Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Notes on Nana Neglect


As I write this, there are a couple of my furry friends sitting on the table near me, waiting, watching. . .

Yes, these two have languished unknown and unappreciated until today, because of Nana Neglect! However, they do not accuse; they just sit quietly, hopefully, expectantly even, and this encourages me to leave self-recriminations behind and get on with the job, er, blog!

Without trying to justify my neglect, I should explain. I am not a salesperson, and although I originally began blogging to share my love of bearmaking, and to allow my critters be seen and appreciated by others (and hopefully find good homes), my blog has been more about sharing life events in general than about Kayzy's Critters. This is partly because I do take quite a while to create a critter, and also because there are many other interesting things to write about, and little time to write. However, that is no excuse for Nana Neglect.

It all started last week, when a friend kindly pointed out an error on my blog. The problem was that I had put an incorrect email contact on the For Adoption page. Logging in to correct the fault, I then looked down the page at the last entry, and was shocked to see that it's been almost 3 months since I updated the page. This wouldn't be shocking, except that I have made several critters in that time, so at the very least I should have respected their critterhood by letting folk know they exist.
Well, I apologise to you, my critters, and without further hesitation introduce you to your blogging public.


Lah-Fing


This young panda is full of fun. His happy face reminds me that life is good, and to be enjoyed and celebrated, whatever may come!

















His vital statistics are:
  • Height: 33cm from tips of ears to bottom of feet
  • Fur: black and white German Schulte mohair.

  • Paw & footpads: Sculpted grey leather and black mohair.
  • Eyes: Black deluxe English glass, with white ultrasuede highlights,
    using black Copic pen to shade the eye area.
  • Nose: Black embroidered
  • Mouth: Applied open mouth, with ultrasuede tongue and Copic shading.
  • Joints: Locknuts, with wobble jointed head.
  • Stuffing: Polyester, with glass beads in his tummy.
  • Adoption fee: AUD$175.00, plus postage and packing.

Fur-Elise



A small bunny with big dreams, Fur-Elise was my first attempt at designing my own style of rabbit, with a beary look. She loves our garden, and enjoys gathering flowers.
  • Height: 24cm tall
  • Fur: White English mohair.
  • Paw & footpads: Sculpted white ultrasuede, with airbrushed detail.
  • Eyes: Black deluxe English glass, with white ultrasuede highlights and airbrushed shading.
  • Ears: Cute bunny ears, wired to enable posing in different positions, they have airbrushed ultrasuede undersides.
  • Nose & mouth Pink embroidered, with airbrushing.
  • Tail: Cute ball of fluff!
  • Joints: Locknuts, with wobble jointed head.
  • Stuffing: Polyester, with glass beads in her tummy.
  • Adoption fee: AUD$140.00, plus postage and packing.

In my next post I will introduce you to some more of my critters, but thought it best to highlight Lah Fing and Fur-Elise because they have waited so long. If perchance they call out to you, and you want to know more, my (now corrected) email address is kayzyscritters@gmail.com.

Welcome to Krümel Das Allgäu-Bärchen and Encourage One Another, who recently joined our blog as followers.







Tuesday, 8 January 2013

A Tale of Two Teddies

Teddy bears have a way of endearing themselves to almost everyone, including me. Whether the bears are mass produced or handmade, ancient or modern, they still tug at the heartstrings, don't they? My fascination for creating teddy bears and other critters is just as strong as when I began several years ago, but I haven't been as interested in the old ones, the bears of former days - except, that is, for two particular ancient bears of my acquaintance. What follows is the tale of these two teddies.

 

TALE ONE: PINKY

Pinky was my childhood companion, and continues with me to this day. She was given to me when I was two years old and recovering from a serious illness. I am sure her devotion aided my recovery and development from the day she became mine. And Pinky's care of children didn't stop with me. She also brought up my sister and three brothers, passing from one to the other through the years, and her appearance tells the story.

My Pinky
Pinky has been loved so well that her pink fur is all but gone (only few pink tufts can be seen around her neck and leg joints). She has large patch on her chest, sewn on by my mother, who worried that Pinky's innards were about to escape. The fabric having given way around her joints, one arm and her head are secured by my mother's stitching also.
       Her original amethyst coloured eyes were lost and substituted with buttons at some point, but awhile ago I found some suitable new eyes, so Pinky can see again, and keeps my hug of bears under her watchful eye. Her nose and mouth were mostly worn away by many childhood kisses planted on her muzzle through the years, but a delicate operation was performed, and now Pinky's gentle personality can be seen again.
A noble bear indeed!

I discovered a few years ago that Pinky is a Barton Waugh bear, manufactured in Australia in the late 1940s, but her ancestry is not important. My Pinky, faithful friend and lifetime companion, is a noble example of what teddy bears are about in this world - loving, comforting, and giving more to their owners than can be expressed in words, being good examples of what we human beings are created for too.

TALE TWO: PERCY

The first time I saw Percy was late last year, at a nearby market fair.  As I walked into the hall where the market was held, Percy greeted me. There he sat, in a basket among a bunch of other elderly bears - all of whom had seen better days. Percy smiled up at me and my heart melted. I should have taken a picture of him there, amid his sad companions, to remind me of the momentous meeting, but time was short and I needed to set up my own table, so I just smiled back at him and moved on.

Smile, everyone!
Having sorted out my table and settled the critters (who often need encouragement when they are on show), Percy seemed to call out to me, so I introduced myself to the lady on the table next to mine (where Percy was) and asked her about him.
       She didn't know anything about Percy's ancestry, so with permission I removed him from the basket and posed him on my neighbour's table. I then took a picture of him, and sent it with an SMS to my friend Claire, who knows about old bears.

Percy - could you resist him?

Claire couldn't pinpoint Percy's heritage either, but his charm had its effect on her also, so together we came to the conclusion that first Percy must be rescued - we could talk about his past (and future) later. So I made an offer for him, the offer was accepted and Percy came home with me, where he immediately made himself an indispensable member of the Carney household and hug.

We still don't know where or when Percy was born, but we know he has lived life to the full till now, and he continues to endears himself all who make his acquaintance and to make me smile.

 

EPILOGUE: TWO TEDDIES ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Although Pinky has been quite happy all these years without a close teddy friend, when she and Percy met I knew they belonged together.

My best friend
Although you can live a fulfilling, productive and happy life alone, if someone comes along who understands you, empathises with sufferings experienced, remembers and laughs about things from a common past, enjoys common interests and is simply your friend, an empty space within is filled with love and peace. I have experienced this with my darling husband, Martin, whose love and companionship brings constant joy and peace to my life,
and also with a number of close friends and family - I am a blessed woman!

In a teddy bear way, I felt that when Pinky and Percy came together something similar happened. Just look at this picture and I am certain that you will agree.

Do you remember having lots of fur, dear? Ah yes, those were the days!