Scott's Bear and AJ went to Betty's (AJ's wonderful neighbor who hand sews teddy bears)
Betty found an original Care Bear pattern that she bought at a garage sale 20 years ago. It has the exact ear shape Bear needs.
AJ was also given instructions on exactly how to bathe Bear. Bear had a sponge bath of Ivory Snow Foam only. AJ beat the warm water with a beater to get the bubbles that were sponged on.
He is on the table drying now. Tomorrow he will be carefully brushed with one of Betty's special bear brushes. The brush is like a baby dog slicker for two fingers with smaller bristles. Also tomorrow, tail reattachment is scheduled to commence.
His new ears will have an inner color of cream mohair, that will probably match the current off white of his well loved fur better than a bright white.
We have appropriate matching fur in texture and length for the outer ear, but the color is a powder blue similar to his later cousins.
AJ will probably be looking for special paint to change the color to something more harmonious. This part of the process may take AJ a week or so to complete if not longer.
He is under excellent care though and slowly beginning the road to recovery.
posted
Take good care of his bear, Anna. I'd hate to know what the hatrackers would do to you if *something* happened to it.
Seriously though, I love this sort of thing. One of my hobbies is restoring old toys, especially from the eighties. Right now I'm into Cherry Merry Muffin.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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This adventure is kind of like a human trip to the spa. You still have all your same hair and wrinkles, but your skin feels a whole lot nicer. My fur is much softer now.
AJ took me to Betty who is a Teddy Bear Genius. She is one of the rare humans that qualifies for the highest level of Teddy Bear Heaven. I heard her and AJ talking and know Betty would appreciate prayers right now if you can spare some. Her husband just passed away around New Years, and her daughter-in-law was hospitalized two weeks later because of a tumor on her brain stem. Betty has been taking care of her small grandchildren every day as a result while their Daddy is at work. The baby is only a year and a half, and the stairs are getting hard on Betty's knees as she walks up and down to change his diapers. Their Mama is home from the hospital, but will soon be starting radiation. The doctors operated and wanted to get 75% of the tumor, but they only got 50%. She is still having really bad headaches, and her medication is making her feel awful.
However, when she has a chance, Betty is making sure that AJ takes good care of me. The foam bath she reccommended was wonderful to get rid of the dog drool. Speaking of the Dog, I heard the Cat had to go to jail for a while. You know which one I think needs to do some time in solitary, and I think they picked the wrong one.
AJ's dogs are polite and civilized to me, apparently because I don't squeak. She thinks that all of the dog grooming she has done has actually helped her with my grooming. She is planning several more grooming sessions before I come home. She keeps muttering about the "grain" of my fur as she brushes it. I don't know what grain is, but I know that my fur feels much much better than it did. She rubs her cheek against me to check her brushing job.
They are working on selecting my new ear color. AJ isn't sure about the cream that got originally picked and is looking for something whiter. Apparently texture and length are more difficult to match than color. Who knew? The color they have for my outside ears at the moment, matches the moon on my belly exactly. They haven't decided if it will look better to leave it that way as a contrasting fashion accessory (AJ keeps muttering, "What would Mrs. M think?") or if they should try types of color treatments to blend things together better. Part of the consideration is how fast you want me to come home.
I miss you very much Scott. I hope you will like my rehabbed self. Even though I'll look a little different I'll still be
AJ - if she wouldn't get freaked out, pass on the well wishes of (random internet) stranger.
I wish I had my old care bear to send to you - but when it got mangled, it was thrown out. 15 years ago, and I'm still slightly bitter.
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Betty as I said is the Bear Goddess. The basic stuff she suggested has made a huge difference in Bear already.
The trick is that you don't want to destroy the actual integrity of the bear. They have been well loved and nothing will change that.
She reccommends like I said, a foam bath. Get a mild foaming laundry detergent and mix with warm water in a bowl, beat it (I used a wisk), to generate foam and use a clean sponge to apply the foam to the bear. You have to keep rebeating the water to get more foam. The sponge both applies the foam and removes the dirt at the same time.
It doesn't clean really deep dirt, though it might after a couple of sessions, but it definitely brightens them up. You don't want to get their stuffing wet beacause that totally wrecks the way they were before. Also depending on the stuffing some will actually kind of melt.
Let the bear totally dry, before you start brushing. More fur may come out if you are brushing when wet. The bath should be before the brushing. How gentle you need to be is directly proportional to how delicate the hair is. Scotts bear actually has really good fur that isn't coming out in tufts or anything so I don't have to be as uber-careful.
The brush I've been using that Betty loaned is essentially a 2 fingered metal slicker brush like you use for cat and dog fur. A small cat brush would probably work just as well though it would be harder to work around seams. Betty said for more delicate bears you use a toothbrush, or a human hairbrush with small bristles You go against the grain that the fur is lying on now, and it really poofs it up.
Be careful on the seams because that is where the fur is most worn. It doesn't fix any other worn spots either, but it does make it feel much plushier than it was matted down. Betty doesn't feel that this actually changes the bears character. It still has the many hours of loving under its belt that it always had. It's just had a trip to the spa as it were.
This alone should brighten up your bear by at least 30%.
posted
AJ, tell Betty I've been praying for her, and will continue. And thank her again for the fabric. I'll send her a picture when the project is done.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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I don't know that Betty would remember me specifically, but you can tell her that I'm thinking about her, and praying for her. She's such a sweet lady, with such sweet pets!
I want to go home and hug my bear Chester, and my little lamb Curious. She could probably use a bath, poor girl. She's as old as I am! My CareBear is in my old bedroom, which is now where my little nephew stays when he's over there. I'll have to hug him next time I visit my parents.
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posted
Betty -- it was a joy to meet you and to see your wonderful home filled with crafts and toys. My prayers are with you.
AJ -- that's so sweet about the bear. I know Scott put a lot of trust in you to restore his bear and it sounds like its coming along wonderfully Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I took the printout of this thread to Betty last night. I know she appreciated the good wishes, and remembered all of the jatraqueras that visited her.
She also found a better color of white fabric for Bear's ears. I need to put it in front of my back door and have my dogs run over it a couple times to get it to fade out to the appropriate color though.
posted
Bear's ears and tail were attached today since I finally got off my butt and got it done. I'm going to try to get him in the mail tomorrow, but I may not make it to the post office if I get swamped at work.
Betty approved. The ears might be a bit lopsided but it merely adds to his character.
I would be interested to see Scott's face when he opens up the box. If someone could be standing by with a camera I'd appreciate it <grin>
posted
AJ, this is so awesome. Can you take a picture before you send him out and then post it after he gets home? I wanna see!
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
I took some digital camera pictures. I was planning on putting it in the mail today, but I don't think I'm going to. I want to hear from Scott to make sure he's expecting it and on the lookout for it, before I send it.
posted
Well I e-mailed them to my home computer. I can't really mess with them from work.
However I am so technically incompetent that I haven't figured out how to post them to our website yet. So, I will have to wait until Steve gets home. He is supposed to show me how to do it, but last time he just posted the pictures for me rather than showing me how to do it myself. Said he didn't have time a the time to teach me.
This is why he at the idea of me hacking hatrack.
He only needs to show me once and then I'll know how. I need to get working on my dog website again too. I need him to get a new computer because mine is running too slow with photoshop, and he will stop complaining about me using his computer instead of mine. Of course that takes $$.
But I was planning on mailing it to Scott and have him take a look at the bear, before I actually posted pictures. Though if he doesn't like surprises and would rather see it first I can try to accomodate him.
posted
Scott please post to this thread if you have gotten my e-mail. I can't check my yahoo account from work during the day and I don't know if it went through. I'd like you to be on the lookout for the bear before I send it.
posted
Send a snail mail note with words cut out from the paper. Take a polaroid of Jake holding the Care Bear in his mouth to send along. Snip some of the leftover ear material, maybe with some stuffing still clinging to the side, and include it in the envelope. That'll get his attention.
Posts: 5509 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
lol... Except my dogs are staying with a professional handler for a week. I miss them I have the box sitting on my desk at work, and can run it to the post office on my lunch break. I just really don't want to mail it unless he is expecting it.
I've gotten a promotion of sorts and have to use my computer at work for work stuff now. Go figure. We're going to get Cable Internet at home in a week or so, so I'll be able to check Hatrack more often. I'm so sorry for neglecting the site during such prosperous times.
AJ, I want to thank you again for doing this! I appreciate it emmensely. If you want to send it in the mail, I'll be expecting it. However, like you, there won't be anyone home during the mail run. So, send accordingly. As for the pictures, I'd kind of like to see the bear first. I absolutely LOVE surprises. If you have that undeniable urge to put the pictures up, I promise not to look until I recieve the bear in the mail.
posted
ok I can't promise I will get it out this evening, but tomorrow definitely! I'll put a tracking number on it and send it priority mail.
I would love to see your face as you open it. Do you think you could have your wife standing by with a camera?
(And I'm not posting the pictures, but I have e-mailed them to some individuals who were curious. I need to dig out your pictures for the "before" section)
posted
sorry, it was one of the last things mailed at this particular postoffice for the night. It may not be processed until tomorrow. They had already locked the doors by the time I left.
AnnaJo, I think it's time to face facts, no matter how hard it may be. Yes, you worked like gangbusters on the little dude, and yes, you took very good care of him.
But now he has made his escape to Vegas, where he's doubtlessly watching porn in other people's cars and indulging in discussions about gay penguin adoptions.
CT, I'm not too worried, if Bear is happy and living his life on his own terms that is fine. I'm sure he would adopt gay penquins of the stuffed variety since they probably don't get as much love.
*melodramatic* But WHAT do we tell, poor, poor Scott??? Posts: 11265 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
We tell him the little guy is now an adult, and we encourage him to keep the lines of communication open. Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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