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Blog entry
The Autumn Wind is a Pirate - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Since I live in the Desert Southwest, autumn comes creeping slowly in with cooler temperatures. Most of the trees here are evergreen so there isn’t much color change. This time of the year, I always think about the forest we lived in for 10 years in Northern Virginia. Oh, the glorious colors as the leaves on the trees changed.!!! Sometimes almost blinding color combinations. Then sometimes, the wind would hit and the leaves became a carpet of color on the forest floor. I ran across this great quote about autumn wind from Steve Sabol: “The autumn wind is a pirate. Blustering in from sea with a rollicking song he sweeps along swaggering boisterously. His face is weather beaten, he wears a hooded sash with a silver hat about his head . . . The autumn wind is a raider, pillaging just for fun.” A pillaging wind playing with and swirling the colorful leaves!
Unique New Handmade Jewelry from Shadow Dog Designs
The past several weeks have been very busy with a huge (and very profitable) show on Labor Day weekend and then a week long trip to beautiful Couer d'Alene, Idaho and Spokane, Washington. But unique new handmade jewelry, mostly necklaces and earrings, have been listed in my Indiemade shop. All of the jewelry is one of a kind, except the very last pair of earrings, the snowmen earrings. Even though I make them in several different colored collars, the red ones are the most popular.
The Lucky Number 3 - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
I am not by nature a superstitious person, but I have a real affinity for the number 3 (even more for 33). For centuries, it has been revered as a lucky number. I also knew it had many, many religious connotations, such as the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) in the Christian faith - St. Patrick used a shamrock to teach about the Holy Trinity. It also describes the three attributes of God: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. In Hinduism, the number 3 represents the three gods: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer. The number 3 is very important in Buddhism and represents: the Buddha, the historical Buddha Shakyamuni; the Dharma, the Buddhist body of teachings; and, the Sangha, the people who follow the teaching of the Buddha.
Autumn Oranges and Browns - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Even though the temperatures are still getting in the upper-80's to mid-90's here in the Borderlands region, the nights are dropping down into the mid-60's at night. Autumn is definitely in the air! I have noticed some of the leaves on some of the bushy sumac trees are beginning to turn. Due to lack of rain or the shorter days? Probably both. But it is nice to see the slide into my favorite time of the year.
Go Ahead, Treat Yourself to Handmade! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Summer is slowing drawing to an end and, for many children, school has already started. Summer has probably been a whirlwind of activities, traveling, family outings, cook outs and shopping for school. With all that in mind, it’s time for YOU to treat YOURSELF to something handmade from the heart. Browsing through the shops of Indiemade artist friends, I found a wide range of items. Anyone is guaranteed to brighten up your day or at least pique your interest to see what other handmade wonders the artists have in their studios. If you see something you particularly like, please click on the live link below the photo for more information, photos and the price. Go ahead! Enjoy the selections!
New Handmade Necklaces and Earrings from Shadow Dog Designs
It’s hard to believe that’s it’s been almost a month since I shared my new handmade earrings and necklaces with you. I have been traveling quite a bit, to Dallas and to Kerrville, in the Texas Hill Country (a favorite place). Even with that, many new, one of a kind pieces of jewelry have been posted in my Indiemade shop. They feature a wide range of materials, from gemstones to Czech glass, and a wide range of styles, from classic to boho. But one thing they all have in commen . . . they are all fun! If something catches your eye, please click the live link below the photo to be taken to the listing for more information.
Breathtaking Blues and Greens - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Maybe it’s because I spent a good part of the week before last in a much greener part of the state, but blues and greens have been much on my mind lately. In the Desert Southwest, the color blue is extremely well represented with our huge, ever changing blue skies. But since the monsoon rains have been virtually nonexistent so far, the desert is still a toasty brown. I long for the rains and the land to green up like it normally does this time of the year and be a perfect complement to the blue skies.
First Handmade Item, Second Page - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
I just got back from a week stay in Dallas yesterday afternoon, a long 10 hour drive with my four-footed copilot, Seamus. As you can probably imagine, the city is still reeling due to the sniper who shot and killed five policemen during a peaceful rally. Residents of Dallas kept apologizing to me for what happened. Many are truly grieving at the insult. I told most of them that there was no need to apologize - that with the crazy world we live in now, the shooting could have taken place anywhere . . . unfortunately. My heart and soul goes out to the families that are left behind and to the policemen and other people who are left dealing with the horrible aftermath. And my heart and soul goes out to the families of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and the many others around the nation who have been unjustly shot and killed by the very men who are supposed to be there to protect us.
Handmade Jewelry - New at Shadow Dog Designs
The past few weeks have been very busy creating handmade jewelry, mostly earrings and necklaces. I'm trying get my Shadow Dog Designs online store stocked up well before the show season starts again on Labor Day and the start of the Christmas buying season. Shared below are six new pairs of earrings and two new necklaces. Two "oldies but goodies" round out everything to make an even ten. If something catches your eye, be sure to click on the link below the photo to be taken to the listing for more information. I hope you enjoy these one of a kind handmade beauties!
A Bounty of Beautiful Handmade Bracelets
Right behind earrings, bracelets are one of the most popular forms of body adornment. The origin of the term "bracelet" is from the Greek word "brachile" meaning "of the arm." The earliest identified bracelet was discovered in 2008 by Russian archaeologist in Denisova Cave in the Atai Mountains of Siberia. A finger bone fragment was found along with other artifacts, including a beautiful bracelet created from polished green stone. The items were carbon dated to around 40,000 years ago.
