Hello, I am Melissa. Creator of Dejavoodoodogs.This is a space for me to be creative + a cute place I can share all info & more about my handmade pet products, which you can find on dejavoodoodogs.etsy.com
Shopdog : Checo
Checo is 5 years old & loves to play 24/7. His breed is : Malinois/German Shepherd. Very vigilant, B stands for barking. Likes collecting rocks. A reactive dog, but has a few friends. According to his bday he would be an Aries.
How it started ?
After my mom died, my world was forever altered. My mom “survived” lung cancer & a brain tumor. But at a regular checkup cancer was back in multiple places. She was okay one day & very sick the next. Everything went very fast that month, doctors said she probably only had days left.. I couldn’t believe that to be true… But it was. It’s not easy finding yourself & trying to navigate through life after such a tragedy. At home with a depression & grief disorder, I’ve tried a lot of things to keep my mind distracted. Polymer clay, stamping dog tags, resin art, wire wrapping, painting & more. Nothing really turned out the way I wanted to. I started making anti-tick collars for our 3 dogs & finally found something that I loved doing.
How it’s going?
Since I’ve started Athos & Fennie have crossed the rainbow bridge. We’ve tried a few times to get another dog, but Checo didn’t like it. I made things with Biothane, but they didn’t sell or maybe they were not even seen. So that’s a project to try again another day. I am still thinking about making leashes out of nylon rope, they can look so cute. I’m of course still busy with thinking about creating grief gifts, it’s been an idea I’ve had for years. Many ideas tangled up in my head.
Q & A
How did you come up with your business name? There is a Dutch rock band : Golden earring. My mom & I would go to their concerts. They have a song called : mama calls it dejavoodoo. I also have that tattooed in my moms handwriting. It suddenly clicked, I really like the word dejavoodoo – & dogs just fits with it.
If your business had a official mascot what would it be? If my business wasn’t dog/cat related, my mascot would be a lemur. I worked in a zoo for a small period & they are so cute, they have a special place in my heart. We call them maki, I think that also sounds cute.
What is one tool or piece of equipment you absolutely cannot live without? good scissors.
What music do you listen to while you work?Yelawolf, Beyonce, or a show on Netflix.
What is your absolute favorite part of making your products? The cute pet names I get to see (if it’s personalised).
What steps do you take to make your packaging sustainable? I use cardboard packaging & I am going to use stamps instead of fragile stickers.
What is the biggest blooper or mistake you’ve made? My mistake would be, wanting to many things at the same time; I should focus on one idea.
What is your favorite part of the packing process? I don’t really have a favourite part, because packaging is just something that needs to be done. But I like writing the thank you card.