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Thanks gals - man, I'm getting an education here! Shelli, you did very well at explaining the two systems. It really isn't that complicated once you know how it's set up, and what results you are trying to achieve. Now, I seem to remember years ago (I'm dating myself here) that the Scarsdale diet was in the same league? I sort of remember it was high protein, low carb and it worked for me waaaaaaay back then. Worked for poor Dr. Scarsdale until someone murdered the poor man (I think it was his old mistress). These poor Doctors sure don't last long! Anyway, thanks for the info and maybe I will have to haul out my Atkins diet book.
Hugs,
Brenda
Hugs,
Brenda
You know, last year I had my bunny photographed at the Studio at the big Canadian Superstore my husband manages. We had taken my grandson there, and at the last minute I decided to take my Golden Teddy piece. They did a pretty good job and it only cost me $26.00. I could have wasted a lot more money on film etc. Another friend of mine has also had her bears photographed at the Superstores and has been happy. Has anyone tried making an appointment at say, Walmart or Sears. It would be the same kind of thing. They have all the professional equipment, and I just kept interupting my photographer and telling them exactly what I wanted. I posed it myself etc. You just have to make sure you stand your ground and tell them exactly what you are looking for - full body and head shots. Depending on how long they take to develop them, It's worth a shot. The development at the Superstore only takes overnight.
Hugs,
Brenda
Sue Ann, I have an HP Photosmart printer too, and I love it. I think the pics are almost good enough to fool the judges and I'm tempted to try, if it weren't so expensive to enter.
Hugs,
Brenda
Okay,
I have the Atkins book, but honestly have never read it but I do love cheese of all kinds. Anyway, excuse my lack of knowledge here but are the glycemic index diet and the Atkins diet similar? My daughter and son in law lost a lot of weight with a trainer and working out and using the Glycemic index diet but don't know much about it? Anyone able to fill me in? Thanks bunch.
As for who uses what diet - I'd be going for what ever works with your body type - bottom line.
The little that we learned about the Candida problem when hubby was struggling, was that carbs were the thing you tended to crave when you had Candida, which would make sense with what Debbie said about struggling staying away from the carbs for the Atkins diet. See how much I'm learning and I only signed up to talk about teddies lOL!
Hugs,
Brenda
Shelli,
The colours are awesome - we can choose a colour to suit our mood for the day LOL! WELL DONE!
Hugs,
Brenda
Debbie,
Thanks for the tip on Candex - I'm going to look into it. I'm sure my hubby has real problems with Candida. He definitley did a few years ago and was on a anti-yeast medication for a while. He lost 40 pounds two years ago and was doing wonderfully and hitting the gym three-four times/week. Then he changed jobs and can't get to the gym much at all and now that there are Xmas goodies in the house, he makes me look like a saint. I can't believe his tolerance for chocolate and sweets. I like them, but after a few I've had enough - he just doesn't seem to have any limits. I also notice that his moods are down and he can be quite short and I do believe some of it is due to Candida. I'll have to check on Candex to see if it's available in Canada.
Hugs,
Brenda
I've been quietly minding my own business and fending off all unwanted foods for the past two days and I even patted myself on the back today - too soon as always! Tonight, our son came home with a two pound box of licorice allsorts - my mostest absolutest totally awesomest favourite candy!! UGH!!!!! I watched him eat one after another after another, and I did what any self-disciplined person would do - I applied what I learned from the NON-Diet diet and ate enough of those suckers until I couldn't eat any more. Well my cravings gone and now I don't care if I eat another one for another year - and tomorrow is another day!
Hugs,
Brenda
Hi Jenn,
I've belonged to a few groups but I really like the way TT is set up. It is run by a company, who have asked responsible, knowledgeable, caring advisors. I've been very impressed with what I have seen on this board, for the short time I've belonged. On a few of the other boards, the moderators have felt more like a boss. I know they are responsible for their board and have to monitor it accordingly, but I like the fact that this is Intercal's group. This definitely has more of an "everyone's equal" feel, and I like that. I think that reflects well on the advisors (thanks gals) and the members (yeah for us!).
Hugs,
Brenda
Hi Fran,
Now I'm just going to confuse you (LOL!) but I like the second one the best because it shows up her face the best, without any shadows. I still think you can see the lovely detailing in the dress as well in the second picture. That's my vote!
Hugs,
Brenda
Jenn,
What a shame! I'm so sorry you had to put up with that behaviour!
Big hugs :hug: :hug: :hug:
Brenda
Hi there,
I've been making and selling bears for over 10 years. That's a long time for me to stick to anything LOL! Brenda
I believe one stone equals 14 pounds - is that right? Brenda
Hi there.
Just reading over some categories and saw this one. It's interesting to read how everyone goes about making patterns.
Helena and Stephanie, I'm with you guys. I can go from 2D to 3D and back again, in my head. My entire family is very creative and I was also lucky that my mum taught me "everything" about sewing at a very young age, including how to draw patterns. Girls, I think our "specialty" is that we have extremely accurate visual perception - I think even as high as 95%. I once did an exercise in a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. There was a picture of Van Gogh (I believe) and they asked you to draw it upside down. Most people will do much better, for some reason, with it upside down. It didn't make any difference for me - I could draw it the same, either way. I drew children's portraits for quite a few years, but also sculpted miniature dolls so I seem to be able to translate either way.
I draw all my patterns freehand. I draw a complete picture of what I want and then break it down into parts. I cut straight to mohair, and there has only been once or twice that I goofed, usually on the head. I'm lazy, and I always cut my footpads by visual gage, and if it's too big, I adapt it as I go, but I'm usually fairly accurate. My downfall are my noses - don't like doing them and I know it's my "weakest link".
Hugs,
Brenda
Hi Daphne,
You had to post these, just when I was thinking I should do something with my mum's mink hat and collar - now you've scared me off!
I think you did a marvelous job, making three bears look so uniform, when mink is that hard to work with. I can't make three mohair bears look the same LOL. Now, I agree the one in the middle is a bit woeful, and definitely looking for sympathy, but I like the one on the right. He looks quite cheeky and is telling me that "ah, just ingnore the other two - I'm the beauty in this group!" He looks like he'd elbow the others right out of the picture, if he had half a chance LOL.
Sooooooo, dear Daphne, what's the deal with working with mink or any fur, for that matter. What makes it so difficult and what are the pitfalls? I like to be forewarned before I hang myself LOL! I see one of the sellers on Ebay, that makes wonderful 5 inch bears from fur (including mink) and being the proverbial optimist that I am, I think I would like to try. Am I in for a fools game?
Hugs,
Brenda
Hi Dilu,
Thanks for the kind words - it always means a lot coming from another artist! Hugs, Brenda
Hi Shelli,
One of the Canadian artists, Patti Hendriks, from the London, Ontario area attended that show for quite a few years and it was one of her favourite. I don't know if she is still doing it or not, but I know she always talked about it as both a good show and a good time.
Hugs,
Brenda
Hi Claire,
I've emailed her twice, with no response. Once to say how wonderful her work was and the second time recently, to warn her that our auctions were copied on the U.K. ebay. Maybe it's her hubby who handles the email etc and doesn't know how important it is to respond. Take care.
Hugs,
Brenda
Shelli,
Your display looks wonderful and eyecatching. It's no wonder you had a great show - beautiful bears and a great display!
When I displayed at shows, I always took 4 pieces of PCV piping, about 14 inches long. I used them as table let entenders, so the table was higher and the small bears were more at eye leve. I used decorative tins to display my tiny bears. I bought lots of inexpensive, sets of tins that fit inside each other. They were great for putting on top of each other for different heights, and I transported the bears inside the tins. My whole booth fit inside a small travel bag, and it could be set up and taken down really quickly.
Hugs,
Brenda
Daphne, you have touched on some extremely good points that all artists should consider, especially new ones. I'm a fairly solitary person, and have only joined bear groups in the last 6 months or so. I had to be cajolled into joining some bear groups, and I love them. I do have to say, I like Teddy Talk the best - just the base of knowledge offered here is worth joining, but the added company of other artists and collectors makes it tops.
I have perhaps a dozen artist bears, and I definitely agree that they all have a personal connection for me. I've traded for quite a few, but after I met the artist and found I really liked them. It was a natural progression for me to want on of their bears. It's almost like having a little bit of that person to take home with you. There really is nothing like picking up a bear and hugging it.
I have to admit, I think I would probably have stopped shows even it my son hadn't been injured. I always did shows in the NE U.S.A and we had no trouble getting across the border with our stuff. Since 9/11 it has been very different - much more difficult crossing into the U.S.
For those of you who have just started on Ebay, or would like to try, Daphne has another good point - toot your own horn girls! I still don't have a web site or "Me" page, but I do list all my experiences and accomlishments with each auction, and I do think potential customers like to know who they are dealing with. If you get enquiries, try and answer them as quickly and courteously as possible. If I am interested in an auction, I will always send a question to the seller to see what type of response I get. If I get a favourable and timely response, I will bid - if not, I just kiss the auction goodbye. It's been a good gage for me.
I also agree that it's good experience for an artist to participate in at least one show. It's an opportunity to meet other artists as well as gage your work and prices with the other bears at the show. And don't always judge a show by the sales - sometimes making a contact with a customer or shop can make or break a show, but it might not be apparent at the time. Also if customers have seen you at a few shows, they are better equiped to figure out from an Ebay auction, what the bear would be like.
Kim, I am like you - I don't do so well in person - that's why I like internet sales. For some reason, I am much more relaxed on line. It gives me time to gage my response to questions and I like writing. Sometimes I'll re-read an email and realize - oops, I can't say that! It gives me a second chance LOL! If I blurt something out in person, well too late!!
Jenny, if a person doesn't know your reserve and snipes at the end with a high bid, it's still only going to show up as having met the reserve, unless there are two bidders. That's why I finally relented and started letting people know what my reserve was.
Anyway, enough said - I seem to be babbling now!
Hugs,
Brenda
I just checked Ebay and there are 1777 bears in Artist bears and 610 in One of a Kind. This is up a bit from last year, but these numbers are about 1/2 the number of bears on Ebay when I started, almost 4 years ago. It averaged 3300-3500 in Artist bears then and about 1200 in the One of a Kind. My niece and I were just talking last weekabout how many "fewer" bears were now on Ebay. It is starting to go up a bit, but it's really not that many compared to before. I was just assuming some artists were not able to make a go of it, and had dropped out.
Ebay really is fickle - I have one artist friend in Canada that makes wonderful bears, but she and Ebay do not seem to be compatible. She is impatient and assumes she should immediately get the prices that the gets in shows and shops. I've tried to tell her to start lower and build up a customer base as ebay buyers may not know who she is, but she's having none of it. As a result, she has tried half a dozen times, and hasn't been able to sell at all there.
Jenny, I wasn't aware that you could lower the reserve once you had bids, even it the reserve hadn't been met? Was it on U.K. Ebay or Ebay.com? I wonder if they add the slogan if the bid is lowered without having bids - that would make me more than a little upset. I used to be anal about not telling anyone my reserve, but now it doesn't bother me. I figure if only one person is bidding it will only go up in small increments, and if two people are bidding, they won't worry so much about the reserve as about each others bids. I often disclose my reserve to my regular cutsomers, when I send out notifications of a new auction. As for sniping, sorry, but it's the only way I bid. It just makes sense to me to get something at the best possible price.
Anyway, that's my two cents - take care and have a wonderful New Year's day!
Hugs,
Brenda
HAPPY NEW YEARS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENN! I hope you have a wonderful day and that 2006 is a wonderful year for you.
Hugs,
Brenda
I have learned a lot from this discussion. I must have my head burried in the sand, because I honestly didn't realize artists were deliberately selling their work cheap on Ebay, just to get sales. I can't afford to do that and I won't waste my time if I can't get a decent return for my product. I always have a reserve and it's what I would sell the piece for at a show.
I've always been involved in art work in some form - I did Craft shows for 20 years and also did children's portraits in coloured pencil on commission. I've never made a huge amount of money, but it was always enough to allow me to stay home with our kids, and the money paid for the extras, like sports, that they wanted to do. It was important for me to be able to contribute.
I've been involved with bear making longer than anything else I have done, and I think part of the reason is because Ebay gives me total freedom. I am dabbling in another area now, just because I get bored and just in case my bear sales decrease.
Judi, you must have hands made of steel - I couldn't make three bears in a week no matter how hard I tried. I think my downfall is that I get wrapped up in costumes and props and spend as much time on them as the actual bear. I love your bears, especially the eyes - what wonderful expression!
Paula, I agree with you about the shops. It's not only having the shops making money from your work, they are sitting in a shop, getting dusty. It feels like you aren't in control (okay - I'm a control freak, if you havn't guessed by now LOL!) By the way, I loved seeing all your bears on the other thread about bears made from different colours and remnants. They are wonderful! It is amazing to see what everyone's imagination comes up with!
It's obvious that the internet has really affected the bear industry, especially in the past 5 years. Customers can shop from home and have a wonderful selection. There has to be a happy medium somewhere.
Anyway, Happy New Year to everyone on Teddy Talk! Bye for now.
Hugs,
Brenda
Hi folks,
Thanks for all the suggestions - it's so silly - I'm not bad when I'm up on my feet. It's just when I get horizontal, that the cough becomes unmanageable. Diane, I'm armed with a big bag of gingersnaps and a fresh bottle of glycerine. Even if only the glycerine will help my cough, I'm sure the cookies will make me feel better LOL. I also started taking my hubbies Moducare - it's an immune booster, so I'm hopping it helps too. The fact he is walking around unscathed, after our son and I have been coughing all over the house for a week, should tell me something! It was also the stuff that cured our cat's corneal ulcer, after we had spent over $1000.00 at the vet, with no results. So, at least I now feel that I am being pro-active. Take care!
Hugs,
Brenda
Hi,
This really is a good topic, but one without any easy answers. I realize now that some of you are very new to this world. I feel old! I'm on my 10th year, but when I started the shows were still very good and there weren't as many artists making bears. I was also extremely fortunate to do some designing for Deb Canham, which made my name known pretty quickly. However, that was a long time ago, and since I've only been selling on Ebay for the past 4 years, I feel like I'm starting over.
One thing that puzzles me is that some of the really well known artists seem to have websites that are frequently updated AND they seem to sell at shows, as well as in lots of shops. How the heck do they do it? I hand sew everything and even though my pieces are small, my maximum is about 40 bears a year. I try to put a bear/ week on ebay, but I find it really hard and that's the main reason I don't have a website - I don't think I could make enough bears. Do some artists employ other people to help them? I'd be really disappointed if I paid a lot for an artist's bear, only to find out it was made, even partially, by someone else. Maybe I'm not organized enough, or am just too old and slow!
I do find that presentation on Ebay makes a big difference. If I had any advice for new artists, it would be to spend lots and lots of time taking those "perfect" pictures. I really think that helps to sell the bears. I also think that lots of pictures are important. I see some sellers putting one or two awful pics of a teddy and I would never bid, unless it's someone selling an artist bear that I recognize, and know it's worth taking a chance. You can't touch or feel an Ebay bear, so you have to make up for that with the best possible pics you can take. Shelli wrote an awsome article on taking photos of your bears for the Bears and Buds website and I think you should still be able to access it. There's a lot of great info - it's worth trying to find it. I think I actually saved it, if anyone is interested in it.
Well, it's almost a new year girls, so chin up! Hopefully we can all find a way to increase our sales Lol! Take care and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!!
Hugs,
Brenda
Hi Diane,
Yes, I remember you mentioning ginger before - do lots gingersnap cookies count LOL! I've never heard of taking glycerine but I have some, so I might give it a go tonight if things are still bad. I can't even remember the last time I felt this awful for such a long time - oh, the joys of grandchildren! Hope you and Hayley have a wonderful New Year. Take care!
Hugs,
Brenda
