GOLDEN TEDDY results

I just received the official Golden Teddy nominee list from awesome bear artist and TOBY nominee Lora Soling of LoraBears, who thoughtfully sent it to me after receiving it from Sarah Peterson, the Managing Editor of Teddy Bear Review. I posted it right away, at Lora's urging, to Teddy Talk; she knows the forum is widely read and the news will travel quickly from there to many happy nominees worldwide!

Talk about people whose bears slay me; Lora makes the most wonderful primitive/vintage looking bears which somehow also simultaneously have an amazingly contemporary look to them. She's a teddy genius! Her lovely CYBELLE is a part of my own artist bear collection from its earliest days. Can you tell I'm a huge fan?

Anyway, totally digressing here...

I'm absolutely delighted to have it confirmed officially that I am indeed a Golden Teddy nominee for 2007 with MR. SANDMAN. Yay, me, once more!!! I'm especially honored after noting the peers in my category, and in the contest more broadly. It's just so validating, and such a giddy moment of pride, to be included in such a talented and masterful crowd. Wow! Wow, wow, wow!

Lora herself got a TOBY nomination (well deserved, I might add), but did not get a GT nom this year. This reminds me to remind myself -- and others -- that hers is one of many cases of absolutely knock-down, drop-dead gorgeous, technically masterful work that just doesn't make the cut sometimes in these contests, for whatever reason. I take huge consolation in knowing that the likes of Sue Ann Holcomb, Lora Soling, and Michelle Lamb, among numerous other giant and indisputable talents, are "overlooked" every year by these contests in one category or another. It's just another solid reminder that we bearmakers can't let these nominations DEFINE us, but rather, must let them COMPLEMENT us. It's another solid reminder that it's important to keep the big picture in mind and to have some perspective, whether we're disappointed about being left OFF a list... or getting big-headed about being included ON one.

Okay. Off soapbox for today.

:)