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Posts: 3,540I was the same...shocked and distressed that one of my all time favorite teds faded over the summer 
Granted it was a Kool Aide dye, but he was never in direct sunlight! I know better than that. He was however, placed in my northern windowsill (that never sees the light of day...just indirect light), and that was more than enough. He was still an extreme favorite of mine, but I was in one of my 'everything must be cleaned/cleared' modes, and luckily our very own Daphne has him now. 
Karen, I think you've hit upon the best possible method ~ to pop anything questionable into a windowsill for 6 months. However...what does straight black mohair look like when its put into a windowsill?? I'm sure some fading will have to occur, which is why we give warnings with each and every purchased ted...at least I do. Its veeeery easy to compare a teddy bear to a chocolate bar, so if it will melt the chocolate, or make the chocolate pick up odors, then its not good for your bear.
I do think it's highly important to make sure our gorgeous teds will withstand the tests of time, though!!! Especially when it comes to the clothes or embellishments. 
Back Road BearsThis is interesting about paint used for airbrushing. I am, just this week, getting friendly with my airbrush and plan to finally give it a whirl. I'll have to give some serious consideration to type and brand of paints I use.
Where is Judi??? Her input would be great here too!
And not to beat the flowers/berries thing to death but: until Sandra came back to tell us about the dried flowers disintergrating in her fingers we'd only talked about silk and artificial flowers not real dried. Of course anything living that is 'dried' is going to dry to the point of no return and do exactly what those flowers did to Sandra. Silk flowers are 'artificial' flowers. They tend to last a very long time. Other artificial flowers... usually made of polyester or similar and less expensive... don't keep their color although those less expensive flowers usually have plastic stems which will last longer than the fabric or florist tape often used on the silk flowers in an effort to make them look more realistic. Berries that are rubber/plastic will last quite a long time. The ones that are painted or coated usually have a foam type base. The paint will crack on these and chip away, guaranteed! So, this isn't to say you SHOULDN'T use artificial flowers and berries.... but if you are into that sort of thing learn to identify the differences. Dried flowers, in my opinion, should be a NO NO for decoration bears!
Sealing bells and the like: I've done this with some rusty bells using a craft matte spray sealer. That was only 3-4 years ago so, although I can tell you that they look the same as they did originally, I have no idea what will happen in another 15 years.
Back Road BearsHe was still an extreme favorite of mine, but I was in one of my 'everything must be cleaned/cleared' modes, and luckily our very own Daphne has him now.
And I think the batik look he has now in the variations of green mohair gives him all the more character, charm and originality! :hug:
aerBearsGreat topic! I have learned so much! Thanks for all the insight!
Aerianna
Posts: 3,540:hug: You have no idea how very hard it was to part with him Daphne But I also knew you'd be a lovely mummy who'd adore him as much as I do As I said, it was one of those cutthroat -everything-not-nailed-down-must-go!!! sorta days ... 
LuxembearsGosh, after reading all these posts I can certainly understand the concern when working with artist products. I don't believe that light fastsness was meant for paint to be exposed to direct sunlight. Sunlight breaks down everything over time. I always believe in using the best products and paints you can buy but I don't believe this will guarentee 100% light fastness if your art is exposed to direct sunlight. Never ever expose fine art to direct sunlight...it's a death sentence for sure.
About 20 years ago I visited the Lovre in Paris France. This is the largest art museum in the world. Photographs are allowed to be taken but FLASH photography is strictly forbidden! Simply because the light will break down the paint over time. This held true for not only paintings but fine sculptures. My sister and I were standing by the famous statue Venus when the flash atuomatically fired from her disc (remember those?!) camera. A guard gave her a verbal lashing in French....which we couldn't understand but but we knew it was because of the flash.
You best bet for good quallity paints is to use brands that make there products from pure pigments. They will be more expensive and will have tendencies to be heavier and grittier...especially the umber colors. When airbrushing you'll need to strain your paints. I have not yet seen any fading with my airbrushing and I have deinim jackects that I airbrushed over 20 years ago that are still in rich crisp color and supplness. I would not call myself an expert but from my experience I can tell you that good quality acrylic paints work the best for me. It is absolutely important they are properly and throuoghly heat set to make them permanent. I have had great sucess with Golden Brand and Liqutexx acrylics. When properly applied you should not even be able to feel the paint..only the mohair.
Everything ages and light breaks down just about everything...maybe this is natures way of continuing the life cycle....paints are no different...they come from the earth. Heck, even we break down over time. 
Sorry to be so long winded.... 
Posts: 3,540Not at all Judi! It was very fascinating to read about the different paints. Gosh, even the sculptures?? But I thought they were made for going in gardens and such? I do remember the fiasco over the flash bulbs. Yes, if it is just once it seems so insignificant, but I'm sure time after time after time all those flashes add up....just like visitors forking cookies over to a certain pony
BruinwerksEverything ages and light breaks down just about everything...maybe this is natures way of continuing the life cycle....paints are no different...they come from the earth. Heck, even we break down over time.
Is it really realistic to expect our bears to be exactly the same 20-50-100 years from now without ongoing maintenance? Every form of creation breaks down after a time - just as Judi said.
I'm not talking about shoddy workmanship here but just the passage of time. Thread deteriorates ( I've fixed more burst seams than glue repairs actually), little critters pay a visit (I know...ewwwwwww! but it happens) or the environment. Where I live, and I know for others too, it can be +35C in the summer and -40C in the winter and that effects lots of things.
How many vintage bears have you seen with complete original paw pads or full coats of fur? Not many - for me anyway.
I think we should do what we can to make something that lasts but I don't think its realistic to think things will stay forever just the way they started.
Just my 2 cents though! 
Cheryl
Cheryl, that's exactly what I was thinking too! This has been food for thought and one of the things that keeps going round in my head is that the vintage bears I've had the privilege of seeing (and some I own) are made in the traditional way with good quality basic materials and no frills/glues etc. These beauties do stand the test of of time when they've been carefully looked after and are kept away from direct light etc. So maybe we should take a lesson from the original teddy bears if we truly want our work to become heirlooms of the future?
Posts: 1,836This is a great thread to read over. If you're interested in going all out you can try googling Textile Conservation to see how museums and alike try to conserve pieces over time.
The main thought I have is of course we want to be sure we're using the best possible supplies while creating. (I'm a stickler for "quality" ingredients from my cooking to my art, it's always been a thing with me). Being proactive and researching the products used and doing tests like Karen did is the best thing we can do to ensure a quality piece. Many products like glues, paints, etc have technical data available from the maker and sometimes outside groups that have independently tested. But it's impossible to cerate an organic piece that will not over time deteriorate in some manner. The teddies from the past are examples of this. Even the most "pristine" vintage teddy will show some evidence of aging, it's natural. Dust is just dirt that contains wee bugs that eat organic materials..organic fabrics,organic threads, glues, etc.....yummy 
:hug:
~Chrissi
Posts: 3,177I think we should do what we can to make something that lasts but I don't think its realistic to think things will stay forever just the way they started.
You know, i was just thinking that meself Cheryl and i think that all we can do is try our very best to take care when producing our bears. Nothing lasts forever (especially a bottle of wine but i am digressing from the subject ha ha) and at some point the collector has to take some responsibilty for the care of the bear.
(I am not saying that Sandra has'nt looked after her bears at all cos it sounds like she cares for them a lot.)
Light - natural light - direct sunlight - artificial light of all kinds KILLS anything after a while and Judi's observation from her trip to the museum is a good example of how careful you have to be. I went to a museum in London and viewed a fabulous sketch by Leonado DeVinci and it was positively DARK in the room - you had to let your eyes adjust for about 5 minutes before you could see properly.
I guess the museum curators know best and i think maybe i will start adding a 'How to Care for your Bear' slip with all my new Moonlings and Cats this year - just in case.
Dust - pest infestations - heat and extreme cold can all add to the disintegration of teddy bears and as Cheryl has already said "How many vintage bears have you seen with complete original paw pads or full coats of fur?"
Yep, we are all deteriorating too - me more than most :crackup:
Good topic.
Penny
I think we just have to hope that the ageing proccess on our bears enhances them the way it has done to the originals.I have trolls from the 1960's and the mohair hair has faded even when they have been kept in a cabinet.I think things made with natural fibres age gracefully and look better but I think synthetics probably just look done.Out of interest do the new fauxfurs fare better than the ones old toys were made with.They tend to flatten and bobble???They look so much more realistic and feel so soft that maybe they are made to last now.
Did you visit the egyptian section in the Louvre Judi?/Its my favourite part.I have spent many happy hours in there.
Creepy place to be locked in at night though!!!
Cheryl you read my mind....I think age brings with it it's own quality and a uniqueness that, we as the artist and creator of the piece can't predict with any accuracy. Shoddy workmanship apart...(and I think those pieces shouldn't be made to start with)...I have bears, including some of my own, that have sat for 5 or 6 years in the same spot..getting moved ony for a cuddle..and for dusting...and the one thing I notice that has faded is the mohair dye, especially the straight piles for some reason. The hand shading/ airbrushing hasn't budged despite being next to a window.
I don't think that the earliest bears were made with any intention of them being around in 100 years time..I think they were made with excitement and enthusiasm..and the fact that they are here today is a bonus for us to enjoy. I set out to use whatever means and medium I can in the most effective way to achieve the affect I want ..that doesn't mean glueing bits on ...but I hope I do the best with what I have available to me now.
This has been a very interesting topic. I can imagine that more than a few bear artists went running to their photo books of past bears, looking to see if they'd used elastic, glue or flowers.
Please don't anyone feel badly about materials you've used in the past. Look at this topic as a guide. Use the best materials you can find, but remember, products vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
There are variations in even the mohair we buy. Look at vintage and antique teddy bears. Some from the exact same years are threadbare while others retain most of their mohair. Is that because of manufacturing or because of environmental conditions? Or both?
The same question can be asked about other textiles and accessories. Fabrics? I have a walk in closet full of antique and vintage children's wear that have stood the test of time. Elastics? I have vintage doll dresses with elastic in them that have held up while newer doll outfits with elastics have completely failed. Why? Then we come to glue. Same thing. I have vintage hats with velvet and silk flowers in which glue is the sole method of application. Have you tried pulling flowers off of the really old hats?
This all leads me back to manufacturing and using the best possible products you can buy.....and using those which are intended for the application required.
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
P.S. This leads me to another thought......many things today are not manufactured to last in our "I'm tired of it....throw it out" society. Perhaps it's a conspiracy so that we buy more, more, MORE!
Wow what a great thread!!!
I think I may be a guilty party her though, when I first started I used kool-aide, and glue!!! But I have learnt from all of these things that i have done passed and evolved new ways of doing things...I just hope that anyone who purchased any of my early bears doesn't use this as a precedent for my current work, I have improved as I hope my bears and puppies have!!!
We all have to start somewhere, and learn from our mistakes!!!
Hugs,
Krista
LuxembearsLight - natural light - direct sunlight - artificial light of all kinds KILLS anything after a while and Judi's observation from her trip to the museum is a good example of how careful you have to be. I went to a museum in London and viewed a fabulous sketch by Leonado DeVinci and it was positively DARK in the room - you had to let your eyes adjust for about 5 minutes before you could see properly.
Pen, I also saw original Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre. It is not only in a darkened room but is behind glass with an armed guard. It was really amazing to see this in person.
Luxembears"How many vintage bears have you seen with complete original paw pads or full coats of fur?"
Yep, we are all deteriorating too - me more than most :crackup:
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: on the second line.
On the first, I think that the aged teddies look as if they have a wonderful life full of stories to tell. Heck...look how many artists try to get that old aged very loved look in thier bears. It's very desirable.
LuxembearsDid you visit the egyptian section in the Louvre Judi?/Its my favourite part.I have spent many happy hours in there.
Creepy place to be locked in at night though!!!
YES! I sure did. Amazing place. I too would be very creeped out to be locked in overnight.
That museum is so large we only saw a portion. Did you see the sign at the entrance that states, " No high heels" in the museum? They want to preserve the floor too.
LuxembearsI don't think that the earliest bears were made with any intention of them being around in 100 years time..I think they were made with excitement and enthusiasm..and the fact that they are here today is a bonus for us to enjoy. .
I bet you're right Jenny
Luxembears...ps...just a brief word about glue...on the History channel a whole hour-long program ran about glue. There are so many types and chemical make-ups it could make your head spin. Did you know that glue is used on the outer shell of commercial airplanes?!!! No that's some pretty tough and secure glue!
bears by beesley TMWow! What an interesting topic!
I must add that although the workmanship may be superb, TIME carries with it it's own blessings! Hell.. Look at Me! I certainly do not look new and shiny as the day I was born in the buff.
My Mom would say that aging is Gods way of keeping our spirit pure. Although a bear should hopefully not fall apart its aging is only part of it's beauty. Nothing stays the same. Girls do not question yourselves so much.
Personaly my bears that I have collected over the years are kept in a curio away from the sun and elements of day to day living. I love each and every one of them more each day.
Hugs Louise
Back Road BearsIn regards to the vintage bears standing the test of time and being made out of nothing inordinary I say: "They don't make 'em like the used to!"
Does that mean US??? Well, I guess I'm thinking on how simplistic teddy bears were 100 years ago. Did they air brush them? Glue eye lids in place on them? Not that I'm aware of. But they did stuff them with excelsior or wood shavings. Have any of you met a bear who's wrist or ankle had broken because the wood shavings (a natural material) had dried up? Perhaps the joint didn't hold up? I've repaired two due to dried out insides. No, those old vintage bears aren't perfect either.
With all we do to our bears nowadays I think there is just more to fade, age, break down than there was on the bears from the early 1900s.
We as artists can indeed be made more aware by this topic, perhaps give our techniques a second thought, seek out higher quality materials or stay away from others we now know just don't cut the mustard under any circumstance.
No one should feel guilty for how they've made their bears or accessorized them. I don't think that was Sandra's intent. But drawing our attention to what isn't standing up after only 6 years is a great learning opportunity for us.
I agree that it's the COLLECTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY to CARE for their bears.... clean them, display in a safe and climate controlled place and out of bright light, etc. if they want them to keep their original appearance. I know of a collector who rotates her collection throughout the year, storing the bears NOT on display in her dry basement. Sure, it may be dry but it's cold. Then to bring them back up to her warm home.... what does this repeated change in temp do to some of the materials used? I don't know but perhaps something else to think about.
Sure would be fun to be a fly on the wall in 100 years to see what the bears I made end up looking like... how many even survived. (I'd be a pretty scary looking fly though!)
Aleta you are so right, the vintage things usually last so well, its such a shame that things arent made like that anymore.
Even the factory dyed mohairs will fade, so if they can't keep the colour, nobody can 
but I agree that everything should be made with the best quality you can afford, and made to last- I wont use glue unless there is no alternative, for instance attaching flatback rhinestones.
Back in my early days of doll sculpting, a wonderful Australian artist said something to me that I keep in my mind always now- with both my dolls and bears- she said "always remember that this piece could be the only example of your work left in 100 years time"
When I get frustrated and tempted to let something slide, I remember that, and what if someone in 100 years sees this and thinks thats what ALL my pieces were like, I usually scrap it and start again lol.
Newcastle, OntarioKaren, I love the comment from the Australian artist - how true it is.
My mum could make anything - she was incredible. She taught me to sew all of my own clothes with all the trimmings like French seams by the time I was 14. I always remember her saying to make sure I spent enough time on the finishing touches so whatever i was making would be my absolute best. I really try to do that every time I make a teddy.
hugs,
Brenda
Strange BearsHi Guys
Well I;m back to cleaning more of the collection today and thought I'd drop in. I ned a break from all that stretching and bending while moving them.........no I'm nowhere as goos as new!!!! 
OK.....to answer some of the questions.......with over 1000 bear around some are not in ideal display conditions as compared to others......some are exposed to more light and dust than others. My husband has collected for 10 years and in this time the bears have all been moved around for display purposes pretty regularly. However I have found as far as the clothing deteriation goes it doesn't seem to have made much difference......the elastic has still gone no matter where they were displayed,,,,,,,and the tarnish etc.
Where it may have made a difference is in the colour fading on some bears. However one of the bears in the worst position is one of my own dyed with Earth Palette dyes.....he was prototype thrown on the bottom shelf just inside my front door that stands open to the setting sun every afternoon. So I went looking for a scrap of the original fabric which was in the box downstairs. Yes he has faded but really not as much as I expected and not unevenly....He wa sitting with a big crease in his tummy as he was soft filled and I expected that the colour would be much brighter in the crease than around it. This was not the case......the colour seems to have faded minimally with time rather than due to light exposure.
So I am very impressed with Earth Pallette dyes from this one example........I will do more testing myself from this.
Wax noses - these seem to be standing up well. I have only had trouble with one nose and this was done with thick 3ply DMC and sew very roughly and unevenly. The artist tried to even it out with the was and the was was thick and uneven and also not smoothed over. Dust has slowly gathered in the uneven surface and is sticking to the rough wax and I can't get it clean.......but it is not breaking down........lesson is thought to make sure the was is smooth as dust will stick to the wax if rough.
Sewn noses - as we all know from antiques will last and is. With a light vacuum they are coming clean and none are falling apart......I can't see any problem with colour changing.....nearly all noses are DMC thread. As most of these bears are not played with but on display I would not expect less.
Polymer clay faces and noses are not showing any problems either and I have a very large one that is 8 years old one that my daughter has taken a liking too and she often drags him off his display and gets him to join in games or just sits and watches TV with him.
yes I can feel some of you cringing here........but I feel that even some artist bears should stand the test of time and if they are made in a traditional way I do allow my daughter on her "good" days to play with one as a treat. Lisa Pay's big bear seems to be her favorite.
I also agree that climate will be having an affect but please remember that if you only make for your own climate a bear that is purchased and perhaps emigrates with his owner may expreince such extremes.
It is also true that the accessories on a bear may well not stand the test of time as the bear will.......thus going back to Sandi's Bearly Sane - comment on bears wearing a hat and having no ears underneath...........hhmmm well the hat does not stand the test of time and falls apart....the owner removes it and .......OMG the bear is not a bear and cannot stand alone undressed!!!
At least so far all my bears can stand alone as bears without their accessories. I have often heard the comment "Don't bother with ears if you are putting on a hat, it sits better that way."
Well after my cleaning exercise I now have a new maxim.....The bear must be able to stand alone without his accessories or clothes and still be judged a good bear. Is this way he will stand and pass the test of time.
