Wednesday 31 March 2010

Latest Challenge - Mission FaceBook

Since I have got Nellie the NetBook John has been teasing me that I will spend all my time on LibraryThing. This is of course not true but it doesn't stop him from saying it! Although in order to combat this supposed theory he has come up with a new challenge for me - that I should take over from him on FaceBook and start to build up our profile on this site. This will of course require some advice from my Sumptuosity Fairies as I can only learn to 'get down with the kids' through people who are either much younger or simply more up to date with the technological world than me (this is probably most people!). Any ideas please let me know?

Meanwhile at Sumptuosity Towers today, I was so fed up at the cold grey skies that I decided to nip out just before afternoon tea and buy some cakes for me, Sophie, Alanna and of course John. I purchased some lovely butterfly cakes from The Hairy Fig - I might not be able to find the time to make anything yummy like Alanna (Banana) but at least I know where I can buy something nice! It has been so cold today in York - it can only be British Summer Time...

3 B.T's
1: One of the things that I have found on FaceBook is the Fags, Mags and Bags site - they even have the 'famous wall of crisps'.
2: Black Books on Dave - I never saw it the first time around and am really enjoying it.
3: Blackbirds singing after it has rained - the British Spring does have its compensations.

Bye for now,

Love Ruthie xx

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Nellie the NetBook

Just got a new 'NetBook' courtesy of some money that I have received from Lloyds Bank (it would seem that blood can be got from a stone after all!). The grand plan is that I will now be able to do more regular blogs and maybe even do some work on FaceBook etc, as Alanna (Banana) would say "I am really 'down' with the kids!". I may even take it to work so that I can update the world in realtime on 'Sophie questions and Alanna's cakes'. This is surely things that the world needs to know....

John and I are finally settled into the new flat, we are even getting used to the sound of all the noisy geese and I have got my bookshelves sorted into a recognisable system and so all is right with the world. Of course the collection (having been a little pruned) is beginning to grow again - well that is what happens when you do some pruning it encourages growth. It began the other day when I received a surprise parcel from Sumptuosity friend Alison of the Amazon. She had been kind enough to send me the new book by Simon Barnes 'My Natural History' and I have not only been able to find space for it on the bookcases but have used my day off from Sumptuosity Towers to read it. It is a really good read and great to know that other people grew up mad about birds and wild life. One of the good things about the move is that I have found a piece of work that I did at Junior School about 'My Interests' and is full of drawings of birds, fossils and dinosaurs. I feel rather like I have come full circle and maybe need to do a dinosaur design? I shall get John to take some pictures...

Have you seen the new square brooches? We love them and it proves a nice new challenge for the Sumptuosity Fairies to embroider some new designs and/or come up with new compositions. We also have a new range of rectangular designs about to come out so keep posted...

3 B.T.'s

1: Fabulous parcel from the wonderful Alison of the Amazon. I really love the book and I was the first person to catalogue it on LibraryThing.
2: John's pizza - he has just started to back them from scratch (pizza dough and everything!) and they are delicious to say the least.
3: A 'Who has got the longest Hair competition' between me and Jason in our local pub - haven't played that game since my niece Charlotte was a little girl. Nice to know that I still haven't grown up!

Bye for now,
Love Ruthie xx

Tuesday 23 March 2010

I'm Back! Bobby the Bunny(?) and books

It is half past six on a Wednesday morning here in York and while I write I can hear bird song; not just the beautiful sound of Robins, Wrens etc but ducks and geese quacking and honking away. Don't worry we haven't been flooded out, John and I have moved home and are now living right next to the River Foss. This major move (which was a downsize as well as a move) has been the reason for my Blog silence. I have not even been on LibraryThing for ages and you know how addicted I am to that website!

On Saturday we had a new face at Sumptuosity Towers, Ellie (who is currently finishing her GCSEs) will be spending a few afternoons with us to experience what life is like in a craft studio.... Sophie really took her under her wing and showed her how to make the brooches and bookmarks etc (all of which I have sworn her to trade secrecy!). While towards the end of the afternoon, we let her have a go at freehand machine embroidery and after having a few goes at writing her name went on to the more ambitious project of designing a hot air balloon. It was great!! So good in fact that next week, we might see if we can make it into a brooch or bookmark design. I am already beginning to think that I can get my Chaise Longue ....

Into our Studio on that rainy Saturday came Alison (of the Amazon) and husband, they had been to visit their daughter who is at University in Leeds. I felt very guilty about my lack of blogs and explained that we had just moved home and (major trauma) had to down size my book collection. Alison, then told me about a new book by Simon Barnes, who writes wonderfully about nature (I already have 'How to be a Bad Bird Watcher') and I began to wonder if there just might be room on my bookshelves to squeeze in another book...

During the past month that I have been quiet on the blog front we have still be busy at Sumptuosity Towers and people have been coming into the Studio shop - many who seem to read the blog and new me and the Sumptuosity Fairies by name. " I know all about you" said one very nice lady, "All about the tea that you drink, the cakes that you eat and what you listen to on Radio Four!". Sophie looked a little worried, what exactly do you write on these blogs she asked....

3 B.T.'s
1: Bobby the Bunny - he is a rabbit (although we now think that he may actually be a Hare) that John and I can see from our window. He lives on a Brown Field Site opposite and seems to take great delight in running circles around any bird (duck or pigeon) who is foolish enough to labd in his territory. I am sure that I will be writing more about this creature as the weeks progress.
2: 'Fags, Mags and Bags' - one of the funniest comedies that Radio Four has ever commissioned. It is brilliant - especially the 'Wall of Crisps'.
3: The wall of Books - I have now finally organised my books shelves (when we first moved in John Ruskin was next to Nogin the Nogg and I just couldn't bear it!

Bye for now,

Love Ruthie xx