Have you ever wanted to create a mini-version of your precious pup that you could sit near your computer at your work or on a shelf at home?
Tuggeranong dog groomer and busy mum Lisa Rourke has started a new business fashioning dogs from clay into adorable little keepsakes, that are attracting interest not only across Australia but also the world.
She is selling the pieces mostly via Facebook page but has been approached by stores in NSW to also stock the works.
The down-to-earth 33-year-old translated her skill into styling real dogs into making true-to-life replicas.
And it started pretty much by accident about five months ago.
"It's funny. It was a really rainy weekend and my kids were bored so we went down to Lincraft and we came across just a little polymer clay kit and I thought, 'That's cool you can make some little Marios or whatever you're interested in' and then I had a go and I loved it," she said.
"So we went straight back to Lincraft and got some more. I just started making more. It was trial and error and I wasted a lot of product."
But she got there in the end, capturing the details of each dog.
She is selling them through her Facebook page Loved by Lisa, winning fans in the grooming world and beyond.
"The poodle people love anything but some people want them to look just like their dog," she said.
"I've sold a few overseas. I'm doing one at the moment that's going to go to Michigan. There's a few groomers over there who've got on to them and if they've done some creative grooming they want it to last forever.
"They're so much fun to make. I'm always watching what the groomers are doing. There's one lady whose work I really love so I'll send one to her as a little gift."
Lisa and her husband Jason have three boys: Jaxyn, nine; Tyler, seven, and Archie, who is nearly two.
The sculpting is her time, fitted in around her work and the household.
"I guess with happening all the boys, I need something away from football and fart jokes," she said, with a laugh.
The sculptures are $35 or $45, depending on the detail, which can include a crown of flowers for your favourite pup.
