Waggle Bears

Mink Teddy Bear

2011-04-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

I finished my mink bear...finally...and was able to deliver it to my collector before Easter, though I did work on it right up to the time we left the desert for Easter with our daughter. I was so glad to get rid of that bear.

I've already told you that taking the coat apart was a messy job and seemed to take forever. Fur was flying everywhere and making me and the pups sneeze...definitely an outside job.

I was so afraid of making mistakes so it took longer to make. It was my first real fur bear, it wasn't my mink, and I was so afraid of ruining the fur. Real fur must be lined so cutting a cotton version of the pattern is necessary. The cotton lining provided support for the very fragile pelts.

Nancy Tillberg was encouraging and nudging me along. She finally told me to stop worrying about making mistakes and get over my fear of working with fur. I was mostly worried about sculpting the fur on the snout. I have only ever scissor sculpted but this time I brought out the electric clippers, closed my eyes and sculpted. It actually turned out pretty good and I was quite pleased that it was smooth, even and no cut lines were visible.

Would I do it again...yes, absolutely. While visiting the Central San Joaquin Valley over Easter I picked up a couple of jackets, one rabbit and one mink, from a high school friend. The next one will be easier I am sure.

Bear Artists Online

2011-03-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

Bear Artists Online, formerly known as Teddy Bears and Critters Australia, may be reached by clicking on the BAO graphic in the right column. Same people, same great work, just a new name, and the new home of the ACD awards, June 1 - 5, 2011.

Happy Birthday, Joseph

2011-02-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

Today is Joseph's birthday; he turns 28 years old. He is now in his second year of a doctoral program at the University of Maryland. I'm very proud of him all of the time...but sometimes, I wish I had this little boy to hold one more time.

Recycled Fur

2011-02-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

I've never made a bear out of real fur; I've always wanted to, but never took up the challenge. I was asked to make bears by my niece from a full-length muskrat coat that belonged to her deceased mother. As I understand it, the five children in the family grew up playing in mom's coat. A couple of weeks ago I got another call from a local lady wanting bears out of a full-length mink. Two real fur coats...I immediately signed up for the Heirloom Bear online class at EbearZ University.

The first step is to take the coats apart and check for tears or bald spots. This is a messy, messy job that must be done outside. As I started taking the mink apart I found lots of little yellow pieces that looked like sawdust. Did you know that real fur professionally cleaned is tumbled in large drums of sawdust? I didn't, not until I checked with Nancy Tillberg. Take a look at her website to see some of the beautiful bears she makes, many of them from recycled fur.

After I calmed down about the sawdust, it took me two days to take the mink apart. It will probably take longer for the muskrat since it has an underlining as well. Both coats saw a lot of use and were in worse shape than they appeared as whole coats. Today I'm working on a pattern. I'm a little scared to start cutting into someone's special coat, but I'm on it and will let you know how I do.

New Bears Available

2011-02-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

Lovey

Charlotte

Three new Waggle Bears are available for adoption. Sadly, they did not find homes during the recent "Be My Valentine" online show. If you have questions, please email me.

Owen

Basic Bear Boot Camp

2010-08-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here's my finished bear from the EbearZ University online class. Everyone taking the class used the same traditional teddy bear pattern provided in the class. It will be interesting to see how different everyone bear turns out.

Online Bear Class

2010-08-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks I've been busy with an online class with EbearZ Univeristy. Basic Bear Boot Camp is a new class and offered for free...can't beat that price. Class was taught by Nancy Tillberg of Kran-Bearys. You can read all about it at EbearZU blog. I've been making bears for several years but Nancy has some really great methods and techniques and I learned much easier ways to do some things. I especially enjoyed the videos provided with the written lesson.

If you haven't been by EbearZUniversity in a while, stop by and take a look. She's added many new classes and some new teachers, too.

Finished my bear today and will try to get pictures this week.

My Apologies...

2010-07-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

My apologies to my followers and everyone who has visited my blog over the last several months. For some personal reasons, I was unable to maintain my blog. That's about to change. I'm back! I hope you'll still want to visit my blog in the future.

I've recently completed two bears and have two more cut out waiting to be put together. I have signed on for the Be My Valentine online show on February 12, 2011. Kind of strange to have things on my calendar that far in the future, but I'm ready to think about those bears, too.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T19:28:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

We are looking forward to spending the holiday with my sister in the

Central Valley, along with nieces, grandnieces, great-grand nieces

and nephews, our daughter and dear friends.

Long Overdue Reunion Update

2009-10-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who wrote me a note of interest about my reunion. I suffered a little post-reunion depression when I got home and realized how much I miss my hometown friends. It was like the years hadn't passed at all.

Judi, me, Patty, Toni

It was an outside event at a ranch belonging to a school friend, though not in our class. Even though it was miserably hot that evening, everyone said it was the most fun they've had and a reunion, and I thought so, too.

Friday evening after we arrived at the hotel, Judi and I opened a bottle of wine and invited some classmates staying in the hotel to our room for just catching up. She thought my hair style was doing nothing for me and she brought out the scissors and I told her to have at it. I didn't see what she was doing until she finished but I loved it...thought it made me look younger.

Unfortunately, I went off and left my camera in the room so I've had to depend on others sharing their photos.

And just for fun, the four of us at the last reunion I attended, 1994, the 30-year.
Darlene, Toni, Linda, me

And, to show you what I looked like before Judi cut my hair...what do you think?

And I'm already looking forward to the next one in 2014.

Big Weekend Ahead

2009-09-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

Marlys - Kindergarten

I am so excited! I am attending my 45th-year high school reunion; the 30-year was the last one I was able to attend and I can't wait to see everyone. Facebook has brought me together with old school friends and I have so enjoyed connecting with everyone again after so long.

Judi - 4th Grade

Judi and I go all the way back to kindergarten. We live on opposite ends of the state so we decided it would be more fun to leave the guys home and be each other's date for the reunion. We're bringing yearbooks, school journals and more. I'm bringing the wine and she's bringing the glasses and we plan to have a terrific time.

It's a small world...

2009-09-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

Evening is when I look through some of my favorite blogs. Invariably, something always catches my attention and leads me to another blog, and so on and so forth. Last night, while visiting Barely Sane...Blog of a Bear Nut, Sandi's tutorial for making felt gingerbread people caught my attention. Visit Sandi's tutorial to see how to turn this cut-out into a cute little Gingerbread Man.

A comment left by Dawn of Cottage State of Mind caught my eye. She promised

photos of the treasures in her attic. Who can resist a chance to take a peek into another person's treasures? Certainly, not me. If you love collecting things "just because," then take a look at Dawn's post, Playing in the Attic.

But that's not the best part. Reading Dawn's profile, I found she grew up in the Central San Joaquin Valley of California. So did I! Well, it's a big Valley, so finding someone who grew up there isn't such a big deal. But this is: the internet connects me with Sandi in Australia, and Sandi connects me with someone from my own back yard. I love the friendships I've found through blogs and bears and the creative spirit. Amazing!

Bloom Where You're Planted

2009-08-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here she is, my Spring is Sprung Challenge bear...and I'm two days under the deadline! She is made from 1.8" dense Shulte mohair and she's 15" tall. Stop by and take a look at all the Challenge entries.

Empty Nest...again

2009-08-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Bright and early this morning I gave my 26-year-old baby boy and hug and a kiss and sent him on his way to the University of Maryland. Everyone was up early today, by 3:30 am, so Allyn could get him to the airport in time to make his 6 am flight. He'll be at UMD for the next five years working toward a Ph.D. in Sociology.

I got a call from him just minutes before 1 pm letting me know his flight landed safely, he was heading to baggage, and he would be taking a long nap once he reached his hotel. His apartment will be available tomorrow, but when his furniture will arrive is anybody's guess.

He had an hour lay-over in Denver and said his flight out was delayed, but they arrived on schedule. Now, Joseph has a history of not quite telling the whole story...Morocco comes to mind, but that's a story for another day. Shortly after I talked with him, Allyn called to say he'd talked with him as well. Joseph sent a text message to Allyn telling him about a security breach in Denver as they were boarding. That's why the plane was delayed. They were shuffled here and there until the breach was addressed.

Okay, so it's probably a good thing I didn't know about it as it was happening, but it makes me wonder about other things he "isn't telling so Mom won't worry." This is the first day of my next five-year-worry plan.

I think I'll go find some cute baby pictures...

I'm Back!

2009-08-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

At least I hope I'm back. It's been a busy summer and, yet, I can't say that I've really accomplished a whole lot. Spent time with the kids together and separately; visited Ashley and her new home; saw friends and my sister in Fresno; and now we're getting ready to send Joseph off to school...for the third time.

I wish I had the organization and discipline of my good friend, Sandi Smith. Don't know how she does it but she manages to keep up with, not only her website, Bearly Sane, but also with two blogs: Blog of a Bear Nut and Fantasy and Fancy, the TBACA site, organizing and creating the wonderful venues of several online shows each year...and she still manages to find time make bears. My mid-year resolution is to be more like Sandi in productivity and discipline. Unfortunately, I cannot duplicate her creativity and imagination.

Fantasy & Fancy

2009-07-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Just want to tell you about a new blog by my friend Sandi Smith, Fantasy & Fancy. She hasn't yet told us what she has planned for this blog, but I know it will be something wonderful. Her first post, The Child Within, reminds us of the dreams and imagination of our childhood...something many of us tend to forget as we get older and busier. I will nurture my child within. Thanks, Sandi.

Visit Sandi's other blog...Bearly Sane -- Blog of a Bear Nut.

Swap Bears

2009-07-10T09:59:00.001-07:00

This is Emma from a new line called Puppy Grrls. She's even cuter in person than in the photo.

Nancy Dontigney is the artist behind Puppy Grrls and Dog Patch Critters. She has a wonderful imagination and all of her pieces have a happy and whimsical look about them. I've wanted one of Nancy's critters for some time and I recently asked if she'd consider a swap with me.

She just happened to be working on a new line that she thought I would like, but she wanted it to be a surprise and wouldn't tell me anything about it. Emma arrived last week and I was overjoyed with her especially since we are currently owned by two wheaten Scottish Terriers and previously had our own little Emma Girl. She seemed to be created just for me.

Patrick was Nancy's choice of my bears and he now lives happily in sunny Florida with Nancy and all the Dog Patch Critters.

Thanks, Nancy, for being open to a swap. I love my little Puppy Grrl.

New Bears

2009-06-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Joseph and I are leaving town this afternoon but I wanted to post three new bears before I leave. The bears were part of the Black and White Ball. Though my bears didn't find homes, the show was a huge success and exceeded everyone's expectations. If you have any questions, please send me an email or leave a comment and I'll respond when I return on Monday.

Top Left to right: Harlow - Zi Shan

Below - Oakley

Black & White Ball

2009-06-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

Undressed and Ribbon-Bow Bears

will be available today.

6 June - Undressed and Ribbon-Bow Bears

Dates and times are for Australia.

For those in the US and Canada

this date is June 5.

West Coast - 3:00 pm

Central - 5:00 pm

East Coast - 6:00 pm

Please check the time for your area.

Black and White Ball

2009-05-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

It may be May 31 in the U.S. but it's already tomorrow in Australia. The Black and White Ball will begin today:

West Coast begins at 3 pm

Central begins at 5 pm

East Coast begins at 6 pm

If you need to find the time for your part of the world, just click here. Hope you'll be there.

Black and White Ball

2009-05-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

The Black and White Ball is just around the corner. If you'd like to sneak a peek at the bears and critters that will be available during the Ball, just click on the link. Sandi tells us she is overwhelmed by the creativity of all entrants. While you're there, take a look at the other photo albums.

Sandi is putting the finishing touch on the Venue. She is amazingly organized and so on top of everything. Here's just a bit about what she has planned for the week:

June 1 - Introduction and unveiling of TACDA entrants

June 2 - Dressed Bears arrive

June 3 - Vintage Bears arrive

June 4 - Nominees are officially announced

Minis arrive

June 5 - All Critters arrive

June 6 - Remaining Bears arrive

June 7 - Finale and Award Presentation

I hope you'll be there.

Sneak Peek for Black and White Ball

2009-05-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Sandi has been hard at work on the upcoming Black and White Ball. More than 100 artist bears will be shown during the show. Here's a wee peek at my bears.

The show runs from June 1 through June 7. Sandi has something a little different planned for each day.

I'm excited to share...

2009-05-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

I am the Featured Artist for the month of May at Teddy Bears and Critters Australasia. If you are so inclined and have a few minutes, I hope you'll stop by and take a look.

I want to thank Sandi Smith, of Bearly Sane and administrator of Teddy Bears and Critters Australasia, for the opportunity to be profiled on her site. Sandi has been a long-distance mentor for me, offering support and encouragement throughout the year or so that I've known her. Most especially, she's believed in my work. Thanks, Sandi.

Black and White Ball

2009-05-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering why I haven't posted for a while, the answer is getting ready for the Black and White Ball which begins June 1. Visit the link to find out more about the Ball and see the participating artists.

I was able to get my bears completed, photographed and to Sandi just under the wire. We have had a series of colds and sore throats here. Allyn had pneumonia and has only been up to speed for about a month. All those colds and doctor visits cut into my work time, not to mention that I just didn't want to do anything but sleep when it was my turn.

The Ball has some interesting new ideas, so I hope you'll take a look and mark your calendar with the date.

Pollyanna's first puppy show

2009-04-13T08:31:00.001-07:00

Just a few photos of Pollyanna's first puppy show the last week of March.

Pollyanna was shown by Robert Inman.

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

More about Pollyanna

2009-03-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I can't resist posting more photos of Pollyanna. Last time we took Maisie and Rocco up to their breeder for grooming, Lisa asked if we'd like to take Pollyanna for the day. She's so sweet and loving and we had a terrific day. It took her no time at all to be comfortable with us and the house.

When I posted her photo on Teddy Talk I got a note from Nancy D. of Dog Patch Critters saying Pollyanna reminded her of Charmin, last year's Westminster Best in Show. I emailed Lisa to find out and learned this little girl has a very famous daddy.

Evidently, he's won a number of Bests in Show including Westminster, Crufts, the Eukanuba, and he's the No. 1 terrier in the world. Charmin's formal name is CH EFBE'S HIDALGO AT GOODSPICE. Charmin's owner/handler is Margery Good of Pennsylvania.

Since Lisa's offered to share her with us, you'll no doubt be seeing more of her photos on occasion.

Future New Puppy!

2009-02-24T08:47:00.000-08:00

When we visited our breeder and couple of weeks ago we had the most wonderful surprise. Lisa's son, Robert, grooms Maisie and Rocco for us and he greeted us at the door with, "I have something to show you." Boy, did he ever. After taking our pups out to the grooming area, he brought out this little, fluffy white fur ball. They'd just gotten her the day before and I think I was as excited as Robert was.

The little fur ball turned out to be a three-month old Sealyham named Pollyanna. She was so cute and so sweet and I was able to hold her for sometime. She was so calm and just let me love on her. I've always loved Sealyhams but they aren't very common in the US and with the trouble we've had finding Scotties over the years, I never thought I'd even see a Sealy in person. Of course, Allyn was shaking his head but I know he thought she was cute, too.

Robert will raise her for showing and he will finish her championship before breeding her so I told Allyn he had a couple of years to get used to the idea of another puppy in the house. Since we saw her just the day after she arrived at Lisa's home, I have my name first on the list for a puppy. They will evaluate any pups who might meet show standards, but I think I made it clear to Lisa and Robert that I want one.

The photos Lisa sent me, taken February 16th, are after we saw her and after Robert had a chance to groom her. Look at that little attitude. She knows she's going to be a show pup. Isn't she just adorable?

Be My Valentine is almost here

2009-02-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Don't forget the online Be My Valentine show this weekend.

The show runs a full 24 hours so everyone should have a chance to log on at their convenience. am Artists from around the world will be participating and starting times will vary. You'll find a list of starting times at the show's website.

On the west coast of the United States the show begins on February 13 at 2 pm and runs until 2 pm on February 14. I think I'll need a couple of naps during the show.

A forum will be available during the show and everyone may participate. All you have to do is register; it's painless and it's free. You'll be able to make comments and "chat" with the artists.

Sneak Peek

2009-02-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

The Be My Valentine online show is just around the corner so I thought I'd post a little sneak peek at my bears. I hope you'll visit the show.

My First Blog Award

2009-02-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

I recently received my 1st blog award from Shari of S. Reetz Bears ! I'm so pleased to know that people do occasionally read my blog. Thanks so much, Shari.

This award is for:

"The authors say that blogs that receive this award are exceedingly charming.This blog invests a proximity in space, time and relationships.These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends; they are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandisement. Our hope is that when the awards of these ribbons are cut, even more friendships will be propagated.Please give your attention to these writers! Deliver this award to 8 bloggers who will choose 8 more, and include this cleverly written text into the body of this award."

I am happy to pass this award to the following bloggers:

Yesterday's Glitter
Boot Button Bears
Dog Patch Critters
Catherwoods
Three O'Clock Bears
Bear Paws by Roxanne
Inside My Studio
Laurie Lou Bears

All of these wonderful blogs can be found on my bear artists blogs links.

100 Best Bear Artist Blogs

2009-01-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed this new graphic on the right side of my blog?

Paula Carter of All Bear has just opened a new site that will list the top 100 bear artist blogs. The rankings are set by the number of people who visit each blog. There are currently about 50 member blogs. Please visit the site and visit the various blogs. You'll likely find some that are new to you.

Of course, I wouldn't mind if you visited my blog frequently and move me up in the ranking.

We have a new puppy!

2009-01-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

Maisie (1 year) and Rocco (5 months)

This is the first opportunity I've had to post about our new puppy and I've been so anxious to tell everyone about him. We had absolutely no intention of getting a new puppy, but Lisa of Afterglow Scottish Terriers practically forced me to take him. I tried to explain that this wasn't a good time financially (his name is Joseph) but Lisa said she knew he would have a good home with us and ask us to make her an offer. She was very, very generous to us so, of course, we went up to her home in Desert Hot Springs, about 30 minutes from us, to see the three puppies she had left. It was such a hard choice but we picked the smallest little boy and he is just so very sweet and loving. We picked him up on Saturday after Christmas.

Maisie is a beautiful, sweet little girl, but she is a bit high strung and a bit aloof. Rocco (Scotch on the Rocks) is just so sweet and very affectionate and he really keeps Maisie on the run. They play very well together. He learned to sit in record time and I have hope that he may learn other commands. I believe Maisie knows what they are; she just refuses to obey them.

Maisie and Rocco are half-siblings; they have the same father but different mothers. They look very much alike but Rocco has his mother's temperament and Maisie has her mother's temperament.

These photos were taken last Sunday after their grooming. Lisa's son, Robert, is a junior handler and also a groomer and he did a great job.

Busy month

2009-01-20T11:35:00.001-08:00

I can finally breathe a little easier and move a little slower. I was rushing to meet the deadline for the Be My Valentine show on February 14. Sandi needed everything in by January 19, Australia time, and I was able to get in under the wire which was 1 pm January 18, my time.

Sandi is busy now working an setting up artist booth. And don't forget that Bobo will have his very own booth with all proceeds going to Free the Bears Fund.

I'll be posting a sneak peek at my bears before the show, so please check back.

Yikes, I've been tagged

2009-01-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

I was just tagged by Laura Lynn of Teddies by Laura Lynn which means I have to list 6 random things about myself. That might be difficult since I really don't have a very interesting story...but let's see:

1. I have incredibly short toes about which my family constantly teases me...but you don't get to see a photo.

2. I'm an avid reader and have about 800 books in the house.

3. I am not a very good cook and don't like to cook.

4. I am crazy about Scotties Terriers.

5. Allyn and I grew up in the same very small town, lived about 3 blocks apart, went to the same schools at the same time (but I'm a year ahead of him) but didn't meet

until 5 months before we married.

6. My two older sisters were teenagers when I was born and they named me.

Sorry, I'm just not very interesting, but I wanted to play.

If you are on the list below, you've been tagged to name 6 random things about yourself.

Penney at Seamore Collectibles
Ellen Borggreve
Laura at Dances with Teddy Bears
Christine at Boot Button Bears
Louise Peers Miniatures
Brenda at Duffy Antiques

I hope you all decide to play.

THE RULES (for this game of tag):

1. LINK TO THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU
2. POST THE RULES ON YOUR BLOG
3. WRITE SIX RANDOM THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF
4. TAG SIX PEOPLE AT THE END OF YOUR POST AND LINK TO THEM
5. LET EACH PERSON KNOW THEY ARE TAGGED AND LEAVE A COMMENT ON THEIR BLOG
6.LET THE TAGGER KNOW WHEN YOUR ENTRY IS UP
7. DON’T BREAK THE CHAIN (not actually a rule)

Wishing you a Happy New Year

2008-12-31T08:02:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

I wish you the very best for the New Year.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T08:35:00.001-08:00

Harley and Maisie

2008-12-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

Emma, Harley, Hugo and Tulie

We lost our little Scottie boy in November. Harley was the last of four Scotties that we had all at the same time. Harley would have been eleven years old on December 12. He was our very, very loving little boy and we miss him terribly.

We're very grateful that we brought Maisie into our family last spring. She's our only pup at this time and she is such a cute little girl. Her personality is very much like the other four in many ways, and yet she is also very different. She makes us laugh and she's eased the loss of Harley.

We were recently able to get a good photo of Maisie within minutes after her grooming. She'll be one year old on January 4, and we love her to death.

Christmas Parade

2008-12-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

You must visit the Christmas Parade at Ellen Borggreve's blog. So many cute little bears and other soft sculpture creatures. It's a wonderful idea and I very much want to acknowledge and thank Ellen for all the work she put into the parade. Each parade entrant give the name of the item and a link to the creator's blog. You can also reach the parade by clicking the graphic on the right.

Take a look; you will really enjoy yourself.

Christmas Cookie Round-Up

2008-12-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

First, my apologies to everyone. I guess I just forgot today is the day to begin and I'm holding up the Round-Up. Here's my recipe:

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Tsp. Real Vanilla
2 - 2/3 Cups Flour
1/2 Tsp Soda
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp Nutmet
1/2 Cup Sour Cream

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix butter, sugar, egg and vanilla thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping method. Blend dry ingredients; add to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream. Divide dough; roll out to 1/4 thickness on a well-floured surface. Cut out shapes, place on greased baking sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Frost with Buttercream Frosting and decorate as desired. They're also good without frosting, but frosting is better for decorating.

I got this recipe from a newspaper years ago. I'm so sorry I held slowed the Round-Up. Happy cookie hunting.

Please follow the link to

Nancy Dotigney's Blog .

New Bears

2008-12-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Lucy

I've just listed a couple of new bears on Bid4Bears' Holly Jolly Holiday event. The campaign runs through December 20. The graphic to the right will take you to Bid4Bears; click on the "Christmas Cheer" category and you'll be shown only those bears with a holiday look. Of course, there are many other items posted so you may want to look through the entire list.

We'll have a Fireside Chat on December 11 through the Bid4Bears forum. Nancy has a surprise guest but she won't even tell us who it will be. Everyone is welcome to join the chat.

Hope you'll join us.

Cedric

Cookie Round-Up

2008-12-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

The Cookie Round-Up is just about here. Lisa has gathered a bunch of teddy bear people to participate in posting their favorite Christmas Cookie recipe. If you follow all the links, you'll gather at least one recipe from every site. The Round-Up starts with Lisa's q.D.paTooties blog. You'll collect her recipe and find a link to the next blog, collect the recipe from that blog and be given the next link, and so on.

To add to the fun, the first person who collects all the recipes and sends Lisa an e-mail with names of those recipes will receive a prize from Lisa. Just title the e-mail "Filled My Tin" so she will know you are a cookie recipe gatherer!

You can click on the Round-Up graphic on the right and it will direct you to Lisa's blog. We'll begin on December 13.

Christmas Cookie Round-Up

2008-12-04T08:02:00.000-08:00

Lisa is again sponsoring her Christmas Cookie Round-Up. This was lots of fun last year and many, many great recipes were shared. Click on the graphic on the right side of my blog and it will take you to Lisa's q.D.PaTootie's blog.

Updated Slide Show

2008-11-17T09:47:00.001-08:00

I've updated my slideshow with more current bears. Most have been adopted, but not all so if you have a questions about any of them, please send me a note.

And now I'm getting to work on the bears for Be My Valentine.

Holly Jolly Holidays at Bid4Bears

2008-11-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

Beginning November 20 and running through December 20, Bid4Bears will take on a Holly Jolly Holidays look. Nancy lives in Ontario, Canada, and she tells us Santa is a personal friend of hers and he'll be dropping by regularly to give random gifts to our bidders!

There will also be a special Fireside Chat on Thursday, December 11th, with a special guest in our Round Table Forum, as well as an ATC/ACEO swap and other neat surprises. Stop by and take a look at what will be happening.

It will be a month long holiday celebration!

Great Ho Ho Oh Bearz Show

2008-11-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

The show was very successful with many bears being sold and several artists' booths sold out completely. Nancy did an extraordinary amount of work on this show in addition to all of her other obligations...she's a full-time wife and mother, a full time CSI in Canada, a web designer, owner of several sites for bear artists...and in her spare time, she makes award-winning teddy bears.

Kim Russell, well known Australian artist, won best of show for her Miss Lillie. Isn't she adorable? Kim is amazingly talented and Miss Lillie was snapped up shortly after the show opened.

I sold one bear, Annie, and I'll be shipping her off to her new home is Australia soon.

I hope you all had a chance to stop by the showroom to see the variety of styles and sizes of beautiful bears.

Ho Ho Oh BearZ Online Show this weekend

2008-11-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

It's finally here! The Ho Ho BearZ Show is getting ready to open for business. There will be 33 artists participating from all around the globe. All start times are EST and you'll find a reference on the Welcome page for the show. You can also see a sneak preview of a few of the bears. Here's my own little sneak peek.

Hope to see you there.

Lisbeth

2008-10-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

This is Lisbeth and she's on Bid4Bears this week. She's 15" tall and made with a beautiful straight mohair by Shulte. She's a soft dusty lavender color. I hope you can take a look.

Kirby is on his way to live in New Jersey with a large hug that includes several of his Waggle Bears cousins.

Kirby

2008-09-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Kirby and his favorite quilt up for auction on Bid4Bears along with some really wonderful offerings by other artists. I hope you can take a look.

He is 15" tall; his quilt measures 17" x 20".

New Halloween Bear

2008-09-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Bid4Bears Autumn Artist Power Campaign began this week.

This is Mason and he's ready for Halloween. He'd love for you to stop by and take a look at his auction.

Ronald McDonald House Charities

2008-09-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Ronald McDonald House Teddy Bear Banquet and Auction has asked for a donation of one of my bears for their annual auction on October 26. I'm thrilled to be able to donate Gina for this great cause. If any of you live in the area of Albany, NY, you might want to check out this auction.

Important Dates

2008-09-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

With so many online shows over the next few months, you'll find a list on the right side of my blog. Here are brief summaries and links to all these upcoming events.

September 19 - 21
Bid4Bears will be offering bears for auction with all proceeds going to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for pediatric cancer research. You can read more by going to Alex's page.

September 21 - November 22
Once again, Bid4Bears is sponsoring the Autumn Artist Power Event. As with Christmas in July, registered artists will be auctioning one bear each week during this period. This is a great show for both artists and collectors.

September 27
Teddy Bears and Critters Australia (TBACA) is a new guild for those "Down Under."
Their first online show will feature many wonderful artists and a wide variety of styles.

February 14, 2009
Teddy Bears and Critters Australia has offered Affiliate Memberships to those from other countries, and Be My Valenine is their first international show. I'll be there along with many, many other artists. TBACA is also using this event as a fund raiser for their "adopted" sun bear, Bobo. Check out Bobo's page and read about these wonderful creatures and how you can help their cause.

Canute

2008-08-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Canute didn't find a new home during the Christmas in July show, but he's now happily living in New Hampshire with bear artist, Daphne Blau of Back Road Bears.

Imagine, who now resides with me, is one of Daphne's smaller bears. I was so excited to have one of her bears that I shared him with you back in May.

In addition to being a well known bear artist, Daphne produces two bear shows annually, one in New Hampshire and one in Maine. I'm hoping I will be able to display my bears at her Maine show in July 2009.

It will be my first in-person show and I'm very excited about the opportunity to meet other artists and collectors and see their reactions to my bears. The night before her show she hosts an ice cream social on the beach; I've seen the photos and I've fallen in love with the place. I'll keep you updated as I know more about the show.

Catching up

2008-08-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Catching up with the last few weeks:

Christmas in July was a successful summer-time show with more than 1,500 unique visitors and over 170,000 hits over the two-day period of the actual show. The "Oh Bears Show" is scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2008. It's not too early to mark your calendar.

Ashley was laid-off from her teaching job in the desert earlier this year because of budget cuts. Good news: she's been hired by the Corcoran School District in the Central San Joaquin Valley. She'll be staying with her good friend, Adrianne, in Hanford while looking for a place of her own. Ashley was about 11 when we moved to Corcoran and spent 5th - 12th grade in Corcoran schools and Adrianne has been her dear friend ever since. Ashley previously taught middle school in Corcoran before moving to Alameda so she has a sense of coming home as she looks forward to this move. Corcoran is a small community; everyone knows everyone and she's been welcomed very enthusiastically this past week.

During a long weekend at the first of the month, Allyn and I attended a Waggle family wedding in the San Diego area. Our nephew, Greg Waggle, married the lovely Andi Whitaker in a beautiful ceremony at Orfila Vineyards in Escondido. The backdrop of the mountains behind them as they recited their vows at 5 pm was just lovely and the dinner that followed was delicious. Greg and Andi very graciously invited family members from both sides to the wedding rehersal dinner on Friday night. This weekend gave us an opportunity to reconnect with family members that we don't very often have the chance to see. We had a wonderful time.

The Conference is Open

2008-07-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Christmas in July Conference is now open. The Showroom will open on July 26th.

My own little Sneak Peek for you.

Christmas in July is almost here!

2008-07-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

The North Country Teddy Bears Christmas in July online conference and show begins this week! You can sign up for online workshops now. I'm taking Judi Paul's Felted Paws class and I am enjoying it very much. My bear now has toes!

In addition to the workshops offered, there will be games, prizes, swaps, and much more. You will also be able to chat with world-famous teddy bear artist, Ted Menten, on Friday evening in the Hospitality Chat Room. Participating artists will be available throughout the sale to answer any questions you may have.

Click the banner on the right side of my blog and you'll find the complete schedule for the four-day event beginning July 24 and running through July 27.

Please remember that all times listed are Eastern Standard Times.

Click on the Scuba Diving Santa to see a Sneak Preview of the show.

Hope to see everyone there.

The Waggle Arena

2008-07-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

My son, Joseph, had recently started blogging. The Waggle Arena is a much different blog than mine, however, where he will:

"...put my own spin on current events and political developments. currently my interests include but are not limited to public policy, social stratification, and culture.
so this page will serve as a one-stop joe headquarters for all things waggle. it will be my combination news update/ book review/ social commentary/ random musing/ art appreciation/academic debate/et cetera page. "

He tells me that he's doing this to keep his mind active since he's living at home right now. That means his dad and I are not intellectually stimulating enough.

Christmas In July

2008-07-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

We're getting closer to our summer online show. What was supposed to be the Spring Fling in June is now Christmas in July. Unfortunately, the delay was unavoidable due to a serious fire in the data center where more than 9,000 servers were damaged.

Just click on the banner to the right and it will take you to all the information about the show now scheduled for July 24 - 27. Previews of the artist booths will be available about a week before the show.

Hope to see you there.

Maisie the Graduate

2008-06-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Maisie and I graduated from our Basic Obedience class on Saturday. The picture was taken by the training instructor and is a bit blurry. This was the best of four pictures taken. The others were just a blond blur.

Maisie was the most headstrong of the group, but also the youngest. She was much more interested in the other dogs so she had trouble concentrating. I think we may re-take this class in the fall.

Christmas in July

2008-06-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

You'll notice the new banner on the right. The Spring Fling, as you'll recall, was cancelled because of a fire at the datacenter where Nancy has her servers. So, our Spring Fling has now become Christmas in July. Nancy is still working to update all the pages, but clicking on the banner will take you to the site with updated information.

New dates are Thursday through Sunday, July 24-27, 2008.

I can't help it. . .

2008-06-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

Joseph hates it when I make him the subject of my blog, but I'm very proud of him and I just have to share his good news.

He's flying to Chicago tomorrow to accept the Johnson Prize for the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences during the Spring Convocation on Friday at the University of Chicago. Joseph was a graduate of MAPPS with the Class of 2007.

The Earl S. and Esther Johnson Prize is awarded annually to that student in the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences whose paper best combines high scholarly achievement with concern for humanistic aspirations and the practical applications of the Social Sciences.
The $1,000 Prize was established in the memory of the founder and long-time director of the Program. It is awarded in the spring of each year to the writer of an M.A. paper submitted the preceding academic year. Papers that meet the prize criteria and earn a grade of A are automatically considered.

Thanks for letting me share the news; we're just so proud of him.

Maisie Update

2008-06-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Maisie is five months old now and growing so fast. She's very independent and head-strong and we all look pretty silly chasing her around the yard because she won't come to us. To her, it seems like playtime.

She's so different than our other Scotties, none of whom had formal training, but they learned all the words quickly and obeyed. Maisie and I attended our second obedience class last Saturday, along with 6 other dogs. We were both exhausted after more than an hour of our training. She was twisting around, whining, pulling on her leash, and rolling on the floor while the other dogs just sat there looking at her. And you should have seen the way the other parents were looking at me! She is the youngest of the group so that's our excuse.

We have "sit" down perfectly, but we don't "stay" or "down" or "come." More practice time is needed this week.

Maisie loves the water and she can make a terrible mess when the sprinklers are on. These pictures show her after the fun and after Joseph and I caught her.

Spring Fling Update

2008-06-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

The fire at the datacenter in Houston, Texas, took down 9,000 servers and affected more than 100,000 websites. Our site was up in about five days; however, the work continues. Over the next several weeks as the datacenter gets all servers up and running, there will be planned outages lasting as long as 4 to 6 hours at a time. In order to ensure that our show would not be affected by these planned maintenance outages, the show has been moved to Thursday through Sunday, July 24-27, 2008.

Since Spring will be long gone by July, Nancy will be changing the theme of the show as well as all of the artists' booths. This will take her some time but as soon as she gives the okay for previewing, I will post the link here. I will keep you updated as I receive more information.

Oh No!

2008-06-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

The dates of our Spring Fling are being postponed. The dedicated server holds Nancy's sites as well as mine. There was a huge fire in the building last week and the site was off-line for several days. You can read about the fire if you're interested. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/01/the_planet_houston_data_center_fire/

It's only a postponement and as soon as I have the new dates, I'll let you know.

At least my bears are done!

Mostly ready for Spring Fling. . .

2008-06-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

My photos and descriptions have been submitted, Nancy's busy working on the artist "booths," and everyone is getting anxious for the conference and show. Nancy gave me a sneak peek at my "booth" and I can't tell you how excited I was seeing my bears as part of this event.

I hope you'll take a look at the show because in addition to "new and aspiring" artists, like me, there are many professional and master artists participating and their work is amazing and an inspiration to new artists.

I want to especially thank Kiki and Ron of Kiki Haynes Photography, La Quinta, California, for their hard work in getting my photos before the deadline. I very much appreciate their "above and beyond" efforts on my behalf.

I'm finished . . .

2008-05-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the banner for the Spring Fling at the top of the right hand column? Or the Wiki banner? One will take you to the four-day schedule for the Spring Fling; the other to the NCTB Wiki where you'll be able to access articles, see galleries, read blogs, and more.

My four bears are done, but need photographing, descriptions and sent to Nancy by May 31st. A friend is helping me with the pictures so I should have everything done by the deadline.

You'll find a list of artists participating in the Spring Fling when you click on the banner, and a preview of their online "booth" will be available about a week before the show. I hope you'll take a look.

Spring Fling

2008-05-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

I'm working on my bears for NCTB's Spring Fling. You'll notice the banner on the right; click it and it will take you to the information.

I started one bear last week...after not liking the second head, I decided to put him away and not waste any more time on something I knew I wouldn't like. Not that I won't like him in the future because I do plan to go back to him someday hoping that he'll just work out better when I'm not on a deadline. I'm just finishing up my first bear and have two more cut out so my week end is looking busy.

I'm also taking a photography class online from eBearz. I waited a little too long for it to do me much good for the Fling and I'm a little behind on my reading, but I'm looking forward to learning more about cameras and which one would be best for me.

I always forget to put labels on my posts. Don't know why as they are right below my post, but I just do. I need to remember that so that I don't repeat myself. I may have already mentioned the photography class so I apologize is this is a repeat.

I'm really happy to say that James has joined Hyacinth and Willis with their new family in Ohio.

Back to work for me.

I almost forgot

2008-05-05T10:16:00.002-07:00

I wanted to show you a picture of a sweet little guy I adopted last week. His name is Imagine and he's just as cute as he can be. He's only 7 inches tall, but loaded with personality.

He comes from Daphne Blau of Back Road Bears. He came all the way from New Hampshire. One day I hope to have one of Daphne's larger bears.

What's new?

2008-05-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Please meet James, my newest bear up for auction on Bid4Bears. James is made from .75" dense, curly Shulte mohair with dark brown wool felt paw pads. He's 14.5" tall and 10.5" sitting. Blue Belle and Peaches have been relisted with no reserve. I'm happy to say that Hyacinth is on her way to her new family in Ohio.

I'm taking an online photography class from eBearz University. Classes are open to everyone so if any of you would like to learn how to make your own bears, take a look at the classes offered.

Hopefully, I will learn to take much better pictures without all the shadows. Next I need to learn the features of my PhotoShop Elements. This software does wonderful things for other people, but refuses to work for me.

Maisie continues to be lots of fun and constant entertainment for us. This picture was taken at the coffee shop the morning after we picked her up. It was taken and sent to us by a very nice couple who asked if they could take her picture.

Dates for NCTB's Spring Fling have been moved from May to June 12-15. Find more information on the NCTB website. I'm grateful for the extra time to get bears finished for the show.

Teddy Bears and Critters Australia is a new website for Australian teddy bear artists. I first became interested in making/designing teddies from Australian Bear Creations magazine. Recently, they invited teddy bear artists from other countries to join as Affiliate Members and I was the first to join! Please take a look at their site if you can.

I'm going back to (hopefully) my first bear for the Spring Fling. It's made from brick red mohair so I'm not sure how he/she will turn out. Wish me luck.

Happy Monday Morning

2008-04-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well, after a week with Maisie Grace, she's the only one in the house that isn't exhausted. She has more energy than all of us put together.

She's doing very well...still sleeping through the night and doing pretty well with house training though she has had a few accidents.

She tries really hard to be Harley's friend but he's having no part of her. At least he's not seriously snapping at her anymore...it's more a low growl that says, "Not now, Trouble." She continues to try and she's doing everything right so he will have to come around eventually because she's so darned cute.

One day they'll be best friends.

Hyacinth

2008-04-24T08:53:00.001-07:00

Hyacinth is on Bid4Bears beginning today. She's made from a beautiful lavender blue dense, curly kid mohair by Shulte with pale lavender paw pads.

Blue Belle and Peaches continue to reside with me.

I've recently joined Bear Pile at the suggestion of a serious bear collector who recently adopted Molly. Many, many artists from all over the world belong and display many styles of bears. If you haven't discovered this site yet, take a look.

Meet Maisie

2008-04-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to introduce Maisie, our new Scottish Terrier. We just picked her up yesterday and we just love her to death. I told you about losing two of our Scottie girls over the Christmas Holidays and how unexpected and sad it was for us losing two at the same time. Well, Harley has been an only pup for several months now, and he's become quite used to being the center of attention. He hasn't warmed up to Maisie just yet, but he will come around. She tries so much to play with him, but he's still just a little miffed that we'd dare bring in a new puppy.

Maisie is a wheaten Scottie and the smallest of a litter of seven, which is a pretty large litter for Scotties. She's absolutely beautiful and a very light color. She was born on January 4 so she's just about 15 weeks.

Blue Belle

2008-04-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Blue Belle is up for auction this week on Bid4Bears. She's 14" tall and 10" sitting, and is made from Helmbold 5/8" sparse mohair in the color Sky. She'd love a visit from you.

Blue Belle wears a Precious Moments ceramic heart-shaped pendant that hangs from a pink ribbon.

Peaches

2008-04-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

Peaches is up for auction on Bid4Bears this week. She's made from peach-colored Shulte mohair with a feathery finish. With bent legs, she prefers sitting and sits at about 10". I hope you have a chance to visit her auction.

Franz is on his way to his new home in New Jersey!

Franz is up for bid

2008-03-31T08:30:00.001-07:00

Franz is up for auction on Bid4Bears this week. He's about 10 inches while sitting; with bent legs, he prefers sitting. He's made from Shulte mohair in a very pretty beige-brown batik.

I'm also happy to say that Molly has been adopted and will soon be on her way to live with her new family in New York.

Rusty on Bid4Bears

2008-03-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Molly will be staying with me a while longer. Unfortunately, her bid did not reach the reserve price.

I have re-listed Rusty on Bid4Bears this week as he did not receive a winning bid when he was listed a few weeks ago.

Isn't it strange that sometimes the ones I like the best aren't snapped up and those that often aren't my favorites are? Most people say that the bear reaches out to them. Maybe Rusty will reach out to someone this week.

Molly is up for auction

2008-03-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Molly is up for auction on Bid4Bears this week. She's 16" tall and 11" while sitting. She's made of a one-inch, curly cream mohair and wears a lace party dress. More pictures are on her auction. I hope you have a minute to take a look.

Willis was adopted and is now on his way to live with his new family in Ohio.

Artist Power is underway

2008-03-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Have you've had a chance to take a look at Bid4Bears? The Artist Power Campaign only started yesterday and there are many bears, hares, lions and other critters available. Some are silly, some are gorgeous, some are traditional. Even if you're not inclined to bid on anything, you should just take a look (no registration necessary) to see what artist bears are all about. Some of the work will blow you away.

This is Willis, my first auction of this campaign, and he's available now.

Artist Power Campaign 2008

2008-03-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Bid4Bear's Artist Power 2008 Campaign starts on March 9th and runs through May 10th. All teddy bear lovers will want to take a look. There are currently 25 teddy bear artists from around the world who have committed to this campaign.

I have personally committed to posting at least one bear each week of the campaign. I have four bears ready to go and I'm working on another.

Registration with Bid4Bears is free and allows you to bid on any of the bears offered.

I hope you'll visit Bid4Bear's Artist Power 2008 Campaign often during the next eight weeks.

Black and white challenge bear

2008-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

This is Molly. She's my contribution to the black and white challenge recently on Teddy Talk . If you'd like to take a look at the other entries just go the the Challenge Gallery and you'll see many imaginative creations.

Molly will be available on Bid4Bear's Artist Power 2008 Campaign which starts on March 9th.

I'll be posting more information about this Campaign next week.

My baby is 25 today!

2008-02-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Puppy.

And, as today is the day he and Becky start their road trip back to the southwest, and as the paper says it's snowing today in Chicago, I'm praying for better weather and a safe trip home for them.

Joseph is on the left, Becky is on the right, and their friend, Ryan is in the middle. They were experiencing/celebrating St. Pat's Day in Chicago 2007.

Rusty. . .a new bear

2008-02-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

This is Rusty and he's just been posted on Bid4Bears. He's made from 1 1/8" dense, curly Shulte mohair. He has a shorter body than most of my bears and I really like his look. He may have cousins soon.

Esme was adopted last week and is now residing in New Jersey.

I'm still working on my black and white challenge bear...the bear is done, the accessories are not. I have another week to make the deadline so I better get busy.

More changes around here

2008-02-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

Joseph is moving home. Yikes! Allyn and I are back where we started with two kids at home. We keep sending them out and they keep coming back.

To be fair, Joseph has been unable to find employment in the Chicago area and Becky, his roommate is moving back to Phoenix for personal reasons. And, the Waggle money tree has lost all its leaves. So they are making arrangements to have their belongings moved and will drive across the country in Becky's car and arrive in Phoenix at the end of the month just in time for her to start her new job on March 3. We'll meet Joseph in Phoenix and bring him home. These two desert kids are also a bit disenchanted with the mid-west weather, I think.

After Ashley finally moved out, and years later when Joseph went off to Cal, we made the two smaller bedrooms into guest rooms and I took over Joseph's larger room as my sewing/quilting room. Then Ashley moved back home and decided her bedroom was too small so we knocked out a wall and made the two small bedrooms one large room to give her space. I still had my sewing room. But, with Ashley's move home, it became "if I don't want it I'll throw it in mom's room" room; I have to find a path to my sewing machine. And now, it needs to become Joseph's bedroom again. So this weekend, Allyn and I are going to somehow find a place for my work table, sewing cabinet, two sewing machines, four bookcases, three file cabinets not to mention what's in and on those things, a closet full of crafting stuff, and a rolling rack holding unfinished quilting projects.

I'm wondering if this is some sneaky plan of my family to make me "get rid of so much stuff" they think I do not need. Of course, I love my kids dearly, but I think I'd prefer to downsize by having them find jobs and moving out on their own. And, Allyn and I would like to have our house back just for us, and Harley, of course. But what are parents for anyway?

New Bear - Esmé

2008-02-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

Sleepy Davey and Rose Marie have been adopted together and will soon be on their way to their new home in New Jersey where they'll join Tommy and Peppermint in a wonderful teddy-bear-loving home.

This is Esmé and she has just been listed on Bid4Bears. Her fur is actually a very frosty white and her color comes entirely from the backing fabric. She's 15" standing and 10.5" sitting. Hope you like her.

I'm currently working on two Teddy Talk challenge bears, one a "shades of black and white" bear and the second an "out of your comfort zone" bear. The black and white is nearly done and, hopefully, will be completed by the end-of-February deadline. The other bear is a work in progress and will be smaller than my normal bears. I've always admired miniature and micro-mini bear makers. They so amaze me with so much detail into such tiny pieces. I love the little bears, but all those little pieces just may not be for me.The head is finished and I'm really quite happy with the way it turned out so I'm encouraged.

New Bears

2008-02-02T20:52:00.001-08:00

I've just listed two new bears on Bid4Bears which is a great auction site dedicated to teddy bears, their friends, bear-making supplies and other related items.

This is Sleepy Davey and he comes with his own quilt and sleep shirt.

This little lady is Rose Marie and she has a hand embroidered foot pad in the shape of a heart.

Both bears are about 15 inches tall and about 10.5 inches sitting. If you love teddy bears, take a look at Bid4Bears.

Genealogy Anyone?

2008-01-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

One of my interests is genealogy. I love searching for ancestors and occasionally making contact with others who are descended from the same great-great-great-grandparents.

I was born years after my parents, their two young daughters and my maternal grandparents moved to California. My older sisters were teenagers when I was born and my parents had been married 17 years. I was a big surprise.

Over the years I've heard many family stories...including stories about my paternal grandfather and his older brother operating a number of saloons in the area where southern Ohio meets northeastern Kentucky and northwestern West Virginia.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I found several liquor labels belonging to my grand-uncle. As I understand it, Uncle Ike was some 25 years older than my grandfather, Andrew Jackson (Jack) Ash. Ike and Jack married Harlow sisters, Martha and Flody.

Anyone else interested in genealogy?

In Memory of

2008-01-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

Courtney Cathleen Waggle

Whitney Anne-Marie Waggle

January 25, 1982

Happy Birthday, Ashley

2008-01-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, today is Ashley's 34th birthday. I can't believe I'm that old!

She and one of her friends from the Bay Area share the same birthday so it's an annual celebration with her group. She flew to San Francisco this morning and was really looking forward to connecting with her friends again.

Checked the weather report for Chicago this morning...a high of 7 degrees and a low tonight of -3 degrees. Yikes, that's cold. I hope Joseph is keeping warm and toasty.

It's a very sad day

2008-01-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

This is the last picture of Tulie and Emma taken about the middle of December.

We said good-bye to Tulie on Christmas Eve, and yesterday we had to say good-bye to Emma. We were so hopeful after her first chemo treatment last Wednesday because she seemed to feel so good on Thursday. Friday she was not doing well and by late morning on Saturday she couldn't walk, couldn't hold her head up and had even stopped drinking water. We took her in to our own vet since Dr. Macy is no longer in the desert.

As much as it hurt to make the decision, we decided it was time to let her go. I am just so incredibly sad and lonely without her, but Dr. Williams and the staff at All Creatures reminded us she was going to meet Tulie at the Rainbow Bridge. She and Tulie were very close. Before we left the office, we picked up Tulie's ashes. Emma's ashes will be returned in a week or so.

It's very quiet here now but we still have Harley. We always worried about losing Harley first because he has so many allergies, arthritis, very little fur and he's losing what little he has, his ears never went up, and his little legs are bowed. Scotties are supposed to have very straight front legs. But with all that's wrong with him, he has a great personality and he makes us laugh with all of his antics so we are grateful to have him to help us through this. At some point we'll want another Scottie, but not for a while. Harley loves attention and belly rubs, neck rubs, feet rubs, so he may enjoy being an only dog for a while, but I think he'll be a little lonely, too.

Ups and Downs

2008-01-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Emma isn't doing so well today. She's refused any food and so we haven't gotten her pills down yet this morning. She's sleeping and refuses to leave her pillow. She's depressed and lethargic again today. She lost control of her bladder over night and again this morning.

I didn't expect to see such a down-turn after seeing her feel so well yesterday. I guess I have to expect ups and downs but I didn't expect them to be so drastic.

A more hopeful day

2008-01-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

Dr. Macy was able to give me a cautious ray of hope for Emma. He has used a combination of newer drugs to treat other dogs with MH. Her cancer is not operable and there is no long term treatment, but he thinks we should try this regimen to see if we can stabilize her, bring back her appetite, and bring some quality to her life.

She began her chemo yesterday with a stay in Dr. Macy's office of 90 minutes for her first iv treatment. She came home with several meds and information about chemo in dogs.

This is the first morning in two weeks that she's taken her roast beef in the morning and has stayed near me. She's even gone up to the landing to get some sun with Harley. I am very hopeful that treatment may give us more quality time with her.

Thanks for your prayers.

Definitely not a good start to 2008

2008-01-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

After having just lost Tulie on Christmas Eve, our Emma has just been diagnosed with Malignant Histiocytosis or MH, a rare, fast moving cancer that has no cure, no successful treatment and from time discovered to death is a matter of days or weeks. Not a very good prognosis. She remains depressed, lethargic and refuses food but occasionally takes water.

We have an appointment with an oncologist tomorrow afternoon. Dr. Macy flies from Colorada to the desert twice a month to treat his patients. Luckily, he is currently in the desert and our vet was able to get us in quickly. We need a miracle.

Not off to a good start in 2008

2008-01-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

I've talked about my Scotties before...
Tulie, 12; Emma, 10; and Harley 10. The day after Joseph arrived, we were just quietly talking when Tulie, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly went into a seizure. After five days in the hospital and many, many tests, we had to let her go on Christmas Eve. The tests had shown that in addition to an enlarged heart, three vital organs were failing at the same time: kidneys, pancreas and liver. Of course, we knew she was slowing down and getting older, but we had no idea about the all the other issues.

Our Christmas was very subdued and no one feels much like doing anything since we lost her. Even the other pups are unusually quiet and just not acting as usual. After a few days, Harley was back to his old happy, carefree self but Emma continued to seem very depressed. Then we noticed she was losing weight and was refusing even roast beef. Emma never turns down a treat so we were sure, after nearly two weeks, it was more than depression.

So now our Emma has been in the hospital since yesterday. We're awaiting more blood test results and an ultrasound today. We've known she has Cushings disease since she was about 4, but it's been under control with Lysodren. When we took her in her temp was 105, very, very high. Initial blood work showed some imbalances in her readings and an indication of her kidneys not working.

It's very hard to wait and not know what's wrong with her. We pray whatever is causing her illness will be treatable with adjustments in her meds. And so I'm hoping later today we'll get some good news.

Obviously, the picture is an old one, but from the left is Emma, Harley, Hugo and Tulie. We lost Hugo three years ago (when he was only 8) to bladder cancer while our regular vet was in Argentina for the holidays, just as he was this year when Tulie passed.

Happy 2008

2008-01-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all and my resolution every year is to Get Organized though somehow the year slips by and I'm still wondering why things look pretty much the same. This year will be different. How do I know? Because Ashley's home to "help" me...but that's a good thing because I need someone to nudge me along and with her here, I actually have a serious chance to Get Organized.

Joseph made it home for Christmas on Dec. 18th. His 10 am flight was cancelled (we never knew why since it was a bright, sunny day in Chicago and he had a direct flight) and he had to hang around O'Hare until the next direct flight at 6 pm. But we finally got to give him a big hug around 9 o'clock that evening. We stayed up late catching up and enjoying the family being together.

He's still here (upstairs asleep) appreciating our great weather while just reading about Chicago's temps makes us shiver. He will return to the freezing Mid-West on Jan. 8th and I know I'll miss him terribly when he leaves.

We're all praying very hard that once he's back in Chicago a J-O-B will immediately present itself. Hopefully, it will be a job he wants and will enjoy, but by this time, we're hoping for anything just to get him working.

Yikes! I've been tagged!

2007-12-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

My friend, Ellen, of the very generous speculaasplank give-away, tagged me this morning. I am supposed to come up with five things that aren't normally known about me and then tag five other friends. This game of tag is a great way of getting more people to visit our blogs, it gives us all a sort of community feel and introduces us to blogs we may not have otherwise found.

Okay, so let me give this some thought...

I hate my toes! I have short, chubby toes and I hate them! I didn't wear a pair of sandals until I was over 50 because growing up my mother and sisters always made fun of my toes.
I have trouble letting go of things. I've saved Christmas cards every year since we were married (1971), all neatly packaged in zip lock baggies.
I'm an avid reader. I love books and I read every night before bed and probably read 8 to 10 books a month. I love humorous novels, psychological thrillers, murder mysteries and series novels where I can get to know the characters from book to book and can't wait til the next book is published.
I would love to be more productive, creative, talented, organized, and, my husband would add, a better housekeeper.
I won a baby beauty contest when I was 3 months old and received a trophy and a little silk cape and crown.

So now it's my turn to tag five others so You Are It:

Charlotte of Charlotte's Creative Web

Lynette of Fred-I-Bears

Penney of Seamore Collectibles who was my recent swap partner so if you've read my blog, you know one thing about her already.

Shantell of Apple Dumpling Bears

Pauline of Valewood Bears

I've tried to get those artists who haven't been recently tagged or who haven't posted for a while so get busy and tell us about yourselves and then tag five other favorite bloggers.

The rules are:

Share 5 random facts about yourself on your blog
Link to your tagger (that's me!) in your "random fact" post
Include these rules in your post
Tag 5 people by including both their names and links to their blogs in your post
Let those you've tagged know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

I Won a Speculaasplank!

2007-12-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

What a great surprise I had this morning when I checked my e-mail and found a message from Ellen Borggreve of Ellen Borggreve Designs saying that I won the speculaasplank from her blog give-away.

Ellen lives in The Netherlands and her blog has a wonderful explanation about Sinterklaas and these wooden molds for making treats for good girls and boys. Please visit her blog to find her story as she tells it so much better than I possibly could.

She was able to find two of these special molds, kept one for herself and very generously held a give-away on her blog for the other one. And I was the lucky winner!

She makes the most beautiful award-winning bears and other critters. Her work is amazing. Take a look at her blog and see if you don't think so, too. I aspire to own one of her bears one of these days.

Thank you so much, Ellen!

New Site Added to Roundup

2007-12-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

This just in...

A new Roundup "hostess" has been added to the fun. To get to her site, Click Here. But first scroll down to see my cookie recipes.

Okay...get ready, get set, go bake!

Christmas Cookie Recipe Roundup

2007-12-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

The Roundup is here and it's time to share some favorite recipes with you. If you got here by just blog surfing, you need to begin with Lisa at qdPatooties and she'll get you started with her favorite yummy Christmas Cookie recipes. She'll then send you on your way to more recipes by giving you a link to the next Roundup "hostess."

This should be lots of fun and you'll gather at least a dozen cookie recipes...maybe more.

Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 4 Dozen Cookies

This recipe came from my mother's recipe box.

I have no idea where she got the recipe.

1-1/2 Cups of your favorite nuts, finely chopped

1 Cup Shortening

1/2 Cup packed brown sugar

2 Eggs, separated

1 Tsp. Vanilla

2 Cups flour

1/2 Tsp. Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla thoroughly. Measure flour, add salt and blend together. Mix flour and shortening mixtures together. Roll dough into balls using about 1 Tsp. per ball. Beat egg whites slightly with a fork. Dip balls in egg whites, then roll balls in finely chopped nuts. Place on a cookie sheet about 1" apart. Bake 5 minutes and remove from oven. Press your thumb into each cookie. (These cookies are hot so you'll want to use a small spoon on melon baller to press into the cookies.) Fill indention with jelly or jam and return the cookies to the oven and bake an additional 8 minutes.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge

Makes 36 1-1/2 inch squares

The note on this card indicates it came from Opal S.

Combine in large sauce pan:

2 Cups Sugar

2/3 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Cocoa

2 Tbsp. Light Corn Syrup

1/8 Tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Butter

3/4 Cup of your favorite coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Stir over medium heat until chocolate melts and sugar dissolves. Cook at 234 degrees or until a little dropped in cold water forms a soft ball. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat. Add butter. Beat until thick and not glossy. Quickly stir in nuts and pour into a buttered 8- or 9-inch pans. When cool, cute into squares.

Russian Tea Cakes

Makes about 4 Dozen one-inch cookies

1 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Sifted Confectioner's Sugar

1 Tsp. Vanilla

2 1/4 Cups Flour

1/4 Tsp. Salt

3/4 Cup of your favorite finely chopped nuts

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla thoroughly. Stir flour and salt together; add to butter mixture and stir in nuts. Chill dough. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until set but not brown. While still warm, roll in confectioner's sugar. Cool. Roll in confectioner's sugar again.

I'm your last stop so gather those recipes and start baking.

And have a very Merry Christmas.

Glorious Impossible - A Christmas Animation

2007-12-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

I found this on a fellow Teddy Talk-er's blog. I enjoyed it alot; thought maybe you would, too. Thanks, Chrissi.

Christmas Swap

2007-12-05T07:54:00.001-08:00

This is what I received from Penney at Seamore Collectibles. Our Teddy Talk forum offered a Swap for something we made ourselves other than teddy bears or other soft sculptures.Penney designed and hand painted this Christmas set because she knows we have three Scotties. The plate is quite large, the wine glasses with snowmen and Scotties even have little snow flakes on the base of the glass, and the little ornament has another Scottie. It's just a beautiful set. My swap to Penney was a delicate sterling silver and pearl bracelet and earring set. Sorry...I didn't take any pictures. Allyn said I got the better end of the deal.