Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Hi, y'all . . . Darleen, very nice to have you on board!  I also use artificial sinew for setting eyes and just LOVE it.  After trying all sorts of things, I found that the sinew works by far the best.  I get mine at craft stores . . . Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and sometimes JoAnn's.

That's great, Marie . . . I love your story!!  My first pet was a collie mix that I named Lassie (wasn't that original!).  Lassie was my very best friend and heard every tearful hurt and every secret I had growing up.  She always listened and comforted me.  She lived 15 years and will always be special because of how much she knew!!  Kind of like teddies!!

I'm interested in checking out a theory of mine and thought I might get a good response from all of you.  My thinking is that all, or at least MOST, of us that make up the teddy bear community also love animals.  I have talked to many collectors and they all seem to be, in general, "animal" people.  One of my customers even operates an animal rescue shelter.  Do you guys have pets and/or just really connect with animals?  I know I do, and have all of my life.  When I was a toddler, I ran away with a stray dog . . . an adventure that led to my being allowed to have my first pet.  And I have never been without one or more "companion animals" since then.  At the present time, I have 5 cats.  Anybody else?

Daphne, Sienna is so wonderful . . . great job with the airbrush! 

Dilu . . . would LOVE to hear you play sometime!  You ARE a talented wonk!! 

I'm with Laure . . . I love the natural/brownish colors.  Guess it is because my favorite colors are in the autumn range - greens, browns, yellow/gold, orange (my very favorite color of all!), rusty reds, etc.  And, yes, I like the "out there" colors on bears other than mine, also.  But - my theory is that YOUR creation is an extension of who YOU are and reflects your personality.  But, hey . . . what do I know??!!!    That could mean that I'm in the "autumn" of my life - which I am, literally - and not in very good shape for the fanciful!! 

Whoa . . . you guys have WONDERFUL first bears!!  I can't "bear" to show mine! 

I do save whatever scraps are big enough to use for something . . . like a small bear, pieces for my roosters, etc.  But a lot of them aren't big enough for that and I toss them in my "scrap holder" after I cut out my pattern.  Think I have a lot of ideas I can work with after hearing from all of you, so thanks bunches!!  Yes, Diane, what you said made perfect sense!

Cool, KimKC . . . I know there are scrap solutions out there . . . just too lazy to think of them myself, I guess.  Thanks, everybody, for your ideas!

Wow, Paula, great "first" bears!!  I don't know if I'll ever get the courage to show my first design/mohair ted . . . it's waaaaaayyyyy amateurish!

Marie, I'm so glad you are a part of the teddy bear world.  No matter where we are on this earth, we know we have a connection with those whose passion is making bears . . . or collecting them - or whatever else that is related to teddies.  I love to read your posts, so keep coming back, and I'll look forward to hearing about your first show! 

Mrs. Lopsided???!!!  What NOW??  LOVE the King's English!!   Hooting drains, indeed!

Laure, you didn't make a "bad" request . . . I just didn't have Hallie's id# in place when you tried to look at her - it's fixed now.  Thank goodness for Quy!!

Hmmmmm . . . well, have to agree with you that the fur face IS cuter.  But, your sculpting abilities are wonderful!!  Have you done more?

Thanks much, Dawn!!

Joshua is adorable!!   Penny, do drains hoot in the UK??  I know loons laugh, but didn't know about the drains.  Our drains gurgle.   

Actually, this message board is a hoot!! 

That's a great idea, too, Dilu!  Keep posting those ideas, folks . . . I have TONS of scraps. 

Well, mincing felt would be a lot easier than mincing mohair, I would think.  Anyhoo, I'm not patient enough to take the time to do that.  Perhaps I could put the scraps in the blender??!!   

AAAAARRRRGGGG . . . Dale - deep fried????  And I suppose you've tried this???    Yes, I've contemplated stuffing bears with the scraps, but feel like they wouldn't "pack down" very well and would produce a beary "lumpy" creation!   Have you tried oven baked?! 

GREAT Old Ted, Laure!!!    I had that pattern early on, too, but my bear didn't turn out NEARLY as well as yours!  Think I used a stretchy fake fur, and you know what happens when you start stuffing . . . you can't quit! 

Danni, that's a really neat idea!!   Since I have five cats, I'm SURE I'll have plenty of scraps to make five mats.    Thanks, heaps!

This is for any and everybody who has solved the dilemma of a growing heap of fur scraps!!    After 8 years of making bears, I have accumulated a mountain of them.  Before my sweet ferrett died (after nine years) I would put piles of fur scraps in her cage and she would burrow into them and nap.  I now have a mesh laundry bag that drapes over a plastic tubing frame near where I cut out my patterns, and I throw the remnants in there as I cut.  My cats (5 of them) enjoy sleeping on the top of that mound (one at a time, of course), but the top of the fur is now even with the top of the frame; the cats kind of hang over the edge when they nap.  I can't stand the thought of throwing fur in the trash and having it go to the landfill.  Any pieces that are big enough to keep, I can use on my roosters or a smaller bear, but the tiny stuff that can't be used is about to take over my room!!  HELP!!

Welcome, picobaby . . . it will be fun to get to know you.

Thanks to all of you girls for your kind thoughts.  I'm supposing most of us have been through some bad times and by "hook or crook" we've arrived at this very place, at this very second.  Hooray for us!!
We can all form a huge virtual circle and give ourselves and each other a virtual hug. 

Jane, thanks much for your compliment on Sorbet!  She is the last of my "BabyCakes" collection.  A hug for your autistic son.

I made bears from commercial patterns and fabric store fake fur for about 6 months before I decided I wanted to create my own designs.  Finally after I had taken a design workshop from Linda Mead (formerly of Spare Bear Parts), I managed to get up enough courage to try my FIRST design in MOHAIR!! What a DISASTER!!  Of course, I still keep the little monster sitting in my work room to remind me of where I started . . . and very few people have seen that first attempt.  I applaud those whose first bears actually look like bears and are in proportion.  Way to go!!

Wow, Dilu . . . what an adventurous career you've had!!  It had to have its rewarding times, huh?  And such quick thinking on how to calm the Jedi knight!!

Whew, Laure!  Think you could have a great career as a novelist, too!

Laura and Dilu . . . thank you for your kind and thoughtful reponses to my "story" and I appreciate the hugs!