A new look - and several more departures to report

My word, what a few days it has been - and Cy Bear and I are just coming up for air.  On Friday, we got a telephone call from Ed Ted's Best Friend to tell us he was definitely coming to see us on Monday (previously, it had been a case of he would "try to") and we were to tell Ed Ted that he was going home with him!  He also enquired as to whether Big Koala (Etsy Listing #07982660) was prepared to travel back to Italy with him - indeed he was!

The meeting between the two former patients from the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) and their Best Friend, RE was a sight to behold, and extremely gratifying to witness.  Everywhere RE went in our flat, Ed Ted went with him, and when Big Koala was re-introduced, apparently RE, without thinking, did to him what he had always done as a young lad - turned him round and round, from head to toe, like a top.  (That was several decades ago, you must realise!)  RE really liked his new appearance and the tactile nature of his new plush fur.  Success all round, then!  (But another replacement task ahead for me!)


The visit lasted a little longer than initially intended, with an overnight stay and a second lunch (it had been 12 years since we had all been together, and there was a lot of catching up to do).  Even with Peter under the weather still - it's now 4 weeks today since the bug attacked and we're going to have to do something drastic to get him better - we all enjoyed ourselves.  However, it meant I had more time to put RE to work on behalf of the ColdhamCuddlies - helping me work out the lighting positions for the new mini Photographic Studio. (We found one of the two free-standing lights were defective, so it's on its' way back to the distributors for replacement).  However, I now have an idea of how to make the best use of the studio for  future photo sessions - when the gardens are not available (as they are not today)  Winter has finally arrived. and although there has been bright sunlight, the minus temperatures on offer do not encourage outside photographic sessions!

Even though the Photographic Studio was not really put into use very much, RE - who has been a professional photographer in the past - did give me some pointers and also took some more photographs of Cy Bear and myself, so that we can vary the profile pictures here at www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com, our shop (yet to be accomplished) and on the main Google site enabling our access to this blog.  These have been posted this evening, and hopefully will attract a few extra visitors to each site eventually!  We thought that folks might be getting somewhat tired of the same pictures ad infinitum.

Taken in the Resident's Hall, here in Heytesbury  and shows my arthritic fingers - alas!

It also meant that RE had a show and tell session being introduced to ALL the Cuddlies Family and, guess what?  Light Brown Furry Bear (Etsy Listing #69778158) and Brown Plush & Felt Furry Bear (Etsy Listing #69777037) are also on their way to Italy, as are the four remaining Baby Koalas!  The ColdhamCuddlies shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com) is now seriously depleted and I've got an even bigger task of replacement ahead of me if I'm to have enough toys to show off at a Craft Fair we've just been invited to attend at the Heytesbury Primary School on Saturday, March 10th.   Cy Bear was kept busy having his usual farewell photographs taken with most of them.  He also took part in other shots too,  as well as one by himself (as shown here).

RE and Cy were trying out different backgrounds in the Photo Studio here

There were several more photographs taken yesterday, which will form the next post - because they will describe the departure of all the Cuddlies that I've told you about earlier in this entry.  Think we'll have to describe this lot as the Coldham Cuddlies' Italian Mob - to differentiate from our already established French Connections.  To include the pictures here would make this a very long post, so I'll end now - and leave the desciption of the farewells to the Italy-bound travellers to Cy next time.

Good-bye for the time being.  Isobel

Beauty Parade of Bears, its results + updates

Did not intend to post this evening, but so much is happening, that if I don't, I'll forget!  So....here goes!


The Beauty Parade of Bears, referred to in this post title,  took place yesterday afternoon following a request from one of my fellow residents at The Hospital of St. John who asked to be shown my current Bear Collection.  She has a grandson living in Australia who is dying to have a furry friend - preferably a dog or cat - but whose parents feel he's not yet old enough to look after one.  Granny has  been deputed to find a substitute, and just before Christmas (during one of the Tea Parties organised for us residents) we chatted and agreed to meet in the New Year to discuss matters further.  Yesterday was the culmination of that chat!

Four Bears awaiting inspection and selection

Prior to Mrs. JS's arrival, I arranged the four current members of the Cuddlies Bear Clan on our bed, and laid a selection of the plush fur fabrics in front of them - in case she decided to choose a completely new specimen instead. (With the light on them,  and at that angle, the new fur fabrics - on the centre and right front of the photograph do show their colours a bit better than in my last post!)  The inspection duly took place, and after wavering between Hairy Bear with a Felt Muzzle and Hairy Bear 4, the latter was selected, paid for and removed from the line-up!  (William White Bear was deemed an unsuitable colour  for a six-year old boy and Light Brown Furry Bear was "too like a Koala"!  Hairy Bear 4 will therefore be accompanying Mrs. JS to Sydney, Australia when she leaves on February 29, and we've been promised a picture of the meeting between grandson, O and his Hairy Bear at an appropriate moment.

Speaking of arrivals, I received telephone call this afternoon from MrsPW (who recently purchased Ferdinand Fox for her Victoria, British Columbia-based daughter's birthday).  Ferdy is now happily ensconced in Canada, having had a very speedy journey.  He left Warminster one Saturday morning and arrived in Victoria the following Tuesday!  Now that is very fast travel - Mrs. PW must have timed her postal arrangements to coincide exactly with the airmail 'plane departing from London Heathrow!  Another happy ending to report, I am pleased to say.

Another view of Ferdy in the Spring sunshine

Updates on the Toy pattern search are due - the Beaver pattern I was urgently seeking was downloaded on Monday afternoon - a testament to the speed of the internet!  After all, it was only Saturday evening last week that the possibility of my making a Beaver was even mooted.  I have now printed it off - and have all the instructions as to how to proceed as well.

Incidentally, I have picked up a very helpful tip from this venture - how to cut plush fabric without creating a shower of loose fur in the process!  Am sure everyone else who works with the fabric knew it already, but by following the instructions for Barry Beaver (as he will be called for the purposes of his eventual appearance in the www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com Shop) for the two replacement Brown Rabbit Glove Puppets  last night, I have managed it without having any spare fur on the bedroom floor or flying about in the air either!  One lives and learns - every day!  Barry can be created as either a Glove Puppet or a Stuffed Toy using the same pattern - truly a good fit for proposed new members of the ColdhamCuddlies Family

Am pleased to say that my younger daughter, Clare - the really crafty member in the Morrell family (she can crochet, knit, stitch, dress-make, weave - just for starters!) - together with her husband, Alan, have kindly been searching on my behalf.  They have come up with a vintage toy pattern for a Raccoon.  Thanks to their efforts, it is apparently on its way - but has yet to reach me.

Clare has also found several vintage toy pattern books (circa 1960's - the very era when I first began this toy-making lark!) which she intends to present to me for this year's Mother's Day present!  (We celebrate this festival earlier here in the UK - during Lent, rather than in May as you do in the USA and Canada).  Apparently there are a huge number of animals available - but whether they include the Hedgehog, Badger and Guinea Pig I am still looking for remains to be seen.  Roll on Mother's Day! 

Incidentally, I have also been challenging my fellow bloggers with artistic tendencies, particularly those with the ability to create the custom made patterns I need.  You never know someone may emerge from this source as well.

Meanwhile, I'm pleased to announce that Madame Lapin has returned, safe and sound, from  her St. Albans 360 degree imaging adventure and is settling in once more to await her rejuvenation treatment.  She travelled in enormous comfort, well wrapped in tissue paper, enormous bubble-wrap - which must have protected her from all the inevitable bumps involved in postal travel and I've suggested that I hope her return trip - for the "AFTER" pictures - should take place in 2-3 weeks time.

Having said that - I'd now better get on with editing this post and settling into sewing up the two new Rabbit Glove Puppets.  So....Cheerio for the time being.  Isobel

New Additions to the Cuddlies - as promised

Hello there Everyone!

Cy Bear and I have been mentioning recently the fact that I've been busy replacing the Glove Puppets who have found themselves Forever Homes over the recent Christmas period.  I've now listed four new puppets in our shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com and here they are.  There are pictures taken at different stages of their development to be seen at their individual listing sites at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies.

Etsy Listing #91353160 - Green Plush Glove Puppet with Golden Bear Head

He's a one-off, because I only had enough of this particular golden plush fabric left in stock to make two Golden Bear Glove Puppets.  So as I'd found some vintage Green Velvet fabric in my donated stock collection, I used that to use up the golden plush fur for a second puppet.  Here is the other Golden Bear Puppet, this time with  a yellow braid decoration around the glove edges - giving a more feminine look, perhaps?  Both have been listed at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com this evening as OOAK toys.

Etsy Listing #91354899 - Green Velvet Glove Puppet with Golden Bear Head

This evening was a good one for the sewing session and listing, because I was  also able to finish off the replacement Panda Bear Glove Puppets as well.  They, too, have been listed and here is a picture of them.

Etsy Listing #91356474 - Black & White Panda Bear Glove Puppets

These guys were taken in my new Mini Photo Studio - which has not really been set up properly yet, but it worked for me at this time.  I've finally found the instructions sheet for setting the Studio up and will be using it in future - especially for the smaller toys.  The Teddy Bears and Dressed Toys will just fit, I think:  obviously the bigger items, such as Tommy Teddy and Rusty Bear are just a tad too big to fit in!

What is keeping the Puppets upright, if there is no hand inside to do the job? - I think I can hear some folks ask!  Well in this case, I took two glass jars (which currently hold dried herbs!) and placed them inside each Puppet as their turn arrived for the picture session.  Works quite well, I think - and I will be repeating it with the others in future.  Saves me having to twist myself in contortions to do it on my own - or try to get fellow residents to provide their hands for the purpose.  It can be difficult to get enough of them all together at the same time!  They're an active and busy bunch of ladies and gentlemen that I find myself living with here in Heytesbury!

The Mini Photo Studio is a nifty little thing, though - isn't it?  I used the red background provided in the pack for the Pandas - the others stood out quite well without the studio background.  There are also black, dark blue and white sheets, with velcro edges which have their partner velcro fitments somewhere in the package - plus the special spotlights. (Have not used the lights here, because I've been able to get sufficient lighting from the existing bulb in the room.  When I get round to re-photographing ALL the ColdhamCuddlies, then I'll put the whole thing up properly - at the moment, in the flat, there simply is not the room for everything in its proper place!  We have a lovely, large, light Resident's Hall, which is available to us for just such eventualities, and I think that's where future photographic events will take place!

Finally, while I'm in the mode for providing listing information, I don't think I have provided the Etsy Listing for Big Koala.  I posted about him before listing him, and don't remember if I provided that vital item!  So, in case I did not, here it is:

Etsy Listing #90782660 - Big Koala Close-up

Now for replacing the Brown Bear Glove Puppet and the Rabbit Puppet - which I hope to do before starting to rejuvenate the French Connection patients in the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).  PaulN of Outsphere UK & Ireland emailed me today to say that Madame Lapin is on her way back from St. Albans - so I'd better get a move on!

Goodnight to you all - and God Bless!  Isobel