Saturday 20 August 2011

Successful Dress Rehearsal - here's to the next one!

Hello again, everyone - Cy Bear posting once more.  Isobel and I have just got back from the Parish Church of St. Peter & St. Paul in Heytesbury - the village where we live - and I'm very pleased to tell you that we've had quite a successful morning!

We went along with the little Cuddlies - Baby Rabbits, Koalas and Pandas - as well as returning my new friend, Golden Teddy, so he could get ready to carry on his duties as Church Child Comforter.  I went along - because I wanted to see where Golden Teddy lived and because of course, as official ColdhamCuddlies (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com) Mascot I have to supervise what happens to my fellow Cuddlies - big or little.  It's the first time I've been in a church, and I have to say it is an impressive place.  But, it's a bit big for me, a little cold and dark, and think I definitely prefer living where I do with Isobel and Peter and the rest of the Cuddlies.  Golden Teddy looked a little lonely when everyone left after the produce sale was over, but then I suppose he's used to it.

When we all arrived our card table was pointed out to us and Isobel laid out the display.  She had made a poster especially for me, which told everyone who visited our table that I "WAS NOT FOR SALE"  and inviting everyone to take one of our business cards if they wanted to get in touch with Isobel at a later date.
She had also done some posters showing the before and after shots of Ed Ted.  These attracted a great deal of attention  and actually resulted in a new patient for the Soft Toy Clinic  (Etsy Listing 79124185). arriving for treatment

He's a small bear, about the same size as Brr Bear, but younger and he's got a nasty burn on the left side of his face.  The rest of him looks absolutely fine, but we think he's going to have to have a completely new covering - because it's likely to be impossible to get the same kind of fabric as he is in now, and he'd look really odd with a different kind of face only.  His Best Friend, called Penny, is in no hurry but has also got another toy needing treatment, when this one is finished!  We're not sure what this Bear is called, but will be talking to Penny soon, and will then find out.  

That now makes two glove puppet bears, a huge Koala resting comfortably in the clinic, as well as Brr Bear and Tommy Teddy- who are undergoing treatment! The Clinic is getting busy, isn't it?

Now, the object of the exercise today, as well as being an opportunity to help with the upkeep of St. Peter & St. Paul's Church, was to see if the Cuddlies would be popular.  Well, in just an hour's selling time, we found homes for two Baby Rabbits (a White one - shown in this picture and listed in our shop as Etsy #55036116) as well as a Brown Baby Rabbit, with a white front (Etsy Listing# 73079287):

This White Baby Rabbit had a pink ribbon
They were purchased by two ladies who are on holiday in England, and have been staying in a cottage in Heytesbury for the last two weeks.  They hail from Tennessee, which I am told is in the United States of America.  The rabbits are not travelling that far though:  the ladies have been invited to dinner with the next-door neighbours who have two children with whom they have made friends while they've been in the village and decided it would be nice to take the baby rabbits this evening as a gift!  Maybe, therefore, Isobel and I may bump into them when we're walking around!  Here is a picture of the Brown Baby Rabbits:
The Brown Rabbit on the left was chosen
Then two of our Koala friends (Etsy Listing #55190188) were purchased by the lady who lives next-door to us at the Hospital of St. John.  She has two grand children with birthdays coming up close together and decided the Koalas would be just the right gift.  She also mentioned that there was a third birthday in the not too distant future - but as she didn't have enough cash with her (having already purchased fresh vegetables and cakes and things, which is really what the weekly sale is all about, (Coldham Cuddlies were a bit of an experiment all round) she said she would get in touch nearer that birthday!
One of each version left us today
Now, Isobel has got to get down to making more of these little chaps - because we are now only down to two in the shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com), so what with the patients in the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy #79124185) some undergoing therapy and the others resting until their turns, she is going to be busy!

But, as I said at the beginning of this post, it's been a successful dress rehearsal for the MacMillan Cancer Coffee Morning sale on Septembr 30 - so here we go!

Good night everyone!  Cy Bear