Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I used the draping method when clothing bears: Paper toweling can be incredibly strong and flexible but it doesn't bias or go wonky when fitting. I could trim away in tight places (under arms/ around necks/etc), draw on it, pin it to the body...
A lot of my templates for vests, hats bodices, etc,, are of paper toweling, trimmed to even both sides up for balance on all edges and then laminated between 2 sticky-backed sheets for permanent use.

Oh (squealing!!) TY TY Sue Ann!
Golden Slumbers is in my Top 10 Fave songs of all time and 1 of 3 favorite Beatles' tunes.

Ahh, Tim Hutton... I had a crush on his Dad, Jim, decades ago. Too cute!!!!

A slight detour here, from Kim:

Do any of you use Amazon regularly?
I purchase all of the books I want on Amazon Used books.For years! And I've even sold some there. Many Sellers put in a nice little note saying that they're proud of their history of satisfied, repeat customers and would I consider taking a moment to rate them?

I admit that I'm a TOTAL slacker; maybe it's just that I'm into eBay's site every day anyhow, and am familiar with the system so it's a moment to complete there. but... I've never left an Amazon seller a Feedback of any sort.

Whew! To have finally come clean on this, I feel as if I've just been to Confession and received Absolution!

If you ever get a chance to attend an all-day session of eBay University (check their Community links to see when a session is scheduled near you) - Attend!! They've got all the answers you want/need and more!

This is one of the very questions that I stepped up to the mike to ask:
Reply -
As soon as the Buyer has Paid, they have fulfilled their part of the transaction. The Seller *should* then post Feedback. Otherwise, it's known as Holding the Feedback at Hostage or For Ransom, for all of the reasons pointed out above.

I leave immediate Feedback: I don't think it's Playing Nice either to say I'll leave you (implied as *Good*) Feedback when you leave it for me.

I did a viewer review - and mentioned the Mimzy-maker as Daphne B.!!

You should be written up somewhere!!!!! Biut it's review #240 I think, and no one's going to read after the first 20 or so, but it's there!!!

Daphne - is that a special mohair that was created just for the film?
Did they pick it or did you?
Sorry I missed the beginning of this thread/topic.
Marion told me about TT late in Feb? March? last year and I remember only your writing that you'll be sooo glad when this project would be over!

TWO THUMBS UP!!! WAAAAAY UP for The Last Mimzy!!!!!!

Oh Dapne, to be associated with this wonderful project! I'm telling EVERYONE to go! Fortunately the kids in this area have Spring Beak next week & I get to see it again w/our 8 yo Grandie, who has recently added a science/alien element to his complex Lego designs.

I can't speak more highly of a good, interesting, suspense-filled movie! It was best in that I had no way to know how it'd conclude or to see the ending coming - other than being sure it'd have a Happy Ending.

Did you have a script or have anything about the story line as you designed away ??

And - this is called "Burying The Lead" - why didn't you say there was Needle Felting involved????? The Best touch for me!! In one close up there's one single fiber across Mimzy's left eye - I wanted to trim that off in the worst way!

So - nothing from me about the story, but I cannot imagine ANY list member and others NOT enjoying this movie!! We saw it in one of the early (Senior!!) time slots at 2 PM. and just returned.
It didn't hurt that 'Emma' also resembles our GDau at 5, the one I showed pix of last year when TV's 'Invasion' was running: Ariel Gade.

GO!! GO!! GO!!! GO to this movie!!

Ah, but "There's the rub..."   Anyone who has done any homework on eBay knows that the secondary market just does not exist. Not there anyway. Wth very few  - VERY FEW - exceptions, the reseller is lucky to get a minimum opening bid.

I'd always treated the 'whole cloth' first. It was too fiddly working the pieces after sewing up. 
As the bolts are rolled up in the factory the nap is pressed in all different directions. Shipping and storage reinforces this misalignment. 

I pinned the mohair across the top edge with the nap facing me, to a wall and lightly steamed it while running my fingers through/over it to make it was all direct downwards, the direction it was intended to be. Not so much steam though that you eradicate the special effects in some of them! Allow to dry completely before moving.

For storage though you have to have hanging space. Or is that - space the size of your stash?!
I used hangars meant for suit trousers/slacks/skirts. Just doubled or triple-accordian folded the fabric to support the corners/edges and added a few extra clips along the center of the rod.

I always started the layout and cutting at the bottom of the yardage, so I still maintained a straight edge along the top for hanging, until the last cutting that I could get out of it.

I was embarrassed a few weeks ago to've had my busines CC rejected at a favorite restaurant.

I'd authorized, in writing, a charge from my Oz-based webbie and a Hold was put on my card.
Sometimes VISA has called us and sometimes they just put it on Hold. It does bother me that I have to input that 3 digit # in about half my online purchases - and I order everything online these days - but figure: I went to them, they didn't come to me.

Oh yes, Lynette! I do remember those comments & questions - worded so as to not let you know that in recreating your kit they thought they were going to be the next 'You' on the scene!! 
I was totally amazed at the number of full kits (only my first 2 designs were patterns & illustrated instructions only) that sold in Germany.
I explained that they were written in English but it didn't seem to faze them, even the ones that couldn't /didn't speak English during our transactions.
Perhaps they intend their jr high school kids or grandies to interpret the text for them!

Just as we speak of different retail outlets (auction sites) for our work, it seems that many of us field a number of different arenas: wholesale shop sales, kit designers, teachers, retail work, supplier, etc... Not as many as we'd like are doing straight out bear retail sales.

I'm on my 3rd kit line, going back to 1992, 2 years after sewing my first bear, and learned a lot along the way. I still have my original patterns, hundreds and hundreds, for both my work and kit designs. All but one creation have been designed with sewers in mind that want to learn techniques and how I do/did techniques, but they were more simplifed than the amount of time and work that I put into my retail work. Trade secrets and all!

I had little Cubblet, a seated polar bear cub of long pile upholstery fabric - as a retail product first; after too many requests I did create its pattern, though I needed to enlarge it as the originals were quite small - 1 & 1/2" tall - and it was hard for even me to turn the legs and paws right-side out: there were many little darts blocking their way along the seams. Thank goodness for the tread-turning method I posted Tues or I couldn't have done it either!

As soon as the kit became available, loads of them sold and the demand for my retail version dried up. Which was OK as I was more than a little tired sewing them by then and had moved on to many other designs.

Someone mentioned taking photos of the bear (for the cover, I think?) and their kits will be ready. If I  can give only one more bit about kit selling success, it's that my customers have always commented on having pictures included that were taken during the progress of creating the bear. Depending upon how well you can describe a method/technique - succinctly and yet fully - the adage about a picture beng worth a thousand words is never truer than here. It also cuts down on the number of words you need to use!

First you make a 'bear' to see how it will turn out, then when everything's as you like it, you make another, which is photographed along the way. Before digital photography and computers I did the drawings by hand. It slows down the progress of the second bear to stop and take it to your photo area, which should be set up permanently (which may cause difficulties by itself!!) to speed this portion up, but it's faster to input pix into kit text than it is to do hand-drawn explanations.

You've all got the right idea: unless you want every kit customer to be able to replicate your 'look' design an entirely different line for kits and for your retail work.

To share something, in burning everything to DVDs that I was able to retreive after my computer loss last week and my massive early spring cleaning last month, I found the very first bear's head I'd ever sewn. It was for a mini pink-blooming green cactus design by Deanne Crim at her first S.M.A.L.L. Tea Party (convention) at her AZ home in 1990. It was so bad that I made another - not much improvement and I threw it away, tho my sister who had been collecting bears for years before that rescued it. She lives near San Jose CA, home of Bears in the Woods, which I understand was the first all-bear shop? Any way - it shows that perseverence pays off!!!

One of our recent threads was about cotter pins & other jointing methods. The subject of paper fasteners like those projecting out through the mesh below the pink head show what I meant in that thread, about why you wouldn't use them: the width of the 'legs' would greatly enlarge the hole in the fabric or seam that you'd insert them through and weaken the joint as you turn the head or the limb. The fasteners do have a nice flat wide attached Head, but cotter pins with loops or Ts function so much better inside the bear.

First bear head sewn:

A few weeks ago:

LOL - our reactions exactly!! I was curious to see how the bread machine would handle it, as the recipe says to beat with the regular blade/paddle, not the less-metal dough hook.

Xanthan Gum is also known as guar gum. Did you increase it a bit or keep it the same?

Our DIL cut into one of Neal's l;oaves before I got back home from delivering them last night - was 'caught' eating some with butter & jam with her bedtime tea when I called her about slicing the loaves before freezing. Neal says - "AWESOME - More please!!" First time he's had sandwiches for lunch for ages. I think he lives on peanuts and yogurt....

I think all 3 mini loaves are gone at their home - the 8 yo called a bit ago to ask something and relayed that they're all enjoying "Dad's" bread.

Darned if this doesn't happen to me!! Often!! A door is closed and a window opens!

Watch those Windows (of Opportunity) !!!!

I was afraid to cut it while still so hot, so ours had probably an hour to cool. It was still warm enough to soften the Sm Bal. Not knowing that the inside was quite substantial, not soft & crumbly (and you did say to lay the full-sized loaf on its side so it would cool like a chiffon cake - upside down) I didn't cut it. But DH had eaten about half of it when I walked in the door after delivering the 3 loaves.

Anxiously waiting to see how DS liked it today!

LOL - I was surfing through all of the theater listings near me (Laura's about 20 miles from me) last Friday: it was my treat to myself after successfully getting through another annual appt with our Tax Gal. You cannot imagine how crushed I was when I found out I was a week early!!!
I'll be at one of the first showings on Fri Afternoon. There've been a lot of trailers on NBC in the past 10 days. Even DH says this one looks good - High compliments from him in advance of the actual attendence!!!
Daphne - may I comment on the text color in your avatar? (Great new picture in NYC!!)

I LOVE this bear and the way that you tied the text color to the bear is brilliant. It's just hard for me to read, in that the darker shaded text ends are against the darker shaded backgrounds and it fades to light at the same point that the background becomes light. Can you reverse this to give it more intensity contrast? I saw it in one of the Photoshop Free Tips & Techniques I get every week and am more aware of it since learning this.

And - how do we go about ordering our own autographed edition?????

Mine was printed off several years ago from a web site: Celiac.com
Credit where credit's due, as it's trademarked!
Just never made it before.

In the finished loaves, can you see the 3 that were flattened? They should've all looked like the one on the right.

Alison's Bread -

Take 3 eggs out of frig earlier or set into warm water.

1 & 1/4 Cup White Rice Flour
1/4 c Brown Rice Flour
1/2 c Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 c Potato Starch Flour
1/2 c Tapioca Flour
1/4 c sugar
3 & 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
2/3 dry milk powder
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
(No egg replacer)
Mix tog.

2 tsp sugar
1 & 1/2 TBL yeast granules
1/2 c warm water
MIx and set into larger bowl of warm water to retain warmth

1/4 c shortening (I used extra Lt Olive oil)
1 & 1/4 c warm water
1 tsp vinegar
Stir tog.

3 eggs

The procedure was as Shantell's. If I hadn't over-raised them at both times, the loaves would've prob have been done in about 2 hr 15 min instead of 3

O M G!!! I'm in Love!! And likely to add a few lbs!!

I have almost the same recipe that Shantell typed out. At 5:30 tonight I got out the GF ingredients - to find that I had only 1 & 1/4 cup of White Rice Flour. I was already going to change out 1/2 cup of the white fro SWeet Rice flour, as the 'mouth feel' is better. So I just topped it up to 2 cups with 1/4 cup brown rice flour. Everything else was the same, a bit of slight variation from Shantell's but not enough to be earth-shaking.

After beating the batter - yes it's like a cake batter consistency - I filled one of the sinks with hot water to the bottom of the dish drainer. Set the bowl in, saraned it and a towel over the whole sink to retain the heat. I was typing away (here on TT - where else!!??) and it raised a 'bit' too long. Beat it 3 more mins and plopped it into 4 mini bread pans. Back into the dish drainer with new hot water and the towel to cover. I didn't use saran the second time, knnowing that if it sticks to it it would collapse.

Well, I shouldn't have worried about the saran - I managed to collapse 3 of them! As there was no bowl to hold up the towel, I weighed the back corners of the towel with a heavy saute pan and some of those little crocks.

Typing away in here again and they probably went about 15 mins past Ideal.... I whipped the towel off and the saute pan flew right into the sink on top of 3 of the 4.....

Popped them into the oven and baked about half an hour. THEY SMELLED SO GOOD!! For a few minute in the mixing/raising they did have a bit of old sock fragrance, but the yeast-baking hits after that. They were out of the oven in just less than 3 hours start to finish.

As we used to make 8 loaves a week when our 3 were at home, I know the texture of real bread. The holes in these are a bit large because I had only half an eye on the clock and the gas bubbles grew a little larger than they should've.

Neal's family lives about 7 mins away and I drove 3 of them over immediately. His Fibro Fog had him already asleep in his chair but he did smell the warm yeast bread under his nose and grinned "Sandwiches in my Lunch tomorrow....." and back to sleep.

When I returned, DH had already sliced up the one I'd left here. I took one slice and froze the rest. That will be the true test, because all of the GF breads we've bought are grainy and druy after freezing.

I just can't get over the flavor & moistness of this one. Like a sourdough texture w/o the sour.

T Y, SHANTELL!!!

How nice that so many ppl have participated that the Vendor Banners are now double stacked, at the top AND bottom of the pages!!!

It's half way down the page, right under the html/descrition window. The Show/Hide is where the Private Listing Option is.

Yikes, gotta go my bread has risen too long!!!!!!

The part that I hate is that their pix are so bad!!!
Was it you Jodi M that said you even offer your own pix to collectors when situations force this action? That's most kind of you and keeps your work in the proper realm.
Her pix are BAD, Kim!!

The polar bear is being considered for Endangered Species category: due to the shrinking ice mass. Their main food - seals - are not as accessible in the past decade and the polar bears are having to swim beyond their normal endurance levels.

Last & then first to me!!

If it's tiny you'll get the most out of the face close up.

Then the position of the bear and contrast-of-bear-to-background and shadow/shading look best to my eye in the first.