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Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Favorites - Week 8, 2023
Posted November 15, 2023
It’s all going so, so fast! Week 8 of the Countdown to Christmas 2023 has already come and gone, with only four more weeks remaining! The ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock doesn’t let up - according to it, Santa and his flying reindeer will start their journey in only 39 days! Yikes!!!! Need a perfect place to start / finish your Christmas shopping? The Countdown - a chance for artists to come together and share three of their unique gift ideas - is the just the place to do that holiday shopping! Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions are hosting the twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2023 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog (where you can also see the first seven Countdowns). This week, 39 items, many which are one of a kind designs, from 13 artists are featured. The artists shared a wide range of handmade gift ideas: jewelry of all sorts, Christmas gift tags, sweatshirts, limited edition prints, photographic prints, lampwork beads, coffee mugs and much, much more. A wonderful motto to follow: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support hard working indie artists!
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, in an order determined by drawing numbers from my trusty numbers bowl. I hope you enjoy these unique items!
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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!
Buy Artisan Handmade for Mothers Day 2023 - Week 1
Posted March 14, 2023
Julie and the ever Handsome Harry Florida Dog of Blue Morning Expressions are once again hosting the wildly popular Countdown to Mother’s Day 2023 Week 1 on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. Last year's Mother's Day Countdown 2022 was a resounding success . . . so the 2023 version is up and running. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - on May 14 - this is the perfect time to start thinking about buying a gift(s) for your mom, grandmom, aunts and/ or other beloved women. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares, visit the shops of the artists featured in this week's Countdown and buy your mother a beauty that was handmade / designed from the heart. When you do so, you support a small, independent business (which makes us do a happy dance)!
Make It a Handmade Christmas 2021 - Week 10
Posted November 23, 2021
Wow! Christmas Eve will be here in 30 days! And there are only two more weeks left in the Countdown to Christmas 2021! Where does the time go? The ever ticking Christmas clock doesn’t let up and keeps ticking down those seconds until Santa and his herd of reindeer make a nighttime visit to leave gifts or lumps of coal. The Countdown is the place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations. Need a perfect start to your Christmas 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!
Make It a Handmade Christmas 2021 - Week 9
Posted November 16, 2021
Christmas is barreling down on us - it will soon be here! Week 9 of the Countdown to Christmas 2021 has come and gone and the ever ticking Christmas clock doesn’t let up. According to what it says today, Santa and his traveling buddies will start their journey in only 38 days, just five weeks from now! The Countdown is a place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations and then promote each other. Need a perfect start / end to your Christmas shopping? Shop the Countdown to Christmas to browse and purchase that special piece! An excellent motto to follow this holiday seasonis : SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small, indie shop owners!
Make It a Handmade Christmas 2021 - Week 7
Posted November 2, 2021
It is so hard to believe (at least to me) that November has already shown up and that we have only 5 more weeks of the Countdown to Christmas 2021! It’s also hard to imagine that Christmas will soon be here. According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 52 days, less than 2 months until jolly Santa Claus drops down that chimney and either leaves gifts or lumps of coal for deserving or not-so-deserving boys and girls. Since Christmas is looming, now is the perfect time to start your holiday shopping and the Countdown is the perfect place! Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, please BUY HANDMADE from small indie business owners!
Make It a Handmade Christmas 2021 - Week 6
Posted October 26, 2021
It’s hard to realize that we’re half-way finished with the twelve week Countdown to Christmas 2021! Yikes! That means Christmas is bearing down on us and will soon be here - just a bit less than 2 months! According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 59 days until ho-ho-ho-ing Santa and his merry band of clattering reindeer arrive once again. Now is the perfect time to start your holiday shopping and the Countdown is the perfect place! Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP ARTISAN HANDMADE to support a small indie shop!
Hearts for an Artisan Valentines Day - Three for Thursday - January 28, 2021
Posted January 28, 2021
Valentine’s Day is almost here, just a bit over 2 weeks away. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time you need to be deciding on an artisan gift for your loved one(s) and ordering it! Since the heart shape has been recognized the world over as a symbol of romantic love and affection for centuries, I decided this week’s “Three for Thursday'' will include artisan designed items with hearts, three items from each of the three artists. The artists featured are: Giacomo of JagoDesign2; Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy each of these heart-y picks. If something catches your eye, be sure to visit the artist's shop and browse for even more eye candy . . . and make that purchase for a meaningful Valentine’s gift!
Make It a Handmade Christmas 2020 - Week 11
Posted December 1, 2020
It's hard to believe that Week 11 of the Countdown to Christmas 2020 has come and gone . . . . and there is only one more week left! When the Countdown starts, the end of the twelve weeks seems a looooong way off. The - BAM! - here it is! And Christmas is approximately three weeks away. 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. 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: browse 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!
Make It a Handmade Christmas 2020 - Week 7
Posted November 3, 2020
Wow! We are already more than half-way through the Countdown to Christmas 2020 - only 5 more weeks to go! It’s hard to imagine that Christmas will soon be here. According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 51 days (when this bog was posted) until Santa Claus drops down that chimney and either leaves gifts or lumps of coal for deserving or not-so-deserving boys and girls. Since Christmas is looming, now is the perfect time to start your holiday shopping and the Countdown is the perfect place! Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, please PURCHASE HANDMADE from small business owner!
