Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Lol Ellen, I think we posted at the same time... work gets slow at the end of the day when my boss isn't here so I'm wasting time XD

I will explain to Poke that you still like him, but I think he will be saddened that he is no longer your favourite    Don't suggest rebellion to him, I'm still worried about the length of those claws!

I just had a look on the website of the lady you were sat next to at Hugglets, and I really want a monkey or penguin from her now  wish I'd taken photo's of her stand on the day, but your bears distracted me! 

Awww, thanks Wendy! You're right about the pattern buisness, although I have to admit I was working on an alternate sloth for a friend last night and managed to outline AND cut out three of the same leg pieces  Luckily I can get another cut out of my scraps!  I don't like making the claws at the minute, because the clay I use is really soft when modelling and difficult to detail Ah well, I agree they look great once finished!

Thanks for the comment karen, you calling them cute means a lot, looking at your avatar bear! What wistful eyes!

Could you try taking the image to a photo-printing shop?  Even if you just get one print of it, that will tell you if it's your colour that's the problem or the printer... There are different colour selections available in Photoshop, one of which is just the basic copier colours, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was! I'll look when I get home...

As a last resort, try looking at the image on another computer... maybe it's the contrast of your screen   Or you can e-mail it to me and I'll have a look with Photoshop: if that's easiest please feel free!

(sorry for the ramble-ness!)

Good luck!

Ellen, Poke will be upset! He thought you loved him! 

XD Only joking! I'm glad you like her She was harder to make than Poke, thanks to all those smaller details, but I think she will be the one I add to the Lemonade Bear Benefit: I want to 'test the water' with these guys with a case where it doesn't matter profit is made (although obviously it would be best if it was a decent amount :D)

I'll post here if she's the auction piece, and I'll make a new post under the 'for sale' forum

Thanks!

I like the word Parlando: maybe you can get a Sloth-style growler? Lol, I suppose I could buy a recordable voice box and try to google a sloths voice... maybe a little too much this early on!

Oooh, Jane I'm so jealous! I'd love to work for an establishment like Monkey World once I've finished my Zoology degree, but I've never been able to go to Monkey World: just watch Monkey Business!

I definatley appreciate the photo's Glad you had a good time! Are you going to be working on a new ape/monkey soon? I was thinking of having a go at a Gibbon next

Awww, he's gorgeous!  Just what I'm looking to create with my first realistic pattern... what a lovely face too!

I'm also interested in this question: eagerly awaiting answers!  I've found a bargainous machine (a ER CLASSIC KPN SERIES?) with a 5 year guarantee on it because it's ex shop display, and one of the best things in it's description is: "Will sew through multiple layers of fabric" My mini sewing machine died when I tried it... Also "Fabric range: fine, medium, heavy including: quilting denim, leather, suede, curtains and soft furnishings " sounds good to me... still not sure what else I need though! 

Hmmm...  that is a pickle!  Would you be wanting to make the money up at the weekends or during the week? Usually the scabbiest jobs have the best pay for the hours, so something like early morning cleaning or something like that might do it... or do what I used to do: Sundays at Boots is time and a half   I don't know much more than that... there used to be a job thing for students where people would text a company questions and they paid students to research the answers and text them back, but that's all I can remember!

... I'm sure other people will have better suggestions XD  In the meantime i would say that if this is a better job for you, even if it does start at a lower wage, it is well worth the temporary loss of funds   Good luck!

That biker bear is AMAZING! How did you sort out that costume?? I'm supposed to be making a Harely Davidson sloth for a friend who does my hair, and I don't know where to start!

Awww Aleta, I'm always running out of stuff but not glass pellets yet! pretty much all my suppliers here in the UK stock them, and I'd just ordered a massive bag when a lady who used to make bears gave a loads of her old supplies to her mum... pot of beads included!

Good luck tracking it down I use bear basics and christie bears over here, but I expect the shipping would shock you!

Thanks Patsy   I'm glad you like the blue eyes: I only used them because I was too impatient to wait for my brown eyes to arrive XD  I was worried they looked a bit weird, but her face is growing on me... I just want to trim down her claws a little and decide where she's going before I change anything else!

I like Patulous too (even though i can't spell it!) but I think that would be a cracking name for even bigger sloths: the one I'm making for myself is going to be massive, and I can see his face when I read that word XD maybe I could make big 'uns if they become popular in the normal sizes?  I'd be a little worried about the massive claws though...

Mwah, love you all and your lovely opinions

http://www.glasseyes.com/cgi-bin/products.pl?ref=blanks

Looks like I'm a post too late :D

These people are alweays very nice to deal with there are coloured cats eyes under teddy eyes, and these are the blanks I could find   Good luck!

I think anything is good Catherine Certainly sloths are ok, as I e-mailed her and asked about critters   I think if they're ok then other bears will be too!

That last one is BRILLIANT! I couldn't watch it at work, and I'm glad I didnt... that is hilarious!!!

:hug: thanks from bringing this source of joy into my life  :crackup:

I wish I could join up, but I'm not sure I have any other creative skills XD Bar oil painting, but I don't know that anyone would appreciate my efforts... Have fun everyone! I'm looking forward to seeing what you get anyway!

Awww, thanks Cat, you're so sweet i had a very flattering offer at Hugglets whilst lugging him around, so I'd like to get a realistic idea of what people will be happy to pay for one of these freakishly contorted creations XD  Whether it's this one or not will be decided when the next one comes to life (as soon as I can nurse life back into my fingers!)

i was worried when I heard Cadburys were going to be using apes in their new adverts (I watch Monkey Business too much, plus the problem of actually knowing what these creatures are like, thanks to my ongoing degree ) but when i saw this I couldn't help but laugh: what a fab advert!  Not sure where the chocolate link is but that is briliant....

Grrr, it just deleted all my extensive writings!!! Anyhoo, the jist of it was:

I like Papoose as a description! The best i had was present and poppet sized, but I guess poppet would be smaller... he is about the size of a baby, so that's a definate contender... thanks Ruth!

Cat, you were missed muchly It was great! I wish I'd stayed longer, but i felt a bit guilty taking up peoples time when I knew I couldn't buy any bears... it was my first purchase of mohair face to face though I bought some lovely black and white cuts for my BBAA entry, and the super soft brown tip that made up Naira... wish I'd bought more of that.  I added my photo's to the Hugglets post, but here is the shot of Poke, Catherine and Me (lol, sounds a bit Roald Dahl!) that you wanted :P

Thanks for all the nice comments!

Thanks, Kathy! I didn't really like the eyes at first, but they're growing on me

Afternoon all!  I'd like you to meet my second Slothlet, possibly called NAIRA, meaning 'big eyes' in Quechua and Aymara.  She is smaller than original Slothlet (possibly now called Poke... I'm having trouble with names!) as you can see by the picture, and will probably be the middle sized in a sloth range if I ever get round to finalising the pattern :P

She has blue eyes, which is a first, and is made from Schulte Mohair from Hugglets, with hand cast claws and a needle-felted face.  A double-jointed neck echoes that fact that these guys actually have two more neck vertebrae than quoted for mammals, and lets her pose easily.  Still showing a few loose threads here, she will either be my donation for the Lemonade Bear Benefit (and the first of her kind to sell, fingers crossed) or she may go to a close friend... I haven't decided yet!

I do, however need help with something: I need a description for the biggest size sloth to go with pocket sized and pint sized.... another 'p', ideally.... anyone got any ideas?  I need them!

Hope you like her :)

Ok, so it's set, Naira will officially be being auctioned as my donation to the Lemonade Bear Benefit on September 21st...  I feel all weepy! I guess I do actually have to start attempting a profit on my crazes XD I hope she does well, because I'll be judging whether or not people will buy them on this auction! A lot rests on those teeny shoulders!

As far as I'm aware, Elephants have always been a popular non-bear, ranking up there with cats, dogs and rabbits... they have a separate section in my soft toys collectors guide, and there's some pretty old examples in there

Their moleskin is about that length i think, Mandie It's ever so dense though, so prepare to have to do a lot of trimming and using extra strong thread! I think it would be worth it, my sample pieces were ever so silky...

Try these guys: they sell Tissavel and their other brand faux is lovely too: when I ordered a few swatches they sent me loads!

http://www.fauxthrow.com/

I think it depends on what you want the askeleton to do If is needs to flex then I would say it would be better to have just the one, strong wire: this means less wiring to get bent out of shape and will prevent the structure from getting 'bumps' If it's for strength, maybe a soldered group would be better... I hope that makes some sense!

Lucky you! I want to work there some day XD  I was going to contact Jim Cronin about work experience this Summer, but he passed away earlier this year   Have a great time, say hi to Amy for me