Birthday cake any one ????

HI every one :)
well as you can tell from the title, there is a piece of birthday cake for you all ... it was yesterday the 28th Jan  and I was  *cough cough  years of age ... heheheh ...
kettle is on for you all to have a cuppa with your cake too :0
well I have had a busy old week with one thing and another ... 
on Tuesday night Kath and Chris and I went to a craft cafe in the village where they live .... its a lovely little place with china cups and saucers and tea pots that don't match but look perfect together and rather nice cup cakes too ;) we had a lovely couple of hours stitching and chatting .... I took with me the Cherry wood design "Needles" and got a bit stitched on it too :) 
I have been working on Kaths present as much as I can ... the only time I seem to get atm with Bentley is an hour or two on an evening so things aren't moving as fast as normal .... *sigh  but he is worth it ....
I have told him all about you and even managed to get him to pose for you ... as we have learnt the word "sit" ..lol .. he loves to run round the garden and pick every little leaf up and then go "chase me "...lol 
We had stitching night at the mouse house this week and I managed to run the hoover round and tidy up the scattered toys up before the girls came Phew ..lol needless to say not much stitching got done as Bentley decided to nick Bevs threads and run off eeeekkkk .... luckily it was got before any slobber got on it ...
DD2 and I went to Morrisons (local supermarket ) and got some bits and bobs and a chocolate birthday cake for the girls to have some on Thursday night .... we decided to treat ourselves to a ginger bread cookie when disaster struck !!!! the icing on it was rather hard and much to my horror it fractured one of my bottom teeth LL 5 to be precise ..... good job I've got an appointment next week to go for my annual check up ..... 
My birthday day  dawned beautiful and sunny and I spent a lovely hour opening up my cards and presents and would like to thank every one who sent me cards and goodies especially Jo ,Becka,Kath, Gillie and Val just to name a few ....(there is some more goodies on the way too *vbg)
Becka  picked me to be her birthday month girl and stitched me a beautiful little mouse ornament and in my parcel sent some needles and pins , some lovely ribbon and a beautiful piece of fabric with tea pots on it all with the theme of pink :) and some tea :)  she knows me tooo well hehehehe 
another cuppa ????
I certainly was spoilt rotten and as it was my birthday I started a new piece I've wanted to do for ages and it was kitted up last November ... I sew'd my heart by beth twist  and although I haven't got very far ...I love it ... I have done a little bit more than the photo will show .... 
On Saturday night 21  of us went ten pin bowling to help me celebrate my birthday and with something to eat as well ... well we had such a laugh ..... four lanes of bowlers and much cheering when I got a strike .... and lots of laughs when I missed heheheh .... the bowling balls are really too heavy for me so I had to launch them in the general direction .... I didn't come last at any rate heheheh.
A few things I must remember to mention .... Autumn is having a wee give away :) Di  has been really good and stitched every day this last month sooo please go and pop over and say hi .. and encourage her on her stitching marathon :)
I've been awarded the versatile blogger award by Ali  and June so I will do a separate post about that later otherwise we will be here all night ...lol but thanks ladies for choosing me :)
ok with out further ado I shall pop up the photos for you to drool over ..lol 

Cherrywood designs Needle

getting there :)

from Becka

lovely goodies :)

my cards 

I sew'd my heart new start 28/01/2012

Cake any one :)

worn out little pup tucked up

learnt the word "Sit"

posing in the mirror

my new hoodie

and another view 

soooo there you go a Bentley fix as well as my stitching ...lol 
hope you all had a fab stitchy weekend and I shall catch up with you all real soon  :)
t.t.f.n :) love mouse xxxxxx

IHSW & TUSAL and a wee bit more ..lol

Hi every one :) hope you have all had a wonderful stitching weekend and got lots done ..... I've been stalking a few blogs and it looks like all the needles have been smoking  from over use and a few  flat butts are around too ....hehehehhe 
ok so... where do I begin *(cue music..lol)
the kettle has boiled and the cuppas are ready and we have some nice chocolate digestives to munch as well tonight :)
On the stitching front I have lots of little bits to show you ... stitching time has been drastically reduced due to the small bundle of fur ......I have to time it so I can get a few stitches in when Bentley is asleep or wait until reinforcements arrive  in the evening ......
The IHSW flashed past like a blurr, but I managed to work on the Winter Band sampler by LHN ,the Ladybugs and bumble bees LHN, the Romantique sal by Angie , did some more on Kaths birthday stitch and frogged a lot too :( .... also did a wee bit on the Cottage SAL and also started the Band Sampler I have designed for my group the friendly stitchers  ,as well as frame the "count your blessings " to match the others I did last year (the frames are from Wilkinsons)


I almost forgot, I received the Travelling Pattern from Gracie the other day ....."Thankful for Ewe" ... I have made a start on it after spending ages  choosing  the fabric and the floss guess what I opted for ....... 18 count rustic Aida !!!! 
along with  gast threads which off hand I can't remember ..lol ..... I shall do a post for it once finished, to chose the next person for it to travel too, so keep your eyes pealed :)


oooo on a good note my parcels have all arrived at their destinations so I can show you what I stitched for Peggy  she showed photos on her blog and her face is a picture when she sees it ..lol  .... I am pleased to report she loves it PHEW ..lol....
the other parcels. one was a RAK and the others were thank you's.. just for your info ...lol 
I also remembered it was TUSAL day to day sooo I took a picture of my orts with my wee mouse from Fiona .... there does seem to be rather a lot in there ...lol 
OOOOO am cream crackered ...lol just had to chase a wee black and white bundle around my small garden as he seems to think that eating every single leaf , stone and worm dust is fun .... If I haven't lost any weight next time I go hahahhaha
seriously though he is hard work when I have got him .... I mean we have to have a snuggle cuddle in the morning for a hour before I can get anything normal done around the mouse house ....lol followed by a play and then another nap etc etc etc ..lol 
well I have made another drink for you all to slurp while you drool over the wee progress photos and my tusal etc ....

Winter Band sampler LHN

Getting there with the Romatique SAL

Start of my band sampler 

bit more on the Jan Cottage

more done on the Ladybugs LHN

Finally in the frame :)

the start of the Travelling Pattern

Kaths birthday stitch half way there now :)

my orts for Jan 2012

stitched for Peggy :)

a few mins peace and quiet

favourite game eating stones 

just look at those ears ..lol

I couldn't leave you with out any photos from Bentley ... .lol 


well I shall say if you have got this far well done ..:) ...handing another biccie to dunk ...
(the bloods came back with normal iron levels but raised liver functions so I have to have that one repeated in 6 weeks ... I go for scan beginning of Feb sooo I will let you know how things go once I know too ...lol )
Ok this is definitely it now .... honest heheheheheh .....
take care and happy stitching and I shall catch up with you all soon :)
love mouse xxxxxx
ps Next Saturday is celebration day.... there will be birthday cake ;) so save a wee corner on Sunday for a piece :)

A cross stitch kit review :)

Hi every one :)
I was asked at the weekend by Yiota if I would kindly review one of her cross stitch kits.......

so grab a cuppa and sit back and enjoy :)

after a few emails back and forth and having a really good drool and looking through all of the choices on her site  www.yiotas-xstitch.com 
I finally decided after much deliberating  on... Landscape window in stained glass .....
Her site is really easy to navigate and has lots of choices for those who are just starting out and also for the advanced stitcher .... including cards and biscornus too :)

The kit arrived very quickly and beautifully packed in a stiff card-boarded envelope clearly stating do not  bend on the front .....
I opened it with great excitement and pulled out the clear plastic sleeve keeping all the kit together and loved how all the threads were pre wound onto large bobbins and clearly marked with the colour.

Yiota uses Maderia threads but does give a DMC option that won't be quite the same as the original charted version ....  a needle was carefully popped into the Aida that is provided with the kit ..... which  was cut to a generous size to accommodate the size of the chart I had chosen and to be able to frame it afterwards :) I was pleasantly surprised how nice the fabric felt (being a even weave and linen snob ...lol.... I wouldn't have objected to using it )

The chart was spread over two sheets of A3 which is a perfect size for me with clear and strongly printed symbols which is a definite added bonus too as well as centre marks .
There was an instruction sheet included with very helpful hints and tips for those just starting out :) 
In fact it is the perfect way to receive a kit ... you can start it straight away with minimum fuss ....  and that is what I did ....except I did change the fabric for  a 28 count even weave in the same colour ...
I spread the chart out on my stitching table and set off with the  first colour required for the middle of the chart and stitched a wee bit .... well you can't review a kit without starting it now, can you ..lol 

I certainly will be going back to purchase another kit  soon that I have my eye on..... as its my birthday very soon ;)
I certainly would recommend any one to use Yiota if they were looking for a special cross stitch kit for the speed of service and also ease of usage and the clear detailed charts that you receive  along with the all important wound bobbins :)

soooo I shall show you the photos now 

safely 

packaged

encased in the plastic sleeve

look at all those lovely colours on the aida
with the needle safely into the fabric

Landscape window with the sun streaming through
rather apt I thought ..lol

clear instructions and brilliant chart sheets :)

started stitching

added a wee bit of colour :)

Thank you Yiota for giving me the opportunity to review and stitch this lovely kit and I will be showing progress through out the next few months  sooo watch this space :)
take care and happy stitching :)
love mouse xxxxx

AND I did it ;)

stitch on each days new crazy project  that is heheheheh
hellloooo every one ... brrrrrr it has been very chilly and frosty here at the mouse house .. the sun has tried to come out but didn't do much to raise the temp soooo I stayed indoors to day :)
Bentley has got rather big headed over his fan club ... he even wanted his own blog ...lol he has kindly posed for some photos yesterday and today for his adoring fans  and even went to sleep for me in my room long enough for me to stitch on today's final crazy .....


But I digress ..... yesterdays crazy needs to be squeaked about first sooooo have you got your cuppa's ready and you comfy ??? then I shall begin .....
I started the Bloom Sampler by Threadwork Primitives  ... stitching it on 28 count lambswool with the recommended threads ... I loved this chart when it was about earlier on last year and I was lucky enough to win it, in a goody box from Terri so it was one of the first ones into my crazy list :)


I shall tell you this while you are still sitting down, so you don't fall off in shock and spill precious cuppa's over the screen but ....... I actually stitched on my Romantique Sampler to try and get it totally finished asap .... yup I worked on a UFO hehheheh .... so I shall show you a progress photo in a mo :)


Yesterday I decided in my infinite wisdom to sort out the corner cupboard with all my cleaning stuff in .. I had bought some small plastic baskets to put things in so that it would be easier to get stuff out for other peeps too :) and cooooo you know when you think, should I really have started this heheheheh ... it took me all last night and today to get it done with a inquisitive pooch trying to help me wipe the shelves down .... it is now all shiny and tidy ... for now ...lol 


today dawned early as per and as I was trying to get my emails up to date I had a little helper wanting a cuddle ... luckily the camera was to hand to take the odd photo or two ...lol 
I tried numerous of times to sit down and put the thread in the needle and start today's project but a small bundle of fun kept saying I'm here ...lol .... I finally managed about 2.30 this afternoon to stitch  when I had brought his cushion and blankie into the craft room for him to have a snooze on ... my little froggy was gob smacked that was all I had managed, when I took the photo heheheheh ......... can you guess which chart it is ?????...lol 

in at 14 Bloom Sampler Threadwork Samplers

part 20 Romatique Sal update 

yep that was I all I managed

yup it was "Needles" of Cherrywood Designs stitching on beige weeks dye works  gingham fabric with Cranberry Gast thread :)

sooo here you go ,some awwww photos  for you all ...

morning cuddle with me

ain't those paws adorable ..lol

am tiredddddd 

ohhhh nooo not the camera again 

AHHH BOOOOO 

snooooooozing 

soooo that's all the crazy  starts for this years challenge all done .... there are a few more to start later on once I've got a few smalls done and dusted for a few peeps that are waiting ...  won't be long honest heheheh 
sooo hopefully next time I blog there will be lots of eye candy to look at, fingers crossed a small furry pooch with let me heheheh....
soooo until next time take care and happy stitching :)
love mouse xxxxxx

I'm Keeping Up ... just ..lol

Hi every one :)
I have managed to leave the puppy sitting duties to DD2 and DH while I come on here to keep you all up to date on the stitching front ;)
Bentley  is having a mad moment chasing round the rooms  and coming up to say hello to you all before going off again ...
the kettle is on, ready for you all for a cuppa or two :)
Yesterday and today have passed in a blur of running round and going shopping and fitting in the stitching when I could ..... sooo don't expect miracles .... a start is a start heheheheh .....
So yesterday I stitched on  two things .. one was a crazy and the other a SAL  the CCN cottage SAL (I took this to stitching group and worked on it a wee bit more ) 
the crazy was .... ermmmmm hang on I forgot ..lol
*mouse scurries into the kitchen to sort out the drinks and then into craft room to remember .....
AHHHH yes I remember it well ...lol  The Souvenir Sampler by the Drawn thread ... I am stitching it on a 28 count natural linen with the recommended DMC threads (it is charted for Needlepoint ink silks but ....)  and I didn't get very far at all ..... ho hum 
I met up with my stitching buddies last night and got a quite a bit done on the Cottage Sal ....I am stitching it on a piece of Sparklies fabric called barely bronzed with the recommended threads... ish ...lol and I am loving how this is looking already (the photo's are really c**p colour wise *sigh)
whoops Bentley is trying to sort out the washing .... socks are being nicked from the wash baskets heheheh .... 
mmmmm stitching today, as I had a helper I thought oooo I would start the Cranberry Sampler by the Sweetheart Tree .... I had to copy the top half of the chart so I could get it nearer to me ...lol ... and also I can see me having to mark off where I have stitched as there is a lot of backstitching at the top and bottom of the chart ...  I only managed an hour on this today ...  
well after writing this update I am going to hibernate in my room and get some thread and a needle into something to try and catch up .... 
sooo with out further ado I shall put up the eye candy for you ;)

Drawn Thread Sampler 

January Cottage CCN 

the Cranberry Sampler 

you can see from the needle behind the wee frog how much I got done ...lol ...the amount is the size of it .....
I have been pootling round and seeing how every one is doing and I am really enjoying being nosy and trying not to be enabled at the same time ....
I must say thanks for the get well wishes .. they seem to have helped, at least today I've felt better ..lol ... I should get the results of my x-rays and bone density scan on Monday all being well :) and have got my appointment through for the other problems ;)
ok I can hear my stitching calling me sooo off I go and get something done ....
take care every one and happy stitching until I next squeak to you :) 
love mouse xxx

Two for the price of one post ..lol

Hi every one :) sorry I didn't do a blog update last night but time and tide doesn't wait for a mouse never mind a man ..lol 
I am having a hard time atm with my get up and go .. and feel rather tired all of the time and my pain levels are on the high side tooo ... not sure if it is a combination of every thing or just the extra bundle of fun we have ...lol 
any way 's I am not going to moan any more ... just have the odd squeak here and there ;)
I am awfully sorry but I have been forgetting to make the cuppas for every one and was reminded rather nicely the other day heheheheh soooo..... * mouse passes large mugs of tea/ coffee and hot chocolate round with a chocolate biccie  too, to make up for it ..lol  


SOOOOOO Tuesday the 10th day of the challenge saw me finally sitting down and putting needle to fabric at ...... 10.00 pm .... I had picked the "north wind shall blow " from LHN to do .... I just love this chart with the colours and the wee robin on it to ... I had a choice of fabric in my bag as I couldn't decide at the time what to do it on .... soooo I did the famouse floss toss and the darker steel grey fabric won ,.... the colours really pop on this one :)


I got my trusty tape measure out and double checked there would be enough fabric just to be on the safe side and folded and started the chart in the middle for a change .....just in case you weren't familiar with the chart  as the other ones I have been starting at the top .... I am using the recommend CC threads on this one and I just love it :) mmmm think I have said this before earlier ..lol 


moving on to today's start ..... I decided to work on Sampling in the square by Blue Ribbon designs and wait for it ... on the recommend 40 count fabric !!!!!! I am doing it with the mac cheaper version of threads as I couldn't justify the hand dyed ones for this one when doing my shopping list for Harrogate but ..... I think it still looks fab with the normal DMC and Anchor equivalents ....


and as for 40 count oooooooooo I am a convert ... just loved working on this one today too .... although it is defo one to work on in very good light ..... 


I took a wee stroll  hobble  around my very small garden today while watching the small bundle of fluff pottering round ... and armed with the camera I took some photos of spring arriving at the mouse house  YIPPPPEEEEE :)
I also had to take photos of said wee bundle of fluff asleep on DD2's quilt that she brought down stairs and forgot to take back up and it was left on the pouffe in front of the couch .... get ready for the awwwww factor again ...lol


right I have waffled enough and need to go and make a start on the CCN cottage as I am itching to start it .... oooo btw I will get another skein of  floss for Melicent just to be on the safe side :) and I think I will wait until the border is done too before I make up my mind re the letter A :)

When the North wind doth blow LHN

Sampling in the square Blue Ribbon Designs 

would you believe these have flowered all winter 

think these are either tulips or daffs :)

peony 

hyacinth :)

mushrooms under the holly and apple tree 

how cute is this eh ???

dog tired ..lol 

off to go and stitch now :) take care one and all and all being well will see you all again tomorrow :)
happy stitching :) love mouse xxxxx