Sunday 17 April 2016
The Replacement List Grows Longer
Greetings once again, Everyone. Cy Bear back on duty once more.
Isobel has not yet moved back home on a permanent basis, but for a sufficiently long time for her to allow me back here to post this week's bulletin from the Coldham Cuddlies World. While she's been away, the Shops in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, where some of the Cuddlies have been on display have been busy on our behalf, and been able to find Forever Homes for one or two of us.
One of the Baby Hedgehogs was sold from The Ark, and Isobel took down a replacement yesterday, together with an example of our Red and Grey Squirrels (the Black one will form the vanguard of the next Cuddlies "invasion"!!).
That means that ten per cent of this Baby Hedgehog sale, (together with a donation from MsDM - who gave our two Baby Bunnies their Forever Home as we wrote about in our Blog "Baby Bunnies en route to Florida" - 13/03/2016) will be added to the third tranche of funds which will soon be sent to the Two Hedgehog Hospitals we're raising funds for. (To remind you who they are - Tiggywinkles Hedgehog Trust and West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue).
Our Black and White Plush Kittens were also taken down to The Ark
and the new delivery was completed with Percy the Penguin being sent down to see if someone would like to give him a Forever Home.
MrsSQ, who is the person Isobel deals with at The Ark says that lots of folk like Penguins, so we're hopeful that Percy will not be on display for long. Actually when the handover was taking place, a lady having a cup of coffee in the Shop got quite excited by the White Kitten, and almost purchased it there and then. Don't think she had enough cash on her though, so the sale fell through. But Isobel feels the lady might well come back ere long! Here's hoping.
(The Ark sells teas, coffees and biscuits every weekday and Saturday mornings between 0930 and mid-day. They also offer all sorts of religious books and kids games - the toys being a recent addition. They are being targetted at people who are organising baby showers, christenings and so on. Toys have only been on offer since the beginning of the year, so the Cuddlies are hoping to "start something").
Isobel also met the lady who bought Barney Barn Owl the day after the first batch of Cuddlies were introduced in January. (She said she'd bought him because she not only loved Owls - of any kind - but also couldn't resist "his facial expression"!!) We're not sure which one of these is the lucky Owl, but the other Barney representation is sitting "pretty" on a shelf at the side of one of the Shop's front windows, so hopefully, he will be finding a Forever Home soon too.
At the end of the week before last - the days are going by so fast this year! - Isobel got an email notification that Cuddlies had been sold from The Artful Buttoner, the Kirkby in Ashfield Shop we'd originally had Cuddlies on display. We still have them there, but because the shop is a bigger one than The Ark, but very many more crafters seek to display their wares there, than there is space for them, Isobel and MsCL, proprietor of The Artful Buttoner have agreed that our Baby Bunnies and Koalas will continue to be sold there, while our Dressed Rabbits, Foxes, Teddy Bears and larger Toys will come home. We've got some of the Dressed Rabbits in The Ark, and they will be exchanged on a regular basis there, but we're going to rely more on our Shop www.COLDHAMCUDDLIES.etsy.com to find homes for them. (Having Cuddlies on display in shops undoubtedly helps to raise their profile: but shops tend to be places where the dust of cars, people and other road users can prevail, and Isobel is not keen on her Cuddlies getting dustier than is absolutely necessary!)
While Isobel was in Kirkby yesterday, and because The Ark and The Artful Buttoner are not that far from each other (although they are far enough for them not to encroach on each other's customers too often) she called in to find out who had found their new homes - to be told that a Baby Koala was one, and that a deposit had been paid for Big Koala - who is presently sitting in the back of The Artful Buttoner waiting for its Forever Friend to get better from an unexpected ailment.
Four more Baby Koalas were taken in to "The Artful Buttoner" to replace the one sold, and while she was there, Isobel purchased 12 pairs of eyes for the new Baby Bunnies she's working on. She likes to ring the changes with the eyes for these guys: making some of them with double knit yarn, as well as using the plastic safety eyes. That gives our potential customers a choice when it comes to purchasing our Baby Rabbits. She's been using her plastic eye stocks of late because she's found making the yarn eyes tricky with her fingers getting stiff and painful. However, with the onset of warmer weather (hopefully!), she's hoping to be able to make more of them as she continues the Rabbit replacement programme. (She's been able to use the safety eyes, thanks to help from son-in-law, Alan - who has come to the rescue when even these have proved difficult! Thanks to Alan!)
Meanwhile, having returned home for most evenings, Isobel is now able to settle down and get on with that replacement sewing for the Baby Rabbits who found homes over Christmas and the New Year. That replacement list has now been swelled by the need to replace these Cuddlies I've told you about here today.
The stories about the local Stately Homes and Historic Buildings will be added to in the next couple of bulletins, because Clare, Isobel and GrandsonE went for a long walk during last week - and several photographs were taken of another local landmark. Folks apparently have been responding well to this change of topic, and as the Baby Bunnies come along, we'll be telling you about them too. There are plans for them to used in Nursery Mobiles, too - a new departure for this Shop. That means more Baby Rabbits than would normally be made at one time, in any one colour. So, folks, just watch this space - Isobel is going to be very busy!.
Good to be back chatting with you. See you soon.
Your Friend, Cy Bear.
Sunday 10 April 2016
Recalling another recent visit to a nearby UK Stately Home
South side of the Abbey - looking over the stream linking two lakes |
Some Canada Geese and a lone Moor Hen - beside one of the Lakes |
The Abbey Shop doorway is located in the corner of this view of the Abbey. |
The Abbey view from the left of the Entrance to the Shop |
This is how the Abbey looks on the immediate right of the Abbey Shop entrance. |
A weeping willow shrouding the stream linking the two lakes over-looked by the Abbey view in the first photo |
On the left of this picture, you can see a waterfall from the lake the other side of this daffodil decorated slope. |
A head-on view of the willow tree, with the stream into which the waterfall goes |
While I may not have been motivated to sew Cuddlies this week, I have spent some time tidying up the way our Cuddlies Shop is arranged - to take advantage of the overall Etsy.com "New Look" for all our Shops. I've also taken advantage of an offer to create a website for the Cuddlies. It's something I've been thinking about for some time - but having purchased the domain name (to be revealed shortly), I'm now not sure how to go about linking it to this blog, and the Shop as well. Assistance has been sought from Team Members and Etsy Support itself - and I hope to be proficient in this new look Cuddlies era soon.
Until next week, folks - hope this find everyone having a good time and keeping well.
Your friend - Isobel,
Monday 4 April 2016
Visit to Hardwick Hall - Part 2
Monday 28 March 2016
Another Change of Topic - Visiting a Local UK Stately Home
Hello Everyone!
First of all, my apologies for missing last week's blog, but time simply flew by, and as there was little more to post about, I decided to let the occasion pass!
This week, however, I'm delighted to tell you that the White and Yellow Plush Baby Rabbits mentioned in our last post who were en route to Florida - got to their intended destination in time for Easter.
MrsDM, the Buyer, who intended the Yellow one for her Sister - to remind them both of their childhood in England, sent this message - which I picked up on Easter Saturday.
"The little bunnies arrived today, just in time for Easter tomorrow. I took my sister her yellow bunny and she just broke into a huge smile and started cuddling it. I adore my little one as well. Thanks so much, they are a so very cute."
The more Cuddlies I make, the more I am convinced that although I make Toys for EVERYONE, most of them seem to end up with folks who like to be reminded of childhood days, rather than those who are actually experiencing them now!! Not a problem, but.........!!
In my title, I allude to the fact that you are going to be told about one of the local visitor attractions - of which there are fortunately quite a few in the local vicinity - Hardwick Hall - a National Trust property which is located 7-9 miles from where I live in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. There are several ways to approach Hardwick Hall (HH from now on), which is actually over the country border in Derbyshire (which is only a couple of miles away from Kirkby) and that accounts for the mileage variation!!
Built by Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury (which she became as the result of one of her four marriages), parts of the site have been in existence since the 1500's. Bess is mostly described as being "formidable", and when you consider she lived at the same time as Queen Elizabeth I, and was the second richest person in the land at that time, you get some idea of the lady's stature! Her grand daughter, Arbella, was niece of Mary, Queen of Scots (having married Mary's nephew Charles Stuart) and a serious contender to succeed the childless Queen Elizabeth. However, that possibility was scuppered by the fact that Charles Stuart died, and Arbella was imprisoned by Elizabeth in the Tower of London, so the crown passed to Mary's son, James I (VI of Scotland) - and the rest, as the saying goes - is History!!
Bess was intent on making a statement of her status - hence the creation of Hardwick Hall, which is now part of the National Trust - having been acquired for their portfolio in place of death duties from the Estate of the Duke of Devonshire. (Hardwick Hall, became part of the Devonshire's Estate as the result of an earlier Duke of Devonshire's marriage, and is not very far from Chatsworth - where the current Duke of Devonshire still lives.) HH is built on the top of a ridge which over looks the M1 motorway - connecting London and Scotland - and despite the Old Hall (original, but burned before being replaced by the current structure) being in ruins, both structures can still be visited.
A view of the Old Hall, with visitors in the foreground. |
Our visit was on a grey, Spring day with gusty winds, which were enough to nearly blow us away at times, so the buildings and garden don't show themselves well. However, I hope the photographs which follow will give folks an idea of the grandeur of the site, and may be entice overseas readers to visit when they come to the UK. (As most of you are aware, I am sure, there is a lot more to the United Kingdom than just London - although one can spend a lot of time there, and not see EVERYTHING worth seeing in that City too).
The view from the Hall Grounds at the entrance Visitors take to view the Grounds and Hall. |
Stableyard and Estate Buildings - now used for displaying tourist attractions. |
Rear of the Stable - now used as Visitor Restaurant. Too cold for outside lingering when we visited. |
Entrance to Hardwick Hall on its South-facing side. |
Just to prove the family were all there! Grandad was taking the picture! |
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