Yet another great photo tut from my friend Daphne. I've got a printout of this one on my studio table, and refer to it all the time. For some reason, I just can't get the steps/hand positions to stick! As my British friends would say, this method works a treat!
BOW TYING Tutorial by Daphne Blau of Back Road Bears
Friday, September 08, 2006
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Jointing Tutorial
Some of what I'm hoping to share via this blog are all the incredible, accessible, FREE! websites and tutorials available on the web to the curious and research-willing bearmaker.
This particular tutorial happens to have been written by my friend, bear artist and show promoter Daphne Blau of New Hampshire, d.b.a. Back Road Bears. Both materials & method for joint creation are covered here.
As a side note: If you'd like, you can substitute hex-headed bolts for the headless "set screws" Daphne uses in her tutorial. In that case, you only need one (lock)nut per joint, instead of two ... and you'll need two nut drivers, or two pliars, or a combination of those, to hold/screw tight the hardware. Check it out!
Back Road Bears JOINTING TUTORIAL, with LOTS of photos.
This particular tutorial happens to have been written by my friend, bear artist and show promoter Daphne Blau of New Hampshire, d.b.a. Back Road Bears. Both materials & method for joint creation are covered here.
As a side note: If you'd like, you can substitute hex-headed bolts for the headless "set screws" Daphne uses in her tutorial. In that case, you only need one (lock)nut per joint, instead of two ... and you'll need two nut drivers, or two pliars, or a combination of those, to hold/screw tight the hardware. Check it out!
Back Road Bears JOINTING TUTORIAL, with LOTS of photos.
Positive thinking
My husband, Tim, is a marriage and family therapist. He works for our county full time, supervising an adult outpatient clinic, and holds down a second job, his private counseling practice, after-hours. He often comes home from work with lecture schedules and handouts and book titles -- and lots of neato pens from the ever-present pharmaceutical reps who treat him, and his peers, to lunch several times a week!
Sometimes, despite being a psychologically minded chick myself (I was a psych major, in fact, at UCLA), I roll my eyes at this endless parade of hippy-drippy, self-help stuff. But more often than not, there's real truth beneath the "fluff"; real wisdom that truly resonates and can improve lives.
This excerpt, below, is from the latter category:
TRAITS OF TOUGH-MINDED OPTIMISTS
1. Are seldom surprised by trouble
2. Look for partial solutions
3. Believe they have control over their future
4. Allow for regular renewal
5. Interrupt their negative trains of thought
6. Heighten their powers of appreciation
7. Use their imagination to rehearse success
8. Are cheerful even when they can't be happy
9. Think they have an almost unlimited capacity for stretching
10. Build lots of love into their lives
11. Like to swap good news
12. Accept what cannot be changed
Sometimes, despite being a psychologically minded chick myself (I was a psych major, in fact, at UCLA), I roll my eyes at this endless parade of hippy-drippy, self-help stuff. But more often than not, there's real truth beneath the "fluff"; real wisdom that truly resonates and can improve lives.
This excerpt, below, is from the latter category:
TRAITS OF TOUGH-MINDED OPTIMISTS
1. Are seldom surprised by trouble
2. Look for partial solutions
3. Believe they have control over their future
4. Allow for regular renewal
5. Interrupt their negative trains of thought
6. Heighten their powers of appreciation
7. Use their imagination to rehearse success
8. Are cheerful even when they can't be happy
9. Think they have an almost unlimited capacity for stretching
10. Build lots of love into their lives
11. Like to swap good news
12. Accept what cannot be changed
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Synthetic plush by PREFURS

I was told by some Teddy Talkers that Prefurs carries super dense, super soft, woven back synthetic plush by Tissavel ... so I ordered their sample set for a look-see. I think it was a mere $15US and it arrived in a short two days.
All I can say is WOW! Next time I have some pocket change I'm going shopping. But no worries... mohair will always be my bear-y first teddy textile love.
If you're a bearmaker, check them out: PREFURS
Monday, September 04, 2006
No more Croc Hunter...
I was so saddened to read yesterday that Steve Irwin, Australia's famed Croc Hunter, was killed in a freak accident by a stingray barb to the heart. What a terrible loss for us all.
I spent many hours snuggling with my sons in their early years, enjoying the antics of this crazy-in-a-good-way man with his bad mullet, and his huge heart, and his even bigger love of nature, as he wrestled reptiles in what appeared to be the exact same khaki outfit, day after day.
While in any "real" way he was, of course, a total stranger to me, he somehow found a way into my deepest consciousness all the same. I'm surprised at just how saddened I am by his untimely and truly unfortunate death.
I spent many hours snuggling with my sons in their early years, enjoying the antics of this crazy-in-a-good-way man with his bad mullet, and his huge heart, and his even bigger love of nature, as he wrestled reptiles in what appeared to be the exact same khaki outfit, day after day.
While in any "real" way he was, of course, a total stranger to me, he somehow found a way into my deepest consciousness all the same. I'm surprised at just how saddened I am by his untimely and truly unfortunate death.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Introducing me ... !

It's nearly 6 o'clock Sunday on a long Labor Day weekend, and after several hours of toiling in the 90+ degree heat, I'm taking a much needed break. It's been an entire afternoon of way-too-hot work, organizing the many, large piles of stuff in my garage into... fewer, smaller piles. But hey -- that's still progress, right?
While perusing the internet, sipping a well iced Coke, resting up for the next round of sorting through spider-web-encrusted, roly-poly-littered boxes, browsing the blogs of my favorite glass beadmakers, it occured to me that it might be nice to record a few of my OWN fuzzy, mohair-covered thoughts for my site visitors. Not that those thoughts of mine are necessarily all that interesting or wise or deep or anything. But just because it seemed like a nice, friendly, casual way to say, "Hey, check it out: This is who I am. Hello there!" And, if I'm lucky, to find out the answer to, "Who, by the way, are you?"
I invite you to sit back and read, and to comment and respond as you feel the need, compulsion, or desire.
And please don't fret if your comments don't immediately appear. To minimize spam, comments are moderated.
Welcome to the inside of my head... and enjoy!
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