New website now up and running

I have spent so much time worrying about the lingerie website recently, I have been neglecting the bears and the unit at the Craft Centre. I have made a few changes to the unit: last time I was in, I decided to move the central island unit, and to heft it up on top of the counter at the back. It actually looks really good there - sort of cabinet-like - and the shelves in it, which were wasted when it stood on the floor, are now at the perfect height.

It does leave a big empty space in the middle of the floor, but the advantage of this is that it's easier for customers to get in - they don't have to squeeze past the island unit. I'm not keen to put anything else in to replace the island unit, but I might try to build up the shelves at the side a bit - maybe bears-on-chairs on the floor - just to try to diminish the wide expanse of bare floor boards in the middle. Maybe a little fluffy pink rug?

I also had another go at the signage. I decided that my previous sandwich board is really a failure - much as I'm loathe to admit it; it is just too flimsy. Also, the patterned fabric someone makes it look less like a sandwich board - as does the tall, thin shape.

I made another one today - just a small one, in a more regular shape, and just plain white. It is made out of foam board and the edges are taped for neatness. It is also taped together at the top - for the hinge - and then I punched holes near the edges of each piece, and threaded ribbon through them to hold the 'feet' together.

I have used it to advertise the gift tags that I made here. The tags share a rack with the bag hangers I buy in, and I'm not sure anyone's really noticed them yet, so I had to do something to draw people's attention to them.

I have also made a sign to hang from the bottom shelf, stating that the bought-in toys are suitable for children. I forgot to photograph it though.

In the meantime, I have managed to get the new DGBVintage website up and running - finally. All that is left to do is the 'About' page. The new website, for the first time, has a link to this blog. I need to email Easyspace and ask them to put a link on the BigFeetBears website as well.

I have also added some more to the Poppy LaByrnham Collection - the incredibly beautiful, incredibly expensive items that I buy at UK auctions. There is a gorgeous peach satin bed jacket, apparently hand-made, with ruching detail around the cuffs and collar and over the bodice; a bias-cut pink silk nightdress, with a lace bodice; and the most amazing peach net nightdress (see last pic). It is stretchy and fitted, and the bodice is overlain with a second layer of net with sort of woven stripes to it, which is gathered and fitted over the bodice. 1930s? Perhaps 1940s?

I have also added another series of vintage slips - this time in a bust size 36. Do take a look - I will be adding more soon.

Sandwich board

I have a new bear!

He's called Rowan, and he's a dear little thing. He's one of those which didn't go how I planned, but actually turned out much better than I expected. He was supposed to be a 'recumbent bear' - a pattern which allows him to both lie down and sit up - looking comfortable in both positions. I shortened the pattern for one of the recumbent bears I had made in the past, and redesigned the arms and legs to look altogether more petite and stumpy.

The miscalculation came in the angle of the neck. Somehow the shortening of the body means that the original neck angle doesn't allow him to lie down properly. He does 'slump' quite nicely though - in true, battered old bear-fashion - although he is considerably smarter than a battered old bear.

I am so taken with the way he has turned out though, that I'm considering making a limited edition out of him. Something has got to be done about that neck though, first.

I have also made progress (albeit very slight progress) with the signeage I was talking about in an earlier post. I have made a sandwich board. The two pieces are covered in black cotton - printed with flowers and lanterns - and joined together with strips of ribbon at the top and the sides. It's not very stable though, and I was wondering whether I would have done better to sew right along the top edge.

I sat down to make the signs and I suddenly realised that I hadn't a clue what to use them for - what the signs were actually going to say(!) So ideas for that were the first thing on the agenda. As you may be able to see in the photo above, I have used the first one to advertise Rowan. The sign says, "Meet the latest member of the clan... Rowan. Born on 20th April 2010; 12 inches; 2 lb 1oz". My attempts to advertise my bears are giving me a very twee turn of thought! I know many bear collectors have a lot of sentimental investment in their bears though: requests for birth certificates and 'certificates of adoption' seem to be quite common, so my sign was supposed to reflect that.

I thought I might use another sandwich board to advertise my posh gift tags (see previous post) - since they are currently on display with the manufactured bag hangers that I sell, and don't seem to be receiving much attention.

It would also be an idea also to have a sign for the manufactured toys that are on display - pointing out that they are suitable for children - since I do have a sign saying that the hand-made bears are not suitable. I thought it would be nice to have a sandwich board standing on the floor, next to the toy shelf, but if they're not very sturdy I may have to revise that plan.

Also, I rent shelf space to another bear-maker, and will shortly be displaying the work of another lady, so signs for those would also be a good idea.

New rabbit, new lingerie...

Well, my third rabbit was going the same way as the second one. I think his head is slightly too small in proportion to his body. The self-standing body is quite tall - so I had this long slim body with a tiny head on top - not a good look. Also, being all-white, he looked quite plain. I have the same problem with realistic polar bears - they tend to look very blank, and any feature added to the face stands out like a sore thumb.

Anyway, I couldn't face the idea of a tall, thin, white rabbit with a white sandwich board, so I decided (in a rare pragmatic moment) that the obvious thing to do would be to cover the foam board that I was using to make the sandwich board in a colourful, jazzy fabric. That would put some colour in his cheeks!

Somehow it all came together: I made little cases for the two pieces of foam board - like pillow cases - but sewed red ribbons into the side and top seams of one. Then a snapper at the end of each ribbon, and corresponding snappers on the inside of the rear board, and presto!

Sorry, it's not a great photo. You can see the red ribbons running over his shoulders, though, and there are two more ribbons round his waist - one on each side. The photo pinned to the board is Clarissa - pictured in my last post - with a 'Happy Mother's Day' message (I'm always late with these things).

My little rabbit messenger is called Horatio, and he looks lovely on the top shelf of the unit. The only slight problem is that I'm not sure people notice him up there. I've read that you sell more if you display things at eye-level - maybe he is a little out of range. I did point him out to one lady, and she looked up with a surprised-sounding 'Oh!'. Maybe the board should say "Big Brother is watching you!"

I do like displaying things on the top shelf - it looks great - even though it really is high (a step ladder job) and it puts things out of people's reach. The unit has a cosy feel with lots of bears around the top edges, looking down on you.

I was worried about Horatio in particular though. Customers do tend to rearrange the bears - or just pick them up to look and then drop them back on the shelf any-old-how. Horatio stands independently due to the steel shot in his feet. Even with that though, it's still something of a balancing act. He needs to be arranged with his body aligned vertically to his legs. If he is put on the shelf with body and legs angled, he will fall over. This makes him rather delicate in retail terms - although it is a shame because, when posed properly, he stands absolutely fine.

If someone were to knock him over when he was wearing his sandwich board though, the foam board might snap (particularly if one of his ultra-heavy feet landed on it).

So, better on the top shelf.

When I mentioned new lingerie in the title, I wasn't about to flash my knickers at you. In addition to making and selling teddy bears, I also sell vintage lingerie and nightwear. This is something which started as a hobby - buying and selling on Ebay. I have recently moved off Ebay to an independent website though, and I have just updated it!

Here are some of the new items listed:

It was a day for chiffon items: the top picture is a double-layer chiffon nightdress in a gorgeous blue colour. It flares from the neckline, and the straps tie on top of the shoulder. The second pic is of a peignoir set, by Vanity Fair. It is incredibly fluffy, with four layers of fabric. The nightdress is chiffon over nylon; the robe is double-layer chiffon. The third picture is of a yellow chiffon nightdress - again, double layer, with a lovely embroidered floral trim around the hemline.

I love these things - especially the sets. I find it difficult to understand why people don't snap them up, for you so rarely ever see nightwear like this in the shops now. You see the occasional red chiffon babydoll in Ann Summers... complete with maribou feather trim, strategic cut-outs and matching thong (bleurgh!). And of course, there are some beautiful couture designer items reminiscent of vintage lingerie. I did go into Monsoon the other day and saw a lovely nightdress with crystal pleats to the hemline - how often do you see crystal pleats today?

Anyway, do have a look at the new stuff sometime.