Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

.......and not even to mention the school supplies we had to buy. It is unreal how long the lists are these days.  This kind of pencil, that sort of marker,  3 boxes of tissues, a roll of paper toweling...zip lock bags....water colors, this kind of crayon in the 8 count not 24....and the list goes on and on for a full page.

Hi Manuela,  I know some countries do not have school buses but here in the USA we have brightly colored orange/yellow school buses that pick up our kids right at the end of our driveway on our farm.  My two older girls (11 and 17) will help Joey as he must switch buses at the High School.  All three of my children go to different schools:  High School, Intermediate School, and Joey will be gong to a Catholic school associated with our church,  It's a really good school....my hubby went there too many many years ago.     

It's nice to know that there are so many others who feel the same as i do.         I guess it's all part of being a mom.

Kim...you're do in a couple of weeks!  Oh my you will have your hands full with three little ones.  I am excited for you but you must be bursting at the seams right now.  Let us know when the happy day arrives ..lots fo pictures!!!

Ah Dilu...you alwys have such great advice.  YES....I am going to clean out my cubbards...they need it desperatley....after I get my Toy SHoppe obligations filled....and my new tiger ...and my other new idea...... and with all my children in school now I will be able to do it all! :dance:

See, I knew I came to the right place for support. :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Paula, I cried my eye out when my first daughter started kindergarten,,,and I imagine I;ll do the same when she goes off to college next year.....oh....and you don't look old enough to have a 23-year-old!

Oh I had no idea either that they used bear fur for these hats.  Oh my.  Yes, It is time to get with the timers and switch to faux fur. It would be lighter anyway.  Leave the bears alone.

       I love goats!    

(sigh)  School starts tomorrow Sept 2nd.  Jordan my oldest daughter will be in her last year of High School...a Senior  ( wow).

Rachel is in the Sixth Grade.

And my baby boy Joey will be starting Kindergarten.        I can't believe my baby is in school( I can't believe I waited six years between each child either)  He is so excited to go to school but the Kindergarten is fives days a week ..all day now.  That's a lot for  little humans.  I know I am just going to cry when he gets on the bus.

Well, I guess this will free up lots of time for bear ( and other animal) making...which I need to get on as I have been so bust lately.

Have any of you had last-child-starting-school-blues?

Hi Sue.  Welcome to Teddy Talk. You have certainly come to the right place for lots of friendly advice about bear making.

Needle felting for a six year old would be safe as long as they are completely past the "chewing" stage.  You wouldn't want to give a felted bear to a toddler or infant as they can chew and could potentially chew a pice of wool off thus causing a choking hazard.

Everyone felts a little differently.  I personally like to felt until the wool is very solid and hard.  This way it is less likley to have the fibers work free and reshaping will not take place when the bear is handled.  I have a bear that I felted a muzzle to, much like in my article in TB and F, and my kids have played with this bear and handled it quite a lot.  The bear is in great shape without any fibers coming loose. It is felted to a very firm finish.  The end result can also be affected by the type of wool used.  Some wools felt tighter than others.

Excelsior is not very good for stuffing if you plan to needle felt.  Not only will the wool fibers not mesh and bond with it but the repeated poking will break down the wood excelsior and you'll loose the firmness.  I like to use a polyfil.

We also have a Library here on TT.  If you look near the upper left hand side.  There is a drop down menu which will take you to threads loaded with discussions on all sorts of topics including felting.

I also like Marion's suggestion of adding mohair stuffed cheeks sewn on separately.  These make great puffy cheeks.

Good luck to you and let us know how your project works out....or even better yet...post a photo here so we can enjoy your work.  

Kim...that is soo COOL!!!  I love Star Wars,  Amazing work, girl!!!

I LOVE  him Maria!  He is adorable.  Best of luck to you.  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

If only I lived closer.  I am originally from Deryshire and have not been back there for about 25 years.  I'd love to visit.  Maybe one day.''

Best of luck to you and everyone who participates.

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:   Now there's a way to get free windows!

CONGRATULATIONS MRS. FELLOWS! :hug:  :hug:   I wish you much happiness and many bear hugs.  It look slike you had nice weather for your wedding and you look lovely!

Cool fish Alison.

I have never used dye-na-flow. Are they opaque?
I have been airbrushing for 25 years with high quality acrylics.  When the paints are properly prepared the results are excellent, permanent ,and soft and they flow beautifully through an airbrush.  They do have a tendency to clog with prolonged use, but it is easy to unclog it, and the end results are worth the effort.

  What I like most about acrylics is that they have some opacity to them so when they are layered they have some coverage over each under lying layer.   I have tried some inks but I always come back to arcylics.  It creates more depth than transparent inks and dyes.

  I airbrushed this tiger jacket about 17 years ago.  It's acrylic and has been through the washer and dryer quite a few times.

  It looks like you have some very nice results with the dye-na-flow.  All you need is lots of practice.   :clap:

Fabulous Samantha!  THREE!!!  You certainly deserve them. :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:     

VERY NICE!    

Hurray Sandi!!  How exciting for you.  And  lovely piece too. :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Thanks everyone! :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Mindy should be making her phone calls tomorrow, from what I understand.  I was just in the right place at the right time to find out when I did...but I did ask first if it was okay to announce it 

I hope all you other TTer's will post your happy news on Monday.    

Kim.  That is absolutely adorable!!!  I love it!!!

Hi Carolynn, I have never even thought about the nail kits before, but you know...you just might be on to something here.  Especially for miniatures.  Do you have any photos you could post here of what the airbrush kits look like? 

  I would think the hand held tanning system airbrushes might not be able to adjust to a fine flow and therefore would not likely work for really good details for bears.  But having never seen the system I cannot say for sure.

I would be interested to see a nail system because I understand they can get some pretty good detailing with them.

YAY for Tami!  I saw the article and it is fabulous...and you look gorgeous.    Celebrating with you...here is my happy dance :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:

:clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  Great articles!

Yeah, he does like to flirt with some of our barn cats.

He was born a barn cat and  some of his siblings still hang around the farm and it is amazing to see how much larger Shamu is than they are...well....vet care and an abundance of food.  We do feed the barn cats but they seem to prefer mice and other critters as they are often seen hunting and parading around thier lunch......in various stages of consumption...eeeeewwww.

Fairly recently they brought us a half eaten rabbit.  eeeeewwww....which our pretty little Mandi (photo above) decide to sample.  She gorgered herself before we figured out what she was up to.  It was disgusting to see her white fur covered in blood.  We reminded her that she was a Maltese Poodle and needed to start acting like one and not a dog.          Man, no matter how fluffy they are they are still dogs.  Mandi likes to eat calf poo also.  YUCK!  Then throws it up in the house.  But we love her.

Your stories are very interesting about cats.  I learned from Animal Planet that cast are the most efficient hunters and are very capable of taking care of themselves without humans.

Hi Janice.  So you want to take the airbrushing plunge...well good for you. :clap:   I would  learning as much as you can.    This is an art form that does require lots of practice to master.

Here is a link which I copied from our TT library.  This is a  good place to start:

http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=9456

http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=5162

http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=22905

http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=22259

These should get you started and there are even more threads on this subject in the TT Library.  When you click on the Library you'll get a drop down menu....then you'll see Airbrushing right near the top.  Click on that and all the results will show. There is just over a page of really useful information on airbrushing and other ways to shade bears. 

  Also, please feel free to post any more questions you may have and we'll be happy tp help you.

Thanks everyone.  I am really looking forward to seeing the whole list.

Congratulations to Samantha, Ellen, Donna, and Ed...thanks Daphne for letting us know.   :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

I was gone all day yesterday at the ER.  My father in law was taken there yesterday and most of the family is out of town at a wedding....so it is just me and another of his daughters-ilaws who are looking after him.  So that was my day yestrday.  He is still in the hospital and I'll be heading out this morning.  he seems to be okay.

I found out of my TOBY when I received a phone call from TB and F for advertising.  At the end of the conversation I just happened to ask if she knew if I had a TOBY.  And, well...that's how I found out.

I am actaully looking forward to break now   No pressure...ahhhhhh.
I'll be rooting for all of you next time around.

Well I hopw we have a TT sweep!!e