Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Heather, perhaps the "absent artist" table could be limited to people from out of state or province.

Do any shows in the US provide "absent artist tables"?  What a clever idea!  Kim, please expand on how an "absent artist table" works.  Thank you.

On one level, shows are for bringing together the collector and the artist.  On another level, shows are sort of a reunion for artists who work alone and perhaps only see each other at shows.  Although I do other things in my life, sometimes I feel like the only functioning bear maker in Long Beach, California.  I will miss the twice-yearly habit of seeing people I know in the bear world at the San Diego shows.  Yes, I remember the ILTBC shows.  I never exhibited at any of those shows, I wasn't judged good enough then, but I went for the bear-world fellowship and the excellent instruction in bear making offered during the convention.  Donna Hodges taught me to make my first bear in a workshop there.  That was just the beginning.  I know it's a lot of work putting on an event.  And expensive.  But I really will miss the San Diego shows.  And the internet just isn't quite the same.

Well, with KUSC classical music going in the background, I finished stuffing, closing and ear-ing the last of 21 bears that had been jointed and were patiently waiting (!).  Now I have 21 bears waiting for their eyes, noses and mouths.  But tomorrow is another day, as Scarlett O'Hara put it!

I listen to classical music or jazz when I am stuffing, closing and ear-ing (new word?--putting on the ears).  The rhythm keeps me going.  Nothing with lyrics, just music.

There are suddenly no more bear shows in Southern California, either.  I miss shows.  I miss the shop I had.  The nearest shows are in Northern California, and that is at least 350 miles north of where I now live.  The internet is great for communication, but it cannot take the place of the collector bonding with a bear face-to-face.   The last show I did, I sold seven pieces, and thought I was really hitting my stride--and suddenly no more shows in my area.  Anyway, I'm spending this holiday weekend (Memorial Day) stuffing and closing and ear-ing (new word?) bears already jointed, getting ready for that next show, wherever it may be.  What are others doing this weekend?

This, from the library, seems to be the kernel and gist of the discussion of sculpting
Teddy's mouth.  On reading it, I find that I've been doing something like that lately--it makes Teddy's mouth smile--but not exactly as Shelli describes it.  What do others do to get mouth indentations?

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[Shelli writes:]

The entire point of the board is to generate discussion about bearmaking, most of which comes from someone -- some brave someone, such as yourself -- asking a question.  So knock that kind of self-doubting stuff off.  It's what the board is made of.

I wish I had some special secret to share on mouth sculpting but for my part, all it is, is lots of PULLING REALLY HARD on the embroidery floss, to create those mouth indentations.  I usually mark all endpoints with ball-headed pins first, before taking any stitches, because once you start stitching the mouth, the entire muzzle distorts and it's literally impossible to find the symmetrical other side point without those pins having marked it before hand.

I stitch one side, pulling very tight... then use fingers twisted around the floss to keep that tension, and stitch the other side.  When that's done -- the two sides, left and right, of the mouth -- I usually take a stitch from endpoint, thru the muzzle, to endpoint, and back again, to secure the stitching, before exiting somewhere near the neck and tying off.

Nothing magical about it, on my part; just lots of tension.  Which, I should mention, hurts like the Dickens.  My fingers, especially my index finger, are all sliced up with little vertical cuts, and callouses!, from this process, as well as from the generally high-tension amount of threadwork otherwise required in bearmaking, to pull tightly closed such things as limb openings, and to needle sculpt eyes and nose bridges, etc.  Ouch, ouch, ouch!

GOOD QUESTION!

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[Shelli writes:]

Hmmm... Are you using all the strands at once?  I think I use six-strand floss, straight out of the ... well, whatever it's called, when they come all rolled up.

So maybe I should amend my statement.  I use tension -- lots of tension.  But I never YANK or move quickly.  I always pull tight, maintaining tension, securing with little stitches back and forth where I just entered or exited.  Maybe you're pulling too hard, too fast, without any securing in between?

I also have 101 Bears to Make--and would like more information on sculpting the mouth.  Is it anything like sculpting the eye socket with sinew?

Thank you, Kelly.  I am pointed back to bears again, after awhile.  I will stay in touch with the forum.

Kelly, at the moment I don't have "a decent, modern, working machine."  The Featherweight or hand sewing seem to be my choices.

Teddy bears always seemed like metaphorical angels to me.  Thus, Angelbearies--Teddy bears are angels come to earth in mohair.

Kelly, I have a Featherweight, too.  I would like to start using it but I am somehow hesitant.  What can you tell me to encourage me to go there?

I also use artificial sinew on the eyes.  I never used dental floss.  Do you use artificial sinew to needle sculpt the eye sockets? 

Gutermans' thread works too.  And for the bear.

Mastex still works for me.  And my bears.

The word "bearsmith" gives a different slant than "soft sculpture artist."

What about soft sculpture artist?  That allows room to make critters other than bears.

If you take Paypal, and use Ebay, and if you get a message from "ebaymember" regarding a transaction number 6436472319, saying someone with the username barnsley1105 or bur_mik wants to buy something from you, don't reply.  It's a phishing scam.  Forward the  communication to spoof@paypal.com and spoof@ebay.com. 

I received the following e-mail in a hotmail.com address that I use as a bear artist (angelbeariescloud@hotmail.com).  I thought it was a fraud straightaway because at the moment I have nothing on sale myself on Ebay. 

"Hey, I have tired twice to pay you through   paypal but the transaction
is not working its keeps giving an error message   (This recipient is currently unable to receive money) is there anything wrong   with your
paypal??
Respond to this question in My Messages."

There was a link under the phrase, "My Messages." 

I forwarded the message to spoof@ebay.com and spoof@paypal.com.  I received messages back from each of these two addresses, confirming that it was a phishing scam. 

Gail S. Thomas
Angelbearies