Grow Your Blog 2014 - + a Giveaway!

Hello, BonjourBienvenue and welcome!

I'm hoping that I'm welcoming people over from The Teapot, as well as others from the Wonderful Vicki's Grow Your Blog event. 
  I hope that you'll also go and visit lots of other craftily inclined blogs throughout the Internet. This is an opportunity to see what talented peeps there are around the world and to admire their work.

I introduced myself over at The Teapot, but as the Wibsite is still playing silly b*g*e*s and refusing to upload photos, I'm going to show some here. They are not foodie photos, so I hope that Food lovers will bear with me (Menus for next week will be posted tomorrow)

So, here are the real Management in the Dormousehold:
Meet Pomme, the CEO, here overseeing some of my crafting activities from the comfort of one of my storage boxes. Er, thanks, Pomme, I needed that! We adopted her from a refuge in Roanne in 2005, when she was about 2 1/2 years old.
Here we have the Middle Management team, George and Millie. They are brother and sister, born in 2010. Often found curled up together, they enjoy playing with The Red Dot of Doom (a laser pen)
Here is a Lolcats (which I've used before) which sums up their attitude


And finally, we have the Office Junior, Bib, rescued from certain death in 2012:


She considers her role in life is to make George's life a misery (while hiding from Scary Millie) and to eat as much as possible. Knitting is an impossibility when she is around, as she tries to eat the wool - although, to be honest, George can be as much trouble. He has an uncanny ability to smell wool, and he loves nothing more than carrying out a lightening raid on my knitting bag and carrying off a ball of wool!




I enjoy cooking, and while I'm not very experimental, I do have a vast number of recipe books. As I'm trying to lose weight, using a mixture of the 5:2 diet and sensible Hairy Dieter inspired eating the rest of the time, I do tend to stick to my trusty Hairy Dieters books and my 5:2 recipe book at the moment. Do come back another time if you'd like to know what we eat and how you can try the delicious food too! You can even become a Follower here, as the lovely Keith did, recently.

GETTING CRAFTY
 
I know that this blog isn't quite the Crafty People blog that the Teapot tries to be, but I do enjoy making cards too. Here are some of my cards:

Made for an 80th birthday
with an example of my calligraphy inside
Trying out stamping
A snowboarder, drawn for a boy's birthday
The full card

And recently I have discovered Zentangling, which I have started to use in some of my cards

My giveaway for this blog is 5 handmade cards with this image of a cat, which I have Zentangled. (& maybe a few other goodies too!)
 
 It's an image I created for the charity Spanish Stray Cats, but I'm sure they won't mind if I use it once just for you dear people. Just leave a comment here, and I will enter you for the tirage. I really hope that if you are a cat lover, you will go to the Facebook page of Spanish Stray Cats (follow the link) and at least "Like" their page. Maybe you will be moved to do more to help these lovely people who are trying to make life better for the numerous stray cats in their area. I knit rather wobbly blankets for the cats to keep them warm in the cold Spanish winters & made some cards for them to sell

My giveaway for The Teapot is
5 handmade cards. I can provide cards for special occassions, or just five general ones. I will also throw in a handmade bookmark,  Plus also a card with a short quotation (chosen by you, bien sur!), calligraphed by me (Do you know, I don’t think that there is such a verb!) It will have to be short, as my hands are becoming artritic and I find it difficult calligraphing for too long!!

To be eligible to win that, you'll need to leave a comment over on the Grow Your Blog post

I hope that you have enjoyed looking at some of my crafting, and meeting the Management team. If you haven't been over to the View from the Teapot, you can find out a little more about me over there. I am looking forward to spending some time visiting the over 300 talented people who have signed up for Vicki's Grow Your Blog event, and I hope that you will also try to visit some as well. 

Thank you to Vicki for organising this, and thank you to you for visiting me - wherever you're from!

                

Growing: it's a good thing!

Comments

  1. Hi Alison! As promised I'm dropping by to say hello. I love your management team. Seems like your team is top heavy with management! I learned how to zentangle several years ago and it is wonderfully relaxing and fun! I am a quilter so the repeated motifs are applicable to my art too! Thanks for the chance at the giveaway!
    Karen

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  2. What adorable "helpers" - we have 4 rescue cats and they are always involved in my craft projects! Your cat art giveaway is wonderful- would love to be entered!

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  3. Thank you SO MUCH for your lovely comment - it led me straight to your lovely blog! Such lovely kitties! My Harvey waves a casual paw to them :) Your cards are lovely - and your zentangle cat is completely gorgeous (I am biased, being a cat person!). Really happy to have found you - best wishes, Shroo:)x http://artyshroo.blogspot.co.uk/

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  4. Thank you for visiting my blog and following/stalking me! Your cats are so beautiful. I had a George once too. Now I can't have a cat (besides my part time one) because Sir Dave is allergic but I can be entertained by yours!

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  5. Hi, thak you for the comment on my blog, my other half and I like to visit Canterbury quite often. I love your kitties and I shall certainly be visiting your blog, not only for the crafty bits but for food inspirations too :)

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  6. Thank you for popping by my blog. I only live a few miles from Frome and no we are one the lucky ones not to be flooded out. Love the kitty helpers. It's been a pleasure to meet you Jx

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  7. Good Morning :) I'm Karen, one of Vicki's helpers for the GYB party, checking on sites. Yours looks wonderful (except your like to Vicki's site doesn't work). I also recently learned Zentangle - quite fun! Have a happy party :) Karen Gass

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  8. Pomme looks like my kind of cat! Your cards are sweet. Hope you're enjoying the winter!
    Diane

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  9. visiting from GYB party. love your cats and your drawings. Never heard of knitting blankets for street cats -- what a wonderful idea. Have a great day.

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  10. Visiting from GYB party, having had your lovely message on my blog. Your cat Bib is too cute! Unfortunately I'm allergic though so I can't have my own, just look at pretty images of yours. I'm also trying out the 5:2 diet as of the beginning of this year...so far I like it...good luck!

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    1. By the way I replied to your enquiry about my gite under your comment on my blog, but yes, I take short breaks of 3 days minimum.

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  11. Handmade cards, that is one of the crafty things on my future to do list. I love yours!

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  12. Thanks so much for leaving a comment at Comptonia today (although I was not the one who did a wristwarmer giveaway last year - LOL! It was little purses and things from the Snow Leopard Trust). Anyway, great to see you again, and especially to meet the "team"...nothing better than kitty pictures, except of course Actual Kitties!

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  13. I love the fur babies; they are all totally cute!

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  14. The name of your blog is adorable- as are your kitties. I want to do more with Zentangles this year, and love your handmade cards- I'm now a new follower! Christie

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  15. Hello! It's so good to see you again! Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I love your cards and still keep the ones you sent to me on a shelf in my studio. The Zentangled cat card is AMAZING!
    XO
    Rachel

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  16. Hello! It's nice to meet you today with this Grow your blog party! Have a nice day!

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  17. Hello and thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving your lovely comment. I'm now following both of your blogs. I also hope I get inspired as I could do with slimming down too.

    You are most talented with your artwork and crafting and I just love the office team especially Bib, who is just such a cutie. Love Pomme's corner office too!

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  18. I particularly like your cat card! Well done!

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  19. Wow, Karen, your cards are spectacular... I am also considering having my cats "help out" in the studio. If they can stay awake! Your giveaway sounds awesome!

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  20. Karen, Good to meet you. Thanks for stopping by French Oddities. I am a teacher too. Mine is Electrical Engineering. I teach American, well English speaking anyway, students here in Metz France for the study abroad program. Life is an adventure and it takes a special something to be able to pack up and move.

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  21. Hi, I'm visiting from the Grow Your Blog party. It is nice to meet you and the family. Every blog needs a CEO and my cat runs the show too ... LOL. I enjoy making handmade cards also. I plan to look around a bit more and then be on my way to visit the others. I do hope you will stop by for a visit and enter my giveaway. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs – Donna

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  22. Hello! Thank you for your comment on my blog. I'm just popping in to see what you get up to. Your management team looks very cute - my 'management duo' are very little actual help (much like real management). Your cards are lovely too, I like the way you've calligraphed messages on the cards.

    I will like the Stray Cats page, but I can't promise I'll look much, as I get upset when I read about stray animals - thank goodness there are plenty of people who aren't as useless/soft as me.

    Thanks for sharing your blog with us, and good luck with the diet!

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  23. I have another blogpal who Zentangles, and I find it fascinating. I would LOVE to win those beautiful cat cards! I have other cat-lover friends who would be delighted to receive one with a note inside. ;-)

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  24. Love your blog which I found thanks to Vicki's GYB party. I have recently started doing zentangle so i really appreciate your zentangle cat. I'll follow to see your wonderful cats and watch your zentangle progress.

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  25. That is a nice giveaway, I have enjoyed seeing your blog. I have a giveaway too check it out. Jo x

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  26. You have such an adorable furry management team! :)

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  27. What a lovely set of blogs you have! So inspiring! I've clicked to follow so I will return. Thank you! Best!

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  28. After some 20 + rescuing cats and keeping a bunch of them myself rather than home them on for various reasons.........this is a comfy place to come see LOL
    GYB visitor who'll be coming back : )
    Lyn

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  29. You are such a clever and crafty person I see...love those cards!!

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  30. I like your zentangles - I'd love to have a go!
    Visiting from England!

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  31. Hi, thanks for visiting and following my blog. I will be following you as well. I like your cards and would love to win the give away.
    Sharon

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  32. Hi and thanks for visiting my blog.
    Your cards and zentangles are lovely, and I enjoyed meeting your feline friends.
    Your menu post has made me quite hungry!

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  33. I like your zentangles! They are very creative. Thank you for Sharing your blogs with us

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  34. Your art is great- entered at the teapot, and now entering here for the cat art too! Thanks again.

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  35. Greetings from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Your cards are lovely. Thanks for sharing.

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  36. Zentangles and cards and food! I am in overload. I think I need to go to the grocery store right now. Your four legged friends look fun, cats are so therapeutic. It has been lovely meeting you.

    Hugs
    Caroline

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  37. Hello from OZ. I admire your gumption to uproot and go where the wind blows you. (but then maybe the wind blew in the direction you wished to go LOL). I smiled all my way through both versions of Dormouseville, and at the antics of the real management there. Sounds like they have Slave No.1 & Slave No.2 well in paw.

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  38. So fun to see your management team! Happy blog party!

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  39. It's so fun to meet you and your management team!! It seems that your household is run by your furry babies as well... Thanks for your visit to my blog an your kind comment!! I'll be back often to visit... Your handmade cards are beautiful! xoxo Silke

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  40. Thank you for the visit to my blog. I still have not been all around to see everyone from GYB.
    Glad to meet your management team. Mine is smaller but they keep me in line too. Yours are so cute. And I love your cards. All the work that goes into them is evident. I'll be back to visit as I hope you will. Oma Linda

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  41. I appreciate your visiting my blog. Congrats on going over 100. This was a fun way for all of us bloggers to meet. I love your tangled kitty best :)

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  42. Thank you for visiting my blog. I enjoyed your kitty stories and adore the Zentangles!

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  43. Hello and nice to meet you! I think your cats are so cute!! Have a wonderful day!

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  44. Your Zentangled cat is awesome! I loved seeing your furry council. :)

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  45. Your cards are just lovely! So nice to see you again at the party!! ~Terri

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  46. I love you drawings.

    Feels like I will never finish this list of blogs, but it is great seeing what is out there. Please visit my embroidery blog if you are so inclined. (I'm in the 1st group.)

    aprilsongstress

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  47. My favorite is te zentanlge cat. Thanks for visiting my blog. It was nice to meet you via the GYB hop.

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  48. Hello! Thank you for visiting my blog. It was lovely to meet you through the Grow Your Blog party.As someone who could do with losing a few kilos, your blog ineterests me. Do teachers in France really work more than in Portugal?

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  49. Great to meet you - it was fun getting to know you and your team. Thanks for sharing.

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  50. Yes, you have a fine management team! Loved seeing your art.

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  51. Looking forward to reading more of your blog - always looking for new recipes!

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  52. Your cards are so great! I'd love to win your giveaway!

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