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TeenytinyteddybearsPlease can someone tell me how to approach this. I am working on my first set of "for sale bears" so need a hang tag/ tush tag design. I am quite excited to do this but terrified I accidentally use something similar to someone elses. After all this would be your recognised "trade mark". I have googeld as much as I can but dont seem to find anything. I have come to realise that this is a group with a huge amount of integrety, and would hate to be seen to "stealing" something.
Back Road BearsWith all the bear makers and artists in the world its going to be tough to come up with anything totally original. Using YOUR business name and personal info as well as perhaps a picture of one of YOUR bears on the hang tag will keep it YOURS. As for color scheme, font, logo... that's where it's going to be tough to be completely original. Choose something asthetically pleasing, especially to you as you are going to have to be looking at those hang tags and tush tags and your business cards (which many artist have look all the same or similar) for a long time.
You can visit artist websites, check out the banner ads here on TT, etc. to do some homework. You'll see that many use a photo of one of their bears... I think this is a great way to ensure your logo (or "branding" would be the porfessional term I think) is unique to YOU.
:hug:
I created a line drawing of one of my bears. It's very simple. I don't use is much except for on my business cards and tags. This may be something that you could do fairly easily.
Hugs,
Alison
Matilda Huggington-beare
I just recently redesigned mine. I am trying to get as much info in as small an area as possible.
The Puddle line drawings are my Logo and I use them in everything. I use the drawings alone on my tushtags. They are also on my business cards.....they are everywhere.
Sometimes you can do too much research and end up stifling your own creativity.
The best way to research this is to go to the shops and have a look at how manufacturers have used their hangtags.
Take ideas that you like and adapt them to suit you.
My hangtag is double sided. ingredient details and my signature on one side( which I tick off.I borrowed this idea) and business details on the other.
I also have a safety/cleaning tag and I make a teeny individual tag with critter photo and name. Sorry I don't have one of those to show at the moment.
The tag size is 7cm X 4cm
Wendy
TeenytinyteddybearsThank you Daphne, Alison and Wendy, that took the stress out of that one. My bears are all under 3 inches so that was bad enough. At least I dont have to worry about stepping on toes too. I am quite restricted with what I can get here too so have to be a bit inventive. But that I guess is one of the challanges too. Cant just pick up stuff to play with, have to think things through and order what I may need and then wait for it.
But your answers have given me something to work on. Thank you Wendy for showing me your hang tags.
Hearts Ease BearsCarolynne i love the idea of leaving that yardstick or ruler image you have down the right hand side..just as you have in your avatar..and then add the info about you and your bears! it exactly describes your name! and i believe it would be original,,i've never seen it used..
anyone else? it shows how tenny tiny your teddies are! deb
Matilda Huggington-beareYour'e right Debra. When I see this avatar I immediately know this is Carolynn. It's a good strong image. One well worth considering. 
Your'e welcome Carolynn. My hangtags are a work in progress. When I get my banner organised I will more than likely incorporate that and I would dearly love to get these tags smaller.
Teenytinyteddybears
thank you for making me feel so encouraged and motivated.... your kind comments have made my day
desertmountainbearCarolynn, I use a laminated picture of the teddy for the hang tag, I purchased a hot laminator (not expensive) I photo shop the picture , put on the bears name and my company name. For the back I found a couple of vintage decks of playing cards with wonderful old west graphics , I glue them together and laminate them. My bears are signed, so I don't use a tush tag.
Joanne
I change mine from time to time, but currently I am using a hangtag which features a collection of my bears. I like this one because the colours work on just about all bears! It's worth thinking about whether your hangtag will suit all of your bears - for example, if you have a fuschia pink hangtag, it may look awful with red bears! I used to use my 'All Bear' logo which was created especially for me, but these days I just play around with whatever fonts appeal to me at the time. I have the hangtags printed on card and then just punch a hole in the top left corner to attach them to the bear.
Front of hangtag
Reverse side
:clap: :clap: :clap:
Wendy and Paula....great hang tags!!!!
Carolynn, my advice is simple....just do it! I've been a teddy bear artist for 20 years and the one thing that I know for sure is that it takes a long long time to develop "your style" and the other thing that I'm sure of is that it boring to do the same thing over and over again so "your style" will constantly be expanding and changing (as it should). Your bears will change .... your hang tags will change...Just enjoy yourself! Like Daphne said...it's hard to be completely original...there will always be someone somewhere who has done something similar.
:hug:
Kathy
Posts: 1,836I use Moo Mini Cards for my tags http://www.moo.com/
For $20 you get 100 of these perfect little two sided "tags"!! I love 'em.
My "logo" used on my site and tags is a photo of my mom when she was a toddler, so I know I'm not steppin' on any toes with that one. After my run in with a web site lifting artist a few months ago I went and put watermarks on all of my photos, but hey that's cyber life! I know they're mine and I have all of the originals in the end 
Go with something that's truly yours and your own, you'll stand out! I agree with the others...I really like the ruler at the side!!
Here are the moo cards. I hole punch the top and I'm all set.
:hug:
~Chrissi
Front and back of tags:
edited for my LOUSY spelling :crackup:
Matilda Huggington-beareExcellent link Chrissi. I will have to keep it in mind. I have always loved that photo of your Mum
Wonderful cards Paula. I just love your group photo and I am impressed with the layout of your reverse side.
With my new cards I just wanted to have a break from designing new cards for every critter.
TeenytinyteddybearsI started designing yesterday, thanks to you all I think it is looking good. The acid test will be to print and see if it is in proportion to the bear etc. Well when I have finished playing with it... I have decided not to use tush tags, think that is getting a bit silly with a tiny bear. I cannot thank all of you enough for your help.
Hearts Ease Bearsgood luck Carolynn and have fun! deb
Posts: 1,836Wendy, the mini cards (tags) are awesome! The site walks you through the whole process (make sure you use the best resolution for printing). I made a set of "memory game" mini cards for my niece. The game is made of her dad's animation work...it's REALLY cute!
They ship super fast and I've been very pleased with the quality of the product.
Carolyn,
I don't use tush tags on my mini's either...I just slip the hang tag's string over one leg and then have them sit on the tag or it just lays right behind them. I do use an embroidered tag for all of my larger bears. Good luck with your design and let us see once your done!! 
Back Road BearsI'm getting the itch to redesign my hang tags now! :doh: 
Matilda Huggington-beareIf/when you do Daphne, can we see? :dance:
Looking forward to your results Carolynn
With my critters becoming quite small and the fact I kept forgetting to sew in the tushtags as well. I had to come up with another idea that was easier. I now use my logo on a disk of mother of pearl.
PS: just a thought.... those cards could have our bears printed up on them and bound into mini show books...just handy for purse size......MMMmmm???? some times I'm sooo clever it almost hurts
TeenytinyteddybearsThat is a good idea, Wendy. I have a horrid moth eaten thing I drag around with me. How clever. and Oh dear Daphne, sorry I got you side tracked.
A year ago when I thought I might like to market my bears I had no idea just how much was involved. Stupid really. I have owned a business before. But it doesnt stop with sewing. Well sometimes you cant even get to the sewing. But love the diverse things you have to do and learn. Makes it interesting. The most eyeopening thing was designing my web. That even impressed my kids, :crackup:
Wendy, I think the show books is a really useful idea. I only ever manage to take 9 bears at most to a show, so for the past few shows I have been taking A4 photobooks to put on my table as a portfolio of my work. I make them up using an online company. Visitors to the shows always seem very interested in them and they are a great record for me to keep too!
DoodlebearsHi Paula what is the address for the online company please?
Hugs, Jane.
Hi Jane,
The one you see in the pic was done by Bonusprint ... but there are many companies that do such printing online and you may find something you prefer elsewhere. A Google search for 'Photobooks' should give you plenty of companies to play with!
Posts: 1,836Wendy, I LOVE that idea!! Having a little purse size book to show off! With 100 cards you could do 100 different bears or 10 books of 10 if you wanted to! AWESOME idea!
:hug:
~Chrissi
PS...for mommies and daddies.....these tags would make SUPER CUTE gift tags, Christmas tags! Use your little one's artwork for the tags and the back could have you're pre printed "to, from, love, or from santa" sections for you to fill in with a permanent marker (I use thin sharpies on my tags). Little one's would flip to see their artwork like that
Matilda Huggington-bearehttp://www.officeworks.com.au/owbd/b2c/ … ksproducts
Paula I have been working on one of these for the past year. Haven't finished it yet. The link is above Jane. They range from $75 - $100 for 40 pages. And as you can see with Paula's they look brilliant. You can also do fancy stuff in the editing room on each page. It's a great idea.
With 100 cards you could do 100 different bears or 10 books of 10 if you wanted to! AWESOME idea
I'm really liking my idea more and more
I liked my idea so much I have ordered a pack of 50 business cards to make a 'pocket showbook'.
I found that they were more suitable for printing the photos I wanted. The mini cards gave landscape sneaky peeks.
Though they looked good I wanted my critters to be seen just a little more for the book. Plus it gives you an option to put your logo on the back of the card as well. All positives.
When I found my mistake ..that the cards were the wrong shape..... I had to continue through to check out, then said I wanted to make something else with my photos and it gave me a link to start again. When I got to the checkout the second time I just removed the minicards from my trolley. It was sooo easy.
All I have to do now is wait for them to arrive.
Chrissi when I get my banner designed I'm ordering the mini cards... GO MOO!!!!!
Matilda Huggington-beareMy MOO cards arrived today and I'm really impressed. I love them. I have enough to make two mini albums. Also I was lucky enough to order these before my the computer went caplunk.....talk about close. I could have lost them all for ever....... :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:
Thankyou Chrissi :hug: :hug: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:
