Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Thank you, Paula.  I think he's one of my favorites too.  His name is Ambrose.

Thanks everyone ! ! !  Donna, your are such a sweetie ! ! !

Have you tried adjusting the tension on your machine?

I also trim the denser mohair.  I trim, sew first seam, pick any stray hairs out of the seam and re-stitch.

I've searched through my latest issue of PC World and can't find the article about Vista vs XP and the location of the petition.  It must be in another issue.  I'll keep trying to find it.  I just read it yesterday.   

Anyway, I spoke to my son-in-law, the IT guy, and he says  Microsoft considered the petition and agreed to continue to make XP available on some computers.  Dell still has XP available but not on all their models.  Microsoft will continue to support XP for another 5 years.

My SIL says his Dell rep can get XP installed on any model for him (cuz he's such a special guy) so I'm going to have SIL order my new computer for me WITH XP ! ! !   I have enough frustrations in my life, ya know?

Oh yes, and if you need to reprint the label, you can use the "print shipping label" link at the bottom of the page.  I had to do that last week when my computer kept freezing up when trying to print the label.  

I just read an article in PC World yesterday about the many problems with Vista.  There is a petition going around with 100,000 signatures collected so far for Microsoft to keep XP on the market so we will have a choice.  I'm going to be in the market for a new computer soon and I WANT XP ! ! !

Thanks so much everyone ! ! !  I so appreciate your encouraging comments.  I'm busy, busy finishing one more bear as the Northern CA Bear and Doll show is tomorrow ! ! !  But Nevada City is the biggie for me.  So much fun.  It's April 4,5,& 6.

Here are a few bears I've finished for the Northern CA doll and bear show and the Nevada City Teddy Bear Convention

:

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:

Wowie, that's absolutely beautiful ! ! !

Janet, she is wonderful and she looks just like Olive Oyl. I'd recognize her anywhere.

Mine too.  I love it ! ! !  My first thought was that it looked like a bunny/weenie dog too, hmmm a buneenie  :crackup:  :crackup: . But a tooo, tooo cute one.

I put glass beads in my bears' feet when I want them to be standing bears.  I just pour them into the leg opening and work them down into the feet. I haven't had any "leakage" problems.

Yes, the 500 pre-crimped are my favorite eyes too.  I don't know if they come in clear.  I'll check it out. 

I probably wiggled the wire too much.  Next time I'm going to push the eyes into a block of modeling clay (the kind that doesn't dry) front side in so I have access to the back without having to touch the eye while painting.  But the wire seemed brittle, I was thinking maybe from the clear nail polish?  I'll try not to get any on the wire next time.

Daphne, your dad ROCKS ! ! ! ! ! !

:clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:         

Looks great, Lisa ! ! !   I love the little striped elephant dancing in the flowers at the top of the page.

Twice I've painted some really nice glass eyes.  Both times the eye popped off the wire when I was attaching it to the bear.  Anyone have this happen?  What do you think causes it?  Maybe I got a bad batch of eyes?

That's hilarious ! ! !  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:

Towards the top of the screen there's a drop down menu for the library.  There's a section on photography.

http://www.teddy-talk.com/search.php?se … =897123302

Hi Shelli,

I've needle felted quite a few of noses.  I trim the mohair closely first.  I shape up the nose on the foam, then needle felt it directly on to the bear.  I needle felt it quite a bit once it's the muzzle so it's nice and firm and rally stuck in there, but it sort of flattens out.  So, I keep adding until I'm satisfied with the thickness of the nose.  I've needle felted a few muzzles, but other than the one I made for Judi's class, I didn't needle felt the entire muzzle.  I just applied the felting on top of the bear's muzzle with the same method I use for the nose.  Lately I've been embroidering over the felted nose so I get a nice size nose.   

needle felted muzzle

needle felted nose

embroidered over needle felted nose

I know some people have purchased the photo tents but I like to have access from the sides to fuss with the bear during the photo session, so I built a box frame out of pvc pipe (about 32 inches square).  I use clamp on lights but they were always falling over so I made stands for them out of pvc pipe and place two on each side.  Two shorter stands, closer to the backdrop ( shorter ones aren't in the picture below, they're in the garage being shortened a little more), two taller ones towards the front and one in front on top of the frame (still has to be clamped to the frame).  The backdrop is draped from the back of the frame.

I usually have it on a table, but I had to take it down to make room for construction of a new room.  I can't wait to get my table back because I practically have to lay on the floor to take pictures now.

Here's a picture of it, but the two shorter lights in the back aren't there right now.   (They're in the garage right now being shortened a little more.)  My camera isn't on the tripod because I'm using it to take the picture.

So cool ! ! !

WHAT ? ! ? ! ? !

Wow, Paula.  I love her too ! ! !  I love the color too.  Now I'm singing Tom Jones in my head all day.  :crackup:

Wow, an icy wonderland.  Beautiful ! ! !  Right now I see tree tops out my window.  But when I move into the new room, I'll have a lake view out my window.