And this mouse hermitted :)

Hi every one :) hope you all had a fantastic weekend hermitting ????
well the kettle has boiled and you will pleased to know I have stocked up on choccie biscuits for you all .... and  this week there are NO yummy goodies to drool over ..... plenty of stitching though heheheh
The weather has continued to be rather damp and wet and there has been that much rain these last few days I am starting to rust and there are frogs swimming in the back garden ;0 ..lol but last night there was a glorious double rainbow which I managed to capture :)


On Wednesday it was my turn to go to Sally's for our sal .... I didn't get as much done again as I hoped as I found I was a stitch short on the first long flower on the right hand side  , I only noticed when I had done the other one and was putting the border in WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ........ needless to say ,you see why the frogs were here !!!!! well I haven't had the heart to rip it out  yet but I will do as it will certainly bug me if I fudge it ...lol ...  the other week I found some  floristry foam in the charity shop which will be the perfect size for this to be a no sew cube fingers crossed :0


well Friday the start of the hermie weekend for me ... I certainly got a numb butt as I managed to finish a birthday present for a friend who's birthday is at the beginning of next month sooo I can't show you just yet but I think you will like it ...lol... I am just putting it together and hopefully it will be in the post in the next few days with strict instructions not to open until the big day(not that that will stop her hahaha)


Saturday dawned not too bad and as DH was going away for the weekend I quickly did the necessary h ****k  and settled down in the afternoon and worked on the February Cottage SAL by CCN and finished that month whooop whooop ...... I changed the threads on the house to prickly pear and house wine and made the wee birds into  robins ... I was really glad that I had got that one finished .. for some reason I didn't seem to enjoy it as much as the Jan and the March one that I got to start on the same day as the finish as I was on such a roll heheheheh


Sunday I had promised Cindy (from FS  too ) that I would work on Afternoon Tea my HAED  that she had twisted my wee arm to buy and start last year hehehe ... and has been nagging me ever since to get some more done on it .... sooo I finally managed to get some stitches in on it ..... Cindy does hers over two .... I didn't have enough fabric or the space to have something 32 inches by 40 inches so I opted to do it over one .... you can actually see the difference in the photos which I am really pleased about ...lol .... I worked on it for a few hours before I had to stop and work on something bigger as my eyes were struggling to stay awake due to being up until 2.45 pm the night before reading as I wasn't tired !!!!!!!
so I picked up the dawn of spring and worked on that a bit .... it is wonderful seeing all the different versions on the group ... hopefully I will work out how to do a collage of photos and bob them up on the groups blog for you all to see:)


well Saturday was TUSAL day and unfortunately DH had taken the camera with him and soo I am a wee bit late with this one although I did let daffy know on her blog post  so froggy decided he wanted in on the photo this week ..lol
I've taken a picture of the pots of potatoes for you at the back of the pond .... DH has got some peas to set and they will hopefully grow up the pond netting serving two purposes .. to keep the fish cool and so we don't have to stake them ..lol


Friday night DD1 and I took Master Bentley down to the park for his last walk of the day and took the tennis balls for him to chase and bring back sooo I shall bob a few photos of him in action so to speak as I know you have all missed him heheheh 
well I shall go and make you all another drink while you have a nosy at all the photos :)

this weeks sal 

need to turn head to look right way .lol

pear tree that has flowered just

aubriatia 

first peonie after the rain 

way hey got it 

ready and waiting for the next throw 

weeeee am flying :)

beautiful double rainbow Sunday 

evening

afternoon tea after 

april's orts

sorry just realised haven't got a before photo of the Haed on this sd card and the photos are the wrong way ... ho hum .. its because I am on the lap top and not the main computer .... will try and remember to re do next time ....
so I shall leave you all now until next time ... take care and happy stitching :) love mouse xxxxxx

Stuck for a title ..lol

Hi every body :)
well I have sat here trying to think of a witty title for today's post and nada, zilch, nothing sooooo there isn't one hehehehe ....
I've been shopping so there are plenty of choccie biccies to go round today along with the usual tea and coffee so grab a mug, pull up a chair and we shall  begin ;)
those wee blue flowers in my hay basket are called Lithodora heavenly blue  while I remember ...lol 
The weather at the mouse house has been very changeable and has gone from washing hung out and drying outside to being on the radiators inside as we have had one extreme to the other including a hail stone storm .... I know we are not having it  as bad as some but I do wish the weather would make up its mind ...lol 


The trouble with doing secret stitching for folks is you haven't got a lot to show folks for the long awaited blog posts hehehehe..... I have finished the one for Catherine  as the tusal winner but need to finish the box to put it in .... hopefully will get that a bit further on tonight or tomorrow :)
I'm about half way mark on DJ's stitching and I am loving stitching on this one :0 once its done she can see it and decide how she wants me to finish it :)
I've worked on Needles by Cherrywood  designs each week when we have gone to Bev's for stitching night with the Barnsley Babes as we have been nicknamed ...lol and yes she baked some more yummies :) I showed Bev how to do spider web roses for the second  part of my Band sampler .... every one is really enjoying doing this on the group and the colours that they have  picked are all lovely ... I would be hard pressed to say which I liked best :)
and I've worked on the Sal "Summer Splendor" by LHN with Sally  on Wednesday night and I am really pleased at how much I got done in between all the yackking ;) in fact I was giggling at my copy as the chart actually says "Summer spendor" .....


On Saturday Kath , Chris and Bev and I went to Bakewell for the day with me driving the mouse mobeal .... the weather wasn't particularly warm to say the least but with a chip buttie and a cuppa to fortify us after we had been shopping at the Wye Needlecraft shop there .... we went for a walk round and found some lovely shops and the odd bargain .... I found a scissor frog for Ally finally so she shall have one now too :) and there were some "real statues" raising money for some cause and I managed to get a lovely photo of them for you :)
the drive home was fun as following the signs we nearly ended back on the route to Bakewell again hehehehe ..... I didn't buy any real Bakewell  tarts much to DD1's disgust but at £5.00 for a large one that wouldn't have done  two of them really, I wasn't going to splash out. I did how ever have a wee splash out on stash ..... no where near as much as the others either ..... felt positively angelic on that score ....lol 
I got some thread there too  to start a birthday prezzie for some one who's birthday is quite soon and I am hoping to get it done on time paws crossed ;)


Yesterday was a rare day when DH and I actually had time free soo we decided to tidy up the back garden and plant some potatoes in pots and tubs before the rain fell again .... it was lovely to get most of the small garden weeded and sorted ..... he did the heavy work , I did the raised beds ....  there is still  a bit to do along with the front garden but that will have to wait until it is a bit warmer .....
I went to visit my friend Carole the other day and her pheasant "Phil" popped into see us  with his partner and luckily I had my camera on me to take some photos for you :)


Ok I have popped the kettle on again for you while I upload the photos for you to nosy at ...lol  

Easter Buns from Bev 

thursday 5th april 2012 update

Summer Splendor LHN 11th April update

Phil 

and with is wife ..lol

look at that dark sky behind

12th April 2012 update

hail stone storm 

wet round the edges from the storm

real statues at Bakewell

Parts one and two of the Dawn of Spring by Me :)

Thorntons Hot chocolate and billionaires cake :)

my orchid flowering again 

for ally 

small stash enhancement :)

I am sure there is something else to tell you but I can't remember at the mo .... soooo I hope you all are having a wonderful stitchy week and getting loads done ..... I have been trying to keep up with all the blogs I follow and if I haven't been and commented yet I will do soon .... DH has been on the comp a lot on an evening so I am trying to get round folks while I have my breakfast :)
ok think I have waffled enough sooo take care every one and I shall squeak to you soon :) love mouse xxxxx

THE GREAT EASTER TREASURE HUNT

Hi every one :)

Jo  has come up with another fun thing to do this Easter Sunday apart from eat chocolate ...lol 

you have to go on a treasure hunt, there are a few blogs with letters above a spring or Easter stitched piece  and you must do them in order to get the correct word / phrase 

sooooo  nip on to her blog to find all participating and enjoy the fun :) 

and then put a comment on her blog with the said above (comment moderation is on sooo no cheating heheheh) and you may win a lovely wee prize too ......

my letter is                                           N

the  next blog to go to from mine is Jo's ..lol http://serendipitousstitching.blogspot.co.uk/

Have fun every one and most of all I wish you a very Happy Easter and may the Easter bunny be good to you;)

take care :) love mouse xxxxx

Doggy Disclaimer !!!!

Hi every one :) well it is a very grey and dull day here at the mouse house and my get up and go has got up and gone too :(
I have been told that I must point out a very serious error here on my blog ...lol 
Bentley is MY  GIRLS dog    .... I am the grannie and have no legal ownership of him  heheheh (but I do get all the morning cuddles ;) DD1 has been reading and moaning for the last few updates that you all think that he is mine,all mine .... heheheheh 
soooo I am being forced  nagged to set the record straight .... so there you are ... done !!!


onto the fun stuff ... grab a cuppa .. biscuits are in the tin, help yourselves ...
right are you sitting comfortably ????
well I managed to frog the letters I had done one up on the February Cottage sal by CCN .... you would think that by now I could count one up ????  and I have stitched all of the house and have only got a couple of hours more to do on it then I can start March's ....followed by April etc etc etc ....
I sat down on Wednesday night to do the Summer splendor sal with Sally at home as I couldn't get any petrol due to folks panic buying and had just got a few stitches in when DD2 asked if I could go with her to walk Bentley at the back of the canal as it was dropping dark by this time .... sooo I grabbed my coat and stick and off we went ..... things were going fine until just after we met another doggy friend and then WHOOPS !!!! as I put my foot down onto some loose stones/twigs etc Bentley pulled and I heard something go POP in my right foot and my left calf at the same time .... well I yelled ouch rather loudly .... and yup that's all I yelled  ..lol and couldn't move for a few moments while I gingerly checked for serious damage ....... then tried putting weight on said foot etc and found although painful was ok to get me back home as we were in the middle of nowhere ... good job I use a stick normally ..lol 
sooo the upshot is .. I didn't get as far with my stitching as I wanted too ...and I've a lovely photo of my ankle to show you (look away if squeamish later ..lol) I had to use my sticks around the house for the next few days  but I am now back to "normal" (no witty comments to that please ...lol) in fact I think I actually put something back in place as I haven't had any pain from said ankle for days.. touch wood :)
we had some glorious weather after that so I was able to catch up with all the mousely duties of washing etc and sneaked some stitching in between ... did a wee bit more on DJ's present will show a sneak peak ...as I don't think you can tell what it is going to be, once it has been stitched up from it ....
I managed to get Kath's hedgehogs framed for her and another one she wanted doing and I even laced the back for this one as had enough fabbie to enable me to do it and pinned it first ... oooo was really impressed with myself even if it is me thinking it heheheheh
I've started Catherine's tusal gift and it looks lovely ...well I think soo ...lol 
did some more on my Band sampler design with drawing thread and re weaving .... I just love it, find it very therapeutic heheheh... seen 27 different versions of it and they all look fabulous :) well done girls :) and there is still more to come in :)
and I have been doing some more designing too ... watch this space ...... :)


well I must say that on Saturday the postie came and it wasn't for me from Niina  but for DD1 ..... dd is a great fan of Moomins and Niina sent her some lovely gifts and yummies for her and really made her day / weekend ...lol and she is still smiling folks !!!!! (this is very rare indeed..lol) 
my postie goodies came yesterday from Anita's little stitches my mothers day prezzie from DD1 and a few wee extras heheheh ... as you do ....


ok having realised this is going to be another long waffle the kettle has gone back on heheheheh    ....  hot cross bun any one ????
The garden centre at Wentworth is gorgeous and one of the best ones around the mouse house area ... I actually didn't buy anything this time which is unusual but I haven't had the time or the get up and go, to go out into my wee garden and tidy it up ready for something new .... so instead I shall show you something I got from there last year ... and the colours are just soooo me ...


I have sat and thunk while I have been stitching that I don't think I shall get any where near finishing the crazies this year sooo am not going to get stressed over it at all, full stop ...lol  
I want to get my RAKs done too and other stuff soo there it is in black and white ....
talking of black and white .. our wee man has been losing his puppy teeth this last couple of days and is now nicked named gummie ...lol I just had to take a photo to show you ....these ones I got yesterday and his other fang came out this morning :) and he lost another a few days ago ... soo bless his cotton paws he is feeling rather sorry for himself and wants lots of cuddles .....and seeing as I am around ;)
I must mention while I remember that Kath is having a bloggaverseary give away if you want to pop over :)


also please nip over to Ellens blog too and read her entry for this link .....I think it is very important that you  all do so ......


well if I waffle any more this will turn into a novel ...lol so I had better show the photos etc  there isn't any cake photos this week I am afraid  :(

Band one of Dawn of Spring designed by me :)stitched on purpleberryspludge by Sparklies using ambrosia caron silks 

my toothies hurt grannie 

Feb cottage CCN sal 

before wednesday sal with sally 

after  :)

ouchie 

see that tail wag :0

yummies from Niina for DD1

gorgeous moomin goodies :)

framed and finished whoop whoop 

pinned ready to lace (kath's stitching not mine )

sneak peek of DJ's can you guess what it is yet hahahah

framed now :)

wee puppy teeth :)

in my hay basket at the front of the mouse house

closer look gorgeous bluey green 

mothers day prezzies and a bit of baskitits ;)

PHEW another blog post is almost done hehhehe .....thank you all for your lovely comments ... it really does make my day when I read them :) well I had really better go and get back to mousely duties so I shall say t.t.f.n :0 take care and happy stitching till next time :) love mouse xxxxxx