Coco Chanel Mouse

Available to buy in my store now!

8,000 hearts!

Marking another milestone on my Etsy journey. Today I hit 8000 shop hearts. Thank you to everyone who has given my store so much love, your encouragement keeps me going every day!

My Star Wars Mice are featured in a book!

A couple of days ago I got a very excited message from a fan of my store, she told me that she had seen my mice in a Star Wars Collectibles book! I was so amazed, and of course I ordered the book right away to see for myself. I didn't really believe it until I opened it to page 328, and there were 6 of my mice with a whole page all to themselves! To say I am excited about this would be an understatement!

I made these little mice for the author of this book over a year ago, little did I know that he is the largest collector of Star Wars memorabilia in the world! Thank you so much to Stephen Sansweet for including me in his book! I am truly honored to be included alongside so many other great artists and priceless Star Wars collectibles.

Slave Princess Leia Mouse

From a galaxy far far away, comes Slave Princess Leia Mouse! Complete with gold leather bikini and platted hair.

Slave Princess Leia Mouse was hand sewn using felt, silks, ribbon, beads, glue and monofilament. She is stuffed with polyfil. She stands approximately 2.5inches tall (6.5cm) her costume is not removable.

Available to buy now in my store!

Cody the Computer Geek Mouse

Cody lives for perl, php and regex. Nothing gets him more excited than grokking the gimp! Cody's hero is Ratbert and his one wish would be for caffeinated cheese!

Cody Mouse was hand sewn using felt, ribbon, wire, paper, glue, monofilament and stuffed with polyfil. He stands approximately 2.5inches tall (6.5cm) His costume and laptop are not removable.

Available to buy now in my store!

Christmas Mice for your tree!

October is here and we are bringing back the christmas mice, cards and pin! I can sew a little loop onto the back of the mice so you can hang them on your tree, because they are small and light they make the perfect unique tree ornament!

From top left: Jack the Snowmouse, Father Chris Mouse, Harper the Carol Singing Mouse, Rudolf the red nosed Mouse, Angel Mouse, Squelchy Berry-Toes the Christmas Elf Mouse, Pack of 7 Christmas Mouse cards, Gingerbread Mouse and the Rudolph Mouse pin.

All available in my store TheHouseofMouse now!

Legolas and Gimli Mouse

Legolas Greenleaf Mouse is an elf, (as if the pointy ears didn't give it away). Beautiful, immortal and wise, he travels the land as part of the fellowship to save Middle Earth. He comes in green clothing and holding his bow and arrow.



Gimli son of Glóin is a dwarf, but don't let his short stature fool you; this little creature packs a wallop! Although he may not be able to beat Legolas in a kill count competition he is still a formidable member of the fellowship of the ring. He comes with brown clothing, axe, helmet and beard.

Available to buy in my store

Don't forget to enter my September Giveaway to win your very own mouse!

Aragorn Mouse

Aragorn mouse is the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor, but has chosen exile to wonder the wilds. He has brown curly hair and stubble on his chin. He comes dressed in leather and cloth holding the reforged sword Anduril with which he will fight to save Middle Earth and reclaim his throne.

Available to buy in my store

Another Lord of the Rings mouse coming tomorrow!

*Feeling very organized*

You might think I am nuts (if you didn't suspect it already) but I just finished my Christmas shopping and I am feeling very organized. Ever since I discovered Etsy I have tried to buy everything handmade whenever I can.

There are loads of bonuses to doing it this way:
1) I get something that is genuinely made with love and often completely unique
2) I am supporting other artists like myself and being kind to the environment
3) I spend a LOT less than if I went into the city to shop
4) No more struggling through the city crowds, I can shop, listen to the radio and drink tea at the same time!

The reason I buy so early is that I know how MAD the Christmas rush is on sellers (I will also be pulling out my hair trying to get all the orders finished in November/December!) so I avoid all of that by shopping in the end of August. Also, I want to make sure that everything has plenty of time to arrive with me in Holland, as I buy from all over the world. If something goes wrong with the shipping I have loads of time to sort it out with the seller.

If you are planning on shopping at The House of Mouse this Christmas, I encourage you to buy early too, especially if you are outside Europe because sometimes customs delay packages around the holidays. I am anticipating a lot of orders, and once November comes around I will not be doing any custom mice until after the Christmas rush. Please order early to avoid disappointment!

700 Sales!

Well I can hardly believe it! I made my 700th sale yesterday evening. Thank you to all my wonderful customers!! What a milestone :D

NEW - Yorrick the Mouse Skeleton

Alas, poor Yorrick the Mouse is dead. Now all that remains are some old bones. Will you take pity and give him proper resting place on your shelf or by your computer? He may just be bones, but he still has lots of love and cuteness to share. I particularly love his little beaded spine and tail!

He is available to buy in my store now!

Another Halloween mouse coming tomorrow...

Artist Interview - We've Got Paper

This weeks featured artist is We've Got Paper, Julie's shop makes me want to get out an old fashioned pen and paper and write a letter to someone special. Not only are is her letter sets beautiful and her photographs stunning, but she is such a sweet and bubbly personality too.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hello, bonjour! My name is Julie Trévily-Pigeon and I’m a 29 year old mom, stationery designer and sushi addict. I live in Québec, Canada and I speak French. I have a 4 year old son named Louis-Justin who says the most adorable things. He’s witty and creative, like his mom!

I had my first penpal when I was 7 years old. My friend moved away and we started writing to each other. We thought that our letters were fabulous, but looking back I can say that they were rather short and boring!

A few years later, I started writing letters more seriously to people around the world that I met through various penpal clubs. I was also introduced to friendship books, slams and decos. I was into swapping for years, but in the end I decided to focus solely on letter writing.

I love my "real life" friends, the ones I can meet face to face on a regular basis, but penpals have a special place in my heart. It’s magical to find a handwritten letter in your mailbox, to read about someone’s dreams, hopes, goals, fears and rituals…

I currently have about 15 penpals and I’m pretty close to most of them. Some of them I’ve been writing to for less than a year, one of them I’ve known for over 17 years! And I even met 3 of them! (One who lives in Canada, one in Belgium and one in Brazil.)

About two years ago, I decided to combine my love of penpalling with my love of paper and I started designing letter sets. I’m always happy when people buy stationery from me because it means that the art of letter writing is not dead! A lot of people prefer email because it’s faster, but there are still a lot of us who write letters the old-fashioned way.

Other than crafting what else do you do?
I write letters, eat sushi, spend time with my son (we’re going to start homeschooling soon), watch movies and series, listen to music and sing along (mostly off key), go on picnics with friends, take photos, invent new words, think about stationery, talk about stationery, dream about stationery, spend time with my boyfriend (not necessarily in that order).

Have you always been an artist?
I’ve always been interested in art. I see beauty everywhere : nature, words, music, movies, artists inspire me.

When I was younger, I used to write short stories (in French) and I played the trumpet in high school. I’ve always admired artists who could draw or paint but I unfortunately have no talent whatsoever in that area. So for my stationery, I mostly use photos that I take and artwork that I especially like. I love to support artists and am happy to feature their illustrations on my letter sets.

Tell us a bit about your creative process.
I mostly work in front of my computer in my bedroom while listening to music. (You can see what I listen to on Last.fm

I design most of my letter sets in Photoshop, but I like textures too so I sometimes start with real paper and finish with Photoshop, which is what I did with my Pinup Notecards.

Where did you learn your craft? Are you self taught?
I am! At first, my son’s dad (who I’m still excellent friends with even though we've been separated for over 2 and a half years) showed me the basics of Photoshop. I had no background in design, no knowledge about it, but when I have something in mind, don’t try to stop me! I wanted to make letter sets so I found how. My designs are simple, but I’m proud of the fact that I learned everything by myself.

Which of your creations is your favourite?
I love Swirly Ivy because it was one of the first letter sets that I designed. I didn’t have a lot of experience with Photoshop then, so it took me hours to get it to look exactly like what I had in mind. It also is a best seller in my shop, so it seems that I’m not the only one who likes it!


I also love my Cherry Grocery List… And my Panda Girl letter set / notepad and pen set. I can’t pick just one thing!

What is your number one tip for handmade sellers?
Perseverance! If you’re passionate about what you do, you can go far! Don’t give up if something doesn’t work immediately! Just keep trying and experimenting until you get results. My business wasn’t very successful for the first year and a half, but has been growing steadily for the last 6 months. You have to be in the right mindset and believe in yourself. Visualize that you’re getting a sale and everytime you do get one, get up and do a happy dance! Scream, sing, jump up and down! Celebrate every little victory!

Where can we find you online?
My Etsy shop : wevegotpaper.etsy.com
My blog : wevegotpaper.blogspot.com
My profile on InterPals
(InterPals is a wonderful website if you’re interested in finding new penpals!)

Thanks everyone! Now go write a letter – it will be fun and you’ll be sure to brighten someone’s day!

Julie xox

Vote for me... I´ll give you a cookie.

My little Mr and Mrs Mouse are in the
Etsy Wedding Cake Topper Voter!

If you love them please vote for me. To vote click HERE

Thanks!!

Exciting promotion announcement

Here is your chance to get more mice for your money!

I am very happy to announce a new promotion in my store.




I am giving away a
FREE mystery mouse
with every order* from my store
The House of Mouse

Promotion ends June 14th

*Orders must be $35 or over, not including shipping.
Offer cannot be used in conjunction with discount vouchers.

May Giveaway Winner

Before I tell you who won the May Giveaway, I want to say how touched I was to get so many entries! 733 comments were left under this post and you overwhelmed me with all the love you have for my little mice, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To show you my gratitude there will be more prizes to win in the June Giveaway. But you will have to come back tomorrow to get all the details. I don't want to spoil the surprise just yet.

Now I know you are all sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to find out who won the May Giveaway, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer...

The winner is... Ariela

Congratulations!!

Ariela can now choose any mouse from my store
worth up to $40 as her prize!

Sorry to those of you that didn't win this time, I wish I could give you all a mouse each. But don't worry, you have plenty more chances to win; I am running this monthly giveaway for another 11 months. So make sure you come back tomorrow to find out what wonderful prizes will be on offer in the June Giveaway!

Tomorrow I also have some more news on a very special promotion I will be running in my store. You will be so excited, I know I am!

Artist Interview - Reclaim2Fame

Whilst collecting photos for a feature on my other blog For the Love of Cute, I stumbled across a store that made me chuckle. The more I looked through Wills store Reclaim2Fame the more the chuckle became a giggle, which multiplied until I was laughing out loud. I love Wills creations, their fun names and his wonderful descriptions. I had to know more about Will and his art, his interview makes me smile as much as his shop does.

PROFESSOR PORTLY

The Endlessly Curious Seeker Of Wisdom And Truth

Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location etc.)
William Wagenaar [call me Will]
Port Richey, Florida USA

Other than crafting what else do you do?
I am a student of Metaphysics and the creative process [perhaps they are the same thing]
I ride my bicycle and garden.

Have you always been an artist?
Always, I suspect in other lives as well but have no proof of that.

MANNEQUIN 22

BELLE dress form sculpture

Tell us a bit about your creative process
I listen to the thoughts that precede the making of things.
Those thoughts often lead me to the objects needed to create something.
Nothing has ever fallen from the sky, still, 'miracles' have happened.
If I choose not to listen, my process becomes more difficult because I have not collected all that I need.
The collection process [salvaging and scavenging] takes a good deal of time and commitment.
If I force this process, it's a waste of time and money.
When I have it in my hands, I know that I need it. It is only a matter of time till I know why I need it.
But with one more piece of the puzzle, the image becomes more clear.

I try to see things anew, that takes practice. Sometimes I turn them upside down or sideways.
Turning things upside down in a thrift store or at the flea market can get strange looks and sometimes, well intended yet unhelpful corrections.
I have in my hands a nuclear ray gun. I stare at it in awe of its power and possibilities...
and then a kind voice will inform me: "it's a bicycle pump". "Oh, of course, Thanks"

Once I feel that I have most of what I need, I play and try not to limit my possibilities.
If I can get two or three pieces of anything to make sense together, the rest of the project usually unfolds easily.
It is about getting that first spark. Placing enough things together in different positions and things start to click.
If there is no click or spark, I put them down. They are not the right things or it is not the right day for those things.

POPS
The High Mileage / Low Maintenance Geriatric Steampunk Robot

I often ask a thing what it can be or wants to be... yes, I do! It is a playful technique.
The molecules of all matter spin at a high rate of speed, there is no such thing as an inanimate object.
An extraordinary intelligence holds it together, why would I not talk to that intelligence?
Then I listen for an answer, sometimes the answer is immediate, sometimes not.

Are you self taught?
I have a degree in commercial interior design from Harrington Institute in Chicago.
It was an excellent program, I was a voracious student.
Nature has also been my teacher. The laws of its beauty can be observed and applied.

Which of your creations is your favourite?
Sparky changed my life forever, I won't go backwards.

SPARKY
The Seriously Paranoid Robot

Where can we find you online?
My shop, Flickr page and a few dozen blogs. Just Google me.

If you would like to be considered for Featured Artist, please leave a comment under this post and tell me which Wills's creations of you love the most!

Only ONE day left to WIN a mouse!

Just a little reminder that there are just ONE DAY left for you to enter my May Giveaway and win yourself a free mouse of your choice from my store!

To enter just click HERE and leave a comment, you can comment as many times as you like to increase your chances of winning!

Ironmouse

I was asked to make a custom Ironman Mouse recently, he was a very tricky mouse to make and my first attempt was just not right. So I restarted him from scratch and using card instead of felt for his amour. He took me about 5 hours to make from start to finish. I have to say after all that work that I am pleased with the final result, but I won't be making him a regular in my store, he would be too expensive because of the amount of time he takes to make.



If you have any suggestions for mice I should make you can post them here. If you would like to order a custom mouse, feel free to contact me with your ideas.

Hand picked favorites - Home

They say home is where the heart is, and I absolutely love all 6 of these items on the theme of house, home and garden. Perhaps it is particularly good choice of theme because we have been renovating our home a lot recently.
I hope you enjoy my choices this Tuesday.

Laundry Day
by atwhim

Birdhouse
by DoorCountyWoodworks

Tasket Set - Our House
by JennMaruskaDesign

Penguin Love. magic terrarium no. 04
by lapomme

Baba Yaga's Chicken Leg House
by MelissaSue

Chasm 1
by MKBartstudio

Blog Award and a Mouse

I have a new mouse to show you that I made as a custom order, but first...


I just received the One Lovely Blog Award from Leslie of Shrimp Salad Circus. Thanks so much! Now it's my turn to pass it on...
Here are the rules:

• Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
• Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

1. Beards
2. PamerlaAngus
3. BizzieLizzie
4. Star of the East
5. Handmadeology
6. Mandibeads
   
7. While Tangerine Dreams
8. Ramblings from a Design Studio
9. Tattered Tapestry
10. Canadian Rockies Art
11. Nun of a kind
12. Mad Maggie Designs
13. Etsy Moms
14. ArtMind
15. Arctida´s Creations

Everybody make sure to check out all these great blogs, and maybe you'll find a few that interest you to add to your 'follow' list!

....

I also have a new mouse to show you, I made him as a custom order but if my customer is ok with it, and you guys like him, then I might make him a regular in my store. When I showed Thor Mouse to my husband he went into raptures of joy and demanded one for himself. I didn´t know much about the character but maybe there are some other comic book geeks out there who think I should make him a regular in my store?

What do you think?