My mate Bownessie

Follow Bownessie and his antics on Facebook

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Trying to think it's summer!

Jeepers - the weather out there is like mid March - had to hunt out a thick, long sleeve top this morning to keep warm.  It's the Low Wood Hotel - No Wood Cardboard boat race today - the poor old boats will have dissolved before they even get into the water.

We are trying to remain positive in the shop.  I have been to the market to get my veggies and I am spending the morning making paper flowers.

After lunch I had better see if I can clear out my back room a bit.  It's a bit over crowded at the moment and if the roof leaks again I am going to loose all my kiddies craft sets that I got in for the 'summer'.


Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Life

Huge apologies to all for my absence.  My health was so poor last week that everything just got too much for me.  I don't normally share Fibro stories - but I will this time as it may be of interest to other fibro ladies of a 'certain' age ;-)

I have been having a really tough time with the jolly old 'night sweats'.  I don't mind being hot - but this was getting to be really painful - like I was going to boil over or something.  I had a routine check up with the doc anyway and he recommended herbal treatment   Yes - really - the doc - I love my doc - he is so open minded and approachable. We have a really good health shop next door to me so I went to see them.

Now - if you have Fibro - you will probably know that one of the worst things to affect it is Adrenaline (which is why we have to avoid stress and bad situations).  Apparently - the 'hot flushes' and 'night sweats' induce an adrenalin rush response - which is why I was in so much pain and struggling with Fibro flares!!!!  You have to know about those things don't you - now it all makes sense.  Anyway, now I am on a Red Clover Extract Complex (???)  with all sorts of other little goodies in it to help calm the adrenalin.  So far so good, I actually slept all through most of the night last night - can't tell you how long ago I did that.

I still update on my kitten facebook page as that is just a little quickie post - so pop over and 'like' the page and you will get all the updates.

I am gradually getting back on top of things so just keep your fingers crossed for me.


Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Hubby trouble!!!!!!

my darling hubby has a new 'friend'

YEP! - that's him - INSIDE the Bownessie suit

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.co

Day off

Monday is kitten's day off

I have been planting up my pots - bring on the summer !


Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Just for fun

Someone emailed this to me - and I think it's just brilliant!

A young lady confidently walked around the room while explaining stress management

 to an audience with a raised glass of water.

 Everyone knew she

was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'...

She fooled them all .... "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied , "The absolute weight doesn't matter.

It depends on how long I hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it

becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry

our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes

increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest

before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the

burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced.

So , as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down.

Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... Pick them uptomorrow.

1  Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

2  Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3  Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4  Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..

5  If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague

6  If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7  It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8  Never buy a car you can't push.

9  Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

10  Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11  Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12  The second mouse gets the cheese.

13  When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

14  Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

16  Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

17  We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and

some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours, but they

all have to live in the same box.

18  A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

19  Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today 

                 AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

20 Save the earth..... It's the only planet with CHOCOLATE! J

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

New Site

The Plan

Between now and August 2014 we will be creating a 7 mile long knitted peace scarf to stretch between Atomic Weapons Establishment sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield, Berkshire, where nuclear weapons are made.

This is part of a larger campaign to put pressure on the Government to ditch a planned £80bn spend on renewing the Trident Nuclear weapons programme.

Pick up your needles and crochet hooks and help us to protest in a pink, powerful and pro-active way to say No! to more investment in war in the U.K.

Can you knit a metre or two of this yarn bombing peace scarf?

Artist Janie Rose has put this project together as a really different take on 'Yarn Bombing'.  Check it out and get involved if it appeals to you

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Day off

Monday is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

soggy kitty

Art on the Prom was a washout today.  We hung on until midday - then went down to The Commodore for lunch - they do a fantastic roast beef dinner

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Birthday dog coat

You just have to see this!!


The dog is called Elvis - yes after that one.  It is his birthday next week (he is 1) - so we tried to give his coat  a proper Elvis feel - check out those buttons - and his name on the collar.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Writing again

Spending the next couple of days scribing the name plates for a huge wedding favour order

It is so nice that it is warm enough to be able to do this in the shop again - and much more comfortable on my back!

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

New cards - yeah!!!

It's a beautiful day - I have the door open - and I am actually making a new range of cards.  I can't remember the last time I had a pen in my hand

So thinking about the exams coming up soon - way too soon my son has his final A levals

This is done by inking directly onto your embossing folder.  It is a super 'scruffy' effect - hoping the kids will like it!


Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Tinkering about

I have at long last got through enough wedding favours to see me through the next 3 months - with a few to spare - so I can do something else.  I seem to have been stuck on these favour for weeks now.

It is a much more gentle week in the town this week after the chaos of the Easter break - so I am having a tidy up of all sorts of things.

I have had this box of beads for year and years - always meaning to sort it out - and never getting there - you know what it's like.

So I have spent all morning tinkering about and 'organising' it.  There is still a very small box of the dregs to finish - but it's so much better

Also - loads of darling little glitter pots arrived with the postie.  I love these - they all stack up onto each other and you end up with a big long stick of glitter pots.

Also the postie dropped off the Cardmaking and Papercrafting Mag for May

The freebie is a paperstack and chipboard embellies to match - one has sold already - but I have  a few left still

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Shop talk

Sorry guys - I have to add the verification code for a while - I am getting 2 or 3 anonymous comments on every post.  First of all - I don't publish Anon comments - second I don't litter up my blog with links to outside rubbish!!!!!  Bear with me for a couple of weeks until I get rid of the 'pain-in-the-bottoms' - and anon commenter - you are welcome to comment - With your own name - and WITHOUT all the rubbish links!

Right fun stuff ;-)

We are now stocking monthly magazines.  Big step off the cliff into the unknown for me.  It costs you exactly the same as if you went to W H Smiths - but you get to support your local craft shop.  

So far we have Paper craft Inspirations (my fave paper crafting mag)- this month there is a free set of colouring pencils and 20 images ready for you to colour and use on your projects - as well as Carnival papers to use.  Just £4.99 - there are 3 left now.

We also have Lets Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet.  This is my fave of all time mag - now, I know that £7.99 seems to be a lot for a monthly magazine - but this one is just amazing. Every month you get a pair of knitting needles - a crochet hook - 6 balls of co-ordinated DK yarns and a beautiful magazine packed with news and new pattern ideas.  Each magazine is based on a theme and the patterns use the wool provided - so each one is a  complete kit and you can start working on a project at once.  There are projects for the new starter as well as the more experianced and there is usualy a soft toy to make using all the yarn kit - so you have no excuse to get going.  This month's theme is party - and the toy is a wonderful elephant.  There are only 2 copies of these left

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Day off

Monday is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Sunday in Bed

I am doing a 'Winston Churchill' today  - that is the staying in bed and working - not smoking cigars!

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Hailstones

Bit scary out there - huge, great big hailstones coming down.  Sounds like the end of the world.

I have just got square for the day and am ready to start!  Hubby put up an extra shelf across the window yesterday - so I thought I would slap about a bit of paint and brighten up the background before the new vinyl arrives.

 ((Look at the muppet trying to take a photo))

It's just a bit of extra space across the top part of the window really - so I can add another layer to the display.  I have edges the shelf with a wide piece of white card and added a length of grey lace - all the inside woodwork is painted grey so I am hoping that it all matches

I can't wait for the new vinyl to arrive - it is going to look so cool!

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

just for fun

Just a silly bit of fun for you today.  Hubby made me a 'doggie' stand!!!

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Shop Talk

The yarn is going crazy!!  So great the everyone is loving the knitting.

There is a new yarn delivery due today with some new colours for you - Navy - Claret - Forest Green - and another twist like the 'Spring' called 'Autumn'.  I have looked into the price of the variegated colours - but they are considerably more than the plains - about £2.70 a ball - still thinking about that.

Issy's Tea cosies have been a huge hit - and we have picked up the contract to supply one of the local coffee shops with tea cosies - cafetiere wraps - and mug hugs.  How amazing is that!

The new knitting kit is ready for you

If you have been following my knitting series you will have collected several needles and pins along the way - so this month we have a pins and needles case for you to keep them all neat and tidy in.

The focus for this kit is working in pattern blocks.  There are several patterns that are used all the time in knitting and now you have all your basic skills  you can start to learn some of the pattern names.

We are doing 'Garter' stitch - 'Stocking' stitch - and 'Moss' stitch in this kit.  Still written very simply for you so don't worry about it.

Drop in and pick up a pattern and have a look and the new yarn colours.

The pattern is available on line in the 'downloads' section if you can't get into the shop.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Day off

Monday is Kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Doggie fashion

The dog in his 'onesie' is a great hit with every one!

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

Tough guy!

I wanted a big hard back pad to rough out my knitting patterns on.  I had already several A4 lined pads to use up (leftover from Uni - see I never throw anything useful away!) - but they all had soft backs - even stacked up it was still too soft.

So - I also had a bit of plywood left over from the cover of the gas meter cupboard that was taken out - just about the right size.

Punched some hinge holes in the plywood with my Bind-it-all!

Seriously - I did not think it would do it - but no problem at all.

I covered the plywood in some very thin wadding that the chap next door gets his big books packed in (so that was free too) - then I used a fat quarter sample that I picked up at the Stitches show to cover the wadding.

Now I have a fab thick, firm, pad that I can curl up on the sofa with and make notes as I knit and I won't forget what I have done.

I think when I have used up all the pages I will just open up the wires and add new pads

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com

New project

This is what I made yesterday using a Woodware box blank and decopatch papers

I have treated myself to a die to cut the paper flowers - it's really pretty don't you think?  This is would really tightly - it looks more like a water lily if you leave it looser but the top of the box is only wee.

See my beautiful hap pin added?  Got a real thing about these - and I have found glass headed pins - but extra long at the haberdasher wholesalers - so that will be on my order at the end of the month too ;-) Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kitten and goat@gmail.com