Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

What a serendipidous "mistake"!! She is gorgeous! You will have to do more of the mohair/needlefelted combinations.

Congratulations on your Golden Teddy nomination, Louise (and to the other nominees from TT!) That is really too bad that you can't attend - I am sure it would have been a lot of fun!

It'll likely be a while yet till we get our copies of the magazine here in western Canada. I even checked magazine racks in several places when I was recently down in the States to see if I could find a copy as I am so impatient waiting for things but no luck! 

This has been a very interesting thread and too am now wondering about calling my bears OOAK's. I just finished a mini bear today from a new pattern and then realized that it looked very similar to one I made several months ago -  FROM A DIFFERENT PATTERN! - but from the same fabric! I think if I had been using the same pattern as before I would have been very careful to check that I was not doing the same thing as last time but since I was using a different pattern I just worked away doing whatever seemed to suit - I think it is mainly the fact that it is a mini and fairly long pile fabric that it has turned out so similar - or at least it was until I then consciously made some changes and turned it into a little girl but it is still more similar than I would have liked.
My big question now though is if I don't list  my bears as OOAK's will people think they will have another opportunity to get the same bear???? (which they won't as in my mind I am not trying to make the same bear ever again but there are only so many things you can do with a bear so some are bound to look a little like the others unless I don't reuse the same fabric and that is impossible!) Perhaps saying "no two the same" - as someone suggested would help! Lots to think about here!

I also feel that a bear needn't be made from a totally new pattern to be a OOAK - I've been making bears for nearly 20 years and there are only so many things you can do with pattern pieces - lol! In fact once when I was making a bear I lost the arm piece and had to redraw it. Amazingly enough, after I finished the bear, I found the lost piece and compared it to the new arm pattern I had drawn and they were EXACTLY identical (I wouldn't have thought I could do that if I tried!) Anyway, my point is even if you throw out every pattern and start fresh you are going to duplicate your patterns and the real difference in a lot of bears is not so much in the pattern but in the details of the bear. I do actually redraw the patterns for most of my bears, to accommodate changes I am making, but I start with a previous pattern so that if I want the legs longer or arms shorter or whatever, I can achieve that more easily than starting fresh - I'd be more apt to end up with the same thing! I usually find that if I am using the same fabric and a different pattern a bear will have more of a tendency to look like a previous bear than if I am using virtually the same pattern (I find it hard not to make SOME changes to a pattern each time I use it!) and an entirely different fabric. In fact I was shocked at one show to have a customer remark on seeing one of my bears that she had bought that bear from me the year before - and the ONLY similarity in the bears was the same fabric! Sometimes we just can't win!  :lol:

I have been asked to do similar bears to OOAK's and have done so on occasion but always make it perfectly clear that the bear will not be exaclty the same as the original and the differences will be enough that I do not feel I am compromising the original OOAK. Sometimes the customer has been delighted and sometimes they say it is not what they wanted and then I just sell it to someone else - no hard feelings on either side - and the customer might be quicker to buy a bear she likes the next time once she realizes that a "similar" bear is not the same thing!

Anyway, Jenny, I don't think you need to feel badly as obviously the second bear was great if it sold that fast and the problem was with the lady expecting the exact bear even though you had told her it wouldn't be.

Bear hugs, Edie

Oh Penny, that is just heartbreaking - it's take so long for everything to grow back.
Bear hugs, Edie

Wow, I am so impressed - your bears are absolutely fabulous!!! I love Master of Desaster - what a unique design!

He is great, Connie! You should post him in the classic bear challenge gallery. I can't believe this is your first design - took me about 100 or so bears to get half this good!

He is wonderful, Chrissi!!! Perfectly proportioned and such a great face! You definitely need to make some more larger bears!

I'm not a vegetarian - main reason is I think it would be way too much work to make healthy meals that include all the necessities - and okay, I just LOVE seafood and fish far too much to ever give them up!    I could certainly do without red meat without too much sacrifice - well other than maybe a good steak once or twice a year and the occasional hamburger, after all I live in beef country so got to keep everyone happy - 
I know there are some fantastic vegetarian dishes - have a friend whose son is vegan and have had some great meals there when her son is home - but I guess I am just too lazy and I'd never convince my husband to give up his meat so I'd be making double meals everyday. Really admire those sticking to their convictions in spite of the extra work!

Fabulous rose, Susan, it looks so lifelike!

Wow! What a great bunch of bears in the classic challenge! Well done everyone! I do see a few that seem to have a number of "artistic" touches though - hard to get away from doing that isn't it! 

Well, I finally got around to updating the photo of me under my avatar - thinking now maybe I shouldn't have - I looked better in the old photo! At first I thought maybe I look better with shorter hair, but no, I guess I just look better with a younger face - tee hee! 
This was an interesting exercise - I finally figured out how to use the self timer on my camera! I am always so critical of the photos my husband takes of me so I thought I better try to take this photo myself! Thank goodness for digital where you can crop and adjust and erase all the ones that were off-centre, eyes closed, etc, etc!!!  :photo:

Sandi, your husband did a great job with the photo - it's tough isn't when we can't do our own photos and have to rely on them so we can be in it! My husband just doesn't pay enough attention to the details! (of course I'm probably a lot more critical when someone else has to do something for me than I am when I do it myself LOL!)
Come one, everyone, lets see some more TT shirt photos here and in the gallery!
Bear hugs, Edie

That is just awful to hear what aspartame has done to Renae and Jane - and to hear about the headaches and other symptoms some of the others have had! Isn't it unbelievable that something like that can stay on the market? Just like all the transfats that are in so many foods - I am so glad that they are finally doing something about that, after years of studying the labels to try to avoid transfats. You would think with everything they can do nowadays they could at least give us safe and healthy food to eat! I am sure that going the organic route is wise but it is just not really an option for a lot of us - not too many places where it is readily available in small towns. I guess all we can do is try to avoid the worst stuff and I really appreciate everyone sharing their stories for the benefit of the rest of us.
Bear hugs, Edie

Thanks Paula and Gemma!   

Yes, Chrissi, this is exactly what I have and I have provided the insurance company with photos and documentation as to the current value of each item. Just hope I never have to use it but I feel better knowing that I have that extra insurance.
Bear hugs, Edie

I have always been leery of aspartame and most other artificial sweeteners and avoid them like the plague. However I am now a little confused after the postings with the link to Snopes that showed Jane's concern for plastics in microwaves was perhaps not so serious and for fun checked out aspartame on Snopes and it says there that the idea there is a problem with aspartame is false!!! Did I not do this right?, or if they say aspartame is okay and so many people think it isn't, then maybe they are off base on the microwave/plastics thing too???
Bear hugs, Edie

Wow, that is just fantastic, Judi!! Huge congratulations to Rachel - she must be SO excited!!!
Bear hugs, Edie

I just finished my bear for the classic bear challenge. He is 5 1/2" tall, made of sparse mohair with wool felt paw and foot pads. I even left my signature eyebrows off this one so he would really conform to the classic bear rules!
Bear hugs, Edie

Tammy, the bears look so great and the kids so proud! That was a really an incredible thing you did for them all - they will never forget that party for sure!
(and you may just have inspired some new bear collectors/makers!)
Bear hugs, Edie

That is just great, Judi, you have every right to be proud!  Congratulations to your daughter! Thanks for sharing the photos.
Bear hugs, Edie

Wow, Tammy, that is such a neat idea and the bears look fabulous - can't wait to see them finished. Those girls are never going to forget this! Good on you!!!!
bear hugs, Edie

Daphne, I have insurance on my doll collection and some of the more valuable bears. I just got mine through my house insurance company - on a separate rider - and it was quite reasonable. Haven't checked into those ones advertising in the magazines as I wasn't sure if they'd be available here in Canada and anyway I am well enough satisfied with what I've got now. I've had it for about 20 years have never had to make a claim but you never know!
Bear hugs, Edie

She looks very sweet Dilu!
Bear hugs, Edie