Your mousy is coming along splendidly.
I feel you can go much darker around the flower to get more depth from the background.
I also feel this painting is going to need a frame. The blue tape just isn't doing it for me. :-p

On forming bread...
what you do is stretch out the outer edge, the gluten makes the surface like a rubbery sheet.
You use this spring to create the uniform size.
You put the non stretched side down.

so, you have your two hands, together at the wrist, your thumbs pointing forward, you thumb pads wresting on the bread, the fingers are like half way around the loaf. You then stretch the bread around. Stretching the outer surface, poking it in at the bottom with your fingers.