Christmas Newsletter

Designing and making the Christmas window is one of my favourite things to do in the year. The chance to add our own brand of winter's magic to the streets of York is a real honour. Our first window featured Katenka, and she was so popular we just had to bring her back this year.

Early one morning, we crept down to the shop and installed the new window. I felt so apprehensive this time, and it almost made me cry because I’m literally making things on the kitchen table and putting them out there for the world to see. All we can do is our best, and now that I work at the shop on Saturday and Sunday, I love meeting other creative souls, and sometimes I can encourage them to take the leap and share what they are doing too, which makes everything worth it.

Last year, we had so many people come into the shop wanting to buy the little figures in the window display that I thought it might be fun to try, and make a few to sell.

We made some little mice and frogs and they are so popular that we have decided to create a whole range of tiny characters from the books. I absolutely love miniatures, and I can barely sleep at night dreaming about all the possibilities.

Yesterday we bought the most perfect little vintage cabinet to house them in, and over the next few months we will be beavering away creating new friends to share.

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And now, I will pass you over to dear Quentin, who is excited to catch you up with the latest comings and goings from home.

Well, hello again!

This IS perfect timing, as I've been simply exhausted since we returned from our hedgerow travels.  Poor Robin and I were worn to a thread and spent a good week sleeping and snoozing at the foot of the bed with barely a snack to offer sustenance. I jest of course, Jayne kindly kept us well fed and never let the fire burn out, so we were lovely and cozy. She read us a few pages of book four, which I can tell you is the very exciting and mostly true account of our adventures on the high seas.

Robin is simply wild about Christmas and has found a box filled with scraps of tinsel and bottles of glitter; the way he talked about it, you would have thought he had found the holy grail itself!

Jayne set up a little space at the end of the kitchen table where he can work his wonders and, well, I'll let him tell you all about it.As for me, I've taken to sitting on my cushion by the fire, warming my toes as I wait for the baking to begin.

I simply love all those holiday smells, and Jayne has found me a tasting spoon so I can sample the cake mix while she’s working. Today she's making gingerbread. I think Robin is hoping for a house; it's always been a dream of his.

This afternoon, there should be a delivery from the delicatessen, candied cherries, dried fruits, and juicy figs, all requiring a very close inspection from yours truly.It really is the season to be jolly!

I hope all your Christmas wishes come true. Toodle pip for now, and don't spare the treats.

~Quentin

Oh, there you are, hello!Did you know that you can make anything sparkle with a sprinkle of magic? All you need is glue and glitter. I've found lots of colours in a box, and I want to use them all!

I'm making a Christmas present for Quentin. There was some leftover gingerbread dough, and it reminded me of him, so I made a big eye and then another one because he has two, and also a top and a bottom beak because he likes to talk, and then I added some legs so he can go for a walk.

I made him in the kitchen, but then Jayne moved me into the library because I was getting glitter in the biscuits, and I'm happy about that because I always like to be near to books, especially old ones, because they smell of yesteryear, and that was a time when everything was slower, and I like that idea.

Quentin was worried that I would get glue on my feathers, so Jayne cut a hole in her grandma's cotton glove for my head and tied me up safely with the fingers, and now I'm all protected, and it's keeping me warm too.

I took a picture to show you my work because I like to share, and I also like to make Quentin laugh, so I'm going to go into the kitchen now and hop about with the glove on just to entertain him.

I'm very excited for all the magic of the season, I can feel it in the air! The clouds tell me it’s going to snow, and they are always right, so make sure you have some warm socks ready for your toes.

Merry Christmas, love from your little friend,

Robin

I hope you have the most beautiful of holidays, with friends family and lots of Christmas treats.

Take care

Jayne