Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

HI Shiela

I don't know if this is what you mean......some artists place a round piece of felt between the mohair and the wooden disc, I'm told it will stop the wooden disc from wearing on the mohair when the joint is turned. Those who use the method always put the felt there.

I've never heard this termed as re-inforcing but I can't think what else you  do to a joint,

Hi

Due to taking over the editors job of the mag I have ended up with two copies of 11:5 amd 11:6 would anyone like to swap with some of their countries mags with me?

Oh I just thought I'd add another point I provided heaps of chairs for "the other halves" and free tea and coffee..which everyone had to sit and drink..not wander around the bears with ..I put aside a small area for this. It was actually near me and one year I had a wonderful time listening to two husbands, who's wives I knew were big spenders at bear shows, comparing notes as to how they coped with, 1/ their wives spending habits, 2/ living with bears and 3 the general boredom of the bear shows. I had to admit to being chuffed that they gave that show as the top one to attend.........but then I considered it wa because it was over the quickest of all shows and they got to sit througout and get coffee!!!

Oh well ........... my head did expand for about 30 seconds!!!

For a few years running I actually held an "exclusive" gallery show. Each artist could only make 3 bears that one OOAK's and they had be kept strictly secret. Only a small number of artists were "invited" to exhibit, the show only went for about 4 hours and there was great competition among the collectors to buy these bears.  The bears were set up on small tables and the artists were NOT to stand behind but free to mingle as all sales were handled at a central table by me and small "adopted" signs were set on the bears which could not be taken until the show closed.

This background is to explain that the show was considered to be "exclusive", "expensive" etc BUT I held it in a wedding marquee admittedly in the grounds of one of our historic buildings but is was still a glorified tent..........but the natural lighting wa great and the wooden dancing floor was perfect and so was access......also as it was a historic tourist building the parking was terrific. One point the marquee was permanent so id did have heating and paths etc too it and a as I said before a full wooden floor.

But compared to other sites it was not expensive at all.......plus I took the mid morning to mid afternoon so they could still set up for a night wedding which they thought was great and they costed it for me on that basis.

Plus the collectors thought is was great and often ask me when I am going to restart that show at that venue........they loved the venue and the lighting to see the bears.........

So no venue doesn't make a difference the quality of the traders does set the credibility of the show.

Well I thinkDaphne is right too..........we need to find a way for both the shows and internet work hand in hand.......so why don't we put our collective heads together here and try and find a way for us to make it work for us.......for artists who can't afford tables to eb able to afford them........ to those artists who don't want to do shows to be encouraged back to doing one ot two shows... if possible... and

most

importantly how to encourage that collector base off thier butts and away for their computers and through the doors of the shows!!!

We need ideas....amd more ideas..

Hi Denise

Yes I do organise Mittagong and every year there is a roumour it's not on.......but it is next weekend November 12th.....but maybe the rumour will be true next year about it closing as I  am very disheartened by the response of the ber artists this year.....I have lots of doll artists and almost no bear artists......very very diheartening.

Hi Everyone

As a show organiser in Sydney I am finding it increasingly difficult to find teddy bear artists willing to trade....and I do agree that it seems at times a waste of time to stand at a show with times being slow (and in Australia due to rising mortgage rates and petrol prices) money is very tight. So ebay and other auction sites seem to be a great alternative.

However I have an avid bear collector in my husband and he refuses to buy off ebay.....unless he can pick up a bear and examine it for quality he will not buy. Actually I do lie.....if he knows the artist he will consider buying off e-bay but very rarely. Due to my work I do talk to many collectors and they often mention the same sentiments that unless they know the artist they are hesitant to buy sight unseen, unless they can buy one bear dirt cheap and not feel ripped off if the quality they expect is not there.

So this to me seems a good argument to trade at some shows......however many artists don't seem to agree with me.

So I was just wondering......how many of you have only sold on ebay? How many do both shows and e-bay? And if you do both were you well established on the show circuit before doing ebay?

Also one last question.....have you dropped shows since doing ebay and have you expanded your collector market since?

Sorry if this sounds all complicated but I am trying to establish if it is worth trying to continue to organise my show or not....it is a lot of work and if the bear artists are fixed on ebay etc.......well it's just not worth the effort any more.

Well you are a MUCH stronger and nicer person than me..........I'd be saying I'm booked up or too busy or something. I just could NOT bring myself to do it.

However there could be a bright side.......they may break up and he'll remember what a sweet nice person you are and come back......now there's a daydream!!  Maybe there is a bigger plan!!

Or a super gorgeous hunk, will see the bear you make and just have to meet you and he'll be 10 times nicer than the first one......

Karma.........will always bring the silver lining......... :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

You just have to believe........in karma..... :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :hug:  :hug:  :dance:

Wow..scary scary scary............and enough to make you spit chips as well............wish you could get a return virus that would blow their motherboard up!! Wish we had the police that could track the brats down and then make illegal for them to touch a computer again for 10 years!!! 

OOOHHH what I'd do to the brats if I could get my sewing hands on them......I have wonderful things I could do with needles....ezspecailly felting needles :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:

Name - Australian Bear Creations

Web Address - http://www.woodlandspublishing.com.au/abc/index.html

Owner - Simon Mullens - Email bc@woodlandspublishing.com.au
Editor  - Sandra Wigzell - Email sandra@bearhug.com.au

I know about throwing the salt of the shoulder.....the devil stood at that shoulder urging trouble so if you threw salt it went in his eyes and of course he ran away,,,,,,,

If you are having a computer problem you may want to take the side of your case off and carefully vaccum around the components. FOr 2 weeks I have had a problem with my computer just shutting down. Wiped the computer and reloaded all my programs as I was told it was a corrupted program....that took one whole day. Still the computer shutdown with out warning.  Rang around and was told it was probably my motherboard breaking down.  In preparation for the new motherboard Garth took the side of the case off and couldn't believe the dust build up the 4 fans in the pentium 4 case has sucked in. In cleaning it all out I realised it had some of the circuits touching each other. Remebering something an inhouse technician had told me about build of dust short circuiting things we cleaned it up and put the case back together. Computer has worked like a dream since.

So before going nuts about problems double check how dirty the inside of the case is!! It could be the age old dust problem...boy and I thought it was just the cupboard tops I had to worry about!!!!!!!

Well I suppose it depends on what you are trying to achieve........double jointed necks, or locline, or wobble joints are all alternatives I can think of.....there is also nod and no mechanisms, which also have problems but can be fun.  I would think though that the double jointed neck would give you the poses you are looking for and can be done on a smaller bear than the device you were looking at.

Hope this helps.

I have used them....they were made for dolls and at times the stuffing can affect them from moving....you need firm non fluffy stuffing...like ginned cotton. It is hard to cover them...long fur helps but then it can get cought up and the poses tend to make the bear look like it's having a siezure at times. Also another friend used them and somehow placed it off centre and the bear tended to topple over backwards or sideways. Well we blamed the weight of the joint anyway!

For the effort needed I don't think the affect of the moveable head is worth it......it can be achieved other ways more effectively.

Hi Sarah Jane - I once made the ugliest, horriblest,yukkiest bear you can imagine.......I hated it....it was all out of proportion....I shudder just thinking about it. Anyway went to a show only to find this bear in my bag.....Garth, darling hubby had thrown him in AND made a tag for him. We had a domestic at the show as he wanted to put him on the table and I wanted to throw IT in the bin. I eventaully stormed off as the show opened to calm down......returned after 30min of fuming to other artists abot stubborn husbands and horrible failures and the TOTAL embarrassment of having this bear on my table.

Garth was beside himself.....he'd sold a bear while I was gone.....within 10mins of the doors opening.....you KNOW what bear he had sold don't you!!!!!!!!  The collector had to come back and rave to me for about 20mins about how she loved the bear and it was so unusual and cute and adorable........yuk!!! I had to smile all the time!!!!

So there is a collector for every bear and they will love him.........and your bear is fantastic compared to my monstrosity believe me!!!

Sorry Lisa......I started the superstition when older and single that if there was a good looking guy beside me in bed........I got out of bed his side....just so I could crawl over him........ :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup: Gummy Yummy....... :crackup:  :crackup:

We just finished school holidays here, on the last day I baked a cake with my 6 year old. After adding the eggs, I as usual put the broken egg shells down and smashed them flat. Lara asked my why I did this.....I was almost embarrassed to admit this. As a child her age I read a book where witches and goblins used half egg shells as boats and went outside the harbour to create storms and stop sailors from getting home and/or trying to sink their shops. From that day forward I made Mum smash any egg shells and later I did too. Despite the fact that I am now 47. I checked with Mum today and she still smashed the eggs shells too......though she had forgotten the reason as to why she did.

Does anyone else have hangover superstitions from childhood?

Many of the bears entered in competitions in Australia are entered to gain experience and comments from the judges and it is a great way to learn. especially if it is not a large competition and the judges have lots of time to write comments.

The confusion arises from the enrants when they seem to think they "win" or are "awarded" the ribbons that are given to every entrant, as I said before these ribbons are coloured and each colour is matched to the points given to the bear. Rosettes, medallions or trophys are given to "best in show" 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

I gather from previous comments that some shows o/seas only award ribbons ....I'm sorry if my topic  heading offended anyone as I didn't mean to imply this was not worth calling an award winning artists..............

To me you are an "Award Winner" if you have won "best in Show" 1st, 2nd or 3rd.....in a show........but you are not if you have won a ribbon for participating in a show..............which in Australia so bear artists/makers are claiming.

We also have prizes at some shows for "Peoples Choice" and from experience I don't think the public choice the big names.......generally the bears are not displayed to show who made the bear and therefore it is blind voting........about 6 years ago a particular artist in Australia won every "Peoples Choice" show but never won the judges choice......due to ill health she was often not trading at the show and was not known to the public very much at all..............so that to me showed the public did vote on visual appeal only.

I agree Daphne
I thnik Australia has to reconsider the way we "award" entrants in competitions with only the top three in each section receiving something and the "Best in Show" receiving a trophy or similar and other entrants receiving nothing or just a certifcate as you suggest. The misconception being engendered by those artists noting themselves as being "awarded"  is not going to add credibility to the industry here at all.

It is a hang over from the doll shows I think and there is no need for the bears to continue to follow up.

In Australia the bear shows judge the bears and then choose the the top three bears in the section and then judge the bear "Best in Show" these bears are given trophy's, rossettes or medallions. Now I consider these artists to be award winning artists. The rest of the bears in the competition are  noted by being given ribbons. The colour of the ribbon being tied to the points the bear gained in judging. Often blue being the highest etc.

I find it annoying that these artists then tend to write themselves up as "Award winning" or having won a "Ribbon Award".

I feel this is very misleading to collectors who may not know of the method of basically every bear in the competition "winning" a ribbon. Or that the colour of the ribbon denotes essentially technical proficiency.

Do other artists find this misleading information annoying? Should shows and judges stop "awarding ribbons" to stop this misleading information by artists.

Is misleading or am I just being a bit of a stickler for technicalities here!

I organise both shows and competitions in Australia and am interested in all comments.....especially form those who have won both medallions and trophys (in other words real awards!!) and ribbons.....which do you really consider to be an award.

Who really has the right to call themselves an "Award Winning Artist"

hey!!!! I actually like  the Tufted Tail, Stretchy Cheeked, Fluffy Faced Green Grabnibbler,he has PERSONALITY.....with bold capitals :dance:

I can't find  my really bad uglies.....they are buired under my uglies......which are buried under my OK's.....which are buied under  my not working out so not quite finisheds......which are buried under my hhmmmmm's I'm thinking of the next step ......which are buried under my......well you get the idea!!

Oh Brenda you were lucky.....but he sounds like he was one of those robbers who would have been so quite,it woulldn't have been too bad. I was held up 7 times when I worked in a bank. In the last one I got so angry that I started throwing the rolls of coin at him when he demanded the money. I stood there shouting at him and hurling the rolls of coin...no noes.... in the end he cut and run for safey.....and boy ....he was less scary than the cops when they turned up and tore strips off me.

The more "professional" quiet robbers and actually quite good in comparison to the hyper scared ones, Believe me....and even though I faced them I could NEVER give a good description...thank goodness I nearly always remembered to activate the cameras otherwise I think my bosses would have done more damage..... :crackup:  :crackup:

So don't have nighmares about it.........while robbery is never good....you missed a professional "safe" one by the sounds of it....which is basically what I'm trying to say.

You can send yourself  nutty if you think about the "what might have beens".

Oh Judi.....I can't think of anything worse,,,,,,your poor daughter and poor you. There are no words that can make this better at all. :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Oh boy is that one scary..like you I think I would have answered from the link. Will ebay stop the negative feedback though......i think they should as it's not really you....