The House of Mouse, little mice with big hearts. Handmade felt mice and other animals. Visit my shop at www.thehouseofmouse.etsy.com
The House of Mouse is where felt mice and other animals are lovingly handmade. Inspired by jobs, hobbies, holidays, famous icons and much more, I'm always looking for a new idea and character to make!
The story of how The House of Mouse began starts with my Granny, Margaret Greaves. Granny and my Granddad “Crispy” (short for Christopher) lived in a little seaside village called Mousehole in Cornwall, England. They owned a little shop on the seafront that sold Crispy’s watercolour paintings, tourist gifts, postcards, shells and little felt mice that my Granny made. Granny would sew these little mice during the winter when the shop was quiet; she made them wearing little costumes – a priest, a chef, a gypsy lady and many others.
Sadly Granny passed away when I was only three, so I don’t really remember her. I have a vague memory of being in her shop – where the shelves seemed to go up forever - But I grew up with her little mice peeking out of nooks and crannies in my parents’ home. Many of the mice came to live with us after Granny died.
Every Christmas I like to make my gifts for family and friends, and for Christmas 2007 I took inspiration from my Granny’s mice and decided to make one for everyone: A Chef mouse for an uncle that likes to cook, a photographer mouse for my snap-happy dad, a painter mouse for my best friend... I didn’t know Granny’s pattern or technique, so it took a month or so to work out my own. Everyone was so thrilled with their gifts! My Grannys three children - My dad and his two sisters - all said that I should sell them! Which is when I took my first steps to opening The House of Mouse on Etsy. My family regularly tell me how proud they think Granny would be, if she could see what I was doing now.
- Category:
- Company