Blog entry

Make It a Handmade Christmas 2020 - Week 4

Where did Week 4 of the Countdown to Christmas go?  It quickly blew right on by.  According to the ever ticking Christmas clock there is only 72 days until Christmas is here again!  Now is the perfect time and this is the perfect place to start your holiday shopping.  Follow this motto: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE on the Countdown to Christmas 2020 - Week 4 collection of artisan handmade!

Make It a Handmade Christmas 2020 - Week 1

WOW, wasn't last Christmas like . . . three months ago?  With as strange as the year 2020 has been so far, it’s hard to believe that Christmas is only 93 days away (according to the ever ticking Christmas clock).  It’s not too early to start thinking about your Christmas shopping list.  A perfect place to start is the 12 week Countdown to Christmas 2020 hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions that is filled with a wide variety of handmade gifts.  A good motto to follow: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small businesses!

Autumn Beauties - Artisan Handmade

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." — Albert Camus

I don’t know about you, but autumn is my favorite time of the year, although it’s somewhat bittersweet since winter follows.  It’s a time where the temperatures (at least here in the Desert Southwest) are moderating and thankfully, the gates of the blast furnace of Hell for this extreme heat summer have closed.  It’s a time for rethinking and replacing plants that didn’t make it through this summer.  Many people start fall gardens and farmers bring in their harvest.  Fall is part of that ongoing cycle of loss, rest, regeneration and, ultimately, regrowth.  The Autumn Equinox is a balance between light and dark, a balance between the season that happens again in the spring.  And who doesn’t love the trees and some shrubs with their gorgeous leaf displays as they prepare for their winter sleep.   

Awesome Animals - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

Anyone who knows me knows I love animals, always have and always will.  No-footed, two-footed, four-footed, six footed or more (except, to tell the truth, female mosquitoes and ticks - uck!).  I love animals of all sizes, from huge ones to wee, tiny ones - from blue whales, the largest mammal on earth, to Kitti's hog-nosed bat (or bumblebee bat) the world's smallest mammal at just over 1” long.  And I’m always amazed at how animals have evolved to survive. Just think of the Griffon’s vulture which is recorded as the highest flying bird at 37,000 feet to deep sea creatures which live in harsh conditions thousands of feet in the ocean where light doesn’t reach.  Amazing!

When I was mulling around what the theme of this week's Three for Thursday blog, I decided on animals.  Three animal related items from three handmade artists are featured.  The artists are:  Linda of VictorianStyleTreasures; Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy this collection of animal themed items.  Be sure to visit the shops to find even more beauties.