Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Yeah well I just ripped out a nose that was bothering me. I just can't get the face to by even.
I want to get this piece complete and out the door.
So I moved on to another piece to complete its nose and will go back later and finish the first one.
so Shantell we're all in the same boat.

Somehow I find everyone of these believeable.
People do stupid things.

Once we got a charge back to our merchant account and then on top of that we were charged a fee. So not only did we lose the money we also had to pay for losing the money. That is not right.

Shantell -
I think that perfection is what we try to achieve, but if you maintain or improve the quality of your work then you are on the right path.
I am never complete satisfied, I think that is what drives us as artists to create new and better bears, etc.
I adore my big head pattern but there are some things that I would like to change about it.
I have a wonderful idea for a realistic rabbit, but have never had the time to complete the pattern.
I think Judi's signature says something like "shoot for the moon," and that is what we need to do.
You go girl! Rock On!

I have never had any problems with PayPal, I just don't like e-checks.
From what I have been able to find out from PayPal they will keep presenting e-checks until there are funds to cover it. So it could take 6 months, a year, or longer if the payor dinks around. I don't care for them.
But other than that I don't have a problem with PayPal, it has made my life easier.

I was just sure that was in '87, thanks Daphne

Regan got shot.
Russia in Afgahnastan.

These are pretty ridiculous so enjoy them!

It's time once again to review the winners of the Annual "Stella Awards." The Stella Awards are named after 81 year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued McDonald's (in NM). That case inspired the Stella awards for the most frivolous, ridiculous, successful lawsuits in the United States.

Here are this year's winners:

5th Place (tie): Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas, was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving little toddler was Ms. Robertson's son.

5th Place (tie): 19-year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.

5th Place (tie):
Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was leaving a house he had just finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the garage door to go up since the automatic door opener was malfunctioning. He couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the house and garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation, and Mr. Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days. He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found, and a large bag of dry dog food. He sued the homeowner's insurance claiming the situation caused him undue mental anguish. The jury agreed to the tune of $500,000.

4th Place:
Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas, was awarded $14,500 and medical expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next door neighbor's beagle. The beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. The award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might have been just a little provoked at the time by Mr. Williams who had climbed over the fence into the yard and was shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun.

3rd Place:
A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $113,500 after she slipped on a soft drink and broke her coccyx (tailbone). The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.

2nd Place:
Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware, successfully sued the owner of a night club in a neighboring city when she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. This occurred while Ms.Walton was trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000 and dental expenses.

1st Place:
This year's run away winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Mrs. Grazinski purchased a brand new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, (from an OU football game), having driven onto the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers seat to go into the back & make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the RV left the freeway, crashed and overturned.
Mrs.Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising her in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually do this. The jury awarded her $1,750,000 plus a new motor home. The company actually changed their manuals on the basis of this suit, just in case there were any other complete morons around.

Hello...
Russia was big World news. There were all of those fancy Russian words that we learned in 5th grade, but I can't remember a one of them.
I just remembered... Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire", it lists all kinds of things through out hstory. We had to listen to it repeatedly in 6th grade social studies and list as many events that we coulld as they we mentioned.
Challenger was in '87

Dilu -
If you came to see me you would be disappointed there aren't that many bunnies around most have homes before they are made. I almost can't keep up.
Did I mention that I am trying to get ready for Toy Fair, I might be able to offer you a job. It will be piece work.

Judi  -
My sympathies to you and your family on your loss.
I remember when our dog Ralph died mom explained that he was old and that God sent his angels down to take him to heaven. I knew that he wouldn't be coming back but that someday I would get to see him again. It was hard even though we only had him for a short time.
It was really tough when mom's dog Dusty die, he was a great dog. Lovign, kind, sweet, and protective. That was tough.
We dog sat for him several times before he came to live with us. The day he came to live with us I was sitting on the living room floor, and when he saw me he cam barreling in from the kitchen and almost kocked me over. He knew he was here to stay. He was excited and on Cloud Nine. I'll never forget that.

On another note, if you would like I would be more than happy to send you my boys. I think I have posted pictures of Teddy & Zippy. They come complete with Littermaid, Food & water dishes, a month's worth of each of the following, food, litter, & cat waste receptical for the Littermaid. They can be yours, free of charge.

I would have to say that I would spend the day with Shelli only to pick her brain about photo shop. and then I would come home and figure out how to do it in corel photo paint. Or better yet I might just send everthing to her and let her deal with it. LOL.

It would be nice to get togethere with everyone just to visit. maybe we could work something out. Maybe have Judy bring her airbrush. Shelli her eyes and computer. I'll bring my camera and show you all some basics that I have found to work for take photos. Plus I can share where I got the information. Someone could talk about ebay, It's not just for teddies anymore, and talk about basic selling techniques on ebay, that apply to teddies and other household items that I know we all have and need to get rid of.
Bring the husbands along, we can offer a class on how to be a good gofer. he he.
For those that want selling tips we could give those too.
I am babbling...
I must stop.

I was born in 1976 too. My sister called me a bicentennial brat. I remember NKOTB, my sister was a fan. Tight-rolled pants were big in 8th grade and on, that would have been 1989-1990. And all of the rock bands... Bon Jovi, White Snake, Areosmith, etc.
One time I was traveling back from St. James, MO, I had been there training people for Wal*Mart, and the gal that was traveling back with us said to our manager do you remember this song from High School? This gal and the manger were about 10 years older than me. So they were chating back and forth and some time during the conversation a song came on that I remembered as well and I said so. She just glared at me and said,"How can you remember this? You weren't even in High School". My reply was, "Well, no but I did grow up in the 80s and I remember listening to a lot of music".   She responded with, "hmmph!"
I just chuckled to myself in the back seat of the car.

I had forgotten about the slap braclets.
Milli Vanilli, a let down for sure, but really were we surprised?
I rember that MTV came on the air. I also remember that we did not have cable. I would go over to the nieghbors and we watch Geoge Michael's "You've gotts have faith" I thought that was a pretty racy music video, all the semi-naked bodies. Madonna's like a virgin and the list goes on. Yes Debbie Gibson was cool and I think most kids in our town thought she was better than Tiffany.
Silver Spoons and Ricky Schoder?
MacGyver was watched regliously, as was Moonlighting.
Star Trek: The Next Generation came on in 1987 and I watched that every week.
One year mom and dad bought me roller skaters and I thought they were the best things in the world. Better than even my banana seat bike, which was a hand me down from my sister. And once in awhile dad would take me out to the roller rink. I actually roller skated, I missed the memo on hanging out.
Don't think I will ever forget all the big hair that I saw in the 80s, perms were also big. I think every girl in my class got one at some point. And for guys it was the spike hairdo. I had one of those.
Flash Dance, need I say more?
Legal Eagles, I think Robert Reford starred in that one and I wasn't allowed to watch it.
Young Einstein? Didn't get to see that one either.
Bert and Ernie just lived together, nothing more to it. I never thought that they slept together. Gee whiz, they had separate beds. Why do to guys living together always have to be gay?  Why?
Parachute pants were big when I was in 4th grade ('87) I never got a pair or if I did it was only one pair. But only the cool kids had them. I wasn't cool. Velcro shoes? You were really cool if you had those. I did get those, but I still wasn't cool. After all I wore glasses.
Cabbage Patch Kids were HUGE! Mom would go to the local toy store and buy them only to resell them at the antique shows we did, because she could make money on the silly things. I remember being nearly ran over by women trying to get them. They were worse than the furby crowds.
Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Cheap Trick, Journey...
Max Headroom had a short-lived tv series, but I still re-re-remeber the c-c-c-coke commericals.
Murphy Brown?
Cartoons...
Smurfs, Snorkles, Tranformers, GI Joe, Thunder Cats, Pole Position, Dungens & Dragons, Fantaisc Four (I think, all I remember was a guy that could stretch), The Justice League, Scooby-doo (these were of course re-runs), He-Man, She-Ra, the WWF had a cartoon series for a time that once in while I would watch. Hulk Hogan was cool.
What a trip this has been. I'll be checking back to see whatelse people remember. I need to get to bed.

I watched.
The wirehaired doxie won his group (hound?)
The Malamute won best in show and he was beautiful. But then they are were good looking dogs.
I was pulling for the New Foundland, he has this fab Chocolate coloured coat.

Well don't they make a nice couple.
I really like the little guy that Judi made. What a sweet little face.

There can be a delay when posting new listings. And it can take several minutes to several hours to get everybody's listings posted to the listing.
but think about it there are how many people out there listing items each day and then all of the information is updated automatically by computers. It all takes time just imagine if it was all done by hand? The nightmare that would be.
But if you keep an e-mail list of your ebay buyers you can just e-mail them once a week with your newest listings and send them the link and they will be able to view your listing no problem, barring all other techical issues.

Hey all!
Happpy New Year!
ok ok ok so I am a little late.

I am in the process of updating my web site and I am creating two new pages.
One is for links to artist who make bears/animals out of people's heirloom fur coats.
The second one is for people who are looking to have restoration work done on their bears.

On both pages I will list the contact information for those artists.

If you or someone you know does this type of work please send me you contact information so I can include you.
The only thing that I ask is that you place a link on your web site back to mine.
The information that I need is as follows:

Artist Name:
Business Name:
Repair & Restoration: Yes/No
Real Fur: Yes/No
Web URL:
Snail Mail:
E-mail:
Phone:
Fax:
Ave Size:
Ave Price:

Thank you.

Dilu -
What did you get?
I meant to ask  you a couple of weeks ago.
Jared

Nuts I just gave up on trying to enter...
I have too many other things to do. Mom entered the Golden Teddys and I hope she wins something. (Fingers Crossed)
There was a piece that I was working on for Toy Fair, that I was going to enter, but I am going to use him for next year's Golden Teddys & TOBYs.

Kim -
Have you tried to adjust the white balance setting on your camera? I know that changing that has helped with my pictures.

No feathers ruffled. I am just wondering how some one can make that conculison about a place. I am sure that most photo retailers use the same equipment, papers, and chemicals to process the pictures. I am sure that where he works that they use the same stuff that we use at Wal*Mart. So I just sit back and laugh.
And Kim is right it is who processes the pictures. If you have people who know what they are doing your pictures will turn out great.

Shelli -
I am trying to get ready for Toy Fair. Right now my sleep is so screwed up. I haven't been getting to sleep until almost 5am and then I get up about noon, which I don't like. I need to get myself turned around.
So must for enjoyment.

Steph -
I told mom about them and I think that she might be placing an order in the near future. There are some bears that we make that it would be better to use the acrylic type eyes just from an expense stand point. Thanks for getting them. :hug:

I would like to know how this person knows this? After all I am just wondering.

I also find the ask questions, but "if they aren't busy", to be a load of crap! Guess what I don't care if they are busy, if I have questions I am going to ask. I ask questions I don't care if there are 20 other people waiting. They can wait just like I did. And if the tech gives you the brush off I would call the manager over and ask them. 9 times of of 10 the manager doesn't know but they might be able to get the tech to pay attention to your concerns. A point of excellent customer service is to answer people's questions and address any other concerns they have. I always ask if I can answer any other questions that they might have. But only those seeking to give excellent customer service would go out of their way even if they are busy and have 20 customers waiting.

Nancy -
If the disc is not on the counter just tell one of the associates what you are looking for. Be sure to ask an associate who has a white lab coat on and that it says "One Hour Photo" on it. If they look at you with a blank stare and snap their gum... leave the store, walk to your car, drive home, and log on to www.walmart.com and click the link for photo and you can upload your pictures to an online album for free for 60 days and then order prints. Then if you order prints for send out they will be the glossy prints that we all know and love, it will take a couple of days to get them. You can also order the prints to be ready in one hour and you select the store that you want them printed at... The best way to make sure that you get them to the right store is to select your store based on the store number. If you have a recepit from you last trip to Wal*Mart the store number is listed at the top. The first line underneath the City, State, Zip line has the store number look for ST# 0000, where 0000 is your local store's number. I have posted a picture.
The other great thing is that you can prepay if you like or you can pay when you pick them up.
Jared

Judi - I work at good ole Wal*Mart.
I just started a 2 month leave. I am so glad that I don't have to go back in until March!
:dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:

This is me doing my HAPPY dance!