Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Peta, let me ask my friends at my ATC trading site for their advice.  Many of them attended art schools, are professional artists, or even own galleries, so they'll know how to advise!  I'll get back to you when I can.

I've never shipped to Sweden per se.  And it's been a while since I've shipped internationally so my info might be out of date a little.  But I used to use Global Priority or sometimes even Global Express mail, both USPS services.  And I always had great results.  Global Express can get to far away destinations quicker than you can send a letter from California to Colorado -- seriously.  And it comes with some insurance attached.

Good luck and if you get confused, just ask questions.  If your post office is like mine, they're happy to be helpful.

Thank you!  Although my real hope in posting about it was less to garner personal notice than to spread the ATC word!  I hope the zine will inspire people to give this great artform a try, and maybe even to submit their work for consideration to the publishing site -- www.illustratedATCs.com.  I have nothing to do with the art panel there, or with who gets accepted for membership and who does not.  But we have a wide variety of skill levels, media preferences, and training (from hobbyist to gallery owner).  So I hope someone reading this here might give it a whirl.  We can always use talented, passionate new members, and it's a nice adjunct to other creative endeavors... like bear making!

You're not stupid at all!  I didn't know what Zetti was either until I got into ATC's, and altering stuff.

Zetti is a style of art.  The term was coined, I believe, by the husband and wife team of Tracy & Teesha Moore.  They're totally into journalling and altering stuff, and have a line of rubber stamps.  They refer to their stylings and their stamp line as ZETTIOLOGY. 

The style is colorful and funky, often based in collage, and often contains figures with wings; figure wearing dunce caps or crowns; black and white stripes (especially striped legs); and black and white checkerboards; plus hand-lettered text.

For more on Teesha Moore click here (ooh, just noticed she redid her website; must go explore!):  http://www.teeshaslandofodd.com/1/temp.html
For more on Tracy Moore click here:  http://www.zettiology.com/

Very nice, Tracy.  I like it a lot.  GREAT colors you've chosen, too; they really highlight your beautiful work.

Thank you, too, for including a link to my site.  It's appreciated!

I posted this in the ART CARDS area but wanted to post here, too, so this news got broader exposure.

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Just wanted to share.  I'm proud to say I have an article and some artwork in this new zine.  It was art directed by the admin/moderator at IllustratedATCs.com -- Sal Scheibe.  It's free to view and print; everything is 8.5 x 11 saved at 300dpi and available as a .pdf.  Give it a peek!  We're always looking for submissions, by the way... could you be featured next?

Good grief, that's gorgeous.  When are we going???

Daph, she's GORGEOUS.  I love owls; they're so majestic.  A rare treat indeed.  Thanks for sharing your pics.

I want to go and got a lovely invitation and it would be my fourth consecutive year there, but I'm really struggling with handling stress lately -- and have a resolution to reduce it no matter what.  I even had a mini hypertension crisis earlier this month, so I'm on the fence about the show purely for reasons having to do with how much I stress Jan-March about getting inventory up for it.  If I don't exhibit I'll be attending as a visitor, but I'll make a weekend of the show, either way, with my husband... so unfortunately I'm not available as a roommate.

I'm super excited you'll be there again, Dorothy.

Great idea.  I have most TTers on my blog already -- I ALWAYS presume they want extra publicity! -- and would love to add even more. 

www.potbellyarts.typepad.com

also known as

http://potbellyarts.typepad.com/

Bwahaha!  I love the little fire hydrant bow.  They're really adorable, Sonya.

Hey, how the heck are you???

HUGE love to you from California.  You've got the biggest heart on the planet.  I hope your New Year is absolutely fantastic, Jane.  Mwaa!

            :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Jane, you dear thing...  Yet another smashing holiday party!  You're a gift to this forum and to every person who visits here.  Your heart is as big as an ocean.

Thanks so, so, soooooo much for the wonderful, wonderful 2007 party.  I had a great time -- but watch out, Kim Basta.  I have no idea who that guy is you're snuggling close to, but I'm determined to be a contender.  The game is on, Basta.  Get ready for a Wild Thyme!!!

PS  LOVE all the shots of Kjeld and Quy you managed to fit into your scenes.  Snowboard Kjeld is a particular favorite. :)

PPS  An extra-special THANK YOU to Sarah for the funny, sweet poem!

I love the competitions but for purely stress-reducing reasons I'm not entering any this year.  I've entered both the TOBY and the GT the past four years in a row, though, and my strategy was to enter more than one piece (in those years it was possible to do so) across several categories, so I wasn't paying entry fees simply to compete against myself.  That's because you can only have one nomination per category, in most contests.  I think that's true for both the TOBY and GT -- although I haven't read the rules for this year's contests, I admit.

If I had several pieces made that might fit a single category, and I felt they were all strong contenders, though, I'd certainly consider entering more than one piece per category, just to increase my odds.  You only get to do this once a year, after all; why not maximize your chances?  For me, though, it's usually been pretty easy to decide whether I have "contest worthy" pieces at all, and then to choose which of those might fit a given category best.  And there's usually just been the one piece that worked.

I do know several artists personally who've entered the same piece across several contests and that piece gets nominated in one contest, and skipped over in another.  So Ellen's point about how a given bear might appeal to one judge, but not another, is a good one, and a good argument for "covering your bases."

Hope this helps a little.

Bwahahahaha!   :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:   Jennifer, you slay me.

Gorgeous, beautiful, perfect, charming.  I could go on and on.  Your vignette is superb.  I'm sure your collector will be absolutely thrilled!

I LOVE this bear.  It's maybe my favorite you've ever made.  Everything about him is perfection.  I want one. <pouts>

Patty, you must be so proud & excited!  You'll be the BEST gramma ever, I know it.  Lucky baby -- and beautiful, too.  I hope mom and family are doing well. 

Congratulations to you all!

I've tried trapunto pads but want to perfect them, and plan to try to do so in early 2008 (that idea is already on the project table.)  I also want to start sculping lids using new materials which I've acquired, but haven't worked up the courage to use just yet. I'm still pondering it all.  ALSO on the to-do list for early 2008!  And I'm wanting to redo my bear "look" proportionally, which is a larger enterprise because it takes a long while to get that pattern "just so."  But I'm thinking of moving away from the very "teddy bear" look I currently have to a more quasi-realistic look, with a smaller head in proportion to a much longer body, and shortish legs, longish arms.  Challenging!

Mine hasn't even shipped yet (slowpoke Shel) but it's going domestic and I'll be shipping it with expedited delivery so just in case you're waiting on one, it might still be en route, but sure to make it to you by Christmas..

Kathy, Marlys, I'd love to link with both of you.  I only post text links on my site and I'll add you both right now.

To link to me, use this banner and the URL www.potbellyarts.com:

... or ...

You can text link to me as:

or...

Thanks for the opportunity!

Unbeknownst to me, my classmates gave me chickenpox when I was a 14 year old freshman in high school, and I broke out in spots right before Christmas.  I looked so awful I hid inside over the entire Christmas break.  So not fun; it was supposed to be social time (no homework) for me!

One other notable gift stands out as particularly random.  My ex MIL and FIL, who often jump on trendy, health-related bandwagons, gave me and their son (my first husband) a box stuffed with a variety of colloidal vitamins for Christmas.  We had never expressed any interest in such a thing ever in our entire lives and when we opened their gift, we actually had no idea what on earth they had given us.  I guess they just wanted to share the health!

Wheeeeeeeeee!  Yay, Teddy Talk and Teddy TalkERS, who really are what make this place what it's become.

Look at the cutiepie ornament I got from Kathy Taylor today!  I love it and think it looks great nestled among the other ornaments and sparkling lights of my tree.

Thanks so much, Kathy, for this very special Christmas gift! 

LL, you're a rock star.  You've also got the memory of an elephant (or so the expression goes.)  How on earth do you remember this stuff?  And even when you can, how do you remember where to find it?

In any case, wowza girl.  Thanks for posting that awesome list.