Christmas is coming!

Wow, I hadn't realised how long it was since I last blogged - time has simply flown past! Here at DevonBear Designs we've been lucky enough to have some of our products featured in various magazines - which has led to a significant rise in orders. Christmas paper bunting has proved to be particularly popular -

- I guess it's a bit different to more traditional Christmas decorations - it was certainly great fun to design.

As well as Christmas orders, I've also been busy getting ready for the Yuletide Craft and Food Fair at Saltram House next weekend and have added little knitted mice to the cupcakes I'm offering in support of the Gables Animal Rescue.

And yes .. that is Craft and FOOD Fair. Can't wait! All profits may well be spent before I leave the event!!

Meanwhile, Rosie's home for the weekend ... she's brought some work with her - but may well find herself packaging Christmas bunting if this rush continues. It's great to have her here to spoil, and husband's off to Twickenham for the England - South Africa match so we can have a really girly time together. Chocolate may feature prominently on our menu, whilst Bridget Jones is sure to find her way into the DVD player!

News from Ben

Hi everyone!

It's me, Ben Dickson, reporting in. Shockingly Mum hasn't posted in our blog for a whole month ... that's one whole month without Amy and me getting mentioned on the internet. UN-BE-LIEVE-ABLE!!

So .... what's been happening here in deepest darkest Devon? Apart from rain that is! Well, we've been to the beach a lot ....

We don't go too often in the summer as it gets very busy and Mum says me and Amy do not behave very well. But all the families with baby humans have gone now so I can charge around at 100 mph on the sand and go swimming again. All the families with picnics have gone too, so Amy can't plonk herself in the middle of their picnic blankets and refuse to move until they give her food.

We had our own picnic on the beach, Mum and one of her friends and our most favourite people, Elona, took lots of nice food - good - but sat up on the rocks where we couldn't reach the sandwiches - BAD BAD BAD!!

We sat and looked at them to show them how thin we were and to try to make them give us their food but they just laughed! Huh! We will call the Dog Rescue People!

Mum has bought us new collars. She said it's no good buying us leather ones because they just go mouldy and funny with all the swimming so she would get webbing ones. There was a problem though. It was easy to get a collar for tiny little Amy who only needs a size 24". But big strong me needed a 27" and Mum couldn't find one anywhere in webbing, just leather.

Then she found this wonderful American site called Big Dog Boutique. She chose a very pretty girlish one for Amy called "Pink Lemonade" and "Seaside Stripe" for me - very masculine. Here we are modelling them. It was very hard to sit with our backs to the camera but we managed it for oh about 0.1 of a second. Mum said she was very impressed with the site, the collars arrived in less than a week and not too expensive either.

Mum has been busy upstairs in her workroom for EVER. She says it is something to do with Christmas. But I don't understand. That's not for ages yet. I remember last year that I was responsible for pruning the Christmas tree while Amy helped with the cooking. Now I'm older and wiser I'm going to cook as well! Mum is sure to need my help too. Mum's been busy with some downloadable stuff for Halloween - this bunting thing again. Here's the Halloween bunting ... lots of it is black - just like me, so I know it's very attractive!

And finally ... for other Devon dwellers - you MUST get Devon Today October issue. An article about our Mum is in there!! A picture! And our names are there too - a whole page just about DevonBears. So we is famous after all.

Goodbye from your favourite newfie
Ben Dickson.

Of bunting, beer and TWO competition winners!

What a busy weekend! But here's the names of my competition winners. There are going to be two prizes - first for Cait O'Connor as I just loved her suggestion of the Huggy Bag - irresistible! And secondly for Faith for the sheer quantity of wonderful names - some of which will definitely be used for future products. Meanwhile a big fat

THANK YOU

to everyone who took the time and trouble to leave suggestions. I'm just sorry I can't give everyone a prize!

Last week was the Dartmouth Regatta and our friends Rory and Elona took the bus with us to Dartmouth to spend Saturday afternoon/evening there. The Red Arrows were scheduled for 5.30 pm and Elona was particularly looking forward to this as she only moved here from Russia last year, so has never seen one of their spectacular shows. The crowd was full of anticipation ...

Pavements and balconies were crowded ..... the men had appropriate nourishment in their paws!


And then ..... the cloud came down.

Sadly no Red Arrows after all. This summer has been dreadful - I've spent more time knocking water off the canvas roof of the gazebo than I have sitting in it. Last night the rain was lashing against the windows - in a way it's almost a relief that it's September now as at least we can stop hoping for good weather. Although the economic doom and gloom news is so awful it feels as though it's going to be a long winter. So I thought we needed cheering up, and have spent the last few days developing DevonBears' answer to the credit crunch. Yes, it's PAPER bunting!!

OK stop laughing and get back on your chairs. It's cheerful, colourful, fun and cheap! What could be better? It will encourage people to have parties and make them smile. Well, I like it anyway.

... and at only £5.50 per pack for 18 flags, I'm sure it will add some cheer to the autum and winter months. I'm going to put it all around the office and workroom to give me a summer feeling inside even when it's cold in the garden.