The Artisan Group

As a charter member of The Artisan Group, I have been fortunate to see the quick growth of this extraordinary group in such a short amount of time.

"The Artisan Group is a group of talented artisans who collectively provides a lovely sampling of our products to celebrities and members of the press.  Most celebs even pose for a professional photo holding our displays!...Our group is exclusive, and we select only the best-of-the-best to represent"

Valerie Guerrero and Nikki Cutro, founders of the group, lead with such enthusiasm and professionalism that I truly feel that Wags and Wiggles would not be where it is today if I was not contacted last year and asked to join. It is not just the celebrity exposure I have received at Award Gift Lounges but the self confidence and business knowledge that has been gained by my involvement.  I have always lived by "quality, not quantity" when it comes to friends but I can say that I have gained so many friendship through this group without every meeting one member face to face.  You really get the feeling that we are all in the together and are there to help each other in any way we can.  I enjoy and cherish this group and those that are members very much.  Thank you Valerie and Nikki for The Artisan Group, and thank you The Artisan Group for your support in growing my "pet toy and accessory" business. :0)

Off to finish my celebrity gifts for the Oscars! (future blog post to come...)
Shawna

I'm back....

 

Wow, what a crazy holiday season it was for me!  Wags and Wiggles sales were fantastic, I was very fortunate to participate in the GBK Productions Golden Globes Gift Lounge thanks to The Artisan Group, built a new sewing "studio" in a corner of my house, and enjoyed a fantastic holiday with the family!

Now on to 2012... I have been having such a great time designing some new toys for my Etsy shop, I hope everyone like them as much as I do. I promise to elaborate on the happenings of Wags and Wiggles/me more in future (and more often) with many exciting blog posts. First,  I need to meet my deadline of shipping off my Oscar Celebrity Swag Bag Gifts...yep, Wags and Wiggles is going to the Oscars!

More to come in 2012!
Shawna

Sweet Paul Magazine: 2011 Holiday Issue

I was contacted a while back through my Etsy shop by the editor of Sweet Paul Magazine requesting some information on one of my toys for the upcoming Holiday issue. I sent the info right away but tried to keep a bit reserved about it just in case. Well I received a blog update email from one of my favorites, Design Sponge, and there it was...a mention of the Sweet Paul Holiday 2011 issue being out. I held my breath, clicked the link and scrolled through the contents. "Woof" section, could it be? Could it really be? Yep, there is was on page 49... Wags and Wiggles Doxie Dog Toy!

I am in love with this magazine (no, not just because I was included!). The photos, the recipes, the articles, they are all so intoxicating I have read the digital versions of the past issues sometimes more than once. I am so honored that one of Wags and Wiggles toys was included in one of my new favorite magazines, Thank you Sweet Paul!

Birthdays... At least we don't count them in dog years.

 

Today is my birthday....if you know me you know that just saying those words are so out of character.  For as long as I can remember I have not wanted a big deal made of my birthday, I always want the event to be ignored and November 16th to begin.  As I lay awake last night dreading the clock turning 12:00am because this would mean another year of my life has passed and I would have to add a "+1" to my already large age number, I thought..."not this year!"

I started thinking of all the life experiences and accomplishments of all the years that have passed and thought it is really not right to push those moments, or the ones to come for that matter, aside with my head hung low.  This year is different I am going to embrace the life past, present and future with my head held high.  Yeah, sure that head has gray hair and a face with cracks and creases that use to only be seen when I was super close to the bathroom mirror but now can be seen from across the room, but that head is also filled with so many memories and life experiences from the past forty-t(cough, cough) years that I would not trade for anything.

At the very least I will take joy in the fact that I am not a dog, because if I was my age today would be ....181. Wow, there would be no way to make that number sound good.  :0)

Here's to embracing our age and all the stuff (good and not so good) that comes with it!

Shawna

LaunchHer Gift Guide Is Out!

I just love what LaunchHer is doing for us women entrepreneurs. It is such a great company that truly cares and helps promote women who are striving to have a successful business while following our passions and dreams.

I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of this fantastic Gift Guide and have really starting thinking about that  holiday gift giving list I need to start.  Since there are so many outstanding handmade products out there I think I will try to have my list consist of many of my fellow artisan peeps!  I am thinking some lovely smelling handmade soaps for my teenage boys...for those of you with teenage boys you know why I am leaning towards the lovely smelling soaps!

Enjoy the guide everyone!

Shawna

Just going with it...

If you would have told me a little over a year ago that I would be running a dog and cat toy business online I would have told you you were insane. If you would have said I would be blogging I would have fallen off my chair. Crazy how life is, you think you have it all figured out and then before you know it (and sometimes, without even knowing it) you are living a very different life. I have always been pretty creative and enjoyed doing things myself. Whether that was making christmas gifts (dear family, sorry about that year) to installing reclaimed hard word floors in a past remodel. So I didn't really think much of it when I looked at my ever growing fabric pile and the 4 dogs staring at me and decided to try making some dog toys. I had dabbled in interior design and at the risk of sounding snobbish, hated the way all the dog toys just didn't seem to match the decor of my house. Ok, that is the first of what seems like an endless list of ocd's for me, I have been known to be a tad on the matchy matchy side. Well, one thing lead to another and my Etsy shop was opened late in the summer of 2010. Since then I have enjoyed great sales, great customers and made even greater friends.

Since life has proven to not always go in the direction I plan, I have decided to not plan and just go with it for a while. That is kind of the same approach I am taking with entering the blogging world, not really sure what will come of this blog so I am just going to go with it!

Thanks for reading and hope you join me as I "just go with it".

Shawna