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Red, White and Blue, Happy 4th of July to You - Artisan Handmade
Posted July 2, 2020
It’s hard to believe that it’s already the first day of July (when I wrote this) with the 4th of July just around the corner. When you mostly are self-isolating, one day looks pretty much like the next. But July 4th will be here this Saturday and I’m looking forward to sitting on the upstairs back porch and watching at least three fireworks shows from the comfort of our own house. Seamus the Moose Dog will sit out there with us - fortunately he is not bothered by the booming noises fireworks can make.
Since the 4th will be here very soon, I wanted to feature three red, white and blue items from three artist friends. The artists are; Charlotte of Covergirlbeads; Pamela of MagdaleneKnits; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy this selection of patriotic colored items and will visit the shops (and hopefully purchase) a beauty there.
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Summer Flowers - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted June 4, 2020
Summer will soon be here. Despite the (expected) triple digit heat that has set in here in the Desert Southwest, the water wise flowers I planted last year and in the cool of this spring are blooming up a storm. Everyone who knows me really well knows I love to work in my flower beds . . . and am ecstatic at the resulting blooms. So my beautiful flowers are the inspiration for this week’s Three for Thursday where I feature three items from three artists. This week the artists are: Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; Jacki of Christie Cottage; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. Enjoy the wide range of floral art. Hopefully one or more of the items will soon be on the way to you!
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 8
Posted April 28, 2020
If you haven't started shopping for Mother's Day gifts, you are quickly running out of time! Just a little less than two weeks and the big day for Mom will be here. To help you out, check out the Mother's Day Countdown 2020 Week 8, a cllection filled with unique artisan items, most of them handmade from the heart. Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Blu Print blog, each of the unique 39 items from 13 artists will make a memorable gift for Mom on her day. This is the perfect time to start buying a gift(s) for your Mom - and, perhaps, for yourself! These items on the Countdown go quick, and, since many are one of a kind, don't miss out. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 8, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was HANDMADE.
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 6
Posted April 14, 2020
Where did Week 6 of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2020 go? It was here . . . and then was gone. The Countdown is hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Blu Print blog. This week, 36 handmade items from 12 artists were shared. Each unique tem will make a memorable gift for Mom on her day. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it, this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom - and, perhaps, for yourself! These items go quick, and, since many are one of a kind, don't miss out. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 6, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade from the heart.
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 5
Posted April 7, 2020
Another week of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2020 has come and gone - Week 5 already!!! Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Blu Print blog, Thirty-three unique handmade items were shared from 11 artists. Each one will make a memorable gift for Mom on Mother’s Day. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it, this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom (and, perhaps, for yourself). Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 5, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade from the heart.
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 3
Posted March 24, 2020
It's been over a week now since my husband and I decided to really get serious about social distancing due to COVID-19. I keep hearing how people are bored and have nothng to do. Not true in my case. I keep VERY busy! Now that we're in the Upside Down, I realized - except for yoga and working out at the YWCA for an hour each weekday, eating out with friends now and then, and doing art shows - my life, once I started creating jewelry and selling online, always had a lot of social distancing. And I bet a lot of my artist friends are the same way. OK, enough of that. I just want everyone to stay safe and healthy out there!
Week 3 of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2020 seemed to blow right by. Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their the Blu Print blog, 30 unique handmade items were shared from 10 artists - each one a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day. Since the big day will be here before you know it - about 7 weeks from now - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 3, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beauty that was handmade from the heart.
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 2
Posted March 17, 2020
Week 2 of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2020, hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their the Blu Print blog, quickly came and went. A total of 48 unique items were shared - each one a perfect Mother’s Day gift - from 16 handmade artists. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - about 9 weeks from now - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 2, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beauty that was handmade from the heart.
Follow Your Heart - Handmade Valentines Day Gifts
Posted January 23, 2020
Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence. - Vincent van Gogh
By now, everyone is aware that Valentine’s Day (or St. Valentine’s Day) is rapidly approaching; it will be here in less than a month, on February 14th. Many stores have been decked out in hearts, cards, red roses, candy and cupids since the day after Christmas so it’s a day that’s hard to miss.
Since the most common Valentine's Day symbol is the heart, the new "Follow Your Heart" Three for Thursday blog is dedicated hearts. Three beautifully unique heart items are shared from three handmade artist friends. Some of the items are more traditional and some are not - but all will make a perfect Valentine’s Gift for your loved one. The artists featured are: Julie from Blue Morning Expressons; Heather from BluKatDesign; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. If something catches your eye, click on the photo or the description and you’ll be taken to the item in the shop. I hope you enjoy each and every heart.
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. - Charles M. Schulz
Valentines Gifts: Handmade Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted January 17, 2020
Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, less than a month away! Now is the time to start thinking about / purchasing Valentine’s gifts for the ones you love. How about giving a one of a kind, handmade piece of jewelry this year? My Shadow Dog Designs shop is filled with unique necklaces and earrings, each one carefully handmade with quality artisan components and other top notch items, such as gemstones and Swarovski crystals. Some of these designs are brand new and some have been in the shop for a bit. You’ll find many hearts featured in the designs, but each one can be worn year round and can’t be pegged just as “Valentine’s jewelry.” If something catches your eye and you want more information, please click the picture or the link to be taken to the listing. Enjoy!
Shades of Purple - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted January 2, 2020
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.
