Blog entry

The Many Faces of Green - Artisan Handmade

GREEN is a favorite color of many people because of it being the predominant terrestrial color of Mother Earth.  It is considered by many to be the most restful color (green being a favorite color choice for bedrooms).  But the color green wears many faces, both in its numerous beautiful shades and its interesting historical context.  I found the history and symbolism of green to be fascinating and decided to share some of what I found:

Perfect Pink Pretties for Valentines Day - Artisan Handmade

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, in just over a week, and the colors of Valentine’s Day - red, pink and white - are seen everywhere.  Why these particular colors ??? Through the ages, red represents passionate love, beauty, courage and respect. White symbolizes true love, innocence, purity and charm.  Since pink is a combination of red and white, taking the properties of both colors, it reveals a gentler, kinder love, perfect happiness, tenderness and grace.

Since pink is such a beautiful and meaningful combination of red and white, I decided to pull together a blog, “Perfect Pink Pretties for Valentine’s Day,” featuring a wide range of handmade gifts using pink as a major palette in the designs.  You'll find most of these items are not your "traditional" Valentine's inspired gifts.  And that's OK!  It means they can be worn longer, sometimes year round, and not just for Valentine's Day itself.  I hope you find something for your loved one . . .  something that's a perfect pink pretty!

Shades of Purple - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

Up until the 1850’s, the color purple was most often associated with nobility.  Cyrus, a Persian king, wore a purple tunic, adopting it as his royal uniform. Some Roman emperors even forbade their citizens from wearing purple clothing - under penalty of death. During the Byzantine Empire, rulers wore long purple robes, used purple ink to sign their orders, and their children were described as being “born in the purple.”  Why? The reason was that a pound of purple wool cost more than most people earned in a year! The color purple was produced from a species of rare sea snail, centered in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. It took as many as 250,000 of the snails, which produced a purple staining mucus, to yield just one ounce of usable dye. After the fall of the Byzantine empire in the 15th century, the upper class monopoly of purple fabric waned - but it was still expensive.  It wasn’t until the 1850’s with the creation of the first synthetic dyes that the color purple became more widely available.  

I, for one, am glad that the color purple is now easily attainable.  With that in mind, this week’s edition of the Three for Thursday blog is titled “Shades of Purple.”  Three items from three handmade artists are featured. The artists are: Cathy of Crafting Memories; Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy all the different shades of purple found in the beauties shared.

An Artisan Handmade Christmas - Gift Ideas - Week 9

Christmas is barreling down on us - it will soon be here!  Week 9 of the Countdown to Christmas has come and gone.  The ever ticking Christmas clock doesn’t let up - according to what it says today, Santa will start his journey in only 35 days, just barely a month from now!  The Countdown is a place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations. Need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping?  Shop the Countdown to Christmas: browse and purchase that special piece!  An excellent motto to follow this holiday season: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN!  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE!