Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

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This one cracked me up.  I like the whacky "food" stuff...Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich..that stuff.

Someone paid a listing fee for this:  http://tinyurl.com/fhjc6

...and this: http://tinyurl.com/ky7y8

~Chrissi 

The large bunny on the top shelf reminds me of Lori Ann Baker-Corelis...maybe the littler guy next to him too. The fluffy cream luv at the top...well I just want him 
~Chrissi

Wow, that's an awesome view.  I can't imagine having a bird like that just fly in front my window, have a snack and fly away...too cool....if it did I'd be searching the papers to see who lost an exotic bird in my area!!  Thanks for sharing!!!

~Chrissi

I've only ever sold mini's so I've been more frilly with my packaging as well.  I get all my tissue papers at dollar stores, so nothing's too costly really.
I start with white tissue around the bear.  Then I take 2 colors of tissue, place the bear in the center, and then gather the tissue up and synch at the top.  I use green party ribbon at the synched area and make those curly things.  I do all this hoping it looks somewhat like a flower bouquet.  I have a handmade hang tag that I tie to the ribbon and that parts done.  That all goes in a recycled plastic shopping bag, just in case of rain or something wet hitting the box and then it all goes into a box that's been lined with either bubble wrap or unused "newspaper" depending on what I have on hand. (my dad gets me the "newspaper" paper prior to it being printed on..theres no ink, it's blank).  I use fresh new boxes most times.  If I can recycle a strong nice one I will. So, that's it.
~Chrissi :rose:

PS...Christine: that's a good point about including the list of materials used.  I just did a commissioned bear and knew the bear would be traveling quite a bit, so I made it the buyers choice to use the shot as weighting material.  I didn't want her getting surprised or stuck at the airport with a bear belly full of shot each time she traveled!! 

Yes! what is up with that!??  I have 4 myself (Lab, English Shep, Shiloh Shep, and Beagle...none are visiting ) and it's my path between the stove and microwave that they just  LOVE to plop in front of...the sink and dishwasher.  I know the girls are just waiting for a casserole to fall one day. Our boy Beagle isn't up for the long wait, he just sniffs along the floor looking for any bits and pieces....he's like that vacuum cleaning machine on Tellitubbies!! 

Bonnie....I'm wearing an old bed time sweatshirt tonight that reads "Dances with Woofs". no lie :crackup:

Renae...feline roadblocks are different in my house...theirs are more graceful and sly where I'm saying "wow, what was that, was that a cat there??? as something looks up at me from across the room like "what? who..me?...no, you're just getting clumsy".

Kim, Your dogs are gorgeous! Such happy faces...Company, Play time!!  Frodo's a sweetie, I love tri colors.  My English Shepherd is a tri...I fell in love with the "pumpkin seed eyebrows"  Frodo's got the same

~Chrissi 

This is my big boy Frasier. First photo is him watching TV, that's his spot up there.  The second photo I imagine him saying "Yo! did I say you could cancel my Starz Movie Channel?!!"

He came to me in a funny way.  I went to my doctor for allergy meds and one of the nurses had a box of kittens in the back office.  That's all it took! Went in for itchy watery eyes...came out with a cat in a cardboard prescription box!  I only wish I had grabbed one of his brothers too.  He's my big fluff...he speaks on command, which is kind of funny to see 

~Chrissi

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Oh, they come in different patterns too...very innovative.  Good chuckle for me too 
~Chrissi

Hi,
I completely hear what is being said and I think that on any forum I've been on this occurs and it should. We need checks and balances in life most times.  But, and this is where I might be seeing this differently, TT is not like other forums in that it is directly attached to a business. 

In saying that TT is a business, it would not be fair to be put in the position to pick and choose between what are essentially their consumers.  Who do they pick to delete, who do they choose to boot, what effects would it have on their business?  Imagine what could happen to a business if word of mouth spread that they kicked off "so and so" or did not respect "so and so's" opinion.  Internet wildfires are what businesses like AOL, Comcast, Verizon, McDonlad, etc battle everyday.  It would cost TT/Intercal and that in turn would cost us.

This is a business and they need to do what's best for business, just as we should be viewing every word we type out as a personal business message to our own consumers. We're all telling our consumers in black and white how we work. It's our own responsibility to ourselves to be good business people.  We're just borrowing a "board room" with cyber chairs, cyber tables, and cyber paper in someone else's corporate office.  It's always casual Friday, but it still means we are expected to behave like the good business people we all truly are.
To the point of hurting TT's reputation.  In my eyes it's the individuals tarnishing individual reputations.  TT is just an empty online tool that we the users create, it's our reputation as individual artists and participants that's on the line, not TT or Intercals.
People will never have still fingers, it's what we as business people do with those fingers that matters.  I asked myself this: Would you print out your postings and use them as a hang tag, would you place them on your show table, would you submit them to a magazine?  That's my motivation going forward.  I like this site and I like the direction it's now taking.

Oh, I must add...I just placed an order and again Intercal has wowed me with their service standards!  Just amazing 

~Chrissi 

Always done a craft of some sort.  But never found one that encompassed all I was looking for until teddy bears.  Stained glass was a little messy and dangerous with glass and the dogs.  With painting I was working at the paints pace and I wasn't good about clean up all the time.  Quilting was cool, I still do it..but it wasn't as diverse as I wanted to be with a craft/art.
Teddy bear making and the primitive arts I do just fit for me.  They encompass a little bit of everything that I've done and love.  For me there's something about the face factor...when you make something that looks back at you, well that's just cool.
~Chrissi 

Aww, come on granny sit a spell.... pond fish aren't really all that interested in Mohair yah know 

I liked your granny story...it made me remember my own granny.  I'm only 2nd generation American..my granny and granpa were from Scotland.  I kept my last name when I got married becuase granny asked me to...put a 7 year old on the spot with that request now didn't she!!?  Being the oldest great grandchild I have her engagement ring, it's very special to me and you made me think of that.

Leave the fish, they're afraid of the needle felting tools...to much like a fishing hook, scares them... they told me :crackup:

~Chrissi 

Hi Daphne!

I googled what you said and found....
Teddy bear collectors are known as arctophiles from the Greek words 'arcto' (bear) and 'philos' (lover).
I LOVE GOOGLE

~Chrissi

arrrrgh...darn!  My golly is heading off to NYC this week to sit at the desk of my bro-in -law!  He's an animator and liked her, so we just swaped!  He's making me an art card and he get's polly golly.

~Chrissi 

I'd like to know too...I did check out B4B (bid4 bears)..looks pretty cool and the fees are pretty good too.  What's a swap night??
~Chrissi

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What did Geronimo say when he jumped out of the airplane?

MEeeeeee!!!  :crackup:

Hi DebbieD!
She's our first "large breed" and like I said she truly thinks she's a tiny dog..it's very funny.  She's the kindest and most gentle dog, just a true joy.  And smart, oh boy....housetraining was a non-issue, basic obedience was smooth sailing.....if I could just get her to stop stealing Mohair scraps  :lol:

Hi Renae.....Meadow says she'd love to take a dip in the pond and would love playing with all the cool furry ones at your house

Tracy,
I'm so sorry that your Midget is feeling "ick" again I think you said that Midget was 6, what's her breed?  I know my Shepherd is more susceptible to Bloat (the internal twisting thing) because of her breed. I never knew about this thing until after we got her, so now I keep an anti gas on hand, like gas-x or mylanta.  In case she does ever get this bloat thing that stuff is suppose to buy me time to get to the vet. I found articles by googling it. 
If you think it's pancreatitis you might follow the treatment guidelines for that just in case, or at least ask your vet if it's an option he advises. They suggest withholding food and water for 24 hours and a full dehydration treatment.  (I'm lucky in that I have amazing vet facilities all around me, but when my one dog became ill it was online research that saved her from a *huge* medication issue..the emergency room vets missed it. My regular vet was not involved at that point.  Your her mum, you know her best, you can ask any questions you like for her  ) Peteducation.com has some good tips.  With 4 dogs and 3 cats I know how horrible it is when a furkid gets sick...oh, the stories I could tell! 
Don't think the worst....the most important thing with any health issues (furry or human) is to remain positive.  I'll say a prayer to St Francis for your Midget.  He's quoted in my signature and he's my pal     With 7 animals running about my world..the Patron Saint of Animals is a good pal to have! 
~Chrissi  :hug: for you and  :hug: for Midget

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Kim: oh, so it's you sending the heat and humidity my way hmmmm....  :crackup:!  Playing in mud, letting it dry and then rinsing it off... in NYC that's called a day spa and women pay hundreds for it!  Your children will have glowing skin all summer   

Lanie:  We actually thought of calling her Shilo (her breed is a Shiloh Shepherd) but we all loved the name Meadow.  I call her "Mo" sometimes, because she likes to steal my Mohair scraps from the scrap bag 

We're heading into another heat wave in my area...at least that's what the weather guy is saying. 
Thought you all might get a kick out of my one dog enjoying the summer. 

This is my 11 month old Shiloh Shepherd, Meadow.  She has developed a love for water and my gardening hose.  I can't water my veggie gardens without this furry girly bounding at me to play.  She's still growing and could reach 115 pounds, but the poor thing thinks she's a tiny lap dog.  She's my real live teddy bear and my studio buddy...what a face 

~Chrissi

HAPPY DANCE  :dance:
That box is Christmas Morning for me !  But be careful...it IS addictive  :crackup:

AND you're right...the service is the best!  I've never had a company call me if an item is not in stock and offer another solution...Intercal DOES! How many time do you order from a store (clothing, household goods, whatever) and get a "backordered" stamp or note?! Not intercal...they truly go above and beyond.  Love it 
~Chrissi

Hi all!
I thought about this one for a few moments, trying to think of what would appeal to this great group of people from all over the world.  Holidays and Seasons differ so I scratched off my first few thoughts.  In trying to take it bake to basics (a term I used in my corporate days) I thought about all of the lovely topics I've liked reading so much here and how passionate everyone is about the simple stuff in life....pets, foods (CHOCOLATE), nature, gardens, etc.  Now please do not envision me Julie Andrews spinning on a mountain top in happy glory  :crackup:  :crackup: !! My picture's not up yet, but I'm not that by any means  :crackup: !
So,  what about simply...."My favorite things".  What makes you happy, what's your passion, what makes you warm like tea or cocoa?   OR what makes you tick, what gets you moving, maybe you ride a "hog" (big old motorcycle) and prefer leather to lace!  Color, Texture, Style it's all your "Favorite Things".   Maybe something simple is all it takes 

I'm cool with anything majority decides on....give me a date and then let me research what these things are 'cause I've never made one!
~Chrissi 

I'm up for anykind of challenge...never did an art card, would love to try!

I'd love a digital challenge, only because I'm just learning photoshop and will take all the practice I can get.  I did the older one that was posted and it was fun :)

~Chrissi