Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Your daughter looks beautiful and radiant like every bride should... and you do, too, mom!  What a lovely, lovely family. 

Brenda, those are darling.  I just love the aged look and the vintage graphics.  Very cute!

He's INCREDIBLE!  I adore your work.  This piece is a fluffy snowstorm of cuteness.  So glad you posted pics.

Sooooooooo cute.  I wub kitties.  Thanks for sharing, Roxanne!

I hope it's like riding a bike!  It's just the longest I've ever gone between pieces and I'm wanting to do so much new stuff that might just spell FAIL.  Ya know?

You bear people are so awesome.  I really needed a group hug on this; it's been a hard year for me, and I've kept a lot of stuff to myself because it seemed like the right thing to do.  So a warm welcome back is just so appreciated.  Thank you!

I'm on the other end of my own year-long break so I so "get" the feeling and the need.  Take some deep breaths, regain your balance, enjoy your home(s) and your family and that darling grandson (so glad he's doing well,) give your cutiepot husband lots of hugs and kisses.  Indulge in you!!

Stay in touch, though, please. 

Thumbs up work!  I feel a little terrified, actually.  Is that weird??  It's been a while.  But it's wonderful to have rediscovered that passion I started with. 

Thank you both for your support!

No, not that.      lol...

I made a brand-new original pattern and template, and actually cut out a bear!

Now, I'm sure that might seem an incredibly odd thing to post to a forum like this... especially to any newcomers who don't know me from my former-moderator-somewhat-prolific-contest-entering-bearmaker role here.  But I think it's been about one full year since I made a bear; for a variety of reasons, including plain ol' burn-out, I've basically been "on sabbatical," giving myself time to rediscover my muse, get re-energized, fill up the ol' idea bank, and so on.  It feels brand, spankin' new again.  And exciting.  Scary.  Daunting.  Motivating.  All that good stuff.  Whee!!

I'm working with an entirely new fabric and in an entirely new size, hoping to end with a bruin roughly a foot tall -- smaller than usual for me by quite a few inches.  I've got new ideas for facial finishing and pawpads.  It could be a great outcome... or a horrid one.  Time will tell.

Lots of ideas are churning and I'm digging into the mohair, disk joints, and polyfil for the first time in what seems like forever.  I've got a long list of "theme" ideas planned and it just feels right to jump back in.  I've missed being active in this community, actually making teddies, for so long.

I'm just kinda nervously hoping my friends out there -- you! -- will send me some supportive vibes.  I feel surprisingly green.  Please wish me luck!!

Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT!!  Huge hugs of congratulations to one of the loveliest bearmakers I know.  You rock, girlfriend.

:clap:    :clap:    :clap:

Of course you won some TOBY's, silly rabbit.  Your work is outstanding!  I'm so tickled that I own one of your sweet little handfuls.

Congratulations on a wonderful achievement!!!

:clap:  :clap:        :clap:  :clap:

Jane rocks; she's an absolute treasure.  I adore her.          

HehHeh... AWESOME!!!

Yay, Tami!  I'm so happy for, and proud of, you. 

Yayyyyyyy!!!    :clap:    :clap: 

Judi, you rock, contests or otherwise.  It's just that simple.

Incredible!  Huge congratulations on a giant sale; you deserve it. 

BEARack... teehee... that's just too clever.  Love it.   

What a lovely, winsome head tilt you achieved on this one.  So perfect!

OMG, I LOVE WhendiBears.  You lucky duck!  So cute!

Throwin' in my two cents here... :)

When I started making bears in late 2003 and then selling them in 2004, I was standing in a much different place than I stand now, about five years later.  Early on, completely inexperienced in every artform and having stumbled onto bear making almost accidentally, I both craved and needed affirmation that my work was appealing; that it wasn't just me that thought, "Hey, these are kinda cute."   I'm not talking about backpats and yes-men here, by the way; I'm talking about honest, useful feedback I could wrap my head around and use; feedback about proportion, pose, and photography; feedback that my bears touched people's hearts, and were sellable.  It all matters, if you want to succeed as a bear business.  And whether that affirmation came from fellow artists, collectors, or contests/magazines, it was all an invaluable and important -- even necessary -- part of helping me develop a comfort level with bearmaking, and with myself.  That feedback helped me form for myself a previously non-existent identity as an artisan, which helped build confidence and credibility, and assisted me in forging a "career path" in the bear collecting world.

I look back and feel incredibly blessed at my good fortune.  I won a Golden Teddy my first time entering -- whee! -- and have garnered several nominations (but no wins) across the GT and Toby awards in the time since.  I received three nods in the URSAs the year I entered.  I've had tutorials published, I co-founded Teddy Talk and helped develop and advise its readership, and my bears have been featured in magazines and webzines.  I've advertised across several magazines; I take my own photos and even designed my own ads.  I was, and still am, absolutely tickled by so many heady successes, and I'm so grateful for them. 

But as lucky as I've been, if I'm being starkly honest, it's also true that I worked really, really, REALLY hard to develop a brand and a recognizable style; to spread goodwill across every aspect of the bear collecting niche; and to create a quality bear that was well represented in the marketplace (on eBay, on a website, on forums, and so on.)  If I'm being really fair to myself -- instead of falsely modest -- I can acknowledge that I EARNED a lot of the notice I received... and I think that's probably true of many of the bearmakers whose names you know and whose work inspires.  In my case, in addition to teaching myself how to sew and design patterns, I taught myself how to take nice pictures of my work and to sell them effectively on eBay, and I designed and maintain my own website and blog.  I taught myself Photoshop and even ran a graphic design side business for a time as a result of what I learned.  And so much more.

I hope that's not too bald for me to say; that in a sense, I created my own luck.  That many successful people -- bear makers or otherwise -- do.  But there's some truth there, whether it's bald to say or not.  And I admit, it feels really good to know that on a very basic, foundational level, there is some kind of math in the universe that can work for ANYONE!, which goes something like:

Working lots and lots of hours, just puttin' in the time
+ going back to the drawing board to try, try again when things go wrong
+ luck and good timing
+ a positive attitude
+ being genuinely supportive of my industry and peers because we're all in this together
+ maintaining grace and humanity
===============================
GOOD OUTCOMES

My natural inclination in life -- I am a self-labelled neurotic to the core --  is to be too modest, too insecure, even with evidence to the contrary that, ya know, I'm kinda cool and okay just as I am.  The bear business I was trying to develop, though, asked different things of me than my neurotic self was inclined to offer; I had to market myself and my work -- to put on my check-me-out "game face" -- to keep my bears top of mind with collectors and editors and fellow artists.  At first I really struggled with it; with actually calling myself an "artist" or "award winning."  But after a while I thought, ya know... I AM those things.  So why can't I be proud of that and claim them?  Why can't everyone?

When people refer to themselves as "award winning" or "artists" I'm reminded of my own journey... but I remember, too, that every person has a uniquely individual definition of "award winning" and "artist."  And I'm reminded that not all awards are equal; at least, in MY eyes they're not.  And I'm reminded, too, that not all art appeals equally; to ME, anyway.  I guess it doesn't bother me to read "award winning artist" -- no matter what the person's actual credentials -- because I've adopted a kind of live-and-let-live philosophy.  I don't have to be swayed either positively or negatively by the labels people give themselves.  All I need do is pay attention and see where those labels lead me.  So long as people label their work honestly and transparently, I can decide for myself whether "award winning" is going to be a help, or a hindrance, to that particular person's marketing schtick.  I certainly don't hold it against someone for self-referencing their award-winning status... even if they won their award at the church basement's ice cream social one Sunday eve.  They might be supremely proud of that award, and may have done something really fantastic to earn it!   And while their ice cream social award might not make me want to purchase their bear any more than I would have otherwise, I can still celebrate their pride and their accomplishment alongside them.  Because those are things to be celebrated.

Aren't they??

Wheeeeeeee!  Huge congratulations to everyone who entered, was nominated, and won.  You're what keeps this great art form evolving, with your endless creativity and dedication.

I'm off to check out pics of all the wonderful work!

What Aleta said; every last word of it. 

And on top of that I am a total chowderhead at keeping track of PMs and eMails.  Despite being relatively organized in my real life I am for some reason really "forgetful" when it comes to owing people messages... even people I really care about, and messages that are really important!!!

I know you're not talking about me Sandi -- why don't you ever write me, woman?? lol... -- but I'm "guilty" like Aleta, and boy, does it feel good to put that in print.  Disclaimers logged for the day, I can be off to my business a little less laden by guilt...!

Shantell, you're a rockin' hot fox.  YOU, girly.  You look fantastic!!  Love the bob, too.   

As for your cutie-pot son... for legal reasons, I'll give him six months to hit 18 "officially."  But do know I'm polishing my cougar gear to a high shine. 

Growlllllll, tiger.

(lol...)

I love your bears, Edie, and if extra money for luxury spending weren't so tight I'd have added one to my own small and very selective collection myself.  I'd be willing to bet lots of people feel that same way, hun.  Do try not to let it get to you when the market is slow or seems to be looking elsewhere.  Your work is so precious and well made it simply has to be nothing more "meaningful" than timing.

I'm really glad to hear things are on an up-turn.  Psychologically, that's gotta be nothing short of wonderful.   

I LOVE Cirque!  I'm kinda a Cirque addict, even, you might say.  Over the last decade I've seen Dralion, Varekai, Allegria, Ka, Corteo, Kooza, and Mystere.  I save up every year for their next tour and take my family at every opportunity; I think it's wonderful theater and the costumes and music are so beautiful and inspiring.  I can't believe Dralion is still touring; it was the first Cirque show I saw, maybe ten years ago now, or close to it.  Wow.  Truly, a wonderful show!!  Love that giant dragon...

Yay to you for grabbing on to the chance to go!  Those memories will stick for a long while.

Great looking show and a BEAUTIFUL, light-filled venue.  What a treat!!  And I'm really glad to hear it was a positive experience with shoppers bringing home lotsa wares.  Thanks for sharing, Daphne.