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Posts: 3,177..............that you had produced something special?
I have been going through the 'Bears and Friends' forum because i have been away for a few months and wanted to see what i had missed when i realised that some of the artists here have really surpassed themselves and produced fabulous bears and almost seem to have suprised themselves!
No matter how long or how recently we began making bears we all seem to make a 'leap' sometimes that takes our bears to a different level.
Is'nt it funny how a Bear is a Bear is a Bear until an individual gets hold of the idea and runs away with it and lets their imagination run riot?
So, getting back to my original question............what bear have you made do you consider to have taken you that little bit further in your quest towards being a better bear artist and how did it make you feel when you sat back and looked at it and thought " That's it, i've cracked it" and done a funny dance round the kitchen table whilst the rest of the family looked on thinking 'She's finally lost it' ?
Penny :P
Pics please, you can't beat a thread with loads of good pics :dance:
Posts: 1,836Cool topic!! First just let me just say that your new avatars and banners are really really cool...loving them. I'm going to need help with a banner...the web site was just about enough to fry my brain on future tech stuff.
Leaping Bears......I took a leap with the classic challenge. I've pretty much always done mini's...they've always been pretty traditional. But I was buying Mohair and saving it for when I thought I was going to be....I don't know.. less likey to screw up the mohair or "good enough" to use it on a larger sized bear...kinda nutty huh? Now I'm making larger bears each week and I'm thrilled with it all. That bear was Truman, my avatar bear.
The mini's I'm working on right now are where I'm letting my imagination "run riot", with the plucking, shading, sculpting and the accessories! I knew what I wanted, had it in my head, drew it out and went shopping for the basics. I'm not sure if I've "cracked it" ....but I'm happy that I created what I wanted and envisioned 
I wasn't going to put any pics out until Monday, but I'll throw this one here now...since yah asked so darn nice and all. He's one of three Halloween Bears I started a little while back...they got side tracked for various reasons. This one is Ichabod..the next one will be Stitch (in honor of the hubs surgery this week...Gallbladder and Laparoscopy didn't sound as cute :crackup: 
) and then lastly will be Jack.
:hug:
~Chrissi
Jare Hares & BearsWell I think that I have done that this week with my newest design (?) Well... actually, it is a re-make of an older design. It is really lending itself to new ideas. I know what I can do with it how to dress it, make fall guys, clowns, snowbunnies... real character type bunnies that I like to do. Pictures later.
Posts: 3,177Jare that is just sooooooooo unfair! I want pics my dear, loadsa pics.
I know what you mean though - a pattern seems to fall into place and everything else seems to follow...........clothes, oddities, addities..........all the bits and bobs. Fabulous Jare. Well Done BUT I STILL WANT PICS!
Penny
P.S. we still have an ACEO thing to settle too..........do you still want to do it?
Tuppies TeddiesThe one bear of mine that comes to mind is a jester and poupard I made about 12 months ago. Couldn't stop looking at it sitting on the side board so therefore I ended up with a crick in my neck.
When I conceived the idea and then started putting it together everything seemed to go just right.
Am waiting for that same feeling to hit me again...... soon I hope.....
Great question Penny! *Scratches head*
This guy really came together for me. I wanted to achieve a traditional bear, but give him a contemporary flavour. The difficulty was choosing the right techniques to incorporate, without making him look too overdone. I really wanted him to have a very traditional feel and completely 'teddy' expression. I hope that makes sense! Anyway, I'd been playing around with the design for a few weeks and think I pulled it together in 'Honeythunder'.
DoodlebearsPaula what is that YUMMY mohair that you have used on Honeythunder, it's great!
Paula Honeythunder is a beautiful bear and I think you achieved what you wanted.
Denise your little bear is really cute, I like the use of the two colours, very pretty, I can see why you like him.
Chrissi Ichabod is beautiful, I love the idea and the things he is holding, I wish my hands allowed me to make minis!
Penny and Jared Pictures please.
I will be taking some pictures soon!
Hugs Jane. 
I was always switched on by the sweet faced look ..and whenever I've gone slightly off track I've very quickly stepped back on it again as I have never done anything that I liked more. However, after my little grand-daughter was born with the chubbiest cheeks ever I decided to have a go at making my bears have chubby cheeks..then we adopted a ragdoll kitten who was just the inspiration I needed to create the look that I feel changed my bears in a very positive way. That said I chop and change all the time sometimes I like what I see...and sometimes I hate it and it never sees light of day!!
Here's the first chubby cheeked bear I made about a year and a half ago..I've moved the pattern on considerably since. He was the bear that made me think I could develop the look further anyway..looking back he doesn't seem so great but at the time I was excited by him!!
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsThis was the bear that first made me think 'now this is the look I want'!!
This was a bear the same size which turned out to be my favourite bear to date - he has all the features i wanted to create in a bear...
And this little fella is probably my biggest achievement because he's the most money I've got for a bear - and he's only 4" tall (well, just under!). I don't find mini's difficult to do at all so maybe I should make more if they're going to be popular...
Laurie Lou Bears
I have been making bears for just over a year and a half now and it is only in the last few months that I have been more pleased with what I am doing.I have always aimed to have the quality there from the start but it is a case of trying to get a look that you are happy with.I have posted two examples-mind you they are only heads at the moment 
I like this style although my favourite style are my traditional bears.Even though I feel like I have turned a corner I am never satisfied with what I do and always feel that there is room for improvement although that can be a good thing as you aim never to stop learning.I think that the recent post on early bears and recent bears was great as it can be disheartening for many people who start out thinking that they would never be able to reach the standard of some bear makers and it goes to show that we all have to start somewhere and if you keep trying you will get there in the end. 
Laurie :hug:
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsOoh Laurie, I LOVE the brown one!!!! 
Apple Dumpling DesignsI really like this thread. Jenny, your bears are just adorable from the moment you started until now. I just melt every time I see one their sweet little faces.
I can't say that I've had any "I've cracked it" moments. I just keep plugging along trying out new things and say...hmmm...that's not quite it...but closer.
No photos to share...just not quite there...but when I am...well you'll see me doing more than a happy dance around the kitchen table that's for sure.
Hugs,
BrisbaneThis is a great topic Penny.
I don't know about any one moment ...but this bear was the first one I made that came close to what I was looking for...since then I have done more shading etc, but even without shading I was pretty happy with her.
My dance around the kitchen table moment is still to come I think. 
whilst the rest of the family looked on thinking 'She's finally lost it' ?
Hmmm.......that happens all the time, unfortunately! :crackup: :crackup:
One bear that made a huge difference for me and my own feelings of self-worth as a bear artist was Albert, my first successful open mouth bear and also my first ebay listing (who did so well I was totally shocked and unbelievably excited :dance: ). This was back in January. I had also come up with a totally new and much more difficult design with him......a more realistic type pattern design, open mouth with teeth, incorporation of trapunto paw pads for the first time, and using a total of 10 joints (including a double neck) and armature. He was really a lot of "firsts" for me, and really kickstarted my work in several different directions. He's still one of my favorites.............
More recently, I've been after using scissor sculpting, along with needle sculpting, to really create expression. Doll eyes are a large part of that, too. I felt I "cracked it" with Boomer.......who has led to 2 commissioned bears and Porter, another bear I recently sold. I have been giddy over the response to this design.....and will definitely keep on with it! It's amazing to me, as I look at the pictures of each subsequent bear, I can see an improvement in my skills.........and I love that!! :dance:
:commissioned bear
PaWell, I haven't had my dance around the kitchen table moment yet , but reading these posts and seeing such beautiful bears is inspiring and motivating. I've had some that were almost there, but not quite but I look forward to the dancing day. Maybe I'll go buy some new shoes so I'll be ready .
Kathleen
Apple Dumpling DesignsMaybe I'll go buy some new shoes so I'll be ready .
Kathleen
Any excuse to buy news shoes is a good one in my book!!!!
Back Road BearsTracy,
Boomer just tickles me so!!! He's wonderfully unique and that face and that mouth! Wow!
I'm dusting off my dancing shoes (ok, will my fuzzy slippers do?) as I'm embarking on what might just be an "I did it!" adventure as we speak! I'll let you know in a day or two! With pics! :)
I have had one of those moments, sort of. It was with Bluebeary (my avatar bear). I liked him sure, but when he got lots of attention at shows and his ad in TB&F got lots of responses I realized perhaps I'd finally designed a bear that got noticed! That's a hard thing to do around here!!!
Past Time BearsI really don't know that I've had such a moment . . . although I was really, really excited when I received my first TOBY Industry's Choice Award in 2001.
