Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris has landed!

After many many months holed up with paint brushes, carrots, lots of pots of tea and some sleepless nights ... Kate and I are excited to announce that our new book, Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris, is here!

It has been an exciting journey — it's not everyday a little white hare gets to whiz around Paris! We'd love to hear what you think, so please pop over to our facebook page and tell us.

If you are itching to get your paws on a copy, you'll find Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris in book stores and gift shops, or online at Giddy and Grace.

x Ruby

Bonjour Paris!

It's heads down and tails up in the studio at the moment. Kate is so busy with our new book that she sometimes forgets to cook! Luckily I'm a whiz in the kitchen, so I rustled up some of her favourite potatoes to help her power through the week.

Here's a sneak-peek at what has been happening...

Kate's mother Cinty taught me how to make these moreish morsels of potato goodness, and they couldn't be easier!

Simply slice new potatoes into thin rounds, toss them in olive oil, pepper and a good grind of salt with some crushed garlic and rosemary. Line an oven tray with baking paper, spread the potatoes around in a thin layer, and pop into a hot oven until the potatoes are golden and crisp
(and some are still tender).

My paws can't get enough!!

Ruby x

Happy Easter 2013!

Wishing you all a delicious Easter!

I'm going to hang about in the the hydrangeas 

and 

lounge amongst the Lamb's Ear.

With love,

Ruby xo

Studio news & a scrumptious cake

We've had such a busy week in the studio! Kate has been capturing my likeness with a rainbow of colours. This modelling work can make a hare quite famished, so I've included a delicious link for Jamie Oliver's classic sponge with lashings of strawberry goodness.

Time to hand over to Kate for her book update below.

Ruby x

Book news with Kate

This last fortnight I’ve been diving further and further into Ruby’s world, slowing down to a pace where it may take an hour for Ruby to choose what to wear or two days to pencil in a flight of stairs. Practicing patience and perspective!

So the book begins in the caravan as Ruby and Babushka prepare for their holiday. Ruby’s packing her suitcase and saying farewells to her chickens. They're saying farewell in French ... any guesses where she's going?

x Kate

image via jamieshomecookingskills.com

I just love strawberry jam, and this feathery sponge by Mr Jamie Oliver (who I also love with a big red heart) has double the scarlet goodness—jam AND fresh strawberries. Perfect for an afternoon break with a pot of tea after a busy morning of outfit changes and posing for Kate in the studio!

You can get the recipe and a step-by-step guide here, and you can also watch a video — I found this particularly helpful!

Ruby x

There's a book in the oven ...

Kate and I are busily working on the next Ruby Red Shoes book (Kate is painting and I am posing for her), so we thought it would be fun to have you all on board and watch as the book comes to life. Have your sea legs on though as the journey through a book deadline can get a little bit rocky... Ruby x

A word from Kate ...

The storyboard is finished and I have a deadline for the end of May. It’s me, two hares and some of their varied acquaintances for three months.

The first page stares at me with a very blank expression. The first page stare off—a test of wills. I fix my eyes to the page and wait until my characters decide to enter their stage on a page. Just like ghosts moving through walls they emerge from nowhere. I breathe patience and calm so as not to spook them. Once they’ve arrived, I pencil in where I see their fuzzy outlines and they’re captured—immortalised on paper, breathing and talking and posing!

Then the questioning begins. What are you doing Ruby? What do you want to wear today? What’s the weather like? Babushka Galushka tells me she’s shelling peas. Ruby is highly excitable and wants a blue dress with white spots '...but Cobalt Blue, not French Ultramarine Blue'. It’s wonderful to see her again so full of beans. In this story we leave their idyllic caravan and travel somewhere fabulous. This journey has just begun ... more soon!

x Kate                         

                 

Bunnies in Bellingen!

Kate and I have been in Bellingen to visit Affirmations HQ, planning what

lovely products we can create for next year.

We stayed in the cottage at Suzi and Dan's Cottonwood farm.

It's perfect in every way possible.

And I was in Hare Heaven.

The cottage is more charming than you could ever imagine,

with a bed so wide you need a passport to travel from one side to the other.

The Never Never river winds right past our doorstep and we jump in for our morning swim.

We give it some of our tears, shed in gratitude for so much beauty and peace.

But that's nowhere near the best of it! 

Cottonwood cottage comes with the perfect accessory - a bunny called Charcoal! 

And I love him!

More tears.

 

Introductions .. we're a bit formal at first.

A few carrot discs for afternoon tea.

I can't stop staring at his beautiful, symmetrical whiskers.

 Breakfast with the birds.

 Eggs in a red ramekin! 

 Thanks Suzi and Dan!

 

And Whitey, even though you only just tolerate me.

Love Ruby x

Close encounters of the cat kind!

I was just sitting minding my own business and meditating on how much I love pink when I had a rather up-close and personal encounter with this handsome pussycat.

At first glance I was starstruck, mistakenly thinking it was Henri, my celebrity crush.

His name is actually Henry but he lives in a pub in Wiltshire and eats fish and chips.

He was ever so sweet and gave me a fish-and-chippy cat-kiss on my nose.

 

Bye Handsome Henry.

Love Ruby x