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Judi Sep 22, 2006

I thought that since there are so many bears out there that have that old and aged look we should start a thread just for them.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the aged look.  But how far should it go?  I have seen some with eyes that are falling out, and hanging by a thread, on purpose.  That is going a touch too far for my taste.  I like a little bit of "dirty" look and some bald spots, and slumped over when they sit.

I don't make these loveable and popular aged bears but would love to see some photos and how you went about achieveing the aged effects.

So bring out your old ratted up, beaten up, loved -to-a- pulp- bear photos.                          

Daphne Sep 22, 2006

Yes, show us your old looking bears! In fact, according to an email from Kellie Love today (Judi, I'm sure you got it), this will be the theme of the Jan/Feb issue of Teddy Bear & Friends!

We're seeing a lot of new techniques and fresh looking bears. The old or old looking deserve our attention too!

shantell Sep 22, 2006

Should I just post of photo of myself because I'm feeling old and have been bear all day...(and dopey)     

Actually I'm trying really hard to make a bear and distress him but he's stressing me...I'm having a hard time "roughing him up."  It just seems mean.

millie Sep 22, 2006

I do tend to lean towards making the antique style bears.  I use everything from walnut hulls to shoe polish to add that "dirty" look.  My bears range from slightly distressed to really distressed.  I sometimes pluck a few hairs out or maybe take the dog clippers to them for some really bald looking bears.  The first picture is a bear that I just finished for someone.  It is just slightly distressed.  The others are more "loved" looking.

Judi Sep 22, 2006

Should I just post of photo of myself because I'm feeling old and have been bear all day...(and dopey)     :cry:

Shantell! :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup: 

I wonder how far people will go to get just that right "old" look.  Do you drive over them with your car, and drag them through the mud?  Sounds painful but it may result in some really banged up bears.

Is this bear abuse?

New Avenue Crew Sep 22, 2006

Aww...it is kind of tough to age a bear!    I figure he can't feel anything until he's completely done--well, that makes me feel better, anyway!

I made this aged bear when 9/11 happened. I plucked out fur and applied washes of thinned acrylic paint in strategic areas...and I took a fine-grit sandpaper to him. Poor William the Cub! Here's his picture (with Chocoli the panda):

Very cute bears posted above, Millie and Lisa! Can't wait to see more! Thanks for starting this thread, Judi.

Tammy Sep 22, 2006

How timely, I am working on a traditional teddy today and was thinking about aging him., and wondering how to do this.   It's intriguing to me how my tastes have changed.   I used to hate the thought of torturing a new bear to make it look old.   Now, I am thinking of trying it too.   Mind you, I may chicken out and change my mind when I get the bear sew together.   :crackup:

tinybear-dk Sep 22, 2006

Here is some of my bears I have tryed to make 'old'

Not as god as I have seen elsewhere but I hope to come after it.

toadbriar Sep 22, 2006

I love distressed & distressing bears!
I have a spraybottle that is full of a mix of brown & black inks, jacquard dye na flow fabric paint,
water, & walnut hull dye. I squirt it between jointed areas & mist it over the entire bear. I trim & pluck
the paws & toes & forehead & nose & tummy. I smudge with colored pencil & sand paw pads.

I also love to tea dye & dye multiple times.

It's way fun 

Stellajella Sep 22, 2006

Judi, I could not imagine any of your adorable bears being age..but then again: who knows what beautiful oldies you might produce!
It did take me long to try my first aging, and I took long to do it. Picking the hair with tweezers is quite time consuming BUT: against my worst fears I did love doing that! Tedy did not cry, neither did I.

Shantell, well, show us the pix! Too bad, that contary to an aged bear, the body hair on women gets more and more  :crackup:

All these fotos are great! They show wonderful teddies! Well done,y´all!  My favorite is Thea, she looks soooo cute!!!

Pat & Patachon...I kind of overdid the torture and had to sew the heart on the front of Patachon...he didn´t mind and actually loves it.

Gaby
PS: can´t wait to see Judi´s oldie!!!

bhbears Sep 22, 2006

Hmmm..... not sure if you gals want to know this one, you all may view my work in a whole new light once I reveal my dirty little secret.:crackup:

One of my aging techniques is what I call the MP technique.  I burry a piece of sparse mohair in a very deep hole in my manure pile and leave it there for months .  Now before you all toss your cookies, the poop has already turned into compost by this stage and has lost all it's stinkieness, I sware I smelled it and no poop smell I then wash my patio stones with the mohair and hubby has a nice rusty piece of car part not sure exactly what it is but it has a lovely shade of rust on it.  Well the mohair washes the rusty car thingy too Then it's off to the wash bin for a good clean and this is what emerges from my MP technique. Promise it's not me the dog must of let one rip.

I have started a less dramatic way of distressing my fur, far more boring in my opinion but less time consuming. I use various dyes and yes I still use the washing the patio stone method to remove fur a few kicks in the mud doesn't hurt.

Where do I draw the line I refuse to put holes in my bears, to me this is going to far. Poop is okay but wholes not a good thing

Hope I didn't disgust you all with my aging process, My daughter went around telling her friends that I use poopy fabric to make all my bears. They all thought I was off my rocker but now they know just by how much. :crackup:
hugs Deborah

Stellajella Sep 22, 2006

I DON´T BELIEVE IT!
Your teddies have one foot in the grave!! :crackup:  :crackup:
....excellent idea though! AND GREAT OUTCOME!

Gaby

bhbears Sep 22, 2006

Yup it's true Gaby!!!! poor fella's can't seem to figure out why they have a large trail of poop flies following them where ever they go :crackup:  I don't want to be the one to have to tell them it's because they are full of crap :twisted:
Hugs Deborah

Stellajella Sep 22, 2006

Deborah, you´re so funny! :crackup:
I can honestly see you doing all this to the poor teddies!!!!!

Gaby

dusty attic Sep 22, 2006

Heres one I made a while ago. Shabby old Jack. I know he does`nt  look as old as some, but he does in a kind of dusty attic way.
:hug:  :hug:

bhbears Sep 22, 2006

Great thing Gaby is I get an uper body work out, my deck gets cleaned, I have found a use for my ever growing poop pile and I get a unique one of a kind bear out of the whole mess.  I mean who else is sick enough to use horse crap in such a way.  :crackup: Who knows I might of just started a new trend.
Hugs Deborah

Just Us Bears Sep 22, 2006

Love all thses distressed looking bears! Deborah...that is certainly a unique way to distress mohair.   I don't think I could wait three months....
Great topic Judi! Is anyone willing to share what materials they use for foot and paw pads on their old bears and what works well to distress them? I'm thinking colour here..like staining in spots.

shantell Sep 22, 2006

Poop is okay but wholes not a good thing :P

Oh Deborah, you put a huge smile on my face...that is absolutely hysterical.   :crackup:   :crackup:

I would never in a million years have thought of putting mohair in my compost pile...if our customers only knew.

Hugs,

toadbriar Sep 23, 2006

I'm not too proud to give poopy bears a home     
those guys are gorgeous!

patsylakebears Sep 23, 2006

gotobedbears Sep 23, 2006

Sorry i don't have any pics of a bear using this distressing method but i lost them when my old compuer died!

I rub the mohair on a pair of old jeans (clean obviously) to matt the pile and add a bit of grungy colour from the denim -
then you can dampen the mohair pile and 'singe' it over an electric cooker plate. If you don't dampen it the whole damn thing can go up in flames so watch it girls! -
then add more dirty looking colour by rubbing with a tiny bit of boot polish (almost none at all, really teeny amounts) in the colour of your choice. Boot polish comes in all colours now so you should be able to find the colour you want.

Any help at all?

As for putting it on the compost heap................. :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:

what an excellent idea - i may bury Terry with it too - or is that murder?

millie Sep 23, 2006

Deborah,  I love the look of your bears.  If I put mohair in the compost pile or any hidden place for a couple of months, I would totally forget about it.  My couple of months would end up being a couple of years later.  Well, I guess it really doesn't matter to me.  We don't have a compost pile.  We have too many critters that will take care of the scraps of just about anything.  I could put some mohair in the barn and let the horses trample it.  Maybe I'll just stick to shoe polish.

Jodi Falk Sep 23, 2006

HORSE POOP

!!!!!!!!  :wacko:

Stellajella Sep 23, 2006

:crackup: Jodi, what a fantastic picture!!!! Love it!!!!

Nina, I´d have the same problem as you...unless one of my dogs would dig it up ;)))

Gaby

Jodi Falk Sep 23, 2006

Here is a bear I did a few years back when I did larger bears. I am going to try some day a smaller bear like I do all aged up !! I will share him when I complete that project.