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Don’t forget to celebrate all of the special moms in your life this Mother’s Day!

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In the past I had made a panda dog hat, but it wasn’t a design that I loved, so I eventually retired it. I recently decided to revise the old hat pattern and create a new cozy creation with bigger, bolder ears. The result is a Playful Panda Dog Hat that animal lovers will not be able to resist!

The panda-love didn’t stop there! I also wanted to play with making mini knitted and crocheted animal faces. I worked up a cute bear face that I have since used to create ornaments and dog neck warmers. The panda ornaments are the perfect whimsical decor options for holiday trees, or even for hanging around the home year-round, and the panda dog neck warmers are so comfy and adorable that I just know out customers are going to be paw-sitively thrilled about them! It has been a lot of fun playing with the panda image for recent projects, and I am excited to share the other new ideas I have in the works. From foxes to sugar skulls, there are a lot of exciting new designs that will be making their way into our Etsy shop over the next few weeks. By fall, I hope to have at least a dozen new knitwear options available for our dog-loving clients, so stay tuned for the cuteness overload that lies ahead!

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I just came in from retrieving my mail, and as usual there were only a handful of generic flyers and an invoice or two in my mailbox. What ever happened to the art of writing letters? It is rare for me to pop open my mailbox to find a handwritten card or note, but when I do, I truly savor every word. Getting snail mail from loved ones absolutely brightens my entire day, and it makes me wonder why we don’t share these sweet correspondences more often than we do.

I became engaged last summer and I am now in full wedding planning mode. My current mission is to find a gown by the end of the month. I haven’t had any luck yet, but it has been fun to browse and try on these stunning dresses. The reason that I bring up my dress hunt is because yesterday I opened my mailbox, and lo and behold! There was a handwritten note addressed to me. When I opened it I found a beautiful thank you card from the owner of one of the bridal shops that I recently visited. She kindly thanked me for browsing her shop and extended the invitation for me to contact her if I wanted to see any additional gowns. I was struck by the fact that she took the time to write this lovely note, and even though the gowns in her shop weren’t for me, it made me happy to have had a pleasant experience with such a kind, conscientious business owner.

I believe that one of the things that drew me toward designing dog greeting cards and other stationery was that I truly enjoy sending cards and notes, which is sadly something that is becoming a bit of a lost art. Why do so many of us now send invitations over Facebook instead of charming, decorated invitations in the mail? Why do birthday text messages pour in on this special occasion when a sweet card is so much more memorable? Perhaps I’m an old soul, but there’s something about seeing a loved one’s handwriting that just makes the message feel so much more personal and meaningful than when that message comes to me digitally over a screen.

Last week I had a very large greeting card order from a client, and all I could do was smile as I printed and prepped her order for shipment. I imagined her penning a special note inside of each card, and then I thought of her loved ones’ faces lighting up as they opened their cards and saw the cute dog illustrations alongside her well wishes. Perhaps it is time that we all revive the art of letter writing, even if it is only to make someone’s day just a little more beautiful.

If you like the cards that you see in this post, visit our Etsy shop for all of these designs and dozens more!

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Here at All You Need is Pug, we are known for all of our pugly accessories. From pug totes to our line of pug greeting cards, there is a whole lot of pug to be found in our Etsy shop! While my focus as an artist and crafter has been largely influenced by this one dog breed, I love dogs of all shapes and sizes, and in 2016 it is my goal to begin reflecting that in All You Need is Pug’s product lines.

When I began brainstorming ideas for new illustrations to print, I knew that the French Bulldog was the first new breed that I wanted to add to the collection. As many of our customers and followers know, we welcomed a French Bulldog mix named Murph into our family last summer. I have long loved those wonderful bat ears that Frenchies are known for, and Murph’s ears are particularly large and glorious! While some of Murph’s features differ from a traditional Frenchie, as he is a wonderful muttly little mix, he inspired me to bring Frenchies on board.

One of my personal favorite pieces is our Floral Pug design, which we currently offer on cards, totes, mugs, and t-shirts, so when I started the Frenchie illustration I knew that I wanted to bring the floral aspect into this piece as well. I sat down to draw, and after a few hours of toying with watercolor pencils, blendable pencils, and markers, I arrived at a bright little design that I adore (and I hope that you will love it, too)!

The Floral Frenchie design is now available on customizable greeting cards. Each card features one of our sample quotes, or can be printed with custom text of your choice. I hope to feature this Frenchie print on tote bags and mugs in the near future as well, so if you are a Frenchie fan, keep your eyes peeled for the arrival of those items in the coming weeks.

Now that I’ve completed this French Bulldog piece, I am already brainstorming the next illustrations that I would like to work on. I have a few more Frenchie pieces in mind, but I am also hoping to bring Boston Terriers, Pit Bulls, English Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, and Jack Russell Terriers to the shop’s greeting card line within the next few months. I hope that you are all as excited as I am to see All You Need is Pug expanding to offer sweet products of other dog breeds!

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Jeremy and I spent hours taking photos for the feature, and I spent days trying to perfect every last word in the short article before sending it off to Etsy’s staff (who are all quite wonderful, supportive, and kind, by the way).  And now here it is, the editorial that I have waited years to be featured in is finally in print for the world to see. To get a behind-the-scenes peek into my work space, my process, and the wild and whimsical world of All You Need is Pug, visit our Featured Shop editorial on the official Etsy Blog.

Yes, this is indeed a lovely way to end 2015. This has been a successful year for All You Need is Pug, and I feel that it all began when I quit my day job back in May. I was so nervous to take the leap, and I would never have done it if my fiancé hadn’t encouraged and supported me. It also helped that I have exceptional customers and followers who make my job worthwhile and so much fun to do. I look forward to waking up each day to see what adventures wait for me as I work on custom orders and brainstorm new ideas. I am overwhelmed by the kind words and wishes that I have received from customers and fellow artists just in the past 24 hours since the editorial has gone live. People can be so extraordinary and surprising, and I can’t thank you enough for making me smile and pushing me to be a better person, artist, and small businesswoman. 2015 is ending on a high note, and I hope that 2016 will prove to be even better. Here’s to you, here’s to 2016, and here’s to the future of All You Need is Pug!

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Gratitude for all of the wonderful things in our lives is something that we try to practice everyday, but it’s nice to have one day each year where we are able to get together with our loved ones and share this appreciation on Thanksgiving. This year, the All You Need is Pug team and I have a great deal to be thankful for. I am thankful that I was able to quit my day job in May to take a chance on my small business and see it thrive. I am thankful for every success, small or large, and every opportunity that has come my way. I am thankful to be engaged to a man who supports me and my creative drive, and for family and friends who are equally encouraging and inspiring. And let’s not forget you, dear customers and friends! Without you, All You Need is Pug would not exist. It is thanks to all of you who support shopping small that we are able to wake up each day to do what we love.  Even on the shop’s busiest days when I am scrambling to complete deadlines and get orders out for holidays and special occasions, I feel happy and fulfilled in my work, and you all play such a large role in giving me that gift.

While I am a huge fan of Thanksgiving (pass the vegan tofurky pie, please!), I am not so fond of Thanksgiving day shopping. As someone who used to work at a large retail chain, I can tell you that working on Thanksgiving and Black Friday is not only exhausting, but can sap the holiday spirit right out of you when you see how people are treated in these packed stores. For those who have to work on the holiday and the hectic day that follows, just know that you are appreciated, even if it won’t seem so in the hours spent stocking shelves and dealing with cranky customers. And if you are heading out to shop, be kind, both to workers and fellow shoppers. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, after all.

Even though Black Friday shopping in stores is not something that I enjoy, I certainly can’t resist snagging a good deal online, and I know that you feel the same way. This year, we are offering 15% off of purchases made on Thanksgiving and Black Friday as our “thank you” to all of our customers, both returning and new. Visit our Etsy shop and use the coupon code BLACKPUG15 for an automatic 15% off of your orders.

Before we send you off to start cooking, just remember that it’s okay to sneak a bit of turkey and some carrots or sweet potatoes to your dogs tomorrow, but keep them away from things like bones, gravy, onions, raisins, chocolate desserts and other potentially harmful goodies.

The All You Need is Pug team wishes you a lovely Thanksgiving!

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Any orders for dog hats and custom knits must be placed by November 15 for United States customers and November 1 for customers located in any other country.

Orders for All You Need is Pug tote bags, paper goods, t-shirts, and mugs must be placed by December 15 for United States customers and November 21 for customers located in any other country.

Any orders placed after these dates cannot be guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas! Orders for dog hats & custom knits take 5-6 weeks to be handmade before being shipped. I will also note that it is our shop policy that there are no cancellations, returns, or refunds, so be sure to keep these dates in mind when placing your order, as you will not be able to cancel your order for any reason once it has been placed.  All orders placed after the indicated cut-off dates will ship in January 2016.

November is sneaking up on us quickly, and our cut-off dates are not far from sight, especially for our international customers. Visit our Etsy shop to save our items to your “favorites” list and place your orders!

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All of these features have been incredible in helping our small business to reach people around the world. While it is wonderful to have received so much attention in such a short period of time, we have had to cut Halloween orders off early due to the current high order volume. Please be aware that as of September 16, our Halloween orders are closed. Any orders placed after September 16 cannot be guaranteed to arrive in time for Halloween. While your dog may not get to enjoy a new hat in time for this ghoulishly fun holiday, we can assure you that he or she will appreciate it come winter! Our holiday orders tend to get cut off early as well, so we recommend placing your orders as soon as possible to avoid missing out this holiday season. Visit our Etsy shop if you would like to browse our product line or get in touch with us in regards to placing an order.

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