Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Well,
For now there are 4 ornaments that have yet to be delivered!
One was my fault- missed a digit in the address,
One had the wrong details for a PO box
and the other two are MIA- we know one of them is still at the delivery centre, yet to be claimed and the other ????
A little disappointing, but I'm sure at least three will get sent back to their owners in no time flat!
Mel
PS Here is a little photo of Donna's Dancer who started out as Donner, I found her tags on my desk this week, oops sorry Donna! -(so that Tammy can get the tree as far as possible)

Hi Folks,
Another update on Santa's express,
Kathy yours is noted as in the States, should be knocking on the door any minute  :pray: from Canada
Tammy, yours was posted at the beginning of the month from Taiwan, but is so far untraceable, it should have well and truly made it by now, but perhaps the holdup is in the delivery.
Donna, yours is noted as in the States, once again any minute (Donner - is jetlagged or something because she is going sooo slowwww) from Australia.
Great to hear that alot of them are turning up as we speak! Will keep you posted if I learn anything else.

All in all I think I can certainly say that the postal service hasn't been super kind to us this year, as most that haven't shown up yet were posted very early in the month but  :doh: lets just hope they get there in the end, and if the current ornaments are anything to go by, they will be on display year round anyway...

Mel

Well it seems that there are quite a few ornaments that have arrived in the recipients country just have not yet found their way to homes.
To make it a little easier, the ones that I know have arrived, I'll just let you know where they are coming from, so you can check at you post office if practical.
Tracey Smith, yours is noted as arrived from Canada
Nicole yours should be there it was sent from within the US
Debbie yours is noted as arrived from Australia
There are quite a few on their way to Canada, but I'm guessing it may be the weather in some parts holding them up.
Carolynn in SA, even with the little mixup it should be there.
The rest are being checked up on-
I must say this year there are alot that have yet to find their way home (12 to be exact), but with a bit a Santa's help I'm sure they will get there in the end.
Mel

What a great party Jane,
Thanks so much to the hostess with the mostest  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:
No wonder my head hurt a little when I got up this morning, all that partying can do that to a girl.... 

Mel

Wow Jane,
So clever of you to have figured out my thing with Zach Braff-
I even stayed up late last night to watch his repeats on the tele!!!
Now if only I could find my dancing shoes.....

Mel

Just a quick update on all the little Christmas travellers...
I have accounted for all bar six ornaments, whilst there are another six in transit that I know the senders are anxiously awaiting their arrival at the other end.
If you have posted your ornament, but not yet mentioned it in this thread could you pop me an email, so that I can let the recipients know they should chase it down from their end. All to often at my local PO there are boxes etc for me that aren't delivered until I ask what happened to....(in 2008 for goodness sakes!!!!)
At the end of today I hope I'll have a response from everyone so I can let you all know how the rest are doing.

Cheers
Mel
email to: cjsmum4321@yahoo.com.au (I'll get it faster at this address)

Hey everyone look at was waiting for me today at the post office    this gorgeous little kiwi fella in his black and white finery-
thank you so much Helen- he is soooo cute, not to mention all of his little kiwi presents that kept him company on his big trip across the water from New Zealand to Sydney.
He is sure to keep Rudolph great company on the tree!

Mel

This is the thing Sarah, for all the dolls and bears in the world I'm not bothered one little bit, if people like to have a cuddle, pick them up or talk to either species; it's this parenting- now like Lynette said

but I've seen quite a few of these collectors now with the dolls and they are not being gentle with them because they are a doll and are breakable, one of the artists actually used the bouncing/dancing on her toes holding the baby to her shoulder, then burping it as a selling tool...."look at her, I just can't help myself! She is just so real" or "This one here is around 28 weeks- this ones size is about the same as a 34 week premmie".
It is the extreme of this style of thing that is off putting. I can tell you from experience though that those who don't make it through that time successfully, don't celebrate the tinyness- they cherish the little time they have.
In the past I've known artists that replicate your baby's length and weight in a bear, or make a representation of a baby with a doll- as many sculptors in the world that have made representations of life....I say good for them- look I took photos so that one day I could show my son what he went through (I didn't put the really early pictures up, they are a bit too distressing), I've got in my collection the most beautifully sculpted fairies and elves- it's not that these things are completely off limits and no one can ever make a doll again, nor pick one up, I don't think that has been suggested anywhere here- it's just the taking advantage of something that can be so painful for some or flaunting what can only be described as extreme behavior just makes me shake my head in wonder.

Mel

PS Jenn, your little boy is wonderful, too cute to mention!!!

Lucky me!!!
Look who arrived early for Christmas- all the way from Sweden to little old Sydney....

Rudolph the Rein Bear.

Thank you so much Ann-Marie (Bear Me Too) you have masses of talent, he is sooo gorgeous and he will have pride of place on my tree when it goes up (this weekend, to save little fingers grabbing at the fairy lights...). I'll add a picture when I have it all up.

I just love him and he has cheered me up no end...

I'm quite happy to say I've never seen that- YUK! Get a Kleenex people!!!!

Linda that can be so true,

I didn't know how these things were made- I never took the time to find out... but I do love the arts and crafts that are created from RAW ingredients.

Maybe some folk do need substitutes, but when I think of the girls that didn't get the happy ending like me- I just think- GET A DOG!! At the very least it can love you back. My dogs were and still are the best set of kids! They don't get the cuddles they used too, but they're definitely part of the family- eg I haven't organized my kids presents yet, but I have the dogs' all wrapped and ready to go. :dance:

Now this is a subject that is very alive here in Australia (well certainly at our mixed Doll and Bear shows anyway)! I think it would be very fair to say that nearly all bear artists see the art in these dolls- but as you've all mention when you witness the "parenting" going on at shows with the prams (yep like Mel said), the burping, soothing by patting their backs or stroking their hair- I'm not the only one with words slipping out. I don't get it! I can understand collecting from an appreciative view, but...

I am actually in the fortunate position of having had two kids, the second born at 30 weeks- at a very substantial 2 kilos for his age but never the less, a long stay in NICU, with tubes etc and many babies around him who didn't stay with us very long, some of them born even further into pregnancy than little Brandon.

At one of the last shows we attended (I won't mention which and we've been at quite a few) they were selling the dolls by prematurity in terms of weeks- sorry, that is just insensitive and sick! For those people that have been lucky enough to stay out of hospital units like NICU, they can never understand the mortality rate is much higher than anyone can comprehend, and those are not times that we remember with fondness.

Brandon at 2 1/2weeks old or 32.5 weeks as the docs would say. Skin peels off his face when they remove his feeding tube to replace with a new one- this is the first time I saw his face without equipment all over it.

Brandon is one month old and this is my first hold. You have to keep them against your skin otherwise they loose body temp too quickly, I was allowed 15 mins with him before he had to go back into his plastic cell!

For any who have romantic ideas about how gorgeous these babies are, sorry they are not, they are precious but not gorgeous, nor cute. You can't touch them and it can take weeks/months till you can hold them, let alone attempt to feed them traditionally. So if one wants to treat the dolls like their real counterparts perhaps staying in a nursery setting for 2 months watching them lie there might be more fitting.

By the way please everyone, understand I am not living in pain everyday about this situation nor do I give the dolls a thought once they leave my sight, I am a lucky one - but I for one will be pleased when the fad is over.

Brandon today 2 1/2 years on...

Jeez I wish we got your episodes at the same time as you....

It's called having alot on your plate Carolynn,
Congratulations on your big day and your huge trip- glad your home safely!!
Cheers
Mel

To all of you who requested banners for your site, you can now grab them off from the Society site - and for registered members there are even more in your User Menu after you log in. Just go to:
http://www.teddybearsociety.com/home/in … &Itemid=91
Also available is the first of many bonus' for subscribing members (Arctophiles and up) it's a new free pattern - ToBiaS!

Cheers
Mel

Hi Wendy,
I'm not sure if this is your problem, but I often fill in the type of measurement in one box (eg inches) and forgetting to do the second box, and then it automatically reverts the second to my standard measurement (in my case cm's) so I have a crop that it is 8 inches x 10cms - annoying...
Mel

Hi Sue Ann,
I've registered you from the admin side and have emailed you your password, I'm not sure why the hiccup, but you're all sorted now, you can just go in and add your email and avatar.
Thanks Melisa, all the support is appreciated- as it gets more and more info it will be even better.
I've also been working on a few banners for blogs, websites etc so will let you all know when they are finished. Thanks to Quy for getting a banner up on TT so quickly. I shouldn't be much longer before I finish the rest.
Cheers
Mel

Hi Everyone,
Just checking in that ornaments are going well, it's hard to believe it's already December!!! 
Anyway don't forget to post a photo of your ornament when you receive it in Tammy's tree thread so that we can see them up close.
Cheers
Mel
PS I promise mine has been started!!! Well I know what I'm going to do anyway- thank god for Express Post 

Hi TT'ers,
Thanks for all of the great support for the site, I appreciate it no end.
Don't forget if you have show info or shop links to get in contact too...the more info the better!
Cheers
Mel

Hi Anderson,
I've seen some teddies really similar to the one pictured on the left, if you wanted to PM me your email I will send you a link. Also which country are you in? Best not to have to worry about huge shipping costs!
Cheers
Melissa

Cheers Guys,
It has been a very steep learning curve (I was used to html, but this php and cms has kept me on my toes) but I think it has huge potential for us to share our world with the outside.
So far today over 30 artists and suppliers have put up their listing, and thanks to those who have also sent me links of their favourites- it all helps!
It's after 1am in my neck of the woods so I'm going to hit the sack-
but just a heads up for those of you who would like to put up your listing: when inserting your website just add a http:// on the beginning. I can add it afterwards if you forget, but it will mean instant connection of your site if you remember to do it 
Thanks
Mel

Hi Girls,
Thanks for getting your details up there, I am more than happy to take out the place holders.  :lol:
Paula, that link is the exact kind of thing I'm after for our information network.
So if anyone else has links to groups, clubs, guilds, forums, please let me know (PM or email) only to happy to add them to the growing list.
Another member has also suggested link buttons for the Society so I will work out something this weekend and put them up soon.
Cheers

Mel

Hi Everyone,
Well a few months ago we were discussing new ways to enlighten people about our wonderful world of Teddy Bears. I know from experience (and hundreds of phone calls over the years from folk trying to track down artists and suppliers ) that people have to go to great lengths to find what they are after.
I had mentioned about a global source for finding out information about bears and events/shows, as we all know, the easier it is to find something, the more likely people are going find it.
So after spending many sleepless nights designing code for a website, I've managed to come up with what I hope is another facet for the spreading of information.
I like to think of it as a Yellow Pages for Teddy Bears.
Where the help comes in, is I had these visions of being able to put in shows, artists, suppliers names etc into the lists and then their website would all be in an easily accessible central place. I am thoroughly overwhelmed though at the amount of double checking I have had to go through, as many have altered their websites or emails and it can be very time consuming. Since I still need to be a Mum for a few hours of the day, I thought I should appeal to you all.
This is where the help comes in:
If you would like to be listed on your respective list, please help me by going to the site and registering yourself- it costs nothing! You can subscribe by becoming a friend (for free).
I will continue to add people as I go, but it would be fantastic to know that we have the right information from the get go. The more people registered, the more detailed I can configure the searches, to make it even easier for people to use.
Many thanks in advance-

Cheers
Melissa

www.teddybearsociety.com

Deck the Halls - as they say!  :dance:
Thank you Tammy for providing us with such a beautiful tree and in advance for hanging all of the ornaments on it.
I can just tell it's going to be a beauty....can't wait to see it all happen.
Congratulations too, to Patty, what a gorgeous Puddle Wendy has created  :clap:  gotta love that surprise waiting for you 
Mel

Hi Sarah,
Yeah that .dat thing was weird, quite a few received it like that, sounds like a good trick though if anyone else has got the same problem
Cheers
Mel

Diatribe!!!
Please don't think that Karen, yes we are above their actions, we do have nicer things going on (just look at those kittens    
- but highlighting the situation you were in has saved alot folk alot of confusion and worry, and hopefully it has prevented it happening to others like you...it's just a shame it has happen to anyone, let alone you.

Mel

Well my link is gone now too!! Not that I've listed with ebay for a long time- soooo not worth it!!!
I've had extremely good results with the other sites mentioned above and when I do manage to get some bears done for online sale (over and above live shows) I'll be happy to join the lineup in January.

Cheers Mel