New Job

As of Tuesday I will be a gainfully employed person. Went for a job interview on Thursday and they offered it to me on Friday, I will be working as a sales assistant at a cookery/culinary shop called "Divertimenti". Really lovely shop in Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, just down the road from Harrods.
Not that I don't have a job making teddy bears (which I love) but living in London is expensive and I need to start working, so that one day we can buy a house in the UK. With the terrible exchange rate between South Africa and the UK that is going to be a long time coming but a good goal to work towards.
And talking about teddy bears, not long till the Hugglets show on the 14th September and I am as usual running behind. I have got a new bear on eBay called Button, really adorable, I am very pleased with him as he is a bit different to my usual style.
I have a very bad habit of cutting 10 bears out at a time and only making about 6 of them up, so the others sit languishing in my basket for years sometimes. With moving and only being able to bring a small amount of fabric with me I have actually been making up some of these 'forgotten' bears. It has been interesting to see what I designed and then never finished, Button is a much rounder, childlike bear with a bigger head, I think that is what makes him so cute. I have made him a sister called Sunshine but she is waiting for her trimming so won't be making an appearance just yet.

A new bear on eBay. Oliver has quite an attitude but looks so cute with his long hat. The hat takes forever to knit, I use two strands of embroidery thread and you have to be careful that you knit both of them with each stitch. Also there are about 110 rows of knitting, I am not complaining, just don't think that I will be making many of them.
I had such a problem photographing him, I know the light is different here than to South Africa but it is really quite extreme. In SA the light is very harsh and I used to take the photos outside and I think they looked good. Here I can't take the photos inside because it is so dim and outside (when it isn't raining:-) the sun or the camera gives everything a yellow tone. Poor Oliver looked gold instead of his natural light brown. So a lot more practice is needed to get the photos right.

I have been a bit clumsy lately, especially around kitchen knives, managed to cut my fingers twice, luckily not too badly, but on Sunday I really damaged myself, I managed to slice along the top part of my thumb quite badly. Luckily Austin doesn't mind and bandaged me up, the worst problem is that I am finding it a bit difficult to sew, take a stitch, get the needle stuck in the plaster, want to cry because you have now put pressure on the cut and it is throbbing. So I am knitting, rather ham handed but at least I am working. Not much time till the Hugglets show and I am so excited Wendy is going to be staying for two weeks.

I have put a new pair of bears on eBay. Cricket and Rose, I know it is an unusual name but it just seemed to suit her. So please go and have a look at them if you have a minute. And also have a look at Wendy's new bear, such a pretty little face.

It has been raining here again for the last half an hour, it is very strange weather but long may it last, I love the rain and the cooler weather and am very happy.

We had to get the landlord to get someone to come and sort out our rat problem, the rat has now figured out how to come through the walls into the kitchen and that is just not nice.
Yoon-Mi thought the landlord had got someone called ratkiller to come which is very funny and very appropriate (actually it is rentokill). So the poor rats days are numbered, I feel terrible about doing it but I do not want them in the flat. The little sod was actually attacking one of my plants again last night. Apparently they normally stay at street level but the guy who came to see us said in the last couple of months he has had a lot more calls about rats moving upstairs.

Well enough on that subject, not much else happening, just stitching bears like crazy - it is not too long till Hugglets now and have to start getting the bears ready.

I have been busy working on bear orders the last couple of days, I am not the most disciplined person when it comes to orders, as some people know, sometimes they have to wait for awhile before I get the bears finished.
Above is a group of bears that I have done in the last month, it is not often that I have so many together at one time unless it is for a show but these are waiting to be sent off or are newly finished so I just had to photograph them all together. A couple are also still looking for homes, I am very tempted to keep Splodge kitty after she didn't sell on eBay
The Nutcracker is an order and will be going to America soon. I haven't made one since 2001 so it was a surprise to get the order but I am so pleased with him, he has come out really nicely and will be perfect for a Christmas display.
I just had to show off my fuchsia, I can't believe that i am actually managing to grow some plants, it looks beautiful on the balcony and makes it look a bit more like home.

Where does the time go, a week goes by without you realising and that means that Hugglets Bear Fair is just around the corner.
I have had a few job interviews but nothing much has happened yet, just have to hold thumbs that something comes up soon. In the meantime I have been busy making bears. Just listed Splodge on eBay. I am really pleased with this little kitty, she looks so cute.

I have also finished a couple more bears which Wendy will be putting on the web page during the next couple of days. This is 'Story time' - Maddie and Belle, just a sneak preview.



Austin has gone to an army camp for training for the next 2 weeks so Yoon-Mi and I are at a bit of a loose end, not that I can do much with limited funds but that is the lovely thing about London we can go to the museums for free and there are certainly enough to choose from.
I am also trying to do some of the ordered bears that I have been promising, as soon as they are finished I will put the pictures up.