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Wow, I just created a Ragdoll for a customer. I thought a Ragdoll would be less work than a Tiger cat but I was wrong. The markings are very subtle and delicate, easy to overdo it 
Karen
KJ Lyons Design
How WonDerFuL! Imagine a whole show with inventive designs like these. It would attract a whole new group of collectors and I'm sure it would get a lot of free publicity. Heck, I would breakdown and buy an airline ticket to see such an amazing show 
Oh! Wouldn't you like to kiss that little pink belly 
His name has got to be Smudge 
I always called it a cat mind meld when cats put their heads together like this, as in Star Trek 
Joanne!
Let everyone know! You worked hard and you do wonderful work! Everyone who matters will be happy for you and they'll want to see your winners. And those who are not, are not worth your thoughts
CoNGraTS!
Karen
Thanks! kellydean
Could they be more subtle Even the page is a dingy yellow. Miss the excitement. Remember the great formal dinners and fun stuff? OK, enough, this is dating me 
Karen
OK,
I didn't enter the TOBYs this year but if I remember right the winners were supposed to be announced at the TBAI Show in August. Did they change that date? It seems very odd we would have no artists claiming a TOBY win or at least a report, here, on TT?
Karen
Tatianna,
Wow! They are fantastic! Lucky collector who purchased them. 
Thank you very much for the images in the guest show today, September 1st Labor Day in the US, so appropriate since my characters are sooo labor intensive
Karen
KJ Lyons Design
These were the rules that a little girl in LA left for her stuffed animals when she had to evacuate 
Thanks! Everybody 
Leonides is going to Japan!
Karen
Aw, they look like little strays
Karen
Beautiful! Those are amazing photos! I remember seeing Snow Leopards in a NY zoo and there was no way I could get a photo. They tend to be very shy and reclusive. I have created an adult Snow Leopard but I have yet to capture a Snow Leopard cub. Would love to try! 
P.S. My second Snow Leopard did have spots on his paws! This Snow Leopard's paws are too light in color
I will be posting this guy in the latest addition of my Gazette, tomorrow. I created Leonides after rereading this poem by Kipling. I have always believed that cats have a secret life lived after all of us are long asleep.
Karen/KJ Lyons Design
"He will kill mice, and he will be kind to babies when he is in the house, just as long as they do not pull his tail too hard. But when he has done that, and between times, and when the moon gets up and night comes, he is the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to him. Then he goes out to the Wet Wild Woods or up the Wet Wild Trees or on the Wet Wild Roofs, waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone."
From The Cat that Walked by Himself
by Rudyard Kipling
Wonderful! THe tiger stripes go well with the bowl design
Paula,
FuN ShOW! Thanks!
Karen
Great! Please post some photos when your bear is created. I found this site for minky fur, they seem to have a large collection http://www.fabric.com/apparel-fashion-f … abric.aspx
Try to get woven not stretchy knit fabric. If you can only get knit be sure to line it. Stretchy could be a nightmare with such a large piece!
Karen
In the past I have worked on 6 ft. characters and large animatronic moving figures. I used to use Monterey Mills for the fur. It's the only place I know of that has lower priced fur of quality. The Fox and Cubby styles are very nice. You will have to buy 15 yds. but you could resell or use the extra. http://www.montereymills.com/Products/C … kLine.aspx
I have found that when you enlarge a pattern that much you will have to add more pattern pieces and darts to keep the body and head rounded. I would experiment with the head, first, to get a feel for the size of the bear. I used clear half round acrylic pieces and painted the backs for the eyes and cemented them to posts for strength, but nowadays I think you could buy large enough eyes. For a seven foot bear you may need 30mm eyes. You can create the nose with leather over a childsafe large bear nose.
Karen Lyons
KJ Lyons Design
I have to say that I personally like setting my own schedule and hours and managing my business. I have never thought of it being lonely, maybe because I have been doing it for so long? I sort of fell into being co-manager of a community garden. A fun group and I love helping new gardeners learn how to grow vegetables and watching how excited they get with each new crop I also belong to a group that organizes a fantastic garden tour each year that raises over $25,000(one day tour!) that we give to worthy organizations. What makes it even better is that we meet at different gardens every month and each person brings a dish and a bottle of wine THere are usually at least 20 people at the meetings so it is an amazing meal in a beautiful setting. Sure, I don't get paid for doing these things but it doesn't feel like an obligation. It's great fun and it's basically free, important point with my budget
Karen
I started out with Dreamweaver a long time ago and, boy!, do I need to update. The problem is that I have such a large website and so many sections I never get through them to update them all. Some sections are kind of like that stuffed closet you never open because you don't want to face it all Now I find using code easier than going back to the original template and changing it through Dreamweaver. Not a good idea when you're using a web building program. I think in the future I will use Dreamweaver for the original framework of my website and I'll use code to fill in the pages.
SueAnn and Peter,
I could visit both of you and have models for a year
Karen
My stash is negative! I've moved three times in the last 4 years and I've thinned down to the essentials. I CAN'T get the faux fur that I need and, apparently, the fur is no longer being made?! Soooo! I'll be trying to add to my stash for the rest of this year
Karen
Generally anywhere from 2 to 6+, in any stage of beginning to finish.
When I was making sewn fabric minis I would cut out about 6 at once as soon as my sealant on the sewing lines had dried and cured—often of different fabrics, because it was more time-effective.I had to immediately string them onto nylon upholstery thread, in the order in which they'd be sewn and then assembled, and then be restrung and placed individually into snack-sized baggies or I'd end up losing the WORST part to have to replace - ears... or some other part. This was learned only after years of sewing 3 legs or arms or an extra head for almost every bear made. Minis just evaporate!
Funny thing... after all these years I never have found any of the missing parts either, so my last efforts at organization finally worked.
I still do have some strung on thread that never got sewn together before switching to NFing, but at least I never lost them.
Bobbie,
Great idea! My characters are larger, but they do usually have over 20 pieces. Sometimes when they get mixed I have to stop and separate them out. Your stringing idea will help a lot
Here are two of the pieces I've sold at Daphne's show, opening day, Friday~
www.TeddiesWorldwide.com 
