Decorations for All Seasons

The Boosting Etsy Shops Team's goal is to offer support
and promotion of one another's Etsy shops primarily through our
personal Blogs, and also through our Twitter Accounts and Facebook Fan pages.
Commitment to this common goal is what makes our team the BEST!  

 Having now had a chance to visit some of my fellow team members since my first, tentative steps within the BESTeam fold, I am going to have another attempt to feature some of their shops which have taken my eye.

 I've noticed many of their blog posts have a theme or thread running through their features, so am taking Decorations as mine for this essay.  The first three sites I hovered over had samples of flowers used to decorate different items/sites that really appealed - to the extent that they are going to feature today.

Autumn (as we call it in the UK) or Fall as it is known in Canada (where I lived for 12 years) and the US could be described as my favourite time of the year.  Whilst it does herald the onset of winter shortly, the colours are so bright and warm, and the hot summer temperatures have been lessened by the cooler winds and shorter days, that one tends to concentrate on enjoying them - and let's forget about winter, until it actually arrives!  So, when I saw the Fall Silk Flowers in a Scarecrow Basket, I couldn't resist including it in my selection.  This is an offering from Debbi and Amanda, a mother-and-daughter team specialising in vintage, jewellery and other enticing products, of which this is a prime example.

Debbi and Amanda's work can also be seen at their Facebook, Twitter and Flickr sites, as well as at www.ourhometoyours.etsy.com.  They suggest this as a home decoration.  However,  I can't help but feel that it should have a wider audience.  I could see it gracing a church window or sitting on the step below an altar or lectern as a Harvest Festival decoration as well.  It's dimensions (22"wide x 182 high x 14" deep)  would not be drowned by a medieval church window, of which we have a considerable number here in the Heytesbury area of Wiltshire, England, UK.  You could say, we are spoilt for choice!

My next selection is a great deal smaller - still a decorative object -  but this time balancing delicately on someone's head.  I can see an auburn headed lady going for this - although brunettes and those with raven black hair could also find a use for this lovely head-band.  How about calling it a "fascinator" though?  These do seem to be the latest "must-have" headgear these days.

This comes from the KnitfulDezigns Shop owned and operated by Veronica Grace - whose range of decorative headwear knows few bounds.  There are some delightful children's headwear that will definitely feature in a future post, but for today, I'm going to be satisfied with highlighting this delightful floral object.

My final selection for this feature is this beautiful Charmeuse Silk Hand-Painted Scarf.  Measuring 45" square, it is surely far too attractive to end up draping someones neck - however gracefully it is arranged (and Joy Silk who is responsible for this lovely object - as well as some equally decorative jewellery - actually provides the requisite instructions for achieving a satisfactory result with each sale.

Left to me, I'd mount it and frame it behind chemical free glass and have it as a well-hanging.  It has already been a featured item during Breast Cancer Awareness week in Joy's locality and I think it deserves more publicity than just being an adornment in someone's wardrobe.

I'm blown away by this partiicular item (although all her products look lovely).  Painting on paper is hard enough:  painting on silk is a whole new ballgame!  Joy's work can be seen at her Etsy Shop  (www.etsy.com/shop/Joyflower),  Twitter:  @JoySilk;  Her blog can be read at http://www.joysilk.blogspot.com and her email is joy@joysilk.com.

As a newcomer to the Etsy BESTeam, I've been made very welcome.  There must be many other Etsy bloggers/shopowners around who would be similarly welcomed and helped - while simultaneously promoting your own Etsy shop.  Why not give the Etsy BESTeam forum site on Etsy a visit and give it a try?  If they've invited me, they'll surely give you a berth!

Further Developments in the Cuddlies' lives

Hello there folks - Cy Bear being allowed to put his oar in for a moment!  Isobel seems to have been posting quite a lot recently, and I feel I'm being eased out!  I mean, there she went - allowing Ferdy Fox to go to his Forever Home without my having a farewell photograph with him before he went!  He's one of the most colourful toys in the ColdhamCuddlies Family, and I think we would have looked good together in a picture!  Still, despite, that mishap, I'm quite sure Ferdinand Fox, The Hunting Gentleman is going to be very happy in his Forever Home in Canada.

Now, Isobel tells me that the Golden Bear Glove Puppet  (Etsy Listing #82953359) has been ordered this afternoon, and sometime in the next week will be flying off to his Forever Home in Liberty Township, Ohio, US!  That means there are now only two Glove Puppets living here with me in Heytesbury.  Isobel really does have to get her fingers working and replace the others.  They are the Fox Lady Glove Puppet (Etsy Listing #82957532) and the Brown Rabbit Glove Puppet (Etsy Listing #83387217):  replacements for the Panda, Brown Bear and White Rabbit Glove Puppets are awaited!  I'll definitely make certain there is a farewell picture taken with Golden Bear Puppet and me before he leaves!

Awaiting dispatch to his Forever Home

Madame Lapin is on her way for the first part of her special, experimental photography session.  She was posted to a firm in St. Albans, Hertfordshire called Outsphere UK & Ireland today.  From what I gather (and I'm not a very technical Bear you must understand) the company specialises in taking photographs of objects and creating a 360 degree image as a final result.  This is the first time they've had a Toy as a model - they usually specialise in things like filing cabinets, and specialist engineering items.

They're quite excited by this exercise - as much as Isobel is.   When they've taken the "Before" pictures, Madame Lapin will come back to the Soft Toy Clinic for her treatment.  Once that has finished, she will again go back to St. Albans for the "After" set of pictures to be taken.  Then the whole exercise is going to be posted to the Outsphere website.  PaulN, the person who is dealing with Isobel, told her yesterday that he just got some feedback from a recent client (the filing cabinet manufacture mentioned earllier) who says that they've sold more cabinets since the pictures were taken than they had ever done in the past!    Isobel had better get her skates on then, because if that means more Rabbits are going to find Forever Homes as a result of Madame Lapin's experience, there will soon be none in the shop for us to sell!

There was also another piece of good news for Isobel today.  When she visited The Fine Quality Feather Company earlier this week - to get the new polyester fibre which will be used to stuff my Big Friend, Rusty Bear, she was a little disappointed that there was no plush fur off-cuts to be sorted through.  She was told that the Factory store-room had been cleared out before Christmas (whereas, apparently, last year, that did not happen until after the Festivities).

However, she was philosophical about it, picked up the 6 kilos of stuffing material and headed for our Storage Unit - where stuff that cannot be fitted into our flat is stored.  When Isobel saw the dimension of the six bags, it was obvious that there was not room here for both the stuffing and Rusty at the same time!  So, when Rusty is de-stuffed and sent to the Dry Cleaners, then Isobel will bring the stuffing back here.  Once Rusty returns, he can then be filled with his new stuffing and returned to Philippa, in High Wycombe.

However, the good news is that The Fine Quality Feather Company rang us this afternoon, they've found a whole lot of fur off-cuts after all - and, in addition, have put aside some "silk off cuts" (a new offering!).  They've been bagged up and can be collected from their Frome factory the next time Isobel is in the vicinity.  That would not have been for another five or six weeks - but I bet Isobel will find some excuse to drive to Frome before that, because I know she (and Peter, too - because he enjoys rootling through materials as much as Isobel does!) is itching to see what they've found for her.  That, too, will have to stay in the storage unit, because the cupboards here in the flat are stuffed to the brim with materials - to be used when needed.

While all this was going on, Isobel has been sewing the first edition of Big Koala - who started off as a patient in the Soft Toy Clinic, you will remember.

Big Koala between Ed Ted (still with us!) and me

Isobel de-stuffed him, and will be posting about his treatment when he is completed.  Suffice to say that, so far, she is satisfied that she has been able to resurrect him from where he ended up - in the garbage bin, because he was actually made of real hide, which was far too hard to do anything with once she had undone the stitches!  She's still not sure whether he will be recognisable - but  I've seen his body, and he certainly reminds me of Big Koala, so ..... watch this space.

Right - that's it from me for this post. I've enjoyed being able to tell you all this!  Bye!  Cy Bear

Pre-christmas Publicity for the Cuddlies - plus additional information

This article actually appeared on the Thursday before Christmas week (December 16) and I've been trying to scan it into the computer in a legible form ever since.  I gave up today, because the combination of the newsprint and inks used simply do not provide a good enough result for you good folks to decipher.  A pity, really, because it included a really good picture of all the toys (similar to the my post of December 20) but with the addition of myself as well - and it wasn't a bad one either!  I did promise to post any article that might appear, so true to my word,  here it is - coupled with a repeat of my own photograph of the event, but minus yours truly - have not yet worked out how to self-photograph as yet!
                                                       

Repeating the previously posted picture

                               "HEYTESBURY CHURCH CHRISTMAS FAYRE

"The Heytesbury Church Christmas Fayre took place earlier this month at Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church (December 10, actually).

In spite of a chilly day the event was very well attended with visitors able to browse stalls selling everything from cuddly toys, organic therapy products to novelty clocks and much more.

Organiser, Ali Tebbs said, "I felt that the Christmas Fayre has been a great success today.  We have had everything from home-made produce and craft to exotic olive oil and soft toys.  The tea, coffee and mince pies have been very popular.

Ali's husband Mike added, "The village has pulled together to raise money for the church.  It's great to see the church so full of people."

There was a stall with all kinds of soft and cuddly toys available for visitors to hold, stroke and buy.  Isobel Morrell who was running the stall said, "I've been selling soft toys - rabbits, foxes and bears of all sizes.  I make them all myself and I have been doing it for nearly 50 years;  they are made to last.

I renovate soft toys - not dolls.  Some of those I have restored recently have been up to 85 years old and I give them another 30 or more years of life.

I also run Coldham Cuddlies soft toy clinic and two current patients are 35 plus years old.  I made them and they've come back for re-stuffing and rejuvenation." "

The article then went on to describe and quote some of  the other stall holders' views on their individual successes and views on the event.  However, it is gratifying that my picture was at the top of the three others included.  Apart from the obvious repetitive nature of the report, (I don't think I spoke in that manner!) it's my best publicity yet locally, so I was very pleased.

However, one must not get too excited.  "The Warminster Journal" despite being the local weekly newspaper hereabouts does not have a great reputation within its readership!  Earlier in our sojourn in the vicinity (we've been here over 3 years now), one of my neighbours said that she used it to line the bottom of her budgie's cage!   Hmmm.....  still at least it's some publicity! 

Now, just a further piece of information (as promised in my last post) about Ferdy Fox's Forever Home location.  Mrs.PW kindly telephoned to enquire about Peter's health earlier today - he's suffering the chest bug that is making the rounds in the village and The Hospital of St. John - so I took the opportunity to ask her where Ferdy is going to live.  It is, as I suspected, British Columbia and Vancouver Island specifically.

However - and this blew both Peter and I away - Mrs. PW is actually Victoria, BC born and bred, she knows the location of the acreage on the island to which we originally emigrated to stay with Peter's sister in Metchosin (just outside Victoria itself) and also knows where a couple of our friends currently live.  But, the final co-incidence - believe it or not - is that her father's accountants in Victoria were the same company that I worked for when we first landed in Canada  in 1975.   Now if that doesn't illustrate just how small this world of ours is, I don't know what will!!

On that note, I'll end this post - just two more and the magic centenary post will be upon  me.  Not sure how I'll celebrate that one!  Goodnight .  Isobel