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Posts: 8,574So there are some fun fanciful colors of mohair out there and then all the shades of brown mohair you can imagine. Who likes the fun and fanciful colors and which colors do you like the best, and who likes alll the shades of brown you can imagine?
Why did this just pop into my mind-hmmmm-good question and I haven't an answer-I guess I am just a curiouser type of gal
Dilu:)
Fool's Gold BearsIn general, I prefer to use natural colors. I like some bright spots now and then, however, so far I've not used any neon-bright colors, although I like them on other people's bears.
Posts: 3,177Hiya Wonks!
I am a lover of all things beary brown but the one colour that i simply adore to use for bears is PINK!
There are so many beautiful shades of pink you can find or dye yourself, a particular favourite pink shade of mine is an 'old ladies petticoat pink' you'll know what i mean if you think of the little old ladies who have their petticoats for soooo long that the pink fades to a wonderful beige/pink shade. It makes really sooper-dooper old looking bears, which i have a fondness for. I usually buy a quite fresh pink mohair and then overdye it with weak tea - lovely ;)
I also love the more adventurous pinks - i made a fab ballerina bear out of an almost Barbie pink mohair last year for a little girl who lives in France. It was a lot of fun producing such a pretty bright bear - especially as i got to make all the ballet accessories too.
Yes Wonks, it's pink for me and the beary browns. Although i've got my eyes on a lovely faded pale lilac at the moment - see you've set me off thinking of using other colours now Dilu!
Beeeeg Hugs
Penny 
I go through the entire spectrum depending on my mood! Some days, it just has to be solid, dependable, comforting colours ranging through golds, honeys and browns (I've even been known to make traditional type bears in traditional type colours from time to time!) and then there are the other days when I yearn to play with all the pretty rainbow colours!
At the moment, I'm in a pink phase ... I wonder what that means? Now and again, I have to break the mould and dabble with outrageous prints - I've made bears from leopard prints, tiger prints, lynx prints ... can't wait to find a lovely giraffe print to play with! 
Past Time BearsI'm with Laure . . . I love the natural/brownish colors. Guess it is because my favorite colors are in the autumn range - greens, browns, yellow/gold, orange (my very favorite color of all!), rusty reds, etc. And, yes, I like the "out there" colors on bears other than mine, also. But - my theory is that YOUR creation is an extension of who YOU are and reflects your personality. But, hey . . . what do I know??!!! 
That could mean that I'm in the "autumn" of my life - which I am, literally - and not in very good shape for the fanciful!! 
But - my theory is that YOUR creation is an extension of who YOU are and reflects your personality
Yeeeks! Now in that case I'm starting to scare myself! 
Wisdom BearsHi Dilu,
I too tend to stick to Natural's but I have done a very occasional bear in colours ,but nothing too outrageous. But I do admire other peoples bears who choose to do coloured. Most of my bears are quite traditional and I dont think they would suit being coloured. I love Paula's bears ,but she uses beautiful colours. Hugs Rita x
Posts: 8,574Oh you guys! You truly did lift my spirits-and I really needed that today. Thank you. Penny when you wrote old lady pink-I knew, just knew exactly the color you meant-Gosh I could almost smell my dear ol grannie, long dead these 40 years! It is a nice pale pink. I love the idea of lilac too. But it's impossible to find fault at all with a little guy made up in the wonderful array of browns and naturals we have. It's like a painters pallat. hmmm......I wonder if I could use that as an excuse to buy more mohair? Can't paint without paint, gotta have every color right?
Wonky Dilu, feeling better 
Kiprie BearsHello everyone!
I'm with Laure and Sue Ann too,
I love the Natural soft colors
But..I also Love the Pink for forever and Love Lilac color , Beautiful blue too!
I usually buy a quite fresh pink mohair and then overdye it with weak tea - lovely
I have to try that !! Pink in tea dye sounds
nice
but - my theory is that YOUR creation is an extension of who YOU are and reflects your personality
Oh, I agree to that! When I see the Artist
made bear, I feel big love in bear's face!
Or, is it bearsonality ? hee hee
Bear Hugs/Marie
Posts: 8,574Ah Hah! Marie is only pretending she doesn't have an excellant grasp of English----"bearsonality" too cute Marie 
'great word-we'll have to adopt it into our vocabulary along with wonky and hooting drains!
I'm so glad you joined us- you bring a delicate whimsy that is charming.
The wonks Dily Dilu
Kiprie BearsHi Dilu!
Thank you for reacting to my new word. ;)
So, How about you ? Do you like all brown colors
or all kind of color ?
I'm curiouser type too. 
Kiprie BearsHi Dilu,
I just came back to say I visit your website!
Allots of cute Golly and Bears :lol:
well done! :cool:
I am making my website now but
I have no sense of art of web....I hope to
complete my site before next christmas. hee hee
Bear Hugs/Marie
I'm generally a fan of the mid to darker toned neutrals myself, but have strayed on occasion into tipped mohair -- going wild there, Shel; slow down! -- and one particularly handsome batik guy. This week, tho, I am straying WAAAAAAAAY out of bounds and working on a very short pile, very straight pile, medium sparse pile, bear... in mint green! I honestly can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm terrified. I will do my best.
I do have some ideas for finishing this bear even before it's nearly finished, so I'm hoping that it will be a girl bear or it will have a very hard time wearing the pink flowers I'm envisioning with head held high.
Fool's Gold Bears-Gosh I could almost smell my dear ol grannie, long dead these 40 years!
Ewwwwwww!!! Really??? :P:o:P:D
Kiprie Bearsworking on a very short pile, very straight pile, medium sparse pile, bear... in mint green!
Waoo! I can't wait to see your new
bear in short mint green! :D:D:D
Your bear always hit the big thunder
to my heart I better watch for
heart attack coming
hugs/ Marie
Delartful BearsOoooh another good topic, you guys are on a roll!!!!
I'm pretty boring, I LOVE browns. I think there's nothing better than a brown bear! LOL But then I have made bears out of whites (of course), golds, oranges. My fav bears are browns!! I was flipping through my sample pack and I spotted some lovely purple ratinee. Am I going to be game and purchase it ?? I think so, because I know it's far fetched, butttttt it does look rather natural - not too bright!!! I have to say, I love a natural looking bear, but I have something for orange bears at the same time!
Dilu - went to your webpage - is it new? Love the Igloo house - soo cute! i had fun looking at your bears and gollies.
Acid Attic BearsIn fact, instead of shades of brown I would rather have mohairs of all the shades of red that can be done (yes, it's my favorite color... :D). I like white and old golden too. I found a white on olive back from the Schulte range that I really love (I've made 3 bears of it... not that I wanted specially to make 3 green bears, but I had enough for 3 of different scales, so...:rolleyes:). On 19 bears, only 2 are brown... mm... brown back, in fact, and white pills... . I find browns beautiful, however, but I don't know why I don't see what to do with them (maybe if I tried )...
I do love old pinks too... But it's more problematic than browns, in my head, as I always get boys (even when I want a girly look) and it's really silly, but I have difficulties to make pink boys... One day, I will go through these a priori .
I can't wait to see your mint green bear, Shelli, it interests me a lot !:)
Mm... I think I will make a try in the blue range too very soon:).
DoodlebearsHi Folks! I love the browns for bears but since my two daughter have bought some bright coloured mohairs I have made pinks, blues reds and my latest (on the front page of my website) is bright orange. I can say that Sarah and Eve have really converted me to being more adventurous.
Dilu I have just visited your website and love your gollys. As you already Know I make golly-dollys and so I was looking forwards to seeing more of your little gollys. Is that your house in the photograph on the front page of your site?...It's a humdinger!
Jane.
http://www.doodlebears.co.uk
http://www.craftyfolksads.co.uk
Winneybears and FriendsThat tea dyed pink sounds very interesting.... I'd love to try that...I once got a catalog of antique type fabrics and trim for the antique dolls and there was a color in there called "Ashes of Roses"..this was a grayed pink. Can't you just see it? Neat name... I am working on some vintage type baby bears, you know tea dyed , I must try coffe too, I hear it dyes a different shade than tea.... what fun ! ....Winney
Cheektowaga, New YorkHello Everyone!
When I want to make my bears look "old" or "time worn", I use Walnut Ink Dye Crystals. Works perfectly. I never blow dry the mohair when its wet; just air dry!
Winneybears and FriendsWalnut Ink Dye Crystals.....hmmmm, never heard of it, where can you buy it?
Notice what time it is?...I have been having some nights where I simply cannot get to sleep at all, I layed in bed for over 4 hours, that's it..must get up cause just laying there was making me a nervous wreck. I feel like I have attention deficit disorder...you know where you mind keeps flipping the channel constantly ? Weird.... I also made several bears while laying there...trying to focus...So, I am up drinking a cup of Sweet Dreams Tea and reading the posts.. Winney
Cheektowaga, New YorkHi Winney!
Sorry I missed you before you logged off...had to make myself a pot of java!
I get my Walnut Ink Crystals from:
http://www.littlescrapsoftime.wahmart.com/store/
You can get a 1oz. tin at $4.50 which lasts forever! Dilute the crystals in water (no real measuring involved...just mix until you like the color) and store in a plastic container (be sure it is never used again for food of course)! The color will look darker on the bear at first. Even if it is too dark when semi dried, just take water and it will come off the bear! You can blow dry to set color (although I prefer air drying...air drying doesn't "fluff" up the mohair...unless thats the look you like!).
Hope to Talk To You Again Soon!
Darleen
Cheektowaga, New YorkHere is one of my bears, "Bernie", as an example of my walnut crystal dying technique. I dyed his snout, tips of ears and other parts of his body. He originally has Cinnamon colored mohair.
Posts: 3,177Hi Winney.
Yes try coffee too, it does give a completely different colour to tea. I find that you need a quite strong solution though - tea is much stronger and i find it has a more 'tan' tinge to it. Coffee produces a softer more brown shade but i've found coffee is superb for overdying light greys and blues.
Try it all out on some scraps of mohair Winney - it's loads of fun!
Main Tip - keep a record of the tea/coffee ratio to water and time how long you leave the mohair in the solution. That way you can reproduce the same colour again if you need to.
If you're feeling more adventurous you can try onion skins, both red onion and ordinary. Beetroot is fab for reddy browny pinky shades - but don't leave the mohair in too long if you want a soft shade. And this is a good one - when you get a new pair of jeans try putting some neutral coloured mohair in a bath of water with them, you get amazing wishy washy drab shades from doing this - but the final colour depends on the original colour of your jeans! Great for distressed old looking bears.
Hugs All
Penny
Posts: 8,574Most of you know that my father was an artist-because of him I love all color. I used to say in quilting that there was no such thing as a bad fabric, you just had to find the right application. Well I feel the same way about color-no such thing as a bad color.
They are all fabulous.
I appreciate the support- the folks here give us all the courage to try something new..' re: website-I don't like the way the text came out so I will be going in this weekend to change that. It's mine for a year so I might as well work through the problems- I surely am learning alot.
Aww Laure you silly bearikins you, she always smelled like roses and lavender. Now she doesn't smell at all
Old man Moses
He smells roses
under the rose bush
Moses nose is :D
Penny One of the things about bearing that I like is coloring my mohair-I've used koolade-with fun results, Cushing's dye- (can't go wrong) and
for the PETA PRINCESS- who can't handle any real wool or fur I used the synthetic dye from Beary Cheap
Now there's a dye! The instructions said to boilcfor an hour-I boiled for 15 min. and the synthetic came out looking like Mogan David concord grape wine.
I love that there are so many aspects to this obsession to keep me entertained.
Great Big Gollywogelly Hugs to Everyone
The Wonks-Dilu
