Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

  So sweet!
michelle

Stunning work! and cute to boot!
michelle

Totally wonderful! 
michelle

Wow Fantastic! I always enjoy seeing your happy little bears. Here's to the next 1000 
michelle

Wishing all on TT a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for sharing all your great bears, the great posts and most of all the help and support you have given me though out the year

michelle

    pandas are just so darn cute!     
michelle

Merry Christmas Peter and the bears and here's to a 2015 full of more of your great bear pics!
michelle

Thank you Sarah J, Peter, Pink, Jen and Conni 
Peter Humm they always say people are like their pets I think this may also be true about bear makers and collectors
michelle x

    Adorable!
michelle

That sweater is a touch of genius  Sooo Cute!
michelle

Very lovely bear with such a sweet little face!
michelle

Wow I have always wanted a 101 book but could never find one I could afford - well gel  I first bought a kit and when it didn't look a bit like the picture I just spent a couple of days drawing out shapes and trying them in scrap I actually really enjoy the process. I think the hardest thing sometimes is getting the proportions right and having a good idea how much the type/length of fur pile can make to finished design and knowing where/how to make allowance for this. 
There is also another technique you might want to try which uses sculpture. In a nutshell (the process not the bear - now that would be difficult!) you model a bear then cover each part (head, body, an arm and leg) in masking tape then using a scalpel cut it off where you would expect a seams to be and then take a pattern from the pieces. Again it does need a bit of understanding about darts ect' and is not as simple as it may sound.
Anyway good luck and don't worry if it doesn't work out how you would like the first few goes like anything else - practice makes perfect
michelle

    wonderful!     
michelle

Well my pellets arrived and I absolutely love them Oh dear I'm afraid I could easily want to fill all my bears with these and they cost lots of £  If you want to add the hug factor these are perfect. Thank you Becky Plushpuppy and Joanne for the  incouragement to go ahead
michelle

Denberry is a big 56cm/22" traditional ted. I didn't intend for him to be so large but you know how it can be when the fur arrived it was so wonderful and it just sort of happened....... I filled him with a mix of super lux poly fill and 'tender touch' jelly pellets which makes him sooo cuddly he has to be my best hugger so far

Oh my I can’t tell you what a cuddly fellow big Den’ is! He makes no apologies for his huge appetite ‘Hey it’s a bears job to eat a lot of chocolate’ he tells me ‘it’s what makes our fur so soft and puts us in a blissfully good mood. Grumpy bears are seriously deficient in sugar and are probably in desperate need of some cake. I didn’t get this big and huggly eating celery and lettuce leaves’. ‘Well you can’t argue with that’ I think, then go find out the posh box of chocolates hidden at the back of the cupboard. ‘You have truffles!’ his eyes light up excitedly ‘are they hazelnut? ‘He shifts a little closer ‘they are my favourites’ he smiles in delight.
Thank you for looking
michelle

Thank you for all your kind comments they really are much appreciated 
michelle
BTW Peter you can speak Italian as well! - wow

  Who's that gorgeous creature? - oh yes it's me   
michelle

I don't want to burst your bubble with the coptic makers but I actually switched to using promakers instead after finding that they can fade after a year or so. This was on felt foot pads the mohair fared better but I'm afraid I lost confidence to use them after that. The trouble I have with promakers (which ironically - given your problems) is that they are very permanent and can not be faded or blended once applied. Coptics are a lot easier to use and will blend in a much softer way. So when I do use promakers it is only on very tiny areas. For shading I now use top quality artist acrylic paint (they are actually rated on the back of each tube as to how light fast they are) and build up slowly as again if you put too much on at once you can't get it off plus like Francesca said you need to brush out any excess dried paint between coats.
Good luck with your next project and don't be disheartened you might not appreciate it just now but you have learnt a ton of stuff that will be great for the future.
michelle

Such a little sweetie 
michelle

I blame myself really for Lollo's love of all things Italian. It all began after I told him about my holiday to Florence and he was hooked. He started to learn the language, swapped custard creams for biscotti and then changed his name from Craig to Lollo. I expect it was my tales of the amazing ice creams all piled up in mounds of delicious flavours that really convinced him. He does especially like ice cream.
Thank you for looking 
michelle

The sweetest most adorable little bear and bunny! I always enjoy seeing your creations you have so much talent Iveta 
michelle

Beautiful shaping on the body and I am loving those whiskers  Amazing skill as ever
michelle

I just love his feet and his long body shape and of course that great little face 
michelle

You could never be too full for this Christmas pudding He's adorable Pauline 
michelle