Old Habits Die Hard

           Old habits die hard. As much as I am very busy clearing out most of my possessions, there is still one thing I find impossible to resist...
    The wonderful creations from my favourite Etsy shop, Miss Bumbles. I first discovered this shop in 2010 and bought my first piece, a custom made black cat. Up until March last year I had six pieces. But since then I have continued to add to the collection and I now have 86 pieces (technically more as my three garlands have multiple pieces on them!)
     My latest delivery from Miss B arrived at the weekend. And was a treat for the eyes, a box full of beautiful pastel colours.

Three Easter beauties, the pastel colours are just gorgeous. And I loved the idea of having an Easter Guinea Pig instead of an Easter Bunny!

Possibly one of the cutest bunnies ever, I just fell in love with him. Who can resist a bunny in boots?

And last but certainly not least is this very handsome Guinea called Beau. He's a very dapper chap complete with top hat and gloves.


I've been so busy with ebay that I haven't had time to snap these beauties yet, I haven't even had time to add them to the cabinet. All pictures belong to Miss Bumbles, click here to visit her Etsy shop.

12 Days Of Etsy: When Guinea Pigs Fly

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi there! My name is Lesley DeSantis and I'm the artist and everything-else behind the scenes at When Guinea Pigs Fly. I'm a bit of a Renaissance woman...not the kind that dresses up at Renaissance fairs (though that does sound kinda fun!), but meaning I do a whole bunch of different creative things and have a never-ending supply of curiosity for learning and mastering new things, which is great for being a creative entrepreneur! One day I can plan out marketing and sales, another I'm painting, and another I might be doing something totally non-When Guinea Pigs Fly-related. I live outside of Boston with my husband and pets and love the ocean, delicious gluten free cupcakes and...if you couldn't guess...guinea pigs!




2. How did you choose your shop name?

I knew I wanted my shop to have a whimsical flair, and when I first began creating artwork with the hope of opening an Etsy shop, I gravitated to guinea pigs immediately. One of the first paintings I made, before I opened shop, was a guinea pig superhero (seen here: www.etsy.com/listing/50705957/guinea-pig-superhero-print it's so funny to see how my style has evolved over time!). The thought of a flying guinea pig tickled me so much. I agonized over picking a name, but when I was talking it over with my mom one night, "when guinea pigs fly" stuck. It was exactly what I wanted -- suggesting a cute mental image with a clever play on words. Moms are good at helping with things like that. :)




3. What do you enjoy drawing the most?

I suppose you could call guinea pigs my muse. I sometimes feel really inspired to paint other creatures, and when that happens, I go for it and don't restrict myself, but more often than not I come right back to these sweet little rodents!

4. What is the best seller in your shop?

Even though the shop is called When Guinea Pigs Fly and primarily features guinea pigs, the #1 seller is actually the 'Otterly Romantic' print of the otters holding hands (www.etsy.com/listing/62235654/otters-holding-hands-cute-otter-art). I was so inspired to paint that after seeing an adorable YouTube video of otters holding hands at the Vancouver Aquarium (if you haven't seen it, you must! www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno), and I think a lot of people find it to be a really appropriate gift for their sweetheart or...brace yourself... "otter half" (har har!), which makes me so happy.

5. Your work sells all over the world, in which parts of the world is your work most popular?

It is amazing to me to think that my artwork is in people's homes all over the globe! The top three places it's most popular are the U.S., the UK, and Australia. Guinea pigs seem to be held in a lot higher regard/are more popular in the UK and Australia, which I never knew until I opened shop! One of my very first orders went to Australia and I thought it was a fluke, but several orders a month usually make the journey 'Down Undah'.




6. What inspires you?

Cuteness, in all its shapes and forms, but of course if I see something with a guinea pig I'm immediately smitten. I'm inspired by all sorts of animals and can often be found visiting a local wildlife sanctuary and farm to recharge. I'm inspired by classic, sweet stories like Winnie the Pooh for my watercolor scenes and there is never a shortage of guinea pig photos to paw through! Sometimes I'll see a particular photo of a guinea pig and think "omg that guinea pig totally looks like a [whatever the next painting ends up being]". They all have their own little quirks and personalities and that can sometimes dictate in what direction my artwork goes.

7. How long have you been an artist?

I began drawing when I was very young and would doodle every day after school with my big basket of markers at the kitchen table. I began learning how to paint and draw more photo-realistic works in middle and high school, and began developing my own style as When Guinea Pigs Fly got established. So as cliche as it sounds, I suppose I've been an artist pretty much my whole life, but only a 'working artist' for the past three years or so.



8. What are your other hobbies?

I write musicals with a writing partner, one of which is currently in production and being marketed to children's theatres across the country (it's a modern twist on the Tortoise and the Hare. If you're near CT in February, come see it! fairfieldtheatre.org/NCTC/), and another which is in the planning stages to be produced by Marymount Manhattan College in the spring. I love learning new arts and crafts, graphic and web design, baking, and have been known to grace a few runways as a fashion model (ooh la la!). My interests are eclectic but when I'm interested in something, I really go for it.



9. Do you collect anything?

I'm developing a growing collection of adorable mice from the talented artists at the Etsy shop The House of Mouse (www.etsy.com/shop/thehouseofmouse)! I also have a rather enormous stuffed animal collection. Not the expensive 'collectible' kind, but just ones that have spoken to me over the years. I don't have the heart to get rid of the ones from my childhood and I am so easily smitten when I see new ones in stores that have that little 'special something'. I can't help myself! :)

10. What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

I absolutely love going back to my home town of Rockport, Massachusetts to enjoy the festivities there. I don't get to all of it every year, but Rockport has a wonderful Christmas pageant, a tree lighting ceremony, and all of the gift shops are open. It feels very magical and timeless. Spending Christmas Eve into Christmas Day at my parents' house is also very special to me. 

11. Do you have a favourite Christmas song or carol?

Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" has always been and will always be my absolute favorite. All of his Christmas music is wonderful, but that one piece really tugs at my heartstrings.




12. What is the funniest Christmas present you have ever been given?

Oh what a fun question! Hmm... I'd have to say a handmade card my best friend made me a few years ago. We had racked up an enormous list of inside jokes between us involving various colorful characters (both real and imaginary) in our lives. She tied them all in with a rhyming poem and I laughed myself silly.

Many thanks to Lesley from When Guinea Pigs Fly for taking part in this feature. Click here to visit her Etsy shop.

Etsy Art I Love

         As I've mentioned before I've always wanted to be able to draw but just can't. I had a lovely art teacher at school. We had a lot in common. He loved cats and we both wanted to be a vet (although neither of us became one!)
       I remember an art test in which we had to draw a pot of pencils, sounds simple enough. Not for me. The pot turned out just about okay but every single pencil I drew turned out bent! And that was with quite a lot of effort on my part.
         My art teacher knew I couldn't draw and he was nice enough not to laugh. Needless to say I dropped art as soon as I was allowed to!
       I still love looking at art. And I love browsing and buying from Etsy. Here are some of my current favourites that I would love to have around the house.

Paris Print from Daniela Volpari.

Hare Preparing to Box, Original Black and White Charcoal Drawing from Rachaelizaart.

Mr. Pickles, The Guinea Pig At Black Walnut Manor Disappeared For Eleven Days, Surviving On French Nougat from janethillstudio.

Mary Poppins Guinea Pig - "Mary Popcorns" from whenguineapigsfly.

I'm Sorry Kitty Cat Girl Art from Pinkytoast.

Orange Cat Kitty Biscuits Vintage Style Label from toadbriar.

Black Cat Ice Cream Company original graphic art giclee archival signed artist's print from geministudio.

Photographic Print - Cat in Glasses 2 from instantt.

Black Cat Art print WINDOW WATCHER from lewfoster.

Pets Rock Animal Cushions

          These Pets Rock Cushions would make great gifts for Christmas. I would love to have a few around the house myself. There are lots of designs to choose from and lots of other goodies to buy available from Takkoda.com

Guinea Pigs On The Brain

            I would love to own a guinea pig and seem to have them on the brain lately! And while I was out doing some Christmas shopping I bought myself a few guinea pig bits.
       First I bought some guinea pig Christmas cards from Paperchase which I intend to frame. There were 5 designs to choose from and I couldn't so I bought all 5. Three of which are pictured below:

       While in TK Maxx I picked up this Famous Faces hard backed notebook in the "Magic" design for a bargain £1.99.

Christmas Gifts For Your Furry Friends

                Here's a selection of gifts that your pet will be sure to love this Christmas.

Gingerbread Rope Toy £7.00 From Pets At Home

Reindeer Hoodie Dog Costume £9.00  from Pets At Home

Christmas Pudding Dog Treat £2.50 from Pets At Home

Snowman Hoodie Dog Costume £9.00 from Pets At Home

Christmas Tarts for Dogs £2.50 from Pets At Home

The Cod Father Cat Toy Gift Set £6.00 from Pets At Home

Catnip Santa for Cats £2.50 from Pets At Home

Candy Cane Cat Teaser £2.50 from Pets At Home

The Rat Pack Cat Toy Gift Set £6.00 from Pets At Home

Christmas Dinner Nibblers for Small Animals £2.00 from Pets At Home

Christmas Pudding Bed for Small Animals £5.99 available from ebay.

Christmas Loofah Chews for Small Animals from Pets At Home

An Early Birthday Gift For Me

     I have still been adding to my collection of needle felted items from Miss Bumbles. I now have a second cabinet to put them in (which is much bigger, so I have plenty room for more!)
        My Mum very kindly bought me my most recent custom order for my birthday and luckily I was allowed to have them now. The custom order consisted of:

     This beautiful Queen Of Hearts kitty comes complete with flamingo mallet and a hedgehog croquet ball. The detail in her dress is amazing.

     This Mad Hatter kitty is just gorgeous. I love the colour combination. And he even has a little hand painted cup.

This little cat burglar is just so sweet. He looks full of mischief. He is based on both of my cats as they can break into any room or cupboard.

And last but not least is this Big Hairy Scary Spider. I love the expression on his face. He also has a skull on his back which you can't really see in this photo.

      I have already asked for another custom order which will hopefully be ready before Christmas. I am really excited about it. I also have a gardening guinea pig on the way which I can't wait to see. Miss Bumbles' guinea pigs are so cute, they make me want a real one.


    Here are some photos of the rest of my collection including an early piece from 2009 which I picked up from ebay. He is a rather sweet tortoise holding a lovely juicy peach.