Sunday, November 28, 2010

Cats sell books!



Down at the mill the book launch went well. The cats were very good at persauding people to buy books and kept an eye on the raffle to make sure all was done well.

 


The raffle was won by Linda McCarroll from Solva. And She says thank you to everyone who bought a book and wants us to remind people that they can still but books form the mill, online, signed. Next year we will have a raffle again because people seemed to like it.

This Morning, walking in sunshine.



Early morning and we walk out at the twisting turn of light. Earth iron, water stone, so cold.
In the half light we hunt through the leaves made bright by a soft dust of snow.

 



And then the sun come up and the world shines with light.

 




As we head for home it would seem that Elmo carries some of the sunshine with him.

 


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Fireside chat



Max: Warm. Good. She should be sitting here.
Maurice: She's busy. I think She has been surprised by the amount of books She has shifted from the Woollen Mill. And She's colouring in, a sheep or something. Not enough cat pictures.
Max: There are cats at the Mill, I am told. Working cats. In the day they lounge around in boxes, but at night they prowl and stalk around the weaving looms snicking and snacking on foolish mice.
Warp, Weft and Bobbin. They are working cats.  But all day they sleep, although sometimes Bobbin sits on high beams and supervises the building work.
There is a new room being renovated to make more shop and tea room space and She is hoping there will be wall space for paintings.
Maurice: So, it's in a few days time, and there's still time for cats to get their owners to buy a book, though why they would want to win a drawing of a bear I can't imagine, and they can find links to the Mill below or here . And do you think after that She will have time to sit with us?
Max: Probably not, because She is a foolish creature too busy for Her own good.
Maurice: Can you see tigers playing in the flickering flames. 





Sunday, November 7, 2010

Eavesdropping. Elmo tells Max a secret or two.




Ssshh..... come close. I will tell you some secrets in whispered cat words. 
She has been painting cheetahs and cherries again when She should have been working on something else.

 


And, sshhhh... She is having a book launch for The Ice Bear, in Solva Woollen Mill in Middlemill, Pembrokeshire on 27th November, from 5 pm. There are cats in the mill. During the evening every book that is sold will come with a raffle ticket and at the end of the evening a winning ticket will be pulled from a hat and the winner will take home the drawing below. Sadly it is only a drawing of a bear, not of a cat, but it is quite a nice drawing despite that, in pencil, on board. And to make things fair to our friends who live a long long way away any book bought from the mill's online store will also come with a raffle ticket and the buyers details will also be put into the draw on the evening of 27th. One book, one ticket. All the books at the mill are signed and the offer applies to all the titles, not just The Ice Bear.




And, this is not a secret so we can shout it loud and proud, Tell Me a Dragon has been nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, and we are proud because we helped her to paint the dragons with their cat's eyes and cat's claws and elegant feline grace.