Sarah's Spotlight - The House of Mouse

No one wants a mouse in their house unless it's one of these adorable creations by The House of Mouse! You can visit this shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/thehouseofmouse.

Each mouse is individually made by Anna. She offers a large selection of mice, ranging from professional mice to celebrity mice to movie character mice (notably Star Wars and Lord of the Rings). I never thought I would want to come home to a houseful of mice, but these cuties would cheer me up after a long day at work!

Anna was born in England but has been living in the Netherlands for the last 6 years. Before opening her Etsy shop, she was a professional oil painter. What started as Christmas gifts for her family in 2007 has turned into a full time profession! Anna adds at least one new mouse to her store every week. If only I could be that consistent with my knitting! In addition to her mice, Anna also creates pins, magnets, and note cards that feature these adorable critters.

Here is a picture of Anna working in her studio:
I'm more than impressed with the shelves of mice behind her. As a knitter, my studio tends to be my couch or the bed, so it's nice to have the opportunity to see other artists in their more formal studios. Ten percent of Anna's profits go to the British animal welfare charity, The Blue Cross, where she adopted her cat, Nicki. The agency's website is http://www.bluecross.org.uk. Nicki is not allowed into Anna's studio, so customers don't have to worry about allergies.

Anna is very happily expecting her first child in February and will be closing her shop for a few months to adjust to mommihood. Be sure to stop by her store in the next month to check out all her mice! Congratulations on your son, Anna!

Anna is a member of the following Etsy teams:
Founder of the Sellers Assisting Sellers Team
http://team.etsy.com/viewteam.php?id=412
Proud member of the European Street Team
http://team.etsy.com/profilest/euro.shtlm
and Etsy for Animals http://etsyforanimals.etsy.com

 Anna's other websites include:
Full catalog of mice: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehouseofmouse/sets/
Blog: http://www.lifecraftinessandeverythingelse.blogspot.com
Newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/thehouseofmouse-mailinglist/subscribe
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thehouseofmou5e
Deviant Art Page: http://www.the-house-of-mouse/deviantart.com

Anna also writes a blog featuring handmade cuteness by other artists: http://FortheLoveofCute.blogspot.com

Anna was also featured in an Etsy blog this past January, which is very exciting! You can read the article at: http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/open-studio-tour-thehouseofmouse-3260/

All photographs used with Anna's permission.