Taking a Break from Shows

Good Morning!

Well I had a couple of bears left from my show on Sunday and have listed them on my website. Melody my little pocket bear is looking for a new home on eBay here.

I've felt bad because I've been very irregular about getting new bears on my website. The summer was crazy busy with going to the Renaissance Faire. After that I was trying to get bears ready for the show in October in Kohler, and after that trying to get bears for last Sunday's show.

I always knock myself out trying to balance making show bears, website bears and custom order bears. I've realized something's got to give for now... and it's shows - just for a while though!

I'll start slowly building up some inventory for shows here and there while I concentrate on bears for my site and my wonderful collectors! Then, when show time comes around I won't need to neglect my website as I'll already have bears for the show :)

I guess I'm trying to make my major "New Year's Resolution" at Thanksgiving :) That must be because I am very thankful for all of my wonderful collectors!!!!

Working on Bears Today....But First....

Today I really need to do the fun part of my job, working on bears! I've got a show coming up this Sunday and I'm always trying to get "just one more bear" finished ;)

As usual though, I've got some work that I need to attend to first and it's pretty important! This morning I found a "present" by a HUGE raccoon on our deck! He must have been 30 pounds and that's bigger than our dogs!

My sweetie Athena was so busy and afraid sniffing where the coon came over the fence in the back yard that I had to take her on a leash outside the fence to do her business before breakfast.

Needless to say, this morning I'm going to the feed and seed place to get some Repel to scatter thru the latticework of the deck. I'm sure it's decided that under our deck would be a great place to sleep this winter (NOT!) We don't have any bird seed or trash cans or any other food source outside - so shelter has got to be the only attraction. So I'm off to make it UNattractive!

Hubby Thinks I Need a Hobby.....

My hubby has ordered a model ship kit to build this winter and today was reading a book about model ship building. In the first chapter, the book said how this should be a family project -- so bring your wife into this exciting new hobby ;)

Hubby tried that line on me saying that I needed a hobby. I told him I liked working on the bears, thank you. Then he said that for me, the bears are work, I need a hobby that isn't work. (he's teasing me by the way....)

I explained that no - making the bears is NOT work, that's the part I love! It's the rest of the stuff you have to do that's work! I'd say that in making the bears my full time job, making the bears probably only takes up 1/3 of my time.

2/3 of my time is the "work" -- the administrative stuff: Marketing is a huge part of that.. meaning taking the photos, website updates, listing on ebay, deciding which shows to do, keeping up (or trying to) with the bear magazines etc...

Then there's ordering supplies. OK... I have to admit, if it's mohair I'm ordering - THAT is fun LOL!! But the other parts of bear making aren't quite as much fun ;) And there's the tags, shipping supplies, biz cards, hang tags and I don't know what else. I try to keep an eye on things so I don't run out in the middle of anything. And let's not even get started on the accounting LOL!

So thank you, my "hobby" is making bears.... my "job" is all the stuff I need to do to find them new homes :)

Paperwork and billing...YUCK!

Hello, I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

I'm glad I can enjoy mine now as I finished up a job I didn't want to do.

Late last week I finally finished one "job" that I was putting off... putting it off because it was a pain in the neck! My daughter goes to an Illinois State University. They just changed their billing system this year to be ALL online. They no longer send out bills in the mail. Well let me tell you, it is a pain in the neck!!

She's just about to sign up for next semester's classes when she find out there's a balance due on her account (we had paid her bill IN FULL at the beginning of the year.) Of course, she had to add another class after the fact because she can't sign up for that particular class until AFTER classes begin because she has to audition for it. We had planned for that and actually paid over and above the total bill.

Now the university just gives us a bill with no itemized list... just saying we owe money. Sorry, but when I was in Accounts Receivables in my old job, there was no way a client would just fork over the money on my say so. I would naturally provide an itemized bill with all charges and all payments listed.

But they have us over a barrel. We paid it now... we've no time to wait for them to respond to us wanting an itemized list - otherwise she can't sign up for her classes! She's in her 3rd year now so she needs to be able tto get into the classes she NEEDS. Oh well, it's no use wasting energy over something there's no way I can change :) I'll just chant to myself... 3 more semesters... 3 more semesters... LOL!!!

So now that's done, I can enjoy my weekend! (after housework and grocery shopping LOL!)

My Littlest Helper

My Littlest Helper
Originally uploaded by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist

I'd like you to meet (again) my littlest helper - Sequoya! Sequoya (also known as Squirt) is the wonderful Chihuahua we adopted thru Chihuahua Rescue USA

This is Sequoya's favorite spot in the cooler months... inside Momma's sweat jacket! She's so little that she's no bother even if I'm working on bears ;)

3 New Bears!

I've added 3 new bears to my website today. From left to right (or top to bottom) are Hope - a 5" mini mohair bear, Melody - a 6" pocket bear, and Monty - a 6" pocket bear. They are looking for new homes on my Bears for Adoption page.

Hope - a Mini Bear --ADOPTED!!!

Hope - a Mini Bear
Originally uploaded by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist

Here is Hope - a mini 5" 2 tone mohair bear. You can click on her photo to see a larger image.

She was created out of 2 colors of curly matted mohair: white and brown. Her inner ears and footpads are brown wool felt. Her nose is brown hand stitched pearl cotton which has been shaded.

Hope comes with a ribbon in 2 tones of brown and a small "Hope" charm around her neck.

I'm "hoping' to get her studio photos taken tomorrow along with 2 little Pocket Bears that may get finished today :)

If you are interested in adopting Hope before then, just drop me an email or use the bear order form here. Her adoption fee is $110 plus actual travel costs.

Thanks for taking a peek at Hope!
whoops! I had to edit the post because I put the wrong adoption fee on Hope - It is $110 (not 125 as previously posted.)

My Bears at the Kohler Show

I'm a bit late in posting this I know... as the show was a month ago... but here's a photo of my table at Kohler. That sweet orange clown bear you see in the lower right hand corner is the Trick or Treat Teddy that is the workshop bear for the Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show 2009 being taught by Tami Eveslage. She graciously let him come with us to Kohler so everyone could see what he looks like in person :)

Remember I was talking about computer woes a little while ago? Seems it's catching (not really!) My doctor's computer's were down all day yesterday when I was trying to make an appointment. Because all the appointments are computerized now they could not make any new appointments till the computer was fixed. Thankfully that was this morning! Computers are great.... till they break! ;)

Where Did the Week Go????

I can't believe it's Thursday already! Where did the week go?

This week I decided this time to do the grocery shopping on Monday instead of the weekend to avoid the crowds.... but I don't like doing that because it messes up my work week!

Tuesday I went to visit my daughter at college because she asked me to :) I had not visited her at all this year yet... (she's come home, but I had not gone there). And I voted of course!

Wednesday I was able to finish up one of my custom order bears....

And now we are at Thursday!!!

I wonder how much will get done today. I always think I can do more in a day that is physically possible LOL!

Today I've got several bears that need attention. A couple are for my upcoming show the Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 23 in Lisle, IL) I've also got a bear asking to be finished who is another custom order... and also one who is for the website!

We'll see who all gets done :)

Show Coming Up Sunday November 23 in Lisle, IL!

I am hoping to get some postcards printed out (even if on my own printer this time) and mailed to collectors in the Chicago area about this upcoming show. I'm planning on having some wonderful bears... and Christmas bears too!

I'll also have some brand new Teddy Tag-a-Longs which can "tag-a-long" with you on your purse strap, key ring, or whatever! Of course they also make lovely Christmas Tree ornaments too! This is a new pattern I designed to be quick and easy for me to create so that I could offer them at the very affordable price of only $25. ... Edited to add... oh crud! I don't have enough time to get these finished for the show, I'm sorry! Stay tuned to my website though!

Here are the show details!

Sunday November 23, 2008
Illinois Doll, Toy, and Bear Show
The Hilton - Lisle/Naperville
3003 Corporate West Drive
Lisle, IL
9am - 3pm

Presented by Illinois Doll, Toy, and Bear Shows
For more info visit
www.IllinoisDollShows.com/

Sorry for the Long Absence!

My gosh it's been a while... again! A lot has been going on, one of which was that I accidentally downloaded a virus to my computer... uuuuuggghhhh!!

I'm usually pretty good at knowing how to avoid those types of emails. But I was talking on the phone while checking emails at the same time. (note to self... NEVER again LOL!)

I saw an email that was supposedly from UPS. Here's what the subject line was:

United Postal Service

Your Tracking # 339516783975

It obviously was NOT from UPS, but it wasn't so obvious when I wasn't paying attention.... It said a package I had sent was not deliverable and I needed to go to UPS to pick it up - see the email attachment.

So I downloaded and opened the attachment... and my computer restarted. BAD SIGN! Yep, I got a virus and eventually I could not access the internet.

Fortunately hubby has a friend who is an IT guy at his work. He very graciously came over after work to have a look at my machine. At 11pm he got me online. I'm ever SO grateful!!! Later this week he's hoping to be able to come back to finish up as the hard drive needs more work so I can add my programs... like Photoshop, Adobe Reader, Word, Excel, etc....