HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Can you hear me? I’m up here, at the top of a mountain, England’s highest mountain. You know, Scafell Pike in the Lake District.
To be truthful, that was last weekend but as my calves still feel like they have been injected with poison and I’m wincing whenever I approach a step, it feels fair to bore the socks off anyone who can’t avoid me quickly enough or who made the fatal error of clicking on this link. Did you know I climbed my first ever mountain at the weekend? Little ole animal drawing, sedentary lifestyle, exercise avoiding me! She of the biscuit with every brew club. She who had every intention of getting fit but then got completely side tracked by Lockdown and eating hourly and so had to simply hope for the best on the day.
I know, AMAZING right!!!
Actually, what was amazing apart from leaving my county, being in wonder at the sheer beauty of the Lakes, spending time with lovely girlfriends, pressing pause on the motherload, meeting inspiring random strangers, climbing a mountain, not falling off or dying …what was amazing was the silence. The beautiful, soul soothing silence of the fells with no one else around. Just glorious colours, beauty, bird song and sheep bleats. It was soooo good and best of all, I’ve returned itching to clear the decks and push on with my pastel artwork.
So if you are considering setting yourself an out of your comfort zone challenge, all I can say is
Do it, do it, do it!!!
And in between climbing mountains I’ve also managed a smidge of work. When I say smidge, that really is the actual amount. The finely balanced, easily tipped mothering/work scales have been firmly on the side of motherhood these last couple of months as my noisy broods class bubbles take it in turns to pop, pop, pop. Covid and it’s darn restrictions, honestly, it’s the git (no f) that keeps on giving and giving.
However, the end, depending on who you listen to, is apparently insight and we’ve tentatively added events to the work calendar. We have a two day trade show pencilled in for late July which looks likely to go ahead. It felt so good to design our stand and have an actual deadline to work to. I’ve taken a quick pause from finalising the 2022 calendar to work on some new pastels to join my Pastel Hare Collection in time for the show. Not sure if this little one will make it into the final selection but I had a mini epiphany and by renaming the range the Big Country Walk, any animal or bird one might have the privilege to see on a country walk gets to be included. Joyful that a fresh title can take me from ponderous moaner to eager beaver in one afternoon. I just need all my children to stay at school for longer than a day, either that or hope that some kind soul drops off some industrial sized rolls of gaffer tape!
In other news, this week has finally seen the arrival of our brand new tinware. Dog bowls, biscuit tins and bird seed tins. It feels like a lifetime ago that these were designed, sampled and ordered. The poor little things have been pitted against a pandemic, post Brexit rules, a world wide container shortage, and the mahooosive cargo ship stranded in the Suez. So we gave them a welcome round of applause as they finally arrived at Little Dog Towers this morning.
I always feel that it is rather vain to admire my own work and usually I’m tormented by bits I could have done better or want to change but I’m really happy with this Tuppence a Bag bird seed tin. I love that the artwork flows so cleanly around all four sides and so far, nothing is irking me. I think I’ll be snaffling one for my own bird food.
Hmm, what else can I share with you? An update on Team Little Dog?
In fairness, we’re all not too bad. Everyone is back from furlough, feeling well and proudly strutting around with our “Are you Pfizer or Astra” double jabber status! However, I think it will be a long time before any of us unconsciously step into one another’s two meter personal space. Trade is inching its way in the right direction and we’ve mentally moved from taking it one day at a time to the positively giddy one week at a time.
Our Art Print section has been replenished with lots of popular new designs and reprints and we have also added more items to the bag a bargain SALE section.
Your website purchases have and still are a god send, helping us keep our heads above water as we wait in hope for the Covid tsunami to pass. So again, thank you, we will never tire of saying it. We’ve already had to reorder some of the new cushion designs, magnetic memo pads and we are quietly thrilled that you seem to be loving our birdie bookmarks. You may well discover a little surprise something from us if you happen to order again at some point over the summer. I’ve also had a bit of a tidy up on the website and following on from some useful customer feedback, added some categories to the Collections tab that might make browsing easier, see what you think.
And that you fabulous lot is your lot, my art board is calling! Oh except to say here is your loyalty, one of the gang, 20% discount code.
It’s valid for the whole of July and will work on nearly everything* remember to enter the code “Scafell” at the checkout.
Wishing you all a safe and simple summer.
Best wishes, Anna Danielle and Team Little Dog
xxx
*The code excludes items already on sale, special offers, original artworks and handmade creations.
Glad you enjoyed your visit to the Lake District! Why not try walking up Langdale Pikes next time? I am biased as I was born in Great Langdale xx years ago today 🎂
Hello Jean and a big Happy Birthday!!! Hope you have something nice planned for today. I’m about to google Langdale, we’ve all returned vowing we want to do more so thank you for the suggestion xxx
I’ve never climbed Scafell(& don’t intend too!,) but I do love the Lake District & have spent many holidays there with my partner & our lovely pooch when he was with us. My brother is in import / export so I was well aware of the problems with the ship stuck in the Suez Canal & felt so sorry for those companies with money & products tied up in it , having to wait for it all to be sorted out. I can just imagine the HUGE sigh of relief from you & the team when your bits & pieces finally got to your door. Congratulations in fighting through the bad times & long May you continue x
Hello Anna just loving all your gorgeous artwork! Don’t ever give up! Iv now posted some of the cards I purchased to animal loving friends and they are astounded and are now looking at the website they had never heard of before!!! So please keep up your fabulous work and well done for climbing the mountain and thanks also for sharing about the peace, beauty and stillness.
Hey Cathy
What a timely message, I was just sitting here having one of my weekly insecure, “why is my artwork not better” moments and your kind words have put a little smile on my face. Thank you! xxx