News on the Tiger and Memory Cat Fronts

Hello once more Everyone!
Here's this week's bulletin from your Friend, Cy Bear - with good news on the escaping dog front (eventually).  She led the searchers a merry dance, but was finally persuaded into a trap set by the terrific team on Thursday morning this week.  She was nearly persuaded earlier in the week, but was scared away from the area she had chosen to "settle" by the early morning Waste Bin Collectors on Tuesday morning. In the end, she moved her area of operations - not too far away - and found some friendly dogs to play with on a small-holding located in a countrified bit of  Kirkby in Ashfield.  Here is Molly - on the run - but nearby where she found some friends to play with shortly after this was taken.

11+ days on the run beginning to take its toll

Clare - who was on site as much as possible compatible with getting her young son back to school after the Covid19 Lockdown, as well as it being the start of a new school year - watched how Molly (the dog's name) began to relax her guard (shortly after this photo above was taken), and was then guided by her doggy friends (and owner) towards what WILL BE a much safer existence than she has had so far in her life.  Arriving back at just after midnight on Wednesday/Thursday morning she's been largely sleeping off nearly 12 days on the run. 

Now begins the long job of getting her settled into the family - at her pace, not ours.

Meanwhile, life on the Coldham Cuddlies front has been moving forward steadily.  The latest Tiger Who Lost His Stripes order will hopefully be ready for posting tomorrow/Tuesday. 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/650644825

 Isobel wants to send it tomorrow (Monday), but may not be able to do so because the Cavity Wall Insulation applied to all the buildings at Old Chapel Close recently needs to be inspected by those in charge of such things.  They're due to be calling in on Isobel between mid-day and 1500 hours.  She's hoping the Tiger will be finished by bedtime tonight - so she can post it tomorrow morning, while returning some unwanted goods - ordered recently from some people called Amazon.com.  (I don't know them from Adam, of course, being a Beaver Lamb Bear - but they do seem to be around a lot hereabouts these days!).  She's discovered she can hand the goods in at one of the Supermarkets where she gets her shopping done, and is going to try the system for herself in the morning - or as soon as she can afterwards.
Now an update on the Smith Memory Cat Project I mentioned a few weeks ago - in our post on 16th August, 2020. 

This one needs a Nose/Mouth Job, as well as his Tail being attached

Work on the Smith Memory Cat Project has moved ahead steadily.  Two are now nearly fully complete:  and the rest are in pieces. These now need to be assembled, stuffed and put in place.  Cat No.1 has had her ears changed, but now needs to have her tail added in the appropriate spot on the back of her skirt.  She now has dark blue sash around her middle (not yet stitched in placed), and will have a white collar (suitably embroidered with some of the colours her outfit is made with).

Waiting for her Tail and a Collar around her neck

The Snoopy Dog patch was carefully extracted from the shirt it was originally sewn on, and has been successfully added to the "shirt" made for Cat No. 2 (see below).  That Cat - a gentleman Cat this time -  also now has a Coat - lined with the Smith Family's "Lucky Ducky" fabric that came with the two original shirts.  This was also used to provide the decoration round Cat No. 1's green skirt.  There is still some sewing needed to neaten seams, and add buttons/button holes before that bit of clothing is complete, but we are getting there. (Ms VS has seen where we've got to - and is happy with what is coming along).  

Still requires the addition of buttons/holes and a head/neck and tail before he's complete

We'll be back again, hopefully, next week - possibly with the Smith Memory Cat Project down to it's last few pieces.  It's taken a bit longer than Isobel intended, but she didn't want to waste too much of the fabric by doing things too quickly.  There is a lot less material for her to play with on this project than she normally has to hand when making the usual Coldham Cuddlies toys!
See you all again soon
Your Friend,
Cy Bear.

Hello there Everyone from Your Friend, Cy Bear
Today's blog is going to be a shorter one than normal - really a "holding" one.  Because a lot of things have happened, but results are "on hold" waiting for their final outcomes.
The main thing is not strictly a Coldham Cuddlies matter, but an "Isobel's Family" matter - in which she has been doing as much as she can.  A rescue dog - called Molly - who arrived at daughter Clare's home last week-end, bolted on Tuesday, and has been on the run ever since.  There's a group of professionals on the case, but Isobel has been tasked with looking out for the missing dog here at Old Chapel Close - if she should evade the team closing in on her - because she did spend time in the gardens where Isobel and I live, and she may recognise some of it were she to come back.  However, Isobel's  main role has been to supply the items needed to lay a scent trail in the hope that the animal will follow it back to Clare's home up the road and (three doors away from our flat).  The ingredients are a mix of tinned Sardines in Oil and Hot Dog Sausages (Frankfurters) - apparently irisistible in such circumstances.  She's not far from home - but is a determined (but very frightened)  escapologist.  Fingers crossed that she's caught soon, and life can return to somewhat more normal.  Can't think why the "runner" seems to prefer being loose, rather than inside in a warm home:  the weather this week while she's been out has been simply awful - and it's turned a lot colder too.
We're still waiting for an answer from Etsy.com as to what happens now in the case of our Black Squirrel Order:  with over 66 million shops online, and many complaints/questions to answer, understandably it will take some time.  The Support Desk has acknowledged Isobel's approach, however, so we are "in the system"!

Crab Apple Butter ready for the Store Cupboard.  These were the larger jam jars used. 

Before I finish, though, there has been a successful outcome on the Crab Apple Butter story! 8 jars (of varying sizes) were made with the fruit picked for Isobel a couple of weeks ago, and she's already tasted from the bits that didn't fit into a bottle that could be sealed - for keeping! (Definitely acceptable apparently!)  One, smaller - in case it wasn't really what the person liked - jar was reserved for the young gardener who picked the fruit from the tree for Isobel.  He appeared to be pleasantly surprised to get it, even though he'd been told he would!  The Gardening Team visit Old Chapel Close every two weeks between March and October, so we'll find out how the Butter went down next time they are here!
That's it Folks.  I'll be back again next week - just wonder what will happen next?  Hopefully, the Wanderer will have safely returned by then.
Stay Safe Everyone!  
Your FriendCy Bear.

Our Black Squirrel in Search of a Forever Home

Hello Everyone - Cy Bear here again, at the end of a busy and rather curious week.

Early last week, we received an order for one of our Black Squirrels - as it happens, he was in stock, so once the Buyer's payment reached our local Bank account, Isobel packed him up and sent him off.  However, she did so with some reservations. 

We're talking about the Squirrel on the right, and we were asked to keep the acorn (if it didn't cost extra - https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/587570321/black-plush-squirrels)

The address to which she was instructed to send him was just "c/o a Ms JI", and giving an address in Gloustershire, England, UK with no mention of whom it actually should be sent to (the normal way of doing business, I am told!).  Isobel had queried this in a message to the Buyer (using the given email link- which was a bit of an odd one, when Isobel thought about it later!), which she addressed as "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN" - again, I am told, the normal procedure when no actual person's name is on the document in question.  No answer was forthcoming, so Isobel duly took note, and because she thought it just might be a family/friend wanting to give MsJI a nice surprise (and it was not her place to spoil things).  After that, she really didn't think any more about the order, once she had posted it from our Local Post Office early on Friday morning.  Once she got back here, she performed her usual routine of notifying "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN" that their Black Squirrel was on its way, and giving them the travelling ticket number (Tracker Number). There was a small shipping overage, which Isobel refunded to the mysterious Buyer.   Order done and dusted she felt.

We don't seem to have a single photo of the Squirrel I'm talking about:  this is the one on the left of the first photograph

Around lunch time on Saturday, however, Isobel got a telephone call from MsJI herself (we always send a delivery note with our telephone number with every Toy dispatched from the Shop)  asking exactly what/whom had sent her this Black Squirrel Toy.  We learned that she was a 60 year old lady, complete with a husband - so not in need of a companion (her words actually) and could Isobel please explain why this had happened.  Isobel found herself in somewhat of a quandary.  The Black Squirrel had been duly paid for, and a refund sent - (it hasn't been returned by the way!)  MsJI really doesn't need it - Isobel found out that she and her husband have two Labrador Dogs already; .they were out for a walk, when Isobel telephoned MsJI with the unhelpful results of a chat with our local Bank, so we have now been in contact with MrJI, because Isobel has now sent the whole file to Etsy Help Department to deal with.  (Fortunately she is meticulous in keeping all relevant paperwork including all messages involved with any transaction), and copies of all the file have been sent too.  Isobel asked MrI if they would kindly give Black Squirrel a temporary abode, while Etsy and she try to sort out the situation.  

In the interim, Isobel has changed her passwords allowing her access to Etsy.com and the Shop itself - just in case there's something dodgy going on.  We'll let you know what happens next!

Two other things to tell you that happened this week.  Last night, MrsKB mother of the young man who wanted to have our new Grey Plush Cat Arm Puppet as a birthday present - posted a really lovely review for us, together with a photo of newly arrived traveller.  We had hoped we would get it to Denton USA in time for the celebrations, and as the review says, we were lucky the journey was accomplished in time, with no unexpected hitches.

kstacyart on 22 Aug, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Such a beautiful hand crafted puppet! Very thankful for Isobel’s talent and also for her great communication. Our puppet arrived just in time for my son’s birthday!

Then on the same day that we got the Black Squirrel order, we received another order for a Tiger Who Lost His Stripes - this time, not from the United States, but from Larne, Northern Ireland.  He's now top of the Work In Progress Schedule after Isobel has completed the Smith Memorial Cat Project.  That's coming along well, although to look at the heaps of fabric all round the living room - while all of the Cats are being made and dressed, you might not think so.  Isobel is hoping to have the project completed by the end of next week, or early in September.  

So that's it for this week - wonder what will happen next?  This is certainly a year in the life of Coldham Cuddlies like no other, to date!!

Your Friend,

Cy Bear.