Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Do Teddy Bears like Marmite?  (Vegemite if the Bear is from Down Under.)
Would they just say, "Yuck!" and ask for some chocolate instead?

Inquiring arctophiles want to know! 

This is strictly brainstorming...

How about using your initials?
Gosh!  I hope your middle initial is "J"!  Oh, that would be so cool!

How does this sound to you?

"P.J. Smart Bears"

Got a ring to it!  Doesn't it?

And the domain, "pjsmartbears.com" is open too!  :D

Plus, if your country requires you to register business with fictitious names, using your own name might help you bypass all that junk.

Just an idea...

One of my dogs had the same problem with tinsel.  It squeaked when you pulled it out.
(This was the same dog who had the problem with "indoor plumbing." )

Yeah, I'd say it's a good idea to keep an extra sharp eye on your pets during the holiday season, at least until you are sure they won't get into anything they shouldn't.

Just be thankful your two dogs didn't think, "Cool!  Indoor plumbing!" like our dog did when he saw his first Christmas tree!   

First, stay away from ANY name that has the least little bit of political connotation.
You may think some organization is good but at least fifty percent of the people in the world might not agree with you.  By aligning your name with any known political organization, you alienate part of your customer base.  This is not good.  You are in business to make money by providing good products at fair prices, not to make political statements.  In fact, I might even consider using an accent over your name so people don't confuse you with the organization...  "Péta" or "Pëta" or what have you.

Second, you can change the name of your business on your website but you can still keep the domain name "Wazzabears."  It is possible to repoint your original domain to a new site.  You advertise your new domain name under a new URL and just change your website to whatever you think is appropriate.  Then you also have your old domain name pointed to the new site.  This way people can to to "www.petasmartoriginals.com" or "www.wazzabears.com" and they will both end up at the same website.

Just get in touch with the company that handles your domain registration.  There may be an automatic, on-line way for you to just go and change it too.  Depends on the company you registered with.

Can you believe some idiot shot video of the fire with his cell phone camera then posted it on YouTube?!
So...  Do any of you guys want to see what happened?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm7vLqNuEI8

Ryan's apartment is (was) just to the right of where the fire was highest, shooting out of the roof.  The second highest peak of flame is where his apartment was.  If you look carefully, you can see the windows of the apartments.  His was the third and fourth windows from the extreme right end of the building.  Right in the heart of the blaze!

As the camera pans to the left you can see the flames literally crawling along the roof line, spreading to the entire building.  Near the end of the video clip, the loud noise you hear is the sound of all the fire trucks blowing their horns, simultaneously.  This is the signal from the fire chief for all the firefighters who are inside the building to evacuate the premises immediately because the roof is in imminent danger of collapse.

By the time this video was shot, Ryan had been out of the building for more than 20 minutes.  He was safe in a position far behind where the camera was located.

Here's a link to the local television's newscast of the fire.
http://yourerie.com/content/fulltext/?cid=89562

Ryan is the second guy interviewed in this news clip.  He's the one wearing the brown leather jacket.

Look for the ladder of the tower truck which extends over the roof in both videos.  It is in the same location for both shots.  You can use that as a landmark to reference the two videos.

One more little ray of sunshine:
At the end of the news clip you can see the cat which the firefighters pulled out of the building several hours AFTER the fire had gone out!  Can you believe that cat SURVIVED that fire!?  Amazing!

I bet he used up eight lives on that stunt!   

Thank you very much for all your good thoughts and Bear Power! 
It has already had good effect.   

Ryan works for a local chain of hotels as a rooms inspector.
(The rooms inspector is the guy who goes through all the hotel rooms after the guests have checked out and the maids have cleaned them and gotten them ready for the next guest.  He is the one who okays each room to be rented again.)
The owner of the hotel heard about the fire and has given my brother permission to stay in a hotel room for two weeks until he can find a new place to live.

So, you see!  This Bear Power thing really does work!
We have evidence!      

The apartment complex is (or should I say WAS) a 32-unit, two story building.  All apartments had one or two bedrooms.  It was red brick exterior with wood frame interior and a gable roof.  Ryan lived on the second floor at one end of the complex.

He says the smoke alarms went off at approximately 3:45 am.  He woke up and thought it was a false alarm.  Ryan always tells stories about people cooking in the kitchen and setting off the smoke detectors.  But, this time, the alarms kept going off.  He went out to the hallway and saw that it was full of smoke.  He knew this wasn't one of "those" times.

Ryan has one of those metal cash boxes with a key lock which he uses to keep all his important papers.  He threw on some clothes and a coat, grabbed his lock box, his wallet and his car keys and headed out for the parking lot.  The rest is, pretty much, history...

The fire marshal says the fire started on the second floor in an apartment across the hall from Ryan's.  Apparently, the guy who lives there isn't too swift, if you know what I mean.  The neighbor claims it was an electrical fire.  The guy has second degree burns to both hands.  He says he tried to put out the fire and burned himself in the process.  We're not so sure about that but, being Bear people, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt until we get hard evidence.

My phone rang at about 4:00 am.  It was our mother telling me that the building was on fire.  I went downstairs and turned on my police/fire scanner.  It was only a few minutes after that when we heard the fire chief call over the radio, "Structure is fully involved!  We are taking defensive positions!"
Anybody who understands firefighter lingo knows that code for, "This one is a goner!"

I spoke to my brother by phone at around 5:00 am.  He said he was unscathed but you could tell by the tone of his voice that he was shaken up.  (Who wouldn't be!     )  By the time the sun came up, the Red Cross had sent some buses to the scene to evacuate all the residents.

Here's ANOTHER testament to Bear Power!  All the people got out safely!   
Yes, this Bear Power thing really works, I tell you!   

I had to go to work this morning.  I work in a theater.  We had a 2:00 pm Sunday matinee to put on but I had another chance to talk to Ryan by phone.  He says that the landlord is going to refund his security deposit!  That will give him about $500 to work with until he can get back on his feet.  The Red Cross gave him a voucher to go to the store and buy himself some clothes.  They'll also help him get a mattress and some linens once he finds a new place to live.

What did I tell you about this Bear Power thing?! 

After I came home from work this afternoon we went to the apartment complex to survey the damage.  The whole second floor has been burned away!  There is no roof, nor is there anything left above waist level.  It's all just charred wood and debris.  There MIGHT be a few things left that were down near floor level.  We're sure that 95% of everything has been lost.  We might be able to salvage a few momentoes  but we don't have a lot of hope to get anything more than that.

Melanie, Ryan and I were standing in the parking lot outside the burned out shell of the building and, just as we were getting back into the car to leave, he turned around, looked over his shoulder and shrugged...  "Oh, what the hell..." he said. 

Yeah, he's certainly depressed as anybody would be in his shoes but he's taking everything in stride.
I am a little concerned that he still hasn't had his "emotional catharsis time" yet but only time can tell about that.

We are going to make sure he has a Teddy Bear with him tonight to keep him company, just in case he need a shoulder to cry on.  He's a strong little sucker.  After all, he's my little brother!  I didn't teach him to be a sissy!        (J.K.)  I am certain he'll pull through this.  It should be little more than a bump in the road.  ;)

Thank you very much for all the Bear Power!  It was a big help!  We probably wouldn't have pulled it off without you.  Tell all your Bears "Thank you!"  Give them some chocolate and tell them I owe them a big hug if I ever see them!

Thanks a lot, guys!  I'll keep you updated if there is any more news. 

I just got off the phone with my brother.  His apartment building caught fire.  According to him, there's nothing left but a burned out shell.  The building is a total loss.

My brother, Ryan, got out safely but all he has are the clothes on his back, his car keys and $100 cash.
Ryan isn't hurt.  He got out with plenty of time to spare.  He's obviously mentally shaken but he's taking it all in stride so far.  It will probably take some time for the reality to set in.  In another day or so, we expect him to have his emotional break.  Me and the Bears are getting ready to help him out any way we can.

We don't know a whole lot at this point.  The fire department is still on-scene.  They are still pouring water on the building.  Apparently the cause was electrical in nature.  The fire marshall will investigate come daybreak.

They have called in the Red Cross to offer temporary shelter and assistance.  Once he gets settled in his affairs, I'll probably go pick him up and put him on the sofa for the night.  Time will tell...

In the mean time, we would appreciate it if you guys would call in reinforcements and send some BearPower in our direction.  We could sure use the moral support right now.

All the Bears in this den are transmitting at full power for Ryan but it sure would be nice if we could add a few more Bears to the force.

I think the church, or a shelter, etc. would be the best place.   

I am thinking along the same lines as Tammy & Daphne.  I also think it would be best if the things you made could be assured of going to people who would appreciate them.  Just leaving things in public does not assure that.  They could be picked up by a person who already has lots of posessions.  Another "trinket" would not have the same meaning to them.  Donating the items to a shelter would mean that children who might not get a visit from Santa would have something to open on Christmas morning.

Still, I like the theme.  A serendipitous gift that you just happen to spot.

What if somebody showed The Toy Society's website to some people at church?  Could there be a way that the church can put a plan like this into action with a little bit more "targeted" approach?

Not only that, if you've got the surplus materials but not a lot of time, it might be possible for the church leaders to mobilize some forces and get other people to help make a few toys to give away.  You could create the patterns for others to use.  They create the toys with your oversight.  Then, the people at the church could arrange a mass gifting to people who need it.

You would be using the church's resources to increase the power of your project PLUS you would get a little fodder for your resumé.  I'm not trying to be crass but, as business people, I think you can see the benefit.  It certainly wouldn't hurt to be able to post it on your website or put it in your bio that you helped organize a toy drive at your local church that gave fifty children toys to open on Christmas.

The place I work is an organization started by the Sisters of Mercy  http://www.sistersofmercy.org/
I know that the Sisters would be thrilled if somebody approached them with a project like that! 

Not so fast! 

Steiff makes keyring sized Bears that will fit into a pocket or purse.  Melanie has one in her purse at all times just for good luck.  His name is "Carry."  Get it?  Carry the Bear? 

Here is an example:  http://www.giftshop1234.com/steiff-fynn … 11600.html

If the uniform has a pocket or a place where a small Bear could ride along, he could hide in there and nobody would be the wiser!   

You don't necessarily have to carry a Steiff.  There are a couple of other good ideas:

First, you could carry a uniquely Canadian Bear.
We have a small, 4" Bear who wears a Canadian Mountie hat.  Okay...  That's a cliché but a Mountie Bear would be a uniquely Canaidan symbol that virtually nobody could argue with.
(Besides!  He would be your security Bear!  )

How about a Coca Cola Bear?  Coke makes several small Bears.  There are three of them sitting on a shelf just a few feet from me, writing this message.
How could anybody complain about carrying a Coca Cola Bear in a Coca Cola sponsored event?

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/kmarket/ … ATURE___4_

If the Bear just stayed in his pocket, maybe only peeking his nose out once in a while, nobody would ever be the wiser! 

Major coolness!   

The letters on the running pants...  are they reflective?  Or is it just the camera?
It looks neat.  It'll probably show up on camera really well.

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/CQ9ghh7YuC8LNW76

Don't get them started!  They'll ALL want to elf themselves!   

How about "Elf Yourself!"

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/uA7oUxB7VBJrwW6k

JK 

If you took the ears from Andrea's (Dreli-Bears) "Jamba" and put them with the body on Lynne's (Jack & Lilia) creations then used the trunk and head from Daphne's elephant you would have a very nice little elephant! 

We like the way Lynne put the little "fold" in the top of the elephant's ears.  It makes them look cuter because they appear more like real ears.  The proportions between the head and body of Amanda's little pink elephant are very nice too.

That's what we think are all the best features on all the pictures we've seen here. 

That would be funny!   :D
Okay... not so funny if you actually did it but it's a funny thought!  Can you just imagine the look on somebody's face when they open up a box they just got in the mail and, "Meow!", out pops a cat?!
:crackup:

Does anybody else have cats with weird habits like this?....
One morning, I started having dreams that I was walking barefoot through a briar patch.  It was so real!  I really felt like I was walking through briars and I could really FEEL them poking my feet!  No matter where I walked, the briars seemed to follow!  This continued on for about three days and, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I was having this recurring dream.

On the fourth day I finally figured it out:
First, I'm over six feet tall so always I sleep with my feet hanging out over the end of the bed.  Well, on that fourth day I finally woke up before the dream ended and I discovered the cat was sitting at the end of the bed swatting at my bare feet with his claws!  NO WONDER I thought I was being attacked by briars!  It was the CAT the whole time!

The cat was having a good-old time pawing at my feet.  Every time he clawed me, I would kick my feet.  He must have thought I was playing with him.   :doh:

After that, I tossed him out of the bedroom and closed the door.  No more weird dreams!

Does the Bear have any mechanical features?
What does the "little rod" do?  What does it look like?  Could that little rod be his wind-up?  If his "little rod" isn't a wind-up, might it be possible that it is a "Yes-No" mechanism?  Look for a voice box or to see if his head and arms move.  We are wondering if he's a mechanical Bear.

We agree with the others.  We aren't convinced that he was made in the 1880's.  We're thinking more like 1900 to 1920.
First, his proportions don't seem right for a Bear of the 1880's vintage.  He'd be more bruin-like instead of Teddy-like.  Secondarily, his body shape seems to indicate that there is something else inside him that makes him move or make sounds, etc.

Probably your cat's favorite place to hang out!

Put a shopping bag on the floor your cat will probably find it in a short time.

I had a cat many years ago.  When it came time to go to the vet for his yearly checkup, the only way I could catch it was to leave a large knapsack on the floor and ignore it for a while.  Within a short time the cat would climb inside, curl up and take a nap.  When it was time to go, I'd sneak up and quickly zip the bag up with the cat inside.

He didn't seem to mind.  I guess he thought it was his personal clubhouse.

I took a couple of twist ties from empty bags of bread and used them to tie the zipper tabs together so there was an inch or two of space between so the cat could have an air hole.  I picked up the bag, carefully slung it over my shoulder and headed out.  I walked down the street and took the subway to the vet's office.  The cat didn't seem to mind being in the bag but every once in a while he'd poke his nose out, probably to see where he was.

The first time I went to the vet I let the cat out of the bag (literally) and apologized to the doctor for not having a cat carrier.  He shrugged and said, "If the cat doesn't mind, you don't need to buy a cat carrier."

So, from that day on, this became the default way I took the cat anywhere.  Just put him into the knapsack and carefully sling it over the shoulder.  Once in a while, he'd poke his nose out and say, "Meow."  Turns out this was a good way to meet girls!

Okay...  So, I had a cat for a wing man.   

The Bears all had a good Thanksgiving dinner.  Lots of turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pumpkin pie with whipped cream was had by all.  All the Bears are stuffed and peacefully snoozing off their turkey dinners.

We hope your Thanksgiving feast was plentiful and peaceful!

Happy Thanksgiving from Us Bears!

Ran an internet trace using the e-mail address as a source.  It is likely to be legit.
Did a check on Facebook and MySpace  There is a "Cherry Luu" on both those sites and she is from California.

From what I can tell from here it looks okay.  If somebody is a member of Facebook and/or MySpace, they could go on there and "friend" her and ask if she's the one with the college project.  That would pretty much seal it.
(Personally, I don't do Facebook and MySpace but if somebody else is a member they could check.)

Very nice!  And very well done art!   :clap:
Who made it?  If you don't mind telling, how much did it set you back?

That's okay.  I know how it goes.  We're on a budget in this house too.
We have a highly tuned sense of "Bear Radar" and we have to learn to appreciate them from afar instead of adopting every Bear we see.  When you have as many Bears as we do you have to learn to be choosy.

Even Bears have to learn their priorities, dontcha' know!   

However, there's nothing wrong with putting a Bear on your Christmas list!
If you are a very good girl, maybe Santa will bring you a Bear.   

That's because you are a very careful and fastidious Bearmaker.  :)
You always want to make the best looking Bears that you can.  You want to make Bears you can always be proud of.

This is a very good quality for a Bearmaker to have!
All the Bears in this den think that is a very admirable quality in a Bearmaker. 

Wow!  Chrissie!  You've got a nice selection of Bears at your web store!

patchworkbear...  This is the Steiff Bear you need to get!

http://www.sunny-bears.com/inv/steiff/c … 036125.php

He's a "White Tag" limited edition Bear.  He's only $130, marked down from almost $150 and Sunny-Bears offers free domestic shipping if you buy $100 worth of merchandise!

You can't beat that deal with a stick!
Seriously!  Grab that Bear right now!
If you don't, I just might!

Melanie and I prefer happy looking Bears.  But, just because a Bear doesn't have an upturned mouth it doesn't mean he's sad.
A Bear can look pensive.  A Bear can look soulful.  A Bear can look dignified.  A Bear can look inquisitive.  A Bear can have a hundred different looks.  A Bear doesn't always have to be cheerful.

The first mistake people make is to think that Bears are always "Sunshine and Lollipops."  Teddy Bears are very serious things!  They can have the whole range of emotions that people can have.  They can even be angry!  Yes, the Bears here do get angry!
It all boils down to something I said before.  Teddy Bears are perfect mirrors for their human's emotions.  Whatever the human feels, the Bear can feel too.

Sometimes it is empathy.  If you feel sad, your Bear feels sad for you.  If his human isn't happy, the Bear won't be happy either.
Sometimes the Bear takes on emotions in place of the human.  The Bear is a surrogate for your emotions.  If I come home from work and my wife isn't feeling well, she'll hold up a Bear and say, "The Bear isn't happy!"  It's a way for us to express emotions we're not comfortable with.

Sometimes, when we see a sad looking Bear we don't feel as sad, ourselves.  It's good to know that you're not alone in your sadness.  The human and the Bear commiserate together.  It's like the Bear takes a little bit of the load off.

Here's a funny thing.  Even Bears made from the exact same pattern can look different at different times.
We have several duplicate Bears living in this den with us.  Even commercially made Bears are not identical.  Hold them up together and look closely.  You will see that there are minute differences in their faces.  It is those differences that make every Bear unique.  Moreover, they provide a perfect canvass for a human to project their emotions.  Those minute differences are interpreted differently every time a human looks at that Bear.  Even the same Bear can look different at different times, based on how the human feels when looking at the Bear.

The best thing to do when making a Bear is not to try to make the Bear look a certain way.  Just make him look the way that looks best to you at the time.  If you are feeling happy, make the Bear happy.  If you aren't feeling so happy, make a pensive Bear.  Sometimes you'll make a dignified looking Bear.  Other times you'll make a thoughtful looking Bear.  It all depends.

Try talking to the Bear.  Ask him (or her) how he feels.  Make the Bear's look accordingly.
You don't have to make every Bear look exactly alike.  After all, no two people are exactly alike.  Who said Bears should all be identical twins?  That would be boring!

You are the Bear maker.  It's your art.  You have the right to do whatever you want so make the Bears the way you like them best! 

You can afford a Steiff.  :)

Steiff makes a couple different lines of Bears.  There are the collectible mohair Bears.  There are some mid-range Bears made from synthetic plush and there are a few Bears for more budget conscious collectors or children.

http://thetoyshoppe.com/product_info.ph … ts_id=2004

Look around and you can find plenty of nice Steiff Bears for under $100.

http://thetoyshoppe.com/product_info.ph … ts_id=2018

If you really want a collectible mohair Steiff you can always save your pennies.  That's what our humans do.
They put a coffee can on the kitchen counter and toss in all their spare change when they come home from the grocery store.
50¢...  $1.00...  $2.00 per day adds up.

Saving up an average of $1.00 per day adds up to $100.00 in just over 3 months.
If you can put away $20.00 per week you will be able to buy a $200.00 Bear in just 10 weeks!

It's all just a matter of how you look at the problem.   

For your other question:  We are a mixed hug of Bears.  We are manufactured and artist Bears.  There are one of a kind Bears.  There are mass produced Bears.  We are Ty.  We are Boyd's  We are Gund, Steiff, Hermann, NABCO.  We are all kinds.

Our humans like different fur types.  They like mohair, synthetic, real fur and all sorts of types in between.
Some of us are commercial mascotts.  There is a "Snuggle" fabric softener Bear living here.  There are Campbell's Soup and Hershey's Chocolate Bears living here.  Our humans collect us mainly based on style.  There are a lot of Gund "Snuffles" Bears in our hug.

Here, take a look at our den.  This is where we live:  http://homepage.mac.com/randystankey/bears/bears.html