Isobel ended last week's bulletin with the news that we'd heard back from MsMH, who was interested in buying one of our Monkey Toys, as long as they were blue ones. She indicated that she liked the look of what Isobel had done with the Blue Plush fabric we'd found in response to her enquiry.
It didn't take her long to finish off the third Blue Monkey toy and stuff all three of them. She then picked the one she thought MsMH would like, embroidered a face on the head section, attached the ears and then wrapped up the finished Toy. However, before that final stage of preparation for the journey was done, one of our usual Farewell Pictures was taken, which can be seen below:
You can see just how small these little Toy critters are, in comparison with me!!! Makes me look huge! (Very different from when I sat beside Colin, the Giant Koala before he left for his Forever Home before Christmas last year!)
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After being wrapped (first in chemical free tissue paper, and then with bubble wrap), Blue Monkey was placed in a polyester mail envelope and Isobel posted it first thing on Tuesday morning - from the main Kirkby-in-Ashfield Post Office.
The previous evening, the task of finishing the other two Blue Monkeys began, with the task being completed by mid-week. While sewing these smaller Cuddlies takes Isobel about an hour and a half apiece, the finishing off can take at least another evening session when it comes to stuffing each toy and sewing the facial features. Because they are small, their "fiddliness" makes it more difficult for Isobel's fingers to do them quickly these days. (Ears still cause Isobel problems, and these Monkey versions are no exception).
The two Blue Monkeys are going to be officially launched after this post is completed, when they will be listed for the first time in our Shop (www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES). Here's what they will look like when that happens:
The two of them are standing on cushions in one of the chairs in the living room of our flat here at Old Chapel Close.
Because the blue plush fabric with which they are made is very shiny and soft, we were not able to get them to stand upright on the newly-found spot in the dining room (on top of the central heating radiator). That has a gap between the back of the radiator and where it is fitted to the wall, and these guys kept slipping into the grove!! (Not aided by the fact that the surface of the radiator is a shiny metallic one).
Here's what the rear view(s) look like, while here are a couple of shots showing each Monkey Toy individually:
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As ever, although they've both been made using the same pattern as each other, they do look different, with one of them - the top one - being somewhat stouter than the other! That's the point of a HAND MADE TOY - when compared with those that are mass-produced. They are NEVER the same!
Isobel is now working on a new Baby Mobile offering - which hopefully we'll be able to reveal next time we meet. Meanwhile, I'll close this week's blog by wishing every one a really great week - hope the weather is what you're wanting - wherever in the world you are reading this!
Till next time - your Friend, Cy Bear!
