Updated Photograph posts and latest Blue Rabbit Progress Report.

Hello again Everyone! 
Cy Bear greeting you on a lovely sunny Sunday Afternoon from the middle of the UK (or so I've just been told!).  Sitting in Isobel's bedroom, one really doesn't realise EXACTLY where one's home is located - at least if you are a Beaver Lamb Bear  like me, anyway! First I've got to apologise on behalf of Isobel and I for missing out two of the photographs we promised you last week - because, for reasons best known to the technology involved in recording these posts of ours, although they showed up in draft form when we had read and edited the post, the photographs themselves did not show up.  Isobel only discovered this major error this afternoon, and has tried to rectify this today.  They've been recorded in a different way this time around, and hopefully will remain posted in last week's bulletin.  Just in case, and hopefully by repeating them here, we can ensure that the evidence of  Oscar Blue Rabbit 2's arrival (and acceptance as a New Cuddly Friend) by MrSS's grand daughter, MsV can be seen by you, our Followers here as well.

Introduction:

Acceptance!

The whole scene is too good not to be broadcast to all of our Friends and Followers, we feel. And, so to the latest news from the Blue Rabbit Production front:  Blue Rabbit 2 is ready for dispatch to MsKA of Oxford Against Cutting (OAC):  because of the interest created amongst our friends here, both at Old Chapel Close (and Isobel's wish to create maximum publicity among them for the cause for which we are all targetted), he will remain with us until Blue Rabbit 3 is ready to go to Oxfordshire - hopefully by the end of this coming week.  They can then travel together - and be used if required while waiting to be joined by the remaining three Blue Rabbits.
Last week, we showed you the components involved in creating a Blue Rabbit Model - for the purposes of creating a cuddly armful for viewers of the OAC Film created to assist in educating young girls in the unnecessary practice that is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).  This is what happens next to the various pieces shown in our blog ("Blue Rabbits:  Progress to Report..." - 15.04.2018):

All the separate pieces get collected together - to form two basic pieces (The Body and The Head).  As Isobel progresses through the ranks of the eventual Six Blue Rabbits which comprise our order from MsKA, she is finding ways of improving on their construction - and Blue Rabbit 2 is no exception.  In the picture above, we've improved on the arms - which hopefully will be better able to withstand any extra stresses involved in being hugged by their future young friends.  They have been much more firmly attached for a start.   The Body now looks like this:

(Slope due to uneven seat on which Blue Rabbit 2 is standing!)

The facial features were then sewn onto one of the Head pieces we showed you in last week's Post - and looked like this - before the head was stuffed and sewn on to the body. This last action happens AFTER the final facial feature is added after the stuffing goes in - the Blue Rabbits' mouths.  

We are pleased to say that our whole relationship with OAC has been a friendly one, and we've made it clear from the outset that if any of the Blue Rabbits do become "victims" of  'over-loving', when Isobel next visits daughter Philippa in High Wycombe, both she and MsKA are going to meet - and any repairs will then be discussed and undertaken.  This is part of the COLDHAMCUDDLIES contribution to the work of the OAC Charity - at least in the initial stages - and because these 6 Blue Rabbits are destined for use by the Charity itself!   Any future arrangements, with other users of their own Blue Rabbit models will be subject to discussion. Isobel does take pride in making long-lasting toys, but this IS the first time in her toy-making career that she has produced Toys that will be working for their living - as opposed to being playthings for children (of all ages!).  So, we're not entirely sure if these Blue Rabbits will last as long as say two of  Isobel's former creations - both made in the 1980's for family members in the UK, while Isobel was living with her family in Alberta, Canada.  These Toys are currently still going strong and living in Plymouth, Devon, UK. This is Madame Lapin (she's spent most of her life living in Normandy, France sitting on a lady's dressing table - until recently going to live with Isobel's great niece).  This photo was taken when she arrived in the Animal Toy Hospital ( https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/589621523/animal-toy-hospital  - in 2011.  She really didn't need much more treating in the Clinic, other than being washed and having her clothes starched and ironed:

The other Patient, Monsieur Reynard (with a similar background)  looked like this when he arrived with Madame Lapin - and really only required a bit more stuffing.  

However,  his boots did need replacing, as they weren't made with leather (and were splitting beyond repair) - and we had acquired (and still have!) plenty of off-cuts for making Toy Boots, so while we replaced them, Isobel also gave him a new jacket.  We do have photos of both Toys as they looked at the end of the their Hospital visit, but it will take us a bit of time to find and reproduce them here.  Hopefully, next week we can show you the finished photos! Meanwhile, to revert back to the subject of Blue Rabbits - which are occupying Isobel's thoughts at the present time, naturally! - Blue Rabbit 3 is under production:  his feet are ready for stuffing and attaching to the legs, the eyes are ready to be sewn into place on the chosen head piece, and one arm has been sewn (cutting out of Blue Rabbit 3 took place on Friday evening, and sewing started in earnest yesterday).  We will keep you updated as the time goes on! Have a lovely week, every one: we've had some beautiful hot weather over this week, but expect to revert to "normal English Spring conditions" for the up-coming week.  What is that?  Well, usually, April Showers:  these days, we're not quite sure- except that we're not likely to hit the high temperatures of last week for a while, anyway. Good Bye for now:   Your Friend - Cy Bear