Crab Apple Butter ready for the Store Cupboard. These were the larger jam jars used. |
Sunday, 30 August 2020
Sunday, 23 August 2020
Our Black Squirrel in Search of a Forever Home
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.
Sunday, 16 August 2020
Potential Light At The End Of The Technology Tunnel + Harvesting Crab Apples
Head of One Smith Cat Toy (with ears wrongly placed). That will be corrected later! |
The Head with Two of the Bodies ready for stuffing |
One of the Dress Skirts for One of the Cat Toys |
This is one of two skirts being made from MrSS's Two shirts provided for the project. |
Sunday, 9 August 2020
Still Battling Technology, But There May Still Be Hope
Hello again Everyone - Cy Bear back once more
A full frontal view of our Child's size Panda Head Golf Club Saver |
Showing off the shorter Self Colour Black Metal Handle Cover |
Child Golf Club Saver from a different angle |
The first view of our New Grey Cat Arm Puppet, being operated for photographic purposes by our friend and neighbour, MrRY - who kindly helps Isobel in these situations.
One view of the Grey Cat Arm Puppet, showing his paws |
The New Grey Cat Arm Puppet viewing his surroundings and greeting "His Public" |
The New Grey Cat Puppet waiting for his Travel Papers to be prepared in a Final Farewell Photo |
Next week sees us take another step in our exploration of the toy export market with Isobel booked for a 30 minute One to One telephone meeting with MsSR (or MrDB) from the UK Department of International Trade. That all sounds quite interesting - and hopefully will lead to some new adventures I can share with you all. Maybe, even, we might make further progress with the whole Facebook saga- who knows: stranger things have happened!! (Due to the photograph hunt, the third link MsSR gave Isobel hasn't yet been approached. Given time, she hopes to be able to do it today. Alas, there has been the usual silence in news from THE TARGET!!)
In the meantime, that's all from me for this week. Hope everyone is taking care of themselves, and not doing anything to attract more lock downs happening: local or not, they don't sound very nice from a Beaver Lamb Bear's point of view, and even worse I should imagine from everyone else's.
See you next time.
Your Friend
Cy Bear
Sunday, 2 August 2020
Technology Can Sometimes Overwhelm One! It is Now!!!
Greetings Everybody!
who has gone "walkabout".
We've also uploaded the photos of the new version of the Panda Head Golf Club Cover - which we presume is also currently "safely" stored in the Personal Vault, as we can't find it where we used to before the Microsoft upgrade! Isobel is going to have to add it to this post when we finally run the latest photographs to earth (or, now we've got some relevant photos, we'll have a separate post once we've unravelled the latest technological developments). We'll have to do the same with the new Grey Cat Arm Puppet, but meanwhile, we do have photos of a previous Grey Cat Puppet, made with the same pattern but using a Grey plush material chosen by the intended recipient himself, so Isobel will include them in this post - to break up all the printed matter.
Cy Bear back again with this week's news from the ColdhamCuddlies Shop and world. Technologically, it has been a bit frustrating. Things seem to be moving on the Facebook front that I mentioned last week - in that it looks as though someone has realised Isobel is in a bit of pickle with their site, and are trying to rectify things! However, it isn't helping yet at our end,however - because they don't get in touch in response directly! Now most of our posts are not being read - except two or three days later (which kind of misses the point don't you think?) Well, as promised (threatened?) last week, last night Isobel copied and pasted her missive of last week, and sent it to the second link that our Department of International Trade (DIT) contact sent her. We'll see if anything more transpires this time around.
This was a Grey Plush Custom Order of a Grey Tiger Who Lost His Stripes - the Buyer remembered the original character as more grey than beige from his childhood, but wanted the same nose! |
The Grey Cat Arm Puppet Isobel told you about last week (now to be made with the same fabric as used for out Elephant Toy - see photo below) was also cut out, sewn and sent off on Friday, so it should be on it's travels to Denton, Texas by now - if all the travel connections worked - see our postscript.
The Elephant's rump, showing the fabric it's made with |
We're going to list it as a New Coldham Cuddly Toy - even though we do have a Grey Cat Arm Puppet already listed in the Shop. This one looks very different from this first one - which was one of our first Custom Orders some years ago. The latest Cat Puppet has had the photographs taken before it was posted last week, and Isobel has uploaded it to the computer photo files, but thanks to the recent Microsoft upgrade - and the arrival of the new smartphone Isobel is starting to suspect - has somehow disappeared into a new "Personal Vault" where such things can now be "safely" stored (without Isobel knowing it now existed!). Technology really is a frustrating thing when it doesn't actually help us!!
The Custom Ordered (special fabric) Grey Cat Puppet |
As part of our on-going re-arrangement of the Shop (now that we've done several "one-off" custom orders) Isobel is going to create a new Section in our Shop - and our original Grey Cat Puppet - seen above and now also a One of a Kind Puppet in future, will be joined by the Arm Puppets we told you about just after we resumed posting a few weeks ago. (Blue Teddy Bear, Bun-Bun Rabbit and Teddy Bear Dog Arm Puppets among them - 26.06.20).
Alas, one of our Tiger Who Lost His Stripes Arm Puppets still hasn't reached his destination (after 12 weeks en route!). The Buyer, understandably cross, contacted Isobel on Monday. We refunded her the total cost of the order, and Isobel has claimed the lost money from Royal Mail - the reason why we send EVERY Toy by either Special Delivery (in the UK), or International Tracked & Signed For service if going anywhere else in the world (not JUST the U.S.A.).
It's one of the current "new-look" Tiger Who Lost His Stripes |
Fortunately, Isobel had all the necessary paper-work to hand, and copies of it accompanied the Claim Form, which was posted to Royal Mail Lost Post services on Tuesday. This incident happens to be the first of its kind for COLDHAMCUDDLIES in the 10 years we have been operating, but it's annoying and upsetting all the same. We don't like disappointing youngsters who might have been expecting to have a new playmate by now. Isobel suspects that the Tiger is lurking in a Customs Shed somewhere in the U.S.A, and she's hoping that now the Tracking system has been activated we will flush it out from wherever it's been languishing. We've had Toys take their time getting home, but never actually seemingly lost for good before. We hope we've alerted the authorities in time, because MrsSG the disappointed buyer was VERY patient and waited almost 3 months to tell us it had not arrived, and Royal Mail has a time limit on when claims can be registered! We think we just made it!!
We've also uploaded the photos of the new version of the Panda Head Golf Club Cover - which we presume is also currently "safely" stored in the Personal Vault, as we can't find it where we used to before the Microsoft upgrade! Isobel is going to have to add it to this post when we finally run the latest photographs to earth (or, now we've got some relevant photos, we'll have a separate post once we've unravelled the latest technological developments). We'll have to do the same with the new Grey Cat Arm Puppet, but meanwhile, we do have photos of a previous Grey Cat Puppet, made with the same pattern but using a Grey plush material chosen by the intended recipient himself, so Isobel will include them in this post - to break up all the printed matter.
With that, I'll close for this week. Isobel is currently unstitching the shirts sent to us by MsVS that belonged to our dear former friend/designer MrSS from Tulsa, OK. Whoever made them certainly did not intend them to be undone! She's on the third and final garment, and has already spent two evenings solidly unstitching them. Then will come the important creation process - which is still a project-in-planning".
See you all again soon - hopefully in a more technologically friendly space once more! You All Stay Safe now though.
Your Friend
Cy Bear
PS: Isobel has just checked the Royal Mail Tracker page - and we can confirm that our latest Grey Cat Arm Puppet is "In Transit!" - and we'll be able to check his progress once he reaches the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Fingers crossed he doesn't get way-laid en route too!
Sunday, 26 July 2020
We now have a "Heffalump" among the Cuddlies Family.
Good afternoon Everybody. Cy Bear here, and hoping you've all had a good week!
As promised in last week's post, I'm going to tell you all about our New Elephant Toy (he's shown below ) today, but will start with an update on non-toy activities that have happened during last week - which seems to have passed at incredible speed - again. Seems like yesterday Isobel and I were involved in last week's post.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/825844254/ |
Well, familiarity with the new mobile telephone is proceeding at a slow, but steady pace. Isobel is taking things VERY slowly so that she doesn't have to waste time after making her inevitable mistakes! So far, any that have occurred, haven't been "vital" ones, and she's been able to self-correct, although as more things are added, it seems the computer is beginning to "interfere", as well as the situation not being aided by the Operating System (whatever that is) being upgraded, and that's not helping!!.
Close up of Elephant's face - and only just fitting on the radiator |
The exporting research/planning has moved a step closer with a date being set for the one-to-one meeting between Isobel and the "social media expert"- recently recruited to the East Midlands office of the UK Department of International Trade (DIT) - now in our diary for 11th August. (She's a replacement for another person, though: not a brand new recruit!) Isobel has already been given three possible on-line links to Facebook (something that is always on our minds), one of which will hopefully enable Isobel to sort out our presence on that site - once and for all! A long message was sent to the first link yesterday - fingers crossed we'll hear back from somebody helpful ere long! (So..... one link down, and two more to try!)
Front Facial View - shows how fluffy and soft Elephant is, doesn't it? |
Isobel was able to finish the latest Panda Bear Golf Club Saver order and it's on its way to Coatesville, PA, USA. It was somewhat different from our usual one though. When "chatting" with MrsCC, the Buyer, we discovered it was actually intended for her nine-year old daughter. As usual, Isobel began by knitting the metal handle cover part of the Golf Club Saver, and woke up the day after beginning to wonder if that meant the final product might not need to be quite as long for the knitted bit as we usually do. She was right: the club is eight inches shorter than our usual model - and the club head was about 2" smaller all round too. While that meant not as much knitting was required, it did mean Isobel was then unable to check at each stage of the sewing process that we were going along the right lines (or size in this case). Guessing is not Isobel's favourite pastime, but we had no option. Also, this was the first time that we'd used our "new" way of padding the Animal Heads we use for the driver bit of the club, using our usual Golf Club Saver templates. (That means using up remnants of our faux fur fabrics instead of making a whole new club cover lining and then putting stuffing between the outer layer and lining). When the smaller head cover was complete this time it was certainly too small for our existing Club model - which means we'll have to create another template for each future Animal we are asked to use - but Isobel guessed it would be OK for the smaller children's size golf club we were dealing with this time. The finished Panda Club Cover was also different in that the proposed User wanted the whole thing completely black - instead of in our usual patterned style. We're hoping it will be acceptable - as it's not due to arrive until the middle of next week. (Because of the operating system upgrade, the photos Isobel took have somehow "disappeared" into some part of the system - so that's another bit of technology to fathom/fight/overcome! If we recover them in time, I'll post a picture of the new version next week - or whenever!)
Meanwhile, Isobel is back to Arm Puppet manufacture - this time for a Grey Cat Puppet in the style of a famous Cat Puppet of yesteryear - starring in the re-runs of a popular US Childrens' TV programme popular when Isobel and Family lived in Canada, and recently up-dated in the United States of America. Our Cat Puppet will be "friends" with our Tiger Who Lost His Stripes puppet - because the Buyer actually wants Isobel to make both of them for her Son, who has fallen for both of them.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/650644825/Tiger-Puppets |
Originally, MrsKB wanted them both together for a mid-August birthday gift for her ten-year old son. He wanted the Grey Cat made in the same material as our Elephant (which means the "experiment - as far as Isobel was concerned - now needs replenishment!), but prefered the original fabric for our Tiger Puppet. (We ran out of that, as I told you in an earlier edition of this blog. That's now been rectified, so we are hopefully ready to cope with any Orders needed for Christmas onwards!) However it might mean that the Grey Cat Puppet will be there for the birthday date - or a few days after - and the Tiger Who Lost His Stripes one will be there for Christmas!.
Now for our new Friend the Elephant. His pattern is to be found in the same book that produced Wonky Pig, and our Frog, Owls and Cat - which can be seen by clicking here - https://www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies - previously, and will be used to create our Mum and Dad Lion (complete with a Mane) later this year. Isobel stuck to the pattern as written in the book, and the final production did not produce any surprises this time around.
The view from the other side. He didn't fit quite so well on the radiator so his back foot looks "wonky", but it really isn't! |
So, that's how Elephant (or Heffalump - you can choose!) was made. He's settling in well, and we hope it won't be long before he finds himself a home.
A rear view of Elephant showing his tail |
On the "house-keeping" side of the Shop, we've at last found the right sized manilla envelopes in which we can now store patterns that have to be stuck together (as both Elephant and Pink Pig do) to produce a seamless body to work with. Isobel plans to put all our pattern files - smaller manilla envelopes - into them as the weeks go by. (The current "files" are looking rather "tired"- after 10 years' handling). However the new envelopes take up more space in our bookshelves, so we'll need to rearrange where our other books go because the shelf they now occupy isn't high enough accommodate the new ones. That's going to be an "interesting" proposition. I'll have to watch where Isobel puts them, in case it affects my future sitting spaces as well!
Elephant (wrong side) - showing how Isobel oversews all the seams - to keep the fluff under control |
That's it for this week. Have a good one Everyone - and here's hoping it will be more sunny and a little less rainy than it has been for the last few in the UK.
Keep Safe: see you next week.
Your Friend
Cy Bear.
Sunday, 19 July 2020
Twin Otters Join the Coldham Cuddlies Family
Hello there Everyone: Cy Bear back once more, and this time - fingers crossed - with no more technical hitches, as happened last week.
This week, though, there have been some technical changes that we instigated. Isobel has decided to finally ditch our first smartphone - which broke completely when the Covid19 pandemic first hit us in the UK, and get herself a new one. She will need a better, more up to date model if our exporting expansion plans take hold, and she was getting absolutely nowhere with the company she had been dealing with since 2017. (When we first got a mobile phone - so that she could accept credit/debit cards - whatever they are, when we were selling Cuddlies at Bazaars and Craft Fairs). Beaver Lamb Bears like me don't need them, thank goodness. She was intent on keeping our existing mobile number (+44 7414 087192 (she had taken long enough to learn it!) and was unable to do it with the existing arrangements. So, on Friday she went and purchased a completely new one - and has been gingerly getting to know it and try to make it work. We've still got the important telephone number, and so far, so good. I'll doubtless be reporting on progress (or lack of it of course) as we go along!
Introducing the Otter Twins
Meanwhile, the Elephant I told you about last week was completed - and has been listed in our Shop (you'll hear about him soon). At least, she was able to fathom the many seams insisted on by the original designer this time, and our "Heffalump" did not turn out Wonky! Isobel stuck with the instructions this time all the way through, and there wasn't the mistake we encountered with Wonky Pig, whom I told you about last week. We knew that Wonky had got to his new home, thanks to being able to track his journey (as we do with every Toy that leaves us for their future dwellings)
This is what arrived in our Review Section in the Shop at the end of last week -
PaulaSweetP on 14 Jul, 2020
5 out of 5 stars
Such a beautifully made plush piggy. Wonderful communication and I would definitely buy from Coldham Cuddlies again. Everyone should own a Coldham Cuddly.
- it can be seen in our Shop, but I'll repeat it here just to make sure it gets seen as widely as possible!
Now that's last week's round-up done, so I'll continue this week's blog with more about The Otter Twins. Isobel called them that, but of course - because she cannot make two Toys look EXACTLY the same - there are some differences if you want to be "picky". One is clearly a bit stouter that the other. Although they were cut out using the same pattern. (One is obviously hungrier - for stuffing - than the other)!
They can of course also be sold separately and they were really fun to make. Isobel was familiar with how the seams worked here because of course the arms upwards form the basis of our popular Golf Club Protectors - with their different colour fishes, and the special Custom ordered White Otter Golf Club Saver
Both patterns have been possible thanks to Isobel being able to download the free original patterns created by Jenny Mai from https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Fluffmonger, and using her "Squeakers" the Otter pattern. Our fishes replace the original item that Jenny's Otter friend holds - with her permission.
This view from the rear definitely emphasises the difference in size of the Twins (just like in "real" life such things can happen!). Both the Otters are made with Brown Fleece that we now source from a Nottingham fabric supplier, and the material is lovely and tactile. As usual, we use polyester stuffing that meets the following British and European Standards for Soft Toymaking:
BS 1425 for cleanliness: BS5852 for flammability: BS EN71-3:2013 Compliance for Soft Toys sold within the European Union.
Both have been listed (before the newest Shop member - who will form the basis for next week's post here) in our shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies.
Hoping everyone has a great week, that the weather will finally decide it's summer time here in the UK, and, above all, EVERYONE Stay Safe!
Your Friend,
Cy Bear
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