Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I'm really interested to hear people's answers to this question.

When you make a teddy bear do you vacum it at anytime during the process?

I only ask this as awhile ago we made a teddy bear for a good friend of ours for his birthday.  Now his wife is a teddy bear artist and there there was another well know teddy bear artist at this birthday party.  Normally I would always give the bear a quick vacum when we finish them, just to get any bits of stuffing or stuff that got onto the mohair or fur.   Well since we had been rushing to finish this bear I forgot, well he loved the bear and then I apologized for not vacuming the bear  ,  well his wife and the other artist gave me these looks and they both said you vacum your bears????  I said of course I do don't you?  They both said no,  I just thought it was part of the process  we have always vacumed the bears.

Normally when I cut the bear out I always vacum all the pieces to catch any of the loose hairs from  when I cut it out.  Then I always give them a vacum when I finish them, Now granted I'm not shoving the vacum in the poor bears face, but I always run it over the body and arms and legs and the back of the head.

AM I STRANGE??   hmmmm maybe that's not the right way to word that as most people would say yes      am I the only one who does this ?

big hugs

Shane

We love using synthetic, it's the colours and designs that you can get  in them. 

There is a bear on the front page of our website which has this amazing synthetic which was bright yellow with pink, green long wisps running through it.  We bought this in New York city when we did Toy fair in 2006.  We were walking down the the street with our friend Janet Wilson (who had decided to take us out shopping to all her favourite supply stores).  I saw this piece of fabric in the Window and stopped dead in my tracks,  Janet looked and me and said what in the world would you do with that fur.  Well Janet realized what she said and who she said it to and then went on to say  " oh never mind I forgot who I was talking to  ).

I love using them all, if they have a bit of stretch to them then we use iron on interfacing (not to hot of an iron and dont hold it in one place to long as it will damage the synthetic ) but just enough to stick the ling to the backing.

Ellen it's funny that you mention the little dirt devil.  We have a small one called a shark and we just love it, could not do without it.

Don't worry about the synthetic I'm sure it will be usable for a bear or even as an inset tummy or something like that, nothing says you have to make the entire bear out of it.

Big hugs

Shane

Jodi what a great write up about you.  You have the same philosophy as we do which is just have fun.  I wish more people took that attitude in life.  Life is far to short and we believe that everything that happens in life was designed to happen that way.  Every experience and situation you go through is designed to teach you something or you are to learn from it.   Positive attitude goes along way.

Just remember that life goes on and there are bigger and better things always waiting around the corner, people just have to open their eyes to them.

A good example of what I'm talking about is going to a bear show and seeing someone who is complaining about their sales being low and what an awlful show it was?  Just stand back and watch that person and how they interact with other people.  If your not having fun and not enjoying the experience then you are sending out all of these negative thoughts and trust me people pick up on those thoughts and it pushes them away.   

Jodi you have the right attitude and you can do anything you want, it may take a little time but honey you will get there and we all can do anything we put our minds to.

Ok coming down off my soapbox now  :lol:.

big hugs and keep up the great work

Shane

Hmmmm good question Karen,  we have a little Shi-tzu and we consider her a little princess (well not all the time  )  but I could see her running around with a little tiara on her head.  Actually for Christmas one yr Steve made her a wonderful litle purple cap with white marabou, she just loved it and she did look like a princess.

big hugs and can't wait to see more of your dogs Karen.

Shane

Awwww Maria I"m sorry to hear that about Titus,  didn't you get two kitties at the same time (I think I remember when you got them)  My thoughts are with you as I know how difficult it can be.

biggest of hugs

Shane

:hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Sending positive thoughts your way Jane, I know how difficult it is when you have to take your dog to the vet's for surgury.  Things will go nice and smoothly and before you know it she will be back home with you.  Keep us informed on how things go.

big hugs

Shane

Great photo's Patty.  Someone sent me a link a few months ago to the artist who makes those bears.  He does them out of wood and some he does out of Stone,  he had one set that was sitting at a picnic table playing chess and they were huge and I believe they were almost $40,000.00 or something like that.  Not that they weren't worth it that's for sure a lot of work goes into them.  He also had done a mantle piece that was gorgeous, it was like a big log and it had holes in it, and there were animals in each hole peeking out or hanging out of them.  Hmmmm now it's gonna drive me nuts, I'll hunt for the web page and post it if I can find it.

Ok I managed to find it,  this stuff is amazing 

www.jonathanbearman.com   Click on the link for furnishings and go to page three there are pictures of the this house Patty.

big hugs

(wish I had all those wonderful bears hanging around my house)

Shane

Well I know we have struggled with that before as well.  You may have a little left over from doing the the front and side but it's better than being short  .  I had to ask Steve how much we use , he's the one who does all the mathematics in our house  :wacko:.  That amount should give you sufficient to do your table, you may have excess but that's ok.

Glad we could help

big hugs

Shane

Gemma I would say you would need 7 metres in total.  It will take roughly 4 meters to cover the two sides and the front and 3 metres to cover the top of the table.  The 3 metres would give you lots of fabric on top as you will have the boxes to take into consideration as well.  Hope this helps.

big hugs

Shane

Gemma do you have to cover the front and the two ends of the table as well or just the table top? 

hugs

Shane

I have to agree with Daphne and the others on this Karen, I have a shi-tzu and would likely only buy something of that breed.  Now that's not always true when it come to soft sculpture, it depends on whether the particular dog grabbed my attention.  I bought one of Art Rogers French bulldog's this weekend and he had a daschound that I would love as well, but only because they were so adorable and fun that I NEEDED to have them.  This is just me though , I do believe most would only collect or buy the breed that they own or owned.

big hugs

Shane

Hi Connie,  Edingburgh sells the No Mohair    (K03 5140) comes in two colours, light honey and one other colour.  I've been eyeing it as well as I think it would make a great naked bear heehee. 

big hugs

Shane

Hi Amy ,  the class was changed to start after lunch now.  I believe it starts at 1:00.  ABC was suppose to change that on their webite but doesn't appear that they have.  We are bringing extra kits with us just in case anyone decides at the last minute they want to take the course.

Sounds good we will meet up with you on Friday at some point.

big hugs

OH that would be so great Jodi,  I don't think one can have enough magazines when your on the cover heehee.

big hugs

Shane

Yes Jodi Grenada is expensive if you stay at a resort, but you can rent a house for a week which includes a house keeper    and a cook (you just buy the groceries) and then it's pretty reasonable.

We basically live in Amish/Mennonite country , we see them all the time , put PA does sound very nice

hugs

Shane

OH I remember that Lynette, we will be doing smaller very light bears LOL,  not that we would have to worry about shipping our bears     one can only hope .  Thanks for reminding everyone about that though, cause the cost of shipping is high to Germany from Canada and the US

big hugs

Shane

Hmmm i've neve been to Calgary Jodi,  I would suggest doing a new thread on that topic.  There are a few artist from that area and I'm sure they could tell you more about it.  I am guessing it's gonna be a great place (it's Canada  ) I have never been there myself but I know there are a few people from Alberta on TT.    I would come along with your hubby anyway, I'm sure you would have a great time, lots of cowboys in Alberta just like the wild west.

hugs

Shane

My favourite vacation spot of all time has to Grenada in the Carribean.  I have been there twice,  it's called the spice island because nugmeg grows there and all kinds of other spices.  The people are very friendly and they don't  bug you like they do on a lot of the other islands.  I would retire there in a heartbeat if I could afford to.  If you ever get the chance to go you must, it is beautiful and clean and safe.  I love that place,   Texas would be my second choice I love it there as well.  Friends in San Antonio which is a beautiful city and again found the people to be very accomodating and super friendly.

big hugs

Shane

WOW   I can't even imagine doing a bear that small , I think I have one started from about two yrs ago I think it's sewn but it's never been completed.  Great work Edie love their sweet little faces.

big hugs

Shane

Thank you so much , I'm glad you like crocus he was a lot of fun to make.

As for your husband helping you out I remember a few yrs ago there was a gentleman from Australia named Peter Weston who made bears under the name of There's a Bear.  I don't think he is making bears anymore as I have not seen or heard anything about him.  He was a closet teddy bear maker     non of his friend's for the longest time even knew he made teddy bears.  His work was exceptional and so amazing I was always in awe of his work.  So tell your hubby to jump right in and help you out, (always nice to have someone help stuff those darn bears)

hugs

Shane

I agree Amy I never minded the Sat & Sun at Schaumburg but I have only ever done it in Oct, I know April was different for people and people complained about the dead Sunday.  I'm having a problem with the price of this show though ( I'm not complaining honestly) but we are paying the same price for a one day show in Apr for the same two day show in Oct. 

We have survived our Texas Trip Bobbie, not sure if Texas has though  ,  we've been a couple of times now and always had a good time.  We met up with Luanne Bowen in Austin and went to a great BBQ place for dinner mmmmmmmmmmm  love BBQ.   To bad you are away would have been nice to see you again, if your around in Oct you should drop in and see us.   

We are looking forward to the workshop (we are doing it on Friday afternoon) it's a cute little bear maybe 6"  with a zipper in his back so you can put coins or whatever you like in his tummy.  We are going to give students the choice to be able to hang it around their neck if they like.  I know we will have a blast in the class and people who didn't take it are gonna miss out on sooooo much fun and they will all want one of those bear change purses    

Amy are we still on for dinner on Friday night?  Do you want to meet in the lobby around 7:00 for dinner ( I'm not sure what time our class will be over so that's why I was thinking that time)

big hugs

Shane

I wouldn't sweat it to much Tammy, with the amount of income that you earned I doubt very much that the tax department is going to come after you for an audit  .  I expense all my trips and trade shows,  you have to remember that some trade shows are not a sales show so if you are only going to show I think that's different.  As for advertising I claim all advertising expenses, whether it's a Canadian magazine or not.  I'd fight them on that one for sure if they questioned it and you can write off the cost of your website as well as  portion of your internet cost.

I'm not sure about the inventory though, I would think as well because our business's are so small that again I wouldn't worry about it to much.

Jodi in our province (Ontario) we register our business with the province and that provides us with a retail sales number, any supplies we buy whether it be mohair or anything else for the business we are exempt from paying the provincial sales tax on it (would be your state sales tax in the US).  We file a provincial tax return every six months, claiming all of our sales including web sales and show sales, but only have to pay the tax on sales within our province.

Not sure if I have helped you or not Tammy, maybe just confused you more 

big hugs

Shane

Ok now to try and answer your other question about inventory.  We don't run an inventory , we expense everything as we buy it.  So at the end of the yr we expense all of our mohair purchases or fur purchases and any other purchases from our sales.  We also deduct our car lease (that's why we lease our vehicle instead of buying it) it's better tax wise as you can write off more.  Plus we have the office in the home expense, plus we also claim a percentage of the house expenses for roughly 35%.    Not to mention  all of our travel expenses for shows and airfare and gas and parking (I write off absolutely everyting I can) .

Hope this helps,

big hugs

Shane

Heather just using a small bit of it on a bear really sets it off as well,  I don't know if I would ever do another one completly out of it.  I have used bits on heads and if you check our gallery I did a smaller bear where his tummy has white mongolian lamb  in it.  It's great for an accent and some texture.  I have also used the locks and needle felted it into the top of the bear head to give it a wild hair do.

big hugs

Shane

Have never used it eiter Bobbie but I might give it a go and see how it works, I would assum that it is going to react like any other paint would. 

hugs

Shane