Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

That is a GREAT site, Paula!!  I'll have to add it to my list of faves!!

Oh my goodness, ladies . . . all of those beary examples are absolutely WONDERFUL!!  A great demonstration of Shelli's original topic!  My twist is making up the same pattern in different mohairs.  I made 5 bears using the very same design, but using 5 different fabrics from Intercal.  This was a long time ago!  They still have the examples posted on their site, however.  You can click on http://www.intercaltg.com/special/8.html and see them.  Even though I made them myself, they all look different to me because of the mohair.

Loooove Jazzy!  My 5 cats would "adore" her, too, I'm sure!!

Wow, GREAT bear, Paula!  The ribbon looks more maroon or burgundy than brown on my monitor.  You might Google "ribbon suppliers" or something like that and see what you can come up with online.  If I'm ever stumped to find something or need any kind of info, I always resort to Google!! 

WOW, ladies . . . GREAT answers!!  I'm impressed with our varied taste in music!  I, too, like Josh Groban, but only in small doses.  He's a very talented young person . . . much like Charlotte Church.  In fact, as I'm sure JG fans know, they sing together on his first cd . . . "The Prayer", which is truly very lovely.  Oh goodness, there is so much music out there to be listened to . . . how will we get it all heard??  I have my nostalgic moments in which I love to go back and hear Nat Cole, Frank Sinatra, James Taylor, Barry Manilow, Peggy Lee, etc., etc., etc.
Shelli . . . loved your take on RENT!!

Great news, Adrian!!  You go, guy!!

I know the subject has nothing to do with bears . . . well, but maybe it does!  I adore music - couldn't survive without it . . . and I listen to it always while I'm making my bears (THAT'S the connection!).  I daresay that our tastes in music will be as diverse as the many countries we come from.  What do you like, who are your favorite artists, and how often do you listen?  I really like most genres of music . . . with the exception of acid/hard rock, hip-hop/rap, and some alternative.  Doesn't that sound like an old person??!!    I like most classical/opera, but not all, some Country/Western, but not all.  But the most wonderful, favorite, tippy top music of mine is soft, slow, melancholy, moody, soulful JAZZ!!  Aaaah . . . the ambrosia of music!  The piano is my favorite instrument (I play a little) and I like Beejie Adair, Marian McPartland, Dave Grusin, and David Benoit among others as jazz pianists.  Other artists I like are Eva Cassidy, Secret Garden, Kenny Rankin, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Michael Buble, and a bunch of others.  So gals and guys . . . what's your taste in music??

You are very welcome!

You surely are working hard . . . like a busy bee!!!!

Aaaaaah . . . you clever, clever girls!!  This topic has evolved into a comedy routine! Maybe someone from "Comedy Corner" is lurking and all of you will be getting into a second career as stand-up comics!  Or writing for Saturday Night Live (is that still on?).  Bee sure to keep on pollinating!!

Carolyn, welcome back . . . sounds like you had a great vacation!  I know you guys are having winter down there now, but it sounds funny to hear you went SKIING!!  We are melting here!

Hiya, Penny . . . how's everything with you??  So have you finished your gardening adventure?  Thanks for checking in with us . . . we miss you!

Danni, are you and your sister identical twins?  That's eerie that you both have CFS!!

Way to go, Adrian and Anna!!  Good on you, both!!  

Me too, me too!!  When I worked a full time job, I was pretty organized and got LOTS more done than I do now as a "retiree"!!  Left to be my own boss, I'm a miserable failure at time management and I have NO self discipline.  At 64, am I going to change my bad habits???  I don't THINK so!!  My logic is that I'm going to have to make peace with who I am now and not stress over the fact that I don't (not can't) make myself be organized and efficient!!  It's much easier for ME to come to that conclusion, however, than those of you who still have working husbands, jobs yourselves, and children at home.  Guess there are a few advantages to getting to this age, but not too many! 

HEE HA HA, Nancy . . . you just gave me my big laugh for the day!!

Yippee . . . we heard from Laure!!  Hope everything is going well with you and thanks for dropping by!  Sorry, but I don't know of a bear supplier in Portland.

Boy, I know I don't get near as much done as I did before message boards!!  But, what fun and it's such a great way to get to know other artists plus you learn some wonderful new techniques!  That can't be a bad thing!!! 

Ready for ANOTHER message board?  Beary Cheap in Australia has launched a new one if anyone is interested.  It's called "Cheap Chat" and can be found at http://www.bearycheap.biz/forum  It will be easy for Teddy Talkers to get used to . . . it apparently uses the same software and it will look very familiar.  Daphne . . . I see you are already there!!  When will we EVER have time to make teddies??

He's for sale anyplace!!    I haven't got him up on the website yet as I just finished him this afternoon, but he is $118.00 and made from Intercal's 600N/TT (very short 1/8") - color TT810 (gold with black hairs).  If he's still around by then, I'll be taking him to San Diego.  Thanks much, Shelli! 

This little guy (for me!) is Reese, 7 3/4" tall.  This is about as small as I like to go and still remain within my comfort zone of bearmaking.  I've made smaller (4" to 6"), but suddenly I become all thumbs at that size and really get impatient.  Soooo . . . I will leave the tiny ones to those who make them a lot better than I!! 

Yeah, I was bitten by a brown recluse back in the late 1980s . . . not a fun experience!!  I am very tolerant of spiders EXCEPT for the recluse and black widow . . . although in my neck of the woods (literally) brown recluses seem to be much more in evidence.  I hardly knew anything about them until I was bitten, and now I can spot them from far, far away!!  And if I get a chance, they will be on their way to that great spidey home in the sky post haste!!  I was bitten on my right arm and as the days went by, the place began to look like my skin was rotting.  Ugh!  I started throwing up and the swelling and redness progressed up and down my arm.  I was given antibiotics and the wound was  . . . uh . . . cleaned out.  For the next 6 months, I would get very nauseous every so often for no apparent reason.  I studied cases of recluse bites and some people do continue to experience that symptom sometimes.  Anyhoo, let it be known that my bite and the reaction to it was very minor compared to some unfortunate folks' experiences!!  The moral:  do stay away from brown recluses!

Hmmmm . . . I'm not sure what inspires me.   I just know that I need to make the next bear because I have a show coming up or I need to work on an order . . . so I do what I think needs to be done.  From past experience, I know I need to have an open mouth bear, a rooster, and an all fours bear on my table at a show.  Those items usually always sell.  I have none of those in my inventory right now, so my "inspiration" is the San Diego show coming up in three weeks!!   But, I love the process of creating each teddy/friend and can't wait to see what they look like when done.  So - as long as that is the case, guess I'll keep on keeping on!!

Oh gosh, Matthea, I'm so sorry you have the shingles . . . they HURT!!  We've missed you and will look forward to when you can get back to us on a regular basis!  Sometimes it IS a PAIN when life interferes with our bearmaking! 

So glad you got your daughter interested in making bears at an early age!  I was so old when I discovered bears that my girls were grown, out of the house, and one was married . . . so I have no way of getting them to carry on my passion!!