Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I too just love crafts, I never buy cards, I make them all myself and often make gifts for family.  I've got lots of rubber stamps - most impressed that you even had your own rubber stamps made Danni - how did you do that - you must be really good at drawing?  I have not yet tried scrap booking but after our last holiday to Canada where I got engaged I would really love to make a special photo/ scrap book.  Unfortunately I don't have any really good big craft stores here in Belgium like I did in the UK... mmmm this could take some time looking at the internet, ebay....  must avoid the temptation and finish my bear... oo the oven timer is peeping - the nose for my bear is baked!!

Byeee
Hugs,
Catherine

Hi all,

I've got a nose baking in the oven as I type this that is a clay/fimo one!!  Once it is cooled I'd like to give it a shiney appearance, what do you gals use as a varnish?  Do you all use glue as well as the thread to attach the nose, what kind of glue do you find works best?

Thanks,
Bear Hugs,
Catherine

Hi Danni, it all looks great now :)

Bear Hugs,
Catherine

Hi Shari, the photos came up fine for me too on Ebay.  He is fantastic, really original and I'm sure will appeal to lots of people.  I admire the needle felting, I have tried it only a few times and you must be very talented to achieve what you have with your bear :)

Good luck with the auction, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Bear Hugs,
Catherine

Hi Kelly, thanks heaps, I'm just in the process of sewing up the head and neck at the minute (my test bear!), so far so good.  You've all been a great help   Good luck with the show Kelly.

Bear Hugs,
Catherine

I love all these animal stories.  I've got two crazy cats, Ollie just loves to watch animals on the tv, the moment a human comes along he is not interested... he thought Crufts (Dog show in the UK!) was just the best to watch and he really enjoys safari programmes with lions in them!  He goes right up close to the tv and watches, even sometimes going up on his back legs and waving his paws in the air - I still think he comes from a circus!!  He was actually dumped on the lane just outside the front of our house with his mum and the rest of the litter of kittens, when he was only about 3 weeks old!    I can still picture us with the neighbours in the middle of the night trying to catch them all, even with butterfly catching nets!!  I caught Ollie with a flying rugby tackle   He was such a character, my Mum and I kept him to keep our other cat Phoebe company.  They both look so similar everyone thinks they are brother and sister (I actually reckon they may have the same Dad - (The Tom of the local neighbourhood!!).

Anyway, here's a photo of Ollie waving at a dog on the tv and then peeping out from under the curtain!!  Then I didn't want Phoebe to feel left out so here's a photo of her wanting her tummy tickled!

Hugs,
Catherine

Hi Shantell, depending where you are based some companies will provide you with small samples of mohair or faux furs to give you an idea before buying... especially considering the costs involved!  You need to have a think of the length of the mohair that you want, do you want to try out  thick furry bears or do you prefer the more thread bear thin pile bears?  Usually the pile length should be indicated by the company.  I know it's bewildering trying to select it from a little photo on a computer!  I'm not sure if I've been much help, I hope so!  Anyway any other questions just ask everyone here, we're all in the same boat :)

Catherine

Cute photo Dilu, I too have two daft cats and I check the washing machine every time (I once heard of a poor kitten getting 'washed' in a washing machine!)  As for my photo of my horse and I, I was actually around 18 years old then, I'm rather a little bod!.

Good luck with the fair in October Clare.  I'm nervous about the fair that Daphne is doing with my bears and Danni's and I will not even be there.  So I can totally understand you feeling worried, but I'm sure it will be just great.

Catherine

I couldn't resist writing with all that talking of donkeys and  horses.. I grew up with horses, sharing my Mum and Gran's love of horses, and was lucky enough to have two horses when I was in my teens (not at the same time).  My last horse was called Skelm which is South African for Little Rascal and he certainly was with his Huge big eyes... he was such a character and was incredibly intelligent.  He loved having his photo taken, the moment he saw the camera he would position himself so he looked all perfect and stood there head held proudly --without me holding onto him - such a poser   I know this is going off the teddy subject but I thought you might like to see a photo of me and Skelm at a cross country competition.

Horsey Hugs,
Catherine

Hi Kelly, yep I'm unboggled now thanks   I'd love to see your bear with the wrist joint when you have a photo.

Catherine

Hi Kelly and Sue Ann - thanks for your help.  It is beginning to make sense the more I think about it and read everything here.  The only thing I'm not so sure about is now jointing the neck wedge to the head.  I understand that you turn the joint down inside the head, but not sure how to do this, just opposite of what we do for single joint necks. ... I guess I just have the loose circle that will go into the head and attach the joint onto that, turn it down and then sew the circle onto the head to seal it up?  Oh if only we all lived close and could just show each other what we mean over a cup of tea!  Kelly your polar bear is soooo amazing.

Catherine

Ok, I'm sat here with my new double neck pattern in front of me and trying to work out if it's right and how I'm going to join it all together :/

Do I use cotter pins for the jointing as I normally would for a single head/neck?  Do I just mark the centre of the circles of fabric in order to know where to place the joints?  I'm worried about them moving or not being tight enough.

As for eye placement do I do that once the entire head and neck is finished or when just the first head portion is finished?

Sorry if I'm asking obvious questions but this is my first double jointed neck bear!

Thanks everyone,
Catherine

Hi, I'm working on a new pattern and I'd like to use wrist joints to give greater poseability.  BUT!! I don't know where to start with that.  Do I have to design the arm in a particular form and where would I cut the pattern to insert the joint?  Would I use cotter pins or nuts and bolts?  I have been reading the post about a double neck joint and not gathering the fabric but instead inserting a disc of mohair... would I do the same for the wrist joint?  My brain is feeling somewhat boggled by all this at the moment ... can anyone unboggle me? :)
THANKS heaps for any help,
Catherine

Daphne,

I get inspiration from all over the place.. a lot of my bears come from childhood memories in the countryside... or I just sit out in my garden a while and get inspired ... flowers or views across fields, horses neighing, sun through the trees ... I think of bears out gardening, climbing trees... I guess all the things I like to do!  I guess you can see why I called my bears Bumpkin Bears   This probably doesn't help much, but inspiration is such a personal thing I guess...  I loved your story about the old chap and his bear in the car - can't get much more inspiring than that   Enjoy creating with all the new goodies you re-discovered.

Bear Hugs,
Catherine

Great choice of name Shelli, the moment I read that name it was my favourite too - it just jumped out as fitting her  

Hugs,
Catherine

Hi Jane, I can understand your shock, I have a friend that lives very near to Aylesbury and my family live in St Albans so close to Luton where that car had been found...  It must be so very unsettling for you.   

Bear Hugs
Catherine

Hi Clare,

This is how I do my sculpted toes (well my bear's toes!!) -

I do three lines of thread for the vertical toes and then lines along the base horizontally.

Place pins at equal points - I do one in the centre and then one either side at equal points - then pins at the base points too.

Start with a good long piece of embroidery thread like you use for the nose.

Loose the thread in the leg of the bear, going back and forth in and out the same holes to secure the thread - like you do before starting the nose.

Come out with your LONG needle (like you use for eyes) at the top point of the first toe on the side.

Take needle down and into the bottom pin point - then back out at the top of the centre toe pin.

Take this down to base of the line and then back up to last toe at the top... again into the base.

This time bring the needle back out at the bottom side of the foot pad where you want the horizontal line to go!

(Still following!!)

Take it in and out along the base so between each toe line is a separate line - looks like one continuous line when finished.

Finish off the thread neatly where it can't be seen and then loose the thread again as before.

You need to stuff the foot firmly, but not too hard so that it has some give in it to create puffy toes but not too much so that the fabric sags or creases as you pull.

Boy it's not easy saying this in words!  I hope you can follow it!  I'll try and put a photo of one of my bears with sculpted toes to try and help explain what I'm talking about!  Please ask, if you don't get anything I've said.

Bear Hugs,
Catherine

Karren, that is FANTASTIC news - on the front cover as well   I'll be sure to look out for it in the international mag store over here.   Enjoy the limelight :)

Bear Hugs,
Catherine

Sheri, I think he is just FAB- beautifully made.  It is not easy without the forgiveness of fur!  He looks all set to go on his travels to his new home.  I'm sure he'll do well.

Good Luck
Catherine

All of these bears are soo adorable, great work with the needle felting on your koala Amanda, I've yet to try that on my mohair bears, the thought of jabbing a sharp needle into my bear's face fills me with worry :P

Bear Hugs,
Catherine

Hi Amanda, oh great thanks I had not heard of that company.  Being British myself I had heard of lots of the places but not this one   I think your avatar chap looks soooo cuddly.  Do you find they work well without stretching too much?

Thanks again,
Catherine

Hi Kelly, thanks so much for your quick reply   I can't wait to get looking at those sites.  I'm just working on the pattern now so looking forward to getting started.

Catherine

Hi everyone, having seen some black bears in the wild on a recent trip to Canada I would love to design a more realistic bear.  I would like to use a thick fluffy faux fur but am not sure where I can find this.  I have seen a few on Ebay in America but postage gets high sending to Belgium.  Does anyone know of any suppliers in Europe?  I also worry about the backing being stretchy, will this happen with a knitted backing?

Thanks for any ideas,
Bear Hugs,
Catherine

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts for England.  Although living in Belgium, I am British and my family live near to London.  I was so shocked when I turned the tv on and saw all the images, I was straight onto the phone and luckily neither my Dad nor brother were in London today.  Although my brother and his wife are due to go to London tomorrow via Kings Cross, so they feel somewhat shakey.  My love and thoughts go to everyone there, just as they do to you Shelli and Emmi.

Bear Hugs,
Catherine

www.bumpkinbears.com