Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

No, no, no, don't give that person any money ("modest" profit, my butt).  Unless you want to register ALL of the domains similar to your own (.com, .net, .us, .biz and so on), then don't worry about it at all, never let it bother you if someone takes one of the others.  Your collectors know where to find you, that's all that matters.

As far as expired domains go, I think that usually there is a small hold period where the original owner can re-register.  But that might cover a few months, and definitely not years.  If it has been several years since you had the domain, it is fair game to anybody.

By the way, she really did register the domain, so it is not a hoax.  She's just out to make a quick buck.  That domain name does NOT have broad appeal, she'll have a hard time selling it to someone else.  If you don't pay her, she gets stuck with the fee for a year's registration, cheap though it is.  Let her eat the cost of it.

Best wishes,
Kelly

No pressure here either!  When we realized that many of our best bears from 2007 had been sold without having good pictures taken of them, we bypassed the nominations.  Best of luck to those who entered!

Kelly

Google uses a complex algorithm which takes into account numerous factors.  The exact algorithm is a big secret, to keep people from abusing it.  But really, that is how it should be.  Back in the dark ages when search engines relied on META tags, people really were abusing them by doing all sorts of tricks like listing the same word hundreds of times or putting in popular search words that had absolutely nothing to do with their site.

Anyway, Iva is absolutely correct.  One of the biggest things to influence your ranking in Google is how many web sites link *to you*.  A couple of other things... you do not have your own domain name, which will always rank you lower in search engines.  You appear higher with a search for "needlefelted" because that is the way you're spelling it on your site, it looks like many of the other sites are agreeing on the spelling as "needle felted", so they  appear before you during the latter search.  You may want to consider using both spellings, or switching to the more widely accepted "needle felted" usage.

Hope that helps!
Kelly

If you favor one side while stuffing, it can twist all the limbs in one direction.  It is also possible to twist them during the jointing process.  I had the unfortunate opportunity to discover the latter myself last year, and don't recall ever seeing anyone else mention this before.  Anyway. I had a horrible time for a while last year as about 1 out of 10 bears that I jointed and stuffed would be twisted all in one direction, and it drove me CRAZY.  I finally figured out, through process of elimination with every other conceivable thing that it could be, that it was the jointing process.  This came about during an effort to make our bears even more tightly-jointed.  I would tighten up the bolt as tight as it would go, back twist just a little, and then check the tightness of the joint by rotating the limb back and forth.  I did this with all the limbs, checking their tightness and comparing each limb's degree of tightness to the others and making minor adjustments to the tension.  Anyway, this is all normal jointing practice. 

However.  I learned that when I checked each limb by rotating it around, I was always rotating in the same direction.  With the joint so tight, the fabric was being pinched and pulled between the discs, and getting slightly snagged under the disc *always in the same direction* that I first rotated the limb to check the tightness.  I was getting so fed up with this happening that I finally did a test.  I fully jointed and stuffed a bear completely, making the limbs extremely tight and purposely rotating all of them in the same direction when I tested their tension.  The finished bear's limbs all pointed to the left.  I immediately undid the bear, removed all the stuffing, removed the nuts and started fresh with new ones.  This time, I made the joints every bit as tight as the last, but made sure not to rotate the limbs in the same direction each time I checked the tension AND as one last step went all the way around the disc (inside the limb and inside the body) and pulled outwards on the fabric in every direction to make sure there were no snags caught between the discs.  The bear got stuffed and sewn up, and was perfect.  Point proven!  As to why only 1 in 10 of our bears were suffering from this, I think it's just attributed to differences in fabrics, with some being thinner / thicker backed or more / less flexible than others (that, and several of our bears would have been cotterpin-jointed, and would not have suffered this malady).

Would also mention that fabric does "learn" what direction it stretches in, so if there was a delay between the time that you stuffed the bear the first time and the second, it probably stretched irreparably in the one direction.

Good luck!  Hope you figure out your bear's problem with less time and frustration than it took me 
Kelly

I'm sorry for your experience with such nasty kids, Clare.  Several years ago, my mother was going through a divorce; you can't imagine the hateful things that the pre-teen and teen boys in the neighborhood screamed at her every time she walked out her front door.  There was no need to reply to them.  Almost every single one of the kids that screamed those things at her have had their own parents divorce since then.  Karma will inevitably have it's own way.

Hugs,
Kelly

Well, if it's a short power failure, I usually spend the time sitting and thinking "how pathetic that I can't think of anything to do with the power off".  If it's a long power failure, we roll out the generator and crank 'er up.

Kelly

My goodness what a cutie, Heather!  And what lovely hair she is going to have, it looks RED red!  Love the one photo, there is nothing sweeter than an attack of "infant joy"!

Best wishes,
Kelly

Yup, absolutely bogus.  You can always check yourself at a domain registry like this:

https://www.pairnic.com/index.html

(Don't worry about clicking on "register this domain now" when you check for availability, you're not making a registration in that first step!)  Anyway, it would show you that embears.com is the only domain registered, and every other suffix is still unregistered (.biz, .net, and so on).  That having been said, unless you want to register all of those yourself, like big internet business do, they really are available to other people taking them, which would in no way be a reflection on your business.  The email you received was a false one, but even if someone did register one of the other domains... really, not something I'd worry about.

Best wishes,
Kelly

We are totally hooked on using these:

http://www.palaydisplay.com/Four-Tier-S … 14058.html

You put them together so the swoop goes left or right... with a pair of 'one going left and one going right' next to each other, you have a lovely u-shaped display of little bears.  These are absolutely the best thing we've found to not just display our smaller bears well, but also to keep them from being overwhelmed by the bigger bears on our table.  The swoops go in the middle of the table in a big-bear-free zone.  Collectors have given us really, really positive feedback on them and seem VERY comfortable picking up bears from these displays.  They are a great size for minis up to about 6-7" on each platform, and if you push the lower tiers together on a pair of them, a medium sized bear can plop himself down at the bottom very comfortably.

Anyway, if you're displaying a wide range of sizes as we do (typically 4-22" for us), do your best to keep the little guys in their own space.  It is just way too easy for people to overlook them if they're mixed in with the big ones (in my opinion).

Best wishes,
Kelly

Obviously, they need more Australian Post employees working at the Washington, DC airport.

Kelly

The unusual spaces in between words is an even bigger tip-off that this is fake.  They are trying to get past filters with that trick.  I'm afraid nothing gets past me, but I know all their tricks and I'm a born cynic. 

Cheers,
Kelly

We have a taker!  Thanks, folks.  Always glad to get a little more space in the storage bins 

Best wishes,
Kelly

Hi all,

I've just been doing some "fall cleaning" (OK, it would have been the more traditional "spring cleaning", but I didn't have time in the spring).  I ran across a bin with a bunch of fabric samples that we ordered from various companies when we first started out, about 4 years ago.  Does anyone want them (at no charge)?  Seriously, if we don't know what these fabrics look like by now, we never will.  And I hate to throw these away, I'm sure they'll be useful to somebody!

There is a 2-gallon Ziploc bag with Edinburgh samples (Schulte mohair, mini stuff, ultrasuede, wool felt), also a smaller bag from Premium Furs (Tissavel brand synthetics, very nice), and another smaller bag from Fabulous Furs (another type of synthetics, some very gorgeous fabrics but the backing has some stretch and needs to be lined for bears).

Two addendums to add to this... as these were ordered 4 years ago, they will not be identical to the current lines of fabric these companies currently offer.  But there will be plenty of overlap!  And if you're not certain what a sample of fabric looks like, expect lots of small squares with identifying labels or attached to cardboard with detailed descriptions... so you wouldn't be getting fabric to make something out of, just to see what the fabric looked / felt like.

Drop me a line if interested!
Kelly

How's the search going?  Also wanted to add that to find an artist's collective near you, go to your local art store and look at the bulletin board, or ask the staff.  Another way would be to contact a local art club.  If none of the artists in your area can give you information, then there isn't one in your area.

Best wishes,
Kelly

My mother wanted me to add something to this.  She was told by a heart doctor years ago that if palpitations bother you when you lie down, lay on your left side.  Sounds like it makes the heart work a little differently, and she says it does stop the palpitations.  Something to try, anyway!

Congrats on hubby's new job!  Change can be stressful too, even when change is a good thing   

Best wishes,
Kelly

Been there, done that.  I rarely have sessions of palpitations anymore, however I did have them off and on recently for the two entire weeks before the Bristol show.  With the worries I had at the time, I was stressed as all get out over whether I would be able to make the trip.  So yeah, totally caused by stress.  Survived the trip to Bristol and *poof* they disappeared.

Some years ago when I was in extremely poor health, I used to get those attacks all the time.  Yes, they seemed worse at night.  I found that lying down triggered them (or at least made them more noticeable?), so my solution for a long time was to sleep propped into more of a sitting position.

Anyway, do your best to relax, breathe deep and pay close attention to anything that may be triggering them, even if it's something that never bothered you before.

Hugs,
Kelly

We all have to do what works best for us as individuals.  If you frequently get these requests by mail, I would type up a form letter and save it to the computer to print out a copy as needed and mail back to them.  Just a very basic "thank you so much for your interest" and letting them know that, for now, your bears are only available through the following venues and then list them.   So... your web site, eBay, mention any shows you are looking to attend in person in the coming year, or any shops that carry your bears, if that is applicable.

I don't know if you (or anyone else reading this) run advertisements with your mailing address in them, but if you do, you might want to stop doing so.  If I were to see a mailing address in an advertisement, I would presume that the artist was willing to do business that way as well.

Like Laura, I am hoping to start some sort of occasional newsletter with available bears for our print-mail mailing list.   We actually have a range of dedicated collectors who are not on the computer, for various reasons.  We see most of them at one show a year each, but they have expressed interest in seeing available bears at other times as well.  It's already on my 10-mile long "to do" list!

Best wishes,
Kelly

I know a lady here who had a similar dilemma... in that she wanted a part-time job, but did not want it to cut into any of her time with her kids.  Her solution was to get a job at the school, so that when she did work, her hours matched theirs.  Food for thought!

Best wishes,
Kelly

I can only echo what has already been said!  It was a lovely show, we did have our best sales of the year, including several of our biggest bears.  I thought the turn-out was great, particularly as the good-sized crowd that came was obviously doing their best to buy, buy, buy.  My newest project was introduced at this show on a little corner of our table, sterling silver & gemstone bear-themed jewelry, and I was very pleased at the positive reaction to it.  Chrissi, you are such a sweet and talented lady, it was wonderful to meet you, spend time chatting with you and your wonderful mom, and see your exquisite bears "in the fur"! 

The promoters did a wonderful job, they deserve tremendous kudos for pulling off a great show despite disastrous building-caving-in pre-show troubles.  I think everyone will be very glad to be back at the Embassy Suites next year though!

Funny moment of the weekend... delivering several other artists' bears to their tables during setup.  I kept getting approached with WHERE is your table because I saw you unloading over THERE a minute ago!  It's not nice to confuse people at 7 o'clock in the morning, apparently.  Marilyn, if you're reading this, you cracked me up asking if I had a separate table from my mom this year.  All I could think was "Yeah, we had a fight and they put us on opposite sides of the room."

Well, good golly do I have a lot of work to do before the 2008 show season starts for us in March.  I've had a lovely time seeing all my bear show buddies new and old, and hope to see you all again next year.  As I've got WAY too much to do in the coming months, I probably won't post here often... so best wishes, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday and whatever else I may miss until we meet again.

Bear hugs,
Kelly

Honestly, I would recommend combining two of the ideas above if I were you.  Get a part time job, just a little bit of something that you would enjoy and would allow for socializing a few days a week.  Then use that money to hire a housekeeper!  That day, during your "work at home" days, the cleaning would be already done. 

I agree with Shane that the problem seems to be two-fold.  If it's really the social interaction you crave, you would be FAR better off with a part-time job or volunteer work than to get into a public studio somewhere.  You might find yourself spending far more time socializing than working, if the former was really what was lacking in the first place.

If it's really distractions and home workspace that bothers you, those can be manipulated.  If overall space is a problem, rent a climate-controlled storage space locally and do some serious re-organizing to remove everything that is off-season / unused / in the way to give you room to breathe.  We did this, and oh boy did it help.  If you just don't like working in your current work room, then don't work in it... seriously, use it for storage, but have a tote or tray of some sort that you can pick up your supplies for a project and go somewhere more inspiring in or outside the house to work on them.  As long as you have good light and a work surface available, you can work anywhere.  My mother purchased a little lightweight end table with raised sides from a furniture store to work off of (the raised sides keep everything from falling off when she picks it up to move it).  It has worked wonderfully, anywhere the end table can go, her project can go.  We do not have a specified "work room" here, but rather areas in the house dedicated to organized (hopefully) storage space, and then we work wherever we want to or need to.  Variety is the spice of life, and all that. 

Best wishes,
Kelly

Regarding the shaky / blurry images, I would suggest using the self-timer on your camera (in addition to using a tripod, which you are already doing).  That way, when you click the button, stand back with HANDS OFF the camera until it has counted down it's timer and taken the picture.  Even your heartbeat can move a camera enough to blur an image if it is being fussy with lighting or some other factor.  This is especially true when you are zoomed in closer, and when using macro settings for minis.

Good luck!
Kelly

Unfortunately, I'm not listing anything on eBay right now so can't test this myself. However, I have heard that you are now forced to enter a zip code *if* you are using the shipping calculator or "custom weight" option.  Get rid of those if you're using them, supposedly you can remain zip code-less without them.

Let us know if that works!
Kelly

Wow!  Kudos to the promoters, they've done a fantastic job dealing with a *big* last-minute problem!  (Deleted the part where I referred to the wrong Marriott, lest anyone get confused.)  Really looking forward to attending
 

Best wishes,
Kelly

Lisa would probably be the first to hear anything from the promoters.  However, I am keeping tabs on the news articles about the hotel online.

http://washingtontimes.com/article/2007 … 20089/1004

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ … 7131.story

Anyway, what I'm seeing repeatedly is that #1 they need to find out what caused the collapse in the first place.  Until they do that, they cannot start patching the roof, securing the 2nd window section, and cleaning up the mess from the first.  And of course, until they do all of that, they can't re-open.  Most recent news I've seen is that they still do not know the cause.

The Washington Times article mentions that the hotel is calling all guests with reservations for the next 2 weeks, to help them book at other hotels.  So it seems that they are expecting to be closed for at least that long.  With the show 3 weeks away, there's still no definite yes or no, but it is sure it cutting it close!  I'm sure the Wilsons and Mckays are doing everything they can to get things figured out post haste.

Cheers,
Kelly

Ed, I posted only in regards to IP addresses.  I have not posted in regards to anything else in this conversation, and will not.  I most certainly am not engaging in a "who done it".  I did not enter the URSAs, did not vote in them, and have no vested interest in their outcome.

I'm not even certain why you are mentioning your friend at Turner Broadcasting.  Did Valerie use some sort of Turner-created polling software?  All polling software is created differently, just like all graphics software is created differently, and so on.  Any decent polling software will try to eliminate multiple votes from one person, ballot stuffing would be the old term.  The most common ways to identify this is by using things like IP address checking, cookies, or some other 'identifying' thing such as email addresses.  The point is that those can ALL be worked around.  I doubt you know what software Valerie is using any more than I do.  All I can go on is that she stated that duplicates were thrown out as determined by IP address.  I responded to that and only that, as people do need to understand that while that is a very common way to check individual computers, it is hardly foolproof.

By the way Ed, can you show me documentation stating that the FCC has some sort of control over the Internet, or polling done on it?  And your statement about self-appointed guardians... I have no idea what you are talking about, was that in reference to me?

Best wishes,
Kelly