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You're absolutely right, Millie. That's exactly the attitude I tried to instill into my daughter, without making her scornful of others' efforts or overly proud of hers. She realized that considering her skills, she'd just entered the wrong sort of competition!
Eileen
Winney & Laure,
I have just made my first wobble joint, only in the neck, but I love it!! :D
So I'm not an expert, but this is what I did, with some substantial help from Nancy's book.
Link the 2 cotter pins, insert one with washer into head disk sized to opening, turn legs of pin to lock, insert into head, gather and close head fur over joint.
Ditto for the body joint, but use smaller disk. The reason for the smaller disk in the body is that it allows the head to wobble more. If the disks were of equal size, the head could turn, but couldn't slouch as much.
Eileen
Wouldn't it be great to get together and wallow in one another's messes?!! 
Actually, when I had to save all my stuff from the plumbers, I had it neatly piled on a sofa at the back of the family room, and put up an old scruffy card table for my computer. By now, 24 hours later, my bearstuff is all over the place. I have to climb to get past it and feed my fish--who are, come to think of it, looking at me rather desperately as I speak :/
And I'm just a beginner. Not that much stash yet. All I can think of is getting MORE . . .
As Queen of the Unfinished Project, I second Dilu's idea. No more than two bears at a time. Finish one, and you're allowed to start another.
Eileen
Better Believe It!!
My kiddies are now 22, 25 and 27 and I feel just as your mom does. Good thing we no longer know about everything that goes on!!
They don't always appreciate the protection. I was once walking a group of kids to the library when a car failed to stop at a crosswalk. I just about ripped the guy's face off, verbally speaking. One of the little girls turned to another and said, "I don't care. She's not MY mom".
Eileen
I'd love to see your contract, Shelli. Good news about those prompt payments!
Eileen
Millie, when we all get together, I'll be your souchef--though I've certainly never won any prizes for my cooking!:/
The sad story of your bear reminds me of what happened to my daughter Caroline in Grade 2. She was born cooking. By age 6 she was turning out cookies and cakes of very high quality. Her school ran a baking contest for kids. Caroline submitted cupcakes decorated with very professional-looking icing roses and other flowers, including leaves with veins! Every other child won a prize of some sort--their efforts were charming, but . . .
Caroline was crushed, of course. The VP told me that none of the judges believed Caroline had made the cupcakes!
Boy, did I ever let that woman have it. :mad:
Eileen
They are absolutely scrumptious, Jane. All that detail really makes the difference!
Eileen
I'm embarrassed to say that I've really just stuffed stuff into the drawers?
But Laura, that's why it's called "Stuff", and that's what drawers are for.
What a beautiful workstation, Laura.
Tell your hubby (from another and lesser woodworker) that it's a beut. I'm carving a plane handle from Padauk for an old 1904 Bailey #5 plane I found at an antique shop in Mo. That chunk of wood is THE hardest I've ever tried. Closer to rock than wood, but gorgeous.
BeesleyBathroomBears? Bears of the Bathroom? ToiletBellyBears? TubbyBears? Teddy Bear Shower?
We've Got to have a picture, Louise.
Eileen
That's for sure, Laure. And now I find out that bears don't have whiskers !! :lol:
Actually, I bought the horsehair for the mane and tail of a rocking horse I'm making.
Maybe I should scale the horses down for bears?
Eileen
Funny you should bring this up! :lol:
I have a small but manageable (so far) space in the basement, where I can work at my computer beside an ancient Bi-Oven that serves as a table. I've got random chests and bookshelves for supplies. Cozy, and mine.
All was well until this morning, when the basement toilet overflowed and all the drains in the house started (should I say it?) hooting. :rolleyes:
After I worked at the mess with plunger and snake for a while and husband and son-in-law took their turns, we called a plumber. The entire drain system has to be dug up and replaced--it's a 60' run of clay pipes, 95 years old, and RUNS RIGHT UNDER MY WORKSPACE.
So I've hauled everything upstairs into a corner of the family room in bags and boxes. At least I get to sit in a bay window and look out on my garden!!
Eileen
What about horsehair? TandyLeather sells 4-oz hanks of 24-30 inch hair for about $14 US
Eileen
This is really too bad.
Judi's probably the last person in the world who would do anything mean or ungenerous, or steal a creative technique. It sounds to me as if Pat's friend Lydia "reinvented the wheel", as they say, without knowing it. It happens. I think it's unlikely that any 'original' technique is really original. This doesn't make the discovery less thrillling, but it does mean that we need to be very careful of claiming ownership.
I'm sure that Pat is reporting her friend's perspective accurately, but intensity of feeling doesn't prove its cause. The real cause seems to have been an unfortunate combination of misunderstanding and envy. It's a lethal combination, and it's clearly caused her a lot of pain.
I love your bears, Pat, and I understand your loyalty to your friend, but this forum is the wrong place for a vendetta. It's ok to start a general thread about originality, but to attack an individual in the name of 'truth' isn't likely to help your friend.
Eileen
Can I come too if I bring chocolate? Pleeeeezzze? :(
Re: Shelli's fan dance, I don't think she gets to wear so much costume!! Ostrich plume fans anybody?? Gypsy Rose Lee?
Eileen
I don't know, Sue Ann :/
I just heard that 2 local towns reported hurricanes. I think they're from Houston, and looking for ME :(
Eileen
Double EEewww :P
I lived in Houston whilst doing grad studies at Rice. I used to find hugeous
roaches napping in my ammonia-soaked mop!!
What really got to me, though--one night I woke up to a buzzing sound, and realized that the beasts could FLY. More than I ever wanted to know!!
Eileen
Shelli--
The bathtub water is for washing and flushing in case the pipes go out!! You're supposed to fill the refrigerator with drinking water. And load up on canned food.
I never got the hurricane, but I was at my sister's house in Ava, MO during a tornado warning. The sky was GREEN. Most weird.
Eileen
Rita--
Heirloom chrystal in MY family? Ahhahaha The last piece of ceramic, my mom's handpainted plate from Virginia (cardinal on dogwood) smashed about 15 years ago when a daughter caught her hair on the hanger and decided to save the hair instead of the plate.
We've got some dented silver, though.
I needlesculpted UglyDucklingGeorge before closing the head--was that wrong? The head was very well stuffed, but I probably distorted the neck with all that tugging and hauling.
Still working on the pix problem.
Eileen
Daphne
Sugar-Snow! We used to put vanilla into it too!:D
I grew up in Williamstown Mass. It's still my spiritual home.
Being in a little valley, we were a snow-bowl in the winter and a steam-bowl in the summer!
Eileen
This is a great idea, Shelli & Rita--I'm always losing my head! :rolleyes:
What about filling the jar/vase with rocks to keep it steady?
Eileen
Great frogleg story, Daphne!
Welcome, Suzanne!
I spend nearly 30 minutes yesterday trying to turn a tail made of lined mongolian lamb! That includes swearing and stomping time, of course.
It occurred to me (too late) that what I should have done was to leave the needle & thread in place, and use it to help turn the tail rightside out. You'd have to push the needle out to the right side first, then pull on the thread. A long piece of very strong thread. Along with the usual pushing and pulling, it might at least help on a larger piece.
Eileen
