Wendy Chamberlain

Bears, beading and the year of the Dragon ...............

2012-01-25T19:54:00.003Z

The polar bear companion pieces are all complete and ready to be posted. Making repeats is not something I am very good at, each bear I create is totally different from the one that came before. Guess that means I am human and not a machine! To prove this point 'tho just look at these two little bear's faces, they are similar but no way exactly the same.......

I could most probably stitch and make a teddy bear with my eyes shut but beading is still somewhat of a learning curve for me. One of my Christmas presents was a wonderful book called 'Mastering Beadwork' by Carol Huber Cypher, written with humour and clarity for those people who like me, are somewhat not mathematically inclined. My plan was to make a sort of sampler journal of each of the different kind of bead weaving techniques. In theory an excellent idea but I am rather a run before I can walk sort of person. I spotted a pattern stitched in right angle weave to form little flowers using two needles and I just had to try it out. My beading has to be fitted in around making bears so I have not achieved very much especially as I have undone and re-done this little piece of beading several times, perhaps I have got the idea at last.

We have visited all the local charity shops over the past couple of days looking for accessories such as tiny tea cups and boxes for our bears. Unfortunately not a successful search but did find two large vintage linen sheets at the local animal shelter which were being sold as dog sheets for just £1 each. They are showing some sign of wear but after a good wash will be wonderful to cut up for small embroidery projects. Also found the following lace flower cloth and a blingy diamanté bracelet. The flowers should look pretty used individually and I can take the bracelet apart for some future project.

Still have to design or update my existing pattern to celebrate the year of the Dragon. My Chinese birth year is that bovine creature, the ox. I recently discovered this means that I will work hard and that combined with the day of the week on which I was born (remember the old rhyme about 'Saturday's child works hard for a living') looks somewhat true!

Keep a green tree alive in your heart and a songbird may come to sing there.

A week in the life of ...............

2012-01-18T22:33:00.001Z

The windows in the conservatory are rather a problem for the feathered visitors to our garden and we often have 'bird' shapes on the window where the pigeons have flown into the glass. On Sunday a chaffinch flew into the window and landed upside down on the lawn. Wrapped up and put in a box he sat looking dazed and breathing heavily. I found an excellent website explaining that birds suffer from concussion so we kept him in the box overnight in a warm spot in the house. By morning he was anxious to get out and about seemingly fully recovered and flew off happily into the garden.

Lots of work in progress this week, another lot of orders almost complete..

and another new bear on e-bay, Catherine and her tiny little friend. Stitching this tiny bear was not really something I enjoy, made from ultrasuede it looks cute but I am not into achieving any records for making very tiny bears. I used some of the newly dyed fabric for her clothing. The jacket is made from felt which is a mixture of rayon / wool and is supposedly not washable. It does take the dye well but is somewhat fragile as it quite fine but it makes wonderful clothing for little bears.

Still lots of work to catch up with over the next few weeks and should start planning on what I would like to make for Hugglets.
A quick blog update and hopefully more next time.

Friday the 13th .........

2012-01-13T12:26:00.004Z

Today is that day which seems to be regarded with much superstition and after considerable research I cannot find any justifiable or sensible reason why today is considered unlucky!

However, it seems like a good day for a sale and I have added some bears to our web page which are available at a much reduced price. Click on 'available bears' to be taken to the page with bears available for adoption.

I mentioned in my last blog that I had designed a pattern for a fox and promised a pic. I think the pattern needs some work as he is perhaps a little too cartoon character, not really my style. This is definitely a prototype pattern but meet Basil Brush, a slightly larger 4.5" with a slightly surprised view on life....

New Year seems in the distant past already and I do have a lot of orders to complete. Hugglets is just around the corner and we also will be taking part in the next on line show in mid March. Busy stitching time ahead and little time for all the books I want to read this year. Have set myself a target to read 100 books, I do have a passion for the written word and can digest a book in a day or two but perhaps I am being a little ambitious. Will let you all know at the end of this year whether I have been successful!

This week I have been a busy little stitcher, have an order for two polar bears and their companions which are now all ready to be filled and completed. Also found time to dye some fabric as Megan is working on a new pattern and kit for our Etsy shop. Give me a pot of dye and I will add anything so we now have some pretty pink fabric for bear's clothing ..........

23rd January heralds the beginning of the Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon. It is a very long time since I stitched a mini dragon and my pattern will need to be updated, hoping I can find time to make one soon. I do find that with time constraints, experimenting with new patterns is not always possible and I do miss being able to spend time on new designs.

I have succumbed to the lure of 'Pinterest' and should share this

If I can discipline myself to just a short while each day to feed my soul with all those wonderful pictures and quotations, perhaps it is not too much of a problem.

Have a great weekend.

Leftovers in their less visible form are called memories. Stored in the refrigerator of the mind and the cupboard of the heart. ~Thomas Fuller

A creative start to the New Year .........

2012-01-06T13:12:00.000Z

A warm welcome to my new followers and thank you for your comments. As much as I try to limit my time sitting in front of the computer, working on my own can be lonely and I enjoy the contact with on line friends.

My first bear for 2012 is complete and now on e-bay.

She is made from very ultra sparse vintage long pile fabric. It was rather a strange colour so I put it in a tea dye to add a little brown shading. Her dress is made from fine white cotton lawn with vintage lace trim and I have added a tiny monogram motif from my stash as a pocket on the front of the skirt. As it has the initial 'E' she has been christened Evangeline. A rather grand name for a little bear perhaps? I made her little cardigan from a vintage hand knitted child's sock. It has a beautiful lace pattern but stitching this little cardi was not for the faint hearted as I was terrified the fine knitting would fall apart. I edged the sleeves with lace and threaded a bow through the neck.

I have almost completed stitching a little fox, something I have wanted to make for a long time. Hope to have some pictures to share soon.

I did find time to indulge my need for beading in a somewhat limited way. Embroidered a tiny pendant with seed beads, flowers and leaves. Added some dangles, a chain and have something for our Etsy shop.

With Hugglets just some seven weeks away and a backlog of orders the next few weeks promises to busy. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we're doing it. ~Neil Gaiman

The beginning of a New Year.............

2012-01-01T17:17:00.001Z

New Year greetings to one and all. May 2012 be a year filled with good fortune, joy and much happiness.

The past year has been a difficult one for many of us and the world looks a bit shaky. There is no telling what this new year will bring but ..............

There are times when it is hard to believe in the future, when we are temporarily just not brave enough. When this happens, concentrate on the present. Cultivate le petit bonheur (the little happiness) until courage returns. Look forward to the beauty of the next moment, the next hour, the promise of a good meal, sleep, a book, a movie, the likelihood that tonight the stars will shine and tomorrow the sun will shine. Sink roots into the present until the strength grows to think about tomorrow. ~Ardis Whitman

I could not have worded it any better.

My two shining highlights for 2011 were the safe return of Austin from Afghanistan and the birth of my precious granddaughter Victoria but I have much to be grateful for. I am planning to be more creative this year (which will mean less time on the computer) and also taking more care of my health.

So in 2012 let us help a stranger, pray for peace, understand, say 'thank you' and sing for joy!

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Special Christmas wishes to you ...

2011-12-24T16:13:00.000Z

Time to start enjoying our family Christmas, most of the chores are done. The house is sparkling, the tree looks beautiful, food in the 'fridge and the house is full of laughter and sharing.

I most probably won't be blogging for a few days. Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings this past year, for the special comments and e-mails.

So this Christmas remember .................

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

A handcrafted Christmas

2011-12-21T21:53:00.001Z

I have been a little slow with blog updates this past few weeks but I have had a very creative time. Amazing how much I can get done if I just ignore that computer sitting on my desk!

I have another little bear now listed on e-bay. Somewhat of a change from my usual light cream bears, this little girl is brown and dressed in creams and yellow. Her tiny friend Nicholas has a matching waistcoat.

The Christmas tree is finally decorated, somewhat late this year. The angel has been re-dressed in white vintage fabric with pearls and flower trim. I do have some white feathered wings which would just be the right finishing touch but they are somewhere in a box and will have to wait until next Christmas! Removing the high colour from her cheeks was not quite as simple as I had thought but she is now at the top of the tree and I think she looks very pretty. Not bad for a pound shop purchase.

I decided that this year I was going to make some hand crafted gifts. A tiny hand embroidered pin cushion for a scrap booking enthusiast who needs somewhere to keep a few pins

Heart shaped lavender bags using vintage linen and embroidered monograms then trimmed with vintage lace, 'aged' seam binding and vintage flowers.

the first two for gifts and then one for our Grace and Whimsy Etsy store....

A selection 'fibula' pins, perfect for holding scarves in place but only suitable for loosely woven fabrics.

Still need a lot of practice with wire working. I visited a new bead shop in Cambridge for the wire and it is perhaps a little soft for this type of pin. Some research needed if I want to make more pins as whilst the gauge is correct, I think a harder wire would be better.

This year we have a special family Christmas to celebrate. Last year Austin was serving in Afghanistan and not home for Christmas. We also have a new little person in the family, it will be Victoria's first Christmas, she is almost ten months old, crawling everywhere and trying to walk. Should be interesting!

As another year draws to a close, thank you to all the special people who take the time to visit my blog. Not sure if I will have time to blog again before the weekend but wishing you all a most blessed Christmas.

This Christmas...

Help a Stranger.

Praise a Child.

Light a Candle.

Share your Love.

Sing for Joy.

Pray for Peace.

Understand.

Winter Solstice

2011-12-21T15:59:00.000Z

Today is Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, so here's to longer days and spring in the air.

Magical Solstice wishes to everyone.

At last a blog update......

2011-12-11T09:01:00.002Z

Not very much to write about, life is as usual rushing by with only thirteen days to Christmas. Have at last completed my first lot of orders which seem to have taken for ever. These will be off to their new home next week and I can start planning some new bears, working on remaining orders and perhaps take time to enjoy Christmas.............

Some time ago I decided that one of a kinds were not really going to work. This is a much disputed subject and I quite honestly do not have time to design a new pattern each time I make a bear. Each of my bears is quite unique, I am after all a human not a machine. With the exception of the limited editions I create once a year for a specialist shop, I will re-make a bear for a special order. Like any creative person the little faces can vary depending on how I am feeling. The little dressed pandas have proved so popular. I have used vintage long pile for these bears and sadly am fast running out of the original black. Vintage long pile fabric is becoming harder to find unfortunately especially in the 'beary' colours.

Our Christmas tree and boxes of decorations are stored in the garage. This year we had an episode of a family of mice finding the tree storage box an excellent home. The 'naked' tree is now waiting decoration. The 'aged' tatty star which for so many years has topped the tree needs replacing. The 99p store provided a rather garish angel which in between time will have to be re-dressed before gracing our tree. Her face is somewhat over coloured on one side but should be able to repair that. Hope to have a picture of her remake next time.

A final picture of three kitties trying to grab some winter sunshine, all cuddled together on my bed.

Have a great week and take care..................

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree; the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

Some work in progress ........................

2011-11-29T15:19:00.002Z

Although winter has finally arrived with some frosty nights, the weather is comparatively mild for this time of the year. The trees are still dressed in their beautiful autumn shades ............

I have gathered all the geranium plants into the greenhouse for winter and hopefully they will not be affected by the frost. Still have to wrap their pots to keep the soil from freezing but my bear order book is rather full so I have been busy stitching!

My little girl bears wearing dresses trimmed with vintage lace and hand embroidery are very popular with collectors. These little items of clothing take many hours of careful stitching and my work table looks somewhat like a mini dressmaker's studio. Just need a couple of tiny dress forms to display all the clothing.

Some pictures to share of work in progress, a selection of bears in various stages of completion.....

The pandas have been much in demand .........

These tiny scraps of fabric are the basis of a variety of jackets, dress and panda outfits.

which should end up looking rather like this ....

and one of the naked bears all dressed and ready for e-bay, think she suits the name 'Emily' .....

I have also been trying to complete some of my UFOs for our other Etsy store and hope to have some special items added over the next few days.

I love books and possibly spend too much of my precious creative time reading. Having read all three of my birthday present books and now waiting for books to arrive at the library, I have started taking crochet hook and thread to bed. Knitting and embroidery just do not work sitting up in bed, I drop stitches or loose needles so crochet is ideal. I have made a collection of pink flowers, still a few more to do then I can make them into something special.

That is about all my creative news for the present, back to stitching so that I can take a day off next week!

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead ~ Louisa May Alcott

Happy Thanksgiving ..........

2011-11-24T09:50:00.000Z

I think that having a special day to be thankful is a wonderful idea. So to all my American followers, friends and collectors of my bears I wish you a very special Thanksgiving holiday. May the coming year bring many beautiful things in your life to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

A Chateau in Provence and other things ..................

2011-11-22T20:33:00.001Z

If you are a regular followers of my blog you will know that I lived in Brittany for some seven months. Perhaps we were fortunate to live in a tiny village but I fell in love with the countryside and the beautiful old buildings and churches.

Recently one of the blogs I follow had a link to a beautiful chateau in Provence which, if you have a love of beautiful old things, you might also like to visit.

We spent Saturday in London, visiting such stores as Harrods and Fortnum and Mason. Definitely not my usual haunts. London was as always totally crowded and somewhat exhausting. I tried to take some photographs but it was not really possible with all the crowds. For the beaders who read my blog, Harrods window theme was a 'Crystal Christmas'. The item which really caught my attention was a dress costing £230,000 embellished with more than 150,000 Swarovski crystals entirely stitched by hand.
We did get to take in some of the Christmas lights in Oxford Street.

Don't know if it is the age thing but this city girl has become rather a country bumpkin and I was rather glad to get home to our quiet little village.

After making the decision that I would cut back on time spent on the computer I perhaps foolishly have fallen into the 'pinterest' trap. So far I have managed to just add a few 'pins' but once I got looking at some of the wonderful pictures and ideas I spent far too much time visiting the site.

Back to bear related news, the Christmas Treasures on line show was a great success and all our bears have found new homes. Now back to completing several orders which my wonderful patient collectors are still waiting for!

Have a good week ......

In the country the darkness of night is friendly and familiar, but in a city, with its blaze of lights, it is unnatural, hostile and menacing. It is like a monstrous vulture that hovers, biding its time. ~Somerset Maughan

Christmas Treasures On Line Show

2011-11-18T21:05:00.000Z

A picture of our selection of bears specially created for the Christmas Treasures on line show.

On line show .....

2011-11-17T09:49:00.000Z

The Christmas Treasures on line show begins on November 18 at 4pm New York time.
We have been busy working on some special little bears and I would like to invite you to visit the show to see all the wonderful artist offerings.

Tomorrow I will put up a picture of our bears but for the moment they are a well kept secret!

Have now completed my course of medication and hopefully will start to feel a little more normal again. Winter seems to have finally arrived and the weather is a lot colder, will have to start putting my frost sensitive plants under cover. Still picking tomatoes from the glass house but they are the last few until next season. The birds are visiting in droves and we have had a pair of shy magpies sneaking into the garden in the past few days. These much maligned birds are so scared of humans it is quite sad. I love watching them, they strut around in their smart black and white looking like little waiters.
Something to look forward to a planned outing to London this weekend with my girls. Just to look and wish and perhaps take in some of the early Christmas sights.

Have a great day.

One kind word can warm three winter months. ~Japanese Proverb

Worn out and exhausted ...........

2011-11-13T21:39:00.001Z

Have reached a stage when I am feeling worn out and finding it hard to cope. After several weeks of fighting some dreadful virus, sneezing, coughing etc I now have shingles. It has affected my upper arm and is extremely painful and affecting my ability to work. Which is not good as I need to work to keep a roof over my head etc. Because of my age (!!) and the possibility of long term problems with severe neuralgia in my arm, I have been prescribed anti virals. I suffer with psoriasis which seems to have flared up possibly as a result of the medication. Goodness this is a miserable blog posting...

On to something nice. Spent a day having a break from bears and trying to complete some of the UFOs lying around. Did not do as much as I had hoped but did finally complete a little needle keep which is now in our Etsy store.

Did get to spend a little quality time with family today as it was Austin's annual Remembrance Day parade in London. Almost up to date with bears for the on line show. Megan and I have been busy creating some wonderful creations (at least I think so). Just a few additions to the web page tomorrow and hopefully all will be complete and ready for the big event which starts on November 18th. Watch this space and have a great week.

A poignant day ..........

2011-11-11T13:09:00.002Z

Today is the anniversary of the end of the 1st World War, known as the 'war to end all wars'. How I wish this were true!

Today I will wear my poppy with pride in remembrance of all the lives lost and still being lost, both in the armed forces as well as civilians involved in conflicts around the world.

“That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong, that decency will somehow triumph in the end ~ Lise Hand quotes

Christmas Treasures On Line Show

2011-11-04T21:21:00.001Z

The preview pictures for the on line show are now up with a wonderful selection of bears on display.

For the show I have created a special Christmas piece, Isbjorn ('ice bear' in Norway and Denmark) and his little friend Serafina. I used Victorian Christmas colours of rose pink and sage green for the little bear. This set is not easy to photograph and the strict limitations on pictures for the show made it a little difficult to show the full set.
There is a 'Collectors Choice' award for the show so please visit and vote for your favourite bear, click on the picture for a link to the preview.

Starting to feel a little more human again, 'tho still coughing a lot. I am busy working on the remaining bears for the show and outstanding orders. Thanks to special collectors for their patience.
Normal November weather has arrived and it is rainy and grey. Does not bode well for Guy Fawkes celebrations tomorrow.
More next time, in the meantime have a great weekend ..............

Have a spooky Halloween.......................

2011-10-31T07:33:00.000Z

A bear called 'Autumn' ..............

2011-10-27T21:31:00.000+01:00

I am still battling the dreaded 'lurgies'. After spending several days coughing and wheezing, a visit to the doctor yesterday was rather a waste of time as I was told that I do not have 'flu but some viral infection which would clear up in its own good time.
But at least I have managed to complete a new bear. I have been working on limited editions and repeat orders for several weeks and was starting to feel a little desperate to create something different with not a pastel shade in sight!
Autumn is dressed in a cream dress with brown jacket. Vintage French lace and old tatted lace trim the edge of the jacket sleeves and hem of the dress. I have embroidered a selection of autumn shaded leaves and berries together with tiny satin flowers and beads on the dress and jacket.

Autumn is very proud of her outfit and was quite happy to be photographed for a 'fashion shoot' with her jacket off!

I am now busy working on the bears for the on line show, preview has to be up and ready by 1st November. So the next few days (and weeks) are set to be busy yet again .................

I love my Dad ...............

2011-10-24T15:21:00.003+01:00

Not much to report as I am suffering from from the worst dose of 'flu that I have had for years, not much help when trying to meet deadlines. Curses to the person who so kindly shared this dreadful bug with poor Megan who then so generously passed it on to me!
I have started a pinterest page. I wonder whether I could live to regret this action as it will mean more time on the computer and loading pictures will have to wait awhile.
Spent a day in Cambridge last week and also visited March, did take some photographs but they are still awaiting editing, hopefully next time.
But something special to share this wonderful picture of Austin and Victoria. Know I am a proud grandmother but this is such a special picture. Austin has been away for several weeks on an army training course, only home at the weekends and it looks like little Victoria was very happy to have him back.

When we lived in Cape Town with our four kitties we acquired a very lovely ginger kitty who moved into our house. He belonged to a neighbour but had a tendency to roam and decided that he liked the set up in our house even though he still wandered the neighbourhood and was inclined to be a solitary soul. When planning the big move to the UK he was supposed to be included in the menagerie. However, he had other ideas and when a new neighbour moved in next door he decided that that was to be his home. My neighbour keeps in touch and sent me a picture of Lucky the biker cat.

So pleased to see that he is well and has finally settled into a home!

Changes ..............

2011-10-19T08:46:00.003+01:00

The days are flying by and I am still trying to limit my computer time so not much to report. The days are getting shorter, the Indian summer has come to an end and I actually put the heating on for a very short while last night, just to take the chill out of the house.
I have found time to 'refresh' my blog with a new background and header. My experiments with Photoshop do take up time but I can do a lot in my 'tea' breaks with cup in hand! Would like some comments please, is it a bit too much or does it look good. Tried to use some of my bear pics and items of jewellery I have made.
I am a collector of things, from that beautiful pebble on the beach to old lace at the market, they will all find a place in my home! I am passionate about books, if only I could stitch with one hand and read at the same time! My love of the written word means I have somewhat of a fetish for collecting quotes. I have a file on my pc specifically for all the random quotes that catch my attention, it is a dreadful jumble and at the moment does not warrant precious time spent categorising words of inspiration. In the meantime something special I spotted on Facebook recently ..................

Years of stitching tiny bears is catching up. I have been visiting the physiotherapist for several months as my neck, shoulders and arms have been so painful. Being sent home with a series of exercises has not been much help as I am always so busy working and lacking in discipline that fitting these into my schedule on a regular basis doesn't happen. I have now received traction which has helped considerably, hopefully will show some long term results.
Life is hectic at the moment, cannot seem to catch up with orders. I have planned a visit to Cambridge tomorrow with my two special daughters, much needed time out and a break from the relentless stitching of the past few weeks. Hopefully the weather will still be fine and I can share lots of pictures of beautiful things.

Enjoy the rest of your week and hopefully more news next time...

Most collectors collect tangibles. As a quotation collector, I collect wisdom, life, invisible beauty, souls alive in ink. ~Terri Guillemets

Bears, chutney and de-cluttering .....................

2011-10-13T21:47:00.001+01:00

A rather overdue blog update. Have been working hard this past week trying to catch up with orders and mundane tasks around the house.
The tomato plants are starting to look rather sad 'tho we do have a few plants in the little greenhouse which should last for a short while longer if we do not have frosty nights. Megan and I spent a morning making autumn tomato chutney with some of the very ripe tomatoes using a recipe found on the internet. We picked the requisite apples from two trees which are laden with fruit and grow in the small park just up the road. Foraging for fruit is legal in England with the small proviso that it is not picked for commercial purposes. This year has seen a bumper crop of all the berries in the hedgerows and the apple trees are laden. As I still have several bottles of plum jam left from last year all this year's fruit was consigned to the 'green' bin, at least it was re-cycled and put to some use.

So these beautiful red tomatoes and this mixture ..........

provided some thirteen jars of chutney .......

Another long overdue task took several days but we now have a tidy garage. The surplus furniture has been put to good use in Austin and YoonMi's larger flat. All our precious fabrics, trims and books are safely stored in strong plastic boxes and a lot more accessible. I finally understand how good it feels to de-clutter, several items went to the local re-cycling centre and I have a box of surplus china and oddments to take to the charity shop.
Going through all the boxes I found several items which bring back many happy memories. Some years ago Megan and I were invited to hold workshops for members of the Teddy Bear Guild in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Those wonderful women opened up their homes and hearts to us and we spent several very special days sharing and creating together. This beautiful little pincushion was a gift from our hostess and is now back in good use on my work table.

In between times I have been busy stitching, the two pandas ordered at Hugglets are now complete and ready for their journey to Germany. Embroidering the little outfits takes many hours and I am so pleased that my long list is shorter by two...

Lots of stitching to still do, the on line show draws ever nearer and the weekend beckons with lots of work to be done in the garden.

If the shelves are dusty and the pots don't shine, it's because I have better

things to do with my time. ~Author Unknown

Happiness is ..........

2011-10-02T23:03:00.000+01:00

Firstly a warm welcome to the newest followers of my blog. I do tend to ramble a little and my updates usually consist of bears, beautiful things I find or see and now and again when time permits, some beading.
I think that my family regard me as somewhat of a scatterbrain, very easily sidetracked from the task at hand, hence the time I take to complete orders but I do get there eventually.

No great news to share this time around as I have been hard at work and my Witney creations are almost complete, just a ribbon here and there, one lot of ears to be attached and a couple of blind kitties to be given the gift of sight. I still have quite a few orders to start and should also start working on bears for the November on line show. Seemed just a few weeks ago that the show was several months away and it is now October!

The weather has been unseasonably warm the past few days and we are having an 'Indian' summer with temperatures in the late twenties. Considering that we have been warned of a harsh winter with snow in October seems a little odd and I keep wondering when I will be unpacking my winter woollies.

In the meantime have a good week.............

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." Elizabeth Lawrence

Of rainbows and other events of everyday life......................

2011-09-28T12:45:00.003+01:00

With so many orders to complete and having decided to limit my time at the computer I have actually managed to get quite a lot of work done the past few weeks.
We were so thrilled to once again have a selection of our creations included in Teddy Bears of Witney 2012 catalogue. This is a collage picture showing my Harley Hare and two little kittens AJ and Cleopatra as well as Megan's Victoria with Sarah and the little pink girl called Serenity.

I am not good at making limited editions and I am presently trying to complete the series by the end of September! Harley Hare's clothing is a little labour intensive, fortunately the little kitties are fairly simple but small so require careful stitching.
We have been enjoying the most amazing weather over the past few days, balmy autumn days with no rain and a gentle breeze, time to catch up with the washing. It always smells so much better when dried out in the fresh air.
We are still harvesting tomatoes and beans. It has not been a good year for vegetables, a fairly mild summer with little rain but so far we have picked some 500 tomatoes. My husband has a less intensive schedule than I do and he has the time to play tomato record keeper!
The birds are still flocking to the feeders, the babies now well grown and self-sufficient. We have a flock of noisy starlings who arrive each day. They eat all the suet balls, fight for space in the bird baths, generally behave like hooligans earning the title 'the spotted gang'. Once they leave for the day the smaller birds return and enjoy the remains of whatever is left.
Victoria came to visit this weekend. She is still rather bald but has lots of very fine hair which is finally starting to grow. I have made two crochet hair bands for her which look very cute. All the hair bands I had seen seem to either be on an elastic band or slide on. In my wisdom I decided to make an open band with Velcro to fasten, works relatively well but somewhat inclined to slip down and cover her eyes!

From childhood I have had a fascination with rainbows, growing up in Africa with magnificent open spaces and skies I was one of those unusual souls who would stop to gaze in awe at the beauty of the sky. On our way back from the London show I was thrilled to see a large rainbow just before sunset. Megan managed to take some pictures whilst I was driving, not the best but unfortunately there was nowhere safe to stop. Think that a bigger camera with special lenses might help for this type of photography but the dark rain clouds and ploughed autumn fields add a touch of interest.

Leaving the supermarket last week I was amazed to see the biggest rainbow I have ever seen also in the evening sky. One of those rainbows that has a reflection almost as intense in colour as the main section. Unfortunately I do not always carry my camera with me so had to use my mobile phone camera which is not the best but the few pictures I did manage to take are quite amazing, looks rather like a large planet! The street lights add an interesting perspective.

Rather a mixed blog of bears, scenery and news and finally pictures of bright green leaves with raindrops and a vase of pink daisies from the garden.

Enjoy the rest of the week and I am back to stitching ................

As a professional life magician I can assure you that a smile to the postman, cupcakes to your friend and the thank you note to your grandpa can make miracles ~ unknown

Bead Soup and life ...........

2011-09-21T08:04:00.003+01:00

Life is as usual, in the fast lane with orders to complete and deadlines looming.
Firstly, thank you to all those special people who have taken the time to visit my blog, your encouraging comments are most appreciated.
I have been visiting bead soup blogs between times amazing what one can do with a cup of tea in one hand! Such a pleasure to see all the amazing creations each one so unique. Unfortunately I am also having problems with either my pc, internet connection and blogger (perhaps all three!) with the result that several of my comments have not been saved. It is going to take me some weeks to finally visit (and re-visit) all the blogs but hopefully I will get there eventually.
A few pictures to share.

hydranges from the garden. These have been included in many of our recent pictures, just love the faded blue colour.

fragrant white roses in the last days of summer, autumn is starting to take hold. With the solstice on 23 Sept autumn will officially begin, the days are shortening and we have been warned of a severe winter.

A corner of our work room. The old window frame which Megan found in France, think she has ideas for it but at the moment it has been sanded and cleaned and used for an interesting display piece. When we lived in France there was a wealth of 'junk' on the overgrown piece of land next to our house, perhaps we should have searched a little more might have found some more treasures.
Today I am taking a break and spending time with YoonMi and Victoria as Austin is away doing his army stuff.
Enjoy the rest of the week, the weekend beckons...............

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus

Bead Soup Blog Party

2011-09-17T08:53:00.003+01:00

Participating in BSBP has been quite a learning curve for me. When my bead soup parcel arrived I spread out the beads and findings and quite honestly had no idea where to start as I am more used to working with seed beads.

Lots of setting out, adding and subtracting and looking through my myriad books and magazines did not really offer much inspiration. I eventually went through my large stash of beads picking out complimentary beads which was not easy as I did not have many of the same shades of sea green/blue. The wonderful Shibuichi luna fairy focal is made by Green Girl Studios and my first thought was to perhaps try and wrap it around a donut bead. After some research I discovered that Shibuichi is a mixture of silver and copper and is very strong, certainly not flexible enough to bend. The Swavroski crystals and seed beads were similar enough in colour and I peyote stitched a ring of beads and added a brass circular Vintaj finding. Brass chain and various beads from my soup mix completed the necklace fastened with a very basic hook and jump ring clasp.

I am pleased with the result, perhaps not what I had planned originally but it rather took shape in stages!

The flower Shibuichi clasp did not seem right with my necklace and I made a bracelet using this lovely finding, some of my left over beads, brass chain and two tiny Vintaj butterflies.

This is my first attempt at working with wire and I do need to improve my technique. Although I work with my hands continually stitching I found that turning wire loops requires a lot more strength and was not as easy as it looks. I also used some head pins from recycled vintage jewellery which were quite thick.

A further learning curve has been photographing bead work as the colours in digital photography can be misleading. The little glass drop bead on the necklace is actually quite blue/green but in the photo it looks green. The circular beadwork looks very deep blue but is actually quite similar in colour to the beads in the necklace. Took photographs using a black necklace display stand which drained the colour from my beads. Think I will have to recover it with white fabric!

A big thank you to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things Blog for organising the Bead Soup Blog Swap. I have had a loads of fun, learnt a lot and feel a little more confident in designing my own jewellery. Looking forward to visiting blogs to see what other participants have created.

There are 364 bead soups to see, click here to start visiting. Have fun

Hugglets feedback and my Bead Soup

2011-09-14T11:22:00.002+01:00

Have not had a very productive week all the stress and late nights prior to the Hugglets show is catching up and the house needed a major clean this week!

Hugglets was quieter than usual, a sign of the present economic restraints perhaps. Lots of new faces, both artists and collectors. Both Megan and I love the opportunity to see old friends and catch up with all the happenings in their lives. Our bears attracted a lot of new collectors and it was a good day for us. The lighting in the hall is not the best and I only managed one good photograph, here is a small section of our table display.

The little pandas were a hit and I have orders for several more! On top of my existing list of 'to makes' I will be busy for some weeks ahead.

My Bead Soup contribution is almost complete, only had time to make one item but I am very pleased with the result. The focal piece is quite beautiful and I have had many anxious moments working on something to compliment it without being overwhelming. The bronze colour is also something I have not worked with before. I have spent a lot of time looking through my stash to find suitable findings rather than taking the easy way out and visiting a bead shop which for me entails a longish bus journey to Cambridge or driving towards Ely. One of the disadvantages of living in rural England. Pictures will be up on the 17th September.

I enter lots of competitions and blog give-aways. Good news is that I am now the proud owner of a great new book, thanks to Cyndi Lavin from Beading Arts. Lots of different ideas to try.

On a new subject entirely. I follow and read some amazing blogs filled with beautiful pictures from all around the world. I very often feel that I am lagging behind as I do not have much time to spend blogging and quite honestly I am trying to cut back on the time I spend sitting in front of my pc. I am a creative person using my hands to make beautiful things, spending hours on the computer cuts into that creativity both physically and mentally. Recently reading Fiona & Twig's blog with a guest post entitled 'Blogger Breakdown' I realised that many of us are falling into a trap of feeling guilty if we do not update our blogs regularly. Well worth reading, the link is:

http://fionaandtwig.blogspot.com/2011/09/blogger-breakdownguest-post-by.html

So now back to work as I have lots to do. Have a good week

Housework, if it is done right, can kill you. ~John Skow

11 September 2001

2011-09-12T09:49:00.000+01:00

Yesterday like so many people, I remembered with much sadness the events of 11th September. One of those happenings that for the rest of my life I will remember the exact time and what I was doing when I heard the news and how I watched in horror the drama unfold on my TV screen. Cannot believe that it was ten years ago, seems like only yesterday!
As an animal lover I would like to remember the wonderful dogs who helped with search and rescue. The following link is a video tribute which will probably bring tears to your eyes.

http://www.thedogfiles.com/2010/09/03/hero-dogs-of-911/

I will not go into right and wrongs of the politics in the years that have followed this tragic event, this is not the place for it but as a special friend said to me yesterday at the Hugglets show in London, 'Perhaps if we gave them all a teddy bear to hug they might see the world in a different way'. Here's hoping.

The real differences around the world today are not between Jews and Arabs; Protestants and Catholics; Muslims, Croats, and Serbs. The real differences are between those who embrace peace and those who would destroy it; between those who look to the future and those who cling to the past; between those who open their arms and those who are determined to clench their fists. ~William J. Clinton, 1997

Hugglets Preview and stuff .............

2011-09-10T12:43:00.002+01:00

After days of endless stitching and little sleep we are finally done.... still have a couple of unstitched bears but there are other shows coming up. We are now packing all the requisite items for display and of course the bears.
Our preview of show bears is up on our web page http://www.essentialbears.net. As we both seemed to have kept to a pastel and floral theme it seemed appropriate to call our latest collection ' A Summer Garden Party'. A picture of some of the newbies ........

Now I can catch up on some sleep and complete my Bead Soup creation/s. So rather another busy week ahead.

At risk of turning into one of those grannies who proudly displays pics of her grandchildren to one and all I have to share Victoria's latest picture with her two new teeth just visible.

Sleeping like a baby?

And finally something special to share...........

A young fox sliding down a disused conveyor belt in a quarry. To read the story behind this amazing picture follow the link to

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030002/Young-fox-cub-time-life-sliding-quarry-conveyor-belt.html

Have a wonderful weekend.

If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first.~Lois Wyse

Time flies and who needs sleep anyway!

2011-09-06T10:51:00.002+01:00

I have been trying hard to keep away from my computer for several days.
So much to do and very little time left to complete bears. We usually set a target of at least ten bears each which makes a good display of about twenty bears. At this stage we have total of eleven and given that we dress our bears, embroider tiny flowers on their clothing etc time is running out. Hence my heading on who needs sleep anyway!
The weather has been amazing for part of the week, warm sunshine with just a little wind. This morning we woke to a wild and windy day, rain and grey skies, autumn is just around the corner.
I have a few pictures to share taken over the past few weeks.
I spent an afternoon with Austin, YoonMi and Victoria and we visited the park for tea. A little girl who is growing by leaps and bounds. Austin has informed me that she now has two 'fangs' and she is starting to crawl. They have moved into a bigger flat on the outskirts of London and have acquired a baby prison (playpen) to keep her out of harm's way as everything finds it way into her mouth! She does need to grow some hair as she is still a somewhat bald little baby.

The park was full of wonderful flowers arranged by colour

A sign under the window of an old house we walked past, wonder who lives there? Another of those sad neglected houses so often found in England, need lots of love and care

I have managed to complete some beading but the Bead Soup entry is sitting waiting until after the Hugglets show. This a brooch I made with a resin cabochon with tiny beaded leaves and flowers photographed on my beautiful lace scarf. Something new for our Etsy 'Grace & Whimsy' store

Finally a selection of some of the geraniums I have in the garden. Beautiful vibrant colour

These are some of the plants that I found for a song at the local farmer's market. The ivy geranium is from a selection of plants offered by our Sunday newspaper, the most amazing burgundy colour.

And so, back to work lots of bears waiting. Hope to have some pictures to share by the end of the week when I will also get around to updating our webpage.
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving comments, I hope to start catching up again next week but of course there is the next round of orders to complete and have to start planning for the next on line show in November.
Have a good week...........

Darn the wheel of the world! Why must it continually turn over? Where is the reverse gear ~Jack London

So little time .................

2011-09-01T19:30:00.001+01:00

A long overdue blog update. My visit to the dentist proved somewhat of a disaster. Given a temporary filling and was told that I would need to have the tooth 'capped' at a cost of some £200. Saturday evening started feeling miserable with a sore throat and spent the rest of the weekend fighting some viral infection. Bronwen visited the same dental practice early on Monday morning to hear that the dentist and another member of staff had phoned in sick. Guess where I picked up this dratted bug. I am only now starting to feel human again after a visit to the doctor and a course of antibiotics!
This has slowed down my work somewhat and Hugglets is very much just around the corner. We are both battling to complete our usual ten bears each for the show. I have spent the day embroidering clothes for just one little girl. Well who needs sleep anyway!!
My bead soup mix is sitting waiting and I have started putting together some ideas and hunting through my stash for additional beads, findings etc. I will only be able to give this my full attention after the show on the 11th Sept but that will give me six days to get it all complete and photographed.
Pictures of bears soon hopefully.

Bead Soup and other things

2011-08-21T15:16:00.003+01:00

My bead soup partner Pepita has received her selection of beads. Now that the secret is out of the box so to speak, I can share this picture with you....

Pepita's blog is new and with little information on which to work, I put together a selection of beads working on the assumption that everyone likes blue. Was a little disconcerted to read that she previously owned a beading shop! On reading of her reaction to my box of beads I think my choice will be challenge for her, in much the same way as I am feeling about the beads which I received from Pepita. I have up to now worked mainly with seed beads, so I this will be a new experience for me.
Which brings me to another subject. Why do I have a blog? I know that for some it is a marketing tool, another on line place to promote their creations. For others it is way of communicating and meeting like minded friends from around the world. There are also those who use their blog to write of the ups and downs in their lives. I rather tend to fall into all of these categories, moving across the world to another country helped to keep in touch when I do not have time to write to each of my special friends, adding pictures of some of the wonderful places I have been so privileged to visit. It definitely has been a place where I have shared the highs and lows of my new life as well as being a forum to show my latest bears and other creations. So that is why I try and keep my blog updated as much as possible 'tho I am starting to discipline myself not to spend too much time in front of my computer and actually do some creative work. I have made new on line friends and found some awesome blogs to follow.
Finally I seem to have acquired a dreaded virus with 'flu like symptoms. My head feels like a big wad of cotton wool, thankfully the sore throat has settled and is now not too severe. A planned weekend of work has fallen by the wayside but at least I have a good book to read!

Like everybody else, when I don't know what else to do, I seem to go in for catching colds. ~George Jean Nathan

.... of hedgehogs and other things...............

2011-08-13T13:44:00.000+01:00

Last year, whilst walking Max early in the morning, Bronwen rescued a young hedgehog from a cat. Trying to keep him in contained in a box to recuperate did not work. We eventually just left him out in the garden to fend for himself which he did admirably. He has subsequently visited our garden regularly at night over the past year happily eating the food left out for him. Last night Bronwen was delighted to discover he has a companion, not easy to find them in the dark but this one is very small and timid and ran away.
After some internet research we persuaded Mervyn to build a hedgehog house for winter hibernation. We were a little concerned as to how we would inform Hamish that he has a nice warm house to live in. The little wooden house has been placed in a quiet corner of the garden under a tree. It is warm, waterproof and filled with straw just waiting for a prickly tenant. This morning Megan lifted the lid and discovered a very sleepy and cross hedgehog inside! So thrilled and hopefully his little friend will join him.
This past week I read that hedgehogs will most probably be extinct in the UK within fifteen years partly due to the use of pesticides and fenced gardens. Apparently a hedgehog needs to be able to access about eight gardens to feed successfully and fences/walls rather prevent this. Sadly some 50 000 are killed by motorists each year. A rather disquieting statistic as they, like badgers, are such a special part of the English countryside.
I have been looking at my bead selection for the BSBP, adding some from my own stash and trying to come up with something special. Still in the planning stages but hope to get working on my ideas soon.
I have also managed to complete several bears recently.

Cornflower who has found a new home through e-bay and will be on her way to the USA next week.

Gillyflower who will be added to our webpage shortly and

Grace who was a special commission also destined for America.
Some pictures to share, young ducks with their Mom on the village pond.

The farmers have been harvesting for the past few weeks, working late into the night. This amazing picture is taken from the end of our road looking across to the skyline, bales of hay as far as the eye can see.

I am off to London this afternoon to babysit Victoria until next time......

Grandparents are similar to a piece of string - handy to have around and easily wrapped around the fingers of their grandchildren. ~Author Unknown

Bead Soup Blog Party...........

2011-08-12T18:03:00.000+01:00

The Bead Soup Blog Party is well under way. I have not had much time this past week to view more of the participant's blogs but hope to get there soon!

My blog partner is Pepita Bos from the Netherlands and this is the box I sent to her, contents are at this stage a surprise. I hope she will like the selection I have made.........

My parcel of beads arrived today, love the colour reminds me of the sea! I am going to have to move from my comfort zone of tiny seed beads and plan something special with my selection of beads, the focal is amazing.

My main source of income is from the miniature teddy bears I make. However I have 'dabbled' with beads for many years, attended workshops in glass bead making and art clay silver. I have over the years collected a large quantity of beads and findings. Unfortunately time does not allow me to spend a lot of time on my bead work and it has to be fitted in around the bears. Very excited to be part of the event, picture of my completed creation will be up on my blog on the 17th September.
Wishing you all a very special weekend.

Places I have been.............

2011-08-09T09:48:00.001+01:00

I have finally sorted out photos of my recent excursions.
The first pictures are taken in the gardens of Kenwood House. This enormous estate bordered by Hampstead Heath is an idyllic spot with beautiful trees, lakes and footpaths to hidden places. The house, estate and part of the art collection of the first Earl of Iveagh were bequeathed to the nation when he died in 1925. Concerts are held in the grounds in summer and it reminds me a lot of Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town of course without the mountain as a backdrop.
Entry to the estate is free and when we visited the grounds were packed with families, dogs, lots of happy children and picnickers.

This is the front of the house. I did not go in to view the art collection but there is a thriving restaurant, the inevitable shop with tourist type items for sale and even a small nursery with cottage garden type of plants. Whilst wandering around taking photographs I came across one of my most favourite trees, a ginkgo. Originally from Asia this ancient species is a living fossil related to the cycad. The tree is non flowering but has the most exquisite fan shaped leaves most suitable to use in silver clay work. Finding the tree, gazing in absolute awe and touching the branches (with a view to taking just one small leaf) I realised that I was the subject of attention by the nearby families enjoying their picnic. Needless to say I gave them all a weak smile and left without my treasured leaf. I did not even stop to take a photograph, perhaps next time.

The bridge over the lake

and a coot, a water bird with the biggest and strangest feet. This one had babies, round black balls of fluff screaming hysterically as they could not get up the bank out of the lake to be with their mom.

A scenic view looking down across London. Amazing that such a large open space exists in that enormous city.
The following photographs are all taken in Cambridge. We took the bus to the city as it is one of those places where cars are not very welcome and park and ride is the way to go. Much easier, less stressful and cheaper as due to my extreme age I have a free bus pass!

Finally no blog of mine would be complete without pictures of trees, an avenue of trees in the park and an ancient tree near Kings College.

Now time to get back to work, Hugglets is just around the corner and as usual time is flying by with little to show for hours of stitching. I have spent the past two days embroidering tiny French knots around the hem of a bear's dress.
Austin has an army function on Saturday evening and I have been asked to babysit Victoria. Something to look forward to and maybe I will have time to fit in some stitching whilst she is sleeping!

Have a good week .....................

Grandmothers are just antique little girls. ~Author Unknown

A new experience ....

2011-08-07T15:00:00.000+01:00

I took a deep breath, a big leap of faith and signed up for ........... Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. Having read about previous Bead Soup happenings on Lori's very interesting blog, I decided that I would like to try it for myself. Some 362 participants have signed up and I am number 95. I have spent several hours today (should be working) visiting blogs and viewing some of the awesome creations by very talented beading people. Don't think I quite fit into that category but I am so excited to be part of this event.
So I now need to start searching through my considerable stack of beads to put together a focal, a special clasp and co-ordinating beads to send to my as yet unknown partner. I will receive a similar parcel in return and get to show off what I have made on September 17th. This will be a challenge for me as I am not very confident in designing my own jewellery but I am looking forward to trying something different.
Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend

Faith and doubt both are needed - not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve. ~Lillian Smith

Pretty things ..............

2011-08-05T14:10:00.002+01:00

Friday and the end of a somewhat unsettled week. My scheduled temp assignment for this week was cancelled at the last minute late last Friday and I was therefore surprised to receive a frantic call to please come in on Wed/Thurs. Arrive on Wednesday morning to be told that once again a change of plans and I was not needed this week! Annoying and a waste of time but I have managed to get some creative work completed so pictures to share.

Pretty pincushions made with boot market finds, fabric, ribbons and tiny roses as well as a selection of pins from Megan's collection.

I found these exquisite filigree pieces in our local charity shop. With the addition of some fresh water pearls they are now very pretty earrings. At last some new items for our Grace & Whimsy Etsy store ....

Lots of work in progress on bears. Trying to think of something new for Hugglets has been difficult but some ideas have started to appear in my muddled brain. Bears are cut out and ready to sew, lots of stitching ahead of me in the coming weeks. Outstanding orders almost complete and up to date and a new order received yesterday.
Last year I purchased two large strawberry plants in pots which I placed in our small vegetable garden. They flourished and produced a multitude of shoots which I planted out this summer ending up with over twenty plants not counting the several I planted in two strawberry pots and hanging baskets. The hot weather and lack of rain does not appear to have had a detrimental affect on them. Lovely red strawberries, sweet and juicy and home grown including one little raspberry......

The very pretty pansy flower has a tale to tell. I bought a tray of some 250 pansy seedlings on line. They duly arrived, tiny little plants shipped all the way from the Channel Islands for the princely sum of £10. When ordering, the logistics of finding space for some 250 plants did not enter my mind and I spent several days planting out tiny pansy seedlings which are now in full flower in a variety of pots around the garden. Small, frilly flowers with a faint fragrance. My other good find was at the local market, the nurseryman was selling trays of 20 good size seedlings for £1 each, the end of the season and what he did not sell he would be putting in the dump! I now have pots of lovely colourful geraniums and the front of the house is bright and cheerful with golden marigolds. Not my most favourite flower they don't smell too good but with the harsh summer we have had they are hardy and do not need a lot of water.
Back to work, pictures of my travels next time....

A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist. ~Franklin P. Jones

Something beautiful to share

2011-07-31T23:04:00.003+01:00

Another week begins. I have been sorting through all my UFOs, those items of beading, embroidery etc that I started with so much enthusiasm but time and life intervened. Trying to discipline myself to not start anything new before completing at least one of them is proving difficult! Bears of course take priority but I am trying to set aside one day a week for other creative work. Will report on how successful this proves to be in due course!

I have lots of photographs taken over the past several weeks, my excursions to London plus a picnic in the park and a visit to Cambridge. Need to edit and crop a selection of pics and hope to have something to share this week.

In the meantime something really beautiful to share. Gregory Colbert, Canadian film-maker and photographer created Ashes and Snow, an exhibition of photographic artworks and films housed in the Nomadic Museum.

“When I started Ashes and Snow in 1992, I set out to explore the relationship between man and animals from the inside out. In discovering the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals, I am working towards restoring the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals. Gregory Colbert”

To view the full selection of these incredible photographs visit:

http://www.ashesandsnow.org/en/portfolio/

There are also several You Tube videos worth viewing, this is just one of many:

Wishing you all a wonderful week............

If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected; Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. ~Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe, letter to President Franklin Pierce

A busy week ahead.............

2011-07-25T12:09:00.001+01:00

A break this week from my temping assignment. Have to take the opportunity to get working on bears for Hugglets and orders.
I have been feeling very uncreative and wondering what I can do with my little bears that I have not done so many times before. Looking through our file of pictures and magazine articles spotted a little pansy purse bear which I made some time ago. I have revived the idea again for a little pink bear who is now ready to be listed on e-bay.

Last week was a sort of catch up time after having been working for several weeks. An appointment for Mervyn with the audiologist at our nearest hospital turned into one of those occasions that after the event I can laugh about. At the time it was somewhat stressful to arrive at the hospital and discover that due to a mistake with the booking, he should be at the hospital in Cambridge. Rushed home to grab the satnav and headed off to an extremely large hospital with no idea where he had to go. We made the revised appointment by just two minutes!

Friday was the day for the annual MOT for my car. All went well except for a headlight needing adjusting and a new bulb. Finding a replacement bulb was another story and I eventually had to go to the Vauxhall agents to get one that would fit! They did not have any in stock (apparently they never have to be replaced haha) so it had to be ordered in.

The final event of the week was taking poor little Leila to the vet as she seems to have developed a bladder problem. For this little cat such an event is extremely traumatic but she is now on medication which hopefully will help to clear up the inflammation.

So back to stitching .................

A sad day for the badger

2011-07-21T07:24:00.000+01:00

A follow on from my earlier blog. I discovered on FB this morning that the government has agreed to the badger cull. To read more follow the link to the RSPCA website:

http://www.rspca.org.uk/media/news/story/-/article/EM_Black_day_for_badgers_as_long_feared_cull_is_confirmed_Jul11

I personally think that this is an appalling decision with no scientific proof that it will eradicate bovine TB.

Pictures to share........

2011-07-20T23:12:00.005+01:00

First a warm welcome to my new blog followers, hope you will enjoy my creative ramblings.
At last a break from my temp assignment and time to catch up with work and blogging. The next two weeks are likely to be busy as I have so many things to do. MOT for the car, visits to the hospital for Mervyn and finally a long overdue appointment with the physiotherapist for my neck problems. Do miss my spineologist who solved everything in a ten minute consultation.
There are four little bears waiting to be dressed and I have finally completed the little meerkat ordered several months ago!

The warm spring weather has finally broken and we have had several days of rain, still most probably not sufficient but it has been good for the garden. The tomatoes are finally starting to fruit and I have lots of beans to pick, sadly something is eating all the spinach leaves!
I have noticed that the wild poppies do not seem to grow so prolifically in the wheat fields any more, perhaps due to weed killers or more intensive farming but they do still crop up here and here at the roadside. I found so many tiny plants that had seeded themselves in one of my pot plants and moved them to a corner of the garden. I was amazed at how different the flowers can be as you will see from the following pictures, various shades of deep red, white edges and even an orange flower.

Mid July and the days already seem to be starting to shorten. Yesterday the beautiful evening sky tempted me to take a walk camera in hand and here are some pictures to share.

Red berries with rain drops from an afternoon shower

An exquisite variegated tree

Bright red ivy geraniums in hanging baskets outside the village hall

The village church silhouetted against a pastel evening sky

The lychgate at the entrance to the churchyard

and gentle clouds in a pretty sky. There is a cricket pavilion in front of the trees but when I lighten the picture the colours in the sky fade away. On my wish list when I win the lottery, a new camera.
A final picture of Merlin, cats do sleep in the strangest places.............

After years of spending a fortune on this little kitty with special biscuits for his skin problems we discovered that all they seemed to do was to make him put on a lot of weight. He is now having the same good quality biscuits that the other cats, his skin looks good and his fur is shiny.
To end on a positive note, English badgers would seem to have won a slight reprieve and the planned cull is to be delayed until next year. So sad that man cannot live in harmony with nature and animals.

Until next time...............

Because the heart beats under a covering of hair, of fur, feathers, or wings, it is, for that reason, to be of no account? ~Jean Paul Richter

Bears on Parade

2011-07-16T09:43:00.000+01:00

The Bears on Parade on line show is now in full swing. This is the selection of bears we made for the show, several of them have already found new homes. A few quite different from our usual pastel colours.

Yesterday was St Swithin's Day, the day on which people watch the weather as tradition says that the weather on that day will continue for the next forty days! Given that it started raining last night, looks like we are in for a wet summer.

'St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.'

St Swithin was the Saxon Bishop of Winchester. Legend says that on his deathbed he asked to be buried out of doors where he would be walked on and rained on (Bishops always seem to be interred in church crypts). For nine years his wish was granted until the monks decided to remove his remains to a special shrine inside the cathedral. According to legend there was a heavy storm during the ceremony or on its anniversary. Hence the folklore tale that if it rains on St Swithin's day it will rain for 40 days. Quite why 40 days, history does not relate!

Have a good weekend .................

All the ancient histories, as one of our wits say, are just fables that have been agreed upon. ~Voltaire

A very short blog update.........

2011-07-12T21:32:00.019+01:00

My temp assignment has dragged on for the past few weeks and much as the extra income will help to pay the absolutely horrendous electricity account we have received, I have been so exhausted that the poor little bears have had to take a back seat. I will have a few days this week to try and catch up and complete the meerkat order as well as several other bears. Hugglets is just around the corner .........

Amazingly we managed to complete our bears for the 'Bears on Parade' on line show on time and I have updated the web page which will be open to view on Friday 15th July through to Sunday 17th July.

This is Megan's little 'Birdie' one of the bears created especially for the show.
To access the show page click the link on the logo below which will take you to the main webpage for the show. Some seventy five artists from around the world will be taking part in the show and there are some very special bears on offer.

Hopefully a more interesting blog update and time to catch up with news next time.

4th of July day

2011-07-04T07:59:00.000+01:00

Wishing all my American friends and followers a very special 4th of July day.

Something to share from the wide selection of blogs I follow and read. Follow the link to 'Freedom don't come free' for a selection of evocative pictures which will surely bring tears to your eyes.

http://vintagesusieandwings.blogspot.com/

God bless and take care of those special people serving in the armed forces around the world.

Back to work today and lots of stitching to catch up with. More news later.

All we have of freedom, all we use or know -

This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.

~Rudyard Kipling, The Old Issue, 1899

The weekend at last.............

2011-07-01T21:43:00.001+01:00

The end of a pretty hectic week, no bears completed but some stitching done. My temp assignment has been a drain this past week and I have been just too tired to do much bear making.
Tomorrow I am off to London for the afternoon to visit (and play with) Victoria. Have decided to put life in the right perspective, time spent with family is so precious and the bears will have to be fitted in the few empty spaces I can find.
Something different this week, Megan was hanging out the washing and looked up to see ..............

one day I would love to take a trip in a hot air balloon, to see the countryside from the air must be amazing.
Our resident hedgehog visits every evening and eats his way through the saucer of food left out for him. Unfortunately as it is dark it is impossible to get a photograph of him and he rolls up in a tight ball if we shine a torch on him! He also sleeps in the dog's outside bed for part of the night.
We had a sad happening in the garden this week. In a previous blog I mentioned that I was concerned that the birds were becoming just a little too tame. Got home from work on Wednesday to discover a pile of feathers on the lawn right next to the bird feeder. It would seem that a sparrow hawk managed to catch one of the birds and had a good feed in the seclusion of our garden. Definitely not a cat as there would have been more remains left behind. It has upset the birds terribly and for several days we have had only a few visitors but they are gradually plucking up the courage to return. The reality of nature is sometimes quite upsetting and hard to understand.

Finally a picture to share, found this on one of the blogs I follow. Have no idea where it is but with my love of fantasy this house is just so beautiful, peaceful and a place to daydream. The practical side to my nature does make me think that it would most probably would be quite different in winter!
Have to complete bears for the show next week so hopefully some pictures next time.
Have a wonderful weekend.........................

When ideas float in our mind without any reflection or regard of the understanding, it is that which the French call reverie, our language has scarce a name for it.~John Locke

A special occasion

2011-06-26T21:40:00.000+01:00

The past few weeks have rushed by at the usual hectic pace and I have not had much time on my home computer and definitely no time for a blog update.
My temp assignment is proving to be longer than usual and with next week taken up with work, x-rays for Mervyn etc not much time to work on my bears. As the on line show just around the corner I am definitely in panic mode!
Yesterday we had a family get together to celebrate something special. YoonMi, my daughter-in-law, is Korean. When Korea had little medicinal knowledge many newborns would die from childhood diseases or because of Korea's seasonal temperature differences. It is therefore customary to hold a Baek-il or 100th day celebration and baby Victoria reached this milestone on Friday.
There must be an advantage of growing up with two older sisters as Austin very skilfully added the important words to a basic 'Hello Kitty' cake.

Victoria as usual charmed us all with her ready smile. She is growing up so quickly and we are very blessed to be able to spend time with her regularly.

The whole occasion proved rather tiring for the little one and she slept happily in her pram while the grown ups enjoyed the cake!

The garden is looking amazing, summer is really very much in evidence with temperatures soaring today! My clematis is full of beautiful pink toned flowers ............

the various birds and their babies are still keeping us entertained. We have had a shy Jay, a Jackdaw and even a Magpie in the garden, they are all looking for food and water as this spring and summer is proving extremely dry, something unusual for England.
A final picture of Misckha sunning himself on the landing at the top of the stairs, his favourite place to sleep.

Somewhat busy weeks ahead, new orders and bears for the on line show to be made so perhaps less computer time.

If you wait for too long for the perfect moment, the perfect moment will pass by.

Stop the world I want to get off .................

2011-06-18T09:50:00.002+01:00

Remember the bumper sticker that said 'I don't have one of those days, I have one of those lives'. This week has been a real test of my endurance and by Friday I felt mentally and physically exhausted and aching in every joint of my body (more about that later).
The week began quietly enough then I was asked to help out at my usual temp assignment for one afternoon which became three afternoons. Wednesday started with Bronwen discovering a flat tyre on her car early in the morning which required RAC assistance as three women very bravely attempted to be self sufficient but the dratted wheelnuts totally defeated us. I carefully planned my morning, clean the house, strip beds and do three loads of washing, take Mervyn to the doctor for a blood test, come home, have lunch then go to work. The doctor's surgery is a 10-15 minute drive away depending on traffic. I did not anticipate road works and grass cutting but we only arrived one minute late. Wait in the car and he returns some few minutes later, the doctor/receptionist forgot to mention that this was a fasting blood test so he was told to return early on Friday morning. Returned home just in time to rescue all the washing as it was starting to rain, grab a sandwich and rush to work. We had a full house Wed night as Austin, YoonMi and Victoria arrived to stay overnight as the next day was to be a special event for Austin.
We left home early on Thursday morning for Colchester for the 3 Para Afghanistan active service medal parade. The weather was mild with a relatively clear sky but there was mention of rain showers later in the day. We were directed to the far side of the parade ground with all the other 3 Para family members. The weather started to change and the heavens opened, nowhere to sit or take shelter and only small umbrellas. The parade started and we discovered that we were situated on the wrong side of the parade ground and could not see any sign of Austin. Fortunately the weather cleared a little and Prince Charles and Camilla arrived to hand out medals to very damp soldiers. This part of the ceremony over we now had to wait for photographs to be taken all of which took several hours. Growing up in Africa I have learnt to read the weather by changes in the sky and the black forbidding sky rapidly heading in our direction with distant thunder should have forewarned me. The cloudburst that followed was rather like taking a shower fully clothed! Trying to keep a three month old baby and my elderly frail husband dry was not much fun especially as a cold wind started blowing and we were out in the open. Perhaps the final irony was that Austin was given the wrong medal and before leaving had to find some one to sort out that little problem. We eventually left for home, stopping to get something warm to drink and eat. As it was now 4pm the restaurant was no longer serving warm meals! A two hour journey home in heavy traffic and wet through was an interesting experience, at least the sun came out and warmed us a little and dried the front of our clothing. A day to remember or more likely forget.
Friday morning I ached in just about every bone in my body and spent most of the day trying to regain my usual equilibrium and joie de vivre.
I am now frantically trying to complete my bears for the next on line show, amazing how a few weeks ago I confidently thought it was still so far away, no need to panic there would be plenty of time ............

This is Blossom the wonderful little pink elephant Megan has recently designed. The pattern is now available from our Etsy store.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend..............

Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. ~Terri Guillemets

Bears ..................

2011-06-11T23:20:00.000+01:00

A blog update to show that I have actually been working!
As yet all unnamed but here is a preview of my latest creations.First is a little purple and cream panda decorated with vintage velvet flowers...

Miniature embroidery can be a challenge and this little girl's dress is something different, silk ribbon flowers with beads and bullion roses. The beautiful lace collar is a small piece of French lace, one of my finds at a brocante market.

I really admire those artists who make worn traditional style bears that look like attic finds. Old style tatty looking bears are something that, try as hard as I might, I cannot seem to replicate. I used one of my older traditional style patterns and a very short pile fabric for one of my new bears and whilst I have a nice little bear, she just looks like a bear made from short pile fabric! She has a floral dress with a little crochet cardi. I wanted a 'top down' style cardi and searched the internet without much success for a suitable pattern which I could adapt. Eventually had to create my own design for a cardi which looks just right for this little bear. Unfortunately being the scatter brain that I am, I did not write down any stitch details for a repeat.

Megan has designed a great new pattern, a little pink elephant which should be complete and ready for our Etsy store next week.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Any day spent sewing, is a good day. ~Author Unknown

A day off .................

2011-06-08T07:34:00.000+01:00

On Saturday I decided to have a day to myself, no sewing, gardening or dreaded housework. I took the train down to London and spent a glorious afternoon with little Victoria. She is growing so quickly and is full of smiles.........

Our bird restaurant is in full swing with lots of new babies who have perhaps become a little too tame, don't know if it is a good thing. The squirrels have their own food and feed box but would rather eat all the bird food first. The birds find the squirrel food quite delicious, so it is a case of whoever gets here first has the choice pickings. There is a new young squirrel visiting our garden who has learnt to raid the hanging feeders by hanging upside down from the tree and pulling the seed out with his tiny hands. The feeder eventually falls down onto the ground and he then empties it out and eats the lot! He has also learnt that the peanuts are in a similar type of container and this weekend we spotted him rolling the feeder around on the ground trying to get at the contents. Unfortunately the plastic has hardened after two years out in all sorts of weather and had to be replaced. Amazon have a very nice squirrel feeder which might solve the problem if our garden squirrels can work out how to open the lid!
Having found a rather sad smashed little egg and a continual scattering of branches under the plum tree I discovered that two wood pigeons are trying to make a nest. Don't know if they are young and this is their first attempt and they definitely do not have much skill in nest building. The selection of twigs is quite interesting, they even use bits from the fir tree with small cones still attached! This morning I noticed that the female has finally settled down in the rather patchy nest but it still looks rather precarious.
I am still busy working on bears, the on line show is next month and I also have several new orders to complete. I finally made my first pair of baby shoes after months of looking through boxes for suitable fabrics, finding the bonding fabric, wool felt etc. I am not very happy with the result so changes to the pattern and finishing, hope to have a pair complete and ready to be photographed soon. I would love to start some new bead work but there are really not enough hours in the day at the moment. The bears help to pay the rent so they are first on the list and my other creativity has to be slotted into whatever extra time I have available. After many years of being self employed I still find it hard achieve the fine balance needed to find sufficient time to enjoy all the creative pursuits which I love. Of course I am an incurable bookworm, give me a good book to read and I can be lost to the world for hours. Then there is also the problem of too many hours spent on the computer...........

Finally some graffiti to make you smile. This is painted on an old barn next to the motorway, unfortunately there is no safe place to stop and take a photograph so thanks Megan for taking a picture from the car as we drove past!

You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by; but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by ~James Matthew Barrie

Weekend markets

2011-05-30T20:57:00.001+01:00

We have a lot of charity shops right on our doorstep and I always make a point of dropping in to see what new items have been donated. Sometimes I am fortunate to find things from granny's attic, pre-printed embroidery sets totally intact which have usually never been even started, old reels of thread and other very collectible items.
A visit to various shops in St Ives on Saturday proved a great success. A rather worn but lovely old silver bowl with lion head handles (the roses are from my garden), crochet mats and a pre-printed tablecloth with lots of very lovely embroidery thread. The thread is very useful for all our embroidered bear clothing and Megan will definitely find a use for the fine linen tablecloth.

Today was the bank holiday boot market in the next village and we found a treasure trove of sewing items. A selection of vintage glass and mother of pearl buttons, threads and lace. An item of interest is strange 'twist pins' with decorative heads to be used for loose covers, these could be used to hold our table cover in place at bear fairs. We also found rayon seam binding, something which is extremely popular at the moment and a selection of cross stitch fabric. A most successful day!

The weather has finally changed and it is raining, good for the garden and all the seeds I have planted. Rather sad to report that the birds have eaten my first strawberry and raspberry! Our garden is proving a haven for a wide variety of birds as there is little food and water around at the moment, we have had endless hours of pleasure watching the birds feeding their babies. A rather nervous duck visited the garden today but she did not stay long. The duck population in our village has decreased considerably over the past few months, last year there were so many ducks and their babies. I have seen the moor-hens with their odd little babies, little balls of soot with long legs and webbed feed. The squirrels have discovered that if they hung upside down in the tree supported by their back legs they can empty the bird feeder very successfully.

Whilst visiting Stratford some weeks ago I found this small bronze hare named Blossom and I just could not resist this purchase, a sort of wedding anniversary gift to myself. The start of a new collection I think as she has various other siblings all named after flowers.
Several bears off to new homes and I have managed to complete some of my other little naked bears. I should have pictures to share by the end of the week.
Have a good week.

If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. ~Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe, letter to President Franklin Pierce

An interesting weekend.........

2011-05-26T15:13:00.001+01:00

I have been busy this week trying to complete all the little bears sitting waiting on my work table. With outings and family celebrations this past weekend there was little time for work but I do have lots of pictures to share.

On Saturday a plant sale was held at Buckden Towers. Our previous visit was in December and it was cold and miserable. It is very different on a warm summer's day with all the plants and herbs in flower.

The Towers were the home of Queen Katherine of Aragon for a short while and the knot garden named in her honour was open to the public for the day. A beautiful gate at the entrance...

leading to the exquisite and well maintained knot garden. Always wanted one of these but think that the upkeep would somewhat daunting................

My knowledge of Queen Katherine has always been limited to her rather sad life as the unwanted wife of a despotic King and that she was the mother of Queen Mary I. I was interested to discover that she served as Spanish Ambassador, thus becoming the first female ambassador in European history. She was well read, spoke several languages and rather controversially for her time, claimed women had the right to an education. She also started an extensive programme for the relief of the poor.
A picture of the church tower taken from the garden framed by the amazing walkway with espalier trees and beautiful roses......

a little statue hidden under the shrubs and herbs ...........

a 'throw away' which I would love to have for my garden ..........

and of course no blog of mine would be complete without some flowers and a tree ...........

a mass of purple campanula in full flower and an ancient oak tree, so big I could not easily fit it into my picture ......

My family have become used to my communing with trees but I do attract some odd looks when I stand with my hands on a tree!
Sunday was a day for a family celebration as Mervyn celebrated another special birthday. I got to spend time with my special little granddaughter who is now starting to smile when we talk to her. She is a lot easier to hold as her head is almost fully 'glued' in place and she is growing so quickly. Until next time ..............

History is a symphony of echoes heard and unheard. It is a poem with events as verses. ~Charles Angoff

The weekend begins......

2011-05-20T21:48:00.001+01:00

A very short blog update as I am totally exhausted today, bed and a new book are calling.

I have had lots of fun this past week embroidering my little bear's dresses. Rather labour intensive, it took an entire day to complete the daisies on one dress and make the matching bag...........

of course there are always interruptions of one sort of another, cats nagging for food, the postman at the door etc.

Looking through all my fabrics I found a scrap of pink floral that I used very many years ago for dresses for my daughters.

Perfect for a little cream bear ................

We have a family get together planned for the weekend to celebrate Mervyn's forthcoming birthday so not much time for work. I still have two bears to complete then one order for a tiny meerkat. The next on line show is still a few weeks away but the way time flies I had better get working.

We somewhat desperately need rain, never thought that England could suffer from a drought! Not good for the vegetable garden. I recently purchased a tray of seedlings on line, 150 fragrant ruffled pansies. These duly arrived carefully packaged in a special cardboard box, they are tiny and transplanting them into bigger containers is going to take some time! I will have to include this task into my weekend plans as they have fast outgrown their present home!

Finally a very cute kitty picture

Have a good weekend.....................

"With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy."...Lope de Vega

A productive week..............

2011-05-17T23:11:00.001+01:00

Long time no post as I have been trying to discipline myself, less time on the computer and more time to work and of course, the garden beckons.
I have a series of little bears all waiting to be trimmed and I have been busy with embroidery on tiny dresses. Some naked bears, definitely a work in progress as the poor little panda is still blind and waiting for eyes................

and one little girl called Venetia is all complete and now on e-bay........

Something I have noticed over the years of observing my garden and wild flowers is that the floral seasons also seem to follow a pattern of colour. In early spring there were all the yellow flowers, mainly daffodils and lots of dandelions but now I have noticed more white flowers such as this beautiful expanse of ox-eye daisies growing at the side of the road .......

don't think my photograph really does much justice to this incredible mass of flowers, unfortunately not easy to photograph as this is a busy road with little space to stop. I love wild flowers and plants (with the exception of stinging nettle!) and plan to get out all my long neglected books of herbal and wayside plants. I have forgotten many of names of the plants and need to refresh my ageing brain.

Our village produces a little monthly newsletter with all the local happenings. Megan noticed that there was a cross stitch group meeting on alternate Tuesdays in our neighbouring village. There is a vibrant knitting group which meets earlier in the morning and at this stage just a few cross stitch enthusiasts but we received a warm welcome, hope to attend the meetings regularly.

Will add some more pictures of all the completed bears soon ..............

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. ~ R W Emerson

Another week .....

2011-05-09T10:44:00.001+01:00

The beginning of another week and I have a row of little bears all waiting for eyes and ears. Some progress on the work front, the rabbit and two kitties are complete and waiting to be photographed.
Last week was. as usual, somewhat hectic. Bronwen was on leave and had planned a day trip to Stratford and I will never turn down an invitation to spend a day out exploring. The weather is still quite amazing and it was another lovely summer day. As usual I was a little camera happy but here are some of pics of idyllic English gardens and scenery.

Anne Hathaway's cottage and the little cottage with the usual tourist shop and office. It is very many years since I last visited the cottage and there have been many changes but the garden is still beautiful with a wide variety of herbs and flowering shrubs.

my blog is never complete without some pictures of flowers.

Columbines (orAquilegia) in the palest shade of pink. I love these little fairy flowers, a variety of colours are growing in various parts of my garden. The hybrid plants are very different, larger flowers and amazing selection of colours.

a little secret garden with a bed of yellow fragrant wallflowers with pink bellis perennis (English daisies) growing at the front.

Have no idea what this shrub is, it is has the most beautiful double almost rose shaped flowers in tight clusters.

a pair of sleepy ducks by the stream. The female woke up and watched me for a while then calmly went back to sleep.

my final picture is Shakespeare's birthplace.
Came home with several herb plants which I deposited in the back garden to plant later in the week. Did not plan to have a light frost overnight which burnt the leaves on several plants but they seem to have recovered.
It is now over two years since we moved across the world. Two years with many more downs than ups and we are fortunate to have a family group to support each other. I was thrilled to discover one of my special friends is living just two hours away. Together we weathered the trials, tribulations and much joy raising our young families, sharing recipes and crochet patterns! Her move to the UK has been very traumatic as her husband's health deteriorated rapidly and he is now in a care home. This weekend we spent a day catching up on all the happenings in our lives, it is some fifteen years since I last spoke to her, so much has changed.
Now I need to get back to work, lots to do this week........

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley

Momentous events ....

2011-05-02T21:13:00.001+01:00

The long weekend is almost over and although I have spent most of the time working I did manage to watch a little of the royal wedding.
I loved the elegant simplicity of Kate's dress.The lace design is beautiful Carrickmacross lace and was stitched by the Royal School of Needlework. My vintage Weldon's needlework book describes it as 'cut and embroidered muslin applied to net'. The design on the wedding dress was worked by applying organdie fabric to the net background and then each motif is edged with fine cord thread. Having 'dabbled' at needle lace and making yet another ufo I can appreciate the time and care that must go into this kind of needlework.
The video of the light hearted verger turning cartwheels down the aisle after the event was wonderful. I can just imagine how he felt, after weeks of preparation a great relief that it had all gone so well. Pity he got into such trouble though.
Yesterday was May 1st. Whilst living in France I discovered the custom of giving a sprig of lily of the valley as a symbol of spring and a lucky charm. With the very much warmer spring we have had this year I managed to find a few flowers left in the garden and put together a small posy for our table. They smell wonderful!

We awoke this morning to the news of the death of ObL in Pakistan. Whilst I don't like to rejoice in a death, this is justice for 9/11, the bombings in Nairobi and London as well as the thousands who have died around the world as a result of this man's influence.
A local boot market is held in summer on bank holidays, the first of which was today. A little disappointed as the lady with all the lovely sewing stuff was not there. Did find a bunch of vintage keys, some silver spoons for jewellery and a rather unusual little pencil sharpener, a metal vintage typewriter. Think it will make a great accessory when photographing mini bears.
Finally a picture of our two kitties rather anxiously waiting to be let out of the house for their daily exploration of the garden.

Next time pictures of bears, have a good week.

Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Cross stitch and tatting ................

2011-04-30T00:25:00.000+01:00

I am still working on bears, unfortunately no pictures yet. Busy working on our creations for Teddy Bears of Witney for their next limited edition catalogue. Lots of stitching ahead and that awful feeling that is familiar to all creative people, am I really happy with my completed work.

On the plus sided, Megan has added some wonderful new items to our Etsy store.

Beautiful little decoration pillows/pincushions with cross stitch and tatting in delicate pastel shades complete with ribbon trim.

To all my friends in Cape Town wishing you a very successful bear fair at Buitenverwachting on Monday. Hope that the weather is clear and sunny.
And to all my faithful followers and friends may you have a creative and restful weekend.

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass,it's about learning how to dance in the rain. - unknown

Lilac time ............

2011-04-27T00:34:00.000+01:00

Thank you for the Easter greetings.
It is now time to get down to some work and to answer several e-mails I have received before they get buried in the mail box.

Of the many flowers and shrubs in flower at this time of the year, lilac has to be one of my favourites. Picked a small bunch from a roadside bush in the palest shade of lilac. Unfortunately it does not seem to last well when cut but I did have several days of pleasure and the wonderful fragrance filled the house.

The wonderful colours of the wallflowers tempt me to start painting again.............

but back to work and next time I promise no flowers but some completed bears.

Easter Greetings

2011-04-23T08:41:00.000+01:00

Wishing you all a most blessed Easter holiday

All the family will be together tomorrow, something I am so looking forward to. Otherwise our weekend promises to be quiet and a time for work! I seem to have spent so much time out and about over the past few months that a time to sit and work quietly is much needed. Yesterday I hauled out the sewing machine and mended items of clothing which have been waiting for several months.

The garden needs attention, the daffodils are all looking sad and need to be cut back to flower again next year. We have had continual hot days, almost like mid summer and we really could do with some rain. The birds are so grateful for the water around the garden and I have been topping it up each day. So funny to watch a little bird this week carefully pulling fibres from a ball of cat fur (from brushing the kitties) for his nest. Hope the baby birds don't develop an affinity to cats!

I have finally dressed my third little bear and she is now on e-bay.

Something to share, a website worth a visit. Leontine Greenberg's awesome artwork, her paintings of hares and birds are wonderful.

http://leontinegreenberg.tumblr.com/

Until next time have a restful weekend................

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

Life as it happens ......................

2011-04-20T08:10:00.004+01:00

Perhaps there is some merit in carrying a camera around all the time. I am so aware of the little happenings in daily life, perhaps a pretty flower or some scenic spot or just something to bring a moment of joy and laughter in my hectic schedule. As I have not been too creative these past few weeks I am sharing some of my recent pictures........

an idyllic scene, footbridge over a river in Stafford

a beautiful flowering shrub by the side of the path

Victoria my very precious little granddaughter

a pretty early morning sky, clouds with a silver lining perhaps

one of the very lovely tulips in my garden

a sure sign that spring has arrived, bluebells in full flower just over my garden wall

and finally, something different in the hedgerow on a Sunday morning!
Bronwen celebrated her birthday on Monday and we went to London for the day. Some shopping and a little sightseeing. It is holiday season and unpleasantly busy, think I have become a country soul. We had a good day with a picnic lunch in the park. I was totally exhausted by the time I got home and although I took some knitting to do on the train actually spent the time reading a newspaper!
Hopefully things will settle down again and I can actually achieve some results, my bears are my main source of income and taking a long break is not good for the bank balance.
The weather here has been amazing with fine warm sunny days but the downside is that we desperately need rain! Apparently it has been the driest April in Cambridgeshire since 1920, not good for the farmers and gardeners.
Wishing all of you a very special Easter holiday.

In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet. ~Albert Schweitzer

A change from pastels

2011-04-15T16:02:00.000+01:00

My latest little bear Giselle is now listed on e-bay. As most of my blog followers will know I favour pastel colours for my bears and their clothing. This little girl is something very different, her dress has red rosebuds and I have made her jacket from deep blue fabric embroidering the little rosebuds to match her dress. Not sure if it is quite my style but it is certainly something new for a change.

Still not sure if we have nesting birds in the little wooden house. I have noticed that a pair of birds have been carefully removing all the fibre from the liners of my hanging baskets so perhaps they are resident in the box. We have a blackbird in the garden who is extremely territorial and chases some of the smaller birds away. I spotted him sitting on top of the nesting box trying to put his head into the tiny little opening. Fortunately he is too big but here's hoping he has not upset the birds inside.
Back to work more bears to complete ..........

A new bear and a pattern ....

2011-04-11T16:36:00.001+01:00

Finally some work completed and Hannah is now all dressed and ready to go. The two other little bears are still waiting but I am busy working on their clothing..

Megan has also finished dressing our latest pattern bear. This poor little child had been waiting for some time as we could not decide what to do with her. We finally found a lovely mini rose print fabric and toning ribbon. Forget-me-not will be listed in our Etsy store in the next few days both as a pattern and a kit.

Bears in waiting and spring flowers ......

2011-04-08T22:47:00.000+01:00

Not much blogging lately, the weeks have flown by and somewhat hard to believe that it is April already.
It was Mothering Sunday last weekend in the UK. Thank you to my special children for the presents and wonderful flowers......

roses in the most unusual shade of pink and pale lavender. Had fun 'ageing' this picture ....

and deep purple and very fragrant hyacinths

We have had several days of glorious spring weather, sunny and warm. The masses of spring flowers on display are wonderful and even my humble garden is starting to look better with patches of colour and the vegetable garden is all ready to be planted.

Two bright red ladybugs on one of my most loved flowers, a peony. Hope it flowers well this year.

White blossom on the tree just outside our garden

and a patch of pretty purple wild violets

something apparently quite unusual, primula auricula

Last year when visiting an 'open house' garden show I found one of these plants on the sale table. By the time I arrived all the good plants had long been sold and the dregs were being sold for .25p. The bottom picture is one of these plants which I brought home, planted in a pot and left to its own devices through the heavy snow and frost this past winter. It amazingly has survived and is now full of flowers, obviously quite a hardy plant. The same cannot be said for my beautiful fuchsias which I carefully overwintered in the green house and even bought a special little heater to keep them warm. Sadly they are all deceased!

this deeper purple plant was a recent boot market find. From my little internet research they are also known as mountain cowslip or 'bear's ear' and originate in Asia. The humble wild variety is plain yellow.
The bird's house seems to be inhabited by a pair of shy little birds, not wanting to disturb them so will have to keep a watch from a distance.
I have stitched and completed three little bears who are now waiting for clothing, one is an order the other two will be dressed for e-bay/web page. Most of their clothing is stitched and I have been busy with the crochet hat and bag for the little girl on the left.

Tomorrow I am off to London for the day, get to spend some time with Victoria.
Wishing everyone a special and restful weekend, hopefully some pictures of three little dressed girl bears next time.

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful. ~Abram L. Urban

A new little bear

2011-03-30T15:41:00.000+01:00

I have finally completed the knitted cardi for my little bear. Made from fine pure wool tapestry yarn with knitted in flowers it took several days to complete. The wool is not really suitable for fine hand knitting as it kept on twisting and knotting! I also had a problem with the hem rolling up and had to resort to damp blocking the tiny garment with pins to try and straighten it out. Next time I will use a kinder yarn for this type of knitting but a dressed and rather worried looking little Verity is now on e-bay.

The birds are all busy nesting, don't think they can decide on whether the wooden houses we have so kindly provided are suitable. For some months I have kept all the ends of threads from my various sewing, knitting and crochet projects. After decorating various trees around the garden with assorted colours of threads, the birds are now taking them to add to their nests.

Today a pair of rather nervous ducks visited our front garden and Mischka sat in the front window muttering at them.

The large duck population in the village seems somewhat depleted, don't know if they have found somewhere safer to hatch their eggs. So far I have seen two families with babies, both mothers seem quite blasé and not very caring with their offspring. Tiny ducklings swimming in all directions on the pond with mother showing little or now interest. We have a busy 'B' road through our village and I stopped to let mother and her eight babies cross the road early this week hoping that I would not have a big truck roar up behind me as a lot of drivers ignore the strict speed restrictions through the villages!

Just love this picture of the polar bear. Rather my feeling of 'oh no', lots of 'bear' work to complete and gardening to do and seem to be achieving very little. My neck problem is not going away and taking lots of pain relief tablets is something I do not like doing. Saw the physiotherapist for a preliminary assessment visit yesterday, now will have to wait and see if I am serious enough to warrant further treatment. I was sent home with exercises to do which hurt like hell!
Tomorrow I am off to London to visit with Victoria who will be all of two weeks old! Will have to take some stitching to do on the train. Hope it is a nice day for a picnic in the park.

When babies look beyond you and giggle, maybe they're seeing angels.~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

2011-03-27T22:20:00.000+01:00

Firstly a big thank you for the special comments after my last post.
It is quite a long time since we have had a baby in the family and little Victoria has already brought much joy into our lives. She unfortunately had to return to hospital for a couple of days as she was jaundiced and had lost weight. Now home, she is feeding and sleeping well and this past week had her first outing in the park wearing a bright red 'little ladybug' hat.

Spring is so evident in all the beauty of nature but it is still a little cold 'tho we did have one nice warm day with lots of sunshine! The trees and flowers in the park are all so beautiful......

a host of golden daffodils

the awesome blossom on a cherry tree

camellia flowers in a pool of water. Amazingly each individual flower is lying face up, the tree is on a slight bank and nature has artfully arranged the fallen flowers.
A week of mixed blessings, my car needed routine maintenance which unfortunately cost considerably more than estimated as further work was needed.

After collecting my car from the garage, I took the opportunity to visit some of the charity shops in Ramsey and found a vintage darning mushroom and some very pretty buttons. Somewhere still packed away we have a collection of vintage sewing items! We need one of those tables with the glass top to display our entire collection.
Now that the weather is improving the weekend boot markets have started again and we can start looking for interesting 'stuff'. Before leaving South Africa I attended a needle lace workshop, something I have always wanted to learn. Though I did complete my course work, I have not had time to make anything further as this is labour intensive work requiring more spare time than I have unfortunately. Glancing through a pile of books at a boot market last year Megan spotted a booked called 'Needlelace designs and techniques'. In pristine condition and costing only £1, it definitely had to come home with us. Presumably the book is now out of print, as on one of my old Amazon wish lists it costs $195!
I have managed to finally complete one little bear and a kitten. This little girl is made from a pattern which I have not used for some time using a sparse long pile fabric. She is now waiting patiently for the cardi I am busy knitting for her, don't make many 'naked' bears any more. The little kitten is an order, finally complete.

Several orders still to work on so another busy week ahead.............

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. ~William Wordsworth~

A blessed day...................

2011-03-21T08:08:00.001Z

Little blogging this past week.
It has been a momentous week for our family, St Patrick's Day March 17th, heralded the arrival of Victoria my first grandchild. A big baby weighing 3.82kg, she was born at 7.50 a.m.

Took an early train to London and was privileged to spend the entire day with the proud new parents and their precious little girl.

The next few weeks will most probably see little bear making and several train journeys to London!

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humour, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies. ~Rudolph Giuliani

Life

2011-03-15T12:42:00.001Z

How computers have changed our world. The ongoing tragedy in Japan has unfolded before us showing heartbreaking pictures and the harsh reality of this enormous disaster. Life is so very precious and an event of this magnitude makes me realise that all the mundane issues of my life are not that important.
This beautiful song 'Requiem' by Eliza Gilkyson was composed as a song of grief following the Asian tsunami. Once again it is finding its way to listeners and as a song of prayer and comfort.

We had our own share of drama last week. Mervyn was rushed to hospital on Thursday night as there was some concern that he had suffered a minor stroke. The CT scan did not show any recent abnormalities but he is now on medication and scheduled for a more intensive MR scan later in the month. He is physically a lot better and after sitting in hospital very bored over the weekend, was sent home yesterday.
Austin arrived back safely with much to relate of his experiences in Afghanistan and a gift of a small silk prayer rug. Unfortunately due to all the delays, his planned shopping trip in Bastion to get special gifts for all the family was cancelled. We are thrilled to have him back home and we are now all awaiting the arrival of 'Victoria'.
The on line show was a great success and three of our creations found new homes. I was planning to take a break for a few days but there are long overdue orders to complete and this year's special limited editions need to be stitched.
Megan and I decided that we should continue with our planned trip to the London Vintage Fashion and Accessories show on Sunday. The show was wonderful, lots of beautiful vintage clothing, lace, hats, jewellery etc. With a limited budget we settled for some lace, buttons, silk threads and pearl beads. Guess Megan picked the silk threads, look at all those pinks.......

The pink DMC lacet is something I have never seen before. Internet research revealed that it also known as bolduc band. A flat, narrow cotton shoelace-weave tape used to mark the dress form in haute couture. DMC stopped making it some time ago and it is apparently very hard to find. I also discovered that it was sometimes used in crochet with a picture taken from an amazing little book entitled 'Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont. I have a copy of this book which I purchased many years ago. A very small book it contains a wealth of information. There is no publication date but the book belonged to Alison Devereux in 1927.

Sadly the vintage velvet flowers which I love to collect were ridiculously overpriced. Having collected all this 'stuff' for many years I am quite shocked at the prices now being asked. The show is held several times a year and we plan to visit again in the future, have to start saving.

Back to bear making...............

Reality is harsh. It can be cruel and ugly. Yet no matter how much we grieve over our environment and circumstances nothing will change. What is important is not to be defeated, to forge ahead bravely. If we do this, a path will open before us. Daisaku Ikeda

Blooming Bear On Line Show

2011-03-11T21:04:00.002Z

Tomorrow is the big day for the Blooming Bear on line show which starts on Saturday, March 12th at 8:00am New York time.
The show involves 75 artists from around the world .... enjoy your visit.....

Life is a comedy of errors .................

2011-03-10T13:56:00.001Z

..... according to Shakespeare. Although only the middle of the week it has so far proved to be rather a trying one.
Bronwen after much scrimping and saving has bought another car, something she really needs for the daily journey to work. Unfortunately she had to return it to the garage as there is a mechanical problem which needs to be sorted out immediately, rather a disappointment.
Austin was due to arrive in the UK on Friday and as mentioned in my earlier blog, plans had been made to collect him from Oxford. He was then informed that he was leaving a day earlier. The change meant that he had to rush to pack, hand over to his replacement and catch a flight with little time to spare. His blog recounts a somewhat hilarious saga of the flight being late and sharing helicopter space with a completely mental working dog which after landing at Bastion, decided to launch an attack on Austin. Fortunately as he was in full body armour and wearing gloves, the dog was not able to do any damage. He eventually arrived for his flight, late, hot and dirty and should arrive back home on Thursday afternoon. The latest news is that he has managed to arrange a lift back to London, a great relief as he apparently has a lot of baggage.

Whilst living in France I so enjoyed the birds nesting in the old boxes in the garden. After some internet research I found diagrams and instructions to make nesting boxes and asked my husband if he could make a couple up for me. Several months later and after constant reminders that it will soon be spring/summer, he finally produced one. It is now attached to the brick wall in the corner, our resident robin watched all the happenings with great interest and immediately decided to investigate. The little house is designed to be opened at the front for cleaning and later in the afternoon I spotted the house with the door hanging down, presumably some bird had looked inside and on the way out managed to loosen the fastening which is a little flimsy! I have to add that my husband is known in the family as the 'un' handyman and when I said something along the lines of RDP housing (only my SA friends will appreciate this, it is basically houses built by the government in a somewhat haphazard and sloppy fashion) he was not very amused. However, it is a nice little house and hopefully will attract an occupant.

This kind of nesting box is apparently not suitable for robins as they like something a little more open at the front. A house for Mr Robin is in progress and hopefully will soon be ready (this summer).
The weather is warming up very slightly but we still have a good layer of frost some mornings. I picked a bunch of wild daffodils which look so nice and bright, also discovered that they have a quite pleasant fragrance, not sure if the commercially grown flowers smell so good.

Under one of the trees in the garden I discovered a clump of hellebores a flower which I love and never managed to grow successfully in Africa.

A final picture of a puddle of cats sleeping in the warm sunshine on my bed. Merlin seems to be recovering from his skin problems and the fur is actually growing but he does still have a few bare patches.

All our creations are now complete and ready for the on line show, just have to update the webpage and all is done. Really did not think it would all happen in time. Will post pictures of the bears on Saturday, the day of the show.
Megan and I are eagerly anticipating our trip to London on Sunday for the Vintage Fashion and Accessories Fair,will share feedback early next week.

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Blooming bear on line show

2011-03-06T20:52:00.000Z

A busy week comes to an end and I am still trying to complete my bears as well as prepare the web page for the show. Our preview for the show is literally just a head completed before Hugglets and attached to a body without arms or legs!
At least this as yet unnamed little girl now has a body and is all dressed and ready for the big day

Megan has generously shared her 'flu/cold with me and I am drinking lots of my special apple and ginger mixture in the hope of keeping it at bay. My second piece for the show is almost complete and Megan is working on a beautiful spring creation, hopefully all will all be done within the next few days.
Spring is in the air with daffodils springing up everywhere. Spotted clumps of snowdrops on my walk this week.........

the bulbs which I belatedly planted are looking healthy and hopefully will provide lots of colour and flowers. The tiny daffodils are in flower outside our sitting room window...

The cats have taken to sleeping on Bronwen's bed in the few hours of warm sunshine each day. A very sleepy Mischka

and my precious little Leila. This little kitty has blossomed over the past few months. She is now some five years old and it has taken a long time for her to gain confidence. I found her as a tiny starving kitten only about four weeks old in the back courtyard of our house in Cape Town. She has bravely moved continents, enjoyed the wonderful French countryside and is now settling down in our Cambridge home. Normally she runs and hides when a stranger is in the house but she sat on the stairs and watched the BT technician very carefully ensuring that he sorted out our internet connection properly (after innumerable problems).

A busy week ahead once again, with finishing touches for our on line show creations. Austin arrives back in the UK from Afghanistan on Friday and I will be driving to Oxford to collect him meeting up with YoonMi then driving them back to London. It is many years since I last visited Oxford, don't know if I will have time to see the sights but I do remember it as being a place rather like Cambridge, not car friendly. Should be an interesting excursion as I will only have the GPS to guide me, my trusty navigator Megan will unfortunately be working that day!

Finally a very special friend has sent complimentary tickets for the Vintage Fashion and Accessories Fair to be held next Sunday in London. As it is Megan's birthday this week, we have planned a special outing for the day. Hope we find lots of lovely vintage bits and pieces.

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

A good day ....................

2011-02-28T20:07:00.002Z

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny and we left home almost on time after loading bears, display items etc. The journey to London was uneventful, roads still fairly quiet with not many early risers.
The Winter Bearfest is a popular show and attendance was good with a long queue waiting in the wintry sunshine for the show to open.
Aloysuis the hare attracted a lot of comments as did the three little kitties................

with lots of bears (and other creatures) finding new homes.
Hugglets is always a opportunity to meet up with special friends/collectors and catch up on news, a big event on the social calendar for bear artists. Tina from Tiny Bear was at the next table with her lovely little bears and I met a fellow South African who is now living in Australia, Susan from Bearleigh Bears.
We left Kensington not long after 4pm for our journey home. I don't enjoy driving in London, narrow winding roads (full of potholes), roundabouts, maniac drivers and careless pedestrians/cyclists. It usually takes quite a long time to get out of London on a Sunday afternoon and as the traffic was moving quite freely, I very complacently thought we would get home on time. A series of major roundabouts have to be traversed en route home. Unfortunately we joined a slow moving queue before the very last roundabout eventually taking some 35 minutes to travel just a couple of miles. Arrived home feeling totally frazzled, still not used to travelling on narrow, winding country roads with bright headlights coming towards me at a high speed! After years of driving in Africa with tatty vehicles literally held together with string and unlicensed/careless drivers I felt confident I could drive anywhere in the world.
March will be a busy month. The on line show is the next big event on our calendar and we do have some long overdue orders to complete, my first grandchild is due very soon and Austin will be returning home from Afghanistan and of course there is the garden waiting ('tho still very muddy and wet). Spring is in the air, all my late planted bulbs are starting to show and some tiny daffodils are in flower outside the sitting room window. The trees are full of buds and the birds are busy nesting, some bright sunshine would complete the picture!

It finally happened. I got the GPS lady so confused, she said, "In one-quarter mile, make a legal stop and ask directions."~Robert Brault,

Show preview

2011-02-26T14:51:00.000Z

Almost all packed and ready for the show tomorrow. Will be leaving early to drive to London, the forecast is for rain, at least this year we are not faced with icy roads! Megan seems to be suffering from the dreaded 'flu bug, hope she will be feeling a little better tomorrow.
Just a few trimmings left to do on some of the more basic bears but I have updated our webpage with all the latest creations.
After my recent Photoshop on line course I have been trying to experiment with different techniques on photographs and I had fun with the Aloysius Hare picture, looks great in sepia tone and slightly 'aged'.

News on the show next time, looking forward to seeing old friends tomorrow, .............

Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. ~Terri Guillemets

Almost done....................

2011-02-25T08:55:00.001Z

The last frantic hours before the show and believe it or not we have both almost completed our bears, still photos and web page to do plus labelling, packing etc.
At least I seem to have gone from feeling a little like this.........

to rather like this without the water of course, it is too cold for that..............

In a week that has seen the full spectrum of a world in disarray from the human tragedy of the earthquake in New Zealand to the ongoing political turmoil in North Africa, some good news for our family. Austin will be ending his Afghanistan sojourn a little earlier than expected and should be back home in early March.

We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. ~Frederick Keonig

Happenings .........................

2011-02-21T11:30:00.006Z

Finally after weeks of constant stitching I seem to be achieving something. At the moment I have a frozen shoulder and neck which is affecting progress, the downside of sitting stitching constantly I suppose. Really miss my spineologist, he would sort it out in a matter of bone crunching minutes!
We have a shelf in our workroom where the completed bears sit, waiting to be photographed for the web page and final labelling for the show. The shelf is slowly filling up with a nice variety of creations. A picture of some of my remaining bears waiting to be finished.

Between stitching I have made some changes to my blog, new background etc as well as a different font which imitates handwriting. I like the effect but was told it is hard to read and I would welcome any comments.

and now for some 'aahhhhhhh factor'. I take the opportunity whilst grabbing a cup of tea to visit the various blogs I follow and found the most amazing pictures of sleeping rats holding tiny bears!

This is just one of a selection of pictures on

http://thefrenchmouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/because-they-make-me-happy.html

Superb photography by Jessica Florence, to see more of these wonderful animal pictures you might like to visit

www.jessicaflorence.com

Now back to work, bears (and hare/cat) are waiting. Hope to have some preview pics of show pieces up soon.

You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by; but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by. ~James Matthew Barrie

OWOH - the winner is .....................

2011-02-17T16:45:00.000Z

I have had so much fun visiting all the wonderful blogs and getting to know some amazing creative friends.

129 comments were left on my blog and today using the random number generator the winner of the book 'Micro Macramé Beaded Jewellery' is No. 20, Regina from Southern OOAKS.

Getting there .....................

2011-02-16T09:20:00.002Z

The weather has been extremely unpredictable, one or two days of wintry sunshine and then grey misty and wet. The changes in the weather are reflected in the amazing pictures I took this past week. I happened to spot the sunbeams peeping through the clouds, grabbed my camera and rushed out of the house by which time the sky had already changed. Took some pics anyway as the sky was amazingly beautiful, all shades of pastels with dark threatening clouds. Think my neighbours find me strange as I am constantly taking photographs when out walking or just when the beauty of nature is awesome and catches my attention.

To really appreciate this beautiful sky the pictures should be viewed somewhat larger but enjoy anyway.
With Hugglets just some ten days away I have some completed bears to show for hours of work but still so much to do.

Without making a conscious choice I seem to have selected a variety of fabrics of different colours, rather a change from little brown or beige bears. There are definite trends in collectible bears, the fantasy creations do not seem quite so popular at the moment, but every little dressed girl bear seems to sell.

I am fascinated by the many hares in the fields around our home, have had my eye on a bronze sculpture of a hare for some time, just wish my purse could stretch that far. Looking through my old patterns I found a long skinny rabbit which I have not made up for years and with some small changes I have made up a new 'hare'. He is presently sitting on the work table with one ear, no arms or eyes but already looks great. Dressed in smart clothing I think he will be quite special. Will share a picture shortly.

The on line show preview starts on March 1st. All I have completed and ready is one head with a body so the bear's head in the preview picture is just that, she is at the end of the queue for completion.

If I stitch fast enough, does it count as aerobic exercise? ~Author Unknown

Working hard ................

2011-02-14T00:14:00.001Z

I have had a hectic week, temping for three days and stitching frantically to complete my bears for the forthcoming Hugglets show. Hopefully this week I will have some pictures to show that I am actually making some progress.

Thank you so much for the kind comments as well as e-mails I received after my last blog update. This past week I received a call from a very subdued Austin just to let me know once again that he was fine but that two other soldiers from his regiment had just been killed in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province. Another sad loss of life of two very young men aged just 20 and 22. This is not the place to discuss the political aspects of war and the military or the perception that soldiers should be aware of the dangers involved in their chosen career but rather a time to remember the ultimate sacrifice that they make for all of us.

"The military don't start wars. Politicians start wars". ~William Westmoreland

A feeling of thankfulness........................

2011-02-06T14:42:00.001Z

Today I am filled with gratitude. Austin usually keeps in touch either by updating his blog, Facebook or a quick telephone call. The past week has been very silent and I have been a worrying mother.

Heard on the news that a soldier from his regiment of 3 para's had been killed by a roadside bomb. Sent a quick e-mail this morning and he almost immediately phoned to say he was fine. So a feeling of great thankfulness for our family. To the family of another soldier to die in Afghanistan I cannot begin to imagine how you must be feeling, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world.

One World One Heart 2011

2011-02-04T20:54:00.000Z

Welcome to 2011 One World One Heart. This is the fifth and final event of its kind organised by Lisa Swifka, at 'A Whimsical Bohemian'. A wonderful opportunity to visit hundreds of blogs from talented creative people from all corners of the globe.

My name is Wendy and I live in rural Cambridgeshire. I grew up in Zambia, Africa and moved back to the UK permanently just two years ago with family, four cats and lots of books! To avoid putting my kitties in quarantine I spent some seven months living in Brittany, France. I fell in love with this beautiful part of the world and was able to indulge in one of my passions, visiting brocante markets to find all the vintage stuff I love to collect.

I started a blog as a kind of journal to record our big move to Europe adding photographs of some of the amazing places I have been privileged to visit and of course share some of my bear creations. It has grown beyond my 'imaginings' and has helped me to keep in touch with special friends that I had to leave behind as well as given me the opportunity to make new friends around the world. The many comments, kind words and sharing that I have experienced have kept my spirits up when the going has been tough. I have had the privilege of reading fellow blogger's jottings, sharing joy, tears and laughter.

I am a soft sculpture artist specialising in miniature teddy bears. I also love beading, cross stitch and embroidery and just about anything creative!

My door prize is a book entitled 'Micro Macramé Beaded Jewellery'. The book is brand new and was a prize from a magazine competition. It contains some very lovely items of jewellery worked with fine threads and exquisite beads.

Please note the velvet flowers are not included, just needed something pretty to add interest to the picture.

To participate and be eligible for the draw in my give away you should do the following:

1. be an active blogger

2. leave a comment on this post along with a link or e-mail so you can be contacted in case you should win

A winner will be chosen on Thursday February 17th.

A walk in the countryside...............

2011-02-04T16:05:00.000Z

Just a short blog and some pictures to share from around our village. Went for a walk taking some old bread for the ducks, the first pond was quiet with not a feathered creature in sight. Further down the road found a whole tribe who were very anxious to get a share. I know that bread is bad for ducks and particularly young birds but there was such a small amount and not much to go around and I think they appreciated it. We kept ducks when I was a child and they ate all sorts of disgusting stuff and did not seem to suffer much harm.

The village Church of St Mary Magdalene which dates from the twelfth century. Not a grand building but quite pretty with an old churchyard

The squirrels have been absent from the garden for several days, not sure if they are being fed elsewhere as our house seems to be the last call on their daily rounds. Grand Central Bird Feeding Station is extremely well supported with an amazing variety of birds, wonderful to sit and watch when I am busy stitching.
On that note I should get back to work as I don't seem to be completing anything and totally lacking in inspiration. Perhaps this quote might be a good idea.

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. ~Raymond Inmon

Monday already and a new bear...............

2011-01-31T21:22:00.005Z

On Saturday we decided that we needed an outing so headed off to Ely with two stops on the way. The village of Haddenham is home to a bead shop which I had not yet had an opportunity to visit. It is well stocked with a large selection of beads but did not have the bezels which I wanted to use with resin. Looks like it will be back to on line shopping to find what I want but I was well controlled, not being tempted to add to my large stock of beads.
Our next stop was at Soham, home to an amazing scrapbooking warehouse. We spent a quite some time there whilst Bronwen investigated the entire store but we did find some really nice trimmings to use with the bears . These little spools of braid were a bargain, reduced to half price, lots of uses for the braid as well as the little wooden spools.

The weather was fine but extremely cold. Fortunately in Ely we found an excellent warm little cafe for lunch before visiting the street market and many charity shops.
I have managed to complete a new bear, still have five sitting waiting to be decorated and several all stitched up and waiting to be filled. This week it will be no going anywhere as lots of work to do. The on line show is looming just after Hugglets so really need to get working.

This is my latest little girl with shoes. Annabeth is wearing shades of pale blue and yellow, looks all ready for spring and is now listed on e-bay.

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping. ~Bo Derek

The weekend beckons and some work in progress ...............

2011-01-28T23:32:00.002Z

It is amazing how long it takes to complete an outfit for a tiny bear but after hours of work I am almost ready to say it is done! My cream girl is just about ready, just some finishing touches to her jacket and a crochet bag to carry her little beary friend.

The little pink bear on the right seems to be telling her apricot friend that it is really not fair what are we waiting for. Oh for more time ...............
My pink hyacinths are now in flower, not the usual pastel pink which I normally grow but bright cerise. Very colourful perhaps needed in the grey winter days and they smell delightful.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, lots of fun and creative time and a break from the cares of the week too ....

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless. ~Bill Watterson

The Butterfly Effect

2011-01-25T19:58:00.002Z

Amazing how one blog leads to another. Today I found a reference to a very special project hosted by the The Holocaust Museum in Texas USA.
The Butterfly Project mandate is to remember the 1,500,000 innocent children who perished as a result of the Holocaust by collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies.
In Spring 2013, these butterflies will become an exhibition to serve as a memory of this event. The project is based on the heart wrenching and poignant poem 'I Never Saw Another Butterfly' by Pavel Friedman who died in Auschwitz in 1944 aged just 23.
The button at left hand side of this blog will take you to the blog of Trudi Sissons who is collecting butterflies from contributors around the world and sending them to the museum. All the details are there for you to read as well as links to the museum.
A most worthwhile project and so easy to participate, please share with other creative friends.

Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself. ~Robert Ingersoll

Blogging and new bears ............................

2011-01-23T16:26:00.002Z

I cannot believe that it is exactly three years since I joined the blogging world. So much has happened in that time and in my blog entries I have shared all the ups and downs of everyday life. During this time I have been honoured with several blog awards. However, I am embarrassed to admit that I have not followed through the procedure required to nominate fellow bloggers.
There are several reasons for this mainly that I just have not managed to find the time. I started a blog as a kind of journal to record our big move to Europe adding photographs of some of the amazing places I have been privileged to visit and of course share some of my bear creations. It has grown beyond my 'imaginings' and has helped me to keep in touch with special friends that I had to leave behind as well as given me the opportunity to make new friends around the world. This is my 'award', the many comments, kind words and sharing that I have experienced. I have had the privilege of reading fellow blogger's jottings, sharing joy, tears and laughter. I have therefore added an 'award free blog' button which I hope will not offend any of you, please continue to leave comments when you visit if you have time, I so appreciate reading them.
Several weeks of continual stitching has produced a number of 'naked' bears. Here is the 'tribe' all stitched and waiting for inspiration. It is easy to sit and stitch bears but the clothing and accessories makes them special so I will be raiding the lace, fabrics, buttons etc to try and get the creative juices flowing as I have a bevy of anxious little faces looking at me. It is not my usual way of working, I usually complete one bear at a time. For some reason I have started the year off somewhat differently!

Hope to have some dressed bear pictures to share soon....................

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~ Melody Beattie

The twists and turns on the road of life .....

2011-01-21T16:27:00.001Z

A long overdue blog update. I have been busy working on bears and several days temping kept me away from my computer.
There was also my decision that the long overdue planting of spring bulbs should happen before it was just too late necessitating several days cleaning out and digging over the glutinous mud in our garden. The daffodils should have been planted in September apparently. Wonder what happens when you plant them in early January! A late flowering perhaps? Two of our local garden centres offered free daffodil bulbs some months ago providing customers with a small paper bag to fill. Obviously if you are clever and pack them well you get more bulbs. A very sweet elderly lady instructed me to pack them in layers facing up and down which worked well and I had two lots of bulbs sitting in the garage waiting for planting. I planted the bulbs saved from last spring quite some weeks ago as well as some wonderful poppy seeds. I must admit to being one of nature's scavengers . The enormous pink poppies were growing on waste land near the doctor's surgery and in autumn we collected some of the seed heads. Dried over winter these harvested an amazing quantity of tiny seeds which I sprinkled liberally in the front garden. These are starting to germinate and we should have a colourful display in summer.
This has been a week of ups and downs. The down was my final visit to the dentist to replace a veneer from my front tooth at considerable expense. The upside is that we have been offered a renewal of the lease on this house for a full twelve months. This is a big relief, just cannot face the prospect of moving for some time yet and hopefully we can start to feel a little more settled. I find the tendency in England to lease properties for a period of six months at a time a strange system.
My indoor hyacinth bulbs are starting to flower, rather short hope they gain some height but they do smell wonderful ...................

The orchid has somehow managed to survive my inexpert care and is at the moment flourishing ...........

the fern in the conservatory is looking green and quite magnificent having survived the house move, being knocked over and falling out of the pot etc ...........

My final picture is my Merlin kitty, his fur is growing back quite nicely but he is still rather a tatty cat.

Have some five bears almost complete, just need jointing, ears and eyes and I will share some pictures in the next few days. In the meantime I should get back to work, have a great weekend.

God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.~Isak Dinesen

A different perspective on life.................

2011-01-16T12:47:00.001Z

I have been watching with sadness the news reports of the vagaries of Mother Nature in various parts of the world over the past few weeks. These happenings offer a different perspective on life, all my problems fade into insignificance.
We have several special collectors in Queensland who have been much in my thoughts. Thrilled to receive an e-mail from one to say that the floods had missed their home and they are all well. I cannot imagine the feelings of those who have lost so much but that colonial resilience will, I am sure, carry them through.

Believe ...........................

2011-01-10T20:33:00.003Z

My daughter Bronwen is very much into scrap booking. She is presently involved in a project where she had to choose one word for the year and create something for each month of the year based on that word.
It is now almost two years since we made the big move across the world and I must admit to still feeling a rather displaced colonial. Having just watched 'The Polar Express' the story of the little boy seeking the true spirit of Christmas and learning to 'believe', that word caught my attention. After Christmas whilst looking through all the reduced tree ornaments, I found this little carving, the snowmen a little the worse for wear but it is that special word 'believe' It is now sitting above the fireplace as a permanent fixture, not just for Christmas as I have decided that special word should be my inspiration for 2011. I must

Believe.....

That I will one day have a house of my own again

That Austin will be safe over the next few months in Afghanistan and home in time for birth of the baby.

In my ability to create exciting new things even though at times I feel a little rusty and suffering from 'creative' block.

That we will cope financially with whatever lifethrows at us.

These is just a few thoughts, there are so many areas in which I need to feel stronger and more confident. Most probably my faith and beliefs will be strongly tested as has been the case in previous years. However, with the help and encouragement of my special family and wonderful friends I am looking forward to a good year.

A cold and frosty day..............

2011-01-09T16:07:00.001Z

Still have to pluck up courage to get out into the garden and clean up all the dead plants and plant bulbs, rather late I know but bears do have to come first.
Finally managed to take some good shots of the little boy bear, something different for a change. Dicken and Catherine (yes, she has been renamed) look quite good together.

A short blog today, more later in the week.

A boy bear at last.................

2011-01-07T22:21:00.002Z

I took lots of pictures of the little boy Dicken today, unfortunately I am not happy with any of them so tomorrow will have to repeat the process. Taking photographs at this time of the year is quite difficult as the light is so poor. Dicken has a companion piece, a tiny rabbit with floppy ears and a wobble jointed neck. Possibly as I was rushing to do the photography after a stint of major housework the results were not what I had hoped. A head and shoulders will have to do until tomorrow.

To end on a lighter note I was feeling hot and bothered after all the cleaning so decided that a mid day shower would be a good idea, also might help my aching back. All alone in the house I just partially closed the bathroom door, had a nice steamy shower and then the upstairs fire alarm went off. Staggered dripping along the hallway and started waving a towel in the general direction of the alarm to disperse the steam. All well and good but holding a towel around my body with one hand, waving another towel and trying to keep the towel on my wet hair did just not work too well, eventually knocked the cover off the alarm but at least it stopped whining. By this time I was freezing cold, standing in a pool of water and not very happy. Not a pretty picture I am sure, thank goodness the neighbours cannot see through the frosted glass window on the landing! Had to see the humorous side of the story when some hours later I shared the drama with my family who thought it hysterically funny! I did manage to put the cover back on the fire alarm, just hope it is still working.

Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don't do it. ~Author Unknown

New bears and other news......

2011-01-06T23:37:00.004Z

Productive start to the New year, I have dressed two little bears this week. This is Alice, with a hand embroidered cardi and tiny bear friend.

Still have to take some photos of the little boy bear, hopefully tomorrow I can fit it in between house cleaning and other chores.
Grand Central bird feeding station is still attracting an incredible number of birds. The jay brought along a companion today and they spent a good half hour eating all the squirrel food. As the squirrels did not visit today it was not too much of a problem. For some months we had a single squirrel visitor but the past few weeks in the extreme cold and with little food available, we have had three furry visitors. They still do not how to handle the squirrel feeder, sitting at the front putting tiny hands under the piece of plastic and pulling the food to the front. Megan always fills the feeders early in the morning and yesterday surprised a very early visitor, a young squirrel who took fright and ran up the tree in the neighbour's garden. It spent a good hour sitting looking terrified hanging on to a narrow branch, eventually plucking up the courage to come down and rush back across the garden. They are fascinating creatures busy burying food in various parts of the garden, digging holes and then patting the soil down with their tiny hands. I know many people consider them vermin but I enjoy watching them.
I have so enjoyed the TV series The Bear Family and Me, watching the bear cubs I could see the inspiration for the 'humanised' teddy bear. Sad that one bear should end up as a hunter's trophy.

My Photoshop on line workshop has come to end and I have learnt a lot, still lots of ground to cover but I have had fun experimenting with many of my photographs, the icy leaf looks amazing with the addition of texture as does the bowl of lilac flowers.

and the chateau at Jocelyn looks almost like a piece of tapestry.

>Started off the New Year with an expensive visit to the dentist, after three visits last year to replace a veneer which continually detached itself from my front tooth. So will have to get busy working to help pay for the unexpected extra expenditure. A picture of Dicken my little boy hopefully tomorrow and I am now off to bed as it is very late .................

A New Year begins ....................

2011-01-01T15:12:00.003Z

New Year greetings one and all, wishing you a year filled with joy and much happiness.

I am not one for making resolutions which I know I will not keep for more than a week. This year I hope to spend more time being creative and less time on the computer or perhaps more constructive time exploring Photoshop. My recent on-line workshop has taught me so much and there are so many exciting possibilities to use the many photographs I have taken over the past couple of years.
Hugglets is just a short time away, there is the on line show in early March and I would love to do some embroidery and beading. It would seem that once again twenty four hours in day will not be enough time but I can only try!

A new year is unfolding - like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within"

2010 draws to a close ................

2010-12-30T23:38:00.001Z

Last few days of 2010 and I have finally completed a bear! Tamsin is a slightly larger 4.5" and I spent several days on her outfit with embroidery/crochet flower trim and she has shoes! Not for the faint hearted, took me a while to get them to fit correctly but I think they do look rather cute. This little girl and her friend Rosie the elephant are now on e-bay, most probably my last listing for this year, unless I can find some friendly and helpful sewing elves.

My next blog update will most probably be in 2012. Wishing you all a wonderful and prosperous New Year.

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Merry Christmas .................

2010-12-25T14:10:00.000Z

Wishing you all a very special Christmas

Thank you for your special comments, friendship and support during the past year.

Tis the season to be jolly ..................

2010-12-23T11:29:00.000Z

Seems quite unbelievable that it is almost the end of 2010 and a New Year beckons. Thank you to all my blog followers for visiting and leaving your comments.
Went walking in the snow to take some pictures this week. After another night of freezing frost everything was frosty white from the trees

to the spiderweb on the village hall notice board

and the individual needles on the pine tree

Still lots of work to do, but it should be a joyful season and there is nothing that important that cannot be done next week or later..........................
Wishing you all a most blessed Christmas and a very special 2011.

Joyeux Noel .......................

2010-12-19T22:04:00.001Z

Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas holiday

just a few days to Christmas and still lots to do. The tree is decorated and looks so pretty in front of the window, the cats love to sit underneath fortunately they have not started investigating the presents. Wonder whether my family will mind some IOUs for Christmas presents still to be made!

The weather is still pretty dreadful, fortunately we can still get around in this part of the UK. The birds are extremely hungry and as they need water I have started filling their water bowl with warm water several times a day as it keeps freezing over. The squirrels are also frequent visitors and love the special food we have for them but cannot seem to fathom how to use the feeder. After some research I found that all the feeders designed to attract squirrels are little wooden boxes with a transparent sliding front and a lid. I don't know if we have a bunch of silly squirrels but they do not know how to open the lid so we tried propping the front section open with a small stick so that little squirrel hands can reach inside to get to the food. The problem is that the birds have now discovered it is easy to get to the food and the pigeons sit and eat it all!
Merlin just loves the halogen heater thinks it was bought just for him. He is still rather a tatty kitty from his skin allergies so think he is feeling rather cold with all those bare patches. I put the kitty bed next to the heater for him and he made himself quite comfortable, even Leila joined him for a short while.

Did find time to complete the outfit for my little girl panda, an embroidered dress, knitted cardi and crochet flowers. Dressed in shades of pink Emmeline is now on e-bay.

Lots of work and shopping still to do. Hope to manage a blog update before Christmas, take care if you live in the snow filled parts of the world. Safe journeying if you are planning to travel somewhere over the holiday season.

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney

News and views ..........................

2010-12-13T11:25:00.003Z

Another long overdue update, do wish I could say I have been creative but I still have a row of little bears waiting to be dressed, but as you can see clothing is in progress!

.......... and I have been busy doing lots of other stuff! Lots to catch up on.
Austin was home for a short two weeks and we spent a wonderful weekend doing family things, visiting some beautiful places and catching up on news.

The weather has been well ....... wintry, lots of ice and a good covering of snow.
Undaunted we visited one of my favourite places, the medieval city of Ely. Situated on the fens the awesome cathedral is visible for miles on a clear day. In my internet research I discovered that this cathedral is considered one of the seven wonders of the medieval world.

The Saturday street market was in full swing and we explored the shops, buying a few Christmas presents, had great fun in various charity shops and I even visited the Cromwell museum. Stopped for lunch at the Almonry Restaurant situated in the grounds of the cathedral. The restaurant is situated in the almonry's 12th century undercroft within the medieval buildings just a short walk from the cathedral. Hospitality has been offered here since medieval times. Austin and YoonMi in front of one of the beautiful vaulted columns decorated for the Christmas season.

Something I personally find sad is that whilst in France I visited many churches/cathedrals and with the exception of two popular tourist cities, entry was free and visitors have the freedom to wander around and enjoy the beautiful architecture. Entry to Westminster Cathedral is pricey at £15 per person and even Ely is no longer free to view. I know that the churches are expensive to maintain but it rather defeats the object of a place to worship if I have to pay to sit and enjoy the sanctitude. Most small churches are kept locked so freedom of access is very restricted.
The next day we visited the pretty village of Buckden. Its most famous landmark, Buckden Towers is documented in the Domesday Book and lists as visitors Henry III, Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII and Samuel Pepys.

There is a lovely church next to the Tower. The heavy old door was amazingly unlocked and we were able to explore a little inside. The wooden vaulted ceiling is decorated with a series of carved angels. We were discovered in the church by two elderly gentlemen who were at the church attaching Christmas lights! Not sure if they were amazed that we were visiting or concerned that we should not be there.

We visited the charity shop in the Church grounds, found some good books and a few little items to use with bears. I also discovered a vintage glass lemon squeezer in perfect condition, don't think it had ever been used. So much better than the plastic/wooden ones available now and just like my mother had many years ago.
Austin has now returned to Afghanistan and will only be back home in April next year. I know that I am not the only mother with a son serving in one of the most dangerous places in the world but I appreciate all the wonderful messages I have received.
The weather has been unusual for late November with freezing fog which turned all the trees into amazing white sculptures .............

spider webs into frozen strands of incredible beauty

even the iced leaves on the pavement caught my attention, the wonder of nature

Another reason for my tardiness in updating my blog has been my participation in a Photoshop on line workshop. Being entirely self taught with most computer programmes and muddling my way through Elements, I have realised that there are so many things I can now do. Very exciting but still not enough hours in the day!
The inclement weather has meant that our garden has become Grand Central Station to a host of birds. The lone squirrel who visited in summer seems to have brought along several companions, 'tho he grudgingly shares the wonderful food Megan puts out daily. My garden is now totally asleep, the fuchsias are looking very sad even in the green house with the heater. If they survive winter I can trim them back and re-pot them, hopefully they will survive.
Having to buy supermarket tomatoes is a bother, had got used to having a constant supply from the garden.

Finally, my two remaining Christmas bears, Gabriel and Jasper who will be listed later today on e-bay.
Well that is a lot of news, now I need to get back to work. Christmas is just around the corner, a tree to decorate and still have presents to buy!
Some of my South African friends have mentioned difficulty in accessing both of our blogs, please let me know if you have a problem. Have changed the background recently and the blog is very graphic intense, could be the internet service provider is not up to scratch.

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. ~Joyce Brothers

Jack Frost and friend .....................

2010-12-05T15:46:00.001Z

Have completed a special Christmas set. Jack Frost and his little bear friend (as yet unnamed) are standing on a box covered with vintage wallpaper.

I will be listing this set on e-bay early next week.

After a busy weekend visiting Ely and local villages not much work has been completed. A wonderful family time together and pictures of my journeying to follow soon.

Work in progress and the white stuff.......

2010-11-29T13:05:00.001Z

Snow in November, apparently something quite unusual. For this child of Africa returning to the land of my fathers, the past couple of winters have proved quite an experience. We awoke this morning to a carpeting of snow and it has been falling on and off all day. A view of the road outside our house this morning.

The frost had made all my precious fuschia plants look very sad so they have been moved into the glass greenhouse. With the aid of a little paraffin heater they will hopefully survive the winter. Although the remains of the vegetable garden are looking somewhat jaded, cleaning up is work to be kept for a slightly warmer day.

The bird feeders are emptying rapidly with food obviously hard to find, we even had a pretty jay in the garden. Apparently secretive birds it is the first time we have seen this welcome visitor. A sparrow hawk finds the birds easy prey and has twice taken birds from the garden, not nice to see but nature is not always very kind.

Once again I have a selection of bears waiting to be dressed or trimmed. Trying to complete my Christmas creation and then some bears for various shows and e-bay. Some knitted cardigans to make and lots of stitching to do.

Austin is flying home today for two weeks R&R (rest and recuperation) arriving some time later this afternoon. After several dusty and warm months in Afghanistan I am sure he will welcome a change in scenery. Unfortunately he will not be home for Christmas so we will have to arrange an early celebration dinner.

Now back to work those bears (and snowman) are waiting.

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. ~Joyce Brothers

Happy Thanksgiving..................

2010-11-25T09:01:00.004Z

Warm Thanksgiving wishes to all my American friends and blog readers.

We do not celebrate Thanksgiving in Europe but it does seem like a wonderful idea, we have so many things to be thankful for. To join in the celebration I am offering a special discount in my Etsy stores. The sale applies from today until Monday morning GMT time.

Visit the link below to Grace and Whimsy and use the special coupon code:

http://GraceAndWhimsy.etsy.com

use the coupon code

THANKSGIVING2010

and you will get 15% off

Our teddy bear patters and kits can be found at our Essential Bears shop.
The link and code are:

http://EssentialBears.etsy.com

use the coupon code

THANKSGIVING2010

and you will get 10% off

Have a wonderful holiday, stay safe in the icy weather and don't eat too much turkey!

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

London .....................

2010-11-23T22:01:00.000Z

Last Saturday Bronwen and I took the train to London for a day of tourist sightseeing.
A normal grey November day with a chilly wind, it was fortunately not raining and our first stop was Buckingham Palace. We walked through Green Park fortunately arriving before the crowds.

The Angel of Justice on the top of the Victoria Memorial. I always wonder what people actually see when sight seeing. For me it is a discovery of the hidden things, faces, flowers and creatures carved in obscure places not often noticed by most people. This rather fanciful merman captured my attention

as did this rather angry looking face..............

We walked to Westminster stopping briefly at the Guards Museum on the way. A carved angel on a building quite hidden away and most probably noticed by few.

and this very old and time worn carving of the most fascinating face..................

Would have liked to visit Westminster Cathedral but on discovering the long queue and the high entry fee, we decided to continue with our planned visit to the Tower. As usual London underground services were not running on certain lines and we had to take a rather roundabout route.

A few hours is really not sufficient time to look at everything on offer but we did manage to wander through the towers on the outside of the building and view the crown jewels.

I love London, the architectural beauty, the parks and trees and I enjoy my visits. However, I am always glad to get back to the peace and quiet of rural Cambridgeshire.
Lots of work to do, new patterns to design and kits to put together so we will be busy for the next few weeks. I also need to get out into the garden and plant the spring bulbs which I should have planted weeks ago.
Austin will be home for a short two week break in early December and we just might have an early Christmas family celebration.
To end this famous quote from Samuel Johnson. I wonder whether he would still have the same view of London now?

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
— Samuel Johnson

Teddies Worldwide Holiday Bear Show

2010-11-20T19:52:00.000Z

The on-line show has started and one of Megan's bears has found a new home. An amazing selection of bears are on offer, well worth a visit:

http://www.backroadbears.com/teddiesworldwide.htm

Today I did the London tourist thing with Bronwen. Pictures of London will follow during the next few days, had a wonderful time but I am totally exhausted, my feet are aching and it will be early to bed for me.

Until next time, have a peaceful Sunday.