Enjoy
*** FREE SHIPPING ***
(USPS Ground Advantage - U.S. only)
Blog entry
Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 3 Favorites - 2024
Posted October 8, 2024
It's amazing just how quickly Week 3 of the Countdown to Christmas 2024 sped right on by . . . with a wide variety of gorgeous artisan handmade / designed items left in its wake. According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 77 days until jolly Santa Claus and his merry band of reindeer are delivering packages once again. 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 2024 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop. This week, there were 36 shares by 12 artists featuring a wide range of truly unique gift ideas: jewelry of all types, coffee mugs, party tags, photographic and digital art, baby gifts, watercolors prints, 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 12 week Countdown, I pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog. Here are my favorites for Week 3:
Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 2 Favorites - 2024
Posted October 1, 2024
Week 2 of the Countdown to Christmas 2024 has already come . . . and gone! No worries, however, because unique artisan handmade / designed items were left in its wake. According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 84 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 2024 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 39 shares by 13 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 item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog. These are my favorites for Week 2:
Christmas in July 2024 - Artisan Handmade Gifts - Week 4
Posted July 18, 2024
Well, here we are a bit more than halfway through July and Week 4 of the Christmas in July 2024 is posted. It’s never too early to start shopping for unique holiday gifts for a loved one since Santa and his reindeer will be here sooner than we think right now. There are only 159 days to the big day (from when this blog was posted) according to the ever ticking CHRISTMAS CLOCK.
Artist friends were asked to participate in a “Christmas in July” promotion, sharing three of their favorite items - one that was “Christmasy” (in design or colors, etc.) and two others that didn’t have to be. The first week was only Christmas items - the weeks since have been a mixture. There is only one more week to go, Week 5. 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 artists for even more wonderful items that are handmade or designed from the heart. Hopefully items featured here or in the shops will make it into your shopping basket. Buy for a loved one . . . and be sure to treat yourself! Remember: SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE!
Christmas in July 2024 - Artisan Handmade Gifts - Week 2
Posted July 4, 2024
Christmas seems to arrive earlier and earlier each and every year. Because of this, it’s never too early to start shopping for those perfect holiday gifts for a loved one! Believe it or not, the jolly man in red and his reindeer show up in a little over 6 months - actually 173 days (from when this blog was posted) according to the ever ticking CHRISTMAS CLOCK.
Christmas in July has become a big thing in stores on line stores and all over social media, so I decided to host one here on my Shadow Dog Designs blog. I asked artist friends to share three items - one that is “Christmasy” (in design or colors, etc.) and two others that don’t have to be. Each week, one item will be showcased in a new blog, this being the first blog featuring a Christmasy item from each artist. 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 / designed from the heart. Hopefully one or more items featured here, on the next two blogs or in the artisans’ shops will make it into your shopping basket. Buy for a loved one . . . and treat yourself! Remember this year: SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE!
New Handmade Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted June 18, 2024
The summer heat has settled on the land here in the Desert Southwest with lots of sun and a big blue sky with rarely any clouds. That means there is more creative time in my jewelry studio as opposed to creative time outside in the flower beds. So I wanted to share with you eleven of my newest creations, four necklaces and seven pairs of earrings, found in my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS jewelry shop The handmade necklaces and earrings are one of a kind designs and will make unique gifts for a loved one . . . or, of course, yourself! If something catches your eye and you want to see more photos and details, please click either on the photo or on the short description under the photo. Thanks for looking. And remember to SHOP SMALL and to SHOP HANDMADE!
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day 2024 - Artisan Gifts - Week 8
Posted April 23, 2024
Just a warning: if you haven't started shopping for Mother's Day gifts, you're quickly running out of time!!! Just a little less than three weeks from now, the big day for Mom will be here. To help you in your search for the perfect gift item, check out the Countdown to Mother's Day 2024 - Week 8. It's a collection filled with unique artisan items, 33 beauties from 11 artists, all handmade / designed from the heart. As an added bonus, many of them are one of a kind designs. Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, each of the unique items 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, add something for yourself! Items on the Countdown go quick so 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. Also you'll be supporting a grateful indie artist.
New Handmade Jewelry at Shadow Dog Designs - One of a Kind Beauties
Posted April 11, 2024
It has been quite a while since I pulled together a blog featuring my newest handmade jewelry, a colelction of both earrings and necklaces, all one of a kind designs. It's hard to make myself sit down in front of the computer when Spring is calling me to be outside. The hummingbirds have been back for sevral weeks now, flowers are blooming and the birds are singing and nesting. Of course, I haunt several local nirseries to add to my new pollinator flower bed. Have to admit, it's looking pretty darn good!
So, without further ado, here are 10 of the latest earrings and necklace creatons that can be found in my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS jewelry shop:
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Artisan Gifts - Week 4
Posted March 26, 2024
It's hard to believe that Week 4 of the Countdown to Mother's Day 2024 Week 4 has come . . . and gone so quickly! We're near the end of March with Easter next Sunday, March 31. But the Countdown to Mother's Day 2024 doesn't take a break! The fun Countdown, hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, is the place where artisans come together and share three of their unique items. This week 13 artists shared a total of 38 lovely items - each one a perfect gift for Mother’s Day. Since Mom'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, grandmother, aunties and other much loved women. Be sure to browse all the wonderful handmade / designed shares for Week 4, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy a unique beauty that was artisan made from the heart. This year, definitely Make it a Handmade Mother's Day!
A Fantasia of Flowers - Artisan Handmade Floral Gifts
Posted February 27, 2024
Here in the Desert Southwest, you can feel that spring is not far off. The days are getting longer and warmer, the winds are getting . . . . well . . . . windier, and, despite not having much rain in the last several months, flowers are beginning to stir and put on buds, a prelude to their much anticipated appearance before the heat sets in. I saw the first swallows of the season yesterday, soaring and dipping through the arroyo that butts up against our back yard. Other bird migrants will soon be here - some will pass on through and some will stay to nest. Hummingbirds are greatly anticipated as are the butterflies, bees and wasps, all of which I hope will make good use of the new pollinator flower bed that has been a long, slow process in the making. Life is good.
Thinking about flowers reminds me of a favorite floral quote by the Impressionist painter, Claude Monet, who painted many amazing floral landscapes and cultivated large flower gardens at Giverny:
“I MUST HAVE FLOWERS, ALWAYS, AND ALWAYS”
I TOTALLY agree with him!
The flowers shared below blossomed in the creative minds, hearts and souls of each artist featured. I hope you enjoy browsing all these cheerful artisan handmade / designed spring beauties. And be sure to visit the shops of the artisans featured for even more to choose from. After all, Easter and Mother’s Day will quickly be here!
