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Burlison BearsYes, you read that right. I don't own a single mini bear I've made. Maybe that's why I feel like crying each time I have to let one go to it's new owner. 
Even my big sister owns one of my bears...she paid for it!
The reason why I own none is that I started making bears in the first place to help pay the bills a year ago...not that I can contribute much to the bills since my bears sell pretty cheap!
I've always been an artsy person and working in "the real world" has never worked out really well especially since I suffer from an extreme case of social anxiety disorder.
I've been trying to get my children's books published for the last 7 years, but it's extremely difficult to get my foot in the door. And since I've always had a secret desire to make stuffed animals I decided to take the plunge a year ago.
I was kinda wondering did anyone else start like that? Selling each and every bear for money or am I the only one? And also this raises another question: How many of your own bears do you own that you never plan on selling?
-Eliza
Jane Perala Designs Ltd.Good question. I have kept 4 of my bears from the "early" years that I was particularly pleased with, however all the ones I make now I sell. I too need to help pay the bills. There are several that I wish I had kept though, but hopefully they are in a good home.
Jane P.
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsI have the first 2 bears I ever made (both miniatures) as they were from other people's patterns. I've also kept hold of my competition winning bear although I may sell it one day! Other than that, I sell all of my bears.
Hi Eliza,
Well, I have been making bears for 15 years and FINALLy got to keep one! 
Actually, I gave up waiting for hubby to buy me one so I made myself a bear for Christmas last year. He is already working hard and has been to two talks I have given this month on the history of artist bears (I speak to branches of the Townswomen's Guild and the Women's Institute).
On the book publishing thing - have you tried www.lulu.com? It's a great way to get your own work published!
Hugs,
Christine
Country BearsI only own one of mine too - my bears don't appeal to me like somebody elses - I LOVE everybody elses!!! 
:crackup:
I have only just recently kept on of my bears or should I say dogs (all my early bears were given away as gifts)...I kept my white boxer named Malibu, she is the first one that has told me she didn't want to go...like the rest of you, i use bear making as a way to make money to pay the bills...I am a stay at home dog mom and on a permanent disability for my back so the extra money comes in handy.
Hugs,
Krista
Oh man. This happened to me with my first sale. I was sooooo sad. I had spent so many hours on her and when I boxed her up it was like I was losing a friend. I know exactly how you feel. I have anxiety too and took medication for a very long time. I don't take it anymore and that's probably why I got even MORE sad. But I took that energy and IMMEDIATELY started making another one. I also started making bears two at a time so I would have one to look at when one of them sold. Nuts. I know.
I have sold all of my bears. But if it didn't sell, I would give it away to somebody special for a special occasion. I have no stock whatsoever.
ToadBriarI can't afford my bears
or any bears for that matter!
I kept back my first guy, but sent him to someone
when she was going through bad times.
I spend all my money on the drooly farty animals:
so I don't have any budget left over for nice polite ones like bears :crackup:
Laurie Lou Bears
I have my first ever bear from a kit I bought and my first two bears I ever designed.I also kept one last year and only this week I have kept the two pictured as I couldn't really be parted from them.I wish that I didn't feel so guilty about it though 
It could be a slippery slope though as I already like a bear I am now doing but if I start to keep too many I will run out of room and money as I am not going to make any if I don't sell them 
There are just some bears that you make that just seem to tug at your heart and are harder to part with.
Like you Clare I do like everyone elses better than mine -pity my budget doesn't allow it.
Laurie :hug:
Bearly Kidz BearsI have two mini's that I made from a kit that I keept but I don't really make mini's . I don't have any of my regular bears my daughter and son does. I'm disabled to and they are my way of making extra money. The bears that I don't sell at the end of the year are given to the homeless shelter for battered women and children for christmas it's just something I've done for the past 10 years. Denise
I can't afford my bears
or any bears for that matter!I kept back my first guy, but sent him to someone
when she was going through bad times.I spend all my money on the drooly farty animals:so I don't have any budget left over for nice polite ones like bears :crackup:
LMAO!!!
Isn't that the truth! I make money so I can buy more supplies.
Burlison BearsWow! I see that I am not alone in this! Very interesting. It's so cool to read about other people's lives. Thanks for sharing everyone. 
And Toadbriar, that was very funny about your dogs! Also, I love your bear on ebay right now!
And Christine, I have thought about self publishing and know others who have but still would like to keep going at it the regular way. I've been trying to get an agent here lately. I will definitely take a look at the lulu website though and put it with my lists of options.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I keep only nominated & award-winning bears. I recently auctioned an URSA from last year, because I knew the home it was going to end up in.
My grandkids might like a keepsake someday which is why I keep them with their awards but lately, with NFing, I like each new one better than the last so I'm not as attached to keeping them, only my first NFed mini winner - Stalking over there on my avatar. He's currently on loan to a museum but he'll be home again late this spring.
I do have my first 3 bears, mum and twin boy and girl cubs, they are horrendous, couldn't sell them if I wanted to and over the last few years they have had every new technique tried on them so they look worse than when they were at first.
I now I am quite sad when each one goes and have to keep a photo of each (I used to keep a tiny scrap of spare fur with the pictures but there got to be too many so I don't do that now)
Also, forgot to mention my husband made his first bear which took him months to finish, March to October last year (from one of my patterns). I cannot ever, ever part with him as I don't think he will make another one. Might post a picture of him (the bear, not the husband) when I get the hang of posting pics.
Warm wishes
Pauline
I must have more than 50 of my own bears from over the years!!! I am lucky that they are miniature, and don't take up much room!
I almost always keep any competition pieces, but also make myself a bear on a regular basis, usually in an attempt to feed my bear addiction, and try and save my bank balance, when I am finding it hard to resist someone else's bear!!! (doesn't work! )
I also make myself a bear as a treat occassionally. If I'm feeling down, or finding it hard to get inspiration, I promise myself a bear, and it usually works. Right now I am working hard for Hugglets, and I want 10 more bears made in the next two weeks. I am already planning the bear I will make myself if I achieve this, and it keeps the creativity going.
Just the way it works for me!
Jellybelly BearsSamantha, thankyou! you have saved me from feeling very guilty :redface: lol I keep more than I should, I can't help it. And I've actually sold favourites that I have the fur to make again. I'm terrible!!!!
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsSamantha, thankyou! you have saved me from feeling very guilty :redface: lol I keep more than I should, I can't help it. And I've actually sold favourites that I have the fur to make again. I'm terrible!!!!
Me too! I was beginning to feel guilty too, thanks girls. But I began my journey into making Teddy Bears as a child who loved Teddy Bears. When I was a young girl making my bears, I made them for me, never even thinking about selling them, although I did give some few away. I only started seeing them as something I could sell when I saw a bear magazine and read about Teddy Bear artists. Then I enjoyed selling them at shows because the collector reactions were so encouraging. One of my first ebay sales was a bear I was absolutely in love with, and I remember feeling very excited that he sold, but so very sad to let him go. I decided after that if I made a bear I fell in love with like that, I would keep him. Since then I have added four of my own bears to my collection 
.
Burlison BearsFor SamanthaPotter...
love your avatar bear! How do you make such high foreheads? I've tried so many times to make my bear have a high forehead, but it always ends up with a weird oversized head on a small body. Is it possible to make a high forehead on a 4" mini bear without the rest of the head expanding and overwhelming the little body?
I have my three award nominees/winners plus an early bear that's on my hangtags and business cards. AND two that I just could not part with. So that's five over the course of four years of bearmaking. I guess it works out to about one a year that I keep and the rest I sell. I need them to pay my bills, too!
For SamanthaPotter...
love your avatar bear! How do you make such high foreheads? I've tried so many times to make my bear have a high forehead, but it always ends up with a weird oversized head on a small body. Is it possible to make a high forehead on a 4" mini bear without the rest of the head expanding and overwhelming the little body?
Thanks very much!
I've never really noticed that my bears have high foreheads, so I'm not really sure how I do it!!
I guess a lot of it is in the pattern. The nose is fairly low down if you know what I mean!? A lot of it is also in the stuffing. Place the stuffing in the head in the correct place, don't just stuff it in anywhere. Use the stuffing to shape the head. Also, a bit of needle-sculpting, to pull eye sockets into the nose. This will give a larger forehead. The pattern used on the bear in your avatar could have a larger forehead by placing the eyes nearer to the nose, giving the impression of a larger forehead!
Hope this helps!!
Burlison BearsThanks SamanthaPotter!
I checked out your website too and just love your little bears. I will have to experiment with the high forehead thing and moving the nose down lower too. I use woodwool in the heads though and it doesn't work for needlesculpting...at least I've never gotten it to work! But I prefer the woodwool since I'm going for an old-style look.
Jellybelly BearsMe too! I was beginning to feel guilty too, thanks girls. But I began my journey into making Teddy Bears as a child who loved Teddy Bears. When I was a young girl making my bears, I made them for me, never even thinking about selling them, although I did give some few away. I only started seeing them as something I could sell when I saw a bear magazine and read about Teddy Bear artists. Then I enjoyed selling them at shows because the collector reactions were so encouraging. One of my first ebay sales was a bear I was absolutely in love with, and I remember feeling very excited that he sold, but so very sad to let him go. I decided after that if I made a bear I fell in love with like that, I would keep him. Since then I have added four of my own bears to my collection
haha...Tami, your story is very similar to mine...I made teddies because I fell in love with them, the hobby and keeping the finished result 
Then when I connected to the net I realised I could sell them and what joy when I could create a buisness out of something I loved to do so much....space was becomming an issue lol
I still get teary eyed about some I've sold, but like you said, the happiness it brings to receive encouraging feedback and make someone else happy.
okay.....Just went around the house and did a rough count...70-80 bears...yikers!!!! I can't believe I'm admitting this lol Around 20 are from when I began making them 8 yrs ago from other artists patterns.
Burlison Bears70-80 bears!!!
Wow!! I'm in awe! Goodness! You must have a lot of space in your house! That's incredible!
Jellybelly Bears70-80 bears!!!
Wow!! I'm in awe! Goodness! You must have a lot of space in your house! That's incredible!
:redface: many of them are very tiny
"a bear by kim"i, like you made my 1st bear just under a year ago, i dont keep them, i know once i keep one, thatll be it i wont part with any!
iv got a couple of rubbishy ones that my two littluns play with and i made one for my 3 year old last year, my mums got loads but iv got non .
its the way the cookie crumbles!... needs must and all that.. just think each one you sell is precious to someone x
