Once more with felting

I bought a needle felting kit on Ebay months ago and I needle felted one forlorn little teddy bear head and then promptly forgot about the whole thing. On the weekend I just felt like making something and after rummaging around for a while in all my crafty stuff, I came across the kit. By Sunday afternoon I had this little guy! I really quite like him.

Sunshine

I am taking my cue from the latest posts two of my favourite blogs today - Living in the kingdom of too much and Tiny Happy. I have had some great op-shop visits lately. Today, for example, I found a terrific collection of books, including Joan Phipson's childrens' book, Hide Till Daytime. It's about two children who are locked in a department store overnight. Did you ever wish for that? I had a favourite local shop when I was a child that specialised in Snoopy merchandise. I had my overnight stay there planned right down to what I would...uh...borrow from them while I was there on my own. Little wanna-be Fagin that I was (or perhaps Oliver Twist?) - if only in my imagination! I haven't thrown any books out, though, to even things up so I'd better get onto that if I am to keep visiting op-shops...

Teddy, above, was also one of today's finds. He has been in the op-shop for weeks, looking at me imploringly. I couldn't leave him on the shelf another day today. "Relax Teddy," The guy behind the counter said as I bought him "No need to look so worried - you're off to a good home." I've called him Stanley. What do you think?

Also found some sweet little Mac's Shortbread tins from the 70s. Perhaps this is a Melbourne-only reference? When I was a child I could smell the biscuits baking from our backyard. The factory (obviously) was not far away. Love little old tins for storing crafty bits in.

And Tiny Happy wondered today about what was making me happy. I would have to say the gorgeous warm sunshine - lovely after yesterday's grey day. Autumn's last hurrah, I think. Stanley, as you can see in the photo above, is lapping up some rays.

What's making you happy at the moment?

Bear with me (sorry)

I have always had something of a penchant for bears (my large legion of teddy bears bears (!) witness to this). I was so sad when I heard that the polar bear Knut had died at the Berlin Zoo. There is now another polar bear 'star', Siku, who lives at the Skandinavisk Dyrepark (Scandinavian Wildlife Park) in Djursland, Denmark. There's a webcam set up at the Wildlife Park which captures Siku's sweet cavortings (http://www.polarbearcam.com/) and I found this lovely 'highlights' clip (below) ~




I realise that zoos do an enormous amount to understand and preserve animal life but I do wonder also that animals wouldn't simply be best living in their own environments. Perhaps this is too simplistic. What do you think?

I have also recently become aware of the Free the Bears organisation, which helps many of the appallingly treated bears in Asia (http://www.freethebears.org.au/). Such beautiful animals.

Ports in a Storm

Bob T. Bear over at http://bobs-diary.blogspot.com/ let me know that September 9 is National Teddy Bears Day. Or was it International? Well, if it wasn't international, it should be. Because Teddy Bears are the unsung heroes of our everyday lives. Who else can we cry to, hug and share our secrets with and still receive unconditional love in return? Even at the ripe old age of thirty-...ahem, I still look to my bear, Woolley, for comfort. And I receive it, unfailingly.

Do you still have a teddy bear? Or do you have some other form of comfort for those darker moments?

Bear Hugs

Here's Puff enjoying the jigsaw Dilly sent him (above)

And here's Woolley putting the finishing touches to the jigsaw Bob sent him (above).

I have always had a penchant for stuffed animals. I never liked dolls and if given one as a child I was known to express this dislike by giving them a savage haircut. So it is that now I still have one (or maybe 20) bears and other such furry friends around the house. Yesterday two of my special friends were delighted to receive in the post a lovely parcel from our good friend Helena and two of her furry friends Bob (http://bobs-diary.blogspot.com/) and Dilly (http://gweenwagons.blogspot.com/)


Thanks guys!!

These boots are made for walkin'

Things that happen when:

1. You're testing out the settings on your new camera
2. You've just bought new winter slipper-boots
3. You've just bought a new bear from the op-shop