How to Turn Your Dog Into the Perfect Purse, in One Easy Step! (My BIGGEST Review Ever!)

1. Ask Mia (at Handmade by Mia, Unique felted creations) to do it for you!

You guys!!!

And frankly, I'm not sure that size-200 font is big enough to express my true feelings!

I sent Mia a photo of Dewi (as I did last Spring with Jon Farleigh).
And, look what she did!
All the way in Finland!
Out of nothing but a pile of wool yarn!
IN ONE WEEK!

Note: The ginger tabby paw is my accessory. Not that the purse needed one, it's just that my assistant, Bobby Flay, insisted.

You do remember the purse Mia made of Jon Farleigh, right?

(Yes, same ginger tabby accessory.) 

Now, I have a complete set, for all seasons! And, these bags are so well made, they're heirloom quality. I guess that means my heirs better take good care of them, huh? ☺

The heavy-weight cotton, happy, doggy lining is so adorable! 

And, I got a (surprise bonus) key fob out of it!

There's a hidden loop for my removable wrist strap (also purchased on Etsy).

I just cannot get over how close Mia got the needle-felting to Dewi's actual coat pattern. Most handmade merle items only capture coloring, but not individual coat patterns. This rendering, however, is exceptional. Truly exceptional!

I asked Mia for a toadstool (which is one of her "stock" designs) and a toad. It was her first ever toad, and I think she knocked it out of the park, don't you?

Dewi, exchanging pleasantries with himself. ☺

And in case you're wondering (and you are), the whole thing cost me $38, plus $7 for international shipping. Best $45 I ever spent on a Dewi purse!

This is what Mia's packages look like in the mailbox. So much fun!

My wrapped precious cargo!

Dewi is screaming in this photo. That is all.

Jon Farleigh is making sure purse-Dewi knows who's in charge. 

Bobby Flay (O'Fish) would like everyone (including me) to know that he is, in fact, the one in charge. 

Apparently, Finnish sheep's wool contains kitty crack.

And then, he was asleep on the job.

Maybe my next purse from Mia should have a Bobby Flay on it. Then a Maddox, and a Tigger, and an Eva...Bertie...Lula....☺


* More details about my experience placing a custom order with Mia are provided in my previous review (of the purse with Jon Farleigh on it).

Thanks to Mia and Etsy, I'm Taking My Woolly Red Corgi to #BlogPaws, After All!

Please allow me to break that title down for you...

First of all, you need to meet Mia:

Note: Mia is NOT a store logo; she is the crafty, creative genius behind the pictured Etsy.com shop that bears her name.

The woolly* red corgi is Jon Farleigh, as illustrated here:

Also of significance (however, not appearing in the post title) is that Jon Farleigh's dog-dad (Yardican's Roland {Sam}) was born in Finland, to Finnish parents, which makes Jon Farleigh 1/2 Finnish. Mia (of Handmade by Mia) is located in Finland.

And, thanks to a little skill and a lotta luck -- which won me a free conference pass and a comped hotel night -- this...

It will be my 3rd BlogPaws, the first two of which were located in my home state of Virginia, and, because I drove my car, made it possible to for me to bring Jon Farleigh and Dewi. 

There is no way in Sam Hill I'm driving to Las Vegas. Soooo, being adverse to the idea of the boys riding in the belly of a jetliner cross-country, I am resolved to leave their furry butts at home. Boo.

I will, however, be toting a smaller, woollier version of Jon Farleigh -- on the plane, and all through the conference -- because Mia (in Finland) made me this little custom handbag!

...At the sight of which, I squeed and nearly sprained my cheeks (the facial ones, ugh) from the protracted smiling. Oh my gosh! Isn't it adorable?!

The bag, hand knitted from Finnish lamb's wool (the color of which I selected) and then machine felted by Mia, is roomy enough to carry all my essentials (plastic, cash, phone, lip balm, pen, keys, a couple poop bags, etc.) and has a hidden loop at the corner to which I can attach a wrist strap (my own, purchased from a different shop on Etsy).

Note: Bobby Flay (whose paws are in the above image) was just trying to play with the bag help.

Back detail

Mia uses whimsical, vintage cloth to line all her bags, and I am thrilled with what she chose for me!

More bees...

...and more doggies!

(The model with his flat likeness)
What'cha looking at up there?

Although Mia had already drawn a Pembroke corgi for another customer, and we'd agreed upon that basic design, I emailed her a photo of Jon Farleigh and she made adjustments for his unique white markings, tail and ear shape, to more accurately reflect the Cardigan breed. (Note: I requested his coat to be the "correct" length because I didn't want anyone to mistake him for a fox. Truth.) The Lily of the Valley and happy bee sidekick were also my idea.

I have no idea why I chose those specific things.

Bzzzzz

Oh wait, yes I do! ☺

I just LOOOVE my felted, Finnish, woolly Jon Farleigh purse and you can bet I'll be carrying it proudly at BlogPaws!

Shoot, I might even pack this other bag I got from Mia (a few months back), too!

Because kittehs need representation!

I purchased the adorable kitty purse out of Mia's existing shop inventory; however, I did ask her to add a loop so I could attach a wrist strap.

Do you like? If yes, you simply must check out Mia's shop! Her items tend to move quickly, so for the best idea of all the fanciful little designs she can do, be sure to look at her reviews (there are pages upon pages of them). All of the reviews link back to the purchased item. Hint: That's how I was able to get ideas for my Jon Farleigh bag, and soon-to-be Dewi bag (for fall).

You should also know that only a week transpired from my initial email inquiry about the custom bag to the day Mia shipped it to me. Just one week! Her communication is impeccable, prices reasonable and shipping from Finland to the US is relatively quick, at about 7 business days.

I can't wait to see what she can do with Dewi in a few months!

Payback for all the orifice sniffing Bobby Flay has endured.

Anyone else going to BlogPaws? If so, please be sure to say "hi"! You'll find me wandering about, trying to use my green corgi purse as a conversation piece.☺ (What do you expect me to do without my two low riders attached to my side??)

* The "correct" term for an incorrect (too long) Welsh corgi (Cardigan and Pembroke) coat is "fluffy," not woolly. However, being that there are many degrees of "fluffy" coats, Jon Farleigh's (especially in humidity) seems to have erred more on the woolly side. And what a glorious woolly "error" it is!

♣♣♣

Join me this Sunday, March 16!

Classic 'Crafty' Cardigan: Felting for Dumb@sses - Balls

To clarify:

Dummy - A beginner, novice; someone who struggles with directions laden with technical jargon

Dumb@ss - (see below image)

Figuratively, people. This furry @ss could be a genius.

Now, solve this riddle:

What does one call a person who (when it comes to felting) is both a dumb@ss AND a smart@ss?

OK, time's up. The answer is (see below image):

Behind those glasses, I'm winking hard. ;)

So. Now that we're clear on who this blog post is really about, let me give a shout out to the person who is responsible for my re-posting it for your enjoyment: the talented and lauded author of the hilarious novel What the Dog Ate, Jackie Bouchard!

"How is that?" you might ask.

Well, I'll tell you; just look at her comment on last week's Etsy giveaway post:

She (and her sis) make these ADORABLE wool felted dogs! (And one is a Cardi!)

And so, naturally, I wanted to re-publish this dusty old felting post of my own, because a) refer to both of the above images, and b) I'm too lazy to write something original.

Editor's Tip: When one is short on sheep's wool for felting, one can feel free to substitute DOG HAIR. Double-coated varieties (as in Corgi) work nicely.

And now, originally published on February 11, 2011:

Dog Hair Explosion Part II: Why the World Needs Crafty People

Okay, so this is what I eventually brushed out of Dewi the other day when his undercoat spontaneously disengaged from his skin and landed on my kitchen floor:

Probably enough to fill a regular-sized plastic Target bag

If I'd had the right tool(s), I'd probably have gotten a lot more. Well anyway, I'm certain that just about NONE of my wonderful readers are impressed with the size of Dewi's pile of hair, since I understand from Red Dog Mom - over at Life with The Horde - that entire trash bags can get filled up multiple times before the "blow" is all over (of course - at the time of this writing - she does have five Cardigans). But that's okay; I just wanted to use this post to show you all what I made with the pile of hair.  :)

A couple weeks ago, Boo's Mom over at Darby's and Pumpkin's Daily posted "Don't ask me why", which if you didn't see it, is just - in my simple opinion - one of the coolest "crafty" (felting) dog posts I have ever seen. Who knew that shedded Cardigan Corgi hair could be turned into something so adorably photogenic? (Boo's Mom: I would totally frame the second photo and put it on my wall!) And to think that I had all the resources to do it myself AND I could get all my kids to make some, too; and if it worked, I'd never have to buy another cat toy again! Suddenly, I couldn't wait to grab the slicker brush. "Jon FARLeighhh!  DEWIiiiiii!  Time for your brUSHingssss!" (Remember, this was a couple weeks ago, so Dewi hadn't started molting yet.)

A brushfull each of Jon's and Dewi's hair later...TA-DA! Felted balls!

Yes, I know the photo stinks; this was the best I could get
after about 100 shots with my crappy camera. :(

But, aren't they cuUUUute! Of course, the beige one on the left is Jon Farleigh's. :) My kids were fascinated, too (they take after me). Now, wouldn't it be fun (thought I) to make a great BIG ball (think baseball) for the cat to bat (pun intended) around?

Remember the pile of fur I brushed out of Dewi (hint: up at the top of this post)? Okay, here's what I "felted" with it:

Hint: It's the big NASTY thing on the right.

Note to self: Left-brained career choices are the best choices.

Addendum note to self (added 12/18/12): Any-brained career choice is better than NO career choice. [self-hug]

*****

Boo's Mom, Jackie Bouchard (and all you other crafty folk out there - see comments here for several good examples), I am your humble admirer!


P.S. Those two small balls are displayed prominently (on a shelf) in my kitchen. :-)

Dog Hair Explosion Part II: Why the World Needs Crafty People

Okay, so this is what I eventually brushed out of Dewi the other day when his undercoat spontaneously disengaged from his skin and landed on my kitchen floor:

Probably enough to fill a regular-sized plastic Target bag

If I'd had the right tool(s), I'd probably have gotten a lot more. Well anyway, I'm certain that just about NONE of my wonderful readers are impressed with the size of Dewi's pile of hair, since I understand from Red Dog Mom - over at Life with The Horde - that entire trash bags can get filled up multiple times before the "blow" is all over (of course, she does have five dogs). But that's okay; I just wanted to use this post to show you all what I made with the pile of hair.  :)

A couple weeks ago, Boo's Mom over at Darby's and Pumpkin's Daily posted "Don't ask me why", which if you didn't see it, is just - in my simple opinion - one of the coolest "crafty" dog posts I have ever seen. Who knew that shedded Cardigan Corgi hair could be turned into something so adorably photogenic? (Boo's Mom: I would totally frame the second photo and put it on my wall!) And to think that I had all the resources to do it myself AND I could get all my kids to make some, too; and if it worked, I'd never have to buy another cat toy again! Suddenly, I couldn't wait to grab the slicker brush. "Jon FARLeighhh!  DEWIiiiiii!  Time for your brUSHingssss!" (Remember, this was a couple weeks ago, so Dewi wasn't molting yet.)

A brushfull each of Jon's and Dewi's hair later...TA-DA!:

Yes, I know the photo stinks; this was the best I could get
after about 100 shots with my crappy camera. :(

But, aren't they cuUUUute! Of course, the beige one on the left is Jon Farleigh's. :) My kids were fascinated, too (they take after me). Now, wouldn't it be fun (thought I) to make a great BIG ball (think baseball) for the cat to bat (pun intended) around?

Remember the pile of fur I brushed out of Dewi (hint: up at the top of this post)? Okay, here's what I did with it:

Hint: It's the big nasty matt on the right.

Note to self: Left-brained career choices are the best choices.

Addendum note to self (updated 12/18/12): Any-brained career choice is better than NO career choice. [self-hug]

Boo's Mom (and all you other crafty folks out there - see comments here for several good examples) - I remain your grateful admirer.  :)