| ASPCA Owner and Designer of D'Shell Designs, Dawn Graham, is a Member and a Monthly Supporter of The American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. |
| TVGRR Owner and Designer of D'Shell Designs is a supporter of the Tennessee Valley Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc.. |
| Friends Fur Life Owner and Designer of D'Shell Designs, Dawn Graham, adopted Kayden from the Friends Fur Life pet rescue organization. Kayden was one of 10 dogs, rescued by this organization, from a Humane Society in Kentucky, who were going to be euthanized. |
| Kayden at 9-10 months, just before he became part of our family! |
| D'Shell Designs proudly supports the following organizations... |
| The Designer's dogs are the inspiration behind each of her lines. She currently has four dogs, three of which have been rescued. On this page, she shares some photos and stories about each of the dogs she has had over the years. |
| Ciem (1987-2000) was our first dog. She was a petite, light red and white Siberian Husky, almost strawberry blonde in color. We got her from a couple who raised and showed Siberian Huskies in Placerville, CA. We actually met them when we responded to a classified ad for Tonnerre. They were not able to show him, and were looking to find him a good home. By the time we were able to visit them, Toni had already found a family, but I think we were meant to meet this couple. They owned seven Siberian Huskies, and did not have any children; the dogs were their children! We became fast friends and would make frequent trips to visit them and their dogs. We really bonded with one of their dogs, Ciem. Ciem was one that needed more attention than the others and wasn't getting along with one of the other females, so they asked us if we would like to adopt her. There wasn't even a hesitation! Ciem came home with us in June of 1989 and never looked back. She had quite a personality. She was confident, happy and fun- loving most of the time, but expected the royal treatment… so emerged her nickname, “The Queen of Sheeba.” Tonnerre, Toni, for short (1988-2002), was a grey and white Siberian Husky. A few months after we brought Ciem home, Toni needed a foster home. The family who had adopted him was having problems and couldn't take care of him. We took him in, thinking it was a temporary stay. He was a good companion for Ciem. They played and got along great together. They would play a stalking game with each other, like they were out in the wild, and oh how they loved to howl together. We all got very attached to Toni and were pleasantly surprised when we found out we had the option to keep him permanently! Toni and Ciem moved to Tennessee with us in 1990. On the drive from California, Toni was very well behaved. Ciem, on the other hand, got into the driver’s seat of the Ryder truck and locked us out! Then she made a loud scene going up stairs at the hotel that we were sneaking them into (where no dogs were allowed)! We did all make it to our destination safely and bought a home with a big yard. Toni and Ciem had many years of happiness with us. Toni was very protective of his family and territory. He could be intimidating to those who didn’t know him, and was a bit temperamental in his younger years. In fact, we anticipated that he might become crotchety in his old age, but he actually softened up and became very loving. He really enjoyed our nightly walks and a juicy piece of steak off the grill! Pepper (1992-2004) was a black Labrador Retriever. When Ciem was five years old and Toni was four, they got a baby brother. He wasn't planned! We had gone to look at a puppy with some friends of ours and… enter Pepper. He was the runt of the litter and saw his ticket to a better life when he jumped in Dawn's arms. The first three months of his life with us were almost unbearable. He slept next to our bed in a crate and whined all night, every night. We were at our wits’ end, and I think he knew it, because he suddenly changed his ways. He had no more “accidents” and started sleeping through the night! He turned out to be one of our best-behaved dogs. He had a close bond with Ciem, who took him under her wing almost immediately. Pepper was very friendly; “a lover not a fighter!” He enjoyed everyone and everything! Always excited about whatever was going on at the time, he demonstrated the traits of a typical lab. His favorite activity was chasing the ball, which he would do until he dropped if we let him. He was eight years old when Ciem passed away. That was a terrible loss for all of us. Although Pepper and Toni had a “love-hate” relationship through the years, they became pals after going through their loss together. Pepper was ten years old when Toni closed his eyes for the last time. Things were really tough for awhile, and we waited a few months before beginning the search for a new companion for Pepper. Kendra (born in 2002) is a chocolate Labrador Retriever. We found a classified ad for a litter of chocolate Lab puppies and contacted the family. We took Pepper with us to see them. He helped us pick out Kendra! They got along so well right from the start. He showed her the ropes and she caught on quickly. We would take them to a nearby park every Sunday afternoon, where Kendra learned to swim. Pepper had always been afraid of water, but he would get his feet wet as he watched Kendra fetch sticks from the river. Inconsistent with her athletic spirit, Kendra seems to like all things feminine. We call her our “girly-girl” because she has an eye for shoes and handbags. She loves to make trips to the closet and check out my latest fashion purchases. Pepper and Kendra had two really good years together before Pepper passed away. Kendra mourned like we hadn't seen any of the others mourn. We kept her with us as much as possible so that she wouldn't feel so alone. We all really felt the loss and developed a special bond with Kendra during that time. We didn't wait very long before looking at rescue organizations to find her a friend. Kayden (born in 2003) is a mixed breed male who came to us through Friends Fur Life Rescue Organization in January of 2004. They brought him over for a visit, which went so well that he stayed. He was such good healing medicine for all of us. To this day, you can just tell that he is so thankful and appreciative to be with us. He is our 80 pound lap dog! He and Kendra were a playful and loving pair right from the start. They love to chase each other around the yard and play tug-of-war. We have nicknamed Kayden, “the park leader” as he can always come up with a game from just about anything. He is very animated in all that he does, and is funny to watch as he goes about his business. Sierra (born in 2005) is a Boxer-Hound mix. Although we had decided that we were best able to manage and care for two dogs, God had a different plan in mind. One early spring morning just a few months after we adopted Kayden, we found a little puppy running in the neighborhood. The poor little thing was cold and scared, huddled near the curb between two leaf bags. So, we brought her home. We tried to find her owners, but, after no luck, figured someone hadn't wanted her and just dropped her in our neighborhood. So, we made a place for her in our family and named her Sierra. She was only about 8 weeks old when she came to stay with us, but she fell right into the routines and learned the rules quickly…and developed quite a personality! We all adapted to the new family dynamic. Our nightly walks got to be a bit more challenging, but after some practice, we all got into the groove. Sierra made a real effort to get up to speed quickly and be “part of the gang.” She found her place in our family, taking her position as “the little one” to the limits. She’ s over dramatic, exaggerated and seeks lots of attention. She has one of the most unique personalities of all our dogs. Colt (born in 2006) looks just like a miniature of Kayden, but we think he has some Jack Russell Terrier in him, because he can jump a six-foot privacy fence! We thought we were at our limit with the crew we had… until this little guy came along... another lost dog in the neighborhood. We let him come in the back yard to visit with the other dogs. They all played well together despite that he was only half their size. He had no identification on him, so we got him scanned for a microchip, put up signs around the area, and checked the paper for “lost dog” ads, but no one claimed him. So, he became ours. The first few weeks were a struggle for us trying to keep him from jumping the fence. It was more recreation for him than an escape. He would always show up at the front doorstep after a few minutes of freedom. But now he has very little interest in the fence, or in jumping over it. He is all about playing with the other dogs, especially Kayden. Not only does Colt look like a miniature Kayden, but they have the same personality and mannerisms. They even make the same distinct noise when they yawn! Colt is “all boy,” full of energy, uncomplicated and always up for a challenge. |
| THE INSPIRATION |
| Ciem in moving truck |
| Ciem with cast on broken leg |
| Ciem |
| Toni |
| Toni in crate |
| Toni, Ciem and Pepper |
| Pepper |
| Kendra in chair |
| Kendra |
| Kendra in river |
| Kayden |
| Sierra |
| Kendra, Kayden and Sierra |
| Kendra, Colt and Kayden |
| Colt |
| CONTACT US: dawn@dshelldesigns.com OR 865-384-3039 |
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| Jewelry that celebrates your personal style, while adding polish to your individual look... |
| Jonnie Sorensen "I just love all of Dawn's different styles of jewelry named after her dogs' personalities. Each style has it's own uniqueness. Dawn can do anything you ask her to do in making jewelry. She has fixed jewelry for me, made earrings to go with necklaces I have, etc. She is very creative and has wonderful open houses. I love the red dress she decorated with red crystal beads. Dawn keeps up on styles and works well with women to improve their clothes closet to fit their lifestyle, best colors, personality, etc. Dawn is reasonable, reliable and dependable. Give Dawn a try; you will like her styles." |
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