June-July Ups and Downs

It's been a strange few weeks.  My sales over at Etsy have dipped dramatically, although I have had quite a few enquiries the last few days so fingers crossed the lull will soon be over.

The bear shop on the Cromer seafront, Allsorts of Bears took 11 of my little bears and I decided to try renting a space at Alice's Bear Shop, Lyme Regis.  I must say I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they had sold two of my bears within a couple of days.

Snowball 6" SOLD

Tyler 6" SOLD

I also decided to up my artist bear listings on Folksy.  I am sorry to say I had neglected them whilst building up the vintage bear side of the Etsy shop.

Here are the two latest little bears, Jade and Miss Teddy.  You will find the links to my online shops and website to the right of this page.

Jade 8"

Miss Teddy 6"

I had bears listed with photos that I was not happy with so I took new photos.  These show the bears off much better.   There are still a few that I need to redo.

Hairy Harry 7"

Minnie 5.5"

I have been deciding all week what to do about ESA/JSA - could I work - can't I work - sign on to JSA - appeal against ESA turning me down? It was really stressing me out and after much deliberation, I decided a couple of days ago to go for the signing on option.  I know I probably should have appealed, but it is so difficult to put down in words how the arthritis affects me on a day to day basis.  I feel quite a sense of relief and calm now I have made a decision.

I was tired of the whole process and, if truth be known I would like a little job if anyone would take me, given that I walk with a stick and have days that I move like a little old lady!
The ESA say I am capable of work, so I will give it a try.
 
I have not worked now for 12 months since having to stop doing my previous retail job (too much standing/walking).
There are many limitations in what I could do - no standing or sitting for long periods, no lifting, no distance driving.  Must be part time as I would never get through a 40 hour week without seizing up completely.  Temporary to cover a maternity leave would be ideal as I am due to get my state pension in 8 months.

With that in mind I checked out the Job sites and found two part time receptionist jobs to apply for.
One is 20 hours a week and the other 24 hours for maternity cover.  I will keep my fingers and toes crossed (it will hurt, but I will try it) for success. 
I have never had to sign on in my working life and have always worked, apart from bringing up the childred as babies.  To have to do so now with 8 months to go is so annoying.
On the plus side, it cheered me up this week when I got a small tax rebate - thank you Mr Taxman :)

Note to self - must get the 2012 tax return in - they might give me another rebate!

I will leave you with a photo of a Chiltern old timer that I listed on Etsy and my website last week.
He is a Chiltern Hugmee c1930 and a handsome bear.  I had moved the two bears to photograph some others,and just loved the way Tumbleweed the Pud Bear was cuddling against Chester the Chiltern Hugmee.  Not a set up shot, just how they fell together when I put them down.

Sidney and Harry Posing With Their New Hairstyles

Just come back from the grooming parlour.  Harry and Sidney my two Cavaliers are looking very dapper and slim after their wash and brush up and haircuts.

Not being show dogs, and both having very thick and wavy unmanageable coats I take them for a trim regularly.
I used to do it myself and keep them longer coated, but since the Arthritis kicked in I have found it increasingly difficult to keep their coats under control.  Hence the trips to the grooming parlour.

I've just noticed the banner at the top of this page and it is amazing how long Sidney's ears used to be, before I had to get him professionally trimmed.  I just can't do the combing and brushing required to keep them like that any more.  Such a shame as he had beautiful ears.  His new 'bob' earstyle suits him too though I think.

I now have two lovely clean boys - a black and very white Tri Cavalier (Sidney) and a black and tan (Harry) that looks like a puppy with his smoothly trimmed fur. I noticed that Harry, although he is younger than Sidney by 2 years, is starting to go grey on his body.  Sidney is only going grey on his ears.  Sidney is 7 and Harry is 5.
Alan has joked with people that Harry is a Rottweiler puppy.  It's surprising how many believe him :)

Anyway here are the photos that my beautiful boys posed for in the garden.  The last one I took to show my daughters that Harry is not really fat as they thought, it was all fur, but Sidney has such a great look on his face I thought I would include it.

Sidney is smiling for the camera as usual.  He loves to have his photo taken.

Harry looking serious and Sidders giving his lovely (but very gummy) smile

A more serious Sidney showing of his new No 1 name tag

Look at the mischief in those eyes

Busy Making New Little Mohair Bears

Having taken 11 bears to the Cromer seafront bear shop, Allsorts of Bears and sending 8 to Alice's Bear Shop in Lyme Regis, I am now busy trying to build up my website and Etsy stock.Here are my latest creations -

Mini Clarence (3) 4.5"

Ted Bear 4.5"

Sweetie 4"

Tumbleweed 8"

Sweetie is the smallest bear I have ever made at 4".  I have enough of the pink tipped mohair to make more of these little bears so I have marked her as an open edition.  However I may use different paw fabrics and will not especially try to make her facial features exactly the same so they will all be slightly different.

The same goes for Mini Clarence.  He will be made in different shades of mohair in the same type as this one, and with different coloured paws. 
This is the 3rd Mini Clarence so here are all three together  to show how different they can look (the first two are at the above shops).

Find me at Alice's Bear Shop, Lyme Regis



Find me at Allsorts of Bears, Cromer



Find me at www.pollysvintagebears.weebly.com

Ta Daaa! The Two Bears are Finished

Here are the two little mohair bears, all finished and brushed, ready for a new home.
Treacle is the 5" brown tipped mohair bear and the 6" blue tipped mohair bear I have called Forget-Me-Not.
I was expecting Forget-Me-Not to be 7" but it seems I had used my 6" pattern for her.

Treacle 5" and Forget-Me-Not 6"

It always amazes me how much difference 1" makes in the look of these little bears.
One of these days I will make a pattern for a 4" or even a 3", but at the moment I am enjoying making these sizes.

I am now making 2x5" brown bears in these mohairs and paw fabrics.  I tend to make bears 2 at a time for some unknown reason.  I did try making more than 2 at once, but stitching 4-5 pairs of ears on all at once was not my idea of fun. :)

I also got some pretty tipped mohair in a short pile cream with tan tip delivered yesterday.  That will make a lovely 6" bear. 

I have used the same mohair in a dark brown tip many years ago and Bisto (edition of 10) was really cute and my customers loved him (sorry about the quality of the picture, it is a photo of a photo).

6" Bisto LE10 (all sold)

The making of A Pretty Blue Bear and a Soft Tipped Mohair Bear - Part 2

The arms and legs have now been stitched up and combed to make sure there is no mohair caught in the seams.
I have attached them to the body using traditional cotterpin joints.  You may think that this is the main part done, but finishing the head takes just as long.
I trim the nose ready for stitching with black Perle cotton.  For these smaller bears I split the cotton into two so that it is not as thick.
Sometimes I have to redo the nose as it is easy to get it stitched crooked, and I am quite fussy over the facial features being straight and in the right places.  The eyes are then positioned using the pins with coloured ends - to make sure they are in line with the nose and rest of the head.  They both have black glass eyes.
Here are the two little bears at this stage.  The smaller one will be 5" and the other 6.5".


2 little bears wondering what you are saying about them.
They can't hear you as they haven't any ears yet!

Tomorrow I will show you the finished bears, complete with ears and full tummies.
I have not decided on names yet.  Any suggestions welcome.

The making of A Pretty Blue Bear and a Soft Tipped Mohair Bear - Part 1

It is a long time since I have showed any work in progress, so I decided to show the two new mohair bears that I am currently making.
The first is a 7" in a white with blue tip sparse and shaggy mohair.  I have never used this mohair before so it is exciting not knowing how he/she is going to turn out.
I have chosen a mid blue ultrasuede for the paws to compliment the blue tip on this pretty mohair.

I don't think my big white Real Soft Toys cat
minds being used as a model for the mohair

The other bear will be 4-5" and is being made from a beautifully soft gold with rust tip which I was told is used a lot for making ducklings.  He will have peach coloured ultrasuede paws.

I have already cut him out and do not have enough of this mohair left to show you it in the 'piece'.

Here is Butterscotch a 6" bear made from the same mohair, but with gold paws.

Butterscotch 6" mohair bear

I have got all the pieces stitched together and have stuffed and jointed the arms and legs.  Recently I purchased some smaller cotterpin joints that will make it much easier to assemble the 4-5" bears.

The head is also stuffed ready for my favourite bit - nose, mouth, eyes and ears. 

First I have to sew up the stuffing seams in the arms and legs and comb out any trapped mohair.

Here are the pieces so far. 

The pieces of the two bears ready for assembling

On my Spaniel tray (found in a second hand shop) there is also my trusty old pincussion, strong thread, two sizes of sharp scissors, two sizes of cotterpin turners, the rest of the joint components I will need and my little homemade stuffing tool.  My husband made it for me years ago and I would be lost without it.  It is a metal crocheting hook inserted and glued hooked end into a bradawl handle and then bound with string.  It is great for stuffing and turning smaller size bears.  

I will show more of the progress of these bears tomorrow.

Butterscotch and many other bears - new handmade mohair and vintage, can be found on my website

www.pollysvintagebears.weebly.com
and in my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/PollysVintageBears

These are What I Call 'Real' Teddy Bears

To me, these are the 'real' teddy bears, the same sort of age and similar mohair as my childhood bear, Cuddly.
These 1940's - 1950's bears really appeal to me.  They are like old friends.
I have a few from this era on my website and in my Etsy shop - see links at bottom of page.
Here are a selection of them.

Charlie and his Pup, a Merrythought Bear

Dean, a Deans Bear

Sailor Bill, a Chiltern Bear

Jessie, a Pedigree Bear

Sandy, an English Bear

www.pollysvintagebears.weebly.com

www.etsy.com/shop/PollysVintageBears

Six Inch Bears

I think that most bear makers have a favourite size of bear that they make.

When I started bear making I made various sizes from 6" to 16".  Over the years the bear world has changed and many collectors prefer the smaller sizes so my business has evolved accordingly.
The largest bears I make now are 8" and the smallest I have gone down to is 4.5". 
These tiny bears are a nightmare to turn and joint,making my fingers and hands ache.

Green and Tan Panda

Puple Panda

I like to make the 8" size, especially the colourful Pandas design.






I think my favourite size has got to be the 6".

They are just the right size to sit on a shelf or dressing table without being over'bear'ing. :)
Here are a collection of my 6" bears, past and present, such cute little characters.

Herbie - Sold

Rosebud

Butterscotch

Teddy

Leonard

Mikey - Sold

Timmy - Sold

Binky - Sold



Snowball

If anyone has a colour in mind or would like one similar to one of the sold bears (it cannot be identical as they are mostly one offs), please contact me with your requirements.   I will make one up for you at no obligation to buy if it does not look as you were expecting.
The available bears are in my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/PollysVintageBears and on my website www.Pollysvintagebears.weebly.com

A purple rabbit called Rascal 2nd

I made a few mohair rabbits last year for the craft shop.  There was one of them that I really liked.  He was called Rascal and had such grumpy expression.
He was sold a few weeks ago and got lost in the post.  I was quite annoyed with GPO because I would sooner have kept him for myself  than not know where he has ended up. 

This is Rascal 1st

The customer asked if I had another like him.  I hadn't as I had made him as a one off, but told him that I had some of the mohair left and would try to make another as close as possible.
He needed to be a bit different (or Rascal 1st wouldn't have been a one off) and as I didn't have quite enough of the purple tipped for his tummy he has a Panda type strip at his neck.
I was really pleased how he turned out and I like him just as much as his 'brother'.  He doesn't look quite as grumpy does he?

Rascal 2nd

He is an 8" design in luxurious German purple mohair with cream/lilac tipped muzzle and tummy and pink ultrasuede paw pads and ear inners.
The customer hasn't bought him yet so if you are interested in him he will be available for general sale shortly.

**He is now available in my online shops**
 www.folksy.com/shops/PudBearsandFriends  (handmade craft site UK only )
 www.pollysvintagebears.weebly.com  (my website containing old and new bears and other animals.)
www.etsy.com/shop/PollyKay11 (Overseas and UK craft site for vintage and new items)

I am in a colourful mood to try to combat all this rain we are getting and finished this 8" Rainbow bear yesterday.  He is available at  www.etsy.com/shop/PollyKay11 for international buyers and www.pollysvintagebears.weebly.com for UK customers, priced at £28 including UK postage.

Rainbow Bear 8"

Real Soft Toys

I found this maker by accident whilst looking around a bootsale.
A big white fluffy toy cat caught my eye and on impulse I bought him.
When I got him home and set about brushing and cleaning him I found a label saying he was made by Real Soft Toys.

Snowy - SOLD

He had the most beautiful expressive eyes and a nice shaped nose which appealed to me so I started looking for more information on this maker. 
Real Soft Toys was a factory in Watford, England.  They were taken over by Lefray in 1980, so any animals by them are 1970's or earlier.

The cat who I named Snowy was a hit with my customers so I searched for more of these toys.
Here are the ones that I have found, some are available on my website and in my Etsy shop, some have found new homes and I still have one or two still to be brushed to bring out their full beauty.

Ginger Tom SOLD

Simba SOLD

Tom Kitten SOLD

Jet SOLD

Yorkie in Boot

I have another Yorkie (see below), and I've managed to get another Tom Kitten and Simba too.  Then there is a RST bear.  I have not had one of the bears before and will be interested to see what response I get from my customers.  The cats and dogs seem to be quite collectable, but not sure if the bears will be as popular.