Christmas - woohoo

Hello Everyone,

It's December (just thought I'd tell you incase you haven't already noticed!) and a particular favourite time of the year. I love Christmas. I love wrapping presents, putting the decorations up, looking at the Christmas lights in York and smiling at the sometimes grim faced Christmas shoppers in an attempt to get a smile back! Even John (my lovely grumpy Yorkshire husband) has been getting into the spirit (...must hide that bottle... - only joking honest!) and has been asking me when I am going to be putting up the Christmas tree - this is practically unheard of! Mind you he has only just told me that he thinks that my bright glittery Christmas baubles in the shape of parrots are incredibly tasteless and horrible. He prefers a subtle tree that is just decorated with a single colour set of lights and possible a touch of tinsel.....haven't told him that I have just ordered some more birdy shaped baubles from the RSPB website (British birds this time)...ho ho ho.

My Dad really loved Christmas. One of my childhood memories are of his planning of the food (making sure that we had plenty of everything including chocolate brazils..yum!), the practically military operation of getting the decorations down from the loft and then putting them up in the living room. And of course the fairy lights never ever worked first time and my Dad (an electrician by trade) would curse and go through all the bulbs one by one in an attempt to see which one was the problem. I think of him everytime that I switch mine on.

The snow is still lying thick upon the ground here in York and I can see an illuminated gold star on York Minster - it all looks very festive out there. Web sales have been going very well, especially it seems with all the snow, as I think people have been doing more and more of their Christmas shopping on line. It is nice to think that my embroideries will be wrapped and given as Christmas presents.

Time to get sewing again. I still need to embroider more Robins (see Christmas designs at the top of the blog).

But mustn't forget my 3 B.T.'s

1: Our trip to Skye - the scenery was fantastic and the birdlife brilliant. Ravens, Hooded Crows, Common Buzzards, Rooks, Jackdaws and Robins (and most seen from the hotel window!)

2: Looking forward to wrapping presents and putting up the Christmas Tree.

3: Smiling at people that I see in York in the hope that they will smile back and enjoy Christmas rather than endure it - if only for a moment.

Bye for now,

Love Ruth xx

Halloween window display, lavender, Nicola

Well, we have finally done our window to celebrate Halloween! Alanna had brought in a Pumpkin and carved it into a lantern during her lunchbreak. It now takes pride of place in the window that faces out onto Walmgate. The next day she had put a headband complete with small witches hat on top of it - very fetching! It has been causing a bit of stir and just the other day a tourist was took a photograph of it (with Sophie quickly moving out of the way as she didn't want to be in the picture). The Pumpkin is not the only bit of Halloween decoration, as well as a big black spider's web that Barbara purchased from 'Wild Hart' on Stonegate, is the wonderful 'Bobbie Bones'. He is a skeleton (anatomically correct) that stands about two foot tall with complete movable joints and a skull case that can be opened. I mention the skull case because some wit in the studio has put a walnut inside it, so Bobbie really does have a brain the size of Walnut. Nobody will admit to doing this so maybe he can walk about on his own when we have left for the night?

In the last blog I mentioned the arrival of a new sack of Lavender (ten kilos), well we have been busy making Lavender bags and the fragrance is unbelievably strong. It is fortunate that we all love the smell, as when I open up the Studio first thing in the morning the fragrance is so prominent that you could cut it with a knife. The other businesses in Barleycorn Yard have mentioned that during the Summer when we have the doors open the whole Yard can smell it - which is quite impressive considering that the boys and girls in the other businesses generally go outside so that they can smoke...

The Sumptuosity Fairies had a nice email from Nicola a textile student who has previously done a placement at Sumptuosity Towers. She is busy with her course but has been branching out designing and selling her own wares. I especially love her sheep drawings which have been screen printed onto her tea towels and peg bags - once her website is up and running we will include a link so that you can all see her fab work. We wish her good luck and hope to see her soon at Sumptuosity Towers and not simply because she make yummy cakes!

3 B.T.'s

1: The Minster bells strike eight o'clock and the chimes make the Rooks noisily take off from the main tower into the morning sky.
2: John and I came out of the Supermarket as dusk fell and the sky towards the West was a beautiful purple/blue.
3: While on the Cross-Trainer I have managed to teach myself to read while exercising and am currently reading 'Reading Matters' a wonderful book about the book collections of people (e.g. Bess of Hardwick and Samuel Pepys), what they read and where they purchased/borrowed them from. It keeps my mind off the minutes on the counter...

Bye for now
love Ruth xx