Spreading the net wider

ColdhamCuddliescalling is about to seek a wider public.  Just a quick line to update folks on what's been happening this week in the ColdhamCuddlies family scenario, as well as mine!

Beginning with me - because it has potential to grow the Cuddlies line - is that I have finally accepted an invitation from the Etsy BESTeam to join them in their endeavours to Boost Etsy Shops through their blogs.  Am still finding my way around, and feel it's a bit daunting - never seem to be able to find my way back twice to the same site(s), but I guess it will all make sense soon!  Hope so, anyway.  Debbi, the Administrator and Team Leader invited me before Christmas, but I've been dithering about it for a week or so and finally took the plunge as of January 3.  Am on two weeks' probation - which is just as well, methinks (for everyone concerned) - and have yet to do my first featured blog, but hope to correct that tomorrow - just in time for the first week anniversary.

Not sure whether it is connected, but after week - if not months - of trying, I seem to have finally sussed how to grab buttons!  The New Katney - a prominent Blogger Help person - has been tearing her hair out (metaphorically speaking, I hope) trying to explain how to do it, but in the end although I followed her instructions, after weeks of non-success, all of a sudden - with a link from the BESTeam site as it happens -  I managed to get a five-button scenario;  and all at the same time, too.  Since then, there have been some additions, and now I've got the hang of it more will follow - so, please, watch this blog space!

Next week, after consultation with my new team mates, I hope to be announcing the beginning of the ColdhamCuddlies Guest Blogger sessions.  I've been mulling over how I can invite folks to guest blog about their shops and products, while at the same time maintaining the toy theme that is the thread of  this whole ColdhamCuddliescalling blog.  Think I've hit on the right format - but will trial it via BESTeam before opening it out to those who've included me as a Guest  first, and then to the wider Etsy family.  Again, watch this space.

Hairy Bear 4 is now complete.  He will be listed tomorrow - after I've taken pictures using our new Mini Instant Photo Studio (mentioned in our post "Resolutions for 2012 + Future Plans/31.12.11), but I've taken a series of the usual snapshot pics I've used to date to illustrate my posts to date - just to whet your appetites.

Provided the surface is level, Hairy Bear 4 stands by himself!

 I'm seriously considering listing these Bears as Limited Editions. The popularity of this particular Bear means I'm rapidly running out of the Hairy Bear fabric from which they are made.  As you may recall (either from previous posts, or from the individual descriptions of the toys in our shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com) many of the toys are made with off-cuts obtained from the same source as the polyester fibre. - where I'm off to tomorrow (for Rusty's further treatment in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic - described in my last two posts).  I visit them twice a year - with extra calls when more stuffing is needed - to collect off-cuts they would otherwise take to the dump, and on the last two occasions, they have not had any Hairy Bear material for me. I'm hoping they may have some when I see them tomorrow - but if not, Hairy Bear 4 will have an added tag - "Limited Edition Bear - 4/7 or 8.  I think I have enough fabric in store for another 3 or maybe 4 more Hairys.

Then, earlier this week, Ferdinand Fox - the Hunting Gentleman, was sold to a Heytesbury Resident, who has had her eye on him ever since meeting him at the Craft Fair held at St. George's RC Church in Warminster earlier this year.  Although resident in Heytesbury for some years, MrsPW is in fact a Canadian-born lady, with a daughter - who is a keen rider - still living there.  Now Canada, as I know, is a big country, and I'm not sure exactly where MrsPW's lass resides (think it could be British Columbia), but I will, of course, discover (and report) where Ferdy's new Forever Home will be.   However,  I'm going to be in trouble with Cy Bear though:  Ferdy left www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com before I remembered to allow  Cy Bear to perform his official Farewell duties, so he missed his opportunity for another photo-call!  Oops!

That means I shall be de-activating Ferdinand Fox from the Shop for the moment, while I get round to replacing him.  Still, selling Ferdy last week, means that  I've got cash in hand to purchase the polyester fibre from Fine Quality Feather Company (my Frome, Somerset supplier) and saves me a trip to the Bank.  Helpful, because if I paid them with a cheque, I'd have to pay Value Added Tax) (VAT)  at 20%:   this way, as a cash transaction, I don't and that's a saving!!  All goes towards the bottom line, as they say!

On that mercenary note, I'll close - with some further illustrations of Hairy Bear 4:

A rear-view of Hairy Bear 4

Hairy Bear 4 sitting on the Printer!

Head and shoulders - Hairy Bear 4

Until the next time - wish me luck with the BESTeam, please.  Isobel

Stop Press - Latest bulletin about Hairy Bear 3 and Rusty!

Greetings everyone!

Cy Bear and I are pleased to announce that Hairy Bear was  acceptable to Mr.TG.    So,  having been safely wrapped in chemical free tissue paper, bubble-wrapped to save him from some of the inevitable rough-handling that is part and parcel (pun intended!) of travel via the UK's  Royal Mail First Class Small Packet service, and slipped into a polythene envelope (dimensions 420 x 500 mm), he was dispatched to Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK early Tuesday morning.

This afternoon (Wednesday, January 4) I received the following message from M. TG:

"Received Hairy Bear (or Hairy, as he is now known) this morning! L was delighted with him. Very soft and cuddly, and also, very well made! He will fit in well with all the other bears that take up most of the room on our bed.

Thank you so much for all your hard work, it has definitely been worth the wait. You couldn't have been a more helpful, interesting and fun person to communicate with and buy from.  I will leave feedback on the Etsy website today (positive, of course)

Attached is a photo of Hairy, with all his new friends. Feel free to use it on your blog, if you want."

Not one to refuse such an offer, here is the picture!

Hairy will not be lonely will he?

Mr. TG had earlier said he was "honoured" to have been included in our blog - all of his comments are much appreciated by both Cy Bear and myself!  It was a real pleasure doing business with him from our viewpoint.

As for the latest on Rusty.  I've started the research into his possible dry-cleaning treatment.  When in Warminster this afternoon (picking up our monthly medication supplies - such an exciting life I lead, eh?) I visited a dry-cleaning outlet and discussed the matter with them (without taking Rusty!)  It was pouring with rain and thus not conducive to lugging a big Bear like him around - not to mention the attention he would likely attract among the passers-by!  The upshot is that such therapy is not such an outlandish thought!  Provided he is thoroughly de-stuffed and his eyes and nose removed before presentation (they could melt during the process!), he could be treated either as a "Jacket" or a "Coat".

(Philippa informs me - because I've not dared to check, as yet - that they are "stuck on".  After 25+ years, they should therefore not be too difficult to unstick, be cleaned up (and maybe repainted), so that should not present a problem).

The price charged for Rusty's clean-up would depend on the final decision of the dry-cleaning operative!  That seems a reasonable suggestion, and although there might be some risk of shrinkage, it's not as likely as it would be if I were to wash him and try to pull him back into shape myself!  

Action will not take place for a week or two yet - but watch this space!

Must be off to carry on creating Hairy Bear 4 - so he can take his place in the shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com!  Other things being equal, that could be by the end of this week.  Still waiting to make contact with the 3D imaging experts - but being Scots, they will probably still be celebrating Hogmanay so it's likely to be early next week before a further bulletin can be issued about Madame Lapin.

All the best for the time being!  Isobel and Cy Bear.

New Arrival - and a new Farewell

Happy New Year to all!  This is Cy Bear entering 2012 with a new post about two new Friends involved with the ColdhamCuddlies Family.

In her post titled "Happy Endings;  new Beginnings" on December 10 last year, Isobel mentioned the biggest bear in the whole world (or at least my world, anyway) Rusty!  Well as arranged, he duly arrived with my friend, Philippa just before Christmas.  She put him in the passenger seat of her car and strapped him in with the seat belt (so he was a legal bear) and he seemed to enjoy the trip!  Philippa said that she was only aware of one other car's passengers taking note of her unusual driving companion, unlike the occasion when Isobel introduced Rusty originally - when the Morrell family were still Canadian residents.  A little girl travelling with her parents caught sight of Rusty in Philippa's car, and after a bit of careful passing, her father was able to position their car for the little girl to see who it was!   Discussions during  Christmas  established that auspicious event took place in either 1984 or 1985 - so, although Rusty does look a somewhat dirty colour, he is in very good condition for a 25+ year old Bear, otherwise.   Here is a picture of him in the only place he can currently stay in our apartment here in Heytesbury, Wiltshire, England, UK.

Rusty sitting in  a wicker chair - and only just fitting in!

You can't see it in the picture, but if you flip his ears up, that's the colour White that Rusty should be - so that's going to be our aim:  to restore all the white bits to that colour, and brighten up the russet ones!  He's also a very floppy Giant Bear at the moment, so Isobel is going to take out his existing stuffing and replace it with the polyester fibre with which I am stuffed.  We're not quite sure how many bags of that Rusty is going to need, but Isobel is guessing it won't be less than 6 kilo bags of the stuff!  She's going to order it from our supplier in Frome, Somerset (about 10 miles from here) next week, once she's found somewhere to store it until she can use it!  There's not enough room for both Rusty and the stuffing - as well as Peter, Isobel and I (plus all the toys to be found at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com)!

Isobel is also considering having him dry-cleaned, rather than try to wash him by hand.  He's a bit big for her to handle - with her arthritic hands and fingers - and she's fearful that no matter how carefully he is washed, he might shrink in the process.  Dry-cleaning seems to be a good possible option, and she is going to meet (she hopes) the dry cleaning man who visits Heytesbury twice a week.  The first opportunity for a chat is going to be on Tuesday but the timings may not be right.  Isobel will probably get his telephone number and try to set up a meeting later in January for Rusty and him to meet.  Don't suppose he gets many Giant Bears to dry-clean normally!

Now to the New Farewell:  Hairy Bear 3 will be on his way on Tuesday to his Forever Home somewhere in Leeds, Yorkshire, England.  He was ordered by Mr. TG the week-end before the Christmas Holiday, and because Isobel was in the middle of completing all the Fleece Baby Bunnies, she could not fulfill the order in time for Mr. TG to give it to his partner as a Christmas present - since it takes her at least 6 days to make a Hairy Bear from cutting out the pattern to embroidering the facial features and claws.  As we'd still not replaced Hairy Bear who left us for Portsmouth, England in September, 2011, Hairy Bear 3 is not even going to be introduced to our Family, really.  But - as Official Mascot to ColdhamCuddlies, I insisted on having our usual farewell picture taken before he gets packed up tomorrow prior to posting on Tuesday morning.  The photograph also shows just how big Rusty is - because I am considered quite a Big Bear in the normal course of things, and Hairy Bear is about the same size as me too!  (Isobel here: Hairy  Bear should be:  he's made from the same pattern as you!)

Hairy Bear 3 and Me, sitting on Rusty's lap!

 Mr. TG requested that if possible, he would like Hairy Bear to have a "mournful" expression, rather than the more usual cheery look that Isobel tries to achieve with us Bears.  Here is a snapshot Isobel took of him earlier this evening.  

Hairy Bear 3 awaiting approval

 There were two pictures taken and sent to Mr.TG this evening, before I was allowed to post this blog, and we're hoping his expression will be acceptable.  Isobel really had a lot of difficulty in embroidering Hairy Bear's mouth this time - she is hoping the solemn look he is exhibiting will meet the "mournful" look.

 We'll keep you posted on the result.  Keep your fingers crossed.....meanwhile, Bye for now.  Cy Bear