Tag Archive for 'animals'

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Agility For Greyhounds!

Published on August 4, 2010 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments Tags: adopt, agility, animals, charity, countryside, dogs, edinburgh, foster, gracehounds, greyhounds, lurcher, midlothian, molly, open day, pets, photographs, rehoming, rescue, scotland, sighthound, uk, vogrie country park, walk.

On the last Sunday of every month, our local greyhound rehoming charity, Gracehounds, hosts an open day at Vogrie Country Park in Midlothian. It’s a chance for anyone keen to learn more about greyhounds to chat with the volunteers & meet the foster dogs. Anyone is welcome to attend, with or without a dog – the aim is to have fun whilst demonstrating what wonderful pets greyhounds & lurchers make.

Along with a nice walk & the chance to meet other sighthounds, there is also a fun agility course for the dogs to try. Now, greyhounds may not be renowned for their prowess in the world of dog agility, but once they get a whiff of one of the tasty cocktail sausages which Gracehounds provides, all of a sudden they become very keen to please…!

Molly loves agility!

Our Molly is a little star when it comes to agility, & she is very popular with the children who attend Gracehounds’ open days – they practically queue up waiting for a turn to take her round the agility course! I’m so proud of how gentle & patient she is with them – she absolutely adores all the attention & exercise (& sausages of course!).

Molly jumps over the hurdle…

… then gets her sausage reward!

Last Sunday there was a new addition to Gracehounds’ agility course: a balance ramp. It didn’t take Molly very long until she had mastered that one too & was scampering up & down it for her little titbit of sausage at the end!

Molly quickly learnt how to do the ‘balance ramp’

For the foster dogs especially, the fun agility course is a great way to introduce them to new things which they won’t have experienced before & show them praise & reward. Often they will sit & watch curiously while other dogs have a go at the course, noticing the number of sausages that pass hands, before feeling confident enough to have a wee go themselves! There are always plenty sausages to go round, though whether a dog is interested in agility or not

Gracehounds currently has 4 dogs who are looking for homes: Katy, Ben, Tom & Charlotte – I have had the privilege of meeting them & they are all absolute darlings, each special in their own unique way! You can find out more about Gracehounds’ foster dogs by clicking on the pictures below or visiting the Gracehounds website.

Katie is a gorgeous 18 month old brindle girl who is full of fun

Ben is an adorable 5 year old gent who loves to play

Tom is a sweet 6 year old boy

cute little Charlotte is only 6 months old

You can see more photos from Sunday 25th June as well as from all Gracehounds’ open days here.

Ten Top Tips For Starting Your Own Dog Walking Business

Published on July 23, 2010 in Uncategorized. 7 Comments Tags: advice, animal aiders, animals, business gateway, business skills, charity, creative advertising, disclosure scotland, dog walker, dog walking business, dog walking service, dogs, edinburgh, experience, gracehounds, greyhounds, help, insurance, let the dogs out, lothian, market research, midlothian, national association of registered petsitters, pet sitter, pets, scotland, screenprint, start up, survey monkey, tips, transport, trust, uk, unique selling point, vistaprint, walk, website, whale shark software, wordpress blog template.

When I’m not getting creative with ink & screens, I operate my own dog walking business. I launched Let The Dogs Out in June 2009 & have been enjoying spending my days outdoors in the beautiful Lothian countryside in the company of my favourite animals ever since!

Lately I have received several enquiries from people who are in the process of setting up their own dog walking businesses, or perhaps just considering the idea of becoming a dog walker, asking for my advice on how to go about it. So I decided to write a wee blog post covering some of the basics

I by no means purport to be an expert on this subject, but here are my top tips based on what has worked for me:

1. Get some experience

Look for as many opportunities as possible to walk dogs! Not only will this tell you whether this activity is something you actually enjoy enough to spend a lot of your time doing it, but it will also allow you to observe how dogs interact with one another & the environment, & teach you how to handle dogs of different shapes, sizes, ages & temperaments. I’d recommend volunteering to walk dogs for your local rehoming charity.

2. Learn some business skills

In order to set up & manage your dog walking business you will need to register as self employed, open a business bank account, keep proper financial records, manage your accounts & complete tax returns. Organisations such as Business Gateway (in Scotland / Business Link in England) provide help & support with all these things for free, both online & via local seminars & workshops.

3. Do some market research

Find out if there is a demand for dog walking in your area. Some of this can be done by simple observation, but you could also consider holding a focus group or posting a questionnaire. Survey Monkey is a free online questionnaire tool which I found useful in conducting my market research prior to starting up.

4. Get insured

Getting fully insured is a must, not only for the sake of your clients, but also for your own protection. Dog walking insurance is fairly specialised & there are only really a handful of companies who provide it in the UK. The National Association of Registered Petsitters is perhaps one of the best options for those just starting out as it is widely known about (by the public) & membership entitles you to various other helpful resources & services as well.

5. Show that you are trustworthy

In order to gain prospective clients’ trust, you need to be open & honest with them right from the start. Applying for a Disclosure Scotland (or Police Check) Certificate costs very little, & making your full CV (including references) available too is a good idea.

6. Show that you are committed

Whilst attending animal behaviour courses & obtaining relevant qualifications might prove both expensive & time consuming, consider doing some small things to show you are committed to a career working with animals. For example, a certificate in canine first aid is relatively cheap & can be gained in just an afternoon by attending a short course such as those run by Animal Aiders.

7. Provide safe transport

You needn’t invest in a custom-fitted van just yet! Consider making do with what you have available, at least to start with. For example, a hatchback or estate car can be converted into a safe vehicle for transporting dogs in by simply folding the rear passenger seats down, installing a standard dog guard behind the front seats & covering the whole rear area with non-slip, easy-clean material such as a yoga mat.

8. Create a website

A professional looking, easy to navigate, informative & search engine optimised website can be the cornerstone of your business & can be set up easily & with really very little money. With the help of my partner (Whale Shark Software), I created my own site using a simple WordPress Blog template. The majority of my clients have found me via my website & many comment on its thoroughness & ease of use.

9. Advertise cheaply

Take advantage of free online advertising & list your new dog walking business on as many sites as possible, including targeted locations such as forums frequented by dog owners & local business directories. Buy a large pack of cheap business cards from somewhere like Vistaprint, or even print off your own posters at home, & distribute them at the local vets, the pet shop, the newsagent, the park noticeboard… anywhere you think potential clients might frequent. Being creative with your advertising means you don’t need to spend a fortune – I screenprinted some clothing with my business details & wore these whenever I was out in public.

10. Stand out from the crowd

Make sure there is something about the service you offer which sets you apart from your competition, whether it is your discount rates, your last minute availability, the area that you are willing to cover, the flexible hours you work, the unique locations you walk at… If you can manage to make one or more of these things remarkable then you should be well on the way to gaining your first clients

Good luck!

Gwersylla A Milgwn (Camping With Greyhounds)

Published on June 22, 2010 in Uncategorized. 4 Comments Tags: aberdyfi, animals, barmouth, beach, cae du, camp fire, camp site, camping, cardigan bay, countryside, dogs, dolphins, greyhound pyjamas, handmade, holiday, marshmallows, max, medina cafe, molly, pets, photographs, tent, travel, tywyn, wales.

After the success of last year’s camping trip, Martin & I once again bundled the tent & the dogs into the car & set off on holiday, this time to Wales. We came across an idyllic wee camp site near Tywyn in Cardigan Bay, where we spent 4 glorious sunny days relaxing by the coast.

Approaching the camp site at Cae Du from the road (if you look closely you can see our tent at the bottom!)

We pitched our tent right next to the sea, just metres from the edge of Cae Du beach & the gentle waves rolling in & out provided the perfect backdrop to our holiday. No sooner had we arrived than Martin spotted a pod of dolphins out in the bay!

our pitch

Although the dogs struggled a little with the stony beach, when the tide went out there was plenty of soft sand for them to have a good run on! It was lovely to see them running like that, without a care in the world, especially after Max’s recent ill health. Molly even tried a bit of rock climbing!!

with Max & Molly on the beach at Cae Du

Molly on the beach at Cae Du

We spent the days exploring the beaches along the coast, from the quiet village of Aberdyfi in the South up to the bustling town of Barmouth in the North. This was interspersed with plenty time just chilling out back at the tent of course!

on the beach at Aberdyfi

Max & Molly do a spot of sun bathing at Barmouth beach!

Martin & Max relaaaax!

Max & Molly had a great time & we even found a cafe in Aberdyfi, which not only welcomed dogs but provided them with lots of fresh water & homemade dog biscuits to boot, which really made their day

Medina cafe in Aberdyfi

In the evenings Martin & I sat by our camp fire & enjoyed the magnificent sunsets while toasting marshmallows in the embers. By this point, the dogs were usually so tired out they were fast asleep (wearing their fleecy greyhound jammies to keep them warm of course!).

toasting marshmallows – yum!

Max & I in our jammies

view from the tent at sunset

All in all, a great holiday & lovely to spend time with Martin & the dogs in such beautiful surroundings

You can see more pics from our hol here!

(Not So) Hot Dog Show

Published on June 6, 2010 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments Tags: animals, arts and crafts tent, charity, craft fair, disgrace hounds, dog, donate, dragon house of yuen, edinburgh, emily moir, etsy, fete, foster, fundraise, gracehounds, greyhound, handmade, handmade4hounds, homemade dog treats, hot dog show, jess lovell, local artist, maiawalli art, max, max and molly designs, mcetsy, midlothian, molly, pets, photography, print, rain, red row studio, rehome, rescue, scotland, screenprint, shop, sighthound, stall, tar, team, the simpsons, treasury, vogrie country park, weather, wooden tree, wudwerx.

Last Sunday (May 30th), Gracehounds held their annual Hot Dog Show & Summer Fete at Vogrie Country Park in Midlothian. This year I helped organise the Arts & Crafts tent, along with volunteer dog walker & friend of Gracehounds, Ann Spence. Our aim was to raise funds for Gracehounds by asking artists to donate 25% of their sales at the fete to the charity.

the Arts & Crafts tent(s)

I turned to the local Etsy community, where I found several talented & big-hearted artists who were happy to come along & help us: Alison of Ali Bali Jewellery, Annette of Dragon House of Yuen, Angel of Maiawalli Art, Mike of Wudwerx, Kirsty of Wooden Tree, Emily of Emily Moir, & Jess of Jess Lovell.

Annette (Dragon House of Yuen) & Angel (Maiawalli Art)

Don’t Annette’s baby hare soft sculptures look adorable all huddled together?

Mike (Wudwerx), Angel (Maiawalli Art), Annette (Dragon House of Yuen) ‘s Mum, & Alison (Ali Bali Jewellery)

Emily (Emily Moir), Kirsty (Wooden Tree) & friends

Jess (Jess Lovell)

We were also supported in the Art & Craft tent by local artists Marjorie White (jewellery maker), Barbara Hunter (card maker), Kerry Lindsell (Dundee art student), Colin Nairns (photographer), & Sara Brunt (cartoonist). Sara is the owner of greyhound Tar, who Martin & I fostered for Gracehounds last year, & I was overjoyed to be able to spend the whole day in his company!

Tar

I love the ‘Disgrace Hounds’ cards which Sara made specially for the event!

&, of course, Martin (Red Row Studio) & I (Max & Molly Designs) were there with our own stall, which Max & Molly used as a handy shelter when the heavens opened! I think they were also attracted to the smell of the homemade dog treats we were selling

Still smiling despite the rain!

Molly shelters under our stall

Half way through the afternoon, I had the opportunity to leave the stall in Martin’s capable hands for a moment whilst I entered Max & Molly in the Dog Show itself, where they were placed 1st in the ‘Best Family Group’ category (for the 2nd year running!).

Martin manning our stall

Best Family Group winners

Back at the stall with our rosette (Can you see Tar there in the background?)

Needless to say, the rosette the dogs won was not the only new item to be acquired that day… I couldn’t resist bringing home a few of my favourite fellow artists’ creations, which are now adorning our home!

Crafty Magpie linocut print by Jess Lovell; Greyhound plushie by Kirsty Anderson; Stretch cartoon by Sara Brunt

It may have rained constantly & blown a gale in typical Scottish fashion, but, despite the dismal weather, we still managed to raise over £80 between us at the Arts & Crafts Tent alone, every penny of which will go directly towards the fostering and re-homing of rescued greyhounds. A HUGE thank you to all the artists who came along to the event for their support & generosity!

‘Every Cloud…‘ a gallery featuring the work of each artist who was at the show, plus some other McEtsy & Handmade4Hounds team members

The Dog Show as a whole was a success, with over £1500 raised in total. You can see more pictures from the event here.

Peace To All Creatures

Published on May 20, 2010 in Uncategorized. 5 Comments Tags: 'zine, animals, art, article, charity, cosmo's vegan shoppe, dogs, edinburgh, etsy, for the animals sanctuary, green issues, greyhounds, handmade4hounds, health, jane macleod, jessi vanpelt, neva davis, pet rescue by judy, pets, pippi howard, published, shop, social issues, the ginger card company, uber duper creations, vegan diet, vegetarian, why greyhounds make great pets, writing.

The Peace to All Creatures ‘zine project is the brainchild of friends Pippi Howard & Jessi VanPelt. The duo design & edit the quarterly ‘zine, which is now in its third issue, from their respective homes in Colorado & Florida. Pippi & Jessi are on a mission to ‘Educate, Empower & Entertain’ & topics discussed within the ‘zine include art, animals, vegan diet, health, social & green issues & more.

Writers & artists from around the globe contribute to the project by submitting their articles & artwork, & I was thrilled when Jessi (a fellow greyhound lover who I met through the Etsy Handmade4Hounds team) asked if I would consider submitting a blog post I wrote earlier this year to be published in the spring 2010 issue of the ‘zine. Of course, I said yes!

As a contributor, I was lucky enough to be posted a complimentary copy of the hand bound ‘zine. However I was too impatient to wait & purchased the digital download version too so I could start reading right away!

Featuring vivid cover art by Neva Davis, issue 3 of the ‘zine is packed full of interesting articles on a diverse range of subjects from companion animals to civil rights to vegan diet & lifestyle. Although not vegan myself, I have recently become vegetarian & I so found the latter particularly thought provoking & inspirational. & of course it was lovely to see Max & Molly making an appearance in my ‘Why Greyhounds Make Great Pets’ article!

If you would like to read the ‘zine, hand bound laser-printed copies of issues 1, 2 & 3 can be purchased at the following online locations:

♥ Uber Duper Creations

♥ The Ginger Card Company

♥ Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe

The ‘zine is also available to purchase as a digital download from Uber Duper Creations.

A large portion of the profits from sales go to two charities chosen by Pippi & Jessi:

♥ Pet Rescue by Judy, a non-profit organisation dedicated to rescuing cats & dogs in Florida

♥ For The Animals Sanctuary, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation & life-long care of victims of the food farming trade in New Jersey

If you would like to contribute to the ‘zine, you can submit an articles or artwork for inclusion in issue 4 by emailing thekarmakitchen@gmail.com. Please note that all submissions should be cruelty-free & vegan friendly

You can keep up to date with the ‘zine project by following the Peace to All Creatures blog.

Knit Happens

Published on May 3, 2010 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments Tags: animals, artists helping animals, bandana, bandanna, betafly, buttons, charity, daisy, dogs, edinburgh, efa, etsy, etsy for animals, greyhounds, guardian angels for soldier's pet, handmade, kitchy kerchief, knitting, ladybird, ladybug, molly, mum, neckerchief, pattern, pets, photographs, ravelry, scotland, sheep heid inn, shop, stitch 'n' bitch, team, the dog house, woolpack.

Well, it’s been a while since I last offered my knitting up for scrutiny here but I’ve finally gotten round to finishing the dog kerchief I started knitting a couple of months ago…

To teach myself how to ‘increase’ I followed this simple pattern from Debbie Stroller’s book, Stitch ‘N’ Bitch.

I used a thinner yarn than the 5 ply weight suggested as I had some 3 ply yarn left over from a hat I knitted ages ago in a lovely grassy green colour, & so my kerchief was subsequently a little smaller & lighter but just perfect for a doggy bandanna!

Once I finished knitting, I embellished the kerchief with some super cute ladybird & daisy buttons I purchased from Etsy seller Betafly. Could my greyhound Molly look any more adorable wearing it?

The kerchief is now for sale in my Etsy shop (my first branch away from screen printing – how exciting!) & I am donating 50% of the proceeds to Etsy For Animals‘ (EFA) charity of the month.

EFA is a group of more than 500 independent artists, craftspeople, & vintage, art & craft suppliers that combine their efforts to provide charitable relief to animals. They form a team on Etsy, of which I am part, with many members donating a portion of their sales to animal charities.

Each month an animal charity is chosen from charities nominated by one or more EFA members to be the EFA Charity of the Month. This May, that charity is Guardian Angels For Soldier’s Pet, whose mission is to support military, veterans & their beloved pets to ensure the pets are reunited with their owners following a deployment in harm’s way to fight the global war on terrorism or unforeseen emergency hardship impacting their ability to retain their pet’s ownership rights.

A full list of EFA members is available here & you can see more items supporting the EFA charity of the month here.

Meanwhile, I’ll be attending my knitting group at the Sheep Heid tomorrow evening & hopefully casting on a new project. My Mum is keen that I attempt to knit socks, but I think that may be a little advanced for little old me

Looking After Max (1)

Published on April 23, 2010 in Uncategorized. 6 Comments Tags: adopt, amputation, animals, biopsy, braid burn valley park, diagnosis, dogs, east neuk vet, edinburgh, fife, gravy bones, greyhounds, histiocytoma, icr butt, investigation, limp, loanhead, lump, max, mesenchymal sarcoma, midlothian, orhopaedic, pet insurance, pets, photographs, rescue, scotland, st monans, surgery, tough decision, trauma, treatment, tumour, vet.

Most animals dislike, even hate, going to the vets, but our 8-year-old retired greyhound, Max, absolutely loves it! He loves saying hello to the receptionists (cue gravy bone), & will work his way around every person in the waiting room, charming them by placing his head on their lap & giving them ‘that look’ (cue more gravy bones!). Once he gets into the consultation itself he thinks he’s hit the jackpot – he will allow our vet to poke & prod him any which way she likes (cue lots & lots of gravy bones)! It’s a good thing he is so good natured about it all really, as he has become something of a regular at our local surgery…

Our vet’s large stash of Pedigree ‘Gravy Bones’ may have something to do with why Max loves his trips there so much!

We adopted Max in May 2008 & he spent much of his first year with us with one or other of his limbs in bandages! He had a histiocytoma surgically removed from one of his forepaws, then, following traumatic dislocation, one of the toes on his right hindleg was surgically amputated.

Max following removal of the histiocytoma in June 2008

More recently, Max has developed a prounounced limp, avoiding putting weight through his right hind leg whenever he breaks from walking to trotting. After consultation with a specialist orthopaedic vet in Fife, it seems that Max’s limp is multifactorial in causation, with both contracting scar tissue in his thigh (a likely result of an untreated internal bleed due to muscle trauma during his racing days) & unbalanced weight distribution through his remaining 3 toes (& possibly the stump of the amputated toe) playing a part. Whilst neither of these are treatable, they are also not sinister & (likely) not progressive, so it is fine for Max to continue ‘hopping’ along as he does as he is not in any pain.

Max enjoyed a walk at Braid Burn Valley Park just last weekend, limp & all

One thing that was picked up in the battery of tests Max underwent to try & determine a treatable cause for his limp, was a small lump in his buttocks (separate to the scar tissue mentioned above). This was biopsied & the result indicates that it is a potentially aggressive tumour (a mesenchymal sarcoma). This is completely unrelated to his limp & is just an incidental finding, but quite a shock.

After a long chat with our own vet, we decided that it’s best for Max if we just leave the lump be – it is not bothering him at all & because of it’s position (a few cm from his anus – poor boy) resection would be very traumatic. We are just going to look after the rest of his health & leave it be unless it starts to cause him any distress. It’s a tough call, & I think especially because he’s insured it’s very easy to think ‘we’ll just go ahead with whatever investigations & treatment are available’ without stopping to consider what’s actually best from the animal’s point of view.

Max

Max lives in the moment, & I think we’re just going to try & keep that moment happy & pain-free for as long as possible. He already has his limp & his digestive problems to deal with, so invasive surgical / chemical treatment is the last thing I want to put him through. It’s a very small lump, & I hope it’s a very long time before it gets any bigger…

Remembering Moss

Published on April 5, 2010 in Uncategorized. 7 Comments Tags: accident, animals, border collie, broughty ferry, dad, death, dogs, Dundee, found, grassy beach, lost, memorial, missing, moss, mum, pets, photographs, puppy, railway, scotland, slideshow, train, walk, warning.

Last week, Moss‘s body was found by the railway line beside Broughty Ferry’s Grassy Beach. Having been missing for over 2 months, he has now finally been laid to rest. It is tragic that Moss has died so young (he was only 10 months old), but at least we know that every single day of the 8 months he spent as my parents’ pet was filled with joy. He was such a loved dog, by all our family & everyone who met him, & will never be forgotten.

[slideshow]

Rest in peace little Mossy.

To all those who walk their dogs on Broughty Ferry’s Grassy Beach, please be aware that it is possible for dogs to get onto the nearby railway line, despite fencing & gates. Our family has walked our dogs off lead on this beach for many years under the assumption that it is safe, & every day we see dozens of others doing the same. Sadly, Moss’s story proves that it is not.

Spring Sale!

Published on March 26, 2010 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: accessories, animals, bargain, clothing, discount, dogs, edinburgh, etsy, facebook, facebook fan page, greyhounds, handmade, homeware, midlothian, offer, pets, print, sale, save, scotland, screenprinting, shop, spring sale, the dog house, thedoghouse, thedoghouse.etsy.com.

thedoghouse.etsy.com is one year old & is having a Spring Sale to celebrate! Lots of hand printed items, including adult & kids clothing, homeware, tote bags & doggy accessories have been reduced by 1/3 until the end of March.

Here are a few examples of what’s on offer:

Lurcher dog screenprinted ladies cotton sweatshirt reduced from $32 to $21

Paddling greyhound screenprinted cotton kids T-shirt reduced from $22 to $15

Easter bunny greyhound screenprinted cotton vest top reduced from $22 to $15

To see the full selection of items on sale please visit the SPRING SALE section of my Etsy shop. Hurry though – the sale must end on 1st April!

As a added incentive, all Facebook fans can take an extra 10% off all sale items. Just enter your Facebook username in the ‘Note to Seller’ upon purchase & I will refund you via PayPal!

It’s easy to sign up to my Facebook fan page by clicking here or on the link in this blog’s sidebar. I post daily updates about what the dogs & I are up to, screen printing projects I’m working on & lots more! Look forward to connecting with you…

Big Ben

Published on March 22, 2010 in Uncategorized. 6 Comments Tags: adopt, animals, bald butt club, beach, ben, big ben, cat safe, charity, custom, design, dog boarding, dog house rules, dog walking service, dogs, east lothian, edinburgh, etsy, greyhounds, handmade, honeymoon, let the dogs out, marriage, max, molly, monochrome, national association of registered petsitters, pets, photographs, print, rescue, scotland, screenprinting, shop, tea towel, the dog house, towel, walk, wedding.

Ben is my friend Evelyn’s beautiful black rescue greyhound. She has had Ben for just under a year & adopted him via the Retired Greyhound Trust from Liberton Greyhound Kennels in Edinburgh. Ben had already been rehomed once, unsuccessfully, & apparently many potential adopters were put off by his size(!), but when Evelyn met Ben it was love at first sight! I first had the privilege of meeting Ben when he became one of my dog walking clients last year.

Ben is a handsome boy

Ben is 7 years old, just like my Max, & a big dog, even by greyhound standards, towering almost a full foot above my own two hounds, Max & Molly. He has a glossy, all-black coat, except for little flecks of white on his toes. He is a shy dog, but has come out of his shell a lot over the 9 months I have been walking him . He’s always really pleased to see me when I go pick him up, greeting me with a play bow & ‘singing’ till I put on his coat & lead then leaping up into the car as soon as I open the boot!

Ben on one of our walks at Longniddry beach, East Lothian

Ben is a real gentle giant & lives happily alongside Evelyn’s cat, Max. Like many rescue greyhounds, he is a member of ‘the bald butt club’ & has very little hair on his behind. It doesn’t make him any less adorable though! He is very well mannered, sitting (which is no easy feat for a greyhound) & giving paws, (ditto!) & walks beautifully on the lead.

Ben and Max are best friends

Ben shows off his bald butt!

Ben gets on well with both my own dogs, particularly Molly, who I think has a bit of a soft spot for him (I jokingly refer to him as her ‘boyfriend Ben’!), so I have no qualms about looking after him now & then when Evelyn is away from home.

Max, Molly, Ben & I at the beach

Last month, Evelyn & her partner, David, were married & I looked after Ben for a week whilst they were on their honeymoon. It was lovely having 3 greyhounds in the house again, even if they did commandeer the sofas for the whole week!

Ben tucks into one of the rawhide chews his Mum left for him

Max, Ben & Molly & Martin in the spare room!

As a wedding present for Evelyn & David I made them a screen printed tea towel with a picture Ben on it! The image is derived from a photograph which Martin took of Ben lying in our kitchen during his stay. I love the way Ben is resting his head on his paws & gazing curiously up at the camera. I created & printed the image using the technique described here.

the photograph of Ben from which my screen printed image is derived

my Big Ben print

Evelyn & David love their Ben tea towel & say it is “far too gorgeous to actually use”! I am pleased with how the print turned out too so have kept hold of the screen I made so that I can print more items with the same image (Martin has already requested a Big Ben T-shirt!). Expect to find Big Ben items in my Etsy shop soon!

the tea towel I gave to Evelyn & David

Today when I went to pick Ben up for one of his thrice-weekly walks, Evelyn had left me a wee plaque for our house, saying she couldn’t resist buying it for Martin & I:

Greyhound House Rules (click to enlarge)

I couldn’t stop laughing when I read it! I think we have worked our way down to around rule number 8 – ‘the dog can sleep under the covers by invitation only’ - so far, with the clause that ‘unless we’re too sleepy to protest!’

Wishing Evelyn & David every happiness in their marriage & looking forward to lots more walks with gorgeous Ben!