The Clinic is empty - for now: so here is a catch up

This morning, TW Bear was reunited with his Forever Friend, Mrs. AW - leaving the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing #791241850) without a patient (for the first time since October 2012).  There may well be another patient coming in shortly - his Forever Friend (a fellow Zumbette - that's what our Zumba Leader calls us!) may well be introducing us at this week's Zumba session tomorrow.

Edward Bear joining in the traditional Farewell picture

This means I've got a breathing space in which to create some replacement Foxes (Ladies and Gentlemen), Coyotes (so far only Gentlemen have featured) and Gentlemen Rabbits, a Frog or two and maybe some new Cuddlies which are lining up in the background.

The new TW Bear

TW Bear when he arrived in November 2012

However, before I set to with scissors, needle and thread, perhaps this is a good time for a post catching up with overall developments in the ColdhamCuddlies world of Shop and Blog.  Our Followers (293 of them when I checked earlier today - let's see if we can get it to 300 before our second anniversary arrives early in March!) - may recall that in our final post for 2012 (December 31, 2012) I mentioned the offer of help to heighten our profile on Etsy from Joel Barnett (www.Etsy.com/shop/CreativeButtonsNet.) of Boise, Idaho.  True to his word, early in January we got together and the first task he set me was to increase by Etsy Circles. He also suggested I took a good look at some of my photographs in the Shop.   As usual, I didn't have a clue where to begin with the Circles, but with some guidance I set off - and have definitely become addicted to this form of marketing!  It is terribly time-consuming however - but it's keeping me well occupied.

On the photography side:  well I found a Photography book - The Crafter's Guide to taking Great Photos on line and sent away for it via Amazon.  It arrived when I was well involved in the Circling adventure, and it has so far just sat on my desk waiting closer inspection.  I will do something about the pictures:  but at the moment, am having too much fun elsewhere!  As the days go by, I realise just how important good, crisp, clear pictures are for selling on line and INTEND to do it properly - soon!

My modus operandi is to choose Shops that are already in a goodly number of Circles - after all, it is all about spreading the world, is it not?  There are so many Shops involved, that I've set myself the task of adding those with 200 or more Circles to begin with.  At the beginning of this particular exercise, I was in something like 136 Circles;  as of today, the number is 472, so there is a result!  I think it is working - because I am being added to many more circles than of yore, without me adding them first.  I'm finding that  Circles with less than 200 members are now adding me to their Circles, (as well as those I've approached first) and I reciprocate to them ALL (and tell them so).  I've responded to EVERYONE who has been kind enough to add me to their own Circles, and invited them to visit this blog.  Many have - which has resulted in another 20 or so Followers here since the beginning of this year!

 Last week also,saw Cuddlies included in 3 different Treasuries curated by folks other than fellow Etsy Team members, which is where the Cuddlies have been treasured  before.  Now I have to admit that Treasuries have defeated me to date, but doing the Circling has opened my eyes up to how one can add fellow Treasures to one's Circles, so am seriously telling myself to sit down and have a go.  Just need another 24 hours to each day, maybe, but I'll really have a go - SOON!

The best thing as far as I am concerned is that I've discovered some truly amazing crafts being offered all over the world, met some fascinating people and been given some truly useful links which may lead to an expansion of the ColdhamCuddlies activities.  One of my new Circle friends suggested I should visit two book publishing sites which are involved with childrens' publishing.  Now this is something I've been minded to explore - but only once I've got more blogging material on record.  Have considered 250 posts as a good starting point:  we're currently at 184 with this post.  One of these publishing links is actually The Society for Childrens' Book Writing and Illustration - headquartered in the USA, but with a regional branch in the UK.  Really sounds promising, and I've filed it (and the other one away for future research and development).

Edward Bear  and Cy Bear - before Edward goes home

Carrying on the theme of new friends and potential publishing developments, at the week-end, one of my new Circle acquaintances mentioned that she found the contents of our blog (www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com) "engaging" and that it had made her smile.  She also added some other nice compliments - to the point that I wrote back and requested permission to quote her as and when I do decide to go ahead with the publishing venture.  McKenzie and Ricky Cook Petersen operate from www.Etsy.com/shop/ArtrageousWearables and are located  somewhere in Missouri!  Ricky is the person who has been so encouraging and helpful:  what's more, she doesn't blog - so can truly be described as an "independent supporter" when I quote her kind words.  Family and friends' views are important, but on such occasions can be regarded as being biased, possibly!

So, the last month has been engaged in proving what a friendly and helpful bunch folks can be on Etsy - and I've tried to behave in similar fashion when Newbies have added me to their Circles.  I know how difficult I found it to begin with, and just hope they will be as lucky as I have been in finding their feet and guidance from similar, such widespread, Etsy sources.

I'll be back, with Cy Bear in tow, shortly with a description of TW Bear's treatment - probably in at least two installments - but in the interim would encourage everyone who has read this to visit the two Etsy sites  mentioned here.  They have some unusual articles on offer and a visit will not be an unproductive venture!

Final Picture of the Threesome before Edward goes home tomorrow

 Bye for now.  Isobel

Oops: Edward Bear needs a Nose Job!

Cy Bear posting this, because Isobel is too embarassed to do it herself!  But these things happen when you're close to anyone of us toys.  Ears and Noses seem to give Isobel the most trouble when she is making us, and it's normally the Ears.  The atmosphere in the work-room can get somewhat tense at times, let me  tell you.   Last week-end, though, we got a message from RevJ, Edward Bear's Forever Friend, that she was unhappy with Edward's nose.  She didn't like the way he looked at her - and would like to bring him back to the Clinic for a further consultation.

On Tuesday morning therefore - at their regular Zumba Class get-together (whatever that is - being a Beaver Lamb Bear doesn't qualify me to understand these things) - Isobel was re-united with Edward and was horrified by what she saw.  RevJ said she felt that Edward was "sneering" at her:  Isobel suggested he looked as though he had a bad smell under this nose.  Whatever;  the decision was instantly made that Edward would accompany Isobel back home here to Heytesbury and undergo fresh remedial treatment to rectify the mistake.

Looking at one picture of Edward that we took during his therapy, but didn't use in our post about his treatment, the camera angle does not really show off this "bad look".  Although now I look at it again, he does look as though he's a bit snooty, doesn't he? 

Anyway, on Wednesday morning, Isobel took scissors to the double knitting yarn she uses to embroider our noses and removed the offending item entirely.  She then re-did the nose and took new photographs of Edward's Nose Job - and sent them to RevJ for her comments and approval. 

I'm pleased to sell you that we received message back this morning that she approves of Edward's new look and that they will be re-united with each other next Tuesday - at their next Zumba session.  What would they do without Zumba, I wonder? 

As the new look has been given the seal of approval, here is what Edward now looks like.  You'll notice that he's got some clothes on - which incidentally he was wearing when he originally appeared in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing 79124185).  Alas, the entire make-over has resulted in them not really fitting Edward any longer.  RevJ has said that his hips in particular have become more curvaceous - and that a new outfit will be created in due course.  Meanwhile, I must say,  rather like the open-neck casual look!  We've not got any pictures of Edward below his waist!

(Isobel:  Whilst this shows that one is never foolproof, think one can get too close to a toy when working on them.  Whilst originally satisfied, a week's absence definitely caused me to see Edward in another light!  Had I realised the eventual look prior to delivery, Edward would not have been allowed out the front door.  Be sure, Quality Control has been, and will be, tightened up in future!)

Cy Bear now closing down for the evening.  Isobel is about to complete the latest Wombat for inclusion in our shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies (The last one was sold just before Christmas, so this is a replacement).  TW Bear's treatment is going well:  he's about to be sewn together and stuffed, ready for return to his Forever Friend, hopefully by the week-end.  Goodnight to everyone and good bye for now.

The Latest Farewells - More Cuddlies going to their Forever Homes

One of our recently listed Golden Plush Teddy Bears left for his new home in Southbridge, Ma, USA  on Tuesday, January 22, so we thought you'd like to see what a Cuddly looks like as he/or she is prepared for their international journey(s).

Everyone gets wrapped in at least two sheets of chemical free white tissue paper, and then they are all encased in a layer of bubble wrap.  That way, given the rough treatment all parcels get when they are committed to their post-bags in the UK Post Offices, there is a better chance that they will arrive at their eventual destination a little less battered than otherwise might be the case.

Before Golden Bear was put into the polythene travelling envelope, Cy Bear made sure he was comfortable.

Before the envelope is finally sealed, we always enclose a letter to the new Forever Friend and then the envelope is sealed, a FRAGILE label is attached to both front and back of each parcel - they may be soft, stuffed toys, but they deserve a bit of TLC do they not?  Then an Air Mail label is fixed on and finally - where required - a Customs Form is filled in and signed.  Then the package is ready.


On Tuesday, on the way to her weekly Zumba class, Isobel went to the Post Office in a nearby Village which has the capacity to handle international parcels of all sizes.  Heytesbury does have it's own Post Office, but it can only handle Small Packets up to a specific size - and usually the ColdhamCuddlies  Teddy Bears (the biggest toys we sell in our shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies) end up a whole lot bigger than a Small Packet - although some of them may still travel at the higher Standard Small Packet charge!  Confusing or what?  This is why, when all the Cuddlies are listed in the Shop, Isobel now explains at the end of each description that as she no longer drives a car, access to the right Post Office is limited to Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays of any week.  (On the latter two days, she goes into Warminster to do her weekly shopping, and that town also has a suitably qualified Post Office).

Edward Bear, the subject of our last two posts,  also went back to his Forever Friend on the same day Golden Teddy Bear left for the USA.  RevJS also attends the weekly Zumba classes when her parochial duties permit, and last Tuesday was one such occasion.  Thus he was handed over after the session, Isobel was paid (RevJS said she would come armed with her cheque book!) and another Patient's treatment was bought to a successful conclusion.

Here is a final photograph of Edward - together with Cy Bear, as the latter performs the now familiar ritual of saying goodbye to the Cuddlies (and Associate Cuddlies) as they go to their Forever Homes.

 
Today, Thursday, January 24 another ColdhamCuddly left Heytesbury on his way to a new Forever Home.  This was one of our White Plush Baby Bunnies ( Etsy Listing #70181260) and he is on his way to Austin, Texas.  Ordered by KatieM, he is destined as an Easter Bunny present for her little niece.  He is Bunny No.1 in this picture.   All my baby bunnies tend to be "He's", and this one was no exception.  However, prior to his departure, KatieM  did request that a Pink Ribbon be added - so doubtless he will be come she eventually!  A photo of Bunny and Forever Friend will, hopefully, be forthcoming once the presentation takes place.

 
When there are more than one examples of a Cuddly in our shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies, this is the procedure.  All available models are lined up, numbered (so far there has only been a need for 4, but the labels are easily prepared should the need arise!) and photographed at all angles so the Buyer can make a choice.  How on earth did one manage before the appearance of the internet?  As I had to go to Warminster this morning, White Plush Baby Bunny came too, and was posted as an Air Mail Small Packet to the U.S.A.

Now, the next project is the Treatment of Ted Wilson - who arrived in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic a few weeks after Edward.   He is in a lot more need of therapy than was Edward.  The picture below shows him with Edward when they were both waiting for their mohair fabric to arrive from the supplier.  Apparently, his garment was knitted for TW (as he has been named for the purposes  of his treatment in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic) by his Forever Friend's Nanny, who was ashamed of his naked appearance!  A request has been received for said garment to accompany him back home once his rehabilitation is complete. 

Until the next time, both Cy Bear and Isobel signing off!

How Edward Bear became a New Bear - Part 2

Here is a close-up of Edward Bear as he now looks- and this is the tale of how he finally reached this conclusion.

This is Cy Bear taking over from Isobel to finish off the latest Patient's saga in our Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).   Part One of Edward Bear's renaissance story ended with his newly washed and rinsed pieces hanging out to dry on the clothes airer in our workroom.

Once the pieces were all dry, Isobel drew the shape of the original pieces of Edward's body, legs, arms and head and cut out two new ear patterns.  She then trimmed the edges of the original Edward, which had become badly frayed, and tacked each piece to its matching new version.  In the photograph above, you can see a leg, with the two pieces matched and already sewn together, with the two front body shapes ready to be sewn together.  The bits of wool indicate where the plastic safety discs are to be fitted when the limbs are added to the body - in this case, it's the arms.

Here you can see Edward's new head, sewn up and turned inside out.  His ears are already sewn, as are his two arms - with some smart new beige leather pads replacing the somewhat tatty originals.  The second leg is at the back on the right hand side, and the two pieces making up the Edward's back has been sewn together, ready for attaching to the front.  These seams become the side seams eventually, with the top coming to a narrow point - with just enough room for the head disc to be fitted on when the time comes.

Finally, with all the pieces sewn together, the time came for Edward to be turned inside out ready for the stuffing to be applied.   Isobel is finding it is easier to fit head to bodies first when making us Bears, so this is what happened next.  Edward was first given two brand new brown eyes and the stuffing was then put into the head cavity.  You can see the white plastic neck disc waiting to be fixed once the neck opening had been gathered together, and the head was then attached.

The nascent new Edward is a little taller than our Glove Hand Puppets, but for the purposes of this photograph, Isobel used one of the knitting yarn cones we use to make the Puppets stand up when we are exhibiting them at Craft Shows in the area.

 

Once the head was fixed firmly in place - quite a tricky operation as Isobel has to work in a fairly restricted area,  with one hand in his abdominal area and pushing the head disc though a small hole with the other hand. Then she has to ensure fixing the washer firmly on so that it never comes off.

( Isobel interrupting:  one of our neighbours here was a prolific Teddy Bear maker - she has over 100 samples she shares her flat with still - and when she had to give up sewing because her fingers simply would not work any longer, she gave me a lot of her bear sewing paraphenalia, plus offering a lot of great tips.  One of these helpful hints was to use an old-fashioned wooden cotton reel (the hole in the middle just fits over the disc posts) and leaning on the reel (with a hard surface beneath the seam and disc) and just wait for the satisfactory click that comes when the whole thing is firmly in place!  Works like a dream!!)

The picture above shows Edward almost complete - all the limbs and head are in place and he just needs to have the final seam between his legs sewn together. Isobel found it easier with Edward to fix his legs to the body without the stuffing in them.  She then stuffed each leg and sewed the beige leather paw pads in place.  At least he now has two legs that look the same size!

Then, Edward's ears were sewn in place and finally, Isobel got going with a needle and black double knitting yarn to sew on his nose and mouth.  Here's what the finished article looks like!

How Edward Bear became a New Bear - Part I

Cy Bear, in his post here last week (Newly Listed Bears looking for their Forever Homes -January 16, 2013) mentioned, Edward Bear.  He has been a Patient (in all senses of the word) in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) for some weeks now,  with his treatment beginning with the indignity of having to be taken to pieces and de-stuffed.

However, Edward had suffered some even greater  indignities before this all began.  We lost one of his original ears!  In order to obtain the nearest match to his existing mohair coat (in pretty good condition for a Bear nearing his century in years), we had to send an ear (the smallest piece) to the supplier.  Alas, the first one got lost in the early Christmas post mayhem  - and has not be heard of since.  (The Complaints Procedure insisted upon by UK Royal Mail yielded no answers) so the second ear had to be dispatched (this time by Registered Post) which left poor Edward looking like this.

(When informed of this mishap, RevJS enquired as to whether a ransom demand had yet been received). It will also explain the delay between Edward's arrival in the Clinic and his therapy being started!  The Wagstaff Bears' treatment, with their need for a Christmas deadline, plus Christmas itself were additional contributing factors.


Losing his ears was actually not too much of a problem, as I don't use them when restoring a bear like Edward.  But, it was definitely inconvenient! The second one did not leave us, though, until I had created a template for use in his future renovation.   However, the really good thing you can see from this photograph is that Edward's fur has not been badly lost to the constant cuddles of past generations, so the pieces were definitely worth preserving when the restoration process was begun.

 Alas the same could not be said for his facial features - there was even a patch on the left side of his muzzle.  They had got badly rubbed and he had no eyes. What you see in the picture are actually two very large hat pins (the property of the Grandmother of Edward's Forever Friend).  These had been pushed in, and had somehow remained static through the years.  They came out very readily when the stuffing was removed and I shudder to think what could have happened had he been played with by any Little People.  However, as it happened, Edward had been residing in the Grandmother's home for many decades until his Forever Friend, Rev.JaneS returned home after retiring as a missionary in Pakistan  two years' ago, and the two were reunited once more.  RevJS, as I shall refer to her henceforth, and I met at the first MacMillan Cancer Coffee Morning the Cuddlies appeared at in 2011, but it was not until October last year that Edward and I were introduced and the decision taken to restore and renovate him.

The picture also show that somehow his feet got a lot of undue unwanted attention.  One leg as a result was shorter than the other and I suspected - from the feel of his body - that he was stuffed with wood-chippings (which are a particular bug-bear of mine - forgive the partial pun!)  They do not provide a cuddly toy, and are thoroughly inflammable into the bargain.    I also suspected that there could be the left-overs of a broken growler lodged within his body, not to mention some good old-fashioned cotter-pins holding the limbs in place.  The suspicions proved to be accurate -

The hat pins are in the fore-ground!

The wood chipping stuffing came from his head and one arm, and the broken growler is at the back of the picture on the left.  All these have been disposed of - with the exception of the hat-pins.  They will be offered back to RevJS - in case there may be a future requirement for such equipment on her part.

All the pieces of  Edward Bear were collected together and one can now see the signs of his age.  The seams are definitely fraying, there are holes were the cotter pins were located and I've labelled the front body "A" and the back "B", so that when it comes to sewing him back together again, there is no confusion.  His legs are in the left foreground, the head pieces are in the middle at the back and his arms lie behind his legs.

They were all then taken to the bath and left for about a couple of hours, so that the dust of decades could be removed.  He was soaked in  luke-warm, soapy water (not detergent).

These three photos show how the dust began to come away, with the last one showing the mixture of dye and dust that was left behind when I had gently rubbed each piece, before it was immersed in two lots of  clear water to remove any remaining detritus.

Once rinsed, each piece was stretched back into shape and then pinned onto a clothes airer and left overnight to dry.  They were then pressed flat with an iron, prior to my drawing around each piece on the new mohair which would result in the modern, renovated Edward Bear.

That process will form the next post, so I will bid you all a very good night.  Isobel

Newly Listed Bears looking for Forever Homes!

Greetings one and All - Cy Bear addressing all our lovely Followers and potential new readers.  I've got some new Teddy Bear Friends to introduce and here they all are!

Light Brown Plush Teddy Bear - Etsy Listing #69778158

Silvery Brown Bear - Etsy Listing #95205668

Dark Brown and Cream Plush Hairy Bear - Etsy Listing #120701950

Golden Plush Teddy Bears - Etsy Listing #120705327

 

 

The first two are actually renewals - because they had been waiting to be replaced in our shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies.  The other two are new listings - even though Hairy Bear in his various guises has been a long-term friend of mine.  However, as Isobel explains in his new listing today, after Hairy 6 had gone to Australia in 2012, and the Hedgehog Family had appeared on the scene, Isobel decided to suspend production of Hairy Bear since she would not have been able to produce both lots of animals with the fabric we had in stock at the time.

 In December, though, when we renewed our Polyester Fibre stocks to cope with the Wagstaff Bears, she was thrilled to find that Hairy Bear's fabric was now a feature in our offcut supplier's upholstery factory, so it looks as though we'll be able to have lots of Hairys and Hedgehogs for some time yet.

It's great to be surrounded by Teddy Bears again - it's been a bit lonely since the Wagstaff Bears left the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) just before Christmas.  I don't count the two bears that have been waiting for their treatments because until they become blog posting subjects, they don't really feature on my horizon.

Edward Bear, however, has started his treatment, and photgraphs have been taken.  He's been taken to pieces, had his innards removed and had an overnight soak.  The pieces were all dried and pressed out so that Isobel could create the new pattern pieces on the selected new Mohair fabric.  She tells me all the original bits of Edward have been tacked onto the new fabric and almost all the new pieces have been sewn together.  So, it will not be too long before the story of Edward Bear's therapy will be appearing here.

Meanwhile, you will have to bear (oops, pun not intended!) your souls in patience, and I'll say Goodnight to you all.  Cy Bear

How the Christmas Bears were made - using the final Two!

Greetings everyone, and as this is my first post for the 2013 and it's still only January 12, a Very Happy New Year to you all.  As you may by now realise, this is Cy Bear posting today!

In the last post, mention was made that the production line for the Christmas Bears had to be halted because we ran out of limb joints for the final two.  Once we had got them into the right places in our very disorganised storage system (sorting them out is one of Isobel's "To Do" Things for this month!),  production could once again commence.

Isobel began by getting the replacement for Silvery Brown Bear sewn together and almost all the pieces turned inside out.  You can see just how furry the limbs are, because the one leg is standing upright, without any polyester fibre inside to keep it firm!  Believe me, they are very soft and silky to handle (or so I'm told - us Bears don't tend to relate to each other in that way!) so like the other four, Silvery Brown Bear II will make a very soft and cuddly Forever Friend when he is listed in the shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies.

Once all the pieces are collected together, then the next stage is for the ears to be turned right side out and the raw edges button-hole stitched together.  It's apparently easier to fix the ears to the head with a firm edge to work with.  Isobel has recently started with the ears, then done the head, and then sewn the body and limbs as they appear in the "to-do" pile for each Bear.  Then the head, having had the eyes fixed as soon as the seams have been completed, is stuffed and the ears attached in place.

 Now there have been problems in the past at this point (the latest Hairy Bear version - as mentioned in our last post - being a prime example).  Isobel's fingers can fail her sometimes when intricate stitching is required and sometimes the ears don't stay in the places they are pinned to!  It has involved quite a lot of unpicking before our highest standards were achieved - but while doing this last batch of Bears, some of them actually looked rather cute (according to Isobel) and different characteristics were highlighted, so it may mean in future some of  the Cuddlies may end up with ears and other facial features that are not quite aligned or spot-on perfect.

 (A comment was received after the last post was published that in the case of Hairy Bear's ears, they should remain where they were! So,  I've decided to leave well alone pro tem, but if his eventual Forever Friend - or their family - wish to have them corrected, of course,  that will be done prior to his departure for his Forever Home! - Isobel)

Once Silvery Bear's pieces were all stuffed, they were then attached to his body (which had already got the ColdhamCuddlies label attached in the usual place - just where Bears normally sit down!) - beginning with the head.  It's easier to do first, because when all the limbs are in place it can be harder to squeeze the plastic joints together as the arms and legs flap around in different directions!  Then Isobel usually does the arms first and then the legs.  Once all four limbs and head are firmly in position, the final stuffing is applied to the body (though a gap left at the bottom of the body) and then the gap is sewed up - and the Bear is completed.

Here are a couple of photographs of the second Light Brown Bear sewn up over Christmas.  We've decided he looks a Happy Light Brown Bear for the purposes of labelling for the eventual Etsy Listing process (later today or early next week).

Happy Bear has actually got his arms and one leg attached here, as well as his head and in the second photograph is sitting on a pair of pliers that come in useful for Isobel when the needle she is using gets stuck in the pile while she is sewing bits together,.  Her fingers sometimes don't have sufficient strength to do the job properly or as quickly as she wants. The pliers are normally used for getting old-fashioned cotter pins out of the Patients in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing # 79124185).  The final limb was then attached, the body stuffed firmly, and Eureka!  Happy Bear was ready.

Here are both Silvery and Happy Bears - ready to be listed in the Etsy shop -

Silvery Brown Bear II

Happy Light Brown Bear

All six Bears are now in two storage bags waiting for a space in one of the cupboards here, but meanwhile, before they were put away, here is a picture of all six of them together.   I shall, of course, have picture taken before they are separated in order to go to their Forever Homes - as is the normal procedure.

The Christmas Bears in toto

Isobel has continued to be busy on the Etsy shop publicity programme mentioned in our last post - she has now added more than 150 new Etsy Shops to our own shop Circles, and almost all of the folks approached have added our shop to their Circles. They have all been thanked for their support - as we feel is only correct!  That should, hopefully, at least result in a lot more folks learning about the existence of us Cuddlies - as well as Isobel  discovering some more nice friends with whom to correspond (when she is isn't attending to us, that is) and new products to admire!  The variety and quality of the crafts on display, are I am told, amazing!

Another development - Isobel has been invited to join the Puppetsy Team - where every member has something to with puppets.  The invitation was only received this afternoon, and we have joined the team, but really haven't explored the potential yet! We will be reporting in due course - never fear!

Right - time for me to depart to my place on the bed - watching what goes on around me!  Until the next post from me - Good Bye!  Cy Bear.

First Post for 2013 - A Catching Up Report

First of all, a week into the New Year:  let me wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

Next, my apologies for absence from this blog - especially after the run of 4 posts in quick succession over Christmas and the week after the Festivity.  It's not because of idleness, but merely the lack of time.  Let me clarify:

Over Christmas, I managed to sew up six new Big Bears - three being replacements for Bears who have found their Forever Homes during 2012, two new Golden Bears, and a duplicate of Light Brown Bear , who in turn replaces Determined Bear, whom some of you will recall now resides in Anaheim, Ca. USA.  They will be listed in the next few days, but in the mean time,here are photographs of the four who are now ready to be placed in our shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies - just as a taster and also to not let the gap between posts get any bigger. 

Introducing Solemn Golden Bear, Hairy Bear, Smiling Golden Bear and Grinning Light Brown Bear:

This picture was taken of the four new Cuddlies sitting on one of the benches in the garden here at the Hospital of St. John, where my apartment is located.  I had intended to have a proper outdoor session this afternoon, because the sun had appeared for the first time since the middle of last week!  If it hasn't been raining cats and dogs hereabouts since the New Year, it's been dour, clouds overhead - even though it has also been unseasonably mild as well.  However, just as I appeared and arranged the models, the sun went in, and it didn't look as though it would appear again today.  So, the rest of the session had to take place indoors.

Now my newly-found mentor - the subject of Cy Bear's last post in 2012,  Joel Barnett - has mentioned that some of the photographs in our shop could bear with replacement at worst or touching up at best.  I do agree with him, but haven't yet had the time to do anything about it - given the tasks he's set for me to undertake (very willingly I hasten to add) in re-tagging the Cuddlies already on offer (DONE!) and then concentrating on adding more shops to my Etsy Circle.

I realised early on that I wasn't making as good use of this marketing tool as I could do - and Joel has pointed me in the right direction.  Under his guidance, I've added 50 more shops and, amazingly, have heard back from nearly 40 of them - either adding our Shop to their Circles, or even following me on Etsy.  (Have yet to discover exactly how that differs, but guess there has to be some difference - I really am ignorant, you see!)   I've responded to almost all of them - and obviously, this all takes time! Hence the gap in posts:

Whatever:  I've discovered several potential lovely new friends - two of whom live in Alberta, Canada where, as you know Peter and I - together with the girls - lived for 12 years.  Neither actually live in the same City as we did, but so what?  Then there's another lovely lady living in California, who has a sister living in Oxford - just up the road from Philippa, and the same age as Clare, and a shared background (a short time in my case) of living in South Africa!  This new friend loves dogs - especially collies and labradors (I do too!), loves making Bears, although she's presently doing brisk business in making decorative headgear in the shape of crowns - and so it goes on!  Links to these - and others as I get to know them better - will be provided in another post. 

But I digress - to return to the subject of my Christmas Bears - here is another shot of the 4 new chaps this time taken on my chest-of-drawers.  However, the more I look at Hairy Bear, the more I'm not sure his ears are in the right place.  He has a look of permanent astonishment on his face, which must be awfully tiring!  So, tomorrow, before I get going on the Etsy upgrade business, the ears will be re-located  in a better position.  Thus, when he gets listed, he will not be looking like he is in this - and the other pictures.

Some of you may remember that  production of Hairy Bear was suspended ( he was withdrawn from the Shop)  because he took a lot of fabric, which could be better used for the Hedgehogs.  This version will be Hairy Bear VI, or maybe even VII.  However, when I picked up my penultimate supply of stuffing from my usual supplier in Frome, Somerset (Fine Quality Feather Company), there was a big bag of fur fabric awaiting my selection - including a huge re-supply of Hairy's particular fabric.  There is therefore a good chance of several more Hairys, as well as plenty over for the Hedgehogs - of any size (Dad, Mom or Baby - Etsy Listings 956521, #95653310 and #95653745 respectively).  Hairy Bear's original Etsy Listing is now defunct, so he will be appearing as a completely new listing - once his ears have been relocated!

Here are the four of them, standing on my bed - they can stand fairly well unaided - but I've stationed them near pillows to make sure they don't fall over.  Duvets don't make ideal level standing surfaces after all!

Finally, here they are looking out at you all!

As has become the custom, when these guys are listed, they will each receive their own post on the blog, so look out for a flow of posts shortly.  The remaining two Christmas Bears have yet to be completed - but  production had to be stopped for a day or two whilst my supply of plastic joints was replenished.  Bears with their 4 limbs and 1 neck joint make heavy inroads into such supplies.  Fortunately, I have found a great internet-based supplier of such items - e-crafts.co.uk - who really do offer a turnaround service.  I only ordered these joints (100 sets of three different sizes) on Sunday afternoon:  they arrived by First Class Post this morning!!  I can get my Cuddlies' eyes from them as well, which it comforting to know.

The other two Bears - replacing Silvery Brown Bear and a duplicate of Light Brown Bear (on the left of the last picture) are forming the basis of a step-by-step production post for the blog.  The Bears are all made in the same way, so it doesn't really matter what colour they are!

So, back to work as they say.  Great to be back posting once more, and I'll try to keep posting regularly, as I learn the marketing and promotional ropes.  Meanwhile, thanks to you all for continuing to view this blog - the count the last time I looked (just before I began this post) was 10,449 views since we began in March 2011.  

Goodnight and God Bless!  Isobel 

Last Post for 2012 - Looking Ahead to 2013

Hello everyone!  Hope you've all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to 2013!  Isobel has recently returned from her holiday with Philippa (having seen Clare and Alan too) and we both thought we'd include a so far unpublished photograph of me - since some of you may not actually know who I am, and what I do here!

My name is Coldham Yogi - Cy Bear to my friends and I'm Mascot and Co-Author to the ColdhamCuddlies

 Isobel has asked me to write this post - as she’s been blown away by what happened just before she left for High Wycombe and the Christmas celebrations, while she was making one of her daily visits to our Etsy Shop  (www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies).   

It all started with a notification on the Etsy Activity Site, that she’d been added to  a certain Joel Barnett’s  Etsy Circle, when she was checking out her emails.  When that happens, Isobel ALWAYS returns the favour, and makes sure the person(s) know it’s happened by dropping them a short line - or two… or three!  So this particular encounter  began with Isobel responding to Joel in a convo, saying :

“Just dropping by to tell you that I've returned the favour you paid me by adding ColdhamCuddlies, via me, to your Circle! Good to know you, and I look forward to getting to know you and your daughters even better as time goes by!

Now you've discovered us, perhaps you'd be interested in visiting my blog at www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com where I post about the toys I make, mend and otherwise create (some folks might say "play with"!) We'd love to see you there, and if you'd like to follow us and comment too, that would be tremendous.

Hope preparations for the upcoming Holidays are going well! All the best to you all.”

(Isobel was brought up to always say “thank you” if anyone helps her - and she continues to do so whether she’s on Etsy or this blog).  I try to do the same as well, so am taking this opportunity to thank Joel (and everyone else who has done so during 2012) for being prepared to help Isobel navigate her way around Etsy, Blogger and everything else she does on the internet;   as well as being there for her after her husband, Peter, died in May.

Now this all took place on a Friday afternoon, about two weeks ago.  So judging by Joel’s location (his Etsy Profile says he lives in Boisie, Idaho), we estimate that he must have just switched on his computer (actually, he's probably got a tablet or some such technical device!) and was having a look-see at what had happened over night/during the day.  Being only a Beaver Lamb Bear, my geographical knowledge of anywhere is sketchy, but Isobel believes that Idaho is in the middle of the American Continent.  She admits that her geographical memory of the United States of America has always been hazy - but she  thinks that mid afternoon in the UK would make it early-ish morning in Idaho - right?

(Isobel here!  At one time, I could draw the great Mississippi river from source to basin, and similarly the Missouri too.  My Geography mistress, who had many years’ experience of questions set in UK national exams, always made sure her pupils knew these two.  Her other “dead cert” were  the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.  While, I might still make a good stab at this one, alas, the two rivers would not fare so well with my current map-sketching skills.)

To return to the subject of this blog:  while Isobel was still checking her Etsy Activity list (she had finished her e-mails by then), she got a notification of a new Conversation, so went to see from whom it emanated:  this is what awaited her.  It was  from Joel, himself - as opposed to via Etsy!

“Isobel

I had to look at your shop from your nice letter and when I did I was absolutely amazed, you have some absolutely amazing stuffed animal Cuddlies. I went ahead and favorited all of your items to my over 1000 followers here on Etsy. Your store deserves way more sales. They are truly adorable.

Here is my piece of advice that I know will really help your store, if you can get a photographer to take some shots of your Cuddlies and get some really good shots in lighting and with scenes and such you can definitely become a hit, I truly believe that. I think there is some photographers on Etsy that you send your products to and they take stunning photos, email you them, and send your products back to you. I would do a search for Product Photography and look for the best ones.

That stuffed animal clinic is great, I would change the title to Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic just to really grab peoples attention. The story about the bear from the raffle is great, I love seeing sellers that share personal stories and I know buyers do too.

I want you to succeed, your story is great, with you having arthritis and still making these beautiful creations I truly applaud you. I am inspired.

If there is any way I can help you just say the word, I can do a full shop evaluation for you and help you with SEO, Search Engine Optimization (How People Find You).

I hope your holidays are filled with joy and happiness and I wish you the best in all of your future sales and travels.

To which Isobel immediately responded:

Hello again Joel!

Wow, what an offer! Yes, I will take you up on your helpful suggestions, but may we leave it until after Christmas, which this year is being spent away from base by me.

Think you just might be the Christmas present I’ve been looking for: a saviour to guide me around this mystery called social media/internet selling/ SEO's etc. et al. Hope you don't regret your offer to assist - my family (and friends - I’ve just added this bit:  Cy Bear)  tend to regard me as a dangerous silver surfer: one who clicks on things, without realising the consequences, and then spends time trying to put things right!

Have a great Christmas, and I'll be back in the New Year (sometime after Jan.3).

Thanks again.

Isobel Morrell

The almost immediate response was:  (Isn’t technology wonderful - when it works?)

“Isobel,

I meant every word I said and I stand behind my word to help you in any way that I can. I regret nothing that I said and I look forward to your return in January.

See you then.”

The conversation ended with this response from Isobel:

Fair enough! You look and sound a Big Boy! On your head be it!

As I said, I'm deeply grateful - and look forward to learning a great deal!

Facetiousness aside, we’re both very moved by, and happy to accept, this wonderful offer of help.  Isobel will definitely be considering all his suggestions (some may just not be viable at this point in time) but I’m sure they will be able work together to great effect.

 Incidentally, we’ve already acted on one of his first suggestions - the Soft Toy Clinic title has been changed already to the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).

Just wish us (and the ColdhamCuddlies family) luck!  We’re just so excited!  Happy New Year everyone!  Cy Bear

PS:  Isobel here:  have joined another Craft site, having received an invitation from Alison Woods of Art of Crafts and today, there's been a purchase via Amazon - which, hopefully, will enable me to take better photographs to illustrate existing and future Cuddlies!  I'm not comfortable with posting my Cuddlies away from home to be photographed, as has been suggested. 

 Meanwhile, I'll be getting back to Joel, as promised (or threatened?) on January 3.  WATCH THIS SPACE!

PPS:  As of today, our viewing figures here at www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com have reached 10,210!!  Thanks so very much for all this support!  

Happy 2013 to you all - and may you receive all you wish for yourselves (and some nice ones you didn't)!  Isobel

Treating the Waggstaff Bears: Part Three - Mohair Bear

Mohair Bear, as well as being the oldest of the three Waggstaff Bears, has also really been the most interesting project.  He arrived with his head dropping off, his face looking as though he'd been in a street fight in which he'd definitely come off worst, and was definitely so tightly stuffed as to not be a cuddly armful at all.  Indeed, until I began to de-stuff him, I thought his innards were comprised entirely of wood chippings.  In the end, I found it was a mixture of varying coloured cotton-wool, packed very tightly together.  The hardness had occurred, I later discovered, because the attic in which he'd been stored for many years was located by the coast, so damp had probably been absorbed which added to the hardness.  Here is a shot of what he looked like upon arrival.

Overall, Mohair Bear is not in bad condition at all.  His paw pads were incredibly hard - perhaps being leather which had hardened in the damp conditions he'd been kept in, but they needed to be replaced as they looked chipped, as though they had indeed been walking a long way!  By removing them and putting in some soft, glove quality leather instead, I was able to remove all his existing stuffing from his limbs without the need to take out the cotter-pin discs with which he had been created originally.

While he needed to have his head re-attached to his body, and new eyes put in - he had two leather buttons in place when he arrived - it was his mouth area that fascinated me.  You can see that he obviously had a red tongue originally, and that he had a red roof to his mouth area as well.  When I took his head to pieces,

 this is what I discovered.  The jaws had literally covered a disc contraption which looks like this.  No wonder his head was so hard, because while it, too, had the compacted cotton-wool stuffing, it also accommodated this piece of engineering - as well as the cotter-pin disc for attaching the head to the body!

A close-up picture of the mouthpiece contraption, showing how it is damaged - and therefore not to be recommended for re-use - is provided below

As the head was detached, I'm not quite sure exactly how it worked in practice, but presume the cotter-pin was somehow attached through that big hole in the top of the contraption.  Though when in place, I still cannot figure out how it actually worked!

Anyway, NickiW  came in for a further consultation before going any further - and we both agreed that this would no longer feature inside Mohair Bear's head and that I would endeavour to remake his mouth and jaw (which had several holes in the fabric where the jaws had rubbed during use).  To do this, I took about a 1-1/2 inch wide piece of fabric from the neck area of the body which by then had lost any stuffing that may have been there originally.  Using this, I patched some of the biggest holes and darned those that were easily treated in that manner and managed to create a nice new face for Mohair Bear - which I hope will serve him well for many years to come.  He also had two nice new Bear Eyes fitted, which are a whole lot better than his former leather buttons.

The rest of Mohair Bear, given his age, required no further treatment - although there was a bad hole at the top of one of his arms.  Once I'd de-stuffed that limb, I was able to use the remaining piece of cut away fabric as a patch.  The paw pads were all cut away and, once each limb had got its replacement stuffing, the new leather pads were stitched in place.

The newly-made head was fitted in place with a modern replacement plastic disc (cotter pins are still used, but I find them difficult to handle with my arthritic fingers, so prefer the plastic variety - they are less cumbersome, too!) and Mohair Bear was then ready to take his place in the banana box with his two younger friends.  With head and all limbs re-stuffed, all that remained was for his body to get it's quota of polyester stuffing and for the remaining seam to be sewn up.  Before doing that, however, I was asked to replace a tiny sea shell which had appeared on the scene from out of the huge pile of the previous cotton wool stuffing.   NickiW felt it would be a nice reminder to Mohair Bear of his previous, long term home!  It was indeed replaced, but carefully in the middle of his tummy, well away from any of the mohair fabric!

Mohair Bear now looks like this and Cy Bear was pleased to approve his new appearance!  Here is a final picture of the Waggstaff Threesome, together with their newly made friend Cy Bear.  He could not be left out of it, could he?

Now that the Saga of the Treatment of the Waggstaff Bears is complete, I have just one more post to complete drafting.  This may get done before I leave for High Wycombe to celebrate Christmas, but it may well have to wait until my return.  I hope to be able to post these three while I am away, but access to a computer for the time required for me to do my usual activities associated with these posts may not be possible.  So, in case I do not get the chance, I'll end my posting activities for 2012, by sending all of you, our wonderful Followers (270 in all, and getting ever near 10,000 views since we began in March 2011) my very best wishes for a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!  Isobel