Betrayal and A Commission Bear

I am cut to the quick, I have been betrayed by my own flesh and blood. The incident occurred on Sunday, I decided to take a bath, not a regular thing as I normally have a shower, quicker. Anyway I had a lovely Mothers Day, I went to see my mum and delivered her a bear that she had been eyeing for awhile and she was delighted. Hubby was painting the living room, so he was happy, like a pig in muck. When we got back I checked my usual pc for emails and posts etc, that is when I made my fatal error, I left my blog OPEN and went for a bath....................................................needless to say nosey parkers were about in the shape of our daughter!!!!!! She decide to see what her mum had been posting, oops!!!! She only went and read out my last post about hubby's training to hubby :(

So this is a message from my darling Husband "I have not undergone any training, I am naturally a loving caring supportive Husband, in fact a model for others to aspire to. I have no problems doing most of the housework, while my adorable wife makes her bears. It is a lie that I curse the mohair in my sandwiches nor do I refer to my wife's bear making as a "hobby". I ask you to refute any further adverse posts in my honour" YEAH RIGHT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the beary front, this little fella was finished this weekend and duly delivered yesterday to his new mum, he doesn't have a name yet. I hope you like him.

Sunshine and Wilton

What a glorious weekend, such a contrast to a few weeks ago when we had snow and more snow.
I had a lovely weekend, my head behaved itself and I was able to get so much done, no not housework, I went food shopping Saturday morning while hubby did a few chores. I came back to a tidy house and washing on the the line. Now before you all groan with envy, it has taken me awhile to get to this level of training, by being firm you can achieve success. I must admit though winning an award did help, my "hobby" took on a new meaning for him after that. I am on the count down to Nottingham on Easter Monday, 4 weekends to go. Sunday was an even better day and I sat outside trimming, I hate this chore, fluff everywhere but at least in the sunshine I can let the mohair waft across the grass, the birds nests in our area are mohair lined. Do you like the view, this is out the front of the house and what a view. When we moved in nearly 8 years ago, the hedges were about 15 ft high and it was all gravel??? Never understand why anyone would want to live in the country and not enjoy the natural surroundings, suffice it to say the hedges didn't last long

On the beary front I finished 3 wee mini's, I am debating clothing the other 2, a lilac one and a lovely green one, so I can't show you them yet. This is Wilton, so called after those lovely carpets, he is velvety too the touch and I have painted/aged him. He is 4 inches tall and a skinny bear. I have so far been making the usual fatter chubby mini's and thought I would challange myself by going for something a little more traditional. Boy was he fiddly but worth it, I have another piece of this fabric which is more on the russet tones, so I will be making another in this style, called.................Axminster, hehehe! LOL!

Hope you all have a beary good day, huggies Sue xxx

Tablets and mohair

Well Hi everyone, just wanted to give you all a quick update on the old pills that the doc gave me last week, was supposed to be posting this all this morning but guess what NO INTERNET!!!!! Luckily this time it is not PC related, its handy having a laptop and an ipod touch in the house, you can check these things. It did not prevent my soapbox rantings whilst driving to work this morning though, I mean really in this day and age you would think that BT and the internet providers would get their act together and update all our flippin cables, so this inconvenience doesn't happen................off soapbox hehe!
The pills are great, I had a few minor side effects, the first few days but after that they have seemed to settle down. I am not sure if I am having a placebo grace period, as I seem to have bags of energy, scarily so. Yes I know shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth but......................I am so used to feeling, well knackered and now I feel great. I feel positive to the point of conquering the world. Them damned placebo's hehehe!!!!!

On the beary front, I have gone from OMG feeling I'm not going to get it all done to yay bring it on. I have been working on 2 mini patterns, one completely new. I have cut and sewn a commission bear (3 more to go) and also cut 2 12 inch bears. Nottingham is 4 weeks on Monday and boy is time running out. I have decided that organisation is the key, so if I sew one mini limb a day ;) then I will get there. I wish I could have taken a piccie of all the spare parts, they are sat on my desk at home in a huge pile. I have some very unusual Sassy fabric that I am really looking forward to showing you, I do like a bit of something different, it stretches the mind.
I am also on the look out for a bookcase/display for my minis, something in cream I think but gosh its hard to find anything, so far I have done Homebase, Matalan and TK Max, tonight is Dunelm's turn, wish me look.
Oh and I have also booked a week off just before Easter to make more bears (happy dancing here)
Beary hugs and byes for now
Sue xx

My Swap Bear

I can finally give you all details of the swap that I have taken part in. The idea is really neat and was organised by Peta of Wazza Bears on a teddy forum I belong to, Teddy Talk. Your names get drawn and paired with fellow Bear Artist and you then make a bear for that person. Now you may think that any ole bear will do but not so, as we artist are lovely people we all try to make the very best bear we can to send to our partners. Peta did an exceptional job she managed to pair artist very sympathetically and it was a great success.
So here is the bear that I received. He came from Sheryl Morrow of S M Designs and Gone to the Dogs, here is a link to her website, she makes fantastic dogs as well as bears, a talented lady. Well here is Shaiming, which means Sunshine and that he is, he came with a lovely wooden box and a necklace, just gorgeous, isn't he.
He is my very first artist bear and is sitting proudly amongst my Steiff's, its funny as it turned out it was Sheryl's first artist bear as well, which was special for both of us.

My bear to Sheryl, after a little fishing and a few discrete questions. I decided to make Sheryl a fairy bear and so Fidget Elfwand was born. Sheryl was so patient with me as the wings do take quite a long time to complete and then she was in transit for nearly 2 weeks, I can tell you I was getting worried that Sheryl didn't like her BUT I was so happy when the delay was the post offices and Sheryl was over the moon. So here is Fidget.............................
She is made from a peachy/pink Schulte mohair/silk, it difficult to tell from the piccie but she is shaded all over to compliment the wings. You can see why I rarely take pics outside, windswept or what!!!!Bless her, she is happy with her new mom and as for me I am delighted and will be taking part in further swaps.

Beary Hugs
Sue xx

Black Thursday update

Firstly I would like to say a huge thanks to all of you who posted and sent messages of support, its so nice to have cyber friends who care.

Ok Black Thursday turned into a storm in a teacup day, thank god. My mum is fine, it turns out she had calcium deposits that had been there on her last test 3 years ago, so everyone was extremely relieved. They had not changed at all so the Doc felt there was no need to do any further tests.

Our daughter got stood up!!! We are not sure what happened at the moment but her reply was "his loss" I did point out that in my day people phoned, it was the polite thing to do, then I saw the look that only a daughter will give a mother and decided I was turning into the mother of the above mentioned tests, at that point I beat a hasty retreat and kept gob shut. I have promised her a gooey cake today, she works with me today, from the local bakery and promised her that a cake with loads of cream is far better than any lad any day, having received the withered look I now got the rolled eye look. I told her she will agree with me one day.

Now my turn, I have the pills and start to take them today, they are called Perindopril which I understand can give you a cough, so will have to watch for that one. I have to start with a low dose and increase in 2 weeks, with further blood test in 3 weeks. All the other tests, liver, kidney, diabetes etc were NORMAL yipee. I think the doctor was a little surprised at how good everything else was, my colesterol was 3.1.............................yes 3.1. Having been told the other week by the doctor that we will have to think of foods that will lower my colesterol, I had to smile to myself when she look a tad surprised it was so low.
You see I am not a small woman, in fact I weigh...............ok honesty here about 18 stone. People will judge a book by its cover won't they, obesity is unhealthy. I have been overweight/obese all my life and until 5 years ago I never understood why. I then came across a healthy eating plan by a Californian Heart Doctor. I followed his teaching and understood for the first time in my life the why's. After 2 weeks I lost 15lbs, after a year I lost 6 stone. I discovered that I am allergic to wheat, it doesn't give me a rash or any other side effects other than obesity and an irritable bowel. Surfice it to say the Doctors didn't believe me and constantly asked me if I had cut the chocolate and crisps!!!!! Well then the headaches started and I found that without bread they were twice as bad, so on went the weight again.
Today I feel more positive and after this medication is sorted I plan to go back to this eating plan again, so stay tuned and you can follow me on the diet and see how I get on, in about 2 weeks.
So all's well in the Pemblington House today....................tomorrow is another day, hehehe!

Oh and my dad was well cheesed off as he brags to mum that his colereol is only 5 and hers is higher, so she is now saying "Its not as low as our Susan's" sorry dad

Thanks again all of you and I hope you all have a lovely nice day
Huggies Sue xx

Black Thursday and Motherhood

Well today is the day I find out my results of my blood tests, I wasn't that worried as I have known this past year that the inevitable was acomin!!! I have done really well to have lasted so long but according to Hubby "I've just accepted it and given up" UH!!! I have been struggling/battling all my married life and am so fed up of the tight vice around my head, so roll on 5.50 when my appointment is. Believe me I could use all the help I can get.

My mum is off to the hospital on the same day, slightly more scary. She had routine tests that are a bit dodgy, so she has to go for a few more. She is quite calm about it all and although most of the time she twitters on about this and that ailment, when the chips are down she is a trooper. I do hope I inherit that stiff upper lip of hers, she did pass on her best qualities to me, so I am hopeful. So thinking of you mum and love you to bits xx

My third and final trauma of today is my daughter is meeting a lad after college (please don't tell her that I am telling you all, she would kill me) Really the trauma is how I feel, some of you will now from a previous post that she has a medical condition, its not an issue but due to how life has been, I don't mind telling you I am terrified. Our daughter is the most fantastic young lady who cares about how I feel and to be honest she deserves a nice time and a happy life. Over the years I have developed, what I will call a phobia.........................a terrifying fear that something will happen to her. Now I know all mothers have an inbuilt protective instinct but mine has gone beyond that. Ok lets rewind a bit, so you understand. A year after we were married we had a little baby boy, he would have been 20 in August this year, he was born 2 months premature and died at 9 days old, to be honest its not something that you accept, you just learn to live with it. 2 years later my joy came when we had our daughter, a full-term very healthy baby. At a week old I developed a bad cough, at 3 weeks old she started coughing, at 5 weeks she was in hospital for a month with whooping cough, seriously ill. She developed epilepsy at 4 years old and had several emergency trips in an ambulance, with fits lasting at worse 3 hours. So you can see were this phobia gathered pace. I am sure she will be fine, its me that is not. I worry all the time, silly I even worry that she will not watch what she is doing when she crosses the road..............................now how bad is that, she is nearly 18 for crying out loud. Well ta for listening to my mumblings this morning, I really appreciate it.....................oh and hubby is worse than me!!!! So he is not told anything until after the event, bless him.

PS She is a purple sash in Kung Fu (Thats 2 below a black belt-thumbs up here)

Dyeing (yummy) and housework (yuck) !!!

I arrived home on Friday night to find a note from the postman...........a parcel, yipee.......................well I had 2 choices, it could be my fabric from Susan at Bear Basics or my long awaited fabric from Sassy Bears . I didn't think it was my fabric from Susan, way to quick. So off we trots to town, luckily the depot is open Saturday morning. Well it was both parcels, I couldn't believe it, I only ordered from Susan Wednesday dinner, wow that's was very quick. Thanks ;)

I floated round the supermarket dreaming of little hand dyed traditional bears and trying to form a pattern in my head for the Sassy.................needless to say I am not sure if I ended up with all the supplies I needed hehe!! LOL hey-ho

On Sunday the great plan was to try the hand dyeing, very easy to do, just mix and microwave. Well maybe the doing is the easy bit and the "getting the colour just right" is the hard bit.........um you can say that again. More later...........first I had to get past "the housework"

I have come to the conclusion that I would be a top contender for an award for not doing housework, is there one?? The Slovenly Maid Award here I come. Now don't get me wrong my pots are clean, my toilet is clean etc but its the corners and the dust, OH the dust. Anyway there's me sat pre-dye mode finishing a little bear in a lovely violet colour, oh the bliss of Sunday morning. Hubby is in painting mode and in the bathroom, having decided to paint the ceiling, ok whatever floats your boat, honey. I lasted all of 20 minutes before the cry came (why is it men cannot do things alone) off I goes to investigate and find a light shade thrust in my face, "wash this". Ok I can do that................foot pads not finished yet!!!! Armed with a damp sponge I sets to. OMG, the dust, it was that bad I swear they (dust mites) had build skyrise flats in the creases, it was so thick. Like a hurricane I swept them away and that was the moment I decided I needed the "Sloven Award of the year". HEHE!!! like I said to hubby, you knew 20 years ago when you married me, I was not kitchen sink slave, his reply.............well lets just say NOT REPEATABLE. Before you all tut at me in disgust, just remember years ago our mothers kept house, yes they washed in twin tubs and used non steam irons, walked 100 miles to the shops in bare feet BUT they didn't work................................gosh thats another topic isn't it, Modern woman vs House slave!!!

I finally took the opportunity to dye my bit of sparse, I went for Arctic Green Apple with a smidgen of Tamarindo (the brown to you) heavy handed!!! just a little, a smidgen too much I think. The result as my daughter so eloquently put it "like a rotten apple core" YES I cried that was what I was after (snigger here) like hell it was, I was aiming for an apple green with a hint of brown. Back to the mixing bowl for me.................................Hubby was last seen on the stairs, having finished the bathroom ceiling, he started on the stairs, bless him and you know what he doesn't drink or like football either, what more could a girl ask for?????