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Hot, Hot, Hot Dogs Days of Summer - Artisan Handmade
Posted July 11, 2019
The dog days of summer are here and the temperatures have gotten hot, hot, hot. It seems heat records have been shattered worldwide, especially in places that normally don’t get that hot. Weird weather all over. Climate change is real, folks!
So, just how did the term "Dog Days of Summer" come about? Depending on latitude and longitude, the Dog Days usually start the beginning of July and end the beginning of September in the Northern Hemisphere and between early January to early March in the Southern Hemisphere. Most people believe the phrase "dog days" developed by observing domestic dogs (such as our Seamus) laying around in shady areas during hot days. Another old myth, first attributed to Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist, stated in his Natural History that rabid dogs are supposed to be more common during this time of the year because the heat drives them mad. He advised feeding dogs chicken manure to curb the tendency!!!
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A Melange of Handmade - Three for Thursday - June 20, 2019
Posted June 20, 2019
This weeks's Three for Thursday is a melange of items. Since I have an addiction to words, I wanted to give a brief etymology of the word melange. The word, which rolls off the tongue to so beautifully, first is first found in French documents around the comes from the 15th century French word meler, meaning 'to mix, mingle." Meler, in turn, came from the Old French meslance or meslinges (a set of diverse elements). So, according to The Free Dictionary, the modern word means “a collection of various things.” Which is the perfect definition of the variety of handmade items I found from artists and am sharing in this post: The items featured are from three handmade artists: beautiful original watercolor paintings from Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; fun and handy to have cards of various types from Jacki of Christie Cottage; and a selection of one of a kind handmade jewelry from me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.
I hope you enjoy these picks. And that you will visit the shops of the artists for more handmade beauties.
Beautiful Blues - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted May 23, 2019
Blue is a much beloved, favorite color of many, many people worldwide, especially in Europe and the United States. But, if you look back at the history of blue, it was an ignored color for quite some time. The Greek and Romans had no word for the color - it was never mentioned in any of the many texts produced at that time. The color itself was barely distinguished from neutral shades. In the Odyssey, for example, Homer mentioned white and black hundreds of times, rarely mentioned red and yellow and used the term “wine-dark” to describe blue items, such as the sky or the sea. What we think of as blue was associated with the Celts who were said to have painted their bodies blue before going into battle, women with blue eyes were believed to have loose morals and descriptions of rainbows omitted the color blue altogether!
Spring Flowers - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted May 16, 2019
Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower . . . John Harrigan
If you are a flower gardener (like I am) and grow many flowers from seeds, you truly understand the above statement. So much beauty is bound up in a single flower seed which, like magic, can transform into a breathtaking flower. I find happiness in just holding flower seeds and dreaming of the infinite possibility of what they will become. And when that magic happens - a seedling appears, a plant grows, a bud unfurls and a flower faces the sun - I am truly happy, awe struck and humbled. And if I can share those flowers with family and friends, so much the better.
Make it an Artisan Handmade Mothers Day - Week 8
Posted May 1, 2019
Mother’s Day will be here in just a few short weeks on Sunday, May 12, 2019. If you haven’t already bought your Mom a gift, I have the best solution for you for your shopping needs! Check out the Countdown to Mother’s Day 2019 collection hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their The Blu Print blog. Each week, handmade artists share up to three of their unique items, each one a perfect gift for even the hardest to please Mom. This week, 12 artisans shared a total of 36 unique items. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 8, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a meaningful beauty that was handmade from the heart.
Make it an Artisan Handmade Mothers Day - Week 7
Posted April 23, 2019
Week 7 of the Mother’s Day Countdown - 2019 has come and gone like a flash. Since Mother’s Day will be here before you know it (here in a flash), now is the time to start shopping for that perfect handmade gift for Mom. Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their The Blu Print blog, the Countdown to Mother’s Day is a perfect place to start your shopping! Each week, handmade artists share up to three of their unique items, each one a perfect gift for even the hardest to please Mom. This week, a total of 36 artisan items were shared on the Countdown from 12 handmade artists. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 7, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a unique beauty that was handmade from the heart.
Make it an Artisan Handmade Mothers Day - Week 6
Posted April 16, 2019
Since Mother’s Day will be here before you know it, now is the time to start shopping for that perfect handmade gift for Mom. The Countdown to Mother’s Day 2019 is a great place to start! The Countdown is hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their The Blu Print blog. Each week, handmade artists share up to three of their unique items, each one a perfect gift for even the most hard to please Mom. This week, a total of 32 artisan items were shared from 11 handmade artists. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 6, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beauty that was handmade from the heart.
Christmas Gift Ideas - Tuesday Tag
Posted December 4, 2018
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Handmade Gift Ideas - Three for Thursday
Posted November 15, 2018
When I was browsing the internet the other day, looking for nothing in particular, I stumbled across this quote:
Something Handmade is So Much More Meaningful
It caught my eye, because, being a handmade jewelry artist myself, I promote buying handmade whenever I can, through my own work or the work of others artist friends. Handmade items ARE more meaningful . . . and are often one of a kind . . . and always have a small piece of the artist’s soul buried in them.
Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 1
Posted September 25, 2018
WOW, wasn't last Christmas like . . . last month? Yikes! According to the Christmas clock, there is only 90 days, 22 hours, 30 minutes and those quickly descending seconds (as of 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning) until Christmas is here . . . once again! And it's even closer by the time your read this "Make it an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 1" blog post!
