Blog entry

Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 6

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 3

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.

Follow Your Heart - Handmade Valentines Day Gifts

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

Shades of Purple - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

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.