Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I like those sewn in tags!  Do you sew them into the seam allowence as you stitch together, or add them afterward?

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Amanda--- I think that the magazines consider 'miniature' to be 5" and under, but really, I think it's more the scale than the size that makes something miniature.  I've seen a lot of 6 inch bears that I would really consider to be mini rather than small full sized bears!

Terrie-- i still can't get over how you can use such a long pile for a such a tiny bear!  That is definitely something that I can figure out how to do!!!! They look so cute!!!! Like a little fuzz ball! You do a great job bringing out those all important facial features!!!!!

Sue Ann.... Thanks!

Dilu... I used to get so much more done when we still had dial up!!!! I di dthe same thing, sew a tiny seam while waiting for the pages to load!  We just got DSL when we moved in August, I love it, but I certainly do get less done!

Anne... Yes, do put up some pictures of the wedding pair when they are done!!!! I would just love to see them!  Are they fully dressed?

Helena... I love trimming mini faces... there is generally so little fluff flying around after ward!  When I trim a big one, and then run to the store or something, people always ask me what kind of dog I have.  I don't have any dogs!

Heather.... That course sounds great!  I've heard nothing but rave reviews!  I WISH I could draw more! I can never 'see' what a two dimentional pattern will look like in 3-D.  I'm terrible that way, I just have to draw it, then make up the little arm to have any undertsnanding at all.  I just can't seem to think in 2 D.  I have some freakishly wierd body parts lying around here!  I have to do it like 4 or 5 times to even come close to what I had imagined!     

Shantell.... I LOVE bent arms and legs!  It's always hard to get the proportions right on them, I think.... It is for me at least.  Let us know how it is going!

Beary truly yours,
KIm Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Thanks!  Kim..... what is on YOUR work Table right now!!!!!  Come on, inquiring minds want to know!

Amanda.... could you post a few pics of your work?  From what I've seen it doesn't seem to scream, "I'm a mini!"

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

I just finished taking pics of this little one... not named yet!  And she's made of the smokey long pile no less!  You and I must be in a similar groove at the moment.  :dance:  I haven't even measured her yet... I better get crackin!

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

I'd love to see what all the mini makers are up to lately!!!!?  Can we have show and tell time?

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

I don't use sewn in tags on my wee little ones, as I find that they seem to just overwhelm them.  I have a tiny strink plastic "tag" that I tie on.  Pigma Micron pens work pretty well if you are looking to sign on ultrasuede.  They come in very fine sizes, and don't smudge or smear.. they are made by the Sakura Color Products Corporation of Japan.

Bear ytruly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

How cool is this!!!!  So do they read our minds, or just read the messages!!!    Just kidding! 

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

All my best wishes for your sister Pipa!  Don't worry, we'll catch you up when you are back! 
:hug:

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Hi Clare!  If it were me, I'd probably go for just one a week.... when I've done two at the same time, I find that they each generally end lower,  simply beacuse my bears end up competeing against eachother for the same small group of bidders.  Folks that have a broader collector base may not find this to be true, but it is for me! 

Like others have said, the Featured Auction does bring in a lot more lookers for me, but not always bidders.  My bears sell to the same 5-7 people over and over again, whether I use the Featured Listing or not! 

Beary truly yours,
  Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Hi Catherine!  There used to be several really great mini discussion boards... unfortunately they have all basically turned into places to list links to eBay auctions, newly available bears, etc... there isn't really any talk going on there anymore...  :(

If you happen to find one that is reasonable active, do let me know... I miss having talks with "mini people."

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Yes Dilu... do make sure that your Gollies are getting an adequate amount of attention!!!! We do know the havoc those cuties can create if they do not feel like they are center stage!  Do you ever do Christmas themed Gollies Dilu?

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Dilu.... I know you CAN make an open mouthed mini!!!!

And yes... the milk went everywhere!  All over the stove top, down the sides, the floor underneath the range... it was awful!  You are certainly not alone in your flat top stove disasters... this was my biggest one yet though... the others just involved melting spatulas!

Beray truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Lovely Dilu!!!! Maybe an open mouth little one to sing a few carols as well?  I want to see a pictures of them all in a nice little group when they are done. Okay?!  Oh... yesterday, I set a plastic gallon milk jug (full of course!) down on the flat top range.... It wasn't on, but of course it was still hot from the beans I had just finished cooking... The plastic melted in a flash, and the milk went everywhere!!!!! It was a horrid mess to clean up!  When my husband walked in and smelled the burnt plastic & burned on milk.... I told him I had "done a Dilu!"  Your flat top stove incident has worked it's way into out household vocabulary!!!! I hope you don't mind... I thought you might get a kick out of it!!!!

:hug:

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Matilda!!!!! Well, we all did learn quite a bit about the illusive platypus.. so that's for sparking a good conversation that resulted in some great cross-cultural exchange of knowledge!!!! That's one of the things I really love about TT.  Did you photo shop the dear little thing into your back yard?

Beary truly yours,
KIm Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

No pressure or anything Judi!!!! You had better your tiger now!  I think I could eat just about anything if it was covered in hollandaise sauce... I LOVE that stuff!  I seriously doubt we are going to have to do it Eileen, but I'm game if necessary!   

UUUGGGG.... I said to myself that I was going to scale back a bit on the TT until I get some work done, but I just keep popping on.... I need a little device that shocks me or something everytime I try to go to TT!!!! Okay, really, now, I''m going back to work!

Beary truly yours,
KIm Basta
Wild THyme Originals

Hi all!  Most of what I grabbed was fairly traditional medium pile upholstery velvet with the grid backing.  A few have that sort of white fabric looking backing (non stretch & non frey), similar to what a vintage rayon backing looks like, but they weren't rayon!  I also found a coupl eof pieces of long pile... not as long or as lush as the Malden Mills type... but close!  Also some really interesting textured velvets with a grid backing. 
  It's funny, to an upholstery shop an piece of 12x12 fabric is a total swatch... to me it doesn't get the point of being a true scrap until it's like postage stamp sized!  I offered to pay the owner for the old swatches, sinc eto me they are something that has a value... but she wouldn't heard of it!  How sweet!  She'll be getting a nice little gift basket from me in the next couple of days, that's for sure.       

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

You would be absolutely CRAZY not to Judi!!!!! I think I'd be willing to EAT an issue of Teddy Bear & Friends, if this guy didn't take a TOBY!!!   I am just so amazed by this guy Judi!

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Hi Pipa!  I can actually get at least two minis out of a 12x12 square... sometimes more, depending on if they have bent legs etc....
I can't believe I've been paying fo rthis stuff when it's been free for the asking the whole time!

Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Get to know the upholstery shops in your town!  We just had a lovely chair re-upholstered... and while I was in the stop, looking through the sample fabric books, I mentioned to the owner that I make mini bears out of some of those fabrics..... She had 5 old sample books in the back office that had beautiful BIG (12x12) squares of upholstery fabrics that they don't stock any more.... I walked out with an arm full of squares... maybe 50....!  That's enough for me to make maybe 100 bears!!!!! For free!  Why have I never thought of this before?

:doh:

Beary truly yours,
kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

That's what I thought it was!!!!! I spelled it wrong of course,  Thanks Denise!  I must admit, though they are shy creatures, I bet I'd scream if I saw one on my deck! 
I am a major animal lover, but thoes platypuses (OMG what's the plural? platypusses, platypai, platy.... -- just looked it up, it's 'platypuses')  just so unlike any other animal... Must have been a big shock Matilda!  Yes, I would have screamed, then run for the camera if I hadn't scared the poor thing off!
My husband would just completely freak!  My husband once yelled to me that there was an 18 inch rat on our patio.  Since I grew up in Ohio, I knew before I even saw it that it was just an opossum.  He grew up in Egypt and had never seen an opossum (that's a 'possum' for you southern gals!) 

So cool Matilda! And so neat that you had the presence of mind to grab a camera!

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Matilda... is that a platapus!?  Is that how you spell platapus?  I see a beavery lookin' guy with a duck bill.....????

Is that what it is?  Aren't those the strangest creatures you ever saw!?

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

I was going to say just what Winney said... or is it Loretta?  Anyway... she beat me to it!  I must say that I think this guy would be a no brainer for an award!  The photos are stunning as well Judi!  Oh... if you don't enter this guy, I'm breaking into your house and entering him for you!

Beary truly ours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Sue Ann-  That's a blatant copyright violation!  If I were you, I pen them off a "nice" Cease and Desist letter..... Dear Company X, Please note that the pictures in question are copyright under US Code Section blah blah blah.... Should you choose to continue to violate the copyright please be aware that I intend to protect the rights of my company by filing suit against you.  I'm sure that your corporation understands the many costs involved with the defense of such a lawsuit, including but not limited to legal fees, travel expenses, and punitive damages.......  Blah blah blah.... It's obviously hard to go after these internet companies as many times they aren't really "companies" at all, it's just some guy sitting behind a computer!  There is no statutory agent upon which to serve a complaint, no legal department to advice them of the absolute error of their ways, and no assets to attach...... This is the very kind of thing that copyright laws are designed to fully protect.

Though it is absolutely flat out wrong for this company to have done this... you must admit that it is just the tiniest bit flattering that when they searched around for a picture of a super cute bear that would be appealing to the public at large, they chose yours...!   

Anyway, in the big scheme of things, maybe it's not worth the hassle to go after these folks, I don't know.... but it is the type of case that a copyright lawyer might be able to take on a contingency basis since it's such a blatant violation.... In any case Sue Ann, I feel for you hon!

:hug:

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Now one of you Aussies MUST tell me what anzac biscuits and lamingtons are!!!!!!! 

Beray truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Oh.. that's sad Deb!  I do hope that Boyd's will weather through it fairly unscathed.  It IS a tough markey for collectibles these days!

Beary truly yours,
KIm Basta
Wild Thyme Originals