Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Hmmm!,
Still no other cats? My husband got Peacock! That explains a lot 
Karen

Cute, Judi,
Thanks, needed that break with the Holiday Crunch!!

Your not going to believe this!
I'm coming back as a cat!    I guess my work is my life and after-life! I've always thought I was a cat in a past life    Maybe, I alternate between the two?
Karen
KJ Lyons Design and the cats!!

Shelli,
Your body just gets used to it! I spent 12 years in California, went to Huntington Beach High School.  Now I'm in New England. I keep my house temperature at 55 degrees and I don't even put on a coat until the temperature is in the 20's! I love it, we have real seasons here    Besides, cold temperatures burn calories, I need that!
Karen

I have many deer coming through my gardens. In the last couple of years I have had many fawns left on my garden paths. I have to be careful not to step on them! When a fawn is left by it's mother it will not move until she returns!  I asked our Wildlife Officer (I see him at the Country Corner Restaurant where I go for breakfast), why this is happening? He told me that in New England we are seeing a resurgence of the Eastern Coyote (much larger than it's Western cousin, 40-60 pounds, more like a wolf!). He told me that deer are not dumb. They know that if they leave their fawns in our gardens they will have a chance. Coyotes do not like to venture into town areas. When the fawns are older and faster the mother takes them back into the wild! So much for dumb deer, they are actually pretty smart  And, yes, I'm sure they meet up with bunnies in my gardens 
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

Tami,
Thank you so much! What a beautiful photo. The shadows make it dream-like. One species greeting another. Normally enemies, but through many generations they are able to coexist. I only wish humans could do as well 
Karen

Penny,
Two things- First don't let it bother you that some people think Persian cats look evil. I have a Black Persian cat (he was abandoned), and before I adopted him, I too, thought Persians had an indignant expression. But I have found that Persians are mushy sweethearts. Cats may not be everyone's "cup-of-tea" but there is a wonderful group of cat collectors and they are all over the world! These collectors are great people and very loyal! Let's face it, cats are wonderful; mysterious, graceful, beautiful and, frequently, artist' muse. Many famous artists and writers loved cats :angel:
Second, forget the whiskers. There is nothing that can match the realism of your Persian. I've tried. Cat whisker are tapered and all line up exactly on a cat's face. I guess if you are willing to spend a couple of days accomplishing this, it is possible. I've decided if famous cat sculptors have not included whiskers, it's OK for me.
Karen
KJ Lyons Design
http://www.kjlyons.com

Penny,
Great job! Keep going, we need more cat designers  :clap:
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

Bev,
Thank you 
I guess I'm sort of a perfectionist when it comes to cats/kittens. The fur I  was very experimenting with was wild and hard to "read".  Also, the backing was very bumpy almost like seersucker fabric?! I fought with the fur all through the design trying to make it do what it was not meant to do. That's why I say the fur won! But it did make me realize that I have to experiment more often and not let myself become rigid in my way of working and the materials I use. 
Karen
KJ Lyons Design
P.S. Wait until next month! I'm working on something that is very different from the cats 

Jodi,
Do you mind if I ask what camera you use? I know the quality of your photos has a lot to do with your skill as a photographer, but that's some camera! The photos look almost holographic, i.e. three dimensional!
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

Daphne,
I was really thinking of applying for your Wells, ME show until I found out it's Aug. 11th! That's the weekend of the Washington D.C. Expo Show! My heart is with you but I have many collectors waiting for me in Washington  :doh:
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

Yes, I was also at Sarah's Bristol, CT Show and I thought it went beautifully. Sarah works so hard on the show. Good advertising, great time of year, Fall in New England (I had a booth where I could look out the window and see a brilliant flaming Red Maple tree!), and Sarah brought us a very tasty lunch while we were at our booths. (This worked out well for me since my two biggest sales occurred while I was trying to eat my sandwich ;-). I think it's important that we try to support out New England shows, there are so few of them. I'll admit, I've been negligent in attending the smaller shows in my own backyard, so to speak. My pieces are higher priced than many artists and I wasn't sure I could do well at a smaller show. But I was pleasantly surprised; even though I was new to this show I had collectors coming to my booth because they had seen some of my pieces in magazines or on ebay, this and Sarah's work with her show,  helped make this a successful show for KJ Lyons' cats (and bears). :clap:
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

Michelle,
I'm sure we get points in Heaven for every one of God's creatures that we help! Just look at how truly beautiful they are, they must be glints of Heaven!
Karen

Tami,
What a smart squirrel! We have grey squirrels all around us and pumpkins and other squash. Not one of them has figured out that you could dig into one to get the seeds! He must be the Einstein of squirrels!
Karen

Daphne,
First, Congratulations on your show! I've heard you did a great job! I think artist's opinions will differ depending on how they view their "teddy bear" career. I attend shows solely on their ability to draw serious collectors. I will do any show, any time, and pay almost any price (discounts aren't that important to me) if I think the promoter is attracting my collectors to their show. And I work with them; special series, auction pieces, advertising. If the show promoter is doing their best I'm willing to do my part to promote the show. My most profitable shows in 2006 were the most expensive shows, but my profits more than made up for the costs. I only do 4-5 shows a year and I'm very selective. Shows are a lot of work and expensive for artists, collectors and promoters. I think you have to know your audience and what you expect from a show before you make a decision.
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

:clap:
Gail,
I think we've won! They've stopped the auction! It's so sad we have to worry about this stuff. But I think it's great that we can help fellow artists. Maybe one day it'll be one of us 
Karen

Brenda,
It's still there. Try this listing:
http://tinyurl.com/hp6js
Karen

Oh my God! It's even worse! The piece is still on sale in the eBay Doll, artist section but the seller's name has been changed from the "0" rated buyer whom, supposedly, bought the piece to another name with a  "0" rating?! Something is really wrong here 

There's something really "fishy" about this sale!!! THe same piece, with the exact same description is now up for sale on the Artist Doll section, eBay. Being sold by this same "0" bidder whom, supposedly, won? Starting bid $2,000. Question? Did this person really buy the piece? Why is it up for sale so quickly and with the exact same eBay listing as before? I doubt the artist would allow an exact copy of their ad?? Very Strange.
Karen

Shelli,
FIrst don't panic, how long has it been and where was the package going? Packages going to Canada or Europe can take as long as two weeks! Even if you ship Global Priority. I also find that packages going to West Virginia and some other parts of the South can take a long time, who know why?! If I remember right they can't track until it reaches a destination or there is a time span where they call it lost and that's a long time, I forget how long. The message may have simply meant the package was still in transit. I have to say it is very rare for USPS to actually lose a package. In 17 years I only had one package lost and that was because it was placed in a shed and the garbage truck picked it up 
Karen

Ok,
My sole support is my art and I sell as fast as I create. Thank you, all my Collectors! I love my work and I believe in entering competitions, donating for charity auctions, and other causes that support the teddy bear world    But I do not hold back creations, I just can't. I am careful to photograph everything I create and their photographs are my entries into competitions. When one of my entries wins, I send the Award Certificate to the person who purchased the creation.  One of my TOBY awards went to a collector who had paid me in $60.00 monthly installments and, of course, she had no idea she was purchasing a TOBY winner.
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

  Shari,
I'm true to my word! I got her ready for travel and she went out this morning. I know she's ready for a new home, I think she might have heard me talking about her :redface:
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

Shari,

Send me your address! You were the first to ask and you'll get him! I won't be putting him on sale. E-mail me at karen@kjlyons.com
Karen
KJ Lyons Design

  Ok, I flunked this challenge!
I used the same synthetic as Terrie of Terries Bears and she did a much better job of it!
I am so used to doing all my own coloring of fur I found it very difficult to work with a fur that had a pattern. I fought it every step of the way and I think the FUR won!  :crackup:
P.S. I don't recommend this fur for a first time synthetic. It has a strange bumpy backing to it and to me, it just felt very odd?! (I know, excuses, excuses)

Kimberly,
I really like your BumbleBear Pair, commission piece. Your could enter that in the TOBY's. Image #2 (always have a piece where the bear is looking at the camera) You would need a head-shot, but you could use photoshop or a similar program and focus in on their faces.
I entered the TOBY's my first year in the collectible business and won. I think, dumb luck, and the fact that I create cats helped. The same year I went on to win the TED award in Germany. I didn't let it go to my head. I knew I had a LOT to learn but it was so wonderful, and it gave me a dream-to-hang-my-hat-on ;-> I've worked hard since then and kept dreaming. I won another TOBY this year 2006. Your creativity and drive are the most important attributes to your business. But it's nice to gain acknowledgement. You can be a great artist and have many collectors without ever entering a contest. I think if you do enter contests you have to be prepared to go to the awards show and be there, win or lose.
Karen
KJ Lyons Design