Which do you want first, the good news or the bad news?
The bad news? Really! Well, there isn’t any. Everything is wonderful. Just wonderful. We are all going to be fine. It’s 2021, we’re raring to go, grasping the reins of this fabulous year of potential and racing off at a gallop, sounding the world beating bugle as we come over the hill.
Sorry. Cabin fever, I’ve been watching one too many ministerial briefings. I’ll start again. The bad news.
Nope, far too depressing and mentally not healthy for weary souls to dwell upon.
Let’s just say it’s been a dribble of a start to the year. Covid, the fear of Covid, Lockdown and children home learning has reduced Team Little Dog down to two and there are only seven of us in total!. Yet, while there are chocolate truffles to finish up and a few nice bottles still to enjoy, our wagon rattles on!
And the good news? Oh there is lots of that, albeit in teeny, tiny nugget form and admittedly you do have to search hard for it, but I promise, it is there!
Take these new bee and butterfly designs. I don’t think I’ve painted butterflies since I was a child and it turned out to be a very heartwarming and therapeutic task. Working with the fresh colours, layering up the grasses and wild flowers and thinking about Spring and Summer days was a lovely, much welcomed distraction. The word hope was forming in my mind as I worked. Hope, it is such a potent emotion and the tiniest drop can do so much good.
For a while now, birds and nature have long been one of my pleasures. I find it calms my busy, often frazzled mind. Adopting my rescue and daily walks have added to this joy. Even on wet, cold mornings, if I can drag my ever widening bottom out of my cosy, warm bed and get out super early, the mood boost is enormous. I’ll be honest though, the park was my special space but Covid has caused major infringements on my regular dose of solitude, forcing me into rising extra early to beat the crowds! But from that grumpiness I experienced the silver lining that is Dawn. Hearing an owl hooting followed by a magical moment when an urban fox crossed my path, all inspired the wording for this new card design.
I’ve got one more bird to paint and then I can press print and bore you with my final efforts. Expect 12 new designs to add to the Tuppence A Bag Bird Collection. I’m still trying to decide if the cards would appeal more with the wording on the back, leaving the front plain. I’ve yo-yo’d so much on this that, if you have time any outside opinion would be gratefully received.
NEW STOCK ARRIVALS
In the meantime, we’ve had a few new stock arrivals. These have been stuck at Felixstowe, caught up in the container nightmare which is causing so many companies additional headaches. After weeks of delays we finally have them safe and sound at Little Dog Towers and live on our website!
We’ve got a fresh batch of pocket sized hand cleansers, they are alcohol based and kill 99% of bacterias, perfect for dog walkers and suitable for many other daily tasks now we live in a pesky Covid world.
If you are a fan of my pastel efforts you might like these new hare coasters
There are 4 designs to choose from.
Daisy Hare
Walter Hare
George Hare
Ethel Hare
And we also have lots of new additions to our Pet Accessories range.
Think treat pouches, dog tags and new collar sizes in our red and blue design.
To find out more click here What’s New Little Dog?
And that’s about all I have to share with you just now. I hope you are all holding up okay and the worry and monotony of each day isn’t dragging you or your loved ones down too much.
If it is, then this little idea might prove a welcome pick me up. Douglas has volunteered his services again as a messenger for “Out of sight but never out of mind” cheer. Along with a box of mini eggs, he will arrive at your loved one’s door, just in time for a morning brew, with a special “thinking of you” mini note. He will be a hopeful promise of better times by Easter and fingers crossed his smiley presence, be it by the laptop, on the window sill or bedside table, will add a silverlining to their day.
We can also handwrite the names and post directly to the recipient sparing you a trip to the post office. Simple add the To and From names and the relevant address in the comments box when you complete your order. Sadly we can’t split one order into multiply deliveries. Click here if you’d like to know more about our Messenger of Hope
Take care everyone and here’s to 2021 and getting through all it sends our way.
Best wishes Anna Danielle and Team Little Dog
xxx
Thank you for an uplifting email
Cheered my early waken this morning
Best wishes to you all
Karen x
Thank you Anna and team for the heartwarming messages – look forward to seeing the whole card collection. Where to put the text is a dilemma as the artwork is beautiful and it’s almost a shame to encroach on it but the back feels like the message might get lost? Inside on the left might work? Whatever you decide they’ll be lovely! Take care and stay safe xx
Oh wow, the cards are simply lovely and I think the wording on the front is perfect because if you want to frame them the words are still pertinent.
Plus, all the other new things and reminders of goodies that have slipped our minds are wonderful.
Thank you and all good wishes for 2021
I have recently received my first order from you and was delighted. Contents superb but what made it special was the hand wrapping, hand written and thank you note. Was expecting the usual cardboard box with paper packing so was really impressed that so much time taken to make the contents lovely, however small. Have just read the newsletter and think Easter Douglas is inspired. Will be ordering more very soon and passing on details to friends. Please keep up the good work and know that you are appreciated by an awful lot of people.
I just love the butterfly cards and would love the wording to stay on the front. Beautiful paintings.
The new cards a really lovely but I would much prefer the wording to be on the back .
Good luck for this year stay safe .
Judith
I would like the writing to be on the back of the card, then it doesn’t detract from the picture.
As far as the words or no words on the picture dilemma goes, I’m all for having your cake and eating it, especially after all we’ve been through. Why not mirror the image so that the front of the card has the words, the back of the card is wordless! The credits etc information can go on the inside of the card.
Of course this doesn’t help for the other products the image might adorn. Back to you on that one!
Thank you lovely .Charlie Jack Russell and I love your products and fun and love xxx
Thank you for sorting out the Techie issue, I’ve sat and read the Newsletter this afternoon (Monday 18th) and it’s cheered my heart – after a weekend of sad and sadder news, to be able to sit and look at the new flowers/butterfly cards with the HOPE message is uplifting to say the least – and HOPE is definitely something we all need right now. I love the designs, they’re just beautiful as are all your designs – I’ll definitely be ordering some soon. As for wording on the front or on the back: that’s such a big question – for me (and this is just my opinion) the wording on the front has often led me to buy a particular card or item that I hadn’t originally planned to….. again for me, the words on the front add that little something extra – particularly if I’m looking for a beautiful card with a message the receiver can relate to: – equally a message on the back (as on some of the older Smiffy and other dog and animal cards are special too – giving that extra bit of information about the subject on the card. So like I said, big question to ask us. Maybe you could select a couple to trial without words and see how they sell, or go with a general consensus of opinion – either way you’ll make the right choice and no doubt you’ll have lots of people like me sticking in their two-pence worth. Whatever you decide will be fine with me and I suspect many of your loyal followers. Buying on-line has been a new experience for me as I’ve always bought your cards and products from some of my favourite shops while on holiday…….you made the on-line experience great, so thank you for that too. Stay safe, keep well and keep going. Best Wishes Dee Weston
Re Tuppence a bag collection I like the wording on the front. Would definitely go for that.
Thank-you so much for this email! It really cheered me up and I have already decided who to send the ‘bird’ cards to. My preference is to have the wording on the front as not everyone reads the back and even if they do, the words are so beautiful and uplifting.
Keep up the good work and stay safe,
Christine
I love the bee and butterfly pictures the wording is so appropriate but l think l would prefer it on the back of the card. The pictures are truly glorious and ‘up lifting’ well done
Oh, that newsletter has cheered me no end and I send you all the warmest wishes and best of luck; I will definitely be getting my debit card out in the next few days and will be eagerly watching for the additions to the bird cards, of which I already have a few (plus coasters); personally I think the words on the front of the card are perfect and keep everything in context!
Keep up the good fight – you’re doing a grand job xxx