Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Love your IMPS!  Their faces are so original!!!!

What a cutie patootie!!!

Thanks, Shelli!  I'm sure one of my bears would feel right at home with your potbellies!!!!

Well, not that many...........  20?  I started back in the late 80's and I took my first creation, after much labor and concentration, to a bear show nearby.  I was walking around the show with my bear, comparing him to all the beautiful bears on display.  Two ladies were talking about their bear purchases, so I asked them what they thought of mine.  Their comments - and I quote - "Oh, that's awful.  Terrible.  Where on earth did you get that???"  "Well, I made it myself"  "Oh, it's really not that bad.  Kinda cute..... blah, blah, blah......"  After that I stopped making bears for quite a while....... 

I came across my little heartbreaker recently in a corner of my closet.  I haven't gotten rid of him, since he is my first.  I still look at him and don't think he is near as bad as those ladies made me feel..........  Here is a photo of my "terrible, horrible" first bear..............

Thanks so much, everyone, for your support!!!!  This really gives me the encouragement to try to put a few of my bears out there for adoption!

Soooooooooo cute!  Love the colors.  You have a great style!!!

Tami, Cheryl, and Aleta........  thank you so much!  I am so happy to see you like this guy.  I am a bit partial to him myself at the moment....  a big, chubby brother to my last fellow, Boggsie...........  Aleta, thank you for asking.  I have decided to "take the leap" and offer my next bear for sale........  I think I will try selling him here first, before attempting the monster that is eBay..........The bear will be a smaller version of this guy, using the same fur, in fact.  I think, tho, that I will dye it a slightly darker brown just in case he doesn't find a home and he stays with me instead!  But my husband is starting to feel a bit over-run by teddy bears and I am forced to either start selling or retire my hobby!  Just kidding, he is very supportive.  But one can only find so many spaces for teddy bears in a home...... especially since I like to make the larger bears.......  Thanks again for taking the time to comment, guys!!!!

PS....  Aleta, since you noticed the background of my photos, I am very thankful that the chair seat blocked the big plop of bird poop on my front step!!!

Hi everyone.  Just a couple photos of my new bear, completed this week.  My stoop outside is a little soggy today so I took these photos on my front porch.  Bosley turned out to be quite a stout little guy.  I used a longer and more dense fur than usual, which added to his girth.  After completing him and seeing his size, I considered taking him apart and redoing his body with a couple inches added in to the length, but then I looked at him later with "fresh" eyes, and changed my mind.  I also changed my arm and leg patterns, adding a bit of a curve.  Perhaps too much curve on the arms...........  Subtle air-brushing to emphasize his center-seam and a hand-dyed silk bow complete this giant.  Anyway, here he is!

Judi, your talent and creativity are beyond amazing!

Great collar.  Your bears are so perfectly tiny!!!

Wow!  These really do look like authentic antiques!  Great work!  Love the accessories also............

Sweet little bear.  Love the color!

Thank you, Shari and Paula!  Love the new photo, Tami!!!

Chrissi, Sarah, Jane and Yvonne, thank you for such nice comments on my bear!  He did take some time for me to create........  I tend to spend lots of time fussing on the face, going back over and over.  But it is a labor I truly enjoy and it was so nice to see Tami's reaction when I gave him to her.  She will love him for a long time.... as I love her bear.  I told Tami I was going to actually use her bear as a pin cushion, but I don't think I can do it!  He is too sweet to start sticking pins into!!!!

Tami, real men wear pink!  I'm so glad you are happy with Boggsie.  I know he is in a home where he is truly loved.  I need to take a better photo of your pin cushion.  One outside tomorrow........  Shelli and Pauline, I really appreciate your comments.  Thanks!  Shari, thank you for the very nice compliments.  Soooo good for my ego after so many teddy bear failures.  As far as my head pattern goes, I like to use the center seam with a gradual curve on the center line starting just past the eyes.  This adds fullness to the head and gives a nice rounded shape.  But the side head pattern looks like any other with no darts or fancy tricks.  And Gemma, thank you once again for your kind words.  I am thinking of making a bear for eBay in the next couple months.  When I do, I will let you know!

Hello there.  I haven't posted a bear for awhile, as I have been too busy with 3 boys for bearsmithing.  But I finished one this week as a birthday gift for my good friend and fellow TT'er Tami Eveslage.  We had a birthday bear exchange this afternoon and she give me one of her beautiful and very creative teddy bear pin cushions that I fell in love with.  I will take photos of that shortly.......  Here is the bear I made for her.  He (she?) is about 22 inches with a center seam and made of the most gorgeous and dense dark gold mohair, but since I lost the tag, I have no idea what fur it is!       Anyway, he is stuffed with polyfil and pellets.  The bow is hand-made of silk and hand-dyed with strawberry Kool-aid.  My new bear-maker name is Boggsie Bear (my last name is Boggs) and since he is the debut bear under that name, his name is Boggsie!

Here is the lovely teddy pin cushion from Tami.  I love it!!!!

OH MY GOSH!!!!  I'm in love!!!!        You certainly are "The Rabbit Maker!"    :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Shelli,
I would love to give you my avatar bear, but unfortunately he is one of the few that I have made that I can stand to look at!!!!!  But thanks for the compliment!!!

What a sweet little face!!!

Lovely...  what a sweet face!!!

What causes me stress is not having time to work on my bears.........  and my husband has learned to give me space when I need it.

Hmmm.....  same hair color............

Wow!  These bears and avatars look great!  I know next to nothing about Photoshop, but would love to learn.  Does anyone know of an online program on Photoshop they would recommend?  I have Photoshop 7 on my computer...............

Takes my breath away!  What talent you have!!!!!!!!

Kim,
I am sorry to hear that you are struggling with your sales.  I think your work is outstanding and the bear I ordered from you last year - the Captain - remains one of my all-time favorites!  Best wishes to you!!!