Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Very cute, Jodi!

That's a relief to hear, Tami - after seeing your workroom shots, and Paula's neat as a pin work space, I was starting to get quite a complex!

Glad to see your postive attitude, Dilu, and keep on looking for answers. I also am a firm believer in acquiring as much knowledge about every diagnosis as you can and trying whatever it takes to get healthy again. 

Congratulations, Chloe - that is so exciting and the bears are great!

Yeah!!!! My copy finally arrived today! The article on TT is just great and I enjoyed seeing all the ads from TTer's.

Great sewing room, Tami! Tell me you cleaned the room up for the photos (or hadn't started using it yet!) - NO ONE could keep a work room that spic and span - could they?????   I just covet your thread holder - that alone would tidy up my room a lot!

Oh Chrissi,
I am so sorry to hear about your loss of your beloved dog, Shelby.  Sending lots of comforting thoughts your way.

Oh Jane, what are the chances of this happening twice in a day like this! I am so sorry you are having to go through such problems.

Oh how disappointing Jane! You have to wonder why anone would do something like that! Good luck getting it all sorted out and with your relisting.

Hi Louise,
I checked their website to see the nominees in each category after your last posting. Here's the link to it:
http://www.jonespublishing.com/jphome/j … nteddy.asp

Thanks so much for all the photos, Ginger! Great to see all the fabulous bears! Really enjoyed your report.

Great photos and reporting Ginger! Of course we all KNOW you are innocent, but you have us on the edge of our seats waiting for tomorrow's installment!

Now that's funny! 

Thanks Shari, Charlotte, Heather and Daphne! I did sell him already - emailed a photo to a collector who had asked to see any new felted teddies I did and she emailed back right away to say she wanted him so I am really pleased. I do find it hard to find time to do both felted bears and sewn ones and I guess at this stage am still a lot more comfortable with the sewn ones but as everything just takes practice I am sure if I persist I will get better at the felted one, and they are fun to do. Next thing I'd like to try is doing felted faces on sewn bears!

Thanks Jane, I never thought of that!!! I've tried a paper hole punch but of course it won't go through fabric very easily but a punch for holes in leather would!

I'm very interested in this circle cutter tool you are talking about, Jane, but I don't suppose it cuts circles small enough for mini bears????
For the whites of my bears' eyes I have used both felt and ultrasuede but find them a bit thick if the bear is really tiny so then I use non woven interfacing and it works great. I put a hole off-centre and put the eye loop through it or if I am using a bead eye then I just stick the needle through slightly offcentre. The other way I do whites of eyes on my minis is to stitch it in with white embroidery thread - eyelids this way too with other colours of thread. I have used fabric pens on the edges but often just leave them as is on the minis.

That is absolutely AMAZING, Judi!!!! You are one talented artist!

Oh what fun! I wish I could go to TBAI one of these years!

Sorry to hear that Michelle - the thing about life is just never know what is around the next corner and hopefully it will work out even better than you thought. 

That's just what I was going to say Brenda - it is hilarious, and the funniest part is how some of it is almost true!!!
When we lived up in Yellowknife, NWT, when the temperature got up to -20 F towards spring we would all be walking around with our parkas unzipped, enjoying the heat wave! 

Here's a picture of the little bear I'm working on. Just need to do the other leg and attach and then some detail work and accessories so shouldn't take long now - if I get off the computer that is! 
P.S. your bear's head looks great, Jodi
P.P.S. Good luck with the wedding tomorrow, Aleta!

That is so sad, Shantell!

Oh she is just too cute, Eileen! Congratulations you lucky thing!

I don't think there is any way to tell ahead of time if it is worth it to do any particular show! My experience with craft shows has not been good - so many people just seemed to be looking for ideas to go home and make their own and it got really frustrating trying to explain to people why the bears (not just mine it was the whole bear club who had taken a booth at a big craft fair) were so expensive. We did sell some but not as many as we would have at a bear show. I have also done antique/collectible shows and doll shows and often it has been one or two people who have made the day for me by buying as many as 6 or more bears at once. Now if that person had not been there it would not have been a good sale for me so you just never know what will happen! The fact that you will have less competition than at a bear show could help too. Sometimes you just have to take a chance on it and at least you get the experience.

I've been playing around a bit at needle felting in between my regular bears and have just finished my 4th little mini so thought I would post a photo! I was so sure I would be able to make really tiny bears with this method but so far I haven't been able to get as small as with my sewn bears. This one is 1 3/4".