=felting efforts are very basic as that's my first effort and the body-less dragon has been left waiting for me to return and complete him, but he'll have to wait for now.
My first teddy's head,on the same page, has a VERY crooked nose :crackup:, I'm sticking to making bigger teds, until I've mastered some new skills, then I'll return to the smaller Teds.
Of course I adore my ferrets, and they are a constant inspiration, I'm sure I'll be making a lot of Ferret like Teds.
A friend of mine in Canada has done extensive research on the copywrite issue. It is fascinating to hear her speak on the issue, and she has very strong opinions on the subject. Sadly most of what I know comes from her. As I am somewhat lazy and happy to learn what she knows rather than read the 6" manual myself.
Many of my outfits are the compilation of pictures from history re: clothing. The what, why, and how of clothing fascinates me.
I am barely good enough to look at a dress and figure out how I could do it without actually copying the dress. When I sewed for myself and others I would buy patterns and it was through working for so many years with the patterns of others more experienced that I learned how to manipulate fabric into doing what I wanted. It doesn't always work but fortunately it doesn't hurt nearly as much to toss a golly dress or pants or shirt as it did when I guessed wrong on an adult outfit....
Now 40+ years later I use all that I learned on big people clothing for the gollykids.
Am I breaking a copywrite? No, I don't believe so, and if so whose? We can't get out of our mind the works we have seen before, or even seen and studied before. 
There are only so many ways to set a sleeve.
or gather a skirt.
If I sat down and took someone's dress pattern and used it verbatim I would be copying. But if I remember that when we did this play at school we did this to the skirt to make it...blahblahblah......then I am not copying.
If I can sit down and measure the hips and waiste and then sketch out the bloomers, I am not copying, even though I do believe that somewhere in this great big world someone else is or has done the very same thing.
Oh, my friend in Canada? She can take a piece of mohair, and draw out her bear without any patterns-just draw it out on the back and cut and sew.
That blows me away....and since I am lucky enough to have one of her bears that she made this way, I can tell you her work-womanship is outstanding.
To you ladies who were copied and the 'guilty' party tried to hide from you? She wasn't very comfortable was she? That I found hopeful, as it indicated there was still a conscience there. In a time when our world's history where "knock-offs" are something to be proud of I think it is quite exciting to witness a conscience in action.
But, I think I would like to be happy with MY work not happy replicating yours.
Last thought: I agree this is an important subject to bring up now and then. We always have new members who want to learn ad do the right thing.
I do not believe EVER that an offending party should be named. If any of us has a problem with someone, we should contact them personally....Never name names on this forum. This is neither the place nor the manner for them to learn they made the hit parade on our, uh, BadBearMaker list.
Case in point: very similar to dresses from the time period....but non the less mine, all mine....i just have to loose a ton to get in it....and shrink to about 10".....
Amen to that Dilu. Having been on both sides of this touchy subject I believe everyone has the right to stick up for themselves...because often it's easy to jump to the conclusion that this person 'copied' me..when in actual fact they didn't..it's just that inspiration often happens in some kind of inexplicable way where great minds do literally think alike...it does happen. To shout 'copyright' every time you see a bear that's vaguely similar or wearing an outfit or carrying a similar accessory is just unnecessary. However, I am not a supporter of copying in any form but we do have to be realistic.
I agree also that we should keep our posts free from naming specific names when making negative comments and also that we should keep clear of innuendo or 'you know who' remarks, so that by implication others may know who is being talked about or it may cause other members on the list who may or may not be regular contributors to wonder if they are the ones being referred to.
It just creates ill feeling and that can't be good for anyone.
I am not coing to copy I am going to CLONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that seems to be the new thing in replicating things today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really agree with all the posts above but I have to say that when you see something similar it is not always copying. Back at the beginning of the year (2006) I made a bear....from my own pattern etc and he was not published or displayed anywhere...but some months later I saw that another bearmaker (quite well known over here) had made a bear and used his photo in an advertisement. Now this bear was made out of the same mohair as mine and ended up with a very similar look (proportions etc were the same) but there was no way either of us could have copied the other one....now I must admit that I have always been reluctant to do anything with the bear I have made as I have been worried about been accused of copying (especially since I am so new at this) so I guess he will remain part of my own collection, but it goes to show that 'copying'can sometimes be just a case of great minds think alike.
I'm not talking about obvious copying here where the bears are exactly the same but in cases where there are lots of similarities sometimes it is just a coincidence.
I agree totally with you Sarahjane! It had happened to me too! It has to do, I think, with the style of bears you like. Like you said great minds think alike.
The term ‘single-use’ has been crowned the 2018 Word of the Year by the Collins Dictionary, following the stunning rise in public concern over the environmental impact of throwaway plastics over the last 12 months.
Announcing its decision today, Collins said usage of the term has grown four-fold since 2013, thanks to increased news and broadcast coverage of the environmental impact of single-use products and packaging.
“From plastic bags, bottles and straws to washable nappies, we have become more conscious of how our habits and behaviours can impact the environment,” Collins said in a blog postannouncing its decision.
In response to the rising concern, 2018 has seen huge numbers of businesses pledging to phase out single-use plastics from their operations, while the UK and EU government are preparing to ban plastic straws, cotton buds, and other single-use plastics.
Alongside ‘flossing‘ and ‘gammon‘, the term ‘plogging’ also made the 2018 Word of the Year shortlist. It describes a Swedish activity which involves going for a run and picking up litter at the same time, which Collins said is “becoming a global trend”.
The 2017 Word of the Year was ‘fake news’.
Affordable Care Act Resources
- Healthcare.gov [1] (to enroll)
- Open Enrollment for 2014: Oct. 1, 2013 - March 31, 2014
- Coverage begins Jan. 1, 2014
- Ohioforhealth.org [2]
- Certified navigators with the Ohio Association of Foodbanks
- Hotline Phone: 1-800-648-1176
- Marketplace Help Center Phone: 1-800-318-2596
- Health Care Law info for Ohio [3]
- Got Questions? Marketplace FAQ [4]The alignment was missed in the hiring process – either the candidate did not understand what they wanted or most likely the company was not clear what their culture is. If it was even discussed in any meaningful way. It leaves a void for HR and Hiring Managers to effectively attract or screen candidates for alignment on the company’s culture.
A strong well define and communicated culture will hold everyone in the company accountable to that definition…but all too often a weak or unclear culture leaves much to uncertainty and turnover.
First the company owner, CEO and top leadership CAN heavily influence or even define culture, however, by definition culture is the sum of the whole…the personality of the company. At it’s foundation it’s about emotion and the leaderships ability to both be emotional and live it too. A companies Mission, Vision and Core Values should all be alighted with Culture and the emotion and energy that fuels it.
A key differentiator and value creator can occur when the culture is focused on people and how people drive and empower the organization. Whether that’s collaboration, continuous improvement, innovation or other key competencies that drive value creation, it’s the people – a cross-functional multiple behavioral team, leveraging individuals and their talents.
If it’s not clear to you, who will you talk to to help you understand it.
If you hire people, do you have questions in your interview process that help identify if candidates have what it takes to align with