News from Nottinghamshire

Hello again:  Cy Bear calling!

Isobel has just had the following message regarding the reception given to the Little Black Bunny that was sent to Nottinghamshire earlier this month.

"Thought you would want to know... Laura's Bunny (the black and white one) was hand delivered on Saturday. She LOVED it. Put it on her wrist right away and danced around the house with it! :) After much debate we decided it was a girl rabbit, and we decided that it would be nice if it were to be called Isobel! :) Sam's rabbit has also been delivered... I think he is going to get his bunny on Easter day though! I shall report back when I know how he liked it! :)"

Isobel tells me that "Laura" is something called a God-Daughter to one of Isobel's own daughters and Sam is her God-son!  We're looking forward to hearing about Sam's reaction to his Easter present:  somehow we don't think it will be to dance around the house:  but you never know! Not much has happened today on the ColdhamCuddlies Etsy site (http://www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com/) because it was the  annual clothing changeover (from winterweight gear to their summer wear for Isobel and Peter.  That means ironing shirts, dresses etc. so it may mean there won't be a post tomorrow. Meanwhile, to end today's input, here's  another picture of me and the newest Little Rabbits - Grey, Brown and Black/White.  It was taken with some of us balancing on the trunk of a very old Mulberry Tree in our garden here at the Hospital of St. John - which may (or may not) be nearly 400 years' old.  Certainly, Isobel says the trunk seems to be  made of metal, not wood! Bye for now - Cy Bear

ColdhamCuddliescalling: Further look at the new Baby Rabbits - as promised...

ColdhamCuddliescalling: Further look at the new Baby Rabbits - as promised...: "Hello there - Cy Bear back again! Isobel is really getting going with the Rejuvenation of Little RedTed - and she'll be telling ..."

Further look at the new Baby Rabbits - as promised!

Hello there - Cy Bear back again!

Isobel is really getting going with the Rejuvenation of Little RedTed - and she'll be telling you all about it next time she gets in front of her computer.  She's been taking pictures as she's gone along - she'll include them in her post - so she can remind herself how she did the job.  However,  she's been thinking!  (Always a dangerous sign, her family members might say at this point!)  If Little RedTed's owner is happy with the result, Isobel is thinking of going into a new sideline - setting up a ColdhamCuddlies' Soft Toy Hospital!  Seemingly everyone she talks to has (or knows someone who has) an old bear (or other cuddly toy) that has loved to bits (many times, quite literally) that  could well be made to look young again.  She's thinking about it anyway....

Meanwhile, whilst working on Little RedTed she's been trying to find time to do the other pictures of the Baby Bunnies in their individual colour groups - so they can ben listed on our Etsy site (http://www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com/).  Unfortunately, either the sunlight has not be in the right spot, or when it was, the batteries in her camera were too low!  However, she's hoping that everything will be in place tomorrow, so that she can complete the job and concentrate on finishing Little RedTed and then cut out and starting sewing Big Red Ted!

In the interim, I did promise to include more pictures of me with the pesky little rabbits - and here they are!   Until next time......

Unexpected contact - needing information

As a relative newbie to Etsy, I was amazed to get an e-mail a few weeks ago, from a lady living in California.   Now I don't know many people who live there and the enquiry related to the foxes in my shop (http://www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com/.).  (I was very encouraged that I could be reached in this way!)  ValerieW is her name and the message read "...I was just looking on the Internet for information on some old toy foxes that I have.  I found your web page with Ferdinand and Freda  and Freddy Fox (illustrated below)  .

Fred and Freda Boss Fox were made as Mascots



Ferdinand, a Hunting Gentleman Fox

Valerie went on to say that she also has a fourth fox - "named Flossy."  She wanted to know a bit more about their background.

Having replied, I got another message saying that she reckons her foxes were sent to her "in Texas, from my auntie living in Manchester, probably around 1953.  They have travelled with me to Oklahoma, South Carolina, back to Texas, to Turkey, back to England and then to California...."  Now apart from being well travelled, they are also long-lasting! 

One of the tags I use in all my toys' listings is just that - "long-lasting".  The longest lasting Fox that I have been responsible for is now over 35 and still going strong!  Think on.....as "they" say" and the Cuddlies look forward to welcoming you for a visit sometime soon!

Introduction of new members of the ColdhamCuddlies family

Hello again, folks!   It's Cy being allowed to have a word and hopefully Isobel and I will be able to start blogging again (alternate posts) in a more regular way.

Finally the 10 new baby rabbits are finished and almost ready for listing in the Etsy shop.  Just need to take some more pictures of them in their colourful groups, rather than en masse as the picture below shows.

There are ten of them altogether, and believe me, they are a handful when they get together!  We had a photo session in the garden here at the Hospital of St. John and although the sun wasn't shining as brightly as when the other pictures of me were taken, think this gives an impression of the happy handful.
Isobel says that they are little smaller than her other Baby Rabbits - because she left out a pattern piece!  Careless, or what?  However, she's happy with the way they've turned, will probably be offering them at a slightly lower price, and hopefully they'll soon find new homes.  Because they are littler than usual, Isobel's silly fingers took longer to cope with the seams etc - hence the length of time spent making them!

Some other pictures were taken elsewhere in the garden too, and another one is posted below:

There were a couple more, but I'll save them for another day.  Time to end this post - wishing you well for the upcoming week-end.  Cheers.  Cy Bear



Trying to get organised

Not easy, because there seem to be so many strings to the Etsy world and I don't seem to be getting the real hang of it all - just bits of it!

However, having started to make some sales (ever so slowly) am now concentrating on replenishing the shop and at the same time working out how I'm going to renovate Little Red Ted in a way that will not upset his long time owner.  Think I've worked it out:  once I've finished all the Baby Rabbits that Cy talked about in the last post (have two and a bit to go!) I'll get going and hopefully be able to do that project, as well as the Big Red Ted in time for April 27, which is when I expect the client to be attending a monthly meeting of the Ladies Section of the Royal British Legion, here at the Hospital of St. John.  By default, I am a member, and the meeting last month was where I was introduced to the Red Ted concept in the first place!

The Baby Rabbits have taken me longer  to do that usual - being so small, it really does work my fingers and thus is harder work than when doing projects like Cy and his Teddy Bear chums.  Haven't helped myself because I inadvertently missed a pattern piece out - which is resulting in the little fellas being smaller than usual.  When ready for the big world, they will be sold at a slightly lower price than the normal baby rabbits.  They will still have their ribbons etc. but are just littler!

Am also wondering what the effect of being interviewed by Mama Melinda for the http://www.InsideEtsy.blogspot.com/ on April 13 will be.  Probably not much, but on the other hand.....one never knows.  Have also followed her link to an outfit called Handmadeology, which is a site linked to Etsy and operated by a fellow Etsian.  His name is Tim Adams, and he seems to know what he's talking about not only about business on Etsy, but also in "the real world".  He runs an internet course which I'm also following, and think it will certainly be helpful in getting me to understand what I'm doing (or meant to be doing!) selling on the net.  See what I mean about "getting organised"?

Must stop now so that I can do some sewing:  am spending far too much time on the computer these days, but it is necessary (or so I keep telling myself).

"Missing Bear" finally located

Hello there:  it's Cy Bear back again.

Sorry for the delay in getting back, but Isobel has been so busy complying with my suggestion that her Etsy shop (http://www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com/) should be replenished after the recent departures for Edmonton, Alberta and Nottinghamshire, UK that she's not been able to put our thoughts down in a new post.

The Baby Rabbits are shortly going to be boosted by the addition of 10 more models:  two Black and White ones - they are still in bits:  four Grey ones (two with White fronts) - this time, their fur is a darker Grey and they are sewn together, but need stuffing and the addition of their tails and ears;  and four new Brown ones, two with White fronts.  Two of the Brown ones are stuffed, and one still needs ears, tail and facial features and ribbon added.  Isobel has also been deciding the best way to restore Red Ted to an acceptable state - poor chap really was in a state and in danger of letting down the Teddy Bear team!

Another problem that was exercising Isobel was the "Missing" Bear (this is him in this picture!)  that had successfully completed his journey to Massachusetts.  Although she had seen a picture of him in his very smart new sweater, she was unable to find the illustration when she came to put it in this blog.  She and Etsy have been working on the "disappearance", and this afternoon, she was delighted to find the message from Light Brown Bear's new owner and his picture on her Feedback bit of her Etsy Shop.

An update on the Edmonton crowd that left England a week ago today.  We got a message back yesterday that they, too, have arrived safely, and there was a picture of them too!

Got to go now - after doing this post twice (really, Isobel has got to get to grips with this blogging business!  Bye!  Cy Bear