Looking on the Bright Side (Continued)

Wow - second comment on the blog!  Thanks Clare - keep up your positivity, just as I am definitely doing now!   It's a real boost to know that someone is actually reading the blog - and finding sufficient in it to comment about.

Actually, you're the second person to do so this week - one of my "new best friends", Yenbo FilipvanP ( a Dutchman, who was responsible for the shop banner at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com) told me it could take  4-6 months before any comments were forthcoming.  Was in touch with him about getting permission to use the banner as background for my replacement business card design. Bless  him:  his response was affirmative, and he said that he enjoyed reading it, it was good, and to keep it up.  So, two positives in one week is a real bonus!

What about my business cards?  Well, I had 250 printed earlier this year:  guess what?  after distributing well over a hundred, one kind soul took the trouble to come round last week-end to tell me she'd had difficulty finding the Shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com.  When we checked together - the address was incorrect!!!!  No wonder there's been such a little response locally to my attempts at self-promotion.  So, have contacted the printers:  so far no response.  Next week, I'll be going elsewhere, using the Shop banner artwork as the basis.  Much better than the original ones, anyway!

Once I've sussed how to handle all the side bits of blogging, I really will enjoy doing it.  Firefox (whom I am following on Facebook) have just posted something on the internet about them being faster, plus offering a better service.  Have commented - challenging any of their brilliant techies to go right back to basics and be prepared to teach a 70+ silver surfer the same!  It's not that I have'nt checked all the Help Pages on both Google and Blogger:  but they all assume a certain level of understanding (which I presently do not have), and I've never found I absorb the information as well on screen as I do on paper.  Must be my age!  Still, am open to anyone's help, so wonder what response, if any, I'll get?  Am that desperate!

Meanwhile, the soft toy clinic idea is getting legs. Once I've done some more thinking, I'll be expanding about it in this blog:  as well as having had time to practise on a couple of samples.  Two Foxes I made for family members 35 years or so ago, are coming back for a makeover later in the year:  and a long-time friend is sending me his old Teddy for renovation job - hopefully next week!  Have to work out how I'll charge for the consultations and treatments!

Was talking to the owner of "Think Outside the Box" in Warminster today.  This shop is the source of most of my haberdashery needs, as well as some dress-making materials - when I don't have suitable remnants given to me by folks who are clearing out their old collections!   The lady has just become a granny for the second time.  We cover a wide area in our chats, and she was very enthusiastic about the idea.  Apparently a customer came in just yesterday, who doesn't claim to be a sewer, and purchased some felt to renovate the paws of a bear she wanted to give to a smaller relative.  Mrs. G. promised to recommend me to any others with a similar need, plus she mentioned she has an attic-full (which needs clearing out) of stuff - including her daughters' toys - which may well need similar attention!  Offered her a "special price" for any she wants me to rejuvenate - along the lines of Little Red Ted.  She's been very helpful to me in the months I've known her since we moved to the Hospital of St. John, and one good turn deserves another.

Mrs G. and I have a date next week, with me taking in the collection of Baby Rabbits and the Koala selection for her to choose as "Welcome to the World" presents to her grandchildren.  A Rabbit for her week-old grandson (a whopping 9 pounder) and a Koala (possibly) for her grand-daughter, who is just over a year old, so that she doesn't feel left out.

Next week could also be a good one for another sale or two:  am presently waiting to hear back from the Heytesbury C of E Primary school Head, as they have a Foxes class, (as well  an Otter class and I think a Badger class - hence the need for patterns)  I wonder if anyone out there knows of a Badger pattern?  Several primary schools hereabouts seem to have classes named after these samples of local wild life - and I'd like to suggest they use my toy-making skills to get mascots for their classes.  They'd then be joining Charlie Coyote, official mascot to a local After School Club (Wylye Coyotes) in a nearby village.  I'll get Cy Bear to write about him in my next post:  he's beginning to get a bit miffed at not being able to write another post!!  Meanwhile, Firefox is not allowing me to upload pictures of Charlie from my computer.  Will have to check this out - so this will have to be the second post without a relevant picture to illustrate it.