Welcome! I'm Karen Waschinski, the artist behind Scratching at the Window, and on May 11th, 2011, my Mom and I flew down from Canada to Philadelphia and
this is our experience of the
Doll and Teddy
Bear Artist and Collector Convention
Creating Interest Among Today's Generation
Let me begin by saying Terry and Susan Quinlan justly deserved the standing ovation they received at the close of the Convention, which was a definite success. We had a very good time and while of course there were a few bumps along the way (this being their first time hosting such a huge undertaking), all around it was a very worthwhile event and I'm happy we were part of it!
So, the
Ramada Airport Hotel was
a good choice for its location and accommodations. We were comfortable in
a spacious room,
although we very much missed having some place to walk about, being in an
industrial area.
Luckily, a Wawa was reachable by foot, where we could buy yogurt, salads, buns, etc... Also enjoyed was the Hotel's complimentary lemon, lime and orange infused waters available almost all the time in the lobby.
On Wednesday, the first night we were there, however, I did almost step in a mummified cat on a very busy overpass! Good or bad omen? Hallowe'ener that I am, I took it as a good omen and even went back to photograph the poor creature. It must have been there a loonngg time...
Thursday we were both a bit
stomach sick (the flight, airline pretzels, mummy cat?) so we unpacked all the critters and
fluffed them up rather than taking the Hotel's shuttle and the R1 train into
Philly. Everyone was in good shape, happy to be out of the suitcases and excited about
Saturday! Registrations were going on all day and we went down around 2:00
to discover that a dinner would be included that night instead of just a
champagne reception! That was a nice surprise, especially to those who
were traveling in that evening. 
Two
lovely banners graced the lobby entrance, here we are with one of them (thank
you again, Monica).
Also, the auction pieces were projected onto a huge wall visible both from the
main and second floors, what a great idea!
The opening dinner and reception was really
fine with
hors d'oeuvres, a buffet dinner and an open bar and a very quick welcoming speech by Susan.
John Paul Port then gave what would have been an illustrated presentation on his
mother, Beverly Port, "grandma" of the artist bear community, but his
digital slides were not going to co-operate! 
Well, if you know John Paul Port, you can imagine how he pulled it off! It was funny and lively and heart-felt, a lovely dedication to a woman who was entirely immersed in the art of the Teddy Bear!
(Also note the ballroom and it's decor: this would be the main location for Saturday's show.)
As neither Mom nor I are very good at talking with strangers, surprisingly we had a really easy time meeting people that first night and chatting. Oh, so many names to remember! Thankfully, the registration kit included name-badges!
And here's Bella the Rat! Since I finished him only on Monday I never had the time to photograph him! So the bed cover in our hotel room served as a spur-of-the-moment background and he photographed quite well!
Photos by me, Karen Waschinski, unless otherwise noted, with the Convention header from http://www.quinlanmuseum.com/convention/