Winners Directory

I have always been a bit of a dreamer and when I was a small child I dreamed of having a pet of my own, a total no go as far as my parents were concerned since my brothers were allergic to anything furry and with respect, you don't cuddle a lizard the way you cuddle a cat or a dog. So now as a 'grown up' I own a beautiful, loyal dog called Heidi whom I love and want to spend the rest of my life with...except I know I will outlive her.

When my children started school full time I decided to teach myself a new skill, something for me that was creative. Having searched the internet for craft ideas I stumbled upon the art of felt making. I ordered a very basic starter kit consisting of a car mat, some wool fibres and a laminated instruction sheet and persevered in my kitchen making flat felt pieces, which quickly evolved into handbags, vessels and animals.

Suddenly I had the skills to make a 'forever' pet, or a pet that no one else would be allergic to, that would feed the imagination and make someone smile. So I began to make peoples pets both living replicas and memorial pets, the demand soon escalated and I now make two styles of pet models: The Toy Style models which are like a teddy bear version of your pet and the needle Felt models which are more realistic replicas. Please see my website stephaniecowburn.com for images and more details. You can contact me via the website or through twitter @StephCowburn or FaceBook Stephanie Cowburn Felt & Design