The Puppet Saga is drawing to a close - with the Tiger and Cat Puppet prototypes now finished.

Good afternoon everyone (or at least it is here in the UK). 
Cy Bear back again, and this time to introduce you to the completed prototype for Daniel Tiger Puppet - which I wrote about in a post about the Tulsa Puppets and what they now look like a few bulletins ago.

This is what the prototype Tiger's head  looked like when Isobel originally made it (using the pattern received from Tulsa earlier)..  She has now made the mouth a bit bigger, so he doesn't look quite so severe. Then, using the body pattern we were provided by MrJS from Tulsa and changing the arms in the way he showed he'd done for the Royal Family Puppets I told you about in our posts (dated 27/05/2015 and 24/05/2015), Isobel created Daniel Prototype Tiger so he now looks like this.

He's being modelled by the hand of one of  Isobel's fellow residents in the residential complex we now live in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire - and you can see part of the body of another lady friend behind the puppet.  It's a bit difficult taking these photographs sometimes, because we have to catch the residents when they're all together.  Our flats are very comfortable for one or two people at a time, but when they all want to get togther, it has to be in their Residents' Lounge, and then they all seem to sit together and Isobel doesn't like to get them to move once they are comfortable.  Some of them are a lot older than she is I gather - and she tells me that the lady in the picture is the oldest resident in the complex - 95 years young.    Before Daniel's Prototype gets listed, Isobel is going to get either Clare or Alan to model the puppet, and hopefully the background will be plainer.  She has got to take some things round to Clare's house tomorrow, so hopefully she can get something done then - and then both the Cat Prototype Puppet and Daniel's shadow can be listed together in the shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES.

Because the Cat Puppet is that much smaller, Isobel was able to get a better background for him/her, so this is a photo of the finished toy.  He'll have to remain a prototype puppet, because - as you can plainly see from this picture - Isobel made a mistake when cutting the pattern out.  His fur doesn't go the same way on each side of his back.  It won't make any difference to the person playing with it - but doesn't LOOK quite right if you are a perfectionist - as Isobel is.     Before closing here are two more pictures of our Daniel  from the back and side views - just to give you an idea of his stripey markings:

That photo shows Daniel from the side - you can see his prominent orange nose  fairly clearly! This one is his back with the background a slightly lighter colour than his front:

We've finally received the "proper" pattern MrJS wants the REAL DANIEL to be made with, and it's planned that the project will get started this week.  

Meanwhile, Isobel has been able to proceed with the latch hook rug project she told you about last week - and on Friday afternoon received a re-supply of the required wool which will hopefully enable her to finish it without any interruptions during the coming weeks. (The rug wool came in packets of roughly 161 strips each, and she calculated she needed 32 packets of the background colour to finish it!  Let's hope her calculations are accurate!)  She's trying to set aside a couple of hours a day to do it - in daylight - and so far, it's going well.  Working without a real pattern to follow - something she finds challenging at any time, apparently - is proving "interesting"!

With that coment, I'll end this post for this week.  Great to be back - hope everyone is well and that the weather is being summery with you all.  It  has still to get like that here where we are in the UK - but apparently there might be some warmer weather in the offing soon.
Your friend, Cy Bear.

A different craft for Isobel: taking over from another crafter, who lost interest.

Hello there - a day late! 

Cy Bear here just to let you know that all is well, but to also apologise for not posting as usual yesterday.

Earlier this year, one of our Sleepy Koalas ( https://www.etsy.com/listing/219278790/sleepy-koala-bear-grey-and-white-faux?ref=shop_home_active_8) left us for its new Forever Home in Devon, UK, and it was followed shortly thereafter by its Adopting Friend, MsHG ordering first the Grey Baby Koala (https://www.etsy.com/listing/55190188/toy-koala-tree-bear-grey-fleck-and-white?ref=shop_home_active_7) to keep Sleepy company, and then the Brown one - because we're no longer making them, to conserve the faux fur for our Big Light Brown Teddy Bears ( https://www.etsy.com/listing/69778158/teddy-bear-collectable-furrytoy-light?ref=shop_home_active_190).

Because Isobel has got involved in another craft recently, we've not been doing quite as much on the Coldham  Cuddlies front that is new for us to post about.  So, as our computer has also been out of commission today as far as Isobel is concerned (it's been being cleaned out, because there was too much stored on the hard disc), we decided we'd show you this picture of a recent Farewell Ceremony to start with - and then Isobel can take over from here to tell you about the new craft project.

Thank you Cy Bear:  good to be back with everyone and my apologies too for the late post this week.  Yesterday saw me otherwise occupied in family oriented activities (the First Communion of Clare and Alan's godson, followed by a family party) and it was just too late for any blog composition to take place.  

However, I thought I'd let you see how my time is being taken up with a change of craft - which my fellow residents and I hope will result in an injection of funds for our future entertainment.  The Tenants Committee spend time organising outings for us and - naturally - they cost.  So, the Housing Association who runs our complex encourages its residents to undertake independent activities.  While they do contribute some funds towards the cost of such events, they also encourage their tenants to raise their own funds independently.

A few weeks ago, a former resident, who still visits at our regular weekly Coffee mornings, mentioned she had a half-finished latch hook rug that she wanted to get rid of (she had started spring cleaning a bit earlier and needed more space in her current dwelling).  Apparently, the project had been started some 10-15 years ago, when she was living in Cyprus - although she had purchased the wool and canvas here in Kirkby-in-Ashfield either before she moved there, or during a visit home while she was living abroad.  In the interim, she'd lost interest in the rug and still couldn't motivate herself to finish it off.  She offered it to anyone in the room at the time who might like to take it over - with the Residents deciding what to do with the finished item.

I was the only person who had either ever made such a rug (in the 1960's, when I made one for an Aunt and Uncle's 40th Wedding Anniversary!), and I still had the latch hook among my craft tool store.  So, I volunteered to take it over - and three weeks or so later, the package duly arrived, together with the wool supplies she could find in her home.

This is half the rug, and the original crafter had done one side up to the middle white row.  The opposite side was not level, so I started out by working the other side to match.  However, during that exercise,  it rapidly became clear that there was not going to be sufficient green or white yarn for the project to be completed.  (Now anyone with any knowledge of matching yarns when one is actually involved in a project knows that a total match is not always possible - whether one knits, crochets or, as in in this case, hooks rugs.  When there's a 10-15 year break in the mix, the problem is definitely intensified.)  

So I set about seeing  how to  replenish my wool supplies to the point the project could be completed.  Our benefactor told me where she'd got the wool in the first place, so as the market stall was still in existence (although not necessarily in the same hands) I started there.  A total blank - the current stall holder does not sell rug wool any more, and couldn't remember ever having done so.  A similar result was achieved by visiting every haberdashery supplier in the immediate neighbourhood. 

So an internet search was begun and I discovered five or six likely candidates and started approaching them.  One was particularly promising, because not only did they sell rug wools, but they appeared to have a green that might be a good match - (or near-match) - AND they also supply the polyester fibre stuffing needed for the Cuddlies.  My current stock is dwindling, and their prices are very competitive with those I have been accustomed to pay previously in Wiltshire.  

So, having levelled the two sides of the rug, I decided to use the white wool (it's actually a creamy pink, until one has hooked it onto the canvas) and edged the whole pattern as I decided to change the pattern and use up the brown, rust and red colours, as well as the mixed greens,  in a different way. 

 Provided I  get a reasonable match, I'm going to get more cream wool like the sample already received.  Although it's a lot more creamy than the original one - once mixed up together and latched I don't think it will look too peculiar, especially as there's going to be a different pattern (which will be revealed when the project is completed!)

The independent square shown in the second picture, is the replacement cream wool, which is also a little shorter than the original wool piece.  I've made this up, so that I can created a template - it's  approximately 10 mm square (4 inches) - which  will then be used on the blank canvas to calculate how many more packets of the creamy white wool I will need to complete the project. You can see that when it's made up, the colours are not that different where the cream is concerned. 

The green does have more of a difference, but it has been agreed by one and all (the progress is monitored with interest by my fellow residents!) that when complete, it should not look too bad - because it will look as though the colours have been deliberately chosen to look like that!!  (I do profoundly hope that indeed it will be so!)   The intention is to use up the colours in squares alternating with the cream background until the hole in the middle is filled.  I managed to do two green squares this afternoon - I'm planning on spending up to a couple of hours each afternoon until the thing is finished - and it's not looking too bad so far.

Meanwhile, the other tenants are debating how best to use the finished rug as a fund-raising tool - the cost of the replacement wool is being met half from the existing Tenants funds and the rest from the Cuddlies.  We've been offered a 10% discount on any purchases I make from the firm I located after the internet trawl.  

You will be updated - and meanwhile, this evening, as a bit of a respite, I've managed to almost complete the Tiger Prototype Puppet I've been working on, while waiting for the new pattern for Daniel Tiger to arrive from Tulsa.  Am hoping that will come this week, so that I can get on and finish that contract, and then get on with replacement Cuddlies - have got a lovely supply of new poplin fabrics for Lady Toys that I can't wait to make up.

Until then - Cy Bear and I will sign off, while wishing everyone a good week.

Possible new roles for some Cuddlies.

Good afternoon/evening Everyone!
Cy Bear back again because Isobel decided she'd posted enough for a week or two!  I'm delighted because it can get a bit boring just sitting on my own on her bed day after day, when she's busy doing all the other things she gets up to - in addition to making us Cuddlies.
However, to get back to the title of this particular post.  As regular readers here know I have several roles in my life to fulfil.  I'm first and foremost the Mascot for the Shop (https://www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES).  As well as that I am co-author here, and also perform the very important function of being Principal Friend to all the Cuddlies.  The duties there involve welcoming any Patients that come to be treated in our Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/79124185/stuffed-toy-animal-restoration-clinic?ref=shop_home_active_24

Three former Patients, whom I welcomed on arrival and are now back in their respective homes

and, of course, taking part in every Farewell Ceremony (when Isobel doesn't pack the departing Cuddly before I can participate that is!) when a Cuddly is adopted and leaves us for their Forever Homes.  
On the COLDHAMCUDDLIES banner for both the Shop and the Blog, the underlying tag  says that we Cuddlies are "Companion Toys" and "Mascots", and Isobel has decided to add another role for us Cuddlies to undertake.  She's thinking about how we can be used to help new adopted babies/younger children to settle into their own new Forever Homes.  When you think about it, ALL  the Cuddlies are Adopted Toys themselves, so who better to help to introduce Little People to their new surroundings? 

The idea was first mooted when Isobel met the Social Worker originally appointed to deal with Clare and Alan while they proceeded through their own adoption process.  He felt that the fact Isobel made us Cuddlies might well prove to be most helpful as and when their Little One arrived.  Isobel has been pondering since then just how we could be used in such a role.  Alas, he unexpectedly, and unfortunately, died and the idea has since been allowed to remain just that - an Idea.

During the Adoption process  operated by one of the UK agencies (one of whom is supervising the potential arrival of a Little Person into Isobel's Family's lives) at the later stages, the Adopting Parents are asked to create an Introduction Book in which pictures of where they will be living, where they will sleep, who they will be being looked after (the new parents) and any animals that will also share the Little One's space.  In this era of electronic media, this book can now be produced as an E-book (whatever that is), and it even allows the Adopting Parents the chance to record their voices (as well as pictures of themselves) for the Foster Parents looking after the Little People to show/play.  (Isobel, who was adopted herself because her parents died when she was a small baby, says she thinks this is a great idea - she'd love to know what her Mum sounded like or if her Father, who was a Scotsman educated in England, had a Scottish accent or not!)
I've just heard that one of my Purple Fleece Rabbit friends is going to be used in just such a way. He - who is going to be called BOB - is going to be shown  in all the places that the new Little Person will be living in future.  So, for example, Bob will sit in the cot - which is already made up.  Bob will be shown in all the relevant rooms and, probably, in the pram and car seat.  All designed to make the Little Person somewhat familiar with their proposed new surroundings.
Now Isobel just happens to have a Purple Fleece Rabbit - who was made at the same time as Bob - and to remind you what they looks like, here is Bouncer (I've just thought of that name, by the way) standing in two different places in the garden where Isobel and I are now living.

This picture, I am told, is just outside the front door of the block in which we now reside - and the one below shows the small front lawn of the block next door within the lovely garden that surrounds the complex. 

  The garden is  not as big as the one we had in Wiltshire, nor does it have as many nooks and crannies which can be used to take photographs of us Cuddlies.  However, there are sufficient different spaces that Isobel can use, and she intends to retake photographs of everyone still in our store as and when the time and weather permits - when (or if ever) the summer finally arrives!

There's also one new development I'd like to tell you about.  I've recently been involved in a Farewell Ceremony for one of our Light Brown Bears who travelled to Southbridge, Masschusetts.  He arrived safely, I'm pleased to say.  He was part of a duo Isobel made for our Second Best Customer, MrsB.  His partner in crime, Bear with a Yellow Bow (shown here), 

is being submitted for a Teddy Bear Making Competition - that is if Isobel can make the various links work for her.  If that happens, and if by any chance he is successful, you will, of course be  told!  The deadline for submissions is today and judging will take place in September/October this year.  So, don't hold your breaths, please.  (He and I have been sitting together on Isobel's bed since he was made, so that he didn't feel lonely when his chum departed for the USA.  But now he's an entry into this competition, he's been put away in a drawer - so that he doesn't get sold by mistake, or get unnecessarily dusty by sitting outside)

Close up of Lt Brown Bear with Yellow Bow

Until the next time, I hope everyone is well, not suffering from too unpleasant weather conditions - as I hear my Tiger and Cat Puppet Friends family in Tulsa are currently - and that we'll meet again soon.
Good night and God bless  Your Friend, Cy Bear.

What happened next in the Tulsa Puppet Saga

Greetings to Everyone - this is the continuation of our story of the Puppet making collaboration between our Puppeteer Customer, MrJS from Tulsa, Okalahoma and Isobel, which has been in progress since October 2014, and is reaching its final stages. 

 Last week, I told you about DanielS Puppet, who morphed into becoming Collette.   It was a shorter post than usual because it took Isobel so long to work out how to transfer the pictures from MrJS's emails onto this blog page.  This week, after further study and practice, she thinks she's got it sussed, so, I'd now like to show you what happened to Grandpere Tiger, starting with what he looked likejust before he left us:

This was Grandpere before Isobel added a goatee beard and mustache to his facial features.  The next post is of him with the additional details added.

She wasn't entirely happy with this result, but MrJS - whom you will have realised is pretty handy with the needle and thread himself, said he'd "play" around with what we'd attempted and this is what Grandpere now looks like in the Tulsa Puppet Collection.  (His mustache looks much better, and the goatee beard (Isobel's second attempt, actually) looks much more in proportion!)

Isobel then made eight different bodies for MrJS so he could add different heads and dress them up to be some of the characters in the original  "Mr. Roger's Neighbourhood" stories. First he produced "Cornflake" - who in the series ran the Village Shop, apparently.  MrJS's version now looks like this:

Thereafter, over the next few weeks, we were sent pictures of  - firstly:

The Puppet named Lady Elaine.  Now, I think Isobel has said earlier in the Tulsa Puppet Saga, that she herself doesn't actually remember all these characters.  When the programme was shown on television when the Family were living in Canada, it was aired at the same time as she was cooking the evening family meal.  Thus, she can remember hearing the voices and stories, but cannot always put faces to the sounds.  (Both the girls will probably remember them - as they were regular viewers and thoroughly enjoyed meeting the characters.)

This puppet, King Friday, in all his glory, caused MrJS some grief apparently:  looking at his royal robes, both of us can see why.  The fur trimming on his train in particular must have been difficult to do, let alone his shimmering royal robe.  However you can see how his head (and that of Lady Elaine) was attached to our bodies.  (It was described very fully in Isobel's last post a couple of weeks ago here).

Finally, for the final member of the Royal Family in Mr. Rogers' Neighbourhood, came Queen Sarah Saturday the 14th.

The final  Puppet we created, so far, for MrJS was, of course, Henrietta Pussycat.  We had some difficulty in deciding which route to go.  Initially, Isobel was going to make a puppet like we'd already done for the Tigers, using MrJS's original flat body pattern and then attaching a Head looking like the original Henrietta (or as near a copy as we could achieve.)

Our version, and how we made her, can be read in Isobel's blog dated 24/04/2015 - Continuation of the Tulsa Puppet Saga, Part 3.  However, for the purposes of this post, I'll just include one of the photos that appeared in that story.

The original plan was modified to arrive at this one - where we used the head pattern for our Sitting Cat toy  - see  https://www.etsy.com/listing/215101514/cat-fluffy-toy-ginger-white-plush-art?ref=shop_home_active_21 and the body from another Cat Pattern we had in our library, which is still only a prototype and yet to be listed in our Shop  (www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES).

Even though Isobel was slightly quicker at transferring these images this week, it's still taken a long time, and it's time for me to close for this week.  However, I'm pleased to be able to tell you that we've begun the prototype final version of Daniel Tiger for MrJS, and hope to have it done by the middle of next week.  Then, it will be down to the final version of Daniel himself - once the prototype has been approved.

Until then - Goodnight Everyone - Hope you all have a great week and that the weather is kind to you.

Your Friend.  Cy Bear.

Continuing the Tulsa Puppet Saga story - Updates on a Tiger Puppet

Greetings Everyone!

Cy Bear back again, because Isobel thought that it was better for me to bring you up to date news of my friends, DanielS Tiger and Grandpere Tiger - Arm Puppets that she made in November last year for our Puppeteer Friend, MrJS - who was responsible for last week's post showing how he builds Puppets for his collection.

DanielS Tiger was the first one of my Friends that Isobel created for MrJS and his production was described in our post on 25/11/2014 - "Puppet Personalities become Associate Cuddlies".  (You can read this by going to the Blog Archive at the bottom of the right hand column of our blog page here and scrolling down to the appropriate post).

Shortly after he arrived, MrJS  took this photograph showing DanielS settling in after meeting a new friend, "Teddy", who also originated in England.

However shortly thereafter, following a suggestion from  MrJS's daughter, DanielS became Colette and looked like this in a frock that was found to fit her.

However, MrJS  then got to work and Colette Tiger now looks like this:

The ultimate in chic - and to use MrJS's own words - "complete with real designer sweater and matching hat.  Made from one of my son's old sweaters salvaged after it was damaged beyond repair. Only the best for little Colette."

Now it's taken Isobel a lot longer to sort out how to get this photographs from the original email, via the download section of her computer and on to here.  So, this is all for this week.  Next time, hopefully, we'll be able to bring you more news of what has happened to my friend Grandpere Tiger and how he now looks, as well as Henrietta Pussycat and, with luck,  MrJS's son's recording of a song by Henrietta which was used by them in a joint presentation to the Mr. Roger's Foundation in Boston.  (You can see more about that contact in the November 2014 post I alluded to earlier).

Isobel is planning to begin a prototype for the final version of Daniel Tiger this coming week, with a view to sending the "real deal" shortly thereafter.  There's going to be a different head made - based on a pattern send to us by MrJS.

Until then, do hope you all have a great week.  Your friend  Cy Bear.

Trade Secrets of a Puppeteer - as revealed by JS of Tulsa, Coldham Cuddlies' star Repeat Customer.

Making the Prince Tuesday puppet

Hello Everyone - Isobel here, and this week, I think I've managed to suss the techniques of  transferring photos sent by email onto this post, via my Download file!  People can tell me until they are blue in the face HOW TO do it:  I have to actually DO it before the modus operandi sinks in!  My apologies for publishing last Sunday without the photographs.   Think this has to be the biggest error of my blogging career - but then, if one doesn't make a mistake or two in life, one really doesn't learn too much either!

JS of Tulsa, Oklahoma - the Puppeteer referred to in this title,  first contacted me in September or October last year to see if I could make him a Tiger Puppet approximating in size to one of my big Teddy Bears.  I replied that I thought I could, and asked for more details.  It quickly became apparent that a combination of the Teddy Bear Body, and the Head I use for my Golf Club Covers might meet the criteria and I offered to do a prototype to see if it would work.   The photo above is the resulting puppet, and based on it, the project moved forward.  (The computer, or the blogger programme, is still causing some problems, because I'm still not sure why it persists in starting lower down the page than normal:  but at least it is appearing.  Also, this is not the normal font I used - but it's the one the Blogger programme wants me to use today!).

The first (of three Tiger Puppets proposed) was named Daniel.  There's some more background to this project that will be shared in future posts, but as JS has been kind enough to provide me with a tutorial on how he goes about making his Hand/Arm puppets, I thought I'd start the ball rolling by reproducing the story and pictures as provided to me via email some weeks ago.  So, in his own words:

"Isobel:

I thought that the Prince Tuesday puppet would be a good example to show your followers on your blog. 

He is one of the more simple puppets in my collection and can be made in a single evening given that you

have all the necessary pieces and the proper outfit for the particular puppet that you will be building.

!.     Starting with a Coldham Cuddly stock puppet body.

2.    Prince Tuesday will require a reversal of arm position on the stock body.    (Photo shows where I cut the arms off)

3     Then resewing the arms back on upside down.

4.    Then I tried the shirt on for size, and to determine how much of the arms length that would need to be removed.

5.    Removing the excess material from the arms.

6.    Attaching the hands to the shortened arms.      (Felt hands were also made by Coldham Cuddlies)

7.    The 1880's German made 'tin' doll head I restored a few months ago.  ( Purchased off eBay. )

8.    Attaching the doll head to the stock body.

9.    Dressing the puppet - starting with the shirt.   (American Girl doll shirt - from eBay)

10.  Adding his waist coat.  ( Custom made "Hobbit" style vest from an Etsy doll maker ) 

11.  And lastly, adding the Prince's royal cloak.  ( Made by me. )

12.  The finished Prince Tuesday puppet ready for service.

12.  What my cat thinks about my puppet making presentation......  "

Well, this is a long post this week - making up for last week's effort - but hopefully you'll enjoy it as well as learn some interesting things too.  Until next week then - hope the days in between are good ones for all of us!  
Isobel

The Cat Puppet Saga - Part 3

Well, yet another week has flown past, and here I am again - Cy Bear - to give you the final installment in the Cat Puppet Saga.  We have yet to hear whether she (for it is indeed a she-Puppet) has arrived safely in Tulsa, but it took about  10 days for the last package we sent to America to reach it's destination, and thus, we hope we'll know sometime this week that the journey has been safely accomplished.
However, since last week's post was all about the Prototype that was made to see if the concept actually worked, we thought you'd like to see the finished version - so here she is:

The human hand manipulating this Cat Puppet is another fellow resident of ours - a lady, who is blessed with long fingers and a wider hand than Isobel has, and found her easy to work.  (Which means that if  MrJS from Tulsa wants another person to help him, either his son or daughter will probably have little difficulty in stepping into the role.)

The fabric this Puppet is made with was specifically chosen by MrJS after he was introduced to our Mohair fabric supplier, Mohair Bear Supplies Limited - who are based in Telford, Staffordshire, England,, UK.  (We were very lucky to be able to use it, because when first chosen we were informed that it was "out of stock".)  However, there was just enough when Isobel contacted Mohair Bear Supplies Limited for our requirements. I gather that she fits the bill exactly and her arrival in Tulsa is awaited eagerly.  (The Puppet on which this Cat is based was well known for not being the happiest individual, and Isobel tried very hard to replicate her facial expression from the photographs that were sent to her.)

This shows the Cat Puppet in a sideways on, semi-prone position.  As the front paws are unstuffed, Isobel had to arrange them so she appears to be leaning on her elbows, but the back legs and tail are able to stay where they should be.

This angle gives her face a rather sweet and forlorn look I feel.  
And I'll finish off this final piece about our Cat Puppets (until Isobel is asked to make another one!)   This shows the two completed Puppets - using this model and both made from the same pattern, despite the apparent difference in size.  What makes the difference, is the thickness of each fabric.  The Sad Puppet on the left is made from a Faux Fur fabric - while the Cheerful Chappy on the left is made with a Plush material.  It all depends on the thickness of the pile utilised for each project.

At the moment, and because we've not yet listed the prototype in our Shop, if another one is made, probably it will be like  our original suggestion.  But..... in this toy making business, it would seem, one can never tell.  We remain at the service of our potential customers.
Good bye for this week. By the way, Isobel has added another skill to her toy-making abilities by finally managing to alter a pattern from the diagram she finds in her pattern books.  The result took two evenings to achieve, and was accompanied by some not very ladylike expressions of frustration (from what I  could hear from my perch in the bedroom), and I hope to be able to show you a picture of the latest addition to  our Shop (www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES) sometime soon. 
Until next time - your Friend, Cy Bear.