Another New Friend - and a potential new Branch of the Cuddlies Family.

There are two more Friends who have joined us recently, one of which needs to be re-stuffed and then a new Forever Home found for him - his name is Blue Teddy.

 

He too belonged to Alan,  (Isobel's son-in-law) but when he arrived, Alan considered himself too grown up for Bears (as boys sometimes do!) and was not sure about his colour scheme.  He was thus hardly, if ever, played with - and actually looks like new.  In addition, when held,  he's not a very cuddlesome armful either - he wriggles - and bears should not be like that.  And, thinking about it, I'm not too sure that a pink ribbon actually does him any favours.

 So, Isobel is going to re-stuff him, as she believes he has polystyrene balls as stuffing at the moment, and she is not keen on them.  In her view, they are an inflammable hazard and not as soft as a cuddly Bear should be.    Thinking about it, he looks a little like Golden Teddy to me - wonder what you folks think?

When Isobel has given him new innards, I'm sure we'll be able to find him a Forever Home where someone will welcome him with open arms.  I'm absolutely sure he will find a Forever Friend - particularly as Isobel is thinking of giving him as a Raffle Prize to the Journalists' Charity of which dear Peter used to be a life member.  His colour is not as unusual as it might have been when Blue Teddy first appeared on the scene, and cannot really be considered a true Coldham Cuddly - as we cannot be sure that he was truly hand-made, even though Isobel will be re-stuffing him. She'll also be giving him a new ribbon - or, maybe, not!  Bears don't really need ribbons, do they?

Finally, and by no means the least of my new Friends, please meet The Black Gorilla.

 

He is already a finished piece of work - and is actually a Golf Club head cover and the story of his arrival in our family goes like this.  While staying with daughter Clare recently - before she broke her leg - Isobel was shown a Tiger Golf Club head cover - and it was suggested that if she could make a similar product, this could prove to be a productive new line of toys for inclusion in our shop at www.Etsy.com/coldhamcuddlies.  Having closely examined the Tiger Head, Isobel excitedly agreed, so when she got back to Heytesbury, after Peter's funeral,  she checked on the internet to find one she could examine and copy for future use. (The Tiger Head was needed by the Golfing Lady who showed it to Isobel). She then discovered Black Gorilla (BG for short) for sale.  She was successful in her bid, and he arrived the same day she returned to Nottinghamshire to look after Clare.

Those of you who follow that game called Golf, or those who participate in this form of exercise, may well be familiar with these animals that cover  golf clubs.  They can be seen being carried around by the Caddies that accompany the players in various championships. While watching the recent British Open Golf Championship on the television,  Isobel witnessed a Tiger Head in the golf bag owned by  Mr. Tiger Woods - appropriate, don't you think?)  as well as Bear Heads and other toys in other players' golf bags.  Why he was for sale is not clear, but Isobel feels it is because  BG  took up too much space in a player's golf bag.  But how he is made can now be carefully inspected, when Isobel takes him apart.  She is particularly interested in how the black knitted handle cover actually fits onto BG's  body.  Then she will take the consitituent parts, create a template and then make Club Head Covers using all the other Toys' heads already at our disposal.  Golf is a popular pastime in this part of the world, if not nationwide - and even worldwide come to that - so that's why we believe they will become a worthwhile new branch of the Cuddlies Family. 

We wonder what our Followers think - and do they know of anyone who would like to have one as a Christmas present, maybe?

What will become of BG once Isobel has found how he's made?  Well, the plan is that he will be sewn up again, stuffed and become a proper Cuddly Toy - looking at him, he's about the same size as one of our Panda Bears.  He cannot really be considered a full member of the Cuddlies Family, as he has not been hand made, but I'm going to suggest he be treated as an Associate Cuddly and be given the same opportunity to find a Forever Friend as the rest of us are by being offered for sale not in our shop at www.Etsy.com/coldhamcuddlies, because he won't be handmade.  But he could come with us to local Bazaars and/or Craft Sales we attend and someone might like to give him a home.  He looks a friendly chap, doesn't he?


With that thought, I'll close for now.  Think I'd better stop posting so that Isobel can take over once more!  Meanwhile, thanks for being with us again, and here's to the next time we get together!  Cy Bear.

Introducing New Patients for the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic - Part 2

Good evening folks!  Cy Bear returning, as promised a couple of evenings ago, with some more new Patients for the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing  #79124185).  As I explained in my last post  (Part One of this two-part instalment), although they've been accepted as Patients, not all of them will require full therapy, and some, if not all, may well become new members of the Cuddlies Family once Isobel has assessed and treated them.

Little Brown Bear (in the background in this picture)  is yet another friend from the Toy Box belonging to PamL, mother to Isobel's son-in-law, Alan.  He really doesn't need much doing to him, except he will be taken to pieces so that a template pattern can be made of him.  He's much smaller than many of us Bears in the Cuddlies Family, has a lovely cheeky face - if Isobel can replicate it - and she's got plans for him.

 I'm told that he is a smaller version of a very favourite Morrell Bear belonging to Isobel's older daughter, Philippa.

 

He's known as Sleepy Teddy, has had  three make-overs in his life, and has been Philippa's Forever Friend since she was about 18 months' old.  He's a much travelled bear, having accompanied her everywhere she went while she travelled around the world while working in the mid-1990's.  Isobel wants to give him yet another make-over, but so far has not been able to persuade either Sleepy Teddy nor Philippa that it is a good idea!  The latter doesn't want him to be changed from what he looks like now.  As Isobel freely admits to not being able to replicate any of us Bears, that would appear to be that!  So, Isobel will concentrate on Little Sleepy Ted as I think he will be named and perhaps a change of heart may occur?

Here's another picture of Sleepy Teddy at home with some old friends of yours and mine, both of whom have been Patients in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic in recent months - Rusty, the Giant Bear and Tommy Teddy.


Then, we've got the Sleepy Kitten - again from PamL's Toy Box.  He is not quite as White as he looks in this photograph and will need to given the luke-warm bath treatment if he is to regain his former glory.  Actually, Isobel thinks she may already have a pattern very similar to Sleepy Kitten, so he may not have to be cut to pieces in order to make a template so he can become a proper Cuddly.

When all these toys have been washed, templated - if there is such a word, but it does described the process these new Friends of mine face, and remade and stuffed, they will all be returned to PamL so that  she can have plenty of Toys for her visiting Little People to play with.

Isobel has a lot of work ahead of her in the next few weeks - which is all to the good.  In addition to these two new potential Cuddlies, she already has several commissions for new Wombats (4 of them) and another Gentleman Fox - all needed before Christmas, and there are the replacements for the Gentleman Foxes (Hunting and Country types), Coyotes and Rabbits that have found Forever Homes over the last few months.