Squaring some circles: updates following

Cy Bear here - bet you've been wondering where I've been!  Isobel has been busy recently, what with finishing Mme. Lapin and sending her back to St. Albans for her "After" 360 degree pictures at Outsphere UK & Ireland, and then rejuvenating Mons. Reynard (job now finished - and awaiting Mme Lapin's return so that we can complete the farewell ceremonies - with ME in charge! - before they go back to France and Mrs. IM., sister-in-law to Isobel and Peter.  Although the rejuvenation of Mons. Reynard is complete, Isobel will not be posting about the process  until the departure time approaches, as she feels it more appropriate to include the farewell pictures when she does the piece(s).  Suffice to say, Peter cannot believe "how clean" he now looks!

So, while we wait, Isobel and I feel it right to bring you all "up to snuff" as an English saying goes on what else has been happening in the world of the Coldham Cuddlies (www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies).  There seems to have been quite a lot, although the shop is still a little bare - and we hope it will tie up some loose ends for you - as it does for us.

Way back in October last year (in a post entitled "Just checking in - and playing catch up as well! /02/10.11) Isobel mentioned that she was working on some labels for use with us Cuddlies.  Well, it's taken some time, and we've gone to more than one possible source, but Isobel finally decided to try the manufacturer of those name tapes that mothers/children of former, and current,  boarding school pupils will recall - Cash's Name Tapes.  By "googling" that into the computer, Isobel was directed to the site of a company called Woven Labels UK Ltd who not only produce those kind of labels, but labels suitable for crafters too. 

The artwork was sent, a price suggested - which initially was for 500 or 1000 labels!   Isobel responded that given her work rate (at that time, anyway) she could be dead before that final number was reached and wondered if they could give her a price for, say, 250.  They came back - remarkably fast - and a price was agreed.  In the interim, both Peter, Isobel and Mr. RFE (responsible for the original artwork) had had some further ideas, and the artwork was changed a little.  We've now got to the point that we have a sample label to show you - it's been sent back, because they've got the colours a bit mixed up.  But, basically, if the line with "@ tiscali.co.uk" is woven in the same colour as "ColdhamCuddlies", we've got 250 labels shortly on the way.  Now Isobel has got to figure out where she's going to attach the labels to us Cuddlies!  That's her problem, not mine!   Here's what the sample looked like when presented:

Label as presented.

We want, if possible, for the label to  be easily recognisable as the Coldham colours, with its similarities to our banner in this blog and that of the shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com).

As Isobel comments:  "It takes me back to my school days - just before term began, when all the new items needed name tapes to be attached!"  Whilst her mother did some of them when she was first at school, latterly, due to Mother losing her sight, it became one of Isobel's duties! That I believe was between 1951 and 1957!  Well before I was thought of as a  Bear, even though I was then still a Beaver Lamb Fur Coat.

Now for some news about our recent departures:

Hairy Bear (with Light Brown Felt Muzzle) has arrived safely in Sequals (his departure was announced in our post dated 10.02.12).  The last time we heard, he was sitting in the middle of Mr. RFE's sofa and very comfortable after his postal journey.  Mr. RFE's cat, Snow (who adopted Mr. RFE a couple of years' ago and is totally white in colour) has decided Hairy Bear is nothing to worry about.  Having sniffed him, pushed him about a little, he has since ignored him.  So, the presumption is that Hairy has been accepted.

The Panda Bear, destined for Neosho, Missouri also arrived safely at his Forever Home - and has been christened Peter Panda by Mrs. VY, his new Forever Friend. 

Now, here's an interesting anecdote:  during various conversations between Mrs.VY and Isobel, it was established that they both had an interest in Hedgehogs.  Mrs.VY, when a girl of 10 or so, had had two real ones and  has loved them ever since.  Isobel, as you know, has been searching for a pattern for one so she could add them to the Coldham Cuddlies Family at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com.  Well, a day or so later, Mrs.VY - whose Etsy Shop specialises in vintage toys - sent Isobel a link which provided a pattern for a whole family of hedgehogs!  Isobel clicked onto it straight away, found there was only one available and purchased it immediately.  Result - it arrived in Heytesbury last Friday (February 24), and once  Mons. Reynard was completed (on Sunday), she cut out Mr. Hedgehog.  He has now been finished, and Mrs. Hedgehog is partially complete - the body needs to be stuffed, the head attached to the body, as well as the four feet.  Then Baby needs to be cut out and sewn.  Isobel is really pleased with this addition to the Coldham Cuddlies fold - and will be revealing them as one of her new products at the upcoming  "Spring Shopping Day" being held at the Heytesbury Primary School on Saturday, September 10. They should be quite easy to make up once she has got used to the new pattern(s).  The first editions are always slower than those that follow!

The Rabbits (shown below) that we sent to Mrs.SP in Medford, Massachusetts, although posted a couple of days earlier, only got to their destination at the end of last week.  However, they have been gladly received and more will be heard about them around Easter time (mid-April, I am told) when pictures  of them with  their respective Forever Friends will presumably be taken - and provided to us.  Here's a picture of the whole bunch, before they were packed up and sent off - you may recall, Mrs.SP was given a choice of the Baby Bunnies before they left us, and those selected are shown, with their labels in front of each.

Selected for dispatch to Medford, Massachusetts.

The Spring Shopping Day is turning out to be a lot bigger than Isobel had originally expected it to be.  It's arranged to last from 1000-1600 hours on March 10, which had meant that Isobel might have had to leave early so she could get lunch for Peter (who has complicated dietary requirements which only Isobel can fulfill).  However, Philippa (elder daughter and Forever Friend of Rusty Bear - still waiting for treatment in the Coldham Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) and former patient, Tommy Teddy) is coming to visit that week-end and is more than happy to deputise (and well able to meet such requirements).  Thus Isobel will be able to stay for all the time required as, in addition to our stall, there are going to be 15 other sellers exhibiting, with wares on offer covering Jewellry, Homemade Cakes - being provided by the Jubilee Committee (those arranging the village's celebrations of our Queen's Diamond Jubilee in June), Single Estate Extra Virgin Italian olive oil, Ceramics and lots of other specialities, most of whose traders are sited in Heytesbury and it's surrounding villages.

For that reason, Isobel decided that she really needed to make more of an effort to exhibit us Coldham Cuddlies.  Up till now, she's taken us in our respective plastic and other carrying bags, and plonked (that's the best description I can come up with - there's been no attempt at "arranging" us!) us on the table reserved for us.  From now on, we will be shown on a background of emerald green plush velvet covering the table (we should all look good on that!) and the front of the stall will be decorated with a banner that Isobel has recently purchased from BekahJennings' shop - an Etsy shop which specialises in making hand-made banners for all occasions.  This was a customised order for Isobel, and consists of handmade cards with a yellow background and green painted labels spelling "COLDHAM * CUDDLIES" all linked together with a lovely bright orange ribbon.  Isobel intends to drape the front of the stall - with the crushed velvet background - with this banner.  I think it should look good and the Cuddlies Family (or those that currently remain will stand out well.  Isobel is (planning  the replacements!)

This post has gone on long enough.  There are still some more items to update you on, I believe:  in which case, I expect Isobel will be suggesting I tell you about them in the a future post soon.  Meanwhile, cheers for now.  Cy Bear.

Replacement Koalas - Part 2

I really must stop saying I'm going to blog and then give a definite day - it never, ever works out that way.  Maybe I can be forgiven, though, because we've got car trouble - AGAIN - and getting that sorted, and coping without a vehicle - has taken up a lot more time than anticipated!  Doesn't everyone find that?  One gets so dependent on the flipping things (I don't really mean that - but this is not the right forum in which to let off the amount of steam that I'd like to) doesn't one?

Anyway, back to the nub of this post - the completion of the Koala replacement project. (They can be found at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com/Etsy Listing #55190188). When I left off last time, I was going to carry on the Koala production line while watching an evening of television.  This took place, and the programme(s) were as good as hoped, so I relaxed as well as sewing another couple of the little bears.  The fourth one was completed next day and I set about the next stage of construction.

This involves stuffing the two bits of each bear (head and bodies).  For once, I did not make my usual mistake (stuffing the heads, before putting in the eyes!).  It's so annoying to have to unstuff the heads, and then put in the eyes!  Sometimes, I think I'll never learn.  However, this time it was achieved satisfactorily, without having to take too much time making sure they were level.  Some of my animals have ended up with their eyes not quite matching!  Which then means one has to take them out and replace them, as the safety backing is so safe that it's almost impossible to correct matters with the original eye!  As I make more toys, though, I'm discovering I can sometimes move the backing and re-use the whole thing.  However, in order to guarantee the integrity of the toy, I feel it is normally best to go the whole way, and replace everything!

Anyway, this time around all four pairs went in first time around, and the stuffing duly went ahead.  The limbs of the Koalas are quite small, so the stuffing has to be put into them first, using small pinches of the polyester fibre at a time - otherwise I find they can develop kinks where the limbs join the torso and the resulting bear does not look comfortably stuffed!  It's a bit fiddly, but worth the effort.

They were all completed on Friday - the day the car episode occurred - and I was then unable to photograph the completed foursome, because I'd run out of batteries for my digital camera.  Mine just eats the things - I do wonder if it is just my camera, or whether it is a general thing with these gizmos?  Admittedly, mine is not as modern as all these things on the market at the moment, but on the whole I achieve reasonably good results and I'm normally quite happy with the final picture. 

Here are two of the foursome, sitting on the arm of a bench outside one of my neighbours' bungalows.  The other two are shown below:

The hydrangea bush they are hiding in is beginning to die on us, alas, but it has been a really beautiful pink this year.  There's sufficient left, fortunately, to show off the little guys, though, isn't there?  Looking at these photos, I do assure you, the eyes are level - it's just the way they've been photographed and they way they are sitting on the bench!

I've now almost completed the replacement Baby Rabbits (those sold at the Produce Sale in Heytesbury Church the week-end before last).  The little Brown one (Etsy Listing #73079287) just needs a ribbon sewn on, and the White One (Etsy Listing #5503616) has just got to have his bob-tail and ears attached, as well as his ribbon, and the stock will be up to snuff once more.  Once this post is complete, I'll be doing these finishing off items.

Talking about the Little White Baby Rabbits, the two that set off to New South Wales a couple of weeks ago arrived safely at the end of last week - and beat their intended Best Friend recipients, who have still to make their appearance!  Am still waiting to hear about the safe arrival,  in Saudi Arabia, of Panda Bear (Etsy Listing #55036116) - but he left the UK a couple of days after the White Rabbits, and he's had to negotiate all the timings involved with Ramadan and so on, so I'm expecting a message sometime later this week. 

Right, that's it for this post.  I'll end with a picture I took this afternoon with Ed Ted, Cy Bear - who will be posting again, soon, I promise - as well as Big Koala, whose Best Friend is Ed Ted's, and who arrived a week or so ago for renovation therapy in the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).  He is in not too bad shape, but his stuffing is incredibly hard.  I just cannot imagine what it is, but it certainly does not encourage cuddling. He also requires a new nose, ears and claws!

Until the next post - Goodnight and God Bless!  Isobel

Introducing a new Friend

We are both very pleased to introduce you all to a new Friend, who has come to stay with  us for a week.  His name (the one we've given him, anyway - because we don't know what anyone else calls him!) is Golden Teddy and he has a very special job to do for us while he is with us.  He is to be the model for Isobel to use when rejuvenating Tommy Teddy - because he is the dead spitting image of how she remembers Tommy Teddy, when he first came to stay with the Morrell Bear Family in the 1970's, and will make the job easier for her to achieve.

Golden Teddy and Cy Bear on a convenient garden chair

The interesting thing about all this is that in all the years they've known him, Isobel has never seen another Bear like Tommy Teddy, and although he is not the same colour(s) as him, he is the same shape and size.  He is also made with a more modern pattern (and Isobel thinks she can improve on that too while she has Golden Teddy staying with us) so rejuvenating Tommy Teddy is not going to be quite as much of a nightmare as he might otherwise have been.  Here is one of the latest pictures of Tommy Teddy - before he was deconstructed and given a bath, and Isobel struggled to put him back together again.

Can  you see the similarity?

Where did Golden Teddy come from?  Well, every Saturday morning each summer, the Parish Church in Heytesbury holds a produce sale, at which the local gardeners donate their surplus produce for other villagers to buy - with the proceeds going towards the upkeep of the Church.  It's a 12th Century building, so you can understand  it takes a lot of looking after.

Well, last week Isobel went to see if there was anything she could buy, as well as to get some raffle tickets, which are also sold and are a real money-spinner.  Isobel has been quite lucky this year, incidentally, which is why she goes back so regularly!  Sitting in one of the pews was Golden Teddy - and she had not seen him there before.  However, upon enquirng, she found out that Golden Teddy has a very important job.  He is the offical Church Child Comforter.  Whenever a little person finds the old building - which is rather large, echoes a bit, and can be rather dark and cold sometimes - a bit overwhelming, then they are given Golden Teddy to cuddle.  Apparently, he has one particular little girl-friend who makes a bee-line for him, whether she is overwhelmed or not!

After checking to see there were no Family Services planned for the Church this coming week, Golden Teddy was allowed to come to stay with us for a week - and Isobel will be taking him back to his duties, when she sets up a table on which the smaller ColdhamCuddlies (Baby Rabbits, Koalas and Pandas in the www.coldhamcuddles.etsy.com shop) will be displayed at next week's produce sale.

The Hospital of St. John residents have undertaken responsibility for organising next week's event, and Isobel has been allowed to show off the little Cuddlies!  This is a first for us - which is exciting  and it will also be a practice-run for another sale which we've been invited to attend on September 30th - which is the MacMillan Cancer Research "Biggest Coffee Morning in the World" - an annual event held in a big barn located on one of the farms in the village.  So, we're beginning to get some local publicity, which we hope will be successful for both the Shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com) and the Soft Toy Clinic (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com/#79124185).  Isobel is planning to create some posters showing some of the rest of us and, obviously, we'll be telling you all about those as they come and go.

Now we've got to end this post as Isobel must get on and finish stuffing the second replacement Baby White Rabbit and complete sewing and stuffing the replacement Panda Bear.  The Panda Bear destined for Saudi Arabia left Heytesbury for his new home this morning.

Golden Teddy - sideways on

Goodnight from both Isobel and Cy Bear!

Hail and Farewell

Hello again - it's Cy Bear talking to you, as promised during the last post.  There's a lot to tell and photos to share with you all - so here goes.

This morning, Isobel took the two Baby White Rabbits to Heytesbury Post Office and they duly caught the 1125 BST (which I'm told stands for British Summer Time - there's precious little sign of summer here today, by the way) post headed for Mrs. GC's home in Beecroft, New South Wales, Australia.  They were well wrapped up in chemical free tissue paper and bubble wrap and then placed in a polythene air mail bag, so they should be as comfortable as it is possible to be.  I said good-bye to them as is my custom:

 

Sitting on the ground in the garden at home

Then yesterday evening, rather late, Isobel finally managed to list the new member of the Coldham Cuddlies family in our shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com.  He is known as Bear with a Blue Scarf (a.k.a. Little Ed Ted), and his Etsy Listing number is #79522674.  I'd like to officially welcome him to the Familly by including his picture with me below:

Little Ed Ted standing with me in the garden

Little Ed Ted is a somewhat smaller bear than all the rest of us in the Coldham Cuddlies family of Bears, and he's the first of us to have an adornment in the form of a scarf.  When he was completed, Isobel
felt that his neck was a little longer than expected and felt that a scarf would be the ideal way to make him look casual, smart and elegant.  She used royal blue double knitting wool for the main bit of the scarf, and white and light blue wool for the edges, including all three colours in the tassles.  The fabric Little Ed Ted is made from is the same as that used to rejuvenate Ed Ted, which is 17mm Dense Distressed Spring Gold mohair.  Isobel says that she loved using it and will be using it again whenever requested.

Oh, another thing, we've now got three more patients who have joined the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).  They arrived in the post this morning - from Ed Ted's best friend RFE incidentally - having been discovered in a corner of RFE's home attic just before he handed his house over, the sale having been completed.  They include two glove puppet Bears and a huge big Koala - which is going to be exciting for the existing Koalas (Etsy Listing #55190188)  in the ColdhamCuddlies shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com).

They are going to make an exciting addition to the family and Isobel will give them a real up date once Tommy Teddy and Brr Bear have been rejuvenated.  We're still waiting to hear from Bear Basics - and presume that Susan must be on holiday, as no one was answering the telephone this afternoon.

Isobel is quite busy still completing Panda Bear's replacement, so there's no rush on that score - yet. Panda Bear begins his journey to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, so his departure will be recorded in our next posting.  In the interim, here is another picture of Little Ed Ted, as well as another one of Panda Bear in the garden here at home in Heytesbury.

Little Ed Ted standing on a bench in the garden

Panda Bear on the same spot as Little  Ed Ted

So, with that, I'll end tonight's post.  Have a great day tomorrow, and be with you again soon.  Cy Bear

Getting Ready for their new homes

Good evening, everyone - sorry for the delay in our posting but I've been busy, and so far, Cy Bear has not learned how to input his contributions for himself, let alone me.  As I've said before, do wish there were more hours to each day!

Anyhow, here's what's been happening.  I've managed to complete the order for New South Wales and in the next couple of days (Wednesday is early closing day in Heytesbury - they still follow that schedule in the only shop in the village, which also happens to be the Post Office as well.), the two White Baby Rabbits ordered by Mrs. GC of Beecroft, New South Wales, Australia will be winging their way to their new home.

The earliest I find I can begin to work on Coldham Cuddlies business (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com) is usually the afternoons, and tomorrow is no exception!  So, Thursday will likely be when they are posted from the village.

Oh - before I go any further:  Annie from Okalahoma, newish Etsy friend at EmptyontheInside and blogger at http://doughdirtdye.blogspot.com has kindly included me as a Guest Blogger.  She's posted a version of my post about the Soft Toy Clinic, using Little Red Ted's treatment as her post - and has invited me to provide her with the Ed Ted therapy programme as well.  That's another job for me later this week.  Isn't it great to be so busy doing things one enjoys?  

Meanwhile, Panda Bear is ready for his journey to Saudi Arabia, and with any luck, his replacement will be in place shortly after he leaves us.  His preparations for the trip included a photograph taken today in the garden here at the Hospital of St. John.  The weather finally allowed me to get snapping, and we've got a whole lot shots to share with you, including this one of Panda Bear:

 

Sitting among the marigolds

In addition to this activity, have managed to work out how to put Tommy Teddy back again.  That really was a puzzle and it took me a whole morning, getting increasingly frustrated  and losing pins all over the ironing board, surrounding floor and in my fingers before I worked him out.  Then I found that none of the bits of cardboard in my stock was big enough for me to create the template for me to cut out the final covering for the old fellow.  Today, I got the biggest piece of cardboard I could find in Warminster, and am not sure if even that is going to big enough!  Watch this space.

I've also completed a new member of the Coldham Cuddlies family and will be listing him tomorrow - using his appearance for another posting.  He'd been named Little Ed Ted and mentioned in an earlier post when I was renovating Ed Ted, because I'd been able to use the Ed Ted leftovers.  He's got another label, which will be revealed in the next post.

Meanwhile, here is a picture of Cy Bear - who will probably be doing the introduction of the new Cuddly - with the Baby White Rabbits taken in the garden this afternoon.  Must not put his nose out of joint must we?

 
Goodnight for now.  Isobel

Latest ColdhamCuddlies update

My word - what a day this has been!  Things seem to have happened thick and fast today - not that either Cy Bear nor I are complaining.

So, let me (Isobel) begin with an update on the two new ColdhamCuddlies patients:  Brr Bear is waiting to be deconstructed, but has an ear missing (more information on that matter in a minute).  Tommy Teddy has been completely taken to bits and is now wallowing in a basin full of cool water in which he will be all night.  He's had the first layer of three decade's plus worth of dust, wear and tear removed:  the soaking in cold water will, hopefully, remove another layer.  He will then be dried out naturally and ironed out.  He really is the most odd shape and I shall be having nightmares about getting him back together again - until I actually sit down and do it.  That's my modus operandi, I fear.  He, too, is missing an ear as well as a paw pad.**  His stuffing turned out to be foam rubber which had been cut up from whatever sources it had originated from - and I dread to think what could have happened had he been anywhere near a live flame.  The foam was certainly not fireproof!  It has been deposited at the Warminster Dump!

**This is because I've sent them to Susan at Bear Basics to see if she can match them up with her impressive stock of bear-making fabrics.  She not only has the Steiff Shulte fabrics, but a whole lot more as well, and I am confident that she will not let Coldham Cuddlies (www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies) down.  Put it this way:  if she cannot help, am not quite sure where I'll be able to find anything remotely like Tommy Teddy now, given that dyes and materials have changed so much since he arrived to live with the Morrells in the early 1970's.

Cy Bear interrupting here:  Isobel has learned that we have received orders for three Cuddlies, so she's going to be busy on these while she waits to hear from her fabric supplier.  Two Baby White Rabbits like the one shown below are off to New South Wales, Australia (which I understand is the other side of the world away from here).

Baby White Rabbit - Etsy Listing # 55036116

And then we've received another order from Mrs B-P from Saudi Arabia for one of our Panda Bears. (She was the person who ordered Hairy Bear some weeks' ago - and we hear that he's had an accident with one of his legs.  So, we're expecting him to become a patient in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic soon, too.) Panda Bear will be going to Saudi Arabia, which I'm told is about half the world away from England, UK, so all three of them have got  long air journeys ahead of them.   Panda's photo is coming up now.

Panda Bear - Etsy Listing #55047110

Now it's Isobel back again to take up the final bit of the latest ColdhamCuddlies update story.  We've got back in touch with Annie  from EmptyontheInside, and I'll be copying and sending off all the items related to the Ed Ted treatment history for her to use in her blog at www.doughdirtdye.blogspot.com.  Poor lass - they're suffering a heatwave in her part of the USA (think it's Okalahoma)  where temperatures are forecast to reach 116 degrees Fahrenheit, for Heaven's sake! Apparently, they've not seen temperatures like it since the 1980's.   Now we've been groaning at 90 degrees, although we've been promised more reasonable temperatures after a day of rain tomorrow, so we've got few reasons to complain, methinks.

Thus, one way or another, I'm going to be busy, busy, busy.... and neither Cy Bear or I would have it any other way.  Until we meet again......Cy Bear  and  Isobel