Bringing back the age of Teddy Bear

Question of the Year

2010-11-22T18:09:00.003-05:00

Recently I have been inundated with the same question "You've lost so much weight! How did you do it?" Well to be perfectly honest my first reaction to this question was "I don't really know." I had to take a step back and realize that I had actually lost weight...to the tune of almost 30 lbs.

Here is what I remember. It was around April, and at that point I think I was about 163 (which on my 5'3" frame was quite a lot!). I saw myself in pictures and was horrified, I was pretty big and not so shapely as I once had been.

I always told myself it was the camera, the situation or the pose I found myself in. It took getting real with that number on the scale to realize how big I really was. So the first thing I did was tell myself "ok, no more goals...just don't go over this number, this is the limit." I realized I was pretty good at maintaining a certain weight for long periods of time I just wasn't an active participant in the action of losing.

I don't remember what happened between then and my first 4 lbs, but I remember getting on the scale and seeing 159 on the scale. Again, I said to myself "New limit, Don't go over this number!"

Now that I was seeing results on the scale I thought about my relationship with food and what about it I could change without too much effort. I figured out (after a conversation with a friend about the struggles of weight loss) that I am not addicted to food. I enjoy eating but I eat for sustenance most of the time. I'll eat what ever you stick in front of me as long as I can get on with whatever else I am doing.

About this time I started a new job. Though I hate having to work for someone else this afforded me the opportunity to control what I ate and portion size. I would bring celery and peanut butter, maybe an apple, and things like baked sweet potato or chicken on flat bread and honey mustard. Still very flavorful food and NO preservatives for the most part. Then I saw 153. New limit, do not exceed.

This meant I had lost 10lbs! in a matter of weeks that i hadn't even realized! This was so encouraging I delved a little deeper into my eating habits.

I cut out pop all together (which wasn't as hard as I thought it would be) and started buying food that would require preparation instead of the proverbial baked crap in a pan. I started watching sodium levels and preservative content and omitting unnecessary foods that had high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated anything in them.

148

145

143

140

At about this point I realized my clothes were lose, I could cross my legs I could bend over without getting red faced, and for the first time in 7 years I could take off my wedding ring!

I still didn't really see it until I laid down in the bath tub and pretty much everything disappeared underwater. Setting a limit rather than having a weight loss goal was helping.

I noticed odd places on my body looked different. I could see the bones in my feet and hands. I could feel the bones in my wrist. My thighs weren't touching all the way down to my knees as they once had. My balance was much better, my face looked different and when I sat on a folding chair my butt didn't go off the sides! LOL!

I am now kinda plateaued at 136...which means it's time to sit down and rethink my eating habits and activity levels, once again.

stay tuned, im not at all finished yet ;)

tis the season

2010-03-05T15:46:00.002-05:00

For making bears LOL! unfortunately this horrid economy is talking me away from my sanctuary and beloved studio. But I will post whatever bears I get done as soon as I can. Thanks for sticking around everybody. ;+3

ANIME!

2010-01-04T11:58:00.002-05:00

I may have stumbled onto a pattern I developed for something else that makes really neat anime artist teddy bears! I'll have pics soon :)

Also, please check out and/or follow my other blog for a free tutorial!

Goals for 2010!

2009-12-28T14:49:00.003-05:00

Ok peeps! We all have goals right? Well I am no exception, although my goals will probably kill me in the end LOL! My goal is to really beef up promotion of my studios. SO, this means I will be incorporating tutorials, demonstrations and hopefully video of some works in progress.

STAY TUNED and bear with me as I add more ideas to my ever growing to-do list : )

CYBER MONDAY!

2009-11-26T19:07:00.002-05:00

Get your stuff together and join in on "cyber monday". The day of the year internet sales spike with festive deals and holiday sales! Don't forget to visit the many worlds of handmade this season by shopping atwww.artfire.com and etsy.com. More specifically of course you can visit my stores on artfire at www.renstudio.artfire.com for floppit sac dolls and fine art cards or www.tindlebears.artfire.com for one of a kind artist teddy bears!

ODIN!

2009-09-20T09:58:00.005-04:00

This is "Odin" a 23" artist teddy bear made from long pile white faux fur. Odin features 20 hand sculpted, hand tinted claws and hand sculpted german glass eyes. He also has embroidered paw pads, a design exclusive to Tindle Bears. His face has been extensively needle sculpted to give him his impish grin and his nose has been embroidered with complimenting colors and sealed. As with all my bears, they come to you with a certificate of authenticity and hand burned wooden tag indicating their name, company name, and artist signiture. Odin has already caused quite a stir so don't miss him at the show!

Just a few of the faces you will see at the show...

2009-09-17T17:18:00.007-04:00

Louscious (Loosh-us) is 23" tall made out of a fabulous soft faux fur. He features handsculpted eye backs with german glass eyes and a hand sculpted nose. He's a handsome boy!

"Posey" is 23" tall made of hand dyed mohair fabric. Her petal collar is made of hand dyed velvet petals resting on a varigated yarn collar. She features german glass eyes, velvet leaf accents and a hand made chenille bumble bee to keep her company. Her head is orange, her body is green and her collar is magenta/fuscia to replicate an echinacia flower.

"Fin" is the second bear to come out of Tindle Bear studios with a hand stitched open mouth. He measures 24" tall and features handsculpted german glass eyes a hand sculpted nose and hand sculpted teeth. His tounge and mouth were extensively needle sculpted for realism.

Customer suggested patriotic bear...

2009-09-17T16:49:00.006-04:00

"Star Spangled" is a tall 28" made of red silky fur featuring hand painted/sculpted german glass eyes, and hand sculpted nose. Her wrap dress is an exclusive pattern only found on Tindle Bears. "Star Spangled" is the second in a new design here at Tindle Bears to have long legs. Her design is totally original as are all Tindle Bears. She will be at the show...don't miss her she won't be around long!

CINCINNATI SHOW Sunday September 27th

2009-09-17T15:58:00.002-04:00

My last show was such a success, I decided to give it another go! September 27, 2009 in Cincinnati OH/ Erlanger KY I will be at the Holiday Inn Cinci airport from 9:30-3:30.
$6.00 admission

Come see my bears! Plus bears and "friends" of all colors, textures, shapes, sizes and prices from awesome bear artists from all over the U.S. and some abroad :)
Make a day of it by also visiting Newport Aquarium or the Cincinnati Zoo!

Handmade News -Just for fun-

2009-07-13T14:15:00.002-04:00

HEY GANG!!!
If you haven't been to www.handmadenews.org yet, NOW is the time :)
Check out the Just for fun section, it's overflowing with great tips, book reviews, and fun little stories about everything handmade!
Of course I am bias, as I am a columnist for the just for fun section. BUT HEY! we have more fun right?
http://www.handmadenews.org/department/index.php?did=4

48forlarry HAMM THE TEDDY BEAR!

2009-07-11T11:36:00.006-04:00

HI! This is Hamm, the teddy bear I am donating to the 48forlarry radiothon hosted by blockheadradio! He measures 19" long with goldstone bead claws. Hamm's nose is handsculpted, bronzed and sealed with non-yellowing varnish. His paws are embroidered from a pattern exclusive to Tindle Bears. He is made from a hand drawn pattern also exclusive to Tindle Bears. He has german glass eyes and is weighted with steel shot. He retails for $200.00 So be at blockheadradiolive.com july 24- 26th to bid on Hamm for a good cause!

GO FOR THE HAMM!!!

2009-07-06T12:20:00.000-04:00

OKAY PEEPS! I am making a special artist teddy bear named Hamm for a very good cause. I will soon have him completed with pictures posted everywhere. If you're interested in owning a Tindle Bears original Teddy bear read the story below as it will only be available at the silent online auction at www.blockheadradiolive.com

Larry Hamm over at Chelsea Lynn Designs on Artfire is a friend of many in the world of handmade, he is also the voice of The Crazy Train on Blockhead Radio. Larry has a fantastic wife Janet, and an 8 year old son Jacob who live with him in Lansing, NC deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Larry is a friend to everyone and just an all around swell guy. He is most definitely the "shirt off your back" kind of friend. Right now, all of Larry´s friends and Blockhead Radio are teaming up to help him out in a tough time.

Larry is a disabled diabetic who currently has lost his health insurance. His medication alone monthly is over $2,000. Larry is not receiving disability, he has not been approved yet. His wife is the only source of income and she doesn´t make enough to cover his medications. Larry´s doctors have given him an outlook of only 18 months to live if he doesn´t receive a $17,000 gastric bypass surgery as soon as possible. Larry and his family need all the help from their family and friends they can get! Jacob and Janet need Larry to hang around here with them as long as he possibly can!

All of his friends surely want Larry to stick around too!All of us at Blockhead Radio are gearing up for the biggest Radiothon you´ll ever be a part of! July 24th at 6pm until July 26th at 6pm, Blockhead Rod will be live on the radio for 48 hours straight raising money for our friend Larry. A silent auction of donated handmade goods will also be going up on the home page of Blockhead Radio with 100% of the proceeds going to Larry.If you would like to be a part of this wonderful event, please email DeDe Sorensen at: 48forlarry@blockheadradio.com

Please donate any handmade items you can for the silent auction have your emails in with your donations by July 22nd. If you would like to donate cash for Larry’s prescriptions and surgery please visit Blockhead Radio July 24th through July 26th. There will be plenty of ways to get your donations in.Keep listening to Blockhead Radio for fantastic indie music, and how you can help Larry Hamm of Chelsea Lynn Designs.Please Feel Free to Copy and Paste the above for your blog/site/fb/etc.

Changing it up!

2009-05-29T23:35:00.003-04:00

OK Gang! I'm going to change it up a bit. Very soon I will be moving the treasury to a new blog location and this blog will be for promoting my studio, and my new job at www.handmadenews.org .

I am now a columnist for the online magazine, and need to be more proactive in promoting it, and my studio :) Yes, I still love you wonderful artisans on artfire, and will continue to support and promote you through my treasury...just a different place :)

Stay tuned for some major changes around here!

5/7 Mommy's Day

2009-05-07T22:29:00.008-04:00

CARNIVAL BLOOM ADULT & KIDS APRON

http://www.artfire.com/users/luckyduckydesigns

MAGNET MADE FROM RECYCLED TIN CAN LID. OH GOD WHAT WAS I THINKING?

http://www.artfire.com/users/picardcreative

GREEN AND BLUE MOTHER'S DAY CARD

http://www.artfire.com/users/lindaspaperie

MOTHERS DARLING PRINT CIRCA 1930S SUITABLE FOR FRAMING

http://www.artfire.com/users/PatternMania

MOM ROCKS NECKLACE

http://www.artfire.com/users/sTuckintheCoop

BEAUTIFUL GLASS ROSES

http://www.artfire.com/users/RDGDesigns

4/30 May Flowers

2009-04-30T10:39:00.010-04:00

LIGHT BLUE AND GREEN SUMMER SPRING FLORAL PLEATED PURSE

http://www.artfire.com/users/suthrnflwrdesigns

Flower and leaf necklace with lots of swarovski crystal and fresh water pearl

http://www.artfire.com/users/Robin

CUSTOM BOUTIQUE HAIR FLOWER BLOOM U CHOOSE COLOR

http://www.artfire.com/users/sew4uembroidery

HAND WET FELTED INLAID FLOWERS HAT

http://www.artfire.com/users/Felt4Ewe

MAGNOLIA 36X36 ACRYLIC PAINTING

http://www.artfire.com/users/nsparapani

OOPS HAPPY PINK TODDLER BIB--DISCOUNTED!

http://www.artfire.com/users/mamaslittlemonkeys

BROWN WITH PINK AND PURPLE FLORAL PRINT FABRIC, TOTE OR DIAPER BAG WITH A SMALL ZIPPER POUCH INCLUDED

http://www.artfire.com/users/NickAnny

4/23 A Teddy For Your Thoughts

2009-04-23T12:53:00.008-04:00

FUDGE & JOJO

http://www.artfire.com/users/bear-hands

CUSTOM MINK HEIRLOOM TEDDY SERVICE (FROM YOUR MINK STOLE)

http://www.artfire.com/users/MinkBears

PEACHES AND HER PINCUSHION MOHAIR TEDDY BEAR

http://www.artfire.com/users/GlassDragonBearsPlus

SALLY BY THE SEASHORE MOHAIR TEDDY BEAR

http://www.artfire.com/users/DogPatchCritters

MOHAIR ARTIST BEAR, PENNY, NCTEDDYBEARLADY

http://www.artfire.com/users/NCTeddyBearLady

TEA TIME BEAR

http://www.artfire.com/users/TheLittleRedHen

3/4 Because I'm Cold!

2009-03-04T15:18:00.008-05:00

SWEET CARAMEL O'MINE FLAVORED BLACK TEA BLEND

LIBERTEAS

HANDMADE FINGERLESS GLOVES TURQUOISE

DREAMWEAVERSCULPTS

CHARMING SKY FULL SIZE QUILT

LMKQUILTS

WATER SPRITE PIXIE HAT

PIRATEPIXIECREW

KNITTING PATTERN, BROWN SHRUG WITH BIG COLLAR, PDF PATTERN

BERNIOLIE

TWIST OF LOVE MARY JANE SLIPPERS

BROKENHALLELUJAH

2/24 Shall We Dance?

2009-02-24T09:30:00.008-05:00

1.25IN PIN BACK BUTTON - PEANUTS SNOOPY DANCING INT HE SNOW #2

BIGPIKACHICA

LAYLALEGS

1982'S GREASE 2 RECYCLED VHS MOVIE CASE JOURNAL

DUSTYMOON

DANCING ON AIR

ARTMAN757

FLAPPER HALF DOLL PINCUSHION

COBWEBPALACE

DANCING IN THE MIST - MADE TO ORDER

LINNEASILVER

2/15 All things RED!

2009-02-15T11:52:00.009-05:00

TEENY TINY FELTED RED BIRD IN NEST - UNDER 1 1/4 INCH HIGH

BEARLYTIME

ARTIQUE RED STAINED GLASS DECOR VASE

GLASS2CLASS

RED CAMELLIAS ORIGINAL PAINTING ACEO

SHARONFOSTERART

RED HOT LACE LEAF ALL SEASON CROCHETED ALL COTTON SCARFLETTE FIBER JEWELRY NECKLACE FOR VALENTINES OR ANY DAY

KANOKWALEE

CRIMSON PASSION FRENCH BEADED WEDDING BOUQUET

BEADFLORA

RED SPONGE CORAL OVAL BEADS

BEADTIFULBEADS

2/6 A Prelude to Spring :)

2009-02-06T09:18:00.009-05:00

Robins nest ring

LukaJewellery

Clay Flowers - White Daisies

by ClayFlora

1/2 Pound of Cat Grass - Seeds to Plant

by itsmeowornever

Bluebird 2 (archival print)

by Kschulz

Orange Tulip 8x12 Original Art Photography

by Rainwolf

Cards By Jenna Garden Green Bugs Tags

by cardsbyjenna

Peacocks on the brain artfire treasury 1/30

2009-01-30T10:37:00.010-05:00

PEACOCK FEATHER TEXTURED PAINTING - INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=ViewListing&product_id=65739

VINTAGE PARIS FASHION - GLASS WALL PENDANT - PEACOCK

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=16277

ART NOUVEAU PEACOCK GODDESS HAND AGED BRASS LOCKET WITH MIRROR & BEZELS

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=17506

PEACOCK RING - CHOOSE YOUR SIZE

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=11549

PEACOCK PRINT

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=10345

PEACOCK ALTERNATIVE APPAREL T-SHIRT

RAINBOWSWIRLZ

Peacock Feathers Wedding Invitation from pinklilypress

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=15686

1/17 This weeks artfire treasury...MERMAIDS!

2009-01-17T10:30:00.009-05:00

BEAUTIFUL MERMAID Disk earrings RECYCLED WEARABLE ART Free Shipping

by uniqueartpendants

BullDog Mudpuppy ACEO original

by keelazkreationzAF

OOAK Art Doll Little Mermaid Serena

by sartavia

Mermaid on a harp- GORGEOUS OOAK art doll - Hsirii

by moniee

Mermaid key ring

by JooSweetie

New Color Set of Six 25X18 Mermaid Cameos

by filigreeandfindings

Mermaid Lampwork Bead and Pendant

by SparklingWatersStudio

A few of my favorites from artfire.com

2009-01-10T16:20:00.008-05:00

BORZOI CARD by shorelinesart

REAL BUTTERFLY WING NECKLACE by PopkO

Little balero jacket pattern by Leilaandben

Leaf skeleton magnets by dayzeelove

V-neck tee Phippsart

2009-01-10T15:44:00.000-05:00

For those of you new to the world of handmade, let me get you addicted TEEHEE! Visit http://www.artfire.com/ and look around, buy, or simply discover something you didn't know you loved.

Here on this handy dandy blog, I will post a treasury of sorts. It will contain 5-8 items chosen at random from the fabulous sellers at artfire changing every week (optimistically). I will not be including myself, although visiting my shop at http://www.tindlebears.artfire.com/ is greatly appreciated. That is where I sell my One-of-a-Kind artist teddy bears. Each one is designed by me, Karen; from concept drawing to finished product.

You may also visit my website at http://www.renstudioonline.com/ for sculpture and photography.

Let's get to the treasury shall we?