Folksy Friday: String ‘Em Up!

I’ve been in love with bunting for a while now. To me, nothing says summer celebration quite like a string of colourful bunting,  & if it’s handmade then so much the better ;-) Perhaps it’s ‘Royal Wedding fever’, but us Brits can’t see to get enough of the stuff at the moment! Don’t feel you have to be restricted to stringing it up in your garden though – here are just a handful of the creative ways in which Folksy sellers are incorporating this trend into their work:

Blue glass bunting by Red Brick Glass, Bunting 8×8″ print by Cassia Beck Photography,  Pink heart mosaic bunting by Good Afternoon Agatha, Birdie bunting by Hannah Madden, Cotton bunting tote bag by Bubs Bears, Oh happy day necklace by Stripey Monkey

In preparation for our own wedding, I’ve been trying my hand at making some bunting too. A while back, while rummaging through the clothes rails in some local charity shops, I unearthed some old shirts made from patterned fabrics that appealed  to me.

Using a cardboard template & a fabric marker, I sectioned each piece of fabric into triangles, which I then cut out with pinking shears.

Next I ironed a crease in a length of white bias binding, & inserted the fabric triangles in at intervals along this, pinning to secure.

I’m afraid my sewing skills do not amount to much, but even I managed to figure out how to use the mini sewing machine which a friend had kindly given me to stitch the whole thing together with relative ease – which just goes to show how easy it is to make your own bunting!

As it turns out, I didn’t need to use all the fabric I had acquired to make the amount of bunting needed (& I made lots!), but by this time I’d gotten quite attached to the strangely mismatched yet complimentary assortment of patterns I was working with. So, I have had parts of the same material incorporated into my wedding dress, as well as working it into several other handmade accessories we plan to use at our wedding! But you’ll have to wait until after the Big Day to see photographs of these ;-)

Greyhound Greetings

As well as the company of my wonderful greyhounds, I have been blessed with a fiancé who can capture them in all their beauty on camera. Martin is responsible for many of the photographs upon which my screenprinted designs are based (not to mention the product photography in my shops), & I have created a selection of note cards featuring some of the photographs he has taken of our dogs. Printed on thick 350gsm, FSC credited paper stock, the cards measure 4.13″ x 5.82″ or 105mm x 148mm, & come with plain white envelopes. They are available to purchase individually, in sets of three, & in mixed packs of five cards, from both my Etsy & Folksy shops.

At The Gate

I love this photograph Martin took of Molly, Torres (our old foster dog) & Max peeping through the garden gate whilst waiting patiently for me to prepare their dinner. Martin & I erected the rather ‘rustic’ gate, & adjoining fence, from scraps of wood & chicken wire the first weekend after we brought Max home from the Retired Greyhound Trust, as a cheap but effective means of making the garden secure for him to exercise in!

Free

Although there are no dogs actually in this photo, I think Martin has captured something beautiful in the three collars resting on the gate here (the same one as above!). The hounds themselves, in this case Max, Molly & our friend Lois’s lurcher, Sophie, were playing in the garden ‘naked’. This photograph evokes feelings of loss for me, as sadly Sophie has since passed away. I think viewing the collars apart from the dogs like this somehow gives a feeling of emptiness.

Fields of Gold

This is another one of my favourite images that Martin has shot. You really get the feeling of the sun warming the dogs’ backs as they swish through the long grass. I’m unsure of the identities of the three greyhounds in the picture – it was taken on a lovely sunny walk we enjoyed with our friends Sheena & Alison & the seven greyhounds they have adopted between them. I remember feeling like ‘the pied piper’ walking through the field with an entourage of greyhounds following behind!

See How They Run

This photograph was also taken on that same walk with Sheena & Alison, & is of Sheena’s beautiful black greyhound, Jamie, soaring through the air with all four feet off the ground in double suspension gallop. His facial expression is one of pure joy & I think we can be in no doubt that Jamie is smiling here!

Looking Out

This is one of my all time favourite pictures of Max. Martin took it on a camping holiday near Arisaig on the West Coast of Scotland, & it was shot from inside our tent as Max lay resting, yet still attentive, watching the various goings on in the campsite. I love that he has shot it from Max’s level & it really gives me a feeling that I’m seeing what he’s seeing.

We both love this picture & have actually blown it up & hung it in a rather unique frame… When Martin found an old entomological cabinet that his work were getting rid of, he brought it home with a view to upcycling it into a drinks cabinet. However, he didn’t need all the specimen drawers for this so I snapped up the ones that were going spare which still had intact glass, gave them a good airing to remove the strong formaldehyde smell, & converted them into picture frames. We now have them hanging on the lounge wall above the drinks cabinet which Martin created!

Red Row Studio

Martin’s photography extends far beyond snapping pics of our greyhounds, & he really has an eye for capturing things which might otherwise go unnoticed. You can see more of his work on his website, with selected prints available to purchase from both his Etsy & Folksy shops.

Pillow Talk

For a while now I’ve been printing some of my favourite designs onto cushion covers. These make a lovely addition to a sofa or bed, & have become one of Max and Molly Designs’ most popular products.

Lazy greyhound design (Warning: popular with dogs too!)

Each cover is made of 100% natural cotton & is screen printed by hand using non-toxic fabric ink. They measure 39 x 39 cm or 15 x 15 inches, have a zip on one side, & fit standard square pillow inserts (e.g. those available from IKEA).

Relaxing greyhound design

There are currently 14 different designs available, priced £10 each, or 2 for £17, in my Etsy & Folksy shops.

Nom nom nom design

To celebrate reaching 300 Facebook fans, Max and Molly Designs is giving away one of our hand printed cushion covers! Entering the give-away is simple:

1. Pick your favourite cushion cover from the selection available in our Etsy & Folksy shops. (They can be found in the Home Decor section of both shops.)

2. Become a fan of us (‘The Dog House‘) on Facebook. (Just click the ‘Like’ button! )*

3. Share your favourite cushion cover design by leaving a comment on our Facebook page here.

In 1 week’s time (31st March) a comment will be selected at random (using an online random number generator thingamajig), & that person will win whichever cushion cover they have chosen as their favourite! (Complimentary worldwide shipping is included.)

Which one will you pick?

Watchful greyhound design

* Liking us on Facebook means you will receive updates about Max and Molly’s adventures, along with other interesting snippets from the world of greyhound rescue & handmade, in your news feed ;-)

Say NO to Cruel Cosmetics

Thanks to decades of campaigning by the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), cosmetics made in the European Union are no longer allowed to be tested on animals. However, such products made outside the EU can still be marketed & sold here. Europe was due to be free of all new animal tested cosmetics by 2013, but, as a result of pressure from the cosmetics industry, officials are now considering extending this deadline. In response to this threat, my friend & fellow artist & animal lover, Annette Tait, has started the ‘Bun Blog Pledge‘.

Ms Rabbit, the ambassador for the Bun Blog Pledge, has been travelling around blog land since the end of January, & this week I was delighted when she decided to hop through our letterbox after a trip down South to visit Charlotte & her pet rabbit Humphrey at Cottontails. Ms Rabbit was a little bit nervous when she heard she would be cohabiting with two greyhounds this week, but I assured her they had promised to be on their best behaviour! After adding my signature to her (& of course to the online petition organised by BUAV), I let Ms Rabbit loose in our bathroom to take a nosey round the assortment of cosmetics we have in there…

First stop was the bathroom cabinet, where Ms Rabbit was delighted to find toiletries made by Chain Bridge Honey Farm (hand cream), Crystal Spring (deodorant), daysoft (contact lenses), Earth Friendly Baby (baby wipes) Faith in Nature (deodorant), Green People (sunscreen), Kingfisher (toothpaste) Lush (moisturiser) Marks and Spencer (lip balm), Natracare (tampons) & Wikaniko (face wash), none of whom test their products (or the components thereof) on animals. She was particularly impressed by the bars of cold process soap made by Martin & Is’ own fair hands! What better way to ensure the cosmetics you use are not tested on animals, than to make them yourself? That way you are in control of exactly what goes into them.

Next Ms Rabbit hopped down from the cabinet & into the shower, where she was distracted for a moment by the pretty glass fish hanging there (handmade by Jo Whitehead of Glassprimitif), before busying herself taking stock of what toiletries were lurking in there. She gave a paws up to the cruelty free products we use made by Lush (shower gel & shampoo), Method (shower cleaner) & Wikaniko (conditioner). I told Ms Rabbit that I was particularly fond of Lush products because of their recent campaign against greyhound racing, & had been the lucky enough to receive a whole gift box full of Lush goodies from my brother-in-law-to-be, Philip, at Christmas time.  When she found our bottle of Serendipity Herbals pet shampoo she started to feel a little vulnerable positioned underneath the shower head, but I assured her that I would not be using the shampoo on her & only ever used it on Max & Molly when they got really dirty (about once or twice a year)!

After all that hard work, Ms Rabbit was ready to curl up on the sofa with Max & Molly, who were true to their word & stuck to sniffing rather than chasing her! Here at Max and Molly Designs we not only love greyhounds but care about the welfare of all animals, & pledge to say NO to cruel cosmetics. You can say no too by signing the petition & by making sure the cosmetics you use are not tested on animals. If you are not sure then you can easily check which products are cruelty free here.

If you’d like to invite Ms Rabbit into your home & take the Bun Blog Pledge too, please contact Annette by via her blog, & she will add you to Ms Rabbit’s itinerary ;-) In the meantime, she is packing her bags again & heading off to visit Gill & her bunnies, Daisy & Archie.

Introducing Ziggy

Max & Molly are currently sharing their coveted sofa space with their ‘cousin’ Ziggy, Martin’s Mum’s dog. Ziggy is a 6 month old cavoodle (a cavalier king charles spaniel crossed with a miniature poodle) who has come to stay with us for a fortnight whilst Margaret is on holiday.

Ziggy

& whilst I can’t say I wholeheartedly approve of the whole designer dog movement (there are after all thousands of intelligent, genetically balanced cross-breeds already waiting  for homes in dog shelters up & down the country), there is no denying that Ziggy is cute, & it has been fun having him around these past few weeks…

Ziggy doing his chewbakka impression!

cuddling up on the sofa

Molly & Ziggy had already been introduced  down in Manchester when Ziggy was only 3 months old, with Molly being admirably tolerant of all his puppy antics, so we knew that the pair of them would get along fine. & it didn’t take long to establish that Max was happy enough to welcome Ziggy into our house as well.

when Molly met Ziggy back in December 2010

Max, Ziggy & I curl up on the sofa together

Ziggy certainly has a lot more energy than our greyhounds, but they have been teaching him a thing or too about the virtues of ‘deep sofa relaxation’! He has also enjoyed meeting & socialising with the other dogs that I walk, in particular my neighbour’s dog, Fidra, an 8 month old border terrier – the pair of them have gotten up to no end of mischief  together on our daily walks at Blackford Hill!

the terrible twosome at Blackford Hill

a brief pause to rehydrate…

…before coating themselves thoroughly in mud!!

a slightly reproachful Ziggy in the bath afterwards!

Many people would be surprised to learn that 2 retired greyhounds could live quite happily alongside a such a small, fluffy & lively young puppy. However, I am beaming with pride at the way my two taken Ziggy in their stride & would confidently offer to look after him in their presence again (though I think we all may need a wee break first…!!).

a full sofa ;-)

Folksy Friday: Lather Up

This week Martin & Is’ first batch of cold process soap, which has been curing in a cupboard for the past month or so, was finally ready to use. I’m relieved to say`that neither of us have suffered any caustic burns, or so much as broken out in a rash (though I did make Martin try it first!!).  In fact I’m rather pleased with the creamy, fragrance free bars we’ve produced – rather good for a first attempt!

We made our soap using a blend of olive oil, coconut & avocado oils, & cut it into rather plain looking rectangular bars. But handmade soap can be much more creative than this, as demonstrated by the Folksy sellers who have made the beautiful, & no doubt wonderfully fragranced, soaps below:

Sheep soap by Bits N Bobs, Yummy Chocolate soap by Miju Beauty, Ice Lolly soap by Sophie’s Soap,  Honey Buns soap by  Oakwood Soaperie, Natural Forest soap by Karramandi, Tea Tree & Fresh Mint soap by Original Soap Co

Encouraged by the results of our first batch & inspired by all the gorgeous handmade soaps above, I now feel ready to graduate to more fancy scented & moulded soaps for our next batch, which we plan to distribute as favours at our wedding later this year. Will keep you posted with the results… ;-)

Molly: A Day in the Life

So what do retired greyhounds do all day anyway…?

Every morning after our alarm clock goes off, Molly will echo it with a few pathetic sounding winges until we acknowledge that she’s awake. This done, these will descend into a low pitched ‘grunt’, indicating she’s ready to come & say good morning as soon as we give the word!  Then, it’s up onto the bed, face licks all round, then she burrows under the duvet between us & settles there until we whisk the cover away & get up for the day…

Molly & me: sleeping beauties!

At breakfast time she will sit  patiently in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil whilst I portion out her & Maxs’ kibble & stir in some warm water to make a gravy (mustn’t forget the gravy – Molly will not eat kibble without gravy!). It barely takes her a minute to lick the bowl clean, & she never fails to check Max’s bowl just in case he has any leftovers (he never does!).


Is it ready yet?

All the excitement of mealtime over, Molly retreats to the lounge to sprawl out on one of the sofas & go back to sleep. She won’t toilet if let outside at this time in the morning, but take your eye off her for one minute & she’ll have left a little ‘present’ behind the sofa for you to clean up – that’s our Molly!

Rejuvenated after her morning nap, Molly’s ready for a day out walking. She’s always beside herself with excitement when she’s having her collar, lead & coat put on, & will even try & put her head through Max’s coat once her own one is already on!! She’ll leap up into the back of the van & then we’re off for the day…

Do we really need the snood Mum?

As we pick up each of my clients‘ dogs, she will always welcome them into the van with a face lick & a tail wag, & she’s the one who keeps the peace in the back of the van whilst I’m driving (grumpy Max gets to sit in the front with me in his ‘doggie belt’!).

Out on our walks, Molly’s recall has yet to be perfected, despite years of practice. She rarely does anything really naughty, but if there’s a big open field you can blink & she’ll be racing off into it, & if there’s anything dirty & smelly on the ground you can guarantee she’ll be rolling in it!

playing on the beach

She certainly tires herself out on her walks & once we get home she’s flat out on the sofa again to recover from all that running. Like most greyhounds, she does assume the funniest poses when she’s sleeping!

Molly’s ‘Jaws’ pose: Just when you thought it was safe to get back on the sofa..!

As her internal clock starts to tick towards ‘dinner’ o’clock she will wake up & this is  the time of day when she’s at her most playful. Molly seldom engages in games which involve any human participation, but she certainly seems to have fun in whatever little world it is she goes off to during her solo play!

Next up it’s dinner time & the whole routine from breakfast is repeated over again. Afterwards, she is always overjoyed to see her darling ‘Daddy’ return home from work & leaps straight up on his knee for a big cuddle! She loves to spend the evening snuggled up on the sofa with the two of us, drifting in & out of dreams.

Molly & Martin

It’s been a full two years since we adopted our pretty little Molly from our local greyhound rehoming charity, Gracehounds, & we don’t regret a single day of it. Happy Mollyversary my gorgeous girl! ;-)

sweet dreams after a hard day’s work!

Puppy Love

With Valentines Day only a week away, love is in the air! But who says it all has to be the romantic kind?! Two of the biggest loves in my life are my rescue greyhounds, Max & Molly.

Max, Molly & I

I think there is something pretty remarkable about the pure, unconditional love between a dog & their human. & for those of you who feel the same way, here are four of my favourite pieces of art for sale by the artists of Etsy, each depicting this special bond between a human & their pet (click on the pictures for a more in depth look):


unconditional love times 2 …

$20.00

the shelter dog equation

$45.00

RESCUE PETS WILL LOVE YOU BE…

$25.0

Eyes for only you- Greyhound…

$12.00

clockwise from top left: ‘unconditional love x 2 8×8 fine art photo’ by Photogenic Gallery; ‘the shelter dog equation’ by Susan Sabo Photography; ‘RESCUE PETS WILL LOVE YOU BETTER silkscreen poster’ by Ifop; ‘Eyes for only you – Greyhound dog print – 5 x 7 inch’ by Elle JW

&, in the same spirit, here are some hand printed Valentines gift ideas available from my own Etsy shop, Max and Molly Designs:


Nom nom nom tea towel

$7.00

pet treats pouch

$3.00

Lurcher dog baby T-shir…

$16.00

Lazy greyhound ladies v…

$18.00

Paw print pet treats po…

$3.00

Cheeky paw print ladies…

$10.00

So this Valentines day, stop looking for that whirlwind romance & look a little closer to home in the ever-doting eyes of your faithful four-legged friend. ;-)

Two Hounds Brewing Co

Last summer I suggested to Martin that we try making our own elderflower champagne, with a view to serving it at our upcoming wedding this May. So out  we went & picked wild elderflower heads &, using an adaptation of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipe, together we brewed up 15 litres or so of the stuff.

The bottles now lie stored in crates in a dark cupboard, & we sample one every few months or so to make sure it is conditioning well. (So far the results are impressive & we’re very much looking forward to serving them at our wedding!) However, little did I know that Martin would enjoy this little brewing experience so much that a whole new hobby would be born…

the label we designed for our wedding champagne

With the help of his friends Chris & Buzz, Martin has now brewed half a dozen or so different batches of beers in our kitchen, from pale ales to porters, & all under the label ‘Two Hounds Brewing Co’. (Can you guess which pair of hounds might have inspired the label?! ) My contribution: I help pick the names, design & stick on the labels, &, well, allow it all to happen in our kitchen!!

a selection Martin’s beers: Requiem Raspberry, Cincinatti Pale Ale, Grinch Robust Coffee Porter, Fidra Bavarian Weissbier, Sunnyside Pale Ale

Of course the beer is all either for personal consumption or has been gifted to friends & colleagues. Although I’m not a beer drinker myself,  it always seems to be well received & a batch never lasts very long!

Cheers! Martin enjoys one of his beers in the custom made glass his brother gave him for Christmas

I have created a printing screen based upon the label design & used it to hand print some cotton bags. Filled with a few beers each, these made great little Christmas presents for our friends & family. & I have even had a few requests for some T-shirts printed with the same design!

combining our brewing & screenprinting skills to make Christmas presents!

Meanwhile, Martin’s brewing habit shows no signs of letting up & I believe the next scheduled brewing is to take place in our kitchen this Sunday… ;-)

Stepping into 2011 in Style

As usual, this Christmas was an excuse to spoil my dogs rotten! In addition to the usual plethora of treats & toys, & of course lots of cuddles & walks, Max & Molly were the recipients of some very stylish doggy accessories, which they wanted to share with you…

Don’t they look stylish in their new martingale collars?

Their collars were handmade by the lovely Hande of Silly Buddy (named after her beloved, but silly, dog, Buddy). Hande creates unique, one of a kind dog collars (& leashes), which are not only beautiful, but safe & durable to boot. It was a tough job choosing just one collar each for Max & Molly, as Hande has so many fabulous designs, but in the end we went for Elf Owl collars in complimentary collars: teal for Molly & mustard for Max. Hande went to extra trouble to create these martingale style collars, which are just perfect for greyhounds’ long necks & slender heads (& guarantee that the neighbourhood cat will remain safe from any of Max & Mollys’ advances!).

Handsome boy Max in his mustard Elf Owl collar

Molly looks pretty as ever in her teal Elf Owl collar

To go with their new collars, Max & Molly were also treated to some new leads, which were handmade by Kyra of The Mod Dog. Kyra custom designs dog accessories,  & I was attracted to her store because of the sheer variety of lead colours available – no more boring red, blue or black for us! After some contemplation, I chose a teal lead to go with Molly’s collar, & a chocolate brown one for with Max’s. It’s great to know that Kyra donates 10% of every sale to her local Georgia rescue, Atlanta Weimaraner Club Rescue. Both Kyra & Hande are fellow members of EFA (Etsy For Animals), a group of 600+ Etsy sellers who combine their efforts to provide charitable relief to animals.

Molly: “We’re at the park now Mum, can I get my lead off?”

Max’s brindle coat is complimented perfectly by his new collar & lead

Their new collars & leads are a fantastic addition to the previous year’s Christmas presents, which were a pair of all-weather coats handmade by fellow retired greyhound Mum, Terri of Acme Couture. These waterproof, wind-proof coats ensure my dogs can be tempted out for a walk even on the coldest & wettest of days & have been a great investment. Molly’s has suffered a few little rips here & there, on account of her tearing through the woods in it, but these have been mended with careful placement of a few girly flower patches! ;-)

Molly & Max looking cool in all their apparel

So I think we can safely say that Max & Molly will be maintaining their status as the most stylish greyhounds in Edinburgh in the year 2011! Happy New Year!