Officially introducing the Coldham Glove Puppets

This is Cy Bear posting tonight, because Isobel feels it's appropriate for me - as Official Coldham Cuddlies Mascot - to introduce the new members of our Family to you and by that I mean The Glove Puppets..  There were six in the picture below, but only five have been listed at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com - because one of them, Rabbit Glove Puppet - was sold on the very first day they were launched by Isobel last week.  Just to remind you, here is the picture of the six Puppets:

Isobel has already replaced Rabbit Glove Puppet and she will be listed on Etsy after we've completed this post.

As you can see, some have neckwear, others do not.  The neckwear is different - to differentiate them as boys and girls.  Boys have stocks, or neckties:  the girls have collars, on which Isobel has embroidered dots and crosses, and because they are intended as Christmas presents or Stocking Stuffers (whatever that means!), the colours Isobel used for the colours are bright, festive ones - reds, greens, yellows and in the case of Fox Glove Puppet, they are blue and purple decorative additions.

So, the first Glove Puppet to be featured in this blog is the one on the left - Golden Teddy (Etsy Listing #82953359).  He has appeared in a previous blog, when Isobel first told you about the original Bear Puppets patients in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).  But, in case you can't remember - or cannot be bothered to look for the photograph - here he is again, but this time the picture is taken outside in the garden here:

(Etsy Listing 82953359)

All the Glove Puppets are the same size in the hand area, but their head dimensions do vary because they have different shaped ears and faces.  The bear puppets, because Bears look more complete with them, have paw pads made of suedette.  The others do not, because when Isobel pinned them on, they did not look right!  However, if anyone buying any Puppets lacking these additional features - but wants them - of course Isobel will be happy to add them.  The hand area of the puppets are 9-1/2 inches (20 cms) wide and 13-3/4 inches (35 cms) long from shoulder to hem.  The hems are bound with cotton seam binding and all the finger guides are cardboard, covered with calico - to keep the polyester fibre stuffing used in each head from being pulled through when being played with.  That does mean that the Puppets are not washable, but could certainly be dry-cleaned if they got very dirty.  But then, I am sure whoever becomes a Forever Friend of a Puppet would not make them dirty in the first place!

The next Puppet to be introduced is Fox Glove Puppet (Etsy Listing #82957532)- who has a white felt collar decorated with purple dots and blue crosses.  Here is a picture of her:

Fox Puppet, with hand inside

Panda Glove Puppet comes next sitting on the bench, and although he is a Bear Puppet, he does not have paw pads as you can see.   Because his arms are all black - instead of being all the same colour as the other puppets are - Isobel felt that he had sufficient additions without having brown suedette or felt coloured pads fitted.  He has a blue stock, which is fixed in place with a sprig of holly, made with felt, sewn on.  If anyone wanted a girl Panda Puppet, that would not be a problem.  Isobel just needs to be told.

The hand inside Panda is a man's big hand which just fits!

The next Puppet featured is Rabbit Glove Puppet - the one who was sold on September 30.  As I said earlier, she has been replaced, and will be listed later - so at the moment she does not have an Etsy listing.  We'll give that to you all in our next post, but meanwhile here is a picture of her:

Sitting next to Rabbit Puppet is the Puppet which looks a little bit like me.  He's a Brown Bear Puppet (Etsy Listing #82955598), and together with Golden Teddy will be given away (or a replica of them will be) to a children's hospital or hospice, once Ed Ted's Best Friend has decided where they will be sent.  He has paw pads made of light beige felt, because the suedette would not show up very well.  The two bear puppets don't have neckwear, because they were made from the composite of the two original home made puppets who were Soft Toy Clinic patients, and they had pads, but no neckwear.  The ties and collars are  Isobel's additions - and I  like them.  Hope you all do too!

The lady' whose hand is moving Brown Bear had her spectacles round her neck at the time!

Our final picture is of White Rabbit Glove Puppet (Etsy Listing #82961072).  He's terribly fluffy and looks much bigger than the others, but is made from exactly the same pattern as all the others.  He was made from a piece of fabric Isobel was given which was just the right size to be used for this project.  He has a bright green felt stock tie on, which is fixed in place with a yellow, felt star (or Isobel's version of a star!).  He  was almost sold on September 30 in place of the Brown Rabbit puppet.  The lady who made the purchase decided that Brown Rabbit was perhaps  more "practical" for a 2-year old Forever Friend than White Rabbit would be.

(Etsy Listing #82961072)

So, there you are - the whole Glove Puppet troupe, all looking for their Forever Homes and meanwhile, waiting to be joined by who ever Isobel decides will be made next.  Presently, she's begun to make Brendan Rabbit's replacement.  He's off to Everett, Washington State, USA at the week-end, and we'll be posting a farewell picture of him and me when we come together next.  Meanwhile, think this is enough for you all to be going on with.  Bye for today!  Cy Bear.