Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

A they certainly gave me a giggle ......loved them.

Thank you to everyone who has sent me in photos but still pleanty of space for more if you have made a dog.

The magazine goes on sale on 1/5/09 voting will be open at this time.........soon after voting is finished........so as not to confuse people I think we will be displaying all entries on the website.....discussing this with the webmaster at the moment but have to admit we have not got together all in one place at the moment.

My right hand is still in a cast and I'm having treatment for a tumour on my optic nerve......so driving is an no-no for insurance purposes and I really need to see the web-guys ideas on the screen as we don't seem to be on the same wavelength.... :crackup: . Actually we seem to be on the opposite ends of the spectrum. I want black and get white..... :crackup: .......his explanations are always logical but frustrating.

The voting will be up on the ABC website in a few weeks when the magazine hits the streets........so everyone here will get to have their say and I of course have to also decidde on who to wins the editors choice award!!

I know there are any number of you out there who do wonderful dogs. As I want to introduce these to my readers I would love

1/ High resolution photos sent to Sandra@bearhug.com.au   also if they are award winning critters what awards did they win?

2/ Any general comments or advice you have on designing or making dogs. Espeically if you feel you can reveal any "secrets" general comments making different breeds.

3/ Any general comments you have had from collectors when they see dogs rather than teddy bears on your table........are they the same collecotrs or different?

Email to sandra@bearhug.com.au  also please do not embed photos into emails please send as attachemenst.......thanks

When your wedding inviataions go out with.....

With a photo of one of your creations and the wording "Mummy and Daddy are finally making us legitimate, you are invited tot the wedding of...."
rather than being invited by the brides parents.......AND......
not one friend is surprised at the style and wording of the invite .....AND ......
a friends 13 year old son seeing the outside photo of a teddy bear and the words "wedding invitation" ..... says......."Aunty Sandra is finally getting married is she?" without looking inside!!!

I don't think I'm addicited at all......

Us Bears is correct tha some people do have a culture of bargaining......many years ago I worked in a jewelers and a man of middle eastern apperance came in and bargained for a clock. His questions started "Hw much for one" How much for 2....and so om unitl he reached 10. When my boss then said a price he wanted the one clock for the price of ten and so they kept bargaining........I remember being totally horrified and thought the man was horrible.

However having travelled through Europe etc I saw bargaining done as an artform in some areas and now accept that some see it as a way of life. However I do feel slightly insulted at the way some people ask for a discount and as a rule point out the hours and cost of materials. If they can't afford the bear ....well.....sorry.

I also had a charity person that I said no to a donation of a bear to get quite stroppy with me......I suggested that when she donated a weeks wages I would donate a bear....that stunned her!!

That's great Peta. I am interested in either a marionette puppet or the type you insert your hand inside of. I think puppets would make a great article.

The other day I bought my daughter, Lara, a puppet soft toy. This is a raccoon in a garbage can. There is Lycra below the fur of the raccoon's body, which seems to cover the forearm  The garbage can is also made of fabric. Lara has had so much fun playing with this soft toy that it made me wonder if anyone else has made a puppet bear?

If you have, could you please send me a photo to: Sandra@bearhug.com.au

I am thinking that this may be a fun article for the magazine

well went to the surgeon today and now have a lovely sky blue plaster on the hand.......have damaged the scaphoid, tapezoid and a few other "zoids" in the hand. In plaster for 7 weeks and then he will review the bones progress and decide if surgery is needed!!!!  As the bones were sitting nicely in place and none of teh fractures or breaks were in nasty places he is actually quite positive......just surprised thst I managed to damage so many in the hand and not anywhere else in my body. He actually commented that if he sees a hand with so much damage usually ribs and or legs are also damaged. Trust me to be different!!

Ah well 7 weeks in our hottest weather in a cast!!!!!!!  uurrggghhh    

I must thank all of you who have sent me photos for my crocheted and knitted bears article and questions and entry for the ABC Awards. I am trying to get back to everyone but have a major problem.........I currently only have one hand.

Due to renos underneath our house the front yard got way overgrown and out of hand......so we got someone into help. He called me out to show me several dead birds he'd found in the garden and to ask if there could possibly be snakes......which as we are quite near the bush was a possibility. Our helper was from Newfoundland and as a non-Aussie was rather cautious about all our deadly snakes and stuff.

As I walked away down 5 stairs he called out another question..... I looked over my shoulder to answer .........and stepped off into midair!!  Someone had taken the bottom 3 steps away...... I tried to roll into a ball as I headed for our concrete diveway and act like I was drunk........but still landed heavily. Poor Ken (the helper) nearly had a fit and raced over expecting me to be unconcious or have a broken leg.......initially I thought I was fine........ untl I found I couldn't move my right thumb!!!

So I've done major damage to my right thumb and pointer finger.... well the bones!!  I see the surgeon on Wednesday but have been told it will be between 2 to 6 months before I may be able to move either normally......depending on how I heal!!

Until Wednesday I can't move my right hand for anything........boring!!!

So if you have been waiting for me to answer emails........so sorry but I haven't been doing much ....... and fretting about what I can't do.

Major bad start to 2009........     

And it tuned out the culprit for killing the birds was a nest of funnel web spiders (yes deadly to humans too) and poor Kenny nearly had a fit when he dug them up......one rather large one actually ran after him from one side of the garden to the other!!  The next day he found a major settlement of Red Back spiders in the garden (also deadly) he killed 28 of them........ he told me he wanted to see some of native animals and stuff but this was bit over the top!! Poor guy....he then finally put on the leather gardening gloves I had suggested he should be wearing  

bearhugs
Sandra

Hi Karen

Yes Pauline Wong lost the battle on Dec 9. I have spoken at length with her husband Casey and we have put togther a two page tribute in the mag of her work. She was in remission and thought she was doing well but it returned and she has no reserves left and the went very quickly..... Oliva Russell barely had time to let any of us know.

It is extemely sad.

Hi Everyone

The magazine went of the printers yesterday and unfortunately we had to drop a number of articles due to three unexpected events....one very sad one....Australia lost a lovely artist in early December due to cancer and I wanted to pay tribute to her....Pauline was not only an exceptional artist but a ggreat advocate for the industry. Two other article also needed to be included for various reasons and we just ran out of room......so this article and two others had to pulled from this issue to be carried forward to the next.......I will let you know which issue it will be in.

Sorry everyone at them time I pt this up it had been allocated pages and laid out and I wanted to give you all time to  get yourselves organised.

A bit over 15 years ago I was quite ill and my weight sky-rocketed out of sight due to medication and as I'd never had a weight problem I continued to eat as though I was still doing my high calorie burning activities instead of basically bed ridden. The fact that I have continued to have ill health and am basically clumsy (well sort off) have seen my plans to lose weight hi-jacked time after time (torn ligaments, ripped muscles etc etc)

So when Lara started school 3 years ago I have always been worried that she might be teased over the fact that I am overweight and also 10 years older than most Mum's. (I was 41 when she was born) I fully intended to keep a low profile at the school but that went out the window this year as the teacher found out I had studied Speech and Drama for some years and asked if I would be willing to work with the kids doing drama......so I was in the class twice a week helping with reading and coaching the kids to act and putting on short plays.

Next came craft......would I be willing to help and organise a project for the class....I chose a pompom type doll/clown and took my sewing machine in and all the kids had a chance to sew two seams on the cloth body. I made the big pompoms for the head and bought others but they all made one small one.......I had heaps of buttons and trim and they all sewed these on the body by hand.....another hour in the class room for 2 terms helping them all to finish. Not to mention the the hours I put in at home doing some of it for each of them.

Lara did mention at the end of term that some of the girls told her "Your Mum rocks." which I thought was ok but as this was basically from her friends I did think they were just being nice to Lara.

Today at the local shopping centre I passed two of the boys from her class and they both ran up and greeted me, one of the boys was visiting the other. Finally their Dad caught up and I said good bye to the boys and went to move on......I heard the Dad ask the boys who I was. The answer was "Oh that's Lara's Mum she soooo coool......she helped us put on the best plays" then the other boy interrupted with "And the really neat clown we made...Mondays were the best day at school in the end." I had to pause and look in a shop window so I could eavesdrop then as the boys told the Dad all the great things they did and learnt with me at school and how much fun they had. They were especially enthusiastic about the the sewing machine!!!

Well I nearly needed a sunroof to fit my head in the car after that ....... now if I can only retain the rep of being one of the coolest Mum's. Who cares about a bit of extra weight......I can do things the skinny Mum's can't!!!

Though I still intend to lose that weight this year!!!

I still need more photos of knitted or crocheted bears........please.

All we need are lovely lovely photos and a fee by Feb 1.

Please do give us a go....

Hi Sandi

Sorry Sandi I was told that none of the sites supported the article.....in that case you will have follow up editorial on the shows and forums etc etc.....as you know my I will always go the extra for those who support us.

beahugs
Sandra

HI Everyone

As promised I have written the article promoting Bid4bears, BearPatch, Bearpile, Etsy, Artfire and Teddy Bears and Critters Australiasia and pointing out some of the problems artists have had with Ebay........I also put in a plug for a few of the forums such as TT.

The mag is still with our layout people but I see no problems with the article staying in this issue .........I'll let you know if for some reason it is delayed but I thought I'd just let you all know because the mag will hit the stands in Australia in early March, around the 6th.

It would be nice if those of you making the push to get collectors and others to notice these sites have a bit of showing there.......of course the mag will then make it overseas to the UK, Sth Africa, US and Europe 2 months later.

I don't think I will be doing much in the following issues to promote the sites as none of them, at this point, have offered to advertise with the mag and I have other editorial obligations to advertisers. So sorry,  I'll have to throw the ball back to you guys to make the other sites attractive to collectors.

I will try and watch how you are going in getting sales and traffic and will help if I can but can't make any promises for more promotion at this point.

Hi

I;m doing an article on knitted and crocheted Teds for Australian Bear Creations - anyone interested insending me a photo of their work can email me a high resolution photo to

sandra@bearhug.com.au.

deadline 1st February 2009

love to hear from as many as possible and if anyone has comments on knitting or crocheting bears - pros cons, problems, adventures etc I'd love to have those too.

Paula I can positevly tell you that the requirments will not change, the photos and criteria listed this year will be the same next year and I will not be requiring the bear for entry either next year. I will be looking at the closing date given the comments etc so it will either be early February or a bit later.

I hope to also set up email entry for next year but that will be ironed out during the year.

That's right the bear is no longer requied at any time now.  We originally only needed the nominated bears to go "on tour" while Poeples Choice Voting was going on but as the shows have a new owner and I couldn't organise an alternative we've axed that idea and now it's like the other competitions and is straight photos only throughout.

I am disappoitned but I think most of the artists are finding to easier to contemplate......   and already more artists are showing interest in entering.

Sorry for all my Australian friends as well.............no bears will be requird to be posted in at all.......we need only the lovely photos please.

Fo all of those wishing to enter if for some reason you don't feel that you can post them please PM me and I'll sort something out. We didn't do an email entry this year but will most certainly be doing so next time.

bearhugs

Silly me I just posted another topic without thinking about this one...........see what happens whne you stay up past midnight partying!!!

Basically the oher thread says that the postal requirements have been dropped due to the sale of the shows to a new owner. So our overseas friends no longer have to post in the bear. I really hope this means some of you may now consider entering!!

bearhugs

Hi Everyone

I wasn't sure about this until New Years Eve.........but I can now announce that the requirments for the postal of the bears has been dropped from our competition.

We were going to take the nominees on "tour" with the Stitches and Craft shows which would have been great publicity fo the bear industry and one of the reasons I wanted to do it.........despite knowing that it would have been difficult for our overseas friends.

However some months ago Reed Exhibitions sold the shows to another company .........who won a general craft magazine. We have tried to find laternative methods to keep the "tour" idea alive but basically we are either too late in negotiations with other craft shows or the options do not offer the wide audience that I wanted to reach and therefore to me are not worth the lost opportunity of have some of the entries from overseas.

So I now hoppe that coupled with our extended deadline of 1 February some of our overseas friends will consider entering.

Entry forms can be downloaded at  http://www.woodlandspublishing.com.au/abc/comps.html

bearhugs

Daphne

It is a two way street, as a magazine editor and ber artists myself I really do try to listen and look at how I can support the industry and artists. In return I hope artists will support us and also try and communicate with us as to what they want to see and read in the magazine.

Since taling over as editor of Bear Creations I have changed a lot in the magazine.......now I just need artists collectors and makers to let me know what I'm getting right and what I'm getting wrong!