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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
After seeing the comments on how many people were having a hard time meeting competition deadlines and because I would love more overseas entries for out first time at running an international comeptition we have also extended our deadline to 1st February 2009.
If you have doubts or concerns about entering this comp please PM or email me and I can see what I can do to help.
Entry forms can be found at http://www.woodlandspublishing.com.au/abc/comps.html
Please consider entering - not only will all entries recieve lots of exposure
1. Peoples choice will receive an original portrait, be the logo gor the next year and the trophy.
2. Their will also be an editors choice trophy
All entries will be seen on the internet also.
This comp offers some really great exposure to all entrants not just nominees and winners.
He is obviosly a man with no taste as well As I have a little Ted in my car made by Susuan Bartlett of Adorable Teddies..........he's travelled everywhere for about 10 years in my car.......anyway he threw Speedy on the floor and stole a McDonalds free toy that comes with the Happy meals. So what you can say......no honesty, no taste and no morals!!!
Yep and I'll add nits to the curse too!!!
I returned to may car from doing some shopping today to find it had been broken into and some earlier shopping taken plus my GPS system and some other stuff. I feel so angry I could just SPIT!!
Since Dad died last December I spend each Wednesday with Mum....we do some shopping, have a coffee and donut (OK I don't need the donut but I like them!!) and then do her grocery shopping.
Today we bought some last minute Christams presents (for my daughter and deom Mum to me) and this ..huge!! box of origami paper and book and Lara.......so I decided to drop it back to the car rather than walk around the grocery shop with it. This according to the police was my mistake as someone was obviously watching and seeing me return to the shops decided to help themselves to my shopping!!
The punched the lock out on the drivers door and after grabbing the shopping went through the glovebox and centre console and found my GPS system they took that and my daughter music notes!!! , her car charger for her nintendo DS lite, a swiss army knife and a small purse with Daffy Duck on it and 6 car fuses........go figure.
But what makes me really mad is all that for all he took he'll get about $50 down the pub as the GPS system is now 2 years old and 2 new modle have come out......without a syncing cable, manual or window bracket ( I didn't have that in the car) he'll get so little........but it will cost me a few hundred to replace it!!!
SO there goes money for Christmas for me as I will replace it.........it has saved so many domestics when we are navigating to places.......Garth doesn''t argue with it, as he does my navigational skills!! 
Rotten %^&^^&*(........I hope the fleas of a thousand camels invades his hairy parts.........and bring their crabby cousins for Christmas dinner............just for good measure!!!!!!!
Hi
I'm currently research an article for Aust Bear Creations on thos and have found that most airports have an irnformation page on the web on what they allow plus it's worth pritning this out and having it with you. I recently argued successfully to keep my short blunt scissors using theeir own paperwork......the guard was really grumpy but had to admit I was right.........so it is worth knowing and researching.
I bought a campers wardrobe........one of those steel frames with a canvas cover.......it keeps it dust free and I can see all that I have. After 20 years of bear making I seem to have accumulated more fur than I have made bears!!! In the bottom of the wardrobe I have a box for large scraps and if I want to make a two toned bear or an inset muzzle I scrabble through this box.
I once tried those big plastic storage bins but found them too much of a nuisance because the pieces down the bottom were always the ones I needed to look at again and then it would all get twisted and bent up as I pulled the piece out and then I would have to pull it all out and fold it neatly and it still didn't work when I tried rolling them up, Plus the pile always looked crushed and .......well...........it just didn't work for me.
This has been around a while but in case you haven't seen it...........
HOusework?????? What's that???? You really don't disturb the dust do you????? No no no..you leave that alone and no one will notice!!! 
just too cute.
wonderful photos.............so much fun seeing everyone elses bears.
congratulations :clap: :clap: :clap:
congraulations and your bears are really lovely.......you have put in so much work it's great to see you rewarded
Isn't that gorgeous
yep.........you have to love TT..............ask one question and end up with a whole different set of options to solve the issue you had never even thought of......I have used alligator clips but hadn't thought of using the zipper foot..........VERY logical though now that it's been pointed out......DUH.....just let me go bang my head on the wall a few times.........
hhmm.........I must admit I'm getting very envious of those with a Pfaff............
HHMMMM thanks Denise but neither of them are a Pfaff. But you obviously find it helps in comparison to the old machines you used so I suppose I can say I have one for and one against.........
Daphne I love that answer.....I did take down some very thick plush fabric and a walking foot did seem to work better with that but as I very seldom sew with thick plush fabirc these days it didn't really seem worth it and I found the mohair worked well without a walking foot but as I have also rarely sown my bears by machine I just thought I'd get other opinions.
Many many many years ago when I started making bears an experienced bear making told me to use a walking foot on the machine for easier sewing. I never did because at the time I sewed all by hand, which was mainly due to circumstances, I eventually just loved sewing by hand and the flexibility it gave me to sew anywhere and now "just do" for the sake of it.
However I am now thinking of doing more on the machine and have a bought a basic machine strictly for the mohair........it chatting to the technician in the shop I asked about a walking foot and we became so bogged down in the discussion of the pros and cons I eventually raced home and grabbed small samples of the different furs.......and we still couldn't decide as the pros and cons area bout equal.
So does anyone use one, tried one, have an opinion on one?...........................????????
I was burned more than once while I had my shop shipping overseas and in the end I refused to deal with one country in particular as they seemed to have more problems than any other. Especially once, with a credit card payment the buyer after requesting all these special things then claimed non- delivery and DESPITE INSURANCE!! still stopped payment on the credit card and I was left nearly $1000AUD out of pocket!! Even the credit card company admitted I did nothing wrong and I could prove the item was posted and that I complied with all their requests etc but as the "customer" did not receive their goods (their word against mine and the receipted delivery!!) I was left the victim..........yep I refused to deal overseas again with that country!!
So experiences like that may leave a nasty taste.
My older cousin just sent me this explnation of our life span......I thought you may get a giggle out of it......it certainly explains some of my older relations
LIFE EXPLAINED
On the first day, God created the dog and said:'Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will
give you a life span of twenty years.'
The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking.How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?'
So God agreed.
On the second day, God created the monkey and said:'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life
span..'
The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?'
And God agreed.
On the third day, God created the cow and said:'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk
to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.
The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?'
And God agreed again.
On the fourth day, God created man and said:'Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years.'
But man said: 'Only twenty yea rs? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?'
"Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'
So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.Life has now been explained to
you.
There is no need to thank me for this valuable information. I'm doing it as a public service.
http://www.elfmovie.com/swf/snowball_fight/index.html <http://www.elfmovie.com/swf/snowball_fight/index.html>
Just don't be naughty and hit Santa!!!!
Can I make a suggestion - if you do a progressive finish swap thing that all the finished critters be placed on Bid 4 bears, Bear Patch, or another simialr site and sold and the funds be donated somewhere agreed upon between the collabrotive artists, perproject.....perhaps after the artists who spent the money on the fur has received something back for the materials.
Would that seem fair to everyone involved?
HI
May I make another suggestion - the operators of these sites have limited funds just like everyone else.........if you have a dollar ot two to sparea and you decide to advertise in a magazine why not add Bid 4 Bears or Teddy Patch onto your advert..........with a line like
".....Also buy my bears at................"
Why not approach the organisers and arrange a special rate if you do this.........I;m sure they woudl be grateful .....and sooner or later all the collectors will get the message if all advertisers in magazines do this rather than list on ebay........they are NOT slow.
Plus try and pass the message onto bear artists who do list on ebay.
Have flyers on your trade tables at shows promoting the sites and list them on your business cards!!
The message PRONOTW PROMOTE PROMOTE!!
The colelctros have to learn about these sites..
I put up a post a while ago saying that I am willing to write article after article promtoing alternatives for ebay.......have spoken to or soon will be contacting both organiser of the other sites. You guys tell me what dates you want to run specials or something on these sites and I'll do the stories.
My magazine is here to help the artists......you just have tot tell me what you are adoing and when.........and suppot us in return by doing our comps and helping the articles and what you want us to say and do!!!
HI Everyone
Yes I am going to do an article on the various forums oth within Australia nad internationally like TT. All ideas and comments are welocme at this time. I am slowly tweaking the magazine tothe position where I want it and from all the feedback I'm getting I am I have generally got the mix right at the moment. So now I can concentrate on the article and stories I want to do that will make collectors, artists and makers all happy and to better integrate together.
I feel that this may be a good place to start so that collectors know how to buy and leave the most helpful feedback. I;m sure Karen's collector would be mortifyed to realise the position she has created for her.......I have left less than perfect feedback too without realising the consequences!!
So I need ideas and quotes and comments from everyone.
