The Replacement List Grows Longer

Greetings once again, Everyone. Cy Bear back on duty once more.
Isobel has not yet moved back home on a permanent basis, but for a sufficiently long time for her to allow me back here to post this week's bulletin from the Coldham Cuddlies World.  While she's been away, the Shops in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, where some of the Cuddlies have been on display have been busy on our behalf, and been able to find Forever Homes for one or two of us.  

One of the Baby Hedgehogs was sold from The Ark, and Isobel took down a replacement yesterday, together with an example of our Red and Grey Squirrels (the Black one will form the vanguard of the next Cuddlies "invasion"!!).  That means that ten per cent of this Baby Hedgehog sale, (together with a donation from MsDM - who gave our two Baby Bunnies their Forever Home as we wrote about in our Blog "Baby Bunnies en route to Florida" - 13/03/2016) will be added to the third tranche of funds which will soon be sent to the Two Hedgehog Hospitals we're raising funds for.  (To remind you who they are - Tiggywinkles Hedgehog Trust and West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue).    Our Black and White Plush Kittens were also taken down to The Ark

and the new delivery was completed with Percy the Penguin being sent down to see if someone would like to give him a Forever Home.   MrsSQ, who is the person Isobel deals with at The Ark says that lots of folk like Penguins, so we're hopeful that Percy will not be on display for long.  Actually when the handover was taking place, a lady having a cup of coffee in the Shop got quite excited by the White Kitten, and almost purchased it there and then.  Don't think she had enough cash on her though, so the sale fell through.  But Isobel feels the lady might well come back ere long!  Here's hoping. 
(The Ark sells teas, coffees and biscuits every weekday and Saturday mornings between 0930 and mid-day. They also offer all sorts of religious books and kids games - the toys being a recent addition. They are being targetted at people who are organising baby showers, christenings and so on.  Toys have only been on offer since the beginning of the year, so the Cuddlies are hoping to "start something").   Isobel also met the lady who bought Barney Barn Owl the day after the first batch of Cuddlies were introduced in January.  (She said she'd bought him because she not only loved Owls - of any kind - but also couldn't resist "his facial expression"!!)  We're not sure which one of these is the lucky Owl, but the other Barney representation is sitting "pretty" on a shelf at the side of one of the Shop's front windows, so hopefully, he will be finding a Forever Home soon too. At the end of the week before last - the days are going by so fast this year! - Isobel got an email notification that Cuddlies had been sold from The Artful Buttoner, the Kirkby in Ashfield Shop we'd originally had Cuddlies on display.  We still have them there, but because the shop is a bigger one than The Ark, but very many more crafters seek to display their wares there, than there is space for them, Isobel and MsCL, proprietor of The Artful Buttoner have agreed that our Baby Bunnies and Koalas will continue to be sold there, while our Dressed Rabbits, Foxes, Teddy Bears and larger Toys will come home.  We've got some of the Dressed Rabbits in The Ark, and they will be exchanged on a regular basis there, but we're going to rely more on our Shop www.COLDHAMCUDDLIES.etsy.com to find homes for them.   (Having Cuddlies on display in shops undoubtedly helps to raise their profile:  but shops tend to be places where the dust of cars, people and other road users can prevail, and Isobel is not keen on her Cuddlies getting dustier than is absolutely necessary!) While Isobel was in Kirkby yesterday, and because The Ark and The Artful Buttoner are not that far from each other (although they are far enough for them not to encroach on each other's customers too often) she called in to find out who had found their new homes - to be told that a Baby Koala was one, and that a deposit had been paid for Big Koala - who is presently sitting in the back of The Artful Buttoner waiting for its Forever Friend to get better from an unexpected ailment.   Four more Baby Koalas were taken in to "The Artful Buttoner" to replace the one sold, and while she was there, Isobel purchased 12 pairs of eyes for the new Baby Bunnies she's working on.  She likes to ring the changes with the eyes for these guys:  making some of them with double knit yarn, as well as using the plastic safety eyes.  That gives our potential customers a choice when it comes to purchasing our Baby Rabbits.  She's been using her plastic eye stocks of late because she's found making the yarn eyes tricky with her fingers getting stiff and painful.  However, with the onset of warmer weather (hopefully!), she's hoping to be able to make more of them as she continues the Rabbit replacement programme.  (She's been able to use the safety eyes, thanks to help from son-in-law, Alan - who has come to the rescue when even these have proved difficult!  Thanks to Alan!) Meanwhile, having returned home for most evenings, Isobel is now able to settle down and get on with that replacement sewing for the Baby Rabbits who found homes over Christmas and the New Year.  That replacement list has now been swelled by the need to replace these Cuddlies I've told you about here today.  The stories about the local Stately Homes and Historic Buildings will be added to in the next couple of bulletins, because Clare, Isobel and GrandsonE went for a long walk during last week - and several photographs were taken of another local landmark.  Folks apparently have been responding well to this change of  topic, and as the Baby Bunnies come along, we'll be telling you about them too.  There are plans for them to used in Nursery Mobiles, too - a new departure for this Shop.  That means more Baby Rabbits than would normally be made at one time, in any one colour.  So, folks, just watch this space - Isobel is going to be very busy!. Good to be back chatting with you.  See you soon.   Your Friend, Cy Bear.

Recalling another recent visit to a nearby UK Stately Home

Once more, greetings to one and all.  It's been a beautiful Spring day, with lots of sunshine here in Nottinghamshire today, even though there was a keen breeze to lower the temperature somewhat.  While still living out of two places, I've still not been able to motivate myself to sew Cuddlies - even though there are many to do - but I have been able to visit another nearby Stately Home - and thought you might like to see some pictures of the brief visit - regrettably cut short by a sharp April Shower (or two!).
This time we visited Newstead Abbey, once owned by the famous English poet, Lord Byron - and now in the care of Nottingham City Council.  

South side of the Abbey - looking over the stream linking two lakes

Lord Byron inherited his title when his great uncle died in May 1798 at the age of 10.  He became the 6th Lord Byron of Rochdale, and with the title came Newstead Abbey - which was in a state of disrepair - so much so, that Byron's mother leased it out to various people during her son's adolescence.  Much of the Abbey remains in a ruined state even now - but there's enough land to accommodate several mansion type residences (mostly privately owned) and a magnificent acreage of parkland, around the Abbey. These are open to the public and  one can to go for long walks -accompanied by children and dogs (on leads);  because there are free-roaming peacocks, as well as many ducks, geese, moorhen and other water birds which frequent the area around a couple of lakes, linked by a stream and water fall.  (On this occasion, we heard, but didn't see the pea fowl - but they have to be taken seriously when one comes upon them - apparently).

Some Canada Geese and a lone Moor Hen - beside one of the Lakes

Parts of the Abbey interior can be visited too, but it wasn't on the agenda this time around.  We did visit the Abbey Shop - where I purchased a post card to send to a long time family friend whose late husband used to run a Restaurant in London's Carnaby Street area - called the Lord Byron, where beautiful home made Greek food was to be found.  The card will be on its way to its intended destination on early next week - hopefully to remind our friend of good times had in days past.

The Abbey Shop doorway is located in the corner of this view of the Abbey.

Clare, Grandson E. and myself decided to take advantage of a bright sunny day earlier this week, and drove to the Abbey (which is located a short distance from were both our homes are located) and with the aid of a annual family pass, drove right in to the car park along a road with rhododendron bushes on either side.  They're going to look fabulous in a week or so when they come into bloom and I'm hoping to be able to visit the Abbey grounds again - when they are at their flowering best; and maybe post a picture of two here when that happens.

The Abbey view from the left of the Entrance to the Shop

This is how the Abbey looks on the immediate right of the Abbey Shop entrance.

We didn't see too much more of the gardens - due for the most part to the onset of a sharp April Shower, but also because we had a Little Person with short legs with us - who kept up the pace admirably, but after a 40 minute brisk walk was understandably tiring.  So, on the way back we admired the garden view - in front of this aspect of the Abbey.

A weeping willow shrouding the stream linking the two lakes over-looked by the Abbey view in the first photo

On the left of this picture, you can see a waterfall from the lake the other side of this daffodil decorated slope.

A head-on view of the willow tree, with the stream into which the waterfall goes

 After admiring the budding rhododendron bushes along the long driveway from the main road to the Abbey itself, the view shown below is the one  we got as we drove into the Car Park area.

There's a cricket ground nearby, as well - so one can see why the grounds are so popular for the local visiting public.  It's also great that we can take advantage of the space - and believe me, we certainly will be doing so, provided the capricious English Spring weather allows us so to do.

While I may not have been motivated to sew Cuddlies this week, I have spent some time tidying up the way our Cuddlies Shop is arranged - to take advantage of the overall Etsy.com "New Look" for all our Shops.  I've also taken advantage of an offer to create a website for the Cuddlies.  It's something I've been thinking about for some time - but having purchased the domain name (to be revealed shortly), I'm now not sure how to go about linking it to this blog, and the Shop as well. Assistance has been sought from Team Members and Etsy Support itself - and  I hope to be proficient in this new look Cuddlies era soon.

Until next week, folks - hope this find everyone having a good time and keeping well.

Your friend - Isobel,