The swans fly

Joe and I are enjoying our second Christmas together. Yet again it's simply a quiet time; a time of being thankful that we have a roof over our heads, food, logs for the fire and most importantly, each other.  Whatever you do at this time of year - and especially if you are alone - we both send you the warmest of best wishes and hope for the future. Because there is always a better place, despite the long haul to get there.

Hares, foxes and a little dog

I have a big list of custom orders to get stuck into, but have managed to update my Etsy shop with some new designs, including the foxes which have had such great feedback.

 Large fox - SOLD

 Medium fox - available to buy

 BAR - available to buy

My new line of hares - for some random reason I fancied giving them Anglo Saxon names, despite the circus theme. So  this is 'Bar' (meaning 'from the birch wood')

 SILVIA - available to buy

'Silivia' (meaning 'of the wood')

 WOODROW - available to buy

 And Woodrow (meaning 'of the birch wood) and my favourite.

 GOLDY - reserved

And little Goldy, who is reserved for a Very Special visitor coming to see me all the way from America!

Foxes, geese and tiny houses

 Order just off to America, to the lovely Empty Nest Emporium in New Virginia - a trio of slinky foxes.

A trio of flower geese - 

 And a street of tiny houses -

I hope the foxes are making friends with the geese...

Gathering acorns

Is this not lovely? The Mollie Makes team have hand crafted a new weekly digital mini-mag for the iPad. I have to come clean and say that I don't have an iPad myself (nor any other kind of tablet or internet gadget, just my grinding old clockwork computer). I believe there are links and clickable things inside. I was delighted to be commissioned to create a simple acorn pattern, which can be made in 2-3 hours easily.

I was hugely tickled to see the promo video, which features a somewhat larger version of the acorns;

Although if you make the ones in 'Gathered', they should be this big;

There is a great offer of your first five issues for free when you subscribe, details of which are here. 

There have been mumblings and grumblings that it's not available across all tablet platforms; there are plans to expand availability next year, but there various technical issues to overcome. However, everything starts somewhere. From little acorns big oak trees grow.

Double cupcakes

My last order before that thing called Christmas was for a set of the cupcakes which appear in 'Mrs Mouse's Cupcakes' - and are of course, my blog header. The new set is of course, a little different to the original, because it is almost impossible to re-sculpt a design 100% perfectly.

Cupcakes mark one

Cupcakes mark two

They all have my logo ribbons underneath.

And signed tags.

Although my order list for larger toys is going to keep me busy until April/May (depending on anything else which may happen inbetween), I am trying to make smaller, 'budget treasures' -such as Santa - on the side. To save costs, these will be offered on my Facebook page first (or you can contact me directly if you hate Facebook) and will be around £65/70 ($100/110 US) plus postage. It's going to be first come, first served, and I hope to have four little things nearer the end of the month. I'm also storing needle felt archive pictures there, and work in progress, so if you want more needle felt bumph or the chance to get a little toy, please *like* my Facebook page.

Gretel Parker

Promote your Page too

A Couple of Swells

This is a much loved character, Mr Lavender, as he was back in 2008. He travelled a long way to a gallery for an exhibition and failed to sell for the princely sum of £65. (He has since doubled in price). He later became a part-time actor in the second 'Puddletown Tales' book, 'Peggy's Lost Pennies' as a toyshop owner.

By then he had aquired a smart new waistcoat.

I was asked by one of my regular customers if the original was for sale. As none of my Puddletown people are going to be sold - unless things get really bad - I offered to make a copy. So, Mr Lavender the First -

- and Mr Lavender the Second.

He is a little smaller, but has the same kindly, humorous look. Now he's about to bring pleasure to his new owner, who is delighted with him - which is always nice.

"We're a couple of swells

We stop at the best hotels

But we prefer the country far away from the city smells

We're a couple of sports

The pride of the tennis courts

In June, July and August we look cute when we're dressed in shorts

The Vanderbilts have asked us up for tea

We don't know how to get there, no siree

No, siree.

We would swim up the Avenue but we haven't any lake

So we'll walk up the Avenue

Yes, we'll walk up the Avenue

Yes, a walk up the Avenue's what we'll take."

(From 'Easter Parade' by Irving Berlin)

Doppelganger

'Don't worry old chap, not much longer to go!'.

Another week, another radio appearance! Back briefly on Radio Oxford, with the lovely Jo Thoenes, available on the BBCiPlayer until July 19th, blethering on about this blog. Fast forward to about 2.20 minutes in, after the 'F1WAG'.

RADIO OXFORD INTERVIEW

Dolores

Dolores. Likes knitting, port and lemon and smart shoes that don't quite fit her right.




Sits all day clicking her needles and watching the world go by. Has a mean streak.





And a rather disgruntled look on her face.





Is off to America to live with Janet, where she will eat cake and watch Red Cardinals and Humming Birds. Lucky, lucky Dolores!

Yes, I have finally updated my Etsy shop with a few things - it's good to be back in the saddle at last!