Do you like supporting your local eel historian? Well! Have I got some opportunities for you! 1. Over at my ETSY store, I'm selling subway-style maps of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Narnia. You can get them as prints or as digital versions! #LOTR #maps www.etsy.com/shop/Surpris...

This could be a long and rambling thread. Be patient with me. I bought an old mahogany bureau on Ebay. I didn't really want a bureau as we're meant to be downsizing, but it was a beautiful piece & obviously very old. Google lens suggests the brass chased handles are Queen Anne. That's 1702-1714 😯

#NationalPoetryDay ✒️ Roses are red, Water comes in litres, Trebuchets can use a counterweight to launch a 90kg stone projectile over 300 metres. #Wales

This article manages to name her husband before it names… her.

Most books contain insufficient whale facts

I’m struggling with #beadweaving some happy/sad faced beads. But I’m delighted that these two have found each other.

Deer of the day from this morning’s walk

Walking from Creswell Crags to the Harley Collection just now.

1 October 1925 | 100 years ago, Stanisław Zalewski, a Polish man, was born in Sucha Wola. Join us on the occasion of his birthday and share your birthday wishes in the comments.

And now I REALLY want a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Sigh. www.theguardian.com/thefilter/20...

Finished my lovely #HandEmbroidered 1579 #Walrus from the illustration in the exhibition at #Aberdeen Art Gallery. Stitching the gaps between the stripes and scallops has really transformed it.

Forgot to post these squirrels from this mornings walk. Lots of noisy squirrels this morning.

This is a sample from a while ago that didn’t really work overall but enough time has passed for me to appreciate the bits that did. The digitally printed image is from a jar containing a jelly from @noc.ac.uk and the #HandEmbroidery is all mine!

reminder:

Some #Embroidery progress on the,er, walrus with its upturned tusks and four feet…

Watching the Police on Top of the Pops and I am transported back to 14 year old me in autumn 1979 and my first gig, seeing them live at Brighton (I think).

An article on the pressures on publishing, rising costs, what can be done about it - and how readers can also help. open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/w... (This ran in the Society of Authors quarterly, The Author, earlier this year. They've kindly given me permission to reproduce it on my Substack.)

do I know anyone who studies icebergs? I need to talk to icebergerians for an article! Please share and thank you! 🧪

How it started -how it’s going. Saw this gorgeous 1579 Walrus engraving and knew I had to sew it. Made a drawing and currently slogging my way through two versions. The scallop borders are a nightmare in #HandEmbroidery

Deer of the day from this morning’s walk. These two Muntjac were together so are probably related

Thinking of working up some Christmas Tree and Cookie Star brooches for sale (not US or EU sadly) in the run up to Christmas. What do you think?

I’m a professor & was writing the same feedback on all the papers I received so I wrote a letter I now give students early in the semester with this feedback articulated. it’s made a huge difference so I’m sharing in case anyone wants to use or adapt it. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Heating on for the first time this autumn. Feeling very pleased that last night me thought to check and set the central heating timer properly so the this morning me had a warm house.

‘There is a Leviathanic Museum, they tell me, in Hull, England, one of the whaling ports of that country, where they have some fine specimens of fin-backs and other whales’ #MobyDick, Chapter 102. This is one of the fin-backs mentioned, now part of @nhm.org collection in store #MelvilleMonday

Two things I made today for an idea that hasn’t worked… … yet #BeadWeaving #Beading #Beads

For #InternationalTalkLikeAPirateDay, we present our freeze drier, which we use to dry wet wood. Yes, we literally 'Shiver our Timbers'! See the full video - youtu.be/JMqpYOfc0v4

I had an amazing day at the NHM whale store. So many wonderful specimens and fascinating stories. So grateful for the invite!

Unexpected Gruffalo content.

As a printmaker this really made my skin itch!

I see that this is back on the BBC iPlayer and so here is my semi-regular encouragement for you to watch this magical, fascinating, wonderful 90 minutes www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

The sample jars in white tarpaulin have worked quite well. A double layer gives stiffness and the paint is sticking. One has a pocket and I’ve popped a little #Krill in. Could turn these into bunting as they are weatherproof…

First go at a #CookieStar jar #brooch. Needs a bit of a tidy to finish it off but I think the idea works. It’s sitting on a 1 cm grid for scale. #HandEmbroidery

Come and work with me - I AM DELIGHTFUL… But, really, this is an incredible opportunity to work with a brilliant team, to innovate and make an impact on an incredible museum.

Thinking about tiny jars. Maybe as #Brooches. With upbeat labels… #HandEmbroidery on undyed calico with white fabric paint and black pigment underdrawing.

Sampling some, er sample imagery - things in jars. This time on white tarpaulin. The fabric paint seems to have stuck ok. Will be sewing with freehand #MachineEmbroidery later #Isopod #Anemone #FangtoothFish

A #Sketch from one evening last week. #Cellardyke #TidalPool looking west just after sunset

Last day in #Fife and a cappuccino in my ‘local’ this week. Managed a pic as I missed the rush. It’s usually heaving. It’s a real community hub and I’ve caught up on all the local gossip (for people I don’t know) and I would be here all the time if I lived here.

Walked up to the tidal pool for my last evening here.

A free day with no meetings. So it’s second breakfast time! #LorneSausage #Anstruther

Hello everyone! I am working on a story for The Guardian about how Chicagoans are preparing for the possible arrival of federal troops, following President Trump's statements on the matter. Right now, I'm looking for residents, community organizers, business owners, and other folks to talk to!

Well, I have to say, this is remarkably pleasant #Cellardyke #Fife

So glad I went around the Monsters of the Deep exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery yesterday as I spotted this cutie who is crying out to be rendered in #embroidery

Late lunch that exactly hits the spot at Aberdeen Museum and Art Gallery after a great meeting at Mintlaw Discovery Centre this morning.

Well, for any #RiversOfLondon @benaaronovitch.bsky.social fans out there - I'm off for a meeting at Mintlaw Discovery Centre today! #StoneAndSky

And a second good morning, this time from @vadundee.bsky.social overlooking the wonderful Discovery at Discovery Point where I’ll be from 11-5 for the last day of Scotland’s Whale Road exhibition.

Good morning from a wonderfully sunny Anstruther where I got up early and wandered down to my fav coffee place when I’m here (Coast) which is lovely as I remembered.

A perfect place for me to get some sketching and book editing done. Oooh a jigsaw puzzle 🧩

If you’d like to catch up with Jimmy Perez before following his new adventure in Orkney, Wild Fire, the last Shetland book, will be £1.99 on Kindle for the whole of September.

I cannot describe my joy when I saw that the @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social Friends publication is called Bowes Arts. Magnificent!

There is a fab resource room (The Hive) @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social and it’s the perfect place to sit and #sketch the amazing ceiling.