Happy Endings

Earlier this  year, Martin & I became foster carers for our local greyhound rehoming charity, Gracehounds.  It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride, but worth every second as, 9 months on, both our foster dogs, Torres & Tar, are happily settled in their forever homes!

foster dogs, Torres (left) & Tar (right)

2 year old male ex-racer, Torres, lived with us for 6 months. He came to us in poor shape, with painful corns on his  paws & a lot of anxiety  issues. In conjunction with our local vets & dog behaviourist, we helped rehabilitate Torres, with particular focus on his separation anxiety.  Because of difficulties  encountered with our cat, Torres spent his final 2 months in foster care at another home, but he left us a much happier & healthier dog & we’re just glad we could help him in the journey towards his happy ending.

Torres & I

Torres is now happily settled with the Rees family in Peebles, along with his new companion, Holly, the family’s staffie-X. He loves all the attention he gets from the children in the household, & keeps  them entertained with his mischievous ways! The boys say they “love Torres because he is very naughty!” – I guess some things never change…

Torres with his new family

7 year old Tar lived with us for only a month whilst waiting for his forever home, but was a joy to foster! Having already been a well-looked-after pet for several years, Tar arrived in much better condition than Torres. An extremely easy going dog, Tar’s tail never stopped wagging during his stay with us, & he fitted right in with our own 2 dogs, Max & Molly.

Tar, asleep on my knee

It didn’t take long to find a home for laid-back Tar & he is now happily settled in his new home in Temple with owner, Sara, along with Tigger the terrier-X, Hutch the collie, 2 cats & a fish! Tar is more than happy to share the sofa with his new adoptive siblings, & animal lover, Sara, thinks Tar is “perfect & makes the family complete!”

Tar with his new family

Tar might not be living with us any more, but I still get to see him (& his adoptive siblings, Tigger & Hutch) at least twice a week, as Sara’s new dog walker! It’s heart warming to see the smile on Tar’s face & his “taggy wail” (as Sara puts it!) every time I collect him for his walks – I have no doubts that he couldn’t have gone to a better home.

Tigger, Tar & Hutch eagerly await their walk!

Still waiting for their own happy endings are Gracehounds‘ current foster dogs, Roddy, Marcus & Jackson. & I’m sure it won’t be too long before Martin & I welcome another dog into our home whilst they wait for theirs…

http://www.gracehounds.plus.com/hometar.htm

Santa’s Little Helper

The temperature’s dropped, the fire’s lit, the tree is up… Christmas is on its way & The Dog House is stocked full of festive hand printed goodies!

Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

Who can forget the first ever Simpsons Christmas Special, when Homer & Bart bring home abandoned greyhound, Santa’s Little Helper? Inspired by Simpsons character & infamous animated greyhound, ‘Santa’s Little Helper’, I have created a range of  seasonal prints for both dogs & their families!

From stocking fillers to stockings…

Last Christmas my eldest rescue greyhound, Max, received a pair of novelty doggy reindeer antlers in his stocking. Photographed in his festive headgear, I can assure you that Max received lots of turkey titbits in exchange for his co-operation!

I converted the photograph of Max to a monochrome image (using the technique described in this tutorial), & created a printing screen of the image, along with the caption ‘Santa’s little helper‘. I  hand screen printed my new design onto cotton bags, doggy bandanas, stockings & baby hats using non-toxic fabric ink. (The ink has been fixed using heat, making it resistant to machine washing at 40°C, dry cleaning & ironing on a cotton setting.)

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed snow white and crimson red on festive green organic cotton tote bag

This festive tote measures 36 x 40 cm with a depth of 8 cm & long handles for carrying over the shoulder. It is made of 100% certified organic cotton twill in festive green & carries the EarthPositive® label, having been ethically made using a climate neutral process.

The image & text are printed in snow white ink, with the greyhound’s nose picked out in crimson red. Stylish, super practical & eco-friendly, this bag is the perfect seasonal accessory for any greyhound lover!

The bag costs $17 (approximately £11)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed white on red cotton doggy bandana

This triangular bandana measures approximately 50 x 50 x 75 cm, making it suitable for any medium or large sized dog. It is made of 100% cotton in crimson red with the text printed in contrasting snow white.

This festive bandana is the perfect seasonal accessory for your hound this Christmas!

The bandana costs $13 (approximately £7)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed cotton Christmas stockings

These stockings measure 32cm (heel to toe) x 43cm (height) & are made of 100%  cotton with contrasting stitching detail at the edges. The text & images are printed in bright festive coloured ink.

Why not stuff one brimful of doggy treats & toys & spoil your hound rotten this Christmas!

The stockings cost $15  (approximately £10) each* & are available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed snow white on festive green organic cotton baby knot hat size small

This adorable baby  hat is size small (circumference 45″, length 40″) & is knotted at the top. It is made of 100% organic combed cotton in khaki, with the text in contrasting white. The fabric is super-soft, making it gentle against young sensitive skin.

Perfect for keeping little elves’ heads cosy and snug at Christmas time!

The hat costs $15  (approximately £10)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed snow white on crimson red cotton Santa sack

This sack measures 38cm (w) x 43cm (h) & has a drawstring closing. It is made of 100% cotton in crimson red with the image & text printed in contrasting snow white ink.

The sack costs $15  (approximately £10)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

PAW PRINT & XMAS TREATS hand printed cotton drawstring pouches

These pouches measure 10cm (width) x 13cm (height) & have a drawstring at the top. They are made of 100% cotton in either crimson red or festive green with the text / image printed in glistening white. They slip nicely over your wrist or into your pocket.

These brightly coloured little pouches are perfect for storing your dog’s holiday treats in. Why not spoil them with something extra special over the festive period!

The pouches cost $6  (approximately £4) each* & are available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

*Special Promotion

Blog readers are elligible for FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING on all Christmas items at The Dog House. Simply copy & paste the url of this post into the ‘note to seller’ upon check out & I will refund the shipping costs via PayPal. (This offer is valid until 25th December 2009.)

Ensure your purchase arrives in time for Christmas by ordering before 9th Dec (international customers) / 20th Dec (UK customers).

5% of the profits from the sale of all these items will be donated to  my local greyhound rehoming charity, Gracehounds (Scottish Registered Charity No. SC038872).

Happy Christmas from Max, Molly & me!

MISSING GREYHOUND, WEST CALDER

This is an appeal to help find wee Poppy, one of Gracehounds‘ foster dogs. She has been missing in the West Calder area of West Lothian, Scotland since Monday 16th November.

Poppy

Poppy is a small female greyhound. Her coat is black with a white bib and socks. She is very frightened of people especially men: PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH HER AS SHE WILL RUN. Poppy is wearing a collar & is microchipped. The police, dog wardens and local vets have all been informed.

If you spot her please call one of the following numbers:

Dogs Trust: 01506 873 459

Lois: 07989 963556

Rhona: 07954 213977

Location where Poppy went missing

Poppy, who I blogged about just one month ago (see this post) lived in her foster home for several months, but remained an extremely anxious dog & was fearful of most people & other dogs. After being assessed by a professional dog behaviourist, she was transported to the Dogs Trust centre at West Calder on Monday evening, where she was to receive expert help with rehabilitation. However, upon arrival at the centre, Poppy managed to escape from her harness & run away.

Both Gracehounds volunteers & Dogs Trust staff have been searching for her since & she was sighted in the area on Tuesday evening. However, being so fearful, Poppy will run from anyone who tries to approach her. Therefore, if she is sighted we are asking that Gracehounds or Dogs Trust are contacted immediately by telephone on the numbers above. It has been appalling weather this past few days (wet, windy & cold) but it is hoped that Poppy has found a safe haven to keep herself warm & dry. She has a high prey drive, so may have been able to sustain herself.

Tomorrow, along with other Gracehounds volunteers & their dogs, I am travelling to West Calder to help search for Poppy & distribute posters & fliers in the local area. If you or anyone you know lives or works nearby, please please keep an eye out for Poppy & pass the word on so that this beautiful but troubled dog can be saved.

Poppy

Born to Run

We adopted our beautiful greyhound Molly, a 3 1/2 year old black & white ex-racer, from our local greyhound rehoming charity in December ‘08. She was photographed on a recent walk near Penicuik, running at full speed in the ‘double suspension gallop‘ typical of greyhounds, with all 4 paws free from the ground. When I see the pure joy in her face at moments like this, I know that she truly was born to run!

Using the technique I describe in this tutorial, I converted the above photograph of Molly to a monochrome image, then, as described in this tutorial, I created a reusable printing screen of the image.

So far I have used this to hand print my ‘Born to Run’ design onto cotton bandanas for dogs, as well as comfortable vests for their human counterparts…

BORN TO RUN hand printed indigo on turquoise cotton doggy bandana

BORN TO RUN hand printed indigo on baby blue ladies cotton vest top

BORN TO RUN hand printed charcoal grey on fluorescent yellow womens ultrafine tunic tank

BORN TO RUN hand printed indigo on white cotton womens racerback vest

The above products are all for sale in my Etsy shop.

Congratulations to Colin!

Back in May this year, Colin, Lynne, Katy & I completed the 10K long Great Edinburgh Run in aid of Gracehounds, our local greyhound rehoming charity. Subsequently, Colin set his sights on another challenge & decided to run the 2009 New York City Marathon to raise further funds for the charity.

Roddy & Sophie ‘help’ Colin with his training

Since May, Colin has been hard in training (the rest of us took the more greyhound-like approach & relaxed on our sofas!) & on 1st November, joined by friends & family in New York, he completed all 26.2 miles of the marathon. He has raised a total of almost £3000 for Gracehounds!

17 down, 6 to go: Colin at 17 miles

Colin says,

“Well, I did it. It was not the fastest time – 4:24:41 putting me in 23,797th place but, with 43,741 starting and 43,475 finishing, it means that 19,944 runners crossed the finish line after me!

I’ve been amazed at the support I’ve had and the money you donated. It will be a great help to the dogs in the coming year.

All money donated will go to the charity to look after the dogs and none to the marathon or travel.  Thank you for your support.”

25 miles & still running

You can still sponsor Colin via his Just Giving page & see more photographs of the event here.

a proud moment

In other news, Gracehounds has recently found permanent homes for both Torres & Snowflake, & welcomes latest foster dog, Jackson.

Meet Tar

Tar is the beautiful dog that my partner & I are currently fostering for  Gracehounds, our local greyhound rehoming charity.

Tar

Tar’s racing days are far behind him, having been a pet for several years now. However, due to an unfortunate change in his previous owners’ circumstances Tar is now looking for a home again. But until that special someone comes along, he’s going to stay here with us.

He has the most adorable face, with a cute up-turned nose & long, velvety soft ears. Martin thinks this makes him look like a cross between a cayman & a rabbit, but I think he is cute as a button!

Tar is cute as a button!

At 7 1/2 years old, Tar’s  muzzle is starting to look distinguished, but he is a young dog at heart, with a playful streak & a super-waggy tail! He’s a very easy-going boy, & loves nothing more than a scratch behind the ear.

Tar acts younger than his years

He gets on with other dogs of  all shapes & sizes, is good with children & is even ‘cat-safe’! He’s settled very quickly into his foster home, where our own dogs, Max & Molly, have made him most welcome, even sharing the furniture with him!!

Molly & Tar share the sofa

You can find out more about Tar & Gracehounds’ other foster dogs here. I’ll be posting updates to let you know how Tar is getting on.

Lady Grey

I just had to share this wonderful greyhound-inspired treasury curated by fellow UK Etsyian, Gem of Gemma Stafford – Knits. I love all the pretty pink items she’s chosen. In amongst them you’ll find a beautiful Glass Greyhound Pin donated to Handmade4Hounds‘ shop by Sue of Frums Glass Menagerie, Gem’s own adorable Doggy Balaclava, & my ‘Just Jess’ Ladies Sweatshirt featuring a hand printed lurcher image.

The treasury list expires on 26th October, but until then you can click through to leave your comments & view each individual item & seller here.

Looking for Forever Homes

Gracehounds is currently searching for permanent homes for 6 beautiful greyhounds: Torres, Poppy, Roddy, Marcus, Tar & Snowflake.

Torres

Torres (who my partner & I fostered for 6 months), is a 2 year old male ex-racer. During his time in foster care he has blossomed into a lovely natured, affectionate, handsome boy. He enjoys the company of other dogs & well-behaved children but is not suitable to live with cats.  Torres loves to play, & is also quite content to curl up in bed or stretch out on the sofa & just relax!

Torres loves his teddies!

Poppy

Poppy is a 2 1/2 year old female ex-racer. She is a beautiful girl, who is still quite shy. She’s just starting to come out of her shell & is curious about everything she has not seen before. A lovely sweet-natured dog, Poppy gets on well with the other dogs in her foster home, & is slowly being introduced to the world outside it.

Poppy is a very pretty wee dog

Roddy

Roddy is a 2 1/2 year old male ex-racer. He is a very handsome boy with a coat as soft as cotton-wool. Full of affection, Roddy loves to play, especially with his brother, Marcus. He also loves to snuggle in bed. He gets on well with most other dogs & may be suitable to live with older children.

Roddy relaxes

Marcus

Marcus is a 2 1/2 year old male ex-racer. Like his brother, Roddy, he has a beautiful white & black coat. Marcus is full of fun & adores playing with everybody & everything! His long tail is always wagging as he investigates the world around his foster home.

Marcus is very playful & curious

Tar

Tar is a 6 1/2 year old male ex-racer. He has a wonderful comical face with big ears & a wee bent nose. A very laid back dog, Tar is at ease with other dogs, cats & children. Until recently Tar was living with his friend, Snowflake, but due to a change in their owner’s circumstances is now looking for a new home.

Tar is a very easy going dog

Snowflake

Snowflake is a 6 year old female ex-racer. She is a gentle, sweet-natured dog with beautiful markings. Although she’s quiet, she likes to play & is happy around other dogs & children but not cats. Like her friend, Tar, a change in her owner’s circumstances means Snowflake is now looking for a new home.

Snowflake has a lovely white coat

All the dogs are currently in foster care, while they await the arrival of that special someone. You can find out more about the dogs, as well as the adoption process, on Gracehounds’ website: www.gracehounds.plus.com

brothers Roddy & Marcus groom each other; Snowflake & Tar relax in the sun

You can see more pictures of some of the foster dogs here.

Dogs, Dragons and Lagomorphs

The Dog House meets Dragon House (of Yuen)

A fortnight ago I purchased a birthday card for my Dad from Etsy shop Dragon House of Yuen. Usually I have to wait (impatiently!) for my Etsy purchases to arrive via the post, but this one arrived on my doorstep along with its creator! Meeting a fellow Etsy seller in person was a first for me, but it was so lovely to meet Annette & share a cup of tea & a chin-wag.

Annette & her lagomorphs

Annette lives in nearby Edinburgh with her fiance & 2 rescue rabbits, Arabella & Wesley. Her rabbits are the inspiration behind many of her creations, which include cards, watercolours, bags, soft sculptures & ACEOs. Everything is her own design & handmade with great love and attention to detail.

Arabella, Annette’s beautiful rescue doe – from Little Critterz Rescue Sanctuary in Perthshire, Scotland

Wesley, Annette’s very handsome rescue buck – from the Rabbit & Guinea Pig Welfare Rescue Centre in Rugby, England

An avid supporter of various charities including WSPA, the BUAV, Rabbit & Guinea Pig Welfare and the Buckeye House Rabbit Society, Annette donates a percentage of some of her sales to these charities, as well as donating some of her hand-crafted items to be raffled.

2 of Annette’s amazing handmade bags – the one on the left is modelled on Arabella & the one on the right on Wesley!

Some of Annette’s unique soft sculptures – baby hare, baby rabbit & baby feline

Annette paints beautiful watercolour pet portraits. She accepts commissions &, if your pet is a rescue animal,  will gladly donate 20% of the total cost of the painting to your animal rescue centre or charity.

A portrait Annette painted of her special rescue rabbit, Zai, who sadly is no longer with her

Annette is a fellow member of both the Etsy For Animals & McEtsy teams, which is how I came to ‘meet’ her online. Her sunny personality shines through in her active participation of these teams & she has a unique talent of pulling together the work of fellow artists to create beautiful treasuries, often with poignant messages relating to her love of nature & animals.

One of Annette’s many curations . This one’s entitled ‘Soul Shaker’ & is part of a trilogy of treasuries with fellow Etsyians Pey & Pat

So many grey hares

Like everything Annette sells, the custom birthday card I had ordered arrived beautifully packaged. Annette had also included a generous selection of samples of her other work, including a puffin image which I am particularly fond of!

The card featured decades of little grey hares, in fact one white cut-out baby hare with added fur detailing in pencil for every year of my Dad’s life (& that’s quite a lot of hares!). Annette had printed then cut-out each individual hare and adhered them onto the A6 card, which opened accordion-style.

The message, which is revealed line by line as you open the card, read:

“It’s that time again!!!

Happy Birthday

Uh – Oh!

So many

Grey Hares!!

Whew!!”

A creative & unique card, Annette can custom make this card for the ‘oldie’ (Sorry Dad!) in your life by tailoring the number of grey hares. I just love it, & so did my Dad!

Dining on kale

The kale which we sowed in our garden earlier this year – we now have a bumper crop & don’t know what to do with it all!

I sent Annette home with a bag full of kale from our garden, which she informs me is a favourite of Arabella & Wesleys’. Although Annette was very taken with both Max & Molly, we decided it was probably best if those two never got to meet her lagomorphs in person! Although, I hope that I may have the privilege of doing so some day soon…

Arabella & Wesley tuck into some kale

You can read Annette’s blog post about our meeting here.

Halloween at The Dog House

The Dog House is all geared up for Halloween with a spooky selection of hand screenprinted goodies, ensuring you & your dog can celebrate the holiday in style!

Tricks for Treats

My friend Lois’s dog, Max, was photographed jumping through a hoop at an agility day held at Vogrie Country Park in Midlothian.

Max is a beautiful 10 year old deerhound-greyhound cross. He may be an old man now but he’s still graceful & agile as ever, & willing to do anything for a wee piece of sausage!

Lois is the founder of Gracehounds, a small local charity dedicated to finding permanent homes & a better life for sighthounds, like Max, who would otherwise be abandoned or destroyed after their short racing careers.

I converted the photograph of Max to a monochrome image (using the technique described in this tutorial), & created a printing screen of the image, along with the caption ‘tricks for treats‘. I  hand screen printed my new design onto cotton bags & doggy bandanas using non-toxic fabric ink. (The ink has been fixed using heat, making it resistant to machine washing at 40°C, dry cleaning & ironing on a cotton setting.)

TRICKS FOR TREATS hand printed white on black cotton small drawstring bag

This cute little bag measures 10cm (width) x 13cm (height) & has a drawstring at the top. It is made of 100% cotton in black, with the caption printed in contrasting white: ‘tricks for‘ on one side & ‘treats‘ on the other.

This handy little sack is perfect for storing your dog’s own favourite treats in: it slips nicely over your wrist or into your pocket. It would also make a cute children’s candy store at Halloween!

The pouch costs $6 (approximately £4)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

TRICKS FOR TREATS hand printed black on moss green organic cotton tote bag

This tote measures 36 x 40 cm with a depth of 8 cm & long handles for carrying over the shoulder. It is made of 100% certified organic cotton twill in moss green with the image & text printed in black. The bag has been ethically made using a climate neutral process & carries the EarthPositive® label.

A super practical bag, it is strong yet lightweight: An eco-friendly & stylish alternative to plastic bags for carrying anything from books to beachwear!

The bandana costs $17 (approximately £11)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

TRICKS FOR TREATS hand printed blue on white cotton doggy bandana

This jaunty bandana is triangular & measures approximately 50 x 50 x 75 cm. It is made of 100% cotton in white with the image & caption printed in contrasting blue. Perfect for fastening round your dog’s neck, especially if they’re a sucker for agility!

The bandana costs $13 (approximately £8)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

It is also available in red printed on white, & in black printed on bright orange.

TRICKS FOR TREATS hand printed indigo on natural unbleached cotton small bag

This dinky little bag measures 20 x 25 cm & has short handles. It is made of 100% natural unbleached cotton with the greyhound image printed in contrasting indigo. Perfect for storing & carrying your dog’s favourite treats in, this bag would also make a cute children’s bag at Halloween.

The bag costs $11 (approximately £7)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

*Special Promotion

Blog readers are elligible for FREE SHIPPING (including international) on all Halloween items at The Dog House. Simply copy & paste the url of this post into the ‘note to seller’ upon check out & I will refund the shipping costs via PayPal. (This offer is valid until 31st October 2009.)

5% of the profits from the sale of all these items will be donated to Gracehounds (Scottish Registered Charity No. SC038872).