The Story of Snozza
Poppy, Mabel and the little nose that started it all
Snozza began with two much-loved Hungarian Pulis who never met, an impression tucked away in a drawer, and a discovery I never saw coming. This is their story, and mine.
Before Snozza
Poppy
Poppy was intelligent, funny and fiercely loyal. She was the most wonderful dog and the best friend to my boys as they grew up.
When we lost her in 2007, I realised I had nothing tangible that captured those familiar little details you recognise when a dog is part of your everyday life. I had her empty collar and bed. That stayed with me.
2007
Meet Mabel
When Mabel came into our lives, she quickly became a huge part of mine. She came to the studio with me every day, greeted everyone she loved and took her self-appointed responsibility for protecting us from the postman extremely seriously.
She was part of the family and part of the team. Although none of us knew it then, her little nose was about to begin another story altogether.
2008–2009
An impression left in a drawer
When Mabel was about a year old, I took an impression of her nose using the same dental putty I used to capture children’s fingerprints for jewellery. I simply wanted to preserve something that was uniquely hers.
At first, I was rather underwhelmed. I could barely make out any detail. But I treasured it because it was Mabel’s, so I put it safely in a drawer. There it stayed for a year.
The following year, I pressed some plasticine into the impression. When I peeled it away, there was Mabel’s little nose. Tiny ridges, markings and textures that had been difficult to see suddenly came to life.
That was the moment I wondered: could I preserve it permanently in silver?
2009–2012
Finding a way to keep that little nose
Throughout 2009, I refined the process. I believed in the idea, but our fingerprint jewellery was keeping Morgan & French incredibly busy and I couldn’t give Snozza the time it deserved.
In 2012, I returned to it and launched Snozza properly, with its own name and website. Newspapers, magazines, radio and television began taking an interest. Beneath the excitement was the same simple idea that had begun with Mabel.
The original Snozzas were life-size sculptures of a dog’s nose, made directly from an impression and cast in silver or bronze. You could hold the nose in your hand and feel its shape, ridges and wrinkles.
2016
When Snozza became even more personal
We lost Mabel in 2016. She was only nine. She had been such a huge part of life at home and in the studio that her absence was enormous.
Suddenly, the Snozza I had made from that rather unremarkable impression meant something entirely different. I still had her little nose. I could hold it in my hand and feel the shape and texture I knew so well.
I treasure it. Sometimes, when I see it, I kiss her little nose.
To somebody else, it might look like a small piece of silver. To me, it’s Mabel.
2020
A pause, but never forgotten
When Covid arrived, we had to put our energy into protecting Morgan & French and finding our way through those extraordinary years. There wasn’t enough of me to do everything, and Snozza quietly took a step back.
I never stopped believing in it. Mabel’s little nose reminded me why I had created Snozza in the first place, and I knew I wanted to find my way back to it.
2026
A new chapter for Snozza
Nearly twenty years after taking that first impression, the time felt right. New techniques and tools opened up possibilities I couldn’t have imagined when Snozza began.
Today, I make Snozza jewellery at my bench in Stamford: rings and pendants that let you wear the familiar texture of your dog’s nose. Each still begins with a real physical impression. For the jewellery, I work with the area of detail that suits your chosen design; it isn’t a miniature model of the whole nose.
The pieces have evolved, but the reason for making them hasn’t. It’s about keeping something wonderfully familiar: the little nose that greets you at the door, nudges your hand and checks every pocket for a treat.
A Snozza of your own
Choose your jewellery first. Your first impression kit is included and sent after you order, and we check your impressions before making your piece.
Prefer to work from a photograph? See the two ways to create dog nose print jewellery.