Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Thanks, Edie,

I've never heard those numbers, but none of our posties seem to know them either!

Best we can do is hope for an administrative error in our favor.

Customs charges stink

Edie's right about the Canadian system. If the order's valued above a certain amount (nobody knows), we pay Canadian taxes (15% in Ontario) plus $5.

I'm ashamed to say that I have actually flipped out. The delivery man told me that it's a very random system . . . sometimes they charge the taxes & fees, other times they can't be bothered.

Now that the Canadian dollar is worth almost at par with the US dollar, we're getting a break. For a while there, the exchange rate alone was about 20%, which meant that anything worth over about $30 got socked.

You did a great job, Debbie! It isn't easy to match fur.

Poor Ichy . . . a lesson to us all, I guess.

:clap: Well done, Nancy!  :dance:

I can't wait 'till you have your own CSI--you'll knock David Caruso out of the alligatory swamp water with one flick of your shades!!

True, Melissa and Cat--no bear making. Hmmm . . .

Snuggling under a pile of mohair and dreaming about it would have to do!

Alas, no. My "Shou" is not yet rehomed!! He'll be company for a while for the mink ratty I'm almost  ready to photograph.

:crackup: Gee, Melisa, I never thought of eating berries and hibernating for the winter!

Actually, I have thought of hibernating, but haven't yet managed to pull it off . . .

Think what we'd save on heat . . . more $$ for mohair :dance:

:crackup: Kristina, I wish that young blonde were me . . . the pic was taken somewhere in Canada, and I suspect that she already had some experience kissing bears!

Probably a lot like a dog kiss, but more so.

Thanks, Chloe--the little raccoon came out very well, but only after a lot of trial and error! Next one should be easier . . .

I agree with Lynn

The problem with making holes in the leather, no matter how careful you are, is that you lose fur in that area.  It's not much of a problem around the eye sockets, but anywhere else you'll get bald patches.

Since fur pieces need to be lined, you'll also be working with pieces that are much stiffer than mohair.

I'd definitely leave the bottom of the head open while needlesculpting!

Thanks, Bobbie! Aren't those beautiful bear backs?

Actually, I think I saved this pic from one of Judi's posts!

Paula, your lovely design is much clearer than my muddled description . . . thanks!

:dance: Huzzas and Hugs to all the wonderful nominees--your creations are breathtaking! :hug:

Hi Jen,

I'd just go for it--you can always widen your seam somewhat if the hump looks too humpy.

You need to start the hump curve out at the back neck, but then curve in again for the back and out again for the rump.

Since the humpbacked teds are usually looking down (just a bit), their necks need to be slightly longer at the back than at the front.

It really helps to look at pictures of grizzly bears:

Finally--I found one!

:dance: Welcome back, Mary Lou!

Your little Flocke is a masterpiece.

:clap:  :clap:  :clap:  CONTRATULATIONS 
:hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  HUGS
:dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance: AND MAJOR

WOOHOOS

TO ALL OF YOU!.

Thanks for posting all those delicious piccies, too!

Hi Therese,

A bath in strong tea does a lovely job of muting colors. I'd experiment first!

Wilma, I absolutely love your birdie bag--crow carrier? It's awesome! :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

:hug: Thank you, everyone!  :hug:

This is the greatest place on earth to share good news as well as the not so good.

Unfortunately, Bears&Buds neglected to add a link to my website   

Oh . . . sorry I didn't understand what you were asking!

Here's a tip to make up for it:

When draping a cat for pattern purposes, be sure to lay down a bed of catnip! :dance:

Beautiful Clare,

Those sorry little excuses for male adolescents were merely showing off their "courage" for the benefit of one another. Same as vandalizing traffic signs and postal boxes, or swearing aloud in public places. They have no idea how pathetic they look.

You can bet that they would have shouted out the same silly insult to anyone they happened to pass at that moment! It had nothing to do with you.

I own the only obese Jack Russell Terrier on the planet, and she draws her share of insulting comments from teenaged boys and ill bred children. This really distresses me, but she ignores them! I try to follow her example.

Hi Jane,

You don't need to increase the size of the head sides. All you need to do is to cut the gusset pattern in half lengthwise from nose to back of neck, and then be sure to add standard seam allowances to each side of the gusset, including the edges you've cut.

Basically, the center-seamed head was developed by Steiff only to economize on mohair. By cutting out every 8th (or 9th?) gusset in two parts, they minimized waste.  The center seam was not used for extra shaping.

However, since they were produced in smaller quantities, these center-seamed bears are relatively rare, and have a definite charm of their own!

Hi all,

Check out the glamorous bear maker of the month--www.bearsandbuds.com

I love using leather!

I'd try eBay. I won a pile of nice leather coats and jackets . They're all colors of the rainbow, plus naturals, shiny on the outside and suede on the inside. I think they cost me about $5 apiece, including postage.

:crackup: Me all over!  :crackup:

Easy one: The person below me is covered in mohair . . .

Hi Jennifer,

I've only shipped to Sweden once.

The customer chose the cheapest possible shipping method. The critter was very well packed, but it arrived in a badly dented condition.

Also, Swedish customs had opened and checked it, even though I listed the contents carefully, including wires in the limbs and glass beads in the stuffing.

So I'd definitely go with the more expensive service, and be sure to fill out the customs form completely!

And I love stage shows!