HISTORY AND STORY OF

DANDY DESIGN, INC.


It all started in 1992 with the inspiration of our then puppy Dandy, who was of course, before "real" kids, our true little pride and joy.  I was raised in an artistic home and had always had art as an outlet for my creativity.  It seemed natural to start painting and making little dog sculptures with Dandy as a constant subject of interest.  I took a few woodworking classes at the University and began to create dog breed cut-outs and hand painting them.  Before long I got in a catalog, then retail stores and various retail venues.  Within a few years I realized that this business I had created was fun, creatively challenging, allowed for travel and meeting great people, as well as being an entity that I could be proud of.   

Dandy Design is an outlet for me creatively and one that I have nurtured, along with my family, for almost 20 years.  Dandy Design is a way for me to connect with people, with business owners, with dog owners, with artists and intelligent people that would simply not be possible without this fun and fabulous outlet.  I hope that Dandy Design will continue to grow, change and evolve and continue to be a source of fun and creative energy for many years to come.

 OUR PRODUCTION PROCESS

It all starts with the idea, the inspiration or the desire to create a new product.  I design and prototype all of the products and enjoy a very constant and ever-flowing outpouring of ideas.

From the conception begins the prototyping process.  Designs are put on paper, then transferred to wood and hand cut.  All the components are cut out individually, base coated and detailed one at a time in our shop, or at the studios of our local area artists and craftsmen.  When a product is approved and meets our standards of production possibility and feasibility, then we put that product into our system.

We start with a container for each of the components.  Each part is run through the process of being cut, base coated and detailed.  When an order comes in, we pull the dogs needed (which are all hand cut, painted and stocked individually), then we gather up all the parts to make the product.  All the parts are assembled in layers of wood to create a dimensional work of art, topped off with the bows and ribbons and moved over to shipping.  We assemble each product one at a time and create it just for the orders as they come in.

Our hand painted wooden products are unique in that they are actually layered wooden cut-outs.  Each dog is standing in front of the background or placed inside a vehicle and glued and/or stapled together.  This layered effect makes for a very detailed and substantial piece that is much more dimensional than painting on just a flat surface.  The computer, although amazing in its ability to navigate, does not do justice to the feel and character of our products.

We produce and design all of our products here in our shop in Albuquerque New Mexico, USA.  Some of our components and some of our more complicated designs have the help of a laser engraver, as well as a few imported products that I have designed myself and sent over seas to be produced.  This process of outsourcing however, is a small part of our line and in fact, is not feasible in this current economy.

If you have any interest in custom designs we provide extensive custom ornament and product development geared specifically for your local customers and area attractions in mind.  Please feel free to call or write if you have any additional questions about our products or offerings.

Thank you for your interest in our products and please, have fun and enjoy our web site.

Sincerely and in Gratitude,

Emily Cornelius, President

Dandy Design, Inc.

1-505-573-8392

emily@dandydesign.com