Which Beatrix Potter character are you?

I'm Tom Kitten
Playful, quite cheeky
- slightly on the round side


I've been blog stalking again!  It's amazing what you can find out there in the blog world.... one blog leads onto another and then another....

Anyway, I was visiting a blog and saw another blog with the picture of my favourite Peter Rabbit character (besides Peter himself and all the cats!) - Mrs Tiggy-Winkle.  So I thought I'd wander over and see what was going on.  And what did I find but a link to a quiz to see what Beatrix Potter character I am.  Well, I just had to have a go... and guess what - I'm not Mrs Tiggy-Winkle... no, I'm Tom Kitten!  Quite appropriate given my love of all things kitty!

The wonderful Mrs Tiggy-Winkle
who I would so like to be!

So why not go and visit the Peter Rabbit website and take the quiz to find out "Which Beatrix Potter Character" you are.  Would love to hear what character everyone is.  If you take the quiz there is a little treat at the end.

Til next next time,

Two does go into one!

Well, this is a first - I have had two finishes in one day!  Never before have I managed to do this....  don't think it will ever happen again either!

Firstly, I have finished Thomas the Tank Engine.  I stitched Thomas for the Australian Quilts 4 Kids organisation.  I started him on 27 December 2010 and put in the last bit of the backstitch today.  I even totalled up the hours I took to stitch him - 30 hours all up (give or take 1/2 an hour).  I will now wash and press him and mail him off to the Quilts 4 Kids organiser during the next few days.

This square is due on 28 February, so I am way ahead of schedule so far!  Just as well too as I have quite a bit of stitching to do in the next month....

Thomas the Tank Engine
completed 16 Jan 2011
Design from
Cross Stitcher Magazine (April 2002)

The second finish of the day is a little cat fridge magnet but as it is a birthday exchange gift for someone in the UK I can't show you a photo until it arrives there safely along with the birthday card that I now have to start stitching.  This exchange is due in the UK on 3 February.  Not much time to stitch and send but the card I have chosen shouldn't take long to stitch (I hope!)

Once I have done that exchange, I need to get onto the stitching for the Valentine's exchange that Parsley has organised.  I have my swap person's name but I'm not giving you any hints as to where this exchange is being sent or what I am doing - you will just have to wait until February 14th!

After stitching the Valentine's exchange, I then need to start on another square for Quilts 4 Kids.  This one will be the butterfly design for little Sarah I.  That square is due on 30 March.

Then it will be the Winnie the Pooh square for Alexis W which is due 15 April.

If I get a good head start on these two I might sign up for a fourth square but I suspect that really would be biting off more than I can chew or I should say stitch....

And, I have also signed up to do a Biscornu exchange for the end of February - although I am still waiting to hear if that is going ahead or not.  I have never done a Biscornu so I am quite looking forward to doing this... I hear that they are addictive though!  Oh, well what's another harmeless addiction to add to my other addictions - cross stitch, blogging, cross stitch forums, exchanges... the list goes on!

Of course, I still have to find time to finish off the "Edwardian Country Lady's Diary" that I started in November last year, and I also need to put the needle back into Bonsai and Buddha.  Buddha is feeling very neglected!

As I have mentioned before I always work better with a deadline, and it appears to apply to my stitching as well as my job!  Stitching goals are just as important as any other goals....



Oh, and before I go - have a look at Felix with his "Precious".  This is a little blue toy mouse that he plays with.  He has been walking around the house with this in his mouth over the last couple of days and meowing like he has caught a real mouse!  He then took it outside into their enclosure yesterday morning and wouldn't let Oscar anywhere near it!  My Precious!!  (and yes, he did bring it back inside so that it was safe and sound and no other pussy cats could steal it)

My Precious

Til next time,

It's Saturday, and all is well - or is it?

As I sit here today pondering what to write my heart goes out to the people in Queensland that are going through such a traumatic and heart breaking time.  The power of water is something to marvel at when it is the sea breaking on a sandy beach or a beautiful waterfall, but when it is rain and storms, and swollen creeks and rivers wreaking havoc on the land and people's homes and livelihoods, and lives are being lost (both human and animal) it is something to be very fearful of.

We have been watching over the last few weeks what has been happening in Queensland, and especially over the last few days, and have also seen the floods in our own state of WA in Carnarvon.  There have been devastating floods in NSW as well, and now there are floods in Victoria and heading for SA.  I have also read that Tasmania and the NT have been hit by severe rain as well.  The scale and horror of this disaster in Queensland just seems to keep on growing.  Even now there is more rain expected for the East Coast as well as a cyclone!

The Courier Mail has a series of photos of the Queensland floods which tell a tale of a state torn apart, not just a city.  There have been some amazing stories of survival, but there are so many more stories of heartbreak.  At times the images that we have been watching have been so over-powering that I am struggling to believe what I am seeing.  It is like watching the 2007 disaster movie "Flood" where London was flooded when a tidal surge overwhelms the barrier in the Thames Estuary.

Except what we have been watching this week is real... not Hollywood hype and make-believe and computer graphics!  Mark and I have been to God's Own Country (Queensland) a couple of times now - we have walked along those streets in Brisbane that were flooded and no longer visible 2 days ago, and as the water recedes are now covered in this revolting stinking mess of mud and goodness knows what else!

As I have been reading some of the Aussie blogs that I follow, and the local papers, I have been heartened to see how much the Aussie spirit is flourishing.  Armies of volunteers are heading into Brisbane to begin the mammoth task of cleaning up the city.  Clean ups are also beginning in the other towns and communities that have been flooded.  There are some areas that are still water logged and will be for some time to come.  The road back to normality will be long and hard, and I don't know how many will actually be able to stay the distance.

While blogging I have also seen a number of crafters wanting to do something to raise funds to help the flood victims.  I have listed some links to crafters who are doing something to help raise funds for flood relief.  I am sure that there are many more people out there doing things to help online, these are just the ones that I have seen so far.

Also the Queensland Government has set up a relief fund to raise much needed funds to help out the people of Queensland.

Our hearts and prayers are with all those people around Australia that have been affected by this devastating show of nature's fury.

And while all this is going on in our backyard, there are now devastating floods in Brazil.... Words truly can't describe what we are seeing at home and around the world at the moment, all we can do is pray and help out where we can.

 

Among the Gum Trees
Gum Tree Designs Flood Appeal 2011

  

Carrol Nielsen

Hugs for Queensland 



Retromummy

Quilts for Queensland

Make it Perfect

organising a huge auction
of handmade items

 

Til next time,



Follow You, Follow Me - in the immortal words of Phil Collins...

Woo, I am in a wee bit of shock dear readers....  The other day I logged onto my blog and my followers online friends had increased by one or two (thank you so much), and now I see that my followers online friends have doubled! 

I can't believe that so many wonderful people out there want to read about me and my stitching and my cats and whatever else I ramble on about!  This wonderful new hobby (or obsession, depends on who you are talking too) was started because my hubby wanted to show off his quilts somewhere.  And me being me, decided that this was a great idea and I would join the party!  Then I thought I'd have a squizz at who else was out there in the blog-osphere and I found all these wonderful blogs and amazing stitchers which I so just had to "follow" so that I could keep up with everyone's news.  I have to agree with the "Spinster Stitcher" it is a bit like stalking.... but it is harmless fun that consumes hours of my day..... hours that I should be doing housework or stitching!  I generally log on first thing in the morning and before I know it and hour or two has flown by.... oops!  I really have to be careful about logging on when I'm at work otherwise I may not be at work much longer!  My lunch break can so easily go from a quick squizz at one or two blogs to much longer - just one more little blog, please sir!!

Seriously I would like to say a very, very big Thank You to everyone who is reading my blog.  I will try to keep you updated on my stitching, and with a bit of luck entertained.  I look forward to stalking reading all your blogs and seeing what everyone is up to.

So that was shock number 1, now here's shock number 2!

I was doing my blog stalking and went to visit Nicola at Austin's Allandale in Stitches to see what she has been up to lately, and low and behold Nicola has nominated me to continue on the round robin of the "Stylish Blogger Award". Me!  Wow!  Now I have to work out what to do.....

So I had a look at the other great blogs that I noticed have been nominated and I now think I know what to do to pass this award on. 

But firstly I apparently need to tell you 5 (or 7) things about myself that you don't know.  That shouldn't be hard as I am one of the new kids on the block so to speak so I haven't said much about me yet....  here goes (oh no, this is harder than I thought)

Five things about me that you may not know:

1. I have blue/green eyes and mousy brown hair
2. I love teddy bears, dragons, penguins and owls
3. I am married to a Englishman (or as we Aussie's say - a Pom)
4. I love Vegemite sandwiches
5. I am hopeless at sewing - couldn't sew a straight line if my life depended on it (which is why I love cross stitch!)

Now I need to nominate some other blogs to pass this award onto...

Mark @ Mark's Quilts (yes, I know this is my hubby's blog, but he has done a lot of work on his blog lately and it looks pretty good - blatant plug)

Sally @ Bizzi Hands (Sally is one of my work mates, so yes I know, another blatant plug but I do love Sally's card that she creates)

Kim @ A Stitch in Thyme (love the colours of Kim's blog!  And a fellow Aussie stitcher/blogger)

Astrid @ Cross Stitched by Astrid (another fan of dragons!)

So while I wouldn't normally accept and pass on awards, I believe that this one is a nice way to introduce myself to you all and also a way to say thank you to my new online friends.  I look forward to seeing everyone around Blogland!

Til next time,

Jenny Ellory: Last bits of Christmas...

Just been over and visiting Jenny Ellory's blog as I had noticed that there was an update and guess what.....

Well I'm not going to tell - you will have to go and read Jenny's post to find out!!!  Jenny Ellory: Last bits of Christmas...

Me is blushing a wee bit.. ;-)  Thank you Jenny

So off you go and have a squizz, and while you are on Jenny's blog have a look at the gorgeous Oriental Diecuts that she has just released for "Quick Cards Made Easy".  I will have to keep an eagle eye out for the magazine when it hits the newsagency here in down town Perth.

That's all from me and my blatant plug of a great designer that I have now found and will enjoy stitching more designs of as they are released.

Til next time