Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I was up way too late last night and just got myself to turn on the tv now to see a few of the morning shows.  Every news channel is discussing a terrorist plot from the UK to US that is affecting air travel.  My  thoughts went to all of the wonderful artists traveling for shows and how this is such an evil and unnecessary wrench in their happy works.  I hope that all arrive safely and that baggage and precious teddy cargo isn't held up.
No liquids/gels of any kind are being permitted on flights (I think liquid prescription meds are the only thing eventually getting by).  My dad is traveling for business in Florida right now and will have to fed ex all of his toiletries home (he'd never just throw them away and start over!)

Everyone take care, be well and stay safe

:hug:
~Chrissi

:crackup:

Mental picture of "the dog ate crayons again". I'd take the scooping chore away from my husband if the dogs left sparkly little glass turds in the yard!

Seriously though, anything that's great takes time.  Make a boxed microwavable dessert cake thing and then make a cake from scratch...which one is better and more satisfying to look at and to eat?  All good things take time :hug:

~Chrissi

If you want to drool...go look at Ben and Jerry's web site and the new 2006 flavors (one has pieces of apple pie in it!).  I don't do dairy anymore, but if I did a few of these would be in front of me now.  Chubby Hubby was my all time favorite years ago....mmmmmm ice cream (homer voice)
http://www.benjerry.com/our_products/flavorWorld.cfm

:hug:
~Chrissi

It's funny to see that others discuss and share opinions just like the rest of us!!   But they have one thing we don't...a guy who responds in pros and poetry. 

The one thread had a post that rang familiar (we all have signature writing styles too...but is it art? (kidding!!)   )

Have a blast with this new venture...Im sure you don't "suck eggs".

:hug:
~Chrissi

How awesome!  The detail and shading on the pin is outstanding!  How lucky that your hubby is able to do all of the wood working   

:hug:
~Chrissi

now THAT was OOAK!!!! :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:
I love the ice skating moves....TOO GOOD!!

:hug:
~Chrissi

I like Mindy's definitions of OOAK and Originals.

My web under construction page reads "original design teddy bears".  I was happy with that only because I didn't want to be boxed into anything right now with "OOAK".

Old Navy/GAP t-shirts are fabric, thread, and come in various colors..I can never get two of those things to fit the same..every medium fits differently from the last (anyone else have this issue??! I know I can't just grab a tee and run..I have to try the silly things on!!!), but Old Navy isn't going to call each shirt a OOAK. That's the nature of handmade items.  Handmade will always create variances, but variances created by being handmade shouldn't define OOAK...for me there's got to be something definitive to OOAK, like in Mindy's def.

Because there's not an industry standard I guess we all just have to create and disclose our own standards to the client/buyer. It is a business and because people do indeed buy for investments as well as enjoyment I think to not disclose could prove sticky. Esp when you're using auctions with "contracts" and all.  It probably sounds silly but so does getting sued for coffee being hot 

I think the idea of a guild could be really exciting.

:hug:
~Chrissi

First off these bears both rock!! Their faces and expressions are lovely.
IMO these are one of a kind as they are here. They've got different mohair placement, different muzzle scissoring, different noses, eyes, paw pads,looks like different ear placement, and totally unique overall looks.  Disclosing at the sale that the same pattern was used was a nice way to convey to your consumer the standards you hold in your business. IMO if you started making these 2 bears (their patterns) and their "looks" as a set standard, only changing the Mohair color and changed up the collar and headpiece colors, then you're making a series. If changing another's pattern by 10% doesn't make it yours then to me (logically) changing a look/design by 10% shouldn't make it OOAK (new color, new bows, etc).  At least that makes sense to me (I can get Spockish with the logic..sorry are my vulcan ears popping out) :crackup:  (???)

For me, the big draw is the a one of a kind style/signature that each individual bear artist holds and not necessarily needing to label an individual bear "OOAK".  I think using OOAK can corner you in artistically , just as much as make the bear desirable.  But from watching ebay sales I'm not sure that "OOAK bears" fuel the sales as much as the OOAK individual artist's look/signature. I think that's the bigger more meaningful OOAK.

I'm interested in the guild topic, I think it could be an interesting discussion and a great idea to open up.

:hug:
~Chrissi

Jenny,
I think you did the right thing in that your first bear went to a buyer as a OOAK and it would be unfair to him/her to replicate that bear exactly for another buyer. I wouldn't take doing commissions off the table, just make it clear to the new client that her bear too will be a OOAK and never duplicated for another. That as an artist you can not duplicate a previously disclosed OOAK, but will ensure that her bear will be just as unique as the last and never replicated for anyone else. If that doesn't make him/her happy then there's not much you can do. In the end this is your business and you have to run it to your standards and what makes you comfortable. 

As a teddy bear buyer (I'm not sure I'm a collector at this point) I too have had questions and my own concerns with the term "OOAK".  I love a signature look and style,  but I'm not totally on board with with a new bow or different color defining OOAK.  To me OOAK means only one, not the only one in leopard print. If it's the only one in leopard print, then list as the only one in leopard print.  I'll respect the artists work and could love the bear, but if it's the same bear as last week I won't take the OOAK verbiage seriously.  It doesn't mean I won't look, love, or maybe buy, but it's not OOAK for me personally.

For me being a new seller I'm asking myself this prior to listing: If you lined up your works are they really one of a kind bears, the only one, or are they a series or edition? If you purchased (at the going rate) a OOAK designer wedding gown and your friend showed up in the same gown on her wedding day and the designer said..."no it's OOAK, yours was cotton whisper white with pearl accents and hers is cottage whisper white with bead accents", what would you think?

Probably not a new topic, but it's something I've thought about as a buyer and as a new seller.

:hug:
~Chrissi

Gorgeous puppies and momma!!

Dilu,
You are so very welcome  :hug:
I'm glad they arrived safely!  I've tied them to packages, wreathes and even tied holiday designs on my christmas tree.  Enjoy!

:hug:
~Chrissi

Me too!  Total tomboy...my mom alway said she got "frogs and snails and puppy dog tails" with me  :lol:
Most of my summers were spent catching tadpoles, water spiders, toads, salamanders, and anything else that we found in the creek. One summer I had so many tiny frogs on the back porch my mom was was boiling lettuce for them to eat  :crackup:  I wasn't allowed to climb trees after my best friend Tommy did a swan dive and broke his arm, but we just switched focus to building a fort.  One summer we ripped the wheels off of every baby doll stroller me and my sisters got at Christmas and used those wheels for our go carts. I've was never a girly girl; I was still in the creek while most girls my age were giggling boy crazy.

:hug:
~Chrissi

I just finished my cover to cover read of the October Issue and it is an awesome article!  It is so cool to be part of such an amazing forum.  Thank you to all of the advisors, Quy, and especially to Mr Kjeld Enevoldsen for creating and hosting such a fantastic online teddy bear community!  TT has allowed for me to connect with people I otherwise would not have been able to.  It has assisted in creating opportunities and allowed for me to grow as an artist and for that I am grateful!!  Thank you TT

:hug:
~Chrissi

Oh, this is an occasional must.  The next time your running like crazy and in the rain and trying to get the groceries into the car just take one split second and splash your foot in a small puddle.  It's instant therapy with no negative side effects...it dries off

:hug:
~Chrissi

This link is a little different from the traditional "pineapple" quilt block.  It might be more applique, but it looks cute and looks more like a pineapple than the traditional.  There are some cute pictures out there if you google pineapple applique via images.
Hope it helps
http://www.mccallsquilting.com/bonus/layout_501/

:hug:
~Chrissi

I love the new pics, they're beyond adorable!  The tortoise girly is going to be so gorgeous when she grows into her coat!  She might have that Maine Coon type furry collar around her neck.  I'm happy your sister will do her best to keep them together.  After being stuck in a box, on a road, in the rain these 2 need each other. 

:hug:
~Chrissi

When I feel "ick" I tend to go for the "kids classics"...homemade chicken soup, "light" mashed potatoes (made with stock instead of heavy milks), dry cereal usually gets me going enough to want to eat. I could live on dry cereal..I would eat a whole box while watching a movie if I wasn't careful!! 

I love using my "express cooker" it's super fast and makes the most flavorful foods...red potatoes and carrots cooked using a good stock is probably my "ick" favorite from the pressure cooker. Slow cookers are good too, because you just throw whatever in and all day you smell the wonderful smells..might be enough to get you a little hungry come dinner time :)

If you're craving lime sherbet maybe look up some recipes online with lime...maybe that could help get you craving some other things.  You can marinade just about anything with citrus.   

:hug:
~Chrissi

Hi Melissa,

I entered it into babel fish using a few different language options and it didn't translate.  Maybe something did get lost is code or something?? 

:hug:
~Chrissi

What is wrong with people today!!???  Thank goodness there are people like your sister, how wonderful that she stopped!! I luv your sis!!! 
These 2 babies are so very lucky! And look how gorgeous and loving they are!! With snuggling and shoulder sitting like that I think these 2 may have adopted your sister, she might not have a say!! 

:hug:
~Chrissi

Claire ~ Meadow is a Shiloh Shepherd, the breed stemmed from the GS. She's a plush coat and her coloring is a silver sable. She's a great dog, such a sweet personality and a very quick learner (although she can't learn to keep her nose out of the Mohair scraps..it must be too tempting)! Her parents were both 115 pounds and she could reach the same, technically she's still filling out as she's just a year old now!  Surprisingly they're actually a long-leanish dog, with a full coat that makes them look heftier. She's not as "big boned or thick" as the King Shepherd or the Old World/Long Haired Shepherds that are also popular right now.

There's quite a lot of information on the internet about the breed (and all of it's controversies with breed origin and who's breeding the "real" Shiloh, different registries and all that.)

Just one bit of info with this gorgeous coat of hers...the breed sheds seasonally.  Supposedly they shed their undercoats 2 times a year.  This summer (her first shedding) has been a hairy mess.  I've never seen a dog loose so much fluff in all of my life...and I've always had dogs!  She's brushed once a day and I just found this thing called the "Furminator" that's supposed to help take out that shedding undercoat all at once.  HERE'S HOPING!!! 
I love shepherds...my mom has a white shepherd mix.  They're all loves, no matter the breed name 

Bev ~  I love Soma!!  My Shelby (first dog in my photos) also has one blue and brown eye!  It's actually what made me scoop her up that day and not another pup  

:hug:
~Chrissi

:clap: Congratulations, she's such a cutie!! :clap:

:hug:
~Chrissi

:clap:  :dance: Congratulations!! Much deserved, your creations are amazing!! :clap:  :dance:

:hug:
~Chrissi

Hi all,
Just a quick question for future reference.  I know with writing it's sometimes not looked upon well to submit to multiple publishers.  So my question is:  What's the rule of thumb for photo submissions within magazine/web publications?  Is it common  to do multiple submissions (sending a photo to different publications; magazines/web) or is it looked down upon? 
Want to make sure I get off on the right foot in this new adventure of mine!

:hug:
~Chrissi

Coming from a government that embraced (embraces) female infanticide and gendercide why does this not surprise. If a government does not care that it's "one child policy" essentially created such a huge population imbalance that the incident of kidnapping and salve-trading of women for wives is on the rise, then what would make them care about these poor dogs?
This is disgusting on all levels, but not surprising given the bass-ackward government track record.

As my one friend always says..."follow the moneytrail"...if you want to make a point: get 'em where it hurts...I'll be boycotting products and the 2008 Olympics.

:hug:
~Chrissi

Brenda,
Corson is tooo cute! It's obvoius that he had a total blast on all of the rides and with the animals. I love the story about him saving a seat for you!
My mom's been "sighing" for grandkids for years.  About 2 years ago we were shopping in a Marshalls Department Store and she was picking out little tea cups for "her grandkids"...for when they come over for tea. (to date there are no grandkids, soon, but not yet)  My husband says...what if you have boys?? She says that one of her friends has tea parties with her grandson all the time and he loves it.  Well, that was all my "Philadelphia Eagles Nut" of a sports loving, hockey playing, husband had to hear!  :crackup: "Ahhhh,  my kids' not playing tea party...".  So they compromised on little "espresso" cups that say coffee on them and the future grandson gets hot chocolate.  This is my life  :crackup:

:hug:
~Chrissi