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Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 9 Favorites - 2024
Posted November 19, 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!
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Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Favorites - Week 11, 2023
Posted December 6, 2023
It's hard to believe that Week 11 of the Countdown to Christmas 2023 has already come and gone . . . . and there is only ONE more week left of the promotion! When the Countdown starts, the end of the twelve weeks seems a looooong way off. Then - BAM! - here it is! With Christmas just 18 days away, where does the time go? The ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock doesn’t let up - those seconds just keep ticking down until the jolly man in red and white arrives. Since the holiday gift giving season is lurking just around the corner, Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions are once again hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2023 of artisan handmade / designed items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. The Countdown is the place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations. This week ten artists shared 30 items, a wide range of beautiful gift ideas: jewelry of all styles, ornaments, gift card holders, sweatshirts gearheads, lampwork glass beads, watercolor art prints and many other unique items. Need a perfect start or end to your holiday shopping? Shop the Countdown to Christmas; browse and purchase that special piece for that special person! An excellent rule of thumb to follow this holiday season: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small, independent artisan shops!
In addition to promoting each handmade item from the Countdown collection to my "Countdown to a Handmade Christmas 2023" 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 - hard to chose! I hope you enjoy these unique items!
Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Favorites - Week 5, 2023
Posted October 25, 2023
Time 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 60 days (2 months!!!) before the ho-ho-ho'ing, reindeer driving man clothes in red and white arrives once again. With the rapidly approaching holiday season in mind, Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions comtimue to host a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2023 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, 36 handmade/designed items from 12 artists were shared in the wide-ranging gift collection: jewelry of different styles, Christmas ornaments, throw pillows,nurse hoodie, a wire kippah. lampwork beadsand more. Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY and SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie businesses.
Each week during the 12 week Countdown, I pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog. These are my favorites for Week 5:
Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Favorites - Week 2, 2023
Posted October 4, 2023
Week 2 of the Countdown to Christmas 2023 has already come . . . and gone, No worries because unique artisan handmade / designed items were left in its wake. According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 81 days until Christmas is here. With the rapidly approaching gift giving season in mind, Julie and her wonderful four-footed sidekick, Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2023 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their of Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop. The twelve week time period was chosen to correspond with the ubiquitous Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas''. This week, there were 30 shares by 10 artists featuring a wide range of gift ideas: unique jewelry, Christmas tags, watercolor art prints, an original book, photographic and digital art for the home, ornaments, key chains and a host of other beauties. If you need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping, the Countdown is the place to do just that! An excellent motto to follow is: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN. And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie businesses!
Each week during the Countdown, I pick my a favorite items from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog. These are my favorites for Week 2:
Christmas in July - Artisan Handmade Gifts - 2023
Posted July 13, 2023
Since it seems Christmas arrives earlier and earlier each and every year, it’s never too early to start shopping for those perfect holiday gifts for a loved one! Believe it or not Christmas with the jolly man in red and his reindeer show up in about 6 months - actually 164 days (from when this blog is posted) according to the ever ticking CHRISTMAS CLOCK. I’ve noticed quite a few “Christmas in July” promos and such at stores and on social media, so I decided to host one here on my Shadow Dog Designs blog. I asked artist friends to share two items - one that is “Christmasy” (in design or colors, etc.) and one that doesn’t have to be. Since many of these beauties are one of a kind, be sure to shop early (and often) so you don’t miss out. And please visit the shops of the artisans featured for even more wonderful creations that are handmade from the heart. Hopefully one or more items featured in the Christmas in July - Artisan Handmade Gifts - 2023 (or in the artists' shops) will make it into your shopping basket - treat yourself or someone else! And remember this year: SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE!
Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - 2022 - Week 11
Posted November 29, 2022
It's hard to believe that Week 11 of the Countdown to Christmas 2022 has already come and gone . . . . and there is only one more week left of the promotion! When the Countdown starts, the end of the twelve weeks seems a looooong way off. Then - BAM! - here it is! With Christmas just 3 1/2 weeks away - 25 days, where does the time go? The ever ticking Christmas clock doesn’t let up - those seconds just keep ticking down until the jolly man in red and white leaves wonderful gifts or lumps of coal under the tree. Just what is the Countdown? It’s a place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations. Need a perfect start (or finish) to your Christmas shopping? Shop the Countdown to Christmas and purchase that special piece for that special person! An excellent motto to follow this holiday season: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie businesses!
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Make It A Handmade Mothers Day 2022 - Week 1
Posted March 8, 2022
Julie and Handsome Harry of Blue Morning Expressions are once again hosting the wildly popular Mother’s Day Countdown 2022 - Week 1 on their The Blu Print blog. Last year's Mother's Day Countdown 2021 was a resounding success . . . so the 2022 version is up and running. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - on May 8 - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom, Grandmom, Aunts and other beloved women. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for this week, visit the shops of the artists featured in this week's Countdown and buy your Mom a beauty that was handmade from the heart. Support small, independent businesses, please.
Necklaces and Earrings - New Handmade Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted August 12, 2021
I've been working hard these past several weeks crating and adding new jewelry into my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS shop. Below are the latest necklaces and earrings that have been listed, an even dozen, all unique and all one of a kind designs. You’ll find a wide variety of styles, from boho to elegant . . . with some designs combining both! Also you'll find two new pieces from my "dog / cat rescue jewelry" line, where, when purchased, one half (1/2) of the purchase price is donated to an animal rescue group. If something catches your eye and you want to see more photos and information, please click the item photo or the link below a picture to be taken to the listing. I hope you enjoy each piece. And remember . . . Christmas is only 134 days away! It's never to early to stary holiday shopping. Yikes!
Make It A Handmade Mothers Day - Week 1
Posted March 9, 2021
Julie and Hurricane Harry of Blue Morning Expressions are once again hosting the wildly popular Countdown to Mother's Day 2021 - Week 1 on their The Blu Print blog. Last year's Mother's Day Countdown 2020 was a resounding success . . . so the 2021 version is up and running. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - on May 9 - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom, Grandmom, Aunts and other beloved women. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for this week, visit the shops of the artists featured in this week's Countdown and buy your Mom a beauty that was handmade from the heart.
Flowers for Your Ears - Handmade Floral Earrings by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted June 6, 2019
“I must have flowers, always, and always.”
Claude Monet
I totally agree with Monet. There are a lot of things I can give up in life, but flowers are not one of them. To plant a seed or seedlings into the ground . . . and then a miracle happens. Sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly, the plant grows and flowers emerge. I have been redesigning flower beds here at our house using a wide range of water wise plants: knipofia (called “mango popsicle’ - truly well named), several salvias in several colors, a fabulous penstemon; Russian sage, Texas red yucca, gauras and many colors of the workhorse of the desert garden, the glorious lantana. Every plant I chose has to benefit bees, butterflies and/or hummingbirds. I have seen bees and butterflies on the flowers, but the hummingbirds seems to prefer the feeder and the mimosa tree, which is blooming right now. Several times a day, I go out and just look, and am always filled with a sense of wonder and awe at the sheer beauty at what is happening.
