HQ temporarily away from base - but daily checks being maintained.

Hello Everyone - Cy Bear here today, on "guard duty" while Isobel commutes between home and TeamACE's base, three doors away, this week.

She moved up the road last evening, and is now house-sitting, dog and cat caring, while the Family are on an adventure camping holiday in Norfolk with lots of friends from St. Barnabas Cathedral at an annual get-together based around The National Catholic Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham. We've written about this place from time to time - because it's where Peter's ashes are buried, and Isobel and family try to visit it every year.  The get-together Team ACE are involved with is called "New Dawn", and it's something that's been on their "must do" lists for some time.  They left with the weather looking threatening, but dry:  news has been received that they all arrived safely, and the tent has been pitched - right next door to close family friends, the parents being GrandsonE's God Parents - so provided the weather co-operates, they're set for a lovely time.  Isobel has quite a crowded schedule this week, but will be able to fit things in so I'm not going to be on my own that long this time around.  Her "away time" this year is set for a few weeks hence.

Meanwhile, the retagging and retitling I spoke about last week has continued apace.  Daily listings in the Shop have continued - with more than one being done sometimes because there are quite a lot of Cuddlies requiring this attention at this time of the year.  Meanwhile, Isobel did complete the two new Baby Hedgehogs, more photos were taken - and here is one of the three examples now in stock in the shop - www.COLDHAMCUDDLIES.etsy.com.

During the week, two very new Cuddlies became eligible for re-listing, so the Ducklings - first introduced earlier this year - are now in place until 29th November 2017.  

They joined our Easter Chickens, which Isobel created at about the same time, but were renewed a day or two earlier.  When she made them, they were very experimental. She was making both the Ducklings and Chickens for the first time - from patterns provided by a Facebook friend - and in the Chickens case, she tried three different ways of making their beaks.

The Chicken in the middle has its beak embroidered throughout - and is not likely to continue with that look.  In life, it appears a bit cumbersome and unrealistic.  Not that Toys really need to be THAT realistic, I don't think.  The other two were made with different shapes cut out from felt, and Isobel has decided that the one on the left will be the future model we offer.  They don't need re-listing until 24th November this year.

Then, one of the other re-listings placed in the Shop this week was Hettie White Rabbit:  carrying on the "rabbit-naming" exercise, Isobel decided on "Hettie" (this model had previously been titled our "Halloween Rabbit", because of  dress and trimming colours she'd used when making Hettie in the first place).  The fabric for her dress is not only black and white gingham (quite a traditional mix for Halloween items, as is the orange trimming) but there is a rather unusual and pretty embroidered floral pattern involved as well.  Hettie comes complete with silk pantaloons trimmed with lace and can have a large carrot to hold, although these photos don't show it.  (Without a Carrot, Hettie will be £2.50 GBP ($3.28USD) less to buy!)

These two pictures were taken in our garden earlier this week, and show Hettie standing, as well as sitting.  She does prefer to sit, but provided there is something she can lean against, you can leave her balanced quite safely.

Then, finally for this post here's a photo of one of my best friends, Silver Grey Bear.  

He's sporting a bright orange ribbon, which shows him off very well, I think, and is eagerly looking for a Forever Home.  Both Hettie and Grey Bear have been registered as members of the Coldham Cuddlies Family until 25th November in the case of the latter and 26th November in Hettie's case.

Meanwhile, here's what happened to one of the Ducklings when he left us to travel to his Forever Home shortly after they were introduced into the Shop:

Meet Duckling "Super Duk"!  He now lives in Edmonton, Alberta

That's it for this week, Folks.  Looking forward to telling you about family and Cuddlies activities during the coming week, and wishing everyone good wishes for everything you plan to do!  

Your Friend.

Cy Bear.

Replacements underway - plus some recent Cuddlies relisted in our Shop

Greetings everyone - Cy Bear back again!

After a busy week doing lots of retagging and retitling, ColdhamCuddlies due to be renewed during the week, have been re-listed - on a daily basis.   Isobel wants to find if regular, daily changes in our Shop will really attract the attention that "the experts" (whomever, and wherever, they are/come from) say is a "must do" activity when engaged in on-line selling.  We've got a batch of Toys in this twilight area at the moment, so we're going to be able give the statement a real try-out.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/542358637/grey-plush-rabbit-dressed-rabbit

Graham Grey Rabbit (he's also listed as Graham GRAY Rabbit - to include the different spelling of the colour around the world) was one of the first to receive the new "treatment".  He's a cuddly toy with lovely soft furry plush fabric for head and paws, and a green velvet jacket.  When we first began selling toys in 2010, Isobel used to christen some of us Toys with human names.  Then she stopped doing it (have not got a clue why!) but she's decided to give it another go. Graham Grey Rabbit is now safely registered in the shop until 18th November, 2017 - unless or until he finds his Forever Home earlier!.   (Obviously, our Toys may have a name in our Shop - when they find their Forever Homes, it's entirely the choice of their new Friends whether or not to re-christen their new toy, or keep our name.)  

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/528544324/yellow-plush-teddy-bear

One of my particular friends is this Yellow Plush Teddy Bear - although made with exactly the same pattern as all of us Coldham Cuddlies Bears, this young fellow looks a little smaller all around. That's because the rest of the Teddies in our Shop are made with faux fur and this chap uses Yellow Plush fabric - and there can be a distinct difference in pile thicknesses between the different materials. Both varieties are as soft and cuddly as each other - and I am proud to call them all my Friends.   (Not sure why, but Isobel doesn't give us Bears names:  all except me that is.  I'm told the reason I got mine, when I was first made, is because Peter decided I reminded him of one of their neighbour friends when they lived in West Lancashire.  We'd all moved to Wiltshire by that time!).  In the Shop, Yellow Ted has booked his place until 19th November, 2017.  Do hope he finds his Forever Home soon - he'll make someone a really good companion when they choose him.

Before showing off more relisted Toys, Isobel thought you'd like to see how the Baby Hedgehogs are made - because I did mention last week that some replacements were urgently needed.  She cut out two more on Monday afternoon - during what has become a weekly chatting session among our fellow residents. Since then, each evening, she has sewn and completed one new Toy, and today took some snap shots of the second one - before putting it together later this evening, or during tomorrow's Old Chapel Close crafters' meeting.

 (Originally, the gathering  was known as the "Knit and Natter" session:  but, alas, as months have passed, knitting has ceased to be the main focus, and nattering has gathered momentum.  This is largely because the former knitters have ceased to attend, or there is now no demand for their output:  but Isobel has always gone each week, because she found it a good time for her to concentrate on us Cuddlies, and she always gets useful tips whenever she talks to her fellow crafters.  Most are older than she is, and one is actually 97 - and still knits, when her particular items (fingerless mittens) are in demand.).

Here's the first replacement Baby Hedgehog - placed on the first page of the original Hedgehog pattern that Isobel uses to create these Toys.

Here's the face, and four legs, of the second Baby Hedgehog, with the latter items still waiting to be stuffed.  The face piece has had the eyes and nose fitted in place, and needs to be attached to the body when that has been sewn together and stuffed.

That is shown below - while it is still having the grey plush base being attached to the back/side pieces made with the "Laughing Owl" faux fur fabric.  It gives an idea of what the "wrong" side of the fabric looks like, before it is prepared for the Toy to be stuffed.

I'll finish off with the completed new Baby Hedgehog looking at his potential companion Toy:

With luck and a following wind (Sundays are always busy days for Isobel - especially having to fit in our weekly post into all her other activities for that day of the week), these Toys will be ready for listing in our Shop - actually just joining the one already listed to be really truthful - by end of play on Monday of this week.  (She might take some photos of the three of them together, too).

Here's our Unique item,Winston Wombat - 3-Way Pajama/Pyjama/Nightdress Case, Hot Water Bottle Cover or just a Wombat Toy Decoration for some one's Bedroom.  Thanks to the additional 5 pictures Isobel is now allowed for every listing in the Shop, she has been able to show pictures of what Winston looks like when he's acting as a Bed Adornment (the picture below).

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Then, Winston Wombat looks like this when he is acting as a Hot Water Bottle Cover:  (you can see the furry tail has a felt lining, and is ready for the Bottle Head to be placed into it before being placed in the bed.  The tail can also be faux fur on both sides - Buyers can let Isobel know which version they want, when they order their Winstons.)

Winston then could look like this when he's waiting to be used as a Nightdress Holder (or Pyjama/Pajama cover), without any stuffing in at all.  The pillow is made with the same calico sheeting fabric we use for the bodies of our Dressed Lady and Gentlemen Foxes, Wolves, Coyotes and Rabbits.

Or he could look like this, with the pillow inside.

Whichever way, Winston Wombat now looks forward to an undisturbed future in the Shop - until 21 November 2017.

(Now, to be strictly truthful, although we've shown you all these different views of Winston here, we actually don't have a model in stock.)  He only takes Isobel three to four days to make from scratch - and since space in our flat is limited, and the Toy storage bag even more so, as Winston takes up quite a lot of room whenever he's alive, he's now just listed in our Shop - and hopefully, we'll be called upon to make several more before too long!  The last version went to a gentleman in Lancashire earlier this year, who wanted one as a birthday present for his wife.  Winston has been given as Christmas presents to family friends' children too, as well as a present for the Mother of another client - so he's a gift for all ages, whenever he is chosen as a COLDHAMCUDDLIES Toy.

I think I've rattled on quite long enough for this week's installment.  I'll end with a wish to everyone for a really great week, and look forward to telling you next week - about what has happened in the intervening period.

Your Good Friend,

Cy Bear.