Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Just a digitalcamera with a very good zoom, but that was enough as most animals came very close.

Okay, the next part is up.
It's about our days in the Luangwa-Valley, I hope you like hippos, elephants and lions.

@ Carolynn:
Being in  the bush does indeed recharge your batteries. You're just away from everything, no newspapers, no internet, almost no TV, just the bush, nature and some great people around you.
This makes you realize what really counts in life.

I still haven't managed to go through all my photos, still about 1000 pics to work on.
But I've already posted the first part of my report on my blog.
It's about our first days in Malawi.

There will be more reports about Zambia, the animals we saw in the Luangwa-Valley, our adventures in Kafue-Nationalpark and the mighty Victoria Falls.

Hi, I just returned from my trip to Malawi and Zambia this morning.
It was such a great trip, with a wonderful group, two great guides and we saw soo many beautiful animals, exspecially elephants, lions and hippos (I think I won't be able to sleep without their beautiful voices anymore  :crackup: ).
I just have to go through my ca. 2500 pictures within the  next few days, then I will put a little report on my blog.
And I can, tell you: I booked an adventure-trip and I got an adventure-trip!

I'm sad , too.
Poor Michael, things seemed to go so well for him with his big comeback in London and now he's dead.
Let's just hope he will find now the peace that he didn't find in his life.

Congratulations to you and your son!!!
I'm sooo happy for both of you.
I can remember how nervous I was when I had my exam for the designing-school, I thought everything had gone wrong!
After the exam, they told us we could call them within the next days to find out if we had been accepted.
I was  sure I hadn't  made it that, so I didn't call.
And then they called me to tell me that I was actually accepted! :dance:

Finally, I had a great time at that school and I hope your son will have that, too

Did you try this already:
Stuff just the feet firmly with steelshot and the rest of the legs with fibrefil, also firmly.
If your bear has longer legs, just make the feet bigger/longer, too.
I hope this helps!

Congratulations to all the nominees! :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Maria, it's great to hear that you're still happy.  Keep on dancing! :dance:  :dance:

Congratulations to all three of you!
You've really deserved your awards!

Tarek is sooo cute!

Jochen is a sweet little cook and i agree with Ines, the costume is great!

Thank you, Karen, I'm soo happy to read that you love my work :redface:

About your question:
Usually I don't trim anything at all inside the mouth, I just use an extra piece of black suedine for that part.

But some time ago I tried a really small open mouth, for that I trimmed the part inside the mouth BEFORE sewing and then painted it black.

Karen, Lola is absolutely adorable. I love her 
And the open mouth looks really great.
By the way: I'm a miniature artist and I'm simply used to making small open mouths. I think I would have difficulties with making a big or normal sized open mouth. 

Congratulations to all my fellwow nominees, your creations are just soooo outstanding! :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Coool!
I'm tables 75, too, so we're neigbours!

Badisch: Dialect spoken in the south-west of Germany, the area around Karlsruhe for example. The dialect is closely related to Schwaebisch.
The most famous Badener: Oliver Kahn

Our language? 
Well, I speak badisch.

I will be exhibiting at the fair and I'm looking forward to meeting you!  :hug:

Big Congratulations, Kat!

And.....my Wilbaerle is nominated, tooo!  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:
I'm soo happy and next time I go to the zoo I will take a nice, big extra fish for the real Wilbaer.
By the way, the email with the nomination arrived while I was watching my favourite series on TV: "McLeod's daugthers".

@ Linda
:clap:  :clap:  :clap:
I do the same and it really works!

Sometimes I offer small discounts, for example if someone buys more than one piece or, if at a show, someone simply doesn't have enough money, but never more than 10% off the real price.
If people still keep asking for bigger discounts, I simply explain, how long it took me to make the bear. Then, ususally, they understand that I can't give them the discount they want. Some buy for the regular price, others don't buy, because they are not willing or not able to pay that price, but they understand.

But what if she starts selling patterns again after a few weeks or months when she thinks that we forgot her?
I just clicked her profile and watched her past auctions. It's so terrible to see whose patterns she has been selling.
Fortunately, I don't sell any patterns (guess why) but I saw she sold a pattern of a friend of mine the other day and of course I informed my friend about this.
But what about all the other artists who might not even know what this person is doing with their work? That is so terrrible!

Funny, that you ask this now.
Yesterday I exhibited at the "Kurpfaelzer Baerentreffen" in Mannheim, Germany.
And guess what? My neighbours just had some really, really sweet puppet bears!
Here's the link to their website:
www.baerionetten-team.de

I just saw the pictures on TV.
All these poor people and animals! I'm with you all and praying for you.

First of all, congratulations to Heike!
And yes, a TOBY Industry's Choice Award is the same like a TOBY-Nomination. I guess they call it award because you actually get a little award just for being nominated.