Collaboration with Kismet Canine Creations. Dog Tag Charm for Trumbull Photography. Toledo, Ohio.

From Rebecca:

I am always looking to network with local small businesses that serve the pet industry. I don’t remember if Tori found me or I found her. We both spend a lot of time on Instagram promoting our services (who am I kidding, we’re just there for the cute dog videos) and that is where we met. Either way, we hit it off a couple years ago. Tori creates dog accessories using 3D printers. In her shop, Kismet Canine Creations, Tori offers personalized collar charms, leash sleeves and more. She values her customer service reputation and she experiments until a new product is up to her quality standard or she doesn’t offer it.

At the end of last year, Jessica and I decided we wanted to personalize our client experience a little more. We reached out to Tori about designing a custom collar charm for Trumbull Photography. Tori joined us in-person for a consult/brainstorming session to pin down what we were looking for. During the creation process, we got to see a couple of drafts and communicate if we wanted any minor adjustments. The whole experience was really great.

Kismet and Fizzy, Tori’s pups, came to model the finished camera charms for this big reveal. We are very excited to be able to share these charms with our pet portrait clients as a thank you gift!

From Tori about kismet canine creations:

What inspired your business and how did you get started? “I wish I could say the beginning of my business was a long thought out dream of mine, but it really boiled down to complete happenstance. My husband and I went for a walk one day, and he remarked that it would be really cool to make 3D printed pet items. We already had the 3D printers, so why not? His first idea was the leash sleeve, which has gone on to be our best selling item by far. He already had an established small business on Etsy, so I took some courses myself on how to best optimize my shop and got to work!”
What do you offer to your customers? “We offer 3D printed leash sleeves for your pets with sayings such as ‘Do Not Pet,’ ‘Reactive,’ ‘Ask to Pet’ or customized phrases or even just your pet’s name! We also have a wide variety of 3D printed pet collar charms. I sew dog scarves for your furry friends in the fall and winter, create dog bows, and we also have grow your own cat grass kits with customizable 3D printed cat grass planters. We’re always looking for something new to add to our shop!”
What makes your work rewarding? “I have to say the most rewarding thing about my business is the friendships I’ve made along the way and the smiles I’ve brought to my customer’s faces. The number one thing I never anticipated when starting this business was the absolute joy that the #dogstagram community on Instagram would bring to my life. I have cultivated so many friendships from this community, and I am now surrounded by the most supportive and caring group of customers that I could ever possibly hope to have. In my wildest dreams, I never could have fathomed the depth of how much my customers (and now friends) have impacted my life. Some of them I talk to almost every day. Some I have met in person. Others I have plans to meet in the near future. Many of them rally around me and check up on me when I need the extra support (and vice versa). It’s a beautiful thing that I am so thankful to have fallen into.”
What was it like to work with a fellow small business on a custom project? “Doing a collaboration with another small business is one of my favorite parts of the job! It’s always fun to make something custom for someone else and bring something to life for them.”

Find Kismet Canine Creations Here:

About Kismet:

“Kismet is fearless, loyal, and what I like to call ‘The Wal-Mart door greeter of dogs.’ She absolutely loves people! She may bark at them at first, because she startles easily, but then she just wants all of the love. Kismet is truly my heart dog and whenever I’m not feeling well, she senses it and will literally lay on top of me at times. She’s always down to snuggle or play fetch in the backyard. She’s smart and sassy, and I always say she is the ‘person’ I most aspire to be like.” -Tori

About Fizzgig:

“We’re convinced that Fizzgig ‘Fizzy’ is not really a dog, but a muppet. This is apt, because she’s named after one- Fizzgig from ‘The Dark Crystal.’ Her nickname, Fizzy, is also perfect, because she’s very bubbly and effervescent. She has a true lust for life, and she can be seen many times frolicking after butterflies in the yard in the summer. On the other side of the coin, she can be very anxious and takes a long time to warm up to people. However, she’s come a long way, and it’s been very exciting to see her progress as she grows older.” -Tori