A new home for Cottontails

Over on the Facebook and Twitter pages I have been mentioning some 'exciting news' and 'a few changes' - and I am finally in a position to reveal what is happening. Cottontails is moving home!

Yes after several years of working from home, I have taken the plunge and rented some office space.

Cottontails' new home!

I signed the contract yesterday and can pick up the keys midnight tonight. (I probably won't. I will pick them up tomorrow...)

It is perfect - just over 500 square feet so plenty of room for stock, office area, packing area. It has a bit of 'character' which is so important to me, and it is just a few miles away, a converted farm on the way into Hereford.

It's not a big business center by any means, but there's a farm shop and cafe, and a few other businesses - hopefully I'll make some friends. So, I am really looking forward to moving out of the spare bedroom, and claiming a little bit of space for me and Cottontails to grow :)

The Great Bromyard Bake Off

At last, a little post to cover events at this year's Bromyard Gala Handicrafts and Cookery Show (which took place last month, apologies for delay, have been recovering from all the baking....) I thought today was a good day to finally get around to it as the new series of Great British Bake Off starts tonight and I, for one, can't wait. I tell you what though, one cookery show a year - and a local, small town one at that - is more than enough for me, hats off to the BBC contestants tonight!

Anyway, as ever I entered an ambitious number of classes (fourteen I think?) and damn near finished myself off baking until 3am the night before the show.

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Here are a few pictures I took along the way. Sorry about the lack of Cottontails animals - it was all a bit of a whirlwind in the kitchen and the fabric bunnies were wisely keeping out of the way.

The planning stage. Not sure what the tin of cocoa is doing there.

The makings of strawberry jam

Five chocolate brownies

 

Five iced biscuits (the Cottontails Bunny Biscuit recipe of course!)

Five cheese scones (second attempt, not sure what happened to the first lot but they were more like biscuits...)

 

Savoury quiche (about 7")

A spot of spoon-licking (think this was during the chocolate sandwich making?)

 

At the show... my 'Tea on the Terrace' display 

(homemade jam, iced buns, elderflower cordial, cards and flower display)

 

The first few treacle tarts are displayed... (mine's front left)

Some prizes! 

 

A final note - this post isn't entirely unrelated to Cottontails business. I have decided to create and develop a proper children's cookery department, it's a passion of mine, something which excites me and brings a smile to my face, and is one of a few changes and developments coming to Cottontails. So watch this space....!

Save 15% at Cottontails until Friday

I'm rather chuffed with my latest offer - a little discount code based around Wimbledon fortnight. Think tennis, strawberries and cream and 15% off!

Yes, enter the discount code love15 (I was delighted with that!) between now and midnight Friday 28th and you can save 15% off absolutely all products - even the things already in the sale.

Here are the other little images I created for the email newsletter which I have just started sending - if you are on my database you should receive your email in the next few hours, it takes a while to send them all (and if you are not currently on the mailing list but would like to be, you can sign up here)

And happy shopping!

 

Yesterday and Today

 Molly enjoying the warm evening (and evidence of my digging in the background)

What a beautiful day it was yesterday - and what a contrast today. I am on my own all day today and was hoping to snaffle a couple of hours on the deck chair this afternoon - heck, maybe even crack open the new bikini at long last? - but no the weather has other ideas, so it's another day in the office.

Had a nice evening in the garden last night though - with a it of help from Eric bunny who is tending his own carrot patch...

Eric manfully handles a wheelbarrow bigger than himself

And finally here he is firing up the bbq for tea...

Ah well, there's certainly plenty to be getting on with in the office today (parcels, new Maileg delivery, illustrations for new website, marketing & PR) so perhaps it's as well the sun isn't shining...

Cottontails Carrot Festival - and Two Day Flash Sale!

17th June update - sale extended by one day.  Hooray! So today is now the last day...

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-->Now, have you ever heard of a Carrot Festival? It’s a traditional rabbit thing that takes place every year during the middle of June, where rabbits young and old, fabric and real, all get together to leap and skip and feast on carrots. It’s chaos here at Cottontails, let me tell you, with 100s rabbits full of the festival spirit…

Anyway, to join in with the festivities I have decided to run our first ever ‘flash sale’, and for this weekend only I am reducing lots and lots of lovely toys and gifts. 

Plenty of Moulin Roty, Maileg and Trousselier toys are reduced – and some by up to 50%! But most items will be back to full price on Monday morning, so be quick like a bunny to grab a bargain.

And finally here are a few favourite Cottontails bunny & carrot photos from the past couple of years...

 

Farmer Sylvain harvesting carrots

 

Baby Sylvain preps carrots for blanching

 

Dear Humphrey with a favourite snack

 

Home made plant marker - just paint a bit of unearthed crockery!

A little holiday....

I am taking a little break - have had a lot of stuff going on in my life the past few weeks and need to have a bit of time away to clear my head.

I've had a word with the boss and he has kindly agreed to a bit of time off. In fact he has decided to have a holiday himself, so we are going to close Cottontails for a couple of weeks.

 The boss, suitcase packed.

We will both be back on Monday 17th June.

If rabbits read magazines...

Inspired by the fabulous range of 'ready to wear' clothes from Maileg this season, I have created a version of Vogue, Cottontails style.

Rabbits and outfits all available at Cottontails Baby - rabbit fashion emporium.