Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Penny,

When you find out whether you're mad, old fashioned or old, let me know because I probably fit the same category (maybe all of the above).  I too hand sew all of my bears.  I have a machine which I use for other things.  I just really like to handle my bears through the whole process.  It is also kind of relaxing to sit down in the evening and sew a bear.

Cute, cute, cute.

I hope we never make the "perfect bear".  If we do, we will no longer have anything to strive for.

Rule #1 when distressing mohair - anything goes.
I do not go hog wild when I distress mohair.  I have seen bears that basically have no hair left.  I have not gone that far.  I have my dad's 75 year old bear.  He has had most of his hair loved off of him.  But I think that when I make them I want to leave some hair for someone else to love off.  When I am making an old looking bear, I usually use tea to dye but I have used coffee and dyes and a combination of all of these.  I dye the pieces after I have them cut out rather than dying a whole piece of mohair.  I do the distressing after the bear is made.  I have a cheap set of dog grooming clippers.  This works great for making bald spots or even just nearly bald.  One of my favorite ways to darken spots is with shoe polish (the paste not the liquid).  I use cotter pin joints most of the time on these style of bears.  If you are looking for boot buttons for eyes, try antique shops.  I found packages with old boot buttons (5 pair) for $1.00.  These were the right size for a 10 - 12 inch bear.  I also like to find little things to accessorize with (antique puzzles and toys, clothes and jewelry).

I guess I didn't realize how many of you do have bears either in articles etc. or up for awards.  Congratulations to all.

Sue Ann,

I haven't read through my magazine yet, but I did see your rooster is up for an award.  Good Luck!

Thank you Sue Ann.  This is very exciting for me.  I had submitted pictures but was not sure if they would be used.  When I opened my magazine I seen a picture of a bear and I thought "That bear looks familiar", then I realized "Hey, that's my bear".  It was kind of funny.

I suppose I do look like my bears (Well, they look like me) since they look older than they really are.  Sometimes I think people look at me like I'm an old granny (I'm 47).  I decided many years ago that I would not dye my hair when it started greying.  It is and I'm not.  Why is it that a man is considered to look distinguished when he begins to grey but a woman is just old.  How fair is that?  Well you're only as old as you feel.  Some days that's great, others I don't want to talk about.

Concerning allergies, I don't think it is just florals that can be a problem.  I have a cousin who has a reaction to the smell of cinnamon.

As far as the farm smells go, I prefer the smell of horses.  My daughter thinks that I've totally lost it because I hug my horses and tell her that I love to smell them.  Little does my daughter know but insanity can be hereditary.  HA!

Hayley,

The panda that I made with alpaca has not faded at all.  I have also used the dye from Intercal and had great results.  I know you want a varigated look and that would be a little difficult to get.  However, I did a bear that I dyed with kool aid and got that look.  The bear is  Winter Bear so I was looking for a frosty appearance.  I used a blue kool aid and diluted it a bit more than usual.  The results were exactly what I wanted.  This was with mohair though not alpaca.   Here's a picture.

Hayley,

I am sitting here looking at a panda that I made from alpaca a couple of years ago.  I used a regular laundry dye (Rit) and treated it just as I do mohair.  The color I used was a tan color but you may be able to find a grey dye (Intercal has a huge selection of dye).  Also, I have 1/4 yard of what I believe is the grey alpaca you were looking for if you are interested.  I'm not sure what we would be looking at as far as shipping costs from the US.   If you are interested I will check it out.

KBonsall

Welcome!  I started selling bears last year.  I did not realize that I needed a seller's permit, aka vender's license, until the show coordinator asked for my number.  It did not take long to get one though.  You may find the info you need on your state's tax dept. website.

Rita,

Thank you very much.  I am very new to the web business so I guess I'm a bit insecure about it.  It's funny that you noticed Clarisse and Belle.  These are also two of my favorites therefore they were given special names.  Clarisse is named after my cat and Belle is named after my rabbit.   I do tend to name my bears after special people and four legged friends in my life.  I will continue to make bears because I am addicted.  I wonder if some day someone will have to start a TBA organization (Teddy Bears Anonymous).

Quy,

Thank you for your help.  I am not real computer saavy so I would appreciate your help in reducing my images.   

Thanks again.

Hayley,

Sometimes in these rescue situations you have to let the authorities handle it.  I was only able to get Captain because the owner was willing to get rid of him.  He actually just gave him to me.  This man could have been a real "other end of the horse", but he wasn't.  And please do not take Anna's dream from her.  Let her know that even if she can't take this horse she still can help him by contacting the right people.  Who knows, she may be heading up the RSPCA some day.  I know as a child I lived on those kind of dreams.

Snoring husbands, that's a subject I am all too familiar with.  I do believe it would be quieter sleeping in a real bear den. 

As for being a bear, I would be one of the antique bear.   I love to see the old teddy bears.  They just look like they each have their own story.   A favorite saying of mine "Let's be a teddy bear in our next lifetime.  Nobody cares if they're fat and the older they get the more they are worth."

Would appreciate any advice I could get on improving my website.  Although my site is fairly new, it seems to be a bit sluggish.  My daughter says I'm impatient, maybe so.  At any rate, are there things I'm missing?

Shelli,

I live out in the boonies so we do not have cable.  However, I have seen Animal Planet and I thought then that it is probably a good thing that I don't get it.  I would probably spend all of my time watching Animal Planet and making bears.  I could see me buried in mohair scraps in front of the TV.  My daughter and I are nearly addicted to the British show "All Creatures Great and Small".  I bought her the first two series for Christmas last year and we have just about worn them out.  I find it very relaxing in the evening to put in a James Herriott video and work on a bear.  We are definitely animal maniacs here.  We have even converted my husband who grew up without animals in his life and really had no desire for them.  He didn't know what he got into when he married me.  The first birthday present I asked for from him was a puppy.  I picked out a St. Bernard (20 lbs. at 6 weeks old).  From there things grew, including that puppy.  My husband has joined the bandwagon, a few months ago he brought home a chicken that came in on one of their delivery trucks at work.  HA!

Hello Hayley and welcome.  Since there have been several comments about my draft horse, Captain, I thought I would update everyone.  Today Captain weighs in at about 2,000 lbs.  He is a great big ton of fun.  He is so happy and it shows.  He will cut a shine across the pasture and romp and play with the others.  He also is a big spoiled baby.  He loves to be brushed and kissed.  I absolutely love having him around.  So the real question is who has helped who?

Daphne,

I have not tried flavored coffee.  However, I have used Kool Aid to dye mohair and it actually does leave a fragrance on the bear, but after a while the smell is gone.

Dilu,

What a cool story about your father.  I personally have always said give me paints in the 3 primary colors and I'll make my own shades from there.  My sister does quite a bit of painting and has learned also to mix her own colors.

Everyone has given their preferences.  I have to say I like them all.  What I really like to do is buy mohair in a light shade and then play with different dyes (tea, coffee, kool aid etc.).  Because I only dye the pieces for one bear at a time and I save no dye, I never get two alike.  I have found that the colorful miniatures seem to sell quicker.

Penny,

I don't have to wait for heaven to talk to the animals.  I do that now.  People can't accuse me of talking to myself because there is always a four legged creature around for me to hold my conversations with.  When I'm feeding the horses I'm also talking to them constantly.  Maybe the horses think I'm nutty.

Penny,

That cultural trip sounds great.   Maybe that day will come (I hope).

Penny,

The lady who bought my bear is Sheila.  When she emailed me, she said it was lambing time and she described England just like I would imagine.  It made me want to go visit my bear.  Maybe someday.

Penny,

I hope you are right about me going to heaven.  I probably will be an animal caretaker there.  But that's ok with me, it wouldn't be heaven without animals.  I also am totally outraged by animal abuse and neglect.  That is why I have a zoo.  I can't just walk by a creature in need.  This has rubbed off on my children.  My son stopped one evening on his way home and picked up a cat that had been run over and then paid $80 to have her put down because she was so bad.  He said that he couldn't just drive on by her and do nothing.  We are all a bunch of softies here.

Darleen,

You are not weird for feeling sad over your bears leaving.  Well, if you are, you're not alone.  Each time I finish a bear I say that I want to keep this one.  My family said that the house was filling up so that is how I started selling.  I shipped a bear to England a few months ago.  The lady emailed me and told me that she lives near the sea.  It sounded wonderful.  I guess a part of me is now in England.