Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH, I instantly broke into a broad smile..................that says it all  

Adorable

I can understand how you feel, I live in the fens and although there are quite a few brilliant bear artists around me I have not met any of them.

I had to bend hubby's arm to take me to a bear fair last august, I did find it rewarding and on a quality front felt that I would not be laughed out of the place if I had a stand there.

I can tell by your photos that you make your bears very well and they do look good quality

As for supplies I buy all mine on the internet, even ribbons from America, you have to buy quite a few to make it worth while but the choice is so much better than what I have locally, and mohair is a ball of wool that you knit here

Big congrats on the bunny sale, it is a really nice feeling isn't it that someone wants to own your creation :dance:

A well deserved award, crow as much as you want, preen away. It must have been such a thrilling moment  

Oh Iva a TRUE pioneer

Do they have craft shows, you could always become "The Czech Ambassador for Teddies"

On a more serious note both the UK comps start as being photo entries, maybe if someone is not using their coupons for Teddy Bear scene, they could donate them to the New Czech Ambassador :pray:

Vicki, it is the patchings art centre, please say hi, at the mo I only have partial bears so am getting really stressed, I just know I won't have enough I am aiming for 20 but will probably only have 15

Sorry Iva for hijacking your thread, can I ask, are  there no other bear makers in Czech Republic, a pioneer   Just thinking you could maybe get together with some others and start your own show I know that there is alot of organisation invovled but if you just started small it could maybe grow

Hi Iva, The competitions that I know of are in both the UK magazines
Teddy Bear scene is just starting to run its comp and you need coupons from the magazine plus the entry form, unless you subscribe
The other one is The British Bear Artist awards in November (this year), there is a section for overseas artists.

I think that quite a few of the shows do run there own comps but I am only just doing my first show at Nottingham so I don't really know about these

Hope this helps

My Vote Too

Thanks Jane

Bobbie I'm 4831

It will be a teddy talk roll call I hope
:clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Tears are a rolling big time  

Priceless indeed

PS Hubby nodded sympathetically

I know this may be obvious, but can Paypal legally with-hold funds??
Credit card companies cannot do this to shops unless fraud is suspected

Hi Sue, sorry for the fast post earlier. I, like many started a personal account on ebay many years ago and although, I could have changed my personal account to business, I decided that I would use "fenbearyfolk" as my business name on ebay, so my choices were to start afresh or change my ebay name. I decided to start a new ebay ID as my hubby sometimes sell off odd car parts and I do buy alot of non beary things, it also makes it easier to keeping separate accounts for the taxman. The new rules that ebay have, will make it harder for anyone starting new. I took into account the fact that my new business name will be seen with no feedback at the start but had not realised that other things would come into play, so to speak.
Normally one checks your paypal account for funds deposited, possibly in the future you will have to send items and trust that a buyer will not leave bad feedback. It seems that as previously said it is all intended to keep buyers happy, there seems to be no balance. This is from both a seller and a buyer.
This is just my opinion and would not want to mislead nor offend

Sorry , let me get this right............

As a seller of handmade crafts I have to register as a business seller, I have 233 100% positive on my personal account but as a NEW business seller with 0% feedback (I took the opportunity to register separately as fenbearyfolk), my money can be withheld by paypal!!!!!!!

Are Ebay trying to make life difficult for businesses???  why!

PS Bobbie, good for you

Well girls, BE GREEN WITH ENVY......................................I am passed that stage and have a beaut of a 16 year old, she washes up (hate that), endless cups of tea (hubby drinks bucket fulls), peels potatoes, hoovers.................................all for £15 per week (scivvy) and last week she added more stuffing to some bear arms and legs, as in her opinion "not firm enough"

Grin, bear it, and enjoy, they DO not stop little for long

PS Down side- answering back, dubious friends, messy bedroom...................... :crackup:

My role- peacemaker(hubby and her are too alike), taxi service, counsellor,  homework checker  :lol:

PPS Still don't have enough time

Foot pad in the wrong way round, that was my sunday, migraine yesterday. BUT I have a schedule so I feel better today. Scared but better, my show is 6 weeks away too.

Daphne bummer on the comp thingy.

As for Hugglets, I will go one day I am determined

Iva, she is lovely :hug:

Hi Sophie, what a very sweet face and a gorgeous fabric

They are all so beautiful, but White Diamond just has the nudge for me, closely followed by Florrie  

What beautiful fur, she is lovely. Now towels, hot water, and an sos for any midwives attending, that just about covers it :crackup:

They are both just absolutely beautiful    

Chloe, I have just had 11 Pieces around the 20cm mark plus 3 growlers and shipping was 13 euros. I also paid on Tuesday arrived Thursday, can't beat that, there is a 4% surcharge for credit cards and paypal as well. The special fabrics were really good value

Hi, have you tried Probear, they started a sale last Saturday and I got a great selection. Their catagory 1 is set at 0.24 euros a cm, so for about $5 +p &p you could get about 15-20cm, which as its a full width of material will make about a 10-13 inch bear, both SP1 and 16 are really nice, just be carefull though, £80 later, I could not decide, so had to have a few, sucker for a bargain and all that
At least that way you could play and it not be too expensive if it goes wrong 
www.probear.com

Confused?? you will be, well I am.

Am I right in thinking that if I am not a Power-seller then I do not need to upgrade to a business account??? with ebay

As long as I make it clear that I am running this, as a business, then that is ok with EU regs?????

As for an address?? Does not directing to a website with details on sufficient????.................HELP

Boy does the EU annoy me, I did swear profusely, with **'s but did not want to offend so deleted

Paula, you are a star :hug: great idea

Paula, I had not thought about undercutting the other bear makers, it puts a completely different perspective on it and I would not want to end up being scowled at all day.

You are so spot on about the costs, I suppose I was so bothered about just covering the cost of materials that I am in danger of doing as Christine says, getting known/stuck on low prices and eventually getting despondant.

I naturally do love people and I know once I am there it will be great, but its getting there.

On a lighter note A BOX arrived today from Probar :dance:  :dance: only placed order at weekend, the wonders of a credit card and I have growlers, I soooooo love them, hubby is working on saturday as well, so a whole 12 hours of bear making :dance:

Thanks guys, I think I understand on the tablecloth front, Maria, when I used to do the markets the customers were much the same, 1p was too much
Paula, I love your displays, they are very uncluttered but not stark.
Pricing is, I think, going to be my real achilles heal. My quality measured up to those that were there, but I am used to listing on ebay for about the material costs, no labour or profits, so an 8 inch bear at about £50 seems so much, at the same show in August they tended to be a mixed bag. The more appealing ones selling for more than the less appealing, even if the less were alot cheaper. I suppose to compete the price should be around the £50 mark but everytime I think "ok" I then think "oh its alot
Sorry for ramblings, am off to work soon :hug: