News About Some Toys that Aren't Bears: Tigers For Starters

Good afternoon Everyone:  Cy Bear greeting you all again! Good to be back.

Some really popular toys (other than Bears!) Isobel has made for the COLDHAM CUDDLIES family since 2010 are Tigers.  Most have been in the form of Hand/Arm Puppets, but they have also been in the form of  Long Legged Tigers too - they can be seen by clicking here:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/656861636/long-legged-tiger-fun-toy-presents?ref=shop_home_active_6.

These are based on one of our early Patients in the Stuffed Toy Animal Hospital ( https://www.etsy.com/listing/670854959/animal-toy-hospital-dog-and-bear-toys?ref=shop_home_active_4) whereas the Arm Puppets are made using a pattern provided to us when Isobel first "met" MrSS - one of our best customers, who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Isobel and He first collaborated when he asked for some Tiger Puppets he was working on for a private project connected with a very popular TV programme in the USA and Canada (in the 1970's and 1980's) - "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood".  There were several Tiger Puppets in the stories, and Isobel was asked to make copies of three of them, and then was allowed to keep MrSS's pattern for future use in the Shop.  

That has recently resulted in Isobel being approached to make two variations of one of the programme's popular characters, who accidentally lost his stripes!  One came from a gentleman, who is a professional Counsellor, who thought having a Puppet would help him deal with some of his Patients and had fond memories himself of that particular television programme.  We don't use the name of the character (we don't want to have copyright issues!), but refer to the character as the "Tiger Who lost his Stripes", and our Buyer wanted his puppet to be a Tiger type, but, colour-wise,  looking more like one of the other characters too - so the first version was made in Grey Plush, and looked like this, before it was put together.

Until this batch of puppets came to be made, Isobel used to make finger guides - for the operating digits to fit into - with cardboard rolls covered with calico which were then sewn into the neck area of the puppet involved.  That worked well for the smaller puppets (https://www.etsy.com/listing/700871997/brown-plush-rabbit-glove-puppet-toy?ref=shop_home_active_6), but with these arm length ones with their larger heads, the heads did tend to be somewhat "wobbly" to operate.  (It also meant that the finished puppets couldn't really be exposed to water, making cleaning "accidents" a problem).  So, she decided to make a separate fabric only, circular, opening to make a larger aperture - through which more than one finger could be fitted.  (It gets sewn in the neck opening). It ended up looking like this:

This seems to have done the trick, and this is what the finished Grey Tiger Who Lost his Stripes looked like before being sent off to his Forever Home - with one of Isobel's friends holding him up to demonstrate the new arrangement.  (The lady was a valuable source of great sewing ideas, as well as providing a useful prop for such occasions!)

 -  and the lower photo showing what he looked like last August, when he was originally made.

(This Puppet headed to Exeter, Pennsylvania, USA)

Not having done an Arm Puppet for some time, and actually "up to her eyes" in the preparations for introducing The Clerical Bears to the World,  Isobel was surprised (and delighted too!) to get another enquiry from a lady - this time living in Mississippi, USA.  She wanted to have a similar Arm Puppet, but instead of it being in grey long haired plush, she asked if it could be in a tan colour.  Her partner was also a devotee of the same television programme, he had a birthday coming up within a few weeks, and she and her Partner's sister, felt this would be an ideal gift to celebrate the occasion.  So, after locating suitable (fleece this time) fabric for the task, and as a break from The Clerical Bears,  Isobel set to, used the same, new finger guide pattern as well, and very soon, Tan Tiger Who Lost His Stripes was winging its way to its Forever Home.

Modelled by the same elderly friend (who is, alas, no longer available for this service) this is what our Tan Tiger looked like before being wrapped up and sent off to Brandon, Mississippi:

Showing a similar, rear view as his Grey Tiger Puppet friend:

The Tan Tiger Puppet survived the international journey, and reached his intended destination in good time for the "special occasion" for which it was intended:

Operated by his new  Forever Friend

This is the review we got from our Buyer for this Coldham Cuddlies export:   

Sarah DNov 5, 2018

5

This stripe challenged tiger is absolutely the best purchase I have ever made!! Isobel has an amazing talent and we are so grateful she has shared that gift with us.  I have a VERY happy Mister (Rogers for Halloween!) and several Littles who thought it was “the best thing ever!” If/when the need may arise again, I will be purchasing again!!

Getting reviews from buyers is something Isobel really appreciates - and so far, all the 75 reviews we've received have all been the full five-stars! (It also helps potential Buyers when they might be considering a purchase!!!)  We've actually sold a lot more Toys since we began in 2010, but many have been off-line so don't show up on the Etsy stats, and they represent about half of the actual Etsy - based sales Isobel has achieved.  (How do we know?  Well every Cuddly has a Coldham Cuddlies label sewn somewhere on it, and Isobel is well into the second batch of 500 labels!)  One cannot MAKE Buyers leave reviews, but it's a terrific boost to Isobel, I know (and we are sure as important for all her fellow Sellers) when customers do take the time to leave a nice message like MsSD did on this occasion.

Clerical Bear orders continue to steadily flow in (18 just now, and counting!)  - and we're always willing to receive them (from anywhere in the world!), so I'll finish this week's post - hoping that everyone has a good one.  We've got another Bank Holiday this Monday (we've got 3 of them in an eight week period in 2019 - which does seem to be a lot to have so close together!!)   So, we've got another "short week" ahead of us,

See you all next week-end, all being well.  Your Friend, Cy Bear.

Introduction of New Sister Bears: and Catching Up on a Recent Patient

Hello again Everyone! Cy Bear signing in once more.

My word, but this week has flown by:  but it's good to be back again, and starting off this week's post with the promised photographs sent to us showing Benjie Bear (a.k.a. Teddy Bear Thornton, when he was a patient with us before Christmas last year).  These were taken after he'd met his Forever Friend (from the current generation of the Thornton Family) MsAT,  What is rather nice is that MsAT has created a biography-to-date, which sums up where Benjie's life is now:

On his new seat when at home with MsAT

Sporting his newly provided warm scarf

Sitting on a carpet shortly after meeting his new Friends

I'm now going to include Benjie's Story up till now, but you know the thing that caught my eye?  That is that he's already a centenarian!  He's now 104 years old!!  Isn't that great?  

This is Isobel's main reason for loving restoring toys for use by future generations!  Thanks a million to the Thornton Family for both introducing us to Teddy Bear Thornton in the first place - and allowing us to make him ready to face the future!

Now to some Bears who we are hoping will prove as long-lived in another context.  Our Clerical Bears were originally created purely as a fund-raising tool to help the St. Barnabas Cathedral Restoration Fund which helps to keep the Cathedral maintained.  However, their mission has been extended to being part of the 175th Anniversary Celebrations of St. Barnabas' Opening which begins in May this year.  The original 6 Bear Collection has now been expanded with the addition of three new Sister Bears, all of whom are made "in the style of" Orders of Nuns who have served in the Parish during that period.  These have included The Sisters of Mercy, Poor Clare Nuns (as they were/are known) and The Little Company of Mary (or The Blue Nuns - for reasons that are pretty obvious:  their distinctive blue veils).  

So, as they are all made from the same pattern, with just their habits and veils being different, I'll show you pictures of each of them, with a brief description of how they are made:

Sister Breda

Each Sister Bear has a separate body cut out in the same colour fleece as their head, paws and ears.  The fleece paws get sewn to the appropriate colour "habit" fabric, and then each arm is stuffed separately, with a plastic disc sewn in to the top of their two arms.  The bodies and heads get stuffed, with the eyes and nose being fixed in the head, before the stuffing gets added.  

Sister Clare

Then the veils are attached to each head, with each Bear's ears being sewn on, and once each Sister Bear's bodies have been stuffed, the "dress" is pulled over the body, and the arms are fixed in place with a matching plastic disc - through holes in the side seams of "habit" and body pieces. (That's quite an exercise for Isobel's increasingly aarthritic fingers, and now has to have the assistance from a pair of pliers in order to get the arms safely in place.)  The arms can therefore move slightly - something that should become easier as time goes by:  but currently, their movement is somewhat limited. 

Sister Mercy

Once the head and body are sewn together, Isobel then puts the outside collar - where there is one - around the Bears' necks and sews that in place. (The narrower collar is sewn in place before the head gets attached to the body).  Then a small plastic crucifix (obtained from the Cathedral Repository as and when needed) is fixed in place with the aid of a piece of double knit yarn.  (That's an after thought on Isobel's part, and is easily removed, if the eventual recipient deems it to be a good idea!).

There is also a Pink Nun (in the style of the Order of Holy Spirit Adoration Nuns, who can be found across many States in the United States of America).  She was ordered by Coldham Cuddlies' good friend, and multi-buyer, MrSS from Tulsa, Oklahoma (he's also helped Isobel design Cuddlies as well as buying them from us!).

Sister Ruth and Sister Rose

The ladies of the St. Barnabas Cathedral Artisan Arts & Crafts Group (Isobel is a member, and the financial results from the Clerical Bear sales are being calculated with the contributions that the Group makes towards St. Barnabas Cathedral's well-being)) felt that Isobel should give each Sister Bear their own names:  one of the original Pink Nuns - like Sister Ruth went to Tulsa, and Isobel made two different versions to become part of the Clerical Bear Collection so that they balance the dual look of our Missionary Bears!

Clerical Bears Missionary Staff - still awaiting names!

All the Clerical Bears Collection are due to once again be displayed after Mass once the Anniversary Celebrations begin in May. The original Sister Rose is the name given to another model like her being purchased by MsMP, a regular at St. Barnabas Cathedral masses  - who is determined to have her own full collection of Coldham Cuddlies Clerical Bears.  She's bought several already:  but keeps finding people to give them away to as presents!!  Isobel has reassured her she'll keep making Sister Bears (as well as Padre Bears and Bishop Bears - she has bought those too!) for just as long as she keeps sending in her orders!  So, watch this space, folks!!

The Clerical Bear Originals in September 2018 on a bench in St. Barnabas Cathedral garden

It's been some six months since the Clerical Bears were first displayed on several Sundays after the mass celebrations each week.  Isobel is intending to combine these appearances, with "spreading the word" about the Sisters (and the Gentleman Clerical Bears as well) with articles in local newspapers, and possibly other media outlets too.  She's got a busy few months ahead of her seemingly - oh, and the total sold, including the Vicar Bear who I told you about last week, now is 16!  We hope we'll be settling lots more all over the UK and the world, soon too.


See you all next week!


Your Friend, Cy Bear