Our favourite doyenne of domesticity, the queen of craft, Martha Stewart, is not only known for her impeccable taste but also for her love of French Bulldogs, in particular, her two Frenchies, Francesca and Sharkey. To dog lovers who watch The Martha Stewart Show, the pair are recognizable stars in their own right, frequently appearing on her show to taste test dog biscuits and give their paws-up approval for dog themed projects. Now, with the introduction of Martha Stewart’s new pet-keeping website, marthastewart.com/pets, we dog people finally have one-stop access to Martha’s wonderful pet projects, as well as a place to check out the musings of Francesca and Sharkey, written in their very own blog, The Daily Wag. Step-by-step instructions for over 30 projects are already posted on the site and a new craft will be introduced monthly. There are also pet-related videos from The Martha Stewart Show, hundreds of articles pulled from Martha Stewart Living, pet quizzes, advice, and photo contests for pets wearing holiday-related costumes. With Martha’s love for pets apparent in this venture, we asked her a few questions about her own menagerie.

5 Questions for Martha Stewart

Q: Did you have pets growing up?

A: Yes, but only a couple. We had a dog named Shiner for a few months but my mother could not cope with six children and a dog. We also had a pet crow. I think that’s why I have so many pets now!

Q: How many pets do you have now?

A: I share my home with two dogs, five cats, and 25 red canaries. That’s not to overlook my three donkeys, five horses, and more than 100 chickens.

A: Francesca and Sharkey are four years old. They came from JustUs Frenchies in Maryland. Some of my cats have been purchased, some adopted. Four of my horses have been purchased and one is adopted.

A: I treat my dogs like little children—I talk to them, reprimand them gently, and spoil them. They want to please, which makes training very easy.

A: I often go for long walks with Francesca and Sharkey. They are very active dogs who enjoy outdoor activities as much as I do. They also like to run after the horses and the four-wheeler. They are constantly with me and they especially like to visit town, go window shopping, watch movies, and drive in the car.

Make Martha’s Pet ID Tags

Use Martha’s downloadable template and easy-to-find materials to create a cute customized ID tag for your dog.

Tools and Materials

* Shrinky Dinks printable plastic sheets (available at craft stores or online at goestores.com)
* Regular or decorative-edge scissors
* Hole punch

Instructions

1. Download Martha’s Pet ID tag template to your computer’s desktop. marthastewart.com/images/ content/web/pdfs/2009Q1/ pet_tags_blank.pdf Open the file and type your dog’s name and your phone number.

2. 2. Print tags on a Shrinky Dinks printable plastic sheet. Cut out with regular or decorative-edge scissors and punch a hole where indicated. Bake according to package instructions; let cool. Seal both sides with matte clear-coat spray before attaching to collar.