Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

:dance: CatherWoods has a web site  :dance:

It took a ton of man hours (HUGE thanks to my hubby and sis!! ) and it is finally out there.  This was our first shot with any of this stuff and we're pretty pleased.  We know we're bound for updating and tweaking, but that's to be expected.  We had planned to launch with a "share with a friend" link in conjunction with the email list, but that will take a bit more time...poor hubby was beginning to look like that mad bloody typing animation that Shelli's been using with her HTML posts

I'd love for you all to take a peak and let me know what you think. 

:hug:
~Chrissi

He's about 10 inches.  This smallest size on CR CRafts seems to work very well.  I'm going to place it tonight so I'll let you know for sure!! :)

:hug:
~Chrissi

diggin in pockets for my 2 cents....lint, dust, hairband...an here it is my 2 cents  :

I think the challenge gallery area is just that "a challenge gallery".  There are guidelines set by whoever opens it to create something new that fits the guides for that "current" challenge.  I would cheer for posting pictures of older works in the thread to inspire others, but for challenge purposes the work in the gallery should be something created specifically for that challenge. 
I think the showcase area is a nice place to show off all of your nonsale works and the bears and friends area for salable. The threads can hold older pictures, but the galleries should be for "working" the challenge. 
:hug:
~Chrissi

After a rather unfortunate incident with the wire armature method I decided to try Lockline.  I just got my order in today. It's so professional and clean, well I'm just thrilled!!  I pulled the lockline thread out of th packaging and inserted it into a little unstuffed arm waiting for a week to be finished.  Simply inserting it in the arm and feeling the bend and range of motion was enough to sell me for good!! I'm so excited to use it for real now.
Thank you Judy for your help! :hug:   (The CR Craft Catalog is really cool too...)

:hug:
~Chrissi

Like I said in another post  I just printed out all of the rules/policies and whatnot this weekend and went over them in my typical analytical way 

I actually thought that same thing...who's to say an artist couldn't just list a bear on a site and let a sister or mom or brother buy it to keep it in the family.  Frankly until the rules state otherwise it's still a sale a long as monies are passed between 2 parties for goods. 
What made me blink and re-read was the artist making 50% and at least the head...what is that about???  I think for competition an artist should be creating the piece from head to toe...but that's just me. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems weird to me.  But then again I'm too much of a details freak to let someone else's hands create what's essentially(litterally actually) my name.
Hoping this will be a fun and exciting experience!!  I wasn't planning on entering anything this year..they were next year's goals.. no time like the present, right

:hug:  :hug:
~Chrissi

There seems to be a new tech addition to the bears and friends (index) area.  It looks like photos of current bears are randomly showcased.
Mighty cool new feature Quy!!

:hug:
~Chrissi

I justed printed out all 6 documents this weekend....here's the main link. http://teddybearandfriends.com/ In the first section you will see "link1" "link2" "link3". There are documents in each
'link"     

:hug:
~Chrissi

Glad you're feeling better Jodi..working retail while ill STINKS!!  Been there done that!  I worked retail for 8 years and it broke my back.  I was the manager of a women's clothing shop. Because of the area I live in people expected to be paid more...so I was always understaffed, unable to hire because the pay was horrid compared to other retailers, and the staff I did have weren't working because they had to but because they wanted to get out of the house for a while.  If it snowed 1/8 of an inch they called out, if the kids had a last minute play date they called out, and guess who was always always called in on her one day off??  you got it...me 
The company couldn't keep a floor plan set for more than 3 days..they thought I had large steroid taking elves in the back room to do all of the floor moves during the night. SO needless to say my back was shot after it all.
Oh, did I mention they went out of business too.....yep bankrupt.  But they never listened to us, they might still be around if they had. For all it's issues my store was always ahead of plans and always receiving awards and winning the contests they sponsored...you know the ones where you sell a $100,000 worth of clothes and as a bonus you get a nifty travel mug  :twisted:
My FAVORITE story is when it snowed over 4 feet one Sunday..we were in the middle of a huge blizzard. It was enormous and stalled over us for something like 2 days. We had a governor's warning  where if you're caught on the roads and you're non emergency you get fined big time, maybe even jailed.  So I call my DM (town over) to touch base per policy...she's making pancakes with her hubby...clangin' away with the pots and pans & she tells me to go open the store!  Nit wit    (No I didn't go in.....who the heck is going to go out in a blizzard to buy pantyhose or a blazer??!!! ). 
Hang in there... I'm not going to lie and say it gets better, it never does..it's retail   :crackup:

:hug:
~Chrissi

Kim, your blankie story is like an episode of House  :crackup: Took one doc to think outside the box and "see" the situation.  Good old Bucks County docs...gotta love 'em

:hug:
~Chrissi

:clap: Congratulations!! :clap:   How very exciting!
Suzie looks very pleased with the news too, what a cutie

:hug:
~Chrissi

Now I must buy the sampler pack from prefurs too.....
Are these those lovely furs that are thick and ...what do you call it when the  fur is graduated in color...like when it's darker on the top and then lighter towards the bottom of the fur (or vice versus)....so sculpting looks amazing??  Are these furs like that Daphne??

I'm working on a plushy synthetic bear now but had to stop for some supplies to come in.  I thought we were doing a challenge too. ?yes, no?
:hug:
~Chrissi

And now you have all of those rockin' cool Shortcake luvs with you!!

My blankie stories aren't sweet and cuddly Jared  
My mom would try to wash it while I was sleeping and without fail I would wake up and pitch a fit...she finally tape recorded it; this is back when tape recorders were brand new high tech fun.  "I want my sunshine yellow ba-bi...I like it dirty" was being screamed by a 2 year old, but it sounded more like Gollum from Lord of the Rings  :crackup:  I likes it dirty..me wants it now..gasp gasp gasp AND of course the tapes are now infamous within the family.   

:hug:
~Chrissi

These stories are cute! 
I don't have a specific teddy bear memory (I have plenty of memories where I freaked out over not having my blanket with me) but I still have my first bear. My mom got this bear at my baby shower and always told me it was my first bear ever.  He was always in the crib, my room and now he lives in my studio. He's lost his nose over the years and was washed 1,000 times, lost patches of fur, but still has his jingle inside.

:hug:
~Chrissi

Thank you Quy (and shelli for putting together already!!)
:hug:

Sarahjane,
That's kinda sorta what I was thinking too.  Maybe a listing of the awards and the links to each
sponsor of(??)
If that's not an easy undertaking, the names and or links here in this thread works for me for now.

Thanks all
:hug:
~Chrissi

Hi all,

I'm familiar with The Toby and The Golden Teddy.  What other awards are out there for teddy bear artists and where is the information on each located?  Google serches don't bring up a whole lot if you don't have the specifics. 
Thank you for your help!!

:hug:
~Chrissi

Hey Kim , this just popped into my head when I saw this.  I was never much of a water drinker either, when I started I did it minimally and then increased to what "they" recommend each day.  I couldn't figure out whey I was getting sick to my stomach all the time, seemed like pepcid and all the others didn't help.  The one doctor I was seeing asked about my water consumption....she said to cut back, that the daily volume is good but not for everyone.  It may be that your tum isn't made to take in the 8 a day.

Jenn,
About being tired all the time I would suggest having your thyroid tested every few months.  They use a scale, #s to see if your "in range".  You normal level may be right at an edge of the range...if it shifts even slightly it could be enough to make you very very tired.  Again, this scale is the black and white of medicine...some of us are in the gray and not exactly what the norm is.  If you have it tested a few times your doctor may see a shift that deems a small amount of medication. 
I was showing all the classic signs of hypo thyroid...I was adamant with my (old) doctor about my family history, but they kept insisting my "levels" were in range.  Well, 6 months later I was so sick and wound up in the ER hooked up to a heart monitor with a fever and debilitating fatigue. The ER doctor told me my level was so bad and he mentioned people lapsing into thyroid induced comas!!! HEELLLLOOOOO where were my doctors when I was telling them my history and symptoms??!!
The number one mistake doctors make with this disease is looking at the numbers alone and not all of your symptoms.  If you don't like what your doctor is saying: find a new doctor, it's your health on the line not theirs!!

:hug:
~Chrissi

Good night all!!!!  It's nearing midnight here and I'm beat too....
night daphne, night sarah, night joan, night aleta, night shantell, night sue ann, night John boy (hope I didn't miss anyone.....  :hug: if I did it's only because I'm tired as all get out  :hug: )

:hug:
~Chrissi

GOOD night daphne!!

you mean soft pretzels???

crumpet muffin......I really think this should be the next name for a bear....crumpet muffin.  we should each come up with a crumpet muffin and then display them as fuzzy slipper bears

this is like "who's on first" english muffin style!!!  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:

is that a crumpet???  kinda like a thomas' englsu muffin I guess???

Sorry!!!  I was flipping through Better Homes and saw this...it looked SO GOOD!!  I nearly went online and bought the makeup, JUST becuase it looked so good with the chocolate!!  now that's advertising genius.  Note to self... take photos of newest bears surrounded by blocks of chocolates, piles of truffles.....