Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I just got my camera for Christmas...prior to bear making I was a disposable camera person 
My sister is a photographer and she swears by a retailer online. We went to Best Buy/Target to look and feel and then ordered online. http://www.bhphotovideo.com.

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer 2006...www.CatherWoods.com

Hi,
I don't think it stinks at all, I think it's pretty cool and forward thinking of you. I've got high speed and it ran great.  I think Shelli has a gallery like this actually..slide show type gallery ....if I'm remembering correctly.  I think it's very innovative Gotta think outside the box if you want to be fresh, right?! 
If you want to be sure that even those with slower connections and older PCs can view just add the thumbnails gallery and keep this intro page for those who can enjoy it too.

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

Hold onto your hats...they do have that scent!  I've worn fragrances by this company for years.  I'm really sensitive to scent and these single tone scents are awesome.
check out: http://www.demeterfragrance.com

I buy angel food cake by the big bottle, can't get enough of it.  In winter I like to mix it with devils' food....in the summer I mix with peach (peach is too good....).
They've got some real funny scents like dirt, tomato, grass....but they nail the scents no matter what the name.
Have fun looking at them

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

For the chocolate lovers (no pun intended  :crackup:  :crackup: )....this candle is a must have! 
Beanpod Candles (real soy) Hot Chocolate.  It fills up the room with the most heavenly, dead on hot chocolate smell...it's like your floating with the marshmallows.

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

I agree that the symtoms sound a lot like colitis...and she may be over producing that "stink" in a gland back there.  (that gland allows dogs to mark their territory and sometimes it over reacts, get infected or just plain old needs to be cleaned out (gross).)  I have 4 pooches from 11 months to 13.
How old is Midget?? When was the last time she got sick..was it the same time last year or sooner?

I'm not sure I would give her rice just yet...it may be too rough if her insides are inflamed with a colitis type thing. Once they've calmed down I would introduce a little at a time for binding. Your vet will know best.
Poor girl, I hate when furkids get sick

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

I love the idea of "treasure" hunting with a metal detector! I don't' see that as junk at all...it's historical to your home and I see things like this in my antiquing hunts all the time!
And I don't think it's dorky at all...it's very "Goonies" and that totally appeals to the 12 year old tom boy in me!! 
very very cool. I just might have to see about getting myself a metal detector and get lost for a day in some of the hills around here......

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

Oh my gosh! You were so close to that lightening strike!  So glad you're ok Brenda, that's really scary! 
I have a freak-out fear of lightening and storms. I'd be medicated at this point if I was the one near that poor tree when it got hit. Happy you and you're little cat are ok, sad for your lovely tree.
~Chrissi
ebay, ctcathewoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

Ew jeez, I should have clarified in my first post that I'm actually not blue (my life is running at it's typical nutty sitcomish self !)
I just noticed that a lot of others were feeling kinda icky lately and I thought a topic about what we all do to feel better would either cheer folks up or give them a new way to de-stress, relax, or find a few minutes of mental peace.

So what do you all do??

Seems like the month of July is bringing in the blues.  Outside of the TT support system what do you guys do to feel better?  Has anyone read any good inspirational or motivational books lately?  Any web sites that you frequent as a mental "pick me up" that you could share? Do you walk with your dogs or go shopping? Do you window shop, do you exercise, or break plates in the garage to relieve tension.  What works for you??

I tend to look at the bright side most times. I'm always try to find the good in any situation. Over the past few years I've had quite a ride and if I let it take me down I think I'd still be down.  I joke that " I'm the Truman Show"...that there must be camera's on me 24/7 because no one could have the luck, situations occur, or goofiness that IS my life unless it was for tv ratings. When I hit that funk a couple years ago I found a cool children's writing society and started to write. That small change of pace got me back to my studio and back to making bears. I write, read cookbooks...yes I will read a cookbook from cover to cover... and I go "antiquing". I don't need to buy anything I just love walking through shops filled with cool old stuff. 
My favorite cook books are by Christina Pirello. They're set up with tons of info, so you can actually "read" them and they're all natural and organic based.  Plus her life story since a cancer diagnosis is pretty darn motivational.

What do you do?? Maybe it could help out someone else too  :hug:

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

Oh, I'm so in LUV with those faces!! Jasmine is such a beauty...if I were closer to you she'd be tucked in my jacket sneaking into my house 
With 4 dogs and 3 cats I'm a total sucker for a fur-kid in need! We only intentionally purchased one of our pups, the rest of the fur-gang were all in need of forever homes. I can almost guarantee I'm the only person here with this tale....My oldest cat came home with me after I went to the doctors office for allergy medication!!  One of the nurses brought in a box with little orange fluff balls, all needing homes. She had them in the very back of the office under a desk....that was it. I left with a prescription for Claritin and a tiny kitten in a perscription sample box!! (I'm also forever banned from Petfinder.com)

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

:clap: !!Congratulations Judi!!  :clap:

This is truly deserved!  I honestly can't believe it's your first...there are sure to be more to come.
You just enjoy every minute of this exciting time! (And you can post Sherwood's photo as many times as you like... can't get enough of him, he's just lovely)

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

Hi there Shelli!

Buyers on ebay are just more worried about fraud sales....there are so many artists who have bolded fraud paragraphs in their listings that buyers are just more hesitant with re-sales. I wouldn't at all worry about your work or your status in the collecting community based on an ebay resale here or there, not at all.  It's just one of those things in life you can't control. Take a few more minutes to think about it, feel it, and then roll it up and toss it out.  Can't let it stress you, esp if you've got other things in life going on.  I learned that last year while going through my own health crisis. (what's up with bear makers and our health issues???  Too many perfectionists stressing ourselves out or what?!  )

I think someone else mentioned having a complete thyroid workup done. A couple years back I wound up in the ER hooked up to monitors because my heart was doing backflips and running like a jack rabbit's.  I thought I was having a heart attack before I even hit 30.  I wound up with a monitor on my hip for a few days and the whole sha-bang and although I had been tested previously it turned out that my thyroid was severely out of whack.  Some doctors will play the "hysterical panick attacked female" card with you, so I'm glad to hear you have good doctors who are taking it all seriously. 

You're an award winning, nominated bear artist..if you're insecure I'm taking the bear head I'm working on now and punting it to the curb (kidding...I just lost blood for this one & it's staying). Whether you realize it or not, you're up there with the established names.  It'll take a little more than a re-sale on ebay to take away what you worked smartly and created smartly for yourself.   

Do something little for yourself today that's just for you and makes you feel better!!

~Off to do what makes me feel better...plop in a favorite movie and try to make a stuffed piece of mohair look less like a camel and more like bear 
-Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods

All hail central air!
Even my dogs are spoiled rotten with it; the one stretching out over the vent like it's her personal cooling device 
I'm near Philadelphia where the humidity tends to be the heat talk topic.  When I went to Vegas people said, "oh it's not humid, it's a dry heat, you won't even notice...it's SO much nicer." Bull....heat is heat.  Dry heat just feels like a hair dryer on your face all day!!
Stay cool all..... (my doggies have their "icy-cubies" and air vents for the day!!)
~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

I agree, very smart!  Crisp, bright, pulls your eye in to read the lists. Great Job!

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006..www.CatherWoods.com (tweaking it now!!)

Fun!   
I have a guess at the mystery too, but will wait for the unveil!

I always tend to go for the "fall tones" or "foodie" combos....

~Caramel apples....that deep apple maroon, cooled caramel, and inside an apple cream, maybe a bit of greenish white/clear
~Always liked chocolate brown, pink and vanilla cream...like the neapolitan ice cream and candies
~Sponge cake yellow, strawberry red, and whip cream white (that's my kitchen scheme)

(Anyone else hungry yet? 10:30 pm and I'm about to raid the fridge now )

~Milk Glass Blue(creamy opaque) & Transparent Cobalt Blue
~"bright" would have to be a Gerber Daisy (pink)...The Pink and then the yellow and green toward the center of the Gerber....pink, green and yellow Gerber Daisy tones.

I took this picture a few weeks ago.  I ran for my camera because I loved the red of the lady bug with the yellow of the daisy.
~The green, yellow, red and black are pretty cool together.

~Chrissi 
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

Why would someone who had money to burn be buying .99 speakers ???  Gotta be somebody trying to get on the news or something.  Like the lady who rented her forehead on ebay...she actually tattooed her head with the winning bidders company logo.  :crackup:
~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

I only ever used cotter pins.  I read a bunch of threads on TT about the lock nut joints, how to glue them, etc. I've used them 2 times so far on larger bears I'm working on and I wouldn't go back to cotter pins unless I wanted a wobbly joint.  I'm using "liquid nails" glue & it's working well..... so far so good!! 

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006 www.CatherWoods.com

Hi Kim,
Yep, we're floating away here too! Its unbelievable how these little unassuming creeks around here become the mighty mississippi during a good rain. (goes back to the development boom in my area too...the rain has no place to go...no more ground absorption...but that's a whole 'nother story)!
My sister had a class in Center City and had to turn around and come home, no access from all roads she tried and her husband couldn't get to Trenton for the train into NYC.  I guess we'll just have to do something fun today around home...like "do lunch" 
Stay dry and enjoy the day!

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006...www.CatherWoods.com

Lucky you, that is awesome!  Oh, I wish I could meet her in person, she's truly a lovely woman and such a talent.  Enjoy every minute..it's a blast when you get to meet your mentor/hero like that!

~Chrissi
ebay, ctcatherwoods
coming summer2006..www.CatherWoods.com

Thanks for the comments so far!!  What about all the first few lines of the original question...I'd love to hear what you all think or your exp. are/were! Those questions are pasted here again in the quote.  Thanks so much!!   

Eww..this lets me jump in with a question I've been wanting to ask!   

For those of us who are newcomers, what advice would you give as a seasoned artist?  When was the moment you realized you were "known" or recognizable by collectors and other artists?  Was it advertising that helped you, ad placement in mags/sites..or was it actually being pictured or included in a write up in a publication?  Was it just outright sales on your site or on ebay?  Awards?

Coming from a pretty intense corporate setting, but being a creative romantic at heart I'm balancing between the two worlds right now.  I'm enjoying every moment of creating these little guys, but I'm also committed to the goals I've set for myself.

Have any of you felt pressured to move away from your own style and move toward "trends" to meet, generate, or kick start sales? Like by doing what seems to be "hot" on ebay or something? (Not something I'm worried about for myself right now, I'm really just curious.)

Thanks!
~Chrissi
ebay, CTCatherwoods
coming summer 2006..www.CatherWoods.com

Saying a little wish for you!
~Chrissi (up way to late doing a comissioned bear!)

PS...my mom always swore by baking bread (or cookies) the day of an open house...something about that homey warm and fuzzy feeling people get with fresh baked goods.  As long as it didn't burn, I guess it couldn't hurt!! & Those supermarket tubes of cookies are just as good as any!

...we are so bad up here!  I'm so used to the driving in Philly and New Jersey that you forget how others feel while trying to navigate our roads!! We are notorious for our driving (and our sports nuts), but I must admit I'm a safety freak because of it...it wasn't me cutting in front, promise 

Sue, were you able to get into Bucks County....Doylestown, New Hope, surrounding areas??  It's Just outside of Philly and so full of history. So many artists, writers, and historians are from.  I grew up here and love it.  Just a couple of the local favorites...... Mercer, Pearl S Buck, The Bernstein Bear Creators (yep, they're here!), M. Night Shyamalon has filmed movies here and lives close by.

Every summer my folks would load us into the car and we would spend the day in Lancaster, Intercourse (too funny), and surounding areas.  It's so lovely out there...and the food is amazing 

I'm so glad you were able to visit and enjoy this area with good freinds!
(This is such a huge area for the arts....I wish we could get a teddy bear/doll show up here....I've never seen one! I know it would do amazingly well.)

~Chrissi
coming summer 2006...www.CatherWoods.com
eBay, CTCatherwoods

Your Welcome! I'm excited about getting the web site togehter. "summer project"
Frankly, I'm just getting familiar with my own work 
I made my first mini's about 2-3 years ago and then stopped for about a year.  I just picked it up full force again this winter and it's what I want to do without a doubt!  I love mini's and I'm now starting to move into slightly larger bears at 9-12 inches. (I'm very new to eBay selling, that's a new and kind of scary adventure. You hope people will enjoy, it's such a personal thing....this is one arena where the phrase "it's business not personal" just flies out the window..it just doesn't apply!). 
Soft Sculpting is my other summer project.  And this site had been more helpful than any book I've read and I've got quite the collection of books, magazines, etc on bear making.  But the older books just don't hit on the advances in bear making. They've got the basics, but before I found this and other sites I was scanning the internet for any little sentence or blip I could find on eyelids, sculpting, airbrushing, etc.   This site is just awesome and I'm happy to be here!!

~Chrissi
coming summer 2006....www.CatherWoods.com
ebay CTCatherwoods

Hi Debora,
My youngest sister has Raynaud's as well.  We all actually suffer from cold extremities, but she is far worse with the blue fingers and all..... She loves her uggs. The nice thing about the uggs is that they're like a really good down comforter in that it can keep you warm in winter and cool in summer.  I wear mine inside all year round. 

This past Christmas I got us all slippers called "happy toes".  You can find them on Amazon.com right now for about $20+/-. 
You put the bean bag insert in the microwave and they stay warm for up to 45 minutes.  I wouldn't recommend walking around in these slippers, but if you're in bed or sitting making a bear, or watching tv they're great!!

~Chrissi