House Projects

Hi all,

I don't think this post merits a photo, as it would be of a very messy house and bare floor. We are in preparation for our new carpet, to be installed on Tuesday the 28th. The teddy bear room is no longer a magic place for teddies. It is reduced to a computer sitting on a card table, an airmattress to sit on and a couple of plastic totes containing miscellaneous tools, extension cords, nails and other odds and ends that don't have a real home.

All the teddy bears, potential bears, bear bags, mohair, scraps of fabric, and all my other "stuff" is packed (somewhat neatly) and is currently being stored in our garage.

We finished tearing out the old carpet today -- now I get work on the walls, repairing old nail holes and making plans for my spanking new "re-do" of the teddy bear room and our living room. I am so excited!

I'll be back with pictures of two new teddies that are in the final stages of completion when things get back to normal. I will, however, continue to check in with all of you to keep track of your activities, at least until I have to abandon ship entirely here in the teddy bear room and unhook my computer. In the meantime, I may find my camera in all this upheaval and take a picture of the progress as it takes place.

Many hugs to all of you in blogland! Vicki

My Alaskan Garden Pictures

We are having a beautiful, sunny summer here in Juneau, Alaska, so I thought I would share with you some of my garden pictures.

This is Wild Alaskan Firweed, picture taken from my deck.

Part of my vegetable garden. Normally I have to keep it covered because of the rain (note the visqueen rolled back and the hoops). I'm growing lettuce, carrots, celery and potatoes (potatoes located behind the visqueen, next to the house).

This is another little vegetable garden of cabbage and zucchini.

The Grand Peony

Thaddeous Brown sneaking around the green pepper plant (can't keep those bears out of the garden).

My pride and joy 2nd year Begonia!

Angel Face rose (heavenly scent).

Little "Petunia" just hanging out on a summer day in the petunias.

Hanging baskets and planters containing Verbena, Petunias, Bacoba and Lobelia

Sweet Peas

And, finally, a sweet little hummingbird who comes to visit occasionally with his buddies (see bottom left of picture).

Thanks for dropping by to share in my joy this summer. The sun has been so welcome and the flowers are showing their gratitude.

Hugs to all from Vicki and the bears and the flowers and the vegies!

The Bag Bears

In the past, I had a process for working on teddy bears and, frankly, it worked out quite well.

The process went like this. I would go to the closet, bring out all the mohair, plush, fuzzy fleece, and any other material that I thought would make a likely good bear and place it on the floor in the teddy bear room. Then I would bring out my various teddy bear patterns and my stash of cloth bags.

The Potential

Sitting on the floor of the teddy bear room, I would flip on the TV and begin to cut out teddy bears. As I worked, I would begin to get new ideas and inspiration for different types of bears. So, I would grab up a fabric and a pattern and cut another bear, based on the idea I just had. Hours later I would still be cutting and placing bear parts in bags in the midst of this incredibly messy teddy bear explosion. By the time I was done, I would have at least ten bags of bear parts, ready to sew. And it was all so exciting, because I had all these potential teddy bears just waiting to be born.

Empty Bags, Waiting for Bear Parts

About six months ago, I decided to change my process. I wanted to improve my skills and thought that by changing my process, I could change my skill level. So I began by working on one single bear at a time. No more magic bags. No more teddy bear room explosions. No more in the moment inspirations. I made a plan before I cut out the bear, I grabbed the perfect material, I knew what it was going to look like before I started, and from there I went from joyful creating to painstakingly trying to make what I thought would be perfect teddy bears.

Some Are Perfect......and Sadly, Many Are Not

What I found as a result of striving for all this perfection, is that my creativity level dropped, my production dropped, my enthusiasm dropped, my income dropped, and frankly, I’m just not making the bears I want to make. I spent hours just trying to make the perfect nose. I respaced ears and sewed and resewed eyeballs into perfect sockets, only to find they were crooked upon final inspection. I became judgmental, skeptical, critical and picky. I found that the teddy bear room felt more like a courtroom than a magic place for teddies to be born.

More Teddies.... Waiting to Be Judged

I’m not talking about quality here. I’m not talking about taking shortcuts or hurrying things along just to get the job done. I’m talking about creativity….. about letting the teddy be born, instead of me “insisting” he turn out a certain way.

And it’s OK to have a plan…. However, I need to be willing to revise the “plan” and listen to another voice. Perhaps the voice of the teddy himself, telling me who he is, and asking me to lend a helping hand in creating him the way he is meant to be.

Don't Make Such Rigid Plans.... or I might never have been born. Says Beth, made from an old coat from the Salvation Army

What do I really want? I want to make bears out of old coats like I used to; I want to make bears out of old shirts and bedspreads. I want to make bears with personality, and crooked smiles and laughter lurking in their imperfect little tummies. I want to make wonderful spirited teddies that are excited to move to new homes to love and care for their new owners. I want to put a little bit of me in every bear I make… It’s that simple. Lopsided eyeballs, crooked smiles, cockeyed ears…. who said life was perfect?

Oh no, I hate it when that old lopsided ear thing happens...

I think just by writing this post, I have actually made huge progress with the way I think about my business. I believe it’s time to step back and get my bear parts back into the bags where they belong. I want to create my bears out of the teddy bear explosion rather than the one at a time where I judge them fiercely and I become frustrated when they don’t turn out to be what I think is perfect……Ouch for me… and for the poor teddy.

Ouch !

I know I will continue to strive to become a better teddy bear artist…. however, I have made a unique discovery about myself and my “art.” I have my own style, I have my own personality, and I have what works for me in my creative ventures. My bears reflect who “I” am….. not some idea of how I think they should be based on a standard I can’t quite achieve.

So, with that said, I think I’ll create a teddy bear explosion…. and just see who decides to make an appearance.

Love and teddy hugs to all of you from Vicki and the bag bears.