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Halloween and Day of the Dead Handmade Jewelry - Three for Thursday
Posted October 10, 2019
Halloween and Day of the Dead will be here very soon. Halloween is the last day of this month, October 31, when ghouls and goblins and vampires and princesses and more show up at your door for tricks or (preferably) treats. Day of the Dead is actually celebrated on two days: November 1 for Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels - for deceased children) and November 2 is Dia de los Muertos (for spirits of all the dead). Women who celebrate these holidays definitely need unique handmade jewelry! To help with this, three jewelry items from three handmade artists are featured in this Halloween and Day of the Dead Jewelry blog post. The artists are: Mary of PrettyGonzo; Linda of VictorianStyleTreasures and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy the earrings, bracelet and necklace that are showcased. Please visit the artists’ shops for more wonderful handmade jewelry, many one of a kind designs.
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Colors for Autumn - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted September 5, 2019
Despite the days still being in the mid- to high-90’s here in the Borderlands (unusual here for this time of the year), the last few mornings have had a tinge of autumn in the air. I’m definitely ready for the cooler breezes and being able to leave the windows open. Purple asters will bloom and the cottonwoods will turn a glorious golden yellow. Fall will soon be here (I hope!).
With autumn in mind, I decided to choose handmade beauties in fall colors for this Three for Thursday titles, appropriately enough, Colors for Autumn. The artists today are: Kathy of KatsAllThat; Pamela of MagdaleneKnits; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy my autumn inspired picks and will visit the shops of the artists for more wondrous handmade fall elegance.
Flowers for Your Ears - Handmade Floral Earrings by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted June 6, 2019
“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.
Radiant Roses for Julia
Posted May 18, 2019
My good friend, Julia, LOVES roses. She has planted the most amazing rose garden in her backyard, mostly lining the rock wall separating her yard from the large arroyo on the other side of the wall. Each year, Julia spends three months in Bolivia visiting with family and friends. Unfortunately, that is also when her roses are at the peak of their bloom. Because I hate that she misses the showy display from her rose babies, I went to her house to take photos of the roses so I could share them on a blog post and then email her the link. Looking at the photos is not the same, of course, but at least Julia can see how much beauty her roses are bringing to me and to her neighbors who water her plants. It's just too bad there's not the ability to attach a scratch and sniff thingy for each photo so she can enjoy the heavenly perfume! Happily, some of the roses rebloom in late summer, so she gets to enjoy some of the beauty then.
Flower Earrings - Artisan Handmade by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted February 20, 2019
When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not. Georgia O'Keeffe
One of my all time favorite artists is Georgia O’Keeffe. Whenever I’m in Santa Fe, I'm always drawn to the museum named after her. While there, I almost go into a meditative state while contemplating her paintings. Her flower paintings are dear to my heart.
All through my life, I have had flower gardens, some rather grand and some on a much smaller scale, such as the one here in the Desert Southwest. I cannot imagine life without the beauty and cheerfulness of flowers (or dogs, for that matter!). Life would be so bland with out them. Because of that, flowers designs can always be found in my handmade jewelry, especially the earrings. For this blog post, I chose 10 pairs of earrings, some new and some that have been in my shop a while, to feature. There are many others in my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS shop. I hope you will stop by and take a look . . . and maybe buy a pair for yourself or a loved one.
Valentines Day Jewelry, Earrings and Necklaces Handmade by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted January 31, 2019
If I had a flower for every time I thought of you . . .
I could walk through my garden forever.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Valentines is just a bit over two weeks away, on February 14. It is a day a day filled with pink and red hearts, flowers, cards, candy, and other tokens of love and devotion. With that in mind, I wanted to share a collection of handmade Valentine’s Day jewelry, mostly earrings but two necklaces are also included. Some of the jewelry from my Shadow Dog Designs handmade shop are traditional Valentine’s Day designs; others are not and can definitely be worn all year long. There are even a couple for a dog lover. I hope you enjoy this beautful collection . . . and maybe one or more of the one of a kind designs will end up with your sweetheart!
Shopping for Handmade Christmas Gifts - Tuesday Tag
Posted December 18, 2018
Please share your links on the host blog: CHRISTIE COTTAGE
Shopping for Christmas Gifts - Tuesday Tag
Posted December 11, 2018
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Please share your links on the host blog: CHRISTIE COTTAGE
Unique Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted August 2, 2018
The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.
Dieter Uchtdorf
Two weeks have already flown . . . and here it is, time for another Three for Thursday blog post. Three wonderful handmade items from three different artists are featured. The artists highlighted this week are: Marcia of MarciaMcKinzieArt with unique watercolor batik paintings (I chose all beautiful landscapes); a wide range of fiber crafts by Jacki of Christie Cottage; and unique boho style jewelry by me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. If something catches your eye, please be sure to click on the photo or the link below the picture to be taken to the item for more photos and information. I hope you enjoy the unique artisan handmade items featured below. And, remember: BUY HANDMADE!
It's an Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday - Polymer Clay
Posted July 19, 2018
I think there is something very special about handmade work. You can appreciate the thought, detail and time that have been invested into creating something amazing, whether it is great or small. In my opinion, handmade goods are accessible works of art.
Tami Gagne
What an amazing quote . . . and one I agree with 100%. There is always something very special about a handmade item since part of the artist’s heart and soul goes into each piece created. You will definitely see what I mean when you look at the work of the artist’s featured today. Not that I planned it this way - it just happened - but the the three artists included in this week’s Three for Thursday blog are all polymer clay artists (who also work in other mediums), creating such amazing and diverse art. The artist’s are: Pati Bannister of patibannister; Julie Cleveland of Blue Morning Expressions; and Susana Paredes of EarthExpressions. I have purchased from all three of these polymer clay artists and can guarantee that their work is superb.
