Reporting the departure of the Italian Mob

Isobel has just given me the green light to tell you about a very unexpected, but very happy,  mass departure from www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com of two of my Bear friends (Light Brown Furry Bear - Etsy Listing #69778197 and my special friend  - because he was made to look slightly like me, after Isobel had made me! - Brown Plush & Felt Bear - Etsy Listing #69777037), as well as all the Baby Koalas we had in stock and my good friend Ed Ted and new friend Big Koala!  They have all been packed away together - so none of them will be lonely - in a black bin bag and placed carefully in the boot of a Jaguar car that is going to be transported to a place in Italy named Sequals.

We've now got a lot more space in the various cupboards that Isobel stashes the toys awaiting their Forever Homes, but it means we have got some gaps that need filling before the Spring Craft Fair coming up in the Heytesbury Primary School, in March.  Still, as Easter is coming (so I am told - as a Bear that really doesn't mean much to me) and Rabbits and Hares are apparently highlighted at this time of the year, Isobel will have to concentrate on them rather than us Bears for a while, I expect.

Isobel and Peter's long-term friend, Mr.RE was the prime-mover in this massive movement out of our Shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com) -  as I've only just met him, and being a very polite Bear, I decided to address him more formally.  Before he left to go back to Italy with the Cuddlies Mob, he took some pictures of Isobel and I (for publicity purposes, I overheard) and he took one of me, by myself.  Wonder what do you think of it?

This was taken within the new Mini-Photo Studio, trying out different backgrounds

Mr. RE also took several of Isobel and I together, which we are going to use as profile pictures for the various sites on which the Cuddlies operate or are mentioned (don't know them myself, but you - our Followers which now number 120 as of today!) will know what I mean.  Then, finally, we had a tremendous photography session in which I took part in the traditional farewell  pictures before our Cuddlies leave for their Forever Homes.

Here are some of them, including some in which Mr.RE decided not to feature me - because there simply wasn't room on the chair for all of us, and he wanted some of his new Cuddlies friends, whose Forever Homes are going to be where children of his family and friends live in Italy and elsewhere.  Not sure where the "elsewhere" bits might be, but I don't think they're going to be in England, anyway.

Light Brown Furry Bear and me - taken in a chair in the Residents' Hall

By the time these farewell pictures were taken, Isobel had taken over the camera - while Mr.RE moved us and the chair around so that shadows could not cut across us.  It was a very bright sunny day, and the Resident's Hall has windows on both sides of the room, as well as at one end, so there was an awful  of light causing lots of possible shadows.  We got moved around a lot before Mr. RE was satisfied, and we still got some shadows - but the overall effect was one we could all live with!

Here is Big Koala - or Mr. K, as Mr.RE has decided to call him. (I don't know whether that is his original name, or one that was decided on recently).    I'm sorry to see him go, as he has been a ColdhamCuddly for rather a short time.  Still, I can look forward to another Big Koala soon, because it was always understood that when Mr RE came to take his really long-time friend Ed Ted back with him, Big Koala would go too.  They'd lived in the same home for a long time - and shared space in the same attic for quite a bit of that time as well.  Followers of this blog will recall that his renovation/re-creation was posted about late in 2011, and Isobel had wondered if the original Big Koala had real Australian origins.  Mr.RE confirmed that his late father had brought him home for him when he was a little boy.  Mr.RE's father was an airline pilot and Australia was one of his usual destinations.

The Koala Family line-up, with me being allowed to participate

Ed Ted and Me - it was bit of a squash for both of us in the chair

Ed Ted, as many of our Followers may remember, was one of the first Patients in the ColdhamCuddlies  Soft Toy Clinic  - EtsyListing #79124185 - and had to wait a few months for Mr.RE to find the time to come and collect him after his treatment had been completed.  He and I had become quite good friends - and he used to accompany Isobel and I to various Craft Fairs to illustrate how Bears and other toys can be rejuvenated.  He was the lead feature in the ColdhamCuddlies Shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com/Soft Toy Clinic - Etsy Listing #79124185) and since his departure has been replaced by a recently renovated Bear - Tommy Teddy - as the lead thumbnail photograph.

"The Italian Mob"

Ed Ted and Mr. K cannot really be classed as The Italian Mob, because they are being returned to their original Forever Home - never mind that, that has changed from somewhere in a place called Essex, England, UK to a place called Sequals, Italy!

There's going to be another post coming up in a day or two - featuring our two new Glove Puppets, listed earlier this week as Melissa and Melinda Mad March Hare Plush Glove Puppets - as well as news of another impending set of departures (featuring 4 Baby Rabbits and Auntie Brenda Brown Rabbit - who heading for their Forever Homes (not sure if they are likely to be together, or spread around the family of a Mrs. SP from Medford, Ma, USA! 

Oh - and another development:  the labels Isobel and Mr.RE had been working on towards the end of last year are almost ready for use!  Samples were received on Tuesday morning, while Mr.RE was with us - which was convenient!  It was a real coincidence, because we only knew Mr.RE was coming to see us a couple of days before he arrived, and the labels had been being prepared several days prior to that.  After some slight changes were discussed, Isobel today gave the go-ahead for the order to be completed.  They should be with us in a week to ten days, I think.

Whatever else can be said, the Coldham Cuddlies, Isobel and I seem to be on a bit of a roll at the moment!  Long may it continue, as long as Isobel can keep up with the necessary replacements!  Bye for now.  Cy Bear

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