Evening All – or good morning, depending where in the world you may be!
I thought you might like to see these – biggify to really admire
They arrived this morning to join my [late] first coffee and blog reading time. Flown in all the way from Wales to join my lovely Welsh Dragon
Orlando’s Aussie Mini-Me from Sharon
And my Blue Flying Pig from Lisa
The book shelves are getting animal heavy!
So there’s me, having my [late] first coffee, applying myself to reading your posts when the lovely postman knocks and we have this
‘This’ is my receiving end of our swap – a blue hand crocheted bath pouf, a crocheted tiny birds nest pocket for hanging in the garden and the expected Hedgehop friend ‘Shy’ and his unexpected travelling companion ‘Tiny’. Look closely at Shy
How’s that for artistry in the yarn field? The only difference between these chaps and the real thing is these guys have soft coats and are very cuddly.
Siddy thinks so too ………… ‘Go on, can I have him? You want me have him, right ……!’
The package came from Jan who masquerades on WordPress as the Snail of Happiness. She shared her delight with our swap here
Thank you Jan for your wonderful artistry and kindness – I’m delighted with our new friends and just hope I can keep them safe from the little black and white chap!
And to end, just a heads up my bloggie pals – if you are thinking of commissioning a light catcher for a Christmas gift, last date for orders is 14th November.
AND
the next post will be about a rather special Christmas Giveaway. Stay tuned.
Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!
Pingback: Four years of successes and failures | The Snail of Happiness
Those hedgies are the BEST!! Very creative and appealing. Love their names too.
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Jan is very clever Crystal – they really do look like hedgehogs!
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Wow these are all adorable!
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Thank you Lynn, I have some talented friends!! 🙂
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yes I love that! I thought that was so cool!!
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Hello Dearest, I hope your spring is treating you well. Loved seeing all the talents around the globe. I’d imagine Siddy thinks all the gifts are for him, HA, so so cute. We’re having an odd fall. Today is Jims Birthday, and yet there’s no snow. This is very very unusual. Not that I’m rushing the snow, but we sure do want the moisture. The crochet bird house is my favourite, how cozy would that be? Thinking of you with love xo K
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The bird house is destined for the tiny courtyard, though I doubt any bird will be brave enough to set up house in it with such close proximity to you-know-who and the other you-know-who……… We will see. Happy Birthday to Jim – hope you had a wonderful time with no snow. Winter insists on returning here, it seems to be stuck on some kind of interminable loop – like a time warp!! Maybe this is why you have no snow!!
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Hey?! You may be right. Einstein said, “for every action in the world, there’s a reaction”. You’re stuck in ‘Ground Hog’ day. Did you see that movie? Bill Murray has to relive the same day over and over again until he get’s it right. Say hello to ‘you know who’ and his partner in crime, the other ‘you know who’ xo
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I have seen that movie on several occasions – I have a daughter who likes it very much and it usually makes an appearance around the Christmas season 🙂
The Garden is up and running but I haven’t hung the birdie house yet as I’m waiting to make sure winter has moved on – it promised today that summer was here, but I don’t quite trust it yet……..
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Oh my goodness! I came to visit (finally!) and see that there are 97, count ’em 97, comments!
And your post is so full of the love you receive from around the world, and that makes me so happy!! Sometime … hopefully soon … I’ll reclaim my house back from campaign mode, and get a few things in the mail. Until then, know that I am so glad to be back blogging and visiting!
I’m thankful for our Skype session and FB threads. Love you, Pauline!!
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Hello Laurie!! Hope you are finding your way back to ‘normal’ by now. I’ve been missing you and am longing for a face to face to catch up.
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Oh, Ms. Snail is soooo good. Your hedgies are very cute. Siddy does have a very eager look. I hope he never gets hold of the mini-me or the hedgies. Glad to see the pig is still flying around your home. You seem to have dropped off my reader!!! I must try to remedy that!!!
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Dropping off is a perennial issue for us 🙂 The pig is much loved!
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Those hedgies are adorable, I love them! And Siddy…how cute. The photo and his ‘friend’. All such delightful crafts. Looking forward to your exciting Christmas giveaway 😉 Have a lovely weekend Pauline xxxx
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Thank you Sherri – the giveaway will open next week 🙂
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You have some lovely furriends, Pauline. The hedgehogs are so cute and the mini Orlando…to cute for words 😀 When Granny saw the hedgies, she was thinking about Herman and Hermeline over at our old house. Pawkisses 🙂 ❤
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We hope you find some hedgehog friends for your new house soon xoxo
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Love the dragon Pauline!:-) 🙂 🙂
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He is lovely isn’t he Carrie – Jan is very talented!!
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Go ahead and give it to Siddy … and I’m sure it will be cuddled and cherished.
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Oh now Frank! You are being rather wicked!
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I trust Siddy.
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You two outdid yourselves with this swap! The hedgehogs captivate me (and Siddy, too, by the looks of things!)
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The hedgehogs are really realistic to look at – It is very clever! And the yarn Jan has used for the prickly coat looks the part, but is so soft to touch. It’s very clever!
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They are adorable! As is the look on Sid’s sooky face lol.
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That is his ‘You will give it to me, you want to give it to me.’ stare. He thinks he’s a dog Jedi!! 🙂
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They have such personalities don’t they, make you smile inside and out 🙂
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I liked the dragon best, Pauline. So cute, the hedgehogs are very nice, I like how they could be used to display Jan Brett’s children’s books about “Hedgie.” She has elaborate borders which look like quilts or elaborate designs from the area her books are portraying. Orlando’s Mini-me is sweet and I have a few fronds who would like “when pigs fly” stuffed pig. 🙂
Your gifts and trades are very beautiful in their crafts and artistic renderings. The colorful danglers are always stunning and we’ll matched to the ones who are requesting their reflected beauty. ♡ take care, Pauline. 🙂
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Oh, I meant “friends” not fronds, Pauline. Lol 🙂 I have pals who collect pigs, one is a coworker named Peggy but she says the idea of “piggy” came early when a child. I am glad it didn’t cause her to have hurt feelings. I was a little teased when young by my own name. (Do you fly south, Robin? Do you help Batman? Do you have red breasts was the most embarrassing one. . .) Hugs, Robin
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I read ‘friends’ any way Robin – the reading brain is an interesting thing! And kids when they tease are mean! It’s just as well we grow up and see these things for what they were.
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Thank you Robin, your comments are always so supportive and encouraging 🙂
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How lovely. Especially love Orlando’s mini-me 🙂
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Yes, that is a particularly lovely little creation from Sharon at Gentle Stitches. She makes wonderful foxes too 🙂
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What adorable and special additions to your home! Such talented crafters. I always admire such creativity. ♡♡
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There are some very clever folks in our community aren’t there Jan – I love the way we can support each other ❤
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Me too♡♡
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Aww they are cute little fellas. Siddy does look a little TOO interested though! 😀
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Yes, hedgies have been moved to safety
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what a cute menagerie..real and not so real ;o) xo Johanna
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Thank you Johanna – it’s a happy animal house here 🙂
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You certainly hit the jackpot, Pauline! Such talented bloggers. I love all of your prizes. Anytime you feel like boxing up Siddy and sending him over, let me know! ❤
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‘Prizes’ is a nice word for my small collection of handmade with love items. I have visions of Siddy sitting in an aeroplane seat, leaning nonchalantly against the window, sipping on his martini and humming ‘I’m off to see the writer, the wonderful writer named Jill………’ I’m sure you already have the correct tune 🙂
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Ha ha! ❤ it, Pauline!
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The rewards of blogging are never ending 🙂 What lovely prezzies you have received, Pauline, and given in return. There’s nothing like the special memories a gift given with love brings. Fingers crossed Siddy behaves himself and leaves those adorable hedgies alone 🙂
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Hi there Stacy, yes I’m with you on all your points – and hoping the puppy is too!
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🙂
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What fun to see those hedgehogs once again. I’ve had fun admiring them no on your blog, Snail’s blog and on Facebook. They’re adorable!!!
I love your soft menagerie, both real and fantasy. What an uplifting post, Pauline.
I’m so relieved I got my orders in before your deadline.
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The hedgehogs are so realistic looking and so soft – really quite lovely.
Yes indeed on the light catcher deadline – It’s just in case anything goes wrong – I should hate to be responsible for a no-show Christmas gift! Plus I have other things to make 🙂
I hope you are having a pain free day and the healing continues apace xoxo
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Thank you, Pauline. There is something so endearing about a plushy hedgehog. I don’t know what it is, but they’ve melted my heart.
You are wise to set an early deadline for holiday gifts. The post naturally slows down around the holidays, so in addition to working against a tighter deadline, you have things that are out of your control.
I’m feeling so much better today. I’ve stopped taking the pain medication and moved on to an anti-inflamitory instead. It doesn’t have the side effects of making me groggy. I did lose my balance today in the kitchen and touched down my foot. The pain was excruciating. I felt both foolish and powerless. I must be more careful.
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The good thing about doing something careless so early is it makes you be more careful from this point on 🙂 It’s good to hear you can stop the pain meds – Do you benefit from keeping the foot elevated or is that a no-no? Take care now xoxo
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True that, Pauline. Yes, my foot is elevated all day long, and I attempt to elevate it at night. That lasts for awhile, but by 4:30 this morning all the pillows were on the floor. I’m still sleeping pretty restlessly. I’m also icing behind my knee per instructions since it is the only exposed skin. Everything else is braced and wrapped like a mummy.
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All this reminds me of my accident in ’99. Thank goodness time passes and our bodies heal! Soon it will all be an almost forgotten memory – Stick with it kid!! xo
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What a frightening accident, Pauline. I know you feel that you benefited from the shift that followed, but it sure seems that there could have been a better way. 16 years! xo
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Do you know I was just cogitating on that this morning for some reason. It’s always interesting when hindsight allows you to see the ‘accidents’ and ‘incidents’ that were so debilitating and horrendous to live through at the time were really doorways to a new and better version of you and to a better life. It is the fire in which we are honed to become who we are meant to be. I am thankful now 🙂
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You have such a way with words, Pauline. Some people grow from experiences, others are destroyed by them. You chose life and growth and light. You’re remarkable.
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Thank you xo 🙂
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Lubbly jubbly swapsies Ms Pauline. A great way to merge the crafty confraternities around the world and keep that love on the move. I can tell that Siddy REALLY wants one of those sweet H-hogs. You might just have to ensure that they are high up on your shelves 😉
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Swaps are wonderful things aren’t they 🙂 And you are so right – it does keep the love moving! Siddy has gracefully resigned his wanting and returned his attention to his own mountain of soft toys fondly known collectively as ‘fetch’.
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Earl has moved past “fetch”. He feels it never really worked for him and that he would rather entertain “gut” and “eat the eyes” part of the equation whilst studiously ignoring the humanoid waving their arms around and attempting (somewhat foolishly) to extract said eyes from your chewing beak. Earl has his eyes, and his heart, set on Sanctuary the dragon who I have had to move into my craft room and keep behind closed doors thanks to Earls beady eyes and penchant for climbing up furniture.
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🙂 That Earl! He’s such a naughty boy!! Good ol’ Siddy lives up to his proper name and is mostly – and luckily for me – a lover not a fighter. Though sometimes he puts on a naughty boy show, usually just before he passes out in the evening 🙂
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We went for our morning walk today and I spent a good portion of it hauling (All 35kilos of) Earl around upside down when he insisted on hurling himself onto his back and rolling in the undergrowth. He is attempting to eliminate his scent for “the hunt” that he just KNOWS we are going to go on one day. He has, in his pack, Bezial (aka old fatty) who is allowed off lead but who just wanders around sniffing and peeing on the undergrowth and is content to be happy in his endeavours. Stevie-boy who Earl thinks could possibly be trained for the hunt and with a few years “run” training (and a bit of a diet) might be able to keep up, me (can you hear Earl sighing from over there?) nothing to be said about me and then Earl, the great hero of the moment who is able to smell a rabbit at a hundred paces (3 hundred less than fatty Bezial can smell one but them’s the breaks 😉 ) and who is up for “The Hunt” at a moments notice. He lives for the day that I forget how to hold his lead and he can run free. My job is to thwart his desires at all costs. I am Earl’s official “Party Pooper”. 😉
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You got to admire his conviction! 🙂 I’m reading your blog but at least half of the photos won’t download, so I’m pushing refresh until they do!
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I resized them. Next time I will optimise them as well. I will use you as my test guineapig. Optimising them makes them MUCH easier to load. I should be doing that anyway. Lucky my lecturer doesn’t read my personal blog eh? 😉
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Optimise??
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Yes, optimise. You can do it in Photoshop but if you don’t have Photoshop you can do it online. I probably wouldn’t download the software as it may have viruses but using it free on the website would be safe (hackers put things in downloads as a rule)… http://www.imageoptimizer.net/Pages/Home.aspx
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Thank you. I’ll have a look at it tomorrow☺
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The hedge hogs are adorable! I know that look on Siddy’s face, it’s the same one Yarn Rascal has when he’s about to appropriate something that isn’t his. Yarn Rascal likes to climb up things, so the only hope they’d have of staying safe here is if I hung them from the ceiling.
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Yes! That is exactly the look. Fortunately Siddy is not a climber, he’s fondly known as ‘Your Roundship’ which explains it all. 🙂
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You Roundship…I just bust out laughing.
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That is my response too – and Siddy doesn’t mind 🙂
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xox
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Pingback: Socks, hedgies and woolly wonderousness | The Snail of Happiness
Wonderful! And whoever knitted the dog in the final photo is a genius! (Just kidding…)
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He’s woven Bruce – I thought you knew.
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Great Scot! You expect me to know the difference between sew, knit, weave, crochet, and stuff. I never graduated beyond the thingy with four nails on a cotton reel (what’s that called again?)
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French knitting Bruce – and I believe it’s having a renaissance. You could be in the forefront of the latest crafting craze if you can find your cotton reel 🙂
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We would make little circular mats for grandpa to put his feet on! and some for head rests on the back of armchairs…
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All back in fashion – you were ahead of your time!
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I once had a Pierre Cardin shirt, so I’m not surprised to be at the forefront of fashion.
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Wheet-woo!! [Consider this a wolf whistle 🙂 ]
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That wolf-whistle was very sexist, Pauline. I loved it!
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Thank you Bruce and you are welcome 🙂
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I love your menagerie, Pauline…amigurumi and the whole aesthetic of odd cuteness gets to me every time! I hope the bookshelves are high and dry from Siddy’s reach…although I have personal knowledge of conspiracies where a cat jumps up and pokes things down to where the dog can reach them…..
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Ha – you have a bad, bad cat!! Siddy would quite like to have a compliant cat who did such things. But he doesn’t and the gifts are safe. I’m not naturally a collector of such things, but these are all gifts and made with love and they mean so much!
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I have never been a collector of such things, either…though I have kept all things that have ever been given with love.
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…conspiracies…that made me smile, Cynthia.
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So much talent on display. Those hedgehogs are particularly adorable.
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Lots of talent in here! I agree, the hedgies are totally adorable!
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So pleased they arrived safely… I couldn’t resist making the tiny one as a surprise addition. It’s funny how we take our talents for granted – I still feel I got the better end of the deal (again)!
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Well, I guess we are both really happy then 🙂 I think I need to update the photos I have for your shop window – I’m sure a number of browsers might be looking for such cute and cuddly gifts! I’ll get on to that today.
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I saw those hedgies on Ms. Snails blog but had no idea they were destined for such a long trip to such a loving home. I hope they hibernated. 🙂 She is amazingly talented. But then so are you. All those lovely stuffies are delightful. Flying pigs and a Siddy look alike. Isn’t it fun?
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Yes, it is lovely and each one is a reminder of people, places and friendships that grow despite never meeting in the flesh. This is the gift of the internet!
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What a lovely collection of gifts, the little hedgehogs are so sweet!
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I am very spoiled by my blogging friends – just about every room now holds something from somewhere in the world. Jan’s hedgehogs are really special I think.
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I love those little hedgehogs – so lifelike! You have quite a menagerie there Pauline!
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I do don’t I – soon more book will need to move out to make room for them 🙂
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We are great teddy bear collectors in my family. My Mum has lots of them snuggled together in their own chair. If she sees a lonely bear in a shop she just can’t resist. I still have my childhood bears – three of them- and they’d be the first thing I’d rescue in an emergency 😊
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My eldest is the same, she has quite a collection of bears. I’m obviously just a beginner …… still, never too late.
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I have a bronze flying pig on my desk, one of my favourite things! :)) It’s a great reminder that anything can happen. What a beautiful swap, and I went and had a look at your effort, stunning as ever! Spreading rainbows throughout the world! 🙂 🌈🌈🌈
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Lisa gave me the flying pig when we met up in DC earlier this year – that trip was one of those flying pig miracles! I like the thought of spreading rainbows throughout the world 🙂 xo
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I like the flying pig. But I guess that says summit about me.
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I like the flying pig too 🙂
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Quite a collection, Pauline. Siddy must think its Christmas already
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Siddy is up for a rousing game of fetch with any of these gifts – should they be so unfortunate as to come within his reach ………
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I’ll bet
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Oh, they are so cute. How lucky are you!
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Very fortunate 🙂
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That Snail is one talented miss, and aren’t you lucky to enjoy those sweet hedgies, gorgeous expressions on their little faces. Enjoy!
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She sure is Nanette! These are so very cute!
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