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Red, White and Blue Artisan Handmade Jewelry - Three for Thursday
Posted July 4, 2019
The 4th of July is here! Cookouts, picnics, swimming, parades and fireworks are all memories of Independence Day festivities in the past. Plus wearing the patriotic red, white and blue! For this Three for Thursday, I decided to go with unique jewelry and share three pieces from three handmade artists. Each piece had to feature a majority of red, white or blue. The three artists are: Mary of PrettyGonzo; Sharon of BlondePeachJewelry; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. The GREAT thing about each piece of jewelry shared here today is that they can be worn at any time of the year, not just for the 4th of July! I hope you enjoy this edition of Red, White and Blue Artisan Handmade Jewelry - Three for Thursday.
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A Melange of Handmade - Three for Thursday - June 20, 2019
Posted June 20, 2019
This weeks's Three for Thursday is a melange of items. Since I have an addiction to words, I wanted to give a brief etymology of the word melange. The word, which rolls off the tongue to so beautifully, first is first found in French documents around the comes from the 15th century French word meler, meaning 'to mix, mingle." Meler, in turn, came from the Old French meslance or meslinges (a set of diverse elements). So, according to The Free Dictionary, the modern word means “a collection of various things.” Which is the perfect definition of the variety of handmade items I found from artists and am sharing in this post: The items featured are from three handmade artists: beautiful original watercolor paintings from Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; fun and handy to have cards of various types from Jacki of Christie Cottage; and a selection of one of a kind handmade jewelry from me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.
I hope you enjoy these picks. And that you will visit the shops of the artists for more handmade beauties.
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.
Handmade Jewelry - New Necklaces and Earrings by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted May 30, 2019
Spring is pretty much behind us here in the Desert Southwest. Although it has been a very mild spring (YAY!) with below average heat with morning still cool enough that a light jacket is sometimes needed. But all of us who live here know that summer is just around the corner bringing some triple digit temperatures in June. The the summer monsoons arrive (hopefully) in July, August and September bringing cooler temperatures again (but also the dreaded humidity) and a sense of rejuvenation.
So many of my new jewelry designs deal with summer-y type things, whether the designs feature flowers, summer colors, the sun or other beauties. And don’t forget your dogs or cats! I hope you enjoy the newest earrings (and one necklace) designs that can be found in my Shadow Dog Designs jewelry shop:
Spring Flowers - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted May 16, 2019
Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower . . . John Harrigan
If you are a flower gardener (like I am) and grow many flowers from seeds, you truly understand the above statement. So much beauty is bound up in a single flower seed which, like magic, can transform into a breathtaking flower. I find happiness in just holding flower seeds and dreaming of the infinite possibility of what they will become. And when that magic happens - a seedling appears, a plant grows, a bud unfurls and a flower faces the sun - I am truly happy, awe struck and humbled. And if I can share those flowers with family and friends, so much the better.
A Moment of Zen - Three for Thursday
Posted May 8, 2019
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love to garden, mainly growing flowers. There is something so gloriously fundamental about putting my hands in the living soil and planting something that will benefit bees, butterflies and/or hummingbirds (my way to decide what to plant - plus drought tolerance once established is a must since we live in the Chihuahuan Desert). Planting and tending to the plants is my meditation and I experience many moments of Zen when I feel deeply connected to myself, to others and to Mother Earth.
Just what is “Zen?” It’s to explain, especially when it is often tossed around so carelessly in popular culture (maybe like I just did above). Zen is an authentic spiritual tradition, a path to an awakening: awakening to / realizing who we really are, and awakening the aspiration to serve others and take responsibility for all of life. Zen is believed to be our true nature expressing itself moment by moment.
Delicate Easter Colors - Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday
Posted March 7, 2019
Easter is a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.
Janine di Giovanni
Since yesterday was Ash Wednesday - and Easter is approximately six weeks away - I started thinking about Easters past, always large gatherings of family and friends. But, before everyone showed up at our house, we went to Easter Sunrise mass, the only time my father was ever cajoled into going to church. As a child, I always remember getting a new Easter dress, usually with a matching headband, socks and gloves(!) to wear to church on Easter Sunday. And if my sister and I were lucky, a small purse would be included. Very stylish, indeed, and usually VERY itchy! The clothes were always spring pastel in color: pinks, pale yellows, pale greens, pale blues and such. A preview of all the pastel colored Easter eggs that were waiting to be found!
This week’s Three for Thursday features three items from three handmade artists that definitely are filled with the renewal of Easter springtime colors. The artists are: jewelry artist Mary of PrettyGonzo; crochet artist Pamela of MagdaleneKnits; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs, also a jewelry artist. I hope you enjoy my choices. And be sure to visit the artists’ shops for more splendiferous designs!
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!
Handmade Valentines Day Jewelry Gift Ideas - Three for Thursday
Posted January 24, 2019
Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.
-- Maya Angelou
Valentine’s Day will be here before we know - a day filled with pink and red, hearts, candy, cards and other tokens of love. Speaking of tokens of love, I thought I’d pull together some charming artisan handmade jewelry from three different artists in this new post of Three for Thursday. The first two jewelry selections are heart themed, but with a difference. Just in case, however, hearts aren’t your thing or your loved ones “thing,” then I also included a third item that would make a superb gift but that isn’t overtly Valentines-y.
