Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Oh wow - how amazing!!! just a question though - with bears around, do people dare to keep dogs and cats?
I remember Karen Lyons saying she sent her cats out to see the bears off, but..????
huggies
Maria

Nice one!!! It WORKS.........
huggies
Maria
just one problem - the sound of running water....I'd be off to the loo, and have to let go!

O.K. - here's Bluebottle the Bar Fly - I'm still a bit stunned, but really pleased that he has a TBS award nomination, and now the TITA!  And now the little chap will be off on a big adventure..all the way to Kyoto!
Thanks everyone for the congratulations - much appreciated.............as I've said before, being able to share exciting news with friends makes it even better!
Oh, and a big thanks to Kassity for the lovely wings, without which Bluebottle would never have taken off
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

And, of course, humungous congatulations to all the other nominees! :dance:  :dance:

Oh Gaby- isn't that wonderful! Fingers crossed that the TINY baby survives....and what an amazing FIRSt for the zoo!
thanks for sharing the story
huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:

Thanks, Wendy - glad you like him! I just had to pass on the news to the very nice customer who reserved Bluebottle - she's got a LONG wait ahead!
I believe the TITA is something like Tokyo International Teddy Award - I could be, and probably am, WRONG...anyway it is a Japanese teddy comp...all very exciting!
huggies
Maria :hug:

Hi Berta
and multiple congratulations to you! Isn't it exciting :dance:  :dance: ???? First time I've entered a mini, and he got the TBS nomination too...
We've been having computer troubles too - thanks to the total ineptitude of the Deutsch Telecom...at least we have the computer working again, but still no phone...AAARRRGGGHHHHH - dealing with them really is like banging your head against a brick wall
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:

congrats, Laura.. that's GREAT!!!! :dance:  :dance:
big huggies
Maria

AAwwww thanks, Patsy and Chloe (and I'll wear my gold star with pride!)
but you just wait till America wakes up - I bet there are HEAPS more nominations!!!
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:

Thanks SO much for the link, Tami - the baby sea otters have to be just the most adorable creatures ever!
huggies
Maria :hug:

Wheeeeee...just heard that my "Bluebottle the Bar Fly" is a TITA nominee.....gosh, I am excited....
off to do a bit of a happy dance :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:
huggies
Maria

Hiya
the photos are great - thanks for sharing them. The kids look tremendous - they must have had such a good time, despite Sarah's mishap.....
and Stephen Fry - wow!!!! He is just the most awesomely talented man - I had a few very late nights last weekend, watching all the SF 50th birthday tributes - re-runs of bits of Blackadder and a Bit of Fry and Laurie - brilliant!
Found myself thinking - "they look SO young" and then ...hmmmm - suppose I did, then! Oh dear...........
huggies
Maria

Hi all
we've been incommunicado for a few days thanks to a "brainstorm" from the Deutsche Telecom...GGGRRRRR!
Anyway - the new BarReport magazine is out and I'd just like to throw in a "brag" for a couple of TT friends...
there is a SUPER two and a half page article about Mikki Klug......and another pic of you, kissing a llama, Mikki!
People will start to wonder....................
And an article about Swedish bears currently making their debut in one of the German bear shops - by Jennie Sandahl........  great going, both of you  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance: - congratulations!!!

big huggies
Maria

Hi Chloe
I have some entry forms - send me your address, and I'll get one off to you
huggies
Maria

What a sweetie, Chloe - with the first photo I thought you'd got yourself a wolfie (MUST be some wolfie somewhere in the mix!). I don't envy you the punctures - I still have tiny scars from when Nounours was a baby BUT - you are gong to have so much fun - ENJOY!
huggies
Maria

That is GREAT news Samantha - good for you! :dance:
And it is just SO special to actually BE there at the awards ceremony, even if, like me, you end up twitching with nerves.......
Big congratulations to ALL the winners :dance:  :dance:
huggies
Maria

Yep - just ordered mine!!! Kathy always writes SO well - I can't wait to get my copy......and I am SO chuffed that Kathy asked if she could use one of my bear tableaux in the book...... :dance:
huggies
Maria

Me again....Tuesday night in Wald-Michelbach is "barenfreund club" night...so I took the new TBS along....MUCH oohing and aaahing over the bears, but JANE - everyone was totally gob-smacked and awestruck (?stricken ) with your needle-felting!!! Just thought you'd like to know!
And as an aside - Barenfreund club is a bit of a joke - most of them knit socks (!) - I could hardly contain myself when the "sock maniac" tonight admitted that her husband has some 200 pairs of socks...WHY???????????
huggies
Maria

UMMMM - Jennie....yours was the Lady in Red..at least, that's what's in the magazine.....
and she is a real cutie!
huggies
Maria :hug:

Wow, Krista...humungous congratulations on your very well-deserved successes!!!!! :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:
Bet you are still floating at ceiling height
huggies
Maria :hug:

AAAWWW - thanks, Melanie and Jane..... :hug:  :hug:
but I NEVER win this one!!!!! Still - I'm well chuffed to get the cover this month - and so is my other half - Kathy said that the bear would be re-photographed for the cover, but they've used Jeremy's pic!

There are some great entries in the competition - so GOOD LUCK to everyone...
huggies
Maria :hug:

And mine......Bluebottle, the Bar Fly - he's in the minis.
Jane - your orang is brilliant - I'm sure you'll win again.......and Paula - what can I say - stunning!
This is my fifth TBS nomination, and probably my fifth "runner-up"!!!!!
huggies
Maria

Just for you, Danni! :hug:
I made the bear from some luscious Japanese SILK fabric, which I got from Lynette - hope you like him!
huggies
Maria

Just got my copy of the new TBS....
easiest to give the whole list of nominations..Bare Bear...Yvonne Andrews
Berta Hesen-Minten
Jean & Bill Ashburner
Lynn Bowie
Paula Carter
Dressed Bear....Patricia Banks
Jennie Sandahl
Jane Powell
Christelle Dupre
Dawn James
Miniature bear.... Samantha Potter
Kathryn Galvin
Wendi Walker
Maria Collin
Jane Powell
Furry Friends....Jane Martin
Samantha Potter
Di Futcher
Kasjya Lindstrom
Shelly Allison
   CONGRATULATIONS all round - and an especial cheer for Samantha with her TWO!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap: 

Lisa and Tami L also feature in the Whats New section.....  and to my delight - I have a Puca bear on the cover!!! :dance:
huggies
Maria

Thanks so much for these, Tami
otters are the most enchanting animals - I just LOVe them!
The BBC are currently running a wildlife series from the Californian coast, and among others are featuring sea otters. At an institute they showed how abandoned babies are rescued and cared for, and most remarkable, once the pups are weaned onto solids they are paired up with one of the several adult females which for one reason or other are not fit to be returned to the wild  - we saw a pup being introduced to her foster mum - within minutes, mum was floating on her back with the pup clasped to her chest - pure magic! The foster mothers teach the pups how to feed, and at around 8 months of age the pups are returned to the wild (under careful monitoring!)
huggies
Maria

Hiya
I used to do a lot of spinning, both wheel and drop spindle....I've been trying to find a pic of a drop spindle, but no luck.....there's bound to be info somewhere in cyberland
all I would say, is that it is slow! Basically it is a long spindle, threaded perpendicularly thru' a circular   disc (if you can visualise that) . Wool is wound round the spindle, above the disc, then the end of the wool goes down and round the spindle, under the disc, then up and is "hitched" at the top of the spindle - you hang onto the free end of the wool, spin the spindle, which imparts a twist to the end of the wool, and then catch the end of the roving or rolag - it gets pulled in.....the skill is in controlling the "feed". Obviously, the spindle can only drop so far - then you stop, unhitch the wool,  wind the new bit on, and start again.
Much easier to demonstrate than describe! It DOES work - I spun enough to make a sweater.... alas, my drop spindle (hand made!) got chewed up years ago by one or other puppy.
huggies
Maria