Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I may be wrong but how I understand the difference between roving and batt is that Roving all lays in one direction.  The batt has the fibers going different directions to each other.  I can't remember where I read it, but it was recommended that if you were using roving to pull it apart and lay it in different directions then roll it all up into a ball before starting to felt.  By doing that you were making your own batt.
Donna

I am not sure of the spelling but Rotraud Illish did a CD of designing bears. 
Donna

Hi Jane,
I know they went through a change over in staff and things got pretty crazy there for awhile.  I had trouble getting mine renewed.  I sent emails to Mindy the editor:  TBFeditor@comcast.net   She forwarded my emails on to the correct department.  They have a customer service department:  800-437-5828.  The regular phone is:  617-536-0100.  You could also go onto their website and go to the forum and see if Mindy could handle it there for you.  Good luck!
Donna

I have always looked at Ebay as a form of advertising.  I go there realizing that I may end up with a lower price than what I would put on an item at a show.  I usually will not go less than 25% less than my show price.  Having worked in bear retail I understand how ebay is hurting sales in the stores.  Several times I have suggested to retailers to make their purchases of bears from ebay.  It just kills me to see some of the prices being asked for some of the older artists pieces.  I really don't think there are any easy answers for ebay.  Everyone just has to do what is right for them and hope that they are not hurting their fellow artists.
Donna

Debbie,
If you are anywhere close to Kansas City there is a bear convention in July.  If you can make it to that show there should be mohair suppliers there for you to see and touch the different mohairs.  That is the best way in my opinion to learn about the different mohairs.  The samples just can't give you a large picture of how some of the swirls etc. will look on a completed bear.   Of course, when you can touch the mohair is when I get in trouble with the old credit card.
Donna

Dilu,
Thanks for thinking that I am an Edinburgh advisor but trust me I am not.  I would never feel that I have enough knowledge to come close to filling that position.  To my knowledge Edinburgh only sells Schulte mohair.  I have been lucky enough to have had hands on fabric from Schulte, Helmbold, Norton, Haida and Steinlein mills.  I understand that there is a mill in South Africa but I have not had the opportunity to see or feel their mohair, maybe some day.  Please don't feel that I was knocking Intercal's fabric, I still use it.  Another artist and I were down there in August and left with a nice bundle of fabric. 
The mohair that I had trouble with the stuffing showing through the backing was just in July, so not years ago.  It is a piece that I like and will continue to use but I will not forget to boil it ahead of time to shrink.  The way I dealt with the problem was to airbrush the face.
Sorry if you felt I was stepping on toes.
Donna

Hi Debbie,
The mohair I use for my yorkies and mane and tails for my unicorn or donkey is 3" long.  The retail price is around $300 a yard.  I tried using 1.5 inch on one of the yorkies and it didn't work as well.  There is also the pelt of the angora goat you can use.  Those you can find in 12-18 inch lengths.   I am thinking that the next unicorn or donkey, I may consider needle felting the mane and tail.
Donna

There is a thread on "Horse Hair Whiskers" that tells you how the pros do it.  Just do a search.
Donna

Hi Heather,
I could mail you a few horse hair.  What color do you need?  I have black, sorrel and white.
Donna

Several years ago I sold Haida mohair.  Has anyone tried it?  I know Disco Joints and Teddies purchased the mohair from the supplier in the States. 
Donna

I like Schulte the best.  I used Intercal when I first started and did the washing routine with it to help shrink the backing.   I am not a happy camper when I get a head completly stuffed and see the stuffing through the backing.
Donna

If it is just small areas, I would try the copic markers.  You would have good control of where you wanted the color and if you didn't like it you could wash it out.
Donna

I agree with Sabine about buying the tipped mohair, but if you can't get it or need a special color you can tip it but you have to be very careful and take it slow.  I would use the Earth Pallett Dyes from Australia since they are so thick and stay where you put them.  You let them dry then rinse and the color does not bleed.  I was told that Donna Butts used silk dye to tip mohair.  Donna where are you?  I would see if I could get the tipped mohair before I tried tipping it myself.
Donna

Want to thank you all for the help.  The problem is that the bear has a Steiff look and is done in a victorian look.  Not really something that the needlefelted pads would work with.  I finally sent my mentor an email asking her how she would fix it.  I know that years ago I had read in a book how to repair old bears without having to take them apart or replacing with new felt pads.  Here is what she told me.

Make sure the limb is well stuffed where the patch work will be done.  Cut a
small piece of felt,  much bigger than the hole, as big as can be rolled up
and squeezed into the hole.  Try to position the patch by sliding it around
with pins and needles through the hole.  Slide a tiny bit of glue from a
glue stick inside the hole so that the new piece is glued to the inside of
the paw pad.  Let the glue dry.  Take very small pieces of felt and using a
felting needle work it over the whole so that it is well blended into the
paw pad.  Then wet the spot and continue to use the felting needle to smooth
out the patch.  When it looks well blended, take an iron, set on the "wool"
temperature setting.  Carefully iron the patch area so that is lays flat and
tight to the paw pad.
Donna

Penny,
I saw one of Mary Halstad's cats on ebay several years ago and have been trying to design one in my mind ever since then.  You might want to check Mary's website or Lisa Pay's website to see how they place the eyes and ears on their cats.   It might just give you what you need.
Donna

Helen,
Check out Lisa Pay's cat patterns.  I know of two that she has that look pretty good.  The one lying down (I think it is Sassy) should be life size or close to it.  I sell her patterns here in the US so if you don't find them locally, I can get one to you.
Donna

Hi All,
I have a question about relisting on ebay if your bear does not sell.  Do most of you relist immediately or do you wait?  What is your thinking with the way that you relist?  My bear that Scott listed for me did not sell now I am not sure when to relist it.  I am not sure if I should wait until after Christmas to relist so that if anyone wants to spent Christmas money.  Also will everyone be busy with Christmas that I should wait a week or so to relist?  What is everyone's thinking?
Thanks,
Donna

Hi Shantell,
I find the way that Louise does the patches to be the easiest.  I would do it that way or paint them on. 
Donna

Thanks Kim,
Contact info looks okay to me.  Don't know why she couldn't get through.
Thanks,
Donna

Hi All,
I just got a phone call and order from the East Coast.  My giraffe is on page 39 in the Jan-Feb. issue.  There seems to be a problem with my contact information.  If there is anyone on the East Coast that has received their issue, could you please scan it for me so that I can see where the problem lies?  I am not sure if my problem is with the website or my email.  Thank God my phone is working!   I won't get my copy of Teddy Bear and Friends until the second week of Jan. and if something is down, that is too long of a wait to report it.
Thanks for any help.
Donna

Pipa,
I would use pipecleaners or florist wire.  You can also use the plastic that we use for making our permanent patterns.  If you don't have any of the template plastic you can use a piece of plastic from a milk carton or drink bottle.
Donna

I need suggestions for repairing a hole in a felt paw pad.  I personaly think it would be best to sew a new paw pad onto the bear but the person who owns the bear thinks I can just fix the felt.  I have heard about moistening the felt and trying to refelt the area.  Does anyone know how to do this?
Thanks,
Donna

I would like to thank all of you who took the time to check out Scott's ebay listing.  He is feeling very chuffed that so many people have taken a look at his new bear.  In fact, he was feeling so good about it that he went ahead and listed bears for the Bruin Sisterhood.  Then he paniced!  He is afraid that people will think that he is stealing auctions. The Bruin Sisterhood was formed when Scott closed his bear store.  The members of the sisterhood are artists that had their bears in Scott's store.  Over the years of going to the store Christmas parties and giving bearmaking classes at the store we all became friends.  Scott was always on us to design something for a manufacturer or enter the toby, always trying to take us all to the next level of bear making.  He always had the confidence in us that we lacked ourselves.  I now take the bears of the Bruin Sisterhood to the local bear shows.  On Dec. 3 we did two different shows at the same time, we have that many bears between us.  Okay now I'm babbling!   Here is the listing for my bear that Scott listed on ebay if anyone would like to take a peak. http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-GIFT-ARTIST … dZViewItem
Thanks again!
Donna
Shelli it is short Scott.

Hi Laurie,
I know Edinburgh Imports has the amber eyes with the whites in the corners.  They are on the wire loop just like the regular bear eyes.  Did you check here at Intercal?  I have lots of the Japanese eyes that are round white with the black pupil.  I can take a picture if you want to see them.  CR Crafts has the oval shaped doll eyes.  They are doll eyes and do not have the wire loop.  You would need to needlefelt eyelids or figure out a way to attach them to your bear.
Donna

Hi,
I have a friend that has gone through a really rough time lately.  Another bear artist friend and I got him back into making his bears again.  It has been three or four years since he has made a bear.  It has been good therapy.  He currently has his new bear listed on ebay.  And wouldn't you know it, it was one that was stolen, but that has been taken care of now.  It would be such a spirit lifter for him to get a bunch of hits of people looking at his bear.  Also if you see anything he needs to change in the listing that would be helpful also.

Here is the ebay info:   
"LIL HILTON" ARTIST BEAR BY SCOTT MACKENZIE "OOAK"
    Item number: 5646182390   

Thanks,
Donna