Introducing a New Cuddly:  Winston Wombat - and further updates

I've just completed an experimental new addition to the Coldham Cuddlies Family.  He was finished in time for daughter Philippa's arrival and proved to be a major sensation as far as she was concerned.  He's  meant to be a Badger - using a pattern included in the book present from daughter Clare for our UK Mothering Sunday in March.  The book is entitled "Making Soft Toys for Children" and the author is Pamela Peake and my version was first printed in 1988 and reprinted in 1991.  The patterns in the book required enlargement - which I was able to have done by our Village Newsagent/Printshop:  but the end result was far too big for my purpose.  So I reduced each pattern pieces on my home printer and then tried to get the head to look right for use as a Glove Puppet.  Whilst that has yet to be achieved, I'm still very pleased with this result!

When I came to actually examine the plush fur pieces, I found that the striped plush off-cuts suitable for a Badger were not as many, or as large, as I had initially thought, but they could make a One of a Kind toy - and that is what happened!.  While some folks will say he looks like a Badger - being very kind people - he's not really, but does remind me of a Badger/Dog cross!  Philippa immediately said he was a Wombat - even though real Wombats are not stripey!

(When one is in the Cuddly Toy market, exact replicas are not always necessary - but this is really my first venture into such territory.  Promise you, it won't be the last, as I've quite enjoyed seeing what happens when I begin to experiment!)

 So,  please allow me to introduce you to the O.o.a.K.Winston Wombat Hot Water Bottle Cover or Bed Adornment or a really Cuddly Plush Toy.  After that long title, his Etsy Listing is #99230084, for those who want to see more about him and he took his place in the shop at www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies yesterday evening (BST).  The plush fur is so tactile that one's immediate instinct is to stroke him - and everyone who has seen him, has done so.

Winston Wombat's "stuffing" is actually a separate pillow, stuffed with the usual polyester fibre material I use for all the Cuddlies.

 When required to become a Hot Water Bottle Cover, the pillow can be extracted and the bottle inserted.  The bottle's top is slotted into Winston's tail, which I have made as a pocket - with the underside side made in black felt, and the top side using the plush fur material.  You can see that the pillow has it's own label (refer to my last post - 05/05/2012 - if you don't know what I'm talking about!), and there is an additional label stitched to the inside hem lining of the pocket.

This striped version of Winston Wombat is a One of a Kind, but Philippa has been sufficiently smitten with the original, that she has  decided her Christmas/Birthday presents this year for her Little People Friends around the country will be a Wombat Hot Water Bottle Cover.  Her versions (she has ordered 4 of them) will be made in the same material used for the Silver/Brown Bear  made earlier this year (Etsy Listing #95205668) - which, in fact, actually resembles a Real Wombat's coat!

There is also a lot more of that plush material available to me at the moment, than there is of the striped plush - but I'm still determined to try and create a Badger Glove Puppet!.  I'll be able to mix and match with my usual brown and white plush fabrics, used in conjunction with the striped stuff I've used for Winston.  Just keep watching this space, please!
 
Before closing:  I've been invited to  join a new blogging team - www.etsy.com/teams/misanthropy-creations-blog-team - and this post will be the first of mine to be sent to the Team Leader for her to edit and publish in due course.  Michelle, the Team Leader, is well plugged into the social media scene - and the objective of the team members is publicise our blogs (as well as our shops), using her existing social media exposure to the mutual benefit of us all.  Not sure how long  I'll last, but I'm willing to have a go.  I have to prepare this whole post in a HTML version and send it to her email - and then leave it to her.  Will keep you posted (or you may want to watch out on Stumble, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, WeHeartThis and Tumblr,  amongst others!.

See you around soon.  Isobel

Closing the Rusty Saga and attending to some Administrative Matters:

As promised in our last post on May 1, I managed to take two pictures of Rusty before he left Heytesbury for his current Forever Home in High Wycombe, driven by his Best Friend, Philippa.  Because the weather was inclement, and neither of us wanted him to get wet after all he's recently gone through, Rusty was transported in the same plastic bag in which his stuffing was provided by my suppliers!

You can see, he took up a lot of the back seat of Philippa's car - so much so that he was actually blocking a clear view from her rear view mirror.  So, for safety's sake, and as his arms would have caused some impediment to her safe driving if he'd sat in the passenger seat beside her, he ended up on his side for the journey home.  Thus a satisfactory end to what has been quite an experience!  He's a good match with her car, isn't he?

 
Now, to some slightly more mundane, but equally important matters.  At the end of March, (in a post on 31/03/2012) I mentioned that in future all Coldham Cuddlies listed at www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies would carry a label somewhere about their frame.  The woven labels finally arrived and the first new creation to be labelled was Cy Bear II, who was the subject of our last post - on 01.05.2012.  While acknowledging the usefulness of these additions (if only to provide some provenance should a Cuddly become a future valuable antique!) I've always felt that to have them on a Bear's foot pad for instance actually detracts from the overall appearance of that toy.  So, I've chosen to put my labels in a more discreet position - where possible - on their bottoms.  Thus, they will be labelled clearly - but it won't spoil their looks!

Since completing Rusty - who left on schedule (04/05/2012) with Philippa - I've been diligently applying the labels to all the existing toys in stock. (It does take me back - to the 1950's, when at the beginning of each school year, my mother and I set to, attaching name tapes to any new additions to the school uniform!)   The only toys who will probably not carry this additional embellishment are the Baby Rabbits (all versions) because their rumps are a little small for the labels with their existing dimensions.  The labels threaten to overwhelm them!   The Baby Koalas (Etsy Listing #55190188) are sufficiently big to carry the labels off!   There are now just 6 Dressed Toys that are listed at www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies, that still require their labels - all the others have been attended to.  Maybe, down the line, I'll get a smaller version of the labels, and then the Baby Rabbits and their ilk will not escape!There need to be some more sales first!!

Interestingly, and while on the subject of labels,  my stuffing source has recently also taken to attaching a label to the bag in which the polyester fibre is sold  to me.  For the sake of good order and the record, here is what it says:

                        " CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE
       
                         Filling materials have been tested by our supplier(s)
                         and meet the requirements of the Furniture and 
                         Furnishing (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988-BS5852 
                         part 2."

In past posts I've mentioned that the source for this (and the plush off-cuts and other materials  used for some of my Dressed Toys) is a Soft Furnishing/Upholstery Factory based in Frome, Somerset.  This information provides me with great comfort:  I  hope it does for you, my readers  - and all my toy customer friends as well.


Before closing:  I've been invited to  join a new blogging team - www.etsy.com/teams/misanthropy-creations-blog-team - and this post will be the first of mine to be sent to the Team Leader for her to edit and publish in due course.  Michelle, the Team Leader, is well plugged into the social media scene and  - I think - the objective of the team members is to publicise our blogs (as well as our shops), using her existing social media exposure to the mutual benefit of us all.  Not sure how long  I'll last, but I'm willing to have a go.  I have to prepare this whole post in a HTML version and send it to her email - and then leave it to her.  Will keep you posted (or you may want to watch out on Stumble, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, WeHeartThis and Tumblr,  amongst others!). Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ I do have some connection with:  the rest, I've not even tried to "play" with!


Given my recent luck when attempting to access new pastures on the internet, I'm a little fearful, but...... hopefully,

I'll see you around soon!     Isobel

Celebrating a Cuddlies' milestone, while returning to a  more normal life

Hello Everyone!  Cy Bear putting in an appearance!  After the recent trials and tribulations of life on the internet faced by Isobel, and then telling everyone all about the Renaissance of Rusty Bear,  I've finally been given the chance to tell you about some more exciting news for the ColdhamCuddlies family.  Before I do so, though,  I've got to apologise to him for calling Rusty, the Monster Bear!  I was not being rude, but compared with me, he is a Monster:  oops, sorry, a Giant Bear.

Now to the good news.  We have reached the quarter century of sales in the shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com.  25 sales have taken members of the Cuddlies Family to  live in their Forever Homes all around the world.  Several are in the USA, some in the UK and others in Australia, Saudi Arabia, France and Italy.  And, yesterday, Isobel was contacted by MrsSA who lives in Anchorage, Alaska who wants Charlie Coyote (Etsy Listing #67039032) to go and live with her daughter Lucy and make his Forever Home with them.  Lucy is mad about Foxes and is having a Fox Birthday at the end of May.  MrsSA said in a note to Isobel that Charlie "is the cutest (coyote that can be a) fox that I have ever seen!!!".  So, that's the beginning of the next quarter century of sales - here's to it being 50 before too long!

So, today Charlie has been wrapped up and Isobel took him to one of the Post Offices nearby who deal with international packets and parcels.  There's been a price rise in the cost of posting things in the UK (with effect from April 30), so all our postage rates have got to be changed.  Isobel had been hoping to wait to do that when the shop is shut for the summer holidays (June, July and August), but with Charlie travelling at the end of this week to Anchorage, the cost of his ticket had to be calculated and MrsSA told about the change in price before he could leave us.  Charlie will remain wrapped in his tissue paper and bubble wrap until the end of the week (when all the payment details have been settled), but meanwhile, we've had confirmation from Alaska that they are prepared to accept the postal charge hike - so all systems are "GO".

Then, I've been joined by someone who really does look like me.

That's him on the left and he doesn't have a real name yet - but to differentiate him from me, Isobel has called him Cy Bear II.  Not very original I know, but there we are.  He's made with the left-overs of the Beaver Lamb coat from which Isobel made me.  There was just sufficient whole pieces of hide  - and because the mistakes made with me have been learned, he does not have sharp seams on his limbs.  He would be a lot more child-friendly than I am, but he's not going to stay with us for long, though. He is a sort of custom order and his Forever Home is going to be in Normandy - living with Mons. Reynard and Mme Lapin - and he's going to travel with Peter and Isobel when they go to see MmeIM at the beginning of June.  Apparently it was seeing me, and learning that there was some Beaver Lamb fur left over that caused Cy Bear II to be ordered!

Isobel is worried that he and I will not last as long as the other toys living with MmeIM  have done - because we are both made of REAL fur, rather than the plush fabric used for all the other Bears and toys in the Cuddlies Family.  Once the hide was cut out to make us, the hide - being nearly 100 years' old - began to split as Isobel sewed the seams - particularly with Cy Bear II.  It's been nearly a year since I was made, and the hide had dried out even more.  The seams should hold for a while, but she cannot guarantee that we will last.  However, as neither of us are likely to be played with by Little People, and we will spend our lives sitting on a shelf, dressing table or bed, we may do better than some of the more modern toys in our world!

Isobel has also finished all 10 Baby Koalas that were ordered by MrRFE from Sequals in Italy.  They too were wrapped up, and got ready to travel today, but we don't know where MrRFE is presently.  He divides his time between Sequals (his home), UK and Dubai - where he works, and he's somewhere in between all of them at the present time.  All 10 Koalas have been individually wrapped in chemical-free tissue paper, and then wrapped in twos in bubble wrap.  Then the five individual bundles have been carefully placed in the polythene envelope in which they will be posted, and weighed to see how much the travelling costs will be.  As soon as we hear from MrRFE, they too will be off to their Forever Homes..

There will be some pictures of the  Baby Koalas - together with Cy Bear II and me in our next post. But in the interim, here's another of us two from a slightly different angle.

Meanwhile, that's it for tonight!  It is so good to be back with you all again.  Cy Bear.

The Renaissance of Rusty Bear - Final Appearance(s)

As promised in our last post, there are some pictures of Rusty, the Giant Bear, fully complete and showing himself off around the Hospital of St. John, Heytesbury were we all reside.

Here he is, sitting on one of the Garden benches in the Spring sunshine.

Now, he's moved to sit, propped up by a Flowering Cherry Tree in another part of the garden

Finally, when he visited one of our neighbours - who had seen him prior to his treatment and
 had specifically requested a return visit.  She was so impressed by his new look that she insisted on taking a picture of him on her sofa and then printing it off so that I could have a copy of it as well!  This lady is now in her late eighties, but loves using her computer and plays a lot of games on it.  She was delighted to be able to put her computer to a "better use" - her words, not mine!

That brings the saga of Rusty Bear to an end.  He is due to return home to High Wycombe at the end of this week - rather than the end of May, as earlier suggested.  I'll try to remember to take a picture of him sitting in his Best Friend, Philippa's new car prior to his departure.  Should be interesting to see what, if any, reaction occurs as they drive the 80-odd miles back home.  This time, there should be more traffic on the road - being a Friday afternoon, prior to a Bank Holiday!

The next post will be along shortly.  Am presently experimenting with one of the new animal patterns given me as a Mothers Day present by younger daughter, Clare.  While off-line I was able to complete Cy Bear's doppelganger, temporarily named Cy Bear II, who is waiting to travel to Normandy to join our recent Clinic patients, Mons. Reynard and Mme Lapin.   Also, the 10 Baby Koalas, destined to travel to Sequals, Italy to join The Italian Mob.  They are waiting for a departure date - but our friend, RFE is currently "on walkabout", and we await a signal from him as to when travel arrangements can be made.

Until the next post - all the best to everyone.  Isobel

The Renaissance of Rusty Bear, Part 3

It's been great to have as many comments on Part 2 as have arrived today - and I'm thrilled to inform everyone that www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com, despite the recent break-down in transmission now has 160 Followers!  Thanks so much to everyone.

Also, after all this time, I've discovered that not only can I invite you to follow us:  but you can become Friends of ours as well (until now, I had thought that was the same thing!)  So,  the more recent of you kind folk have just been invited via the Blogger Dashboard to become a Friend, as well as receiving a brief message of welcome to the Happy Band of Coldham Cuddlies!   My original Followers don't seem to be able to be contacted in the same way - you've been with us for a long time! - so I'm taking this opportunity to invite all of you who haven't received a specific invitation to take it as read - and become a FRIEND INDEED!  Not sure exactly what happens, if you don't - but not to worry:   the knowledge that you are supporting us as Followers is sufficient encouragement.

Now, to the next stage of Rusty's therapy:

Using a different angle to the final picture in our the last post, shows Rusty with tissue paper wrapped round his eyes.  Over the course of his lifetime, the pupils had become very scratched, with the black bits missing in all sorts of places on each eye.   So I called for advice from Helen, our House Supervisor here at the Hospital of St. John.  She, and fellow staff member here, Sue, are great Crafters in their own right and  have introduced me to suitable craft fairs since ColdhamCuddlies became operational.  They decided the best way of improving Rusty's sight was to paint the pupils over - with either enamel paint or nail varnish.  After briefly rubbing both eyes with sandpaper (to give some grip), Helen used Black Nail Varnish for the job (hence the use of tissues to separate the eyes from the surrounding plush fur fabric).  After two coatings, followed by a couple of coats of plain varnish, Rusty can now "see" without any interruption to his vision!

When he first arrived for treatment earlier this year, I guessed that when it came to stuffing the Giant Bear, it would probably take about 6 kilos (circa 14 lbs)  to do the complete job.  I'm fortunate that my source for this vital piece of toy-making (Fine Quality Feather Company in Frome, Somerset) are willing to sell me the polyester fibre for the same price per kilo (2.2lbs) that I can obtain 100 grammes (4 ozs) of the same stuff elsewhere!  However, there wasn't room in our flat for both Rusty-as-was and the 6 kilos of stuffing at the same time, so the latter was deposited in our storage unit some 10 miles away from Heytesbury.  The price of gas being what it is these days, and the fact that the unit is located somewhat out of our usual range of activities meant that it was a day or two before it was convenient for us to go and pick up the packaged stuffing.  It looked like this before the bags were unpacked, ready for use.

It was another Sunday morning that the stuffing procedure began.  Rusty was laid out on our bed, on his front, and I started to fill the legs first.

 

At Peter's specific suggestion, both the arms and legs are not stuffed as firmly as the body and head.- Because, when we went to stay with Philippa in December, Peter had a fall in the bedroom where Rusty reigns supreme in a wooden Rocking Chair, surrounded by all the Morrell Bear Family.  If it hadn't been for Rusty's soft legs, Peter could have hurt himself a great deal more than he did!  So, in case of future need (Heaven forfend), the legs are firm, but soft - rather than rock hard!

The following series of pictures shows how the stuffing was carried out.
 

By sitting him in the chair he currently occupies in our flat, I was able to get his legs set in a similar position to where they had been before, and it also enabled me to get a better angle on his head when it came to stuffing that part of his anatomy.

I'd kept his ears sewn in place when using the "Quic-unpic" to begin the treatment, so it was just a question of ladder-stitching the front and back head pieces together - and finally attaching his red tongue. 

After 25 years, although his original one was useable, it seemed appropriate to give him a fresh one after all the washing and drying he'd gone through.  The final touch was to tie his original ribbon round his neck - it too went through the washing, drying and, in its case, ironing process!

I've some more pictures of Rusty taken as he visited his new-found friends around the Hospital of St. John.  These will form the basis of my next post in a day or so.  So, for now, good bye!  Isobel.

Hello there to everyone!  Am no quite sure what happened to this post, but looking at my Archive and Edit Post pages this afternooon, I find that this has been languishing there as a Draft.  It may have been because I had only just managed to re-connect to Blogger, but whatever - don't think it will cause too much of a problem, but I really do apologise for those of you who have been following Rusty's progress!

This was posted May 7, 2012, although it is appearing in the right context!  

The Renaissance of Rusty Bear - Part 2:

Well, well - hello everybody, after a three week absence from the blogging scene.  Suffice to say that what with one thing and another, I return to the story of the Renaissance of Rusty Bear a great deal wiser about the dangers of working on the internet, and hopefully, having learned how to avoid some of the pitfalls that await a 71+ silver surfer who DOES indeed go where "angels fear to tread".

In Part 1 of this saga, poor Rusty's final picture shows him head down, inside out and hanging over and on a dustbin in the garbage area here at the Hospital of St. John, Heytesbury, where we live.  Having rid him of as much of the polystyrene filling and other stuffing mixture as possible, a change of plan was called for.  Originally, I'd intended to remove his eyes and nose - thinking that that could be easily accomplished:  however, once his stuffing had been totally removed it quickly became obvious that when Rusty was produced by a company located in Eastern Canada, these items had been put in, with the intention they would remain for ever!

The next stage was to get the Giant Bear cleaner, so once the bathroom was vacant, I ran a cold bath and carefully put him into the water, making sure that the entire carcass was covered.  He spent about six hours immersed in the water, and then came the difficult job of getting him out.

 Now my hands are not that strong these days, and Rusty thoroughly wet as he was,  was quite difficult to get out of the bath.  The task of wringing him out was accomplished eventually, and the remaining water in the bath was  definitely grey!

Rusty was then transported to the Hospital Laundry area and I carefully washed him using lukewarm water and delicate soap mixture to continue to remove the accumulated dirt of 25 years. It took two washes and several rinses before I was satisfied that I'd finally done the job!   He was too big to get into the spinner, so I had to try to wring him out by hand - somewhat unsuccessfully.  However, as it was on a Sunday that this took place, and there were spare  "Sheila Maids" (wood slatted driers that are hung from the ceiling) I could use, Rusty was carefully draped over one, conveniently placed between the boiler that operates part of the Hospital's heating system and a heater in the laundry area itself.  I had another dust sheet at the ready under the drier to catch the drips (plenty of them!) and left him for the rest of the day and night.

Next day, Rusty was dry, looking a great deal cleaner and ready to be stuffed.   Before leaving the laundry, I put the dust sheet (which was absolutely soaking wet) into the spinner and then hung it on the empty Sheila Maid so that it could, in turn, dry off.

 The stuffing operation was one that was likely to take some time, and I wasn't able to carry it out immediately.  So, Rusty was carefully laid over the fold-away bed in my work room in the apartment and finished drying off, ready for the next stage of his recovery.  In front of him are the Hedgehog Family that had recently been made, waiting to be photographed before listing at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com (Etsy Listings:  #95652141, 95653310, and 95653745 respectively).  Space in my work room is at a premium, and Rusty does take up quite a lot of space - and I'm pleased to say that he did not shrink as a result of his immersion!

The next installment will cover the final part of the renaissance and reveal Rusty Bear ready to be sent home to Best Friend, Philippa - a renunion now likely to take place at the end of May.

Be back with you (now I'm once again operational) in a day or so.  Meanwhile, good bye - it's just great to be blogging again!  Isobel

The Renaissance of Rusty Bear - Part I


When posting a couple of evenings ago, I ended with the promise that I would bite the bullet and get down to stuffing Rusty, the Giant Bear.  Well, I finally achieved it - after about 2-1/2 hours work before getting lunch on Sunday, and another three-quarters of an hour afterwards.  It wasn't as difficult as anticipated (often the case, isn't it, when one has been putting things off for some time?). I took several pictures, so the telling may get spread into two or more installments.

 

The photo with which I begin this tale shows just how much Rusty required help - he had accumulated over 25 years' worth of dust collected while travelling between Western Canada, the UK, spending some time in storage while daughter, Philippa - his Best Friend, had lived and worked in Belgium and then shunting around London when he and Philippa joined up once more.

When Rusty arrived in Heytesbury at Christmas, his size impressed dear Cy Bear who had only just got over not being as big as Tommy Teddy (whose treatment formed the post on 27/11/2011).  Cy Bear was almost overwhelmed and has since persisted in labelling Rusty as a "Monster Bear".  I don't think that's a kind description:  so from henceforth, he will be called a "Giant Bear".

The treatment began with me wielding my trusty "Quick Un-pic" and opening his head.  Fortunately, I'd taken the precaution of covering my workroom floor with a dust sheet, because his head stuffing - a mixture of tiny polystyrene balls and other assorted stuffing materials - promptly fell out.  Having collected as much as feasible into a nearby black garbage bag - everyone familiar with the adhering qualities of polystyrene to any man-made fabric (Rusty is made with a thick, long nap plush fabric) will understand that it was quite a job.  The stuff went everywhere but the dust sheet, and I spent valuable time vacuuming up the stuff that had gone round the room.

That left the rest of Rusty;   I realised that the next stage had to take place outside - in the area at the Hospital of St. John where all the garbage bins are housed!  He required to be carefully emptied, bit by bit,with as much of his stuffing as possible put into handy garbage bags and then turned inside out.  The polystyrene behaved as expected, so once he had been turned inside out -

I got the hand vacuum out and removed the rest of the stuffing from his seams, and other parts of his torso.

The post will have to end now, as the page is coming to the bottom.  Next installment will therefore follow - soon.  Until then, good night!  Isobel