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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Hello everyone
I've not been around much this week to get my fix of TT. A lot has happened.
In brief, the person who my husband and I were having suspicions about stealing money from our business has proven correct. 
Therefore they have now left us and I have had to take on the office manager's role along with all the accounts work. Major nightmare as I've never done any form of accounting whatsoever in my life!!!!!! but after a week of being thrown in the deep end and the help of our accountant I'm starting to get there.
Up until now I never really went into work, doing what I could from home and seeing to our 2 children. Seems like I have now got myself a pretty much full time job - I haven't even touched a piece of mohair this week LOL 
and I can't see that I will be finishing any bears for a while now.
I just wanted to say hi to everyone. I have managed to steal a couple of minutes here and there to pop in here but not long enough to reply or add to threads (and there are so many new ones :o. I'll hopefully have some spare time by the end of next week to participate a bit more but in the meantime Happy Bear making to all and Take care :hug:
Kate
x
Cheers Pen
Guess you won't want to pop round for a group get together this weekend then as I don't think there will be a problem squeezing everyone in :)
I figured that the girls (& guys) from the States could hitch a lift back with Charles and Camilla :thumbsup:
Kate
x
Love this thread by the way and all your homes are fabulous :hug:
Huge congratulations Guys :clap: :clap:
I haven't seen the newsletter but have just requested to be added to the mailing list - can't wait to get it now!! :)
Kate
x
This is my weekend pad in London. Hope you like it. It does get a bit hectic though as we are always getting people pressing their noses against the gates.
It's so offputting when I'm trying to make bears. All I ask for is a bit of peace and quiet but if it's not the click click click of those cameras it's the constant noise of that big water feature across the road. By the way my bear making studio is on the top floor - great view up the big road ahead.
Kate
x
p.s I've just cut finished cutting the grass in the garden of the main residence and raked up the leaves .Now it looks half decent I'll take a picture of it for you and post tomorrow - too dark now!
Way to go Fran :clap:
That's brilliant. Your bearies are so beautiful and their new mums will be delighted I'm sure. Did they go to separate bidders?
Kate
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That's just brilliant Penny :clap: :clap: :clap:
Exactly the site I was looking for. Thanks hun, if what I have in mind actually works I'll take some pictures and post here. :hug:
I think I've remembered where it was now. Not on here but on on an email from British Bears on the Net.
Did anyone make a note of the web address as I've deleted it fom my inbox - very clever!! :(
Kate
x
Did I imagine it or was there a post recently with a link to some lovely fairy/butterfly wings that could be downloaded?
I've tried searching but can't find anything. I'm feeling creative and want to try heat fusing some iridescent strands around them - but need to find the link first.
PLEASE someone put me out of my misery. Thanks girls :lol:
Kate
x
I'm kicking myself because when I sold all my cardmaking bits on ebay earlier this year to concentrate on bear making I sold my Xyron laminator as I hadn't used it much - now I want it BACK
I bought some A4 pouches from Tesco's which I can get 4 documents from but it's a pain. It means I have to get the iron out, disgusting word :mad:, but they do work.
I keep looking on ebay though for a bargain because the Xyron has to be a lot easier :)
Kate
x
Wow Jenny
Clover is just adorable. I love the shape of his head and those gorgeous eyes. You are truly too talented for words :)
I'm trying to imagine how tall he is, I don't think you mentioned it in your post.
Kate
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Oh Wow!
She is sooo lovely ....and those eyes!!!! STUNNING
Kate
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This is William
He's already got a new mummy lined up so he could be on his way very soon!
Kate
x
Oh yes. very attractive Penny!!!LOL
Bet that moustache gets in the way when you eat icecream 
LOL
I've had a couple of disasters where I've been so pleased to squeeze a pattern onto a smallish piece of mohair, 
cut all the pieces out and then realised I've missed out something like the gusset. 
Worse thing is I didn't have any more of that mohair left and once the pieces were cut I couldn't do anything with them unless I saved up all the mistake cutouts until I eventually had enough to make a multi mohair odd bod bear! :wacko:
Please tell me I'm not the only one to have done this!
Kate
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Hello Deb
The largest bears I make are 10 inches. I can easily cut the pattern from a 13 x 20'' piece with a bit left over so my guess is that you will be ok.
Kate
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Thanks girls
You are all very kind. 
I'm now so pleased that I was camera happy last Christmas and I have lots of lovely pictures of my Grandfather to look back on.
One thing I've noticed about the ebay Pulse is that you only appear on it once you have at least one bid. Example - Once I had a bear with 14 watchers no bids and another bear listed at the same time with 11 watchers and 1 bid. Only the bear with the bid showed on the pulse even though it had less watchers.
It was only when the other bear (14 watchers) got a bid that he appeared on the pulse in a higher position than the bear with 11 watchers!
Kate
x
Hi everyone
Hands up, I'm guilty of not posting very much since I registered a few weeks ago. :redface:
Shortly afterwards I lost my beloved grandfather which was a tough old time and then we took the children to the Algarve for a weeks holiday. What with catching up with everything I've only really had time to just nip in and out of here very briefly.
I'm kind of getting there now and last 2 evenings I've listed a couple of bears on ebay, Berkeley and Mollie. Hopefuly they will get some interest - after a break it's a bit nervy that no one will buy.
Clare I don't really know why Meri Bears is there at the top of the page :doh: It's very flattering to be listed near Portabello Bears though. I first noticed it on the ebay pulse page where they show the top 10 searches. The order does change around though from time to time.
I hope to chat with you guys more now as I've got my bear making head back on now - well, I will do even more next week when the girls go back to school.
Take care everyone
Kate
x
I find bear naming so difficult. I guess I like to use unusual or old fashioned names and I try not to use the same name more than once. It seems harder to name my girl bears though.
If I come across a name I like I'll jot it down in a book but quite often I don't have a name in my book that fits the bear I'm working on. That's when I try the net. I type in 'old fashioned names' or ' German baby names'.
Sometimes I like to use surnames so I flick through the phone book where there's HUNDREDS to choose from. I get there in the end.
Look forward to finding out how everyone else chooses names.
Oh, that's so funny, especially your profile bit. :lol:
I have seen auctions on ebay UK listed from somewhere in Europe, Germany I think. I think they have just used one of those translation sites but not checked it back again to see if it makes sense. They are quite funny to read and sometimes include minor swear words!!
Kate
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Many, Many congratulations :clap: You must be floating on air.
Denise
I'm really shocked that you and others have had your auctions pulled for unclear reasons. Boy, there must be some pretty sad people out there who just trawl through auctions looking for the smallest issues to report back to eBay.
Anyway, I've just seen your beautiful bear re-listed. He has a very eyecatching main photo in the listings so I'm certain he will draw lots of attention again.
May you have lots of bids.
Hi
I always fray check once I have the pieces sewn together. Always on the openings, ears and nose and sometimes all round depending on the type of mohair. I find that some fabrics are really 'delicate' and fray so easily and some are really firm but I always have a reasonable seam allowance that I build into my patterns and quite often double stitch.
Gel pens never bleed. I learnt a hard lesson after using blue biro on a white fur in my early bear making days :mad:
I have tried the pva/water method. I'm probably doing it wrong but it seemed to take forever to dry. Apart from the cost, I like fray check because it dries so quickly.
Kate
Hi Susan
I have recently started to use wobble neck joints with cotter pins and I'm really pleased with the result but then I prefer a slightly down turned head. If you don't want the head too droopy just make the pins tighter. 
Kate
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