Happy Busy Days

How can it be that three months has gone by since my last blog post! 

 What has been keeping me busy I here you ask! For this I feel the need for a list.

Shooting our Autumn/Winter products with our favourite photographer (on the hottest day of the year)

Getting an order ready for the lovely White Stuff - yes you read that right, they have seen the sense in adding in some stylish dog clothes to their product list, and are taking delivery of some exclusive dog jumpers and bandanas next week.

A re order of waterproof dog coats for our friends at Hawkshead, who have put them into 4 of their shops, Hawkshead, Buxton, Falmouth and Betws-y-Coed. All dog friendly shops.

Getting ready for Burghley Horse Trials, our biggest show of the year, and attending the show two weeks ago.

AND Getting the Knitted Dog Jumper Kits ready to launch at a trade show that we attended last week. ( this is a project that has been keeping me busy for the last 6 months )

so, you can see why there is no time to blog! 

All in all a very exciting time here at Redhound, and October sees the Kits going into several stockists, and our collaboration with Holland and Holland on beautiful wool tweed dog coats will be coming to fruition with delivery into their Mayfair store. 

I'd like to share a taste of the new Autumn products that are now available on line.

And the Knitting Kits......

Just a little taster, they are all on the website now, so if you love your dog and love to knit, why not get a kit and knit one of our super stylish dog jumpers. 

I sign off with every intention of writing to you again in less than three months! But Christmas is looming.....

Debbie

A Pictures Says it All

While walking with the whippets this morning I got pondering about why our business is growing in these tough economic times of cuts backs and osterity. Pictures, Images I thought, that is one of the reasons. 

A chance meeting in 2010 when a lovely lady came into my little shop in Totnes to buy her labradoodle a bed and a collar. She commented on a water colour picture that I had of Bruno on the wall (painted by my very talented friend Andrea Franklin) and we got talking about how I had sold the shop and was about to launch my new Dog Business and how I needed to find a photographer. Ha! said she, I am a photographer! 

You know those times when you meet someone and it just seems right? Well this was such a time, and Maz offered to take some pictures of our dogs to see if she was up to the job!

These are a few of those images and you can see that I knew immediately that we were going to work together. Maz creates a kind of magic that she captures through her lens and such a serene way about her that we are all relaxed in her company, and the results show. 

So the big photo shoot was booked, I recruited anyone that I knew who had a dog to model and we all met up in the picturesque village in Devon where Maz has a home. The weather was kind to us that day, and I thought I would share a few of my favourite pictures that weren't selected for use, but sum up the lovely day we had.

You couldn't meet two such different dogs, Blue, elegant, Henry, scruffy!!

My dear friend Len with his whippet Barney, true love!

Whippets know where the treats are! Barney, Cloud and Bruno

The delectable Blue, so relaxed!

Henry had the hots for Dolly!

Oh we had some fun that day, and considering that many of the coats and jumpers didn't fit the dogs, we managed to get enough images to launch our website. 

Since that shoot in 2010 we have done one every year, and are preparing to do the next one in July. Now things are much more organised, we recruit models through social media sites, and I make garments that fit perfectly. Of course we have had the weather to contend with, in 2011 we had torrential showers and sun, in 2012 we had the hottest day of the year, and who knows what this July will bring! Whatever the met office throws at us, we find a way to make the best of it as I think you will agree! 

My two rascals

Billy and Andreas PINK wellies!

 Nolly and Tinker such great friends

Hot Dog Nolly taking a break!

True companions

The star of the day, Frank! 

Maz takes amazing photos of people too, and you can look at her fabulous work on her website

www.lightanddayphoto.com

I will see you with the results of the next session with our favourite photographer in the next post. 

Debbie x

Show Time!

I know it's a cliche but where does the time go? I haven't had any time to write a blog post since October! When I started this little blog, I thought I'd have time to do at least a post a week! Well, nearly 6 weeks since the last post there seems to be something not quite right with my calculations!

So, what has been keeping me so busy I here you ask. Simple. Two big retail shows. Those of you that follow me on Twitter, Facebook or my personal fave, Instagram will know that we attended the Country Living Christmas Fair at the beginning of November, and the Wealden Times Midwinter Fair just last week. 

 Up to Islington we went with the van loaded up with Redhound goodies to sell to the lovely ladies (and some gentlemen) who attend this very popular sanctuary of retail therapy.

This year I made the stand look very Christmassy, and we topped up our stock with lots of dog treats from our friends at the Beach Dog Bakery, another Kent based business. 

We had garlands, baubles, brightly coloured leather collars, and snowflake Christmas jumpers.

All of our beloved vintage dogs on wheels went to good homes with delighted new owners. It never ceases to amaze me just how popular these little dogs are. 

What I love about this show is that it is a great time to catch up with some old friends, and being in London, a few nights out at lovely eating establishments! Drinks with the lovely ladies at Poppy Children, and a meal at Bill's with Poppy Treffry were both enjoyable.  

Five frantic days ensued and much stock was sold, and the van was a little lighter on the way back home.

One week later, after frantically making up the orders that had come in while we were away, we set up for  our local fair at Bedgebury, The Wealden Times Midwinter Fair. Seemingly just as popular as the Country Living Fair. I was a little concerned that no dogs were allowed (they were encouraged at the Summer Fair) but I need not have. The lovely ladies of the Weald came and loved what we do, and bought their dogs coats, collars and Christmas Crackers! 

It's been a bit less frantic at The Barn this week. Only one show to do, The Rare Brands Market at The Corn Exchange in Brighton next week. Friday 7th and Saturday 8th December. Pop in if you are in town. 

Roll on Christmas I need a rest!!!

Redhound goes Nationwide!

Apologies for the lack of posts last week, it's been more than a little hectic here at Redhound HQ! Some of you might know from other social media sites that we had a rather sizeable delivery to make to a new local stockist on Saturday last, and for it there was quite a bit of making to be done! mmm mostly by me! note to self, look into finding some HELP!!

So this post is mostly information, with a few images thrown in for good measure. I thought you might like to know where in the country one can purchase our lovely products, so here is the list of stockists for you to print off and stick on the fridge!

Redhouse Gifts, Totnes, Devon 

www.redhousegifts.co.uk

Vintage Now Interiors, Newton Abbot, Devon

www.vintagenowinteriors.com

The House Gallery,Olney, Buckinghamshire

www.thehousegallery.co.uk

Pink Whiskers, Clitheroe, Lancashire

www.pinkwhiskers.co.uk

Room No 9, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

www.roomno9.co.uk

So Heavenly, Bishops Stortford,Hertfordshire

Hunker Down Daisy, Bearsted, Kent

www.hunkerdowndaisy.co.uk

Charity Farm, Cranbrook, Kent

www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk

and from end of August

Parma Violet, Kirby Lonsdale, Cumbria

www.parmaviolet.co.uk

So there it is! not a bad start to our nationwide campaign to bring style into you and your dogs life!

All of these shops are lovely and sell other lovely things so if you are in any of their neck of the woods, pop in and have a mooch! 

Raincoats for all Dogs

It has been wet lately. Understatement!June has not been basking in sun, but battered by rain, the wettest it has been for many a decade. A fact that has not escaped us here at Redhound HQ. My sewing machine has been whizzing up many a rain coat for many different shaped hounds to keep them pesky raindrops off.

It got me thinking, that you may not know that we 

a)make to measure & 

b)have breed specific sized and shaped coats

And here are those special cases

Dachshunds. They present a few issues. This means that they require a whole different shaped coat. Straight back, big ears, and short bodies! But they are wonderful dogs, and we can now accommodate their little bodies, and you can buy your beloved a coat that won't be massive in the body because you had to buy the right length. It has a popper front too.

Spaniels. Wonderful Dogs. Often not in need of a coat at all, as they seem to love getting wet!! But, some owners of these super dogs, don't have a downstairs shower to wash them down after a walk and have asked us to come up with a design that covers the underneath. I give you the Kent coat. It does the trick. Won't keep all of your furry friend dry, but will do a pretty good job! 

The Terrier! Well, my experience at the many shows we do up and down the land, is that these busy little dogs really don't like having a coat put over their heads! So, if you value your hands as I do, you will need our Popper Fronted Dartmoor Coat. Easy, problem solved.

And onto my favourite breed, the whippet! Obviously I am bias, I admit it, but it is a breed who's shape I have come to be very familiar with over the last 9 years. They have small heads and necks, long skinny bodies that curve near the tail. So, we do a special Whippet shape. This will not drown your dog because you had to buy a long coat, and will sit neatly around the neck. Just look at Barney and Cloud here. Neat.

Labradoodles. Not really in need of a coat, but illustrating that if you don't want a soaking wet dog on the late night comfort break, our standard shape will fit these lovely hounds to perfection.

So, I hope that helps. The Redhound guide to getting the right coat for your dog! I know this rain is good for business, but I really really would like it to stop now. Enough.

News from Redhound HQ

Wow what a busy week it has been! I started out by travelling all the way to Chepstow to the wonderful Maz of www.lightanddayphoto.com to do a photoshoot of all our new and exciting products! The doggie models were all lined up, Tinker the Jack Russel, Nolly the Spaniel, and Miller the Labradoodle! Coffee was drunk while we waited for our star of the day, Frank the Daschund. He arrived, had a bark and a sniff, and all was well!

We went down the beautiful garden path to the studio, where Frank took centre stage!! Lots of bribery by way of Klassy Canine treats was employed and we got some fantastic shots.
We took pictures of beds, bandanas, wax cotton coats, and even in the heat we managed to get a few of the new jumpers!
My stylish stylist assistant Kathy was such a great help, especially in the shots of all dogs together! We wait eagerly now to see the finished results!!

Then I hot footed it back home to get some goodies made and out in the post for our lovely customers. And now it's onto planning our first ever trade show!

Whippets have had a lazy week, general sleeping in a variety of beds, some playing with frisbee and much rolling in smelling horrid stuff! Business as usual at Redhound HQ.