Blog entry

Radiant Red - Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday

For friends who know me well, they know red is my all time favorite color.  Always has been and probably always will be (although fuchsia and turquoise are right up there, too).  I love the vibrancy of the color and that, in ancient Egypt, it represented life, health and victory. Yay! 

So when I was musing on what the theme of this week’s Three for Thursday blog, I decided RED was it!  Three handmade items with red as a main component of the design are featured from three artisans. The three artists are:  Charlotte of Covergirlbeads; Jacki of Christie Cottage; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy these picks and will visit the artists studios for more handmade beauties.

New Jewelry From Shadow Dog Designs - Handmade Earrings and Necklaces

I like for jewelry to tell a story and to be able to tell a story about what I’m wearing.  That’s more important to me than a name, brand or label - Nikki Reed

I just love this quote because I love jewelry that tells a story, too.  And if you look at the jewelry in my Shadow Dog Designs handmade shop, many, many of the pieces have such interesting stories to tell.  Why buy mass produced necklaces and earrings when artisan handmade jewelry, often one of a kind pieces,has GREAT stories to tell!

Flowers for Your Ears - Handmade Floral Earrings by Shadow Dog Designs

“I must have flowers, always, and always.”

Claude Monet

I totally agree with Monet.  There are a lot of things I can give up in life, but flowers are not one of them.  To plant a seed or seedlings into the ground . . . and then a miracle happens. Sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly, the plant grows and flowers emerge.  I have been redesigning flower beds here at our house using a wide range of water wise plants: knipofia (called “mango popsicle’ - truly well named), several salvias in several colors, a fabulous penstemon; Russian sage, Texas red yucca, gauras and many colors of the workhorse of the desert garden, the glorious lantana.  Every plant I chose has to benefit bees, butterflies and/or hummingbirds. I have seen bees and butterflies on the flowers, but the hummingbirds seems to prefer the feeder and the mimosa tree, which is blooming right now. Several times a day, I go out and just look, and am always filled with a sense of wonder and awe at the sheer beauty at what is happening.

Make it an Artisan Handmade Mothers Day - Week 4

Here we are already at week 4 of the Countdown to Mother’s Day.  Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their The Blu Print blog, this is the perfect time to start buying a unique, handmade gift(s) for Mom!  This week, a total of 42 artisan items were shared on the Countdown - each one a delight for Mom - from 14 handmade artists. 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.