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Winney Jun 1, 2005

OK..I went out shopping for colored  flannel, eye cord and nail polish to paint eye backs with  in different colors today....ALL DAY... Whew !
My feet are killing me but I and my  bear friend  Donna had a great time and we stopped for lunch/dinner at a great oriental buffet place called Tin Tins.... where we talked about whatever and of course the bear business .

We went to Target, Walmart, Jo Anns, Michaels and I don't remember where else...In nail polish I found some great iridescent greens, blues,  brown,black and white  ( so I can change some colors to a lighter color) at Target   for .89.
Got some colors at Walmart. The  most difficult color to find is brown or bronz and gold..found all but the bronz at Target. I have some different colors of sparkle flakes I can mix into some of the colors...Between her and I we have enough  to open a factory and paint eyes til the cows come home next year...LOL..

OK so what's up since I was gone all day...I know you guys are up to something ! OK...I will go read up on  the board now...Hey, huggies to you all !........Winney

Just Us Bears Jun 1, 2005

Sounds like you had a ball Winney!
I have a complete salon of nail varnishes...my sister is a singer and she buys all sorts of weird and wonderful colours, uses them once or twice, then passes then on to me. Well, I don't wear nail polish, so I've just been hoarding them (too good to throw out!) for a rainy day...just waiting for some wonderful person to sugest some other way of using them. Well, that day arrived when Shelli spilt the beans about her painted eyes!Thank you very much Shelli!
BUT...I had my first try yesterday...painted the first layer a wonderful sparkly silver..let it dry...then a lovely dark maroon..let it dry again..then this morning, I did my little scratches for the starburst effect, and to my complete and utter dismay, the whole lot came off in one big skin!:(
So..I have sent an SOS to Shelli...on the Edinburgh list and hopefully she will cut and paste her reply here too...just in case anyone else has had the same problem.

Dilu Jun 1, 2005

Oh Winney

I am so jealous!  We don't have all those stores on this side of the Rogue.

Do post Your pictures when you do your painting....so we can all enjoy

Look forward to meeting you in June-(can hardly wait! and I already have my grabbag surprise ready!)

Oh Haley, I am so sorry you had that problem with your eyes..  :(..but you'll get it!:)

Dilu

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorJun 1, 2005

Copied from Edinburgh reply to Hayley --->

Hmmmm... this one has not happened yet to me. This might be why:

1) I am totally impatient by nature and NEVER wait an entire overnight for my eye paints to dry.    Perhaps they got TOO dry; is such a thing possible? Just brainstorming here...

2) I usually use a first coat of nail polish and a final coat of nail polish... but the coats which actually load color, and which are ultimately scratched off, are acrylic paints sandwiched in between those nail polish coats. The first coat of nail polish is translucent and is metallic or sparkly, to give "punch" and "pop." After that is when I add colors (blue, green, purple, etc.) And the final coat is black polish to seal those acrylics in.

So two suggestions:

a) Work when things are near dry, but not all dry. And work quickly and lightly with that scraping action! I have had chunks peel off at times, but not the entire backing. Just easy up on the scratching part if that's the case.

b) Use acrylic paints for your color application and the polishes only for the first and last layers.

Hope this helps and sorry it didn't work out for you initially!

Winney Jun 1, 2005

Hmmm." Use the nail polish and the first and last layer ...acrylics in between ". Ohhhhhhhh.....

What about the  technique where you " paint concentric circles of paint around the eye back " so then the colors are sort of small blobs placed around the glass eye back ? I assume we  still do the same thing.....do the first and last layer in nail polish ?

I have an idea here that may help the paint to stick better. I bought some GLASS paint kits  at Michaels. I did not care for the effects for some of the types of glass paints except for the Shimmer paints, they were nice and had an irridescent translucent sheer effect to them. There is a  small bottle of glass  prep. liquid included in the kit and there is also a small bottle of varnish/ sealer to use a the last coat.

Since trying them I still am looking for that " sparkle " in colors that the glass paints do not give me. But.....one thing that may help prep the glass for ANY  type of paint is the Glass Cleaner Prep. which I believe you can buy seperately in small bottles at Michaels...Winney

Laure Jun 2, 2005

Winney, Dilu,

I must remember my grab bag "prize" for you... Just writing it so maybe it will get ingrained in the brain. :D

Lookin' forward to June 24, :):)

Laura Lynn Banner SponsorJun 2, 2005

Thanks again Shelli ~ for even more of your bear making knowledge!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

Winney Jun 2, 2005

Laura, OK....should we tell any one who comes to bring one grab bag ? or shoulld we bring extra grab bags ?
Dilu..you have 2 friends and I have one...any more coming ? Hey...anyone here is welcome . We still need a place defined and a time to meet. Any thing else ?....Winney

Laure Jun 2, 2005

Hi Winney,

I guess it would make sense to bring extra. If You, Dilu and I all bring 2, that would cover the other ones we know are coming.  If anyone else decides to join us, they can bring 1 or 2.  If there are leftovers, we can draw straws for them.  Werner thinks we could make it to Cave junction in about 2 1/2 hrs., so how about we plan on trying for a window between noon and 12:30?  When he asked me how long I would be meeting, I said about 2 hrs.  Does that sound reasonable?  Dilu, is it you who has the phone book for Cave Junction?  Whichever one has it can pick a place, and maybe call the place to see if they are still in business, and can handle a group of rowdy arctophiles.

Dilu Jun 2, 2005

Winney, Laure, I only have 1.....plus me.....and I already have my grab bag surprise!!!!!!!

I love it....it's perfect! :D:D:D

Done and done!  Noon sounds great and I will make reservations and send you guys the instructions and name....and I can bring 2 grabbies...

I am so very much looking forward to meeting you guys....And Werner, will be joining us too?

My honeybunny is heading for the hills....literally.....he will probably go on a really long hike....the idea of a crazy group like us talking bears and gollies sends shivers up his back!  :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Take care you guys.....I'm going to mark the calandar....
Di:P

Laure Jun 3, 2005

Werner Is a wonderful guy.  I dislike driving long distances, and I'm absolutely terrified of the prospect of driving in heavy duty "urban" areas...not that Cave Junction scares me, but Werner is very accomodating about being my escort and chauffeur... I always feel totally safe and cared for when he's around, and not only that, but he LOVES talking to people.  What more could a lady ask??:D:D

Winney Jun 3, 2005

Ok you two...sounds good to me. I am  bringing one person, will bring some grab bags...we will have fun !!!!  Winney

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorJun 3, 2005

Hey, Guys.  Is your outing/meeting this weekend??  If so, have a blast and occasionally think about us left behind!!  Sounds like this thing could become a tradition!

Laure Jun 3, 2005

I think it's pretty much set for Friday, June 24 at about noon in Cave Junction, in Southern Oregon.  Anyone else who wants to join us is enthusiastically invited.  Bring a surprise grab bag to exchange.  The name of the restaurant will be announced. :D:lol::cool:

Dilu Jun 3, 2005

I love that Werner is coming, and anyone else who wants to....it would be soo cool  to have a really big group meeting....get Marie and Marion, Penny and Jane and all the gals in Australia......hmmmmm add to the mix all the US gals and meet somewhere in the middle.....oh well.....

OK I dream big. :D

I do look forward to meeting you guys though, it will be really nice....I think its great that your folks live in Grants Pass. Laure, cuz it means you have to come through here...;)

RE: driving.  Boy do I understand.  I teethed on the freeways of LA.....but at 53 years old I obviously got my original liscence a long long timer ago.  Since 2000 I just haven't been safe to drive long distances.  I have these bizaar blood sugar drops that go from 90 to 40 in the space of one to two min.  and we are not able to predict when they will happen.....needless to say I stay off the roads, I couldn't handle it if I were responsible for someone's injury or death, knowing that I can't predict this sugar thing......ugh! :(

So I know what you mean about your honey being accomodating....My honey tries to help me out whenever he can.  Thank Goodness!

See you soon....Dilu

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorJun 3, 2005

Oooops . . . I got about three weeks ahead of your meeting time!    Anyway - when it does get here, have a great time!