My creative space

Today will be about packing and wrapping to be sent,

making some ears and a decision about this head.

and working as always on some more amigurumi. ( a couple of friends I've made this week, Wombok and Pearl)

Hope you are having some time today to be creative in the way you love

more creativeness over here.

thank you

thank for all the love, comments, attention and bids you have showered on Colin for the last week, for making him feel so special. Colin feels like the luckiest bear in the world.

He and I are thrilled ( quite frankly surprised) at the outcome and thrilled to be able to pass it on .

I also know Colin is going to a most wonderful loving home. ( which is nice for a mum eh?)

And thank you to Toni and Corrie for your amazing and tireless work. It would not have been possible with out you.

THere are still many raffles and giveaways still running so make sure to check them out.

love xo

Colin and Jess

sometimes the best laid plans....

Don't always go as planned..

When Posswonk learns that Colin will be going to a new home next week, his little wonky heart breaks. He can't remember a time when Colin wasn't around, ( there probably was a time but Posswonk's memory isn't the best) and like him Colin the only other bear that hadn't left home. Posswonk had also always felt Col was the big strong guardian of all the amis, and isn't sure how he will cope.

He tries to talk about it to the Pancake Bear family ( Kermit, Howie and Bruce) but they're too busy working out their routine for the nation Ami Line Dance Dance Off.

So he tries to talk Peabody but he hasn't been around long enough so he doesn't really understand.

He tries to talk about it to Wombok but Wombok's a bit all over the place.

So he turns to his old mate Colin, who explains why he is leaving home.

As soon as Posswonk hears the reason, he is completely reconciled to why Colin is leaving and feels it's very much The Thing to be done. It's for a much needed cause after all.

Please if you can make a bid,

PS the auction closing time is now 9pm rather than 9am tomorrow night.

My creative space

The couch is slowly filling up again

with a Pancake Bear Family reunion ( minus Boris currently on an expedition to the moon)

and Peabody and Dennis.

I'm dyeing mohair

and starting on the next ami bear.

Im thinking alot about those less fortunate than me, safe and dry in my own home , but there are so many that haven't been as lucky.

Um in case you've missed it, I'm doing an auction as part of the wonderful Toni's QLD flood appeal, please make a bid if you want to.

For more creative happenings head over to Kirsty's.

Waiting....

Watching,

Pondering,

and wondering

Who will take me home?

Will it be you?

QLD flood relief Bear Auction

Late last Tuesday night I was woken by a small nudging. Thinking at first that it was Turtle up to her old 2am love ins and tried to ignore it, but it got more persistent and then was following by " Excuse me Jess". Knowing that as clever as my cat is, I didn't think she had suddenly found the ability to talk, so I turned the light on and found Colin standing on my tummy with his bright little eyes gleaming with quiet determination. "Excuse me Jess, but there is something very much on my mind. What I would like most in the world in to be auctioned off for those terribly heartbreaking and devastating floods in QLD"

It was funny I told him, as I had been feeling exactly the same thing, and while only tiny, it was something we both could do to contribute.

Colin is a fully jointed "traditional old style" bear, made from mohair that's been dyed ( 6 times!) and is fully jointed. He has been extensively aged to give him an old look. He is stuffed with a mixture of excelsior, cotton and plastic beads and has glass eyes. He measures 13" tall.

And he is inspired by my old steiff bear Gus.

And lastly Colin has a very special spot in my heart, which I think makes it most fitting that he be auctioned here for part of the Flood Relief.

So onto the Auction!! the "rules" are as follows:

1) All proceeds of this auction are to go to the QLD Flood relief.

2) Bidding will start at $30 (aussie) and run from now until Monday 24th of January at 9pm.

3) Bidding will be in whole dollar amounts, and done in the comments section please put your email and bid amount.

4) I will cover the postage. ( to anywhere in the world)

5) The winning bidder will be contacted by me via email after the auction is over and will confirm final bid. You'll then need to pay the final bid amount directly into the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and the forward me back the email receipt confirmation and number back to me. Once you've done that, Colin will be posted off to you.

Before I go a big thank you to Toni for all her amazing organization and work. So with no further a do, the Auction is now open!!

Two bears, two different purposes

Colin and Hooty.

Hooty was an order from a very nice lady for her new baby soon to be born. (Remember Ol' one ear of last week, yep this is him) Hooty is a soulful little bear, who like poetry and rescuing beetles from puddles and swimming pools

Colin is the bear who will be auctioned off beginnning monday as part of Toni from Make it Perfect QLD Flood appeal. He's feeling quite proud to be part of it all. For more info about him and the auction please come back Monday if you are interested.

Both bears and I are very much saddened and feeling for, all the people in QLD who have been affected by floods and also from those from Victoria who've been affected. We send you our love and thoughts and great big bear hugs.

QLD Floods

With the recent devastating floods affecting Queensland at the moment, it is hard to concentrate on anything else. To anyone who is affected by, knows someone affected by it , you are in my thoughts, heart and have my deepest condolances. I cannot begin to imagine what you are going through. Sitting here watching it is hard not to feeling helpless and guilty and it's just all wrong.

One thing giving me heart is to see the true beauty and pure goodness of people that arise from such crisis. Within watching 10 minutes of the news, there were two stories about 2 different men who risked their lives to save 4 and 10 people respectively. Their bravery and true selfleness is humbling.

Another is seeing the efforts already being made by people across the web, to do their bit, From encouraging to donate, donating, and setting up appeals and auctions.

People like Toni, who is running an auction appeal for the Floods.

I will be joining Toni, and many others and will be running an auction for one of my mohair bears starting next week.

Loving

This beautiful print. It's by Amber Alexander.

When I saw it on etsy, I loved it straight away, and knew I needed it.

My lovely mum decided she needed to give it to me. ( I'm no sure what I did to deserve that)

Amber had included two of her beautiful cards as well.

Her work is really stunning, and she captures such emotion and atmosphere in each picture.

It's also extremely reasonably priced.

I really recommend checking out her store.

hope you are having a lovely day.

A few random things

1. the caps lock on my computer is int o reverse psychology. When it's on, I get small letters, when it's off I get capitials.
2. I don't like flying at all ( in a airplane - I've never tried flying myself , I imagine that would be fun) I get really grumpy, partly because well I hate the feel or airplanes and that they make me feel weird, and partly due to the fact that I smoke, and not smoking for 14 hours is very hard for me.
3. WHen i went to post off earlier this week, the ladies at PO greeted me by name, and noticed I'd been away . They said they'd missed me and my "cute" wrapped parcels. i couldn't stop smiling after that. It's what I love about where I live, I know so many of the shop keepers names and they know me, and it's like sort of a little community.
4 On friday night I saw "the Kings Speech". It was really good. Good story, good acting not violent or too distressing. It's worth seeing. It's got Colin Firth in it, and that's always a good thing in my books. But I hardly ever go to the movies, I'm more of your DVD type,and well I hardly ever watch movies, I'm more of a series girl, what about you?

I totally go with DVD, because you can stop it any time, go to the loo and not miss out on stuff, make a cup of tea, snug under a blanket if you want to, do a bit of crafting on the side.
5. i can' decide what I feel about this bear head, whether it's no good or good. What do you think?
hope you're having a good Sunday

Bruce

Bruce is the latest member of the Pancake bear family, ie he is Howie, Kermit and Boris' older brother. ( Mr and Mrs Pancake Bear are big family people) Bruce is by far the most adventurous of his brothers.
He like surfing and sky diving and fried ice cream. He is currently working on a little project, collecting paddle pop sticks to build a fortress to protect his family- he's a bit of a conspirancy theorist is old Bruce.

Poor Old Ferdy

Yesterday morning when I picked up Ferdy I discovered a moth had attacked his nose, he had three large gaping holes on the top, and both sides of his nose. SOme of his nose stuffing had come out too. I was devasted, as Ferdy is precious to me, and I know it sounds crazy but seeing one of my old guys like that was like seeing a pet or family member injured or suffering. And the fact that the bloody moth attacked his nose, his head, where so much of his character and soul is.

Also the fact the Ferdy is a very fragile old guy, the mohair is quite weak and repairing this would be difficult without causing more fraying.

But never-the-less I couldn't leave him there like that, I knew it would get worse and I couldn't handle seeing him like this. ( apologies for no pics of him in this holey state, but honestly I didnt want any record of him looking like this.)

So I set about to repair him, finding the closest possible match in my mohair scraps, carefully inserting them and stitching them into place ( at one point the hole left side of his nose collapsed,- so did I- and I had to restitch it together)

And then finally finished.

When I did, I couldn't believe it, at points I felt it had was mission impossible. His nose is nice and strong nose re-enforced on all sides.

I hope not too much his character is lost- I think he still looks like Ferdy- do you think I've done an Ok job? (Ferdy before moth and repair)
I plan to stain the new parts of mohair I've added in to fit more with his original mohair.

Poor Old thing.

PS Do you know of any good natural remedies for keeping away moths? I dont want him to have to sit next a moth ball.

A new bear for the New Year

Well actually a new Polar bear ( I hope that's obvious)
His name is Walter and he's a retired bellhop. Every day at about 5pm he like to head to this local and have a few pints at the bar. He also loves Steak and Kidney Pie, and Mushy peas.

Every friday night he meets up with his mates and they go ten pin bowling, where they have a few.

He loves his rituals and routines ( and beer!)

M is for Mum

Happy New Year and 2011 to all you lovely peeps.

I have a funny relationship to January 1, the first day of the year because it also happens to be my mum's birthday.

So for me it's firstly about celebrating her, and secondly about it being the first day of the year.

It's no secret how I feel about my mum, but I'll say again, she is a truly special and remarkable woman that i'm lucky enough to call Mum. Someone who has always believed in me, stuck up for me, got me through hard times, whose always there for me, who encourages me , excepts me for who I am, and of course loves me and makes me feel loved. Someone who is also my friend, a person I trust, respect, enjoy and can easily spend time with.

I feel so lucky and grateful to call this woman my mother as I know there are people who don't have such a relationship with their mothers.

I feel also emmensly grateful she is still here too.

And I love it that her bday is on the first day of the year, because for me, it's a wonderful way to start the new year.

I truly hope that 2011 is a wonderful year for each and everyone one of you.

ANd thank you for the friendships, the listening, reading, the laughs and travelling along with me this past year.

xo