Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

:redface:  :redface:  :redface:  :redface:

The person below me tap dances while eating chocolate bonbons and thats how she keeps trim.......and usually she has a feather boa that she swishes around and calls it dusting!

gollyhugs
dilu

[size=26]Wooohoooo!!!!!![/size]

[size=24]Yippeeeeee.....[/size]

[size=26]Hoooray for Tami and Jane[/size]

[size=24]
we love you guys![/size]

[size=26]
2 golly thumbs up each!!![/size]      
[size=24]
Fantabulous[/size]

[size=26]great big gollyslobberkisses to you both-with towels and everything![/size]

[size=20]dilu and the gollies-all of them[/size]

well that's a given-  :crackup: I think everyone knows that..... :crackup: Isn't it a food group???

If it isn't it should be-

The person below me is a secret hoarder of supplies.....

gollyhugs
dilu

Rain Rain go away
go visit someone else today

the NOAA site said 50% rain and whenever they say that its 100%.....

I am trying to move the sewing room to the cottage.....I'm melting......

We get between 60 an 80 " a year, but i know Aleta gets tons more.....what about you guys???

Connie, they say this is an el Nina year so wont you guys get a lot of rain?  I hope so, they say on the news that Atlanta might be bone dry if it doesn't rain soon and they will have to import water.....

this happens in California, not Atlanta and not Ohio

hope you get some of our wet stuff really soon.....

hugs
dilu

Hi back atcha Linda

I am Gladyou found us, and as in "real" life there is good wherever you look.  And you just had 5 stellar examples of goodness welcome you here.  Nothing wrong with peaches and honey, one of my favorite combinations....to eat as well as find in life.

As far as you being a collector and not a creator?  Hang around enough and you just might get itchy fingers and want to try something....and you would have the very best teachers in the world right here at your fingertips.....And making is very much fun....

BTW what kind of dolls did you collect?  I can't decide which is better dolls or bears, my hubby says I say this so that I can continue collecting both.  while i do make a bear or two as a gift or for fun, i learned early on that the talant here is so vast that I was much better off collecting bears from the artists here than trying to make myself a bear artist....

I hope you have time to check out the other forums here, as the work these talanted artists create just takes one's breath away

On the other topic, all view points are welcomed....btw, did you go to the new member area and introduce yourself?  Shoulda told you earlier....I forgot.  :redface:  But no matter, you're here, and we hope for a good long time...

gollyhugs
dilu

While it is a contest,

and the one with the most votes wins

there is another way of looking at this:

  Valerie, like so many web site owners in the teddy field, has come up with a webzine that works for her.  But she puts a lot of work into it.   And she makes money from it. 

As do most of the other popular bear sites.

And, what is wrong with that? 

Quite simply, nothing.

Because they run a business that we subscribe to that keeps us connected to other artists, collectors and enthusiasts all over the world.

We all benefit from these sites.

About the popularity:

I for one did not ask anyone to vote for me-no time and not into that part of it.

BUT by entering my gollies get more attention-just participating helps build my own little business.

Therefore, I benefit for participating, even if I don't win.

Exposure, all over the world, is good for the artist-you never know what will come from it.

Valerie also does nice artist profiles and other things that help expose the artists to new collectors.

So I guess, my feeling only, would be that the exposure helps, it is worth the entry and/or membership fee and I will continue to participate as much as I can, even if I know I don't have a chance of winning.

And yes, there were such wonderful entries, so adorable, so talented, so creative are these artists that it is difficult to choose between them.

I have been known, when two entries are equal, but one is a personal friend, to choose my friend.  Is this not understandable?

Since you are new let me welcome you to TeddyTalk.  May I encourage you to try as hard as you can to perfect your craft, and get as much exposure as you can, meet as many Talkers as you can, share as many creations as you can.  We simply love pictures.

And I also encourage you not to be too hard on the contests, any of them, and all of them, as they do generate interest and enthusiasm,

and in a time when the US and therefore the world is teetering on the brink of a recession, our artists need that interest from the collectors to sell their art, to pay the bills, to feed the kids and so on.  Many of our artists in this field literally do live on their proceeds. 

Lets do whatever we can to keep the interest high or the collectors might go over to the........

gasp.....................

doll sites.

good golly, we can't have that, now can we!!!

Welcome again,

hugs

dilu

Oh, Jodi, can't say i blame you!

Maryls-its not hard at all-very clear-when you get your other classes done give it a go-its hard to choose classes.....so many to take so little money and time......LOL

Wendy- I'm rooting for you-and thought of you the other day when the National Geographic chanell was talkingabout dangerous kritters, I didn't know your puddles had spines in their back legs that could really hurt someone....

hmmmm

NOT YOURS, of course, but the live ones.....  but the scarriest thing I saaw was the rockfish.....yieks!

Then the hubs turned the chanell, as the parrot was getting antsy

OK.....back to work!

hugs
d

I am in the middle of a webdesign class over at Ebearz U. 

I have to say that for one who tends to skip instructions and jump in with both left feet while running with scissors,  this class is easy and doable and works.

Course, there is no skipping or jumping or running,

But the instructor, Nancy Tillberg, has clear understandable instructions and guidance and the beauty of html is that it is universal, you can create your own thing, and check it on the internet step by step! 

And it is

NOT

technogeeky at all. 

She wrote it for people just like us, bear or doll makers, sewers, quilters, people whose heads tend to be in the clouds, be the clouds dark and gloomy most of the time or happy and niceynice.

If this is something any one here has a hankering for learning I really do recommend it.

I also recommend following the instructions step by step like you would a knitting pattern.  Its time consuming but ever so worth it.

I got it as an early Christmas present, and am loving it.  Thank you my friend.....you know who you are.....

The next class starts October 29th I believe.

Just thought I would share the info for anyone who is interested in moving beyond preset formats

goodgollyhugs
dilu

I'm with Paula,

as to why?

there are a number of factors,

1.  you could be taking a slightly larger seam...think about this, if your seam is one thread or two threads wider than the seam the designer's your whole gusset will be taking up more of the side head and will come up short either at the back neck or the nose, though I always tack and baste the nose area first,

in something like a bear the difference can be as simple as one thread- try drawing the sewing line on so that it is exactly the quarter inch seam you want.

However the easiest way to deal with it is to just cut your back next a little longer.

the smaller the bear the more crucial size differences in your sewing will be.

gollygoodwishes

dilu

I kinda figured that, and was hoping I was wrong.was hoping I was wrong.

What a waste....they can't be cheap, but boy are they fast!

thanks Charlotte....I figured you would know!

hugs
dilu

Yesterday on PBS's show Martha's  Sewing Room,{anyone else besides me watch the sewing/quilting/embellishing block they have on Saturday's?}she had Sue Houseman from America Sews on.

and Sue had one of the new Needlefelting machines.....

And thats the subject.

any of you tried one?

It certainly made short work of the felting embellishments that Sue was demonstrating.

However my question is this,

will it do dimensinal????  will one of the new felting machines do a bear leg or head?

Who has tried it and who has one and what do you expert felters think?

gollyhugsandkindalikingthebarbedneedles

dilu

Thanks Bobbie, I had been using the suck-on-a-straw technique, but I will try yours, it makes more sense.

gollyhugs
dilu

Great news Daphne, Thanks heaps.....I can finish up the oranges, and you are quite correct, they are mych easier to zest and then squueze.

appreciate the heads up.

dilu

I just spent $18 on 9 oranges.  My own fault, wasn't paying attention and they were the only oranges in the store....

So  my question:   Can I freeze orange zest in a ziplock airtight sandwhich bag without too much loss of the volatile oils?

Or is it silly to even try and I should just squeeze the oranges.....

These came from Oz by the way, thank you to all our Aussie friends, as our American supply of Oranges is rather scarce....

gollythanks and hugs for any info

dilu

Fantabulous Sophie!

I am so happy for you and so proud of you as we know you have worked very very hard to get where you are! 

You deserve to have good things happen to you and I hope you cherish the feelings so you can remember always how happy you are!

I bet you are one terrific teacher!

Best best wishes and congrats!

gollyhugs

dilu

   And how nice this particular passion does not add pounds to the hips and thighs!

awwwww, gollygeewhiz, you will be missed, but I understand, there are only so many hours in a day and if you need to create....welll, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do......and if we leave you alone perhaps you will come back with lots of piccys of wonderfully whimsical adorable new creations?

Have fun doing what you love!

gollyhugs
dilu

Oh you poor dear, Sandra, but i do so understand as I havne't been able to fullfill my commitment to YOU!

i am so sorry to hear about your dad failing.  good golly hugs, dear heart, I do know how hard this is.  My heart goes out to you.

gollyslobberkisses with a clean dry towel

dilu

ABSOLUTELTY FANTABULOUSLY ADORABLE!!!  

Way to go Sue Ann!

PS.....you are right!

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:

I hope you do.....increasibng our knolwedge base in any of myriad of subjects always ends up helping us with our art. 

You can't go wrong. 

Bearybest golly wishes

dilu

I haven't.

But I can tell you that Nancy has been studying photography and working with it both with her real life job as well as her favorite job, and she always does top notch work on E-bearz. 

I know you will learn oodles if you do take it.  I took her Business of Bears, and really learned a lot- and actually met my goals....that was last year.  So I wouldn't hesitate, were it me.

Hope that helps a little.

gollyhugs
dilu

What a grand idea, Judikins!

You know I love your work, but Happy!  what wonderful eyes!  Thank you for sharing

Bobbie, beautiful work, you always do such beautiful things with your bears.

Come on everyone....do please share your piccys!

gollyhugs
dilu

WOW  you were born to felt Julie, your creation is spectacular!

WOW!!!

Hats off to Shelli

Thats one of the most organized spaces I've seen!

Mine is overpacked without enough storage space....I wouldn't have said that a year ago....i didn't think I could use up the space!

We have a guest cottage that will be turned into a BIG studio, hmmm, soon or not?

in the meantime, I am grateful for Sterilite see through totes....so that I can find fabric without o-pening everything.....

2 years ago I had room to spare-now?  I am back to standing room only.....But, boy do I love having supplies!

Shelli your room is great, and i am impressed, given all the various things you create, along with 4-5 gentlemen living in the same home, that you are able to do all that you do.

awww honey, i am really sorry....it could happen to anyone!  It really could.  Even the most computer proficient among us get tired or in a hurry and make mistakes.  Do write them, as Bobbie and the others have said and let them know....an apology goes a long way.

And I can
t believe that anyone would think you did it on purpose!

Bless your sweet heart!  I hope this rights itself somehow!

gollyhugs

dilu