Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

My goodness,  what 'eyecandy'!!!
Thank you Jane for taking the time to photograph these pages and put them on for all of us to enjoy.

And a big congratulations to Lisa and Penny...you girls are just so talented! and everyone here (I know) is so proud of you.

nanc....

Susanne, you are definitely part of this TT family, you don't even come close to being a lurker as your generosity has helped me in the past.
I will definitely put this family at the top of my prayer list that the Lord will comfort their hearts during the awful time ahead.
I won't even get started how I feel about what is happening to our society and the why's...but it breaks my heart to see innocent adults and children becoming victims to these vile people...but I will say that it is predicted.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention...this family needs all the prayers for help they can receive.
nancy

Hi Daphne...glad you started this one.  I may just come back and stay at TT with these kind of posts...the kind I remember and enjoyed so much.

Some happy things I like:

Standing in an open doorway when it is raining.
People who snort when they laugh
Fire light
Eccentric people
Clean beaches
Thunderstorms.
Old grave yards
Red m&m's
Accomplished musicians from classic to bluegrass
Lipstick that doesn't bleed into wrinkles.
Sincere friends.
Grandchildren hugs.
My 'loving man'.
And my all time favorite...birds singing.  I have so many CD's and tape of just birds singing...poor little Bootsie goes wild.

Just thinking about all of these things...makes me very happy and very thankful my dear Lord has blessed me so much!!
nanc....

I totally agree with you Sue Ann and a big THANK YOU! 
nanc.....

I am working on one right now Kim...will let you know how she turns out...it is definitely a girl anime bear as you will see.

nanc....

     cute Shell...I need a spray now and then!
nanc.......

Penny, she is beautiful...I love her, really just like she is.  I guess I didn't know you re-made dolls too...can we see some? 
Bears and dolls are definite companions!!  I am sure we all have dolls along with our teddies....actually I only have bought teddies but some artist dolls and right now I am into Helen Kish's dolls  (I obviously don't have your wallet)...opps, hope hubby isn't watching.

I had to laugh Pen at not letting hubby know what the doll cost...I have a real passion for Nantucket Baskets...a friend of mine went to Nantucket and picked one up for me (purse).
It has my name on the inside in scrimshaw and a scrimshaw scene on the outside top...a lady asked me how much I paid for it, right in front of my husband...I chocked  and am sure I turned every shade of red in the spectrum.  I have a real problem with telling an untruth but I am telling you   :pray: ....50 bucks just shot out of me as slick as you please!!! hahahaha... YEH,SURE!!!

The nice thing is our hubbies would never believe that we ever paid what we did for dolls and baskets.  They don't see the 'value' there...hahahaha!

Enjoy your doll PenPen, we all deserve a little over indulgence now and then.
nanc.......

:doh:  well, Kim and I were typing at the same time too.hahaha...Ok...I have to add Kim in too.
She is a sweet adorable young lady and I think her bears have so much personality...just like their 'mommy'.
Always jumping in to conversations and adding her sweetness to each conversation.

love you too Kim'

Nanc......

Just realized I have two kims here...man is this getting confusing...first Kim was Kim Basta! hahahaha

ok ...goodie, I get to talk about one of my fav's.... Kim Basta
Kim is a sweetheart, talented, sharing, pretty (had to add that) supportive, a great communicator both on the forum and off, makes the darn cutest mini's out there and a good friend!

hugs to you Kim,
nanc......

Hi Kassie...I too want to add how I feel about this subject.  I have many times suffered what you are going thru.
I know everyone made me feel better here on TT and of course remember that when your work is good, you will have these 'attacks'...that is what I was told, not that it is an excuse...but the green monster does bring out the worst sometimes.
So sorry you are going thru this...I really think you should send it to the TT staff and get it cleared up.
I did just read a post similar to yours and Shelli said it turned out that (as I understand it correctly...correct me if I am wrong Shell) that the lady who told this person, 'what others had said'...actually was the person who said it and no one else was involved.
So, my advice is to get it cleared up...I always like to bring things out in the open.  I hate all this back stabbing and gosipy stuff...it is so childish.
Please do yourself a favor and get it cleared up...it may end up entirely different than you think and you will feel much better.

Nanc.....

who would have thought?

Absolutely gorgeous Tami....!!!!  She should have won 1st place.  You are truly amazing and a true girl...dolls and teddy bears    :dance:
I know you are proud of your award and rightly so....congratulations.
Nanc....

This was fun Dilu...I have a couple of cuties.  This was an infant squirrel that the mother pappillon adopted as her own and encouraged it to suckle after her pups were born.

Nanc.....

WOW, PenPen...it sounds like desperation is setting in!  Holy smokes girl, bats and chocolate...we NEED to talk! :doh:
hugs to you,
nanc...

Melissa, I really don't know what constitutes a micro...I list my 7/8" to 1 1/2" bears as micros because I need magnification help to make them have their little expressions.  To get a true 'big bear face' on a head smaller than a kernel of corn, takes a lot of time and patience.
Also the turning them is very difficult...so I put a lot of time into them. 
But Melissa, I think the one thing that determines it for me, is when I drop a part I am working on and I freak out because they are very difficult to find.   
So those are the determining factors for me. ..but I don't know what is the 'legal' description of a micro.  I feel that mine are truly micros, but hey, I could be wrong 
I think when you drop a part on your keyboard and lose it...it's a micro!!!! hahaha
hugs,
Nanc.........

Hi Jane...

I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get on one of my favorites...TT for a little while and I couldn't help but relate to your feelings, especially when you had such a darling bear.

I didn't see the acution, nor do I know what it went off for...but as I read what everyone else said, I have to agree with Amanda, quoting what Shelli said about keeping something on ebay every week.

I dont' know if you do or don't do this Jane but I really think this has a lot to do with it.
I have been told this before and I think this is very important.

Recently, I started doing this, listing every Monday, running the auction for 5 days, ending on Saturday....and I have seen a change in my auctions.
Also, I have seen a big change since I started my website.  I am getting a big response from there.  A lot is custom orders and I make sure that before I take an order, that my buyer understands that ebay is my top priority and I work orders in on days I am not working on ebay listings.

My auctions always have around 50 watchers (not that that means anything but it is a change and I find it interesting)  and this has all started since my website.

I decided to treat this bear making as a small business and give it the time it deserves.  I turned the computer off, which was a big time eating monster for me and spend my day creating.  At the present time, I am running full time and I have to say, I really am enjoying working on my little 'friends' and not being on the computer all day.
The really fun side to this now, is that I am meeting so many NEW collectors (new to me)...and really enjoying their friendship. 

Jane, if you don't run an auction everyweek...why don't you try it?  Your work is very well done with a lot of sweet personality...give it some 'gusto' and keep it out there everyweek. 

hugs,
nanc.....

Hi Girls...thans for your sweet responses!
I don't have any better will power than the rest of you  ...it's just called pulling the plug on the computer and takes too much time to plug it back in and 'warm it up' again.
Sort of like flossing and brushing your teeth after dinner, so you don't snack all evening and then have to do it all over again.  :dance:

I am getting a lot done and catching up...and I have to tell you that once you miss a couple of days of computering (is there such a word?)...you tend to not miss it as much.  Gee, I actually DO have a life beyond the computer.  It is a little liberating.

I didn't list my new little bear in the Bears For Sale section because I have not been able to comment on everyone elses adorable bears    and I didn't want to list mine there because of that reason.

hugs to all of you and thank you for your sweet notes.  It is nice to be missed.

Nanc.......

I know I have missed a lot of 'goings on' and will continue to do so for a couple of weeks yet...I am trying this self discipline thing  ...keping my computer off and trying to get work done.  BUT it's hard!

I have a cat, a mouse, a needlefelted yorkie and a yorkie in a nut...orders, yet to do...so I know I will have to keep this discipline up for a while longer....I SURE DO MISS EVERYONE!!!

I miss all the funny, happy, sad, sharing that happens everyday here on TT.

Hope to be back real soon.

Luv you ALL, :hug:

Nanc........

oh, oh, opps, my appolgises to encredimail.  It was just a coincidence then!  BUT for sure, once you get them even half way installed, you cannot get them off...

:doh:  Geez, Kerrie...your bears are better dressed than me!!!

These pictures are absolutely fabulous, I love your work!  The hat with the cork bobbers is hysterical.
Bearutiful work, Kerrie...I can tell you really enjoy creating these little characters.

hugs to you,
nanc......

Wow, thank you Lisa...that was a nice 'read' this morning!! and especially coming from a bear artist such as yourself.  Thank you!

Tracy, I think...just guessing here, not really sure...mine came with something called Incredimail.  At least that seems to be when all my problems started and they had to do a recovery to get it off my desk-top etc.  The funny thing is, I didn't download it, but I started enough of it to let it do a desktop icon, I guess.
It is cute little emotiocons for your email.  My son in laws tells me to stop downloading stuff, but it is so much fun.
I run everything Norton has available and I have heard there are programs way more powerful than that...however they are so powerful that nothing gets thru and causes problems with emails etc.  Too much filtering.
I wish these people who make up all these virus problems, would find a real job...like the rest of us...you know, making teddy bears.  :dance:

Gail, I thought it was automatically doing that.  Evidently you still have to do a daily update.  I don't understand all of this, but I am going to do it NOW!!!

nanc..........

I just went thru 2 days of having my computer down...YIKES!!!  I am totally addicted to this thing, it was awful!
Anyway, I was told it is VITAL to update you internet security on a daily basis.

A new virus came thru my security because I didn't update (I am really bad about doing that...once a month is the usual for me).
This was some kind of mass mailing virus.  Anyway, I just got it back today and it had a total 'cleaning' done.  I am going to update everyday, just thought I would pass it on.

I understand what happens, is these virus makers, come up with something new all the time ( I use Norton) and they are constantly doing whatever they do to counteract this stuff...and when you don't update, it of course misses it.  They do have 'patches'...but I had no idea how to do that, so I had to take it to the 'Dr's'.

:hug:
nanc.......

this if just a FIY note.

Thank you girls...your hugs and support 'sure do make me feel better'!

I know you are right, but the thing that is hard to ignore, especially when she is emailing people, is that people may actually believe her.  One little bit of slander and your done for. 

You know how you will see a flock of birds flying in the sky and then all of a sudden, they make a radical directional change and they all go...so I wonder who else has she written.

Oh, I am just tired tonight from all that dental stuff I went thru today...I am too pooped to worry.

One thing I have learned in all my years, is when wonderful happy days come your way...bask in them and be thankful for that day, really enjoy each minute by being aware that it is truly a perfect day...because it won't be long and someone will come along and try to just ruin your calm peaceful days.   It is just a fact, you can always count on someone to try to create stress and hurt for you.

I just seem to be getting an unequal share of it lately.

:hug:
Nanc.....

Hey, Daphne...are you trying to get into the pool of hugs, I asked for? 
just kidding of course.
I am sending lots of hugs to you too sweetie...and here is my advice. 

Send them all to Eileen!!! :dance:

She will fix all their behavior problems and they will come back happy!!!

off to the dentist...ugh!
nanc..........

Gosh, Erin...that makes me feel better!  I don't mean that you are going thru this too, but it does make me feel better to know that you are having the same situation.   :doh:  Does that make sense?  Hope you know what I mean.

The strange thing was, I was just going to make a new thread and tell everyone that a website does make a lot of difference.  I have a wonderful mailing list started...I am getting so many nice emails now and more bidders.  It is really working and then someone thinks I am shill bidding.  There are always those who are there to knock the wind right  out of you, isn't there?

Oh, Sandi... I am not going to pack up my tent...but I feel like it, when things like this happen.  How can people just think up this stuff and then spread the rumor that they have made up without even checking into it or getting the facts to back it up.

If you think there is shill bidding going on...alert ebay.  They will check into it and take appropriate actions.

Gossip and rumors are just the worst thing, in my mind.

We once had a Pastor who did an entire sermon on gossip.  He said gossip is like throwing feathers in the wind from the highest mountain...once they are flying, you cannot ever take them back.  That is so true.

If the recipient of that email, had not been a very good customer of mine and knew my auctions are honest...think what this could have done.

nanc.........