My band Santa Dog has been a bit quiet the last few months. We had a flurry of activity in 2006-8 that took us to some really fun places; playing in Europe and Canada and releasing our album on Japanese label Quince, but it's a difficult thing to sustain and all four of us in the band have needed to balance the gigging and recording side of things with our everyday lives. However, the need to make music is an itch that must to be scratched and it can't lay dormant for too long. I have felt a little guilty the last few months that my previous drive and musical passion has wained but I'm really happy that I've finally got some fire in my belly for it again. We've started rehearsing new material and are taking a slightly darker, melancholy approach to our pop sensibility. We've got a gig coming up this Saturday at Bristol's Cube cinema as part of indie-pop fest the Big Pink Cake and I can't wait!

I've been meaning to start a new blog for ages, one that encompasses different strands of current projects, thoughts and musings. Although it will partly focus on my Etsy shop Red Ruby Rose I hope that this space will be more than a promotional cheer-sheet and will act as an extension of the cluttered work space in my head and will cover my photography, illustration, band and work in progress as well as curios, favourites and other oddities.

To kick things off, I'm going to host a giveaway. Yay! Simply visit my Etsy shop and then tell me in the comment box below a) which is your favourite and b) what creature you would like to be if you weren't human and why. I think I'd currently like to be a Scottish eagle for the awesome flying skills and views.

I'll pick the winner on the 1st May, prize is a clutch to the value of $75 from my Etsy shop - and that includes free international shipping.