Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Jane That is wonderful...
I have only popped on tonight to see what has been happening out here. What a treat!
Now I have to share this with mom.

get my own Airbrush and compressor, though the CO2 sounds interesting...

finish setting up mom's new computer... organize her files on the silly thing, started that earlier this evening...

Get some sleep... wait I'm goin to bed now.

Christmas was pretty quite around here.
We usually don't do much.
I ran into town Christmas Eve picked up some last minute things, like the handmade pizzas from the Walmart Deli. Those are really good.
And tried to find gold stretchy cord, but no one seems to make it or carry it anymore... But regular gold cord worked.

We had cheese, pepperoni, and Hawaiian style pizza for dinner Christmas eve, then exchanged presents.  We finished off the pizzas for lunch and dinner Christmas day.
Nothing too exciting, 'cause we don't really need or want anything. And most of the things that I would like are $$$$ and I really don't need them. I'll get that stuff when I make it big... LOL.
MaeLynn got a litte Merry-Go-Round that plays music and she just loved it. I bought her a Strawberry Shortcake bathset and she had to scrub eveyone clean. She also got a nice set of horses, which got washed as well.  Her birthday is in a few weeks so I need to figure something out for her.
Mom is going to take us into St. Charles to go shopping, which will be fun. Just need to make a ton of bears to have money to spend.

Yes I have gotten this one on my eBay messages....
I have gotten this one 3 times from 3 different users.
I let ebay know and they told me that it was an account take over.
Go figure.

Oh Jodi -
How is work...
They are getting nuttier by the minute in our store.
I love gift cards... and when they bring them to us the customers will get say 5 of the same gift card but with 5 different amounts on them. They tell you all at once and expect that you will remember all that and then the cards won't process correctly.  5 seconds later you ask them to repeat and they are on to something else. And they look at you like you are stupid... but in reality if they would slow down then you could get done with their transaction that much fast and get them out the door...

Oh the Joys of retail.

Happy Holidays! HO HO HO!

I know that I need to get ahold of Kellie to place my ad... 

I can't wait to see it all in print...

Mindy are your fingers sore yet? Big thanks to you for doing this.  :hug:

sarahjane -
Just tell that that you are taking part in a very important life saving teddy bear telethon and that you will need the computer all day.  Then tell them that the issues you are dealing with are of a very sentitive and private nature (for the people you are help of course) and that they would be best off to leave you and the computer alone for the day. And to only disturb you if someone is dying... try that see if it works.

Understand that it isn't eBay's fault. They can't control everyone and everything.
While, I think that these other auction sites (the teddy patch, bid 4 bears, bows end) deserve our support they don't have the draw that eBay does.
Yes, it is a ashame when things like this happen, but you just learn from it and go on.
This will not stop me from selling on eBay, but when I list bears/bunnies with But-It-Now, I will require immediate payment via PayPal.  Which is sad because I do have eBay collectors out there that will use Buy-It-Now and send me a check right away.  But I have to protect myself and my collectors.
More than anything I wanted you all to be aware of this and too not fall for it.

I don't know who allenblessing is.

This sounds like fun to me, but I have to work the next day... wait... I could call off...

I bought memory foam slippers and I just love them, they'll have to do as I don't own any Fuzzy slippers. HA!  :crackup:

Well I am off to check the wash, need clean clothes for the morning....

Night ladies.

Hey fellow TTers -
I just had 2 eBay auctions end with Buy-It-Now. Which wouldn't have been bad expect that when I went to invoice the parties, they were no longer registered user. I contacted ebay and they refunded my listing fees. I have since re-listed the items, but going forward I am requiring immediate payment via PayPal.  I feel bad that I have to do things that way but I need to protect myself and my collectors. One party contacted me with the following e-mail. Sounds fishy to me. Especially, the part about using Western Union. And cashing the check and then forwarding the payment the same day.
I forwarded the e-mail to ebay to make them arware of the e-mail.
Anyway be on the look out for this and pass it along to others that you know (non-TTers, Friends, & family).
Happy Holidays,
Jared

Below is the e-mail that I received.

'm ok with the price for the item. I'll be using this opportunity to let you understand that you'll be receiving the payment in mode of check from my client and the amount you'll be receiving will be more than the item fees. Like i told you i'm purchasing on behalf of my client and the excess payment is my own commission with the money i'll need to pay for our shipping company. So i want you to promise me that you are so honest to deduct just the amount for the item and send the excess money through westernunion as soon as you receive the payment from my client. The payment will be sent immediately you agree with me to deduct just the amount for the item and send the balance through any WESTERN UNION OFFICE well known to you and you'll be receiving it the next day.
There won't be any problem about the shippment. I'll be handling that with my DHL# so i want you to get back to me asap now with your full mailing information. Email me your full name, address and phone# now if you agree and assure me that you'll deduct just the amount for the item and send the balance through WESTERN UNION  so that the payment can be sent immediately.
notice i want you to go and end the auction for me i would end it by my self but i dont know i to do it if u can do that for me i will adding $10 to your payment
Below are the questions i have for you.

1)is the item in good condition?

2)is any WESTER NUNION location where you can send the balance money arround you?

3)can you make sure you get the payment cashed at your bank the sameday you receive it?

4)can you allow me to send DHL for the pick up and complete the transaction the day you receive the
check?

If yes to all my questions, kindly email me back your full name, address and mobile# asap today

I have a 5 MP camera and have no problem with using my high res .jpgs. The photos never look pixelated. But I also use the best quality setting for the jpg files too. I once tried taking and saving my pictures as .tiff and it took my computer about 5 minutes to open the file and any changes that I made took another 5 minutes to take. So I settled for the High res .jpgs and have not had any trouble with that, just look at the ads that mom and I have run in both mags. But don't miss understand me, .tiff is a better quality file than a .jpg so when you can you should use a .tiff.
Never, ever compress files when saving them to send to a magazine for printing. The quailty will be so low that it won't be worth the ink to print them in the mag.
We just ordered a new computer for mom (the main business computer). I don't have time to get it all set up before the Holidays, need to make bears, must get bears shipped to customers and stores.....   
Once I get that set up I might try saving and using .tiffs again, but if it takes 5 minutes to open the file, then I am going back to the high res .jpgs.

Gemma -
I guess what most of us are saying is make adjustments to your camera and then you won't have to do so much work in photoshop to "fix" them.
If you can't get a light tent a couple pieces of posterboard will do nicely. Check out a local art supply store they might have nice wide rolls of white paper that aren't too pricey, that you could use as your background.
I know that I posted some information on adjusting your camera on TT somewhere... I'll have to go dig for it...

Good Luck!

Have you tried opening the aperture on your camera?
If you have a digital camerma try looking for something called EV or exposure value. Try opening that try +0.3 to +1.0 on your pictures and see what happens. Maybe time to dig out the owner manuel.
I hope this helps.
Good Luck! 

Here's an idea... (and what I would do)
Make a nice bear out of mohair and use the fabric from the coat to dress the bear.

I had a gal at work ask me to make a 3 bears out one of her mother's dresses. I explained that over time that the dress material would not hold up and take the pressure that the stuffing would put on it.  Plus, the bears would not have been as nice looking. What I did was make a set of 3 lovely little bears out of synthetic and then mom made 3 dresses out of the one dress. They still got the bears, much nicer bears, and a keep sake of mom.  The gal was thrilled with the bears and was excited to see them dressed in mom's old dress. She about got tears in her eyes.

I have gotten a couple of my card already, both hand made...
Now I just need to take a moment this weekend and get mine sent off.
This week I need to finish filling orders. I have 2 pieces that need to go out by Friday, then I will have about 2 minutes beathing time. :crackup:

Looks like that worked out for you... Great.
Hemi is cute.

I know that with the templates that I use most of the time I need to go back and revise the listing and re-paste the background code into the listing.
For some reason when I list items that information does not always transmit. Who knows?

I made it easy for my mom to fix by herself.
I have the template html code written in a word doc. I changed all the text to red that needs to be re-pasted. That way she knows what she needs to copy and paste. It works great.

The only collaboration that I have ever done is with my mother. Once the piece sold she would pay my for the piece that I created. Most of the accessories she would buy. So the only fair thing to do was to pay me for the piece that I would make and then she would keep the rest.

If I were to do a collaboration with someone else I would buy the piece from them outright. Then whatever the collaboration piece sells for is my business. That is about the only fair way that I can think to do it.
For example:
Shelli and Jared decide to make a Spring piece with two bunnies.
Shelli makes bunny A and Jared makes Bunny B.
Jared buys bunny A from Shelli for her fair market price.
Jared completes bunny B.
Jared then creates the collaboration set with both Bunny A and Bunny B.
Jared decides the final selling price based on Bunny A's price, Bunny B's price, and the efforts put into the creation of the set (i.e. accessories, etc.).  Jared decides to set the selling price at $1000.00 and that money will go back to Jared, as he has already paid Shelli for her Bunny A.
This is the only way that makes sense to me.

Unless you are creating a piece for charity.  Then each party after crystal clear communication creates their piece. And then decide how to work together to create the final product.

Just my thoughts.

Well I am looking forward to the cards that I will be getting.

Well...
I just my license from the State of IL to be a RX tech. Now I just need a job to open in the RX department and I'll be all set.
Need to go get things ready for the online show that mom and I are doing this next week...
should be fun hope that you all will be stopping by.
http://www.criffenbergbearco.com/holidayhouse.html

Sounds like fun to me...
I think I'll join in this year.

Hey Retail Fans -
It's time to gear up for the Holiday Rush!
Make your list and check it twice or thrice!
No coal for you this year... You have planned everything out perfectly...
Dad wants a sports car, brother wants a soccer ball, sister wants a dolly, and all mom wants is some time at a nice luxury spa... :crackup:

It reads like a bad ad from the 50s.

Anyway...
Besides getting ready for the holidays, I just bought a "new" car.
The Olds just died. The services will be held next week. A memorial fund has been established, funds maybe sent to Jared, Polo, IL.
The "new" car is an '06 Malibu with low miles. Nice slate grey colour. The best thing is that this car will tell me when it needs an oil change, what is wrong with it, the heat and A/C both work! and well it is newer!
The headlights have an auto feature so they turn on when needed, how cool is that?
Plus there is tons of storage room in it if I need to haul something, better than the Olds.

At work I have been cross-trained in the RX department as a RX cashier. Right now I am qualified to check out the meds through the computer system, check PSE products through the system, and then I can take your money at the RX register. Something new to do. I went to school with the pharmacist, so I get to work with someone I know from way back...  :crackup:

That's all from my corner of the world.

Well I know that there are more of us out there than that.
Mom has picked her picture... well I am off to go edit it and send it in.

Jodi -
Wally World is picking up, but not too bad right now.

I'm still trying to decide which face to use...

Dilu -
You could add a digital camera to your wish list...
Could I suggest photographing them on a plain white background or an off white background.
Posterboard (you can buy at Wal*Mart) will work fine.
Besides you can get some really nice digital cameras for not a lot of money.
We had a Fuji A44 (A43?) that had some nice accessories I think it was about $125~$150 bucks... great for eBay and internet pictures.

Now on to the gollies...
They are beautiful. I am not a huge golly fan, but these two take the cake. You have out done yourself.

I just use thread and coat it with beeswax.

When trimming the fur on faces, I have found that take quick short snips that I can get the look I want. I have better control. I figured this out after watching shows about hairdressers. Watch how they cut hair. That has helped me.
I prefer lock nuts & bolts. You can use set screws in the neck, I find that I like these as I can complete stuff the head and then attach it to the body without having to have an opening in the head other than the neck.
I like cotter pins if I am going for the really loose and floppy feel. Might try that with new designs for next year.
There really is no right or wrong waht to make teddy bears, just do what you like.