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Christmas Open House: Nina Eaton Photography and Shadow Dog Designs Jewelry

This coming weekend, December 7 and 8, 2024, Nina Eaton of Nina Eaton Photography is hosting a Christmas Open House.  And she invited me to participate in it again!  THANK YOU, Nina!!  If you are finishing up your holiday shopping, or haven't even started yet(!), or need unique stocking stuffers, stop by for a wide assortment of unique gifts.  Nina will have a wonderful selection of her award winning El Paso photography:  matted and gallery wrap prints, note cards, stone coasters, trivets, calendars, mouse pads, and other photographic beauties.  I'll have a wide variety of my mostly one of a kind handmade jewelry, including many Christmas earrings created with mega-sparkle vintage 1950's Austian / German crystals, glittering Swarovski crystals and whimsical artisan dangles.  You'll find many more designs at the Open House than are listed in my Shadow Dog Designs shop.  Additionally, the wide selection of Christmas earrings will be 10% off and there will be some deep discounts on other pieces of jewelry.  

Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 9 Favorites - 2024

Warning!!!  Christmas is barreling down on us like a runaway freight train!  Hard to believe it will be here so soon!  Week 9 of the Countdown to Christmas 2024 has come and gone and the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock doesn’t let up.  According to what the clock says today, Santa and his traveling buddies will start their journey in only 35 days, just a bit over four weeks from now!  The Countdown is where artists to come together and share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations and then promote each other.  This week, eight artists shared a total of 24 unique items.  The twelve week Countdown to Christmas, hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, is the perfect place to start / end your holiday shopping.  Find those special gifts for loved ones on the Countdown!  An excellent motto to follow this holiday season is : SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN!  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support hardworking indie shop owners! 

In addition to promoting each handmade item from the Countdown collection to my "Countdown to a Handmade Christmas 2024" Pinterest board and on my Twitter feed, I decided to share one item from each of the artists who participated this week.  Here are my "favorites" picks of the items, in an order determined by drawing numbers from my trusty numbers bowl.  I hope you enjoy these unique items! 

Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 7 Favorites - 2024

It is so very hard to believe (at least to me - how about you?) that we are already into the first week of November . . .  and that there are only 5 more weeks left of the Countdown to Christmas 2024!  It’s also hard to believe that Christmas will be here before we know it, in less than 2 months.  According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 49 days (as of today) until Santa drops down the chimney once again with his bag of goodies . . . or coal.  With Christmas rapidly approaching, Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions continue hosting the twelve-week Countdown to Christmas of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog.  Start or finish your holiday shopping now on the Countdown - Week 7 - a perfect place to buy unique handmade / designed gifts!  This week, 36 items from 12 artisans were shared in the wide-ranging gift collection: jewelry of many different styles, Christmas ornaments, gearhead sweatshirts, keychains, lampwork glass beads, stickers, Christmas tags and more.  A wonderful motto to follow: SHOP EARLY and SHOP OFTEN!  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie businesses.

In addition to saving each handmade item from the Countdown to Christmas 2024 Week 7 collection to my handmade Christmas Pinterest board and Twitter feed,  I pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog.  Here  are my favorites for Week 7: 

Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 5 Favorites - 2024

Where does hte time go?  It seems to go by more and more quickly each week:  week 5 of the Countdown to Christmas has already come and gone!  According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 63 days (a bit more than 2 months!!!) before the the reindeer driving man clothed in red and white arrives once again. With the rapidly approaching holiday season, Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions comtimue to host a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2024 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. Now is the perfect time to start your holiday shopping and the Countdown is the perfect place to begin that!  This week, 33 handmade / designed items from 11 artists were shared in the wide-ranging gift collection: jewelry of all different styles, photo albums, art prinrs, note cards, throw pillows, keychains, decal sets, lampwork beads, baby gifts and more.  Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY and SHOP OFTEN!  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support a small indie business.

Each week during the 12 week Countdown, I will pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog.  Here are my favorites for Week 5: