All things bright and beautiful.

It's been an up and down couple of weeks. Firstly, a funeral for a close friend of Stuart's: a beautiful service for a man who had what many of us have failed to achieve, a long-standing marriage full of warmth and love and a family life filled with happinness and generosity. A timely gift to those of us attending, a reminder to cherish our own families and nurture our relationships.

Then a couple of days ago a new arrival to welcome to our family. 'Puddle' has proved to be somewhat of a distraction! Full of mischief and cuddles, this tiny bundle has us all smiling again!

No time, it's showtime!

I'm bashing this post out frantically, while I wait for my latest waxed nose to set, stealing a few moments to say hello and to let you know I'm hard at work getting ready for the big day, Sunday 2nd September.

Showtime is always frantic, there's so much to do! I'm immersed in my work and will no doubt emerge from my workroom right at the very last minute; after all, without beautiful new bears, there's no show!

The Hugglets shows are my favourites and I've been exhibiting at them for many years. I love the showtime buzz and the fact that this particular show really does showcase the cream of our UK crop. The Autumn show is particularly exciting because everyone is inspired by the changing season, so vibrant colour bursts from each corner of the show; it's a time when most designers are in my opinion, at their most creative!

Incidentally, I received my copy of Kathy Martin's teddy bear book today and am bursting with pride! It's such a compliment to have my work referenced in this beautiful book, I can't quite believe it's me in there! I was also thrilled to find Kathy has included some of my personal collection of Chiltern Hugmee teddy bears in there too. It really is a super book and it's a very welcome addition to my collection of reference books. If you're at all interested in teddy bears, I highly recommend it!

Life is a rollercoaster.

Up one minute, down the next! Well, not quite, but it just goes to show a teddy bear maker has to keep her feet firmly on the ground. There's no room in this business for airs and graces, after all, prima donnas don't cut the mustard!

As you know, this week Billy Buttons was nominated in the 'Readers' Choice Awards', which was such a thrill for me and then today, I learned my poor Crocus has been overlooked in the URSA nominations. The odd thing is, I received so many lovely messages of support for Crocus, but not enough votes to push her through to the final.

The messages from collectors touched my heart, each one making me beam with pride and gratitude as I read. Although I can't pretend an URSA nomination wouldn't have been a huge compliment, I am just so proud to have such strong support from all over the world. If you're reading my thoughts now, warmest hugs to you and thank you all so very much!

I need to start work on my Hugglets show bears right now! It's going to be a nose to the grindstone few weeks; I just hope I can finish enough special bears in time for the big day. I spent yesterday afternoon battling an embroidered nose ... why does that always chose to happen when I have a tight deadline I wonder? Ah well, deep breath, a calming mug of coffee and hopefully I'll win that particular challenge today!

It's no good, I can't keep it quiet any longer, I'm dying to tell you that I'm just about to send off for my copy of lovely Kathy Martin's book, 'Teddy Bears, a collectible history of the teddy bear'. (See pic) Yet another rollercoaster moment! I was so proud when she asked if she could reference my work in her book, I couldn't quite believe it! That was some time ago and the book has only just been published ... as you can imagine, I'm bursting with excitment and can't wait to hold my very own copy! If you would like to purchase a copy, please check out the details in the September issue of Teddy Bear Scene magazine:

(http://www.teddybearscene.co.uk/)

It's on sale now!

Jack of all trades.

When I think back to the moment I decided to make my first bear, I have to smile at my naivety. My mission was simple, or so I thought ... create a lovely teddy bear and thus warm the cockles of my heart. Little did I forsee where that would lead!

Since then, not only have I immersed myself for over twelve years in the finest details necessary for developing my craft, I also stumbled over the necessity to evolve into an administrative 'Jack of all trades' very early on. Word of warning, anyone who thinks selling their own product for a living is an idyllic escape from the world of employment, think again! Whilst designing and making teddy bears may be an absolute joy most of the time (I stress 'most'!) finding time to master cash flow projections, maintain financial records and prepare effective accounting systems may not be your forte, contemplating marketing strategies may make your brain scream in pain and even something as simple as designing your own promotional materials may send you boggle eyed with frustration.

My new promotional postcard!

In this day and age even a product as gentle as the teddy bear demands an internet presence, so marketing him requires a degree of computer competence, research skills, financial planning and marketing magic, second to none. Selling artist bears is no longer consigned to an occasional specialist collectors' show, these days online competition is fierce and if you can't promote yourself effectively on the internet, to be honest, you don't stand much hope of longevity in the marketplace. So, you'll probably need to add webmaster to your list of essential skills!

I was lucky enough to have been taught to touch type whilst taking my A Levels and over the years have reached the conclusion, this skill has been worth far more to me than my academic qualifications. It drew me to the computer and after teaching myself how to master that, I came into the bear industry with a couple of solid basic skills under my belt, which have been invaluable to my progression as a bear designer, accounts clerk, PR manager, business manager, secretary and so forth ... and that was before I ever worked out what to do with a sewing needle!

Nowadays, I begin every year with a review of my business strategies, dismissing anything that hasn't worked well for me, or is perhaps jaded and developing into new areas I believe may offer potential for progression, making sure I keep a close eye on the industry as a whole, rather than focus too intently on my own tiny niche. One thing I have learned, is that there is always something new to learn whether in the design process, the marketing process, or the administrative process. There's no time for complacency, that's for sure. Sometimes it makes me wonder how on earth I find time to actually make the bears!

So, please, if you are a bear maker working hard to sell your own designs, next time someone gives you a dismissive pat on the head because you work from home, away from the cut and thrust of the 'real' business world, why not take a moment to remind yourself of exactly what you've achieved and what has been involved in the process. I think you'll find you have developed much more expertise than you are usually given credit for!

Nominated!

How exciting!

Do you remember me telling you I was going to try to take part in some competitions this year? Well, I took the bull by the horns and quietly entered my new clown design 'Billy Buttons' in the 'Teddy Bear Scene' magazine's 'Readers' Choice Awards' and then held my breath until ... ta da! I have just learned that BB has received a nomination in the 'Bare Bears' category!

I can't tell you how chuffed I am!

All the nominees, five in each category, are currently featured in the September issue of the TBS magazine www.teddybearscene.co.uk and voting for the overall winners is by public vote, so if you would like to place your vote, please purchase a copy of the September TBS!

We will find out each category winner in a month or two. In the meantime, I'm on cloud nine!

Postcard from Woody Bay.

We left Kent with a severe weather warning ringing in our ears ... not an ideal start to a UK holiday, but we intrepid Brits don't allow a tiny thing like adverse weather to daunt our plans! The journey should have taken about five hours, but after nearly nine hours of hard slog along flooded motorways we finally arrived, tired and hungry. Our apartment was perched on the side of a cliff and was remote, to say the least. To reach it involved a treacherous drive along a steeply winding cliff road, but it was worth it ... what a beautiful place! Not a soul to be seen for miles and miles, heaven!

My week has been spent hiking up hill and down dale and I've loved the freedom. To be out in wide open spaces, gazing at magnificent scenery has been an absolute privilege. I hope you enjoy sharing a few of my holiday snaps!

With my next show looming on the horizon, I must now pull my head back from the Devonshire clouds and knuckle down to some serious bear-making ... but it won't be easy!

A winter warmer!

Yippee! Bear Artists Online has announced another new show for the 2007 calendar!

I've put my name forward because the last show really inspired me and I'm sure a pre-Christmas show will do so again.

The 'Bear Artists Online Winter Warmer Show' will take place on 3rd November, so please pop the date in your diary ...

Hey, if I listen carefully, I'm sure I can hear sleighbells already!

CLOWNING AROUND!

So, what have I been up to lately?

Well, do you remember I mentioned my clown challenge in an earlier post? I'm pleased to say I've finally finished my first entry! He was created from oddments and somehow they came together to make a really cute bear! I did wonder while I was working if I was being overly ambitious with the colour scheme, but everything worked out beautifully in the end.

I'm afraid 'Jimjams' was snapped up really quickly, but I'd like to share him with you anyway ... I really enjoyed making him. Mind you, I had such a fiddle making a hat to fit! I may be a bear maker and able to knit, but I will freely confess, I am definitely challenged when it comes to my dress making skills!

URSA AWARDS!

Oh boy, oh boy! The URSA Awards are now open for voting! It's one of those nerve wracking times when I wonder whether I'm as daft as a brush for entering and whether or not egg will be plastered all over my face by the end of the voting period. Exciting, daunting ... competitions are such a belly churning time for this bear designer!

'Crocus' is my entry and whilst I love her dearly, I wonder whether or not I should have created a more contemporary piece for this competition? It's so hard to judge! I decided to work with a very classic design, using a harlequin colourway, in the hope it would show that bears rooted in traditional skills still have their place in today's bear art. Well, we'll see! The voting is done entirely by the public, which is a great way of giving the bear industry the opportunity to really listen to collectors' preferences.


There are so many great entries in this competition, it's going to be great fun going through them all to place my vote! I hope you will join me and place your vote too ... this is the link you'll need to enter the URSA AWARDS and support our wonderful world of teddy bear art!


First, I must post a link to 'Crocus' in Category 3 ... just in case you'd like to vote for her!


http://www.cyberdendesigns.com/Category3.htm


And this link will take you to the opening page of the URSA's ... have fun!


http://www.cyberdendesigns.com/C-VotingBeginsPage.htm

Cup of tea?

This piece of mohair has been teasing me for several weeks. I loved the antiquey rosey beige colour, but just wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it.

Eventually I decided it would be perfect for one of my 'Timeless Teds', a collection of traditional bears for collectors who prefer their teds classic in design. After my recent fun with flambouyant clown bears, I thought the time was exactly right for a Timeless Ted, so I set to work and Amelia (who bears my Grandmother's middle name) was the result.

I think the subtle shade of mohair, blended with cotton velvet paw fabrics works beautifully on this bear, but she needed a little something to finish her. First I knitted her a cardigan, but it really didn't suit her at all, so I put that to one side and had a think. That was when I remembered the delicate cotton crochet collar I had recently come across and tucked away for 'just the right bear'.

Trouble was, the collar was pure white cotton and that really was too strong a statement for Amelia's subtle colourway, so after pondering for a while, I decided to take the plunge and tea-stain the collar. Three strong teabags and a good rinse with fabric softener later, voila! A gorgeous antique shade of ivory beige ... perfect!

For anyone wanting to try this, bear in mind that tea can be acidic and so you will need to rinse your fabric thoroughly after staining. I simply boiled up three 'Yorkshire Tea' teabags, strained them and used the bowl of tea to plunge my collar into. I left it for a couple of minutes and then sloshed it clean in fresh water, finally rinsing it through with fabric softener before leaving it to drip dry overnight.

The morning after the night before ...

The inaugural Bear Artists Online Summer Show has proved to be a great success! About half of the 160+ specially designed bears made available for sale found new owners, a successful outcome by any show's standards.

Staying open for 24 hours to accommodate time zones around the globe, gave the show a wonderfully international appeal and the blend of artists from both the UK and abroad, provided a unique opportunity for a truly inspirational show. Best of all, we had such fun! Many of us kept in touch throughout the show via the BAO forum and I think it's fair to say, we all enjoyed our new online show experience.

Four of my show bears sold during the show and the last bear found his new owner a few hours later as a result of a collector finding her way to me after the show, so yesterday was spent in a flurry of packaging materials as I boxed and taped, addressed and posted. All bar one of the bears are flying off to take up residence across the USA and Domino is the only bear destined to stay in England!

So, back to work for me today ... I have no bears available for sale at the moment and need to rectify the situation!

BAO A great success!

I woke at 7am this morning to find three of my five Bear Artist Online Summer Show bears had sold while I slept! How exciting!

After answering my emails, I dashed across to the BAO website to see how things were going and discovered the show was well underway and already a resounding success! By 3am BST, we had already received 18000 hits on the show site and sold 35 of the bears already! WOW!

Teatime update: At 6.30pm BST I can report the show has now sold 66 of its bears and there are still several hours left to go until the doors are closed! I can't quite resist checking my inbox every few minutes ... I hope I can stay awake until the witching hour to keep in touch with everyone, but I fear I may doze off in the armchair!

The show runs until midnight tonight, so there's still plenty of time to browse through the fabulous bears, I warn you though, be prepared, you may well fall in love!

And at long last I can stop the teasing and share my own show bears with you properly ... I hope you think they are worth the wait!

So, introducing Billy Buttons (bowtie), Domino (black and white), Dippitty (sleepy lids!), Dolly Daydreams (pink and white) and Whisper (standing) ... as you can tell, all bar Whisper are as the result of my recent 'clown thang'! I hope you enjoy them as much I enjoyed creating them!

They range in size from 15" to 23" and are all one-off pieces.

As I had so much fun with the clowns, I've recently thrown down the gauntlet for a clown challenge on the Teddy Talk forum. It should be fun to see how many clown variations we bear designers can develop ... I'll keep you posted!

A little Porridge anyone?

I'd like to introduce you to my latest 'Half Pint' cub bear, 'Porridge'. He's just 16", which by my standards, is quite little. (A positive giant to miniaturists though!) You may recognise his knitted waistcoat from my earlier posting ... as soon as I started work on Porridge I knew he would be exactly the right bear for that waistcoat - it really suits him doesn't it?!

Those buttons have set me off on a quest to find out more about button collecting too ... there are so many fabulous vintage buttons out there and hunting them down is much more fun than buying modern buttons from my local haberdashery (although time spent mooching there certainly has its pleasures too!)

The 'Bear Artists Online Summer Show' starts at midnight on Friday! I'm very excited about it. There are over 160 individually designed bears created especially for the show and I think it's going to be a heap of fun. I hope you can pop in to see what's happening!

Here's the show preview link for a taste of what's to come ...

http://www.bear-artists-online.com/showentry.html

Well, my latest big bear 'Rudyard' sold so quickly, I didn't have time to mention him earlier ... so I will post his photo here for you to see, as I wave him goodbye across the Atlantic to the big 'ol US of A!

I'm going to take a breather today and rather than start work on a new bear, I'm think I'm going to relax a bit and do some knitting in the conservatory ... there was gorgeous sunshine streaming in through the windows earlier, but now ominous black clouds are rolling my way, so I shall knit a cardigan in readinness for my next new bear, while the rain thunders against the glass!

If you want to get ahead, you gotta get a hat!

You may have noticed, my website is crying out for new bears, so this week, I'm back to work on a new big bear for the website. It's not going too well so far, because I made the stupid mistake of only cutting out one side of his back and then running out of fabric. Yep, twelve years in the business and I still make daft mistakes! Once I realised what I'd done, I quickly ordered some more fabric (thank heavens for internet shopping) from my UK supplier, so I don't think I'll be too delayed in finishing him. The fabric is absolutely beautiful, a real treat to work with ... dense Schulte straight pile 'zotty', a fabulous soft taupe mohair with soft frosting, oh yum! It's definitely one of my all time favourite fabrics.

Yesterday I tucked myself away in my sewing room to plan my design, cut out my lovely fabric (with the exception of one half of the back of course ... grrrr!) I trimmed the edges of each piece to give a professional finish to the seams, pinned and machined and today I will sew in the footpads, finish the machining and set to work creating the head, which is my favourite part of the process. With luck, this bear should be ready for the website in the next few days!


XXXXXXX

Stuart had a wonderful day at the races when he went to Royal Ascot on Tuesday, by the way. His group was in the Royal Enclosure, very posh! There is a very strict dress code for this event, top hat and tails for the men and beautiful dresses, complete with hats (no strapless dresses please!) for the ladies. I'll include a couple of pics for you ... by the way, if you look really closely, you can just make out Her Majesty, the Queen, in the fuschia pink dress and hat in the centre of the top photograph. You'll probably need a magnifying glass to see, but I promise, that really is her!

Just one more ...

With a show looming large on the horizon, it's always impossible to resist the urge to create 'just one more' bear! The 'Bear Artists Online Summer Show' is only 11 days away, so I've indulged myself and spent the past few days working on another big bear. I'm delighted with the way he has come together and I'm really looking forward to showing him off properly, but as I don't want to spoil the excitement of the build-up until the big day I'm going to keep all the bears under wraps until the show begins. In the meantime, I will just share a tiny snippetty peek here with you today to give you a taste of what's to come on the big day!

'Domino'

Stuart has gone to Royal Ascot with colleagues today. Top hat, tails, the whole kit 'n caboodle! He looked very handsome in his penguin suit, but that hat! It did make me chuckle! I'll try and share a pic if I can get my digicam back from him without him having erased the photographs I took this morning. I was invited to accompany him, but all that dressing up is really not my thing, so I'm going to watch from the proceedings on the tv this afternoon instead, where I can admire all the gorgeous frocks and hats, without having to wobble on high heels of my own. I'm strictly a flip-flops and trainers kinda gal!

Talking of cameras, I've been very frustrated this week. After umming and ahhing for absolutely ages, I finally treated myself to a beautiful digital SLR camera recently and I have been itching to play with it, but the memory card didn't arrive until about five minutes ago, so the camera has been sat in its box teasing me all week. I'm really looking forward to using it for shots of my bears and also for landscape pics when we visit Devon in a few weeks.
Oh boy, am I ready for a holiday!

Fair exchange is no robbery.

Here's HUGHIE!

Recently one of my suppliers contacted me to ask if I would be interested in receiving a sample of a new fabric they were introducing, in return for photographs of any bear I could create from it, so they could use the pics to give their customers an idea of how the fabric looks when made up. I thought it sounded a fair exchange, so set to work and 17" 'Hughie', now available for sale on my website http://www.allbear.co.uk is the outcome.

The fabric is less dense than I would usually choose to work with and has lent Hughie a very sweet faced, slightly tousled, appeal. I thought the gorgeous traditional dark amber glass eyes worked very well with the colour and was drawn to traditional gold velvet paw pads to complete his overall look. I created a new pattern for Hughie and am pleased with the outcome. He's a lovely size, a manageable 17" hug ... just right! Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you, I've given him a growler too, so that when you tilt him forwards for a cuddle, he can growl his appreciation.

Now I must get back to work on my BAO Summer Show bears ... let's see if I can get at least one more completed before the deadline ... I can't wait to share them with you them properly!

XXXXXXX

It's been an odd week really. A week of mixed feelings. I don't know if you will remember, but for many years I worked with my sister Fiona creating bears under the 'Auntie Bears' banner.

'Becks' by Paula Carter and 'Scrump' by Fiona Smith ... created mid 90's.

We were proud to be bear makers and shared a great deal over the years as we created our niche. Many's the time we've dashed excitedly to the local newsagents desperate to get hold of a teddy mag we know our work is about to be featured in, or have packed up the car with our precious teds and made our way, Thelma and Louise stylie, to take part in a bear show.

Showtime! Early days ... The 'Auntie Bears' stand.

We've planned for the future together, built British Bears on the Net together, launched our charity project 'Dare to Care' together, munched cake, drunk copious amounts of coffee and above all else, laughed and sighed together, during our decade shared as teddy bear designers.

'Beau' by Paula Carter and 'Lottie' by Fiona Smith .. these were available exclusively in Singapore, an edition of ten bears apiece.

However, time moves on and lives take unexpectedly different turns, so a while ago Fiona made the difficult decision to move into a completely new field of work. Initially she felt she would want to return to bear making on an occasional basis and would be reluctant to give up entirely but subsequently, she has become so involved with her new world, she can no longer imagine herself returning to teddy bear design work.

Naturally this is very sad for me, because I miss all that we built together and shared as sisters in the bear world, which let's face it, can be a lonely place to be whilst working, but I am pleased Fo has found fulfilment in her new role and am grateful to her for all the support she has given me over the years and for the huge stash of bear making materials she so generously donated to me a few days ago. Who knows, with luck maybe one day she will get the urge to create again and if that happens, I'll be ready, willing and able to help with components, coffee and of course, cake!

High Spirits with my sister Fiona, on my 40th birthday!

Beartease!

Oh dear ...

It's no good, I've can't wait until the 30th June to show you my Bear Artists Online Summer Show bears ... but I've promised I'll be good and keep them under wraps!

What a dilemma!



So, I have a little tease preview especially for my blog visitors. Here are snippets of four of my show bears ...


You'll have to visit www.bear-artists-online.com on the 30th June 2007 to see them properly though!

Exciting isn't it?!!

A bit of a yarn.

Since the birth of my first child more than twenty four years ago, I've loved to knit. In recent years it's a craft which has supposedly achieved fashionable status as a result of celebs spotted clacking needles in the corners of film sets, but more often than not over the past two decades, I've found it to be a skill with the potential to raise quizzical eyebrows from those less well informed, who can't believe knitters are anything other than of pensionable age, with a penchant for knitted socks.

When I was a little girl, crafts were valued in school. Sewing, knitting, cooking, beadwork, crochet, woodwork, metalwork; each skill was made available to us. My own children haven't had these opportunities at school, which is such a shame. It seems traditional craft skills are not high on the list of priorities in these computerised, mass produced, days.

I am hopelessly left handed and I remember my teacher struggling to teach me to knit and at best, helping me to achieve a wonky, not to mention loopy, garter stitch square, to be stitched together with many other similar shaped offerings into a rainbow coloured blanket, for the local old folks home. So, by the age of seven, we were already beginning to understand the value of creating something 'useful' with our hands, relishing the process of turning a simple piece of yarn into a small contribution, and sharing the process in a companionable circle.

It's probably those very early days, which rooted my first instincts for craftwork firmly in place. I remember too, watching my mother clack at lightening speed as she churned out jumper after jumper for me and my sisters to wear. Not for us the shop bought school sweaters, Mum took pride in knitting sweaters for us to wear to school. Not that we appreciated her efforts of course because in those pre-pubescent days, we yearned to wear the same thin knitwear our friends' mums purchased in the town!

Mum tried in vain to progress my knitting skills, but 'wonky, loopy' simply couldn't be improved upon, it seemed there was little hope for left-handed me. Years later, when penniless and pregnant, my early craft instincts were resurrected and led me to purchase an instruction book. With grit I worked my way through, determined my new baby would have a full layette when born. I mastered the basics and knitted frantically throughout my pregnancy, taking such pride as my bottom drawer began to fill with tiny lacewear!

When my son was born two years later, I kept on knitting and as you can see, at the age of three, he loved his Thomas the Tank Engine sweater. He's twenty two now, so more than happy for me to turn my knitting skills away from him and towards my bears instead!


These days, bear-making has to take priority, but I still manage to find time to clack my bamboo needles now and again. I've just finished this little waistcoat (recognise the buttons?) for a teddy bear and as you can see, I have several other bits n' pieces on the go too.

My favourite place to knit is the conservatory, it's so relaxing to be surrounded by my garden. With a mug of coffee ready on the table while I work, it really is the perfect place to hide away from the stresses and strains of real life, while I knit to my heart's content!

Yay!

... I heard today that one of the bears I sent to Sue Pearson's shop in Brighton a couple of days ago has already found a new home! What lovely news!

Just finished my third bear for the Bear Artists Online Summer Show this afternoon and I will begin work on the fourth tomorrow. There's not much time before the deadline, but with luck I should have five or six special bears ready in time for the show. I'm relishing the freedom to create these bears, there's something very inspiring about a show on the horizon!

Buttons 'n brambles.

Oh dear! What a weekend! The rain poured heaven's hardest, the wind howled and the weight of sodden clematis proved too much for the rotten fence. I woke to find a tangled mass of greenery and crushed wooden slats leaving a gaping hole at the edge of the garden. I spent the whole of Sunday with Stuart, clearing the site and getting soaked to the skin in the process. Now our beautiful garden is a shambles; the saddest thing being that I won't get to see the clematis flower this year after all. On a brighter note, at least the fence will be replaced and I will be able to start work on the garden again ... after all, I do love grubbing around in the mud!


That aside, this week I've been nice and cosy in my sewing room, working on designs for the 'Bear Artists Online Summer Show'. The online show takes place at www.bear-artists-online.com on the 30th June, so I really do need to get my nose pressed firmly to the grindstone.

I'm really looking forward to this show, I think it's a great idea for showcasing bear art, so when the organiser invited me to take part, I couldn't resist. Today I'm working with some beautiful tipped alpaca and lately, I've been hunting for interesting bits 'n bobs to work with and came across these fabulous buttons from the 1930's . I'm certain they will be perfect for a special couple of bears.

I'll let you know how I get on with everything at a later date, but I'm afraid I can't tell you any more than that today, because I will unveil all the new bears at the BAO Summer Show and until then I'm sworn to secrecy!

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside.

"So, where are the bears Paula?" I hear you say! It's true, I've been a little quiet on the subject of my bears recently, but don't worry, I haven't been neglecting my work ethic in favour of lazy days, sipping pina coladas in the sunshine ... what a thought! (Mmmmn!)

No, instead I've been a busy little bear maker, hard at work creating three shop exclusive bears to travel to Sue Pearson's lovely teddy bear and doll shop, in
Brighton.

I've just settled them into their box and tomorrow, Bertie, Popcorn and Twiglet will be en route to make their debut at the seaside!




This is Bertie, a lovely honey coloured 20" alpaca growler.

And here are little Twiglet who is 15" and his panda bear friend Popcorn, who is 17.5".

See, didn't I tell you I'd been busy!