make my life a breeze :crackup:

Thanks Tammy, but I WISH I knew this stuff ;-)  I know a bit about html, but apparently not as much as I need to know to get this done.  Shoot, I'm almost there!

Hi Tammy,

Thanks!  I did copy and paste and it worked perfectly.  Except it starts at the very top of the auction and covers up the listing info.  In other words, all the specs on seller, the bidder box, everything is covered up.  Grrr.  This really should work, but I'm missing a vital part somewhere.  Boo hoo.

Hi Brenda,

I was under the understanding that with Auctiva you can only use click to enlarge photos.  Is that the case?  At least that's what they told me. 

Hugs,
Cathy

Does anyone know how to import a web page to the description section of an ebay listing?  I've tried putting the web address in the html tab as well as pasting the entire source code in there.  Nothing.  No good.  I would love to have the ability to build my listing on my website since I know that program.  Would be eternally grateful for the answer - I know there's one out there   :hug: 

Here's a sample page of what I want to be able to do:

www.CathyLynnForcino.com/duffyspecs.html

I'm just being stubborn and don't want to learn Auctiva, Seller Sourcebook or anything else.  I won't, I won't, I won't!  Unless I have to..........  I already know WAY more about this stuff than I want to know  :crackup:

Hugs,
Cathy

Thanks Tami,

And I just ADORE that little guy on the suitcase.  If he needs any hugs, you can send him my way  :crackup:

Hi Susan,

In my humble opinion, if you were "awarded" a ribbon for 2nd or 3rd place or whatever, it's an award.  There is nothing wrong with showing them to the collectors.  I just entered a bear in the Florida State Fair.  It was so silly and fun, a real Doc Hollywood thing to do.  I got 2nd place and a check for $7.00!  How cute is that?!  I sold the bear on my website and sent the ribbon along with the bear to the customer.  She just adored the whole thing. So, do whatever makes your collectors happy.  After all, you're working for them.

As to photos, I WISH I could take a picture that did my bear justice.  Ugh!  If I could just climb into Michele Lamb's head and see what she does. my life would be complete.  Ha ha.  She could have another career as a photographer!

Have fun, pin those ribbons on and call them what you want.  Never feel guilty for receiving well-deserved recognition, no matter what it is.   :clap:

Hugs,
Cathy

Oh yeah, one more thing.  Is my big font buggin you guys?  I never know when someone with weak peepers might appreciate it, so it's kind of a habit.   :redface:

Hi Ann-Marie,

If you can purchase the 222 for about the same as the 221 you found, I would advise going that way.  If the smaller bed is not handy for you, you simply don't have to use it that way.  It would simply make a nicer investment because they are harder to find.  If it's a considerable amount more - some are 50 percent more and up- I would say don't go the extra money.  Unless you're a collector who wants one of each model, you don't need to spend that extra amount for the 222.

Good luck and let me know when you get it.  I'd love to hear how you like it. :dance:

Hugs,
Cathy

Hi All,

Someone alerted me to these questions and asked if I could help.  I'll see what I can do.  Thread - The best is cotton covered polyester.  The polyester is strong enough to hold and should even a little stitch show where you might be airbrushing or in some other way dying, the cotton will take the dye.  I made the mistake of grabbing a spool of all-cotton once and my entire bear popped open when I stuffed it.  ARgh!  Had to re-sew the whole thing after unstuffing.  No fun.

I have both 222 and 221.  I never found a use in teddy making for the smaller bed option on the 222, but if you were to be sewing little clothing it can come in handy for that.  Clare is right on that - taking the bigger bed off allows you fit smaller parts like sleeves in there.  It is a little awkward in that there isn't much room to work and maneuver.  There is a huge difference in price between the two models only because the 222 was introduced towards the end of the production of the Featherweights and there simply aren't a lot of them.  If there were more 222's than 221's, the reverse would be true, of course.

I shudder when I hear of Featherweights in for service.  I know there are good service shops out there, but I hear so many bad stories.  It's so very rare that there is a problem on a Featherweight difficult enough that anyone should need to take it in for service or repair.   If you or someone in your family is even a teensy bit mechanical minded, there isn't much you can't adjust yourself!  Copies of the actual adjustor's manual that service people used in those days are available.  The problem is today's repair shops work on new machines with computers and kaboomba and when most of them see a Featherweight, they ooh and aah but really don't have a clue.  I know of more than one machine that got a brand spanking new motor when all that was needed was a stuck thread to be removed!!!!!  Find the thread, pull it out with tweezers and viola!!!  And I don't even want to get into what unscrupulous repair shops will do.  Let's just say that original Featherweight parts such as motors, bobbin cases, foot pedals, etc can fetch a pretty price.  So, they get the fee for the repair PLUS a bonanza for the sale of the "broken" parts.    Talk to an old-time Singer man (and I say man, because only men repaired sewing machines in those days) and he'll tell you - these little beauties rarely break.  My Singer friend told me the only time in all his 50+ years in the business that he found a burned out motor was after a woman sewed those heavy braided rugs on hers for years.   And years.  And hours and hours.  In other words, she really used her Featherweight  :crackup:

Well, I didn't mean to take over this thread  :crackup:   Truly, anyone who has a question or a problem with your Featherweight, please feel free to contact me.  I'm always more than happy to help a fellow bear artist and if I can't answer your question, I'll find someone who can.   I truly have owned over 80 of these, although I have re-homed most of those.  My husband has a fondness for these Featherweights as well and he has a knack of finding them! 

Hugs to all!
CathyLynnForcino@aol.com

:clap:

Yay Christine!  You rescued an absolute treasure.  Oh, what good fortune to come across a dear Featherweight and save it from such a terrible fate.  That's a wonderful story!

You're welcome!  I'm so pleased I posted my Featherweights here first.  I've already placed 3 of them to fellow artists and I can't think of a better new home for them!  I also placed one with a quilter and she's equally delighted, so I'm making room and making friends all at the same time.  Thanks again for suggesting Teddy Talk!  The best people lurk here  :hug:

http://www.cathylynnforcino.com/sewing%20machines.html

Hi all,

I've had several lovely ladies contact me after finding me on here.  Do mention that you're a fellow bear artist.  I always show favoritism to bear artists and am happy to work with them.  Hey, they have a soft spot  :hug:

Oh, Carolyn I know!  I had one of those fancy ones with all the cams.  It sewed ok I guess, but it did need fussing with the tension and such.  Once I got my first Featherweight, the Cam Queen went to Good will  :crackup:   One of my dear friends has her mother's Featherweight and it's her very dearest possession.

Ha ha.  Don't feel bad, Shane.  She looks that good twice a day.  For the 5 minutes AFTER I've combed her out!  Tee hee.  This is my 4th Maltese and my first tom boy.  All the others were little prissy butts that just wanted to adorn silk pillows.  Um, not this one.  She runs with me while I roller blade, rides with her head out the window, well, you know.  REAL dog stuff.

You may want to avoid getting a Featherweight. I promise it won't be your last one and you'll be addicted.   :crackup:

Thank you Sue Ann.  They are all my little treasures and I cared for them like I do my pup!   And you see how I care for my pup!

Thank you Cyndee!  I'm so delighted that you love your Featherweights.  I love it when a bear person gets one of my machines.  I only allow nice people that promise to give my sewing machines a good home to have one  :crackup: So, anyone who might be interested, check out my site and click on the Sewing Machines link.  Hubby wants some of them gone.  Pooh!!!
www.CathyLynnForcino.com

Ha ha.  Glad I could bring a smile.   :crackup:   

Now, don't get me wrong. I love dolls.  But, dolls like teddy bears should help us escape our reality, not bring more reality to us.  We need the good without the bad and crusty belly buttons aren't good. Hey what's next - poopie diapers?  Um hmmmm

All I have to say on the subject is, if I ever get a doll that still has a crusty belly button I may go plain stark raving mad.  Well, EWWWW :crackup:

I think I'll stay with bears.  They are cuddly and have no scabs.

Hi Joanne,
I'm originally from Western Pa, so I like your decorations very much!  Yes, Cyndee is right - I was offline.  We had a storm that knocked out our telephone lines for over a day.  So, no phone, no internet.  Gee, I got lots done - ha. Anyway, I did some research and found that link to have the best price on the large lamps.  You can get the small ones, but they aren't the same at all.  I think ours was a litttle under 200.00.  The link I sent Cyndee is a GREAT deal!  Hope you get one.
Hugs,
Cathy

Thank you, Sue Ann.  My tree doesn't spout up quite as high since I have a tall tree.  If the tree is too short, it looks like a whale spout  :crackup:

Beeeeutiful flower print.  From a distance, I thought you had an old bear pic ;-)

I think everyone should take up a collection to get Aleta the Christmas Story dvd.  No one should be that deprived- haha.

Here's a couple small videos I found of the tree snow.  I don't have a video to make one myself.  Sorry.

http://www.cathylynnforcino.com/snowingtree.html

Thanks Melanie!

I had just started my decorating when I took that photo, but it's tradition.  It's always the first thing to go up.  So silly, but everyone gets such a kick out of it when they walk in and see it.  It surprises them and most have seen the movie.  I also have 1950's yard ornament lanterns.  Hey, I'm a kid of the 50's ha!

Here's another shot taken at night without the bright sunshine  (Hey Cyndee, does this count as a tree picture?) :crackup: