Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

OOOOHHH - am I JEALOUS!!!
great pics from both of you - sounds like you had a wonderful  time
huggies
Maria

Hi Wendy...been meaning to do this all week.....
here's some info on the German competitions....
first - the Golden George....details on www.teddybaertotal.de  which does have an English language version.
They haven't got the details for next years up yet. but - entries have to be in mid-December - so plenty of time. A jury selects the nominees from photos which can be posted in, or sent via e-mail...and they lost mine last year, so I had to re-send them! You DON'T get personally told if you are nominated - you need to buy the magazine, or know someone who does.
All nominated bears have to be at the Teddybär Total show at the end of April, and are displayed for the public to wonder over (!) and vote for their favourite (the Public Prize) - you can send the bears in, and i believe they are sent back pretty promptly...tho I suspect the postage on one of the VERY heavy trophies would COST!
Ted Worldwide, Euro Teddy and Meister Teddy - all run by the BärReport - www.baerreport.de
The website gives details on all of the comps, tho' only in German - the entry form for next year's Ted Worldwide can be downloaded, and IS in English! Entries have to be in by June 30th, and again, a jury selects the nominees from the entries - these are published in the last quarter's BärReport (November, sometime), and you do get a Nomination certificate and rosette soon after. The nominees are also listed on the website, and the public vote decides the winners. Again, bears have to be brought or sent to the show (March) for display and public vote for the Public Prize (or as they insist on calling it - the Publics Price!). Be warned - I have heard stories of bears taking a long time to be returned!
I think in all cases, if you can't attend the show, try to find someone to take the bear in for you, and to collect it....then you'll be SURE it is properly displayed.
The Euro Teddy says it is open to all in Europe (!) - there is a fairly tight schedule - send in your entry form and a photo by Oct !st - then they send you a form for bank transfer payment (normal method of payment here) - send that back and get the necessary paper work...and all this has to happen in a short space of time. Bears are judged at the Euro teddy show, and have to be brought in  and collected - they don't DO post! This is an interesting comp. as a group of judges check the bears out, and you get a Jury report, with points scored on all aspects of your work.
Meister Teddy - fairly similar to the euro ted, in that it is aimed at just european bears - again a tight schedule of getting entries in  and paid for - bears can be posted in, but must be collected. again, the bears are judged at the show.
Anything else you want  to know, just asK!
huggies
Maria

oooh - that is SO scarey - we had a similar storm here in early summer last year - rain like you've never seen (well - you have!) and huge hailstones . One of our cats got caught out in it and was missing for hours - since then she has been terrified of any loud noises, and has become our "storm early warning system" - if she disappears, GROWLING, under the table - we know bad weather is coming soon!
As Shelli said - stay warm and dry...and I hope there isn't too much damage!
huggies
Maria

Hi Jodi
can I add my somewhat belated congratulations :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  - too much rushing around over the last couple of weeks...and congrats to all the other artists featured.
I do so agree - Kirste is a lovely person, and the magazine s really top quality
huggies
Maria

Oh Gaby - what an awful thing to happen! I'll be sending lots of positive thoughts your way - I DO hope he recovers well.....and I wish you and your family strength to get thru' this
lotsa hugs :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:
love
Maria

Hi,
If your problem is that your computer does not have the software to read a powerpoint file, you can download a free powerpoint viewer from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta … layLang=en.

I hope that this helps,
Jeremy (for Maria)

Oh lord - I know some people jave seen it - I'll get himself onto it when he comes back from walking the dog...SORRY
huggies
Maria

http://www.puca-bears.de/slideshow_72/t … rtotal.pps

Hi all
Jeremy has put together a "slide show" - apparently it is rather SLOW (sorry)...you'll see that it is more an impression of the goings-on, rather than bear close -ups....and you'll guess who my close "bear friends" are!
And my huge thanks again to everyone for all the kind messages - good news is always heaps better when you can share it with friends
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Katrina...what an awful accident - poor you...
sending LOTS of GENTLE hugs and positive thoughts your way  - get well SOON!
huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Danni
you look fabulous  :dance: (not that you didn't before!)....well done, you - you must feel great.....and you did it the best way - no trick diets, just retraining yourself....
big huggies
Maria

They are so adorable Sonya....
there was a huge pile of puppy pics doing the rounds at Münster - of Gregory Gyllenship's soon to be adopted  baby Newfoundland....oh, I want them all!!!! Gregory is SO excited over the pup - he even made a glorious black bear which he says is a new breed - the Newfoundland bear!
big huggies
Maria :hug:

OOOHHH - you are all SO nice!!!  :hug: thank you all for all your kind comments!
Jeremy has been trying to sort pics from the show into a sort of "slide show" - looks like he has gone for a show impression rather than lots of bear close ups...but it will give you an idea of what it was like - I'll post a link as soon as he gets it done.....
seems that everything is proceeding a bit slowly today - still rather tired.......and you should see our dog - she came back from kennels and has slept ALL day (lucky girl!)
big huggies
Maria

O.K. - I'm a bit more awake now!
Firstly, many thanks for all the congratulatory messages...and yes I AM still over the moon!!!! Just as well the trophy is SO heavy - otherwise I would have just floated away....
Anyway...the show...
as Ellen saw on Saturday, it was really BADLY attended - with a holiday in Germany tomorrow, and one today in Holland, I think that a lot of people were taking advantage of the summery weather and heading off.....lots of tales of crowded motorways. We found the last stretch of our drive to Münster on Friday was very slow, and poor Barbara-Ann and Andy said it took them twice as long to drive across from Ostende .
Having said that - the main thing is that LOTS of super artists were there - difficult to take a quick wander round ,as you always end up chatting to another friend.
Incidentally - ELLEN - I finally discovered that Karin de Lorenzo hasn't been too well, and had to have a shoulder operation...I'll mail hersoon.
Saturday was a LONG day - show from 10am till 6pm, and then a short hour to dash back to the hotel, freshen up, and off to the Gala evening. As usual, really traumatic for the Award nominees - nice buffet dinner, and then interminable speeches, this time followed by a charity auction for a No1 from a limited edition Steiff- it was like trying to get blood from a stone, with the bids CREEPING up - took about three quarters of an hour. By then, most of us were nervous wrecks! Anyway - I was totally gob-smacked to win, and the event was made perfect when one of my closest friends also won. With all the excitement, I don't think we got to bed till about 1am, and then i was still too wound up to sleep much....
at least the sunday is shorter - only from 11am to 5pm.
Talking to other artists, the sales were mostly poor - some people did sell out, but I think more were disappointed - still - it was huge fun, and I met lots of lovely people....the contingent from Japan send greetings to you , LYNETTE....and one of them is sending me a questionnaire to answer - I'm going to be in a Japanese teddy magazine!!!
Jeremy is going to sort out the photos this afternoon - meanwhile, here's a scan of the Award certificate - so you can see the Golden George trophy - this thing is almost a foot tall, and extremely heavy, as it's cast metal - I pity anyone who flies into Germany, wins, and then has to explain this "lethal weapon" to airport security!
Just remembered - SAMANTHA - I got to see some of your delightful minis in the "fur", on the Teddy's Room stand...they are exquisite!!! Oh - and some of Andrea's glorious little bruins
enough - LOTS to do....
big huggies
Maria

Just back from Munster .....with...my very own Golden George :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance: !!!!!I don't think I have EVER been SO excited.
I'll write more tomorrow and post some pics - but right now I am absolutely shattered.....

big huggies
Maria

OUCH.....but :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:
huggies
Maria

Congratulations, Birgitte - and it is such a lovely bear!!!
big huggies
Maria

Humungous congratulations, Heather - it's always lovely to hear of a new baby on the way...
huggies
Maria

O.K. -everyone - I contacted Kathy Martin  (Teddy Bear Scene editor) and she will definitely publicise our efforts....
huggies
Maria

Gaby
if only brushing Nounours was as easy as vacuuming her - I have only to pick up her brush and she leaves the room - she HATES it! Of all the dogs we ever had, only ONE loved being brushed - and he was a Bloodhound, and hardly needed it!
huggies
Maria

Hi Patsy
I'm so glad you're back - and with such good news! As another chronic pain sufferer I really sympathised with you...my god, what a lot of wrecks we are!!!! In my case - if I stopped sewing all hours, I'd probabyl feel a lot better...but then what - I'd DIE of boredom!!!!
big huggies
Maria :hug:

Hi Jodi
count me in too - I'd be happy to donate a bear, especially as it won't be for a little while yet - BUSY here! By one of those strange quirks of fate, I heard from a friend today - her sister has been diagnosed with it - horrible!
huggies
Maria

Hi Shane
no comment on your "am I strange" question... :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:
I must admit I've never thought of vacuuming the finished bear - I certainly give the freshly cut pieces a good shake onto the floor.....I AM allowed - I do all the cleaning!!! I'm a fanatic about picking out any small pieces of filling that come through when I sew up the openings.....and then I use a fine cat comb to pick up any stray loose hairs.
huggies
Maria :hug:
p.s. - I have been know to vacuum the dog tho' - she seems to quite like it!

Hiya
the nomination DID get posted a couple of months back - it's my "Sisters Bling".....the show and competition results all happen next weekend (GULP!).....I promise to come back with lots of pics, and to tell you all about it! I'll really have all my fingers and toes crossed on the Sat. night - the Golden George has become a sort of holy grail for me - it doesn't seem that long ago when I just dreamed of being good enough to enter the competition.....
And Marion - no I din't see the page in Teddys - I flicked thru' the magazine in a supermarket a few weeks back, and was having one of those "NO I can't buy every magazine" days....I think it's the one with a Sabine Eschbach bear on the cover? If I'm right, she'll be sure to have it with her next weekend...
Thanks for your good wished everyone.
huggies
Maria  

My thanks yet again to you all - I am totally overwhelmed by all your kind messages of sympathy and cyber higs.
Over the years i hve lost cats and dogs but this time seemd to hurt even more - losing Titus so young, and to such a horrible disease was really heartbreaking...
big huggies to you all
Maria

In case anyone is interested - Lynette mentioned the Japanese SILK fabric in the article...I recently ordered some from her and it arrived a couple of days back - and it is utterly scrumptious!!!
With a big show next weekend I will be forced to take some time and plan something special to make....just as well, as I am ITCHING to start in on it!!
h uggies
Maria