Saturday 31 January 2009

Stressed and busy

Firstly let me apologise for the language on the image but when I saw this cat it just about summed my week up and I couldn't resist sharing it with you all.
Well its tax return week, this week. Busy is an understatement, we have been working late and I have not been getting home til after 7 and then cooking!!!!! It has not been helped by the road being blocked off, due to a water leak, so around the fens we have driven to emerge just a few miles further down, do workmen take delight in planning a 15 mile detour??? I am sure its so you don't see them drinking coffee and not working. Anyway back to work, well we had the usual clients who, having been asked for the missing information way back last April, then decide that they need to bring it in 2 days before the filing deadline, which is today. Of course we deliver, with a smile but you do have to wonder if thats why they do it, they know you will bend over backwards to meet the deadline, our poor tax return man has had to go in today to file the last returns.
As for bears :( I have only just managed to sew 1 fairy wing at lunchtime for valentines day and I was intending to list Peoni on ebay tomorrow. So guess what I am doing this afternoon, well the house will still be here next week, hehe!
My computer is safely back, thanks to the lovely Anthony, who informs me I had a rare thing happen, he had only seen it once before, WHY ME, he did a scan and found a corrupt file, why does a file go corrupt? Does it wake up one morning and say "I am gonna be bad today" ??????? Like a toddler throwing a tantrum, it just refused to budge and kept turning off, very annoying but crossed fingers the toddler has been taught a lesson and will behave from now on.
This will not get that bear finished and tomorrow I am determined to finish a commissioned bear for the lovely Tracey, Cookie's mom, he was promised awhile back but due to work this month I have not been able to finish him, he is looking really sweet though and will be called Crumble ;)
Til tomorrow, beary hugs
Sue xxxxx

Tuesday 27 January 2009

Life's ups and downs


I am delighted to say I have just received my second blog award from Paula of All Bear. I have to say it is an honour, for me. Paula is a star in the teddy world not just for her beautiful bears but also for her work and ingenuity.
To choose another 8 nominee's would be difficult, I am enjoying so many blogs, that it would prove impossible to pick amongst them, so as Ruth of Flutter-by Bears says I am going to pass this back to the bloggers of the teddy world, I couldn't think of a better recipient. Well said Ruth.



The title of this post should have been "Pick up a penny and all day have good luck" well not quite, it was last week you see, there this penny was in the rain all abandoned, so I scouped him up and popped him in my warm handbag. Has he bought me luck????? Yes in a way but every silver lining has a storm..........................

I had an email that very afternoon from a lovely lady in Wales, she just wanted to let me know that she loved my website and in particular one of my bears, he is now living with her and having a great time. Wasn't that so very nice of her, just to email like that, what a lovely thing to do, she is now my friend. The next thing was a letter, well card actually from Maureen whose Christmas present was a 20 inch gorgeous fella called Ulster, telling me how he was settling in nicely and boy did she love him, watch out Ron (her hubby) competition hehe!
Another email then came from a retired/semi retired bear maker who lives near me, she made contact through an email group I belong to and she has given me the most wonderful advice on mini's, she is so kind and thoughtful, another friend. I then had a call from one of my mailing list members to say she would like a bear but she had had a few expenses and she pay bit by bit. Then I recieve not 1 but 2 blog awards.
The cloud, I hear you cry................................well it has to be money, or lack of it, my penny certainly didn't give me a lottery win, do I mind, well just a tinsy bit. I would like to have been at Kelham on the 8th but no can do, you can only stretch a penny so far and I think mine is at its limits. I did make several friends and felt good about my bears, what more really could a girl ask for.
Beary Hugs and an extra one for those that are feeling the pinch right now
Sue xx


Thursday 22 January 2009

A blogger award


I am absolutely thrilled to receive an award yesterday, from Ruth of Flutter-By Bears, thank yous so much Ruth its really nice to be appreciated. Now I have to pass on the award to 8 of my fellow bear makers.




Here is what the award says

" The authors say that blogs who receive this award are exceedingly charming . This blog invests in proximity in space , time and relationships . These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends .They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandisement . Our hope is that when the ribbons of these awards are cut , even more friendships will be propagated . Please give your kind attention to these writers !Deliver this award to 8 bloggers who will choose 8 more , and include this cleverly written text in to the body of the award . "


Here are my awards

The first award goes to Pauline of Valewood Bear, she is a sweetie just like her bears and she deserves great sucess Valewood Bears

My next award goes to Daphne of Back Road Bears, she is a wise sage who not only makes great bears but is a star to all newcomers Back Road Bears

My third award goes to Christine of Boot Button Bears, she is such a lovely warm person, who was the first to make me so welcome when I joined a teddy forum Boot Button Bears

My next award goes to Paula, the epitome of what I would like to be, so organised, so helpful and her bears, wow All Bear

My fifth award goes to Laurie, who encouraged me to spread my wings and try shows and shops

My next award goes to Chloe, my home town girl, who had the courage to think outside the box and try something new very early Je suis Lugly

My seventh award goes to Vicki, who at my first show gave confidence that I was good enough
My last and final award goes to Jenny, who inspired me in the first place Three O'clock Bears

Please pay a visit to their blogs, I am sure you will enjoy them

To those that I have nominated, please choose 8 other blogs that you feel deserve an award and pass it on
FenHugs
Sue xxx










Saturday 17 January 2009

To sale or not to sale that is the question???




To sale or not to sale that is the question? I have pondered this question all week. The beary world doesn't really do sales, well not from what I have seen anyway. I think this maybe because Artists wouldn't want the world to think that those bears on sale were, in anyway inferior. On the contrary those that do "sale" sell the most wonderful bears and I would love to own a few of them. For me, I decided to go with the flow and have a sale, just a little one. So this morning I have reduced my bears by 25%. At the end of the day I realised that the most important thing for me was that my bears went to good homes, sounds really twee put like that, doesn't it but I remembered when I sold my frist bear, Clara-who lives in Australia. The amount she sold for was greatly overshadowed by the fact that someone, anyone wanted to buy MY bear. It is the most wonderful feeling, to bring joy, often across the world, to someone whom you have never met, well words escape me. You feel this instant family connection that goes beyond anything that I have ever experienced, deep, eh!
Well thats the beary world to me and what does this have to do with a sale..............................I am sure the Chairman of M&S doesn't feel this way but maybe he should, maybe we should all help each other at this time, have a sale, allow a layaway, bring a smile to a fellow human being. A sale means the possibilty of collectors saying yes, I love your bears and me being able to say Thank YOU

Monday 12 January 2009

Chanter Reedflyer on ebay


Yesterday I listed this little fella on ebay, he is a fairy bear with hand made wings and boy do those wings take forever to make. I hand embroider the material onto wire with tiny tiny stitches. They look fabulous but each wing takes about 5 hours to make and there are 4 of them. He is a bit of a lost soul really, I listed him on Bid4Bears just before Christmas and he didn't find a new mom. Its really hard to know what to do for the best on auction sites, ebay has such exposure but they are really making life difficult for the little seller and gearing everything for the bigger bulk listing shops.......................................the thing that made ebay great maybe lost in the new rules. I have always found ebay has very genuine people who are honest and decent, I know the media portrays ebay as the Soddam and Gomora of the internet world but it is only a small minority that spoil it and ebay should be harder on them not the good guys. Therefore I was left with a "what to do" problem, so on ebay he went. I have started him at 99p with a reserve, thats annoying as you are forced to have a minimum reserve of £50, instead of choosing your own????? Off my soap box now lol! Here is a link if you would like to take a peak:
Chanter Reedflyer on ebay

Sunday 11 January 2009

Red sky in the morning















Well after the other night I did not expect this, the view this morning was even more spectacular, just hope the old saying isn't true or we will be in for it next week. We got off quite lightly last week weather wise. We did have temps of -3 but only a tiny dusting of snow............................................ despite Catherine's (our daughter) prayers

Saturday 10 January 2009

Back to work we go


Hi ho, hi ho, its a back to work we go, after the long Christmas break.
I am sure like us lot, you are uttering a groan and wishing those 6 numbers would come up. For me, its tax return time, although I don't actually do the returns, I do prepare the figures that go on them, so busy busy. Hubby is glad to be back, he is soooo irritating doing nothing at home......................................why is it women can always find things to do but men are always bored. Catherine is back at college and busy finishing assignments that need to be done before the new part of the course begins in February.
I have to say the worst affected and the most mardy is Dixie, she is the 4 legged mut in the picture, beautiful isn't she. She will be 3 at the end of January and is very clingy, so she has really felt it this week, no one to throw her toy, no mummy to feed her titbits and no beds to bound on to wake above mentioned teenagers long lie ins. Walkies are a quick jog down the road instead of a romp accross the fields chasing anything that moves. Well roll on the next hols.........................................................and lets not forget..................more time for bear making

Friday 9 January 2009

Red sky at night


I just had to take a piccie of this beautiful sunset across the fens. Nature is such a magnificent thing. This was taken a few nights ago

Saturday 3 January 2009

Update on the British Bear Artist Awards

Well I am happy to be finally updating my blog, due to a distinct lack of pc for the last 2 months


I came third in my category, it was such a strange day. We left home at about 6am and it was snowing, yes we work up to the white stuff

The journey can only be described as a nightmare.................................flooding on the M25, accidents and speed restrictions made sure that we missed the deadline by about 10 minutes but as we were not the only ones the organisers very kindly turned a blind eye to the 10am deadline


The entries, wow, what can I say, I had a huge sense of unworthiness, the entries were stunning. The ceremony took place just after 2.30 and was a very organised affair and very tense, with most artists huddled together with everything crossed that they could, while family looked on in suspense


I had to wait for my category to be announced, being in no 9, during that time, I experienced joy at friends who gained awards and also sadness at those who didn't. Eventually it was over so fast, before you could blink really. I have my award and to be honest, am thrilled. It is now proudly displayed on my self with Fire. I have plans to enter next year and will be in the main categories......................scary


All in all a good day was had by all