Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

He's stolen my heart...what a sweet bear!!!

Jenny

I tried my oil paints for the first time last night...on footpads....it was good!! I need to be more sparing with it though...I can be heavy handed. I used to paint with oils...and love slapping it on the canvas in big blobs......not the thing to do here!!!!

I have often airbrushed before-hand ...onto silk...then cut out the 'good bits' for my pads... That worked well for me since because I was doing a piece of fabric ...rather than specifically cut pieces the presssure of accuracy is taken away...and the creativity clicks in.( Iam far too messy to risk it on my bear...and the last time i did it, masking the bear off took longer than making the bear itself!!!!!)

I have used silk paints too...along with inks....which I set with an iron before sewing them in.. Pure silk is good for pads as long as you line it first. I get the thick kimono type silk ( Duchesse I think it's called) for our 'Fancy Silk Store' in Birminham...also we have loads of Indian fabric stores who do wonderful fabrics.

It's all good fun!!!!

I think I kind of make the hole in the head side smaller...and the patch bigger so that when I stitch the on seam line they both come out the same....

Anyway....whatever way I cobble it together..it works. Don't ask me how because my brain is not logical enough to explain it to me this time in the morning.....but it does work. I always snip the seam when I am done sewing the patch in too..then it lies flatter...

I need a cup of tea....

Jenny

I don't know why I didn't pick up on this thread...anyway I am so glad it's sorted out for you, Helena...your bears are beautiful no matter what shade of blue....or any other colour.

I do agree with Judi  and Shelli, though...I am not convinced about commissions.  I like to do my own thing ....and make my own choices.

There's part of me that thinks that...as an artist/professional/bearmaker/designer..(whatever we call ourselves) we should know more about our style of bearmaking than our customers do...and therefore we should not allow the the tail to wag the dog.

I'll probably get a slap for saying all this  but I'd like to think that's why someone would buy my bear in the first place because they like what I do. It's like having a backseat driver who doesn't know how to drive if they tell me what to do.....

I am glad it's now sorted out for the best...but you know what....you always learn something from stuff like this...and that's always a good thing...even if it does hurt sometimes.

I tend to get the really large reels of thread in kind of basic colours....like off-white which does for all my light fabrics....a biscuity brown which does for all the browns and golds...and a dark grey which does for all my greys and blacks.....I'm not much into 'colours' so I never need pink ..or green etc!!

That way I don't need to keep millions of colours in ..

For paw pads I do have a huge stash of colours to match my fabrics....in ultrasuede, felt and cashmere...

I am a panic buyer of fabric and paw pad material...I always think there's going to be world shortage!!!!

Jenny

It's ridiculous when salons won't tell customers where hairdressers have gone when they leave....do they think the client will just stay at the salon...???

I just tell people where they've gone...in fact, I give the client the number...I've even phoned the other salon for the client to get an appointment.

Everyone has a right to go where they want and spend their money with who they want...if they want to spend it with me fine...if not ...fine.

Salons that do that must be desparate for business...otherwise they'd be too busy to bother...

Anyway, the chances are if I am open and honest about the situation the clients stay put anyway.

If you're ever in Coventry...I know a good salon!!!!

Jenny

Well, a drunken hairdo is one thing...but a drunken teddy...now there is an interesting challenge....

Why Gin?? It's 'grand'mothers ruin in my case!!!!!

Jenny

By the way, Shelli...whatever it is you are going through today... I hope that by the end of it you'll feel uplifted and positive. Teddies have the distinct knack of making the world a brighter place...and making them lifts me higher than practically anything else..

That's why we love 'em

Thanks everyone...I really feel like I need a stiff drink...but since the cause of my having to dismiss someone today was that they turned up at work rolling drunk..it seems like not the best thing to do.

Since I got home another member of staff came to my house and told me that a girl who also works there had cooked up an agreement with a client that she would only pay a token amount for her hair and the girl would get the rest as a large 'tip'. So it looks like another problem looming on the horizon. I have always been fair with people and just can't believe the deceit. She waited till I'd left for the day to cook up this plan, which adds insult to injury.

Now where's that gin bottle....................

I went to work in the salon today at 7.15 am...did a full list of clients....had a huge crisis which was dreadful..and, suffice it to say, I ended up sacking someone which has made me feel ill. I loath and detest confrontation but in this case it had to be done.

So now I am home and I am going to sew up some teddy legs and then my daughter is coming round with our grand-daughter Elizabeth who is the apple of my eye...she's four months old!!

Pretty stressful day.....

Jenny

Talking of thrift store finds...I found a shrunken old scarf in a charity shop ...my daughter asked what on earth was I buying it for...but it's mohair and very over-washed...but the most lovely bright coloured tartan...so I came home and squeezed at little bonfire night jacket out of it..not bad for 50p...

When the bear is done I'll post a picture ...I'm really pleased with it....it's really funky!!!

Jenny

Hi Judi... I like the dressed set...because your dressing is very clever...and the bunnies are the icing on the cake. Don't take this wrong, but she looks like a girl in her clothes...but naked ..it's a boy...for me anyway...but then I often think a bear looks boyish till I put clothes on them.

I started making beary clothes a while ago....though I don't love all the preparation and work that goes into making the clothes...I do love the effect they give. I also find that the dressed bears in simple little outfits are appealing to collectors.

I love thinking of new colour schemes and little characters...it's fun to find little bits and pieces to accessorise them too. 

When I think about it I suppose I love the bare bears... but I like the dressed bears more.

Jenny

Ditto, Ditto.....I have just been thinking that myself...they are all lovely...

Jenny

Have you tried Dear Bears...i just ordered some nice French velour...it hasn't arrived yet....I'll let you know what it's like...but they seem to have a really good selection..

Jenny

Everybody said it better than me ...

However, another interesting thing is that there are manufacturers out there that will often buy designs from artists...I think Deans showcased quite a few UK artists...and when they produced the limited editions they had nothing of the artist in them to speak of. They had what I call 'dead eyes'.

So Sue Ann hits it right on the head...artists bears have a spark of soul..a bit of magic that a person just producing them on an assembly line doesn't inject.

The other thing that happens is that these editions produced by the big companies often sell out quickly because people see them as an investment. I own up to having bought and sold the odd Steiff very quickly because he or she is a good investment.

When I buy a bear for me though....they do have to have soul

Jenny

Oh Sarah...that's exactly what I do...and I've always wondered why I can't find certain bears on eBay....it's because I do exactly what you've been doing.

Now I know.....

Jenny

she's lovely in every way...!!

There is a bear shop in Penrith....but I don't know what supplies they'd have...if any...

Jenny

Hi Jane...it's a Coventry firm...very good and cheap as chips...I'll look 'em up and send you the link...

Jenny

I have to re-design my table....my husband made lovely boxes...which we re-paint all the time...but it's like moving house every fair...the car is loaded up with them...they are good for carrying the bears in too though...but they are so heavy. I love the stands with the vintage bits on ....like suitcases etc....they don't work with my bears though.

I don't have a sign either...which I never know whether I am doing the right thing...I have an old  clock with the hands on  the 3'o'clock..

Cheaper than making a sign..

Jenny

I had something similar...but left by a beary website...I was really grumpy about it for ages...they left a whole page of links and stuff tagged on to it which took up a page of my genuine messages...If I want to link to people I'll do it myself....

It just annoyed me that they did it because they could ...not because they should. I used to pay to be on their teddy site....but I didn't renew my subscription after that. I think people who just use your guestbook as a link to their site are just a pain in the......

Can't you just block this [INVALID] and stuff though....there must be a way...

Doesn't it just drive you mad, the nerve of some people..

Jenny

What a sweet little bear..I love the colour!!

I invested in some carrier bags with my logo printed on. They're great for shows and ( as long as you sell a bear or two) they are a walking advertisement as well!!

Jenny

The thing was that at this particular show I spotted loads of bear collectors milling about...the ones I often see when I am exhibiting at a fair....just very few  bears...

Jenny

Oh Amanda..I know exactly what you mean...I was just quite aware that people were there...including me... and could not spend money if they'd wanted to..... It was almost all dolls and the bears and allied things had dwindled drastically. Do they over price these things or what?..The door price was £4...and there was a good long queue to get in....the next thing that will happen is the punters won't attend either!!

Jenny