Moss Mountain

Front Page News

2010-11-16T22:35:00.003Z

Today has been a very exciting day. My tiny hippo was featured on the front page of Etsy around 1:00 pm today. I was so thrilled!

The moment of fame was short, but it brought me over a thousand shop views, 20 or more sales, and lots of hearts.

During the busy holiday rush, I am going to be even more occupied than usual trying to get all of these orders processed as quickly as possible. But I am so glad that I had that chance and it's given me a feeling of satisfaction and thrill all day. :)

I needed the boost!

Two Prizes to be Won!

2010-07-24T12:39:00.007+01:00

In celebration of getting to 1,000 fans on my Facebook page, I am giving away TWO prizes! You could win a pair of mouse earrings or a tiny hedgehog, and you can enter to win both for free.

All you need to do is visit my Facebook page and click on the "Discussions" tab. Then comment on the mouse earrings give away thread and the hedgehog give away thread.

No purchase necessary, no strings attached, and winners chosen at random.

Click here to enter!

Creative Flab

2010-06-11T09:37:00.004+01:00

It's fairly well known that a lot of writers struggle with their weight. At least, even if this is isn't documented, it's something that I've noticed over the years. I'm starting to think that it may not only be common to writers, but common to creative people in general, including of course crafters. So, what's the problem?

For me, there are multiple problems, most of which I don't want to go into. But I think one of the biggest problems is that creative people who work at home tend to sit at a desk, or sit on the couch, for long hours and rarely exercise, not because they don't want to, but because either they genuinely don't have the time, or they have convinced themselves they don't have the time. After all, if you have a $150 order to fill in three days, you need to sew all day and you can't justify a long, leisurely walk in the park. However, there is hope.

Running is not fun. Long walks (and I mean 4-6 miles) have always been my preferred method of burning off the excess pounds. But it's occurred to me lately that there is one major advantage to running and jogging that you absolutely can not get from walking: it hardly takes any time. You can burn off the same number of calories in 30 minutes of jogging that would require over an hour of walking. And better yet, you can jog in your house.

Jog in place, and all you need is a pair of good sneakers. No other equipment required. Do some stretching to warm up, turn on the TV, grab a water bottle, and you're good to go. Time yourself for 30 minutes--use a stop watch so you can take breathers whenever you need to. Contrary to popular belief, resting while exercising will not cause you to burn fewer calories. Your heart rate will stay up for a long time after you finish anyway, so even when you complete your routine you are still burning calories at a higher rate than when you haven't exercised at all.

Don't forget to stretch while you cool down. From what I read, the aftermath stretches are far more important. On more than one occasion I have been subject to severely sore calf muscles for two or three days after a run because I neglected to stretch. Not cool.

Multi tasking is something we creative people are used to already. So, why not pop in a favorite DVD and get a move on? I'm watching an episode of Charmed today. Remember, it only takes 30 minutes of your time. If you want, start slow and try 20 minutes a day until you can handle more.

Happy jogging!

stream of springness

2010-05-03T12:16:00.008+01:00

On the whole, I hate using quotations by people I have never heard of because it makes me feel stupid, and it makes me feel as if other people must think that I'm stupid. Someone once said that quotations are for people who can't think for themselves. But I'm torn. I think that if a good line with a bit of punch brings a smile to the face, why not blame it on someone else, just in case it has an error? ;) Without further ado:

"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquillizing agent as a sunny spring day." ~W. Earl Hall

Spring is my drug. When I wake up to sunshine on a spring morning, I feel as if I have been dead all winter and my life has suddenly come back to me. I have sometimes mistaken this high for being in love, or for being close to or happy with God. I'm not sure when it finally sank in that it was all to do with extra daylight and fantastic, earthy smells. But when it did, I embraced this new drug wholeheartedly.

As much as I love snowy Christmases in Maine, where I grew up, I think that now I would be quite content to live in a place where it is always warm. Not unbearably hot, but pleasantly cozy.

The weather in England is surprisingly similar to that of Maine. people always ask me here, very annoyingly I might add, if I am used to their weather yet. Am I used to to cold and the rain and the long winters? I want to grab them by the throat and say, "Let me tell you about long winters!" Let's talk about eight or nine months of snow. Let's talk about 20 below zero. And let's talk about the all-out joy that comes in the spring, known to Mainers (natives of Maine--not "maniacs" as some people like to think) as Mud Season and Black Fly Season. But usually I hold my tongue and nod in supposed agreement.

It's hard to believe that this spring, after more than thirty years of living in Maine, my parents are going to move to Kentucky. Gone are the hopes of their grandchildren loving the Maine homestead as much as I loved my grandeparents' old stone house in Belgrade. Losing a house you love is very like losing a friend. Especially when you are powerless to stop it from happening.

This is the house that my dad built in the late 1970's:

This is the house my grandparents lived in. It was built in the 1850's, and was in the family for 52 years.

of warehouseitis, hedgies, and earrings

2010-02-09T14:42:00.002Z

Good afternoon!

The mouse has been blog lazy lately. The mouse is ill from spending an entire freezing cold Sunday in a damp warehouse unsuccessfully attempting to sell her wares.

Let's just say the Heritage Market in Liverpool is not the best place to sell unique, handmade items. People seemed only interested in cheap sneakers and knockoff watches.

My friend Siobhan and I shared a table again, but thankfully it was a freebie because neither of us sold anything. That never happens, and it's not cool.

I'm seriously considering not going with any other events from this organizer. It's a shame because I actually really like them as people, but maybe it's time for something a little closer to home with a history of success.

Booked one date with the Floral Pavilion for May 1st, and may call the lady back and say I do indeed want to do March 6th as well. The tables are a bit more pricey than some I've done, and if I do it alone that's a risk for me, but I think I trust this venue more to provide customers that want to buy. Plus, it's just down the road so I don't have to pay anything for travel expenses. (Last time I put out £9 for train ticket and taxi fare and got nothing in return except a bad cold!)

In other news, the winner of the tiny animal poll is Hedgehog! You can expect to see some new tiny hedgies in my Etsy shop very soon. :)

Yesterday, due to not selling them at the market, I launched my new earring line in my Etsy shop. You can now purchase tiny mouse, tiny fox, and tiny valentine bunny earrings.

And now the mouse shall scurry off for a third cup of coffee and some more cold/flu capsules. As a reminder: a cold, damp warehouse is not a fun place to spend the entire day. I don't recommend it.

the enchanted novel

2010-02-02T14:17:00.004Z

This afternoon I am watching The Enchanted April. This movie is based on an amazing novel by the same title by Elizabeth Von Arnim. It's lately become my new favorite book.

This story cannot fail to move any woman with a soul. I listened to it on mp3 while I was taking walks last year, and it was so good that I actually wanted to take walks so that I could hear more of the story. I had not read a book that good in a long time.

As far as the movie, so far I am not at all pleased with the actress they have for Lottie. She seems a bit too pudgy and harsh. She could be worse, but she could be a lot more Lottie-like as well.

Rose is very good, though, I pictured her as brunette and Lottie as having mousy blond hair, not the other way around. Scrap has not appeared yet, but on the dvd cover she has very dark hair and eyes, and I thought that she was supposed to be fair? Why must directors ruin things for me? Oh, well. I do like Rose even if she isn't brunette.

I needed a comfort film today, I guess. This will perplex me and unsettle me, yet comfort at the same time. It's a story with a satisfying ending, yet one that will upend the shoeboxes of dusty memories in your heart, and make you want things you haven't wanted in years, think things you never dared to think, and dream things you had forgotten how to dream.

I am in love with this story. I hope that Elizabeth and Her German Garden is just as good. I can't wait to read it.

The Fforde Affair

2010-01-28T15:05:00.003Z

Today I met Jasper Fforde, author of The Eyre Affair, The Fourth Bear, Shades of Grey, etc.

Although the last time I met a famous person (Henry Winkler, AKA Fonzi) I felt brave enough to give him a copy of my book, this time I did not feel cool enough, and I did not feel that the books I have published so far were the kind of book I would want Jasper Fforde to know that I've written. Call me silly, but I wished I could have handed him a shiny copy of one of my darling, as-of-yet-unwritten books that are going to be best sellers.

Mr. Fforde was very nice. Very smiley and congenial.

As I brought with me a paperback copy of Something Rotton (haven't read it yet!) and recently purchased paperback copy of First Among Sequels, I felt the need to explain why I was not hugging his new hardback Shades of Grey close to my heart.

"I'm a little behind on your books," I said.

"Oh, have you just recently discovered my writing?"

Well, no. I explained how my friend from Scotland (Jeff!) sent me the first Thursday Next book a few years ago, but the reason I wasn't buying his newest one was becasue I'm a starving writer myself.

He said, "Really?" all smiley, and thought that was great. I did not offer any explanations as to what I had or had not written, published, or been paid for. I felt too nervous.

So then he said something like, "Well, perhaps you should steal it. I suppose I shouldn't tell you that. But years from now you could write about how you were so poor that you had to steal one of my books from Waterstones, and how you were arrested for it and spent time in prison. It would make a good chapter in a book."

Then I told him that my only gripe with him was that he had gotten to his ideas before I had. He said that that happens to him as well, with other writers. He said it can be annoying when someone takes a fairly simple idea that a lot of people have had and makes it their own. It was nice to know that the big guys have this frustration as well.

I was tempted to tell him about my sister Page's and my hash stories which are pretty much as close to being as cool as his books as anything else ever has been, but I decided that as these are not yet shiny, published-by-Harper-Collins, latest and greatest hardbacks, unaffordable-to-starving-writers--I left it. (Besides, I didn't want him to steal the ideas!)

That was prety much it. I didn't want to stand there with my mouth hanging open trying to think of anything else to say, so I left it at that. I said thank you, and that it was nice to meet him, he affirmed, and I walked out, cuddling my two signed copies and despite physically sensing the metaphorical kick-on-the-backside, which of course meant: Thou shalt ride on this high and be encouraged that thou canst be just as rockin' awesome, I felt great. :)

Tiny Fox!

2010-01-19T21:29:00.004Z

Limited Edition Cardinal

2010-01-15T14:40:00.004Z

Here is a limited edition tiny cardinal for my Tiny Animal Club. Members of the Tiny Animal Club receive a tiny animal in the post every month, and some of them, like this bird, are not regularly available in my Etsy shop.

This is the January shipment.

For more information about my tiny animals, or about the club, visit my Etsy shop, or send me an email to: moss mountain shop at gmail dot com. :)

Valentine Mouse Card

2010-01-14T15:37:00.005Z

Popular Pink Mousie and Fun With Fantasy

2010-01-13T12:15:00.003Z

My tiny pink valentine mouse is currently featured on Kid Giddy's blog in her "This and That" section. This was a complete surprise for me this morning, and I'm very thrilled. Please take a look at her blog to support both of us!

Meanwhile, I am planning a Fantasy Feature for my blog. I plan to showcase several really cool fantasy-related Etsy shops over the next few weeks. You can find out more by posting in the "Fantasy Feature" thread in the Etc. category of the forums, or by contacting me via Etsy message or leaving a comment on this post.

Lavender Lamb

2010-01-11T22:06:00.003Z

A little lavender lamb felt mascot, inspired by an easter pencil topper from the shop I work in.

(Please excuse the quality of the pictures--they are from my phone.)

Felt Smack Down!

2010-01-11T21:30:00.003Z

I've just signed up to join a challenge called Felt Smack Down. Entrants have to make something with felt, inspired by the book Felt Wee Folk by Salley Mavor. I have wanted this book for a long time, so I finally ordered a copy seeing as I still have some Christmas money. I can't wait til it arrives!

Meanwhile, I've gotten some crafty books from the library in hopes that some of the patterns will help me figure out how to make a pattern for some mouse dolls I've been asked to make. I'm struggling to come up with the right design.

Also, I'm working on some more tiny holiday animals, including a tiny white Valentine bunny, and a tiny white St. Patrick's Day mouse.

I love the smell ...

2010-01-09T15:08:00.008Z

I absolutely love the smell of raw oatmeal! All the smell of a fresh, warm batch of Oatmeal raisin cookies lies latent in the raw oatmeal, and if you stick your nose in the bag you can let it seep into your nostrils ... it's heaven. Life should smell like raw oatmeal.

At this point, I also have to say that I love Bluetooth and that it allows me to snap a picture on my phone, send it to my lappy, and upload it to my blog in a matter of seconds. It makes blogging so much more fun.

Now, back to the oatmeal. I'm making Nutty Oat Bread, a spur-of-the-moment recipe created by Girl On A Bike. I love her ingenuity. And of course, as you know, I love oatmeal, so I may as well give the recipe a go!

---

Later:

Sorry to say this did not turn out well. The problem was, I trusted the back of the packet of dried fast acting yeast when it said I could use it normal bread recipes, not just in the bread maker. It lied. As the King of Siam would say, "It was a false lie."

I'm sure the recipe would be great with proper yeast. I'm going on a yeast hunt next time I am in a store. I tried to find it in Asda but I guess I wasn't looking in the right place.

Novel Synopsis & Gloating

2010-01-08T12:25:00.003Z

Hello! I'm not 100% (but when am I ever?), but certainly a bit better than I felt yesterday at this point. Right now I'm actually gloating because I out sat the girls in the coffee shop who had stolen the best seat in the house. Next time I'm going to arrive at about 9:00 am so I can beat everyone else to it, and make them so jealous. It's going to become my area, like the couch in Central Perk was to the Friends.

As I sit here, I am supposedly working on a novels synopsis. I have in fact typed out, briefly, what happens in the first chapter. That may not seem like much, but it's certainly a start for the mouse who has not done much writing at all in the last year. The mouse has been so lazy and disheartened about writing for so long, and it's time to get cracking yet again.

I am also doing some reading on HM Revenue and Customs Web site to find out what I need to do for self employment taxes this year. It's actually looking easier than I thought it would, if only because I actually understand what I'm reading on the Web site. Taxes become so complicated when you are an expat, and you are both employed and self employed with two businesses.

But back to my novel plotting and my gloating. One can never gloat too much, especially if one is a mouse.

sigh

2010-01-07T11:24:00.001Z

I'm having a very bad day. And it's only 11:24.

Weather and Crochet Report

2010-01-06T10:40:00.011Z

Good morning from Siberia! Or nearly. (I do really feel sorry for people who actually really live in Siberia. I wonder if any of them have any toes?)

All buses in Merseyside are canceled. That means that we cannot get to the Royal Mail depot to pick up my two parcels, so my Christmas gifts have been delayed again! At least one of the parcels is definitely a Christmas present, and the other one could either be a Christmas present or a box of books from my publisher.

The other day I got my first author copy of the three-in-one Mainley Mysteries. They are now selling on Amazon and should be going into Wal-Marts soon. We hope to sell enough to earn back our advance so that we will get some royalties! :)

But, back to the snow and ice. Because all the slush froze solid during the night, everything is a sheet of ice this morning. Trains are still on, but apparently no buses or taxis are running. Thousands of schools are closed.

I expect most stores and businesses are closed too. Our shop is certainly not open (not that I would have worked today anyway), but thankfully Somerfield down the road was open and we were able to get some essentials: deodorant, milk, cordial, bagels and ... um, yes, my husband brought home a pack of Cadburry's cream eggs because he deemed those necessities.

Meanwhile, I have finished my secnod musrhoom trinket box, and I also finished my pink dragon.

I hope you are finding things to keep you busy and happy while you are "iced in!" :)

Of Cheese and Slush

2010-01-05T18:20:00.004Z

I LOVE a good piece of cheese, so strong in taste that it's better to suck on it than chew it! Mmmmm! :)

Nibbling my farmhouse cheddar, this mouse is so glad to be home in the warm. We hare having record cold weather and snow here in the north west UK. As a Mainer, snow is not unusual to me. Sometimes we had three, four, five feet of snow where I grew up. But this kind of weather is unusual to everyone around me, and it's kind of fun watch the amazement, delight, and consternation on the various faces I see around me.

We closed the shop at 4 today to make sure we were all able to get home safely. All the buses were stopped by then, and many of the roads closed, apparently. Thankfully the trains were still on. Before leaving town, I got a new pair of wellies (that's short for Wellingtons, aka rubber boots or rain boots) especially to make the quarter mile (or more?) walk from the train station to home. (I had already had to buy new socks when I got into work this morning because I didn't have time to change into appropriate footwear when I opened the door to leave and realized how slushy it was) ... Thankfully my manager had an extra pair of shoes in work and she let me wear them in the shop so with those and my new socks, I had dry feet even said feet did look like those of the Wicket Witch of the West (stripey black and white socks!)

So glad to be home "in the warm" as the English say. Now, back to my piece of cheese.

Chicken and Dumplings

2010-01-03T18:10:00.004Z

This is a meal I have always wanted to try my hand at, but never got around to until today.

This recipe came from allrecipes.com, one of my favorite cooking sites. It's a little different from normal chicken and dumpling recipes, I gather, since you roll the dumpling dough out and cut it into small squares which are then dropped into the stew. But it seems to be working pretty well so far. If you would like to try it: Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

Meanwhile, I'm munching Oreos from my stocking, but being good and only have half the small pack (6 Oreos per pack.)

Here is a bowl of Chicken and weird square shaped Dumplings:

(Please ignore the messy counter.)

Keeping Busy Despite Sleeping Late

2010-01-03T12:02:00.003Z

The mouse slept very late this morning. Whenever we close the shades on the sky lights before going to bed, it makes it so dark in our bedroom that it's harder to wake up in the morning.

Oh, well. We weren't planning to go to church today anyway. Mouse's select mouse husband is off this week, and unlike in the land of the brave and the home of the free, british mice who preach seem to get a sunday off now and then and are not expected to attend church even if they are not working. That's a nice thing about british mice.

This morning mouse woke up to her first sale of the new year. Tiny bunny strikes again!

Put on a pot of coffee and threw in a dash of nutmeg (thank you, Luke from Gilmore Girls!), and read a few chapters of Tuck Everlasting. Only a few more chapters left. Might then have to start something else while I wait for Elizabeth and Her German Garden to arrive from Amazon. Hate waiting for books to arrive in the post. MUST HAVE them NOW! Heh heh.

But the point is, mouse still feels good about the new year. Lots of plans. :) And now going to put on some music and crochet some more on my pink dragon.

2009-12-31T15:34:00.000Z

A picture of me so my Etsy chatty friends can see it.

I think that this was taken in May 2008.

Tidying inside and out ...

2009-12-31T09:46:00.002Z

Good morning! Today is going to be a tidy day because, as someone else said in the Etsy forums, "Christmas puked in our house!" It's pretty bad.

In general, cleaning is not my favorite thing to do, but sometimes you just need to have a mad tidy and sort things out to make life feel better.

I also have mental tidying on my mind. And goals for 2010. I don't do resolutions. Resolutions beg to be broken. Goals are kind of elastic, and do not demand to be met within the year. A year and a half or two years is okay.

I'd be interested to know what your resolutions and goals are. Or fun ideas that you love doing every new year, or every spring? I know some people read certain books every Christmas, and this makes me jealous. I want to be both that organized and that in love with certain books. I think I might read Tuck Everlasting every January. I do love that book even if I've only read it twice, I think.

On a side note, but related to books, I'm getting excited about the anthology of my mom's and my books. We wrote a three-book set of mysteries and when the third one was due to come out they canceled the club, but decided to publish all three of ours together in one book. My author copies could arrive any day. We are excited about these, beause they will go into Wal-Marts across the USA and there is a good chane that eventually we will make some royalties.

So, keep looking in stores for The Mainely Mysteries anthology by Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis. For more info see my mom's web site: Susan Page Davis; click the "Mystery" tab, or go dirrectly to: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/mystery.html

The 3-in-one will be released January 1, 2010! :)

Tasty and Cute Food Stuffs

2009-12-30T11:41:00.002Z

The mouse is jealous of some people who seem to cook something really tasty every meal. Mouse does love cooking, especially scrumptious things, but sometimes gets so carried away with other projects that mouse doesn't have time for elaborate food stuffs.

Today mouse makes broccoli cheese soup, probably with some added chicken pieces. And garlic. Mmmmm.

Also, you must needs check out these fascinating penguin shaped appetizers mouse found on allrecipes.com. Wish we had seen thoes before Christmas!

Wish mouse had something fun to go to for New Year's Eve :(

But the penguins--go look at them. They are important. :)

Back!

2009-12-19T10:07:00.005Z

Dear Bloggy World,

The Dreary Mouse is so, so sorry. She wants you to forgive her cute little mouseyness for not writing for over two months! She has been very busy, rest assured. Many new tiny cuties have been added to the shop, and she is now up to 59 Etsy sales! The Christmas season has been very good for the lil mouse's shop.

The latest cuties in shop are Tiny Bunny, Tiny Black Cat, and Tiny Robin, all a mere 3/4 of an inch high. They are probably the tiniest felt plushies you will ever see.

Bloggy is not letting me upload all the pictures for some reason, so if you want to see more than just the robin, please drop by my etsy shop and have a look at my other items. :) mossmountain.etsy.com

Ginger Cats

2009-10-04T18:24:00.003+01:00

At long last ... Finally got around to listing my ginger cats on Etsy. :) These went to the craft fair and came home with me again, despite getting lots of compliments.

Aren't they cute?

In other news, today I had my 20th sale on Etsy! Yippee, very thrilled. :)

Tiny Pig!

2009-09-26T11:42:00.003+01:00

This morning I finally finished a custom order for a tiny pig. This is made from the same pattern as my tiny mouse, and is just under 3/4 of an inch high. I think she turned out pretty well. I hope the customer likes her. :)

In other news, we had a dinner at church last night which was called a "harvest supper," but unless you harvest sausages and mash, I'm not exactly sure how it was related to harvest. (Yes, I know potatoes come out of the ground.) My idea of a harvest supper is turkey and trimmings. My church back home usually does a kind of Thanksgiving dinner as their harvest supper. (Except that one time they did spaghetti and meatballs--because as we all know, you harvest spaghetti!) There was no veg last night. And they say Americans don't eat healthfullly ... I missed my veg!!

In two weeks I'm going Stateside to visit two of my best friends from college, and my brother and his family. I'm very excited. And I plan to bring back some canned pumpkin so I can make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Last year I had to use squash.

Plans for the rest of today include going to the PO to mail the siamese kitties someone special ordered, returning some overdue library books, tidying the lounge and kitchen, and probably making some more tiny pumpkins or Christmas ornaments.

Busy Life

2009-09-24T08:42:00.009+01:00

Well, let's see ... a lot's been going on and I haven't had time to blog so much!

Sunday I did a craft fair with MooCowKnits, and it was a lot of fun. I did very well, and got a lot of positive comments about my work which was encouraging. My most popular items were my fabric owls, swiftly followed up by my tiny, 3/4 inch mice.

My Etsy shop has also been doing well lately. I was averaging two itemsm a month since March, but this last week I sold four items. I'm hoping the increased sales keep going up and up.

Some of my latest items are pictured below. You can find most of them in my Etsy shop. :)

Paco the Scrap Rat

Paco stares out the window, daydreaming

Oliver Owl

Marley Owl

Free Tutorial from The Little House By the Sea

2009-08-27T14:11:00.003+01:00

Today it's time for a little love in the form of a freebie! I have been meaning to start offering some tutorials, and as I don't have time to make any of my own right now, I'm going to link you up to some I've found on other people's blogs.

This is one of my absolute favorite tutorials I've found on a blog. It's for a lovely mushroom cottage ornament or pin cushion, and you can find it here: The Little House By the Sea.

I hope you love it!

Ludlow Castle

2009-08-25T09:01:00.007+01:00

A few more pictures of Ludlow Castle, where we visited on our anniversary weekend.

Featured

2009-08-24T17:59:00.003+01:00

I've been featured as part of the "Color of the Week" series on Creative With Clay's blog. This week the color is purple, and my item featured on the blog is my Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet mice! Elizabeth sports a purple regency style coat and bonnet. :)

Please visit the blog here:
http://creativewithclay.blogspot.com/2009/08/color-of-week-purple.html

First Anniversary, Leominster

2009-08-20T13:14:00.004+01:00

Ryelands B&B, Leominster England

This is where we stayed for our first anniversary. We had a lovely weekend away and got to see Ludlow Castle, Barrington Hall, Croft Castle, and Queenswood Country Park.

Welcome to Leominster (Lem-ster)

Meg & JM at Ludlow Castle

We had a really nice time. So many more pictures I could psot but I don't have the time rigth now. I hope you enjoy the few I had time to put up!

freebies!!!

2009-08-14T07:59:00.001+01:00

Lion Brand Yarn announced today that they are making all their patterns free! This is so very cool ... :) They have a lot of really fun knit and crochet patterns, and now you don't have to pay for them. Whoop!

Check it out: Lion Brand Yarn

Mushroom Mouse

2009-08-13T13:55:00.004+01:00

Is this a mouse/mushroom hybrid (a mushmouse?), or a mouse in a Holloween costume? You decide!

See more at Moss Mountain.

I'm in a Treasury!!!

2009-08-12T19:37:00.003+01:00

I was just featured in an Etsy treasury! My featured item is my lil felt froggy family. :)

Here is the Treasury.

Love my frogs! They love you. :)

Anne of Green Gables Mouse

2009-08-06T13:17:00.010+01:00

Anne of Green Gables Mouse is done now!

I'm quite pleased with how this one turned out, even though I didn't have any doll hair of the right description. Instead I reverted to tried and true yarn for Anne's red braids. I also had to crochet her a hat since I can't seem to get the mini straw hats over here without paying a fortune in shipping.

If you want to see more pictures of Anne, I have five on Flickr and my Etsy shop.

If you like Anne, please let me know. I love feedback and comments. :) If you have an idea for another mouse, please tell me. I'm open to nearly any suggestions from literature, movies, cartoons, legends, fairy tales, famous people, etc.

cinderella mouse

2009-07-30T20:06:00.004+01:00

Cinderella mouse is coming along. Today I finished sewing her every day clothes (simple blue dress and patched dotted apron), and made her a braided wig. Hopefully I will have enough embroidery floss in that color to make an up-do wig to go with her ball gown.

Sorry about the blurry phone pictures. Still need to make two more mice as well.

handsome and clever

2009-07-30T11:43:00.004+01:00

Just a brief update on my second Emma Woodmouse. This is my first mouse doll to have hair. Emma's regency style up-do is tied with a ribbon to form a hair piece that is removable.

Emma wears a white empire waist dress embelished with lace and ribbon, a pearl necklace, and a white ribbon in her hair. Her sides are embelished with pink fox gloves.

This doll will be for sale in my Etsy shop very shortly. Please keep watching for new Jane Austen mice, and other mouse characters.

Have a special request? Maybe you want an Anne of Green Gables mouse, or a Zorro mouse? Contact me via: mossmountainshop@gmail.com, leave a comment, or message me on Etsy or Facebook.

pumpkins and mice

2009-07-27T12:08:00.007+01:00

I've got a Cinderella mouse in the works right now, though I've mostly been focussing on her accessories. I finished a tiny pumpkin (one inch including stem) and a tiny mouse (3/4 inch including ears) this morning.

Now, I know what you're thinking ... If Cinderella is a mouse, how can she have mice? Well, I don't really know, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible.

My sisters and I often gave our Sylvanian Families and Maple Towns pets from Littlest Pet Shop or other smaller animal toys we could find. Once my Mickey Mouse toy even had a heard of pigs from Maple Town, so I guess it goes both ways. When we mixed animals, sometimes the pets could still talk, but it was a deteriation of the language, so those animals were known as "garm," because that was the dog that could talk a little ("help! help!") in Tolkien's Farmer Giles of Ham.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the micro pumpkin and micro mouse. Hopefully five more tiny mice, and one Cinderella mouse will follow shortly.

the madness of cute!

2009-07-26T17:53:00.005+01:00

If you crochet, you absolutely must bookmark this site:

Free Amigurumi Patterns

The adorable monkey you see above is one of the many free patterns you can find there. There is quite often a new one every day (but not always.)

Enjoy!

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet Mouse Dolls--Now Up For Sale

2009-07-23T13:37:00.015+01:00

These dolls are for sale now, and you may purchase them by visiting my Etsy shop. I have posted extra pictures of them here because Etsy only allows 5 photos.

All dressed up to go outside in the cold ...

Mr. Darcy up close and personal

Elizabeth up close and personal

Hello ... !

Lizzy in her white empire waist dress with the pink flowers and pink ribbon

Lizzy in her white empire waist dress with the blue dots and the blue ribbon

No, this is not a rude picture, this is embroidery detail ... tiger lilies for Lizzy, and beach leaves for Mr D.

Mr. Darcy's high collared coat, white waistcoat, and top hat

Lizzy's pink and white dress

Lizzy's blue and white dress

The 9-piece set, for sale in my Etsy shop, $40.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy Mice

2009-07-20T14:11:00.017+01:00

These two new mouse dolls are nearly ready for listing in my Etsy shop! They will be listed together as a pair.

Darcy comes in a white waistcoat, a black high collared jacket, and a black top hat. Lizzy comes in a white empire waist dress with pink flowers and will have several extra articles of clothing for dressing up fun--probably two other dresses (including the blue dotted one you see here), a bonnet, and maybe even an overcoat and an apron if I get ambitious.

The main problem now is getting new batteries for the camera. These were taken on my phone. Sorry for the poor quality. But very thankful for Bluetooth!

If you are interested in the pair or if you want other Jane Austen characters as mice, let me know in a comment, email, or on facebook, twitter, or etsy. I'm at your service.

The Elizabeth doll is embroidered with tiger lilies, while Darcy has green beach leaves on his sides.

Here is Lizzy in her blue dotted dress.

Reading

2009-07-19T09:28:00.004+01:00

One of my favorite authors is Agatha Christie. I've been into her mystery novels since I was about 13 years old, and I can't get enough. I even reread some of my favorite ones even though I know what happens. Strangely, I haven't yet read them all ... I like to think it's because I saved some for later in life.

Recently I finished reading Sparkling Cyanide. Very good, and most satisfying. The only thing I didn't like was that it didn't have one of my main favorite detectives: Poirot, Miss Marple, or Tommy and Tuppence. I prefer the ones that have those characters in them.

Now I've started Postern of Fate, which is the last book Agatha Christie wrote. This one is about Tommy and Tuppence when they are in their 70's, and a mystery they find surrounding the house they are moving into in a quiet, country village.

Tuppance has been going through the books they acquired with the house when she stumbles across a copy of Treasure Island that has a lot of words underlined in red ... The letters that are marked spell out: "Mary Jordan did not die naturally." The name in the front of the book is Alexander Parkinson, and Tommy finds Alex's grave in the cemetery, discovering that he died at age 14.

Dun, dun, dun ...

I'm really enjoying this one so far, though I'm only a few chapters in. If you haven't read any Agatha Christie, I highly recommend her, even if you aren't usually drawn to mystery books. There is something classic and delightful about her books that you don't often find in the modern novel. :)

For me, reading them is both fun because I like the books, and because it reminds me of being a teenager, and how much I enjoyed them then.

Jacques' Arrival in Arkansas!

2009-07-18T10:41:00.000+01:00

Some of you know that the French rat art doll I made was purchased by April, a lady who also bought one of my mouse dolls, Marigold (who has since been rechristened Alice.) Well, I thought it would be a lot of fun to share some of the pictures she sent of the two of them together after Jacques arrival in Arkansas, USA. Aren't they so cute?

Alice opens up the mysterious package!

In April's words:
"Alice was so excited when the parcel arrived today. I let her have the honors and it was like the movie, "Cleopatra" when Elizabeth Taylor is unrolled from the carpet! Roll, roll, roll went the paper and finally OUT popped Jacques!"

April:
"He was a bit confused after such a long journey, but one look at Mademoiselle Alice and he was quite reassured! I think it was love at first sight (As I said before, she adores tall men!). Jacques introduced himself and did not waste any time showing Alice his map of France, newspaper, and Tin Tin book."

April:
"He was also teaching her some French words. I heard, "Amour" and "Cheri" before I left them with their bottle of red wine and candlelight."

The happy couple.

I'm so excited about how much fun April is having with my dolls. It makes me really happy when people like what I make!

Yippee! OWLS!

2009-07-15T12:10:00.000+01:00

A while ago I bought some hanging felt owls from Zethan on Etsy, and they finally arrived today! I'm so excited.

Aren't they so cute? :)

Owls have been my favorite bird ever since I took one of those silly E-mail quizzes about four years ago and was asked what my favorite bird was ... I mean, who asks what is your favorite bird?? Who even HAS a favorite bird? I didn't know! So I puzzled for a second or two ... and the only thing that sprang to mind as SUPER CUTE was owls.

And now I'm obsessed. :o

These lil guys are gonna help decorate our new living room when we move at the end of the summer. Right now I'm not sure where they are going. (Oooh, and they'd make good Christmas tree decoratinos too!)

How did they do that?!

2009-07-12T10:45:00.000+01:00

Ever wonder how someone made something? I wonder that all the time, which generally leads me to research and find out, because I can't stand someone being able to do something cool that I can't do.

I love researching online. I call myself the Google Queen. I've recently discovered that most people don't even know how to use Google properly. I've seen people say something "doesn't exist" countless times simply because they didn't use the advanced search page.

But anyway ... My point for today is, if you're curious about how someone made something, why don't you find out and try for yourself?

This is a really great site with video tutorials on all kinds of things: Wonder How To. I used it to learn some embroidery stitches! Now it's your turn ... :)

Dreary Mice!

2009-07-09T16:03:00.000+01:00

At long last--the dreary mouse dolls are ready! I think they turned out pretty well for a first go. Not perfect, but not bad if I do say so. Sitting they are about 2 1/2 inches high.

Don't get the wrong impression as you view the first pictures. Dreary mouse is soulful, and feels things deeply. But she isn't always sad. Her downs tend to be very low, but her ups tend to be high. :)

This is Dreary Mouse doll number 1--looking rather dreary.

Dreary Mouse 1 thinking.

Dreary Mouse 1: here comes the sun! I think I'll put on my fancy scarf and go dancing.

Dreary Mouse 2--looking rather dreary.

Dreary Mouse 2 perks up as the sun comes out!

Each Dreary Mouse doll comes with a fancy scarf. Watch for them in my Etsy shop soon!

mossmountain.etsy.com

Dreary Mice

2009-07-08T11:35:00.000+01:00

I am finally figuring how I want to make Dreary Mouse as a doll. I was originally planning a plushie, probably out of felt ... but I could not muster up the courage to try another original pattern. My flower mouse pattern works, but it was very hard for me to work out all the bugs as I'm not a pattern maker.

So instead I'm making tiny soft sculpture mouse art dolls, similar to my rats, only they are about two inches high! They will be dark grey, a tiny bit dreary, but SO SO cute!!

For those of you who don't know, Dreary Mouse is one of my personas. The name first came from a random list of suggested user names for a game I was playing with my sisters online. It has hence become one of my favorite characters, and usually the one who posts on this blog (I kind of butted in today to explain a bit.)

I'm really excited about making her into a doll. I've actually got two in the works because I need to get more stock into my shop. They will be slightly different (probably different accessories), but they are the same character as there is technically only ONE dreary mouse ... just different poses, or what have you.

Watch this space ...

All rightie!!!

2009-07-07T08:25:00.001+01:00

I have 3 things to say.

1. THANK YOU to the new followers! I'm thrilled. I love you guys. :)

2. I just sold Jacques on Etsy!!! My rats only stay in the shop about 3 days tops, so if you want one you might want to custom order.

3. I made a Facebook business page. I don't know how to use it yet, exactly, but I made one!!! :)

New Stuff!

2009-07-04T11:14:00.000+01:00

Things have been a little bit hectic lately, but we're back in business.

The Siamese cat family sold last night in the blink of an eye! I was thrilled as I hadn't had any sales in several weeks.

I've recently listed 3 amigurumi crochet animals: a fox, a pig, and a lamb. Also, flower mice are now listed in a made-to-order (select your colors) listing. They are only $12 each, whereas the Jane Austen mice are $19 because they have clothing.

I am currently working on a French rat art doll. He is nearly done.

Foxie Loxie, $14 on Etsy: mossmountain.etsy.com

Lucinda Lamb, $8 on Etsy: mossmountain.etsy.com

Papers Pig, $8 on Etsy: mossmountain.etsy.com

Flower mice, made to order in your favorite color, $12 each on Etsy: mossmountain.etsy.com

2009-05-11T21:07:00.000+01:00

Right now I am working on Siamese Cats!

Cleopatra

Carmella

Mother and daughter

Behold the mascots

2009-05-06T21:13:00.000+01:00

I have been SO busy! I've been enjoying my sewing so much that I've forgotten to post about it. Right now I am doing a lot with The Cute Book. Here are some pictures of the felt mascots I've made from the book:

Pinkie and Godfrey (the book calls the terrier "Terry," short for Terrible, but I prefer Godfrey.)

Pinkie

Pinkie, Godfrey, striped kitty cat (no name yet), and Primrose and Princess Pig (the pigs are my own design, not from The Cute Book.)

So much fun!

PS The bunny poem contest is still open since NO ONE entered???? Hello!!! Free bunny if you win!!! :o

Meadow Bunnies Contest!

2009-03-30T07:38:00.000+01:00

Introducing the first ever Moss Mountain contest!

For a chance to win one of these adorable little Meadow Bunnies (an inch and a half high), enter the Moss Mountain Meadow Bunnies Poem Contest.

RULES:
1. Anyone may enter this contest, and there is no entry fee. First prize will receive a meadow bunny, and publication of their poem on my blog (unless they do not want the poem posted.) Second and third prize will have their poems published on my blog, and will receive $1.00 off any bears, pandas, or cats in Moss Mountain shop.

2. Write a poem of less than 20 lines about bunny rabbits, and send to: mossmountainshop@gmail.com with the subject line: Bunny Poem.

3. Your poem may be in any style or format, but must be clean.

4. Please use a valid Email address. The mouse will contact winners via Email.

5. Deadline: April 30.

Poems will be judged on creativity, style, and cuteness. Judges will include the mouse, and possibly a few of the mouse's friends. Please let anyone you want know about this contest.

the latest and greatest

2009-03-27T07:31:00.001Z

Mouse here, reporting from a very wind tossed tree branch ... I have been hibernating more since a cold snap set in. However, hibernation also allows me more time to sew!

The Shadow Kitty was a great success, in my humble mouse opinion. However, the person who gave me the idea may not be quite satisfied yet. Since he is a shirttail relative, I will allow him a little space to be picky. But if he doesn't make up his mind soon, I will put it up for sale in the shop.

Meanwhile, the Snow Cats have gone on hold while I work on the Meadow Bunnies, which I thought would be appropriate for Easter. The Meadow Bunnies have forty-three children, and they are a very silly lot, but also very cute. I like to catch one now and then and feed it gum drops.

Here you will see a picture of the Shadow Kitty being very naughty in following one of the Meadow Bunnies ... look out, bunny!

First Sale

2009-03-24T08:21:00.000Z

Yippee, I made my first sale on Etsy! The Butter Cat seems to be a favorite with everyone who looks, so after it sold I made another one and added it again.

It always feels good to have acknowledgement that what you've created is not cute only to you, but that others appreciate it as well. :)

Right now I am working on two other cats--one is a sneaky little shadow cat, and the others are winged snow cats. I'm having some trouble getting the wings right on the snow cats. But I think they will be really cute when I get it figured out.

The Butter Cat

2009-03-21T16:06:00.000Z

The Butter Cat, a tiny yellow fairy cat, lives in the wild flowers that grow in the meadows on Moss Mountain. She is the color of buttercups, and her favourite food is fresh churned dairy butter.

This adorable magic feline is generally very shy, and will not readily bestow wishes. The best way to find her is to carry a crock of butter to the stream early in the morning, before the sun is up, and leave it nestled in a mossy knoll where she can find it.

If you do see the Butter Cat, speak softly, and never sneak up behind her. Never attempt to capture or contain the Butter Cat. She will only refuse to give you any wishes if you are unkind to her.

The Butter Cat is sensitive and shy, but if you want to pet her, move slowly, and often she will come to you for scratches under the chin. If she gives you any wishes, use them wisely!

Oopsie

2009-03-18T07:40:00.001Z

The mouse has been very busy lately. But hopefully soon the mouse will have time to get out bits and bobs again and make more dollies. :) Please keep in touch. Your feedback is valuable.

Babble and Bramble

2009-03-04T21:22:00.001Z

This is Bramble Bear. He can be gullible. Dolls of Bramble and his mumsy Babble were added to my Etsy shop today.

Meanwhile, my mushroom cottage is still waiting to be finished. I have been to tired lately to do as much sewing. I have been sleeping in my mouse nest more than I probably should.

But mouse nests are so warm and cozy ...

Plum Panda

2009-03-01T21:02:00.000Z

New doll added to my Etsy shop. :)

Plum Panda runs a small sweet shop on Moss Mountain. She makes all the candies, cookies, and cakes from her own secret family recipes which came from her grandmother’s handwritten recipe book.

Plum is married to Poet, and has two children: Peregrine and Pandora. They all live together in a bamboo hut in the jungle on Moss Mountain.

Shop Up and Running

2009-02-28T10:39:00.000Z

Yippee! Pandora Panda helped me open my shop this morning. I have only two plushie bear dolls for sale so far, but if you would like to see my shop click here: Moss Mountain Shop.

Welcome

2009-02-27T21:27:00.000Z

Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Will we sing, and bless this place.
--Titania, Shakespeare's A Mid Summer Night's Dream

Welcome to my corner of fairy land. :) This little knot of forest lies on a small hill known to the fair folk and woodland creatures as Moss Mountain.

I, Dreary Mouse, live here in a secluded grass nest at the base of an oak tree where I spend my time in quiet contemplation. Actually, that's not entirely true ... You see, I am actually a strange little mouse. I know how to sew! I like making mini doll versions of all my friends here on Moss Mountain. (Even some of my enemies--this amuses me because I can make them look however I want!)

One day Cherub Chipmunk noticed what I was working on and said she would love to have one of my dolls. So I gave her a doll version of her friend Pandora Panda. Pretty soon word got around that I was making dolls, and now this has become my full time job. I'm even getting ready to open my own shop!

When my shop is up and running, I'll give you a link so you can see what's for sale. In the mean time, if you want to write to me, you can reach me at: mossmountainshop@gmail.com

Right now I am working on a Toadstool Cottage. I found the tutorial and patterns on someone's blog. Since the pattern is copyrighted, I won't be selling the toadstool in my shop, but I might give it away as a gift to some lucky elf or skunk. If you want to make your own, you can find the info at: The Little House By the Sea.

Here's mine in progress:

I have been working on the toadstool cottage for three or four days now. I learned some new embroidery stitches in the process: the lazy daisy stitch and the chain stitch. Now I know five including the back stitch, blanket stitch, and French knot. I'm excited about how well this is turning out.

Hmmm. *Sniff* I smell cheese. I better scamper. There is cheese to eat, sniffing to do, and then sleep to be had in a nice warm cozy quilt in the corner of my nest.

~Dreary Mouse